“That exceptionally beautiful and elegant woman from the Main Peak? Isn’t she also a Rank Three Inner Sect Disciple? Could she be a ruthless individual?” Bai Yu looked at Qin Chu, his eyes full of surprise. He and Qin Chu had seen Shang Shuyu outside the Merit Hall on the Main Peak last time.
“Junior Brother Bai, she is no ordinary Rank Three Disciple. Her name is Shang Shuyu. A while ago, she comprehended the True Meaning of the Sword Dao. Last time, during the Sect’s Inner Sect Disciple rankings, Su Shanhe from the Main Peak said it was a pity she wasn’t there. His words implied that if she had been present, Junior Brother Qin wouldn’t have won. She is the only Disciple in the Azure Cloud Sect in several hundred years who comprehended the True Meaning of the Sword Dao before the age of twenty,” Zheng Qiu said to Bai Yu.
“Someone has a very high opinion of her, so we must be careful.” After Qin Chu finished speaking, he took out a map, glanced at it, and continued forward.
In fact, Shang Shuyu could have attempted a Breakthrough to Rank Four long ago. She suppressed her Breakthrough before to consolidate her Cultivation. After comprehending the True Meaning of the Sword Dao, she began Cultivating Ling Yunzi’s Sword Dao Legacy and suppressed it for a while longer. Just as she was about to make a Breakthrough, Su Shanhe found her, told her about the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige, and offered some benefits. (Previous error, already corrected)
Believing that entering the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige wouldn’t take too much time, and that she could also make a Breakthrough within the Ancient Vestige, Shang Shuyu agreed.
Qin Chu hadn’t expected to part ways with the Disciples of Thousand Lofty Peak. There was nothing he could do about it; he wouldn’t walk with Sha Han, as Sha Han wasn’t truly on his side.
Qin Chu also knew that Liu Xue and the others actually wanted to walk with him and the Disciples of Azure Bamboo Peak. Their forced departure was because they couldn’t abandon Sha Han; after all, they belonged to the same Sect and Peak and couldn’t just leave him.
“Senior Brother Zheng, now that we have left the portal area of the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige, the external dangers have greatly reduced. The upcoming crises will mainly come from within the Azure King’s Tomb. First are the trap Formations, which we must try to avoid. If Yao Beasts appear, Senior Brother Zheng will be responsible for reporting their Rank. If we encounter Yao Beasts whose Cultivation Senior Brother Zheng cannot discern, then we must retreat if we can,” Qin Chu began to arrange.
Zheng Qiu and the other two were at the Peak of Rank Three True Essence Realm Cultivation. According to the rules for detecting Cultivation, they could identify opponents no more than three Ranks higher than themselves. If Yao Beasts appeared whose Cultivation they couldn’t see clearly, then they were above Rank Four, or even stronger.
Yao Beasts, like human Cultivators, are divided into seven Ranks, corresponding to human Cultivators’ Rank One Gathering Essence Realm, Rank Two Condensing Essence Realm, Rank Three True Essence Realm, Rank Four Spirit Essence Realm, Rank Five Heavenly Essence Realm, Rank Six King Realm, and Rank Seven Venerable Realm.
Rank One and Rank Two Yao Beasts are relatively common. Rank Three Yao Beasts’ attacks carry outward-projecting energy, and their claws are imbued with Protective Aura.
At Rank Four, Yao Beasts’ speed and strength undergo a qualitative leap. Rank Five Yao Beasts already have titles, known as Commander-level Yao Beasts. Rank Six are King-level Yao Beasts. At the Rank Six King Realm, Yao Beasts can transform into human form. Aside from their innate nature differing from humans, they are generally identical.
Qin Chu could fight Rank Four Yao Beasts and had killed many, but within this Azure King’s Ancient Vestige, he had to be careful. If Zheng Qiu and the others couldn’t discern the Cultivation, what if it wasn’t Rank Four, but a Rank Five Commander-level Yao Beast? If they fought head-on, they would surely die!
After advancing for a while, Qin Chu suddenly felt an attack coming. He drew his sword and slashed it out, striking a black shadow.
Bang!
The black shadow fell to the ground; it was a black rat over two feet long.
