Chapter 170: Short Sighted Fool
"I’ve found it!" Emma’s voice was steady, carrying quiet satisfaction as she raised the ancient scroll, its edges weathered but shimmering with faint runic light. "The Alchemy Formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill."
When Lordi and Donovan turned to her, she met their gazes with composed certainty. "If Lordi succeeds in refining the pill and produces three, I respectfully request one. Should the alchemy quantity be fewer, I’ll forgo my share—but in exchange, I ask for a copy of the alchemy formula and fair compensation in Spirit $tones." Her terms were deliberate, not a challenge but a prudent measure—ensuring she wouldn’t be left vulnerable in the vault’s treacherous stakes.
Donovan gave a sharp, dismissive nod. "Agreed."
No wasted words. No hesitation. His attention snapped back to the scrolls of cultivation techniques, fingers already unrolling the next parchment with predatory focus. Every second counted—his mind raced, devouring esoteric diagrams and cryptic mantras, etching them into memory before time ran out.
Lordi echoed the sentiment. "No issue here."
Emma Dawson exhaled a quiet breath of relief, her heart still racing from the tense standoff in the Hanz clan’s treasure vault. Though she stood at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement Stage, her earlier encounters had proven that Lordi Payne, a mere Seventh Layer cultivator, could match or even surpass her in combat. The realization stung, marking her as the weakest among the trio. The Treasury House’s oppressive air, heavy with the scent of ancient power and the faint, eerie fragrance of its azure wood shelves, seemed to tighten around her, amplifying her vulnerability.
If Donovan and Lordi turned against her, she’d be helpless, unable to flee or appeal to the Sword of Red Run for justice. The thought of dying in this shadowed chamber, her fate left to the mercy of two cunning sect comrades, sent a chill through her.
Emma couldn’t rely on the devil sword’s judgment; its earlier gullibility, so easily swayed by their deception to grant entry to the Treasury House, proved this psychosis sword spirit lacked the sharpness to discern truth from lies. If Donovan and Lordi killed her, they could likely spin a tale to placate the Sword Born, leaving her death unavenged. The vault’s night pearls cast a cold, ghostly light, their glow twisting the shadows into spectral forms that seemed to whisper of betrayal.
Emma’s relief came only when Donovan and Lordi agreed to her terms for the Foundation Establishment Pill’s Alchemy Formula. The heavy weight in her chest eased slightly, though she remained wary. She endured the estate’s horrors, no way for her only to leave the Treasury House empty-handed. While she had no immediate need for the Foundation Establishment Pill, her beloved senior brother, Rodney Luther, stood on the cusp of breaching to Foundation Stage, and securing an elixir pill for him was her priority. The vault’s eerie ambiance seemed to pulse with her resolve, urging her to seize this chance.
Lordi fought to keep his face impassive as the AllFullOS System’s shrill chimes clawed at his focus—