Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
Sixteenth Prince’s expression froze as he glared at Qin Yun and Yi Xiao, who were chatting a distance away.
“I never expected an itinerant cultivator to successfully seduce Yi Xiao. That Yi Xiao truly has low standards. To think I thought so highly of her in the past,” Sixteenth Prince thought hatefully. However, he could not curb the pangs of jealousy in his heart. After all, Yi Xiao was the most beautiful and dignified woman he had ever seen. She was also the one that stirred his heart the most. “How dare an itinerant cultivator snatch her from me. He truly has a death wish.”
The elder standing beside him was brawny and bald. Although he was covered in long robes, they could not hide the fact that his body was the most powerful and grandiose of the people present. His neck and wrists were exposed, and the skin there suffused a golden glow.
He was also the person with the strongest aura among the people present. When he scanned his surroundings, his eyes were cold! Be it the Yi family or the Zhu family, or even the Bai family from Numinous Treasure Mountain, the elder only looked at them coldly. He couldn’t even be bothered to force a smile.
But…
When he saw Sixteenth Prince warmly greet Yi Xiao, the young lady from the Yi family, only for her to go off to a corner with Qin Yun, he understood what was going on. He especially knew thanks to the ugly expression on Sixteenth Prince’s face.
“Hongyi.” The bald elder sent a voice transmission to the Sixteenth Prince standing beside him. “Do not let trivial things like the affairs of the heart affect what is important.”
“Elder Lie, don’t worry. Father Emperor picked me especially for the mission of coming here with you. I will naturally do my best to help Elder Lie get his hands on the Numinous treasure, Tuṣita Divine Fire Talisman Amulet,” said Sixteenth Prince with a voice transmission.
The bald elder nodded slightly and said with a voice transmission, “We’ll have to fight for the Numinous treasure, Tuṣita Divine Fire Talisman Amulet. Similarly, the transcendent-grade Dharma treasure, Golden Core Cauldron, must be obtained as well. Long ago, Perfected Scenic Yang created the ‘Golden Core Outer Pill Three Volumes.’ Two of the volumes are currently in the imperial palace’s treasury. But to this day, no one has been able to refine a Golden Core Outer Pill! Perfected Scenic Yang was the only person in history to refine it. His Majesty has said that in order to refine the Golden Core Outer Pill, one would probably need to use Perfected Scenic Yang’s alchemical cauldron ‘Golden Core Cauldron’ to stand a chance.”
“Elder Lie, I understand. I’ll follow your every instruction,” said Sixteenth Prince with a voice transmission immediately.
“Alright. His Majesty thinks highly of you. It is a rare opportunity to challenge yourself. Grasp this opportunity well. As for that young lady, Yi Xiao, is she the one you like?” The bald elder said laughingly with a voice transmission, “If there’s a suitable chance, we can just silently cause Qin Yun to die.”
Sixteenth Prince’s eyes lit up as he said with a voice transmission, “Alright. We should place importance on the more serious matters. If we do act against Qin Yun, however, Yi Xiao must not see it! It would be problematic if Yi Xiao were to bear a grudge.”
“Do you need to teach me something so trivial?” A smile suffused the bald elder’s lips.
“Yes, yes,” Sixteenth Prince said immediately.
…
As for Qin Yun and Yi Xiao, they were chatting in a corner of the yard. Hong Lingtong knew better than to disturb them.
“Qin Yun, among the six parties here, three of them have experts at the Connate Golden Core realm,” Yi Xiao explained with a voice transmission. “They are Yue Chapter’s Deacon Yuan, the Bai family’s Fairy Junyue, as well as the strongest person present, the royal family expert, Ji Lie.”
Qin Yun was alarmed as he asked with a voice transmission, “Ji Lie? He’s the strongest?”
“Yea.”
Yi Xiao immediately passed the information to her lover. The way she saw it, Qin Yun’s side was lacking in heritage. They also did not have many powerful treasures, which worried Yi Xiao. “Ji Lie is like you. He has reached the level of intent domain. But he is at the Connate Golden Core realm! Furthermore, with the royal family being what it is, they will definitely bestow him with powerful treasures.”
Qin Yun was secretly alarmed.
“Among the six parties, Ji Lie is undoubtedly the top when it comes to raw strength! He alone can match the collective efforts of the rest,” said Yi Xiao with a voice transmission. “The second person is Fairy Junyue! She is from Numinous Treasure Mountain’s Bai family. Since the Bai family is taking action, she must be carrying powerful treasures with her. With those treasures, she is probably the only one capable of matching Ji Lie in a battle.”
“Although Deacon Yuan is a Connate Golden Core sword immortal, he is only ranked third! Qin Yun, your strength should be close to Deacon Yuan’s, but in terms of Dharma treasures, you are lacking,” said Yi Xiao.
“My Intrinsic Flying Sword has reached the fourth-grade now.” Qin Yun could not help but comment with a voice transmission. “Don’t you think too lowly of me.”
“Deacon Yuan is a Connate Golden Core sword immortal that has cultivated for centuries. His Intrinsic Flying Sword has also been nurtured to the fourth-grade,” explained Yi Xiao. “However, it’s only still there because he lacks insight! Furthermore, as Yue Chapter’s Deacon Yuan, the chances of him bringing a first-grade Dharma treasure into Scenic Yang Cave Abode is very unlikely. However, he will bring two or three second-grade Dharma treasures and some life-preservation treasures. That is certain. As for you? All you have is a fourth-grade Intrinsic Flying Sword!”
Qin Yun was rendered speechless as he grumbled through a voice transmission. “Alright, I get it. I’m only an itinerant cultivator, after all.”
Deacon Yuan’s background was considered the weakest.
