My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 346 The Secret Treasury of Qingjue, The Forest King's Invitation

The small awning boat is over ten meters long, entirely black, with two lanterns hanging on it, emitting a ghastly green light.

Combined with the eerie atmosphere surrounding Xiao An, the ship that appeared before Xia Lin was undoubtedly a ghost ship...

However, once Xia Lin boarded the ship, he felt that it was no different from any other ship.

Sitting under the awning, the small boat rapidly ascended into the air amidst the eerie atmosphere.

This caused Xia Lin's perspective to quickly rise, with strong winds sweeping outside the ship, and an energy shield automatically forming on the surface of the small boat to isolate external interference.

Soon, the small boat flew off the planet and headed into the vast starry sky.

……

Xiao An handed Xia Lin a steaming cup of tea.

After a quick inspection, Xia Lin confirmed that it was just normal immortal tea and didn't stand on ceremony.

While sipping their drinks slowly, before Xia Lin could even think of any pleasantries, Xiao An started talking first.

"Judging from your words and actions, young master, I feel that the Ash District Walkers are not much different from us so-called Ash District natives."

Xia Lin laughed and said, "There's no difference at all."

Xiao An, this female ghost, is quite powerful, at level ten with attributes exceeding ten million. As an envoy of the Forest King, it's not surprising that a native of the Ash District of this level would know of the existence of the Ash District Walkers.

"But strangely, the Forest King seemed to have anticipated the arrival of the Ash Walkers... I find this rather puzzling."

"Could it be that the Forest King's divine might surpasses the Ash Zone System?"

The invitation clearly stated the words "Unknown Ashes Walker".

This means that the Forest King already knew the exact time and location when the Ash Walkers entered this area.

This move, while not exactly terrifying, certainly made Xia Lin very nervous – it was a warning shot from the Forest King.

Xiao An covered her mouth and smiled upon hearing this.

"The Forest King is indeed powerful, but to say that he can surpass the Ash Zone System is simply impossible."

One is an eleventh-level Ghost King.

One of them, however, is a treasure directly created by the Six Pillars.

There is no comparability between the two.

Don't be fooled by Senwang's self-contained world and self-proclaimed neutrality; everyone knows the truth of the matter.

This is just a nobody surviving in the cracks between the Creator of Heaven and the Super Star.

Even Xiao An dared not elevate his master's position.

From this perspective, it's understandable that Senwang was able to survive in such a precarious situation.

Xia Lin raised an eyebrow: "That's quite strange..."

After saying that, he stopped talking and just observed Xiao An's reaction.

If Xiao An doesn't respond, Xia Lin will have to be even more vigilant.

But to everyone's surprise, Xiao An chose to tell the truth.

Because of this matter, there's nothing that can't be said or shouldn't be said.

Then Xiao An refilled Xia Lin's teacup and spoke.

"Young master, have you ever heard of the four words 'Qingjue Mizang'?"

Xia Lin's heart stirred as he recalled the item he had obtained after killing Xu Jie: the Qingjue Calligraphy Scroll.

He never expected it.

This completely random ash zone is somehow connected to this thing.

……

Xia Lin has acquired countless treasures.

Most of them were sold to Duhaitang, but some were kept by Xia Lin, either because they were useful or because they were mysterious.

The Qingjue calligraphy copybook is one of the props that Xia Lin labeled as mysterious.

【Qingjue Calligraphy Copybook (Racial Heritage Level Item)】

[Function 1: Absolute Sword: The calligraphy scroll contains seven characters for "kill," representing the seven sword intents of the Absolute Sword. Once activated, it can injure the enemy with unparalleled power! This function becomes unusable after all seven sword intents have been used up!]

[Function Two: Token of Purification: Possessing this item allows you to unlock the secret treasure of the Purification Sword God.]

Xia Lin didn't care about the destructive power of this thing, because it really wasn't that strong.

However, Xia Lin should pay attention to the second function—what if he could gain some benefit or opportunity from it?
Unexpectedly, this opportunity came to him on its own initiative, even though he didn't actively seek it out.

Of course, it is too early to judge whether this hidden treasure is a blessing or a curse.

Xia Lin nodded slightly in response to Xiao An, and after thinking for a moment, he chose his words: "I was fortunate enough to obtain a token called the 'Qingjue Calligraphy Scroll' once..."

