AST 1169 – Battle, Prowess of the Four Elements Greencloud Sword, Five Elements Contravention
Yan Jinyu was a little numb to it by now. Qing Shui continued to tell her about how to use the Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring. In fact, she had already known of the abilities it had and letting it recognize her as its owner was the fastest and most accurate way for her to familiarize herself with this object.
"Let's go meet them. If we really can't handle them then we'll run," Qing Shui smiled and said.
Yan Jinyu thought about it and said worriedly? "They should be people from Scarlet Flame Region, they were previously Yan Clan's enemies or could even be people who wish to replace Yan Clan. They should have seen that Uncle Zong had left alone by himself. I wonder how he is now."
"People from Scarlet Flame Region?" Qing Shui guessed as much, but he hadn't expected that he would come into contact with these people so soon. He wasn't satisfied with his current abilities. After all, the people he would need to go up against were people who were on the same level as Yan Jinyu, people who were going against Yan Clan. Therefore, many of them would be at State Master level.
If he was at the Western Oxhe Continent, didn't know Yan Jinyu, Tantai Xuan and the others, didn't know of any forging skills, it would be very hard for him to encounter State Master level cultivators. Although these encounters seemed to be very dangerous, they were also opportunities. Otherwise, his cultivation wouldn't have grown so rapidly during this period of time.
He didn't regret taking this path. He felt that it was very good. Although there were dangers, there were opportunities as well. He believed that if he were to encounter danger, he would have the abilities to escape if he wished to.
"Mmm, it should. Let's head up to the sky. They'll probably show themselves very soon," Yan Jinyu said this to Qing Shui, headed into a more remote place and then flew up to the sky.
Qing Shui quickly followed after her. They went up high in the air where ordinary people wouldn't be able to see. The skies would always be the place where strong cultivators fought.
Qing Shui stood next to Yan Jinyu, who had came to a stop and said, "Since you're here, why are you hiding yourself? Come out!"
Silence fell and no one appeared. However, there were many clouds which were thick like smoke. Those places were the only places in the sky where people could possibly hide. Of course, it would be another story if they were to know how to conceal themselves. However, the "Art of Concealment" was a legendary existence. At the very least, Qing Shui hadn't seen it before.
Qing Shui sent out his spirit energy to the surroundings like formless hands. Very soon, he found a spot. However, it was too far and hard for him to attack.
Swoosh!
Qing Shui shot out a coldsteel bead from his hand. He had used the spiritual sense for his Hidden Weapons Arts to lock on his target, who would only be given the option to fend it off face on or keep on dodging until the coldsteel bead's power ran out.
Ding…
After a series of crisp sounds, an old man walked out from behind a thick cloud. The old man was tall and slender, wearing grey clothes. The old man’s appearance was especially ordinary and on the first look, anyone would think of him as such. Only his pair of eyes would occasionally reveal a sharp gaze.
“Who are you? Why are you following us?” Yan Jinyu looked at the old man and asked calmly.
“Why are we following you? Is there a need to ask this? Yan Clan was the one had put us on the wanted list. We can only live in Scarlet Flame Region. If we don’t look for you guys, who should we be looking for?” The old man smiled and looked at Yan Jinyu.
Yan Jinyu paused for a moment before saying, “The people wanted by Yan Clan are all people who have committed heinous crimes. Yan Clan would definitely not order the arrest of anyone without a reason. You guys have killed the innocent and haven’t observed the rules for cultivators.”
“Haha, lass, as long as there are good people in this world, there well be bad ones. If there aren’t bad people, how would there be any good ones? There’s actually no difference between the good and the bad, only the difference between the strong and the weak. Right now, Yan Clan are the ones with the power, then you’re naturally the one to be the good people who calls the shots. However, times will change and very soon, Yan Clan will be buried in history,” the old man smiled and said.
“Do you know what righteousness is? What it means by the evil won’t triumph the good? Only those who have the support from the people will be able to last. Have you seen any evil-doer who was able to live for very long? It’s because you guys aren’t suitable for this world and will end up getting eliminated.”
“Excuses, those are all excuses. Many places in this world are controlled by the people whom you guys think are evil-doers. Aren’t those places still peaceful? To be straight, we’ve brought harm to your interests and threatened your position. Alright, I don’t wish to say too much either. Today, I’ll start with you first to get some interest. I’ll get my payback slowly in the future,” the old man said impatiently.
With that, the old man took out a strange weapon that was four feet long. It was like a staff but yet not one; it was a little like a mace but yet its very tip was like a snake’s head.
Yan Jinyu took out the Four Elements Greencloud Sword and said to Qing Shui, “Qing Shui, you can just watch from the sides. Keep yourself safe.”
Qing Shui nodded, not saying anything. After all, with his current cultivation, it was still a little hard for him to deal with this situation. It was because this old man’s cultivation should be at the peak of a Grade One State Master and was probably very close to becoming a Grade Two State Master. After all, he had come to assault and kill Yan Jinyu.
The old man looked at Yan Jinyu, swung his weird looking weapon, sending a light blue glow which seemed like a hand, grabbing toward Yan Jinyu.
Spirit energy attack, Tangling Hands!
The old man’s cultivation was related to spirit energy. Although this Tangling Hands appeared to be a simple attack, if one was tangled up by it, their movements and speed would be restricted. Then, the old man would be able to use his killer moves without a care.
Yan Jinyu shook her Four Elements Greencloud Sword, bringing forth shadows that seemed to appear like a brilliant sunflower, engaging the opponent’s Tangling Hands.
Pa!
The old man’s Tangling Hands were scattered off and with a flash, Yan Jinyu dashed toward the old man.
The old man seemed to be stunned to have his Tangling Hands stopped. However, he reacted very quickly and with a wave of his hand, a light colored glow appeared under his feet and he quickly dodged.
Waving his hand again, a huge thick grey-colored gas crept out toward Yan Jinyu.
Cultivators trained in spirit energy tended to choose primarily from one of the five elements and then chose some other to cultivate as well. Right now, Qing Shui could basically be sure that the old man's primary cultivation was in the earth elemental spirit energy.
The earth element prioritized force, power and strong defense.
Yan Jinyu looked at the earth Qi which was getting closer to her. This earth Qi seemed more like walls made of soil, covering the world. It came with quite a terrifying force.
A majestic force burst out from Yan Jinyu and the Four Elements Greencloud Sword in her hand sent out a wide sword glow which was like water.
Azure Water and Clear Skies!
A huge wall of water formed a barrier. This wasn’t all. A huge water dragon appeared from the waters, spinning. In just a moment, the overspread earth Qi immediately broke down and dissipated.
Earth originally contravened water but the Four Elements Greencloud Sword had increased Yan Jinyu’s spirit energy by quite a bit. Moreover, the Soaring Dragon Sea Quake was activated. Even though her water powers were contravened, she also managed to resolve the overspread earth Qi.
The old man now had his eyes wide-agape in astonishment. According to his information, it should be very easy for him to deal with this lass from Yan Clan. However, it didn’t seem to be the case right now. He swung his hand once again.
Roar!
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
A huge demonic beast image appeared on the old man. It looked like an ape-typed demonic beast. They were considered to be spirit-type with powerful spirit energy. It seemed that this old man really did primarily cultivate in the area of spirit energy and had great mastery in its use.
Yan Jinyu didn’t dare to let her guard down and quickly activated her Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation as well!
Her Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation was a huge demonic beast which looked like a crane. It was elegant and appeared to be very intelligent.
Yan Jinyu dashed toward the old man with the grace of a crane!
Sword Overturning Earth！
The old man let out a loud bellow, swinging his weapon consecutively. Two huge demonic beasts which were like two earth dragons appeared. They had been formed from his spirit energy. One of them circled around the old man while the other dashed toward Yan Jinyu.
The enormous earth dragon exuded killing an aura, dashing toward Yan Jinyu in a zigzag motion. Its huge, hideous looking head occasionally spewed out rocks that were sturdier than metallic essence.
Yan Jinyu continued to swing her Four Elements Greencloud Sword. Each time she did, a huge sword Qi appeared, like a huge wall of water that was extremely sharp.
Boom boom…
Endless explosive sounds rang out!
Break!
Yan Jinyu let out a cry and spun the sword in her hand. Everything seemed to be very profound at that moment. A brilliant light glow shot out toward the earth dragon’s neck where the dragon’s reverse scale was at.
Pfft!
The earth dragon’s enormous head was chopped off by this bright sword glow. The entire earth dragon instantly disappeared in the air.
