The Nine Cauldrons

Even if he were to be discovered by the people from Tie Yi Hall, they would not know that he was Teng Qingshan...If someone was to tell them directly that the person was Teng Qingshan, the people from Tie Yi Hall may not believe it!

“Not even a trace!” Wei Canglong and the other men from Tie Yi Hall continued their endless search. After spending over two hours, with the speed of these experts, they were about to reach the summit.

“Martial Brother, the summit is right in front. If it is still not at the summit, what shall we do?” Wei Canglong asked in a panic.

Deng Geng raised his head and looked towards the summit. Clenching his teeth, he replied, “Ever since our founding father created the Tie Yi Hall and eventually passed away, an order was passed down for all future generations of the sect to search for this treasure map! In the past thousand-plus years, the many generations of our Tie Yi Hall’s disciples have never given up. Everyone, put in more effort. This is the biggest chance for our Tie Yi Hall to get the treasure map!”

“Mmm.”

Everyone started to feel heated up after hearing these words.

For over a thousand years, Tie Yi Hall really had never given up on looking for this treasure map. In fact, it wasn’t just Tie Yi Hall. There were also experts from other sects across the world looking for it.

“Once we get that treasure map, within tens of years, our Tie Yi Hall will definitely be able to suppress the Gui Yuan Sect and Qing Hu Island, thereby becoming the first sect in Yangzhou and be known as one of the eight major sects!”

“Yes, we’ll definitely be able to find it!”

These few men all opened their eyes big, solemnly searching for it.

......

“Looking for a treasure map? Surpass the Gui Yuan Sect and Qing Hu Island?” Teng Qingshan was astonished when he heard this. “For a sect to dominate a prefecture, they would need a big number of experts or tens of innate masters! With this, only then would they be able to dominate a prefecture! However, from what they said...”

“They just need to rely on merely a treasure map! What secret does this treasure map hide?” Teng Qingshan did not understand.

One treasure map alone would allow Tie Yi Hall dominate the whole Yangzhou within tens of years?

What secret did that treasure map contain?

“In addition, this Tie Yi Hall...ever since their founding father established the Tie Yi Hall, they had never given up on their search.” Teng Qingshan deducted that this treasure map had existed for over a thousand year. Moreover, it also hid an alarming secret. If not, would it lead a sect to search for it without giving up over a thousand years?

What secret?

What treasure map?

“This time, I caught a big fish.” A smile broke out on Teng Qingshan’s face, and he quietly followed behind them.

Tie Yi Hall’s five men searched on their way, but eventually still reached the summit. The summit of the mountain was the only place they had yet to search.

“If we still can’t find it at the summit of the mountain, it’ll be troublesome.” Wei Canglong and the other four arrived at the summit.

“Find it. Search every nook and cranny of the summit! We must find it!” Deng Geng hollered with a solemn face. Obviously he was not able to remain calm anymore. Actually, what he had shared with his subordinates was only a small part of this secret. As for the complete secret, it was only known to Tie Yi Hall’s innate masters.

All the more because he knew of this secret, Deng Geng wanted that treasure map even more!

......

Since there were few human traces over the past years, the summit was covered with weeds and thistles.

“Stone house!”

“Martial Brother, take a look at that stone house over there.” Wei Canglong and the others were overjoyed. Towards the northern side of the summit, there were three stone houses. However, plants and vines had grown all over the stone houses, the walls were filled with moss, and the stones had started to crack. It was obvious that they had been desolate for many years.

At the front of these three stone houses, there was a vast lake with more than ten Zhang wide.

“Martial Uncle, there’s a big crater on this summit. Look, there are many deep trenches.” The men from Tie Yi Hall noted some unique traces on the summit.

The big crater seemed as if a giant had smashed down with a sledgehammer. The deep trences were very long and very messy.

Deng Geng took a closer look, and a smile broke out on his face. “Its obvious the marks were left behind when two innate masters fought. Moreover...these two person were both very strong. One of them used a sledgehammer or fist as his weapon while the other should have used a sword! If my guess is correct, this big crater should have been left behind by the fist of Senior Wei Dan, while those trenches should have been left behind by a sword user.”

The other men also nodded in agreement.

“These big craters and ravines were merely the destruction caused by the Innate True Origin emitted by the two seniors!” Deng Geng said confidently. “To be able to let these two experts use their Innate True Origin uncontrollably, these two people...must have had a battle to the death!” Deng Geng was also an innate master. He was very clear on Wei Dan’s abilities!

An innate Golden Dan expert would use his Innate True Origin with reservations in each of his skill and technique...

Unless he came across a formidable opponent. He would then be unable to control his power in a fight to the death.

“Everyone search quickly. Search the inside of all the houses carefully and the surrounding areas as well. Don’t be in a hurry to look for the treasure map, but rather find the bone remains first!” Deng Geng said and dashed into a stone house. The others also dashed towards the various parts of the summit.

......

Teng Qingshan hid tens of Zhang away at the bottom of the hill and could only rely on his sense of hearing. With that, he was able to distinguish what those people were up to.

After quite some time, Teng Qingshan perked his ears as he could feel that the footsteps were gathering together.

“Martial Brother, there’s nothing here to find.”

“Martial Uncle, we did not find anything either.”

“We have combed the surrounding area. Martial Brother, what do we do now?”

