537 The Mysterious Legacy (1/2)
”You've flattered us.” First Court King Qinguang was very much flustered by the sudden compliment.
”If someone were to receive a drop of favor, they should repay with a brimming spring worth of requite; what's more, it was a life-saving grace. During that time, it involved an enormous destiny and we have received such a great grace, it's only deserving that we do something in return.”
”May I ask where the other underworld kings are now?” Yun Yang asked.
King Qinguang's expression soured again as he said miserably, ”They're healing themselves in a secluded place now. He hesitated for a moment, before adding, I'll bring you over a little later.”
”Okay!”
Yun Yang understood his deliberation. After all, all ten court kings of the concourse were severely injured and had no combat power left. They had to be very cautious. If the enemy were to find them, they would be completely wiped out!
As their past fated encounter was openly spoken of and their stances aligned in the same direction, they were now united. Since they had some free time at the moment, they spoke about recent happenings, exchanging information and intelligence.
First Court King Qinguang suddenly exclaimed, ”Young Master Yun, your cultivation base improvement is extraordinarily fast!”
He could not help but give such a loud exclamation. The last time he saw Yun Yang, the latter was only a nuisance of the sixth or seventh level in mystical Qi. Now, Yun Yang was already in the third heaven, a cultivator who was soon to reach his fourth level in the heaven realm. It would be an underestimation to describe the speed of his improvement as merely 'fast'.
Compared to himself, Yun Yang would have long ago surpassed him if he had not absorbed the abundant Yin Qi from the Haunting Temple. However, the First Court King was aware that the overly concentrated absorption of Yin Qi had caused their foundation in the cultivation realm to become unstable. For a long time to come, they would hardly be able to make another breakthrough.
In other words, while it seemed that their cultivation base level had taken a massive stride forward, the price they had paid for it was equally immense. It was not as bad as a severe loss per se, but the cons were still greater than the pros. If Yun Yang continued to advance forward at this speed, it was only a matter of time before the youth surpassed the underworld king – what was more, the time required to achieve this wouldn't be that long!
”Your Highness has praised me too highly. To me, the growth of your cultivation base is the true definition of what can be considered as fast,” Yun Yang spoke sincerely.
The last time he met King Qinguang, Yun Yang's cultivation base was formidable, nevertheless, the youth felt that the King's cultivation base was still unrivaled. Yun Yang had also come to the conclusion that King Qinguang's cultivation base was, at most, a beginner level of the heaven realm and was weaker than that of Venerable Lord Saber's, after he had fought with the latter.
Yun Yang had one too many mythical encounters during his time since, acquiring plenty of treasured gems and resources as well as obtaining a multitude of providence. This was how his current cultivation base level had reached its height. Yet when he looked at King Qinguang now, he was still as vague, high, and mighty. This had at least told of the first court king's cultivation base that must be at least two realms higher than his, maybe even more.
The higher one ascended in the cultivation realm, the harder it was for further improvement to be made. A heaven's difference between peaks was exactly what it was – the difficulty in advancing to another heaven of an ace cultivator was definitely much higher than for a low-level cultivator to advance to another realm. In spite of this challenge, the Ten Court Yama Kings could improve so swiftly in such a short amount of time, while depending on the Haunting Temple, as they battled with their lives. It highlighted nothing but Concourse of the Underworld's cultivation method that was both unique and unpredictable.
As Yun Yang pondered this he could not help asking, ”Uh… Brother King Qinguang, the cultivation method that you're cultivating…could you please describe it in more detail?”
After some consideration, the king replied, ”It's not much of a secret. Our master discovered a relic by chance years ago and that relic had a special cultivation method within; it only contained the basic introduction method. After master brought it out and tried to cultivate it, he realized that not only was the method potent, its subsequent improvement is magically rapid too.”
”As master shifted to cultivate using this cultivation method, he advanced to a point where he could rival the world's heroes in just a dozen years.”
”It's just that the more remarkable a cultivation method is, the same degree of stringency applies to the cultivators.”
King Qinguang sighed thankfully to himself. He was genuinely grateful for his master accepting him as a disciple instead of others years ago.
”A cultivation method that contains only the introduction part is so magical? May I ask what the requirement of the method is? What's so stringent about it?” asked Yun Yang curiously.
Probing about other cultivator's cultivation arcane had always been the biggest taboo among cultivators but Yun Yang was too curious; he thought he and King Qinguang clicked well too, so he ignored this taboo completely.
”Our lineage is really one of a kind,” First Court King Qinguang said with pride, ”Although our cultivation method advances quickly and is very powerful, when it reaches a certain stage, we have to return to where the relic is kept to be able to activate the follow-up cultivation method.”
”There's such a requirement? How bizarre!” Yun Yang was surprised.
How powerful must one be to be able to set such a limitation? It was beyond one's expectation, imagination, and knowledge!
”Do you know the time period that the relic of your school belongs to?”
”Not at all, but it must have been a very long time ago. In fact, although we have investigated extensively regarding the source of this cultivation method, sifting through old legends or historical records, there is simply no clue or record related to our arcane method. It is like as if it has never appeared on this continent. We're the first batch in the history of Tianxuan's cultivators to have encountered and used this method in thousands of years.”
”Furthermore, when my master wanted to activate the second stage, he actually couldn't do it.”
”Couldn't do it? What cultivation is this that it has such strict conditions?” Yun Yang was growing even more curious.
”That condition is absolutely peculiar. It's a whole new story compared to ordinary cultivation. The first condition was the establishment of the Concourse of the Underworld. Even the Ten Court Kings of the underworld must follow the order and job scope. After the ten Yama Kings, there has to be Black and White Impermanence, Nether Judge and whatnot.”
The First Court King scratched his head, saying, ”All these people have to fill up the duties and their cultivation level must reach the required stage before the nether cultivation arcane can really be initiated. As long as the requirements are met, to become unrivaled in this world is a piece of cake!”
Unrivaled in this world? Piece of cake?
Yun Yang was dumbfounded. Was he boasting?
With King Qinguang and his group's capacity as well as their master's ability, it might not actually be a boast. Yun Yang questioned inquired further, ”May I ask which senior's legacy is it? Why does it sound so high and mighty? According to the procedure, isn't it like forming a mini imperial court? One that's just slightly more ghoulish!”
King Qinguang nodded in agreement and said, ”We thought the same. But when I said the conditions are bizarre, they really are indeed. To achieve a continuous legacy and continue to advance, the Concourse of the Underworld really gives its all to develop and flourish.”
Yun Yang exclaimed, ”Nothing is impossible in this great world, the world's mysteries are unpredictable indeed. I've truly never heard of something so mystical, what an eye-opener it is for me today.”
”This is not even the most peculiar of all. My master said that when he got this legacy, the relic actually didn't contain any explanation. There were only ten words carved on a rock,” said King Qinguang.
”Ten words?” Yun Yang had always prided himself on being knowledgeable and reading a lot. There were hardly things he did not know of in this world thus he asked with interest, ”What words? Maybe we can get some hints from these words.”
King Qinguang frowned as he replied, ”The ten words have no beginning nor ending. If there were clues to them, we'd have pursued it long ago. The ten words are 'breeze blows in the universe, cloud drifts outside the sky', we've studied it for so many years but we haven't a single clue. Young Master Yun, it's better that you don't waste your time and effort pursuing such pointless inquiry into these words.”
Yun Yang frowned as well as he murmured, ”Breeze blows in the universe, cloud drifts outside the sky?”