Chapter 114: Chapter 100 True Martial Underground Palace
Everyone looked at Qin Yun as if they were looking at a dead man.
What kind of place is the Blood Demon Pool?
It’s practically ten deaths and no life!
It harbors great terror, yet also great opportunities. It is a forbidden land of the Demon Sect and one of the strongest foundations of the sect.
Generally speaking.
If a Gang Essence Realm expert within the Demon Sect is nearing their end, they will apply to enter the Blood Demon Pool. If they can survive and come out, nine out of ten can step into the Celestial Human Realm, extending their life by four hundred years. However, the vast majority dissolve within, becoming nourishment for the pool.
Over generations, even the people of the Demon Sect do not fully understand the perils within the Blood Demon Pool.
Qin Yun is very young and has just recently reached the Gang Essence Realm, yet he chooses to enter the Blood Demon Pool, leaving everyone puzzled.
Suddenly.
Someone recalled a rumor.
Qin Yun used an unparalleled secret technique to burn his lifespan into the Gang Essence Realm.
As they looked at Qin Yun’s hanging white hair and his decision to enter the Blood Demon Pool today, many began to believe the rumor.
"If you successfully come out of the Blood Demon Pool, I will personally ask the sect leader to nominate you as a candidate for our Holy Sect’s Saint Heir!" Ghost Mask laughed and promised, believing that Qin Yun, with his unparalleled talent, could stand at the top of the world if he transformed after coming out of the Blood Demon Pool.
Upon hearing this.
Everyone felt a thrill.
Currently, the Holy Sect’s Saint Heir position is vacant. If Qin Yun can come out of the Blood Demon Pool alive, he will become a hot contender for the Saint Heir position.
But no one argued.
Everything depends on Qin Yun coming back alive from the Blood Demon Pool. In there, one must comprehend the true essence of the Holy Sect and protect oneself with it; otherwise, it is ten deaths and no life. If Qin Yun can return safely, it will prove his loyalty.
No one naturally had any doubts.
Qin Yun bowed:
"Thank you, Vice Sect Leader!"
He lowered his head, his gaze complex.
Securing three years for the True Martial Sect is the best he can do, better than suffering an attack from the Demon Sect now.
After that, if he dies in the Blood Demon Pool, everything will naturally be over, and he won’t have to worry about anything anymore. If he can come out alive and lead a group, maybe there will be other opportunities.
Ghost Mask’s cold voice resounded in the grand hall:
"Suspend actions for now; Celestial Human Realm experts are to rest temporarily, not to make a move. All subordinate forces and halls of the Holy Sect, Gang Essence Realm and below, act freely."
"As you command!"
As the doors of the grand hall slowly closed.
Ghost Mask, sitting on the throne, suddenly asked contemplatively:
"What do you think of this Qin Yun boy?"
"His talent is not bad and suits the Sad White Hair Secret Technique you taught him, but his loyalty seems lacking. Previously he spoke up, indicating he still harbors some attachment to the True Martial Sect?" A voice laughed with an exaggerated, eerie cackle after each statement.
Ghost Mask smiled:
"No matter, when he emerges from the Blood Demon Pool, he will naturally belong wholly to our Holy Sect."
"By then, letting him personally destroy the True Martial Sect might indeed evoke the presence of a Saint Heir!"
He could see Qin Yun’s little schemes, but the True Martial Sect was indeed a small player in his eyes; the grand plan of the Holy Sect was the focus. He had not yet destroyed the True Martial Sect not because of Qin Yun’s advice, but because the commotion was indeed too much.
The main reason was that the Great Yan Martial Saint’s deterrent force was too powerful. Even though he wouldn’t strike casually, the Demon Sect didn’t dare be too reckless either.
Ghost Mask looked into the darkness, sighing softly:
"Let’s hope the Sect Leader succeeds soon..."
...
A storm.
It began with Divine Feather Grand General’s destruction of the Demon Sect’s Death Fire Abyss division, leading to a tumultuous struggle between the Great Yan court and the Demon Sect.
Using the attacks on True Martial Mountain and the Wang Clan as a turning point, the situation reached an extremely tense level.
Just when everyone thought it would escalate further.
Surprisingly, both forces strangely became silent, filled with an indescribable tacit understanding.
Of course.
It wasn’t complete silence, but rather the battles among Celestial Human Realm experts gradually decreased until they ceased, while the killings below the Celestial Human Realm intensified significantly.
From time to time, there were reports of Demon Sect martial artists creating chaos in various places.
The entire Martial Realm began to stir.
Some became famous for slaying demons, while others joined the Demon Sect to obtain resources and strengthen themselves.
Inside the Bright Martial Pavilion.
Ning Qi listened to Taoist Longshan’s account, lost in thought:
"So it seems, the Great Yan court and the Demon Sect must have reached some kind of understanding, with Celestial Human Realm experts not taking the field, only allowing clashes below that level, making us temporarily safe."
Taoist Longshan nodded and said:
"Precisely, the destructive power of Celestial Human Realm experts is too great. If they really fought with anger, it would likely lead to widespread disaster, something the Great Yan Dynasty is unwilling to see."
Ning Qi understood.
Although the Great Yan Dynasty has the upper hand with greater strength and the Great Yan Martial Saint overseeing them, they also have a fatal weakness, which is the vast territory and millions of common people.
If the Demon Sect fears the Great Yan Martial Saint’s intervention and doesn’t act too excessively.
Then the Great Yan court fears the Demon Sect turning completely reckless, resulting in indiscriminate slaughter, making it impossible for them to protect against every Celestial Human Realm of the Demon Sect.
