I was chased at the beginning, and I got the first quick sword

Chapter 604 The Divine Wutong Tree!

This valley is located in the Central Plains, and it is the only place in the Central Plains that ranks among the ten most dangerous, nine most terrifying, and thirteen most frightening places.

It is called: Desolate Valley.

The valley is filled with a deathly aura and is shrouded in poisonous fog year-round. When the wind blows, mournful cries can be heard from within the valley.

Over time, it came to be known as the Valley of Desolation.

Among the ten most dangerous, nine most terrifying, and thirteen most frightening places, the Desolate Valley is not the most terrifying, but it is located in a remote place, rarely visited by people, contains no treasures, and is rarely disturbed by people from the martial arts world.

The few who occasionally came either fell into the deep pool in the valley or were harmed by the poisonous fog.

The head shopkeeper and the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader led Jiang Li to the Desolate Valley and, without a second thought, plunged straight in.

Chu Qing quietly followed behind them, paying no attention to the poisonous fog in the Desolate Valley.

His [Heavenly Ultimate Formless Divine Power] had long since reached the divine level. Earlier, having just obtained the Nine Yang Divine Skill, ordinary poisons were already difficult to affect him.

After obtaining the Yi Jin Jing (Muscle/Tendon Changing Classic), this ability was further enhanced.

He is now truly immune to all poisons.

Even if there were a hundred and one deadly poison in the world, it would be difficult to harm him in the slightest.

Not to mention, the cult leader and the head manager were both safe to tread this place.

Chu Qing followed behind them without any incidents or dangers.

The further you go in, the more exaggerated the poisonous creatures become, gradually reaching a state where they block out the sky and the shadows are indistinct. If you walk in them, you will lose track of them if you are not careful.

After walking for nearly ten more miles, a bright light suddenly appeared before their eyes.

All the poisonous fog dissipated, leaving only ruins and rubble in sight.

Chu Qing looked around, feeling a mix of emotions.

This place boasts a unique location, with the desolate valley serving as a natural barrier on the outside, while inside lies a perfect haven, like a paradise on earth.

Around the ruins, a babbling brook flows gently, the green hills are picturesque, and the grass is lush and green.

It's the first month of the lunar calendar now, and it's freezing cold outside, but here it feels like a long spring day.

To call it a paradise on earth is no exaggeration.

"Is this the Jiang clan's ancestral land?"

Chu Qing secretly admired the Jiang family for their excellent taste in choosing a place.

How did they know that there was a hidden passage to heaven within this desolate valley? Establishing a family retreat here is truly the envy of others.

Unfortunately, everything here was ruined by the head manager.

The head manager and the leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult kept walking, leading Jiang Li forward, crossing ruins and grasslands, and finally arriving at the deepest part between two cliffs.

There is a narrow passage between these cliffs; the mountains are thousands of feet high, and you can't see the top when you look up.

Walking through this narrow passage feels like walking through the mouth of a giant beast, and one can't help but feel some pressure.

Chu Qing quietly followed behind, a move that truly demonstrated his exceptional skill and daring.

Anyone who turned around and glanced back could see him.

However, the head shopkeeper and the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader were caught off guard. They hadn't expected Chu Qing to be following them, nor had they sensed Chu Qing's presence. Most importantly, they were about to bring Jiang Li to the crucial location, and their minds were filled with doubts. As a result, they became less vigilant about everything around them.

The group crossed the narrow passage one after another, only to find themselves in a deep pool.

However, a fence and a viewing platform have been built around the deep pool.

There is a stone tablet next to it, which reads: Yingyuetan (Moon Reflection Pool).

Chu Qing looked up and saw a circular hole above her head. If the moon were high in the sky, it would be reflected in the pool. Whether she looked up or down, she could see the moon. It was truly a wonder of the world.

The head steward then went to the other side of the stone tablet and stood in front of a statue of a strange beast.

Reaching into the beast's mouth, with a pull and a tug, one hears first the sound of machinery, then the sound of flowing water.

The water in the entire Yingyue Pool began to swirl wildly, and a hole appeared in the middle.

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult grabbed Jiang Li's shoulder and leaped into the air, with the head manager following closely behind.

The three of them disappeared in front of Yingyue Pool.

Chu Qing didn't rush to follow them. The situation below was still unknown. If he turned around and stepped on the head of the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader, he would be in a somewhat passive position.

So he waited until the water in Yingyue Pool recovered before restarting the mechanism.

Only then did he leap into the air.

The entrance is cleverly hidden. The people who built this place were well-versed in water management. After the water flow was cut off, the machinery was started, revealing the entrance.

