Chapter 245 – Merging Half of the Core
ROAR!
A terrifying roar exploded inside the mountain, as the freshly awakened enormous Qi Dragon discovered a miniscule human on his body who had been absorbing the Qi inside its body.
“Oh no!”
Qin Nan’s face turned incredibly pale.
“Hu…man… Are you trying… to get… yourself killed…” The Qi Dragon glared with his pair of large eyes, its voice blasting like thunder. The Qi inside the mountain began to turn exceedingly unstable, like the pre-expulsion of a volcano, which felt like it was going to explode anytime soon.
“Senior, I’ll need your aid to cultivate for ten days!” Qin Nan collected his thoughts and said, “In ten days’ time, during the Sect Leader’s birthday, the representative from the Qinglong Sacred Area will be here, thus I need to improve my cultivation!”
“…Kill…”
The Qi Dragon let out another roar, as an invisible force began to accumulate from its surroundings, hinting at a terrifying killing blow.
“Shit!”
Qin Nan’s expression stiffened. He could feel his body being locked onto by a powerful force, hindering his movements.
In the nick of time, the Divine Battle Spirit behind him slightly lowered its head, as an ancient glow was emitted from its left eye, staring straight at the Qi Dragon.
AH!
The Qi Dragon cried in agony, as the killing blow it had accumulated dissipated straight away. Its pair of dragon eyes were filled with utter terror.
“Divine Battle Spirit?” Qin Nan was startled. He had not expected his Martial Spirit to directly astonish the Qi Dragon at such a crucial timing.
“Human… What… What on earth…is…is your Martial Spirit…” The Qi Dragon crawled on the ground with its body trembling, a total contrast to its previous murderous appearance.
“Senior, pardon me as I can’t tell you.” Qin Nan settled down his emotions and brought his fists together, “Senior, please allow me to cultivate here for the next ten days.”
The terror in the eyes of the Qi Dragon was yet to be dispelled, as it replied after a slight hesitation, “…Fine!”
After saying this, the Qi Dragon raised its enormous body, and its tail began to wrap around Qin Nan’s body like a snail.
“The Qi is much stronger now!”
Qin Nan’s eyes flickered as he brought his fists together at the Qi Dragon, before he sat down with his legs crossed and began cultivating with his Divine Battle Spirit.
In the meantime, without Qin Nan’s knowing, the Qi Dragon stared at the Divine Battle Spirit behind him, its eyes filled with a blank expression as it mumbled to itself, “Why…am I able…to detect the force…force of creation…from this Martial Spirit…”
After saying this, it fell into silence and slowly closed its eyes.
Following this, the people of the Mystic Spirit Sect got used to the rare phenomenon occurring at Tianfeng Mountain, as they all returned to their own tasks.
Besides that, the news regarding the fortieth birthday of the Sect Leader was spread within the sect. Countless elders and disciples began decorating the sect. Although the Great Elder seemed to be more powerful for the time being, the Sect Leader was still their Sect Leader. Despite the fact that he failed to become a Martial Dominator, they were not daring enough to oppose him.
What was worth mentioning was that after the four Hall Leaders were robbed by Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast, not only did they not complain, they even paid a visit to the Great Elder’s residence with gifts to beg for his forgiveness.
As for Ouyang Jun and his Jun Alliance, they had disappeared from the public’s attention. It was said that Ouyang Jun had gone into seclusion to cultivate to hide from Qin Nan.
Furthermore, Gong Yang, Xiao Leng, and the rest were being fawned upon by countless people after the incident. Many elders even supported them with resources, allowing them to go into seclusion to cultivate to improve their strength.
As for the other three sects, when they heard that Qin Nan had reached the half-Martial Emperor Realm and acquired the top spot among the outer disciples, with three Martial Ancestor Realm experts supporting him, they all took deep breaths.
They had now realized that the Qin Nan who they had previously despised and mocked was completely out of their league. Within the Luohe Kingdom, only the core disciples were able to match his talents!
…Time passed swiftly, nine days were gone in the blink of an eye!
