422 Bronze Mountain and River Diagram
Qin Huai struck a fiery path before him. He didn’t halt, slicing off Yang Tianhan’s arm and then dislocating his shoulder.
Bang!
A loud crash echoed as the severed arm disintegrated mid-air.
Yang Tianhan gaped at the brilliant golden light, his heart sinking in disbelief. Despite his illusion realm suppressing all power except ancient scripture cultivation, how was Qin Huai able to do it…?
The golden flames persisted, creeping up from the severed limb. What was about to be Qin Huai’s downfall swiftly turned the tide of the battle. Only the bronze pendant, radiating a green light, fell slowly.
The world seemed on the brink of disintegration, with countless opportunists ready to strike. The next second, a wave of green light engulfed their vision.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Qingzhou geniuses disintegrated in a series of blasts. At the same time, the bronze pendant found itself in a pale hand.
Pa!
As soon as Qin Huai held the key, the world regained its stability.
The next moment, a torrent of power surged from his palm up his arm, reaching his heart, legs, and even his missing left arm. Tens of millions of fragments coalesced on Qin Huai’s arm, and within moments, his shattered left hand was instantly restored.
“This… does holding the key possess healing abilities?” Qin Huai marveled at the surging power within.
His ancient azure illusion scripture cultivation had reached the peak of the fifth-level bone pattern realm. Above all, he felt an inexplicable control over the entire world.
“It’s over, Yang Tianhan.” Qin Huai glanced at the man being consumed by the golden flames.
“No, I won’t accept this!” Yang Tianhan’s eyes bulged, screaming at Qin Huai. “All of this should be mine!” Despite his protest, his fate remained unchanged. His body was entirely swallowed by the golden flames, collapsing to nothing.
Exhaling deeply, Qin Huai addressed the spectators, “Everyone, thank you for your gifts.” No sooner had he spoken than his figure vanished.
At the same time, hundreds of figures launched themselves at the bystanders. With one punch, a hundred lives were extinguished. The five-kilometer illusion realm turned into Qin Huai’s killing field. He single-handedly crushed everyone, even the future kings weren’t an exception.
After what felt like an eternity, Qin Huai stood in the desolate illusion realm. No signs of life met his gaze. “I fulfilled the condition… Has the end been reached?” he pondered aloud.
“Ah, congratulations on completing the test,” a voice sounded beside Qin Huai.
Whirling around, he found a tall figure standing beside him. The figure had green eyes and green hair, his robe patterned with the same strange runes found on the bronze wall.
“Young Qin Huai pays his respects to the emperor of Qingzhou!” Qin Huai bowed.
“You’re quite clever,” the emperor of Qingzhou chuckled. “You’re not actually my descendant, huh?” Disappointment flashed in the emperor’s eyes.
“Has my descendants become so incompetent? Despite my attempts to aid them, they were defeated?” The emperor of Qingzhou grumbled.
Qin Huai watched as the grand, mysterious image he had of the emperor of Qingzhou disintegrated at the sight of his frustration.
“What a shame, such a shame…” The emperor gave Qin Huai a heavy pat on the shoulder, his eyes filled with regret. “Good lad, you actually pulled off a victory.”
Qin Huai felt a shiver run down his spine. “Sir, it was merely a stroke of luck.”
“No worries, no worries… If someone has lost, then it’s done.” The emperor sighed again. “What year is it now?”
“It’s the seventh year of peace,” Qin Huai answered truthfully.
“What’s this year of peace? Shouldn’t it be following the Shou Di calendar?” The emperor began to tally the years on his fingers. “The First Emperor, the Great Emperor, Emperor Shou, Emperor Yan… Has it been a millennium since my demise?”
Qin Huai listened to the emperor’s ramblings, shaking his head. “According to legends, you’re from at least ten thousand years ago.”
“Ten thousand years?!” The emperor jumped in astonishment. “Are all the successors that followed so useless? Even though my ancient azure illusion scripture is indeed difficult to cultivate, it’s impossible for no one to comprehend it in ten thousand years.
“Those demons referring to themselves as the Dark Clan, have they been annihilated?” he inquired.
“Hmm…?” Qin Huai paused, puzzled. “The Dark Clan?”
“Yes, those big demons that escaped from the Demon Valley.” The emperor furrowed his brows slightly. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of them… Oh, that’s actually a good sign. It seems those demons have met their end.”
Qin Huai cautiously said, “The land I currently inhabit is called the Great You.”
“What?!” The Emperor’s voice went up several pitches, his eyes wide with rage. Flames leaped from his eyes, making the world seem to tremble.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, “Well done, You Clan, well done, Great You Dynasty!” His eyes showed sorrow, eventually settling into a deep sigh that echoed through the illusion realm.
The emperor didn’t elaborate further, and Qin Huai wisely chose not to press him. The topic was evidently too heavy, too distant.
“Follow me,” the emperor commanded, leading the way. He waved his hand and the world shifted, revealing a cave.
Hovering in mid-air was a palm-sized square piece of bronze. The bronze was intricately engraved with mountains, rivers, and seas, as well as exotic beasts.
“This is the heart of the bronze realm, the Bronze Mountain and River Diagram. It depicts the ancient land of Qingzhou. Once you refine it, you’ll possess the entire bronze realm. You will also become the son of Qingzhou, the future king of Qingzhou!”