Only I am Venerable

Chapter 280: Chapter 278: This Is Too Magical

Damn! Was this some kind of joke? Qin Li stood frozen in place, utterly dumbfounded. When the gold partitions had descended from the sky, he had felt a powerful aura. The walls seemed to weigh a thousand tons, radiating an unstoppable force.

Qin Li didn’t even entertain the thought of testing the walls’ sturdiness. Each gold wall had a small, normal-looking door. He walked over and tried one. Sure enough, it was locked. The surface was completely smooth, offering no handle or mechanism to open it.

Qin Li turned, his eyes narrowing. He suddenly noticed something new in the room behind him! He rubbed his eyes, and sure enough, a gold table had appeared in the once-empty space. On the table sat a small porcelain vial. It was square, exquisitely crafted, and adorned with a black-and-white landscape painting. The painting looked like the work of a master. Though rendered on a surface smaller than his palm, it exuded a sense of powerful, ancient majesty that washed over him.

Qin Li paused, slightly taken aback. ’Could this be the treasure the lucky ones receive after the Venerable Tournament ends?’

He stepped forward and grabbed the vial. A cool sensation immediately spread through his hand. At the same time, a passage of text inexplicably appeared in his mind: Qiankun Pill. For consumption by Innate Spirit Bodies only. Swallow directly. After taking it, enter seclusion for thirty years to step into the Shattered Void realm!

BOOM!

Qin Li’s mind instantly descended into chaos. He didn’t even notice the small gold door opening silently. His thoughts were completely consumed by the inexplicable passage of text that had just appeared in his mind.

’A Qiankun Pill? Thirty years in seclusion lets you reach the Shattered Void realm?’

’Is... is this for real?’

The shock in Qin Li’s heart was entirely genuine. A Qiankun Pill... ’Why does this thing have such an arrogant name, just like my Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable technique?’

For an ordinary person, thirty years might be nearly half their lifetime. But for a Martial Artist who had surpassed the Celestial Level, it was nothing. In that same thirty-year span, a Martial Artist who could advance from the Celestial Shattering Realm to the Celestial Integration Realm would already be considered exceptionally talented. And even that would require the immense financial backing of a great family, allowing one to cultivate without distraction.

But this Qiankun Pill supposedly allowed one to reach the Shattered Void realm after just thirty years. It was simply too incredible to believe. What was even more ridiculous was that the mysterious text in his mind hadn’t specified what cultivation realm was required to take the elixir. It only said that it was best consumed by someone with an Innate Spirit Body.

’Doesn’t that mean that as long as you have an Innate Spirit Body, even with no foundation whatsoever, you could take this elixir and become a supreme expert of the Shattered Void realm in just thirty years?’

Qin Li shook his head, finding it all hard to believe. Nevertheless, he tucked the porcelain vial into his Storage Ring. Only then did he notice that the small door in the room had opened at some unknown point.

Qin Li strolled into the second room. Inside, he found another gold table, upon which sat an ancient-looking book.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin Li snatched up the book. The cover was inscribed with an ancient script, which read: Drifting Sword Technique!

It was a martial technique!

Just then, another mysterious passage of text appeared in his mind: Drifting Sword Technique, Divine Level. A Female Sword Technique, unsuitable for male practitioners.

’I... are you fucking kidding me?!’

Qin Li couldn’t help but roll his eyes, losing all interest in even looking at it. ’I wonder if anyone in past Venerable Tournaments has had this happen to them?’ he thought. ’Getting incredibly excited after finding a Divine Pill, only to discover they can’t use it, or getting a martial or cultivation technique, only to be told they can’t practice it.’

’Wouldn’t that just be depressing as hell?’

However, Qin Li was sure of one thing: the Qiankun Pill had definitely never appeared before. Otherwise, no matter how well it was kept under wraps, it would be impossible for some rumors not to have spread.

Besides, it was debatable whether there were even any Martial Artists at the Shattered Void realm on Profound Island at all.

’Is my luck really that much better than everyone else’s?’

Qin Li thought glumly, but he immediately dismissed the idea. If he selfishly kept the elixir for himself, that would be one thing. But since the instructions specified that it was only for those with an Innate Spirit Body, Qin Li wouldn’t force himself to take it. He’d better just give it to Shiyu.

Shiyu’s cultivation had always progressed rapidly, but after hearing the legends of the Celestial Essence Continent, Qin Li felt that both his and Shiyu’s progress was still too slow!

If he could have taken the elixir and reached the Shattered Void realm in thirty years, Qin Li would have consumed it without a second thought. Only by growing stronger could he better protect the people he cared about.

Furthermore, the appearance of the Qiankun Pill and its mysterious description told Qin Li that the legends he had heard from Qin Haiyang were not mere stories—they were real!

Since such powerful Martial Artists truly existed in the world, he might one day cross paths with them. To prepare for that, he had to become stronger to protect himself and those dear to him.

