Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 162

Chapter 162 – Heaven Hiding Seal

Bang –

At this moment, an angry invisible river seemed to rush out from the stone door . Qin Yu took a deep breath . Before his black robes could even flutter they were pasted back against his body . A wild aura tumbled about like a massive grinding pan . It spun constantly, capable of grinding a person to pieces and blowing them up .

Soupman had a tranquil expression . He covered his eyes, a trace of worry flashing through them . Then he turned and smiled, “Honorable Ning, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

In truth, Qin Yu’s initial thought was that he had been exposed in that instant . But, he immediately changed his mind . If this person wanted to kill him he wouldn’t need to go through so much trouble . As Qin Yu heard Soupman’s casual tone, his lips moved and he wasn’t able to prevent himself from ‘kindly’ asking about Soupman’s family .

Just by standing outside the door, the aura was actually so terrifying; it was easy to imagine how terrifying it would be once he stepped it . Qin Yu’s cultivation wasn’t weak either and his Demon Body was considerably potent . Still, he didn’t have any inclination of entering . So, he thought about it and asked in a soft voice, “What do I do if there’s a problem?”

Soupman smiled brilliantly . “If there’s a problem then you certainly must overcome it . The young should march forwards without fear . Moreover, I believe that Honorable Ning’s strength will not leave me disappointed . ” He slapped his forehead . “I almost forgot . After Honorable Ning enters, you must only use your own strength to resist it . Do not borrow the help of any items, otherwise things will become much more troublesome . ”

As for what kind of trouble it was, Soupman didn’t explain further . Looking at his wide smile, this ‘trouble’ wouldn’t be small at all .

Qin Yu’s expression nearly broke . He cursed several times inwardly before he turned and smiled, nodding all the while .

He took a deep breath and stepped towards the stone door . It was like swimming against a flowing river . A powerful strength struck against his body, separating from both sides .

Qin Yu stood at the entrance and calmed himself . Then, he stepped in . Once he did, the feeling suddenly changed . It was like he began in a rapid river but had fallen into a raging sea . The wild churning waves brought with them an annihilating strength, causing Qin Yu to pale .

Behind him, the stone door quietly closed . Only darkness remained .

Outside the stone door, Soupman’s smile disappeared . After a long time, he self-deprecatingly laughed . “Hah, I really must apologize to my old mom . Even though she has been gone for so long, she is still mentioned by others . However, I have no other choice . As the saying goes, in the sea, the seafolk cannot help themselves . ”

He fell silent once more . Then, a dignified look gradually lit up his eyes . He muttered in a quiet voice, “Honorable Ning, no matter how much you may curse at me, from here on out…I really must depend on you…”

…

Royal palace .

No one was within the grand hall .

On the dragon throne, the Sea Sovereign had a serene appearance . He looked out the window, seemingly at peace .

“Your Majesty, Soupman has delivered Honorable Ning in . ”

“Mm . ”

“Your Majesty…” The voice sounded out again . It was heavy and helpless and even trembled a little .

The Sea Sovereign looked away . “This Solitude knows that you all are worried, but worrying cannot resolve the issue at hand . ” He smiled . “If worrying could preserve my life, then it would be fine if you wanted to cry until the heavens fell…but in the end, it is useless . ”

“This official knows that the situation is incredibly dangerous right now . Has Your Majesty made no arrangements?”

The Sea Sovereign lightly said, “Things have occurred too suddenly . Just like you, this Solitude has made no preparations . But even so, you need not panic . After all, you knew and this Solitude knew that this day would eventually arrive . The necessary arrangements have already been made . If things cannot change, then you will carry them out . ”

“I obey…Your Majesty!” The voice quieted down .

The Sea Sovereign let out a breath, feeling a bit helpless, feeling a bit moved, but most of all feeling calm at heart . He had lived for a long, long time, far surpassing the lifespan of most living beings in this world . He had reached the peak of authority and had enjoyed all there was to enjoy . In truth, he had no regrets if he were to die .

It was just that in his heart, there was a little bit of unwillingness .

