Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 464

Chapter 464A – Qin Yu, You Can Do it!

The Equipment Sect’s response was quick . Just after the sun crossed the top of the skies at noon, a red-eyed and exhausted Muli and Hai Mingwei stumbled into the VIP lounge . They saw Qin Yu and said, “The Equipment Sect will agree to your transaction . The projection needs time to be prepared; it will arrive late tonight at the latest . ”

Muli wanted to say something but hesitated, his eyes a bit ill at ease . Qin Yu slowly shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, but I must obtain the projection of the treasure first before I can give the scales to you two . ”

“You have the heart of a scoundrel!” Muli’s expression immediately darkened .

Although Hai Mingwei was disappointed, he became much calmer . “Of course you can do that . ”

As the two turned and walked out, the gloomy expression on Muli’s face disappeared . He asked in a low voice, “Elder Hai, don’t you think the voice of that black-robed cultivator sounds a bit familiar?”

Hai Mingwei rubbed his temples . “There are trillions upon trillions of people living in this world and how many of them sound the same? We have no idea who he is – isn’t this the cold hard facts?”

Muli smiled . “That’s right, we have no idea who he is . ”

The two looked at each other and could see the comfort in the other’s eyes . Luckily, the transaction would happen tonight . If it was any later and those old fellows from the sect arrived, they would likely rather toss away these incomparably precious scales to stop this transaction from going through .

As for what happened in the future, if the Equipment Sect found out the truth and whether there would be trouble after they found out, that was something for later; there was no need to worry about it now . Moreover, rice that was cooked could no longer be uncooked . Even if the sect found out, they could only help to conceal the truth .

After all, while the colossus known as the Immortal Sect was an extremely great distance away and the Equipment Sect was in close contact with the Demonic Path, if there was no need to provoke them then it was best not to provoke them .

As the night darkened, Qin Yu finally obtained his goal for this venture out – it was a foot-sized stone mountain with a dark surface and nothing noticeable about it at all . But when he grabbed it in his hands he could feel that this common-looking stone mountain actually contained a tyrannical energy .

This was clearly just a phantom, but when it fell in his hands it was as solid as gold . And, the most terrifying thing was that when his divine sense approached it, his divine sense felt as if it were caught in a muddy swamp . The invisible world rules in the area surrounding the stone mountain had actually been changed .

If this phantom could alter the rules, the might of its main body could be imagined . It was no wonder the Equipment Sect went to such lengths in order to conceal its existence . If this treasure were exposed to the outside world, it would draw countless covetous gazes .

Muli coldly said, “You must make a vow that you will never tell a second person about what happens today, otherwise you will never be able to reach the Great Dao!” For different people, the constraints of this oath were not the same . As for Qin Yu, it was the most appropriate vow .

As a cultivator of the Ancient Perishment Decree and also a peerless pride of heaven who had broken through the Mirage King Bead, he undoubtedly chased towards the distant Great Dao . This was without doubt .

Qin Yu wasn’t surprised that the Equipment Sect discovered his identity; this was something he already intended for them to know . That was because in a transaction between two sides, both had to be on the same level or at least on levels not too far apart . Otherwise, this equal transaction might become a one-sided looting .

His status was high enough for the Equipment Sect to take this matter seriously and not develop any random hazardous thoughts . Although Qin Yu didn’t fear them, he didn’t want to be troubled by these matters, so if he could avoid them he would try his best to do so .

He easily and simply made the oath without any hesitation at all . Muli’s complexion relaxed and he put out his hand, “Give me the scales . ”

Qin Yu flicked his sleeves and 60 scales appeared . He sincerely said, “There is one extra scale; consider that a token of my gratitude . I have troubled Elder Muli today . ”

Elder Muli looked deeply at Qin Yu for a moment . Then he flicked his sleeves, taking the scales and walking away .

Qin Yu carefully probed the black stone mountain in his hands . Then, with a thought, the stone mountain disappeared, turning into a small mountain-shaped phantom that hovered in his palm . He pushed open the door to see the greeter respectfully bowing to him . He was led out of Equipment Pagoda, and as the anxiously waiting Ning Rufeng and Ning Liang saw him, they immediately relaxed .

After boarding the speedcar and driving away from Equipment Pagoda, Qin Yu pulled down his hood and cupped his hands together . “This time, I must thank old master Ning . ”

These words caused Ning Rufeng to brightly smile . It was clear that Qin Yu had achieved his goal . “There is no need for Grand Authority Qin to speak so politely . I merely provided information . To borrow the treasure of the Equipment Sect was based on your own abilities . ”

Qin Yu smiled, not saying much else . Although Ning Rufeng was correct, if he didn’t have this information to begin with, even if he had endless methods his efforts would have all been in vain .

