Chapter 242: The Python Tattoo On His Neck
One hundred and fifty kilometers east of Dark Asura Hall.
A wide flatland stood at the center of a huge mountain that pierced into the clouds with a great city situated on top of this very flatland.
This great city was at least ten times bigger than Armament City and located in the middle of many mountains. The stone buildings inside the city resembled small hills that were at least a dozen or so meters tall.
Many luxuriously dressed martial practitioners traversed the infinitely wide streets. All sorts of restaurants, red-light districts, treasure stores, and combat grounds were completely crowded. Countless martial practitioners from the surrounding forces would come here to seek entertainment.
This was Profound Heaven City, the headquarters of Profound Heaven Alliance, and the land held by the Song, Xie, and Nie Families and also the most prosperous city on Scarlet Tide Continent.
It was early in the morning. The bright sunlight shined down on Profound Heaven City, bathing it in a majestic atmosphere.
Profound Heaven Great Hall.
Three imposing-looking men sat on chairs carved from the carcasses of giant beasts with serious expressions on their faces.
Many well-dressed men and women also stood right behind them. All of them wore heavy looks on their faces and heavy hearts within.
Xue Zhizhang and Song Siyuan stood at the center of the trio. Under everyone’s gazes, they explained all major events that had transpired at Armament Sect that day.
An old demon suddenly appearing and capturing Xie Zhizhang, wielding unfathomable strength.
A strange item called the Terminator Profound Bomb that nearly routed the entire five forces, instantly overturning the tides for Armament Sect.
The twelve spirit pattern pillars soaring to the sky and killing Jiu Liuyu, intimidating all elites within the vicinity.
The stone caves emanating a dark and evil aura, the evil nether passageway appearing, the Demon Armor Insects and Soul Corroding Beasts gushing out of the tainted waters…
Xie Zhizhang and Song Siyuan had explained everything they had encountered without missing even a single detail, explaining how serious the situation was to the patriarchs of Profound Heaven Alliance’s three great families.
The Song Family’s Patriarch Song Yu; the Xie Family’s Patriarch Xie Yaoyang; and the Nie Family’s Patriarch Nie Yun. All three patriarchs had gathered at this spot a while back and summoned the core members of the three great families to discuss the matters together.
“You immediately stopped the attack on Armament Sect. On this point, you guys did very well.” Song Yu wore a clean green robe without a single ornament on him. His expression was gentle and he wore a smile when he spoke, giving off the illusion of someone who was gentle and easy-going. “At this stage, to attack Armament Sect any longer will affect the overall situation. There is use in keeping those artificers alive—at the least they can still forge some artifacts for us—and as for that Qin Lie… have you uncovered his identity?”
He looked at Song Siyuan.
Song Siyuan frowned slightly before shaking his head and said, “We are not too sure.”
Song Yu’s eyes narrowed as a hint of displease leaked out of his pupils. “What is it?”
“That Qin Lie kid suddenly appeared at Ling Town a few years ago along with his grandfather…” Xue Zhizhang reported the information he acquired.
“He appeared out of nowhere and was retarded for five years? He cultivated inside the belly of the mountain during all that time?” Song Yu’s eyes shone with a strange light as he pondered for a moment before nodding and then saying, “It appears that this kid has an extraordinary background. He may not even be a local from Scarlet Tide Continent…”
The crowd inwardly nodded.
“Send word to Eight Extreme Temple. Have them send people to the Nether Battlefield immediately and transport the equipment that is used against the evil races.” Song Yu pondered while sending out orders continuously, “We, the three families, will immediately send our experts to the evil nether passageway and build the first line of defense fifty miles away from the area to stop the Nether Realm’s nether beasts from poisoning the surrounding cities.
“The strange item called the Terminator Profound Bomb has incredible killing power. If we can acquire its forging method, then that will be best. If not, then we will order some from Armament Sect. We will leave this matter to…”
Song Yu scanned the hall as his gaze swam across everyone’s faces. After a while, he said, “We tried to eliminate Armament Sect beforehand, and now we’re about to beg for their help. This may be a little problematic. Negotiations in such circumstances will require a certain level of skill. Average people may not be able to handle this.”
At this point, the crowd’s expressions moved as if they could guess who he was going to send out.
“Why do I not see Yu’er?” Song Yu asked.
Someone answered, “The miss has just come back from overseas, and she has been recuperating as of late. She said that she wants to rest for the time being instead of running around for the family.”
“The evil races of Nether Realm are about to invade us en masse, and Scarlet Tide Continent is facing a huge crisis as of this moment. We cannot afford to have her rest.” Song Yu yelled, “Notify her immediately to head towards Armament Sect as soon as possible. She will be responsible for the negotiations with Armament Sect.”
“Understood.”
“Get ready, all of you. This time we’re not fighting at Nether Battlefield but at our own homes. We will devastate the evil races of the Nether Realm!”
Everyone voiced their promises.
……
Skypiercing Mountain, Eight Extreme Temple.
At the top of the cloud-covered mountain, a man dressed in a golden ceremonial vestment with eyes as deep as the sea stared at the sun on top of a cliff.
Zhan Tianyi knelt behind him and, with his head lowered respectfully, explained everything that occurred at Armament Sect and the shocking turn of events.
“Holy Master, Profound Heaven Alliance has just sent word to us. They want us to head to Nether Battlefield as soon as possible to transport the items that we use to deal with the evil races of Nether Battlefield,” Zhan Tianyi said respectfully.