The Mystic Spirit Sect was thoroughly decorated with lights and ornaments. Most of the famous cultivators of the Luohe Kingdom were all invited to the Mystic Spirit Sect.
…Meanwhile, inside Tianfeng Mountain…
After cultivating for the past nine days, the liquefied Qi inside his body was now incredibly abundant, as if it was compressed numerous times. Although it seemed to be the same size as before, the thickness of the Qi inside his body was equivalent to five tenth-layer Xiantian Realm cultivators!
“I shall try leveling up to a Martial Emperor!”
Qin Nan’s eyes sprung open, filled with a sharp gaze. He immediately utilized his Divine Sense to gather the liquefied Qi inside his Dantian together.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
At that instant, Qin Nan thoroughly executed the Blazing Sun Golden Armor Body Technique, causing his meridians to be engulfed in ferocious flames. The blurry beastly figures within the pool of his Divine Sense uttered resonant cries at the same time.
Two techniques being executed at the same time, causing him to emit two totally different auras.
“My Saber Intent!”
Qin nan’s eyes flickered as a stream of Saber Intent was fired from his body.
“My will!”
Qin Nan uttered a cry, as his will and his personality merged into one at that instant, as if an invisible force was produced.
“Merge into one!”
The auras from the two techniques, the Saber Intent, and his will all combined with the liquefied Qi at that moment.
The liquefied Qi began to vibrate vigorously. Qin Nan immediately took hold of the chance to utilize his Divine Sense to control the liquefied Qi, with the intention of compressing it.
To form the Martial Emperor Core, not only would one require a certain amount of Qi, the person would also need to absorb the auras of his techniques and his will and merge them into one to form his personal Core.
BANG BANG BANG!
The liquefied Qi emitted a series of explosions. While the Qi was being compressed, the different auras and will were gradually merged together as well.
In just a short period, the liquefied Qi had vanished, replaced by a pill-like object the size of a fist.
“Hmm? The Martial Emperor Core is half merged. Now is the time to communicate with the Heavens and Earth, to trigger the Martial Emperor tribulation in order to refine the core…” Qin Nan’s eyes were filled with a hint of joy, who then spat out the pill-like object from his mouth, causing it to float in mid-air.
As soon as the Core appeared, an uproar immediately took place in its surroundings. As if endless forces were being absorbed from the Heavens and Earth toward it.
“The tribulation of the Martial Emperor Realm, descend at once!”
Qin Nan let out a roar.
However, at that instant, the sky began to rumble vigorously, as an invisible force descended from above and struck the Core.
BANG!
The Core was sent back into Qin Nan’s body by the force of the Heavens and Earth.
Qin Nan’s body shuddered violently, as his aura became enraged and a trail of blood flowed out from his mouth.
“The Heavens and Earth do not acknowledge its existence…”
Qin Nan’s face turned slightly pale as a wry smile could be seen on his face.
He finally understood why an Atavistic Cultivator had difficulty becoming a Martial Emperor. The reason being that the Core formed by an Atavistic Cultivator would be rejected by the Heavens and Earth.
Qin Nan shook his head and sat with his legs crossed, swiftly recovering his strength.
At that instant, an imperious voice could be heard coming from the Mystic Spirit Sect, “Let the feast begin!”
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 246 – The Birthday Feast
“Has the feast started?”
Qin Nan was startled, who then executed his Eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit and glanced toward the sect.
Following a loud explosion, a huge palace with a length of over six thousand feet and a width of four thousand feet slowly rose from the ground and floated in mid-air, forming a large shadow beneath it. Hundreds of mystical lights shone around the palace, resulting in a magnificent scene!
With just a glimpse, Qin Nan could see a human-figure Weapon Spirit deep within the palace, controlling over a hundred complicated formations.
“This is most likely the Sect Leader’s Hall, a Martial Emperor Weapon!” Qin Nan took a deep breath and continued to observe it.
As the Sect Leader’s Hall rose into the air, seven-colored light beams were suddenly emitted from the main entrance of the hall, which turned into a staircase with nine hundred and ninety-nine steps that slowly landed onto the White Jade Dojo.
