“Hu Zi, what’s wrong?” Ye Qiu asked.
“There’s something off about this stone tablet,” Hu Zi said, pointing at it with a grave expression.
Ye Qiu looked up, closely examining the tablet. It stood over three metres tall, one foot thick, and three feet three inches wide.
The tablet rested on the back of a beast with a dragon’s head and a turtle’s body.
“Dragon Turtle!” Ye Qiu recognised the creature instantly.
Legend has it that the dragon bore nine sons, each unique. One, named Bixi, carried the River Chart and Luo Book, revealing the secrets of the universe, understanding astronomy above, geography below, and harmonising the human world.
With a dragon’s head and a turtle’s body, it was known in folklore as a Dragon Turtle.
In ancient times, Dragon Turtles were seen as guardian beasts, ensuring peace and prosperity.
Thus, temples, ancestral halls, and cemeteries often featured Dragon Turtles bearing tablets.
Typically, such tablets bore inscriptions recording events or details.
Yet, this tablet was blank, without a single word.
Ye Qiu studied it for a moment, finding nothing unusual. Curious, he activated his Heavenly Eye and scrutinised the tablet.
After a few seconds, still nothing.
Just as he was about to look away, the bare tablet suddenly unleashed a dazzling sword aura.
Only Ye Qiu saw it.
In an instant, his eyes stung painfully.
“Hmph…” Ye Qiu grunted, blood trickling from the corners of his eyes, and he staggered back two steps.
“Little brat, what’s wrong?” Longbrow Master asked urgently.
“Young Master Ye, why are your eyes bleeding?” Lüluo asked, worried.
“I’m fine,” Ye Qiu wiped the blood from his eyes, his face deadly serious.
He hadn’t expected the tablet to release a sword aura that injured his eyes.
This was a first for him.
That sword intent had felt overwhelmingly invincible, terrifying.
“Little brat, what did you find?” Longbrow Master pressed.
“The tablet contains a sword aura, very fearsome,” Ye Qiu said.
Sword aura?
The group stared at the tablet but saw nothing.
Hu Zi spoke up, “That tablet’s not simple. When I touched it earlier, a mysterious force injured me. I could tell it was a sword intent.”
“I’ve never seen such a terrifying sword aura.”
“Everyone, step back,” Hu Zi said, raising his dragon-patterned spear and leaping into the air, thrusting it toward the tablet.
As he struck, Hu Zi unleashed the full power of a peak king-level expert, swift and fierce.
Just as the spear tip neared the tablet, a golden light shot out from it, vanishing in a flash.
A deafening boom followed.
“Boom!” It sounded like thunder exploding.
“Ah…” Hu Zi cried out, plummeting from the air. His dragon-patterned spear slipped from his hand, flying backward.
Thud!
Hu Zi crashed to the ground, spitting blood, his face deathly pale.
Xiao Zhan rushed to help him up. The group noticed Hu Zi’s right hand trembling, black blood dripping from it.
Hu Zi was injured!
Everyone was shocked.
Though the golden light had flashed briefly, they all felt a vast sword aura.
A single sword aura had wounded Hu Zi, a peak king-level expert.
Terrifying!
Ye Qiu prepared to heal Hu Zi but noticed his injuries healed in the blink of an eye.
Glancing at Hu Zi’s back, Ye Qiu guessed the Life-Death Talisman was aiding him.
Longbrow Master marvelled, “Strange, this tablet holds a sword aura, and it’s so ferocious. Unbelievable.”
“Old dog, why don’t you try?” Chongxu Taoist suggested, “I reckon this tablet contains powerful sword aura. It’s definitely a treasure.”
“Why don’t you try?” Longbrow Master knew Chongxu Taoist was trying to trick him.
He wasn’t foolish. Hu Zi, with peak king-level strength and a ferocious dragon-patterned spear, couldn’t withstand that sword aura. If he tried, he’d fare worse.
Longbrow Master said, “I’m a man who’s content with what I have. Since arriving here, my strength has surged, and I’ve gained Ziwei Dou Shu. I’m satisfied.”
“Cow-nose, you’re right. This tablet is a treasure.”
“I suggest you try. It might be your lucky break.”
Hmph, trying to trick me? No chance.
Chongxu Taoist gave Longbrow Master a cold glance.
Longbrow Master continued, “Cow-nose, opportunities don’t come twice. It’s right in front of you. Don’t miss it.”
“If you don’t seize this chance to boost your cultivation, I’ll give you a beating once we leave.”
“Heh heh.”
Longbrow Master’s goal was to goad Chongxu Taoist into the trap.
Sensing his intent, Chongxu Taoist sneered, “You dare beat me? I’ll ask Ye Qiu to take you down.”
Longbrow Master scoffed, “The little brat and I are tight. He’d help you?”
Chongxu Taoist retorted, “Even if he doesn’t, I’ll just stop guarding Kunlun Mountain.”
Damn, how’d I forget that?
Longbrow Master cursed inwardly, sly old fox.
Ye Qiu ignored the two old men, staring at the tablet for a while before saying, “Everyone, step back a bit. I want to see what secrets this tablet holds.”
He walked toward the tablet, stopping two metres away, and pulled out the broken Emperor Sword from his Qiankun Bag.
He planned to use the Grass-Character Sword Art to challenge the tablet’s sword aura.
But as he raised the Emperor Sword, before he could act, it began to tremble.
“Clang, clang, clang!” The sword vibrated wildly, nearly slipping from his grasp, as if terrified.
“What’s happening?” Ye Qiu was startled, gripping the sword tightly.
“Clang, clang, clang!” The sword wailed continuously.
Ye Qiu’s expression grew grave. This tablet was too bizarre; the Emperor Sword was cowering before even engaging.
“Not a good sign.”
After some thought, Ye Qiu stowed the sword. It stopped trembling only when back in the Qiankun Bag.
If the Emperor Sword wouldn’t do, he’d use a divine artefact.
“Qiankun Cauldron!”
Ye Qiu shouted, and four Qiankun Cauldrons appeared, exuding a towering aura, like four mountains.
“Suppress!”
With a thunderous shout, the four cauldrons crashed down from the sky.
