The Nine Cauldrons

“The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal is one of the two great Martial Immortals in the Duanmu Continent!” Teng Qingshan looked at the entrance of the palace and thought to himself, “When I reach the Emptiness Realm and return to the Land of the Nine Prefectures, I would need to deal with experts like these!”

Teng Qingshan knew that whether it was in the Land of the Nine Prefectures or the Duanmu Continent, the ones who decided the fate of the continent and stood at the pinnacle were still the Emptiness Realm (Martial Immortal) Experts! The Duanmu Continent only had two Martial Immortals. Because there were so few Martial Immortals, the innate experts had very high statuses. As for the Land of the Nine Prefectures, one prefecture probably had the same number of Emptiness Realm Experts as the number of Martial Immortals in the entire Duanmu Continent.

Some prefectures, like Yuzhou, which was governed by Emperor Yu’s Hall, and Yongzhou, which was regulated by the Ying Family, probably had more Emptiness Realm Experts than the Duanmu Continent!

The Land of the Nine Prefectures had a significant number of Emptiness Realm Experts, all of whom were figures that stood at the pinnacle of the world!

“After I finish helping the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal complete this task and obtain those six stone inscriptions, I will be able to reach the Emptiness Realm.” Teng Qingshan planned secretly, “Even if the six stone inscriptions didn’t help me reach the Emptiness Realm, I would be very close to the Emptiness Realm!”

Teng Qingshan and the Whole Gale Eagle stood outside the entrance of the palace.

When the patrolling elite guards saw the Whole Gale Eagle, which was even taller than a human, they were astonished.

After a while—

“Brother Teng, come. Come in with me,” Great Elder Mu Wang said with a smile as he came out of the entrance.

“Little Grey, let’s go.”

Teng Qingshan patted the Whole Gale Eagle’s feathers, and the human and demonic beast stepped into the entrance of the palace at the same time.

“Old Brother Mu, where is the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal’s palace?” Teng Qingshan asked.

“It’s in front.” Great Elder Mu Wang laughed and said, “My instructor has an excellent temper. However, don’t act arrogantly in front of him, because he hates that kind of person the most. If my instructor hates someone, he might kill that person.”

“I am not that arrogant,” Teng Qingshan grinned.

Walking along the hallway of the main hall and passing by it, they arrived at a spacious garden at the back.

The floor of the garden was paved with slabs of azure rock, appearing very organized. A carpet covered one of the azure rock slabs, and a table was placed on top of the carpet. An elder wearing a snowy white leather coat and a felt hat sat cross-legged on the carpet. A jug of wine and two wine cups were placed on the table before him.

Beside the table was a sheathed massive war blade. Some weird engravings could be seen on the sheath, and the image of a wolf head could be seen on the handle of the blade.

“Instructor!” Mu Wang greeted respectfully.

“Teng Qingshan pays respect to senior,” Teng Qingshan said in a respectful manner.

“Oh, the fellow named Teng Qingshan has arrived?” A very friendly voice sounded. The silver-haired, white-bearded elder looked at Teng Qingshan with a face full of smiles. He then flicked a glance at the Whole Gale Eagle by Teng Qingshan’s side, and the smile on his face became even brighter. He immediately instructed, “Yes. Mu Wang, you should go back first. Let me chat with this young fellow.”

“Yes, instructor.” Mu Wang departed while showing respect.

Teng Qingshan only began scrutinizing the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal at that moment.

The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal appeared to be a very affable and kind old man. He looked very similar to his grandfather Teng Yunlong. His grandfather and this Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal both had a tough and stocky build, and both of them always appeared to be very amiable when they laughed. Looking at the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal, Teng Qingshan couldn’t perceive any differences between the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal and an ordinary person.

“Sit,” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal pointed in front of him.

“Yes.” Teng Qingshan walked forward and sat down cross-legged.

As cultivators often sat cross-legged while they cultivate, they were accustomed to not using any chairs.

“Teng Qingshan. If you don’t mind, I will call you Qingshan,” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal said with a smile.

