Chapter 337: The Heavenly Cave Token, and the Bandit with the Blood-stained Blade of the Emerald Sea

Chapter 337: The Heavenly Cave Token, and the Bandit with the Blood-stained Blade of the Emerald Sea

"Before I die, I had wanted to see Wan'er one last time from afar. Since that is no longer possible, I have no more wishes left in this world."

Mu Qianliu's expression turned calm.

"Never let Lingxi know of my existence. Pretend as if I never existed."

After Mu Qianliu finished speaking, he turned to leave.

Meng Shushu's expression was complex, and he sighed inwardly before speaking up, "Wait."

Mu Qianliu turned back, looking at him with confusion.

"Although I don't know why you've ended up like this, we have known each other after all. Take these pills. They might not restore you to your peak, but they will help you recover to some extent."

Meng Shushu stuffed several bottles of pills into Mu Qianliu's hands.

"They may not bring you back to your prime, but they will definitely help you regain at least seventy or eighty percent of your strength."

Mu Qianliu shook his head. "It's useless. I know my own condition."

"Heh. These pills were refined by Lingxi herself. Even if your foundation is damaged and your spirit is crumbling, you can still recover. Your condition is severe, but you can still heal." Meng Shushu coldly smiled as he spoke.

"Are you telling the truth?" Mu Qianliu's face showed his disbelief.

"Of course!" Meng Shushu sneered. "Do you want to go find Lingxi for help? She's never seen you before, so she won't know that you're her father."

"No need!" Mu Qianliu shook his head and put away the pills. "If I see her, I'll only bring her harm. From now on, we shall never meet again."

Meng Shushu fell silent. Mu Qianliu's response was unexpected. He had assumed that upon learning that he could be restored to his peak and that Su Lingxi could cure him, Mu Qianliu would be moved to reveal his identity and seek Su Lingxi's help.

Mu Qianliu left, disappearing into the crowd, never to return.

Meng Shushu didn't know what to feel. He admitted that he had softened at the last moment, which was why he had given Mu Qianliu the pills.

He looked at the token in his hand—a green token with delicate patterns, but otherwise unremarkable.

"What is this?"

Shaking his head, he decided to find an opportunity to give it to Su Lingxi, making up some excuse if necessary.

Back at the Evergreen Pavilion, Su Lingxi was still chatting with Princess Xiang Wei, bringing their time in the Great Zhou Imperial City to a close.

"We must not go to the Ice State," Meng Shushu said, remembering Mu Qianliu's warning. He was puzzled—what had happened in the Ice State?

"Then we won't go." Meng Shushu thought to himself that since the Ice State was sparsely populated, there was no need to go. If Su Lingxi wanted to go, he would find a reason to dissuade her.

It wasn't that he feared danger in the Ice State, but rather, he was worried that going there might uncover something about Mu Qianliu, thus exposing Su Lingxi's identity and connection to him.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Meng Shushu felt conflicted.

After all, Mu Qianliu was Su Lingxi's biological father. However, he didn't want Su Lingxi to bear any sadness or anger because of Mu Qianliu's existence.

If Mu Qianliu hadn't been a man who left his affections scattered everywhere, Meng Shushu would have definitely told Su Lingxi the truth.

"So be it," Meng Shushu sighed inwardly. Holding the green token, he went to the pavilion on top of the Evergreen Pavilion.

"Senior!" Meng Shushu greeted Li Xuan respectfully.

He knew that nothing could be hidden from his senior.

"Hmm." Li Xuan nodded. He had seen and heard everything that had transpired between Meng Shushu and Mu Qianliu.

"Senior, am I doing the right thing?" Meng Shushu couldn't help but ask.

"Right and wrong are in your heart. Let it be," Li Xuan shook his head.

Su Lingxi was his disciple, and if she were to find out the truth about her father, she would likely be heartbroken. In such a state of mind, how could she continue her carefree life of studying medicine and martial arts?

Mu Qianliu had chosen to leave, clearly not wanting Su Lingxi's peaceful life to be disturbed by his presence.

"Senior, what is this?" Meng Shushu asked, placing the green token on the table.

"I will give it to Lingxi," Li Xuan said, glancing at the token. His tone was indifferent.

As for what it was, how would he know?

He could only evade the question, as if telling Meng Shushu that knowing too much wasn't good for someone of his low cultivation level.

"Thank you, Senior!" Meng Shushu didn't ask further.

It was better for the token to be given to Su Lingxi by his senior. That way, she would take it more seriously. Otherwise, if he gave it to her, she might forget about it one day.

After all, it was Mu Qianliu's most precious possession, and Meng Shushu hoped that Su Lingxi would cherish it.

After Meng Shushu took his leave, Li Xuan picked up the green token and examined it carefully. He was puzzled by what it could be. The material of the token was not ordinary.

In terms of material alone, it was no less remarkable than the divine artifacts of the Spirit Realm.

Yet, it was not a divine artifact.

