“Boring.”
Lin Langtian left those words behind and turned to walk away, leaving the old man caught completely off guard.
He had thought he was in for a major loss today, but unexpectedly, this Young Master Lin seemed surprisingly easy to deal with.
That was mainly because, in his previous life as the Demon Emperor, Lin Langtian had neither the interest nor the inclination to haggle like a common street peddler over a mediocre technique he had taken a passing fancy to.
Ye Wushuang had seen through this point as well, which was why she had chosen to make the purchase right in front of him.
“Here are a hundred spirit stones. Keep the change.”
Ye Wushuang snatched up the *Barbaric Bull Fist* and quickly left in the opposite direction.
【Ding! The host has intercepted the opportunity of the chosen one, Lin Langtian. A thousandfold return reward has been triggered. Congratulations, host! You have obtained the transcendent divine technique *Divine Concealment Art*, which can perfectly conceal your cultivation and aura. No one below the level of a great expert can see through it.】
【Current Opportunity Points: 1/3】
“Use the Opportunity Point.”
Ye Wushuang used the newly acquired Opportunity Point without the slightest hesitation.
【*Divine Concealment Art* (Beginner): Perfectly conceals the host’s aura and can conceal cultivation up to one major realm.】
In the next instant, the fluctuations of Ye Wushuang’s cultivation changed from the early True Essence Realm to the early Qi Condensation Realm.
“This *Divine Concealment Art* really is a divine technique. Even at the beginner level, its effect is already comparable to the *Aura-Concealing Art* at the perfected stage.”
Ye Wushuang nodded in satisfaction.
She then headed to the blacksmith’s shop, wasting no time as she prepared her second secret weapon.
Meanwhile.
At a marketplace outside Qinghe City, Liu Ruyan was resting in a teahouse.
Just then, the teahouse suddenly grew lively. A storyteller had begun enthusiastically recounting a tale from legend.
“Long ago, it is said that an Empress fell in the Qingyun Mountain Range ten thousand years ago. This Empress bore the surname Liu. No one knows what terrifying existence she had provoked, but she was trapped and slain here.”
“In the end, the female Empress burned her own origin and fought her enemy. Though she successfully killed that enemy, her origin was ultimately exhausted, and she perished here as well.”
“Legend has it that, at the moment of her death, she also left behind a legacy. At the time, the matter caused a tremendous stir. People from Qinghe City—and even from the Zhongzhou Region far beyond it—came to the Qingyun Mountain Range in search of the Empress’s legacy. Yet after searching for ten thousand years, no one found the slightest clue. Thus, the Empress’s legacy gradually became nothing more than a legend, and by now, very few people even know of it.”
“You sure know how to spin a tale. Still, it’s a good story. Here’s your reward!”
……
After listening to the story, Liu Ruyan felt a sudden stir in her heart for some unknown reason. She faintly sensed that something within her bloodline was drawing her toward it.
“Master, when the storyteller mentioned the Empress, I felt something stir within my bloodline. What could be the reason?”
Liu Ruyan asked inwardly.
At her question, the ring on Liu Ruyan’s finger flashed with spiritual light.
A moment later, a voice echoed in Liu Ruyan’s mind. “Yan’er, I never expected that you would actually possess a trace of the Empress’s bloodline. Although it is extremely thin, you must be a descendant of the Empress.”
“The storyteller’s words just now awakened the bloodline within you. This is known as bloodline resonance. Only a true descendant of the Empress can sense it. As long as you follow the direction indicated by your bloodline, you will be able to find the true location of the Empress’s legacy.”
Liu Ruyan was overjoyed at the words. She did not even finish the remaining half cup of tea. “Master, let’s set out right away. I can feel this pull beginning to fade.”
At the same time, Ye Wushuang in Clear River City had also made her preparations.
She wrapped the storage pouch given to her by the steward in layer after layer of jade silk. She then added three more layers of spiritual-force barriers around the package and bought a jade box to place it in. Only then did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Half a month was neither long nor short, and several days had already passed.
