Chapter 255: Martial Saint's Essence, Qinglong Metropolis

When Lu Qing fixed his gaze upon the massive "Qinglong City" characters carved into the gate, a moment later, a thick wave of golden Ability Light surged forth from the inscriptions.

Several floating text panels appeared in midair.

Golden? Lu Qing blinked in mild surprise, glancing at the messages.

【Wu Sheng Ti Zi: These three characters were inscribed by a Xian Tian Jing Wan Man level master, their style elegant, their aura overwhelming.】

【Contains profound martial will, enduring for centuries without fading.】

【Legends claim the characters conceal a Heritage left behind by that supreme martial sage. Yet, despite centuries passing, no one has ever deciphered its secrets or claimed the Heritage.】

【A Combat Technique Heritage detected. Proceed with Download?】

"So it really does contain a Heritage?" Lu Qing was genuinely surprised.

He’d only sensed a peculiar Essence radiating from the characters earlier, merely guessing it might be something special. But now, it turned out there was actually a Combat Technique Heritage hidden within—far more significant than he’d imagined.

After all, the title of Martial Saint wasn’t one bestowed lightly.

At the gate, a long line of travelers waited patiently to enter. It would still be some time before their turn came.

Without hesitation, Lu Qing selected "Download Combat Technique."

【Downloading... Progress: 1%, 2%, 3%... 98%, 99%, 100%】

【Combat Technique Download Complete. Begin Simulation?】

Lu Qing chose "Simulate."

【Simulating... Progress: 1%, 2%, 3%... 98%, 99%, 100%】

【Simulation Complete. Begin Learning?】

This time, however, Lu Qing didn’t immediately accept.

He had spent over a quarter of an hour downloading and simulating the technique. The line had moved forward significantly, and they were nearly at the front.

"These gate inscriptions are truly extraordinary," Old Doctor murmured, clearly impressed.

"Master, you noticed too?" Lu Qing wasn’t surprised. With Old Doctor’s cultivation and insight, failing to sense the anomaly would have been odd.

"These three characters seem to carry the profound essence of a legendary martial artist’s sword will. Unfortunately, I’m rather dull—I managed to grasp only about four or five parts of its essence during my brief meditation."

Old Doctor sighed with a hint of wistfulness.

Having meditated on the gate’s characters for a short while, he’d already felt their influence—profound and beneficial to his cultivation.

Zhong Zhou truly is a land of hidden talents, he thought. Even just a gate’s inscription, before we’ve even entered the realm proper, can inspire such insight. Imagine the true heart of Zhong Zhou—what wonders must lie within?

"Four or five parts..." Lu Qing felt a quiet awe.

Master’s martial talent and insight were indeed exceptional. The characters contained the final spiritual residue of a Xian Tian cultivation peak master. And yet, Old Doctor had grasped such depth in mere moments—truly remarkable.

"Hey! You five—where are you from? Any Passage Permit? How many of you are entering?"

Just as Lu Qing marveled at Old Doctor’s insight, a deep, rough voice cut through the air.

Lu Qing turned. Two armored guards, wielding long spears, stood at the gate. The one speaking was the one on the right.

Lu Qing’s heart stirred slightly.

Qinglong City truly lives up to its reputation. Even the city guards were Jin Gu Jing level—both formidable, one of them radiating a complete, smooth qi flow, unmistakably at the Jin Gu Jing Wan Man peak.

"City Guard, we’re from Cang Zhou—five of us, all entering the city," Ma Gu said with a warm smile, handing over a small booklet.

Passage Permits were simply documents proving one’s identity and origin—useless in ordinary times, but essential at key checkpoints like Qinglong Pass. Only those who could cross the towering mountain range directly—without passing through the gate—would bypass this requirement.

The permit had been arranged by the Wei Family, so there was no issue.

The guard flipped through it briefly, then closed it. "Permit valid. Each person pays one tael of silver for entry. Include the carriage—six taels total. Pay now, and you may enter."

One tael each? Ma Gu’s heart skipped a beat.

But seeing that the people around him showed no reaction, he relaxed. The fee must be standard—nothing unusual.

With a smile, he handed over a coin pouch. "Here’s six taels. Please verify."

The guard weighed it in hand, raised an eyebrow, then opened it. Upon seeing the small silver ingot inside, his expression softened into a grin.

"Good eyes. Go on through. If anyone gives you trouble, say Hu Lao San sent you."

"Thank you, City Guard!" Ma Gu beamed, bowing repeatedly before returning to the carriage, guiding it forward.

As the carriage passed under the gate, the silent guard on the left suddenly spoke.

"Young master," he said, eyeing Lu Qing, "I saw you staring at the gate’s characters earlier. You seemed quite interested."

Lu Qing paused, turning. The guard was looking straight at him.

After a brief pause, he smiled. "I’ve always admired calligraphy. Seeing 'Qinglong City' above me—so bold and powerful—it’s clearly not the work of an ordinary hand. My curiosity got the better of me. Did I do something improper, City Guard?"

"You did nothing wrong."

The speaker was a young man with a composed, honest face.

"But I sense you’re a cultivator. So I’ll give you a warning: these inscriptions contain a unique Essence. But it’s… rather dangerous. If you somehow gain insight from them, believe me—don’t try to cultivate it. If you do, you may later lose yourself to madness, plagued by inner demons. Your cultivation will stagnate—or even regress. And then, you’ll regret it too late."

Lu Qing froze, but the guard’s expression was serious—no hint of jest.

He paused, then nodded. "Thank you for the warning, sir. I’ll be careful."

Once Lu Qing and the others had fully entered the city and vanished from sight, the armored guard returned to his cold, indifferent demeanor, treating everyone with the same aloofness.