The patterns on the token seemed to be purely decorative, devoid of any special meaning.

Li Xuan pondered for a moment before infusing a wisp of his spiritual energy into the token.

The green token glowed faintly, and three words appeared on its surface: "Heavenly Cave Token!"

Along with these words, Li Xuan also saw several lines of small print inside the token:

"When the order is given, the Heavenly Cave will appear. The bearer of the Heavenly Cave Token may enter and control the Heavenly Cave!"

Li Xuan retracted his spiritual energy and fell into deep thought.

"Heavenly Cave? Some kind of secret realm? Is this a key to enter the Heavenly Cave or a token to control it?" he wondered.

What was the Heavenly Cave? He guessed that it was probably some kind of secret realm.

Did such a place exist in the Spirit Realm? He had never heard of it before, and there were no related records even in the Great Zhou's Archives Pavilion.

"It's probably some kind of secret realm. The token will show something when the Heavenly Cave appears, and only then can one enter?" Li Xuan mused to himself.

"I'll just give it to Su Lingxi. Who knows when it will appear anyway," he thought, shaking his head. He didn't dwell further on the Heavenly Cave Token.

Even if it was a secret realm, it didn't hold much attraction for him. After all, he was cultivating the martial arts he had created himself, not the martial arts of this world.

"Back to my grand pursuit of martial arts," Li Xuan thought, shaking his head. He continued his work on the "Divine Martial Arts Compendium" and his comprehension of the "Grand Taoism of Tai Cang."

After seeing off Princess Xiang Wei, the Evergreen Pavilion also prepared to depart.

Zi Yun bid farewell and returned to the Qing Kingdom Palace reluctantly.

"Where should we go next?"

"Let's go to Tianling State. It's been so long since I've seen Chi Mao. I kind of miss that fat cat!" Su Lingxi said after some thought.

"Okay, then let's go to Tianling State!"

The Evergreen Pavilion estate retracted, transforming into a flying ship that soared into the sky and disappeared in an instant.

The powerful onlookers from the Great Zhou Empire couldn't help but marvel. The Evergreen Pavilion was indeed a divine artifact, and a truly extraordinary one at that.

On the walls of the Great Zhou Imperial City, Mu Qianliu watched the flying ship disappear into the distance. He had caught a glimpse of the girl's figure, and he was content.

Then, his expression turned angry.

"Tang Jianyuan!"

As soon as Meng Shushu mentioned the Hidden Pavilion's assassination attempt, Mu Qianliu knew that there had to be another reason behind it. The first person he thought of was his main wife, Tang Jianyuan.

His final visit would be to see Tang Jinyan and escort her to her death!

After consuming the pills given by Meng Shushu, Mu Qianliu's body no longer appeared frail and withered. He had regained his handsome looks from the past, now restored to seventy or eighty percent of his former self.

At the Water Star Palace, Tang Jinyan secluded herself and no longer received guests.

Ever since she returned from the Qianwu Temple, a sense of fear lingered in her heart, making her aware that something must have happened for the Temple Master to warn her so gravely.

Tang Jinyan could only remain in the Water Star Palace, neglecting all other matters as she focused solely on her cultivation.

Even her plan to kill Su Lingxi was temporarily put aside.

What she never expected was that the long-missing Mu Qianliu would suddenly show up at the Water Star Palace to see her. Tang Jinyan was thrilled and hurried out to welcome her husband.

A few days later.

When an elder of a prominent family visited the Water Star Palace, intending to curry favor and gain closer ties with the Qianwu Temple, he was shocked to discover that the Water Star Palace had been destroyed.

He was astounded, as the Water Star Palace was an affiliate of the Qianwu Temple.

Who would dare to destroy the Water Star Palace? Could it be the Wan Shi Alliance? But if it was them, why would they act so covertly?

The news spread, shaking Luo State. The Mu family was also stunned and sent their elders to investigate, as Tang Jinyan was nominally Mu Qianliu's main wife.

However, their efforts yielded no clues.

Since Tang Jinyan was dead and there was no news of Mu Qianliu, the Mu family elders decided to install Mu Qianliu's mother, Madam Mu, as his main wife.

This made Mu Feiming the rightful young master of the Mu family!

The destruction of the Water Star Palace naturally attracted the attention of the Qianwu Temple, who sent a powerful elder, a Peak Supreme expert, to investigate. They also spread the word that they would capture the culprit behind this audacious act.

"To be able to destroy the Water Star Palace without anyone noticing and avoiding a full-scale battle, the perpetrator must be a Peak Supreme expert!"

The Temple Master of Qianwu Temple smiled coldly.

"Master, do you think the news about the Spirit Realm Gate has leaked?" an elder asked.

"Whether it has or not, we'll just find a scapegoat to make an example of. As for the Water Star Palace incident, let's put it behind us. If the other Superlative Spirit Sects haven't made any moves to enter the Spirit Realm Gate, it means the news hasn't spread yet," the Temple Master said with a cold smile.

