The encampment of the army was on a plain, and of course, their quarters were nothing more than tents. Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and Xu Yuan strolled leisurely across the great river’s north and south banks, their excursion prompted merely by a whim, and they decided to wander to the front lines.

"Xu Yuan, our great army has been camped here for half a month, and we simply cannot take Tie Xu City. Tell me, do you have any methods to breach this city’s walls?" Qin De casually asked, gesturing toward a distant city.

Qin De was just making conversation, after all, the matter of taking cities wasn’t of much concern to him.

Xu Yuan stroked his beard, lost in thought for a moment, and then smiled. "Supreme Emperor, to take Tie Xu City... Seeing as General Wang Song has been unable to break through for so long, I believe that aside from a forceful attack, we can only lure the enemy out. As for how to lure them, it all depends on the disposition of the enemy commander."

"However, there might be other methods too, but that would require intelligence. I do not know the details about Tie Xu City, thus I cannot make a reasonable judgment."

Feng Yuzi suddenly said, "Brother Qin, it seems that Uncle Lan mentioned that Little Yu will be returning in the next few days, right?"

"That’s right, he should return in the next few days," Qin De nodded and then sighed, "An Immortal Mansion, that’s the residence of immortals, how could it not be safe? I truly am somewhat worried about Yu’er now."

However, Qin De also understood that once one embarked on the path of cultivation, expecting safety in all things was nearly impossible.

"Little Yu will surely return safely, Supreme Emperor, do not worry," Xu Yuan reassured him.

Qin De nodded.

Shortly after, the three of them took out a chessboard from their storage bracelets and started an intense game.

"Father, Uncle Feng, Uncle Xu."

The sound of Qin Yu’s voice rang out, and Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and Xu Yuan all turned their heads to look. Qin Yu and Li’er walked over shoulder to shoulder, looking very happy, while General Wang Song bowed slightly and then left with a smile.

Qin De was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Yu’er!"

Qin Yu and Li’er had gone to explore the Immortal Mansion, and Qin De had been quite worried. Seeing Qin Yu return safely now, he was very moved and said, "This is wonderful, you’ve finally come back safely... but that Uncle of Miss Li’er was really accurate."

Qin Yu said in admiration.

"What did Uncle Lan say?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled.

"Little Yu, your Uncle Lan had predicted the approximate date of your return, saying you’d most likely come back in the next few days. We were just talking about you, and lo and behold, here you are," Feng Yuzi said with a smile.

Qin De suddenly frowned and said, "Yu’er, don’t you have two brothers? One named Hou Fei and the other Hei Yu?"

"Yes, Father," Qin Yu replied, suddenly confused, "Father, did something happen to Feifei and Little Black?"

"No, nothing," Qin De hastily replied, and then smiled, "That Uncle Lan took your two brothers not long after you left the Hidden Dragon Continent, saying they were going to a mysterious place for special cultivation."

Qin Yu was taken aback.

A mysterious place? Special cultivation?

"Just Uncle Lan is leading Feifei and Little Black?" Qin Yu pressed further.

"Yes, your Uncle Lan asked me to tell you not to worry about looking for Hou Fei and Hei Yu right away. They will need a rather long time to return, probably around two to three years for this period of cultivation," Qin De said with a smile.

"A mysterious place, special cultivation?" Qin Yu frowned as he looked towards Li’er standing beside him.

Li’er also had a puzzled expression.

"Brother Qin Yu, I really don’t know about any mysterious place." Li’er really couldn’t think of anywhere Uncle Lan might have taken Hou Fei and Hei Yu.

After contemplating for a moment, Qin Yu smiled, "Well, since Uncle Lan said so, there’s no need for me to worry. Feifei and Little Black are no weaker than me; going to that mysterious place for special training, who knows what realm they will reach when they return."

"Father, I am preparing to return to the Prince Mansion at Thunder Mountain Residence to conduct closed-door cultivation, which I estimate might take about a month," Qin Yu said earnestly.

From the trip to the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion, Qin Yu had clearly realized the weakness of his own strength.

The so-called Third Tribulation Independent Immortals, Fourth Tribulation Independent Demons. Probably just the tip of the iceberg on the Tenglong Continent, after all, the experts from there didn’t seem to care much about this so-called Immortal Mansion. Who knew, before entering, how formidable the Immortal Mansion was?

"Owning a treasure is a crime. Although others don’t know that I possess four Middle Grade Immortal Artifacts, just knowing that I have one Middle Grade Immortal Artifact is probably enough to cause some Sixth and Seventh Tribulation experts to trouble me."

Although he returned safely, Qin Yu’s heart was far from relaxed.

"However, even if they come looking for trouble, they’ll have to see if they’re capable," Qin Yu was full of confidence in his heart.

With the Black Flame Monarch’s Ring, possessing the Skyfire Domain and the Gravity Domain, and now I also have a Middle Grade Immortal Artifact, along with the ’Devouring Rock Thunder Seal’ given to me by Li’er before, if I’m careful, even a Heavenly Immortal could probably give me a good fight.

