CHAPTER 859: CHAPTER 582: MYRIAD SWORD SHINING DRAGON ARMOR

Lu Chenzhou appeared outwardly calm.

"Qingyunzi? Isn’t that the Dao Pioneering Ancestor of Qingyun Realm? Didn’t he ascend to the Kunxu Great World—how could he be in Kun Gu?"

He pressed these doubts deep in his heart.

An aged voice said, "Young friend, you have heard this old man’s name?"

Lu Chenzhou shook his head.

For the moment, it was still unclear whether the other party was friend or foe.

"Why not come in and speak, young friend."

The surface of the main hall rippled with flowing light. Two sword attendants drew up a splendid beaded curtain, revealing the scene behind it.

"Eh, there’s no need to pass a trial? Junior has never cultivated Sword Dao," Lu Chenzhou remarked in surprise.

"You say you achieved Breakthrough Seven at seventy?" Qingyunzi inquired.

"Yes."

"With such talent, even if you do not cultivate Sword Dao, you may still become my successor," Qingyunzi’s voice could hardly hide its joy.

...

Inside the hall.

Lu Chenzhou finally saw the owner of the voice.

It was covered all over with silver scales, each shaped like a sword; as if the scale armor itself was woven from miniature swords.

Its head was an elongated dragon’s head, as keen as a sword itself.

"Senior Qingyunzi?"

"Young friend, take a seat."

The silver figure waved a hand, and a stone table appeared, with delicacies and fine wine presented by the two sword attendants.

"Thank you, Senior."

"A bit forward, but may I ask where young friend hails from? You do not seem to be of Kun Gu."

"This junior comes from Tianxia."

The silver figure seemed to search its memory, then shook its head and said:

"My vision is limited, but a realm able to produce a genius like you—Tianxia must far surpass Qingyun Realm where I was born."

"Senior, you are originally from Qingyun Realm?"

"A world so insignificant, you surely have never heard of it."

"Senior, your current state?"

"I am already dead. Before death I fused with the artifact spirit of the Myriad Sword Shining Dragon Armor, and now I exist only as the artifact spirit."

"Myriad Sword Shining Dragon Armor? The only Seventh Rank Spiritual Weapon within the top hundred on the Spiritual Weapon List."

"This is a top-grade Seventh Rank Spiritual Weapon, a treasure I once obtained by chance in the Kunxu Great World. Yet precisely because of this item—sigh... best not speak of it."

Qingyunzi seemed to have unspoken woes, his tone dejected.

"Senior, what have you summoned junior for? Is there something you require?"

Qingyunzi sat and slowly recounted:

"Because of certain upheavals, I perished here in Kun Gu Realm. Before death I established this trial land, hoping to pass on my legacy.

But over several thousand years, though some cultivators have found this place, not a single one proved worthy of the inheritance.

Logically, since I am already dead, I could simply wait as long as needed.

But Kun Gu Realm is fallen, soon to become a demon nest entirely, and in recent years Demon Race experts have repeatedly assaulted this trial land.

I fear that if I keep the requirements too high, I may never find a successor before the Demon Race break through and seize everything.

Though I am dull of aptitude, I am the Dao Pioneering Ancestor of a realm, and in my prime possessed Eighth Realm cultivation—how can I abide letting my inheritance be defiled by the Demon Race?

So the day I saw your exceptional talent, I thought not to persist in seeking only Sword Cultivators—just let you take away the inheritance first."

Lu Chenzhou nodded slightly. "I understand."

Aurora Empress was the same—her standards were too high; as a result, even with Kun Gu Realm nearing its end, she never sent her inheritance out.

All these experts want their legacy to be rejuvenated in the hands of the most gifted.

Qingyunzi’s tone was earnest: "I wish to entrust my cave inheritance to you. All I ask is that you verbally agree to three requests; no Dao oath needed."

"Please speak, Senior?"