Yan Jinyu was protected by a layer of glow while she moved around with a profound set of footwork. Qing Shui felt that it was very similar to his Seven Star Steps but it was just similar.
The old man started to panic a little. Those who primarily cultivated spirit energy tended to have the advantage of long range attacks but were afraid of close combat.
The old man swung his hand and another huge stream of earth Qi flowed toward Yan Jinyu. This earth Qi seemed to be like boiling water, exuding boiling waves of aura.
Essence Fire of Earth！
When Qing Shui saw this, he let out a sigh. Earth contravened water but water contravened fire. Yan Jinyu clearly cultivated a powerful sword technique that was of the water element. The old man’s head was muddled. Although this attack was very powerful, much more than the earth Qi from earlier, it was a pity that it had been contravened and thus its prowess weren’t fully unleashed.
Water Ripples Sword Imprint!
Yan Jinyu didn’t stop charging. Sweeping out her Four Elements Greencloud Sword swiftly multiple times, steams of huge sword imprints that were like water ripples were sent out. The Waves Sword met with the over-spreading Essence Fire of Earth.
After a slight tussle, the earth Qi disappeared. Just then, Yan Jinyu hit out another stream of Water Ripples Sword Imprint.
Right now, she was already very close to the old man and the circling earth dragon was ready to attack anytime!
Just then, a huge ripple of power appeared from the tip of Yan Jinyu’s sword tip, following after the Water Ripples Sword Imprint!
Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance!
Suddenly, several tens of huge fire snakes appeared around the old man or rather, fire pythons. They even had sizzling electricity force on them.
Qing Shui smiled. He hadn’t expected that the prowess of the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance with the Four Elements Greencloud Sword was many times stronger than the one he had with the other ordinary swords.
Terrified, the old man wanted to dodge but it was too late. He could only let the earth dragon coil up around him to protect himself. However, this time around, the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance contravened the earth dragon.
With a huge crackling sound, the exploded prowess made even Qing Shui feel terrified. To think that the prowess unleashed just by Yan Jinyu was already so terrifying!
Huge flames soared in the skies, dissolving even the clouds in the surroundings. It even created deep rumbling sounds of thunder and terrifying crackling sounds. Violet colored thunderbolts kept flashing.
In that instant, the places covered by the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance became like hell!
When the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance disappeared, so did everything. The time for the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance was not long and would only last for the amount of time it took for a few breaths. However, its prowess was astonishing.
It might be because of the five elements contravention.
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AST 1170 – Fated Encounter, She Is Demon Lord, the Owner of Demon Lord Palace
Of course, part of the reason was also because Yan Jinyu was strong. The stronger one was, the stronger the prowess of the Four Elements Greencloud Sword that could be unleashed. However, the powers unleashed by Yan Jinyu were still beyond his expectations. However, when he thought of how powerful the Four Elements Greencloud Sword was, he didn’t find it strange anymore.
It might be because the old man thought highly of himself that he had actually come alone. He must not have expected to be killed by Yan Jinyu just like that. Everything was because of a single weapon. Without the Four Elements Greencloud Sword, they would probably have a problem escaping, let alone there being the possibility that Yan Jinyu would be able to kill the elder.
“Sister, let’s get out of this place. It’s not safe to stay here!” Qing Shui saw that Yan Jinyu seemed to still be in a slight daze and quickly said.
“Mmmm!”
Both Yan Jinyu and Qing Shui disappeared instantly, blending into the crowd. This wasn’t the first time she had encountered such situations but this was the first time she was up against such a powerful opponent. If she hadn’t met Qing Shui, without Uncle Zong by her side, it would probably be hard for her to get out of this fix.
Unknowingly, she grew to like Qing Shui more and more. This was a like one had for their family and nothing else. It was just pure feelings of like.
In fact, Qing Shui was feeling the same. Although he had helped her, he felt that he had actually gained. Very soon, he would be able to take part in battles like these and wouldn’t have to be so passive.
If he were to have to fight against that elder today, if the elder used only spirit energy, then Qing Shui would have been able to protect himself. However, he didn’t know about anything else. After all, it was hard to tell if he could actually destroy those two earth dragons.
Yan Jinyu seemed to be very happy at the moment. She put on her bamboo hat. There were actually many people along the streets wearing face veils or bamboo hats, regardless of their genders.
Qing Shui wore a bamboo hat as well and looked around as he sensed the surroundings with his spiritual sense. Whenever he noticed powerful cultivators, he would take extra effort to sense them. However, it was good that powerful cultivators were hard to come by and thus it wasn’t easy to encounter them.
And amongst the people in the crowd, no one seemed to know that Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu were powerful cultivators. It was because they hadn’t reached that level, so even if they had crossed paths with powerful cultivators, they wouldn’t have known. It was like how, in the past, Qing Shui didn’t encounter any powerful cultivators before he had gotten strong. It wasn’t because he didn’t manage to meet any but it was more him not realizing even if he had passed by one.
They had initially planned on continuing to be on their way but then felt that it was a good idea. After all, they would be able to arrive at the inner city the next day. They should be safe there then. Yan Clan was still quite powerful and influential.
Right now, they could only worry and could only draw their own inferences. It was worrying because that old man from earlier had appeared. That old man’s cultivation was close to that of a Grade Two State Master. A Grade Two State Master would have a very respected position but earlier, one such person had died.
In the world of cultivators, one could only continue to get stronger. There would always be stronger people out there. Although a cultivator’s life was seen to be very strong, their lives were actually very brittle.
The top person in a circle might be just the weakest one in another circle. There was always someone better outside. The path of martial arts was endless.
Qing Shui continued to think as he walked on. Some of the things he heard as well as his own comprehensions continued to increase his understanding of this world and he was increasingly able to find his own position.
They didn’t travel at a very fast speed nor did they have a fixed destination. They just followed the flow of the crowd, walking around and taking a look along this wide street. The place was very lively. In the middle section of the streets, there would be some carriages passing by, including beast carriages and horse carriages of various sizes. Some of them were luxurious while others were simple. The two sides were the pavement for pedestrians and then there were the stalls and stores.
Suddenly, Qing Shui had a strange feeling. It was a very familiar one, but he couldn’t really grasp it. He suddenly lifted his head and looked at the sky. The feeling came from above, but he wasn’t able to see anything from the ground. However, that feeling really did exist and it seemed to be getting increasingly clearer. The feeling that the source was above him grew stronger.
“Sister, wait for me here and be careful. I’ll be back soon!” Qing Shui used the Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring to dash toward the sky.
He shot up 200 li directly. Even though he was 200 li up the air, which was the equivalent of 100,000 meters, it didn’t seem to be enough. However, that feeling was getting clearer. Moreover, Qing Shui felt that the target seemed to have came to a stop. The other party must have sensed Qing Shui as well.
When he disappeared with a flash, Yan Jinyu had dashed over as well. She happened to see Qing Shui’s disappearing silhouette and she quickly headed over as well.
Ten times. At the height of one million meters in the sky, the air seemed to be even clearer. There was still plenty of fresh air around, unless how in his previously life, oxygen would be thin in high altitudes. And by now, Qing Shui had also finally saw the source the familiar feeling was coming from.
There was a huge divine turtle and a lady standing next to it. This scene was very familiar. He had seen it through an exchange of his consciousness.
The lady’s hair was done up high, she had soft brows and her beautiful face without makeup on was like the morning sun reflected on snow. She had the beauty of a goddess but her eyes were as cold as winter.
She had a pair of cold and beautiful eyes which seemed to pierce into one’s bones. They were beautiful and pure like ice and snow but the chill penetrated deep into one’s bones.
She was divine. Her snow-white plain clothes couldn’t hide her curves. Her shoulders were sharp, her chest curved into a beautiful arch and the curves at her waist flowed beautifully. Her slender figure made her appear as if she was a jade carving created by the gods.
She stood there, exuding an aura which made it feel as if she mustn’t be tainted. Amongst the ladies Qing Shui had seen, this was one whom he mustn’t get near. It wasn’t cold but more of an arrogance coming from her soul.
That lady from the crystal coffin!
Qing Shui hadn’t expected to meet her under such circumstances. It was really such a coincidence. It was like fate. He knew that it was because of the portrait of beauty he had in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Otherwise, it would be very hard for him to sense her. It could also be because of the skinship they had before. No matter what the reason was, he was finally able to see her again.