But Hu Lao San, the other guard, seemed intrigued.

"Ji Shao Ye," he said, "why did you go out of your way to warn that boy not to study the gate’s characters? You don’t actually think he could uncover the secret, do you?"

"Who knows?" The armored youth replied coolly. "I just noticed he was deeply absorbed. Thought I’d give a warning—after all, he paid us extra, didn’t he?"

"Ah, right!" Hu Lao San pulled the coin pouch from his belt, emptied it, and revealed the fat silver ingot. "Ji Shao Ye, split it evenly—half for you, half for me."

"Twenty taels?" The youth raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for a few travelers."

As Hu Lao San reached to break the coin, the youth waved him off. "Forget it. Keep your share. You’re planning to send your daughter to Xuan Xin Zong, aren’t you? Money’s tight."

"Thanks, Ji Shao Ye!" Hu Lao San didn’t hesitate. He slipped the coin back into his pocket as if it were just a courtesy.

The youth smirked slightly. "You take the money, but don’t steal Cheng Zhu Fu’s share. If you do, even I can’t protect you."

"Rest assured, Ji Shao Ye," Hu Lao San patted his chest. "Hu Lao San keeps perfect records. Public funds are public, private is private—no stealing."

With that, he pulled out another small pouch, counted several silver coins, and dropped them into a nearby iron box.

The youth just shook his head and turned away, letting the old fox do his thing.

Hu Lao San, meanwhile, was utterly unconcerned. Though he had no idea why a noble like the Second Young Master would choose to work at the gate, he wasn’t about to complain. As long as the man didn’t interfere with his profits—and occasionally even helped him cover up—why not?

"Just need another hundred taels," Hu Lao San thought, patting his pocket. "Then I can send little Lian to Xuan Xin Zong."

Interesting...

Inside the city, Lu Qing sensed everything that had happened at the gate. A faint, amused glint appeared in his eyes as he withdrew his Spirit Soul Power.

So the armored guard had truly meant well.

But…

Was the Essence in the gate really that dangerous? He hadn’t felt a thing.

Lu Qing’s mind stirred with doubt.

Earlier, he’d sensed the characters’ cultivation essence—profound, yes, but not threatening. And Master had meditated on them too, with no ill effects.

Could there be something deeper hidden in the Heritage?

He mused. I’ll need to study it carefully once we settle in.

"Wow! It’s so huge!" Xiao Yan suddenly gasped.

Lu Qing turned. The girl had already stepped down from the carriage, hugging Xiao Li tightly, eyes and mouth wide open in awe.

Ma Gu and Wei Zian looked no different—both staring in stunned wonder at the scene before them.

Before them stretched a street at least thirty meters wide, teeming with people, carriages, donkeys, and horses—flowing endlessly in all directions.

The sounds of wheels, vendors’ calls, and shouts filled the air.

Just this one main street was far more majestic and bustling than any city Lu Qing had ever seen.

And beyond, towering buildings—massive, rugged structures built from colossal stone blocks—were unlike anything they’d seen before.

"Truly worthy of its fame as Qinglong Pass," Lu Qing murmured. "I wonder… what are the other three passes like?"

The four passes—each named after a legendary beast—were the standard route for outsiders entering Zhong Zhou.

This one was the Eastern Qinglong Pass.

Of course, entering Zhong Zhou wasn’t only possible through the passes. But bypassing them meant facing far greater dangers—only elite, stealthy cultivators would attempt it.

Most people preferred the safe, paid route.

"Master," Lu Qing asked, "what should we do now? Find lodging first?"

Old Doctor pondered. "Yes. Let’s find a place to rest. We’ve traveled nonstop for days. Everyone’s exhausted. Let’s rest here tonight, and enter the pass tomorrow."

"Agreed, Master," Lu Qing nodded.

Though the enchanted carriage had protected them from physical fatigue, their minds were still weary. He and Master were fine, but Xiao Yan and Wei Zian were struggling. Ma Gu, in particular, had been constantly focused on guiding the carriage at high speed—his mental strain was significant. Without proper rest, their foundations could be harmed.

As a major hub of trade between Zhong Zhou and the eastern realms, Qinglong City was bustling with commerce. They found a well-rated inn without much trouble.

It was a bit expensive—but with their current wealth, it wasn’t a concern.

After settling in, Lu Qing just finished arranging his bedding when Xiao Yan and Xiao Li began playing nearby.

A knock came at the door.

"A Qing, come out."

"Master? What is it?" Lu Qing opened the door.

"Come with me. I need to gather some information."

"Of course, Master. Just a moment."

He returned to the room, gave Xiao Yan and Xiao Li strict instructions to stay put, then followed Old Doctor out.

Once outside, Lu Qing finally asked, "Master, what exactly are we looking for?"

"Entry procedures—and news on the current state of the world," Old Doctor replied.

"The state of the world?" Lu Qing was startled. "Where do we find such information?"

Could Master have contacts here in Qinglong City?

Before he could ponder further, Old Doctor reached into his robes and pulled out an object.

"A Qing, do you recognize this?"

Lu Qing studied it. Recognition flashed across his face. "That’s… the Jade Token Zhong Zhi Rui gave you, isn’t it?"

"Exactly. As we entered the city, I felt a faint stir within it. Later, in the room, I sensed the disturbance originated from somewhere inside the city. According to Zhong Zhi Rui’s instructions, this is likely a branch of Tian Ji Lou."

"Ah!" Lu Qing realized. "Of course. Tian Ji Lou is said to be the greatest intelligence network in the world. Naturally, it would have branches in major cities like Qinglong City."

"Then let’s go. No time to waste."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end