novelraw Chapter 162 - 160: Seize (2)
Chapter 162 - 160: Seize (2)
The numerous dignitaries in the banquet hall, waiting for the birthday celebration with expensive gifts in hand, were suddenly informed that the event was canceled.
Faced with this situation, no one dared to say anything. They could only put on smiling faces and ask the disciple who delivered the news what had happened.
However, this disciple didn’t elaborate. After offering a sincere apology to a few of the Secret Martial Artists who were also from Lower-tier Schools, he turned and left.
Seeing this, the guests dared not say another word and departed in their respective vehicles.
...
「A dozen or so minutes later.」
Inside a massive, luxurious villa that covered an area the size of two soccer fields.
Wang Nancang, the Sect Leader of the Hu Yi Sect, stood stiffly to one side.
Not far in front of him, Hu Qi was lounging on a sofa, one leg casually crossed over the other.
Before his eyes, a massive scroll was suspended in mid-air about five meters away, held aloft by some kind of Invisible Power.
The painting on its surface depicted towering mountains and steep ridges, surrounded by dense jungle.
In the very center, a gigantic tiger seemed to leap off the page.
Its fur was a brilliant tapestry of alternating orange and black stripes.
Its head was held high, its eyes blazed like torches, and its massive jaws gaped open, revealing menacing fangs that looked as if they could tear anything to shreds.
Bizarrely, a small, silver horn protruded from the top of the tiger’s head.
The moment Hu Qi’s gaze fell upon it,
the tiger in the scroll seemed to come to life, throwing its head back and roaring at him.
The single horn on its forehead emitted a faint silver glow as its figure leaped, walking right out of the scroll.
Instantly, a rank, bloody wind blasted his face.
Hu Qi could clearly see the saliva dripping from its fangs, as if he were about to be devoured in the next instant.
"Hmph!"
Faced with this, Hu Qi simply sat up a little straighter and let out a cold snort.
The next instant,
the pouncing tiger seemed to be struck by some invisible attack. Its massive body instantly exploded, dissolving into motes of starlight that vanished completely.
Hu Qi’s expression remained unchanged.
Not to mention his Soul Strength—bolstered by devouring all that Light of the Soul—his current cultivation as a Qi Dao Grandmaster was more than enough to handle a mere Divine Intent Scroll.
He would not be swayed by the wisp of Martial Arts True Intent left within it.
Now, as the horned tiger dissipated,
streams of memories materialized from thin air, all of which were absorbed by Hu Qi.
After a long moment, a flicker of understanding crossed Hu Qi’s face. A new Secret Martial Art had appeared in his mind.
At the same time, a new line of text appeared under the Skill section of his status panel.
----
[Heart Tiger Secret Martial Arts (Entry-Level)]
...
[Modification Points: 7 (61%)]
Heart Tiger Secret Martial Arts was the Secret Martial Art of the Hu Yi Sect.
It had now appeared on his status panel.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough Modification Points to modify it yet.
After all, he hadn’t killed anyone during his visit to the Hu Yi Sect.
’While I’m no saint,’ Hu Qi thought, ’I’m not some Butcher who kills on sight for Modification Points. The Hu Yi Sect never provoked me, and we have no quarrel. There was no need to take things to that extreme.’
’If I really went on a wanton slaughter, it would only make every other School paranoid. That would make it much harder to acquire more Secret Martial Arts.’
Hu Qi wasn’t concerned about his temporary lack of Modification Points.
’There’s no rush, anyway.’
Every day, people were out collecting Exotic Beasts, members of the Black Blood Species, and Secret Martial Artists for him.
’I can use this opportunity to continue collecting Inheritance Secret Martial Arts and merge them all into the Three-Eyed Primordial Snake Spirit Devouring Map later.’
He dismissed the status panel.
He looked at the Heart Tiger Secret Martial Divine Intent Map before him. The scroll, which had once depicted a lifelike tiger, seemed to have lost some kind of spiritual vitality. The lines of the drawing were gradually dimming.
The stripes on the tiger’s body seemed to lose their luster.
The light in its majestic eyes slowly dimmed, as if shrouded in mist.
Hu Qi understood this was happening because the Martial Arts True Intent within the scroll had been consumed. It would need a period of accumulation before the inheritance could be passed on again.
The same thing had happened when Hu Qi viewed the Red Scale Secret Martial Arts.
He reached out his hand.
Pulled by his True Essence, the scroll quickly rolled itself up.
Then, it landed in Hu Qi’s hand.
He immediately tossed it casually in Wang Nancang’s direction.
"Thanks."
As the word left his lips, Hu Qi’s figure abruptly vanished from the living room.
Wang Nancang looked at the Heart Tiger Secret Martial Divine Intent Map scroll in his hand.
He then glanced up at the spot where Hu Qi had been, a chill of terror running through him.
’This man’s power is far beyond my imagination. I couldn’t even see a trace of his movement.’
’Doesn’t that mean if he wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t be able to resist at all?’
Fortunately, things hadn’t devolved to the worst-case scenario.
He placed the Divine Intent Map on the table and unrolled it. After carefully checking it for any damage, Wang Nancang finally let out a long sigh of relief.
’He’s gone now. It seems he only wanted to view our Hu Yi Sect’s Inheritance Secret Martial Arts.’
’But for a being like him, a Qi Dao Grandmaster... even with all the confidence I have in my sect’s art, I can’t imagine his own Secret Martial Arts would be inferior to ours.’
’His actions make no sense.’
As he thought of this, his expression turned dark and uncertain.
But in the end, he let out a long sigh, turned, and went back inside, resolving to suppress the matter and keep it from getting out.
’Being forced to hand over our Inheritance Secret Martial Arts on our own doorstep... it’s utterly humiliating.’
’He made no effort to conceal his appearance. Barring any surprises... the face he showed must have been fake.’
’If I report this to the Federation now, whether they could even find him is one thing... but if he finds out and I anger him... in a fight to the bitter end, the Hu Yi Sect would be annihilated. That’s a price I’m not willing to pay.’
’Strength... the Hu Yi Sect is still too weak.’
At this thought, his once-upright back seemed to stoop.
...
「Time passed.」
While Hu Qi was busy hoarding Inheritance Secret Martial Arts,
deep within the Inner Earth World, an unknown distance beneath the surface,
the dim sky hung like a heavy lead plate, oppressively blanketing the land.
Its somber hues were as if stained by an endless black fog, devoid of a single bright color.
Clouds hung low—hazy, indistinct shadows that blurred the line between sky and earth.
Occasionally, a few feeble rays of light attempted to pierce the gray curtain, only to be instantly devoured in a futile struggle against the endless gloom.
A listless wind blew, carrying a hint of chill, as if it too were infected by the gloom, having lost all its former vigor.
The entire world seemed to be shrouded in a suffocating silence.
In a corner of this land, a massive gorge split the earth like a wound carved by a giant’s blade.
It emanated a scorching, terrifying heat.
Deep within the Gorge, a dark red fissure of magma snaked along, emitting a faint, fiery glow.
The scorching red magma seemed to have a life of its own, constantly heaving and twisting.
At times, huge bubbles would swell on its surface, looking as if they might burst at any moment.
The temperature within was nearly a thousand degrees. The surrounding land was a barren, blackish-brown expanse, devoid of any life or vegetation.
And yet, even in this hostile environment,
several black-robed figures stood within the Gorge, right beside the gurgling, bubbling fissure of lava.