Chapter 466: Three Targets
Inside the sect master cave abode of the Golden Light Sect, one of the top sects of the Effulgent Great World.
Yu Tong sat cross-legged cultivating on a mat. With an angry grunt, two streams of gases spewed out of his nostrils as they circled to fill the chamber. Yu Tong then took another deep breath, bringing the two streams back into his body through his nostrils.
"Oh?" Yu Tong frowned slightly. "Who is it that’s contacting me at this moment?"
He flicked his sleeve.
The void beside him produced ripples, soon showing the scene of a lakeside in a distant space. Qin Yun was standing there, looking over and smiling.
"Ah, Uncle-Master Qin." Yu Tong immediately stood up and smiled. "Uncle-Master Qin, I’m honored that you would think of me."
Although his Yu family had a decent background in the Numinous Treasure lineage, he still held Qin Yun in high regard! According to the news he had gathered, this Uncle-Master Qin Yun was capable of fighting Wuli Jiushou of the Skywolf world despite being a mere itinerant cultivator. At the very least, he had a combat strength that matched the sixth firmament Skyimmortal realm. And that was before he became a disciple of the Dao Ancestor!
Now that he had been recruited into Green Touring Palace, Yu Tong was certain that Qin Yun would soar.
He was likely to become an illustrious existence in the Effulgent dominion in less than a millennia! He was naturally very warm towards such an accomplished man.
"Sect Master Yu Tong, I do have to ask you for help," said Qin Yun.
"Uncle-Master Qin, what is it?" asked Yu Tong immediately. "As long as I can help you, I’ll definitely do my best."
"I need detailed intelligence on the experts in the Effulgent dominion," said Qin Yun. "I want those at the fourth or fifth Skyfiend realm as well."
"Intelligence?"
Yu Tong laughed. "That’s simple! I’m the head of a sect. I naturally have gathered such intelligence long ago."
With that said, Yu Tong flipped his hand as scrolls appeared in his palm. He flicked them, sending the scrolls tearing through the void and flying towards the distant Great Chang world using a void passageway. While that happened, Yu Tong added, "Uncle-Master Qin, some of this intelligence is new and some old. On the people that aren’t very famous, the intelligence is from thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. However, when it comes to those with greater fame we have the latest intelligence."
The scrolls were nonliving objects so sending them were very simple. Soon, they arrived in the hands of Qin Yun.
"That’s enough," said Qin Yun. "Thanks."
"It’s nothing," said Yu Tong with a jovial chuckle. "If there’s nothing else, I won’t disturb you any further."
Soon, the void ripples came to a close.
Yu Tong pondered and muttered to himself, "For him to request that kind of intelligence from me, is he planning to kill some Skyfiends so as to pass the tests of Green Touring Palace? That’s right. He already matched the sixth firmament Skyimmortal realm before he was taken in as a disciple."
******
Great Chang world, Grand Dominance Qin Manor. Beside the mirror lake.
Qin Yun unfurled the scrolls and swept through them with his Dharmic powers. Immediately, large amounts of information surged into his Essence Soul.
"I’ve found it. Hawk Fiend King Che Jie." Qin Yun nodded slightly. "Acquiring treasures from others causes us to be bound by karma! It’s now time to sever this karma."
Years ago, in order to gather the required treasures to seek Puqu Dragonlord’s help in saving Yi Xiao, he had gone to the Ancient Augury world in search of treasure.
In the Ancient Augury world...
Qin Yun had encountered the dead Skyimmortal Fang Rong in a cave abode.
Skyimmortal Fang Rong’s last words carried the implication of being bound by karma after receiving his treasures! He only had one request... He hoped that the person who found his treasure could help avenge him by killing Hawk Fiend King Che Jie when they had the absolute confidence to do so.
Fang Rong had left this request as his last will but he was not confident about it.
After all, his most precious item was only a medial-grade Numinous treasure. Even so, he required the person to travel across the Other Realm cosmos to kill the extremely powerful Hawk Fiend King Che Jie. This was indeed wishful thinking. After all, not everyone was like Green Touring Palace disciples who could easily head for any spot in the Three Realms. Back then, Qin Yun was still relatively weak and in desperate need of treasures. Since Fang Rong had mentioned that the revenge should only be sought with absolute confidence, Qin Yun did not hesitate to take the treasures and be bound by karma.