But he was also one of the only two Connate Golden Cores in Yue Chapter’s present generation. The Yue Chapter was unwilling to risk a first-grade Dharma treasure but for it to have survived since ancient times, the Yue Chapter’s heritage was strong enough to compensate. It was also normal for the Yue Chapter to let Deacon Yuan bring two or three second-grade Dharma treasures and other life-preservation items with him.
In bouts between cultivators, external objects were as important as combat skills!
There was no need to elaborate on the Bai family or the Ji family from the imperial lineage. They were the two strongest family clans in the world! They no doubt had their eyes on the Numinous treasure and transcendent-grade Dharma treasures within the cave!
Even the Yi family and the Zhu family, both thousand-year-old family clans, had only sent people at the Connate True Core realm.
“Qin Yun, you also have your advantages. You are close to Deacon Yuan and Fairy Junyue in terms of strength. However, you are lacking in Dharma treasures and have fewer resources at your disposal,” said Yi Xiao with a voice transmission. “As such, they probably do not think of you as a true opponent. That too is a great advantage.”
“Yes! Yes!” Qin Yun was elated that Yi Xiao was so considerate of his feelings.
“Everyone.”
Suddenly, a few Daoists walked over. The person speaking was a fat Daoist.
“Sect Master Gong.”
“Greetings, Sect Master Gong.”
The royal family, the Bai family, and everyone present, including Qin Yun and Hong Lingtong, bowed hurriedly.
The fat Daoist was Jiang Prefecture’s strongest expert! Among the Jiang Prefecture’s six Connate Golden Core realm experts, only Sect Master Gong had reached the level of intent domain. Of course, that strength was on the surface! According to what Qin Yun knew, Scenic Mountain Sect was once a Daoist sacred land. Even though it had declined, it still had an Essence Soul immortal presiding over it in secret! However, having only one Essence Soul immortal and two Connate Golden Cores was basically like having little cats and dogs that it made them far from being a Daoist sacred land!
One had to know that if the Buddhist and Daoist sacred lands joined forces, they would be even stronger than the imperial government.
“Since everyone is here,” Sect Master Gong said with a smile, “We shall not delay any further. Now, let us set off for Scenic Yang Cave Abode.”
“Alright.”
“We will follow your instructions, Sect Master Gong.”
Soon, Sect Master Gong led the group on a cloud away from Scenic Mountain Sect and headed for the Scenic Yang Cave Abode.
******
“The six parties that are entering Scenic Yang Cave Abode are: Numinous Treasure Mountain’s Bai family’s Bai Junyue and Bai Junyu, The Yi family’s Yi Fenggu and Yi Xiao…” The imperial government immediately received the information.
It was not only limited to the imperial government.
The Primordial Chaos Sect, Divine Firmament Chapter, Numinous Treasure Mountain, as well as the large family clans that participated all received the information.
Once so many people learned of the news, it was no longer a secret.
…
“The Scenic Yang Cave Abode has been opened? The Scenic Mountain Sect and experts from six parties are entering together?” Similarly, Myriad Temple received detailed news of the matter. “This information is rather valuable and can be sold for a good price. The demons and the Four Seas’ Water race will probably be very interested in it.”
…
Cloudfiend Mountain.
As a home of the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons, legend described it as a fiend mountain that floated above the clouds.
In fact, Cloudfiend Mountain was situated above the clouds that hung over Qian Prefecture. Array formations were activated perennially that spewed black mists around it. Even if typical cultivators and demons were to fly around its vicinity, they would not be able to find Cloudfiend Mountain.
And at that moment, two fiendcelestials met in Cloudfiend Mountain.
One was a plump white-robed elder and the other was a handsome man holding a fan.
“This is news from Myriad Temple. Take a look.” The fat elder smiled as he waved his hand. Text began appearing in midair beside him.
The handsome man read the floating words as he gently swayed his fan. With a look of surprise, he exclaimed, “Scenic Yang Cave Abode has been opened? I’ve heard that Perfected Scenic Yang was extremely powerful. Mountain Lord, you nearly died under his hands back then, correct?”
“Yea.”
The fat elder nodded with a smile. “Back then, I had just established the Cloudfiend Mountain lineage. I was highly spirited and challenged that old fool, Scenic Yang, to a battle above the East Sea. I was defeated in that battle! However, he was too hard-headed and was tarnished by too much karma. He eventually died from the tribulations. Let that be a lesson that one should not mess around too much once one becomes a god or immortal. His cave abode is opening, and it is located in the Jiang Prefecture. Back when the Nine Lineage Fiendish Demons handed out territories, the Jiang and Qian Prefectures were placed under my Cloudfiend Mountain’s jurisdiction. If my Cloudfiend Mountain were to ignore the treasures stored in Jiang Prefecture’s Scenic Yang Cave Abode, wouldn’t we be the ridicule of the world?”
“Of course, we need to vie for them.” The handsome man snapped his fan and immediately said, “However, we can’t enter the immortal abode. Perfected Scenic Yang set up array formations that spell certain doom for fiendish demons if they enter. The most opportune time to attack will be when they bring the treasures out from the immortal abode.”
“Then, I’ll leave this matter to you,” said the fat old man.
“Alright.”
The handsome man smiled as he looked at the text in midair and pointed at a paragraph. He said with a smile, “Look. Among the six who entered, five of them are as expected. They all have a substantial background, but this party is made up of itinerant cultivators? Qin Yun? Hong Lingtong?”
…
The entire world—humans, demons, Four Seas’ Water race, and the top factions—rapidly learned about the Scenic Yang Cave Abode’s opening. They also learned the backgrounds of the experts from the six parties. As such, information about Qin Yun and Hong Lingtong appeared in front of various powerful entities.