"But no one has confirmed whether it's true after all these years, so you needn't take it seriously. The main reason to enter is that there are treasures inside that can temper the body and refine blood essence."
"That's why the younger generation is sent in to seek opportunities."
Shi Qingyun now understood the origins of Qilin Cave. He had no ability to investigate whether it really was a qilin's burial ground; he was merely curious about it.
But then a new question surfaced in Shi Qingyun's mind. Before he could voice it, however, it was answered.
"As for why you were chosen, you needn't concern yourself with the details. Someone recommended you to the Martial King, and he agreed."
"That's also one of the reasons I sought you out. I was afraid someone might plot against you, so I'm going to give you some Treasure Artifacts to protect yourself!"
"You've barely begun to show your promise, yet someone couldn't wait to add you to this treasure-hunting expedition. You'll need to keep your wits about you."
After hearing the elder's words, Shi Qingyun understood. It seemed someone could no longer hold back from making a move against him.
That made sense. He had thought Shi Long and his lot had simply swallowed their anger, but this was what they had been planning all along. Since someone was watching over him in Martial King Manor, they would lure him outside.
They could both wash their hands of the matter and eliminate Shi Qingyun. Two birds with one stone!
But the latter half of the elder's words immediately filled Shi Qingyun with anticipation. What sort of treasures would the elder give him for protection?
The elder wasted no time. With a casual wave, several items appeared in midair before Shi Qingyun, arranged in a row.
A jade pendant, a robe, and a fan.
They glowed before Shi Qingyun, who stared at them with delight and curiosity.
Before Shi Qingyun could speak, the elder began introducing them. With a wave of his hand, the jade pendant swiftly drifted onto the table beside Shi Qingyun.
The elder waved his hand, and the jade pendant floated into Shi Qingyun's hand.
"This jade pendant contains one of my attacks, powerful enough to threaten someone in the inscription realm. But it can only strike once, so use it carefully. I know you'll face danger on this journey. I hope this pendant can save your life."
Shi Qingyun knew the elder felt guilty because he had no way to keep him here. Shi Qingyun felt rather helpless himself. The Martial King had personally chosen him for this expedition. Who would dare oppose that?
He just did not know what role the Martial King had played in all this. Still, Shi Qingyun reckoned the Martial King had probably only included him because another genius had appeared in Martial King Manor!
After all, with Shi Yi there, the Martial King likely saw everyone else as merely tagging along to bask in his light.
While Shi Qingyun pondered this, the elder waved his hand again. The robe floated over as well, accompanied by the elder's voice.
"I obtained this treasured robe by chance. It can withstand attacks from the spirit transformation realm, and it can change its form according to your wishes. It's a very rare treasure."
"As for this fan, I don't know what material it was made from either. I only know that its material is very unusual. It's as though two different materials were combined to forge it, making it both hard and remarkably supple."
"But I can confirm that the fan was made from only one material. As for what that material is and what the fan can do, you'll have to explore those things yourself."
"I obtained it in a secret realm and originally planned to keep it for study. After all these years of research, this is all I've learned. Besides, in my current condition, I have no use for it anymore, so I'll give it to you!"
Chapter 17: Taking stock
Shi Qingyun returned to his little courtyard in something of a daze. As soon as he got home, he eagerly swept his hand through the empty space before him, and several runes flashed across the simple, unadorned ring on his finger.
The items Fourth Grandfather had just given him appeared before Shi Qingyun once more.
The storage ring on his finger had also been a gift from Fourth Grandfather. Although its internal space was not large, it was enough for Shi Qingyun's current needs.
Shi Qingyun gazed at the treasures before him, a little distracted. Everything that had happened today left him feeling as though none of it was quite real.
He had originally been a penniless cultivator with nothing to his name. Despite being a member of Martial King Manor, very few resources had actually reached his hands.
He had only gone out once, yet he had suddenly become so wealthy. What's more, he had set out with an uneasy heart, but now his face beamed with the satisfaction of a man riding a spring breeze.
