Book 5 - Chapter 24: Pulling the willow
The Nine Cauldrons
Book 5 Chapter 24 Pulling the willow
On the Great Yan Mountain, wild thorns grew surrounded by the thick, varied flora, as far as the eye could see.
However, because Qing Hu Island’s 30,000 men army was stationed near the Bottomless Pit, the vegetation in that region wasn’t doing too well. A massive amount of trees had been felled and the weeds destroyed. One military tent after another had been erected, and now decorated the Great Yan Mountain.
Of course, this several-li-wide area had countless trees, therefore some of them had been spared.
Numerous soldiers wearing heavy armors were scattered throughout the military compound, and many Silver Dragon soldiers on patrol.
“Make way!”
Hearing the domineering voice, the Silver Dragon army fearfully opened a path for a crowd of people accompanied by the twelve innate experts of Qing Hu Island, as they strode towards the southeast.
“These people, who are they? Even the Island Lord and the elders are following them on the side?”
“I don’t know, but they should all be innate masters. My second brother’s team met the enemy at the front of the camp to probably deal with this group of people. F*ck, if I could act so arrogantly one day, I’d die happily.”
“You mean these people are all innate masters?”
The soldiers quickly made way, watching this group’s advance from afar. They couldn’t help but wonder and discuss with each other.
“There are almost fifty innate experts. Even the big sects have only a dozen. With this many of them unexpectedly arriving at the Great Yan Mountain……. No wonder the Island Lord treated them so carefully.” These Silver Dragon soldiers were naturally superior to common people. However, compared to an innate master, they were still worlds apart.
This group of innate experts could easily slaughter them all!
After all, at least twenty or thirty percent of the innate experts in the Nine Prefectures had gathered here! Over ten masters listed on the Heavenly Racking were already here, and the first expert in the ranking was one of them!
From the location of the banquet, Teng Qingshan’s group for walked about two li.
“Brother Qin Lang. Dou you know where that entrance is?” Liu Xiu, who was walking beside him, asked in a low voice.
“I will know when I see it.” Teng Qingshan revealed a faint smile.
With a steady pace, Teng Qingshan walked along the path and continued advancing towards the southeast.
“Brother Qin Lang.” Gu Yong, who had been following behind, finally opened his mouth. “Whether you search the camp or the Great Yan Mountain, Brother Qing Lang should at the very least start searching. However, Brother Qin Lang is blindly walking southeast and wasting everyone’s time.”
“We are not in a hurry,” The King of Beasts Wu Hou said, grinning.
“If Island Lord Gu Yong is feeling tired after walking for only two miles, you can take a rest by the side,” Wu Ma, the brawny guy from Hong Tian City said with a smile. How could an innate master be tired after walking only two, three li? The sarcasm in his words was obvious.
“Gu Yong, are you afraid that Brother Qin Lang will find the entrance?” indifferently voiced out Hao Jiang. Nine people wearing golden masks and black attire followed behind Teng Qingshan, not losing in speed.
Gu Yong calmly smiled. “What do I have to fear? I don’t even know if Emperor Yu’s buried treasure is in the Great Yan Mountain. If Brother Qin Lang found that buried treasure, it would be a good thing. My Qing Hu Island would be able to take a glimpse of Emperor Yu’s Palace.” Gu Yong ‘s thick skin amazed Teng Qingshan.
He led the way.
“Island Lord…” Zhao Danchen looked at Gu Yong somewhat anxiously.
Gu Yong slightly shook his head and cursed.
Right now, Teng Qingshan was dangerously close to the Bottomless Pit. It was less than fifty zhang away. Getting from the banquet all the way to here made Qing Hu Island’s twelve innate experts feel dread in their hearts.
“Everybody, the entrance to the palace is just ahead!”
The clear and bright voice cut through the silent military camp.
“Not good!” Gu Yong’s heart trembled, but his expression didn’t change.
The Ying Family, Mani Temples, Shooting Sun God Mountain experts and all the others simultaneously turned their heads to look at the twelve innate masters of Qing Hu Island…. Apart from Gu Yong and Zhao Dan, whose expressions were still normal, the other Qing Hu Island’s innate masters’ complexions had become somewhat ugly.
“Haha… Brother Qin Lang, show us the entrance and let those stubborn Qing Hu Island fellows who refuse to give up see it,” proclaimed the messy-haired Wu Hou.
“Brother Wu Hou, don’t worry.”
Teng Qingshan’s eyes scanned the surrounding mountains from top to bottom. Teng Qingshan had been the captain of the hunting squad in Teng Jia Village for more than six years, and knew the Great Yan Mountain like the back of his hand. The surrounding trees had been radically cut down, but the mountain’s topography hadn’t changed.
Teng Qingshan had easily determined the location of the Bottomless Pit.
“There are five military tents in front of us,” Teng Qingshan explained. “The underground entrance is in one of the big tents.”
Gu Yong’s expression changed!
“Brother Qing Lang, we will count on you!” shouted the lean man from Shooting Sun God Mountain who wore the scaled armor. Whether it was the innate experts from Mani Temple, Ying Family or others, they were all watching Teng Qingshan.
“Who is this guy?” Numerous Silver Dragon soldiers looked at Teng Qingshan, astonished.
Teng Qingshan strode next to a thick willow tree, his hands stretching around it. “Lift!” he roared silently, and sent strength in his arms. The thick willow tree was suddenly uprooted, and even the deepest underground roots had been pulled out, the ground around him shaking wildly.
Thirty zhang in front of Teng Qingshan were five army tents, and a hundred soldiers resting in the surroundings.
