Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Foxflower said, “Since I said this is your second repayment, I will naturally deal with them myself.”

He glanced at the strange beast. Then, a strange litany of syllables began to spill forth from his lips.

Shu He, who had transformed into the strange beast, began to roar with anger and fear. But it was clear that after absorbing the light released from the ancient tree, everything was beyond his control now.

The strange beast’s body grew once more; it was clearly exceeding its limits. Its surface began to crack as wounds opened up across its skin.

Fresh blood flowed from its eyes. The strange beast’s aura became even wilder. It lost all reasoning. All that remained there was death and destruction.

It reared back its head and roared. All of its scales suddenly flew up, tearing off from the flesh and blood below as they rose into the skies.

Each scale was like a node. They connected to each other, isolating the outside from the inside.

The complexions of the black and purple-robed old man and the silver-haired middle-aged man suddenly changed. They howled out loud and the auras within their bodies thoroughly erupted.

In the next moment, the strange beast detonated. But what was strange was that there was no direct explosion. Rather, the strength was all incorporated into those detached scales.

The detonation of those scales was the true killing move. Countless fragments carried with them a terrifying strength. They submerged the three others like a tsunami.

Foxflower said, “It’s finished…” But before his voice fell, his face suddenly darkened.

In the next moment, a blinding saber light swept through everything like a waterfall descending from the highest heavens. It tore open the explosive shockwaves of the detonating scales.

Qin Yu fiercely looked up, his eyes locking onto the saber light. He immediately recognized who had released it.

As it moved forward, it was like this saber light could cut through 10,000 barriers – Woodchopper Fu!

No wonder the God Hunters organization still couldn’t find this person’s whereabouts – it was because he had hidden away in the Sealed Stone World.

The young man stepped out from the crack, carrying a hatchet in his hand. He no longer hid his attitude as he looked at Qin Yu with a complex expression.

He had hidden in the Sealed Stone World but he still couldn’t rid himself of being chased down from the outside world. Could this be the dark flow of fate?

He shook his head. The young man suppressed all of these thoughts. If he really did believe in things like fate, he would never have been able to live until this day.

He lifted a hand and slashed forward. Space split open wherever the saber passed. Then, he stepped inside and vanished.

Foxflower furrowed his eyebrows together, “Sequencer!”

He gave up on trying to chase this person down. Since this person was a sequencer, it was impossible for him to directly eliminate him.

This was a rule of the Sealed Stone World that protected all sequencers from outside forces.

Qin Yu asked, “What is the sequence?”

Foxflower said, “You should have already entered the ‘nebula’ of sealed stones. There, in the deepest part of the ‘nebula’, there are ten towering sealed stones, each one like an ancient mountain that supports the heavens. Those that have the qualifications to step onto those ten sealed stones are called sequencers.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “And your next goal is to become one of those sequencers. In the end, you must obtain nine seals from the sealed stone sequences. Only by becoming a nine seal sequencer will you have the qualifications to enter the great tomb and slaughter the great being from the War Clan within!”

Qin Yu’s pupils shrank. “Nine seals?”

Foxflower said, “If you step onto the first sealed stone, you will automatically become a one seal sequencer. If you step onto the second sealed stone, you will become a two seal sequencer. When you step onto the ninth, you will become a nine seal sequencer.

“Of course, the sequencers ranked above you will desperately try to ambush you and bring you down. This is because it is impossible for two sequencers of the same rank to coexist. When a challenge occurs, he will be teleported to you. The appearance of a new sequencer means the death of the previous one.”

Qin Yu furrowed his eyebrows, “How many seals does he have?”

Foxflower faintly said, “He is a one seal sequencer, meaning that he is also the first person you must kill.” He paused for a moment, “You seem to know him?”

Qin Yu nodded, “Our origin is quite deep.”

His words were cold and chilling.

Disregarding what happened outside Thistle Capital, there were also the events of Four Seasons City. Although Qin Yu had borrowed Woodchopper Fu’s hand to escape, there was no gratitude towards him. 

