Rare Divine Relic

At last, the day of departure arrived. Wang Xuan came early to the familiar estate on the outskirts of An City. Once everyone had gathered, they would set out from here.

"Are you going to wear a Realistic Human Skin Mask?" Qing Mu asked him.

Wang Xuan nodded. At this stage, he still could not completely defend against energy guns, specialized bullets, and the like. If he could keep a low profile, he would do so.

"This isn't the old era anymore. Everyone's movements leave traces behind. If someone truly wants to investigate a person, they'll dig up clues sooner or later."

Qing Mu told him that no matter how careful and cautious he was, his true identity could not remain hidden forever. It would be exposed eventually.

Wang Xuan naturally understood. But what he needed was precisely this period of respite. Once he trained the Golden Body Art to the seventh or eighth level, he would have confidence. By then, ordinary firearms probably would no longer be able to kill him.

"Where are we going this time?" Wang Xuan asked.

"Originally, we were going to the moon or Mars. But considering how hostile they are toward Old Arts this time, it's safer to stay on Old Earth."

After all, once they ventured deep into space, no one could predict what might happen if things went wrong. And mecha experts would clearly hold a tremendous advantage.

In the end, the location was chosen to be the Congling Mountains on Old Earth.

Old Chen arrived. His short, dense silver hair gleamed brightly, and his entire bearing had changed. His eyes were sharp as blades, faintly stabbing at others like steel needles.

If he had not spoken, Wang Xuan would scarcely have been sure this was Old Chen. Compared with his usual calm composure, he seemed like an entirely different person.

Especially after he put on an icy Silver Mask, he became completely unrecognizable. It was impossible to connect him with the gentle old colleague he usually was.

Old Chen nodded to Qing Mu and Wang Xuan without saying anything, then went to rest in a quiet room. He was deep, still, and immovable as a mountain.

The Realistic Human Skin Mask Wang Xuan had chosen this time had the face of a typical young East Asian man—vigorous, youthful, and brimming with vitality.

He had heard Qing Mu say that their opponents included every kind of ethnicity, crossing racial lines and coming from different organizations and alliances. That was why he had deliberately selected this mask.

"Time to go." Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window, Qing Mu saw a large silver-gray spacecraft emerge from the End of the Sky. It slowed down and landed on the large airfield behind the estate.

They were members of the Wu Family. An important figure had arrived to travel with them and accompany Old Chen to the Congling Mountains—naturally, also to witness a fierce showdown.

No matter how one looked at it, at such a critical juncture, with the future unclear and perhaps even bleak, the Wu Family had still come and taken responsibility for delivering Old Chen there. That was enough to demonstrate their sincerity.

Wang Xuan knew that the Wu Family had run into some trouble, and it seemed that only practitioners of Old Arts could help them. He found that difficult to understand.

"Only the three of us?" Wang Xuan was surprised. Apart from him, Old Chen, and Qing Mu, no one else was accompanying them.

"The three of us are enough. Mainly, it'll be my master taking action." Qing Mu was in a heavy mood. Looking at his master's back, he did not feel confident.

He added that masters of Old Arts from elsewhere would also be heading over and would meet up in the Congling Mountains. At the same time, the Relevant Department of Old Earth would be there as well, both to lend its endorsement and to deter others.

Wu Chenglin personally came out to welcome Old Chen, treating him with considerable courtesy and respect.

Wu Yin followed Old Wu's side. Her dress was appropriate, her figure exceptional, and a soft, faintly sweet smile rested on her fair, beautiful face. After showing Old Chen respect, she warmly greeted Qing Mu and Wang Xuan as well.

Wang Xuan was surprised. Da Wu actually had a side like this? Apparently, she treated different people differently. Every time he had met her, he had experienced her terrible temper.

"This is..." Wu Yin smiled. She stood slender and graceful, her fair skin glossy, her manners polite without losing their gentle grace.

"He is Wang Xiao," Qing Mu introduced.

"You can call me Little Wang." Wang Xuan's voice carried a magnetic quality. There was no helping it—after altering his voice, this tone sounded the most natural while still being fairly pleasant.