Before Xia Lin could finish speaking, Xiao An covered her mouth and smiled: "To receive the token means to be destined. And since you are here, it means that the calligraphy is still in your hands."

Xia Lin: "..."

They were thinking of keeping it a secret, but it turned out that it was impossible to hide it at all.

With a flick of his wrist, the Qingjue calligraphy scroll automatically appeared in Xia Lin's hand, which also drew Xiao An's lowered gaze.

"Is this the thing?"

Xiao An smiled and nodded: "That's exactly it."

Observe and provide feedback.

Xiao An had no covetousness or other distracting thoughts.

Given the power of observation and the difference in strength between the two, Xiao An would never be able to hide anything from Xia Lin.

Therefore, the Qing dynasty calligraphy copybooks are merely a trigger, not the main point.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Lin continued, "The journey is slow, but I wonder if Miss Xiao An could tell me in detail about the story of the Forest King and this Pure and Exquisite Secret Treasury?"

……

At this very moment, on another small boat.

Having made a perfect disguise, Luo Zhidao also took out a calligraphy scroll in front of another female ghost.

He held the calligraphy copybook in his hand, listening to the female ghost's story, but his thoughts drifted away involuntarily.

"I see."

"This time, the Ash Zone has actually been linked to the Qingjue Secret Treasury..."

The Ash Zone is not for killing, but for raising poisonous insects and conducting tests.

Therefore, the Ashes often help others achieve their goals.

For example, tokens or keepsakes.

The universe is so vast that if a hidden treasure falls into the hands of a certain Ashes Walker, even the Ashes Walker will have no way to find it.

However, in many cases, the Ember Zone system will throw the Ember Zone Walker holding the token directly in front of the secret treasure at the right time.

It can be considered a different kind of test and cultivation.

The current Eternal Night Ashes clearly follows this logic.

"In other words, Xia Lin and I entered this Ash Zone together because we have something in common... we both possess the Qingjue Calligraphy Scroll."

Xia Lin obtained the Qingjue calligraphy copybook after killing Xu Jie.

Luo Zhidao's Qingjue calligraphy copybook originated from a chance encounter.

"It cannot be ruled out that there were also Ash Zone Walkers who possessed calligraphy scrolls and were thrown into this Ash Zone as well."

"It cannot be ruled out that even travelers from outside the Ashes Zone might obtain the Qingjue Calligraphy Scroll."

Luo Zhidao thought a lot, but his ideas were actually not wrong.

Due to the mutual offsetting of permission cards, Xia Lin and Luo Zhidao were unsure whether they were the only two Ash Zone Walkers in this Ash Zone, or whether more Ash Zone Walkers had entered.

After a moment's thought, Luo Zhidao brought his thoughts back to the matter of the Forest King and the Qingjue Secret Treasury.

Beside him, a female ghost named Xiao Chu spoke slowly.

"The Secret Treasure of Qingjue was left behind by the Sword God Qingjue before his death."

"And the Pure Sword God is also known as the Pure Sword Venerable and the Pure Martial Saint."

"This person is exceptionally talented, skilled in both immortal and martial arts. He has reached the Immortal King realm in immortality and the Transcendent realm in martial arts."

"He is a rare dual-career professional."

Luo Zhidao nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

He knew all about these things perfectly well.

……

Another awning boat.

Xiao An continued, "However, there is a conflict between immortal and martial arts, and dual-class also has its drawbacks."

"The Sword God of Qingjue has been desperately seeking level 12 without success... The Six Pillars of Chaoxing even asserted that the Sword God of Qingjue has reached the end of his dual-class career."

Having two jobs may seem appealing, but in reality, it has many drawbacks.

Xia Lin wasn't entirely clear on the drawbacks, but he did know that the reason why dual-class users were rare in the main universe was not only because acquiring a secondary class was extremely difficult, but also because of deeper reasons.

"Affected by this, the Sword God of Qingjue was devastated and his Dao heart was shattered. He soon died in an exploration that could be described as suicidal, but he left behind the Qingjue Secret Treasure, which is still quite famous."

Legend has it that the Sword God's last words were:

"Want to uncover the secrets of dual professions? Want to gain power beyond your level? Go and find it. I have hidden everything in the Pure Secret Treasury."

