Chapter 521: What Exploring Ruins, This Is Called a Sweeping Tour!

Chapter 521: What Do You Mean "Exploring Ruins"? This Is Called A Sightseeing Sweep!

The ruins ahead were awash with the aura of death, as if one were plunged into the ultimate darkness.

Where was there even a single, solitary shred of light?

Evidently, they had failed.

"The linage of the Qingshan Realm’s weapon-smiths… can be considered extinct." Just then, a woman's voice sounded beside Shen Lingxuan.

It was an insect, about the size of a moth, bearing a close resemblance to a butterfly.

This creature was a spirit of heaven and earth, rumored to have existed since the very dawn of creation.

It was something Shen Lingxuan had encountered upon entering the ruins.

"Every true prodigy weapon-smith who came here to temper the fragments of the radiant wonders has perished… The path of weapon-crafting in the Qingshan Realm will stagnate for centuries," the insect-woman, Caidie, spoke, her voice carrying an inscrutable quality.

In Caidie's eyes, the weapon-smiths who had ventured into this eerie taboo were all exceptional geniuses who had been unearthed.

Had they grown along their natural trajectories, these individuals would have possessed a radiant future, virtually guaranteed a life of wealth and honor.

Caidie turned her gaze toward Shen Lingxuan: "Lingxuan, you bear the mandate of heaven; you are a person of a unique destiny. You can forgo the other things within the eerie taboo, but the source of the taboo must fall into your hands.

Only the mandate of heaven can suppress the eerie source and prevent it from growing robustly. Furthermore… only by refining the eerie source can you acquire various special abilities, concealing yourself within the Qingshan Realm so as not to be… discovered by outsiders."

As Caidie reached this point, her countenance grew exceedingly solemn.

"Otherwise, the moment you achieve the unity of heaven and man, you will absolutely draw the attention of outsiders, and you will perish just as you did in your past life."

An intensely icy aura emanated from Shen Lingxuan's form.

Memories of her past life surged forth at this very instant.

In her previous life, she had been a favored daughter of heaven, cultivating with utmost diligence. Yet, who could have foreseen that one sudden day, a ray of sword-light would plunge from beyond the heavens, shattering her body into pieces in the blink of an eye, leaving not even a corpse behind.

Even now, when she recalled that single strike of the sword, she felt a lingering dread.

Could an existence of that caliber have perhaps reached the legendary divine rank?

"What exactly does the mandate of heaven represent?" Shen Lingxuan inquired.

Caidie paused for a moment before replying, "It represents the will of the world; it represents the ownership of the world."

She was clearly a riddler, choosing not to disclose too much.

Or perhaps, this was simply the extent of her knowledge.

The black gown accentuated Shen Lingxuan's appearance, making her resemble a black rose all the more—chilling and fiercely cold: "Mo Sankong is outside, and those heaven-rank weapon-wielders from the Rakshasa Empire are also rushing here. Dealing with them alone will be difficult for me; acquiring the eerie source is simply too arduous."

Caidie fluttered slightly: "That is indeed a problem. Regrettably, I possess no combat capability; I cannot even contend with an earth-rank weapon-wielder."

"However, I can venture out to scout the path for you, which might help avoid some dangers," Caidie offered.

……

"Sigh, before exploring the ruins, one must eat their fill, otherwise there won't be any strength." Chen Kangbao spoke as he stuffed a steamed bun, which he had pulled from his breast pocket, into his mouth.

As he ate, bun in hand, he addressed Tu Sihai and the others.

"Are any of you eating?"

The charming young matron covered her mouth, seemingly somewhat repulsed by the scent of sweat on the bun: "Thank you for your kind intentions, old gentleman."

To her, Chen Kangbao was after all Qi Yuan's attendant, so she could not easily vent her anger.

"No," the others refused one after another.

Only Wang Dao wore a face full of smiles: "I'll eat, thank you, old gentleman."

Seeing this, Chen Kangbao was absolutely delighted: "Here you go!"

Wang Dao immediately took the bun and stuffed it into his mouth without a care: "Delicious."

