384 The Next Level
The two of them shared a smile, maintaining a healthy distance of approximately ten meters.
“Brother Zhou, I’ve already managed to find a few of my fellow disciples from Wuji Mountain. Would you care to join me?” She Wanshan extended an invitation.
“I’m honored,” responded Qin Huai, stretching out his hand towards She Wanshan, who in turn kept a distance of about seven to eight meters from Qin Huai.
“Brother Zhou, it seems you still had a lot of strength in reserve in the illusion realm,” She Wanshan ventured, finding an excuse to continue the conversation.
“I’m unfamiliar with this place, so naturally, I need to remain cautious. If I have inadvertently offended you, I ask for your forgiveness,” Qin Huai admitted his mistake candidly.
“Brother Zhou, your honesty is commendable… Do you know at what level we currently stand?” She Wanshan continued, all while keeping an eye on Qin Huai. A faint light glimmered in his eyes, causing some of the wild beasts lurking in the nearby grass to retreat.
“Brother, your wisdom is appreciated,” Qin Huai gestured respectfully.
“According to the estimations of the senior members of our Wuji Mountain, there are five levels in the bronze realm. The energy of the level-five array scripture is the weakest and yields the slowest cultivation speed,” She Wanshan started to explain.
He continued, “After that, the power increases progressively, with a level-one array at the peak. We are currently in a second level, and the martial artists in the same array are likely to be of the same caliber — the future king tiers.”
Listening to She Wanshan’s explanation, Qin Huai felt a surge of anxiety. The individuals who shared the same array were the top prodigies of Qingzhou City from the past few decades – the young future kings. As for those in the level-one array, he had his own speculations.
“Does the count accumulate during the battle?” Qin Huai asked, shifting the conversation.
“Brother Zhou, your mind is as quick as ever,” She Wanshan answered with a smile. “According to the seniors of my Wuji Mountain, the death toll of a battle should be continuously rising.”
“Level-one arrays are dominated by those seasoned geniuses throughout the year, and we can only catch sight of them during significant battles. Nevertheless, there are relatively young geniuses who’ve made their way in… They entered by defeating those seasoned geniuses in the great slaughter.”
Qin Huai quietly absorbed this information. Then, he asked, “Does that level-one array… contain the power of the bronze realm?”
This time, She Wanshan replied with uncertainty, “I can’t be certain at this point. Perhaps we’ll find out when we get there.”
Qin Huai fell silent. He hoped there would be one in the level-one array, which would accelerate his cultivation of the ancient azure illusion scripture. Yet, he feared the existence of an ancient monster, only a step away from mastering the said scripture.
As Qin Huai walked, his mind was filled with turmoil. He considered Yang Tianhan, a prodigy in the visceral prefecture realm who had joined the sect a decade ago. With a decade’s worth of experience in this realm, he should have been able to advance into the level-one array…
Qin Huai narrowed his eyes in thought.
Then, why was Yang Tianhan in the lowest level-five array? Was he attempting to avoid drawing attention? That seemed unlikely. After all, no martial artist could resist the allure of the ancient azure illusion scripture.
If one were to alter their perspective, realizing that even a level-one array could not grasp the essence of the ancient azure illusion scripture, a wise individual would undoubtedly seek an alternative approach. This might be why Yang Tianhan concealed his identity and realm.
Qin Huai noted a sudden gust of wind in the level-two array, and the sun’s heat had also intensified significantly. He could faintly discern the chirping of birds and croaking of frogs, lending a heightened sense of reality to the entire bronze realm.
In front of him were hundreds of stone tablets, covered in intricate bronze runes carrying an ancient aura. Twelve people were already gathered by the stone tablet forest. Including Qin Huai and She Wanshan, there were fourteen individuals perfectly enclosing the stone tablet forest.
No one spoke. They all sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating.
Qin Huai’s gaze surveyed the assembly. Some donned gray robes and bamboo hats, while others appeared as if half of their faces had been scarred. Some individuals possessed formidable physiques, yet all of them seemed relatively young. They were likely from the same generation.
She Wanshan motioned towards Qin Huai, leading him to a handsome young man in a light yellow robe.
“Senior Brother Xiang,” She Wanshan greeted with a warm smile.
“Wanshan,” Xiang Mingfeng responded to She Wanshan with a solemn nod. He then turned his attention to Qin Huai, “And this is?”
“This is Zhou Cunzhong, Brother Zhou. He’s a friend I made upon entering the illusion realm, a free spirit with no sect affiliations,” She Wanshan introduced, smiling.
“Brother Zhou!” Xiang Mingfeng greeted Qin Huai with a curt nod, his face stern. If one wasn’t observant, they would miss the faint smile playing on his lips.
“To be able to infiltrate a level-two array as a rogue cultivator, Brother Zhou, you must possess remarkable skills.”
“Senior Brother Xiang, you flatter me.” Qin Huai managed to smile in response.
Xiang Mingfeng scrutinized Qin Huai. Arriving at the same time with She Wanshan implied that this stern, one-eyed man wasn’t even thirty years old. Reaching the level-two array so swiftly and cultivating the ancient azure illusion scripture to a considerable extent seemed implausible. Qin Huai must also have the king’s force.
Xiang Mingfeng gave Qin Huai a friendly pat on the shoulder, then the trio sat together.
“Brother Zhou, do you also possess the king’s force?” Xiang Mingfeng asked directly.
Qin Huai maintained a neutral expression. “I…”
“Brother Zhou, if you have the king’s force, I have important information to share,” Xiang Mingfeng continued.
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