Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 2443 – She Destroyed Nine Stars Emperor City’s Divine Palace

Today, the Imperial Cuisine Hall also opened for business, and while it wasn’t a huge medical hall or food residence, Imperial Cuisine hall was a combination of both. However, there was only a small variety of dishes even though it was a food residence. Most of them were medicinal dishes to improve one’s health and were all limited. Usually, they were sold out within moments of its opening.

The reputation of Imperial Cuisine Hall was spread far and wide in a few days. Not only were the medical skills great, but their food was even more famous. This was a first. Anyone who had a taste of the food from Imperial Cuisine Hall couldn’t stop praising it. Even the dishes from the Nine Continents Food Residence couldn’t compare.

Due to this, the people from the Nine Continents Medical Sect and Nine Continents Food Residence were unhappy. They had tasted Qing Shui’s food and tested his medical skills. There was only one accurate comment for it, complete annihilation! Anyone in the same line of work was an enemy, and both the Nine Continents Food Residence and Nine Continents Medical Sect were looking for another way to resolve this.

If Qing Shui joined them and gave up his medical skills and recipes, it would boost their own power greatly.

Nothing big had happened these days, but there were many small incidents that didn’t take much to resolve. Qing Shui knew that these were just tiny schemes by the organizations. If he didn’t have some power, these schemes could be fatal.

For example, the claim that Imperial Cuisine Hall had killed someone through their treatment or poisoned someone to death with their food, scoundrels creating trouble, or graffiti of threats on the entrance of Imperial Cuisine Hall overnight. There had even been someone who had disposed dead wild beasts at the entrance of Imperial Cuisine Hall…

These things happened daily but were all resolved by Qing Shui. For example, they found the mastermind before those troublemakers and used Soulsearch or acupuncture to make them speak the truth.

During this time, Miraculous Physician Hua was greatly humiliated once again. However, Nine Continents Medical Sect and Nine Continents Food Residence were even more embarrassed. Now, everyone knew the schemes of Nine Continents Medical Sect and Nine Continents Food Residence which were driven by jealousy and stopped believing in them.

With nobody believing in them, Nine Continents Medical Sect and Nine Continents Food Residence quietened down. However, Qing Shui knew that this stillness was only temporary. Whatever happened after this would be even more ruthless. Everything from before was to force him into serving them, but lives would be what they were going after next.

Qing Shui wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t fearful even in Nine Stars Domain, Nine Stars Emperor City. There were few who could defeat him here, and if he used Marrow Nibbling Golden Dragon Silkworm, then no one would be able to guarantee who would live or die.

Besides that, the Nine Continents Mighty Spear Sect would be on his side. Qing Shui had helped the Elder in Ling Chen’s family increase his lifespan by a hundred years. This was important for the Ling Clan. The Elder was about to exhaust his lifespan. But after Qing Shui had helped to cure his undisclosed illness, along with the power of Spring of Life and Flower of Life, it wasn’t a difficult feat to prolong it by a hundred years.

Ling Clan was the Nine Stars Emperor City’s Mighty Spear Sect’s supporting pillar. In this region, the Nine Continents Mighty Spear Sect in Nine Stars Emperor City was just one of the branches. They could even be called the second class division. Besides the Nine Continents Mighty Spear Sect’s Headquarters, the other subordinating sects were also like them. Of course, there wasn’t only one Nine Continents Mighty Spear Sect. There were dozens of them across the Nine Suns Domain and the Nine Moons Domain.

Qing Shui had met the Elder from the Ling Clan. He was an undeniably formidable person, one whom Qing Shui couldn’t guarantee of winning even after using Marrow Nibbling Golden Dragon Silkworm against him.

Elder Ling was a top warrior in Nine Stars Emperor City, one of the few great old men to remain. The others didn’t have much time left, and once they passed, Ling Clan’s position would rise to the top.

A few days passed before Qing Shui suddenly realized that he had been so busy taking care of Imperial Cuisine Hall, that he neglected the other stuff such as Divine Palace and Demon Gate. Furthermore, he was sure that Tantai Lingyan was here and was the Sect Leader of the Demon Gate in this region.

The Demon Gate here was also Nine Continents Demon Gate. While it wasn’t the scariest Nine Continents Demon Gate Headquarters, it was close.

Qing Shui sighed at the potency of Supreme Demon Saint Blood. Its potential was terrifying and now he knew that it could easily conquer other people who possessed the Demon King's Blood. Basically, it would be easy for her to ascend to the throne of Demon Gate’s Sect Leader.

Qing Shui thought back at the previous Nine Continents Demon Gate. He actually didn’t know if the Sect Leader was of Supreme Demon Saint Blood. Theoretically, there should only be one. Tantai Lingyan’s awakening signified that the previous Supreme Demon Saint Blood had vanished, and the only possibility was due to death.

Qing Shui felt that Tantai Lingyan’s succession to the throne was only a matter of time. It was like a rule, a destiny that could not be refuted.

Divine Palace, Nine Continents Divine Palace!

Qing Shui stood before the Nine Continents Divine Palace, but the scene which greeted him was startling. It was a land of ruins. Qing Shui frowned, not understanding what had happened.

Qing Shui didn’t hear about any big movements since he had gotten here, and neither did he hear about any speculations. The traces of battle weren’t the newest, but they weren’t old either. It wasn’t that long ago when the place was razed to the ground; it should have been about half a year ago.

Qing Shui stood there frowning, not knowing why Nuo Lan had failed to bring up the matter. She only mentioned about Demon Gate and the presence of Tantai Lingyan. It seemed like she knew about this too but didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable.

“Three months ago. That was when Demon Gate destroyed Divine Palace.” A voice spoke softly beside Qing Shui.

It was Nuo Lan, and Ling Chen was beside her.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Qing Shui didn’t turn back.

“It’s her doing. Her abilities were simply too terrifying.” Nuo Lan sighed.

“Didn’t Divine Palace have any support here? I thought you couldn’t simply destroy a huge organization here?” Qing Shui asked as he looked back at Nuo Lan and Ling Chen.

Qing Shui was a Battle God. Even though he didn’t know the people who had resided in this Divine Palace, the fact that it was destroyed left him ill at ease. Apart from that, he didn’t want to deteriorate his and Tantai Lingyan’s relationship to a stage of being intolerable. With the recent progress, they seemed to be nearing that point.

“Her powers are too scary. There’s no way to stop her. Everyone knows about the grudge between Divine Palace and Demon Gate, so no one interfered,” Nuo Lan explained gently.

Her abilities were terrifying. Qing Shui knew that Tantai Lingyan must have had a breakthrough. What realm was she at now? Level Three Nurture God Realm? Or Level Four? Maybe Level Five…?

She was of Supreme Demon Saint Blood. She held a horrifying potential and a clear mind. The cultivation of a Demon King was quick, and Supreme Demon Saint Blood’s possessor didn’t need to worry about being overly obsessed which could cause her core foundation to be unstable. The only pity was that she would forget about everything which could hinder her predestined fate. Hence, she was fated to forget about him because only then could she fulfill her destiny.

Qing Shui was at a loss for a moment as though his soul had multiplied and left in all directions. The only person who could change her was Qing Shui, but she had forgotten about him. More importantly, he was a Battle God who had his own destiny. If she murdered this many Battle Gods, then what did he have to do in the future? Kill her? Not only was winning against her impossible, but he couldn’t bear to do it even if he could. Not kill her? Then where did he stand as a Battle God? Especially if he became the Palace Lord of Divine Palace.

Everything in his mind seemed to plunge in chaos.