The Cunning Treasure Hunter-Chapter 122: The Pearl of a Thousand Years

Clear Peace realized that his internal energy had reached its limit.

He was on the edge.

The Grand Harmony Fist of Celestial Sword Sect, specialized in honorable direct combat, was clashing against the Soul Slaughter Sword of Bloodshadow Pavilion, designed for ambushes and assassinations.

It was only the balance of their strengths and weaknesses that kept the battle even.

It was never because his skill had truly reached Dark Emperor’s level.

"So, this is that so-called Grand Harmony Divine Fist?"

But Dark Emperor remained unfazed, even relaxed.

Even as Clear Peace threw his punches with all his might, the enemy still found time to mock him.

And then, in that very moment—

Dark Emperor moved his left hand.

A dagger spun between his fingertips.

The same kind of weapon that had struck Vera’s leg earlier.

Clear Peace sucked in a sharp breath.

It was already too late to dodge.

With a flick of his fingers, Dark Emperor released the dagger—

Straight toward Clear Peace’s foot.

A desperate predicament.

He couldn’t retreat.

All martial arts started from footwork.

If he pulled back his left foot now, his stance would collapse, rendering his technique powerless.

"Hup...!"

In that instant, Clear Peace made a decision.

He devised a way to minimize the collapse of his stance.

He moved forward instead.

"Ha?"

Dark Emperor frowned at the unexpected surge of pressure against his sword.

He had not anticipated Clear Peace choosing to advance in such a situation.

But because of it, Dark Emperor was forced back slightly.

And in that split second, Clear Peace struck the falling dagger with his knee, deflecting it.

Clang! Thud!

The poisoned dagger embedded itself deep into the cave floor, slicing through it as if it were tofu.

Its absurd cutting power was the result of being thrown with sword energy imbued in it.

But that was all Clear Peace could do.

"You’re collapsing."

Even the slightest disturbance in stance was enough.

The enemy before him was an absolute martial master of the mid-stage Kingdom of Harmony.

There was no way he would miss such an opening.

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At once, the Soul Slaughter Sword twisted unnaturally.

Waves of murderous aura burst out.

Clear Peace, his face now pale, tried to gather his energy and recover his stance—

But it was too late.

Boom!

This was not the incomplete sword energy of Edwin or Clear Peace.

It was the full-fledged sword aura of a mid-stage Kingdom of Harmony master.

A sharp, eerie blue light enveloped Dark Emperor’s short sword—

And it pierced directly through the center of Clear Peace’s Ethereal formation.

"…Kuhk!"

He twisted his body at the last moment, but his right arm was deeply slashed.

Blood sprayed out.

Even so, Clear Peace struck forward with his left fist—

But Dark Emperor’s kick was already heading for his chest.

Boom!!!!

The impact was so loud that it was hard to believe it was between two human bodies.

Vera watched as Clear Peace was sent flying like a rag tied to an arrow, crashing into the cave wall.

Clear Peace could no longer move.

Blood dripped from his head.

He was completely incapacitated.

"O-Old Master...?"

Caleb stared in disbelief at Clear Peace’s fallen body.

But no amount of wishful thinking would bring him back to his feet.

Clear Peace remained motionless—

And in front of him stood Dark Emperor.

"Move aside."

Perhaps the thought of having to clean up yet another corpse was bothersome.

Instead of using the blade, Dark Emperor struck Caleb with the flat of his sword.

Desperately, Caleb raised his own sword to block—

But it was useless.

Crack! Boom!!!

The sound of a sword shattering.

And the sound of Caleb’s body slamming into the cave wall.

The successive explosions made Vera gulp nervously.

Now, there was nothing standing between her and Dark Emperor.

However, there was one thing Dark Emperor did not know—

Vera was capable of standing up.

One hour before Vera entered the Secluded Training Hall,

Edwin retrieved something from the deepest part of the leader’s Chamber—a hidden treasure he had long kept secured.

A solid box, thickly wrapped in multiple layers of yellowed paper, sealed tightly.

"Take this with you."

"…What is this?"

"Just open it and see for yourself."

Edwin chuckled.

Beside them, Aria, who knew what was inside, had turned pale before forcing himself to regain composure.

There were likely fewer than a hundred such items in the entire Central Plains.

Vera carefully unwrapped the brittle layers of aged paper with her small hands.