He had already seen that huge turtle behind her from the previous time they had interacted through their consciousness. It was too big, like a mountain. The aura it exuded caused Qing Shui to be stunned…
This old turtle was in no way weaker than the green dragon from the interaction of their consciousness. It had a strong vitality as well. Back then, when they were in the crystal palace, it didn't seem to be so strong. When Qing Shui sensed the lady again, he understood everything. He was just too weak.
It was so in the past and it continued to be so right now. He still didn’t know this lady’s cultivation. He had thought that the current him shouldn’t be weaker than her now but now he knew that his guess was very far off the mark.
He didn’t know if she had concealed her abilities back then, if she had suddenly gone through rapid progress or her body had awakened. All this was no longer important. What was important that it seemed that he was still unable to catch up to her.
He had previously decided that when he met her again, he’d give her warmth. But looking at the current situation, who was he to be doing that? Qing Shui looked at this lady for whom he didn’t understand his feelings. The lady was very cool but was also looking at him. Her eyes were still as cold and piercing, but they were very beautiful and pure like snow. However, they gave off a cold all the way down to his bones. She was cool but yet very natural. Everything seemed to be very normal, as if she was born with such a disposition.
Qing Shui looked at the lady, not knowing what to say. It was only after very long did he then say softly, “Hello!”
After saying that, Qing Shui felt more relaxed. He wasn’t expecting the lady to reply her, but she did. This astonished him.
“Hello. I didn’t expect to be able to meet you again.”
Her voice was still cold as ever but it wasn’t unpleasant. There was a cool arrogance behind the tone.
“I initially thought that I’d be able to help you… I don’t know why but I felt that I’d like to help you. I hope to get you to stay…” This was the first time Qing Shui was completely empty of any confidence he had. Not even one bit of it was level.
The words he said didn’t match and he wasn’t able to say sensible stuff now.
By this time, Yan Jinyu had appeared as well and she went up next to Qing Shui. She heard what Qing Shui said as well but a huge tsunami formed in her heart. It was because she saw the divine turtle and the cool lady.
Yan Jinyu did her best to not say anything as she looked at this scene in a daze.
The lady wasn’t infuriated, nor were there any changes to her expression. "I had also sensed your aura earlier and knew that you’d come. I just didn’t expect you to come here. But so what if you’ve come? There’s no way that our paths will cross. Alright, I’m going to leave. You’re on your own now!”
With that, the lady turned to leave, doing so with much grace. Qing Shui wanted to say something and after much effort, said, “Take care! We’ll meet again!”
The lady left. Her silhouette disappeared together with that huge turtle. It was only after a very long time had passed that Qing Shui looked toward Yan Jinyu, “Why did you come?”
“Qing Shui, do you know who she is?” When Yan Jinyu was saying this, her voice seemed to be trembling.
Qing Shui sensed that something wasn’t right, but he still asked in surprise, “You know her?”
“I just happened to get to know about her. How did you get to know her?” Yan Jinyu was astonished as well.
“Sister, tell me who she is first.” Qing Shui urged.
Seeing that Qing Shui didn’t know who that lady was, Yan Jinyu guessed that they shouldn’t have any connections. She gave it some thought and felt that even if Qing Shui wanted to have a connection with that lady, it would be very difficult!
“She isn’t from Western Oxhe Continent but her name is well-known. She is Demon Lord, a lady who is like a demon. Many people want her dead,” Yan Jinyu looked at Qing Shui and said slowly.
Hearing Yan Jinyu’s words, Qing Shui’s fist clenched up.
“Why?” Qing Shui looked at Yan Jinyu.
“It was said that many years ago, she disappeared. A few years ago, she eradicated a powerful aristocratic clan but no one knew the reason. The influence of that clan was very big and thus, many other factions wanted to kill her. However, she’s very strong. It’s said that right now, she is Demon Lord Palace’s Demon Lord and has inherited the legacy from the previous Demon Lord. In the first place, there are many people who were up against Demon Lord Palace.” Although Yan Jinyu spoke very briefly, Qing Shui could still grasp some points.
Right now, Qing Shui was still in a muddled state. However, he felt that if he hadn't guessed wrongly, she had probably fallen victim to the intense aphrodisiac when the Demon Lord Palace was fighting against some other factions. It should be the reason why she was sealed by the old turtle and brought away from the four continents. This time around, she must have returned to kill the person who did that to her. As for the inheritance of the Demon Lord's legacy, it must have been why her cultivation had soared tremendously.
The reason she said that they wouldn't cross paths must be because he was too weak while she was Demon Lord Palace's Demon Lord. Or it could be that she didn’t take a liking to him and hadn’t remembered him.
Yan Jinyu said that she had a lot of enemies and those people were some powerful righteous people, at least, that was what it was in name. And she and Demon Lord Palace should be similar to those people form the Scarlet Flame Region!
Therefore, the battle between them would never come to an end. Neither party would give up until their lives had been expended!
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AST 1171 – Dark Current, Taking the Heavenly Secrets Pill, Forging the Big Dipper Sword
Qing Shui would never have thought that she had such an identity—Demon Lord. It was an existence which seemed to be very distant from him but yet appeared right before his eyes. Moreover, they had once gotten very close skinship, albeit it a wrong one.
She wasn’t from Western Oxhe Continent. Then she was from one of the other three continents? Was it Soaring Dragon Continent, Dancing Phoenix Continent or the Haohan Continent?
Earlier, he had summoned his courage to speak up and knew that he had no hope. In her eyes, he was as insignificant as an ant. However, back when they were in the five continents, she didn’t kill him. This showed that she wasn’t one who would kill the innocent.
Humans would not be together with ants. In this vast and dangerous world, Qing Shui could clearly understand this feeling. She had a very high status and her world wasn’t one which he could come into contact with or withstand at the moment. Therefore, she had said that they didn’t belong in the same world and it would be impossible for their paths to cross.
He also recalled the old turtle’s sigh back at the crystal palace. It could be because it had already expected this conclusion back then and even had treated Qing Shui as a sacrifice to save the lady in the crystal coffin.
However, Qing Shui didn’t hate the old turtle. Dangers and opportunities go hand in hand and it was also from that encounter that his Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had leveled up and his abilities had soared. Therefore, all in all, he hadn’t lost anything. On the contrary, it could be said that he had gained a lot from that encounter.
He felt that he was softhearted. It could be because he was a more emotional person, because they’d had sex or because he had wanted to use his heart to melt her cold expressions…
Qing Shui had even thought of being a pillar of support for her. It was a pity that he wasn’t capable of that currently. All in all, it still boiled down to his cultivation. She was the owner of the Palace, she was the Demon Lord. What kind of cultivation would he need to be able to reach her level? How long would it take?
Right now, she as well as Demon Lord Palace’s level shouldn’t be lower than that of a Grade Four Dynasty. This was still considered a conservative estimation!
How terrifying was that level? Qing Shui rubbed his head, not wanting to think anymore. It was useless to think too much into it. Right now, it was more important for him to make good use of time to work hard in his cultivation!
“Qing Shui…”
Qing Shui turned to look at Yan Jinyu and saw the worry in her eyes. He smiled and shook his head, “It’s nothing. We’ve met once and it seems that I don’t know as much about her as you do.”
“Alright, Qing Shui, I don’t know what happened between the two of you. But at least for these few years, there’s nothing you can do. Listen to me, be down-to-earth in your training and there might be a chance in the future. Sister trusts that you’re capable of it,” Yan Jinyu smiled and said. She was very clever and although she didn’t know what had happened between them, at least she felt that Qing Shui cared a lot about that lady.
“Thank you. Thank you for consoling me, Sister!” Qing Shui shook his head and smiled. However, he did feel happy to hear what Yan Jinyu had said. At least, this lady truly meant well for him and the things she said were very pleasant and effective. It was exactly what he had thought.
“Let’s go. We’ll find an inn to stay at and then hurry on our way back tomorrow. Sister will treat you to some wine but you’ll have to be the one to bring out the wine…” Yan Jinyu broke into a laugh.
…
Qing Shui wasn’t interested in checking out the place and thus Yan Jinyu lost interest in doing so either. When Qing Shui went to meet that lady earlier, he had already thrown away his bamboo hat and thus he decided not to wear it anymore.
Yang Clan Inn!
This was considered quite a high quality inn, at least by appearance. Qing Shui thought of how the area was called Yang City, so the Yang Clan Inn must come from a strong background.
“Yang Clan is the strongest clan in this area and Yang Clan Inn is one of the businesses under them. This was not the only one. There were quite a number of Yang Clan Inns in the area and all of them belonged to Yang Clan," Yan Jinyu smiled and said as she entered with Qing Shui.
