Chapter 772, Enlightenment

Translator: Silavin

 

The ancient hall was magnificent, regal and atmospheric.

 

When he was beginning to approach, a primordial aura swept him, causing Qin Yichen to become alert.

 

The great doors stood open.

 

Qin Yichen and Li Yuanba successively entered the ancient hall.

 

What entered their line of sight was a massive ancient wordless stele, positioned there, blocking their path forward.

 

Mu Yanzhen and the other four had all stopped before this ancient stele. Some standing, some sitting cross-legged, but all of them were the same as their brows were tightly locked, as if encountering some difficult problem.

 

Hearing footsteps, they were startled from their contemplation. Turning their heads, they saw Qin Yichen and Li Yuanba approaching, and immediately, all revealed expressions of surprise.

 

Li Yuanba being able to ascend this Towering Mountain didn’t surprise them much, but by what means had Qin Yichen climbed up!?

 

One must know, towards the latter portion, they had chosen to join forces as four people before managing to ascend.

 

If alone… any one of them absolutely could not have made it to the summit.

 

“Could it be that Li Yuanba brought him up?”

 

This explanation seemed to make sense. After all, they had all witnessed the relationship between Li Yuanba and Qin Yichen. Moreover, most importantly, none of them believed Qin Yichen could have ascended alone.

 

However, Mu Yanzhen’s gaze fell upon Qin Yichen, a crystalline light flowing within her eyes.

 

Although on the surface, Qin Yichen did not appear any different, watching him approach gave her an inexplicable sense of oppression.

 

As if what was walking toward them was a primordial savage beast.

 

This was a sensation she had only felt from Li Yuanba.

 

[He… could he actually have used the Golden Sea Lightning Concentrate to temper his body and elevate his Physique!?] Mu Yanzhen suddenly recalled Qin Yichen in the Golden Sea Lightning Concentrate. It seemed like he had not used Yuan Energy at all.

 

[Madman! He is an absolute madman!]

 

The destructive power of the Golden Sea Lightning Concentrate was extreme. It was a special energy used to forge certain special Artifacts. Yet Qin Yichen had actually used the Golden Sea Lightning Concentrate to elevate his own Physique!

 

[Could it be that he wants to forge his own body into an Artifact!?]

 

Even Li Yuanba currently bore multiple injuries, yet Qin Yichen… was completely unharmed.

 

This contrast left her somewhat unable to accept it.

 

Seeing the two of them approach, Qiao Linlang’s lips moved, but she said nothing, instead continuing to focus on that wordless stele.

 

Qin Yichen merely nodded toward Mu Yanzhen in acknowledgment before shifting his gaze to the stele.

 

Mu Yanzhen and the other four had already been up here for some time, yet were still stalled here. Evidently, this wordless stele contained hidden mysteries that still eluded them.

 

*Boom!*

 

*Crash!*

 

Just as Qin Yichen’s line of sight fell upon the wordless stele, suddenly, thunderous sounds reached his ears, wave after wave, tide after tide, undulating dramatically.

 

Before him, the stele was clearly without images, yet he seemed to see a ten thousand metre volcano erupting, magma dyeing the entire Heaven and Earth red. Then he seemed to arrive at a vast ocean, with thousand-fold giant waves surging and rolling.

 

Sound and imagery drove his heartbeat. Even the Yuan Energy within his body followed along, growing restless. It was as if it too were like the volcanic waves, rising and falling, wanting to burst forth from his body.

 

But very quickly, the sounds in his ears vanished, the imagery before his eyes disappeared without trace, and within his body, the Yuan Energy also settled down.

 

“Comprehend!” An aged voice resonated through his mind, offering only a single character as instruction.

 

“Comprehend?” Looking at the stele before him, Qin Yichen’s brow also furrowed slightly. After pondering its meaning carefully for a moment, he murmured to himself, “Could it be… testing one’s comprehension ability?”

 

While he was still puzzled over this, Li Yuanba standing beside him moved.

 

*Rumble…* Thunderous sounds resonated from Li Yuanba’s body, power surging forth. Then, lifting his giant hammers, he struck toward that wordless stele.

 

*Bang!*

 

With a tremendous crash, the stele split open, and Li Yuanba disappeared within. Moments later, the wordless stele returned to its original state, positioned there, blocking everyone’s path forward.

 

“What happened!?”

 

The sudden turn of events immediately drew everyone’s attention, especially seeing Li Yuanba’s disappearance, which left Gu Feitian and the others utterly astonished.

 

One must know, during the time they had been blocked here, they had tried every conceivable method. They had even joined forces as four to bombard the stele, but forget shattering it, they could not leave even the smallest mark upon it.

 

Yet now, Li Yuanba had split the stele with a single hammer blow?!

 

Though they acknowledged Li Yuanba’s astonishing Physique and tremendous strength, in terms of power, Li Yuanba’s strike just now was still somewhat inferior compared to theirs.

 

Then why had the stele broken?

 

“Could it be that the stele has changed?”

 

Gu Feitian’s heart stirred. His palm formed a hand seal, then pressed it against the stele.

 

*Bang!*

 

With a tremendous crash, a wave of energy spread from between his palm and the stele. Gu Feitian’s form was also forced back by the impact. However… the wordless stele remained completely undamaged.

 

“This…” A trace of surprise couldn’t help but flash through Qin Yichen’s eyes.

 

He could perceive that in terms of power, Li Yuanba’s strike just now and Gu Feitian’s current strike should have been roughly equal, yet the results were completely different.

 

Li Yuanba had clearly already passed this test, while Gu Feitian remained blocked here.

 

Gu Feitian’s expression was quite unpleasant.

 

In this Imperial Dynasties Assembly, in his eyes, only Yao Yue warranted his wariness. Of course, later there was Mu Yanzhen. The others, even Qiao Linlang and Xia Lieyang, he did not take seriously.

 

Li Yuanba?

 

Yes, he was very strong.

 

But Li Yuanba was, after all, only at the Early Stage Martial Emperor Realm. He possessed an absolute advantage in terms of cultivation realm.

 

Yet now, Li Yuanba has advanced ahead of him. This was something the proud and arrogant Gu Feitian found difficult to accept. Especially thinking that Li Yuanba might consequently obtain the inheritance made him extremely anxious.

 

However, anxiety served no purpose.

 

Subsequently, Yao Yue and Qiao Linlang also attempted one after another, with no different results.

 

“Could it be…” Watching these scenes unfold, Qin Yichen seemed to realize something. He stepped toward the wordless stele, step by step. Within his body, Yuan Energy grew restless, rising and falling, tide after tide. Finally, his palm pressed against the stele.

 

*Bang!* The force was not great, but beneath his palm, fine cracks spread across the stele’s surface. When he withdrew his palm and wanted to examine them, he discovered the stele had already returned to normal. It was as if those cracks had never existed at all.

 

*Bang!* To verify what he had just experienced was not an illusion, Qin Yichen focused once more. Yuan Energy surged restlessly again, and another palm fell upon the stele. With a resounding crash, this time he saw a minute crack extend beyond his palm.

 

Although the stele subsequently returned to its original state once more, it confirmed a hypothesis forming in his mind.