God-Shocking Token

The black-robed figure stood in the alley, and seeing Su Qingyang's move just now, trembled in mind and spirit.

"H-how could he be this terrifying? Just who is this man?"

He could no longer speak. His whole body had frozen in place.

Blackheart Old Man had been an Innate Warrior who had bloomed a Qi Flower, yet this young man had punched him into a mist of blood as though he were an ant.

Could this man be an Innate Warrior who had perfected Three Flowers Crown the Summit?

Across from him, Su Qingyang, who had been toying with the silver star, seemed to sense something. His figure flashed, and when he reappeared, he was already standing before the black-robed figure.

Su Qingyang narrowed his eyes and looked at the black-robed figure with faint hostility. "I told you to stay quietly on the rooftop. It seems you didn't take it in."

As he spoke, one hand swept out. In an instant, it seemed to blot out the sky and cover the earth, clearly intending to slap the figure to death.

At the brink of life and death, the black-robed figure was scared out of their wits. Inner force surged through their body to its utmost limit, while every muscle bulged and their strength erupted without reservation.

Then...

With movements as smooth as flowing clouds and running water, they dropped to their knees, wrapped both arms around Su Qingyang's thigh.

"My lord, I've been wronged! That old Blackheart devil is ruthless and full of schemes. I was truly worried you might fall for his tricks, so I dared to follow and see what was happening."

A dignified Innate Expert was actually clutching Su Qingyang's thigh, crying and pleading through snot and tears.

Even Su Qingyang fell silent.

Then, with some disgust, he kicked her aside.

The broad hood of the black robe fell away, revealing the pale face of a female cultivator. Her features were delicate and gentle, like a small household's sheltered daughter, and she was quite lovely.

Unfortunately, her skin was deathly white and she radiated a heavy air of decay, like a walking corpse that had not seen sunlight in years.

Su Qingyang gave her an indifferent glance. "Get up. Tell me who you are."

Ning Qingqing hurriedly dusted off her clothes and stood straight with restraint. Raising a hand, she pulled her hood back up, hiding most of her face in shadow. With her head bowed and brows lowered, she looked like someone nervously admitting her mistake.

"Please forgive me, my lord. This junior is from the Fengtian Ning Clan."

"The Fengtian Ning Clan... Are you one of the Heavenly Mandate Guard?"

Su Qingyang frowned slightly.

Great Jin had three major organizations of force tasked with guarding the realm. Six Doors pursued criminals and made arrests, the Secret Bureau investigated hidden intelligence, while the Heavenly Mandate Guard was the most unusual—

It had been formed from the elite of the Thirty-Six Tiangang Houses that had followed the founding ancestor in establishing the nation, and answered directly to the emperor,

Specializing in handling major cases that Six Doors and the Secret Bureau could not settle.

The Thirty-Six Tiangang Houses were deeply bound to Great Jin, sharing in glory and ruin alike. They were extraordinarily loyal and deeply trusted by the Jin Emperor.

Over time, they came to be known as the Fengtian Aristocratic Houses!

"No, my lord." Ning Qingqing shook her head faintly, her voice weak.

"I come from the Fengtian Ning Clan, but I am not a member of the Heavenly Mandate Guard. The Heavenly Mandate Guard's selection is extremely strict. It isn't somewhere one can enter just because one wishes to."

Su Qingyang nodded slightly. "I see... Interesting..."

He then slowly raised his right hand, revealing the silver star within it, and said slowly,

"You fought to the death for this just now. Tell me, what exactly is this star?"

In his view, even if Ning Qingqing was not part of the Heavenly Mandate Guard, she came from one of the Fengtian Aristocratic Houses and should have seen quite a few valuable things.

Yet she had cared tremendously about this star.

Now that it had fallen into Su Qingyang's hands, he naturally wanted to find out what this thing was.

Hearing Su Qingyang's question, Ning Qingqing was slightly stunned. Looking at the silver star in his hand, her expression grew complicated.

After a moment, she lowered her head respectfully and replied, "This silver star represents a qualification. It may be called... the God-Shocking Token!"

