The Heavens: One World, One Superpower

All three items belonged to Duan De: the Devouring Demon Cover, the Nether Iron Battle Armor, and the Former Secret Manual. Su Chen thought to himself, "If I draw one of them, Duan De will be devastated." With that thought, he was eager to try.

The Devouring Demon Lid is part of the Ruthless Great Emperor's ultimate imperial weapon; it's the lid of the Devouring Demon Jar. Although it's just a lid, it's forged from the head of the Ruthless Great Emperor's previous body, representing its essence and possessing immense power. Moreover, obtaining this treasure would undoubtedly complement Su Chen's Undying Heavenly Art, resulting in an unimaginable boost to his combat strength. Su Chen was very tempted by this.

The Nether Iron Armor was even more extraordinary, the very weapon Duan De relied on for his "survival of grave robbing," allowing him to dare venture alone into the Emperor's Tomb. Its usefulness was immense. If it were taken away, Duan De would likely erupt in fury. Unfortunately, this treasure was deeply intertwined with Duan De; if taken away one moment, it would probably be summoned back the next. Taking it would only waste one opportunity, so Su Chen put the treasure out of his mind.

The "Former Secret" was created by Duan De's previous incarnation, the Heavenly Venerable Who Transcended Tribulation, and is one of the Nine Secrets of Shrouding the Heavens, possessing heaven-defying abilities. First, it grants immortality of the primordial spirit, allowing for extreme enhancement of the primordial spirit and divine consciousness, resisting attacks on the divine soul and curses. Second, it allows for foresight, anticipating the enemy's moves, avoiding misfortune, and near-immortality. Third, it allows for tracing cause and effect, searching for treasures, finding secret realms, and unraveling mysteries. Fourth, it allows for the evolution of divine thought, enabling attacks on the enemy's primordial spirit.

The "Former Word Secret" is extremely powerful. Su Chen thought of Wang Teng, who said, "My son has the potential to become an emperor," and it seemed that he had obtained the "Former Word Secret." This opportunity was passed down by the mysterious crane, the guardian of the Chaotic Ancient Emperor's legacy. The mysterious crane obtained the "Former Word Secret" inheritance that the Tribulation-Crossing Celestial Venerable had inscribed on the Eternal Blue-Gold Ancient Jade.

Su Chen was caught in a mental struggle, thinking to himself, "The items I'm drawing are too incredible. They're all equally precious, and I can't bear to part with any of them." In the end, he chose the Devouring Demon Cover, knowing that he still had a chance to draw from the previous part of the Secret of the Word, but he couldn't miss the opportunity that would cause Duan De heartache.

"Let Duan, that old dog, dare to come and steal my treasure. Let him feel the pain of losing it too," Su Chen chuckled to himself.

"System, draw the first item: Devouring Demon Cover."

[Drawing the Devouring Demon Cover is in progress; draw successful]

A palm-sized ceramic bowl appeared before Su Chen. It was unremarkable, without even any mysterious patterns, only an extreme black, a black that could devour everything. Yet, it contained the Dao of the Ruthless Great Emperor: to devour everything and achieve one's own perfection.

Su Chen received the Devouring Demon Cover and immediately felt a strange sensation. The divine power within his body surged wildly, operating autonomously according to the cultivation technique without his conscious effort. At the same time, the Devouring Demon Cover emitted a tremendous suction force, drawing in and expelling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, found an outlet and rushed into the Devouring Demon Cover in Su Chen's hand, then transformed into pure, indestructible divine power, entering Su Chen's body.

His eyes widened, and he quickly controlled the Devouring Demon Canopy, pausing its absorption of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In his heart, however, he was secretly overjoyed: "The Devouring Demon Canopy can autonomously absorb and release spiritual energy for cultivation; it's practically cheating!"

The sudden movement of absorbing and releasing spiritual energy had already alerted the cultivators of Lingxu Cave Heaven.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, the short, stout Taoist priest Duan De frantically searched himself, looking over every inch of his body while muttering to himself, "Damn it, my broken bowl, who stole my broken bowl?"

He rummaged through his body, retrieving a jade basin and continuously tossing things out of it: various radiant pills, talismans filled with mysterious runes, large quantities of unknown ores, immortal gold, a golden longevity lock, a set of nine divine weapons, a magical lamp...

He threw out countless treasures, but the more he searched, the less he could find them, and the more anxious he became.

His eyes were bloodshot and sweat beaded on his forehead. He had long experienced the power of the Devouring Demon Canopy; it was definitely an ultimate imperial weapon. He guessed it was part of the Ruthless Great Emperor's Devouring Demon Canopy, and now it was lost for no reason. How could he not be furious?