Rise of the Sword Son-in-Law

Next, Xu Ping'an and Li Qingyi discussed many issues about cultivation. Li Qingyi was surprised to find that Xu Ping'an explained the profound issues in simple and understandable terms, much better than her own master did. It seemed there was no question he did not understand; any doubt she raised, Xu Ping'an could answer with ease. This deeply impressed her with Xu Ping'an's profound knowledge. In this moment, Li Qingyi found that Xu Ping'an before her was shining brilliantly, incredibly dazzling. "We've arrived. That huge palace ahead is where the legacy is located, and the Blood Crystal is inside the palace," Li Qingyi pointed at an ancient palace ahead and said. The palace was not sumptuously luxurious but emanated a sense of majesty. Xu Ping'an looked over the palace, a trace of surprise in his eyes. "The Heaven Sealing Great Formation? Quite the grand endeavor, though it looks to be incomplete," Xu Ping'an muttered to himself as he stared at the golden marks floating above the great hall. "What is the Heaven Sealing Great Formation?" Li Qingyi asked. "It's a Twelfth Rank Great Formation, capable of suppressing all immortals, Buddhas, and ferocious deities in the world. It's an extremely powerful formation. However, this one is a mere imitation, and what's more, it's incomplete," Xu Ping'an said. "A Twelfth Rank Great Formation? Could it suppress an Immortal Emperor?" Li Qingyi's eyes widened, filled with shock. "Yes, a complete Heaven Sealing Great Formation could, indeed. However, Immortal Emperors are powerful and wouldn't allow themselves to be suppressed easily. We've strayed from the topic, though. Although this palace's Heaven Sealing Great Formation is an imitation, it's strong enough to suppress something formidable. If I'm not mistaken, it should be meant for suppressing True Phoenix Blood Essence," Xu Ping'an said. "Are there really such Divine Beasts as true phoenixes and dragons in this world?" Li Qingyi asked. "There were in Ancient Times. It's said they transcended the Immortal Emperor. For some unknown reason, they suddenly perished. A part of history is missing, leaving no one aware of what happened. The path of the Immortal Emperor has been lost," Xu Ping'an said with gravity. Yes! The path of the Immortal Emperor was lost! This was the result of his previous inquiries. He had always been searching for the path above the Immortal Emperor, but before he found it, he was betrayed by Ling Qingyao. Now, five hundred years had passed, and it was likely that no one had yet broken through the fetters of the Immortal Emperor. Li Qingyi looked at Xu Ping'an in shock. How did he know these things? The path of the Immortal Emperor was lost? What kind of person could make such a claim? "Are there any trials to obtain the Blood Crystal inheritance?" Xu Ping'an brought the conversation back to the main topic. "Yes, one must gain the approval of our ancestors. In front of the hall is a plaza where there's a stele. A token is embedded in that stele, and only the person who obtains the token can open the hall and receive the inheritance. However, there are four stone puppets guarding the plaza, making it difficult to approach," Li Qingyi said, looking towards the plaza in front of the hall. Xu Ping'an looked towards the plaza. Indeed, there was an ancient stele in the center of the plaza. This stele was embedded with an old shield and a token. In front of the stele stood four towering stone figures. The stone figures were over six meters tall, each holding one of the four major weapons: saber, sword, spear, and staff, standing guard around the stele. "Third Rank Stone Puppets, indeed a bit troublesome. One puppet is comparable to the peak of Third Rank, let alone four," Xu Ping'an nodded. "Right, therefore no one from my Xu Family has obtained the inheritance till now," Li Qingyi said gravely. Four at the peak of Third Rank? This was almost an impossible challenge! "Actually, it's not necessarily impossible to complete. Third Rank Stone Talismans, after all, are just inanimate objects without intelligence. They fight using the Soul Power left behind by some powerful beings. Just shatter the stone talismans within the puppets, and the formation will dissolve," Xu Ping'an said. "But we don't even know where the stone talismans are," Li Qingyi frowned. The stones were incredibly hard, and even a Low Grade Spiritual Artifact might not be able to break them. The stone talismans were inside these stone puppets, and finding them was easier said than done. "The stone talismans of the Stone Puppets are generally located at the back of the neck. So just shatter the back