"Let's go, it's time to explore the ruins and find that Mo Sankong!" Qi Yuan declared.

The party of eight adjusted their gear and walked toward the northeast direction of the Hundred Thousand Mountain Peaks.

According to Wang Dao's description, Mo Sankong had entered through the seventeenth black door in the northeast direction.

Taking advantage of the night cover, the group walked swiftly.

At this moment, Qi Yuan glanced at the blind old man and asked in a humble tone, "Old man, in a few months I might go blind too. What do you think is the most important thing for a blind person?"

In a few months, he would have to play the role of a blind weapon-smith. Having rarely encountered a blind person, he needed to seek some advice.

The blind old man was stunned for a moment; his left eye was blind, but his right eye was still perfectly intact: "Perhaps… it is to see the light again."

"To see the light again?" Qi Yuan pondered.

The greatest wish of the blind weapon-smith in this life should be to become a divine-rank weapon-smith, or to ascend even higher.

However, being blind, could one truly ascend higher?

Roughly fifteen minutes later, the group arrived at a mountain hollow under the cover of the night.

An earthquake seemed to have occurred here once; the earth and rocks had collapsed, exposing a corner of the ruins.

Over a dozen black iron doors entered their sight, adorned with various mysterious patterns.

"Half of the iron doors here are open. Fortunately, the one we need to enter is also open, otherwise… it would likely waste a lot of our time," Tu Sihai said.

The iron doors in the ruins were incredibly hard; even a top-tier grandmaster would find it difficult to destroy them.

"Where is it open? Isn't that a dog hole?" Chen Kangbao said in surprise.

"Back then, that fellow with the drake-like voice crawled in through this dog hole." Mentioning this, Wang Dao still felt a bit shaken.

If it weren't for the fact that it was hard to come out after entering, he suspected that the weapon-wielder would have killed him on the spot upon realizing that Wang Dao had witnessed his embarrassing plight.

"What dog hole? This is a dragon and phoenix cave," the charming young matron giggled.

Tu Sihai also laughed: "We're all familiar with each other, so let's not deceive ourselves. There's nothing embarrassing about this."

The rest of the people also agreed; being able to crawl inside was already good enough.

The blind old man looked at the charming young matron: "I'm just afraid that the half-pound of flesh on your chest is too large to fit through."

"Blind man, watch out, or once we get inside I'll poke your good eye mercilessly!" The charming young matron was not angry.

Qi Yuan took a glance and said seriously, "The blind old man is right."

The charming young matron's face turned red instantly.

If anyone else had said this, she wouldn't have felt anything.

But Qi Yuan was a mysterious powerhouse, a weapon-wielder bound to step into the heaven rank in the future, and he was so young and handsome to boot.

Just then, Qi Yuan spoke.

"A mere broken door. Everyone, watch closely—the live-in son-in-law is about to smirk crookedly!"

As Qi Yuan spoke, he walked straight toward the black door.

An expression of wonder appeared in the eyes of the Black Fiend brothers, and the younger brother couldn't help but say, "This black door is forged from Punan iron; even a heaven-rank weapon-wielder would find it difficult to destroy."

Evidently, he did not think highly of Qi Yuan's chances.

At this moment, Qi Yuan stopped his pace.

“Yes, this is exactly the feeling—say more words like that, or else my crooked smirk loses its meaning.” Qi Yuan’s eyes held a smile.

Before a son-in-law who married into the family smirks, if no one mocks him, there’s no soul to it.

Better yet, if a beauty or a handsome man slaps him across the face.

But Qi Yuan feared pain, so slapping his face was out of the question.

The younger of the Black Fiend Brothers wore an awkward expression on his face.

Tu Sihai paused, recalling Qi Yuan’s eccentric nature, and ventured tentatively, “Brother Qi’s strike against this black gate will likely be in vain.”

In truth, he spoke from the heart.

“Your attacks are too weak. I should play you some short dramas so you can see how those people deliver their lines!” Qi Yuan shook his head.

The blind old man said nothing; he disliked Qi Yuan’s capricious temperament and merely watched coldly.

