The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Yun Province, Zhongcang City!

The city was bustling with people, a picture of prosperity. It wasn’t as large as the Yunxiao Empire’s Imperial Capital, but most of its inhabitants were Martial Artists. There were even many powerful Noble Families settled here, making its overall strength countless times greater than that of the Imperial Capital.

After arriving, Qin Ya made some inquiries and finally found the Worldwide Business Association. As he gazed at the magnificently decorated building before him, he couldn’t help but recall a saying that circulated in the Southern Domain: no matter the city, the Worldwide Business Association was always the largest, and the larger its branch, the more prosperous the city.

He walked straight inside, and a woman immediately came up to greet him.

"How may I help you, sir?"

"I’m looking for your Chief."

"Ah... Please wait a moment."

Upon hearing this, the attendant looked Qin Ya up and down for a moment before offering a polite smile.

Qin Ya waited for a moment before the woman returned, leading a middle-aged man in a white robe. Upon reaching Qin Ya, the man said, "I am Zhao Bai, one of the Stewards for the Zhongcang City branch of the Worldwide Business Association. May I ask who you are, Young Master?"

"Qin Ya. I’m here to see your Chief."

He simply presented a Three-Star VIP Card for the Worldwide Business Association. The moment Steward Zhao Bai saw it, he was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief. He immediately bowed respectfully to Qin Ya. "Young Master, please come with me."

"Mm."

To the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Zhao Bai led Qin Ya directly to the third floor of the association. They stopped before a room named Elegant Pavilion, and Zhao Bai knocked on the door.

"Chief, an honored guest has arrived."

A faint noise came from within the Elegant Pavilion, and then with a CREAK, the door slowly opened. A slightly portly middle-aged man walked out.

"An honored guest?"

The portly middle-aged man glanced behind Zhao Bai. When he saw Qin Ya, his brow furrowed slightly and he whispered to Zhao Bai, "This is the honored guest you were talking about?"

Zhao Bai whispered a few words in the portly man’s ear. The man’s pupils instantly contracted, and he looked at Qin Ya with utter disbelief.

Then, an enthusiastic smile bloomed on his face.

"Young Master, please, come inside."

"Mm."

Qin Ya nodded and walked straight in.

"I am Liu Po, the Chief of the Worldwide Business Association here in Zhongcang City. Is there anything I can help you with during your visit, Young Master?"

"I am only here to ask a few questions."

"Please ask, Young Master."

"Have you... heard of Lingxiao Palace?"

Liu Po’s expression changed slightly at the question. Seeing this, Qin Ya’s eyes lit up. ’Judging by his reaction, he definitely knows something about Lingxiao Palace.’

"I have heard of the Southern Domain’s Four Great Hidden Sects."

"Could you tell me about them in detail?"

"Of course. The Four Great Hidden Sects have profound foundations and a history stretching back at least several thousand years. Their ranks are filled with countless masters. More importantly, these Sects rarely interact with the outside world. Even among their Disciples, only a few are ever active in public."

"And Lingxiao Palace is one of these Four Great Sects."

"Do you happen to know the exact location of Lingxiao Palace, Chief?"

Upon hearing that, Liu Po said, "Young Master Qin, you think too highly of me. Lingxiao Palace is a colossal power. How could someone like me possibly know its location?"

"Oh." Though Qin Ya had expected as much, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment.

"However, just because I don’t know where Lingxiao Palace is doesn’t mean others don’t. Young Master, have you ever heard of the Kunn Mountain Assembly?"

"Oh? What is the Kunn Mountain Assembly?" Qin Ya asked, his curiosity piqued.

"That story begins with one of the Four Great Hidden Sects, Kunyun Palace. Every ten years, Kunyun Palace distributes eighty-one Cyan Cloud Orders. Those who obtain one of these Tokens can follow its guidance to enter Kunn Mountain and participate in the trials held by Kunyun Palace..."

