Chapter 45 Please close your eyes, husband
"I wonder, my lady, would you give me a kiss?" Chen Qing did not beat around the bush, nor was he in a hurry to achieve everything at once.
For ordinary women, it might be fine, but as a villain, to conquer the Empress of Destiny, he naturally had to take it step by step.
Once this beginning was made, many things would become much easier in the future.
As the saying goes, where there's one, there's two; where there's two, there's three...
"Kiss, kiss me?" Xia Qingyue's beautiful eyes shimmered, her inner shyness impossible to hide.
It wasn't that she hadn't thought Chen Qing would make such a request.
Chen Qing saw Xia Qingyue's face, flushed red like a ripe fruit, feeling as if a gentle pinch could make juice flow out.
Just as he was pondering whether this small request was still a bit too hasty, Xia Qingyue's voice, like a fine thread, said, "You, you close your eyes."
'It's happening!'
"As my lady commands." Chen Qing replied, standing in place and slowly closing his eyes.
After a while, Chen Qing could feel a soft pressure on his right cheek.
"It, it's done..." Xia Qingyue's voice became even softer than before.
Chen Qing opened his eyes, pressing a finger to the spot where Xia Qingyue had just kissed, "I thought..."
"What did you think, husband?"
"Nothing." Chen Qing looked at Xia Qingyue's shy, evasive gaze and knew that just kissing his cheek had already taken considerable courage from her. To ask her to kiss his lips would surely make her so flustered she'd be incoherent, or perhaps freeze in place.
As for Xia Qingyue, though Chen Qing hadn't explicitly said it, she had already grasped what Chen Qing wanted to convey.
Should she gloss over it?
Although Xia Qingyue was extremely embarrassed at the moment, and Chen Qing hadn't explicitly said it, she could absolutely do so.
However, thinking that Chen Qing was still so considerate and mindful of her feelings, even now, coupled with the successive grand gifts that showed he didn't treat her as an outsider, Xia Qingyue felt a strong sense of guilt.
Upon realizing this, Xia Qingyue also felt that merely kissing his cheek was too childish.
Moreover, she and he were husband and wife...
'Right! He and I are husband and wife, and kissing on the lips is a very normal thing for a couple! This is supposed to be natural, there's nothing to be shy about!'
Xia Qingyue found a point to convince herself; before convincing others, she first convinced herself.
"Husband, please, please close your eyes again."
'Close again?'
Chen Qing, who was about to bring up the System panel to check the Saint Body reward, heard these words from Xia Qingyue and couldn't help but feel confused.
"Alright." Before he could figure it out, he followed Xia Qingyue's instruction and closed his eyes.
This time, that familiar softness came from his lips.
Chen Qing opened his eyes, a look of surprise on his face, "My lady..."
"It's getting late, let's hurry back!" Xia Qingyue raised her hand, her voice slightly trembling, interrupting Chen Qing's words.
She felt that if they continued this topic, she would truly need to find a place to hide until she calmed down.
No crack in the ground? Then she'd dig one. For her, now a Cultivator, doing such a thing was not difficult.
Looking at Xia Qingyue's charming and endearing appearance, Chen Qing suddenly felt that adventuring across the world with such a woman and heading towards a prosperous future together was also a good choice.
"Go? You can't go!"
Just as Chen Qing opened his mouth, before he could utter a single word, the voices of others came from the side.
Xia Qingyue quickly calmed down, her eyes replaced with a touch of coldness.
Following the sound, seven or eight Disciples dressed in Cultivation Technique uniforms emerged from behind the trees, holding swords and knives.
"Beauty, obediently hand over the Cultivation Technique you just used, and then plant a slave seal on this Young Master, and your life will be spared." The leader said, not forgetting to display his Golden Core Realm pressure, which was higher than Xia Qingyue's.
He saw that Xia Qingyue only had Foundation Establishment Peak Realm strength, and coupled with their numerical superiority, he dared to covet the Earth Rank Cultivation Technique Xia Qingyue possessed.
As for Chen Qing?
A weakling who could only hide behind a woman to survive against a Yao Beast was not worth his attention.
Under the cover of his Divine Sense, Chen Qing had already discovered this group of people, but he hadn't expected them to not just be passing by, but to also dare to covet his woman.