"First, should you not cultivate Sword Dao after gaining my inheritance, you must find me a talented Sword Cultivator disciple.

Second, if you ever reach the Eighth Realm, should Qingyun Realm be in crisis, I ask you lend a hand.

Third, if your strength allows, go to the Kunxu Great World and kill two people for me.

There’s actually one more request, but it is likely too difficult—you need not agree, whether you fulfill it is up to you.

If you should ever, one day, reach above Great Power, and if it is convenient, you may revive me from the River of Time.

But I do not dwell on life and death; if you find it troublesome, just treat it as if you never heard."

Lu Chenzhou, upon hearing this, did not immediately agree, but instead countered:

"The first two, junior can promise; as for the third, who are the two to be killed? What level of strength are they?"

The sword armor gave a lingering hum of resonance. After a moment of silence, Qingyunzi said in a low voice:

"They are my disciples, whom I took on in Kunxu Realm. They are likely still entrenched in Star Constellation Sea—the territory I once carved out for myself.

To seize the Myriad Sword Shining Dragon Armor, they even colluded with the mortal enemies I made while venturing among the Three Thousand Worlds, and staged a betrayal while I was in seclusion.

Thus I was forced out of Kunxu, and at death’s door descended to Kun Gu....

However, those two traitors were both seriously wounded by me; they may already be dead now.

If they yet live, then most likely they have already reached the Eighth Realm, or are infinitely close."

Lu Chenzhou said: "Senior, allow me some time to consider."

Qingyunzi said: "Very well, there is no hurry. But you must decide before the destruction of Kun Gu Realm—if the will of the Evil God descends, then we will all be in danger."

While Lu Chenzhou pondered, Qingyunzi muttered to himself again:

"My legacy consists mainly of four parts.

First, my self-created Qingyun Sword Manual—an Eighth Rank Sword Dao inheritance, sufficient to carry you to the Eighth Realm in cultivation.

Of course, with your aptitude, I am sure you lack neither cultivation methods nor legacies.

Second, these two Heavenly Sword Puppets. Each one holds the strength of a Middle Stage Seventh Realm cultivator, and together can barely contend with a Late Stage Seventh Realm for a time. Their worth is several million Mid-grade Primordial Stones.

Third, the Green Peak Smoke Cloud Flame Light Array protecting the inheritance site—a top-grade Seventh Rank array, able to resist Eighth Realm attacks for a time. None beneath Eighth Realm can break it.

Fourth, this Myriad Sword Dragon Radiant Armor—a treasure ranked on the Spiritual Weapon List, valued no less than an Eighth Rank Spiritual Weapon, a first class defensive treasure armor.

In addition, there are several Heaven and Earth Treasures, and an Eighth Rank Magic Sword—though both were seized by the two traitors.

If you can slay them and avenge me, their treasures and Star Constellation Sea are all yours.

In the Kunxu Great World, I was renowned in my region—save for the handful of old monsters who never leave seclusion, scarcely any could rival me."

At this, Qingyunzi could not help but feel a certain pride.

Lu Chenzhou considered that this was likely true—after all, he was a Dao Pioneering Ancestor of a whole world.

The difficulty of Breakthrough Seven in a minor realm far exceeded that of the Great Worlds—just look at the Breakthrough Seven of ancient Da Xia sages.

Such people, once "ascended" to a Great World, with vast lands and resources, truly count as dragons and phoenixes among men.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t tempted.

The value of Qingyunzi’s inheritance was at least tens of millions of Mid-grade Primordial Stones—after all, it was the lifetime treasury of an Eighth Realm expert.

For him, the least valuable was the Qingyun Sword Manual, for he neither practiced the sword nor lacked legacies.

Puppets, sword array, sword armor... and what seemed to be an Eighth Rank Magic Sword from the Li Sword Immortal’s secret treasure—these were all beyond price.

He had only entered the Seventh Realm; the future expenses would be vast.

