The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-224

The gloomy green glow shone ten Zhang away. Zhao Danchen looked at Wu Hou with an unbelievable expression.

“Impossible! I didn’t even dare to relax since the beginning. I tested again and again…….and I even lost that bald donkey who practiced the «Shakya Heart Sutra». You! I never noticed you.” At this moment, Zhao Danchen was in a state of confusion. Qing Hu Island had lost so much just to obtain Emperor Yu’s Treasure.

If Qing Hu Island could obtain the treasure, then all the losses were worth it.

However, during this crucial point, the King of Beasts Wu Hou actually appeared. In terms of power——Wu Hou could kill him easily.

As the first of the Heavenly Ranking, Wu Hou’s ability was unquestionably strong.

“Haha……The «Shakya Heart Sutra» is very marvelous, but that old monk hasn’t practiced to the highest level. In terms of camouflage and following stealthily, the monk is a lot weaker than I am!” Wu Hou guffawed as he spoke. The laughter resonated in the passageway, forming noisy echos. He continued saying, “I really have to thank you. If it weren’t for you, how would I have ever found this place?”

The first on the «Heavenly Ranking» for thirty years!

The King of Beasts Wu Hou was adept at many things.

Zhao Danchen’s heart was in a state of confusion, but he soon regained his calmness. No matter what, it had already happened. He must accept it regardless of how painful it was. He could only try….and make the situation better.

“Wu Hou.”

Zhao Danchen said in a deep voice, “Qing Hu Island has suffered huge losses for Emperor Yu’s Treasure. As for Brother Wu Hou, you are alone with no sects. Most of the Emperor Yu’s Treasure probably has no use to you, Wu Hou. How’s this….. Of the items from Emperor Yu’s Treasure that are useful to you alone, you can choose the best one and take it. However, if it’s an item that benefits the progress of my sect…….please give it to Qing Hu Island! Each of us takes what we need. Also, I can give you my word. You will get three chances to let the Grand Supreme Elder help you. What do you think?”

“Oh? Is the Grand Supreme Elder the blind swordmaster in the past?” The King of Beasts Wu Hou asked in surprise.

“Wu Hou, please respect the Grand Supreme Elder of Qing Hu Island.” Zhao Danchen’s face darkened as he spoke.

Two hundred years ago, the Island Lord of the Qing Hu Island was ranked second in the «Heavenly Ranking». People called him the Heavenly Sighted Swordmaster, but some people also called him Blind Swordmaster. However, calling him blind was slightly disrespectful… Thus, not many people would dare to say it in front of the experts of Qing Hu Island.

That Blind Swordmaster achieved enlightenment and reached the Emptiness Realm. After that, he lived hidden in the Qing Hu Island and rarely fought.

However, during the few times he did, his battles made the entire world’s experts know that this Blind Swordmaster had reached a realm that even gods and demons wouldn’t understand…… In the Nine Prefectures, the ones who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him could be counted in one hand. This Emptiness Realm Expert was the reason why the Qing Hu Island could dominate Yangzhou.

“An Emptiness Realm Expert can help me three times? Of the treasures that are useful to me, I can choose the best one and take it away?” Wu Hou smiled. “Yes, the conditions are very good…….Even I felt slightly tempted. Unfortunately, I, Wu Hou, am immune to both soft and hard tactics. If I couldn’t use this Emperor Yu’s treasure, I would rather throw it into the sea than give it to Qing Hu Island.”

Zhao Danchen was was pale white as he furiously pointed at Wu Hou with trembling hands, “Wu Hou, you——”

“What…what about me?” Wu Hou mocked.

“Don’t push too far! The Grand Supreme Elder can kill you as easily as stomping an ant.” Zhao Danchen said in a deep voice, “Let’s just take what each of us needs. This way, wouldn’t it be beneficial for everyone?”