Swish ~~ soil exploded outwards.
“Innate experts!” The Silver Dragon soldiers were all stunned. The sturdy willow tree, having grown in the mountain for a very long time, weighed a minimum of several thousand jin. Pulling out a willow tree with that kind of weight with so much ease… even powerful innate masters couldn’t do it!
“Island Lord Gu, look closely!”
Teng Qingshan loudly shouted and fiercely waved it around.
“Get down!” Many of the Silver Dragon Soldiers were frightened, and got down as the thick willow tree swung around the surroundings and finally landed on a military tent. The layer of solid steel beneath the tent came crashing down beneath the tree, which weighed several thousand jin, and the tent tore open. Tables, chairs and appliances within the tent came into sight.
Teng Qingshan conveniently made another willow tree throw.
“Bang ~~ after a big tremor, the pit surfaced.
“Qin Lang.” Gu Yong’s face turned ugly as he shouted, “If you are searching for the underground entrance, why are you destroying the tent of my Qing Hu Island?”
“Island Lord Gu, you are already getting angry after me only destroying a tent. Are you scared?” The innate experts from the major sects all looked at Gu Yong. Ying family’s leader coldly exclaimed, “Once Brother Qin Lang finds that entrance, we will need an explanation from Island Lord Gu Yong!”
“Humph.” Gu Yong stared at Teng Qingshan.
“I destroyed his tent in order to let everybody see clearer.” Teng Qingshan walked forward and stopped beside the tattered tent. Squatting down, he grabbed the tent’s cover and fiercely lifted it!
Whooosh!
The cover flew into the air.
Gu Yong and the other Qing Hu Island innate masters all quietly watched this scene. They all looked at Teng Qingshan with a glare as if they wanted to rip him apart.
“This Qin Lang!!!” Gu Yong’s heart was raging with anger.
“This Lord, this is where we sleep!” Gu Shiyou shouted from the back. “Why are you taking it apart?”
“Little guy, shut up!” Teng Qingshan turned his head and took a short glance. “Right here, someone like you has no say!” The innate masters of Ying Family, Mani temple, and other sects’ eyes swept over Gu Shiyou. Right now, the people who talked to each other were all innate masters from True Dan or Golden Dan realm.
A small guy from the Preliminary Realm had dared to speak!
“Shiyou, withdraw!” Gu Yong roared.
Gu Shiyou clenched his teeth, and could only withdraw bitterly. The most important thing in the Nine Prefectures was individual strength! Although he was only the little Island Lord… The Island Lord of Qing Hu Island was selected according to strength, and not passed down from father to son. Gui Yuan Sect and many other sects were like that.
A Preliminary expert was hardly anything in the eyes of an innate master.
“Island Lord Gu……” Teng Qingshan smiled. With the wave of his hand, a flame of innate Qi bombarded the ground.
Bang!
The surrounding soil exploded and was send flying. The explosion completely blew away the mud within one chi.
The innate masters from the major sects and the twelve from Qing Hu Island all stared at the dust-filled place. When the dust dissipated……Teng Qingshan’s silhouette showed up.
“Island Lord Gu, the seal on this entrance is quite solid.” Teng Qingshan smiled and gently stepped on it.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal could be heard and the steel floor was exposed underneath Teng Qingshan’s feet.
The expressions of the twelve innate masters of Qing Hu Island became extremely ugly.
The stronger one was, the more one cared about showing face! The twelve innate master of Qing Hu Island were among the strongest, and put a lot of value on their reputation. In order to hide Emperor Yu’s treasure, they had lied about it! This was bad enough, but …… now that the others had actually found the entrance, it was equal to someone maliciously slapping their faces!
“Brother Qin Lang, you did well,” shouted Liu Xiu, the white-robed expert.
In front of those many innate masters, Teng Qingshan had made had a favorable impression.
He revealed a faint smile and bent his waist, then fiercely stuck both of his hands into the steel.
Puff! The steel was pierced like a piece of tofu when faced with Teng Qingshan’s hands.
Whoooosh ~~ Teng Qingshan grasped the steel and fiercely tore it apart. The tattered steel plate flew away and heavily smashed on the ground.
With the steel plate gone, a deep pit immediately came into view!
“You did well,” said The King of Beasts Wu Hou, rushing in front of the Bottomless Pit and looking below. Seeing the depth of the Bottomless Pit, he held his breath. “What a deep cavern. Brother Qin Lang ……This time, we all have to thank you. Otherwise, we would have been tricked by that punk Gu Yong.”
Gu Yong? Punk? Teng Qingshan smiled in his heart.
However, with the King of Beasts Wu Hou’s age and strength, he was qualified to say something like that. The 100-year-old Wu Hou calling that fifty-year-old Gu Yong “punk” was something normal.
Round the Bottomless Pit, one could see a group of innate masters standing there, filled with amazement.
Only the twelve innate masters of Qing Hu Island had ugly complexions.
“Qin Lang, where has he shown up from?! Until now, I have never heard of an innate master like him,” Zhao Danchen clenched his teeth and said in a low voice.
“Who knows…” Gu Yong was also boiling from anger.
“Island Lord Gu.” The Qin Lang that they hated the most started to talk again. “Right now, don’t say that you didn’t know about Emperor Yu’s buried treasure! You definitely know about the treasure, please guide the way.” When Teng Qingshan made this remark, the other innate masters had also looked at Qing Hu Island’s group.
A pitch-dark Bottomless Pit. Of course, Qing Hu Island had to guide them.