As he raised his hand, a giant hand, tens of feet wide, extended from the Void Realm. Its mere presence caused the Disciples to struggle for breath, their knees hitting the ground as if rooted.
"Split, Spirit Division Realm?!" The leading Disciple was greatly alarmed, never having imagined that the pretty boy he thought he was, was actually an expert with Spirit Division Realm cultivation.
He still wanted to beg for mercy, but he witnessed the massive hand above his head crashing down.
Everything happened too quickly, giving them no chance to beg for mercy or explain themselves.
The entire group, along with the surrounding trees, were annihilated and turned into dust under that massive hand.
Leaving behind a palm print several feet deep.
Xia Qingyue stood by, looking down, shocked by Chen Qing's power; just a casual strike could cause such terrifying destruction.
Her gaze towards Chen Qing held a few more traces of admiration.
They say heroes are susceptible to beautiful women, but Xia Qingyue privately thought that exchanging the positions of 'hero' and 'beauty' would also pose no problem.
Then, the Shadow Puppet that had been sent out returned to Chen Qing's shadow.
It emerged from it in a kneeling posture, presenting seven Storage Pouches with both hands.
Chen Qing glanced at Xia Qingyue, wanting to ask her if she wanted to open the blind bags.
Xia Qingyue kept shaking her head, her entire body screaming rejection.
Chen Qing knew that she hadn't forgotten the psychological trauma from opening a Storage Pouch last time.
"Alright then, I'll do it." Chen Qing didn't force her.
He tossed his hand upwards, and the seven Storage Pouches floated in the air, opening themselves. Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, jewels, and weapons floated out from within.
Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and even jewels and weapons were naturally not things Chen Qing cared for.
However, one item among them caught his attention.
A scroll of parchment, like a map.
Chen Qing raised his hand, and the parchment scroll automatically flew into his hand.
He untied the red string and unrolled the parchment, "It really is a map."
"Tian Yuan Secret Realm? Looking at the location, it seems... it's exactly where we are now." Xia Qingyue leaned in to observe and concluded.
Chen Qing then turned to look at the bear cave, smiling, "No wonder these guys appeared in a place like this. The Secret Realm entrance is inside this Immortal Cave."
"My lady, should we go in and take a look?" Chen Qing left the decision to Xia Qingyue.
"Secret Realms are rare and often hide immense Opportunities. We can't miss this Opportunity!" Xia Qingyue's attitude was clear; she didn't want to waste this great Opportunity that presented itself.
"Alright, then without further ado, let's depart quickly, lest we be disturbed again." Chen Qing had never been to a Secret Realm before and was curious about what these so-called Secret Realms contained.
"Okay!"
Xia Qingyue agreed, and the two walked together towards the depths of the Immortal Cave, their figures gradually disappearing into the darkness.
Relying on their Divine Sense, even without any light source inside the cave, they could move freely.
Soon, they arrived at the deepest part of the Immortal Cave.
There was no path ahead, only a tall, black stone tablet standing silently.
***
Chapter 46: Entering the Unexplored Region
With his Dharma Eye, Chen Qing clearly saw a Transmission Formation carved into the black stone stele.
Chen Qing released a strand of Spiritual Qi as thin as hair, activating the Formation to operate, and a Formation Diagram appeared, glowing with a brilliant blue light.
Immediately, a swirling, rotating Teleportation Gate opened.
"Entering this gate will lead to the Tian Yuan Secret Realm," Chen Qing explained.
"Phew…" Xia Qingyue took a deep breath, her eyes firmly fixed on Chen Qing, "Husband, I'm ready!"
Seeing Chen Qing raise his hand, Xia Qingyue understood and placed her hand over his.
Chen Qing's five fingers gently clasped Xia Qingyue's through the gaps between her fingers.
Though shy, Xia Qingyue followed suit, intertwining her fingers tightly with Chen Qing's.
Afterward, the two entered the Teleportation Gate together…
In an instant, they arrived in another world.
It was also located deep within a mountain forest.
The difference was that the Spiritual Qi here was much, much more abundant than in the outside world.
"Such dense Spiritual Qi!" Xia Qingyue clearly noticed this as well, "I feel like Cultivating here would significantly increase my cultivation speed."