The White Jade Dojo had already been modified, with each side filled with tables used for the feast. Each table was made of Atavistic Celestial Rocks, while the chairs were made of Millenium Redwood. On the tables, plates of delicacies had been prepared, including Dragon Emperor Bone Soup, Raging Emperor Beef, and more, along with jars of excellent wines. There were a total four hundred tables being set up.
Besides that, at the entrance leading to the White Jade Dojo, four hundred outer disciples wearing gowns lined up on each side of the path to welcome the guests.
“These four hundred tables are most likely for the disciples. Only those with respectable identities would be seated inside the Sect Leader’s Hall.” Qin Nan mumbled.
At that instant, a rapid shoosh could be heard from the sky, as a middle-aged man with a pair of sharp eyebrows standing on a sixty foot long sword—whose Sword Intent took the form of a huge dragon head—approached the White Jade Dojo.
As the middle-aged man arrived at the White Jade Dojo, with a stomp, the giant sword under him turned into a red glow, which shrunk ten times in size and launched itself into the air, before landing inside the sheath hanging on the man’s waist.
“I’m Zhao Fang, here with blessings for Sect Leader Ouyang Ba on behalf of the Flying Sword Sect!” The middle-aged uttered a yell which resounded through the sect
Following it, the people of the sect were startled, who all exclaimed in admiration.
The Leader of the Treasure Vault appeared from the Sect Leader’s Hall and said with a blasting laugh, “Sect Leader Zhao Fang, welcome to the Mystic Spirit Sect. Please make your way to the Sect Leader’s Hall to enjoy the soothing music and a few cups of excellent wine. Our Sect Leader will be here soon.”
Zhao Fang nodded his head without showing any expression, before entering the Sect Leader’s Hall.
“Martial Ancestor Realm expert…” Qin Nan’s eyes flickered. He was able to detect Zhao Fang’s cultivation to have reached the peak of the Martial Ancestor Realm with his Eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit.
Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps was heard coming from the sky afar, causing cracks to appear in the air.
Following this, eight giant green bulls with four horns each, and a length of fifty feet, could be seen pulling a carriage emitting a green sparkle, giving it a magnificent appearance. A magical sound could be heard coming from the carriage.
“Are those the Four-Horned Emperor Bulls? Which Sect Leader is this, to have eight Emperor Beasts pulling his carriage…” Qin Nan took a deep breath.
The scene of eight Four-Horned Emperor Bulls pulling a carriage was a lot more shocking than Zhao Fang’s entry. Anyone would be intimidated feeling the aura from these eight Emperor Beasts.
“Lin Xuan, the Sect Leader of the Qing Nu Sect sends her blessings!” A pleasant female voice was heard, causing many people from the Mystic Spirit Sect to be astonished once again.
Qin Nan frowned his eyebrows slightly. Her voice sounded quite familiar, bearing similarities to Nangong Rou’s whom he had met on Autumn Mountain.
He did not overthink, but redirected his focus back to the feast.
Zhao Fang who was just about to enter the hall halted in his tracks, before he turned around and smilingly said, “I did not expect you would personally be here, what a surprise.”
“Why the surprise? There are too many people here. Let’s chat inside the hall.”
The previously gentle voice from the glowing carriage was replaced with a calm expressionless voice.
“There’s no rush for that. More of our old friends are arriving soon.” Zhao Fang let out a laugh, as his eyes were filled with layers of a sword’s shadow, glancing upward at the sky.
After less than twenty breaths’ time, the clouds from afar turned flaming red, as if they were ignited by flames.
A red-haired old man wearing dark red armor plates could be seen coming toward them, taking one step at a time. The armor plates on his body shuddered violently with each step, emitting a clanking sound, accompanied by some sort of magic, which felt like the cries of ferocious beasts.
This person was none other than the Sect Leader of the Disordered Flames Sect, Wei Tong!
As soon as Wei Tong arrived, he said with a grin on his face, “Tsk, tsk, how honored I am, to have two Sect Leaders welcoming me!”