Of course, it would be even better if I fully absorbed the Second Tribulation Independent Immortal Nascent Soul.

"Alright, Yu’er, focus on your closed-door cultivation, and absolutely no one will disturb you," Qin De immediately said. He also understood the world Qin Yu was in and the level of experts he knew. What Qin Yu needed most was to improve his strength.

******

In the Qin Dynasty Capital, outside the Thunder Mountain Residence within the Yu Royal Mansion.

"Brother Qin Yu, focus on your closed-door cultivation," Li’er said with a smile.

Qin Yu’s heart wasn’t at ease, he entrusted, "Li’er, if some powerful experts come to claim the Middle Grade Immortal Artifact or that ink and wash painting, please do not engage them. Just hand over this brush and the ink and wash painting to them."

As he said this, an ink and wash painting and a brush appeared in Qin Yu’s hand.

"Brother Qin Yu, you are..." Li’er’s eyes widened.

"Ha ha, Li’er, didn’t you know that the Black Flame Monarch’s Ring contains that map? The Sky-breaking Map isn’t of much use to me; to be honest, it isn’t worth fighting head-to-head with some experts for it. As for this brush, although it can turn into an Immortal Sword and is quite powerful... Li’er, you’ve given me three, plus the one I have, so losing one isn’t really anything. What’s important is my family, and... you." Qin Yu’s eyes locked onto Li’er’s, "I don’t want any of you to be in danger."

Li’er felt a rush of emotion.

Touched, Li’er wanted to reveal the secret in her heart, but when it came to her lips, she still didn’t say it because she knew it was better not to tell Qin Yu the secret.

"Thank you, Brother Qin Yu."

Qin Yu reached out and hugged Li’er in his arms.

...

After parting from Li’er, Qin Yu directly entered the practice room in Thunder Mountain Residence and sat down cross-legged in silence.

"A Second Tribulation Independent Immortal Nascent Soul, almost comparable to the Nascent Souls of Mid Tribulation Crossing and Late Tribulation Crossing experts. I estimate it should be enough for my cultivation to reach the late Planet Stage," Qin Yu directly took out the Second Tribulation Independent Immortal’s Nascent Soul from the Black Flame Monarch’s Ring.

Most of Qin Yu’s treasures were now kept inside the Black Flame Monarch’s Ring.

During the fierce battle in the great hall of Qingyu Immortal Mansion, Lady Yan Ji and others failed to find out why this Nascent Soul had disappeared.

The Star Transformation cultivation technique was now divided into six levels: Star Nebula, Liu Xing, Star Core, Planet, Tribulation Crossing, and Constant Star—six great realms, each representing a transformation and causing one’s strength to surge dramatically, but Qin Yu had only just stepped into the Star Core Stage.

He closed his eyes.

A misty light appeared around Qin Yu, spinning like a cloud, and at the center of this spinning cloud was Qin Yu, radiating golden light. The Second Tribulation Independent Immortal’s Nascent Soul also transformed into liquid beams that began to orbit around his body.

"I really look forward to seeing how strong I will become after stepping into that Planet Stage," a smile involuntarily formed on Qin Yu’s lips.

******

On the Hidden Dragon Continent, the number of Cultivators was tremendous, even surpassing a hundred million.

Yet, the top-ranking sect among the Cultivator Sects on the Hidden Dragon Continent, Qingxu Temple, had only tens of thousands of disciples. Nonetheless, Qingxu Temple was undeniably the number one Cultivation Sect because it had so many experts.

On Qingxu Mountain, palaces were built atop it.

At the entrance of the outer palaces of Qingxu Temple, several disciples were meticulously sweeping the ground. These disciples had just been accepted into Qingxu Temple and were the lowest in cultivation, not even having reached the Golden Core Stage.

"Hey, Big Brother, when will Master pass on the Cultivation Techniques to us?" A slender boy around seven or eight years old with clear eyes and handsome features asked another boy of a similar age beside him.

"Don’t be in a hurry, Junior Brother. It’s already a great fortune for us to have entered Qingxu Temple. We’ve only just arrived a few days ago, right? As far as I know, you won’t be taught any Cultivation Techniques during the first month in Qingxu Temple. Only after that do they start teaching the simple Foundation Establishment techniques. Don’t even think about learning the higher-level techniques within the first three years," the ’Big Brother’ seemed to know everything.

The slender boy’s large, black eyes filled with disappointment: "Another three years?"

"What do you know? Every disciple of Qingxu Temple is an expert. Although we only have tens of thousands of disciples, unlike the Lanyang Sect or Purple Sun Sect with their hundreds of thousands, our Qingxu Temple is still the number one sect on the Hidden Dragon Continent. Why do you think that is? It’s not just because of the Cultivation Techniques, but also because of this system. The three years we spend laying the foundations are meant to train our hearts, and this mental fortitude is very important for cultivation," Big Brother explained with gusto.