The stark contrast between those moods left Shi Qingyun unable to adjust for a moment.
But that lasted only briefly. Shi Qingyun quickly set his mind straight.
He would encounter more treasures in the future, and far more precious ones. He needed to learn to take it in stride now. More importantly, what truly mattered was turning those resources into strength of his own.
Although that was what Shi Qingyun thought, the smile on his face had not faded once since he left the Hidden Body Pavilion.
Only after arriving home did Shi Qingyun have a chance to examine the items before him properly.
He could hardly fiddle with them in front of his elder, so he had been forced to restrain himself. Now that he was home, he could finally take a good look.
Shi Qingyun first picked up the lustrous, translucent Precious Jade. Looking at its smooth surface and the glowing runes within, he immediately fell in love with it.
Quite apart from its ability to save his life, its beautiful appearance alone made Shi Qingyun unwilling to handle it carelessly.
He then threaded the Precious Jade onto a silk cord and wore it against his chest. As he touched the Precious Jade hanging there, a sense of security welled up within him.
After fiddling with the Precious Jade for a while, Shi Qingyun quickly picked up the robe shimmering with treasured light. It felt exceptionally smooth beneath his hand, though he had no idea what material it was made from.
He glanced at the clothes he was wearing. They were still the ones given to him by the senior who had guarded him before. Between cultivating and dealing with one incident after another, Shi Qingyun had never found time to change them.
Now the timing was perfect. Through an unexpected twist of fate, he had acquired a treasured robe, so he immediately changed into it.
The robe accentuated Shi Qingyun's tall, slender figure. Following his own preferences, he began adjusting it, shortening it slightly so that it fitted his body better.
Shi Qingyun found the robe light and extremely comfortable. He clenched his fists firmly. From now on, he would not have to worry about his clothes bursting apart during a fight.
He experimented for a while, turning it red one moment and blue the next, enjoying himself immensely.
But he soon stopped, leaving the robe pure white, with golden edging that looked as though it had been sewn with gold thread. It exuded a sacred, noble air.
Turning his attention away from the robe, he picked up the final item. As he held the dark fan, the first thing Shi Qingyun noticed was its weight.
Next, he found that the fan felt like jade yet not jade, like metal yet not metal. It was extremely strange, and a chill spread through his hand the moment he picked it up.
It sat comfortably in his hand and felt very natural to hold. Its weight also pleased Shi Qingyun greatly.
The fan weighed at least several thousand jin. Had his strength not increased so much, even if he could lift it, he might not have been able to wield it.
Holding it in his right hand, Shi Qingyun flicked it open with a crisp swish, and the fan unfurled in his grasp.
Once he opened the fan, he saw that there were no designs or runes on it at all. Only a black fan surface appeared before Shi Qingyun's eyes.
Shi Qingyun had looked forward to it for so long, only to get something like this. Still, he refused to give up.
He examined it meticulously, inside and out, as though he hoped to find a flower blooming within it. In the end, however, he found nothing special.
It was simply an ordinary fan, with neither elaborate designs nor profound runes.
Shi Qingyun felt a wave of disappointment. After all, it was his first weapon, and he had hoped it would be more powerful. If it looked a little better too, that would have been even nicer!
But he soon let it go. Having a weapon at all was already good enough. What was there to be picky about?
Taking the fan, he went out into his little courtyard. Shi Qingyun still needed to figure out how to use a fan as a weapon. Fortunately, he had time to familiarize himself with it.
It would be laughable if he ended up fighting an enemy without even knowing how to use his own weapon.
And so the days passed, one after another, as Shi Qingyun cultivated day in and day out.
One day, Shi Qingyun was in his room, searching every nook and cranny for things.
Shi Qingyun had gathered everything he wanted to bring in his room and looked over the pile on the floor.
"Pots, bowls, ladles, basins, seasonings, flavor enhancers! Mm, that's everything!"
Once he confirmed that he had not forgotten anything, he waved his hand and packed it all into his storage ring.