"God-Shocking Token!"

Su Qingyang's gaze flickered. What an imposing name!

What kind of qualification could bear the name "God-Shocking"?

"Yes, my lord. To be precise, the God-Shocking Token is an admission ticket to a secret realm! To enter that secret realm, one must possess a God-Shocking Token."

"What secret realm?" Su Qingyang asked, rather curious.

"I don't know."

Yet Ning Qingqing shook her head slightly and gave such an answer.

"You don't know? You fought tooth and nail over this God-Shocking Token without even knowing?"

Su Qingyang frowned, clearly unconvinced.

"My lord, I have not concealed anything. I truly don't know." Ning Qingqing jumped in fright, her voice becoming even weaker.

"In the past, God-Shocking Tokens were basically circulated only among Innate Warriors at the Three Flowers Crown the Summit level. Their appearances in the world followed no pattern. At any unknown time, one might simply appear out of thin air somewhere. Ordinary martial artists did not even qualify to hear of these tokens."

"Even Martial Dao Grandmasters have personally investigated, seeking to wipe out the source, but ultimately returned empty-handed."

"But... as long as one possesses a God-Shocking Token, one is permitted to enter that secret realm."

"As for what lies within the secret realm, no one can say. Yet it has indeed made countless martial artists flock toward it like ducks..."

"Because any martial artist qualified to enter the secret realm would greatly advance in strength upon returning and reap tremendous rewards... More importantly, rumor has it that the secret realm contains an opportunity for Innate Warriors at perfection to break through and become Martial Dao Grandmasters."

"And for that very reason, every appearance of a God-Shocking Token sparks a small-scale storm of blood and slaughter!"

When speaking of the secret realm's opportunity, a glimmer of light and longing flashed in Ning Qingqing's eyes, and even her tone was filled with amazement.

Su Qingyang's heart stirred slightly as well, and a trace of astonishment flashed through his eyes.

A mysterious secret realm whose truth could not be known?

God-Shocking Tokens that appeared out of thin air, beyond even a Grandmaster's ability to investigate?

It even held an opportunity for Innate Warriors at Three Flowers Crown the Summit to break through into Martial Dao Grandmasters!!

Why did it sound to him more like a carefully laid baiting ground, using a few morsels of sweetness to lure those Three Flowers Crown the Summit Innate Warriors into scrambling to feed,

Then releasing a few small fish and shrimps—

Those martial artists she spoke of whose strength had greatly increased—to steady everyone's hearts and draw more powerful figures to throw themselves one after another into the trap.

"Have any Grandmasters seized a God-Shocking Token and entered that secret realm?"

Su Qingyang immediately thought of the crucial question.

"I don't know!" Ning Qingqing shook her little face bitterly. "This junior is only a minor Innate Warrior. I simply have no access to the secrets of those Three Flowers Crown the Summit Innate Warriors and Grandmasters."

"Seeing this God-Shocking Token was already a stroke of luck!"

"Blackheart Old Man was there as well. This God-Shocking Token suddenly appeared before us for no reason, but unfortunately, it was a little closer to Blackheart Old Man, so we began fighting over it."

"Besides, I never intended to enter the secret realm. I only wanted to see whether I could obtain the God-Shocking Token and exchange it with my Lineage for some resources. After all, my Ning Family also has senior Innate Warriors at Three Flowers Crown the Summit."

"They have long been painstakingly searching for a path to break through to Grandmaster. If I could offer up a God-Shocking Token, it would be of immense benefit to the Lineage."

Ning Qingqing looked at Su Qingyang cautiously. She had concealed a little of her own selfish intent, yet feared that he might take her words as a threat.

Su Qingyang turned the God-Shocking Token in his hand. He had to admit that he had developed a faint interest in this secret realm.

But,

"Take me to the place where the God-Shocking Token appeared just now."

First, he needed to determine what this God-Shocking Token really was. Its appearance from thin air reminded him of those hidden existences lurking in the world, beyond the sight of ordinary people.