Chapter 252: Chapter 250: Heaven-Shattering Top Secret
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man’s voice was filled with surprise. After all, the matter had been a hot topic in the sect for many years. Almost any disciple of the Divine Eagle Sect could give a rough account of the story about the Seventh Elder and the Grand Elder fighting over a half-dead woman.
Yet it wasn’t until today that the middle-aged man heard this completely new version from his Master.
"Master, what exactly is the secret?" the middle-aged man asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
The room fell silent for a moment. Then, Qin Li felt a cold Divine Sense wash over him like a tide, passing through his body without any resistance before spreading far into the distance.
After sensing nothing amiss, the old voice finally spoke faintly, "Forget it. This matter will likely be revealed to the world soon enough anyway. There’s no harm in telling you."
"The Great Qi Kingdom is a nation controlled by our Divine Eagle Sect. You should know this, right?" the old voice said faintly.
"Of course, I know that. I even served as a Tributor for the Great Qi Kingdom’s royal family for several years. Besides, isn’t there a war going on over there right now?"
The middle-aged man asked in confusion, "What... what does this have to do with that woman? Isn’t she just an ordinary disciple from the Songfeng Sect?"
Inside the room, the Second Elder shook his head. He looked at the handsome, dignified middle-aged man before him with a doting expression. Seeing him was like seeing his younger self, because this man was not only his disciple—he was also his son.
However, the middle-aged man was unaware of this. All he knew was that, like his other martial brothers and sisters, he had been brought to the Divine Eagle Sect as a child and had become a disciple under the Second Elder.
Otherwise, if it were anyone else, how could the Second Elder possibly reveal such a secret? The Second Elder sighed softly and said, "Do you know what power is behind the New Qin Empire?"
The middle-aged man shook his head. Outside, Qin Li was also completely confused. He had recognized the voice as the Second Elder’s long ago, but he couldn’t understand what the man was trying to say with all his rambling. He had no choice but to keep listening patiently.
"Behind the New Qin Empire is an extremely powerful force, also from Profound Island. The royal family’s surname is the very surname of that superpower! Their royalty is a direct branch of the family!" the Second Elder said flatly.
This gave Qin Li, who was listening outside, quite a shock. Qin Li knew about these things because he himself was from Profound Island. ’But this old man... don’t tell me he’s been to Profound Island too?’
Qin Li began to realize things were not as simple as he had thought, because the web of interests involved was simply too vast.
Just then, the middle-aged man’s surprised voice rang out. "Huh? The New Qin Empire’s background is that powerful? No wonder the sect has been sending so many people as reinforcements recently. But Master, I still don’t understand—what does this have to do with that woman who’s like a living corpse?"
The Second Elder chuckled faintly and said in a measured tone, "Think about it. Profound Island is a famous Mysterious Land, and the Cui Family possesses a deep heritage and tyrannical power. Why would they set their sights on the lands of the Mortal Realm? If they wanted something, couldn’t they just send people to snatch it? What’s the point of so aggressively expanding their territory here?"
The middle-aged man urged, "Master, please stop keeping me in suspense. Just tell me!"
"You’re just too impatient."
The Second Elder smiled and then said, "It’s because within the Five Nations—the Cyan Dragon, Great Qi, Silo, Qingqiu, and Great Chu Kingdoms—lies a world-shattering secret! The New Qin Empire spent over a hundred years plotting before finally turning its spearhead toward these nations under various pretexts. Hmph. Their scheming runs deep, and they’ve been careful enough, but it’s a pity for them that the Cui Family isn’t the only one who knows about this!"
The Second Elder continued with a cold smile, "You should have heard of the four major perilous grounds of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom’s Yellow Sand City, right?"
"The Execution Ground, Eagle’s Beak Stream, Soul-Devouring Swamp, and Phoenix Lake, you mean? Everyone knows about those!" the middle-aged man said casually.
"Heh heh, knowing about them is one thing, but do you have any idea that these four places hide a world-shattering secret?"
This time, the Second Elder didn’t keep him in suspense. He said directly, "Let’s talk about Phoenix Lake. Many people assume the Ancient Ruins there are its greatest secret, but they are completely wrong! According to ancient records, there was originally no lake there at all! It was forcibly created by an Ancient Great Power!"
"The real Phoenix Lake is several hundred li away from that place. It’s a lake only about twenty or thirty li in circumference. That... is the true Phoenix Lake!"
Outside, Qin Li frowned, growing more and more confused. However, he had actually seen the lake the Second Elder was describing! He had indeed encountered such a lake while fleeing from the pursuit of Qin Hengtian and his brother. At the time, he hadn’t given it a second thought, never imagining that place was the real Phoenix Lake.