Practically all aristocratic clans would have their own high quality inns. This was because one would be able to get news the fastest in such places. With many people and loose tongues gossiping around, they would be able to get a lot of information.
The inn took up a very large space. Based on the standards from Qing Shui’s previous life, it wouldn’t be considered an inn anymore. It was far too big. There was the main hall and private rooms. It had a length of 1,000 meters and a width of several hundred meters. The traffic before the entrance was high and the fragrances of the wine and food which flooded out were quite tempting.
A waitress went up to greet them the moment they had entered. Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu were there to stay and to have their meals. They got their meals sent right to their room. The room they got was on the highest story and it was very costly. However, Qing Shui had no financial worries at the moment.
The room was very spacious and there were two bedrooms and one hall. The room was designed with two stories, with the bedrooms on the higher story and the hall on the lower. Every level of this inn was very high, so there was no problem with designing two stories for each room.
It didn’t take the waitress long to serve their food. Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu ate in the hall and although the food didn’t taste as good as if they were to cook with their own spices, it would get pretty boring if one had to eat the same thing often. It was just like if a person were to eat meat often, they would find vegetables tasty when they ate them occasionally.
Halfway through their meals, the sound of door knocks rang out. Seeing that Yan Jinyu was also stunned, Qing Shui stood up and said smiling, “It might be the waiters from the inn!”
Qing Shui opened the door to find a handsome guy. He appeared to be slightly younger than middle-age and from his dress, it was clear that he wasn’t one of the waiters in the inn.
“You are?” Qing Shui asked.
“Is Miss Jinyu here?” the man smiled and asked but didn’t answer Qing Shui.
Qing Shui could even tell that there was a hint of disdain and arrogance in the guy’s eyes toward him. Qing Shui shook his head. He didn’t care about these things but still asked again, “Who are you?”
“I’m Yang Yicun [1]!”
Qing Shui almost burst out laughing. He had heard of Yang Dingtian and Qiu Qianchi [2] but he hadn’t expected this person’s name to be Yang Yicun. It was probably from the saying ‘an inch of time is worth an inch of gold [3]’ or served as a reminder for him to constantly take each second preciously. However, the impact it created when paired with this surname was just too hilarious.
“Qing Shui, who is that?” Yan Jinyu’s voice rang out.
“Oh, he said that he’s called Yang Yicun…”
By then, Yan Jinyu had already walked up next to Qing Shui.
“Miss Jinyu, I heard from my subordinates that you’d come. Why didn’t you tell me in advance?” When Yang Yicun saw Yan Jinyu, he smiled and said.
After saying that, he clapped his hands and several waitresses walked out, holding dishes filled with steaming hot delicacies.
“Young Master Yang, we’ve already eaten. There’s no need for these.” Yan Jinyu shook her head and stopped the waitresses who were about to enter.
“Oh, is that so? Then you guys can head back!” Yang Yicun waved his hand casually and said.
“We’re only passing by and will be leaving very soon. Therefore, we won’t be troubling Young Master Yang,” Yan Jinyu said in a polite tone.
“It’s a rare opportunity that Miss Jinyu has come to Yang City. Why not let me bring you to have a look around the area in the afternoon? Otherwise, if Yan City’s city lord were to know that I’ve been a poor host, he’ll definitely blame me.” From the beginning to the end, Yan Jinyu didn’t even take a look in Qing Shui’s direction.
Qing Shui knew that this man didn’t think much of him. Could it be that it was because he didn’t let him enter earlier?
“Maybe next time. I’m tired and would like to rest for today,” Yan Jinyu said calmly.
“If that’s the case, then Miss Jinyu, please rest well. I’ll come visit at a later time!” With that, he smiled and nodded and then turned to leave.
Qing Shui looked at Yang Yicun’s departing figure and felt a little strange. It was because he had seen Yang Yicun’s weird gaze when he had turned to leave. Qing Shui turned toward Yan Jinyu, “Sister, in the future, you must be on your guard around this person.”
“Mmm, I know. He looks egotistical, ignorant and arrogant but these are just the facade he puts up. He’s trying to hide something.” Yan Jinyu smiled.
“Oh, so Sister knows about it!”
“Yang Clan is a restless bunch. He wishes to gain control of the outer city. When that happens, he’ll be able to enter the inner city and wait for a chance to strike.”
Since Qing Shui knew that Yan Jinyu was already on her guard around this person, it was enough. Closing the room’s door, they continued with the meal they were still in the middle of earlier.
Since there were no plans for the afternoon, Qing Shui headed upstairs, preparing to enter the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal.
Yan Jinyu went up as well. There were two bedrooms on the upper story, but they were a distance away from each other. There was also a small living room there which separated the bedrooms. The bedrooms were not side-by-side.
Qing Shui called out a demonic beast to be on guard. Right now, there were not many people who could be of a threat to Yan Jinyu. Qing Shui told her not to go out and if she were to go out, for her to call him along.
Upon entering the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui couldn’t wait but took out a Heavenly Secrets Pill and ate it. The Heavenly Secrets Pill was snow white and translucent. It was the size of one’s thumb and upon consumption, it gave of a fragrant and refreshing feeling. Very soon, a warm feeling rose and rapidly flowed through his entire body. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable feeling.
He had initially thought that he would need to go through a period of torment, however, it turned out to be quite enjoyable. Very quickly, a powerful energy rose within him and his physical strength increased by one nimbus.
This medicinal pill was very gentle but its effect was tremendous. The area of alchemy was very powerful but it was a pity that Qing Shui lacked alchemy recipes and medicinal herbs. Moreover, his own medicine seemed to be for his consumption as his cultivation grew and was especially suited for himself. Most importantly, the medicinal herbs were hard to come by.
It was just like how the alchemy recipe for this Heavenly Secrets Pill should be very precious as well and the medicinal herbs would definitely not be ordinary. However, if he were given both the alchemy recipe and the medicinal herbs, Qing Shui had confidence that he would be able to refine them.
With an additional one nimbus of strength increase to his physical strength, Qing Shui now had a strength of 11 nimbus. The prowess of his Nine Continents Mountain was now getting close to the lowest grade State Masters and his spirit energy had also gone through some changes. However, right now, Qing Shui felt that there was a need for him to reforge his Big Dipper Sword.
Since it was already decided, Qing Shui put it into action. Every little increase to his strength was something. Although everything around them seemed very peaceful, there seemed to be a dark current that was coming soon.
Qing Shui first melted the Greencloud Stone and that useless Greencloud Sword, both given by Yan Jinyu, with his primordial flames. He then worked on the Big Dipper Sword.
Right now, just by using his Hexa-color Rainbow Art of Forging, Qing Shui would also be able to increase the prowess of the Big Dipper Sword. However, he wanted to add in the Greencloud Stone since it could increase his spirit energy. Right now, the Big Dipper Sword no longer provided an increase to his spirit energy.
The Greencloud Stone could increase one’s spirit energy. There was also the Five-Colored Stone and other materials in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal which he could add in, including Golden Extract Essence, Violet Jade and Thunder Rock!
After completing his preparations, Qing Shui went into full concentration for the forging of his Big Dipper Sword. With the experience he had from previous tries, this time around, he was relatively familiar with the process. There wasn’t much Greencloud Stone left to begin with but with that smelted Greencloud Sword, it was just enough.
However, during the forging process this time around, Qing Shui felt something strange with the Big Dipper Sword. It was because despite having so much Greencloud Stone added to the Big Dipper Sword, it didn’t go through any changes. It was like a black hole.
However, Qing Shui felt that in the end there was only the feeling that it was saturated. He then added the Golden Extract Essence, 10,000 Years Coldsteel, Violet Jade and Thunder Rock, before he started the hammering and tempering process. This was a crucial process to forging arts, to bring out the impurities and let the remaining essence completely merge together and form a smooth flow.
–
[1] Yicun is written in Chinese with the characters representing one inch. The character ‘Yang’ can represent many things, including the male genitals.[2] Yang Dingtian: The characters for Dingtian means holding up the heavens and can be inferred to as being upright. Qiu Qianchi: The words from Qianchi represents 1,000 feet. Qiu, although a different character, sounds the same as the qiu representing beg.
[3] Literal translation for the Chinese saying. An English equivalent to it is ‘time is money’.