A favor was a favor . He would remember this .

They stopped a distance away from the Dao Arena . Qin Yu put his black robe back on and stepped out, blending into the shadows . He smoothly returned to the Dao Arena . Without delay, he directly summoned the purpleback bluewing ants . Then, he lifted his hand and the black mountain phantom in his palm flew up . It grew as it hovered in the air, quickly expanding to a thousand feet in size .

Fortunately, Qin Yu had already expected this and chose a very large and open area, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to do anything at all . With a sharp hum, the aura of the black mountain phantom suddenly erupted . The rules of the world changed and countless runes with suppressing sealing strength seemed to pour out like in a torrential storm!

This wild sealing strength pierced into the bodies of the purpleback bluewing ants as if they had a mind of their own . Then, it soared towards the fragments of the Ancestral Monster’s undying will hiding in their bodies .

Hum –

The phantom of a rabbit appeared below the black stone mountain . At this time, the rabbit looked up . Its eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of time and its cute anchor-like mouth emitted an unspeakable dignity at this moment .

“Haha, you actually found this treasure . Brat, your luck is good, but at most it can only give you two more months . ” The rabbit phantom smirked . “Trust me, to have the Soul Summoning Bell recognize a master isn’t simple at all . ”

After finishing speaking, the rabbit phantom vanished, turning into sparkling stars that submerged into the bodies of the purpleback bluewing ant once more .

Qin Yu had a cloudy expression . But, he soon took a deep breath and suppressed these thoughts . Two months . This result was already better than what he expected . Right now he was only missing one more soul treasure . He didn’t believe he would fail here!

“It spoke correctly . Little master, if you want the Soul Summoning Bell to recognize you as master, that will be very difficult . ” The shadows below Qin Yu wriggled and Undying quietly crept out . He looked up at the black stone mountain up above and revealed a look of praise . “What a good treasure . What a pity this is only a phantom . If you could obtain the main body, its uses would be infinitely wondrous . ”

Qin Yu turned his head, “Why?”

Undying shrugged his shoulders, not caring about Qin Yu’s directness . “This is just how the rules are – however heaven-defying the Soul Summoning Bell is, that is how difficult it will be for it to recognize a master, mm…this is the so-called ‘equivalent exchange’ . Although that might not be the exact phrasing, it’s the approximate reasoning . ”

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows . But before he could contemplate it further, Undying continued to say, “The reason I came out today is not to attack little master’s confidence . Rather, there is something important that I must caution you of as your servant . ”

Undying’s voice became dignified . “Someone is targeting you . It was on the road back to the Dao Arena . This person hid themselves very well; they almost managed to conceal themselves from me . ”

Qin Yu’s heart chilled . “Who is it?”

“I have no idea . I only sensed a trace of aura they left behind . But, there is one thing I am sure of…this person is very, very strong, so strong that you have no chance of resisting him at all . This person seems to have some scruples . He is clearly able to easily capture you, but he eventually chose to go into hiding . ”

Qin Yu frowned . The reason that this person didn’t do anything was likely because they feared the Master of the Dao Arena . He absolutely could not use the identity of Qin Yu any longer . Once he finished his task here, he would need to find some way to withdraw .

“Undying, you will need to pay more attention in the future . If this person appears again, immediately tell me!”

Undying bowed . “Of course . I do not want my little master to be killed by anyone . ”

He turned and melted back into the shadows .

Qin Yu glanced at the purpleback bluewing ants beneath the black stone mountain . After thinking for a moment, he turned and left in a hurry .

To Undying, a black shadow was a kingdom of eternal darkness . And of this kingdom of deathly stillness that had no life at all, he was the sovereign king .

At this moment, Undying was sitting upon a throne condensed from pure darkness . His hand was placed beneath his chin as if he were considering something . After a long moment of contemplation, he lightly sighed and flicked his sleeves . The darkness tumbled and calmly separated into two sides, revealing stone steps that led to somewhere unknown .

Undying walked down these stone steps . It was a long, long road . After an unknown period of time, he appeared in front of an extremely vast and broad underground palace . This palace was almost empty, with only a single altar contained inside, one that was congealed from the power of darkness . Flickering lights shined from the center of the altar, the only light in this darkness .

Chains condensed from the power of darkness tightly wound around Spirity’s body, outlining her perfect curves . Her fair skin was as pure as snow . It was just that this incomparable paleness gave off a soul-stirring and thrilling sense of transparent esthetic beauty .

