Yin Qingsi didn’t stay in the cabin before she went to the backyard. Under a tree in the backyard seated a stone table, an old man was sitting at the table, playing chess with himself.
He kept his eyes closed. He held a chess piece in his hand but didn’t put it down, as if he was a still statue.
The old man seemed much wrinkled, but there was still life in him. Judging by his looks, he actually seemed younger than the Qi Family and Feng Family progenitors…
To the side of the stone table leaned a crutch. The old man’s legs were covered by his long robe, so his crippled leg was not visible.
Yin Qingsi picked up the tea pot on the stone table and poured the old man a cup. Finally, the old man put down the chess piece. He opened his eyes a little bit, looking at her with fondness. Then, he said in a coarse voice, “My dear girl, you have something on your mind now.”
Yin Qingsi blushed. She replied, “Forefather. I am just curious and want to have a look myself. That is all. After all… I owe Lu Li my life.”
The Crippled Zen Master picked up the cup and took a sip. His wrinkled skin twitched as he proceeded calmly, “That boy is fortunate enough to obtain Emperor Heng’s Relic. Emperor Heng would not let someone like him perish that easily. You don’t have to worry about his safety. After all these days, the Relic is still intact. Emperor Heng was a wise man. I am sure he had plans for such situations.”
Yin Qingsi asked with curiosity, “Forefather, Lu Li is merely at the Noble Lord Realm. Why do you think Emperor Heng let him have the Relic? I do not think of Lu Li as a very talented person.”
“Talent is not determined by realm!”
The Crippled Zen Master said, “I once know an interesting man. He cultivated for three thousand years but was still at a low realm, something of Lu Li’s realm. Then, for the next one hundred years, that man’s realm was improved by leaps and bounds. I believe he is one of the supreme warriors of the Divinity now.”
“Supreme warrior of the Divinity?”
Yin Qingsi frowned. She looked at the Crippled Zen Master, attempting to ask more. But she only puckered her mouth and didn’t pose the questions.
She had been living in the valley for 18 years now. However, she did not know much about the Crippled Zen Master. He rarely answered her questions, so there was no use in asking too much.
Seeing Yin Qingsi pouted, the Crippled Zen Master smiled gently at her and said, “Dear, there are some things that you’d better not know now. I will tell you when the time is right. Now, focus on cultivation. Your future will be… promising.”
“Okay!”
Yin Qingsi nodded. She stood up and left. When she was about to enter the cabin, she turned around and asked, “Forefather, can you… please help Lu Li?”
“I cannot!”
The Crippled Zen Master shook his head and said, “Some people can only develop and soar after going through a tough time. That is why I don’t mind you having disputes with the young warriors of the Central Imperial Universe. If you could not best the young warriors of the Central Imperial Universe, dear, how could you have rapid advancement? Similarly… if Lu Li could not protect the Relic when it is in his hand, then on what grounds should he own it?”
Yin Qingsi seemed to understand better. She nodded slighted and left. She went back to the pavilion again. Her hair danced in the wind, covering up her eyes, but she seemed not to notice. She sat and kept her body still.
After the time for one incense stick to burn, she came back to her senses and sighed, murmuring, “Lu Li, I cannot help you now. You have only yourself to rely on. I wish you well. I still owe you some wine.”
…
Lu Li was well. He had been cultivating even though the five Semi-God Realm warriors were blasting and pounding on the Wicked Bead wildly. The Wicked Bead didn’t even have a scratch on it.
Lu Li had been cultivating Xuan Energy with the utmost effort. All the Xuan Energy he generated, he poured into the Wicked Bead. He had forgotten about everything outside and concentrated on learning the Feather Wind Profound Meaning.
The nine Earth Immortal Realm warriors in the small hall felt they could breathe again. It had been a long time, but Lu Li didn’t throw them out yet. They must have some use to him, so he did not plan on sacrificing them just yet.