Wu Yin's smile did not fade, but she felt somewhat strange inside, even displeased. Hearing the words Little Wang gave her other associations.

For example, Wang Xuan, who had recently made her burn with rage, seemed to be frequently called Old Wang by Qin Cheng and the others familiar with him.

Yet in her view, the man before her had pure, clear, spirited eyes. He was thoroughly sunny, and his smile was unexpectedly brilliant. No matter how she looked at him, he was better than that Wang Xuan.

If Wang Xuan knew what she was thinking, he would surely sigh that preconceived bias was truly frightening. It could influence a person's sense of beauty and judgment.

He felt that this face was somewhat inferior to his real one.

"Little Wang is remarkable. Don't be fooled by his youth—he's extremely talented in Old Arts. Even now, I might not be his match."

Qing Mu spoke with considerable emotion. This time, there was no exaggeration in his words. His melancholy was undisguised; his own path was nearly at its end.

Wu Yin was startled. This young man, barely in his twenties, was actually so formidable? That was simply too astonishing!

In this age, Old Arts had declined. Few young people could settle down and study them, and even if they possessed some skill, it should not have been outrageously high. Their age was there for all to see.

Could this be a second Chen Yongjie? She was deeply shocked. Even if the young man before her could not compare with Old Chen in his youth, he was probably not much weaker.

Many people knew that Old Chen had begun practicing Old Arts from childhood. He had advanced by leaps and bounds all the way, already gaining quite a reputation in his twenties.

Wu Yin immediately took him seriously. This time, her family was cooperating with an Exploration Organization precisely to invite some masters of Old Arts over.

Even if they could not persuade Old Chen, they still had to invite several relatively famous masters of Old Arts. Little Wang was so young that he was absolutely worth going all out to recruit.

At the same time, Wu Yin had other ideas. If she could recruit Little Wang into the family's Exploration Organization and make him one of their own, then have him teach that other utterly vile Wang Xuan a lesson, it would certainly be quite a spectacle.

Without question, the conversation along the way was harmonious and pleasant.

Wu Yin had an upright, supple, elegant figure. She showed Wang Xuan around the spacecraft, and after they sat down, her words flowed like pearls from a jade plate. She was remarkably talkative. Even after Qing Mu left to accompany Old Chen, leaving only her and Wang Xuan, the conversation never went cold.

Wang Xuan turned to look at her. She wore light makeup, and her face was exquisite and beautiful. Her nose bridge was high, her red lips crystal-bright and lustrous, her voice gentle, and her mind exceptionally quick. She was sexy without losing her intellectual charm.

He suspected they had switched people. Did Da Wu have a twin sister? Whether in bearing or in how she treated others, the Wu Yin before him was entirely different.

"People really are different. Little Wang, you're so modest. You're obviously very strong, yet you keep such a low profile. That's truly rare—not like some people your age..." Wu Yin shook her head as she spoke.

The moment Wang Xuan heard that, he knew she was laying the groundwork. But she understood conversational tactics well. This time, she merely touched on it and did not say much more. He guessed that when they met again in the future, she would keep slipping in barbed remarks.

He grumbled inwardly. Da Wu, you really have no sense of decency. Don't tell me you're thinking of making me beat myself up later?!

Though the Congling Mountains were far away, the spacecraft was extremely fast. Even traveling at low speed, they arrived quickly.

This was a plateau with an average elevation above 4,500 meters. Many of its mountains were spectacular, reaching over 6,000 meters.

The Congling Mountains had been an essential passage along the ancient Silk Road, and in later generations they were also called the Pamir Plateau.

The elevation was too high, especially in late autumn. The entire plateau was grayish-brown, its grasses and trees long withered. The natural conditions were harsh.

Many spacecraft had already landed in an open area. Small warships stood atop some peaks, while more vessels hovered in the air without descending.

Wang Xuan realized that all parties had come prepared for this gathering, lest someone use a large warship to cut off their escape route. They were checking and balancing one another.

Moreover, the Relevant Department of Old Earth had come as well—not only to offer endorsement and deterrence, but because this matter involved a treasure from historical legend that had only recently been unearthed.

