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Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Taiping Sacred Cave
"Master, even if the Martial Emperor passes away, shouldn’t the Imperial Family have a new Martial Emperor to succeed the throne?"
Li Qian asked.
"Certainly, there will be one, but... none will have the deterrent power of this old Martial Emperor."
Zhou Buping shook his head and said, "This Martial Emperor, hailed as the one closest to the Martial Saint in all of Dachang, is said to have grasped the Heavenly Phenomenon Level Martial Intent. His life can truly be described as legendary. He grasped Martial Intent at eleven, stepped into the Innate Realm at thirteen, achieved the status of Heavenly Person at thirty-five, and took on the position of Martial Emperor at fifty-seven. It’s said that he has killed at least twenty Heavenly Persons, including some of the top ones."
Upon hearing this, Li Qian couldn’t help but inhale a breath of cold air.
This is truly a peerless prodigy.
He himself was already twenty-nine years old, and even with the help of the Sacrificial Artifact System, it seemed unlikely to reach the status of Heavenly Person by the age of thirty-five with his current pace.
Unless he could obtain a demon stone and continue to elevate his Pure Holy Body, the speed of his cultivation progression would definitely quicken a lot.
Of course, it’s not that his system isn’t strong enough, but that he started training too late and wasted more than two years as a servant disciple.
He also didn’t have the superior cultivation conditions like the Martial Emperor.
Moreover... what’s the use of cultivating quickly when ultimately, one is still stuck at the Heavenly Person stage, unable to break through to the Martial Saint Realm.
But he was different.
As long as the Chen Bell was intact, his lifespan would be limitless.
Becoming a Heavenly Person, and even a Martial Saint, was just a matter of time for him.
"With this Martial Emperor’s passing, Dachang which was already unstable, I fear it will become even more complicated and chaotic."
Li Qian felt a sense of urgency in his heart.
In this great turmoil, if the Divine Sword Sect gets involved, could he remain unaffected?
After all, his cultivation at the Chen Bell Platform in tranquility was predicated on the stability of the Divine Sword Sect.
"Li Qian, in facing this situation, you also need to be psychologically prepared. Once there is a major change in Yuking, our Divine Sword Sect will inevitably be implicated, and then it won’t be so stable."
Zhou Buping reminded him.
"Master, I understand."
Li Qian nodded.
He knew what his master meant.
"Of course, you don’t need to be too nervous. If the Imperial Family can smoothly get through this Martial Emperor succession crisis, there won’t be much of a problem for a short time."
Zhou Buping added.
However, he said these words with somewhat lacking confidence.
....
Late at night.
Li Qian sat cross-legged, communicating with Sword Eighteen using the Heartless Sword Intent.
After a long while, he took a deep breath.
This improvement in Sword Intent was indeed a process of accumulating little by little, much harder than improving cultivation.
This was still with the aid of the Chen Bell’s bell sounds and the assistance of Sword Eighteen in his cultivation. Without them, he couldn’t imagine how difficult comprehending Sword Intent would be.
Of course, such speculation was pointless.
Without the system, he might still be just a servant disciple, at most reaching the Martial Arts Entrance.
"The attention of various forces should be focused on Yuking now, perhaps... I should also go and unearth the treasures of the Taiping Sect."
Li Qian’s eyes flickered with sharpness.
Originally, he wanted to wait a bit longer, ideally until his cultivation reached the True Pill Realm, or even better, achieving Heavenly Person status.
But time waits for no one.
The external situation could change at any moment, with a storm approaching.
Though it might not affect him for the moment.
But if a big wave does come, it might be too late.
How can he protect himself if he’s not a Heavenly Person?
So, he felt it was necessary to take a little risk and go excavate the treasures of the Taiping Sect.
....
A few days later.
Late night.
Li Qian quietly left the Divine Sword Sect wearing a black cloak.
Mang Niu County town.
Located in the north of Taiping County.
The entire county is the poorest place in Taiping County, surrounded by mountains and treacherous terrain. Although it occupies one-fifth of Taiping County, its population is less than one-thirtieth of the total.
Even the city of Mang Niu County is quite shabby.
The whole city is built among steep mountains, scarcely any flat land in sight.
Atop a mountain peak, Li Qian in a black cloak overlooked the entire city of Mang Niu County.
"I never imagined that the treasure site of the Taiping Sect would be right beneath the city of Mang Niu County."
Li Qian murmured to himself.
This is a bit troublesome.
If it were in the wilderness, excavating the treasure would have been relatively easier and wouldn’t alert anyone.
But within the city of Mang Niu County, it’s entirely different.
Since he’s here, he naturally cannot return empty-handed.
He waited until deep into the night when all the lights in the homes had gone out and the whole county fell into darkness, with only a few sparse lights still shining.
Whoosh!
Li Qian moved in a flash, like a nightingale, sweeping quickly over the treetops to a lush hillside; a desolate area with only a solitary, dilapidated temple, its beams and walls broken.
He entered, reaching the main hall.
There was no roof.
It was empty.
Only a headless, armless statue stood there, weather-beaten and rain-drenched; it was a miracle it hadn’t collapsed.
Then, Li Qian measured around the abandoned temple.
Suddenly, he stood in a spot, looked ahead, and spotted a prominently protruding cliff, resembling a bull’s horn.
That was Bull Horn Cliff.
Quite famous in Mang Niu County.
Li Qian immediately leaped towards Bull Horn Cliff.
Upon reaching the base of Bull Horn Cliff, Li Qian found it filled with oddly shaped, perilous rocks, covered by many shrubs and vines.
"If the treasure map is correct, it should be right here."
Li Qian murmured to himself.
Four pieces of leather treasure map, seeming to be a whole.
Actually, it involves four maps.
But each map is connected; relying on any single map, one cannot decipher any of the maps alone.
Such a complex and mystical map layout left Li Qian in awe.
Let alone him creating it, that would be impossible.
He could solve it only by the most foolish method, coincidentally piecing it together.
Suddenly, Li Qian waved his hand, swords Qi shooting out, cutting through the shrubs and vines, revealing a nondescript cave behind.
Li Qian took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The space inside was not large.
The cave was irregular, clearly naturally formed.
The further inside, the narrower the passage became, ultimately like a sheep intestine path, even splitting into many branches.
But Li Qian didn’t stop.
In his mind, there was a complete path.
It was detailed in the treasure map.
This was enough proof that he was in the right place.
Not knowing how long he walked.
According to his judgment, this stone path was winding and was going towards the base of the mountain where the county was located; the path gradually became more spacious, obviously showing signs of human carving.
Finally, Li Qian reached the end.
There was a huge door.
Carved above the door were four characters – Taiping Sacred Cave.
Li Qian took a deep breath and didn’t rush to open the stone door.
Who knows what dangers lie behind it?
....
PS: Seeking monthly tickets, seeking recommendation tickets!!!