“No way.” Wu Hou shook his head as he sighed and flashed a smile, “I, Wu Hou, don’t like your Qing Hu Island. As for that Blind Swordmaster……Haha. If it was face to face, I am no match for the Emptiness Realm Expert, but…….I, Wu Hou, have been playing in the Desolate Land as if it were my home since I was young! Hmph. There are less than a few in this world who could pursue and kill me.”

With this, Wu Hou walked straightly towards the entrance of the tunnel.

“You——” Fire could be seen in Zhao Danchen’s eyes, but he really had no audacity to fight. Wu Hou didn’t kill him, which was already considered good enough. Who was Zhao Danchen that he could fight Wu Hou?

In this passageway.

“Roar~~” A deep roar that could quiver the souls of men rang out.

The facial expression of Wu Hou and Zhao Danchen changed drastically.

In the darkness of this passageway, a three Zhang long Golden Dragon Turtle was seen crawling out. The end of this passageway was a dead end, and this Golden Dragon Turtle occasionally slept and rested there. As a dragon turtle, the thing he loved to do the most was sleep.

The passageway was about fifty Zhang long, and the location of the entrance to the treasure was at the center of the passageway. Therefore, the two didn’t notice the Golden Dragon Turtle.

“Oh no!” Wu Hou mumbled.

“Why is it here? Wasn’t it at the palace entrance?” Zhao Danchen’s facial expression also changed drastically. The Golden Dragon Turtle casually crawled to the entrance of the tunnel and remained there. With its three Zhang long body, it easily blocked the entrance. A faint sense of pride could be seen in its greenish eyes.

……

On the corner, a black figure was walking silently. It was Teng Qingshan, who had been following the route on the map.

“The end of this route is up front.” Teng Qingshan’s heart was beating at an extremely slow speed. He completely stopped breathing with this mouth and nose and was breathing through the pores of his whole body. With the control of his muscles, every step was so soft that it didn’t emit a single sound. In the midst of darkness, Teng Qingshan casted a glance afar.

Twenty Zhang away, the inlaid Shining Pearls on the wall released a faint azure green glow, illuminating the surrounding areas in a radius of ten Zhang.

A Golden Dragon Turtle laid there.

There were also two humans. Zhao Danchen stood there, while the King of Beasts casually sat down with his back leaning on the wall as he emitted deep roars.

“Roar~~~Roar~~~” The Golden Dragon Turtle emitted two roars.

The two humans and beasts did not notice Teng Qingshan’ presence.

In terms of concealing auras, camouflage and following stealthily, Teng Qingshan was a lot more powerful than the Golden Dan Innate Experts.

“Eh? Zhao Danchen and Wu Hou are both here? The Golden Dragon Turtle is here as well?” Teng Qingshan instantly figured out many things. “The treasure is definitely here. The Golden Dragon Turtle is guarding the treasure, leaving Wu Hou and Zhao Danchen helpless. This Zhao Danchen must have the map of the maze, but Wu Hou didn’t……. Wu Hou must have followed Zhao Danchen all the way here!”

Teng Qingshan looked at all these figures silently.

“Zhao Danchen, stop looking like your wife just died.” Wu Hou leaned on the wall and casted a glance at Zhao Danchen. He then smiled and continued saying, “I was chatting with this old dragon turtle……This old dragon turtle has lived for almost ten thousand years. It was even very happy to talk to me.

“You are too bored!” Zhao Danchen sneered.

“Hmph, what do you know.” Wu Hou smiled and responded, “We were both lucky. The old dragon turtle said that….if we went into the tunnel, we would definitely die! This was why the old dragon turtle wasn’t nervous or anxious.”

“Definitely die?” Zhao Danchen frowned, “Emperor Yu left the treasure. How would he let the people who go in die? That’s not possible.”

“The old dragon turtle said! Only the destined ones can obtain the treasure. The non-destined ones will die after entering the tunnel. This old dragon turtle has lived for almost ten thousand years, and it has good temper…..Otherwise, it wouldn’t stop us,” said Wu Hou. Zhao Danchen was so angry that he laughed, “Haha, what a joke! So this old dragon turtle is helping us by stopping us?”