Once the people had gone in, the entrance and exit closed naturally, and the pool was filled with water again, concealing them without leaving a trace.

It is indeed the work of a master mechanic.

The only downside is that the mechanism for opening it was rather hastily implemented.

However, considering that this place was originally the Jiang family's territory and was located in such a secluded location, it is likely that they never expected that many years later, outsiders would be coming and going here so brazenly.

After leaping into the entrance, it's a vertical drop.

It was probably more than ten zhang before Chu Qing finally felt his feet on solid ground.

He didn't obediently stand on the ground, but instead used the [Immortal Wind and Flowing Clouds] to float half a foot in the air, so as not to trigger the internal mechanisms.

The head manager is a regular here, but he isn't, so we have to be careful.

Looking up, there was a passageway leading forward.

It's quite spacious, enough for three or four people to walk side by side. The air circulation inside is excellent, and the ventilation is clearly well done.

On both sides are stone chambers.

Chu Qing glanced at the first room; the stone chamber was empty, but there was a relief carving on the wall directly opposite.

The first line reads: "[The First Form of the Nine Divine Slashes - Startling Ghosts and Gods]!"
"Oh?"

Chu Qing was slightly taken aback. After carefully reading the contents below, he realized it was indeed a sword technique.

Seeing no sign of Jiang Li and the others ahead, Chu Qing dared not linger here, and thus only caught a fleeting glimpse.

But he had a photographic memory, and as he walked forward, he pondered this sword technique.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that this swordsmanship was extraordinary.

It may seem simple and straightforward, but it contains profound meaning in a concise way, reaching the highest level of simplicity from complexity.

"This is the sword technique that the head manager used when he was at Forget-Love Manor..."

"The blade moves in a single line... even ghosts and gods are terrified!?"

Chu Qing muttered to herself, yet she was also surprised.

Why has such superb swordsmanship never been seen in the martial arts world?
What kind of entity is the Jiang family?
Seeking neither fame nor fortune, but only profit?
The problem is, with such amazing skills and secret techniques, how could they be willing to live in seclusion and avoid the world?

Along the way, he saw many sword techniques manuals.

The "Nine Strikes to Startle the Gods" should have a total of nine moves, but the secret room did not record them all, and many moves are ambiguous.

It seems to have only just begun; how it develops will depend on how future generations understand it.

The lower limit is already set in the first two or three words; as for the upper limit, that depends on the understanding and aptitude of those who come after.

"This is really interesting... However, there are only six moves in these secret rooms."

"No wonder I always felt that the head manager's knife skills were incomplete."

Chu Qing pondered in his heart:

"But where are the final three moves?"

There were many secret chambers around, containing not only the [Nine Divine Blades], but also internal energy cultivation techniques and fist and palm skills. Among them was a [Heavenly Covering Divine Palm], which looked very familiar to Chu Qing.

Upon reflection, I remembered that this was one of Jiang Li's signature moves.

After all that, it turns out it's all part of the Jiang family's legacy.

Jiang Li once said that all her martial arts skills were taught to her by the head manager.

Now it seems that this head manager is truly shameless. On one hand, he secretly learned the Jiang family's secret techniques in the Jiang family's territory, and on the other hand, he passed on the martial arts to Jiang Li, the only descendant of the Jiang family. He even treated Jiang Li as a commodity of Wanbaolou and made Jiang Li grateful to him.

This is the epitome of shamelessness.

Just then, the head manager's voice came out:
"Place your hand in the mark on the door."

Chu Qing looked up and saw the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader and the head manager standing in front of a stone gate.

Chu Qing couldn't see the so-called mark; it was blocked by Jiang Li.

But I reckon that's the key to opening the door.

Jiang Li did not do as instructed, but simply stood there quietly without moving.

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult, impatient, grabbed Jiang Li's wrist and shoved him forward.

There is a dent above the stone gate, which is exactly the shape of a human hand.

As Jiang Li pressed his hand down, he also let out a cry of surprise, instinctively trying to pull his hand back, but the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader held him down so he couldn't move.

Chu Qing frowned slightly, just as she was considering whether to make a move, when she saw strands of red lines spreading across the wall.

It felt extremely eerie, as if the door had come to life and was drawing blood from Jiang Li's body.

At the same time, the sound of the expansion machine starting up could be heard.

The stone gate in front of us gradually opened.

Upon seeing this, the head manager's eyes immediately lit up:

"As expected, only the Jiang family can open this door!"

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult also had a ferocious smile on his face.

Chu Qing was dumbfounded. Although not everything in this world needs to be thoroughly investigated and understood.

