Heavenly Jewel Change

“The young lady did not understand why her father was in such a rage, and they parted unhappily. Alas, by the time she went to look for the young man once more, she happened to see that her father had caught him, just about to kill him. In the first place, as the Sect Leader of the Legacy of Strength, her father was afraid that the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’ Legendary Set would be leaked out, and he was prepared to kill the young man to prevent any such possibility from happening. To any Sect, a Legendary Set Design was of utmost importance, let alone one like the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’, and it would normally only be passed down to Sect leaders. He had long viewed his daughter as his future successor, and thus had passed it down to her. However, for the design to be seen by this young man who had joined their Legacy of Strength at such a halfway point, that was a huge problem. For the sake of the Sect, he had no choice but to steel his heart and kill him.”

“As a God Tier Consolidating Equipment Master, without a doubt he was also a powerful Heavenly Jewel Master. How could the young man be a match for him? Just as he was about to perish, the young lady suddenly sprang out, using her body to block her father’s final blow. At that instant, both the young man and her father were stunned. None of them had expected that this young lady who had spent all her life with Consolidating Equipment Scrolls would have such a tough character, willing to sacrifice herself for her love… With her dying breath, she asked the two of them for two wishes, each for one of them. To her father, she asked for his forgiveness and for him not to hurt the young man, that she trusted him absolutely. As for the young man, her wish for him was not to take revenge against the Legacy of Strength.”

“With that, she passed away, and the two men were left there stunned silly, silent. A rising star in the Consolidating Equipment Master, one who had just reached the God Tier, had just passed away in such a wasteful fashion. To the Legacy of Strength, this was a massive blow. To both the father and the young man, this was like their world had collapsed.”

“The young man left, and he did not take anything with him, even the young lady’s corpse. However, before he left, he told the father that he would return one day. He promised that when he returned, he would bring a Legendary Set Design even greater than the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’, to prove that even without the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’ Legendary Set, he would still be a great Consolidating Equipment Master.”

“Just like that, he disappeared for thirty years, a whole thirty years. After thirty years, he was barely over sixty, but due to a complete mental and physical exhaustion, he looked like he was so old as if on his dying bed. When he finally returned to the Legacy of Strength, everything had changed. The father of the young lady had passed away a year after his daughter’s death. Having personally killed his beloved daughter, destroying the hopes of his Sect, no matter as a father or as a Sect Leader, that was too huge a blow for him to take. Without a God Tier Consolidating Equipment Master, the Legacy of Strength had started to fade away swiftly. By the time the young man returned, the entire Legacy of Strength was almost desolate, without the grand lustre it once had.”

“Thirty years of hard work, yet at the end of it this was the final result. The ‘young man’ was struck dumb. He went to the young lady’s grave, telling the last few remaining disciples of the Legacy of Strength to bury him together with her after he passed away. As soon as he left those words, he sat down on the ground before her grave, taking out a stack of Scrolls and burning them before her grave as incense.”

“His tears streamed down, slowly turning into blood tears, and all the while he was muttering to himself: Thirty years… I created this ten-piece ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Set just to prove myself to your father… to prove that even without the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’ I could reach the ultimate pinnacle of Consolidating Equipment Masters. Alas, he had long since since left us. Perhaps, we have all been just too stubborn. I’m going to look for you now; with this ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ design as a sacrificial offering, even your father will have to admit that I now have the qualification to look for you. I will definitely find you in the underworld… I still haven’t told you that I love you…”

Long Shiya finally stopped speaking at this point. His expression was calm, but there was a sorrowful melancholy in his eyes that could not be hidden.

Zhou Weiqing stood beside him, his eyes dull as he was fully immersed in this sorrowful tale of love and tragedy.

Lowering his head, grasping the twin Legendary Hammers in his hands tightly, Zhou Weiqing suddenly felt as if had a greater connection with this Legendary Set piece, with it melding together with him. In that moment, it was as if he could sense that sorrow and stubborn iron will within the hammers, and his spirit was filled with a strange feeling.

Long Shiya sighed and said: “I never expected that in my life I would be able to actually see this ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Set. Perhaps, this is truly fate, this meeting between us was destined by this Hate Sky No Handle, Hate Ground No Handle… The wish I’ve had for years is finally fulfilled. Little Fatty, you have truly helped your teacher return a greatest favour!”

Zhou Weiqing said: “Teacher, but my teacher in the Consolidating Equipment Master arts, Master Huyan did not tell me about this story!”

