Chapter 1195: Lost Stone Forest, Martial Emperor Shi Qi!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Just like that, the True Martial Sect survived. The price they had to pay was to become an affiliated sect of the Ling Tian Sect. Apart from that, they would need to pay a huge number of supreme-grade and high-grade Origin Stones to the Ling Tian Sect every year.
After leaving the True Martial Sect and returning to the Ling Tian Sect, Duan Ling Tian looked for Zhang San.
"From tomorrow onward, gather all the grade one weapons craftsmen and alchemists. After teaching all of you for a while, I'll have to make a journey to somewhere far," Duan Ling Tian told Zhang San.
Zhang San responded respectfully, indicating that he understood.
The next morning, according to Duan Ling Tian's order, Zhang San gathered all the grade one weapons craftsmen and alchemists so that Duan Ling Tian could teach them.
The group of weapons craftsmen and alchemists joined the Ling Tian Sect for the sake of his name. If he did not give them some 'sweets', they would most likely leave soon.
This was not something Duan Ling Tian wanted to see.
Due to this reason, Duan Ling Tian taught them patiently and even refined weapons and medicine in front of them without concealing anything.
It all depended on their luck how much they could comprehend.
As time passed, the group of grade one weapons craftsmen and alchemist who had joined the Ling Tian Sect finally understood Duan Ling Tian's attainment in the Weapons and Medicine Refinement Dao.
They were filled with heartfelt admiration and were even more determined to stay at the Ling Tian Sect.
They believed as long as this Sect Leader remained here and they could receive guidance from him, their attainments in the Weapons and Medicine Refinement Dao would definitely be greatly elevated.
When Duan Ling Tian was patiently teaching the group of weapons craftsmen and alchemists, including Zhang San, Yun Gang the Guardian Elder of the former Yin Yang Sect's Yang Peak finally arrived at his destination at a faraway land at the southern side of the Inner Land. It was a deserted stone forest.
Usually, very few people would come to this stone forest. Even if they did, they would usually get lost in it.
It was said that there were many unpredictable Inscription Formations that were laid in this stone forest. Very few people who entered the forest made it out alive.
Not many people knew this stone forest was the cultivation place of a powerful Martial Emperor.
This stone forest was also known as the Lost Stone Forest.
Other than that Martial Emperor, other people who cultivated in this Lost Stone Forest consisted of some of the Martial Emperor's disciples and followers.
The owner of the Lost Stone Forest was that Martial Emperor. His honorific title was Martial Emperor Shi Qi.
Yun Gang stood in close proximity to the Lost Stone Forest. However, he did not dare to go any further. Looking at the stone forest, he announced respectfully, "Supreme Elder Yun Gang from the Yin Yang Sect's Yang Peak is here to see Lord Yang Chun."
Lord Yang Chun!
The moment these words left Yun Gang's mouth, a figure appeared out of nowhere from the stone forest. It was an old man clad in grey.
"You're looking for Senior Brother Yang Chun?" The grey-clad old man asked as he looked at Yun Gang expressionlessly.
"Yes," Yun Gang quickly replied. He did not dare to slack at all.
He knew the grey-clad old man standing in front of him was the Martial Emperor's follower.
A Martial Emperor's follower was not that important. In fact, many of the Martial Emperor's followers had never even seen the Martial Emperor whom they willingly submitted to with their owns eyes before.
Those who had the highest position were no doubt the direct disciples of the Martial Emperor.
The Martial Emperor's direct disciples were all genius powerhouses who were personally selected by the Martial Emperor. Each of them had shocking strength, and most of them were at the peak of Martial Monarch Stage.
Even those who were not at the peak of Martial Monarch Stage were outstanding and talented among their peers. The 'peers' in this context referred to people of the same age on Cloud Continent, including Variants.
The Martial Emperor's direct disciples saw the Martial Emperor frequently to receive guidance from him.
After the Martial Emperor's direct disciples, the group below them was not the Martial Emperor's followers. Instead, it was the Martial Emperor's disciples.
The Martial Emperor's disciples got to see the Martial Emperor from afar occasionally, but they were not able to receive any guidance or teachings from the Martial Emperor. Moreover, the Martial Emperor might not even know who they were.
These Martial Emperor's disciples were managed by the Martial Emperor's direct disciples. If the Martial Emperor's direct disciples were in good mood, then they would teach them a thing or two.
Further below the Martial Emperor's disciples were the Martial Emperor's followers who were at the bottom of the hierarchy.
To put it in a nice way, they were the Martial Emperor's followers.
To put it in an unpleasant way, they were actually the Martial Emperor's gofers.
Similar to this grey-clad old man standing before Yun Gang. He was the Martial Emperor's follower and was responsible for guarding the entrance.
However, although the Martial Emperor's followers were at the bottom of the hierarchy, outsiders dared not look down on them, let alone taking the initiative to pick a fight with them or kill them.
No matter what, the Martial Emperor's followers were still a part of the Martial Emperor's hierarchy, even if he was only a gofer or a guard.
Nobody dared to look down on or pick a fight with someone who had a connection with the Martial Emperor.
