Volume 8 - Chapter 49
*Chapter Forty-nine: **
No one knew the Qi emperor’s true feelings at this time. It was deathly quiet outside the ancestral hall. The officials and half of the strongest cultivators of the Qi dynasty were gathered here. At this time, they could all see that the formation of the ancestral hall was changing.
The black crystal-like mountain gave off a deep indigo light. Even in the dark night, it was very clear. Also, all of the cultivators could sense an inexplicable shaking. It was like the guardian formation was fighting against something.
What they felt most clearly was in the air outside the ancestral mountain, there were many energies being activated, like many black and golden vines growing out. Some unexpected change had clearly occurred in the ancestral hall. Yet the people outside could not know what was happening inside, and not even a sound came out.
The Qi Emperor pressed his lips together tightly. He still calmly stood, but his face could not help but turn pale. The Twelve Shaman G.o.ds were not just the hope for the Qi Dynasty to start prospering, it was what he was relying on to win people’s hearts and their wild support. For this, he had not only betrayed Yan Ying who the entire Qi cultivation world respected, he also betrayed allies like Yan and Qi. He did not dare to think if this did not succeed, what kind of price he would pay.
“We have overlooked something.” He Miejing’s low and cold voice sounded next to him. “We have overlooked the five guardians of the hall.”
The Qi Emperor and the officials around him stopped breathing.
The five guardians should be the Qi cultivators who were the most loyal to the ancestral hall. They dedicated their entire lives to the formation. Benefiting from the pure yin energy of the hall, their cultivation was ten times as fast as outside of the hall. So each generation of guardians had ten times the cultivation time of ordinary cultivators. As a result, even if they were of average talent, they could reach realm seven.
There was a time difference of when the five had entered realm seven. The earliest had entered realm seven several decades ago, the latest just over a decade ago, but all of them were realm seven.
Everyone who heard He Miejing’s words knew his meaning. Out of worry that the Qi grandmasters had selfish intentions, the Qi emperor had picked the absolutely faithful youths to enter the ancestral hall, and the strongest just realm six. If these young people made any movements, then the hall guardians could easily stop them.
The five guardians had dedicated their entire lives to the ancestral hall. Yet that was with the premise that the ancestral hall did not have the peerless methods. Now, the Twelve Shamans had returned. Who could promise that these five guardians did not have other thoughts? Even more importantly, only these five guardians could control this formation. So the hall was blocked off from the outside world, and no information could come out.
In He Meijing’s view, even if a cultivator like Yuanwu came in person, he could not defeat the five guardians in such a short time, changing the formation, and blocking all of the Qi people.
“There is enough food in the mountain, the guardians do not have to come out for a century.” He Meijing said in a cold voice, “They take over the methods of the twelve shamans. If they are willing, they can master the methods and then come out of the mighty.”
No one answered. Everyone felt that this was plausible.
If these five guardians mastered the methods of the twelve shamans and then came out to the world, then they would be more powerful than the twelve disciples of the ancestral master. No one could predict what such people would do when they came out to the world.
He Miejing looked at the Qi Emperor. They were all waiting for his orders. If they attacked the mountain, then at the same time the mountain formation was destroyed, it could cause the complete destruction of the twelve shamans, and everything done before would have no meaning.
“Maybe it is just the change of the formation itself,” the Qi Emperor took a deep breath, and said slowly but felt inexplicably faint.
“Done.”
Su Qin was sweating lightly. Because he had used up a lot of vital energy and mental effort, his face was unusually pale. He took a deep breath, and handed the two white crystals in his hand to Bai Shanshui.
“Hm?” Bai Shanshui narrowed her eyes slightly and was surprised.
“The seal scripts recorded there are based on the methods of Celestial Seal Sect. Right now, I do not have the time to explain to you. It is the same on both crystals. Since this is a transaction, to avoid your worries, I will give them all to you. You can find any direct disciple of Celestial Seal Sect to verify.” Su Qin looked at her rebellious smile and said, “In any case, Zhang Yi is a disciple of Celestial Seal Sect, so you have a candidate ready, and do not have to waste effort. Also, if it is something that Bai Shanshui promised, I think you will not deceive me.”
Bai Shanshui casually put away the two white crystals and said, “In this case, you do have some of the spirit of a great rebel.”
Su Qin’s smile grew brighter, showing his white teeth. “This is just the start. From now, I will be at the Chu capital, and you should have more occasions where you need me.”
Bai Shanshui looked deeply at Su Qin and said slowly, “I have underestimated you. I fear that you will be much stronger than the marquises of the Qin.”
Su Qin made a shallow bow to her. “Thank you for your praise.”
“Have you prepared?” Bai Shanshui asked, putting away her smile.
Su Qin did not rise from his bow and said, “Naturally, I do not want to stay here any longer.”
“Then I will send you out.” Bai Shanshui laughed proudly.
Without waiting, her vital energy surged wildly. The key in her hand turned extremely red, like it was burning, and started to release tongues of flame. The energy in the hall sensed her presence, and the black jade-lake yin energy surged from the other halls towards her like demons. At the same time, with a boom, Su Qin activated the remaining two stone seals in his hand. A strong dark energy formed a ball of light that surrounded him.
In the next moment, there was a deep bang. The vast power of Bai Shanshui clashed with the yin energy of the hall. Adding on the formation was being affected by the key and the great vibrations produced, terrifying power exploded in the hall.
With this hall as the center, the twelve shaman heads which had just been placed on their positions fell off. The flames of the shamans turned into countless swords of flame which attacked the four walls. Squeezed by the swelling energy, all of the pa.s.sageways heading out became vents for the strong winds.
Su Qin vomited blood, his body swept up by the exploding energy. He charged out of the door of the hall, and swept up in the sky. In this moment, he was able to keep his mind clear. When he looked down, he saw the entire ancestral hall seemed to have exploded like a volcano, the entire mountain feeling like it was jumping up.
The Qi officials and cultivators surrounded the mountain, shocked like it was the end of the world. The shattered black crystals and the limbs of the young cultivators sprayed out.
In this moment, other than a rare few young cultivators around him who were flying, most were pieces of flesh and the remains of the shaman statues.