Teng Qingshan smiled.

“Qingshan, I, an old man, asked you here because I need your help with something.” As the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal spoke, he glanced at the Whole Gale Eagle and praised, “According to my information, you should have another bird type demonic beast that can spurt flames. I didn’t expect you to bring this one here! Awesome! I don’t even have one bird type demonic beast.”

“I was lucky,” Teng Qingshan smiled and said.

“Yes. Looking at your eyes, you should still be very young. You haven’t reached the age of 60, have you?” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal asked.

Teng Qingshan was surprised.

Innate Experts were experts with powerful ‘Spirit.’ As for the Emptiness Realm Experts, they comprehended the Dao of the Heaven. The eyes of a young person and the eyes of an old man were entirely different. Although judging the age through the eyes...was not very accurate., the judgments of Emptiness Realm Experts were rather accurate!

“The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal is undoubtedly powerful. In my previous life, I died when I was almost 30, and, in this life, I turned 20 this year. He guessed that I haven’t reached the age of 60...” Teng Qingshan secretly exclaimed in admiration.

“Yes, I haven’t reached sixty years old,” Teng Qingshan nodded.

The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal nodded, and he exclaimed in admiration, “Mu Wang is the most outstanding child in the Mu Clan in the last two centuries! Now, he is very close to stepping into the Emptiness Realm and becoming a Martial Immortal! However, he is over one hundred and thirty years old. You are not even half his age, yet you attained a higher achievement than him. Amazing!”

Teng Qingshan froze.

Stepping into the Emptiness Realm and becoming a Martial Immortal?

It looked like Duanmu Continent also had the term ‘Emptiness Realm!’

“Come, Qingshan. Let’s test out each other’s fighting techniques.” With that being said, the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal stood up.

“Test out each other’s fighting techniques?” Teng Qingshan was shocked, and he hastily said, “Senior, you and I spar?” As Teng Qingshan himself hadn’t reached the Emptiness Realm, in his opinion, sparring with an Emptiness Realm Expert would just result in him being bullied.

“I was just asking to test out our fighting techniques. What are you worried about? Perhaps, you are worried that I, the old man, might take this chance and kill you?” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal frowned and said discontentedly. Immediately, Teng Qingshan felt as if a great mountain was pressing towards him.

Teng Qingshan laughed and untied the sheath on his back. Simultaneously, he said, “Since senior is willing to instruct this young one personally, of course I would take the chance.”

“Alright. That’s more like it!” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal laughed.

“Chichi~~” Teng Qingshan connected the two sections of the spear into one and threw the sheath beside the table. With the movement of his feet, he instantly darted ten zhang back, leaving an afterimage. He then stood with his spear in hand and looked at the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal with a smile, “All the skills of this young one are related to this spear. Senior, please instruct me.”

Teng Qingshan felt a sense of pride.

So many years have passed, and Teng Qingshan had never sparred with an Emptiness Realm Expert! In the past, he had met the God of Heaven in the God of Heaven Mountain, but just the eyes of the God of Heaven were able to affect Teng Qingshan. When he was in the God of Heaven Mountain, he only sparred with the disciple of the God of Heaven, First Godly General Borileimu.

The Emptiness Realm was reputed to be the highest cultivation realm in the legends. Whether it was in the Land of the Nine Prefectures or the Duanmu Continent, Emptiness Realm Experts were always the existences at the pinnacle of the world.

“Today, I will finally know how powerful an Emptiness Realm Expert really is!” Teng Qingshan’s mental state reached its most focused state.

“Haha, not bad.”

The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal laughed as he stood with his hands folded. He then looked at Teng Qingshan with a smile, “Attack with your strongest technique!”

Whew!

Teng Qingshan’s eyes narrowed. The amiable and kind Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal seemed to have transformed from the amiable and friendly senior or the seemingly ordinary elder into a sharp war blade! The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal’s entire body permeated a faint aura of a blade, and there were even faint flashes of the blade around the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal.

His eyes weren’t blurry; it was the truth!