Honorable Ning…

As he thought of the sea spirit baptism that lasted almost 10 hours, a bit of anticipation flashed in his eyes . But, his gaze immediately returned to tranquility .

…

This was a land where the pitch black darkness was so deep you couldn’t even see your own hand in front of your face . That darkness was like the world’s most viscous ink, and at the same time you had to face a wild barrage of aura coming from all directions . In such an environment, those who lacked willpower and determination wouldn’t be able to last long at all . Their spirits would soon break .

Bang –

Bang –

The ringing was incomparably clear . This wasn’t a sound that transmitted through the ears, but came from an outside strength bombarding the body, reverberating through one’s flesh and blood and bones . Qin Yu coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood . His chest felt much better afterwards .

After passing through the stone door, the wild strength shut off all directional senses . It was hard for him to tell just which way he was going . He could only constantly move forwards towards the source of that wild strength .

The closer he got to the source, the more potent the strength became . At first he was able to resist it, but now he was starting to become injured . The darkness continued up the road without end . If things persisted like this, he had no idea how long he would be able to last .

But thinking about it, Qin Yu wasn’t too worried . Old Sea had said that with his status, and before anyone had seen through his disguise, there wouldn’t be anyone that would move against him . If he said this, it shouldn’t be lies . Thus, if Soupman had brought him here then with his strength he should be safe .

He paused, catching his breath even as the wild barrage continued . Then, he continued forwards .

Two hours .

Four hours .

Six hours .

In the blink of an eye, a day passed .

Within the grand hall, the Sea Sovereign shook his head and sighed . It seemed that he had thought too much about this . The great Dao was truly heartless . He was destined to die and there were no more paths left for him to take .

After determining that his death would come, this ruler that seemed to wield the highest power in the world wasn’t afraid or panicked . Instead, a happy smile curved up the corners of his mouth . This was because even facing the world, he had managed to last all these years . When he thought of this, even with his status he couldn’t help but feel pride .

Outside the stone door, Soupman’s complexion paled . He muttered to himself, “How could this be…how could this be…” His eyes suddenly popped open and he began violently coughing . Without any time to care about these things, he took out a black spirit shell from his chest and made a call .

“Cough cough…your Majesty…the Companion Vine’s…strength…cough cough…has there been any changes…?”

Soupman’s voice sounded throughout the grand hall . On the dragon throne, the supreme Sea Sovereign suddenly stiffened . But this lasted for only a moment before he composed himself . His voice was dignified as he said, “Mm, it seems a bit stronger than before . ”

Soupman’s round face twisted as if he was about to cry at any moment .

What sort of cultivation did His Majesty possess? Although he had sensed only a slight increase, the actual situation was likely several times worse than expected . According to his judgment of the information he had obtained, Honorable Ning should have been able to arrive safely . But now it seemed that…

The grand hall was deathly silent .

Right now, everyone who had the qualifications to speak to him were frozen in place, horrified expressions covering their faces .

Angry growls suddenly sounded out . “Soupman, you have harmed His Majesty, you have harmed His Majesty!”

The final hope, and also the most likely hope, had been destroyed like this .

Even the high ranking courtiers were unable to withstand such a dramatic contrasting change . They lost their minds and started to roar!

Soupman stared at the ground in a daze . His Majesty’s condition wasn’t good right now, so an oversight was understandable . But, how had he himself not discovered that the strength of the Companion Vine had increased? He looked up and stared at the shut stone door . He suddenly raised his hand and a rune from the stone door flew out, landing in his palm .

“Heaven Hiding Seal, this is actually the Heaven Hiding Seal…Your Majesty, this servant is sorry, this servant is sorry!” Soupman fell to his knees and cried .

In the eyes of outsiders, this person was a terrifying money-grubbing schemer . But right now he was crying like a heartbroken child, his tears flowing endlessly .

The questioning roars came to an abrupt end .

No one ever imagined that someone had managed to come here first and lay a trap ahead of time, placing His Majesty into a dangerous spot .

This was Soupman’s dereliction of duty . But all of them had the authority to come to the stone door, and many of them had come more than once . Yet, none of them had discovered anything .