“Can moles grow this big?” Qiu Zhan said in surprise, looking at the black rat’s corpse.
“This isn’t a mole; it’s a Bloodthirsty Rat. It has fleshy wings between its front claws and body, allowing for short flights. Everyone, be careful,” Qin Chu warned everyone.
As they advanced, Bloodthirsty Rats continued to appear, attacking the group. However, Qin Chu and the others’ sword techniques were fast, and the Bloodthirsty Rats were cut down before they could attack them.
“These Bloodthirsty Rats are too ferocious. If we were defeated by them, they could chew us down to bones,” Han Yu said.
“We are currently still in the outer passage area of the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige. As we continue to advance, anything can happen. Our target for now is the Hundred Victories Tower area within the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige,” Qin Chu said after glancing at the Bloodthirsty Rat’s corpse.
“What is the Hundred Victories Tower?” Bai Yu looked at Qin Chu.
“It seems you don’t know much about the Azure King’s life. He was expelled from the Sect by the Ancestral Master for being too bloodthirsty. The Hundred Victories Tower is an area he built after killing a hundred powerful individuals. Each area records information about his opponents, and there might be spoils of war stored there. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a harvest,” Qin Chu explained what he knew.
“So, the Hundred Victories Tower area will have more Opportunities, right?” Zheng Qiu said with some excitement.
“That’s my judgment, but a lot of the time it also depends on luck. The information I know, Disciples from other Peaks will also know. Those guys from the Main Peak will only have more up-to-date information than us, not less,” Qin Chu said.
Bai Yu and the others indicated their understanding. The Main Peak’s foundation was indeed much deeper than the other six Peaks, so it was normal for them to know more.
After the Main Peak’s team entered the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige, they did not act together. Shang Shuyu glanced at Liu Nan and the others, frowned, and then walked off by herself. She knew Liu Nan and the others’ character, so she disdained to associate with them.
Shang Shuyu’s departure made Liu Nan a bit angry, as it clearly showed she didn’t regard him as the captain. But Liu Nan couldn’t do anything. When it was confirmed he would enter the Azure King’s Ancient Vestige, Su Shanhe had told him that Shang Shuyu had a very significant background and not to provoke her. If even Su Shanhe thought Shang Shuyu had a significant background, then she was certainly not someone Liu Nan could provoke.
“Liu Nan, our Prince’s intention is to absolutely kill Qin Chu. Now, we don’t even know where Qin Chu is,” an Inner Sect Disciple said to Liu Nan, with little politeness in his tone, not even addressing him as Senior Brother Liu, because they were Qian Qing’s people.
“Don’t worry, follow me. Sha Han of Thousand Lofty Peak has the same map as us. He will lead those people to our agreed meeting point, and then we’ll take them all down in one fell swoop! After killing those few bastards, Qin Chu and the female Disciples of Thousand Lofty Peak can be used to celebrate. Liu Xue is mine, you can choose the others,” Liu Nan said with a sinister smile on his face.
After Liu Xue and the others caught up with Sha Han, they immediately expressed their dissatisfaction.
“Sha Han, do you know who the captain is?” The woman next to Liu Xue spoke. Her name was Lin Mei, Liu Xue’s good friend, and she was very displeased with Sha Han’s actions.
“That Qin Chu is not a good person; we’ll be set up if we follow him.” Sha Han’s eyes were somewhat evasive.
“If you thought he wasn’t a good person and didn’t want to act together, then why didn’t you say so when the Peak Master assigned us? Why are you only acting up now?” Liu Xue was very angry. She knew Qin Chu’s strength, and acting together would greatly reduce the risk. Moreover, she also trusted Qin Chu’s character. “I think we can act on our own just the same. At least we’ll be autonomous and won’t be schemed against,” Sha Han said, lowering his head. No one saw the hint of malevolence in his eyes!
“What is the Hundred Victories Tower?” Bai Yu looked at Qin Chu.
“It seems you don’t know much about the Azure King’s life. He was expelled from the Sect by the Ancestral Master for being too bloodthirsty. The Hundred Victories Tower is an area he built after killing a hundred powerful individuals. Each area records information about his opponents, and there might be spoils of war stored there. If we’re lucky, we’ll have a harvest,” Qin Chu explained what he knew.