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AST 1169 – Battle, Prowess of the Four Elements Greencloud Sword, Five Elements Contravention
Yan Jinyu was a little numb to it by now. Qing Shui continued to tell her about how to use the Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring. In fact, she had already known of the abilities it had and letting it recognize her as its owner was the fastest and most accurate way for her to familiarize herself with this object.
"Let's go meet them. If we really can't handle them then we'll run," Qing Shui smiled and said.
Yan Jinyu thought about it and said worriedly? "They should be people from Scarlet Flame Region, they were previously Yan Clan's enemies or could even be people who wish to replace Yan Clan. They should have seen that Uncle Zong had left alone by himself. I wonder how he is now."
"People from Scarlet Flame Region?" Qing Shui guessed as much, but he hadn't expected that he would come into contact with these people so soon. He wasn't satisfied with his current abilities. After all, the people he would need to go up against were people who were on the same level as Yan Jinyu, people who were going against Yan Clan. Therefore, many of them would be at State Master level.
If he was at the Western Oxhe Continent, didn't know Yan Jinyu, Tantai Xuan and the others, didn't know of any forging skills, it would be very hard for him to encounter State Master level cultivators. Although these encounters seemed to be very dangerous, they were also opportunities. Otherwise, his cultivation wouldn't have grown so rapidly during this period of time.
He didn't regret taking this path. He felt that it was very good. Although there were dangers, there were opportunities as well. He believed that if he were to encounter danger, he would have the abilities to escape if he wished to.
"Mmm, it should. Let's head up to the sky. They'll probably show themselves very soon," Yan Jinyu said this to Qing Shui, headed into a more remote place and then flew up to the sky.
Qing Shui quickly followed after her. They went up high in the air where ordinary people wouldn't be able to see. The skies would always be the place where strong cultivators fought.
Qing Shui stood next to Yan Jinyu, who had came to a stop and said, "Since you're here, why are you hiding yourself? Come out!"
Silence fell and no one appeared. However, there were many clouds which were thick like smoke. Those places were the only places in the sky where people could possibly hide. Of course, it would be another story if they were to know how to conceal themselves. However, the "Art of Concealment" was a legendary existence. At the very least, Qing Shui hadn't seen it before.
Qing Shui sent out his spirit energy to the surroundings like formless hands. Very soon, he found a spot. However, it was too far and hard for him to attack.
Swoosh!
Qing Shui shot out a coldsteel bead from his hand. He had used the spiritual sense for his Hidden Weapons Arts to lock on his target, who would only be given the option to fend it off face on or keep on dodging until the coldsteel bead's power ran out.
Ding…
After a series of crisp sounds, an old man walked out from behind a thick cloud. The old man was tall and slender, wearing grey clothes. The old man’s appearance was especially ordinary and on the first look, anyone would think of him as such. Only his pair of eyes would occasionally reveal a sharp gaze.
“Who are you? Why are you following us?” Yan Jinyu looked at the old man and asked calmly.
“Why are we following you? Is there a need to ask this? Yan Clan was the one had put us on the wanted list. We can only live in Scarlet Flame Region. If we don’t look for you guys, who should we be looking for?” The old man smiled and looked at Yan Jinyu.
Yan Jinyu paused for a moment before saying, “The people wanted by Yan Clan are all people who have committed heinous crimes. Yan Clan would definitely not order the arrest of anyone without a reason. You guys have killed the innocent and haven’t observed the rules for cultivators.”
“Haha, lass, as long as there are good people in this world, there well be bad ones. If there aren’t bad people, how would there be any good ones? There’s actually no difference between the good and the bad, only the difference between the strong and the weak. Right now, Yan Clan are the ones with the power, then you’re naturally the one to be the good people who calls the shots. However, times will change and very soon, Yan Clan will be buried in history,” the old man smiled and said.
“Do you know what righteousness is? What it means by the evil won’t triumph the good? Only those who have the support from the people will be able to last. Have you seen any evil-doer who was able to live for very long? It’s because you guys aren’t suitable for this world and will end up getting eliminated.”
“Excuses, those are all excuses. Many places in this world are controlled by the people whom you guys think are evil-doers. Aren’t those places still peaceful? To be straight, we’ve brought harm to your interests and threatened your position. Alright, I don’t wish to say too much either. Today, I’ll start with you first to get some interest. I’ll get my payback slowly in the future,” the old man said impatiently.
With that, the old man took out a strange weapon that was four feet long. It was like a staff but yet not one; it was a little like a mace but yet its very tip was like a snake’s head.
Yan Jinyu took out the Four Elements Greencloud Sword and said to Qing Shui, “Qing Shui, you can just watch from the sides. Keep yourself safe.”
Qing Shui nodded, not saying anything. After all, with his current cultivation, it was still a little hard for him to deal with this situation. It was because this old man’s cultivation should be at the peak of a Grade One State Master and was probably very close to becoming a Grade Two State Master. After all, he had come to assault and kill Yan Jinyu.
The old man looked at Yan Jinyu, swung his weird looking weapon, sending a light blue glow which seemed like a hand, grabbing toward Yan Jinyu.
Spirit energy attack, Tangling Hands!
The old man’s cultivation was related to spirit energy. Although this Tangling Hands appeared to be a simple attack, if one was tangled up by it, their movements and speed would be restricted. Then, the old man would be able to use his killer moves without a care.
Yan Jinyu shook her Four Elements Greencloud Sword, bringing forth shadows that seemed to appear like a brilliant sunflower, engaging the opponent’s Tangling Hands.
Pa!
The old man’s Tangling Hands were scattered off and with a flash, Yan Jinyu dashed toward the old man.
The old man seemed to be stunned to have his Tangling Hands stopped. However, he reacted very quickly and with a wave of his hand, a light colored glow appeared under his feet and he quickly dodged.
Waving his hand again, a huge thick grey-colored gas crept out toward Yan Jinyu.
Cultivators trained in spirit energy tended to choose primarily from one of the five elements and then chose some other to cultivate as well. Right now, Qing Shui could basically be sure that the old man's primary cultivation was in the earth elemental spirit energy.
The earth element prioritized force, power and strong defense.
Yan Jinyu looked at the earth Qi which was getting closer to her. This earth Qi seemed more like walls made of soil, covering the world. It came with quite a terrifying force.
A majestic force burst out from Yan Jinyu and the Four Elements Greencloud Sword in her hand sent out a wide sword glow which was like water.
Azure Water and Clear Skies!
A huge wall of water formed a barrier. This wasn’t all. A huge water dragon appeared from the waters, spinning. In just a moment, the overspread earth Qi immediately broke down and dissipated.
Earth originally contravened water but the Four Elements Greencloud Sword had increased Yan Jinyu’s spirit energy by quite a bit. Moreover, the Soaring Dragon Sea Quake was activated. Even though her water powers were contravened, she also managed to resolve the overspread earth Qi.
The old man now had his eyes wide-agape in astonishment. According to his information, it should be very easy for him to deal with this lass from Yan Clan. However, it didn’t seem to be the case right now. He swung his hand once again.
Roar!
Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation!
A huge demonic beast image appeared on the old man. It looked like an ape-typed demonic beast. They were considered to be spirit-type with powerful spirit energy. It seemed that this old man really did primarily cultivate in the area of spirit energy and had great mastery in its use.
Yan Jinyu didn’t dare to let her guard down and quickly activated her Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation as well!
Her Demonic Beast Armor Manifestation was a huge demonic beast which looked like a crane. It was elegant and appeared to be very intelligent.
Yan Jinyu dashed toward the old man with the grace of a crane!
Sword Overturning Earth！
The old man let out a loud bellow, swinging his weapon consecutively. Two huge demonic beasts which were like two earth dragons appeared. They had been formed from his spirit energy. One of them circled around the old man while the other dashed toward Yan Jinyu.
The enormous earth dragon exuded killing an aura, dashing toward Yan Jinyu in a zigzag motion. Its huge, hideous looking head occasionally spewed out rocks that were sturdier than metallic essence.
Yan Jinyu continued to swing her Four Elements Greencloud Sword. Each time she did, a huge sword Qi appeared, like a huge wall of water that was extremely sharp.
Boom boom…
Endless explosive sounds rang out!
Break!
Yan Jinyu let out a cry and spun the sword in her hand. Everything seemed to be very profound at that moment. A brilliant light glow shot out toward the earth dragon’s neck where the dragon’s reverse scale was at.
Pfft!
The earth dragon’s enormous head was chopped off by this bright sword glow. The entire earth dragon instantly disappeared in the air.
