The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Chapter 271: Chapter 270: Do You Have It?

To Condense the Four Symbols Mysteries, the four Mysteries—Wind, Fire, Ice, and Thunder—all had to be at the same level: the First Heaven. Qin Ya had only just comprehended the Thunder Mysteries, and it would still take some time to elevate it to the First Heaven.

"From today onward, stop trying to comprehend the Mysteries of Wind and Ice and Fire," said the Ting Xiao Sword. "Aside from improving your Divine Thought and expanding your True Essence Qi Sea, you should focus all your efforts on comprehending these Thunder Mysteries. Strive to Condense the Four Symbols Mysteries as soon as possible."

Qin Ya nodded in complete agreement. After all, he had only recently broken through to the Extraordinary Realm. The Mysteries he already possessed had all reached the First Heaven, and advancing them further would not be easy. It was far better to focus all his efforts on comprehending Thunder and Condensing the Four Symbols Mysteries. A Top Level Mystery, he knew, was a rare opportunity one couldn’t simply seek out.

Every Top Level Mystery had an incredibly significant impact on a Martial Artist’s combat effectiveness. Take Qin Ya, for example. Without the Mysteries of Destruction, his combat power was at best comparable to someone at Sky-Controlling Perfection. But once he employed the Mysteries of Destruction, his Attack Power skyrocketed, allowing him to effortlessly slaughter a group of Extraordinary cultivators.

At this thought, his anticipation for the Four Symbols Mysteries grew even stronger.

In the following days, Qin Ya completely immersed himself in comprehending the Thunder Mysteries. Thanks to the breakthrough in his Divine Thought, the amount of time he could endure the Thundercloud Illusion had doubled, giving him much more time to perceive the nature of Thunder.

「In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed...」

On this day, the sun shone brightly in a clear sky, and a cool sea breeze blew.

The shore of the Celestial Dragon Sea Region was enclosed by a tall city wall. Four Profound Vessels were docked at the Hai Kou port, and on their decks stood rows of armored Martial Artists. Their eyes darted about, constantly scanning the passing ships. A banner fluttering from their Profound Vessel, inscribed with the name "Shangguan," unequivocally declared their identity.

One of the Three Great Noble Families of the Southern Hundred Cities along the Celestial Dragon Sea Region’s coast: the Shangguan Family!

As the largest inland sea in the Southern Domain, the Celestial Dragon Sea Region was dotted with countless islands rich in resources. Maritime Dynasties, as well as many a Sect and Family, had even been established upon them. Consequently, its ties to the outside world were strong, with bustling trade and frequent travel.

Cities had also been established all along the coast. Over time, rulers emerged to govern them. Along the coast of the Celestial Dragon Sea Region’s Southern Hundred Cities, these rulers were the Three Great Noble Families: Shangguan, Ouyang, and Mu.

"Sigh, watching these cargo ships come and go every day is so boring," one of the Martial Artists complained. He then glanced toward a young master in the distance, who was lounging on a chair and sipping tea with an air of utter leisure. "These young masters really have it good. He’s supposedly being punished by having to watch the ships, yet he’s still enjoying himself like this."

"Shh, quiet down! If he hears you, you’ll be in for it." A Martial Artist beside him glanced cautiously at the young master. Seeing no reaction, he breathed a sigh of relief and added, "When these young masters come here for ’punishment,’ it’s just for show. In a few days, he’ll go back on his own."

"Tch. Some people have all the luck," the first Martial Artist muttered.

Martial Artists from these great Noble Families were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They never had to worry about food or drink and had abundant resources for Cultivation. Even if they didn’t train diligently, they could rely on those resources to reach heights an ordinary person might never achieve in their entire life.

They were simply not on the same level. Take this young master, for instance. He was a notoriously idle member of the Shangguan Family, spending his days either gambling or carousing. He even occasionally played the part of a local tyrant, abducting women from good families. And yet, a person like him, by relying on mountains of Elixirs, had been brute-forced all the way into the Celestial Essence Realm.