Foxflower smiled. “Very good. It’s best if there is a grudge between the two of you, because then you won’t need to hesitate.” He glanced around, “Once you become a sequencer you will have the qualifications to leave the Sealed Stone World. With your current strength, you cannot yet attack a higher sequence. After obtaining a mark you can leave here. When you reach the Great Dao boundary, you can return and harvest this good fortune that will change your destiny.”

Qin Yu’s eyes brightened. If he became a sequencer then he could freely pass in and out of the Sealed Stone World. This was a surprising discovery.

He took a deep breath and nodded, “I will immediately enter seclusion and cultivate. When I emerge, that will be the day I capture the sequence!”

…

In the deepest reaches of the sealed stone ‘nebula’, there were sealed stones that were large beyond imagination. They were simply like miniaturized versions of a planet.

Somewhere in this sealed stone ‘nebula’, space suddenly cracked apart and a young man wielding a hatchet stepped out. His face was dark to the point of dripping water. He quickly made his way forward until he reached a common-looking stone house. Then, he lifted his fists and punched out.

Pa –

As if hitting a barrier, ripples spread outwards. Finally, after several breaths of time, the door was opened from the inside. The old and wizened figure of Woodchopper Fu appeared from within.

The young man moved forward, fusing directly into his body.

Shua –

Woodchopper Fu opened his eyes. He mumbled to himself, “Believing in fate is impossible. For an old man like me to live this long, I have never easily handed my life over!”

His eyes were dark and uncertain for a long time. Then, he lifted a hand. A hatchet appeared in his palm and he slashed at the void.

A crack suddenly appeared in space. He stepped in.

Everything fell dark around him. When light reappeared, Woodchopper Fu’s rickety figure had already returned to the Land of Divinity and Demons.

He looked around to determine his direction. Then, he flicked his sleeve and space exploded. He leapt inside.

…

Great Yan Empire, a small town on the border frontier.

The waiter let out a deep breath of cold air as he started setting up shop. Looking at the dusky weather around him, he mumbled some curses to himself.

This damned weather was far too cold. He really found it hard to imagine how those sinners who were banished to the snowy regions of the northern border were able to survive.

He shook his head and tossed aside these thoughts. He began to sweep up and clear the shop; he needed to finish all of these things before the shopkeeper arrived.

But just as he began, he noticed some rays of light darken within the shop. Surprised, he turned around and plastered a smile on his face, “Welcome dear guest, is there anything I can help you with?”

This guest wore a thick black robe that blocked out the wind and snow. He was completely covered up inside. His voice was old and gravelly as he said, “Call out the shopkeeper. There is big business I must discuss with him.”

The waiter was about to say something but the thick curtain from the back suddenly lifted up. The shopkeeper who loved to laze around most days hurried out, gesturing, “Honored guest, please enter the back room so that we may speak in further detail.”

The black-robed figure nodded and stepped inside first. The shopkeeper ordered the waiter to allow no one to disturb them before he quickly hurried in behind.

After entering the room, the shopkeeper cupped his hands together and deeply bowed, “Immortal Sect Zhang Chengyuan greets senior. I wonder what instruction senior has?”

The black-robed figure calmly said, “Open the entrance. I must enter the Immortal Sect.”

The shopkeeper revealed an awkward expression.

The black-robed figure lifted a hand and revealed a token.

The shopkeeper hurriedly bowed, “I ask senior to please wait a moment!”

He rushed into the building somewhere and took out another token. Then, he smashed it into the ground.

Ripples began to appear on the dirty floor that was covered with dust and soot. Everything started to rapidly turn transparent.

A massive underground array formation appeared. The token that had sunk into the ground was now in the center of the array formation. Faint traces of light flowed around it as it activated!

The shopkeeper let out a breath of relief. He respectfully said, “Senior, please.”

The black-robed figure sank into the ground without hesitation. The array formation erupted with a blinding light before disappearing.

The token flew back into the shopkeeper’s hand. Finally, the ground was restored to how it was in the beginning, as if everything that just happened was only an illusion.