“Why have you not brought that Qin Lie kid back to me? There is a certain limit to how far one can escape with a spatial spirit artifact.” The golden robed man spoke with a very beautiful voice, causing people to feel as if they were in spring and listening to the word of god. His voice alone carried a strange charm that could subvert a person’s soul. “Song Siyuan cannot search by air since he rides a Silver Armored Giant Alligator, but you ride a Green Hunting Bat which is capable of searching thousands of miles in a short period of time.”
He turned around while wearing a natural and peaceful smile. “Have you searched within a thousand mile radius?”
Zhan Tianyi felt cold from the bottom of his heart before bowing his head even lower to the point where his forehead was about to touch the stone floor. “Reporting to your holiness, I have searched everywhere carefully within a thousand miles. I truly did not sense his aura anywhere.”
“A spatial spirit artifact that can escape thousands of miles…” he nodded and said, “Not simple at all.”
If Qin Lie were here, he would realize that this Eight Extreme Temple Holy Master, the master of a Copper force actually looked fifty to sixty percent similar to Li Mu.
“You may leave.” He pondered for a moment before waving his hands for Zhan Tianyi to retreat. “Have Mo He meet me.”
“Mo He…” Zhan Tianyi’s expression changed, and he actually lost control of himself and lifted his head, exclaiming, “Holy Master, that Qin Lie is the only person who can control the twelve spirit pattern pillars and reseal the evil nether passageway!”
“It won’t be until the Netherpassage Realm before he has the ability to reseal the evil nether passageway with the spirit pattern pillars. The gap between the Natal Opening Realm and the Netherpassage Realm will take at least a dozen or so years of cultivation.” His smile did not falter one bit. “When that amount of time has passed, the war between the Nether Realm and Scarlet Tide Continent may have already ended. Why would we need him then?”
After shuddering once, Zhan Tianyi said no more and quietly retreated.
Before long, a man who was dressed in golden clothes and looked even prettier than a woman walked up and said, “Mo He has arrived.”
“You will go and kill that kid called Qin Lie. Extract his memories with the soul searching art and seal it before you bring it to me. Find out where he keeps the spirit pattern pillars, the spatial artifact, and the forging method of the Terminator Profound Bomb and bring them to me,” the holy master ordered. After thinking for a moment, he gave him some advice, “There is an old demon beside him, and this old demon is powerful enough that Zhan Tianyi, Xie Zhizhang, and Song Siyuan combined did not dare act recklessly. Take caution.”
“This subordinate understands.” The beautiful man named Mo He bowed and left.
……
Deep inside the poisonous bog.
Atop the dried ground at the center of the bog, three crimson furnaces were burning with huge flames. A large amount of spirit materials, such as jade stones, bone plates, wood blocks, and colored metal pieces were beside them.
Qin Lie and Tang Siqi were adding the spirit materials needed to forge Terminator Profound Bombs into the furnace on the dry ground.
Beside them, five Blood Spear blood guards were watching over them intently, preventing anyone from approaching them.
Even the sect’s disciples would be chased away if they even inched closer.
—They were afraid of them seeing the method to forge the Terminator Profound Bomb.
“The three great reverends and seven inner sect elders currently all view the Terminator Profound Bomb as their savior. They prevented anyone from approaching this place.” Tang Siqi’s clothes were drenched, and her voluptuous curves were defined through her long, wet dress. It was incredibly attractive.
“The method to forge the Terminator Profound Bomb really can’t be exposed though,” Qin Lie commented while adding the spirit materials.
Even he was scared after realizing the might of six Terminator Profound Bombs exploding together. It was only now that he realized exactly how terrifying the forging method of the Terminator Profound Bomb that Li Mu had given him was.
“From now on, you have to package all of the spirit diagrams inside and prevent anyone from seeing them. It is best not to let even the inner sect elders to know about this. Those people are cowards. If they are tortured and extorted, they may not be able to hold out for long,” Tang Siqi instructed him.
“Got it. I will be careful.” Qin Lie took out the Fiery Solar Jades and put them beneath the three furnaces, causing the fire source to burn even stronger.
“Here, wipe your sweat. Look at your head, it’s all wet.” Tang Siqi smiled beautifully and took out a purple red handkerchief from her lap before passing it to Qin Lie. “Now all we have to do is to wait for the artifacts to precipitate. There’s no need to spend too much concentration here. You should rest too.”
“Thank you.” Qin Lie accepted the handkerchief and carelessly wiped the sweat on his head. It took him only three wipes before the handkerchief was completely drenched. “Sorry, it’s all wet…” It was only then he came to and felt a little embarrassed.
Tang Siqi’s beautiful eyes glittered as she wore an attractive smile. “It’s okay. That’s what a handkerchief is for.”
“Rrrmb! Rrrmb!”
While the duo was talking, thunder rumbled from deep within the clouds of the poisonous bog.
“This is how the poisonous bog is, it can rain and thunder at any time. It looks like we’ll have to catch up a little,” Tang Siqi said.
“Got it.” Qin Lie returned the handkerchief to her and readied himself to work faster. He wanted to complete the Terminator Profound Bombs as soon as possible.
“Boom boom boom!”
The thunderous sounds grew more and more intense as bolts of lightning tore through the dark sky. As a result, the poisonous gases in the bog swirled around.
Qin Lie and Tang Siqi both paid close attention to the burning furnace.
Out of nowhere, Qin Lie felt an itch on his neck and reached out to scratch it…
“Prak!”
A bolt of dazzling lightning struck down from the sky, covering everything within the area in glaring light. Amidst the lightning’s powerful light, a python tattoo appeared impossibly clear at the itchy spot of his neck.
The python’s eyes, in tattoo form and imprinted on his neck, seemed to have lit up a little amidst the thunderous rumble and lightning strikes.