At that moment, Qi Yuan wasted no more words.

He reached out his hand and pushed gently forward.

Instantly, a tremendous force surged forth.

His hand, like a sharp kitchen knife, transformed from a push into a chop.

Bang!

With a thunderous crash, the seemingly indestructible black gate shattered like a block of tofu.

An entrance, man-height, appeared before everyone’s eyes.

“This… how is it possible!”

“It actually shattered!”

All present were stunned, disbelief etched on their faces.

They had anticipated Qi Yuan’s strength, but never imagined it would be so overwhelming!

To shatter the black gate with one blow—such power… could a Heaven-level Weapon Master achieve this?

Seeing this, Qi Yuan did not smirk.

“Now your reactions are normal, just like in the TV shows. The mockery earlier was too weak.” Qi Yuan clapped his hands.

The others exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

“I never expected Brother Qi to be so formidable. It seems this expedition into the secret realm will rely entirely on you, Brother Qi.” Tu Sihai seized the moment to flatter.

The blind old man also regarded Qi Yuan with newfound respect, setting aside his earlier thoughts.

Wang Dao was in high spirits, for Qi Yuan’s strength was overwhelming.

Then, the elder of the Black Fiend Brothers spoke: “If we rely on Brother Qi for everything, how shall we divide the treasures we find?”

This question drew everyone’s attention.

If Qi Yuan did all the work, how would the spoils be split?

Were they merely tourists, while Qi Yuan took all the treasures?

“Who says you won’t contribute? You can…” Chen Kangbao smiled mysteriously, flipping his hand. “Whenever we encounter enemies, you’ll blow the suona for the young master to cheer him on!”

In his hand were several suonas, along with drums and gongs.

The group stared blankly, utterly baffled.

“The young master is kind-hearted; he can’t bear to see enemies die in silence, so he’ll hold a grand funeral for them. I’ve even brought steamed buns for the feast!”

Chen Kangbao, ever the loyal strategist, had read Qi Yuan’s mind and prepared thoroughly.

The younger Black Fiend Brother’s face turned ashen.

Forcing him to blow the suona—was this an insult?

At that moment, the blind old man took the suona: “If blowing the suona counts as our contribution, then this old man will blow it. What of it?”

After all, compared to blowing a suona, exploring the ruins was far more perilous.

“Such a good deal?” The seductive young woman took the suona, her eyes alluring. “This concubine is quite skilled at blowing.”

Wang Dao, without hesitation, grabbed a suona.

The younger Black Fiend Brother hesitated, but seeing his brother take one, he reached out as well, though his expression stiffened.

In his heart, he longed to say that it all depended on whether Qi Yuan had the skill.

But with Qi Yuan’s overwhelming power, he dared not show such thoughts even if he had them.

Watching everyone hold suonas, Qi Yuan felt as if he had returned to the Mortal Heart Realm.

He had led the villagers of Qingshui Village, sweeping across all directions.

Killing, feasting.

“Don’t worry—I’ve invested in this game. Follow me, and no one dares to strike you down!”

“Even if an accident happens and you fall, I’ll find you later and bring you into my underworld!”

Qi Yuan spoke, his face brimming with confidence.

A son-in-law must be confident.

Those around him were baffled, unsure what to say.

Only Chen Kangbao continued to play the role of the loyal lackey.

“The young master is a god descended to earth. Follow him, and you’ll have steamed buns every day!”

He spoke fawningly, looking utterly ridiculous.

The younger Black Fiend Brother glanced at Chen Kangbao, a flicker of contempt flashing in his eyes.

This man had no shame—unworthy of being a Weapon Master.

The group entered the black gate.

About a quarter of an hour later, the sound of suonas rang out.

Five black shadows appeared, their faces twisted and fierce.

Each possessed the strength of an Earth-level Weapon Master, roaring as they charged at the group.

“I’ve already smirked, and you still dare to attack me? Do you take me for a pathetic son-in-law?”

Qi Yuan’s expression was calm. He lightly tapped the ground with his foot, sending five pebbles flying, then kicked with force.

Whoosh!

