182: Chapter 181 Imperial Sword Manor

The Green-Striped Toad let out a roar and chased after the direction it had just been heading.

The Green-Striped Toad was extremely fast, and in just fifteen minutes, it caught up with Wang Cheng.

Although Wang Cheng was Qin Changsheng's External Incarnation and was supported by many Golden Traits,

he was simply no match for a Golden Core Yao Beast.

In less than fifteen minutes, Wang Cheng was struck by the Green-Striped Toad's venom.

"Bang!" Wang Cheng's body instantly exploded, turning into countless fragments of spiritual energy that dissipated into the lake water, leaving not a single trace behind.

After killing Wang Cheng, the Green-Striped Toad's massive body swayed slightly. The fury in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep smugness and arrogance.

...

Inside the small courtyard.

Qin Changsheng had already returned here safely.

This trip to Qingyun Lake could be described as perfect.

He had not only successfully seized the jade box guarded by the Green-Striped Toad but also managed to escape the pursuit of the Golden Core Yao Beast. Although he lost his Incarnation, Wang Cheng, he had paid almost no substantial price.

After all, the Incarnation Wang Cheng only required a single Spirit Stone to be successfully summoned.

With a gentle wave of his right hand, a Spirit Stone instantly appeared in Qin Changsheng's palm.

Qin Changsheng slowly chanted the summoning incantation.

As the incantation ended, the Spirit Stone in his palm gradually emitted a faint light. Its spiritual power slowly dissipated, turning into wisps of golden spiritual light that converged and took shape in the courtyard.

A moment later, the spiritual light vanished, and Wang Cheng's figure appeared nearby.

"Your subordinate greets the Lord." Wang Cheng knelt on one knee.

"Rise." Qin Changsheng paused before continuing, "Set off immediately for the Danxia Spirit Stone Mine."

Wang Cheng nodded slightly and bowed in response, "By your command."

With a flicker of his body, Wang Cheng turned into an afterimage, quietly leaving the courtyard and speeding toward the Danxia Spirit Stone Mine, quickly disappearing into the night.

After Wang Cheng had departed, Qin Changsheng's gaze rested quietly on the jade box.

The jade box was pitch black all over, and he could clearly feel the cold, evil Qi faintly leaking from inside.

That Qi was eerie and cold, making Qin Changsheng suspect that a far-from-simple treasure must be hidden within this jade box.

According to their agreement, he was supposed to hand the jade box over to Senior Brother Wu Yong in exchange for that rare spirit marrow jade.

But at this moment, Qin Changsheng did not have the slightest intention of delivering the jade box immediately.

He intended to set this jade box aside for a year and wait to see how things developed.

If, within this year, he could rely on his own abilities to successfully obtain the spirit marrow jade,

then this jade box would belong to him.

At that time, he would personally open the jade box to investigate what mysterious treasure was hidden inside.

However, if he remained unable to obtain the spirit marrow jade within this year, he would hand the jade box to Elder Qingxuan in exchange for it, ensuring that the refining of his Lifebound Treasure could proceed smoothly.

After all, spirit marrow jade was a high-grade auxiliary material for refining a Lifebound Treasure and was vital to him. While the jade box held a mystery, it could not be allowed to delay his great cultivation plans.

With a wave of his hand, Qin Changsheng put the jade box into his Storage Space.

After putting away the jade box, Qin Changsheng turned his gaze toward the direction of Sword Villa.

In one month, it would be the day Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu taught the Artifact Refining Technique at Sword Villa.

Qin Changsheng had to go there to learn the Artifact Refining Technique.

Only then could he successfully refine his Lifebound Treasure.

"Let Hu Nan go!" After thinking for a while, Qin Changsheng decided to have Hu Nan make the trip to Sword Villa.

After all, Hu Nan had some personal history with Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu.

By going to Sword Villa, he might even receive some guidance from Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu.

Meanwhile, Qin Changsheng could safely remain within the Sect to meditate and Cultivate.

Once Hu Nan reached Sword Villa, Qin Changsheng could also use the Heavenly Dao Trait Intelligence to gather the whereabouts of heavenly dao fragments or Lifebound Treasure Materials.

...

Sword Villa.

Sword Villa was built against the mountains, its Aura grand and majestic. It stretched up along the mountain slopes all the way to the summit, as if merging into one with heaven and earth.

