Chapter 245: Chapter 244: What Wrong Have I Done?
WHOOSH! A boundless power shook the surroundings. The golden, glowing Defensive Array was struck by the formidable Energy Shock. CRACK! CRACK! Countless fissures spiderwebbed across its surface, and in the blink of an eye, it shattered into a million pieces...
The energy burst through the Defensive Array, sweeping out in all directions like a tidal wave.
"Good heavens! Elder Li, what are you all gawking at?"
Seeing this, Yur Piaoyun let out a squawk, tucked the antidote into his Storage Ring, and barked at Elder Li and the other Extraordinary Martial Artists, his tone utterly devoid of respect.
Elder Li, however, just smiled faintly, unbothered. He took a step forward, positioning himself at the forefront of the surging energy. With a low cry, he slowly pushed out his jade-like palms. A visible ripple materialized in the air. When the onrushing energy hit the ripple, it was as if it had met an impassable wall, unable to advance another inch.
The other Extraordinary Martial Artists also unleashed their power. Had they faced the direct clash between the Ancient King and the Ting Xiao Sword, they would have been killed many times over. However, this was merely the aftershock—and a weakened one at that, as the Defensive Array had absorbed most of it. Blocking what remained was not difficult for them.
The energy shockwaves spread in all directions, and most were blocked. Yet, whether by coincidence or design, no one stepped forward to help with the aftershock heading for Qin Ya. It was clearly deliberate.
A slight smirk touched Qin Ya’s lips. Faced with the overwhelming torrent of energy, his expression was fearless. Protected by the Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, Scenic Landscapes, he could have stood perfectly still and remained completely unharmed. But that wasn’t what he chose to do.
He shifted his stance, and with a single step, the surrounding Primordial Qi began to boil like scalding oil. He beckoned with one hand, gathering an endless stream of Primordial Qi into his palm. An Ice Flame slowly coalesced, its firelight flickering beautifully.
The flame’s light was dazzling, yet no one felt the slightest warmth from it. Instead, it radiated a terrifying chill that felt as if it could freeze their very souls.
"This is... the Mysteries of Ice and Fire!"
The experienced and knowledgeable Elder Li recognized the fluctuations of the Mysteries within Qin Ya’s Ice Flame at a single glance. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as he murmured, "To think that in addition to the Mysteries of Wind, this young man has also comprehended the Mysteries of Ice and Fire."
Generally, an Extraordinary Martial Artist will focus only on the one Mystery that suits them best, striving to comprehend it to a profound Realm. After all, one’s focus is limited, and the Mysteries are something one could spend a lifetime studying without ever reaching the peak. But there are always exceptions; a rare few geniuses can comprehend more than one.
In the early stages, such an Extraordinary Martial Artist’s combat power will surpass that of their peers. However, their progress in comprehending the Mysteries will lag. With the exception of those with astonishingly high aptitude, they will eventually be surpassed by others.
After all, when it comes to the Mysteries, quality is far more important than quantity. Within the Mysterious Five Heavens, each promotion to a higher Heaven grants an enormous boost to combat power. A Second Heaven Martial Artist can utterly crush one at the First Heaven.
Even if you comprehend three or four different Mysteries, if they all remain at the First Heaven, you still might not be able to defeat an Extraordinary at the Second Heaven.
The blue Ice Flame in Qin Ya’s palm leaped into the air. Specks of snow began to materialize from the void, and then, suddenly, the Flame erupted, transforming into a raging sea of fire.
The energy shock, like a Fierce Beast bursting from its cage, plunged into the sea of fire. It became like an elk caught in a mire, struggling futilely as it was slowly frozen solid. In a mere instant, with a wave of his hand, Qin Ya had completely dissipated the attack.
"That’s the Mysteries of Ice and Fire at the First Heaven, at least."
"To comprehend both the Mysteries of Ice and Fire and the Mysteries of Wind to the First Heaven right after breaking through to the Extraordinary Realm... he is truly a rare and peerless prodigy."