“I guess you’ve been overthinking it.” The female voice from the carriage said. Following this, the eight Four-Horned Emperor Bulls advanced while uttering cries, entering the Sect Leader’s Hall.
“You old monster, you drove her away as soon as you arrived.” Zhao Fang shook his head and said, “You should improve your manners.”
“What now, the little brat seems to be annoyed.” Wei Tong rolled his eyes, no sign of the expected behavior of a Sect Leader.
Following this, the two burst out laughing before entering the Sect Leader’s Hall without wasting any further time.
Meanwhile, the Mystic Spirit Sect turned incredibly lively after the three Sect Leaders had arrived.
Inside Tianfeng Mountain, Qin Nan said with a frown, “Why is Ouyang Ba yet to show himself despite the fact that the three Sect Leaders are here already?”
As soon as he revealed his doubts, a rare occurrence took place above the Mystic Spirit Sect. Endless rays of golden light shone like a huge curtain, causing the place below to be covered in a golden radiance.
The Leader of the Treasure Vault yelled, “Let us welcome the Sect Leader, may the Sect Leader live a long life!”
After her lead, the Hall Leaders and the elders of the Mystic Spirit Sect all yelled, “Welcome, Sect Leader. May the Sect Leader live a long life!”
The sound of over ten thousand people shouting at the same time almost penetrated the Heavens.
Under everyone’s attention, the golden light in the sky was gradually withdrawn, as a middle-aged man appeared from it.
The middle-aged man possessed a fierce face and a pair of sharp eyes. His body was encapsulated within an imperious aura, giving him the appearance of an emperor, causing people to feel like submitting to him.
He was the Sect Leader of the Mystic Spirit Sect, Ouyang Ba!
“I shall take a look at this Ouyang Ba’s cultivation!”
Qin Nan inside Tianfeng Mountain executed his Eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit and glanced at Ouyang Ba.
At that instant, Qin Nan could only see a vast golden glow blinding his vision. Following this, a mysterious force was emitted from Ouyang Ba’s body, as if some kind of equipment was preventing Qin Nan from peeking at his cultivation.
“Hmm?” Ouyang Ba floating in mid-air became aware of something, who glanced toward Tianfeng Mountain.
Following this, Qin Nan could sense a grave danger approaching him, causing his hair to stand on end, as his body began to shiver.
The huge Qi Dragon coiling around Qin Nan was awakened too, which uttered a dull cry and spat out an atavistic beam of light that enclosed his body.
The terrifying sense of death was then erased from Qin Nan’s body.
“Holy crap… That was close…” Qin Nan’s forehead was flooded with sweat. He could feel a sense of fatigue from his body. If it weren’t for the help of the Qi Dragon, Ouyang Ba would definitely be aware of my presence.
“Senior, thanks a lot!” Qin Nan panted, trying to catch his breath. Not only did the Qi Dragon allow him to absorb a great amount of Qi, it also saved his life.
“Don’t…mind…You…better…be…careful…of…Ouyang…Ba…” The Qi Dragon appeared to be extremely weak, and fell into a deep sleep after saying the sentence.
Qin Nan was slightly stunned.
Be careful of Ouyang Ba?
Why should I be careful of Ouyang Ba?
And what exactly was the golden blinding light?
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn
Chapter 247 – The Envoy of the Sacred Area
Qin Nan felt even more suspicious toward the aim behind this birthday feast. Why would Ouyang Ba hold such a grand feast celebrating his fortieth birthday after he just failed his level up to the Martial Dominator Realm?
“Who cares, everything will become clear when the time comes!”
Qin Nan shook his head. His focus now was to join the Qinglong Sacred Area.
“Senior, thanks for your help!”
Qin Nan sincerely bowed to the Qi Dragon, before leaving the mountain and heading straight to the feast.
At that instant, the White Jade Dojo was fully crowded. Apart from the geniuses of the Mystic Spirit Sect, there were also geniuses from the other sects, but a lesser amount.