Wu Yin said softly, "Marquis Sui's Pearl. This isn't one of those illusory objects with no substance. It's recorded in the history books, ranked alongside He Shi Bi as one of the two most famous treasures of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods."

Wang Xuan naturally knew about this dispute as well. Some wanted to take Marquis Sui's Pearl away, while others wanted to stop them. In the end, they had gathered in the Congling Mountains to see how the matter would be resolved.

Old Chen had privately told him that the pearl had been obtained when Pre-Qin Daoist practitioners slew a dragon. Legend said it was engraved with densely packed scriptures and was a rare divine relic.

But he was not certain whether this Marquis Sui's Pearl was real. After all, such pearls had surfaced from time to time throughout the ages, only to be discovered as counterfeits.

Wu Yin carried a faint fragrance as she stood beside Wang Xuan. They had both long since disembarked from the spacecraft and were looking towards the distant chain of mountains.

The moment Old Chen came down, a crowd went up to greet him. Whether they were rivals or old friends he had not seen in years, all of them took him seriously and did not dare act too casually.

Of course, that was the majority. Some reacted coldly and remained standing in the distance without taking a single step.

"Mr. Chen!" someone shouted loudly as he rapidly approached. From the voice, it was a man. He wore a small humanoid mecha nearly three meters tall. Each step landed heavily and powerfully, carrying a certain oppressive force.

"I grew up listening to Mr. Chen's stories and have always admired you greatly. But Mr. Chen has not taken action for many years, and now you're nearly sixty. Can you still fight? Those who practice Old Arts begin going downhill at this age, their blood and vitality gradually withering. For safety's sake, I feel I should first test Elder Chen's physical condition, to avoid an accident when he truly takes the field later and a bloody tragedy occurs."

In an instant, the entire open ground fell silent. Quite a few people had not expected someone to put on such a performance right away.

Qing Mu flew into a rage on the spot. As expected, some had come to this meeting filled with malicious intent. They had only just gotten off the spacecraft, and some unknown mecha warrior had come to provoke them. Who was this supposed to impress?!

Who could fail to understand what was going on? This was nothing more than deliberately disgusting Old Chen and making things difficult for those who practiced Old Arts.

The other side knew this was not clever, even somewhat despicable, yet they had arranged it anyway. Simple and crude, it was aimed directly at Old Chen—a serious provocation.

And in Qing Mu's eyes, it was also an insult to his master. Old Chen was so famous, yet just anyone could step forward and stir up trouble like this. It was going too far.

In fact, even among those who did not get along with Old Chen and belonged to different camps, many were dissatisfied. Their faces darkened as they felt this had crossed the line.

Among the mecha, Gene Battle Body, and New Arts factions, quite a few people stepped forward and loudly rebuked him, saying this had gone too far.

Old Chen waved a hand, signaling Qing Mu to step back, then walked directly over. Just as directly, he said, "Fine. Come test my condition."

"Fine. Out of respect for the elderly, I won't use thermal weapons." With a clang, the mecha warrior drew a greatsword nearly two meters long. As he broke into a run, the ground trembled beneath him. When he closed in, he violently swung the greatsword in his hand, and a snow-bright gleam slashed through the air, dazzling as lightning.

Old Chen did not move at first. Only when the man drew close and swung his sword did he sidestep out of the way, then surge forward at extreme speed. With a bang, he struck the mecha warrior's chest with a single palm.

Crack!

A terrifying sound rang out. Electric sparks flickered across the mecha as dense cracks appeared, then with another bang, it shattered and scattered across the ground.

A mixed-race man around thirty fell out from inside, his mouth full of bloody froth. He hit the ground with a bang and did not move again.

"This..." Wang Xuan was dumbfounded, scarcely able to believe it. Old Chen had actually smashed a mecha apart with his bare hands. It was far beyond anything he had expected!

The scene was deathly silent. Many people's pupils contracted!

"I haven't taken action in ten years. Many people have forgotten me." Old Chen spoke coldly. With his dense silver short hair and the same icy silver-white mask, he stood there and swept his gaze across the surroundings. Wherever his eyes fell, many people did not dare meet them.