Chapter 752 - 533: The Reason
Above the void, the remnants of slaughter linger.
Marquis Wushang’s vertical eye on his brow slowly closed, the bloodstains on his dark battle armor congealing like cinnabar, most of the blood aura surrounding him dissipated, as he bowed deeply to Qin Cangwu:
"Brother Daoist, this foolish brother was powerless, unable to save our wise nephew Changkong. I am ashamed towards you, ashamed towards the Qin Clan!"
Qin Cangwu slowly turned, his white robe snowier than snow, the lingering sharpness of battle on his robe now completely covered by a bottomless layer of sorrow.
He gently raised his hand, lightly supporting Marquis Wushang:
"You speak too heavily, young brother. The enemy is cunning, the incident abrupt; how can Changkong’s matter be blamed on you?"
"How can it not be blamed!"
Marquis Wushang suddenly lifted his head, his eyes red as blood, veins on his forehead slightly pulsating.
"The younger ones disregarded honor, ambushing our wise nephew Changkong while I was unprepared. This enmity cannot coexist under heaven!"
"Please, brother, leave him to me. I shall use purgatory’s hellfire to scorch his divine soul day and night... avenging our wise nephew!"
"Slow down, young brother."
Qin Cangwu raised his hand again, gently stopping his motion, his face growing increasingly sorrowful, yet his heart surging with countless thoughts.
"Daoist Monarch’s abode! Creation Dao Artifact! If such an opportunity were to leak slightly, it would certainly attract countless coveting eyes..."
"Did Marquis Wushang glimpse a hint just now?"
"Though the possibility is low, it is not nonexistent! If this person harbors ulterior motives, my opportunity will be ruined instantly!"
"Slay him!"
An icy, resolute thought instantly surfaced.
Killing intent rose in Qin Cangwu’s heart, the spirit light of the Five Elements Mixed Essence Mirror and the Glazed Illusory Mirror stirred restlessly beneath his palm.
With his divine techniques, he could certainly annihilate Marquis Wushang in a heartbeat, forever eliminating future troubles.
Yet, as the thought arose, he forcibly suppressed it.
"No! Though this person is merely at the Void Refining Twelfth Tribulation stage, he has a noble background and definitely carries a life-saving treasure from his clan."
"Moreover, above Chongli Heaven, the Asura clan has a king at the Void Refining Fifteenth Tribulation seated..."
Numerous thoughts intertwined and collided within his sea of consciousness, eventually all returning to tranquility.
Qin Cangwu sighed inwardly:
"Enough! For now, stabilize this person."
On the surface, his sorrow grew even deeper, softly shaking his head:
"Your wholehearted dedication, young brother, is understood by this brother."
"But Changkong’s demise is not as simple as it appears; it concerns a secret of our Qin Clan and cannot be divulged."
"I must personally interrogate to thoroughly resolve this matter."
He deliberately paused, avoiding the probing gaze of Marquis Wushang, instead looking towards the direction of Qin Changkong’s fall, his tone growing several degrees more urgent:
"Moreover, Changkong’s remains must be properly gathered..."
"Young brother, once this brother handles everything here, we shall drink together and discuss Dao, renewing our friendship."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Wushang’s ferocity and urgency in his eyes slightly calmed.
Knowing the strict rules of the Qin Clan, since Qin Cangwu mentioned clan secrets, he dared not further inquire:
"Since brother Daoist has urgent matters, this foolish brother will not disturb you."
"Thank you, young brother, for your understanding."
Qin Cangwu slightly nodded, forcing out a strong sense of gratitude on his face, yet his eyes remained calm, with only one thought in his heart:
"The longer the night, the more dreams!"
"I must leave here as soon as possible, head to the Taiyi realm, and excavate the treasure vault, lest Marquis Wushang perceives a hint and attracts other mighty figures, ruining my grand plan!"
...
The Taiyi realm, a secret void beyond the nine heavens, exuding a semblance of ancient, unchanging tranquility and vastness.
A stream of multicolored light, like flowing clouds, leisurely unfolded between heaven and earth, as poetic and picturesque as a dream or illusion, seeming as if touched it would disperse into the void.
Suddenly, a white-clad figure approached through the void, his form like lightning, arriving before the colorful clouds in an instant, his robe flapping, cutting a graceful arc through the tranquil void.
He was Qin Cangwu, who had hurried over.
Standing in the void, he stood with arms folded, his white robes snowier than snow, his posture upright like a pine tree, his eyes shining like cold stars, fixated on the swaying colorful clouds, a faint flow of perfected Dao rhyme encircling him, divine thought surging out like tides, layer upon layer, probing into the mystery within the clouds.
"This is the place!"
There was an unmistakable excitement in Qin Cangwu’s eyes.
"In Mingyi’s memories, it’s clear that the treasure vault of Daoist Monarch Dong Yin’s legacy is hidden beneath these clouds, without a doubt!"
A thought stirred his heart as he repeatedly investigated, employing divine thought and mana in turns, the Five Elements Mixed Essence Mirror and the Glazed Illusory Mirror quietly floating in his palm, attempting to utilize the power of two divine techniques to observe the hidden mysteries.
Yet no matter his efforts, he found it difficult to discern the slightest mystery.
To his eyes, those colorful clouds remained misty and ethereal, indistinguishable from ordinary void clouds, without the slightest anomaly.
No harshness from restriction, no spirit light leakage from treasures, only the ancient silence and ethereality, as if naturally existing within this void.
Yet Qin Cangwu knew in his heart that beneath these seemingly ordinary clouds lay mystery.
A hint of amazement flashed in his eyes:
"Such concealment skills are truly beyond the comprehension of gods and ghosts!"
"Had I not obtained Mingyi’s memory, knowing that this place is the entrance to Daoist Monarch’s abode..."
"Even if I scoured the entire Taiyi realm, I would never discern the mystery here, only passing it off as ordinary void clouds, brushing past!"
"How could I find the portal to the abode, let alone step inside, seize the supreme treasure."
"A truly Daoist Monarch means!"
Qin Cangwu stood for a long time, his expression calm without a trace of impatience or urgency, knowing that this matter would not be easy, he merely made a simple attempt.
More importantly, he had subdued the remaining spirit of Mirror Elder Mingyi and already knew the core mystery of the restriction, understanding the method to breach it.