Wu Hou touched his chin and said, “It doesn’t sound real, but the peculiar senses I have trained since I was young…..tell me that this old dragon turtle’s words are probably true! And with the dragon turtle’s ability, if it wanted to kill us, it would have already done that when we were at the palace entrance. However, it only stopped us……Since the beginning, this old dragon turtle has never killed a human.”

Zhao Danchen froze for a second.

Indeed——

Whether it was the blasting a ball of air or threatening them, since the beginning, this old dragon turtle really didn’t kill anyone.

“Wu Hou, you said that the old dragon told you that ‘Only the destined ones can obtain the treasure. The non-destined ones will die after entering the tunnel’. What kind of words are these? What does it mean by destined and non-destined?” Zhao Danchen said anxiously, “Brother Wu Hou, don’t tell me you believe such absurd explanation?” The words ‘destined’ and ‘non-destined’ are quite vague.”

“I asked, but the old dragon turtle refused to tell.” Wu Hou said helplessly.

“Haha, Zhao Danchen, Qing Hu Island suffered considerably great loss this time. So many of your men had died, and you finally reached the entrance to the treasure, but this old dragon turtle tells you……you are not the destined one. Haha……”Wu Hou burst out in laughter. “I am dying of laugher! Haha……”

Zhao Danchen’s face twitched.

“Non-destined?” Zhao Danchen’s eyes turned cold. He wouldn’t believe it even if he died.

Qing Hu Island suffered so much and only receive this word——You are not the destined one? Zhao Danchen would never yield to this.

“How did things fall into such a state!” Zhao Danchen was very anxious and nervous. In fact, he was so anxious that his head ached. Originally, everything had been going as planned, but so many innate experts died, only to discover that the situation became like this. “It’s all because of that person named Qin Lang. if it weren’t for him, the others would have never found the bottomless pit! If it weren’t for him! Elder Hu wouldn’t have died! Although I do not know how the other elders died…….Elder Hu’s last roar obviously showed that Qin Lang had something to do with it.”

Zhao Danchen hated Qin Lang to the bones.

……

Teng Qingshan seemed to be a lifeless rock at the corner, scrutinizing the situation silently. The training in his previous life caused Teng Qingshan to have enough patience……..He just crouched down and waited there. Even if he had to wait three to four days, he wouldn’t feel irritable. He believed that……the chance will come.

……

In one of the passageways on the right route.

Xiao Yao Palace’s remaining five innate experts were with the long-browed old monk. The long-browed old monk held a maze map in his hand and said, “This one!”

The long-browed old monk originally followed Zhao Danchen and walked on the right route for a long time, but Zhao Danchen shockingly noticed in the end and immediately changed his route. With great effort, he finally lost the long-browed old monk.

However, the long-browed old monk encountered the men of Xiao Yao Palace soon after that.

When both sides met, one could say the long-browed old monk was lucky, because he obtained the maze map through that encounter. One could also say that the experts of the Xiao Yao Palace were lucky to obtain the guidance of the long-browed old monk since he could minimize the number of possibly correct routes.

The long-browed old monk was sure of some of the right routes. With knowledge of some of the right routes, the locations of the fights between Zhao Danchen and demonic beasts, and the new maze map, the long-browed old monk eliminated most of the routes and was left with three possibilities. Wu Hou’s laughter could also be heard. Although they were echoes of the laughter, the long-browed old monk could still determine the direction through his Divine Hearings.

“Great Master is powerful indeed.” The elegant purple-cloaked man of Xiao Yao Palace laughed.

“Let’s go. There are sixteen more passageways to go before we arrive the location of the treasure. If we get there slowly, Zhao Danchen and the other will take it away.” The long-browed old monk said calmly. Immediately, the six people advanced rapidly, heading towards the location of the treasure with great haste.