"So what? The so-called four perilous grounds are just what the martial artists of the Mortal Realm call those places," the middle-aged man said dismissively.
"Hmph, ’so what?’ Even a Venerable might die if they go there!" the Second Elder snorted. "Do you think the reputation of the four perilous grounds was spread by Mortal Martial Artists? Let me tell you, those four places were infamous more than ten thousand years ago!"
HISS!
Both the middle-aged man inside the room and Qin Li outside couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
’Even a Venerable would die there? Is that true?’ Qin Li’s brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes glinting as he continued to listen.
At this, the Second Elder let out a soft sigh and said, "The Cui Family actually obtained a Fragmented Map. That map marked the locations of more than ten Mysterious Lands! Heh. They then dispatched a large number of experts to find these Mysterious Lands and successfully enter them. Some were ownerless and became the Cui Family’s private property. Others contained sects like ours, though not many, and they were all annihilated by the Cui Family! And from that, the Cui Family made a massive fortune! With just a single Fragmented Map—which may have only been a corner piece—they obtained wealth that others couldn’t even dare to imagine. Tell me, what do you think would happen if they got the complete map?"
The middle-aged man was so dumbfounded he was speechless. After a long moment, he finally asked, "Master... then how do you know all of this in such detail?"
The Second Elder let out a cold laugh, his voice filled with resentment. "Because I," he said, "am a survivor from a family in one of the Mysterious Lands that the Cui Family annihilated! I was hiding in a secret chamber, so they never found me. You know how most sects and families have such places—they can block external probes and also allow you to hear what’s being said outside!
"As the sole heir to that family, I was sent there the moment the attack began! Then, I heard with my own ears the indignant roars and wretched screams of my parents, my siblings, and my clansmen before their deaths. And after that, after they had slaughtered everyone, I heard them boasting about it with self-satisfaction!
"That is why... all these years, I have been investigating anything and everything related to the Cui Family. I’ve finally determined that the royal families of these Five Nations each seem to possess a Fragmented Map, and that even more pieces are located within the four perilous grounds of the Cyan Dragon Kingdom’s Yellow Sand City!"
A look of immense hatred flashed in the Second Elder’s eyes as he continued slowly, "The Grand Elder knows a little about my past, and so does Lao Qi. They both know that the power behind the New Qin Empire is the Cui Family. And that Fragmented Map they’re looking for... no matter who gets their hands on it, even a single corner piece, it represents a world-shaking fortune! Besides, what sect from a Mysterious Land would want outsiders to find their way to them? On top of that, the Fragmented Map seems to hide another incredible secret, one that’s apparently related to all the Mysterious Lands! Tell me, who wouldn’t want a thing like that?"
The middle-aged man was already so shaken by this revelation he didn’t know what to say. Outside, Qin Li was equally stunned. ’I can’t believe this old guy knows so much,’ he thought, a flicker of doubt in his mind. ’Is what he’s saying actually true, or is he making it up?’
Inside the room, the Second Elder continued, "And that woman, along with her husband, very likely held one such Fragmented Map in their hands!"
"Huh? How is that possible?" the middle-aged man exclaimed.
"What’s so impossible about it? I investigated that couple’s true identities. They both came from the Mortal Realm, though I’m not sure where exactly. It’s also unclear where they got the map. I only know that one day, I, the Grand Elder, Lao Qi, and a few young disciples went to Black Mountain to gather herbs. We happened to run into that couple with some people from the Songfeng Sect and overheard a piece of their conversation. They had obtained the map by chance in the Mortal Realm. The husband was quite perceptive; he said the map likely pointed to several Mysterious Lands, because one of the locations marked was right here! So, do you really think the Seventh Elder is that lovesick? That the Grand Elder is that lustful? Hmph, you’re wrong. All they want is to get that map!"
Now, Qin Li was truly astonished. He had originally thought Shangguan Jian and his wife had stumbled upon this place by sheer accident, but to think they also possessed a Fragmented Map! The news was staggering.
Qin Li was so shocked that he barely registered the next secret revealed in the conversation between the two.
Inside the room, the middle-aged man asked, "Master, since this matter involves such a colossal secret, why are you telling me?"
The Second Elder sighed softly. "My boy, the truth is... I am your father."
...
By this time, Qin Li had already used his Lightweight Skill, his body silently melting into the darkness of the night. The revelations were simply too explosive.
Even Qin Li felt that he needed to properly digest all the critical information before he could figure out his next move.
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