Yan Jinyu was protected by a layer of glow while she moved around with a profound set of footwork. Qing Shui felt that it was very similar to his Seven Star Steps but it was just similar.
The old man started to panic a little. Those who primarily cultivated spirit energy tended to have the advantage of long range attacks but were afraid of close combat.
The old man swung his hand and another huge stream of earth Qi flowed toward Yan Jinyu. This earth Qi seemed to be like boiling water, exuding boiling waves of aura.
Essence Fire of Earth！
When Qing Shui saw this, he let out a sigh. Earth contravened water but water contravened fire. Yan Jinyu clearly cultivated a powerful sword technique that was of the water element. The old man’s head was muddled. Although this attack was very powerful, much more than the earth Qi from earlier, it was a pity that it had been contravened and thus its prowess weren’t fully unleashed.
Water Ripples Sword Imprint!
Yan Jinyu didn’t stop charging. Sweeping out her Four Elements Greencloud Sword swiftly multiple times, steams of huge sword imprints that were like water ripples were sent out. The Waves Sword met with the over-spreading Essence Fire of Earth.
After a slight tussle, the earth Qi disappeared. Just then, Yan Jinyu hit out another stream of Water Ripples Sword Imprint.
Right now, she was already very close to the old man and the circling earth dragon was ready to attack anytime!
Just then, a huge ripple of power appeared from the tip of Yan Jinyu’s sword tip, following after the Water Ripples Sword Imprint!
Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance!
Suddenly, several tens of huge fire snakes appeared around the old man or rather, fire pythons. They even had sizzling electricity force on them.
Qing Shui smiled. He hadn’t expected that the prowess of the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance with the Four Elements Greencloud Sword was many times stronger than the one he had with the other ordinary swords.
Terrified, the old man wanted to dodge but it was too late. He could only let the earth dragon coil up around him to protect himself. However, this time around, the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance contravened the earth dragon.
With a huge crackling sound, the exploded prowess made even Qing Shui feel terrified. To think that the prowess unleashed just by Yan Jinyu was already so terrifying!
Huge flames soared in the skies, dissolving even the clouds in the surroundings. It even created deep rumbling sounds of thunder and terrifying crackling sounds. Violet colored thunderbolts kept flashing.
In that instant, the places covered by the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance became like hell!
When the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance disappeared, so did everything. The time for the Fire Snakes Frenzied Dance was not long and would only last for the amount of time it took for a few breaths. However, its prowess was astonishing.
It might be because of the five elements contravention.
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AST 1170 – Fated Encounter, She Is Demon Lord, the Owner of Demon Lord Palace
Of course, part of the reason was also because Yan Jinyu was strong. The stronger one was, the stronger the prowess of the Four Elements Greencloud Sword that could be unleashed. However, the powers unleashed by Yan Jinyu were still beyond his expectations. However, when he thought of how powerful the Four Elements Greencloud Sword was, he didn’t find it strange anymore.
It might be because the old man thought highly of himself that he had actually come alone. He must not have expected to be killed by Yan Jinyu just like that. Everything was because of a single weapon. Without the Four Elements Greencloud Sword, they would probably have a problem escaping, let alone there being the possibility that Yan Jinyu would be able to kill the elder.
“Sister, let’s get out of this place. It’s not safe to stay here!” Qing Shui saw that Yan Jinyu seemed to still be in a slight daze and quickly said.
“Mmmm!”
Both Yan Jinyu and Qing Shui disappeared instantly, blending into the crowd. This wasn’t the first time she had encountered such situations but this was the first time she was up against such a powerful opponent. If she hadn’t met Qing Shui, without Uncle Zong by her side, it would probably be hard for her to get out of this fix.
Unknowingly, she grew to like Qing Shui more and more. This was a like one had for their family and nothing else. It was just pure feelings of like.
In fact, Qing Shui was feeling the same. Although he had helped her, he felt that he had actually gained. Very soon, he would be able to take part in battles like these and wouldn’t have to be so passive.
If he were to have to fight against that elder today, if the elder used only spirit energy, then Qing Shui would have been able to protect himself. However, he didn’t know about anything else. After all, it was hard to tell if he could actually destroy those two earth dragons.
Yan Jinyu seemed to be very happy at the moment. She put on her bamboo hat. There were actually many people along the streets wearing face veils or bamboo hats, regardless of their genders.
Qing Shui wore a bamboo hat as well and looked around as he sensed the surroundings with his spiritual sense. Whenever he noticed powerful cultivators, he would take extra effort to sense them. However, it was good that powerful cultivators were hard to come by and thus it wasn’t easy to encounter them.
And amongst the people in the crowd, no one seemed to know that Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu were powerful cultivators. It was because they hadn’t reached that level, so even if they had crossed paths with powerful cultivators, they wouldn’t have known. It was like how, in the past, Qing Shui didn’t encounter any powerful cultivators before he had gotten strong. It wasn’t because he didn’t manage to meet any but it was more him not realizing even if he had passed by one.
They had initially planned on continuing to be on their way but then felt that it was a good idea. After all, they would be able to arrive at the inner city the next day. They should be safe there then. Yan Clan was still quite powerful and influential.
Right now, they could only worry and could only draw their own inferences. It was worrying because that old man from earlier had appeared. That old man’s cultivation was close to that of a Grade Two State Master. A Grade Two State Master would have a very respected position but earlier, one such person had died.
In the world of cultivators, one could only continue to get stronger. There would always be stronger people out there. Although a cultivator’s life was seen to be very strong, their lives were actually very brittle.
The top person in a circle might be just the weakest one in another circle. There was always someone better outside. The path of martial arts was endless.
Qing Shui continued to think as he walked on. Some of the things he heard as well as his own comprehensions continued to increase his understanding of this world and he was increasingly able to find his own position.
They didn’t travel at a very fast speed nor did they have a fixed destination. They just followed the flow of the crowd, walking around and taking a look along this wide street. The place was very lively. In the middle section of the streets, there would be some carriages passing by, including beast carriages and horse carriages of various sizes. Some of them were luxurious while others were simple. The two sides were the pavement for pedestrians and then there were the stalls and stores.
Suddenly, Qing Shui had a strange feeling. It was a very familiar one, but he couldn’t really grasp it. He suddenly lifted his head and looked at the sky. The feeling came from above, but he wasn’t able to see anything from the ground. However, that feeling really did exist and it seemed to be getting increasingly clearer. The feeling that the source was above him grew stronger.
“Sister, wait for me here and be careful. I’ll be back soon!” Qing Shui used the Sacred Jade Divine Stone Ring to dash toward the sky.
He shot up 200 li directly. Even though he was 200 li up the air, which was the equivalent of 100,000 meters, it didn’t seem to be enough. However, that feeling was getting clearer. Moreover, Qing Shui felt that the target seemed to have came to a stop. The other party must have sensed Qing Shui as well.
When he disappeared with a flash, Yan Jinyu had dashed over as well. She happened to see Qing Shui’s disappearing silhouette and she quickly headed over as well.
Ten times. At the height of one million meters in the sky, the air seemed to be even clearer. There was still plenty of fresh air around, unless how in his previously life, oxygen would be thin in high altitudes. And by now, Qing Shui had also finally saw the source the familiar feeling was coming from.
There was a huge divine turtle and a lady standing next to it. This scene was very familiar. He had seen it through an exchange of his consciousness.
The lady’s hair was done up high, she had soft brows and her beautiful face without makeup on was like the morning sun reflected on snow. She had the beauty of a goddess but her eyes were as cold as winter.
She had a pair of cold and beautiful eyes which seemed to pierce into one’s bones. They were beautiful and pure like ice and snow but the chill penetrated deep into one’s bones.
She was divine. Her snow-white plain clothes couldn’t hide her curves. Her shoulders were sharp, her chest curved into a beautiful arch and the curves at her waist flowed beautifully. Her slender figure made her appear as if she was a jade carving created by the gods.
She stood there, exuding an aura which made it feel as if she mustn’t be tainted. Amongst the ladies Qing Shui had seen, this was one whom he mustn’t get near. It wasn’t cold but more of an arrogance coming from her soul.
That lady from the crystal coffin!
Qing Shui hadn’t expected to meet her under such circumstances. It was really such a coincidence. It was like fate. He knew that it was because of the portrait of beauty he had in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal. Otherwise, it would be very hard for him to sense her. It could also be because of the skinship they had before. No matter what the reason was, he was finally able to see her again.
