Chapter 520: Tell Shen Lingxuan that Her Husband Has Arrived

Chapter 520: Tell Shen Lingxuan, Her Husband Has Come

“Young master, but I… I’ve only got four legs!”

The tiger lay sprawled across Chen Kangbao’s shoulders; he was terrified, his running speed increasing as if a rocket booster had been added.

“Oh.”

With a flick of Qi Yuan’s finger, the roaring tiger instantly shifted its posture—its forelimbs no longer rested on Chen Kangbao’s shoulders, but its fangs clamped onto his belt.

In an instant, the carriage was pulled by six legs.

The carriage sped off in a cloud of dust, heading toward the Ten Thousand Mountains Absolute.

Along the way, it drew many stares, but most were merely curious or accompanied by light laughter.

……

At nightfall.

In the mountain inn, lanterns blazed bright.

The elmwood railing, aged and rotten, was coated with a thick layer of paint, concealing the bloodstains of old.

If one looked closely, many places on the railing still bore knife marks.

The inn was remote, a black inn, usually with few visitors.

Now, business was good, with many people arriving from outside Ning Country.

The once-arrogant innkeeper, seeing so many Weapon Masters, hunched his back and, for the first time, ran a legitimate business.

“Gentlemen, the divine artifact embryo has appeared. Does anyone have useful information to share?”

At this, an old man with a goatee spoke; his face was gaunt, his eyes bright and piercing, and a gourd hung from his waist.

“Since Master Wine has spoken, let’s not hold back. Share what you’ve learned so we can explore the ruins together. Otherwise, if more Heaven-grade Weapon Masters arrive, we won’t even get a sip of soup,” said a kindly old man.

He was an elder of the Ancient Thunder Gate, whose refined artifact was the Thousand-Silk Golden Feather Robe, excelling in defense with unparalleled physical training.

“Indeed, this ruin is far too eerie. Not only is it hard to enter, but even inside, all sorts of strange things happen that make your scalp crawl.”

“There are many specters inside, quite similar to the spirit-nurturing grounds of Thorn Blood!”

“Yesterday, Master Wu Gen barged in. As a peak Earth-grade, he thought nothing in the ruin could harm him and charged recklessly. But suddenly, a clay puppet appeared and stabbed him dead with a spear.”

At the mention of that clay puppet, fear flickered in the eyes of all present.

Those who could be called masters were all peak Earth-grade Weapon Masters, who, if they followed Qi Yuan’s plan and trained diligently without slacking, had hope of reaching Heaven-grade.

Yet one was stabbed dead by a clay puppet—who among those present wasn’t afraid?

“This ruin is truly perilous. Even Earth-grade Weapon Masters may not be able to protect themselves. Only Heaven-grade Weapon Masters can probably sweep through it,” said an old man, his voice tinged with helplessness.

As peak Earth-grade Weapon Masters, they were overlords in their own right, figures who could command the wind and rain.

But in the ruins ahead, they couldn’t even ensure their own survival.

“In all my years, I’ve never encountered such a dangerous ruin.”

“Right, an ordinary deadly ground usually has just one powerful specter guarding it, at most a hundred of the same kind.

But this ruin is different—even the specters discovered so far number in the hundreds. Truly bizarre!”

The Weapon Masters present had all seen great storms; there was little they hadn’t witnessed.

Yet this scene was something they had never heard of.

The Weapon Masters fell into thought, some frowning, others closing their eyes.

“I have some thoughts on this ruin,” said the Fox Mountain Crone, her voice hoarse, drawing everyone’s gaze.

“Do you all know what the ‘Secret Compendium of Origins’ records? It says: On that day, darkness descended, and specters fell upon the earth.”

The fewer the words, the greater the matter.

Hearing this, the Weapon Masters present all changed expression drastically.

“Could this be a forbidden specter zone?”

“There are still forbidden specter zones in this world?”

Many Earth-grade Weapon Masters began to have second thoughts.

In the Azure Mountain Realm, there were no specters in the past.

Then one day, darkness fell, specters descended upon the land, and many regions turned into forbidden specter zones.

At first, no one took it seriously, thinking it a minor accident.

But who would have guessed that within these forbidden zones, terrifying creatures—specters—would be born?