Chapter 464B – Qin Yu, You Can Do it!

Her long eyelashes quivered and she slowly opened her eyes . “You know that every iota of strength I have right now is precious . I don’t have energy to waste on you . ”

Undying’s tone was faint . “I am simply curious . How come you didn’t tell Qin Yu just how deep a price you paid in order to help shield him from the demonic altar?”

“It’s meaningless . ” Spirity’s eyes were faint . “Since he is the one I chose, I am willing to offer my everything to him . This is a choice I made of my own volition, so why should he shoulder more pressure because of that?”

Undying coldly sneered . “You chose him? Based on what qualifications? Why? Because of his good luck?” He took several steps forwards, his voice becoming increasingly sharp and piercing . “For you and I to have lived until now, if we are talking about luck alone, then our luck is far, far better than his . Otherwise, we would have long since been dispersed between this world . It isn’t easy for us to survive, so how could you so easily hand over your own future like this!?”

Spirity glanced at him and her lips curved up in a smile . “It seems Qin Yu has done well to even move the likes of you . Otherwise, you would never have said these things to me . Heh, rather than asking me or questioning me, how about changing your own mind instead? You and I both know that we are people who are rejected by the world . If we truly wish to make a comeback, we must make a choice, otherwise on what basis do we have to ask others for help in the future?”

She closed her eyes, her expression peaceful and without regret . “I have chosen my own future and am hopeful towards it . So, even if I must suffer hardships now, even if I must endure the torment from the power of darkness, my heart is stable and will never waver . Undying, to be indecisive and not make a choice, that isn’t good for you . I hope you can think things through soon . ”

In the darkness, there was the sound of Undying clenching his jaws . Even though he had no facial features, he could still produce these types of sounds . It was indeed surprising .

“I won’t make my bet that easily . This is my last chance . Do you know? This is my last chance, my final opportunity!” He turned and walked away . When he left the palace, his voice transmitted from afar, “There is one point you were correct on . Qin Yu indeed did well . His luck is incredible, and he unexpectedly has a chance of completing the process of having the Soul Summoning Bell recognize him as master . If he can truly succeed, then I will accompany you together on this insane adventure…everything will depend on his good fortune!”

Atop the altar formed from the power of darkness, Spirity opened her eyes, revealing a trace of relief, pride, as well as worry . Treasures of heaven and earth were often heaven-defying, but they were accompanied by risks . Having the Soul Summoning Bell recognize a master wasn’t a simple matter at all .

“Qin Yu, you can do it! I believe you can do it, so don’t disappoint me!” She gently sighed and closed her eyes, falling into a deep slumber . Only this deep slumber could slow down the departure of the strength she was losing .

Perhaps Qin Yu had guessed something . All this time, he had tried to avoid borrowing the strength of the demonic altar as much as he could, thus reducing the pressure on her . It was unknown what Spirity was thinking, but in her deep sleep, a light smile appeared on her face .

…

Black Demon Sect .

Tuba and Tutou had completed a new transaction and were now separating the spirit materials and seeds . This transaction was a good deal for them, but there wasn’t much happiness on their faces .

Outside the hall, Xu Sheng led several Black Demon Sect cultivators over . He smiled and said, “You two, I have just found some more business for you . You will need to give me a thick red envelope for this . ”

Tuba laughed . “Of course . Honored guests, please discuss the transaction with my brother here . There are some minor matters I need to consult with Steward Xu about . ”

The two entered the hall . As soon as they walked in, the smile on Xu Sheng’s face disappeared and he clenched his teeth, shouting, “Just where is the grandmaster!?”

Tuba had a solemn expression . “He is currently in seclusion . ”

“You can use those words to fool others . Let me tell you something . There are already people in the sect who are investigating this matter . ” Xu Sheng lowered his voice, “Just yesterday, several disciples were sent into the dungeon . Although the interrogation was concealed to a great extent, I still managed to obtain some news . Some people are investigating what Grandmaster Yao’s current condition is like . Don’t tell me that you haven’t noticed anything!”

Xu Sheng coldly sneered . “Haven’t you noticed that there have been more and more cultivators coming to exchange materials recently? How long will those pills you have last for? Once you run out of pills to exchange, you should understand just what will happen afterwards!”

Tuba frowned . He was well aware of why His Highness wanted others to think that he was still in the Black Demon Sect . If others were to discover he had privately left, at this point it was sure to create all sorts of unnecessary issues . He mulled it over and then looked at the nervous Xu Sheng . He gently sighed, “I have no idea where the grandmaster has gone . ”

Xu Sheng’s heart shrank . “Did the grandmaster say when he will return?”