"Wait here for a while. I'll inform Senior Brother Yang Chun." The grey-clad old man did not dare to be negligent after he found out Yun Gang was here to look for Yang Chun. After nodding at Yun Gang, he returned to the stone forest and disappeared before Yun Gang's eyes.
Although Yang Chun was not the direct disciple of the Martial Emperor, he was still a disciple.
Be it his strength or status, he still ranked higher than him.
After that old man left, Yun Gang hovered in the air and waited patiently.
At this moment, the stone forest before him was no different from a monster. He did not dare to overstep the boundary at all.
"In the future, I'll be able to enter this place and become the Martial Emperor's follower as well." Somehow, a smile had crept up on the corner of Yun Gang's mouth. The smile was dazzling as though he could already see himself becoming the Martial Emperor's follower.
Time continued to pass quietly.
Thirty minutes passed by very quickly, but Yun Gang still waited patiently like before.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the faint sound of wind resonated in front and caught Yun Gang's attention.
He saw a medium-built figure before him when he lifted his head up.
It was a green-clad middle-aged man who had a pair of thick and noble eyebrows. It looked majestic, but at the same time, it was not fierce looking. He stared fixedly at Yun Gang as soon as he had arrived.
"Yun Gang?" The middle-aged man frowned before he finally eased up. It seemed as though he remembered Yun Gang a little.
"Lord Yang Chun!" Yun Gang did not dare to be negligent even though the middle-aged was behaving casually. He bowed respectfully at him. "I'm Yun Gang, the Guardian Elder of the former Yin Yang Sect's Yang Peak. I had the pleasure of meeting with you once before, Lord Yang Chun!"
"Former Yin Yang Sect? What does that mean?" This middle-aged man was none other than Yang Chun, the disciple under Martial Emperor Shi Qi's command. After he heard Yun Gang's words, he was puzzled.
"Lord Yang Chun, the Yin Yang Sect no longer exists." Yun Gang sighed.
"What about Yang Hong?" Yang Chun did not seem to care about the existence of Yin Yang Sect. He was more concerned about Yang Hong, his younger half-brother. They shared the same father.
Under Yang Chun's gaze, Yun Gang took a deep breath before he replied, "Peak Master i-is dead."
Dead.
This one word was like a thunderous explosion in Yang Chun's ears. His face instantly turned glum.
Since young, both of them did not get along with each other. However, he and Yang Hong were still blood brothers no matter what. It was a fact that could not be changed.
However, he just found out that his younger blood brother had died.
"Who?" Yang Chun's asked Yun Gang in a deep voice.
Although the question only composed of one word, the meaning implied was very obvious. He wanted to know who killed his brother, Yang Hong.
When he found out about Yang Hong's death, the tiny bit of resentment in his heart toward his brother immediately disappeared without a trace. It was replaced by sadness instead.
That was his younger brother who shared the same bloodline with him.
"It's someone called Duan Ling Tian," Yun Gang replied.
"Tell me the details!" Yang Chun's face was cold as he said in a deep voice. His voice allowed no objection. There was a hint of anger in his voice too.
Yun Gang's eyes brightened slightly when he heard this.
He knew he had guessed correctly.
Although Yang Chun was never on good terms with his younger brother, Yang Hong, he wanted to avenge him instead of settling old scores with him.
"Yes," Yun Gang replied respectfully and told him the ins and outs of the entire incident without missing anything or concealing anything. He knew there was no use in hiding things from him.
With the technique the person before him possessed, he would eventually find out the truth.
It would make things worse if he had chosen to hide things.
"Duan Ling Tian?" Yang Chun muttered. His eyes gleamed as though he was about to devour somebody.
At the same time, his gaze landed on Yun Gang. "You're smart for finding a way to make him stay behind… After I've avenged that useless brother of mine, I'll fulfill one request of yours as long as it's within my scope of power and will not make things difficult for me."
"Lord Yang Chun, I wish to become Emperor Shi's follower," Yun Gang replied unhurriedly after he took a deep breath.
Emperor Shi was the abbreviated name of Martial Emperor Shi Qi.
Martial Emperor Shi Qi was the owner of this Lost Stone Forest, and Yang Chun was his disciple in name.
"This is easy," Yang Chun responded faintly, "As long as I get to avenge that useless brother of mine, I guarantee you'll be able to become the Martial Emperor's follower!"
"Thank you, Lord Yang Chun!" Upon hearing this, a smile crept up on Yun Gang's face.
"Wait here for a while. I'll go with you to the Ling Tian Sect after I've settled some matters!" Yang Chun told Yun Gang before he disappeared into the Lost Stone Forest.
Soon after, Yang Chun arrived before a stone house in the Lost Stone Forest. That stone house was made by hollowing out a gigantic stone. It looked very unique.
"Senior Brother Zhou," Yang Chun called out respectfully outside the stone house.
Whoosh!
When Yang Chun's words left his mouth, a huge figure appeared in front of him.
It was a young man dressed in black. With his aloof expression and sharp eyes, he gave off an immense pressure to the people in his surroundings.
In the face of this black-clad young man, Yang Chun did not dare to straighten up from his bow at all.
Although he was a disciple of the Martial Emperor, he was nothing in front of the others. If he was killed by this person, there would be no consequences at all. Martial Emperor Shi Qi would not even care about it at all.