Xia Lin: "???"

Good grief, Roger, huh!?
These words left Xia Lin speechless, but Xiao An couldn't understand these foreign references.

She glanced at Xia Lin with a puzzled look, then continued.

"A long time ago, my master coincidentally obtained a Qingjue calligraphy book."

"The time may have come. King Sen used his birthday banquet as an opportunity to gather all the holders of the calligraphy scrolls, all for the purpose of opening the Qingjue Secret Treasury."

After saying that, Xiao An looked at Xia Lin and smiled, "This is also the reason why you, young master, descended to this world."

Xia Lin fell into deep thought.

Xiao An wasn't lying—this was feedback from observation.

But what is considered true is only what Xiao An believes to be true.

Xia Lin dared not say whether there was anything fishy going on.

The main quest requires you to attend the Forest King's birthday banquet and survive until the Ash Zone ends.

This line of work is quite risky.

After thinking for a moment, a question arose in Xia Lin's mind, but he didn't ask Xiao An about it.

The question is: Why did the Forest King want to open the Qingjue Secret Treasury?

……

On the contrary, it was Luo Zhidao, who came from a prominent family, who was able to answer Xia Lin's question.

And the answer is quite simple.

"As a neutral fence-sitter, if you don't align yourself with the Six Pillars, you won't get the opportunity to reach level twelve, and your strength will be capped at level eleven."

If you examine the logic here closely, you'll immediately discover that the cosmic order dominated by the Six Pillars is actually quite dark and sinister.

Either be a dog or be a weakling.

Since Senwang didn't want to be a dog or a weakling, he naturally had to think of other ways.

There are very few solutions, and successful cases are almost nonexistent.

But it's not impossible.

The Sword God of Pure Absoluteness is one such successful example.

As a level 11 cultivator who practices both immortal and martial arts, Qingjue Sword God is level 11, yet he has a record of fighting against level 12 opponents without being defeated!

Calling him the strongest level 11 in the past is no exaggeration!

Unfortunately, this path is wrong. You have the combat power, but not the level, and the potential for future development is far inferior to that of a proper level twelve.

To put it bluntly, this is a wrong path.

But Senwang said that even a crooked path is still a path.

So, can this path help me improve?

Is that right?
Then I'll leave!

Luo Zhidao's assessment of this was: "His love for freedom is truly profound..."

Regardless of Mori-oh's choice, his purpose was indeed clear.

Open the Qingjue Secret Treasury and find the secret of the dual-class system researched by the Qingjue Sword God.

……

After three days of travel by small boat, we finally arrived at the ancient city of Senluo.

What appeared before Xia Lin's eyes was a colossal city comparable to a planet. The city floated in the void of space, its immense size visible from afar, along with the wisps of black smoke rising from the ancient city.

The black smoke was actually a manifestation of ghostly energy.

This reveals the main body of the city's inhabitants and the power type of the ruler of Senluo Ancient City, the Sen King.

Around the ancient city of Senluo, layers of space overlapped, filled with mysterious light.

It is not just a formation, but also an alternative kind of interlayered space.

—The Forest King's signature: the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the Forest, is hidden near the ancient city of the Forest.

At this time, the birthday of King Sen is approaching.

The area around Senluo Ancient City is naturally bustling with activity.

Various modes of transportation are constantly on the move, and the scene of humans and ghosts mingling together is quite hellish, yet also relatively harmonious.

No one would cause trouble on the King of Forest's birthday.

After all, while the Forest King couldn't compare to the eleventh-level members of the Six Pillars, he was still a genuine powerhouse.

Several nearby star systems are under the rule of the Forest King, who is the undisputed ruler of this region.

As the owner of the Qingjue calligraphy copybook, Xia Lin received preferential treatment.

The small boat passed through layers of restrictions and flew into the ancient city of Senluo, soon arriving at the palace of the Sen King.

The palace was luxurious and grand; the King of Sen had good taste and knew how to enjoy life.

When Xiao An led Xia Lin to a side hall, several people were already there.

Xia Lin glanced at it.

I don't know any of them...

He didn't know if Luo Zhidao was hiding among them—because Luo Zhidao must have done the same thing as Xia Lin, disguising himself thoroughly.

Before Xiao An could guide Xia Lin to his seat, a burly giant from the side hall spoke up.