of the neck, and these stone puppets will crumble on their own," Xu Ping'an said with a smile. Li Qingyi was startled upon hearing this; Xu Ping'an actually knew even this. She had studied these puppets for quite some time and had not found any information on these Ancient Times' stone puppets. It was unexpected that Xu Ping'an knew even this detail; this was simply too good. Knowing the weakness, there might actually be a sliver of hope in breaking through the trial. Xu Ping'an then turned his gaze to the shield embedded in the stone. An intermediate grade spiritual shield? This was a good item, something that could save one's life at a critical moment. "Someone's coming!" Just at that moment, Xu Ping'an suddenly smiled and looked into the distance. Li Qingyi also looked around. Six figures appeared from three different directions, hurtling toward them successively. The arrivals were none other than Li Changyun, Li Yuanba, and Li Tianqi, among others. "Qingyi, I didn't expect you to be the first one here," Li Changyun said with a smile as he came forward. Guan Qing followed beside him, his gaze fervently fixed on Li Qingyi. Both of their auras were noticeably stronger than when they had first entered. Clearly, they too had gained something from their time in the ancestral grounds. "Big brother, have you broken through to the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm?" Li Qingyi asked. "Yes, I found a Fifth Rank cultivation technique in the scripture hall, practiced it a bit, and my strength has increased significantly. Of course, the biggest gain was for junior brother Guan Qing. He acquired an extremely powerful combat technique; his combat power is not the slightest bit inferior to some Third Layer Third Rank cultivators. So, little sister, I'm the uncontested contender for the inheritance this time," Li Changyun said laughingly. He was clearly determined to secure the inheritance. "With such confidence, big brother, don't forget about these four stone puppets that are comparable to the peak of the Third Rank Ninth Layer," Li Yuanba said with a laugh as he came over. His aura had also significantly strengthened. Xie Yuanwu followed behind him, his presence even more formidable. "So the second brother has also made a breakthrough, reaching the late stage of the First Rank? And Xie senior brother, you've actually broken through to the Second Rank. It seems you found something else in the medicinal garden," Li Changyun said with a smile. "Haha, big brother really has a good eye. Indeed, we found a Qing Lei Fruit Tree in the medicinal garden, obtained two Qing Lei Fruits, and not only did my cultivation break through, but my physical body also greatly improved," Li Yuanba laughed. He was confident, not the least bit afraid of facing Li Changyun, especially since his practice involved the Body Refinement Decision. Xie Yuanwu also looked towards Guan Qing, his demeanor showing a readiness to test his skills. Li Tianqi came over as well and said coldly to Li Qingyi, "Little sister, you must have broken through to the Third Rank, haven't you?" "Yes, indeed I have broken through, and third sister is not weak either, having made a breakthrough as well," Li Qingyi said as she looked at Li Tianqi. The fact that Li Tianqi had also broken through to the Third Rank was a bit surprising to her. It seemed that after leaving the Spiritual Marrow Pool, she had gained other benefits. "Jade Body Pill, quite interesting. It seems that the Li Huo Sect values you greatly," Xu Ping'an said with a smile. However, Li Tianqi's eyes flashed with a fierce sharpness, staring intently at Xu Ping'an. Xu Ping'an could discern that she had taken the Jade Body Pill? Li Changyun and Li Yuanba were equally surprised as they looked towards Li Tianqi. Having the Jade Body Pill meant that Li Tianqi had the support of the Li Huo Sect, and she possibly had other methods at her disposal. The Jade Body Pill, a Fourth Rank superior grade elixir, allowed one to easily open up one Mysterious Vein upon consumption. But such an elixir was extremely precious, a single one could sell for an astronomical price and was rarely found on the market. She could not have obtained it on her own. That's why the others were so astonished. Li Qingyi also furrowed her brow slightly. "It looks like you should be more careful. It seems all three of your siblings have the support of the sect, and they might all have hidden methods," Xu Ping'an said with a laugh. Li Qingyi nodded seriously. She too had discerned as much, and of course, she had also received some support from her master. But its value was still less than that of a single Jade Body Pill!