If the news had indeed leaked, the other Superlative Spirit Sects would surely investigate the disappearance of the Spirit Realm Gate, and they would discover the truth.

Not long after, a well-known rogue cultivator at the peak of the Refining God Realm was captured by the Qianwu Temple and publicly executed in front of the Water Star Palace, his blood and flesh splattered on the grounds as a declaration of vengeance for the Water Star Palace.

The reason given was that this rogue cultivator had plotted to seize the resources of the Water Star Palace. After decades of infiltration, he had secretly poisoned the Water Star Palace's experts, weakening their strength before quietly destroying the sect.

This news shocked the entire Luo State, and the audacity of this rogue cultivator stunned everyone.

The other Spirit Sects and noble families immediately launched internal investigations, fearing that they might be the next target.

...

The vast and boundless Azure Sea seemed to have no end.

Compared to the eighteen states of the Spirit Realm, the Azure Sea had fewer cultivators, and sects were sparsely scattered. Only a few well-known islands were populated with cultivators.

With Yun Tian City as its center, various Spirit Sects and noble families were distributed across the four directions, and this area of the sea was known as the Yun Tian Sea Region.

Undoubtedly, the Yun Tian Sea Region was the most prosperous area in the Azure Sea, attracting both human cultivators and Sea Spirit Tribe members to live there.

Outside the Yun Tian Sea Region, there were also Spirit Sects, noble families, and cultivators roaming the seas.

A large ship sailed on the Azure Sea, heading towards Yun Tian City for trade and to acquire necessary resources.

"I heard that this area of the sea hasn't been peaceful lately. Everyone, be extra cautious," a cultivator on the ship said in a low voice.

The Azure Sea was vast, and even Refining God Realm cultivators preferred to travel by ship. After all, flying with one's own strength was tiring, and if one exhausted their spiritual energy, they would be in grave danger if ambushed.

"What's there to be afraid of? We have more than twenty Refining God Realm cultivators here. Are we scared of those pirates?" another cultivator scoffed.

There were pirates on the Azure Sea, mostly operating outside the Yun Tian Sea Region, preying on passing cultivators.

These pirates were either vicious cultivators who had fled from the eighteen states or remnants of fallen Spirit Sects and noble families. Some were even Sea Spirits.

Aside from the Yun Tian Sea Region, one could encounter pirates anywhere on the Azure Sea.

"So what if we have twenty Refining God Realm cultivators? Don't forget what happened to Stone Vine Island three months ago! How many cultivators managed to escape from that island?" a cultivator warned.

"Don't jinx us. We won't be that unlucky to encounter the ones who destroyed Stone Vine Island," another cultivator said.

"Be vigilant at all times!" someone else added.

"Not good, pirates are attacking!" a cultivator suddenly shouted.

Everyone looked up and saw figures appearing from all directions, swiftly surrounding their ship.

The attackers wore black masks and held blood-red blades, a crimson aura swirling around them.

"It's the Blood Blade Bandits who destroyed Stone Vine Island!" someone exclaimed.

"Jump!"

A Refining God Realm cultivator's figure flickered, and he attempted to escape from the ship.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A blood-red blade light shot over, forcing the escaping cultivator back onto the ship.

"Everyone, line up! We only rob wealth, not lives. Anyone who resists will die!" the leader of the Blood Blade Bandits said coldly.

On the ship, the cultivators below the Refining God Realm turned pale and handed over their storage bags, placing them on the deck.

"Good!"

"All Grand Masters, stand over there. Masters, stand here. Refining God Realm cultivators, kneel down!"

The Blood Blade Bandits ordered the cultivators on the ship to line up, and the two dozen or so Refining God Realm cultivators could only kneel down with ashen faces, feeling humiliated.

The Blood Blade Bandits were too strong, each of them a peak Refining God Realm cultivator, and they outnumbered the cultivators on the ship.

Fighting was clearly not an option, and even escaping seemed impossible.

"Well done!"

"You guys are smart to cooperate. I, the Blood Blade Bandit, appreciate cooperation."

"Hand over your storage bags, and don't try to hide anything... This lady here is quite pretty. You don't need to hand over your storage bag. Just hand over your body. I, the Blood Blade Bandit, have my principles. It's either robbery or rape. Since I've chosen to rob your body, I won't take your possessions!"

The female cultivator's face turned deathly pale, and she trembled as she pleaded, "Big brother, please spare me. Just take my possessions, okay?"

"You don't have a choice! Be a good girl and lie down in that corner. Otherwise, I'll take both your body and your possessions!"

The Blood Blade Bandit leader tapped the female cultivator's cheek with his long blade and ordered her to the corner.

The female cultivator's face was ashen, and she silently went to the corner and lay down.

The Blood Blade Bandit leader nodded in satisfaction and swaggered over to her, "You cooperated well. I'll even pay you with spirit crystals!"

How outrageous! The female cultivator was furious and felt extremely humiliated.

At the rear of the large ship, a small azure boat was speeding across the sea.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end