Disaster spread from there; countless specters crawled out of the forbidden zones endlessly, slaughtering mortals wantonly.

The human world became a hell.

In just ten years, the population of the Azure Mountain Realm shrank by more than two-thirds.

The dead and wounded numbered in the billions?

Finally, an allied force from beyond the heavens came and helped the Azure Mountain Realm suppress the specters.

The ten great forbidden specter zones were all suppressed and eradicated, and the specter tide vanished.

Yet specters took root in the Azure Mountain Realm, with new ones born from time to time.

Moreover, some small or broken forbidden zones still remained.

“If this is a forbidden specter zone… only a legendary Divine-grade Weapon Master could sweep it clean!”

The Earth-grade Weapon Masters present were horrified.

“Relax, even if this ruin is a forbidden specter zone, it’s a broken one. Otherwise, we’d all be dead!”

“Right, if it were a complete forbidden zone, Ning Country and Moshan Country would have been destroyed long ago!”

“If this is a forbidden specter zone… the rewards inside are absolutely tempting!”

“Many divine weapon materials come from forbidden specter zones!”

Many Weapon Masters had their own calculations.

They might not snatch the divine artifact embryo, but if they grabbed other precious items, it would still be a huge gain.

“Since this is a forbidden specter zone, the danger is certainly greater than imagined. I suggest we form teams to explore.

That way, even if we encounter a Heaven-grade Weapon Master, we won’t be completely defenseless.”

“Right, let’s team up.”

The Earth-grade Weapon Masters present grew animated and quickly began forming teams with great enthusiasm.

Tu Sihai was also in the inn, teaming up with a few old acquaintances.

“Alas, the five of us are quite strong, but we lack a top-tier master,” said a charming young woman, exuding allure.

“There are only a few top-tier masters, and they don’t know us. Why would they team up with us?” said a one-eyed old man with a sinister tone.

“As long as we don’t run into a Heaven-grade Weapon Master, with our strength, we’ll be fine if we’re careful.”

The remaining two were a pair of twin brothers, both having just stepped into the peak of Earth-level Arms Masters, but with hearts linked, their combined strength was formidable.

"With the Black Fiend brothers here, we are not weak either; it should be fine," Tu Sihai murmured, though still somewhat disappointed that the top-tier masters he knew had not come this time.

As for the others, they were unfamiliar, and he dared not cooperate with them, nor were those top-tier masters necessarily willing to join them.

Nearly a hundred Earth-level Arms Masters gathered on the scene, each forming their own teams.

Just then, suddenly from afar came a sound like the clatter of hooves.

An old man was seen pulling a horse, running wildly, drenched in sweat.

Behind him, a tiger was biting his belt.

The scene was utterly comical and bizarre, drawing the sidelong glances of many Arms Masters.

At that moment, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a handsome face that would make any woman sigh in admiration.

The handsome young man waved his hand, and the tiger before him instantly transformed into a small bird that flew into his sleeve.

The Earth-level Arms Masters present, witnessing this, were all somewhat astonished.

"What a handsome young lad!"

"This is... illusion magic, with some skill."

Tu Sihai, seeing the newcomer, showed a look of surprise: "Qi... Brother Qi."

"You know him?" the seductive young woman licked her lips, "Such a young and vibrant body."

"He... is no ordinary man," Tu Sihai recalled how Qi Yuan had swallowed the Spirit Body Gu, and still felt a lingering wariness.

But hadn't Brother Qi Yuan shown no interest? Why had he come now?

At that moment, the carriage stopped, and the young man stepped out.

He swept his gaze over the Arms Masters present, his voice clear: "Who is Mo Sankong? Get out here and die quickly—how dare you bully my wife? I, a dignified live-in son-in-law, am not someone you can push around!"

A live-in son-in-law might be bullied, but that was by his own family.

An outsider bullying him?

Sorry, but I'm about to smirk.

His voice rolled out, falling among the crowd.

There were too many people; Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to search one by one for Mo Sankong.

As for Shen Lingxuan, he didn't need to scan to know she wasn't there.

The Earth-level Arms Masters on the field changed expression, some looking as if they were enjoying a show, others frowning, feeling Qi Yuan was too bold and arrogant.

