Only I am Venerable

Chapter 281: Chapter 279: New Master of the Golden Palace

Really, you couldn’t blame Qin Li for being a country bumpkin with no world experience. On this Profound Island, it was certain that even an old-timer who had lived for centuries, or even a millennium, and possessed the strength of the Venerable Realm would have their jaw drop at this sight. They might not even be as composed as Qin Li.

Qin Li already thought he was incredibly fortunate to have a stone trough full of Spiritual Water condensed from Spiritual Qi. But here... here was a massive pool, over a hundred meters in diameter and of unknown depth, filled with water condensed from Spiritual Qi!

A phrase seemed to surface from Qin Li’s hazy memories: ’I only wanted a single tree, but you gave me an entire forest...’ Ugh, he couldn’t quite remember if those were the exact words.

Anyway, that was the gist of it. Qin Li stared, dumbfounded, at the pond of Spiritual Water. He even hesitated, wondering if he should go for a swim. ’That would be a goddamn outrageous waste!’

He hesitated for a moment, then had a thought. ’To hell with it! There’s so much, and I can’t take it with me anyway!’

With that, he quickly stripped off his clothes and tossed them aside. He postured as if to jump in, hesitated, then shook his head. Instead, he stretched out his hands and drew in gently. Two streams of water immediately rose from the pond and poured down over his head.

The feeling of Spiritual Qi entering his body, cleansing him through and through, was just too incredible!

The more Qin Li played, the more excited he became, as if he had returned to his childhood, splashing about in the water. He circulated his Primordial Power, and the Spiritual Water was drawn from the pond in a continuous stream, showering his body from head to toe. It then flowed onto the ground, which was already rich with Spiritual Qi, and was quickly absorbed.

If anyone were to witness this, they would surely be heartbroken and curse Qin Li for being a super spendthrift. Even if there was an abundance of Spiritual Water, who in their right mind would use it like this?

In this world, besides this super spendthrift Qin Li, it was likely that no one had ever used Spiritual Water to bathe, right?

Of course, that wasn’t certain. Heaven knew if this incredibly magical Golden Palace already had a master.

After his "bath," Qin Li felt his strength had improved yet again. Refreshed and invigorated, he changed into a fresh set of clothes. He then began to wander around the backyard of the Golden Palace. Except for the plots of soil where various flowers and trees, brimming with spirituality and of unknown tens of thousands of years of age, were growing, every other fixture was made of gold!

He opened some of the rooms at random; they were all empty. A few were furnished with tables, chairs, and beds, but without exception, they were all made of gold!

Seeing all this, Qin Li could only sigh in amazement. ’The person who built this Golden Palace was a complete and utter nouveau riche!’

He couldn’t think of any other words to describe the creator of the Golden Palace.

The backyard of the Golden Palace had three main thoroughfares, each over twenty meters wide, paved with gold. They stretched from the main hall of the Golden Palace all the way to the deepest part of the backyard. Alongside the three main roads, golden houses were built in a well-arranged pattern, their windows all made of transparent crystal.

Beyond that, there were all sorts of incredibly precious flowers, plants, and trees.

One could say that if not for the houses and roads being made of gold, it could be considered a superb manor. Unfortunately, the overwhelming sea of gold that met the eye robbed it of that particular charm.

It was certain that anyone walking here would feel immense pressure. Even a reclusive master who viewed wealth as dirt would be unable to avoid this pressure!

Qin Li walked to the end of the backyard and found a very large house that stood taller than all the others, situated right in the center. It seemed to echo the Golden Palace at the front in a surprising way.

Qin Li pushed the door open and went straight in. Ever since being teleported to the backyard of the Golden Palace, Qin Li hadn’t needed to chant the mantra for the "Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable" combat technique. It seemed this place had silently accepted him; any door would open with a gentle push.

Opening the door, Qin Li, who had been prepared for another empty space, was suddenly taken aback. The house had three rooms. The doors to the left and right rooms were closed, so Qin Li couldn’t see inside. But on the floor of the middle room, an extremely complex pattern was engraved!

This circular pattern was about two meters in diameter and was carved in the exact center of the room. The design within was like the whorls of a fingerprint, but far, far more complex. Qin Li could faintly sense a subtle power constantly radiating from the lines.

Around the perimeter of the circle was a groove, about a palm’s width wide and several inches deep. Qin Li discovered that this groove was filled entirely with... Top-Grade Spirit Stones!

The powerful Spiritual Power radiating from them was identical to that of the Top-Grade Spirit Stones in his ring!

The Spirit Stones had nearly filled the entire groove. On the side facing him, he saw Spiritual Water constantly flowing out of a finger-sized hole. It trickled into a cup-like object but never flowed out. Qin Li stood there, staring dumbfoundedly for a long time, but didn’t see a single drop of Spiritual Water overflow.

Just then, he heard a crisp TINK. A fingernail-sized Top-Grade Spirit Stone dropped out from beneath the cup. As if drawn by an invisible force, it rolled toward the pile of Spirit Stones.

A muscle in Qin Li’s handsome face twitched violently. He took a few steps closer to the Spiritual Water device, only to find that the cup collecting the water was sealed shut. There was only a small hole for the Spiritual Water to enter, making it impossible to see how the Top-Grade Spirit Stones were formed.