A brilliant light shone in Elder Li’s eyes, amazed once again by Qin Ya’s Talent. As for the other Martial Artists with ulterior motives, they watched his display with a chilling sense of awe, and fear flickered in their gazes. ’This young man’s strength is greater than I imagined.’
The many young Martial Artists in the distance were shocked speechless, staring at the group of Extraordinary Martial Artists with their mouths agape. A fervent glow then filled their eyes. ’So this is the power of an Extraordinary Martial Artist! It’s truly immense.’
Even from so far away, they could still feel the might contained within the energy shockwaves—a power that could have killed them a thousand times over.
Yet in the hands of an Extraordinary Martial Artist, it was dispelled with a casual gesture.
Such power was what they all yearned for and strived to achieve.
Then, their gazes turned to the white-robed figure who stood as straight as a spear, seemingly the center of the world. The fervor in their hearts felt as though it had been doused by a bucket of ice water, replaced by an indescribable sense of defeat that made them smile bitterly.
’Comparisons will be the death of me.’
However, some with more resilient minds quickly cast off their sense of defeat. A fierce competitive spirit ignited in their eyes. From this moment on, they saw Qin Ya as their goal and their rival, vowing that one day, they would surpass him.
"Cough, cough..."
Just then, the sound of coughing broke the silence.
All eyes turned to the source. Amidst the ruins, the Ancient King was kneeling on one knee, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. He stared with a bitter smile at the Ting Xiao Sword, which was stabbed into the ground not far away.
"The might of a Spiritual Artifact... is truly something else."
His lips were drawn in a bitter line. He never imagined that the Spiritual Artifact he had worked so hard to retrieve would be impossible for him to use. The sense of stifled frustration was unbearable.
"You old rascal."
At that, Yur Piaoyun cried out, hiking up his floor-dragging robes as he hurried over. He quickly took out the Life Essence Liquid Qin Ya had given him and handed it to the Ancient King. "You old rascal, what in the world possessed you? Your bod—"
Yur Piaoyun seemed to want to say more, but apparently thought better of it and snapped his mouth shut.
"My friend, what brings you here?"
After drinking the Life Essence Liquid, the Ancient King’s injuries began to mend immediately. He looked at the slovenly old man before him with some surprise. "Instead of being cooped up in your Alchemy Room tinkering with your bottles and jars, you found the time to attend my banquet?"
"Blame those two subordinates of yours," Yur Piaoyun said grumpily.
"You mean Li Fei and Li Shuo?" The Ancient King glanced at the two men standing behind Yur Piaoyun. "I did indeed send them to you for an antidote. What, was the poison so troublesome that you had to come find me in person?"
The Ancient King spoke half-jokingly, as he had great faith in Yur Piaoyun’s skill in the Alchemy Dao. After all, the title of Ninth-Grade Alchemist was not one just anyone could claim.
"Troublesome? It’s extremely troublesome! Even I can’t cure it!"
"Is that so." The Ancient King was stunned.
Yur Piaoyun quickly recounted the course of events. The Ancient King slowly rose to his feet, adjusted his robes, and regained his regal bearing.
He walked up to Qin Ya, a complex look in his eyes. "By all rights," he said, "you injured my subordinates, took my friend’s Primordial Stones, and turned the Spiritual Artifact I worked so tirelessly to obtain against me. For that, I should have you sliced into a thousand pieces."
"However, I must admit, you truly are a prodigy."
Qin Ya showed no sign of pride at the Ancient King’s praise. He simply smiled faintly and replied, "Your subordinates were poisoned because they disturbed me at the critical moment of my breakthrough to the Extraordinary Realm. I took your friend’s Primordial Stones not only to save your subordinate’s life, but also out of respect for his dedication to the Alchemy Dao. As for the Spiritual Artifact... heh. Spiritual Artifacts have consciousness. Its refusal to accept you as its master is its own choice."
"So tell me, what wrong have I done?"