Although the Demon Sect also seeks to overthrow the Great Yan and views its land and people as their own possessions, they usually don’t target civilians. But when cornered, who knows what madness they might commit.
The Demon Sect gained the term "demon" because they sometimes act with extreme tendencies.
Yet Ning Qi was puzzled.
"Why does it always feel like the Great Yan Martial Saint is restraining himself? Logically, with the strength of a Martial Saint, he should be able to suppress everything below the Martial Saint level."
Although Ning Qi had never seen the Martial Saint personally take action.
However, judging from scattered records in ancient texts and the strength of the Town North King, it can be surmised somewhat that being ranked ninth on the Celestial Being List already carries such prestige, let alone being a Martial Saint.
"Is it unwillingness to act, or inability, or perhaps there are other hidden reasons?"
Facing Ning Qi’s question, Taoist Longshan was also a bit puzzled. Perhaps the whole world is confused, and only a very few people know the real secrets within.
"Perhaps the complete True Martial legacy records the secrets of the Martial Saint, but the one I obtained was somewhat incomplete."
Taoist Longshan unusually spoke of the time he acquired the True Martial legacy.
His gaze revealed an expression of reminiscence.
"Back then, when I was young, I accidentally entered the True Martial Underground Palace. With the ability to remember everything at a glance, I obtained part of the legacy, then fell into a coma. Upon waking, I found myself in a barren mountain wilderness, and the Underground Palace was nowhere to be seen."
"Over these years, I have secretly revisited the old place, but the Underground Palace remains elusive, perhaps fate won’t allow me to see it again in this lifetime."
Taoist Longshan sighed lightly.
Ning Qi was filled with astonishment.
"Is the True Martial Underground Palace truly so magical?"
"Could it be covered by a Qimen Array? Or is the Underground Palace ’alive’ and has moved elsewhere?"
He continuously expressed various conjectures.
Taoist Longshan shook his head slowly, dismissing his first guess:
"It shouldn’t be a Qimen Array. I once asked a friend skilled in Qimen Technique to take a look, and indeed, there was nothing there."
Seeing Ning Qi’s interest, Taoist Longshan smiled and said:
"I’ll take you there someday, and you’ll see for yourself."
Ning Qi nodded gently.
He was genuinely looking forward to discovering what secrets the True Martial Underground Palace held.
...
Time passed quietly.
As the Celestial Human Realm battle gradually subsided, Ning Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief. This situation turned out better than he expected, as even the Fake Pill only consumed about thirty percent of its energy.
He could finally continue cultivating with peace of mind.
Every day, reading scriptures, enlightenment, and refining Gang was leisurely and carefree.
Within Seeking Tao Institute.
Ning Qi was focused on alchemy.
Yesterday, after some experimentation and deduction, he finally combined Relic, Luminous Pearl, and other spiritual materials to create a pill formula that accelerates the tempering of Gang Qi.
He named it the Golden Jade Pill.
Ning Qi’s actions were remarkably fluent, with a beauty that was close to the essence of Dao, while the White Ape observed and learned, fascinated. However, it truly wasn’t suited for this task; it had tried once, ending up covered in ashes, and was still striving to one day become a qualified Pill-refining Boy.
Gang Qi transformed at Ning Qi’s command. If other alchemists saw alchemy being performed this way,
they would be astonished beyond belief.
Finally.
As Ning Qi stopped, the alchemy furnace before him emitted strands of golden light.
Ning Qi looked intently.
He saw six shiny, dragon-eye-sized small pills quietly resting inside.
"Let’s test the effect."
Without hesitation, Ning Qi turned and entered the room, while the White Ape cleaned up the aftermath.
A Golden Jade Pill was swallowed.
Instantly, a vast medicinal power surged.
Yet it was exceedingly gentle.
Falling into the Dantian location, it did not explode violently.
Ning Qi entered the Realm of Celestial Being Unity, the Power of Heaven and Earth formed a grand millstone enveloping him, and only Ning Qi could hear the rumbling sound as the medicinal power surged in, causing strands of White Mist Gang Qi to become thicker and purer, faster than ever before!
Two hours later.
Ning Qi stopped cultivating, sensing the differences before and after.
A smile emerged on his lips.
"This Golden Jade Pill isn’t about rapid enhancement; rather, it’s about slow and steady progress. A single Golden Jade Pill can provide me a month of cultivation effect."
"In this way, after six Golden Jade Pills, I can enter the Jade Liquid Realm."
Ning Qi was very satisfied.
By then.
He would be just under nine years old.
Feeling the intense Gang Qi within, capable of unleashing the Heavenly Sword Technique twice, Ning Qi eagerly anticipated his power upon entering the Jade Liquid Realm; perhaps, by then, false pill augmentation would be unnecessary to possess the strength of the Celestial Being List, perhaps even more extraordinary.
Ning Qi’s strength had already shown explosive growth, related to the Supreme foundation he laid before.
Now he was unlocking treasures step by step, his combat power far exceeding his realm, unimaginable to the world.
Joy filled Ning Qi’s heart.
He stepped outside, looking again towards the direction of the vine chair.
Or more precisely, beneath the vine chair.
His eyes immediately showed amazement.
He could sense that the Enlightenment Tea Tree seed had slightly sprouted, striving to break through the earth, and this day wasn’t far away.
After absorbing the physical body of a Celestial Human Realm, the seed underwent a miraculous change.
A double blessing arrived.
This made Ning Qi’s heart filled with emotions.
The dead seeds sprouted, and the haze brought by Demon Sect days ago gradually dispersed.
Given some time, he would surely surprise the Demon Sect a little.