"Let's find an Opportunity first; it won't be too late to Cultivate after we find one," Chen Qing stated his plan.
"It's all up to Husband," Xia Qingyue knew very well that in an unfamiliar environment, listening to the strong was always the right choice.
As they explored, Chen Qing extended the range of his Divine Sense to its maximum, ensuring that not even the slightest rustle of wind or grass could escape his Dharma Eye.
After confirming there was no danger around, Chen Qing summoned the System panel; a red dot kept reminding him that the wife-pampering reward had not yet been claimed.
[Pampering wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Epiphany Count +10!]
Epiphany Count?
Chen Qing knew the concept of Epiphany, but he wasn't sure if the System's Epiphany was the same as the one he understood.
After checking the detailed description, he realized how Heaven-Defying this Epiphany Count was.
Using it once could not only instantly Cultivate any grade of Cultivation Technique to the Great Perfection Realm, but also easily break through Realms, even overcome Bottlenecks, and could even be used to create one's own exclusive Cultivation Technique based on one's situation, with various and endless ways of use…
It could play a significant role at critical moments.
He continued to check further down.
[Pampering wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Heaven Rank Top-Grade Divine Weapon: Human Emperor Spear!]
'Heaven Rank, and a top-grade Divine Weapon!'
Crucially, it was a spear, which perfectly complemented the unique treasured art Chen Qing had previously obtained from the Supreme Bone: Myriad Dragon Spear Art.
Chen Qing was quite satisfied with both of these rewards.
He closed the System panel.
Chen Qing's attention was quickly drawn to something else: a large patch of high-grade Spiritual Plants.
The lowest grade was at least third-grade.
"Heavens! It truly lives up to its name as a Secret Realm; there are so many Spiritual Plants!" After formally stepping onto the path of cultivation, these ordinary flowers and plants, which had seemed unremarkable in Xia Qingyue's eyes before, were now filled with spiritual charm.
"Indeed, there are many," Chen Qing agreed.
Looking around, someone who didn't know might even mistake them for weeds.
"Husband, let's quickly split up and gather them. With these, you should be able to refine quite a few Medicinal Pills," Xia Qingyue suggested.
"Mm," Chen Qing nodded in agreement.
"Husband, your hand…" Xia Qingyue reminded him softly.
'My hand?'
Hearing her say that, Chen Qing belatedly realized that from the moment they entered the Secret Realm until now, his hand was still tightly intertwined with Xia Qingyue's.
"It's rare to have the Opportunity to hold my wife's hand; I truly can't bear to let go," Chen Qing sighed.
"It's not that exaggerated. If Husband wants to hold it, he can do so anytime," Xia Qingyue followed Chen Qing's words.
"It's a deal," Chen Qing seized the Opportunity and readily agreed.
Xia Qingyue felt that something was off but couldn't quite pinpoint it, so she decided not to overthink it and began busying herself with picking Spiritual Plants, placing them one by one into her spatial ring.
Seeing this, Chen Qing also joined in…
Spiritual Plants were very delicate and had to be handled carefully.
At the same time.
Outside.
Da Mang Mountain.
"Phew…" Ye Feng raised his hands, slowly lowering them to his Dantian, steadying his Qi.
After a day of diligent Cultivation, he felt he had gained a lot.
He opened the System panel, saw that the daily sign-in count had updated, and prayed, "Please don't sign in for another Cultivation Technique that requires self-mutilation for power."
As he spoke, he didn't forget to glance disdainfully at the Sunflower Manual tossed in the corner.
Then, he raised his hand and clicked the [Sign In] button.
[Signing In…]
Ye Feng quickly closed his eyes.
After a long while, he cautiously opened them, and a line of text gradually became clear before him.
[Sign In Successful! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a Deadman +1!]
"Deadman!"
Ye Feng, of course, knew what a Deadman was, but he had other concerns.
He clicked to view the detailed description, eager to confirm.
Upon seeing the result, he immediately let out a long sigh of relief and exclaimed joyfully: "I didn't expect it to be a Deadman with Peak Soul Emergence Realm strength! Good! Excellent! It's even stronger than my current strength!"
Ye Feng knew very well what kind of influence a Cultivator at the Soul Emergence Realm had in the Great Wu Dynasty; some Sect Masters of Sects might not even be as powerful as the Deadman he now possessed.