A peculiar salty scent drifted into the air with each layer removed.

It wasn’t an unpleasant odor.

Instead, it carried a cooling, refreshing sensation—

"…I don’t know what this scent is."

She paused and tilted her head in confusion.

Both Aiden and Edwin, however, recognized it immediately.

"Have you heard of the sea?"

"Yes, I have. A vast saltwater expanse to the south and east."

"That’s right. It smells like the sea."

They had once traveled to Northern Ice Palace, though for different reasons and at different times.

Like the days when Aiden roamed the world as a wandering warrior, Edwin had also experienced the vast lands beyond.

This particular object had been a gift from Northern Ice Palace many years ago.

Once Vera unwrapped the last layer, a wooden box of deep brown color was revealed.

Slowly opening the lid, she found inside something that resembled a solidified mass of ox’s milk—

Yet it radiated an entirely different luster.

Softly gleaming, emanating an elegant and ethereal light—

A Thousand-Year Violet Pearl.

"Have you heard of the Thousand-Year Violet Pearl?"

"I’ve heard of it… but…"

The color drained slightly from Vera’s face.

The idea of receiving something this valuable was overwhelming.

"…Are you sure it’s alright for me to have this?"

"You’ll need it."

"But… I don’t understand why I would need something like this."

Edwin smirked and pointed his chin toward Aiden, signaling her to get the answer from him.

Aiden sighed deeply, realizing that as her master, he was the only one who could make her accept it.

"The Thousand-Year Violet Pearl neutralizes poison."

"…I know that."

"And Dark Emperor is from Bloodshadow Pavilion. No matter how skilled he is, can we guarantee his sword and daggers aren’t coated with poison?"

"Ah…!"

Vera’s eyes widened as she nodded.

It was a lack of experience.

She had never faced an opponent who used poison before.

Thus, she had never considered it a serious threat.

Now, she understood.

But even with this realization, the Thousand-Year Violet Pearl was still too valuable.

She bit her lip, hesitant to accept it.

Yet Aiden already knew why Edwin had pushed this responsibility onto him.

"Take it, Vera."

"But..."

"This isn’t the time for modesty. We don’t know when Dark Emperor will make his move. You need to at least have some form of protection."

"…Understood."

Still hesitant, Vera glanced back and forth between the Thousand-Year Violet Pearl and Edwin before bowing deeply.

"…Thank you."

"Use it well and keep it with you."

"Are you really sure about this?"

This time, it was Aiden who asked.

The Thousand-Year Violet Pearl was not a consumable item.

As long as it wasn’t broken or worn away, its effects would last forever.

Yet Edwin was simply handing it over.

"Would this be the last time? Judging by how things are unfolding, she’s going to witness more of the world’s ugliness soon. The least I can do is ensure that poison doesn’t claim her life meaninglessly."

"…Understood."

Nodding, Aiden placed the wooden box into Vera’s hands and firmly instructed her—

"Never take it off. Understood?"

"I… understand. With this, I won’t be affected by poison, right?"

"Not entirely."

"Then…?"

"Even if you’re poisoned, it will neutralize it quickly. And I’ve heard that it repels demonic energy altogether."

Vera slowly nodded.

Would it really be useful?

If Dark Emperor struck even once, she would be incapacitated anyway.

Even if the poison was neutralized, he wouldn’t wait for her to recover.

"In that case, wouldn’t it be less useful than expected?"

She muttered quietly.

But Aiden simply smiled.

So did Edwin.

Even Master of the Void Fist Clear Peace, who had been silently observing from the shadows, smiled faintly.

At that moment, Edwin glanced toward Master of the Void Fist Clear Peace and casually asked—

"Where is the disciple you were training? I haven’t seen them for a while."

"I sent them back to Celestial Sword Sect."

"…I see."

It was unfortunate.

Dominic, the Celestial Sword Sect martial artist, was a mid-stage Peak Expert Realm warrior.

Having one more skilled fighter would have been helpful.

But Master of the Void Fist Clear Peace had made the right choice.

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Losing another life to Dark Emperor would be pointless.

"Master… no matter how I think about it, I…"

Vera still hesitated, reluctant to accept such a precious gift.

But Aiden had already made up his mind.

And so had Edwin and Master of the Void Fist Clear Peace.

They would all throw themselves forward if it meant buying her even a second more of survival.

"Just keep it with you."