The pebbles shot like cannonballs toward the five black shadows.

The shadows’ bodies halted, then plummeted abruptly from the air.

Their life force was utterly gone!

Chen Kangbao’s face broke into a smile: “The young master is mighty! The suona had just sounded, and these specters are already dead!”

Tu Sihai watched the scene, astonishment in his eyes.

This Qi brother is far too powerful, beyond all reason.

Even Black Fiend's younger brother, for some reason, had no complaints this time, only feeling it was truly satisfying.

If the others had come, they would likely have had to fight a great battle to slay these five spectral spirits.

"Come, let's feast, let's feast!" Chen Kangbao said.

As he spoke, he pulled another stack of buns from his bosom. This time, none of those present refused; even if they felt disgusted, they pinched their noses and swallowed the buns.

"This spectral spirit's eyeballs aren't bad—worth some money. You've been blowing the suona for so long, they're yours."

Qi Yuan always did as he pleased, without restraint.

Tu Sihai was taken aback: "These eyeballs... are worth money?"

Spectral spirit eyeballs were nearly useless—that was common knowledge.

Could it be, they were meant to be eaten?

"Not worth much, probably just a few hundred taels," Qi Yuan said.

"This time, we rely entirely on Brother Qi's help. This treasure should go to Brother Qi!" Black Fiend's elder brother said politely.

"I don't need this thing," Qi Yuan replied casually.

The others thought little of it, assuming it wasn't any great treasure.

They were Earth-rank Weapon Masters; a few hundred taels of silver was something they could part with.

Tu Sihai then asked, "What use... are these eyeballs?"

"To strengthen virility... well, to make one..."

Before he could finish, the sound of wind breaking rang out, and five figures lunged at the corpses of the spectral spirits.

"Brother, leave one for me—you've already grabbed two!" Black Fiend's younger brother said urgently.

"Little brother, you're still young—don't fight me for them!"

"We're twins!"

Not far away, the seductive young woman sneered with disdain: "A bunch of useless men."

As she spoke, she glanced at the blind old man: "Blind man, aren't you always aloof? Not interested in women."

"Hmph," the old blind man snorted. "I have a friend—I'm taking them for him."

He said this while clutching the eyeballs tightly and stowing them in his storage artifact.

"It's a pity I can't return to Blue Star; otherwise, I'd take these eyeballs with me," Qi Yuan lamented.

He had missed too many chances to get rich.

If he could mass-produce these eyeballs, he'd be canonized as a saint on Blue Star.

If there were a vote for planetary leader, he'd surely win first place by a landslide.

"Let's go. Continue."

Qi Yuan swept his gaze over the group, not meaning to discriminate against the impotent men.

The others were thick-skinned too, acting as if nothing had happened.

Along the way, they encountered many dangers.

But Qi Yuan crushed them all with ease.

Every time the suona sounded, it lasted only a few breaths before abruptly stopping.

Qi Yuan was simply too strong—like a hexagonal warrior with no weaknesses.

Spectral spirits fast in speed, spectral spirits mighty in strength... none could match him in their own forte.

One could say Qi Yuan bulldozed through everything with an invincible posture.

"Watch out—I'm about to smirk!"

"Time to feast!"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Those following behind had initially held back from blowing with full force, but the deeper they went, the less they cared about face.

"Brother, am I blowing loud enough?"

...

"Cough, cough..." Deep within the ruins, a scholar in a Confucian robe coughed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Mo Sankong's eyes held a mocking glint: "I didn't expect to run into... the Grand Sacrificial Priest of the Shang Kingdom's Wentai Pavilion here in Ning!"

The Shang Kingdom was a small state, bordering the Raksha Kingdom.

The Shang Kingdom had no monarch, only a council of elders.

Under such a system, the Shang Kingdom greatly revered the legendary God of Judgment.

When the God of Judgment still existed, the Shang Kingdom was a vassal of the Raksha Kingdom, and the radiance of divine descent also shone upon the Shang Kingdom.

However, since the destruction of the Divine Descent, the Shang Kingdom had resolutely broken away from the Raksha Kingdom.