"Grandpa Mo Shankong is here!" a loud shout rang out, and a burly man wielding a purple-golden hammer stepped forward. He wore an open shirt, revealing a round belly, and exuded a terrifying aura.

"This young fellow has quite the nerve, daring to provoke Mo Shankong. Mo Shankong is an old-school master, only a hair weaker than the top-tier masters."

Qi Yuan glanced at the burly man and shook his head: "You are Mo Shankong? I'm looking for Mo Sankong, not the same person. Mo Sankong is a eunuch."

"You call me a eunuch!" the burly man's eyes widened with rage, "Kid, take my hammer!"

A whoosh sounded as the hammer's afterimage flickered; Mo Shankong soared into the air, his hammer strike fierce and mighty.

The power of that single blow was more than a thousand jun, enough to split mountains and shatter rocks!

An ordinary Earth-level Arms Master hit by this hammer would be injured.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan's expression remained unchanged.

"Your hammer is no good."

He extended a fair, tender palm and lightly tapped the hammer.

Boom!

In an instant, an indescribable force traveled through the hammer, striking directly into Mo Shankong's arm.

Numbness, pain, and overwhelming force surged through him; Mo Shankong's massive body stumbled and flew backward seven meters.

This scene stunned every Arms Master present.

"He caught Mo Shankong's hammer with his palm? Is that hand made of iron?"

"Defeated Mo Shankong in one move, and he clearly hasn't achieved Heaven-Man Unity—how can he be so strong?"

Not far away, Tu Sihai also gasped, his expression flickering: "Brother Qi is this powerful!"

Though he had seen Qi Yuan swallow the Spirit Body Gu alive, he hadn't thought highly of Qi Yuan's strength.

Too young, at most just breaking through to Earth-level.

But that move just now was stronger than any top-tier master present.

If not for his lack of Heaven-Man Unity, everyone present would have taken him for a Heaven-level Arms Master.

At that moment, Qi Yuan stepped forward, looking down at Mo Shankong on the ground, his voice calm: "Can we talk properly now?"

Mo Shankong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his earlier ferocity vanishing.

"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding. With my strength, I'm not worthy to be your enemy."

The hot-tempered Mo Shankong had become very easy to talk to.

"I thought you had some backbone, that you'd arrogantly say, 'I did it,'" Qi Yuan remarked casually.

Sometimes, when falsely accused, Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered to prove his innocence; he'd just beat the accuser to death and say, "Yeah, I did it—what are you going to do about it?"

Of course, this situation was different; it was all a misunderstanding.

"Let's drop it here." Qi Yuan couldn't be bothered with Mo Shankong; he swept his gaze over the crowd, "If anyone has news of the old eunuch Mo Sankong, tell me, and I'll reward you handsomely."

As for Shen Lingxuan?

Shen Lingxuan had come here to avoid trouble; she would surely hide her identity, not easy to find.

Asking these people would likely yield nothing.

The crowd exchanged glances; no one had seen the old eunuch Mo Sankong.

As for Mo Shankong, he looked embarrassed—so it really wasn't about him.

After about five breaths of silence, a weak voice came: "Senior, could you be referring to an old man with a raspy voice, no beard..."

Wang Dao spoke up, gathering his courage. He had just broken through to Earth-level and came here to seize an opportunity.

But his strength was low, and so far no one had teamed up with him; if he rashly entered, he would likely die horribly.

Yet he couldn't leave either, for he had a hidden ailment; if he didn't take a gamble here, he would die soon.

So, in the end, he braced himself and spoke.

"That should be him," Qi Yuan said.

In the neighboring countries, there was no tradition of eunuchs cultivating; that raspy voice should be the Mo Sankong he was looking for.

"Where is he?" Qi Yuan asked.

He now wanted to find that unwashed white moonlight and kill him.

Killing Mo Sankong would, first, grant a massive amount of experience, and second, seize his Heaven-Man Unity.

Wang Dao immediately recalled that figure, his eyes filled with deep wariness.

Though the man concealed his aura, the faint breath he inadvertently released was still startling—at least a top-tier grandmaster.

Had it not been for a hidden ailment that compelled him, he would never have meddled in a conflict among such formidable figures.

One misstep would mean utter annihilation.

