Chapter 15: Roadblock
Three days later.
A black-robed elder, cloaked entirely in black, drove a carriage swiftly down the official road of Heishui County.
Inside the carriage.
Li Changsheng fiddled with the dark, broken sword in his hand, injecting a trace of his true essence into it. The sword remained unresponsive.
"Still nothing."
Li Changsheng sighed.
This broken sword had been handed over to the Tianxia Guild's members a month ago. Its material was unknown, but even the finest weapons of the mortal world couldn't leave a scratch on it.
Moreover, when he used the sword in combat, its power far surpassed that of any ordinary divine weapon.
There was no doubt it was a cultivator's weapon.
However, whether he tried blood recognition or channeling his true essence into it, the sword remained completely unresponsive.
"Zoom!"
An arrow shot toward the carriage, but the black-robed elder driving the carriage casually flicked his horsewhip, deflecting the arrow with ease.
"What's going on?"
Li Changsheng frowned slightly inside the carriage.
"Young Master, there are people blocking the road ahead. They seem to be from the Zhang family of Heishui County."
The black-robed man spoke respectfully.
At that moment, it wasn't just Li Changsheng's carriage that had been stopped. Over a dozen groups of people had been blocked by several dozen armed men in tight-fitting clothing.
"This road is closed for the next half month. Please turn back!"
The leading man, a burly figure wielding a sword, glanced contemptuously at the crowd that had been stopped.
By now, over a hundred people had been halted at this small checkpoint, many of whom were martial artists with significant combat abilities.
"Do you really think Heishui County belongs to the Zhang family? A mere Xiantian-level family dares to block my path?"
A thin, elderly man looked at the Zhang family's leader and sneered.
"It's Hu Yang, the Heartbreaker Palm!"
"Hu Yang is also a Xiantian-level martial artist, and he's known for his cruelty. If Zhang Pei were here, he might be able to suppress Hu Yang. But since Zhang Pei isn't here, the Zhang family has bitten off more than they can chew!"
Some people recognized the thin old man's identity, their faces lighting up with anticipation for the drama to unfold.
Zhang Chan, the leader of the Zhang family, quickly realized Hu Yang's identity and his expression changed slightly. But then he sneered and said, "Hu Yang, our Zhang family is acting under the orders of the Qi Emperor. No one from any faction is allowed to pass through here. If you think you can defy the Imperial Family, feel free to go ahead. I won't stop you."
The Imperial Family of Qi!
Hearing the name of the Qi Imperial Family, everyone present paled.
Although there were countless martial factions in the Qi State, the strongest was undoubtedly the Imperial Family itself. Rumors had it that the Imperial Family not only had over a dozen peak Xiantian-level experts but was also connected to legendary immortals.
"So it's the Qi Emperor's command, no wonder the Zhang family is so serious about this."
"I've heard that no one has entered the immortal's tomb yet, and even the Imperial Family's experts have suffered losses there."
"By blocking this road, they're probably trying to prevent others from getting there first."
Some who knew a bit more whispered among themselves.
"Hu Yang, have you made up your mind?"
Zhang Chan spoke with a smug expression. If the family head hadn't secured the Imperial Family's backing, he would never have dared to speak to a renowned Xiantian-level expert like this.
Hu Yang's face flushed red, but in the end, he didn't dare to act.
"Hmph!"
With a flick of his sleeve, he left in disgrace.
Offending the Qi Imperial Family was something he didn't have the courage to do.
Seeing that even a Xiantian-level expert had been scared off, Zhang Chan's face lit up with even greater smugness as he scanned the crowd.
Among those stopped were many Houtian-level martial artists, several of whom were stronger than Zhang Chan. But none dared to meet his gaze.
"Young Master, what should we do?" the black-robed elder asked in a low voice.
"Go forward. Kill anyone who dares to stop us," Li Changsheng's cold voice came from inside the carriage.
After a year with no results, without finding even a single spirit stone in the mortal world, he couldn't let this opportunity slip away. Even the Qi Imperial Family wouldn't stop him.
Moreover, the Qi Imperial Family wasn't even on his radar. After so many simulations, he had figured out that as long as he didn't attempt to overthrow the Qi Imperial Family, the cultivators behind it wouldn't easily emerge from the Sunset Valley.