This enraged the Raksha Kingdom greatly.

Especially since the Shang Kingdom secretly aided the Judgment Council—it was precisely because of this covert help that the Judgment Council had preserved much of its strength.

Had it not been for the fall of the Divine Descent weakening the Raksha Kingdom's national power, making it no match for its enemies, it would have long sent troops to annihilate the Shang Kingdom.

Now, Mo Sankong looked at the Grand Sacrificial Priest of the Shang Kingdom, a playful smile in his eyes.

Killing the Grand Sacrificial Priest—that would be a fine achievement.

"A mere newly ascended Heaven-rank—how can you contend with me?" Mo Sankong sneered at the scholar in the Confucian robe, a ferocious grin on his face.

His eagle-claw-like hand shot toward the scholar, who blocked swiftly but still ended up with a bloody gash on his shoulder, blood flowing freely.

Mo Sankong was about to strike again when suddenly, the sound of a suona came from not far away.

He turned sharply to see a bronze gate swing open, and several figures tumbled to the ground.

A group of eight appeared in his line of sight.

The suona sound abruptly ceased.

Those who had been blowing the suona, upon seeing Mo Sankong, showed expressions of surprise and fear.

"Heaven and man as one—this is a Heaven-rank Weapon Master!"

"And the other is also... a Heaven-rank Weapon Master in battle?"

Wang Dao was about to say something, but then thought better of it and swallowed his words.

Earlier, when he had seen Mo Sankong, the latter hadn't revealed his strength, and Wang Dao had assumed he was merely a powerful Earth-rank Weapon Master.

But now, with Mo Sankong fighting someone else, the realm of Heaven and man as one was clearly on display.

How could he not realize that Qi Yuan's opponent was this Heaven-rank Weapon Master?

Though Qi Yuan was strong, he had not yet shown the realm of Heaven and man as one.

Even if his strength and speed far surpassed Mo Sanyang's, the state of unity between heaven and man could not be compensated by mere power or swiftness.

Tu Sihai also sensed something and quickly said, "Senior, we intruded unintentionally; we shall leave now."

His attitude was exceedingly humble.

After all, that was a Heaven-rank Weapon Master, and from the look of it, not one who had just entered that rank.

At that moment, a cold smirk suddenly appeared in Mo Sanyang's eyes: "You may leave, but that old man stays."

He pointed at Chen Kangbao, his gaze wild and arrogant. Turning to the scholar in Confucian robes, a treacherous smile flickered in his eyes: "Though you disguise yourself well, when that old man appeared, the surprise and worry in your eyes did not escape me. You know him... and quite well."

Mo Sanyang stood in the air, his eyes brimming with confidence, exuding an air of supreme pride.

He seemed like a sovereign ruler.

"He stays; you leave."

"Otherwise... all of you die!"

His voice was domineering and dripping with contempt.

The scholar in Confucian robes wore a look of worry, laced with self-reproach.

It was he who had brought harm to Elder Chen!

On the other side, Tu Sihai and the others were also anxious.

For the pressure Mo Sanyang exerted on them was immense, greater than any Heaven-rank Weapon Master they had ever encountered.

Even if they joined forces, they feared they would be no match for this man.

Qi Yuan, strong as he was, had not yet stepped into the state of unity between heaven and man; he was simply no opponent.

"Hey, old eunuch, aren't you a bit too full of yourself?" Qi Yuan said, surprise in his eyes. "Even if you let us go, I'm not about to let you off!"

Mo Sanyang's expression turned icy cold; he seemed to dislike being called a eunuch—it struck a nerve.

"Fine, I never expected that in this petty little kingdom, there would be so many reckless fools. Today... no one leaves!"

Murderous intent surged in Mo Sanyang's heart.

Tu Sihai and the others grew wary, and he quickly said, "Brother Qi, you take the lead; we'll support you. Let's strike together!"

At this moment, Mo Sanyang was seething with killing intent; words were useless—only battle offered a glimmer of hope.

"What are you all doing? Keep playing the music, keep blowing the suona—I'm seeing him off to the afterlife," Qi Yuan said calmly.