“Senior, that man entered through the seventeenth black door in the northeast of the ruins,” Wang Dao answered truthfully.

“What do you want?” Certain that Wang Dao was not lying, Qi Yuan prepared to seek out Mo San Kong.

“I want... when Senior explores the ruins, to take me along... and if it’s convenient, perhaps offer me some protection,” Wang Dao said through gritted teeth.

Death was certain either way—he had to take a gamble.

“That’s all?” A complex look flickered in Qi Yuan’s eyes. “Fine, no problem.”

With that, his gaze swept toward Tu Si Hai, not far away.

“Old Tu, want to team up with me? I owe you a favor—time to repay it,” Qi Yuan extended the invitation.

He disliked the feeling of being indebted.

Tu Si Hai’s eyes lit up, and he was about to agree.

Their team was exactly short of a top-tier grandmaster, and this Qi Yuan seemed far more formidable than one.

The blind old man beside him then spoke: “Old Tu, that Mo San Kong might not be easy to mess with. If we get involved...”

Clearly, his thoughts were tangled, imagining many possibilities.

He even suspected that Qi Yuan’s invitation might be a ploy to use their strength against Mo San Kong.

After all these years, the blind old man trusted very few people.

“Relax, a mere Mo San Kong—once I find him, I can suppress him with a flip of my hand,” Qi Yuan said softly, his voice brimming with confidence.

The seductive young woman smiled sweetly: “If you join us, sir, we would be more than happy to welcome you.”

“No problem,” the Hei Sha brothers nodded in unison.

The blind old man said nothing more.

Tu Si Hai bowed to Qi Yuan, a complex smile on his face: “I’ll trouble Brother Qi to keep me safe.”

“Don’t worry, follow me—there’ll be no danger in these ruins.”

Qi Yuan was brimming with confidence.

Having said that, he suddenly turned his gaze to all the Earth-rank Weapon Masters present.

“Everyone, would you do me a favor?”

With a wave of his hand, dozens of silver banknotes flew out.

Each banknote was clearly worth ten thousand taels.

Seeing this, the Weapon Masters present all drew in a deep breath.

This man was truly wealthy!

Even a top-tier grandmaster wouldn’t have such a fortune.

And this young man pulled it out so effortlessly, meaning he had even more silver on him.

Even the seductive young woman’s gaze toward Qi Yuan sparkled with admiration.

Many women even began sending him flirtatious glances.

If he weren’t asking for their help, he’d be reporting them for harassment right now!

“Please speak, sir.”

The others, having witnessed Qi Yuan’s strength, were naturally respectful.

“When you enter the ruins, if you encounter anyone—man or woman—just say this to them: ‘Shen Lingxuan, your husband has come for you, fear not,’” Qi Yuan deployed his money power. “Do this one thing for me, and these ten thousand taels are yours.”

Ten thousand taels was a considerable income even for an Earth-rank Weapon Master.

Now, just for delivering a message, each person gets ten thousand taels—what a steal!

This Qi Yuan was truly... rich and foolish.

Many of the Weapon Masters present were astonished.

Tu Si Hai, recalling Qi Yuan’s earlier actions, wasn’t surprised—Brother Qi always acted oddly.

“Alright.”

Many of the Weapon Masters responded, agreeing one after another.

Instantly, the banknotes fell into their hands.

Only three Earth-rank Weapon Masters didn’t join in—clearly, they found the money too trivial or the trouble too great.

“Since you’ve taken the money, you must work for me. Otherwise...” Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm, but suddenly his hand moved slightly.

With a whoosh, a figure fell from the sky, crashing to the ground.

It was a gaunt old man, his face etched with disbelief. A wound split his forehead from top to bottom, his aura steadily weakening until he died.

“Stealing is against the law—stealing from me adds three degrees of guilt!

Not only did you try to steal from me, but you also plotted to ambush me—die.”

Qi Yuan’s voice was flat.

The Earth-rank Weapon Masters present all showed wary expressions.

They knew this was Qi Yuan demonstrating his strength, a show of force.

But the effect was indeed effective.

“That’s Xian Yun Sou... killed in one blow!”

“He was a top-tier grandmaster!”

“His speed was incredible, best at concealing himself—we didn’t even notice!”