’It’s a shame this elixir is limited to those with an Innate Spirit Body...’ Qin Li sighed, but then another thought occurred to him. ’Since the Qiankun Pill has such a miraculous effect, perhaps only an Innate Spirit Body could withstand the pressure from such continuous breakthroughs!’

Fortunately, the woman with the Innate Spirit Body was the person he loved most. With this thought, the frustration in Qin Li’s heart eased considerably. Helping the woman he loved become stronger had always been one of his desires.

In the third room, Qin Li found a short sword. Its scabbard, made from the hide of some unknown Spirit Beast, was ink-black. Each of its two sides was inlaid with three gemstones—one side red, the other blue.

Qin Li could feel powerful fluctuations of water and Fire Elements from the gemstones. He drew the short sword. A cold light glinted from its blade, and an overwhelming chill radiated from it.

Once again, text appeared in his mind: Blood Jade Sword. Forged from the Beast Bone of a Blood Jade Beast from the Divine Realm. It can destroy anything!

’The Divine Realm? What kind of place is that?’

Qin Li was already growing numb to the shocks. The Golden Palace held countless secrets. A Treasure Sword whose sharpness was impossible to conceal was actually made from Beast Bone—it was truly incredible.

’Alright, might as well go all the way,’ he thought with resignation. ’This Blood Jade Sword is for my lady, too!’

Qin Li thought ruefully, ’From now on, Shangguan Shiyu is going to become a legend...’

Just as he was thinking this, Qin Li felt his body being enveloped by a strange power. ’Are they going to teleport me outside?’ he wondered. ’According to the Golden Palace’s rules, that seems to be the case. Each person can only obtain three treasures. I wonder if, in all of history, anyone has been as unlucky as me. Of the three treasures I got, two are for women, and the third... ugh, is also best used by a woman!’

As he thought this, Qin Li subconsciously began to silently recite the mantra for his Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable technique. He had no idea if it would do anything, but he acted on instinct.

His vision blurred for a moment, and to his astonishment, Qin Li found that he... had appeared in the back garden of the Golden Palace!

"HAHAHAHA!"

Qin Li finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. Since arriving at the Golden Palace, this was the first thing that had made him feel completely satisfied. At the same time, a strange thought surfaced in his mind. ’What kind of connection does my martial technique have with this Golden Palace?’

’I wouldn’t believe for a second that there’s no connection,’ Qin Li thought. ’If there were no connection, how could I have entered the Golden Palace without even participating in the Venerable Tournament? And how could I have been transported to the back garden instead of outside after receiving three treasures?’

Qin Li strolled forward. To his amazement, the plants lining the path radiated an astonishing amount of Spiritual Qi. What’s more, he actually spotted the final Spirit Grass he needed for the Blast Pill!

Just ahead and to his right, there were... hundreds of stalks! An immense amount of Spiritual Qi emanated from these Spirit Grasses. They had to be at least ten thousand years old!

"I’ve hit the jackpot!" Qin Li roared, dashing forward. He ran across the gold-paved ground and straight to the patch of Spirit Grass. Staring at the stalks, each one looking as if carved from jade, Qin Li’s eyes practically saw gold coins.

Faced with a sight like this, even a Saint would probably burst out laughing!

In the massive back garden of the Golden Palace, every single Spirit Grass, every Spirit Flower, and every tree was no ordinary specimen!

The tall, straight trees lining the path bore all sorts of fruit, which gave off a soul-refreshing fragrance. Spiritual Qi visibly flowed over their surfaces, making it impossible to resist the urge to pick one and have a taste.

Qin Li leaped up and plucked an emerald-green fruit. It was the size of his fist and shone with a crystalline, translucent light. Holding it in his hand, its smooth surface felt like a piece of warm jade.

He took a bite, and an incredibly sweet juice flowed straight down his throat. At the same time, the Purple Crystal Core in his Dantian suddenly burst forth with a brilliant light!

He finished the fruit in a few quick bites. Qin Li felt his body begin to swell, as if he were about to explode from the sudden, immense influx of Spiritual Power.

Scared out of his wits, Qin Li began to frantically execute his Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable technique right there in the Golden Palace’s back garden. Wielding his Blood-Drinking Divine Sword, he trained furiously for hours. Only when the sun had traveled from the East and begun to dip toward the west did he finally stop, drenched in sweat. Yet, his energy was still overflowing, and he didn’t feel the slightest bit of fatigue.

However, a layer of gray filth had seeped out from the surface of his already baby-smooth skin. Qin Li knew this was the effect of the green fruit—it had actually tempered his body once more!

Feeling uncomfortable all over, Qin Li ran to a nearby pond. Just as he was about to jump in and wash himself off, he stopped, dumbfounded. He discovered that the pond, which was nearly a hundred meters across, was filled with... the exact same liquid as the water in the stone trough holding his Nine-Turned White Jade Lotus inside his Spatial Ring.

It was liquified Spiritual Qi!

’This... is just too incredible!’