The main gate of the villa was several dozen feet high, forged from a single piece of profound iron. The four characters for "Sword Villa" were carved onto the gate in a vigorous and powerful style, the brushstrokes like dancing dragons and snakes, faintly emitting ripples of spiritual energy that showcased the Sect's majesty and heritage.

On either side of the main gate stood two ten-foot-tall stone sword statues. Their blades were sharp and their Aura stern, as if guarding this ten-thousand-year-old Sect, making people afraid to act rashly.

At this moment, the plaza outside the main gate of Sword Villa was already clamorous and bustling with people.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators from all over the Southern Region had gathered here, dressed in various styles of clothing. They stood in small groups, conversing in low voices, their expressions filled with expectation and respect.

Most of them, like Qin Changsheng, had come to listen to Great Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu teach the Artifact Refining Technique. After all, as a top Artifact Refining master in the Southern Region, Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu rarely taught his craft publicly. No one wanted to miss such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

On the plaza, the cultivation of these Cultivators was mostly at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment, with the occasional Foundation Establishment Great Perfection Cultivator seen. All were respectful, standing aside carefully and not daring to make noise.

Some were exchanging insights on immortal cultivation, some were inquiring about Earth-Grade Low Grade longsword Magical Artifacts, and others were calculating how they might obtain guidance from Master Chu during the teaching.

After two days of flying on his sword, Hu Nan had also arrived outside Sword Villa.

Qin Changsheng did not control Hu Nan to enter Sword Villa immediately but instead opened the Heavenly Dao Trait Intelligence.

He prepared to search for clues regarding heavenly dao fragments and auxiliary Materials for his Lifebound Treasure.

Qin Changsheng's mind sank into his attribute panel. With a thought, he slowly entered the words "heavenly dao fragment" into the search bar of the Heavenly Dao Trait "Intelligence."

In the next instant, an invisible Divine Thought spread out, traveling between heaven and earth, gathering all information related to heavenly dao fragments.

In just a breath, a piece of information appeared on the attribute panel.

[heavenly dao fragment: A special treasure that can upgrade Golden Traits. Location: Inside the Sword Imperial Pool of Sword Villa. Holder: None. It is a fragment formed from the shattering of an ancient Divine Artifact].

Looking at the information on the attribute panel, Qin Changsheng's eyes were full of joy.

He had not expected that there would actually be a heavenly dao fragment inside Sword Villa.

"Sword Imperial Pool?"

However, Qin Changsheng's brow soon furrowed slightly.

This Sword Imperial Pool was almost never open to the public, and it was heavily guarded.

If Qin Changsheng wanted to enter, he would have to wait until the Sword Imperial Pool opened next year.

"I'll go in first to scout for news about the Sword Imperial Pool!" Qin Changsheng controlled Hu Nan to walk toward Sword Villa.

Manipulating Hu Nan, Qin Changsheng followed the flow of people and successfully entered the villa.

Before long, a simple and elegant restaurant came into view. The restaurant was crowded, filled with Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had come to listen to the Artifact Refining teaching; it was bustling with noise.

Qin Changsheng's heart stirred. He manipulated Hu Nan to walk slowly into the restaurant and find a corner seat by the window. He ordered a pot of Spiritual Tea and appeared to be leisurely sipping it, but in reality, he was listening to the conversations of the surrounding Cultivators, looking for an opportunity to inquire about the Sword Imperial Pool.

Inside the restaurant, Cultivators sat in small groups. Their topics mostly revolved around Master Refiner Chu Yanqiu's Artifact Refining Technique, with occasional mentions of Sword Villa's secrets.

Qin Changsheng waited patiently with a calm expression. He neither took the initiative to strike up a conversation nor showed anything unusual, only silently capturing every sentence related to the Sword Imperial Pool.

Time passed slowly. After only half an hour, the news regarding the Sword Imperial Pool was quietly scouted out by Qin Changsheng. Key pieces of information were transmitted into Qin Changsheng's mind through Hu Nan's perception, clear and definite.

It turned out that the Sword Imperial Pool was the core of Sword Villa, carrying the Sect's Legacy. It was not open at all times but was opened only once every hundred years.

Every time it opened, Sword Villa would allow Foundation Establishment Cultivators from across the Southern Region to enter the pool to select a longsword.

Ordinarily, however, the Sword Imperial Pool remained in a closed state and would not open at all, nor would it allow any Cultivator to approach.