As Qin Nan arrived, he soon became the limelight of the crowd.
“Senior Brother Qin Nan!”
“Ah, Senior Brother Qin Nan, you’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!”
“Wow, Senior Brother Qin Nan, I’ve been admiring you too!”
“Junior Brother Qin Nan, do you want to join our table? A few Senior Brothers here would like to have a chat with you!”
“So this is Qin Nan? Tsk, tsk, he looks so cool!”
“……”
Be it the outer disciples, the inner disciples, or the geniuses from the other sects, they all welcomed him with warm hands.
After all, apart from his cultivation and Martial Spirit, Qin Nan could currently be considered the first rank!
Why is that so?
That’s because he has three Martial Ancestor Realm experts supporting him!
“Qin Nan, it’s been a while.” At that instant, a dark voice could be heard.
Qin Nan turned his head around and surprisingly found the person speaking to be Ouyang Jun.
Currently, Ouyang Jun no longer wore the previous conceited expression, but a totally cold expression, like a poisonous snake hiding in the dark, causing people to feel uncomfortable after seeing him.
Behind Ouyang Jun stood Xiao Qingxue. When Qin Nan looked at her, her gaze met his too, but only for a quick moment.
“It’s been a while indeed.” Qin Nan gave him a glimpse. The last time they had met was when he visited Li Hong’s residence. Since then, he had been dealing with the members of Jun Alliance instead.
“I’m telling you; you will definitely pay for what you have done to me!” It was as if a sudden thought came up to Ouyang Jun’s mind, causing him to let out a sinister smile before leaving.
Qin Nan’s eyes turned cold, and was about to become angry when a shout was heard.
“Qin Nan, over here!”
Xiao Leng and the rest immediately waved their hands as if they had just found their savior.
The reason being that they had ended up bumping into Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast on their way to the feast, hence they all were now sitting together.
Qin Nan nodded his head and brought his fists together at the rest of the crowd, “Sorry, I’ve got a seat reserved for me.”
The disciples could feel their hearts racing when they saw Qin Nan bumping into Ouyang Jun. They finally collected their thoughts after hearing Qin Nan’s words, and nodded their heads without showing any sign of being mad. Some of them even went up and guided Qin Nan to his seat.
As soon as Qin Nan arrived, Princess Miao Miao said with a flushed face and glistening eyes, “Little Nan, come over here. The ‘Blue Icy Mountain’ here is extremely delicious…”
“It’s Icy Blue Mountain.” The Longhu Ancestor Beast had now taken the form of a human, with two symbolic lumps on his forehead. His handsome face was now reddened due to the alcohol.
“Shut up!” Princess Miao Miao lashed out a slap and pouted, “It’s Blue Icy Mountain! Blue Icy Mountain!”
“Yes yes yes… Let’s continue drinking!” The Longhu Ancestor Beast was awakened by the slap, who immediately let out an obsequious smile and filled the cups with wine, before they continued enjoying the drinks.
Qin Nan was kind of speechless. This Icy Blue Mountain was a mystical wine specifically prepared for the feast, extremely valuable, with a fascinating taste. One could experience the icy chill of a glacier while drinking it. However, he had not expected Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast to be interested in drinking.
He finally realized why Xiao Leng and the others were wearing helpless expressions.
Qin Nan took a jar of the Icy Blue Mountain and asked, “Where is big brother Gong Yang?”
“Not sure, I was told a few days ago that someone named ‘Lin’ was looking for him, thus he left the sect.” Xiao Leng immediately answered.
“Lin?”
Qin Nan’s wrist slightly trembled.
Isn’t Lin the Symbolic Word Lin?
Could it be that the Nine Symbolic Words have chosen Gong Yang as their successor?
“It seems like Gong Yang’s chance is here.” Qin Nan mumbled to himself.
At that instant, a rare occurrence took place. A terrifying aura could be felt coming from the sky from afar.
Even at a distance of hundreds of miles away, the aura was incredibly powerful.
Everyone was utterly stunned.
Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!
