Chapter 1039: Chapter 1038: Gathering of Powerhouses

Tianyan Mountain Range.

This immense range, which lies like a crouching dragon across the heartland of Yangzhou, greeted Ling Chen’s gaze as he hurriedly arrived from Jiankang City. His eyes lifted towards the sky, where fiery clouds of crimson stretched endlessly. Strands of fire flickered like dragons weaving through them, forming a sight of heavenly wonder, accompanied by deep thunder that rumbled overhead and then reverberated far and wide.

Upon arriving, Ling Chen’s heart couldn’t help but surge with excitement. After all, the Void Emperor’s royal decree was an exceptionally rare treasure in this world; acquiring another would undoubtedly substantially enhance his power.

"Quite a crowd has gathered, it seems..."

Ling Chen’s gaze swept across the sky. The perimeter of the Tianyan Mountain Range was filled with the sounds of swift winds as swathes of powerful warriors, riding various flying monsters and puppets, streaked across the sky. Clearly, these warriors were drawn here by the allure of the rumored hidden half-legend.

Frowning slightly, Ling Chen pondered who spread the news that attracted so many formidable people. With so many eyes here, Ling Chen came prepared; he had donned a ghost mask to hide his face and prevent being recognized.

"Hmm, there’s a camp over there."

Lifting his head, Ling Chen saw in the distance what appeared to be quite a large camp, and many figures arriving from afar seemed to converge towards it.

Although Ling Chen was eager to venture into the Tianyan Mountain Range, he knew there were three keys needed to unlock the treasure, and he only possessed one. Thus, to access the treasure, he needed to join forces with the Azure Dragon Family and the Huangfu Clan.

With this thought in mind, Ling Chen swiftly moved towards the camp.

The flow of people within the camp was far more intense than Ling Chen had imagined. It was teeming with powerful figures from all corners, major families of saints, and even some weaker sects and groups. Various dress styles mingled together as martial world figures took root within the camp.

Ling Chen landed directly in the vast camp, and upon entering, he immediately sensed a subtle vibration from the black small sword within the Heavenly Mansion Ring.

The disturbance from the black small sword drew Ling Chen’s focused gaze up towards the mountain peak at the camp’s center, where two figures sat quietly in the most prominent spot.

The source of the sword’s vibration came from them.

On the peak, a male in a purple robe smiled subtly as he placed down his teacup. He looked at the veiled, white-clothed woman before him and said with a gentle smile, "The holder of the third key has finally appeared."

The white-clothed woman, seemingly in her early thirties, had a voluptuous figure and skin as white as snow. Her eyebrows were akin to paintings, and she wore a thin veil that added to her mysterious, unique allure.

"So the person has arrived. Huangfu brother, do you know the identity of this third key holder?"

With a faint smile on her exquisite face, the white-clothed woman asked.

"I do not know."

The purple-robed man shook his head. "But one thing is certain, this individual probably isn’t from any of the major families. Otherwise, why would they conceal themselves rather than openly reveal their identity?"

"Yes, you’re right. However, in order to unlock the treasure, we need to gather all three keys, so having this person appear is crucial." The white-clothed woman replied.

"That’s simple, let’s invite them up here." The purple-robed man said with a smile and then directed his gaze towards the area where the key signal was sensed, transmitting his voice across that entire region. "Holder of the third key, please come up for a discussion!"

The voice carried over a considerable distance within the True Qi, and everyone turned their attention towards the area where Ling Chen was situated upon hearing these words.

"What, the holder of the third key is in that crowd?"

The purple-robed man’s words instantly sparked a commotion within the camp, and numerous formidable warriors, some exceptionally fierce in their strengths, locked their gazes onto the area where Ling Chen was, scrutinizing the figures there with intense scrutiny. Many smirked, greed flickering in their eyes, clearly eager for the third key.

After all, neither the purple-robed man nor the white-clothed woman were ordinary individuals. The latter was Murong Qingcheng, a direct line genius of the Azure Dragon Family, a renowned beauty in Yangzhou with formidable strength and reputation. The purple-robed man, named Huangfu Qi, was also an outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Huangfu Clan.

These two had once been illustrious figures on the Southern Hidden Dragon List, but now they belonged to an older generation, not of the same as Ling Chen’s.

The coveters of the black small sword naturally dared not trifle with these two. Upon hearing of the third key holder’s appearance, their minds swirled with excitement.

"This fool."

Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn’t help but frown. In such a crowded environment, if he rashly revealed himself, he’d inevitably attract numerous attention and desires. Huangfu Qi and Murong Qingcheng had powerful Saint Families behind them, but Ling Chen was alone; revealing his identity could bring immense trouble.

"Looks like this person won’t easily reveal themselves."

Murong Qingcheng raised her gaze and said, "Unlike us, the other person doesn’t have the backing of the Azure Dragon Family or the Huangfu Clan. Now, with powerful warriors gathered in this camp, while they dare not covet our keys, they would surely target the third person’s."

"Heh, treasures are meant for the strong. Without sufficient strength, it would be better to hand the key over early to save a life." Huangfu Qi replied with a hint of disdain, smiling slightly.

"Otherwise, even if they managed to get the treasure by luck, they wouldn’t have the ability to keep it, eventually dying by another’s hand."

Seeing this, Murong Qingcheng chose not to comment further, her calm demeanor showing she had no intent of concerning herself with an unknown person.

"Since this person is unwilling to reveal themselves, we can’t just waste precious time here waiting for them, can we?"

A hint of coldness flashed through Huangfu Qi’s eyes. He continued, "Seems like we’ll have to give them a hand."

"Give them a hand?"

Murong Qingcheng seemed taken aback, then her beautiful eyes narrowed. Was Huangfu Qi planning to force Ling Chen out?

"Qingcheng, may I borrow your family’s Azure Dragon key for a moment?"

Huangfu Qi turned to Murong Qingcheng, a gentle smile on his face.

Without hesitation, Murong Qingcheng flipped her delicate hand and handed over a black small sword identical to Ling Chen’s to Huangfu Qi. She wasn’t worried about any tricks Huangfu Qi might try in her presence. Although the Huangfu Clan was also a Saint Family, they couldn’t compare to her Azure Dragon Family.

Huangfu Qi wouldn’t dare to deceive her, as the consequences would be beyond what he could bear.

Moreover, she no longer wished to waste her time; it was better for that person to reveal themselves sooner.