"This storage ring really is essential for both home and travel!"
As for why he was bringing all these things, they were about the only belongings he had in Martial King Manor that he could take with him. Since he was going on a long journey, naturally it was better to bring everything he could.
Today was the day they would leave for Qilin Cave. He needed to be fully prepared.
The scene shifted, and Shi Qingyun arrived at a spacious square where a group of people had already gathered.
There were several elders with powerful auras and terrifying presences, along with a few young people who looked older than Shi Qingyun.
They noticed Shi Qingyun's arrival, but the elders showed no particular expression. They merely looked ahead, as though waiting for something.
Shi Qingyun did not mind and walked straight toward the young people. His arrival interrupted their conversation, and they all turned to look at his face.
Some regarded Shi Qingyun with curiosity, while others cast unfriendly glances at him. But after a moment, they returned to their previous manner and resumed discussing the journey.
Have they already heard about those little exploits of mine? Shi Qingyun wondered. He carefully sensed their cultivation levels. They were young, but nearly all of them were close to breaking through to the cave heaven realm.
After they waited there for a while, a series of sounds came from the sky as something cut through the air.
Chapter 18: To the Ten Thousand Mountains
A gigantic beast's silhouette blocked the sunlight overhead, casting an enormous shadow over everyone below. Shi Qingyun and the others were startled by the huge creature that had appeared so suddenly.
The elders, however, showed no change in expression and remained perfectly composed.
They vanished from where they stood in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, they were all atop the enormous Ferocious Beast.
Listening to the voices around him, Shi Qingyun came to understand the origins of the huge creature overhead.
"So this is the rare-breed Ferocious Beast raised by Martial King Manor! It's so imposing! If only I could have such an impressive mount someday."
"You'd better go to bed early, then. You can have anything in your dreams. Who knows how much Martial King Manor invested to obtain a Ferocious Beast like that!"
"Judging by its presence, it should have the strength of the spirit transformation realm! That's about on par with the clan elders."
"Who's up there? He's actually using a rare-breed spirit transformation realm Ferocious Beast as a mount. His status must be extraordinary!"
"It should be Shi Yi! Are we finally going to see him in person today? I've heard Shi Yi is a peerless genius who appears only once in ten thousand years! I wonder if that's true."
Hearing the chatter around him, Shi Qingyun also raised his head curiously to look up.
With eyesight far sharper than anyone else's, he saw a youth standing with unrestrained confidence on the enormous beast's back. Divine light flashed whenever his eyes opened and closed.
His hair fluttered in the wind, and his hands rested behind his back. He merely glanced at Shi Qingyun and the others before continuing to gaze ahead.
He stood so proudly aloof atop the enormous beast that even Shi Qingyun below could feel the coldness radiating from him.
Shi Qingyun immediately knew the youth was Shi Yi. After all, those double pupils were unmistakable in this world of the Great Wilderness.
But seeing Shi Yi's manner, he could not help muttering inwardly, What a show-off! He really pulled it off, though. Mm, if I get the chance, I'll do that too. Mainly because it looks cool.
The elders quickly approached Shi Yi, seemingly reporting something to him. But they were too far away, and the howling wind kept Shi Qingyun from hearing what they were saying.
Shi Qingyun watched as the clan elders, who had been so cold and aloof before them just moments earlier, suddenly became warm and genial in Shi Yi's presence.
They had truly put on a display of lightning-fast face-changing. Just as Shi Qingyun was grumbling inwardly about it, something happened.
A force poured down from the Giant Bird. The next moment, Shi Qingyun and everyone beside him were drawn skyward by that force.
Before long, Shi Qingyun and the others landed on the Giant Bird. Before they could steady themselves, the Giant Bird threw back its head and let out a long cry, then beat its enormous wings and surged forward.
The fierce wind and powerful thrust nearly knocked Shi Qingyun and the others to the ground. Fortunately, Shi Qingyun redirected the force and steadied his footing.
Before you continue