Strictly speaking, everyone had made a mistake!

“I ask Your Majesty to pass down punishment!”

On the dragon throne, the Sea Sovereign frowned . When he heard the ‘Heaven Hiding Seal’ mentioned, he seemed to awaken . A faint smile appeared on his face . “Rise . This was not your mistake . After all…who could ever imagine it?”

He looked up straight towards the entrance of the grand hall, his eyes as deep as an abyss . “When the throne changed that year, it was this Solitude who single-handedly protected them . And now, it seems that I only have myself to blame, otherwise how could I suffer such a counterattack . In the end, this Solitude was too arrogant . I didn’t expect his arrangements to come this far . ”

Soupman stood up, tears still streaming down his face . A terrifying aura surged all around him . He turned and walked out along the path of torches . His steps were heavy and fast .

Puff –

Puff –

Heads exploded one after another, blood dying the stone walls and pooling onto the ground . Countless cries of panic and sorrow filled the air as countless people slumped dead in their own pools of blood, some of them lost in horror and confusion . A slaughter was being carried out, and the sounds were clearly reflected through the spirit shell and into the grand hall . But whether it was the Sea Sovereign or the other high ranking courtiers, all of them were calm and unperturbed .

For something like this to occur, there were surely traitors within . In order to avoid spreading the news and to gain as much time as possible to set up arrangements, he could only use this brutal method and kill every possible suspect .

In truth, the saddest one here should be Soupman . After all, the guards here were all direct descendants he had personally raised and trained . After a long time, the last miserable cry sounded out . Soupman fell to his knees and lifted his hand to slam his head .

Bang –

The void suddenly shook and his entire body was sent flying away . He tumbled several times, looking extremely distressed . He wailed, “Your Majesty, why would you rescue me? Let this servant of yours die . Only by dying can my pain be lessened!”

In the grand hall, the Sea Sovereign withdrew his hand . His eyebrows were furrowed together as if he were resisting something . He slowly said, “You old thing, you should know it isn’t easy for this Solitude to make a move . If you don’t want this Solitude to immediately die, then shut up and wait for orders . This matter is not your mistake, and moreover, it isn’t your turn to die . This Solitude needs you . When this Solitude returns to the heavens, this Solitude needs you to assist the new emperor in stabilizing their rule!”

Soupman kneeled . “This servant is willing to offer his life in sacrifice!”

“Please command us, Your Majesty!”

The Sea Sovereign was silent for several breaths of time . Then, a cruel and callous voice echoed through the hall . “Inform all princes and princesses to enter the palace; no one can be absent . Inform the various legion generals to come to the palace to receive orders . Inform the Ministers of Wind and Rain to draft the royal transfer documents . Inform Magnate Turtle to enter the palace and serve!”

A dense and sharp aura flowed from the grand hall . The air suddenly turned cloudy and cold, as if it would soon freeze . It seemed that in the final moments of his life, this Sea Sovereign who had been quiet for so many years was finally about to bare his fangs . He was ready to eliminate all factions that dared to try and shake his dominion .

“Order the Dark Night Division to begin the extermination . This Solitude’s time is limited, so there is no need to investigate anyone . Within a day, in the capital city and 36 great cities, this Solitude wants blood to soak the earth red…”

He suddenly stopped .

His Majesty who was overflowing with cold killing intent, whose rising aura seemed to shake the heavens, had frozen where he was, utterly stunned .

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, what is wrong!?”

“Do not frighten this old servant, please, Your Majesty, awaken!”

After a brief moment of silence, Soupman and the others shouted in fear and alarm . The backs of their clothes were instantly drenched in a cold sweat .

If His Majesty really died here, they feared that a terrifying wave would follow right behind!

“This Solitude…is fine . ” These words seemed to lift them from hell to heaven . All the high ranking courtiers cried with joy .

You almost scared these old servants and officials to death . Your Majesty, please don’t do this to us again! This situation doesn’t necessarily have no hope for a favorable turn!

All sorts of voices echoed in the grand hall .

The Sea Sovereign’s expression was strange . After a long silence, he said, “The orders from before, temporarily halt them…”