But the question is, what does this mean?
Let alone ancient times when this technology didn't even exist, even in modern times, people wouldn't dare to be this outrageous, right?
How exactly did this door record the Jiang family's biological information? And how could it detect the Jiang family's genes in the blood of the person who opened the door?

With this advanced technology, it seems that paternity testing wasn't impossible in ancient times.

Should we take this door away and have someone study its secrets?
Perhaps this is another way to make money?
As Chu Qing's mind wandered, the stone door in front of him had already been fully opened.

A scorching sensation emanated from within the stone chamber, as if a large fireball were hidden inside.

But upon closer inspection, it became clear that it wasn't a large fireball at all.

It was a piece of wood.

It was placed on the platform in the very center of the stone chamber.

The first glance at this wood gives one a sense of time travel, as if one were witnessing the ancient times millions of years ago, when the divine bird Phoenix chose the parasol tree to perch on, leaving its unique aura upon it.

"The sacred parasol tree, one of the Nine Treasures of Heaven and Earth!?"

The head manager blurted it out.

But the next moment, the sacred parasol tree had already fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader.

The firelight and all the strange sensations on it vanished completely.

It seemed that what the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader held in his hand was not the sacred phoenix tree at all, but just an ordinary piece of wood that looked rather old.

The head manager's expression immediately changed drastically:
"what are you up to?"

"The sacred parasol tree that disappeared a thousand years ago, a peerless treasure that even during the height of our Great Qian Dynasty could not find, is actually hidden here."

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult reached out and gently stroked the sacred phoenix tree, a hint of madness in his eyes:

"The Jiang family is truly outrageous! How dare they hoard such a precious treasure! They deserve to be executed!!"

The head manager's face darkened:
"You want to take it for yourself?"

"What?"

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult laughed heartily:
"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the whole land, all people are subjects of the king!"

"Back then, when my Great Qian Dynasty unified the world, everything in the world belonged to my dynasty."

"Even the Jiang family is nothing more than subjects under the rule of my Great Qian Dynasty."

"To receive a valuable treasure and not offer it up is already a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family!!"

"So this was originally mine, what do you mean by taking it for yourself?"

The head manager's repeated cold laughs:

"The sacred parasol tree is a rare treasure of the world."

"Such treasures should belong to the virtuous."

"The downfall of the Great Qian Dynasty was the will of Heaven, which shows that the emperor was not a virtuous person."

"This item belongs to you, by what right?"
"Moreover, if you put this down today, our cooperation can still continue. Otherwise, with this broken piece of wood, I'm afraid you won't be a match for Chu Qing!"

Upon hearing this, the leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult suddenly let out a cold laugh:
"Cooperate? You think you're worthy?!"

As he finished speaking, he suddenly swept the sacred paulownia tree in his hand.

The cry of a phoenix resounded throughout the small space, and raging flames burst forth, carrying the phoenix's figure within. With a flap of its wings, it pounced directly towards the head manager.

The head manager dared not be negligent. He heard a clang of a blade and raised his sword with both hands to chop down fiercely.

The blade moves in a single line, startling even ghosts and gods!

The unstoppable blade's edge seemed capable of severing everything in the world.

In an instant, flames surged wildly, and immense power erupted with each swing and slash.

Jiang Li's pressure points were struck, and he couldn't withstand the terrifying force. He was so shocked that he was about to fly backward.

But she only felt a hand behind her, freezing her in place.

With a wave of his hand, a gust of wind swept by, suppressing the blade's edge and the flames.

Then Chu Qing's voice rang out:
"I have been waiting for you two in the Five Emperors City for a long time, but I never expected that you would not only not come to the Five Emperors City to seek revenge on me."

"They actually dared to secretly start an internal conflict behind my back, without even inviting me. That's really not fair."

Upon hearing his voice, the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader and the head manager's expressions changed drastically.

What is this person doing here?!
Wasn't he held back by Prince Meng?

But then Chu Qing looked at the phoenix tree in the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader's hand and frowned slightly:
"Hand it over."

The leader of the Heavenly Evil Cult subconsciously tucked the Wutong Divine Tree behind his back.

The head steward's eyes darted around, and he immediately drew his sword, pointing it at the Heavenly Evil Cult Leader:

"The alliance leader ordered you to hand over the Wutong Divine Tree, are you deaf?"

"How dare you talk to me like this?"

The Heavenly Evil Cult Leader laughed in fury: "If I don't hand it over, what will you do?"

"Then I'll have to compete with you."

Before he finished speaking, the head manager was about to draw his knife and attack.

But at that moment, Chu Qing suddenly stretched out a palm, and a powerful palm force surged up, heading straight for the head manager!

(End of this chapter)