"Yes!" The black-robed elder responded, flicking the reins and driving the carriage straight toward the checkpoint set up by the Zhang family.
The carriage's movement immediately caught the attention of everyone present.
"Someone dares to break through the checkpoint?"
"The Zhang family isn't that fearsome, but in the Qi State, even the Qiushui Palace, the Tiesha Sect, and the Divine Fist Sect wouldn't openly defy the Imperial Family like this!"
Someone exclaimed in shock.
Zhang Chan's eyes turned cold. He drew an arrow, nocked it, and released it in one smooth motion.
"Zoom!"
The arrow shot through the air.
Seeing the arrow aimed directly at the black-robed driver's head, Zhang Chan's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Today, no matter who was in that carriage, they would die for daring to humiliate him.
"Young brat, your killing intent is too heavy. Not good."
The black-robed elder's expression remained unchanged. With a flick of his horsewhip, he sent the arrow flying back at an even greater speed.
"Thud!"
The arrow pierced through Zhang Chan's forehead. His eyes widened in shock as he collapsed to the ground.
An expert!
Everyone present was stunned. Zhang Chan was the second most important figure in the Zhang family, a peak Houtian-level expert. Yet he had been killed so easily by a mere carriage driver.
"That's Qin Yi, the Weakwater Sword!"
Finally, a middle-aged martial artist who had seen much of the world exclaimed in realization.
"Qin Yi, that name sounds familiar."
"That's right."
Others looked puzzled. Although the name 'Qin Yi' seemed familiar, they couldn't quite place it.
"Ah!"
The old man sighed as he looked at the departing carriage. "It's no wonder you haven't heard of him. Qin Yi was a renowned figure in the martial world, reaching the Xiantian level thirty years ago."
"Twenty-seven years ago, he single-handedly stormed the Lushan Sect, which had one peak Xiantian-level expert and three Xiantian-level masters. After that battle, the Lushan Sect vanished from the martial world, and Qin Yi disappeared. Who would have thought he'd reappear now?"
"Now he must be over fifty, but no one knows how strong he's become!"
Everyone was stunned.
Twenty-seven years ago, Qin Yi could kill a peak Xiantian-level expert. How strong must he be now?
And for Qin Yi to personally drive the carriage, who could be inside?
"The Qi Imperial Family might be in trouble!"
"With a figure like this making an appearance, and experts from the Qiushui Palace, Tiesha Sect, and other major factions arriving, the Imperial Family might find it hard to monopolize the treasures in the immortal's tomb."
...
Meanwhile, several miles away at the foot of Feng Mountain, Crown Prince Qi Xuan of the Qi State stood with two Imperial Family elders and hundreds of elite Imperial guards, blocking a crucial mountain pass.
The two elders bore minor injuries and looked grim.
Earlier, the Qiushui Palace Lord had broken through, injuring both of them and killing dozens of Imperial guards, dealing them a heavy blow.
"What bad luck! The Qiushui Palace Lord chose to enter from our side!"
"When we return to the palace, we'll surely face punishment!"
One of the Xiantian mid-level elders grumbled.
The Qiushui Palace Lord could have entered from any direction, but he had chosen their side.
"Elder Huang, don't worry. When we return, I'll report truthfully. The Qiushui Palace Lord was simply too powerful for us to stop," Qi Xuan said with a faint smile.
Crown Prince Qi Xuan was only twenty-seven, but his martial arts had already reached the peak of the Houtian level, just one step away from the Xiantian level. If nothing unexpected happened, he would ascend to the throne after the Emperor's death.
"Your Highness is too kind."
The other elder flattered.
Clack clack clack!
Just then, the sound of hurried hoofbeats reached their ears.
Both elders' expressions changed.
If someone broke through their checkpoint again, even with the Crown Prince's support, they would face consequences.
"The Zhang family is truly useless! They can't even guard a checkpoint!"
Qi Xuan's face also darkened. The Zhang family had given him many gifts, and he had recommended them to the Emperor. But now, several groups had already bypassed the outer defenses and reached their checkpoint.
"Your Highness, I'll deal with them!"
Elder Huang's face turned cold as he charged in the direction of the approaching carriage.