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Chapter 164: Return to the Mysterious Stone Cave
🕑 Added 2024-10-02 08:12:42 +0000 UTCQin Chuan walked along the stone paths of the Seven Martial Sect, taking in the familiar landscape of green hills and clear waters, feeling a slight sense of disappointment.
Sigh.
There was no one around to witness his display.
Why had he come back to the Seven Martial Sect? It wasn’t just for any serious purpose—he had come to show off. After all, the essence of showing off is doing it in front of people who know you.
The saying “riches unshared are like walking in fine clothes at night” perfectly encapsulates this idea.
No matter how powerful you are out there in the world, it doesn’t quite bring the same satisfaction.
But when you achieve something great and return to your humble origins, the feeling is entirely different.
Everyone gathers around you.
Familiar faces, whether they were once friends or rivals, all suddenly become affectionate.
Even those aunts who said you'd never amount to anything when you were young will smile warmly, saying, "This child was always so clever." And if they have children of their own, they’ll pull them close, telling them to learn from you and grow up to be successful, just like you.
That’s the essence of it.
Although Qin Chuan now only considered himself half a “person of Earth,” his experiences from his past life deeply influenced him.
In his view, no matter how high one’s cultivation or status, no one truly despises showing off.
They may not outwardly display it, but deep down, they still find ways to act in a manner that draws admiration.
The essence of being human is to show off.
If you don’t show off, how is that any different from being a salted fish?
“Looks like they won’t be back anytime soon. Since I’m here, I might as well leave something behind.”
Qin Chuan thought for a moment and suddenly smiled.
Buzz!
A faint glow appeared around his body, and an ethereal shadow seemed to separate from him while still overlapping his form.
He began to walk forward.
As he moved, a blurry figure trailed behind him, following his every step.
When he reached a crossroad, the shadow appeared again where he first started, walking the same path he had taken.
In the end, the shadow walked along the intersecting paths, appearing all over the sect grounds.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that each shadow carried a deep sense of Dao, as if they were naturally part of the world.
For low-level cultivators, a Sovereign was a manifestation of the Dao itself. Observing one could lead to enlightenment.
“These shadows, imbued with Dao intent, will remain for ten years. Who knows how many sect disciples' admiration and reverence they’ll attract? Perhaps even outsiders will come here to witness them in the future… Sigh…”
Qin Chuan sighed softly.
He was meant to be low-key, but why was it that every action he took ended up drawing attention? Was it because he was simply too powerful?
Thinking for a moment, he decided to finish what he started. Raising both hands, beams of rule-infused light began to shine.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
Nine brilliant orbs of light, each representing a different set of laws, detached from his body.
The orbs grew in size, glowing brighter until they transformed into nine suns, each radiating a different color.
“Go!”
With a wave of his hand, the nine suns flew to the mountain peak where he had once lived. They began to orbit the peak, spinning slowly while emitting profound rule-based energy.
“From now on, this place will become the holiest site in the Jiuyang Dynasty and all of the desolate lands.”
Taking a deep breath, Qin Chuan soared into the sky.
Qin Zi was already waiting in the air.
“Father, do you think I can enter the mysterious stone gate now with my current strength?” Qin Zi asked excitedly.
“Why don’t you go try?” Qin Chuan replied with a smile.
He suspected it should be possible, given that Qin Zi had reached the Sixth Heaven of the Saint Realm, a considerable level of power.
But he wasn’t entirely sure.
So, he told Qin Zi to give it a try.
If it didn’t work, he could always say, “I knew it wouldn’t work, but I knew you wouldn’t rest until you tried.”
And if it did work, well… he wouldn’t say anything. He would just maintain an air of knowing superiority, as if everything had gone exactly as expected.
…
Both father and son moved swiftly, arriving at the mysterious cave with the stone gate in no time.
Just as they were about to enter, a black flash shot out of the cave—a massive black locust.
Whoosh!
As it flew out, the locust rapidly grew, expanding to the size of a small mountain, and its ferocious mouth opened wide, attempting to devour them both.
Bang!
In an instant, the locust exploded into pieces, its body shattering, and green goo splattered across the forest.
“Who’s there?” Qin Chuan floated mid-air, with Qin Zi standing behind him, a faint golden light enveloping them both.
“Die!”
A hoarse voice echoed from within the cave, followed by a swarm of yellow poisonous bees flying out, each growing to the size of a calf, swarming toward the two.
“Overestimating yourself.”
Qin Chuan snorted coldly. A massive azure tornado appeared around him, sucking all the bees inside. Countless bolts of lightning erupted from the wind, reducing the bees to ashes.
“Snake Devour!”
The hoarse voice sounded again.
Roar!
A massive black serpent shot out from the cave, its body swelling rapidly as it opened its gaping maw to bite at them. From deep within the serpent’s belly, molten magma churned.
“Perish.”
Qin Chuan waved his right hand.
Boom!
A thick bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking the serpent’s head and causing it to explode.
“Die!”
In that moment, as the serpent’s head burst apart, a black-cloaked figure emerged from its neck, instantly appearing in front of Qin Chuan with a pitch-black dagger aimed at his heart.
“Argh! Argh!”
The black dagger was etched with eerie golden runes, emitting a sound like the wails of tormented souls.
“You’re finished!”
The black-cloaked figure grinned wickedly. This dagger was sinister, and even a Sovereign would be gravely injured if struck by it.
But before the dagger could reach Qin Chuan, there was a thunderous “boom,” and a massive, earthen spike shot up from the ground, impaling the figure and lifting him high into the sky.
It was like watching someone standing on train tracks getting struck by a speeding train—except in this case, the “train” was a deadly spike that pierced his body and lifted him skyward.
“Explode.”
Qin Chuan clenched his fist, and the spike exploded, shattering both the spike and the black-cloaked figure into pieces.
Whoosh!
Qin Chuan waved his hand, and the strange, black dagger flew toward him, though he didn’t touch it directly. Instead, he let it hover in midair.
“Father, what is this?” Qin Zi asked curiously.
“It’s a cursed weapon. A particularly vile type of weapon. If you get injured by it, you’ll be afflicted by a curse. It’s like a poison that lingers and torments you. Even Sovereigns cannot ignore the effects of such a curse,” Qin Chuan explained calmly.
These kinds of things were common knowledge to him. While Qin Zi was off causing trouble in the world, Qin Chuan had been leisurely reading about all sorts of strange and rare phenomena.
Not because he had a particular interest in such things, but because, as an “invincible powerhouse,” he needed to be knowledgeable. If he encountered something unfamiliar and didn’t know what it was, it would surely damage his image as a supreme expert.
“Yikes, that’s terrifying!”
Qin Zi took a few steps back in fear, prompting Qin Chuan to chuckle. He stored the cursed dagger away with a wave of his hand.
He then retrieved the black-cloaked man’s remaining belongings and spatial ring.
Using his spiritual sense to investigate the contents of the ring, he found some clues about the man’s identity.
“This man was one of the ancestors of the Qixing Holy Land in the Southern Domain, a Ninth Heaven Saint. It seems he was here searching for something,” Qin Chuan said. He then pulled a glowing red fragment of metal from the ring.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
The red metal fragment trembled in the air, seemingly drawn by something inside the cave. It shot toward the stone gate.
Whoosh!
Without hesitation, Qin Chuan and Qin Zi followed it into the cave.
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