Obviously, Deng Geng stayed silent and after a long period of silence, he suddenly said, “Look, over there!”

“The bottom of the lake?”

“Right, there’s only the bottom of the lake where we have yet to search on this summit. Everyone, go in and search carefully. Human bones are the easiest to find. After finding the bones, it will be easy to locate the treasure map.” Deng Geng instructed. “Don’t be taking your own sweet time. Go, enter the water.” The voice was still resounding when Teng Qingshan heard a ‘splash’ sound.

“Splash! Splash! ...”

There were five consecutive splashes in the water.

Teng Qingshan smiled. “Seems like all of them went to the bottom of the lake.” Like a ferret, he ascended with much nimbleness. In the blink of an eye, he reached the boundary of the summit. Teng Qingshan hid at the side where it was covered in vines and thistles, looking towards the lake far away. There, he quietly waited.

“Pfft!” After a short while, someone emerged from the water, took two breaths, and submerged again.

“His ability to hold his breath is too lacking.” Teng Qingshan shook his head to himself. “Experts in the Postliminary Realm are merely strong in inner strength. Their organs are mediocre. In addition, the pores on their skin are unable to take in air, and thus they wouldn’t be able to hang on for very long. On the other hand, Innate masters can use their Innate True Origin to create a protective layer containing air and can last for much longer.”

Amongst the five men from Tie Yi Hall, the four experts from the Postliminary Realm lingered on at the bottom of the lake for a while before needing to come up to get air. Innate master ‘Deng Geng’, however, constantly remained underwater.

“Boom.” Wei Canglong emerged from the water holding on to a set of bones and shouted in surprise. “I found it, I found it!” His voice resounded in the air at the summit.

“Pu!” “Pu!” “Pu!” “Pu!”

The other four men almost simultaneously emerged from the water. Deng Geng quickly said, “Everyone, get on land.”

Teng Qingshan lowered his head and observed carefully.

Once the five men from Tie Yi Hall were on the land, they gathered around that set of of bones. Even from far away, Teng Qingshan could also tell with one glance that the skeleton was wearing a pair of purple-colored gloves.

“Five fingers are thick and strong. Even after so many years have passed, other than two broken bones at the chest, there was no other damages to the skeleton...definitely an innate master. Moreover, he is still wearing the gloves in his hands. He should be the renowned ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’ from centuries ago!” Deng Geng said.

The other people also nodded in agreement. “Senior Wei Dan had used his hands to kill. The weapon ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’ was his unique skill.”

“Seems like someone killed Senior Wei Dan. Looking at his chest area, he should have received a fatal blow at his chest and died.” Wei Canglong added.

“It’s probably related the the battle marks in the surroundings.” Deng Geng shook his head. “I thought that Senior Wei Dan had died of old age. Who would have thought that he was killed by someone else! However...the other party did not take this ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’. He was probably an extreme expert who did not care for this ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’. You guys keep ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’ carefully. We’ll bring this back when we return to Tie Yi Hall. This is a profound weapon.” Deng Geng instructed.

“Yes.” The others accepted the order.

“Martial Brother, what about the treasure map?” The others did not find any treasure map on this skeleton.

“Hundreds of years have passed. Having seeped in the water, Senior Wei Dan’s clothes had long decomposed, but it is impossible for the treasure map to decompose. It would have either been taken away by that expert swordsman or washed away to other parts at the bottom of the lake by the currents.” Deng Geng immediately stood up. “The two of you, stay here. The other two, follow me into the water and continue the search for the treasure map.”

“Yes.”

The two who stayed on the surface were Wei Canglong and a single-armed middle-aged man. The other three men progressively entered the water once again.

“Martial Uncle, look at the small item Senior Wei Dan was wearing at his chest.” The single-armed middle-aged man took out the hidden pendant from the skeleton’s chest area. Wei Canglong threw a glance at it and smiled, “To think that Senior Wei Dan liked to wear such pendants. It must be some family heirloom or something with special significance. Stop looking at that pendant, take a look at this ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’. It truly is a wonderful divine weapon.”

Saying this, Wei Canglong took out the pair of purple ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’ gloves, put it on his hands, and clawed towards the ground.

“Chi!” “Chi!”

The rocks on the surface of the summit were easily clawed as if they were mud.

“It indeed is a worthy weapon for an innate Golden Dan expert. It really is incredible. I don’t even know what material this is made from.” Wei Canglong exclaimed. The single-armed middle-aged man also put that pendant aside and focus on the divine weapon ‘Heavenly Hawk Claws’.

......

Squatting in the far distance, Teng Qingshan was originally observing calmly, but when his gaze landed on that pendant, his eyes almost popped out.

With Teng Qingshan’s vision, he could clearly see that the pendant was a small black cauldron the size of a finger!

“This small cauldron....” Teng Qingshan felt his heart pounding. It was as if his brain had been fried by electricity. “It looks exactly the same as the small cauldron Cat left for me!” After Cat died, Teng Qingshan had treated the small cauldron as a treasure, wearing it daily. However, ever since he died and came to the world of the Nine Prefectures...

The small cauldron, existed only as a small memory. He did not think that he would be able to see something that looked exactly the same!

“Do it!” Teng Qingshan squinted his eyes, tapped his foot once, and immediately dashed out quietly, his two hands each grasping onto a flying knife that gleamed with cold light!