Qin Li reached out, intending to pick up a Spirit Stone. But as his hand neared the stones, he suddenly encountered an invisible resistance that prevented him from going any further!

The situation was exactly the same as when he had tried to enter the Golden Palace before!

Just then, a gentle force softly pushed Qin Li away. Then, a mysterious aura suddenly appeared in the room. Qin Li was horrified and quickly retreated. The mysterious aura was so powerful that it made Qin Li’s very soul Tremble. Though it was just a small room, it suddenly felt as if the entire Great Sea was pouring in. The immense pressure made Qin Li’s face change color and almost suffocated him!

However, the feeling came as quickly as it went, vanishing without a trace in an instant. It made Qin Li wonder if that momentary feeling of being enveloped by death had been an illusion.

But then, a humanoid figure condensed from light and shadow appeared in the room, telling Qin Li in no uncertain terms that it had not been an illusion at all!

"Who are you?" Qin Li asked, holding his Blood-Drinking Sword and pointing it at the person formed of light and shadow.

The man appeared to be in his fifties, with a very scholarly and refined air. His eyes, formed from light, were exceptionally sharp, his gaze deep and distant, carrying the desolation of ages. He slowly turned to face Qin Li, smiled faintly, and said softly, "Young man, are you the successor I have chosen?"

"Successor? And you are...?"

Qin Li asked, full of shock and suspicion. This person before him felt very familiar, yet Qin Li was certain he had never met him before. Everything inside the Golden Palace was steeped in endless mystery, making it hard to accept, yet he had to believe it was all real and not some illusion.

The appearance of this old man only cast another veil of mystery over the already magical, mysterious, and bizarre Golden Palace. It made Qin Li’s heart itch with curiosity, like a kitten scratching.

"Who I am, you do not need to know. You only need to remember what I am about to tell you." The old man smiled indifferently, his voice desolate, as if echoing from primordial times.

Qin Li was speechless. He looked at the old man and said, "What do you want to tell me?"

"The Venerable Tournament... this is the last time it will be held! From now on, you are the master of this Golden Palace!"

The old man said calmly, his gaze toward Qin Li filled with gentleness. "With your current strength, you cannot yet control the Golden Palace. Only when you reach the realm of Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant will you be able to master it completely! Therefore, in the time to come, you must work hard!"

"Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant?" Even though Qin Li was already astounded by this profoundly mystical scene, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at this. He thought, ’I haven’t even reached the Venerable Realm, and you’re talking to me about Shattering the Core and Forming an Infant. Old man, that’s not how you tell a joke!’

The old man smiled faintly. "Young man, don’t have so little confidence in yourself. With your Innate Technique of someone beyond fate, plus the most miraculous combat technique in this world, the ’Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Only I am Venerable,’ nothing is impossible!"

A storm raged in Qin Li’s heart. He stared at the old man in utter horror. The muscle in his handsome face couldn’t help but twitch violently once more.

"You need not worry. In this world, I am likely the only one who can see this secret."

As the old man said this, his tone couldn’t help but reveal a hint of pride. He then continued, "This world is filled with experts as numerous as the clouds, but the experts in your eyes are nothing but ants in mine! This Golden Palace is itself a peerless treasure, and countless people in the world covet it. Therefore, you must raise your strength as quickly as possible and never grow complacent or lazy! The Martial Artists on this Profound Island are not your goal!"

"Are you referring to the Land of the Far West?" Qin Li raised his head, looked at the old man, and asked slowly.

"You know of the Land of the Far West as well? Not bad, not bad at all!" A smile touched the corners of the old man’s mouth. He then said, "That saves me a lot of time explaining. You are a person of outstanding talent, but you yourself have not fully discovered the wealth you hold within. Instead, you search everywhere for external items. Those things might be effective for others, but for you, they are useless! As my chosen successor, let me give you a reminder: the Cultivation Technique and combat technique you practice are your greatest assets!"

Qin Li narrowed his eyes, listening intently to the old man’s every word. He knew this wasn’t a dream or an illusion. He had always felt that the Cultivation Technique he practiced and the Pill Formulas he possessed were out of place in this world. Now, Qin Li was finally beginning to understand.

’So these things don’t belong to the world I’m currently in at all!’

"Alright, I have said all that needs to be said. From here, it is up to you. As the successor of the Golden Palace, you will gain much, but you will also face countless trials! It’s as I said before: countless people in this world covet the Golden Palace and the power you possess, so you must grasp greater strength as soon as possible! Therefore, I will pass on to you many things you wish to know. Now... let us begin!"

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This Chapter, I’ve revised it again and again, and only just now finished writing it. This might be the most important Chapter of foreshadowing in the entire book, so I had to be extremely careful.

Just four Chapters today. My brain is a bit of a mess right now, and I need to properly sort out the upcoming plot. Hmm, I still owe everyone five Chapters, and I’ll pay them back as soon as possible. Ha, if you have any recommendation tickets, please toss a few to Xiaodao. It’s just a small effort, but our recommendation count is too low!

Of course, voting with monthly tickets is even better! (To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com. More Chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!)