Thinking of this, Ye Feng grinned even wider.
"It's a pity the quantity is a bit small. If I could sign in hundreds or thousands of such Deadmen, wouldn't I be invincible? At the very least, I could establish a top-tier force!"
With his cultivation steadily improving and advancing, and various extraordinary rewards obtained daily through sign-ins, Ye Feng felt that the day he emerged from seclusion, he would surely astonish everyone and make a name for himself across the Heaven Profound Continent!
Little did he know, Chen Qing, his nemesis, had already signed in for twenty thousand such Deadmen, and only more, not less…
Just as Ye Feng was basking in self-satisfaction and re-entering his Cultivation state, anticipating what powerful rewards he might sign in for tomorrow.
Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue had already finished gathering all the Spiritual Plants they could see.
"Phew, I didn't expect there to be so many," Xia Qingyue was glad she was now a Cultivator; if she had her previous frail body, she would have been breathless and exhausted long ago.
"You've worked hard, wife. Come, have a fruit to replenish your moisture," Chen Qing offered a pear-shaped fruit.
"What a beautiful fruit," Xia Qingyue didn't care where Chen Qing got it from; she sniffed it, found it very fragrant, and took a bite.
It was crisp and sweet.
The fruit wasn't large, but its juice was incredibly abundant; with one bite, her mouth was bursting with juice.
Xia Qingyue finished it in just a few bites.
"Wait! How do I feel…" Xia Qingyue couldn't describe the feeling.
Anyway, after eating that fruit, a surge of energy within her body became much stronger.
"Husband, what kind of fruit is this?" Xia Qingyue, unable to contain her curiosity, asked.
"longevity fruit," Chen Qing replied.
"longevity fruit! Could the energy increasing within my body be Lifespan?!" Xia Qingyue suddenly realized.
"That's right," Chen Qing nodded, "One longevity fruit, after consumption, can increase your Lifespan by a hundred years."
"Consuming one can increase Lifespan by a hundred years!" Xia Qingyue's eyes widened in shock.
The method of eternal life, which countless people pursued their entire lives, could be easily achieved with just one fruit.
This was something Xia Qingyue had not anticipated before.
"Husband, why didn't you say so earlier? How could such a precious item be used to quench thirst?" Xia Qingyue suddenly reacted.
"Actually, it's not that precious. If my wife feels thirsty, I have many more here," Chen Qing casually took out a dozen more longevity fruits.
"…" Xia Qingyue's words caught in her throat. Looking at the longevity fruits, enough to increase her Lifespan by over a thousand years, she didn't know what to say.
[Pampering wife successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: longevity fruit +100!]
'Well, now there's even more…'
Chen Qing secretly grumbled in his heart.
"No, no need. I'm not thirsty now, and my Lifespan is sufficient. You keep them," Xia Qingyue politely declined.
The longevity fruit, worth a hundred years of Lifespan, put enough pressure on her just eating one.
"Alright, I'll keep them for now. If my wife wants to eat them, there's plenty," Chen Qing spoke truthfully, without any exaggeration; there truly was plenty.
"Okay…" Xia Qingyue forced a smile.
She wanted to say something else, but then saw Chen Qing's expression suddenly change, his eyes gaining a sharp edge that made Xia Qingyue tremble involuntarily.
He grabbed with a large hand, and in the next moment, a small black snake with emerald green eyes appeared in his hand.
The black snake opened its mouth and exhaled a puff of black Qi, which dispersed onto Chen Qing's face.
Following that, a laugh emerged, "You have been poisoned by this old man's Heart Devouring Poison! If you want to live, obediently do as this old man says!"
***
Chapter 47: Good moves, it belongs to me
Chen Qing ignored the sinister, aged voice, squeezed his five fingers, and the black snake's emerald green eyes burst out, dying on the spot.
"How dare you! How dare you kill the spirit pet I meticulously raised!" The old man was clearly unhappy, it was all over his face.
However, he quickly calmed down, thinking it was normal for Chen Qing to be resentful; after all, how many people in this world liked to be scammed?
It was just a spirit pet; at worst, he could Cultivate another one later.
The old man's immediate thought was to extract as many benefits as possible from Chen Qing.