"Big Brother, you’re so amazing," the slender boy’s eyes lit up.

"That’s right, not only am I amazing, but my cousin is even more so. He entered Qingxu Temple five years ago and has now reached the Golden Core Stage. He is even being groomed as an elite disciple," the Big Brother boasted proudly.

"Stop talking, someone’s coming," the Big Brother said immediately.

At this moment, Elder Qian Xu was hurriedly returning on his Immortal Sword, his face showing signs of weariness. He had already sent a message to the various elders and experts in the sect through a Communication Order well in advance.

"Fellow Daoist, this place belongs to Qingxu Temple, and outsiders are not permitted to enter without permission," the Big Brother stepped forward, buoyantly enforcing his declaration. At this moment, he was very proud to finally speak on behalf of Qingxu Temple.

Elder Qian Xu’s expression stiffened.

Being stopped by a junior at his own doorstep.

However, at that moment, the sound of footsteps was heard, and dozens of Cultivators in Daoist robes with long whiskers and an air of transcendent immortality quickly emerged. These dozens of high-level experts were from the ’Qian’ and ’Fan’ generations of Qingxu Temple.

"Temple Master!"

The two young boys immediately stood aside in shock upon seeing the leader of the group.

"Master Uncle, you braved danger for our Qingxu Temple and returned with treasures..." The leader was none other than Fan Ming, a high-ranking practitioner of the Fan generation and the current Temple Master of Qingxu Temple. This Temple Master was not a tremendously powerful practitioner, having only just survived the Ninety-nine Tribulations.

"The Temple Master’s Master Uncle."

The two boys were stunned.

"Fan Ming, no more flattery. This time, Qian Ming, Qian Shan, and that Yan Xu, all perished, their souls shattered. My return is merely due to good luck; otherwise, you wouldn’t see me again," Elder Qian Xu reminisced about the adventure in the Nine Sword Immortal Mansion with lingering fear. He found Fan Ming’s compliments distasteful at the moment.

The faces of the several dozen people changed at once.

"Elder Qian Xu, Qian Ming and Qian Shan are dead?" an anxiously queried a white-haired Independent Immortal.

"Yes, everyone, let’s return to discuss this matter. This isn’t the right place," Elder Qian Xu immediately suggested, and then the group headed straight for the grand hall of Qingxu Temple. The death of two Independent Immortals in Qingxu Temple was indeed a significant event.

Atop the grand hall.

Elder Qian Xu recounted the events in full detail, causing all his peers and junior disciples to tremble with fear. It wasn’t just the appearance of Lady Yan Ji, nor the three mighty experts of the Dragon Clan, or even the Huangquan Road that was frightening.

"Master Uncle, the fact that the Immortal Mansion belonged to an Immortal Emperor is truly astonishing. If I had known earlier that it was Immortal Emperor Ni Yang’s Immortal Mansion, I would have taken the matter to our seniors at the Upper Heavenly Palace," Temple Master Fan Ming sighed.

After hearing the tale, everyone was astounded by the terrifying Primordial Spirit Stones of Qingyu Immortal Mansion and the fickle nature of Immortal Emperor Ni Yang.

To enter the Immortal Mansion and rely on the Immortal Emperor’s hints was a deadly gamble, as they were only half-right at best. For instance, Immortal Emperor Ni Yang claimed that Taoyuan was very safe, leading True Master Shui Rou and other experts to choose it, only to find that it was a lethal trap with no chance of survival upon entering.

"Huu!"

With a gust of wind, all the experts in the grand hall turned to look towards the entrance. They saw a gaunt, elderly man with long white hair standing at the doorway.

"Master Uncle Huan Xian."

Elder Qian Xu and the other Qian generation experts were shocked. They knew that Huan Xian was an important figure from the sacred area of Qingxu Temple, ’Upper Heavenly Palace’. The inhabitants of the Upper Heavenly Palace seldom made appearances unless something major occurred.

Even the Temple Master had no easy access to the Upper Heavenly Palace; it was said that the Palace had connections to the Immortal Realm!

"Qian Xu, did you just mention Immortal Emperor Ni Yang?" Huan Xian, with urgency on his face, sought confirmation.

"Yes, the owner of that Immortal Mansion was indeed Immortal Emperor Ni Yang. What’s the matter?" Elder Qian Xu asked, puzzled.

Huan Xian ecstatically exclaimed, "Good, this is fantastic! Immortal Emperor Ni Yang, it really is him; this changes everything!" Overcome with excitement, he then said, "Qian Xu, come with me to the Upper Heavenly Palace immediately. My Master Uncle wants to see you."

Elder Qian Xu’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of Huan Xian’s Master Uncle wishing to see him.

(First Chapter of today!)

(To be continued, for further information please visit WWW.CMFU.COM. There are more Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)