"All who pass the trials can join Kunyun Palace, becoming Disciples, Elders, Stewards, or other such positions, and enjoy access to limitless Martial Arts Resources. For thousands of years, this is how Kunyun Palace has recruited the world’s greatest talents."

Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this. ’The Kunn Mountain Assembly.’

"So Kunn Mountain requires a Cyan Cloud Order for guidance? Does that mean no one has been able to determine its exact location in all these thousands of years?" Qin Ya asked in confusion.

"The great Hidden Sects all possess mysterious and unfathomable power. It’s better to think of Kunn Mountain as a moving fortress. For thousands of years, no one has been able to pinpoint its exact location. That is why the Cyan Cloud Orders are distributed before every Kunn Mountain Assembly!"

"And it’s not just Kunn Mountain; the other great Hidden Sects are much the same. Very few people know the locations of their Sect headquarters. Young Master, if you wish to learn the location of Lingxiao Palace, your only option might be to ask at Kunyun Palace, another of the great Hidden Sects."

’Kunyun Palace, huh?’

’To get to Kunyun Palace, I first have to enter Kunn Mountain, which means I need to get a Cyan Cloud Order first. There are tens of thousands of Martial Artists in the world, but only eighty-one Cyan Cloud Orders. One can only imagine how fierce the competition will be.’ But none of that could deter Qin Ya.

"Does the Worldwide Business Association have any leads on the Cyan Cloud Orders?"

Liu Po smiled faintly. "If you had come two days earlier, Young Master, you might have been disappointed. However, just yesterday, I happened to receive some news!"

"One of the Cyan Cloud Orders is right here in Yun Province!"

"Where in Yun Province?"

"With Ao Zhanyun, the third-ranked master on the Yun Province leaderboard!"

"I want all your information on him. The more detailed, the better."

"Yes, I will prepare it at once."

Normally, the Worldwide Business Association would never sell this kind of information. This time was different, however, because the request came from Qin Ya. He was one of the association’s handful of Three-Star VIPs, a figure that even their President-General had to treat with respect.

A short while later, Liu Po returned with a file.

"Ao Zhanyun, Ancestor of the Ao Family. Cultivation: Half-Step King Realm."

"Age: 156. He stepped into the Celestial Human Realm at seventy. His cultivation seems to have reached its limit, as his strength has not progressed at all in a full ten years."

"He once killed two other Martial Artists of the same realm in the Feiyun Mountain Range. Among those at his level, his combat prowess is considered second to none. His weapon of choice is a Ninth-Grade Long Saber."

......

"Young Master, as far as I know, our Worldwide Business Association isn’t the only one in Yun Province to have gotten this news. At this very moment, at least three other factions are closing in on the Ao Family."

"The strongest among them is the top Sect in Yun Province, Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain. It’s said that at least four of their Celestial Human Realm Mountain Masters are heading there," Liu Po said slowly.

Qin Ya was taken aback for a moment.

"Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain?"

"The very same."

"What a coincidence." The corner of Qin Ya’s mouth curved up.

’Back in Hidden Dragon Valley, besides the Vast Sea Divine Palace, I also encountered Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain. To think they’d also be involved in this struggle for the Cyan Cloud Order.’

Qin Ya closed his eyes and sank into thought. ’With my current strength, snatching the Cyan Cloud Order from so many powerful factions will be incredibly difficult.’

’The Ao Family’s Half-Step King is enough to give me a headache, let alone the intervention of a Sect like Purple Cloud Heavenly Mountain. It’s a Top-Level power on par with the Vast Sea Divine Palace. There’s a good chance a Martial Arts King is holding down the fort for them.’

’Looks like I need to think this through carefully.’

After a moment, Qin Ya took out a piece of paper covered in the names of various medicinal ingredients and handed it to Liu Po. "I’ll have to trouble you to prepare these herbs for me."

Liu Po took the list and glanced at it, a look of surprise on his face.

"I’m afraid we’ll need two days to gather all of this, Young Master."

"That’s fine."