So he spoke, "Boy, I'm very interested in the longevity fruit on you. Hand it over."
Seeing Chen Qing indifferent to his words, the old man spoke again, "You've been poisoned by the Heart-Devouring Poison. Only I can cure this poison. If you don't get the antidote within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, your intestines will rupture and you'll die!"
The purpose of his words was to remind Chen Qing, to let him know that his life was in his hands, and if he wanted to live, he had to do as he said, without resistance!
Hearing this, Xia Qingyue momentarily panicked.
She hadn't expected that there was more than one teleportation entrance to this Tian Yuan Secret Realm.
Knowing that those who could enter the Secret Realm wouldn't be simple, she worried that Chen Qing might truly be harmed by the sinister poison he had administered.
Chen Qing chuckled, "You're quite confident."
Before the old man could continue boasting about how formidable his poison was, Chen Qing opened his five fingers, and strands of ink-black venom gathered and coiled into a ball in his palm.
"How is this possible!" As the creator, how could the old man not recognize that the misty black ball gathering in Chen Qing's hand was precisely the Heart-Devouring Poison he had previously administered to him.
"You, you're also a Poison Cultivator?" Other than this, the old man couldn't think of any more reasonable explanation.
'So my husband is also a Poison Cultivator!'
At this point, Xia Qingyue finally understood why the Heart-Devouring Poison, which the old man had praised to the heavens, had no effect on Chen Qing.
Surprised? Not at all. No matter how many talents Chen Qing possessed, Xia Qingyue wouldn't be surprised now.
Instead, she felt that he should be omniscient and omnipotent! This was him! Only this way could he be worthy of her!
Chen Qing was completely unaware that in Xia Qingyue's eyes, he had become such an image.
In contrast, the old man was already sweating profusely, drops constantly sliding down his face.
His face had completely lost its previous ease, his expression complex, feeling unprecedented pressure.
He knew very well that if this continued, let alone getting the longevity fruit, it would be hard to say if he could even keep his life.
'I must quickly deal with these two little brats!'
With this thought, the old man decided not to waste any more time and poured his spiritual power into the snake-headed staff he held in his right hand.
He raised it and slammed it heavily onto the ground.
Then, a hurricane like a pillar rose from the ground, bursting apart with a bang, revealing a purple giant snake phantom within.
The old man transformed this venomous snake with his spiritual power, raised his staff, and pointed forward.
The giant snake phantom immediately opened its gaping maw and shot towards Chen Qing.
Facing this Opportunity to nourish his Myriad Poisons Supreme Saint Body, Chen Qing naturally welcomed it.
He opened his five fingers like a black hole, and the moment the giant snake phantom approached, he instantly devoured it completely!
"A Saint, a Saint Body! And it's the number one Saint Body of my Poison Cultivation lineage! The Myriad Poisons Saint Body!" The old man was greatly alarmed.
This was a heaven-sent Opportunity he had dreamed of possessing!
He had once believed that the Myriad Poisons Saint Body simply didn't exist, that it was a lie fabricated by Cultivators millions of years ago.
Now, when the Myriad Poisons Saint Body, which he had longed for, truly appeared before him, the old man couldn't smile at all.
Because he knew better than anyone that his life was short!
On Chen Qing's side, after absorbing the venomous snake, he not only strengthened his Myriad Poisons Saint Body but also incidentally mastered this poison art.
With a wave of his hand, nine venomous snake phantoms were released from his palm, growing from arm-thickness to a hundred-zhang giant body, opening their gaping maws, looking down, and surrounding the old man.
"..." The old man's eyes widened, his mouth agape enough to fit an entire fist, his legs went soft, and he knelt on the ground.
Chen Qing didn't care about that much; he didn't give him any extra time to think.
Boom!!
The nine snakes simultaneously spewed black mist, washing over the old man like a waterfall.
How could a flesh and blood body withstand this poison, strengthened by more than ten thousand times?
His flesh and blood rapidly evaporated, leaving only a skeletal white bone, and finally, not even the bone remained, completely corroded.
'What terrifying killing methods!'
"Gulp!" Xia Qingyue watched in a daze, swallowing her saliva.
Immediately, Chen Qing clenched his five fingers, disintegrating all nine hundred-zhang venomous snakes.