With Tianxia’s present resources alone, it would be hard to reach Breakthrough Eighth, or Breakthrough Nine.

Dealing with the experts of the Three Thousand Worlds would be necessary.

Yet by nature, he was cautious, fearing a good offer would cloud his mind—so he continued weighing the pros and cons.

He knew well the Causality Dao: even without a Dao oath, becoming entangled in causality with great powers could never be easily severed.

In the unseen, there is always fate. He could not, for the sake of treasures, promise against his conscience—he was not such a person.

Taking on this causality meant possibly making enemies of Qingyunzi’s hidden foes across the Three Thousand Worlds.

In a blink, several days passed.

Lu Chenzhou was unhurried, residing temporarily within Qingyunzi’s cave.

During this time, he also probed discreetly for information.

At last, he confirmed Qingyunzi truly did acquire Li Sword Immortal’s legacy, obtaining the Eighth Rank Spiritual Weapon, White Light Sword, and half of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s supreme art, the Supreme Sword Manual.

He also acquired Taiyin Amber.

It remained behind in the Kunxu Realm, its current use by the traitors uncertain.

After thousands of years, Lu Chenzhou held no hope for it.

He took the opportunity to inquire about Kunxu Realm’s circumstances.

He learned that it was famed even among the Three Thousand Worlds as a Great World.

Ten thousand years ago, it had flourished, for one peerless genius emerged—the Old Ancestor Kunxu.

In the cultivation world of the Three Thousand Worlds—on the Qi Refiner side—the Old Ancestor Kunxu, as well as Han Zhenjun of the Southern Heaven Realm, were both legendary figures.

Compared to later arrivals like the Eternal Immortal, these two already had established fame, leaving legends in many worlds, and their strength both exceeded the Late Stage of Eighth Realm.

In the Great Wilderness, Late Eighth Realm was known as Half-step Great Power; Eighth Realm Peak was the Quasi Great Power.

Especially in the Great Destruction Era after the Divine War, Great Powers vanished.

Such individuals could rightly be called the strongest of the cultivation world.

Old Ancestor Kunxu’s True Treasure Dao pushed the might of external weapons to the absolute limit.

At the same Seventh Rank, True Treasures surpassed even Great Spiritual Weapons by thirty percent.

He suggested Lu Chenzhou, if he sought revenge, would do best to reach Eighth Realm first.

With Lu Chenzhou’s talent, barring disaster, he would inevitably surpass those two traitors in time.

One month later.

"Young friend, do you accept the old man’s terms?" asked Qingyunzi.

"The first two, within my capability, junior will certainly fulfill. The others, junior cannot guarantee—especially your resurrection, Senior."

"Hahaha. I never expected you to. Though your talent is sublime, to be swift is not always to walk far. Whether you reach Great Power is yet to be known.

As for above Great Power—that is but my fantasy," Qingyunzi sighed wistfully.

As the old and the young conversed, Lu Chenzhou suddenly frowned and gazed into the distance. "Someone is coming."

Qingyunzi smiled, "Perhaps those two demons; though their powers are considerable, they will never break my array."

Boom! As his words fell, the entire hall quaked violently.

Qingyunzi’s face changed subtly, looking toward the sky outside the array.

He saw three figures standing in the void, gazing coldly down upon the main hall.

On either side were the Blood Flood Dragon Demon Venerate and the Mountain Forest Demon Venerate, who had many times tried to force their way into the cave, but were always repelled.

At the center was a red-haired woman radiating a terrifying aura—at least Late Stage of Seventh Realm.

Seeing her face, Lu Chenzhou’s eyes narrowed; inwardly he pondered.

"Blood Vine Demon Emperor? No, not her... It appears Blood Vine is a clone of some powerful Demon Race expert."

Among Demon Ghost experts, those with clones are not uncommon.

Connecting this to the precious blood crystal, he immediately deduced the cause and effect.