Long Shiya smiled faintly and said: “Yes, that is natural. At that point, the Legacy of Strength had split into two factions. One is the original faction, while the other was formed by that young genius who had created the ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Set. Since you have the ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Set, that proves that the day he burned the Scrolls as a sacrificial offering for the young lady, he already knew that he was not going to return. He probably already left a set of designs to his own disciple. All these years, although the original faction of the Legacy of Strength was very weak, they still managed to barely carry on their legacy. They also knew about the ‘Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Set, and they have been looking for it all this while, hoping to find either the designs or the actual Legendary Set. Well, anyway, from the fact that I have the ‘Hate Sky No Handle’ Set, you should know that I have a connection with the original faction of the Legacy of Strength…”

“In the past, when I first met with that bro of mine, he was just like you now… just a High Level Consolidating Equipment Master. With my help, and with all the materials I provided, he was able to eventually become a God Tier Consolidating Equipment Master. He also helped me to Consolidated this entire Set of God Tier Legendary Set. His only request that if I could find the designs, or owner of the ‘Hate Ground No Sky’ Legendary Set, I had to let him see it. All this years, I have owed him this, and now I can finally repay him with your help. Originally, I wanted to stay back and guide you in cultivating, but it looks like now I have to go and look for him first. Who knows how delighted he will be! Hahaha!”

Zhou Weiqing said reluctantly: “Teacher, you are leaving already?”

Long Shiya nodded and said: “There’s no time to be lost. I have always been a person who hates delays, and I’ve always done things as quickly and vigorously as possible. Since I know where you will be heading, I will come look for you as soon as I have found him.”

As he said that, he took out a small little booklet from his bosom and passed it to Zhou Weiqing. “Keep this well… once you have memorised it, burn it all. Do not lose it or let anyone else read it, understood? This is my lifeblood, my final masterpiece.”

From the fact that Long Shiya actually kept this little booklet with him, and not even in his Spatial Object, one could tell how much it meant to him. Zhou Weiqing quickly received it respectfully before looking at it. On top of the leather cover, there were a line of simple words: Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts.

“Train well, and wait for me to come back… I will examine the fruits of your cultivation when I return. When training in this Six Ultimate Skill Manipulation Arts of mine, you should match it with the corresponding Heavenly Cores in order to get double the result. However, I hope that you do not try to rush into things. A good foundation is of utmost importance for Heavenly Jewel Masters. When I return, I will give you a more detailed guide.”

Zhou Weiqing agreed respectfully.

“Alright, then your teacher will leave now. I have to go look for my old friend as soon as possible.”

“Teacher, wait! This Spatial Sack of yours…” Zhou Weiqing quickly held out the Spatial Sack. He did not know how many Heavenly Cores were in there, but the sheer wealth held within was so immense that he thought even the Heaven’s Expanse Palace would not be able to resist.

“You take it, they are of no use to me now anyway. However, do remember that wealth can bring your ruin by other’s greed… do not easily show this to anyone. I have lived in this cold north for over forty years, and these Heavenly Cores are not just from Heavenly Beasts I slew, a large portion are also from some insolent Heavenly Jewel Masters, so it looks like you can take advantage of it. Well, it will save you all the wasted time hunting for all the various Heavenly Cores you need. For Heavenly Jewel Masters, cultivating during the younger years when your vital energy is the highest is of utmost importance, as it is the time when cultivation is the easiest. Most of the Heavenly Jewel Masters who have reached the pinnacle have usually built a strong foundation from a young age. If you are able to break through the Heavenly King Stage before the age of thirty, you will have the chance to break through the Heavenly God Stage… Otherwise, no matter how hard you labour in the future, you will be like me, stuck at the max level of the Heavenly Emperor Stage. I have sometimes regretted wasting my youth. Don’t be complacent just because you are only seventeen years old… in truth, a dozen years or so will pass in a blink of an eye for us Heavenly Jewel Masters. Also, when I am not by your side, try to restrain yourself and not provoke those Heavenly Stage powerhouses, they are not ones you can handle at your current level…”

As his last words fell, Zhou Weiqing could only sense a green light flash before his eyes, and Long Shiya had already disappeared.

Looking at the Spatial Sack in his hands, Zhou Weiqing still felt a sense of unreality. In just a short amount of time, barely an hour, he had gained a new Heavenly Emperor Stage teacher, and also gained a Spatial Sack that held unbelievable treasures. More so, he had learned of the ‘Hate Sky No Handle, Hate Ground No Handle’ Legendary Sets and their origins, and his own Legacy of Strength Sect. If there was a phrase to describe his current feelings, perhaps a mix of dazed confusion and miraculous was the most accurate.

By the time Zhou Weiqing returned to his companions, he found that they were all standing there in stunned silence. However, when they saw he had returned so quickly, their eyes all landed on him in unison.

“Where is the Six Ultimate Heavenly Emperor?” Shangguan Fei’er asked softly.

Zhou Weiqing smiled faintly and said: “Teacher had something else to do, so he left first.” In front of Zhan LingTian, he did not want to explain too much.

Shangguan Fei’er said: “What do we do now then? Are we still going to the Ten Thousand Beast Heavens?”

Zhou Weiqing said: “No, not anymore. Let’s head back to the Peerless Battalion.”