The Shadow Puppet brought back the old man's belongings and presented them with both hands.
It was a spatial ring.
After Chen Qing injected his Divine Sense into it, he was slightly surprised, "Hoh! This old fellow has plundered quite a few treasures!"
Roughly estimated, these resources would be enough for an ordinary person to Cultivate for over a decade.
Chen Qing unhesitatingly handed the spatial ring to Xia Qingyue, "I have no use for these things, my wife, you take them."
"Thank you, husband." Xia Qingyue obediently accepted.
Just as Chen Qing said, he indeed had no use for those things; it was better to give them away and earn a wave of wife-pampering rewards.
[Successful wife-pampering! Congratulations to Host for obtaining a random reward: Shadow Puppet +10000!]
Fortunately, Ye Feng was still in seclusion, unaware of everything happening outside; otherwise, if he knew that Chen Qing had casually obtained another ten thousand Soul Emergence Realm Peak dead soldiers, which he was so proud of, he would surely doubt his life and vomit three liters of blood!
The small interlude with the old man did not affect their continued exploration of the Tian Yuan Secret Realm.
In a flash, they arrived deeper into the forest.
"This is… a Spirit Spring Pool!" Xia Qingyue suddenly realized, "No wonder the Spiritual Qi concentration has been increasing all along the way!"
"This should also be a type of Secret Realm Opportunity, right?" Xia Qingyue turned her gaze to Chen Qing.
Chen Qing spoke, "If you Cultivate in this Spirit Spring Pool, your Cultivation speed will be at least five times that of the outside world."
"Five times Cultivation speed!" Xia Qingyue was shocked, "Then we…"
"You go first, my wife, I'll set up a Formation nearby." Chen Qing didn't want outsiders to see his wife wet.
"Alright! Thank you for your hard work, husband."
After witnessing Xia Qingyue enter the Spirit Spring Pool, Chen Qing quickly formed hand seals, faster and faster, blurring into motion.
Accompanied by a resounding "Formation, rise!"
The Earth Rank High Grade Formation, "Dragon Trapping Formation," swiftly covered an area of ten li.
After confirming everything was in order, Chen Qing also took off his shoes and socks and walked into the Spirit Spring Pool.
The pool water wasn't deep, just barely covering his ankles.
Chen Qing went to the center of the Spirit Spring Pool, where the Spiritual Qi was most abundant, sat down cross-legged, not far from Xia Qingyue.
Not only was Xia Qingyue interested in the five-fold Cultivation speed, but Chen Qing was equally interested.
Such an Opportunity was indeed not always available.
More importantly, with his Comprehension Ability, multiple Saint Bodies, combined with his Heaven Rank Top Grade Spiritual Root, the increase in Cultivation speed Chen Qing could enjoy would definitely be more than a mere five times.
Without further ado, he immediately entered Cultivation state…
Cultivating…
Cultivating Myriad Dragon Spear Art…
Cultivating Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique…
Being distracted might be a derogatory term for others, but for Chen Qing, it was effortless.
Not long after, a surge of power erupted with Chen Qing at its center.
Xia Qingyue didn't open her eyes, her brows slightly furrowed, 'Has my husband broken through so quickly?'
She suddenly felt immense pressure; even she, who was called a top Genius, couldn't help but feel that her heart was willing but her strength was lacking when facing Chen Qing's terrifying talent.
The only thing Xia Qingyue could do was to desperately work hard in her Cultivation, trying to catch up to Chen Qing.
Not to be shoulder to shoulder with him, but at least to be able to see his back…
Time passed bit by bit.
Chen Qing had already broken through three Realms, his Cultivation Realm reaching Spirit Division Realm Seventh Layer.
Xia Qingyue's progress was a bit slower, but she had also successfully broken through to the Golden Core Realm, constantly assaulting the Golden Core Realm Second Layer!
Everything was steadily improving on their side.
Meanwhile, others from the outside world who were also in the Tian Yuan Secret Realm noticed the existence of the Dragon Trapping Formation.
"A Formation! And it's an Earth Rank High Grade Formation! An Advanced Formation Master has also entered the Tian Yuan Secret Realm!"
"Whatever the other party is protecting with an Earth Rank Formation must be a top-tier Supreme Treasure!"
