System: Replicating The Heavens

"Fifth Brother, who are these people? Why did you summon us here?" One of the Trial Spirits stared at the white Trial Spirit not far away with bloodshot eyes.

The others wore similarly dark expressions. Their faces had turned cold and filled with displeasure. Each one released a chilling aura as they questioned and rebuked White Trial Spirit harshly.

As Trial Spirits, they had always been revered by all challengers. No one had ever dared to act disrespectfully in their presence.

Yet now, they found themselves surrounded by the scorching Shadow Devouring Flame. It was a humiliating situation they had never imagined.

"There is no need to say more. I forced your Fifth Brother to summon you all. Otherwise, it would have been burnt to ashes." Alex said indifferently.

At the same time, the Shadow Devouring Flame in his hand became even more intense, causing all the Trial Spirits to feel their scalps tingle and their bodies tremble constantly.

Under the threat of Alex's Shadow Devouring Flame, all the Trial Spirits were like little chicks, not daring to say anything more.

"Now, bring me all the treasures and resources you're guarding. I don't have endless patience. If everything isn't in front of me within fifteen minutes, you might as well cease to exist," Alex said flatly.

The moment his words fell, the expressions of all the Trial Spirits changed drastically. Fear flickered in their eyes, and their faces turned grim. They hadn't anticipated such a direct and overbearing demand from Alex.

"That's impossible! If you want the treasures, you must pass our trials first. Otherwise..." one of the Trial Spirits snapped through clenched teeth, glaring at Alex with undisguised hostility.

However, before it could even finish speaking, the intensity of the Shadow Devouring Flame suddenly surged. In an instant, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed to an unbearable level. The Trial Spirits were overwhelmed by the searing heat and instinctively backed away. Their faces were immediately filled with fear. A sense of dread gripped them, and they couldn't help but feel that if the flame's intensity continued to rise, they would be reduced to ashes in no time.

"Can I go get the treasures now? My patience is really limited. I want to see all the treasures in fifteen minutes. If not, then I'll burn this place!" Alex then said indifferently in an extremely solemn tone.

After Alex finished speaking, he withdrew the Shadow Devouring Flame around the Trial Spirits.

The Trial Spirits didn't dare to hesitate. They can see Alex was not just threatening them. If they don't do what Alex wants, he'll definitely burn them to ashes. Thus, they immediately rushed towards their respective floors, fearing that they would be slow and would be punished by Alex.

Selyara, Elyndra, and Aurelius on the side finally came back to their senses at this time, and they all looked at Alex with different eyes.

"What? Is there something on my face?" Alex asked after seeing them looking at him like this.

"No, no, you... you are really too amazing!" Elyndra shook her head and wanted to say something but didn't find any words to express what she was feeling. In the end, she only showed a thumbs-up sign at him. Selyara and Aurelius also followed suit.

Alex shook his head with a faint smile and closed his eyes. Two invisible waves of energy silently radiated from his body—one extending vertically, the other horizontally—spreading out in all directions. For some reason, he had an inexplicable feeling that the Flame Pagoda Temple was far more than it appeared to be on the surface. Although he couldn't see or sense anything directly, a strong intuition told him that there was a hidden secret buried somewhere within this pagoda. All the trials and treasures here are perhaps nothing more than mere distractions or protective layers meant to guard that secret.

Alex knew he would not be able to see the secret with the naked eye, so he created two waves with the help of Chaos Energy before releasing them.

Chaos Energy is very special... and terrifying.

As long as Alex is not too far away, he can make Chaos Energy act as his senses, and this is just one of many properties of Chaos Energy. Although he could not see or hear anything, he could sense everything as long as he was willing.

Not long after releasing the two waves, Alex noticed a faint crack near the top floor of the temple, barely visible and seemingly connected to the void itself. The crack was well-concealed, but when the invisible wave of energy touched it, something within was stirred, causing a flicker of flowing light to flash from within. At the same time, a majestic aura subtly seeped out of the crack. The aura was deeply hidden, so well hidden that even Selyara and Elyndra failed to detect it. However, it did not escape Alex's senses.

'Indeed, this place does have a secret.' Alex nodded silently and then shifted his attention.

"Sir, we have brought all the treasures!"

Soon after, all the Trial Spirits returned and, with a wave of their hands, summoned a vast collection of treasures. There were weapons of all kinds, medicinal pills, cultivation techniques, rare herbs, spirit stones, energy stones, and countless other valuable items.

As expected of an ancient site left behind from the Era of Nine Swords, the wealth it held was staggering.

Seeing the treasure-filled scene, everyone's eyes lit up with astonishment and excitement.

Alex nodded calmly and picked up a sword from the treasure pile. It was an Origin God-ranked weapon known as the Sun Sword. As he held it, a wave of intense heat throbbed from the blade, and he could sense the powerful scorching aura sealed within.

He swung the sword a few times through the air. Each slash left behind faint trails of fiery light, revealing its destructive potential.

Alex was very satisfied with the sword but chose not to take it away. He lowered the Sun Sword and turned to the three people beside him. With a faint smile, he said, "Take whatever you like."

Elyndra's eyes sparkled with delight. She immediately stepped forward and picked up a crimson-colored spear. The spear was radiating a fiery aura similar to the Sun Sword, but its energy was more refined and appeared to be tailored for swift and precise strikes.

"This spear feels alive," Elyndra murmured while holding the spear close. As she gripped it, the weapon resonated with her aura immediately, and a faint hum echoed in the hall.

Selyara was more composed. She calmly scanned through the collection scattered in front of her and her gaze soon landed on a pitch-black orb nestled among a few treasures. She reached out and picked it up and immediately felt the faintly exuding spatial energy.

"A Void Core," she muttered softly while observing the orb in her hand silently. At the same time, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Alex also knew a thing or two about the Void Core. Such treasures are usually rare and powerful. It can reinforce spatial abilities or even stabilize teleportation under extreme conditions.

"I'll take this one," she spoke while putting away the core. Alex only nodded before speaking, "There are many treasures here. Take more if you want."

"Hmm," Selyara nodded thoughtfully and began observing the other treasures with calm interest. Elyndra, on the other hand, behaved like an excited child in a candy store. She would grab a treasure, play with it for a while, and then toss it aside once she lost interest—only to move on to the next. Whenever she found something that truly piqued her curiosity or pleased her, she would carefully store it away with a satisfied smile.

Aurelius, on the other hand, was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of treasures in front of him. He hesitated at first, but after seeing Selyara and Elyndra taking away a few treasures, he also reached for a slim jade box.

Upon opening the jade box, a soft golden glow emerged, revealing a single pill wrapped in light.

"This is… an Extreme Revival Pill?" Aurelius exclaimed in disbelief. "I've only ever read about this pill in my grandpa's secret alchemy book. It is a treasure that can bring back a cultivator below the Life Creation Realm to life as long as they have a breath left. Moreover, it also strengthens a person's recovery ability to a terrifying degree for the next thousand years."

Alex could see the details of the treasure. He nodded in agreement with Alex and chuckled lightly. "If you like it, it's yours."

Aurelius's expression turned serious, and after hesitating for a few seconds, he nodded slightly and took away the pill.

As the group picked treasures, Alex's gaze wandered toward the deepest part of the temple. Though the others were thrilled by what they found, his mind was still drawn to the mysterious crack he had sensed earlier.

'I have a feeling that these treasures are nothing compared to whatever's hidden inside that void crack.' Alex silently thought inwardly. For a moment, he even wanted to ignore everything and go directly to that crack. But he held back.