Qian Weiyi remained silent for a moment, his gaze drifting through the window to the towering monument in the distance, a complex expression creeping into his eyes. "Objectively speaking," he said, "You don't seem like a disciple of any Lineage, nor like those Ancient Clan." "You should be a Rogue Cultivator, right?" Qin Yu picked up his teacup and took a small sip, his expression calm. "Yes." "Just a first-tier Rogue Cultivator."
Qian Weiyi gave a wry smile upon hearing this. "It's no small feat for Rogue Cultivator to reach the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme, but..." He paused slightly before looking earnestly at Qin Yu. "Although you have reached the pinnacle of the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme, your cultivation is still somewhat inferior to those cultivators who entered the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest a month ago."
"Among those who came to buy the map back then, there were even cultivators at the Eternal Silence Realm, and some very important figures of extraordinary status." But now, "None of them have returned." "Are you really determined to go, sir?"
Qin Yu set down his teacup, his gaze calm as still water. "Shopkeeper, no matter what's strange about that Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest, I'm going there anyway, so don't beat around the bush. Just name your price."
Qian Weiyi looked at Qin Yu, remained silent for a few breaths, and finally shook his head and sighed. "Ah, alright," he said, then raised his palm. A Fate Soul mark flew out. Soon, there was a gentle knock on the door, and a servant walked in carrying a black jade box in both hands. The entire jade box was about three feet long.
The entire box was crafted from an ancient black crystal, its surface covered with layers of sealing patterns, and even dozens of Fate Soul chains wrapped around it. Just by sitting there, it faintly exuded an aura of time's sedimentation. Qian Weiyi slowly rose up and personally opened the jade box. Buzz—as the seal was released, an ancient silver light immediately rose from the box.
Inside the box lies a simple, ancient scroll, its surface covered in a warm, dark silver glow. The scroll is intricately patterned with countless mountains and rivers, each line vivid and dynamic, flowing and surging along mysterious paths, endlessly alive. Upon closer inspection, one can even see numerous phantom images of ancient forests, mountain ranges, deep valleys, and forbidden areas constantly appearing and disappearing.
The scroll's edges were entwined with faint, grayish-white aura of Fate Soul, seemingly uncorrupted despite the passage of countless years. Qian Weiyi gently placed the scroll on the table, his expression becoming much more serious. "Esteemed guest, this is the complete map of the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest, and also the last one from our Heavenly Secrets Dao Pavilion."
At this point, his expression showed obvious hesitation, and his gaze fell on Qin Yu again. "So the price will be quite high, and..." I still suggest that it's best not to go, after all, it's not worth it. Putting aside whether the rumors about possessing a huge amount of Supreme Transformation Source Crystal are true or false, whether you can return safely is the most important thing."
The entire private room fell silent. Qin Yu didn't even bother to examine the map carefully; he simply looked calmly at Qian Weiyi and said, "How much?" Seeing Qin Yu's unwavering expression, Qian Weiyi finally spoke, "Ten thousand Supreme Transformation Source Crystal." The room immediately fell silent. Qian Weiyi had actually prepared herself for Qin Yu to back down.
After all, ten thousand Supreme Transformation Source Crystal are an astronomical price for most True Annihilation Realm cultivators, and even many Eternal Silence Realm cultivators might not be able to afford them all at once. However, the next moment, Qin Yu simply raised his hand, and a very subtle black light flickered slightly between his brows.
The Annihilation Devil Pupil - Final Spirit Core slowly activated, and then—whoosh—a large number of Supreme Transformation Source Crystal instantly appeared on the table, the crystal-clear source crystals piling up into a small mountain. The rich primordial aura instantly filled the entire room, and countless silver-white rays of light flowed back and forth in the room, even the Fate Soul patterns on the surrounding walls began to resonate slightly.
Qin Yu remained calm. "Alright, here are ten thousand Supreme Transformation Source Crystal. You can count them. I'll take this map." Qian Weiyi froze on the spot, his eyes fixed on the Supreme Transformation Source Crystal on the table. His mind even went blank for a moment, because he knew all too well what this meant. Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest map would only sell for a maximum of one hundred Supreme Transformation Source Crystal.