"So this person is also a holder of the Qingjue calligraphy copybook?"

Xia Lin smiled but remained silent, while Xiao An gave a curtsy: "Yes."

After finishing his brief explanation, Xiao An left, leaving the entire side hall to the group of people present.

It was the giant who spoke again.

"Together we unlock the secrets and share the rewards."

"That sounds nice, but what actually will happen is hard to predict."

His words were filled with distrust of the King of Forest.

Xia Lin offered no comment, but a glint flashed in his eyes as he activated his observation.

However, at the very moment Xia Lin initiated the observation, the giant being observed suddenly turned his head to look at Xia Lin!

This prompted Xia Lin to decisively abandon his observation, smile at the giants, and avert his gaze.

The giant sized Xia Lin up and down for a long time, then snorted coldly without saying anything more, but the atmosphere between the two became somewhat stiff.

This is the nature of reconnaissance skills; they easily make enemies.

Invading privacy is never pleasing or right. However, when it comes to matters of life and safety, investigative skills are necessary and must be used selectively.

This time, Xia Lin was humiliated... but it also showed the giant's strength.

Quite strong.

Beside the giant, another eerie man dressed in white broke the tense atmosphere between Xia Lin and the giant.

"On the contrary, I think that King Sen is quite credible. At least his sincerity is not low."

After speaking, he looked around at everyone present.

"You all received invitations, didn't you? Did they just appear out of nowhere in front of us?"

"This means that the Forest King probably has a way to directly locate the holder of the Qingjue Calligraphy Scroll. And with the Forest King's power, I think none of us here would be a match for him."

"Regardless of whether there are reinforcements or not, King Sen has clearly done his job in terms of showing courtesy first."

The white-robed ghost man's words were quite reasonable and well-founded, and judging from Sen Wang's actions, he did indeed have a certain degree of sincerity.

The giant, however, widened his eyes and roared.

"You little devils are protecting the big devils, I think you're all in cahoots!"

Xia Lin: "..."

It's quite rare that someone with such a fiery temper has survived to this day and possesses this level of strength.

Just as the white-clad ghost and the giant were arguing and howling, several more people arrived one after another.

Only after all eight people had gathered in the hall did footsteps sound from outside the side hall.

Arrive before anyone arrives.

It was a gentle and pleasant male voice.

"Nine is the ultimate number."

"After Qingjue's death, he left behind nine calligraphy scrolls. Now, thanks to everyone's presence, these nine scrolls have been gathered together."

As soon as the words were spoken, the owner of the voice appeared before the eight people in the side hall.

He was handsome and wore a black robe with dragon patterns woven from gold thread.

He wore sky-gazing boots and carried a ghost-controlling sword at his waist.

With arched eyebrows and star-like eyes, he possessed an extraordinary air, unlike a demon king, but rather like a young swordsman who had just descended the mountain.

His tone was mature and appropriate.

King Sen cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to everyone present, and then smiled.

"My name is Sen Shuhan, and I greet you fellow Daoists!"

He was a celestial king in life, and after death he transformed into a ghost cultivator.

Therefore, he still couldn't avoid some of the sensual quirks.

That's alright, Xia Lin and the other eight people also stood up to return the greeting.

Even the most arrogant and unruly giants were treated with utmost courtesy.

But then suddenly the Forest King turned his head and looked at one of the eight people, an inconspicuous human cultivator.

"This gentleman looks familiar, but I wonder if we've met before?"

The person who was called out did not show any fear, but spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"My name is Zhang Chu, a rogue cultivator. I have no prior connection with the Forest King!"

Senwang nodded knowingly and replied with a smile, "Then I guess I was mistaken."

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener.

Xia Lin secretly glanced at the human cultivator named Zhang Chu, wondering if this person was Luo Zhidao in disguise.

But then they heard the Forest King speak again, looking at the giant.

"Strange, I find this gentleman's aura somewhat familiar..."

The giant waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, we've never met before."

King Sen smiled and said, "Then I misjudged him."

Then she turned to look at the white-clad male ghost.

"you……"

The white-robed male ghost gave a wry smile: "There is some disguise, but he is not here with ill intentions. Your Highness, please do not test him."

After speaking, the white-robed male ghost also looked at the others.