"Hawk Fiend King Che Jie, sixth firmament Skydemon. Most adept in escaping arts. I might have had a chance of defeating him if I had used all my strength in the past, but killing him would have been very difficult. After all, he is innately built for flying and he cultivates in a divine power called the Golden Wing Escape Art. Although it’s an ordinary escaping divine power, he has cultivated it to a profound level," thought Qin Yun. "But now, I am absolutely confident thanks to my Sword Dao breakthrough."
"Brother Yun." Yi Xiao walked over from afar and asked with a smile, "What are you looking at?"
"Some intelligence." Qin Yun smiled as he threw the scroll in his hand to his wife. "Take a look for yourself."
Yi Xiao extended her hand to grab it. When she unfurled it, she swept it with her Dharmic powers and also obtained the intelligence about most of the experts in the Effulgent dominion.
"Why did you get all this intelligence?" Yi Xiao looked at Qin Yun. "Do you plan on killing Skyfiends to pass the Green Touring Palace’s tests?"
"I do not have enough treasures to nurture my Intrinsic Flying Sword at the moment. I naturally need to pass the test to obtain the treasures Master left for us disciples," said Qin Yun with a smile. "This is also the very simple first round of tests. Senior Brother Zhang had to slay at least a seventh firmament Skyfiend before he passed the second round of tests to obtain the treasures in Star Cluster Hall."
Although Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure took in many disciples, he could not bestow all of them with copious amounts of treasures.
The stronger one was, the more treasures one could obtain.
Therefore there were three rounds of tests.
The first round was to slay Skyfiends or extremely vile figures. The targeted strength had to be at least the fourth firmament Skyfiend! In addition, at least three of those needed to be slain to pass the test.
Those that could reach the fourth firmament Skyfiend realm could typically reach the fifth or sixth firmament by cultivating for some time. They were all capable figures. Defeating them was easy but slaying them was rather difficult. Therefore, killing three would be even more difficult. For the Green Touring Palace disciples that were stuck at the sixth firmament Skyimmortal realm, they had to cultivate in potent divine powers or master extremely powerful Dharma spells to have any chance of doing so.
If not, they might end up losing their own lives instead of taking the enemy’s.
The second round of tests was similarly to slay Skyfiends or extremely vile figures. The targeted strength had to be at least the seventh firmament Skyfiend! Only one kill was needed.
This was even harder. At the very least, a seventh firmament Skyfiend... was considered a mighty expert in the Three Realms. They were also very good at life preservation.
Typically, if one could complete this task... it meant that they were cream of the crop among the ninth firmament Skyimmortals.
Ancestral Master Zhang had succeeded in doing so, passing the second round of tests, gaining him entry into the Star Cluster Hall to obtain treasures.
The third round of tests actually didn’t require killing enemies! Instead, one needed to attain the Golden Immortal Dao fruit. As long as one was cultivated to that point, their Master, Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure, would bestow them with great gifts. It was very common to be bestowed a Connate Numinous treasure.
And after that?
Their subsequent cultivation would all depend on themselves. Heavenly Lord of Numinous Treasure’s help would be limited at that point.
"Which three are you choosing?" asked Yi Xiao. "There is a lot of information here. Try to choose the easier ones."
"I’ve just chosen one. Hawk Fiend King Che Jie," said Qin Yun.
"Ah!" Yi Xiao could not help but say, "Why did you choose him? Although he is riddled with heinous sins, that is only considered normal among the numerous Skyfiends. Furthermore, his escape arts are formidable. Most importantly, he lives with an old tree demon. That old tree demon is also a sixth firmament Skydemon and has an extremely strong body. It would be difficult to deal with them if they join forces."
"It’s indeed not an easy target. However, I am bound by karma so I need to do it," said Qin Yun. "Besides, I’m confident."
"Why are you bound by karma?" asked Yi Xiao.
"Something that happened in the Ancient Augury world," said Qin Yun with a smile.
Yi Xiao’s eyes turned slightly red when she heard that. Qin Yun had gone there to save her. To quickly amass the required treasures, Qin Yun had risked his life to fight for treasures in the Ancient Augury world.
"Hawk Fiend King Che Jie and Old Tree Demon count as two targets. I still need another one," pondered Qin Yun.
Who should he kill?
"Choose a simple one. Fiendlord Baichan," said Yi Xiao.