Chapter 317: Chapter 255: Yan Qing Walks the Mortal World (2)

If Ying Le completes her path, even if she doesn’t pass on the throne, she would at least remain permanently in the Secret Realm, allowing Qi Kingdom to naturally be ruled by mortals.

Ying Rushi never thought of seizing the throne. To her, it didn’t matter who became Emperor, as no one could act as recklessly as Ying Le. As long as the officials and Emperor check each other, and local areas flourish, Qi Kingdom could rely on the resources of the northern lands’ Secret Realm to rise strong again.

Moreover, even if Ying Le insists on coveting the throne, Ying Rushi has no other choice.

Ying Le is the only Foundation Establishment of the Ying Family. Without the Ying Family, Ying Le would still be Emperor;

But without Ying Le, the Ying Family would no longer be the Imperial Family.

For public or private matters, for the kingdom or the family, Ying Rushi can only become Ying Le’s vanguard.

She couldn’t help but imagine: as long as the Golden Seal Divine Hunter is slain and Ying Le retreats into the Secret Realm, the new Emperor can use the Heaven-Swaying Sword to attract new aristocratic families, uniting Qi Kingdom once more, first destroying Zhou Kingdom, then heading south to Liang Kingdom, achieving the unparalleled accomplishments of Divine Zhou Shengxuan...

All the way back to the residence, Ying Rushi found a team of palace attendants already waiting in the front hall.

"Marquis of Lecheng County, receive the decree."

Ying Rushi didn’t hesitate: "I am present."

The palace attendant: "The decree says, to Marquis of Lecheng County Ying Rushi, who excels in both civil and military strategies beyond all in the Imperial Family, hereby promoted to Prince of Lanling, granted five thousand households, awarded a golden carriage, and an imperial crown with nine Chapters. Always be cautious and virtuous, eternally safeguard your position—such is the decree!"

"I accept the decree."

Then the palace attendant took out a second decree: "The decree says, granting Prince of Lanling the Bright Flame Treasure Saber, commanding the Shanwen Camp Baibao Guards, cleansing the factions inside and outside Nocturnal City, exterminating the sixteen surnames Yuan, Gao, Peng, Hou, Yun, Lu... indiscriminately of gender, age, rank; if they bear these surnames, they must be killed without mercy!"

Ying Rushi held her breath, her face showing a hint of reluctance.

If it were merely the complete extermination of sixteen families, even including servants, the maximum might be one or two thousand people. But if executed by surname, it could lead to a bloodbath with heads rolling in the streets of the county of Nocturnal City! After over a hundred years of branching out, these sixteen families are already large northern surnames, totaling perhaps hundreds of thousands of people. If truly fully executed...

"Prince of Lanling, please accept the saber."

The palace attendant presented the Bright Flame Treasure Saber to Ying Rushi. This was a weapon personally forged by Ying Le; when the palm is wiped across the blade, it ignites flames capable of killing in the main city. By granting her the saber and entrusting her with the clearance inside and outside Nocturnal Heaven City, the intent was clear.

Accepting this decree meant a massacre in Nocturnal Heaven City!

"Prince of Lanling, if you are unwilling to accept the decree, I will have to return to the palace to inform His Majesty." The palace attendant urged.

Ying Rushi clenched her fist, staring intently at the carpet’s pattern, her face full of conflict. Just then, she heard the sound of hundreds of horse hooves outside, signaling the entry of Shanwen Camp’s cavalry, indicating that Ying Le had already raised the butcher knife.

With millions of corpses and rivers of blood, Ying Le wants to see blood, and not a single drop should be spared!

Ying Rushi lowered her head, as if a heavy mountain had bent her spine, yet she raised her hands to accept the Bright Flame Treasure Saber, her voice revealing a determined resolve:

"I, accept the decree!"

...

...

The next morning.

Yan Qing woke up and began to count the gains from yesterday.

He fought continuously from afternoon until evening, defeating ’Stone Sinking Creek’ four times. If not for his teammates’ muscles almost stiffening, all drained to limp legs, Yan Qing might have continued to grind through the night.

Such a thrill!

Having traversed here so long, Yan Qing experienced his first proper run with a fully equipped team in the Secret Realm. Not only were all members Second-Turn Messengers, equipped with offensive and defensive proofs, but they used Spiritual Power without reservation. With the ’Golden Armor’ enhancement state, Yan Qing felt as if he had returned to his original world, assembling a lumber team with other players to madly grind through the Secret Realm. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

(Lumber Team: refers to a team repeatedly grinding the same Secret Realm)

This is what gaming feels like!

No fear of death, only relentless attacks!