"Of the nine people present, apart from you, King Sen, everyone else is disguised, some stronger and some weaker."

The white-robed male ghost revealed the secret, and everyone else remained silent.

In this game, it seems everyone has their own ulterior motives.

King Sen smiled, walked past the crowd, sat down in front of the main seat, then his smile faded and he slowly spoke.

"The Qingjue Secret Treasury contains what I need."

"The purpose of this invitation is to explore the hidden treasures and search for them together."

"Even though I, Sen Shuhan, am a ghost, I still understand the principles of integrity and the importance of courtesy before resorting to force."

"I will make this clear to everyone today."

He glanced at the other eight people and continued, "The Qingjue Secret Treasury must be opened, and I am determined to obtain what is inside!"

"If you do not wish to explore the Qingjue Secret Treasury with me, you may leave the Qingjue calligraphy and depart on your own. I, Sen Shuhan, will surely reward you handsomely!"

To put it bluntly, it was a forced sale.

The words may sound impressive, but they don't change the fact that it's essentially a forced sale.

Before anyone else could react, King Sen continued, "If any of you are also curious about the Qingjue Secret Treasury, then I sincerely invite you to accompany me!"

"I will never hoard the treasures of the secret realm. I will only take what I need, and I will not even keep to myself any experience or knowledge that can be shared!"

"But I'll be frank."

"I may choose not to investigate your backgrounds or origins, nor may I delve into the purpose of your visit."

"But if anyone dares to ruin my good time, I will throw them into the eighteen levels of hell and subject them to countless tortures!"

An astonishing aura emanated from the Forest King's body.

Its power was no less than that of the strongest opponent Xia Lin had ever fought: Black Star!

The power of the main universe's strong beings surpasses that of the virtual natives.

However, the power of the Forest King was comparable to that of a level twelve!
His strength is truly astonishing.

Intensity brings power and influence.

Although his "courtesy first, force later" approach was full of threats, combined with his imposing manner, it made everyone present afraid to utter a word of dissent!
Only after the Forest King deliberately suppressed his aura did the eight people below react.

"Then this time, it's all up to you, King Sen."

The one who spoke was an old woman with a face full of wrinkles, looking very old.

The ghostly aura reveals his identity: he is a ghost cultivator.

After the old woman spoke, the other seven people followed suit, indicating that everything in this round would be in Senwang's hands.

However, no one chose to sell the Qingjue calligraphy copybook or participate in the exploration of the Qingjue secret collection.

King Sen saw everything.

But a smile returned to his face.

"It's still early, we have plenty of time. Seven days from now will be my birthday, which is also an auspicious year, month, and hour."

"I believe that the best opportunity would be to open the Qingjue Secret Treasury at that time. Therefore, I would like to invite you all to stay in my Senluo Ancient City for a few days."

Everyone nodded in agreement: "Then we'll have to trouble King Sen."

……

Humans know the wickedness of ghosts, but ghosts know the malice of human hearts.

These ten words are enough to summarize what has just happened, is happening now, and will happen in the future.

As King Sen left the side hall, the eight people inside looked at each other.

The subtle fluctuations of detection skills began to emanate and begin to shine.

However, none of them could see through each other's true nature or even their secrets.

The Forest King is gone, and the giant has become that wild and unruly giant again.

He flicked his sleeve and sneered, "They're all old sly devils."

He strode out of the side hall.

The white-clad ghost sneered, "You talk as if your own motives are so pure..."

Furthermore, the background and purpose of these eight people are unknown.

In fact, Xia Lin is still somewhat confused about Sen Wang's purpose.

If you want to destroy the secret treasure, then go ahead and steal it!
They're all here, they're all in your hands now, with your power you can easily control them, right?
But instead of doing so, he invited this group of scheming and treacherous individuals to actively participate in his exploration plan.

When something goes wrong, there must be a monster.

But what kind of trouble it caused is hard to guess...

Perhaps among these eight people, there is one who can rival the Forest King.

Or perhaps the Forest King felt that these eight people had other roles and significance in the Qingjue Secret Treasury.

After glancing around at the others once more, Xia Lin also left.

The second problem was that he couldn't find any trace of Luo Zhidao in this side hall.

However, it is also known that Luo Zhidao must be one of these eight people!

(End of this chapter)