He had already seen that huge turtle behind her from the previous time they had interacted through their consciousness. It was too big, like a mountain. The aura it exuded caused Qing Shui to be stunned…
This old turtle was in no way weaker than the green dragon from the interaction of their consciousness. It had a strong vitality as well. Back then, when they were in the crystal palace, it didn't seem to be so strong. When Qing Shui sensed the lady again, he understood everything. He was just too weak.
It was so in the past and it continued to be so right now. He still didn’t know this lady’s cultivation. He had thought that the current him shouldn’t be weaker than her now but now he knew that his guess was very far off the mark.
He didn’t know if she had concealed her abilities back then, if she had suddenly gone through rapid progress or her body had awakened. All this was no longer important. What was important that it seemed that he was still unable to catch up to her.
He had previously decided that when he met her again, he’d give her warmth. But looking at the current situation, who was he to be doing that? Qing Shui looked at this lady for whom he didn’t understand his feelings. The lady was very cool but was also looking at him. Her eyes were still as cold and piercing, but they were very beautiful and pure like snow. However, they gave off a cold all the way down to his bones. She was cool but yet very natural. Everything seemed to be very normal, as if she was born with such a disposition.
Qing Shui looked at the lady, not knowing what to say. It was only after very long did he then say softly, “Hello!”
After saying that, Qing Shui felt more relaxed. He wasn’t expecting the lady to reply her, but she did. This astonished him.
“Hello. I didn’t expect to be able to meet you again.”
Her voice was still cold as ever but it wasn’t unpleasant. There was a cool arrogance behind the tone.
“I initially thought that I’d be able to help you… I don’t know why but I felt that I’d like to help you. I hope to get you to stay…” This was the first time Qing Shui was completely empty of any confidence he had. Not even one bit of it was level.
The words he said didn’t match and he wasn’t able to say sensible stuff now.
By this time, Yan Jinyu had appeared as well and she went up next to Qing Shui. She heard what Qing Shui said as well but a huge tsunami formed in her heart. It was because she saw the divine turtle and the cool lady.
Yan Jinyu did her best to not say anything as she looked at this scene in a daze.
The lady wasn’t infuriated, nor were there any changes to her expression. "I had also sensed your aura earlier and knew that you’d come. I just didn’t expect you to come here. But so what if you’ve come? There’s no way that our paths will cross. Alright, I’m going to leave. You’re on your own now!”
With that, the lady turned to leave, doing so with much grace. Qing Shui wanted to say something and after much effort, said, “Take care! We’ll meet again!”
The lady left. Her silhouette disappeared together with that huge turtle. It was only after a very long time had passed that Qing Shui looked toward Yan Jinyu, “Why did you come?”
“Qing Shui, do you know who she is?” When Yan Jinyu was saying this, her voice seemed to be trembling.
Qing Shui sensed that something wasn’t right, but he still asked in surprise, “You know her?”
“I just happened to get to know about her. How did you get to know her?” Yan Jinyu was astonished as well.
“Sister, tell me who she is first.” Qing Shui urged.
Seeing that Qing Shui didn’t know who that lady was, Yan Jinyu guessed that they shouldn’t have any connections. She gave it some thought and felt that even if Qing Shui wanted to have a connection with that lady, it would be very difficult!
“She isn’t from Western Oxhe Continent but her name is well-known. She is Demon Lord, a lady who is like a demon. Many people want her dead,” Yan Jinyu looked at Qing Shui and said slowly.
Hearing Yan Jinyu’s words, Qing Shui’s fist clenched up.
“Why?” Qing Shui looked at Yan Jinyu.
“It was said that many years ago, she disappeared. A few years ago, she eradicated a powerful aristocratic clan but no one knew the reason. The influence of that clan was very big and thus, many other factions wanted to kill her. However, she’s very strong. It’s said that right now, she is Demon Lord Palace’s Demon Lord and has inherited the legacy from the previous Demon Lord. In the first place, there are many people who were up against Demon Lord Palace.” Although Yan Jinyu spoke very briefly, Qing Shui could still grasp some points.
Right now, Qing Shui was still in a muddled state. However, he felt that if he hadn't guessed wrongly, she had probably fallen victim to the intense aphrodisiac when the Demon Lord Palace was fighting against some other factions. It should be the reason why she was sealed by the old turtle and brought away from the four continents. This time around, she must have returned to kill the person who did that to her. As for the inheritance of the Demon Lord's legacy, it must have been why her cultivation had soared tremendously.
The reason she said that they wouldn't cross paths must be because he was too weak while she was Demon Lord Palace's Demon Lord. Or it could be that she didn’t take a liking to him and hadn’t remembered him.
Yan Jinyu said that she had a lot of enemies and those people were some powerful righteous people, at least, that was what it was in name. And she and Demon Lord Palace should be similar to those people form the Scarlet Flame Region!
Therefore, the battle between them would never come to an end. Neither party would give up until their lives had been expended!
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AST 1171 – Dark Current, Taking the Heavenly Secrets Pill, Forging the Big Dipper Sword
Qing Shui would never have thought that she had such an identity—Demon Lord. It was an existence which seemed to be very distant from him but yet appeared right before his eyes. Moreover, they had once gotten very close skinship, albeit it a wrong one.
She wasn’t from Western Oxhe Continent. Then she was from one of the other three continents? Was it Soaring Dragon Continent, Dancing Phoenix Continent or the Haohan Continent?
Earlier, he had summoned his courage to speak up and knew that he had no hope. In her eyes, he was as insignificant as an ant. However, back when they were in the five continents, she didn’t kill him. This showed that she wasn’t one who would kill the innocent.
Humans would not be together with ants. In this vast and dangerous world, Qing Shui could clearly understand this feeling. She had a very high status and her world wasn’t one which he could come into contact with or withstand at the moment. Therefore, she had said that they didn’t belong in the same world and it would be impossible for their paths to cross.
He also recalled the old turtle’s sigh back at the crystal palace. It could be because it had already expected this conclusion back then and even had treated Qing Shui as a sacrifice to save the lady in the crystal coffin.
However, Qing Shui didn’t hate the old turtle. Dangers and opportunities go hand in hand and it was also from that encounter that his Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal had leveled up and his abilities had soared. Therefore, all in all, he hadn’t lost anything. On the contrary, it could be said that he had gained a lot from that encounter.
He felt that he was softhearted. It could be because he was a more emotional person, because they’d had sex or because he had wanted to use his heart to melt her cold expressions…
Qing Shui had even thought of being a pillar of support for her. It was a pity that he wasn’t capable of that currently. All in all, it still boiled down to his cultivation. She was the owner of the Palace, she was the Demon Lord. What kind of cultivation would he need to be able to reach her level? How long would it take?
Right now, she as well as Demon Lord Palace’s level shouldn’t be lower than that of a Grade Four Dynasty. This was still considered a conservative estimation!
How terrifying was that level? Qing Shui rubbed his head, not wanting to think anymore. It was useless to think too much into it. Right now, it was more important for him to make good use of time to work hard in his cultivation!
“Qing Shui…”
Qing Shui turned to look at Yan Jinyu and saw the worry in her eyes. He smiled and shook his head, “It’s nothing. We’ve met once and it seems that I don’t know as much about her as you do.”
“Alright, Qing Shui, I don’t know what happened between the two of you. But at least for these few years, there’s nothing you can do. Listen to me, be down-to-earth in your training and there might be a chance in the future. Sister trusts that you’re capable of it,” Yan Jinyu smiled and said. She was very clever and although she didn’t know what had happened between them, at least she felt that Qing Shui cared a lot about that lady.
“Thank you. Thank you for consoling me, Sister!” Qing Shui shook his head and smiled. However, he did feel happy to hear what Yan Jinyu had said. At least, this lady truly meant well for him and the things she said were very pleasant and effective. It was exactly what he had thought.
“Let’s go. We’ll find an inn to stay at and then hurry on our way back tomorrow. Sister will treat you to some wine but you’ll have to be the one to bring out the wine…” Yan Jinyu broke into a laugh.
…
Qing Shui wasn’t interested in checking out the place and thus Yan Jinyu lost interest in doing so either. When Qing Shui went to meet that lady earlier, he had already thrown away his bamboo hat and thus he decided not to wear it anymore.
Yang Clan Inn!
This was considered quite a high quality inn, at least by appearance. Qing Shui thought of how the area was called Yang City, so the Yang Clan Inn must come from a strong background.
