Chapter 320: Guardian General
After he was done strolling around the city with his wife, Qin Yun entered seclusion upon returning to Qin Manor.
In his cultivation chamber, there was a large pile of treasures that spanned about fifty feet. Most of the treasures were in the form of Mother of Crimson Waterstone. They were brick-shaped and each one was nearly three feet long. The materials were large and particularly appropriate for the Intrinsic Flying Sword to absorb as it made its breakthrough.
Hum!
The Intrinsic Flying Sword Misty Rain Sword floated above these treasures like it was a dream or illusion. It floated there like the sort of misty rain it was named for.
Qin Yun, who was sitting cross-legged, circulated his Dharma formulation. Accompanied by a sword hum, a radiance flowed across the surface of the Intrinsic Flying Sword. Large numbers of light dots constantly surged into the flying sword at an astonishing speed. Most of the treasures beneath were quickly reduced to dregs. The absorption lasted for more than six hours before the Intrinsic Flying Sword finally stopped its absorption.
As for the flying sword itself, it came to even more resemble a misty rain, as though a world existed within the dreamy Misty Rain Sword.
For the Intrinsic Flying Sword to take on this new appearance, it was naturally related to Qin Yun’s strengthened Sword Dao.
"Whoosh."
The Misty Rain Sword flew over and under Qin Yun’s Dharmic powers. It possessed a boundless and overwhelming sense of suppression.
"My Intrinsic Flying Sword has finally reached the transcendent-grade level." Qin Yun reached out his hand as the Misty Rain Sword shrank to three inches and landed in his palm. "If I were to add my power to it, its strength would be superior to ordinary Numinous treasures! However, it is unknown what the detailed divisions of Numinous treasures are."
Although he had experienced two other worlds through his dream of a hundred years, the weapons in the first world were overly crude. The only thing going for them were the high-quality materials they were made of! The Dao Ancestor had yet to impart his teachings to that world after all.
As for the second world, there was nothing much to say about their weapons. They didn’t even have immortals, so the weapons were naturally quite basic.
As for his homeworld, there were Numinous treasures! Out of the Daoist and Buddhist sacred lands, the immortal abodes, the Four Seas’ Dragon race, and the Skydemon Palace, which of them did not have a few Numinous treasures? Even the weakened Scenic Mountain Sect kept a Numinous treasure, the Tuṣita Divine Fire Talisman Amulet, in the Scenic Yang Immortal Abode back in the day. For example, if Qin Yun could obtain the rest of the corpse of the Other Realm Fiendcelestial from the Ancient Skydragon Palace, he would also obtain the other three Cosmic Bangles. The six Cosmic Bangles combined would form a set that was a Numinous treasure. He would then be considered as having one.
It was true that some people had a few Numinous treasures, but Numinous treasures were still very rare!
In the world, only those belonging to strongest group of experts like Patriarch Yi or Cloudfiend Mountain Lord would possess Numinous treasures. As for the weaker ones? Nearly none of them had a Numinous treasure unless they lucked out!
For example, Qin Yun’s strength with the Intrinsic Flying Sword he had at present allowed him to reach the beginning stages of the third-Firmament Essence Soul realm. But up to this day, he did not even have one Numinous treasure!
There were just too few Numinous treasures in the world...
Therefore, his homeworld did not have the means to develop any grade division of Numinous treasures.
However, Patriarch Bai’s Numinous treasure, the Stellar Heavenly Cycle, had been recognized to be the world’s best Numinous treasure. Patriarch Bai relied on it to defend his life from ancient times to present day! He was the oldest living human to date.
"The increase in strength that each breakthrough of the Intrinsic Flying Sword brings me towards the end is getting more obvious." Qin Yun could sense it. "Yes, at my present strength, a second-grade or third-grade flying sword does not make much of a difference."
To existences like the Dao Ancestor, there was probably no difference between a tree branch and a Numinous treasure-grade flying sword.
However, to a weaker person, a divine weapon could raise their strength by ten times, or even a hundred times.
"I feel like my strength has improved drastically. If I were to encounter that mysterious fiendish demon again, I should be able to put up a fight," thought Qin Yun.
After some familiarization, Qin Yun stored whatever treasures remained on the ground and left the chamber.
It was already nightfall and there were lanterns hung everywhere in Qin Manor. There were many places in Grand Dominance City where fireworks could be seen shooting up into the sky. The sound of firecrackers crackled in various spots around the city. It was the fifth day of the new year, explaining the festivities.