“Senior, be careful.” As Teng Qingshan focused his eyes, a beam of light shot out of them.

Whoosh~~Whoosh~~

Teng Qingshan moved like a mud fish in water. His body flashed as he continued advancing, moving in a strange way. Within the blink of an eye, the distance between him and the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal shortened from ten Zhangs to two Zhangs. Simultaneously, a layer of aqua blue battle armor enveloped his entire body, and an aqua blue Supreme Force twirled on the Reincarnation Spear in his hand.

“Chi~~” Teng Qingshan’s right arm bulged, filling out his sleeve. The Reincarnation Spear seemed to have transformed into a huge snake flicking its tongue out. The Reincarnation Spear also resembled a flood dragon that had just dashed out of its cave!

It was as if the head of a dragon dashed out!

Chi!

The Reincarnation Spear tore the air apart instantly. As Teng Qingshan exerted force during the last moment, the Reincarnation Spear rotated like a python and struck like a pointed hammer that drilled and cracked the heavens and earth. Accompanied by an ear-piercing, unpleasant buzzing sound, the tip of the Reincarnation Spear, which was forged with the Ten Millennium Coldsteel, pierced towards the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal!

The combination of his physical strength and the Supreme Force produced an enormous explosive force of one million six hundred thousand jin.

Toxic Dragon Drill, one of the Five Elemental Spear Arts!

With a stern expression, the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal moved his right hand at lightning speed, swinging the knife-hand forward!

TLN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knifehand_strike

“Clang!”

On the surface of the knife-hand, the silhouette of an enormous blade appeared out of nowhere and instantly slashed down on the Reincarnation Spear.

“Eh?” Teng Qingshan only felt that great force. The spear shaft transmitted a terrifying force that seemed like the inundation of a great flood. In front of that power, the power that Teng Qingshan himself was very proud of was like a joke. Due to the power of the slash, Teng Qingshan flew away and made a deep engravings on the azure rock slabs.

Pieces of azure rocks flew in all directions, leaving holes in the palace wall. Some rather big pieces even knocked the wall down, and rumbling sounds could repeatedly be heard.

“Quick, quick! This way!”

A great amount of footsteps could be heard approaching rapidly.

“Leave.” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal frowned and said coldly.

“Leave!” “Leave!” “Leave!” .....

The sound echoed, and immediately azure figures emerged at lightning speed into the palace, where the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal was located. They immediately scolded those meddlesome elite guards, causing them to leave, and then they quickly returned to their palace after that. The azure colored figures didn’t dare to disturb the Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal.

The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal and Teng Qingshan were the only two left in the garden.

“Whew. Very powerful.” Teng Qingshan stood up. The layer of aqua blue colored Supreme Force that enveloped Teng Qingshan’s body vibrated slightly as Teng Qingshan leaped out of the deep hole.

“Emptiness Realm Experts are indeed Emptiness Realm Experts. They don’t even need to use any weapons against me. Just a use of the knife-hand was able to produce a terrifying power that could blast me away. I don’t even have enough power to to be able to resist against him.” Teng Qingshan could totally perceive that shocking difference.

“I first performed my Toxic Dragon Drill, and he defended after I moved. He has surpassed me in both speed and power.” Teng Qingshan wholeheartedly accepted his defeat.

Teng Qingshan withdrew the Supreme Force that enveloped his body and cupped his hands as he said, “Senior, this young one has lost.”

“Qingshan, you have deceived Mu Wang for a long time.” The Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal laughed and said as he strode towards Teng Qingshan, “Mu Wang thought you were a Golden Dan Innate Expert. When he told me, I thought to myself that the person who could defeat Mu Wang must be an Emptiness Realm Expert since Mu Wang’s understanding of the Dao has reached an extremely high level and is only one step away from reaching the Emptiness Realm.”

“Now that I have seen it today! As expected! Qingshan, you must have just reached the Emptiness Realm. I didn’t expect that there would be three Martial Immortals in our Duanmu Continent,” Dreamy Cloud Martial Immortal laughed and said.