And here they were, who had fought tooth and nail for everything, only at the Earth Element Realm.

"Another ship’s coming... Huh? It doesn’t have any markings."

Suddenly, one of the Martial Artists let out a small sound of surprise and fixed his gaze on the distance. The others followed his line of sight. Just then, a warrior in Silver Armor, a man at Celestial Essence Realm Perfection, walked over. His expression was serious as he commanded, "Everyone, pay attention. This Profound Vessel is of a very high grade. It’s highly likely some important personage is arriving."

Upon hearing this, the guards’ expressions turned solemn. They straightened their backs and puffed out their chests, readying themselves to greet this important figure in their best form. Even the young master, who had been lounging in his chair with half-closed eyes, grew interested. He lifted his gaze and looked toward the Profound Vessel.

The Profound Vessel sailed in slowly, and the guards’ postures grew even more solemn. After a moment, however, a hint of confusion crept into their gazes. As the Profound Vessel reached the Hai Kou port, their expressions became strange. There was no one on its deck—not a single person, not even a servant or a maid.

"Captain, is this really some important personage?" a Martial Artist quietly asked the captain in Silver Armor next to him. ’Don’t important people usually travel with a huge entourage? Just think about the last time the Shangguan Family’s Second Elder returned; his ship was swarming with maids and guards. So how come we can’t see a single soul on this Profound Vessel?’

CREAK. Just then, the door to a cabin on the Profound Vessel opened. Everyone looked over, intensely curious about this supposed VIP. A handsome young man of about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in white, slowly emerged from within.

’Hmm, maybe he’s that important person’s page, or some kind of servant,’ the crowd thought.

They immediately peered past the young man, trying to get a look at the important personage they were expecting. However, after emerging, the youth simply closed the cabin door behind him. He walked to the edge of the deck, glanced at the Hai Kou port, and a slight smile touched his lips. "Sailing for so long... I’m finally docking."

Uh... The guards froze for a second, then turned to look at their captain. Their gazes all seemed to ask the same question: ’Captain, where exactly is this important person you told us about?’

The Silver Armored Warrior was rather embarrassed. He coughed twice, then said, "Don’t judge a book by its cover. He could be the young master of some great Noble Family, you know. Look at this Profound Vessel—it’s built entirely out of Bronze Iron Wood! Even in our Shangguan Family, only a few high-ranking members own a vessel like this. In my experience, the cost to build this Profound Vessel is at least eighty thousand pounds of Primordial Stones!"

"What the hell are you blabbering about? Get down there and ask."

At some unknown point, the leisurely Young Master Shangguan had moved from his chair to stand behind the Silver Armored Warrior. Hearing him drone on, he impatiently kicked the man in the rear. The Silver Armored Warrior stumbled forward but dared not show a trace of anger. He said respectfully, "Seventh Young Master, please wait. I’ll go ask right away."

The other guards snickered at the sight, but a single glare from the Silver Armored Warrior silenced them. They immediately straightened up, their expressions turning solemn once more. The Silver Armored Warrior leaped onto the Profound Vessel, cupped his fists toward Qin Ya, and asked, "Young Master, may I ask where you are from? And are you alone on this vessel?"

Qin Ya glanced at him and replied, "I come from Yunxiao Island in the Celestial Dragon Sea Region. I’m a Loose Cultivator, and yes, I am the only person on this Profound Vessel."

Qin Ya had, of course, simply invented the name Yunxiao Island. However, the islands in the Celestial Dragon Sea Region were innumerable, so it was impossible for the Silver Armored Warrior to know them all. He merely furrowed his brow slightly and repeated, "Yunxiao Island? Never heard of it. A Loose Cultivator?"

He sized Qin Ya up and muttered, ’Since when did Loose Cultivators get this rich? This Profound Vessel is worth a fortune.’

Shaking off the thought, he said to Qin Ya, "According to regulations, all passing vessels must pay a toll of one hundred pounds of Primordial Stones or one hundred thousand Gold Coins. Do you have either?"