"But he's a Heaven-rank Weapon Master!" the blind old man said gravely, staring at Qi Yuan in disbelief.

Was he not feigning madness, but truly insane?

"Hmph, even if a Heaven-rank Weapon Master comes, before the young master, he'll croak!" Chen Kangbao raised his hand. "Play the music!"

Tu Sihai and the others hesitated for half a breath, then picked up their suonas and began to play, though their bodies were taut, ready to strike at the first sign of trouble.

Then Qi Yuan looked at Mo Sanyang and said calmly, "Mo Sanyang, do you know what crime you've committed?"

Mo Sanyang's expression faltered slightly: "You know me?"

"You dared to try and steal my wife, Shen Lingxuan—if you took her, where would I go to be a live-in son-in-law?

You have committed a capital offense, beyond redemption.

If you kowtow and take your own life, I might grant you a small favor, allowing you to eat at your own funeral feast after death." Qi Yuan was generous and kind-hearted, even toward criminals, respecting their human rights.

As for how to eat at one's own funeral feast after death?

Simple—cut open his stomach and stuff the buns inside.

"You're asking for death!" Mo Sanyang roared in fury.

"Shen Lingxuan has caught my lord's eye. If you find her and offer her to him, after you kill yourself, your family may live!"

"Hey, I'm an orphan—go ahead and resurrect my whole family so I can see them!"

The suona sounded, urgent and piercing.

Amidst it, there seemed to be a hint of sorrow.

The Earth-rank Weapon Masters present were all anxious, worry in their hearts.

The scholar in Confucian robes was also frantic, and somewhat puzzled.

Wasn't Qi Yuan the madman from the asylum?

Wasn't he just an ordinary man before?

How had he become so strong now?

"Die!"

Mo Sanyang struck. In his state of unity between heaven and man, he directly drew upon the power of heaven and earth to press down on Qi Yuan.

"Boy, without reaching the Heaven rank, you are but an ant. You have no idea what the power of heaven and earth truly is!"

Mo Sanyang was overbearing.

His own strength was inferior to Qi Yuan's.

But in the state of unity between heaven and man, he could harness the power of heaven and earth within a ten-meter radius.

Such power was beyond ten thousand jin—no human strength could withstand it!

This was the greatest gap between a Heaven-rank Weapon Master and an Earth-rank Weapon Master!

When facing each other head-on, there had never been an instance of an Earth-rank Weapon Master defeating a Heaven-rank one.

"The power of heaven and earth?" Qi Yuan chuckled. "Old eunuch, do you understand... the weight of being a shareholder!"

He struck out suddenly, throwing a punch.

Mo Sanyang's eyes filled with shock.

For he discovered that the power of heaven and earth he had gathered shattered in that instant.

No, not shattered—it leaked, it went soft!

It was like a son running into his father at a brothel.

"How is this possible!" Mo Sanyang was baffled.

The power of heaven and earth was the strongest reliance of a Heaven-rank Weapon Master.

Only when one used the power of heaven and earth to suppress another could it be repelled by a stronger force of heaven and earth—how could it retreat before even engaging?

Boom!

But his confusion was useless.

He also had no idea that without Qi Yuan's essence blood, this world, this game, would not exist.

Qi Yuan could rightfully claim to be a shareholder of this world—he had a stake in it.

How could the power of heaven and earth dare to defy him!

With a crack, the fist landed on Mo Sanyang's body.

Without the power of heaven and earth, his internal organs shattered instantly, and his body went limp.

Even in death, his face still bore an expression of incredulity and bewilderment.

Pity that no one was there to explain it to him.

With a single punch, the Heaven-rank Imperial Arms Master fell dead.

A smile lingered in Qi Yuan's eyes: "To me, you are no different from those Earth-rank Imperial Arms Masters!"

The wail of the suona also halted at that moment.

The Imperial Arms Masters present all wore looks of shock.

This shock surpassed all that had come before.

How could an Earth-rank Imperial Arms Master break through the power of heaven and earth to slay a Heaven-rank Imperial Arms Master?

(End of this chapter)