Being in this damned place for so long, the usual team was always rough and incomplete, making Yan Qing forget that a normal Secret Realm grind should involve a team where all members are above standard level, making the experience smooth and straightforward, rather than fighting a section and then resting, swapping players, akin to limit challenges.

After so many runs, the rewards were naturally plentiful. Three Advanced Swordsmanship books exploded, along with three Seven-Star Swords, totaling seventy thousand Spiritual Jade. Thus, grinding for a full seven days, Yan Qing could easily gather five million Spiritual Jade, making supporting the Pharmacist’s Wish and Shang Xinlei no problem.

Of course, they couldn’t be sold all at once, or the price would inevitably drop; only according to the previous pace can goods be gradually released.

However, the harvest of four runs of ’Stone Sinking Creek’ was not as remarkable as the bounty Mouse Monk picked up on ’Lake Heart Island’.

Third-Transformation Curiosity ’Golden Fish Goggles’!

Third-Turned Rare ’Lake Palace Long Spear’!

’Secret Technique Introduction Book: Fury Wave’!

’Lake Palace Treasure Nurturing Pot’!

Aside from these, there were many miscellaneous demon spoils, nearly seventy thousand Spiritual Jade, with so many Blood Replenishing Pills that Yan Qing couldn’t finish even if eaten casually.

The ’Lake Palace Treasure Nurturing Pot’ looks like proof, but it’s actually a repair tool, especially effective for defensive proofs; ’Fury Wave Secret Technique Manual’ covers a broad range, usable with swords, sabers, spears, fists, and more weapons; ’Lake Palace Long Spear’ didn’t have immediate use, perhaps asking Pharmacist’s Wish if he wanted it as a backup spear tomorrow.

The most special of all, was the ’Golden Fish Goggles’.

「Golden Fish Goggles」

「Quality: Third-Turned Precious」

「Durability: 50/50」

「Equipping Condition: 20 points Divine Soul」

「Equipping Effect: +2 Dexterity」

「Equipping Effect: -10% Visual Negative Effects」

「Effect · Transparent World: Upon activation, you will see a world composed of lines—fish-eye world. Matter will no longer block your vision; you can clearly see the specific location of all beings within a radius of five hundred meters. Activation of Transparent World requires consuming 20 points of Spiritual Power, consuming 1 point for each second thereafter."

「Evaluation: I am a fish with face blindness, unable to distinguish between beauty and ugliness."

Reconnaissance Proof!

The six primary directions of proofs are attack, defense, movement, healing, reconnaissance, practice, and Yan Qing finally filled the greatest gap!

Though Qi Kingdom also has reconnaissance proofs available for exchange, it is a pair of gauntlets that detect distant enemy numbers and positions through ground vibrations, conflicting with the ’Hand of Melting Hundred Forms’, with general functionality, making Yan Qing disinclined to buy.

This pair of goggles, however, is different, with a full five-hundred-meter reconnaissance range, useful even after Foundation Establishment, worthy of being the only proof exploded by the Demon King of ’Lake Heart Island’, its functionality almost reaching the limits of third-turn reconnaissance proofs!

After a simple breakfast, Yan Qing started dressing and wrapping bandages, with the Mountain Heart-Protecting Mirror, Bingzi Pepper Forest, Hand of Melting Hundred Forms, Wave-Riding Boots, and Golden Fish Goggles—either legendary or curious items—should they all shine simultaneously, would likely cause a close-range flashbang effect.

Yan Qing was fully armored early in the morning, naturally not for vanity.

He opened the game console, logging into Jiang Shi’s account, leading Baibao to brush through the Three Mountain Secret Realm. During the time the Support Soldier scoured the Secret Realm, Jiang Shi said to the Baibaos: "As mentioned yesterday, I’m going to take my sister inside for training. You do not need to enter."

Having already brushed the Secret Realm once, and Jiang Shi having pre-mentioned the matter, naturally the Baibaos had no reluctance. They watched Jiang Shi and the Rabbit Heroine enter the Secret Realm, while Ye Si stood guard at the Secret Realm entrance, thinking how cautious Jiang Niang was, even deploying Ye Si, the Team Leader, to block the entrance. Are they passing on exclusive skills inside?

No one knew that once inside, the Rabbit Heroine immediately switched to fully armed guard duty, while Jiang Shi hovered in mid-air, lines of flowing light breaking through the void, converging to her side.

Meanwhile, far away at the Thief’s House, Yan Qing also floated in the air, conducting a long twenty-five-second guide spell, sharp flowing light emerging atop his head, directed towards unknown void.

[Fairy Tour]!

Yan Qing is finally going to tread upon the mundane world!