The location shown on Liu Ruyan’s opportunity panel was still some distance from Clear River City. If she could not arrive in time, she might miss out on this opportunity.
Ye Wushuang did not dare delay and decided to set out as early as possible.
According to the hints from the opportunity panel, White Dragon Lake in Azure Phoenix Ridge lay southwest of Clear River City. The journey would take her through numerous dangerous places.
“Fortunately, I have the Divine Concealment Art, which allows me to conceal my aura. Otherwise, if the demonic beasts along the way noticed me, I would lose a great deal of time for no reason.”
Ye Wushuang thought to herself.
It took Ye Wushuang a full day and night to finally reach the territory of Azure Phoenix Ridge.
Although she had encountered danger several times along the way, each time she had escaped unscathed.
As far as the eye could see, trees grew thickly, and luxuriant vegetation covered the land.
In the distance stood a towering mountain peak with a strange shape, resembling a phoenix about to soar into the heavens. Ancient trees reached toward the sky across its lush, verdant slopes, and it was for this reason that the mountain had earned the name Azure Phoenix Ridge.
At the foot of Azure Phoenix Ridge lay an enormous, perfectly round lake. Its waters were a blue-green color, and countless fish could be seen moving beneath the surface.
“What an excellent place, blessed by nature.”
Ye Wushuang sighed in admiration.
She circulated the Taiyin Profound Qi Breathing Art with all her strength, expanding her spiritual sense to its utmost limit as she carefully examined every trace around the lakeshore. She discovered that no one else had arrived yet.
It seemed she had come early. There were still several days before Liu Ruyan was due to obtain the opportunity, so Ye Wushuang was not in a hurry and began to investigate the area at a leisurely pace.
A day passed, yet Ye Wushuang still had found nothing.
Could it be that only Liu Ruyan was capable of finding this opportunity?
Ye Wushuang pondered the matter, then carefully examined the description on Liu Ruyan’s opportunity panel once more.
The panel mentioned that Liu Ruyan had discovered an entrance deep within White Dragon Lake. At first, Ye Wushuang had assumed that “deep within” referred to the dense forest surrounding the lake.
She had searched every area nearby, and the only place she had not explored was the interior of White Dragon Lake.
Could it be beneath the waters of White Dragon Lake?
At this thought, Ye Wushuang no longer hesitated. She circulated her spiritual power and wrapped it around her entire body, preventing the water from touching her.
Then, with a splash, she leaped directly into the lake.
White Dragon Lake was approximately a hundred zhang deep.
As Ye Wushuang continued sinking, the light grew increasingly dim. Only after the time it took an incense stick to burn did she finally reach the lakebed.
Aside from the darkness, the water pressure below was also immense.
If not for the purity of Ye Wushuang’s spiritual power, she would have been unable to withstand the rate at which it was being consumed.
Ye Wushuang wasted no more time and quickly extended her spiritual sense to investigate the surroundings.
A moment later, she finally discovered a massive protruding rock in the center of the lake.
This boulder was connected to the entire lakebed. Ye Wushuang was certain the tomb lay here because the state of the rock could not lie.
She might have slipped through the cracks of compulsory education, but she still knew this much basic physics.
Tiny bubbles kept rising from within the rock, indicating that there was a hidden cavity inside.
As for why no one had discovered it before, it was most likely because ordinary methods could not detect where the entrance was, much less open it.
Ye Wushuang tried several times, but to no avail.
Thus, she concluded that only Liu Ruyan could open the entrance to this hidden realm.
So Ye Wushuang returned to the surface and found a hollow ancient tree, where she slept soundly inside its trunk.
Early the next morning, Ye Wushuang rose at dawn and slipped into the lake. She knocked out a manta ray monster over thirty meters long, then wrapped herself in spiritual energy and crawled into its belly, pushing her Divine Concealment Art to its utmost limit.