"What should we do? Are we just going to watch them take away the top-tier Supreme Treasure like this?"
At this moment, someone suggested, "Although the Earth Rank Formation is strong, we are numerous and powerful, and we are all Prodigy Disciples from various sects. How about we join forces to break the Formation, and then divide the Supreme Treasure equally after we acquire it?"
The others looked at each other, knowing that the possibility of breaking the Formation alone was minuscule.
Aside from joining forces to break the Formation, there was no other choice, and one by one, people expressed their agreement.
These voices, from ten li away, were heard by Chen Qing, who was in the Spirit Spring Pool, madly Cultivating and improving his Cultivation, without missing a single word.
Since they liked to court death, Chen Qing didn't mind using the blood of these people to nourish his Saber!
His Seven Stars Saber still had quite a distance to go before lighting up all seven Saber Stars.
***
Chapter 48 Treasure Hunting Mouse
Within his perception range, Chen Qing scanned around, finding that most of those individuals were his peers.
From their cultivation Realm, combined with their age and attire, they were undoubtedly Prodigies from various Sects, whose names were well-known.
Chen Qing carefully checked the Sect totems embroidered on their cultivation robes but found no familiar ones.
He figured they were mostly Sect forces from outside the Great Wu Dynasty.
Though they were Prodigies, they weren't strong enough for Chen Qing to consider them a threat; among the hundreds, the strongest was only at the Golden Core Realm.
Even if a few of their companions, old fellows who deliberately concealed their auras, had reached the Nascent Soul Realm and Soul Emergence Realm, the difference was still negligible; they were all targets that could be instantly killed with a mere flick of his finger.
The next moment.
A Shadow Puppet separated from Chen Qing's shadow, carrying the Seven Stars Saber, and set off to harvest blood Qi to accelerate the lighting of the Saber Stars.
The stronger the Cultivator, the more blood Qi they could contribute.
Although this number of people wasn't enough to light up the Saber Stars, Chen Qing knew the principle of accumulating small amounts into a large sum; there was no reason to refuse the blood Qi that came knocking.
After arranging everything, Chen Qing glanced at Xia Qingyue, who sat opposite him, concentrating on absorbing Spiritual Qi and diligently increasing her cultivation.
Soon, he too closed his eyes and entered a state, wildly devouring and refining the vast amount of Spiritual Qi contained within the Spirit Spring Pool…
On the other side, the Shadow Puppet stealthily moved through the shadows, quickly covering the distance, arriving outside the Kunlong Great Formation, and merging into the shadow of one of the Disciples.
That Disciple was completely unaware, currently panting heavily, "No, this won't do. So many of us attacked in turns, yet we couldn't even cause the slightest damage. It's too tough! How about we all return to our Sects first and ask the Elders to intervene!"
It was their first time facing a Formation Master, and only after experiencing it firsthand did they realize they had severely underestimated the power of a Formation Master.
Little did they know, this Formation had not yet been fully activated.
If it were fully activated, a casual attack could instantly cause their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, leaving no bones behind.
The reason Chen Qing didn't do that was because he was worried about being too heavy-handed and wasting the blood Qi that was about to be obtained, which is why he specifically sent out the Shadow Puppet.
Currently, the main purpose of the Kunlong Great Formation was to block outsiders from entering, preventing them from disturbing his and Xia Qingyue's Cultivation.
Of course, to put it more bluntly, with the current strength of these Disciples, they didn't even have the qualifications to enter the Formation and trigger its Kill mechanism!
Everyone was contemplating the young man's words, hesitating whether to return to their Sect for help.
Just then, a terrified voice suddenly came from the crowd, "You, who are you!"
The others heard this and turned their heads to look.
Then they saw the Shadow Puppet leap out from the young man's shadow, holding the Seven Stars Saber, and neatly slit his throat with a single strike. Blood splattered on the faces of those nearby, his eyes closed tightly, and his body trembled violently.
"..." They could clearly feel the thick layer of blood covering their faces, slowly flowing downwards.
Immediately after, they witnessed the blood, like drifting red gauze, flying one by one towards the Seven Stars Saber, being absorbed.
Until the young Disciple's corpse visibly shriveled at a rapid speed, completely turning into skin and bones.