“Yang Clan is the strongest clan in this area and Yang Clan Inn is one of the businesses under them. This was not the only one. There were quite a number of Yang Clan Inns in the area and all of them belonged to Yang Clan," Yan Jinyu smiled and said as she entered with Qing Shui.
Practically all aristocratic clans would have their own high quality inns. This was because one would be able to get news the fastest in such places. With many people and loose tongues gossiping around, they would be able to get a lot of information.
The inn took up a very large space. Based on the standards from Qing Shui’s previous life, it wouldn’t be considered an inn anymore. It was far too big. There was the main hall and private rooms. It had a length of 1,000 meters and a width of several hundred meters. The traffic before the entrance was high and the fragrances of the wine and food which flooded out were quite tempting.
A waitress went up to greet them the moment they had entered. Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu were there to stay and to have their meals. They got their meals sent right to their room. The room they got was on the highest story and it was very costly. However, Qing Shui had no financial worries at the moment.
The room was very spacious and there were two bedrooms and one hall. The room was designed with two stories, with the bedrooms on the higher story and the hall on the lower. Every level of this inn was very high, so there was no problem with designing two stories for each room.
It didn’t take the waitress long to serve their food. Qing Shui and Yan Jinyu ate in the hall and although the food didn’t taste as good as if they were to cook with their own spices, it would get pretty boring if one had to eat the same thing often. It was just like if a person were to eat meat often, they would find vegetables tasty when they ate them occasionally.
Halfway through their meals, the sound of door knocks rang out. Seeing that Yan Jinyu was also stunned, Qing Shui stood up and said smiling, “It might be the waiters from the inn!”
Qing Shui opened the door to find a handsome guy. He appeared to be slightly younger than middle-age and from his dress, it was clear that he wasn’t one of the waiters in the inn.
“You are?” Qing Shui asked.
“Is Miss Jinyu here?” the man smiled and asked but didn’t answer Qing Shui.
Qing Shui could even tell that there was a hint of disdain and arrogance in the guy’s eyes toward him. Qing Shui shook his head. He didn’t care about these things but still asked again, “Who are you?”
“I’m Yang Yicun [1]!”
Qing Shui almost burst out laughing. He had heard of Yang Dingtian and Qiu Qianchi [2] but he hadn’t expected this person’s name to be Yang Yicun. It was probably from the saying ‘an inch of time is worth an inch of gold [3]’ or served as a reminder for him to constantly take each second preciously. However, the impact it created when paired with this surname was just too hilarious.
“Qing Shui, who is that?” Yan Jinyu’s voice rang out.
“Oh, he said that he’s called Yang Yicun…”
By then, Yan Jinyu had already walked up next to Qing Shui.
“Miss Jinyu, I heard from my subordinates that you’d come. Why didn’t you tell me in advance?” When Yang Yicun saw Yan Jinyu, he smiled and said.
After saying that, he clapped his hands and several waitresses walked out, holding dishes filled with steaming hot delicacies.
“Young Master Yang, we’ve already eaten. There’s no need for these.” Yan Jinyu shook her head and stopped the waitresses who were about to enter.
“Oh, is that so? Then you guys can head back!” Yang Yicun waved his hand casually and said.
“We’re only passing by and will be leaving very soon. Therefore, we won’t be troubling Young Master Yang,” Yan Jinyu said in a polite tone.
“It’s a rare opportunity that Miss Jinyu has come to Yang City. Why not let me bring you to have a look around the area in the afternoon? Otherwise, if Yan City’s city lord were to know that I’ve been a poor host, he’ll definitely blame me.” From the beginning to the end, Yan Jinyu didn’t even take a look in Qing Shui’s direction.
Qing Shui knew that this man didn’t think much of him. Could it be that it was because he didn’t let him enter earlier?
“Maybe next time. I’m tired and would like to rest for today,” Yan Jinyu said calmly.
“If that’s the case, then Miss Jinyu, please rest well. I’ll come visit at a later time!” With that, he smiled and nodded and then turned to leave.
Qing Shui looked at Yang Yicun’s departing figure and felt a little strange. It was because he had seen Yang Yicun’s weird gaze when he had turned to leave. Qing Shui turned toward Yan Jinyu, “Sister, in the future, you must be on your guard around this person.”
“Mmm, I know. He looks egotistical, ignorant and arrogant but these are just the facade he puts up. He’s trying to hide something.” Yan Jinyu smiled.
“Oh, so Sister knows about it!”
“Yang Clan is a restless bunch. He wishes to gain control of the outer city. When that happens, he’ll be able to enter the inner city and wait for a chance to strike.”
Since Qing Shui knew that Yan Jinyu was already on her guard around this person, it was enough. Closing the room’s door, they continued with the meal they were still in the middle of earlier.
Since there were no plans for the afternoon, Qing Shui headed upstairs, preparing to enter the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal.
Yan Jinyu went up as well. There were two bedrooms on the upper story, but they were a distance away from each other. There was also a small living room there which separated the bedrooms. The bedrooms were not side-by-side.
Qing Shui called out a demonic beast to be on guard. Right now, there were not many people who could be of a threat to Yan Jinyu. Qing Shui told her not to go out and if she were to go out, for her to call him along.
Upon entering the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal, Qing Shui couldn’t wait but took out a Heavenly Secrets Pill and ate it. The Heavenly Secrets Pill was snow white and translucent. It was the size of one’s thumb and upon consumption, it gave of a fragrant and refreshing feeling. Very soon, a warm feeling rose and rapidly flowed through his entire body. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable feeling.
He had initially thought that he would need to go through a period of torment, however, it turned out to be quite enjoyable. Very quickly, a powerful energy rose within him and his physical strength increased by one nimbus.
This medicinal pill was very gentle but its effect was tremendous. The area of alchemy was very powerful but it was a pity that Qing Shui lacked alchemy recipes and medicinal herbs. Moreover, his own medicine seemed to be for his consumption as his cultivation grew and was especially suited for himself. Most importantly, the medicinal herbs were hard to come by.
It was just like how the alchemy recipe for this Heavenly Secrets Pill should be very precious as well and the medicinal herbs would definitely not be ordinary. However, if he were given both the alchemy recipe and the medicinal herbs, Qing Shui had confidence that he would be able to refine them.
With an additional one nimbus of strength increase to his physical strength, Qing Shui now had a strength of 11 nimbus. The prowess of his Nine Continents Mountain was now getting close to the lowest grade State Masters and his spirit energy had also gone through some changes. However, right now, Qing Shui felt that there was a need for him to reforge his Big Dipper Sword.
Since it was already decided, Qing Shui put it into action. Every little increase to his strength was something. Although everything around them seemed very peaceful, there seemed to be a dark current that was coming soon.
Qing Shui first melted the Greencloud Stone and that useless Greencloud Sword, both given by Yan Jinyu, with his primordial flames. He then worked on the Big Dipper Sword.
Right now, just by using his Hexa-color Rainbow Art of Forging, Qing Shui would also be able to increase the prowess of the Big Dipper Sword. However, he wanted to add in the Greencloud Stone since it could increase his spirit energy. Right now, the Big Dipper Sword no longer provided an increase to his spirit energy.
The Greencloud Stone could increase one’s spirit energy. There was also the Five-Colored Stone and other materials in the Realm of the Violet Jade Immortal which he could add in, including Golden Extract Essence, Violet Jade and Thunder Rock!
After completing his preparations, Qing Shui went into full concentration for the forging of his Big Dipper Sword. With the experience he had from previous tries, this time around, he was relatively familiar with the process. There wasn’t much Greencloud Stone left to begin with but with that smelted Greencloud Sword, it was just enough.
However, during the forging process this time around, Qing Shui felt something strange with the Big Dipper Sword. It was because despite having so much Greencloud Stone added to the Big Dipper Sword, it didn’t go through any changes. It was like a black hole.
However, Qing Shui felt that in the end there was only the feeling that it was saturated. He then added the Golden Extract Essence, 10,000 Years Coldsteel, Violet Jade and Thunder Rock, before he started the hammering and tempering process. This was a crucial process to forging arts, to bring out the impurities and let the remaining essence completely merge together and form a smooth flow.
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[1] Yicun is written in Chinese with the characters representing one inch. The character ‘Yang’ can represent many things, including the male genitals.[2] Yang Dingtian: The characters for Dingtian means holding up the heavens and can be inferred to as being upright. Qiu Qianchi: The words from Qianchi represents 1,000 feet. Qiu, although a different character, sounds the same as the qiu representing beg.
[3] Literal translation for the Chinese saying. An English equivalent to it is ‘time is money’.
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