The ten thousand coins he just quoted was actually an exorbitant price he deliberately set, hoping to make Qin Yu back down. However, he never expected that this seemingly unremarkable young man would not even blink an eye and would take out a full ten thousand coins. Even some elders of the Chi Lineage would be surprised by this.
Even if he could easily take it out, Qian Weiyi's throat bobbed slightly, his smile completely frozen, and he even stammered. "Alright... Young Master, this map is now yours..."
At this moment, Qian Weiyi's gaze towards Qin Yu had completely changed. There was no longer any trace of the attitude one would show towards an ordinary Rogue Cultivator; instead, there was only shock and awe. Because he vaguely sensed that this young man in front of him was probably far more complex than he appeared on the surface.
Qin Yu slowly stored the complete map of the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest storage crystal core, then stood up and nodded gently to Qian Weiyi. "Alright, shopkeeper, I'll take my leave then. Thank you for your reminder."
Qian Weiyi quickly stood up, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and wished Qin Yu a safe journey. Qin Yu nodded slightly, then turned and walked towards the door, which slowly closed. The entire private room returned to silence. Just then, an extremely gentle female voice suddenly entered Qian Weiyi's mind from the depths of the void. "I've been observing him the whole time. From beginning to end, his eyes never showed any hesitation, nor any worry or fear. Such a person is either ignorant of his own limitations, or he truly possesses confidence."
The voice paused for a moment, then continued, "If he can return safely from the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest, perhaps he can help us." Qian Weiyi's body trembled slightly, then he respectfully bowed towards the void. "Your subordinate understands, but... the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest has become increasingly strange." "Those cultivators who entered it a month ago have not returned. I really can't understand how he, alone and only at the peak of the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme, could possibly return alive."
The woman remained silent for a long time. Finally, she softly said, "Some people cannot be judged by their cultivation level. Let's continue to observe. If he returns safely, I will personally meet with him." Her voice slowly faded, and the room returned to silence. Qian Weiyi stood motionless for a long time, finally letting out a soft sigh. "I hope you can return safely..."
At the same time, he slowly walked out of the private room and returned to his own manager's room. Meanwhile, in the main hall on the first floor of the Heavenly Secrets Dao Pavilion, three cultivators dressed in black robes were sitting in a corner. They had witnessed everything that had just happened. When they saw Qin Yu leave, their eyes flickered slightly, and they exchanged glances.
Without exchanging a word, they simultaneously stood up and then walked unhurriedly out of the Heavenly Secrets Dao Pavilion. The entire process was eerily quiet, as if they had planned it all along. At this moment, Qin Yu had already left the Stele Forest Imperial City, transforming into a streak of light that traversed the sky, speeding towards the direction of the Heart-Questioning Ancient Forest.
Above the sky, the sea of clouds was constantly being torn apart, and countless mountains and rivers below were rapidly receding. As Qin Yu moved further away from the Stele Forest Imperial City, the aura of the surrounding cultivators became less and less. Several hours later, Qin Yu arrived at a vast and boundless gray-black swamp area, which was shrouded in gray mist all year round, and a large number of ancient trees had withered and died within it.
A putrid stench permeated the air, and countless black bubbles rose from the depths of the swamp, slowly bursting with muffled sounds. At that very moment, Qin Yu, who was flying at high speed, suddenly narrowed his eyes. In the next instant, his Fate Soul perception spread backward, and thousands of miles away, three True Annihilation Realm auras were chasing after him at an extremely fast speed.
Moreover, his target was extremely clear, always locked onto his direction. A cold smile slowly rose from Qin Yu's lips. "Heh." "Interesting." "Could it be that the shopkeeper wants to snatch the map back? I'd like to see what tricks you're playing." As soon as he finished speaking, a cold glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes. Boom— his True Annihilation Realm · Supreme cultivation instantly activated, and the surrounding space trembled violently.
The next moment, his figure transformed into a black streak of light, his speed suddenly increasing several times over, his entire being like a black rainbow tearing through the heavens and earth. He vanished from his spot in an instant, and the three pursuing figures behind him clearly paused, as if they had never expected Qin Yu's speed to be so fast. Above the entire swamp, only the torn sea of clouds remained, unable to heal for a long time.