After being knocked unconscious, the fish monster floated belly-up on the lake’s surface. At a glance, it looked like a dead fish, and it also gave Ye Wushuang a way to breathe fresh air.
An hour later, by White Dragon Lake on Azure Phoenix Ridge.
A slender figure in white quietly appeared at the edge of the lake. It was none other than Liu Ruyan.
She wore a veil that concealed half her face. A trace of hatred lingered in her cool, aloof eyes.
Ever since being cast out by the Lin family, she had spent the past few days secretly investigating the person behind the scenes who had humiliated her in the main hall that day. Unfortunately, she had found nothing.
Fortunately, she had sensed a bloodline-bound opportunity. Guided by the master within her ring, Liu Ruyan had followed its trail all the way here.
“Master, is this the place?”
Liu Ruyan asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation.
“Yan'er, these mountains embrace the moon, while kites soar into the heavens. This is an Azure Phoenix Ascension formation—a rare geomantic treasure ground. There is indeed a lingering aura left behind by an ancient mighty expert here, and it shares the same origin as your bloodline. The lakebed is the finishing touch of this formation. This should be the place.”
The voice from within the ring carried a note of satisfaction. “It seems your opportunity has arrived, Yan'er.”
Joy flashed through Liu Ruyan’s eyes.
After the humiliation she had suffered at the Lin family estate, she desired strength more than ever before.
She would make everyone who had looked down on her grovel at her feet!
Especially Ye Wushuang, and that person lurking in the shadows who had sabotaged her...
With that, she swiftly sank into the water.
As for the monster fish floating belly-up on the surface, she paid it no attention. After all, she was not an angler.
Meanwhile, Ye Wushuang, hidden inside the fish monster, sensed the movement outside. Using her spiritual energy to control the creature, she followed Liu Ruyan down toward the lakebed.
Before long, Liu Ruyan arrived at the raised boulder on the bottom of the lake.
“Yan'er, this is a sealed entrance. A highly advanced formation has merged with the natural terrain, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to detect. Place your hand directly above this boulder. Only by using the power of your bloodline as the key can you open the entrance to this restriction.”
Following her ring master’s instructions, Liu Ruyan placed her hand upon it.
Buzz—
Golden light burst from the boulder, instantly illuminating the lakebed.
The rock soon shattered, revealing an entrance that glowed with a faint blue light.
Without hesitation, Liu Ruyan jumped inside.
Behind the curtain of light was actually a tunnel. The curtain completely sealed off the lake water, preventing even a single drop from seeping through.
At the end of the tunnel, an intense light could be seen faintly in the distance.
Delight appeared on Liu Ruyan’s face as she hurried toward the light.
Before long, a vast underground plaza came into view.
At the center of the plaza stood a circular mausoleum. The entire tomb had been carved from white marble, and its surroundings were covered with intricate array formations and runic inscriptions. It was a magnificent sight.
The vaulted ceiling above the mausoleum was densely studded with luminous pearls, illuminating the entire plaza as brightly as daylight.
Directly in front of the mausoleum stood a towering stone stele. Two ancient seal-script characters were carved into its surface.
On closer inspection, they clearly read: “Willow God.”
Boom!
The instant Liu Ruyan saw those ancient characters, her mind went blank, and an overwhelming pressure enveloped her entire body.
“Wake up!”
A thunderous shout rang out in her mind, and only then did Liu Ruyan gradually regain consciousness.
“Master, what was that just now?”
“Yan’er, don’t look at those two characters. You cannot bear the karma involved. The opportunity lies on the stone platform in front of the stele. Once you retrieve it, leave immediately. Do not linger.”
“Your master’s intervention just now has already drawn the hostility of the formation here. From this point on, I must completely conceal my aura. You’ll have to rely on yourself.”
After that, the light from the ring fell silent.
“All right, Master.”
Liu Ruyan answered obediently.