A few gusts of wind could be heard, with Ouyang Ba in the leading position, followed by Old Shan. Behind them were the three Sect Leaders, the Hall Leaders, the authorities, and the top geniuses of the top four sects who all appeared at the entrance of the Sect Leader’s Hall, resulting in a magnificent scene.
“Welcome, envoy!’
Ouyang Ba, the Sect Leaders, the Hall Leaders, and the authorities all brought their fists together and said in a respectful tone.
The disciples stared with their eyes open wide. With such a grand welcome, what kind of envoy is arriving?
Qin Nan was startled as he immediately raised his head and glanced toward the terrifying aura.
Following a loud explosion, the aura which was initially a hundred miles away suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Mystic Spirit Sect as if it had teleported. The terrifying aura then crushed downward on the White Jade Dojo like a huge mountain.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The entire White Jade Dojo was drowned in a brilliant radiance, emitting a succession of explosions as the runes were being shattered by the aura.
AH! AH! AH!
Following it, cries of agony were heard. Over fifty people among the genius disciples on the White Jade Dojo spurted blood and were sent flying due to the shockwave.
As for the disciples possessing stronger cultivation, even the faces of the inner disciples turned extremely pale due to the discomfort.
Qin Nan’s expression slightly changed. It was as if his blood was solidifying and his meridians were going to explode.
However, the aura was incomparable with the suppression from the left eye of the Divine God of Battle. Apart from his flesh being minorly affected, he was perfectly unharmed.
“Hmm?”
The eyes of Princess Miao Miao and the Longhu Ancestor Beast glistened upon seeing this.
Qin Nan gave them both a glance, before adjusting his breathing and immediately raising his head to look at the stranger.
He could see a middle-aged man in his fifties wearing a blue attire, his face showing a hint of pride. His eyes never looked at the disciples at the White Jade Dojo, as if they were merely insignificant ants before him!
Qin Nan did not execute his Eyes of the Divine Battle Spirit. It was obvious that this envoy of the Qinglong Sacred Area was a Martial Dominator expert!
Only a Martial Dominator would possess such a terrifying aura!
“So this is the sect where the Imperial Exterminator was.” The middle-aged man let out a sigh, “The Imperial Exterminator was such a powerful cultivator, capable of roaming across the lower district at will. In contrast, his sect is so hopeless, with no sign of worthy talents, what a pity, what a pity…”
Many of the Hall Leaders and elders of the Mystic Spirit Sect were stunned hearing this, whose eyes were filled with fear after a thought came up to their minds.
Ouyang Ba and the other Sect Leaders slightly nodded their heads.
A long time ago, when the Imperial Exterminator had appeared, the entire lower district was immersed in a chaos. Countless geniuses from the two Sacred Areas were slain by him.
To an extent, there was a saying in the lower district during that period. When a pitch-black saber landed from the sky, even if it meant forfeiting your limbs or sacrificing everything, you must stay fifty miles away from the pitch-black saber.
This was because the pitch-black saber was the Imperial Exterminator’s saber. When he appeared, either friend or foe, no one within fifty miles from him had a chance of staying alive!
“Sir, since the Imperial Exterminator had been missing for a long time, and is most likely dead by now, let’s not mention him anymore. As it is my birthday today, why not come into the Sect Leader’s Hall, have a taste of the ‘Blue Bloody River’ while watching a duel between the geniuses?” Ouyang Ba calmly said with a smile.
“Blue Bloody River?” The eyes of the middle-aged envoy glistened, “Mr. Ouyang, you do realize the duel between the geniuses won’t be interesting enough. However, the specifically prepared Blue Bloody River would be plenty. Hehe, not bad!”
After saying this, the middle-aged envoy immediately entered the Sect Leader’s Hall, with no intention of staying any longer.
The other Sect Leaders immediately followed him into the hall.
As soon as Ouyang Ba entered the Sect Leader’s Hall, his movements came to a stop, and he said without turning his head around, “Qin Nan, come to the Sect Leader’s Hall!”
Translator: XephiZ
Editor: DOCuinn