Tuba’s expression was calm . “Before the grandmaster left, he said he would return in four months . ”

Xu Sheng lifted a trembling finger . He stared at Tuba and gasped, “Don’t tell me that the grandmaster has already been gone for four months!”

Tuba tranquilly replied, “To be exact, he has been gone for five months and 14 days . ”

The world flipped upside down and Xu Sheng’s field of vision flashed black . He nearly toppled to the ground . “You…you…you bastard, I have already asked you several times before, so why didn’t you tell me then!”

Tuba coldly sneered . “If it weren’t for the loyalty you have displayed to the grandmaster so far, even if you asked me a hundred more times I wouldn’t have told you . Don’t worry . Nothing bad will happen to the grandmaster . He will return soon . ”

Xu Sheng’s entire body trembled . He didn’t know who was trying to investigate Ning Qin’s whereabouts, but he actually smelled something fishy about this that left him feeling extremely restless .

This matter wasn’t as simple as it seemed!

He had already cast his lot with Ning Qin . If there was an accident, he would also be implicated . Fortunately, only these two barbarians seemed to know about this matter .

Tuba coldly sneered . “If you dare to have any crooked thoughts, I can simply break your neck . The grandmaster will definitely return . That is all you need to remember!”

A cold chill passed through Xu Sheng’s heart . It was only now that he remembered this barbarian in front of him had the absolute strength required to crush him to pieces . His lips quivered and he clenched his teeth, saying, “I will try and find some way to delay for as much time as possible . If you have any method to contact the grandmaster, tell him to hurry back as soon as possible, otherwise we will all be in great trouble!”

He turned around and left the hall . As soon as he did, a brilliant smile appeared on Xu Sheng’s face . He chatted with the cultivators who had completed their transaction for several moments, laughed, and then bid his farewells .

Once everyone was gone, Tuba could no longer maintain the calm and confident demeanor he was keeping up . Worry appeared on his face .

Your Highness, just where are you?

…

What was nothingness? From ancient times until the present, after a vast and endless river of years, with countless amazing beings that had lived and lit up the skies like meteors, none of them were able to give a definitive definition for this .

It was darkness . No light could exist within it . It seemed to be the natural opposite of light, one that couldn’t produce any life . It was like a dead and unfathomably deep icy black sea .

It was empty, cold, and forever silent!

But in this utterly lifeless deep black sea, there were actually countless ‘islands’ floating around that had completely integrated into the darkness . These ‘islands’ came in different sizes, large and small . They floated through nothingness, flowing with invisible power .

If someone could reach through this nothingness and break past the surface of these islands, they would discover that what lay within them were independent spatial fragments . Some were desolate and some were filled with vitality . There were even some with intelligent beings born within, multiplying throughout generations and treating this ‘island’ as if it were their entire world .

Inside a medium-sized ‘island’, a sun hung high in the skies . The warm light sprinkled down gently upon the earth . There was a green grass that stood upon it . It extended towards the horizon for as far as the eye could see . It was so large that a single leaf seemed as if it could block out the heavens .

The golden veins on its surface had gradually turned to purple . It was translucent, as if it were made of jade . It looked warm yet exuded a terrifying aura .

As if a single movement of this grass could tear apart the world and break down stars .

However, this overbearing and tyrannical green grass was like a guard . It diligently stretched its waist, not allowing its leaves and branches to block out the sunlight from above .

Beneath its gaze was a medicine field that stretched out as far as the eye could see . Countless precious spirit plants grew like weeds . A breeze blew past, causing an intoxicating medicinal fragrance to fill the air .

Suddenly, at some part of the medicine field, the dirt suddenly cracked open and grass roots drilled out . They watched a space in front that had suddenly fallen into darkness . Within this darkness, two root sections were growing at a speed visible to the naked eye . They soon became thick and sturdy, and their gray surface became covered with a rainbow of colors . The fine textures on their surface seemed messy and didn’t appear to follow any pattern at all, but there was an indescribable beauty contained in them .

As if this world had always been like this, and they had also always been like this .

The grass root was a bit taken aback . Its intuition told itself that these two branches were extremely unusual . However, it remembered that some time ago, the master seemed to have casually tossed a root section in, and that root section grew into these two branches . Did the master not know that this was an incredibly precious treasure?

After shaking a little, the grass roots completely suppressed any thoughts of disrespect towards the master in its heart .

The master was supreme .

The master possessed all the kindness and wisdom in the world .

How could the master not know about this?

Since the treasure had already germinated and grown, all it had to do was protect this treasure with all of its strength and wait for the master to pick it .