Once we arrived at the treasury, which didn't seem to be well hidden for some reason. It was a room behind a large door that was right behind the chair of the Sect Master.
There didn't seem to be any traps or any mechanisms to stop any thieves who would find it interesting to have a few hands in this jar of honey.
However, Elder Wong's words soon explained the situation.
"The same question that runs and ran through everyone who ever got to see the treasury is clearly painted on your face," he said.
"And what is that question?" I replied back.
"Simple, you're questioning why is the sect's treasures are placed in such an obvious place. To answer that, it's the sect master, of all the sects currently here there is none stronger than the Ancient Sect. So who in their right mind will dare come and steal something," Elder Wong said pridefully.
However, his prideful look soon switched to a frown when he saw the 'Are you serious' look on my face.
"What, you don't believe me?" he asked.
"Hell no, what do you mean to believe you, and strongest sect my ass, you said the Sect Master couldn't even discipline one of the elders because he was too strong for him and that was the same elder that died at my hands, the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator, hell if this is the strongest person then I fear for my future in this sect," I said.
"Calm down Ling Cao, I'm also still unable to understand how you managed to overpower someone at the Transcendent Stage. But the Sect Master is at the Saint Stage and even he couldn't, it wasn't about power, but compatibility," Elder Wong said.
"For me, it looked clear when the Sect Master crashed the elder's face into the concrete he was plenty capable of beating him up," I said.
"Not when he isn't using his demonic arts, once a Demonic Cultivator starts calling upon the power of his evil cultivation everything gets thrown out of the window logic included. However, you managed to suppress him while being, stupidly and incomparably weaker compared to him which is still hurting me in the head trying to figure out how you did it," he said.
"Do you honestly want to know?" I asked.
"Yes, I would be pleased to know how you managed what even I could never hope to do," he said.
I pointed at the elder's arm, and he immediately looked at the spot, it was the same black spot I pointed out when we first met.
"I told you that thing is stinky," I said then twisted my pointing finger, causing the black spot on his arm to spread only an inch, this elicited an unwholesome grunt from the elder.
"Bloody hell, what the hell is this? How are you able to control this disease," he asked.
"Not a disease it's poison, a great portion of the people in this sect have been bitten, I can even remove it if I want," I said "But like I told you last time, I won't do it for free. Anyway, what's behind the door, I'm getting impatient."
The elder rubbed his hand and said, "Okay let's go, you'll probably find some good things there, we'll talk about treatment later," he said.
He arrived in front of the door and simply opened it, there wasn't even a key needed.
"I really think the sect elder is being stupid for not even having this place protected," I said.
"Many tried to talk him out of leaving it open, but he is very stubborn, and as I said, he really is strong. Anyway, come, come, this is what I wanted you to see," he said.
Looking within the treasury I was honestly surprised. There were so many pieces of armor on display, set side by side in large glass cubes. Of these armors, some were made of ancient dragon scales, some were made entirely of Obsidian Metal, and a few were made of material even I couldn't recognize.
Then came the weapons, these were actually hovering over us. From staffs to swords and axes, to maces and even bows. Many weapons were on display and they all seemed to give off a great pressure.
If any of these things were to be discovered in recent times they'll probably be enough to wage war over.
I always thought the Ancient Sect was nothing but some weak ass sect, but looking at their treasury and the stuff they have in it, this is bound to change a person's opinion. It's not because they have powerful weapons that they're powerful.
It's because they have weapons that anyone would wage war over, and they're still safe is the reason why they are strong. Because they know that no one will dare come for these things lest they want a one way ticket to hell.
"What do you think," the elder gloated.
"Pretty trinkets, I can't use any of them," I said.
"Why not, you can pick one now, and then grow later to be able to use it," he said.
"The growing part is the issue," I said, since even if these things were world destroying items, they're nothing but a memory of the past, I can't take them with me. "What I want is not something that I'll only be able to use after god knows how long, if I ever survive long enough to use it. A bird in hand is better than ten on a tree, I don't really care about any of these weapons," I said.
"Then how about an armor that can protect you and you can use now and will still be usable until later," the elder said.
"Same issue, if I am a person who'll need an armor as a crutch to save myself from death then it's pointless to have it," that was clearly a lie, armor is by far the best thing a newbie like me could get, however, same thing, I can't take it with me to the real world so might as well make a lame excuse.
"What I want is what you talked about earlier, the cultivation manual for the ancient step," I said.
"Yes, we have that, but that comes with a condition," he said.
"What is the condition," I asked.
"I only wanted to show it to you not let you take it with you since the condition is to become an elder of the sect and pledge eternal servitude, I wanted you to see it to make you have a goal to aim for," he said.
"That's good and all but that's not my problem," I said.
"What do you mean?" the elder questioned.
"The sect master clearly said that I get to pick whatever I want from the treasury so this voids whatever condition you have, if you have an issue with me taking the book, then you can tell the sect master," I said.
Finding himself between a rock and a hard place the elder began pondering about what to do.
This gave me a moment to glance away from him and into the shelves that were behind him.
"Huh, what's that?" I asked as I got closer to the shelve.
"That's the Ancient Palm, it's also a core cultivation technique of the Ancient Sect, but didn't you ask for the Ancient Step?" he said.
"I did, but I'm now interested in this too,"
The elder thought for a moment and said, "I'll tell you what, instead of letting you take the manuals with you outside, which is forbidden by the sect, I'll give you half an hour to read through these manuals, once you're done you'll have to leave."
"Aren't you afraid that I could just copy them by hand?" I said.
"Hah, you can try but they're so complex that trying to copy them by hand will take you days. What do you say?"
"You'll give me half an hour?" I said.
"Yes."
"Make it one hour, and I can remove that mark from your hand," I said.
The elder looked at his arm then at the shelve and said. "Deal,"
Then he left the room.
I had a smile bigger than a devil as I looked at the shelves.
"One hour, right, let's start then," I said as I pulled two cultivation manuals at the same time and began flipping through their pages as fast as I could with my Mind's Eye on full blast.