"If only this world didn’t have any wanton killing." Qin Yun looked at this flourishing scene as he thought to himself.
Behind this peace and joy, the conflict with fiendish demons had never once stopped.
...
Early the next day, Qin Yun left Grand Dominance and tore through the sky amid the clouds as he headed west.
At present, Qin Yun’s casting of the Beam Transformation Art made him a lot faster than before he stepped into the Dao. He was comparable to the world’s Essence Soul experts and could now be considered one of the elite few. He could even compete with a few third-Firmament Essence Soul realm existences. Of course, this was because the casting of the Beam Transformation Art by a sword immortal was tailored for flying. For example, Patriarch Yi, who was only second to Ancestral Master Zhang in the Divine Firmament Chapter, was at a realm much higher than Qin Yun but his speed was only slightly faster than Qin Yun’s.
One’s flying speed was intricately related to the cultivation system one had.
"I’ve arrived."
Qin Yun arrived in the Ancient Skydragon Palace using his secret entrance once again. He followed a familiar path and went straight in. He passed through rundown halls and corridors.
Soon, he came to the entrance of the palace complex’s interior.
"Halt!" A ten-foot-tall stocky soldier draped in golden armor appeared. He held a golden hammer in each hand as he glared at Qin Yun angrily. "It’s you again. It’s only been a few years and yet here you are again. Do you have a death wish?"
"Guardian General, haven’t you heard the saying: ’See people in a different light if you haven’t seen them in three days?’ We have not met for years and my strength has improved a lot from before," quipped Qin Yun with a smile. The ancient Skydragon in the Dragon Palace was already dead. His children and grandchildren were all gone. Even so, this Guardian General had to obey the order to protect the palace complex’s interior. Qin Yun felt a little pity for him.
The Guardian General also had some intelligence.
"See people in a different light if you haven’t seen them in three days? Never heard of it." The Guardian General shook his head.
"Alright. You have been here since ancient times. It’s indeed possible that you have never heard that one." Qin Yun chuckled. "However, you won’t be able to stop me this time."
"Oh? Human, you talk big. Back then, you fled after I threw my hammer a few times." The Guardian General stuck his belly out and roared, "Since you are talking so big, I’ll let you have another taste of my hammer."
With that said, surging lightning descended onto the Guardian General. Following that, he threw one of his golden hammers.
Boom!
The golden hammer whistled over, cloaked in lightning.
"Pew." Qin Yun stood his spot, extended his hand, and pointed with his finger. A wisp of extremely sharp Sword Qi flew out from his fingertip. The instant it flew out, it did an abstruse tangling and quivering maneuver, sending the golden hammer tumbling back.
The Guardian General could not help but widen his eyes when he saw this.
With his strength, together with the array formation’s augmentation, he could typically defend against anyone below the Essence Soul realm.
Currently, due to the Ancient Skydragon Palace’s array, immortals and fiendcelestials were barred from entry. And it was rare to encounter mortals that had stepped into the Dao who could defeat him.
"You defeated me with a wisp of Sword Qi?" The Guardian General looked at Qin Yun. "It’s only been a few years."
"Actually, it has been a hundred years," Qin Yun sighed.
"A hundred years?" The Guardian General was puzzled.
Qin Yun did not elaborate and instead directly walked towards the entrance.
The Guardian General attempted to stop him as he bellowed, "Halt. You are not to trespass." With that said, he attempted to engage in close combat.
"Bam!"
Qin Yun flicked his sleeve as surging Sword Qi spewed out. More than ten beams of Sword Qi enveloped the Guardian General and threw him into a corner. Qin Yun walked right through the entrance and headed for the palace complex’s interior.
"Phew." The Guardian General stumbled two steps back before he found his footing. He frowned as he looked at Qin Yun. His figure dissipated before he materialized in front of Qin Yun once again.
"Are you still trying to stop me?" Qin Yun looked at him.
"Human punk." The Guardian General looked at Qin Yun and said helplessly, "I cannot stop you from entering this door. There’s nothing I can do. However, I urge you not to enter! The inner palace is the living area of the Dragon King and his dragon children. Many of the Dragon Palace’s important areas are in there, all with heavy security. The more important the spot, the more powerful the array formation! Some terrifying array formations can span a large area while maintaining their might, easily protecting the important grounds. If you were to enter these important grounds and be tempted to steal the treasures of my Dragon Palace, you might very well lose your life."