"An evil Cultivator! It's an evil Cultivator's technique! An evil Cultivator has invaded the Tian Yuan Secret Realm! Quick, quickly go back and inform the Elders!"
These young Prodigies had never seen such a sight before, and they were convinced that the opponent was undoubtedly an evil Cultivator. For a moment, screams of terror erupted, and they scattered in all directions.
If they remembered correctly, the young Disciple who was killed had at least Golden Core Realm strength.
Since a Golden Core Realm Cultivator was so effortlessly killed by the Shadow Puppet with a single saber strike, how could they dare to be its enemy?
But in the face of absolute strength, all their struggles were, without exception, futile.
The Shadow Puppet's killing speed was extremely fast, using shadows to quickly teleport between Disciples. Each teleportation meant the demise of one person, and a System notification sounded.
[Successfully doted on your wife! Congratulations, Host, you have received a random reward: Grade 4 Crimson Sky Pill + 100!]
[Successfully doted on your wife! Congratulations, Host, you have received a random reward: longevity fruit + 100!]
[Successfully doted on your wife! Congratulations, Host, you have received a random reward: Dragon Blood + 10!]
...
Chen Qing found the System's constant refreshing in his ear distracting his Cultivation, so he chose to mute it, letting it refresh on its own, directly storing the rewards in the System backpack to study later.
Returning outside the Formation.
In just a moment, the many Prodigies from various forces who had confidently declared they would break the Formation and seize treasures had now turned into withered bones scattered everywhere.
Their blood Qi had been completely absorbed by the Seven Stars Saber, leaving no vitality. A slight touch would cause them to instantly turn into a pile of loose sand.
As for why those Elders who deliberately concealed their auras didn't intervene to stop the Shadow Puppet?
Firstly, everything happened too quickly for them to react.
Secondly, although the Shadow Puppet did not reveal its true cultivation, it did not prevent them from recognizing the disparity. They knew tacitly that if they rashly intervened, the result would only be a few more corpses on the ground.
Whether the Disciples were important or their own lives were important, it was undoubtedly the latter.
They turned to flee the area, each returning to their respective Sect's branch established within the Secret Realm, deciding to report this matter and let the other Elders decide.
However, the front foot they had stepped out had not yet landed when a cold gleam pierced through their chest and emerged.
The Shadow Puppet strictly carried out Chen Qing's orders: not a single person present was to be left alive!
'Not good! He found us!'
The remaining Elders knew they couldn't escape, so they revealed themselves one by one, no longer expending spiritual power on concealing their aura.
They said with shame, "We were reckless and disturbed Senior. Please, Senior, be magnanimous and spare us. I am the Inner Courtyard Elder of the Azure Dragon Pavilion..."
These words were naturally not for the Shadow Puppet, but for Chen Qing, who was behind the Shadow Puppet.
Chen Qing had no interest in listening to his nonsense, and the Shadow Puppet had no intention of wasting time. It instantly approached, quickly drawing its saber. A cold flash, and a head immediately flew into the sky, blood gushing like a fountain.
The other Elders, seeing this, knew that Chen Qing was bloodthirsty and unwilling to let them go.
"Damn demonic Cultivator! I'll fight you to the death!"
"If we join forces, we can surely carve out a path to survival!"
When someone raised their arm and shouted, others naturally responded.
One by one, their Qi surged like a tide, and spiritual might vibrated outwards.
The Shadow Puppet calmly raised its left hand, which wasn't holding the saber, and gently brought it down.
A more powerful pressure accurately descended upon everyone's heads.
Their bodies were forcibly pressed down onto the ground by an invisible, unseen large hand, unable to move, sinking into the mud.
Their eyes wide, pupils trembling, they spoke with difficulty, "Peak... Soul Emergence Realm!"
After that, the Shadow Puppet dealt with these Sect Elders one by one, executing them and letting the Seven Stars Saber drain their blood Qi.
After doing all this, it didn't forget to collect the scattered spatial rings and Storage Pouches on the ground to bring back to Chen Qing.
Being in a Secret Realm filled with Opportunities, the treasures in these Storage Magic Treasures would definitely not be few!
It was equivalent to a treasure-hunting rat, putting in great effort, only to benefit Chen Qing in the end.