“With strength like this... even a Heaven-rank Weapon Master without using Heaven and Human Unity might not be his match!”

“How did he train?”

Everyone present was stunned.

As for Tu Si Hai, a gleam shone in his eyes.

This Brother Qi was far too strong!

This trip to the ruins seemed like it would be no problem.

Wang Dao’s face lit up with joy—the stronger Qi Yuan was, the more protection he’d have.

“Let’s go. We’re going to find that old eunuch Mo San Kong,” Qi Yuan said calmly.

“Alright.”

The five-member team didn’t hesitate and followed directly.

Wang Dao hurriedly followed behind Qi Yuan.

At that moment, Tu Sihai couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Brother Qi, the Shen Lingxuan you're looking for—could she be that Profound Yin Constitution from the Heavenly Sect?"

"Mm." Qi Yuan nodded.

"It's her? She's here? Brother Qi, doing this... might put her in danger.

After all, that's the Profound Yin Constitution. If discovered, the consequences..."

"Relax, she's still my nominal wife. How could she not have a few tricks up her sleeve?" Qi Yuan had met Shen Lingxuan twice.

Her strength was far greater than what she showed.

Even Mo Sanyuan might find it hard to take her down.

She entered the ruins perhaps with other plans, or to avoid revealing her power and drawing the attention of the Raksha Kingdom's Heaven-level fighters.

"Young friend, you had them send a message for you. Even if they tell Miss Shen, you don't know about it—how would she know where you are?" the seductive young woman voiced her doubt.

Seeing Qi Yuan looking for his wife, she stopped her flirtatiousness and began to feign innocence.

"Well... it's too complicated to explain." Qi Yuan said casually. "Simply put... I have technology."

Was the banknote really a banknote?

Qi Yuan could shapeshift and possessed the technology of the Archstar spaceship.

Tampering with the banknote was far too easy.

As soon as they saw Shen Lingxuan, Qi Yuan would know immediately, along with her location.

That way, he could rush over quickly.

No matter how good Shen Lingxuan's disguise was, it could fool these Earth-level Weapon Masters, but not Qi Yuan's technology.

The technology of the Archstar spaceship seemed to share the same origin as the ruins of the Ancient Clan.

That Ancient Clan's ruins had a great background—even the Yang God was nothing.

In terms of foundation, Qi Yuan estimated it was far stronger than the Immortal Realm.

After all, even Yin God Venerables were like malnourished infants.

"Technology... what is that?" Everyone present was puzzled, unfamiliar with the term.

"Technology... is also an alternative path." Qi Yuan replied, sharing his insight.

The stronger his power, the more he understood.

The immortal arts of the Immortal Path, the martial arts of the Ten Thousand Dao Martial Gods, and technology—all were paths.

Each path, when taken to its end, would be terrifying.

...

Meanwhile, in a sealed, narrow room within the ruins.

Shen Lingxuan wore a black dress, exuding a cold and icy aura.

Her delicate face bore two tightly knit brows. Before her, a wooden chest had been opened, revealing a diary.

She looked at the diary and began to read it carefully.

"They came to me again today... I wanted to refuse, but the reward they offered was something I couldn't turn down. For my poor child to be born safely, I must defeat them!"

"Today, Liu Mei learned a dish. It was delicious."

"I met a blind artifact master—the most talented I've ever seen. I was ordered to invite him to join us, but he refused."

"I don't know if this is right or wrong, but I have no other choice... Once the Chaotic Star Domain is destroyed, the Green Mountain Realm will be shrouded in darkness."

"Can it succeed? Can it?!"

"Can the fragments of the Radiant Divine Treasure... really be forged?"

"Divine Radiance, will the gods truly protect us?"

"It has begun. There's no turning back. Either I die... or the Radiant Divine Treasure appears... or I die, and the gods do not bestow radiance."

The diary contained much information.

Shen Lingxuan read it carefully, her eyes devoid of joy or sorrow.

After an unknown time, she closed the diary and sighed deeply. "Indeed, Master Qi joined them. Was forging the fragments of the Radiant Divine Treasure worth it?"

She gazed at the ruins before her and let out a faint sigh.

"Failure..."

(End of this chapter)