Leng Wuxin was still making the antidote. She took out a small tripod vessel. Instead of using fire, she used Xuan Energy to cook the herbs. She had put many Mystical Materials into the vessel. She had done this before. It was not going to be a difficult procedure, but it would take some time.
Time went by gradually. The five Semi-God Realm warriors attacked with full strength as if they could never grow fatigue. They went on and on day and night. Sometimes, when they were exhausted, they would take turns to rest for a couple of hours.
Chen Tianxian and Wu Guangde never came back again. They appeared to have vanished into thin air. Or, they might have returned to the Mage Imperial Universe.
But Jun Hongye and the others did not relax their vigilance. Rather, they tightened security measures. Every two days, one of them would go around and check.
Those of the Mage Imperial Universes were crazy people. They usually would never give up until their goal was reached unless they were sure that the goal was unattainable. Otherwise, they would pursue vigorously even if it would cost them decades.
Therefore, Chen Tianxian and Wu Guangde must be working on a bigger plot. They did not leave nor did they give up.
Keeping that in mind, Jun Hongye and the others were attacking constantly using their strongest Profound Meanings. The ground around the Wicked Bead had turned into a basin and now an abyss.
Maybe hundreds of years later, some old warriors would tell their offspring stories of how this abyss came into being and how tragic the battle was…
Three months!
For three months, Chen Tianxian and Wu Guangde never made an appearance. The five Semi-God Realm warriors had being attacking at the Wicked Bead for three months but it was still glowing. It didn’t move and it remained indestructible.
Jun Hongye was tired and so were the others, not only physically, but mentally as well. They had been working for three months, day and night, without accomplishing anything. It would make anyone frustrated.
As a matter of fact!
The five Semi-God Realm warriors had made tremendous progress. Only, they did not know. Lu Li, on the other hand, knew that the energy in the Wicked Bead was running out. Thirty percent of the energy was now gone. In other words, in six more months, the energy in the Wicked Bead would be depleted completely.
Lu Li stopped cultivating today.
While the five Semi-God Realm warriors thought they had achieved little, Lu Li had made an accomplishment. The first layer of seal in the Wicked Bead suddenly lit up today. The bead even trembled along with that. The tremble was not obvious, but Lu Li did notice that and was startled.
“Is the first layer of seal lifted?”
At first, Lu Li was overjoyed. He took a closer look only to realize that the seal was still here. It merely glowed much brighter. He blinked in confusion and looked around the hall. He tried to check again but failed to notice any differences.
“Am I deranged?”
Lu Li murmured. Then, he asked the nine Earth Immortal Realm warriors, “Have you felt the hall trembling just now?”
“Yes, we have!”
Uncle Nine of the Jun Family said. Four of them had felt the tremble. Lu Li touched his nose in confusion. Why did the bead tremble? Did it mean that the energy could not sustain it any longer?
Lu Li thought it over in his head for the time for one incense stick to burn. Then, he carefully inspected the bead for an hour. Still, he made no findings.
He pondered about it with a frown, mumbling to himself, “The bead moved? Is that… to say that the bead can move now? It can fly?”
As Lu Li controlled it with his mind, the Wicked Bead glowed and then flew to the south in a moderate speed comparable to a warrior of the initial stage of the Eternal Realm.
“What?”
The five Semi-God Realm warriors were taken aback. They stopped what they were doing out of instinct. They had been attacking at the bead for such a long time without budging it. How could it be smashed it away all of a sudden? Now wonder they were surprised.
“It’s not smashed away—”
Jun Hongye realized it. They had not knocked away the bead. It was escaping toward the south.
“Ha, ha, ha, good!”
Jun Hongye laughed out loud. Lu Li was controlling the bead to fly away. What was the implication of that? It must mean that there wasn’t enough energy in the bead anymore. Lu Li could not hide in it for long. It meant… they were about to crack it.
“Go after him!”
The five Semi-God Realm warriors dashed on like dragons, flying to the south in a straight line.