Chapter 18: The First Encounter with a Cultivator
"Spiritual Talisman!"
Qi Zhengwu's expression turned extremely grim. The talisman in his hand had been gifted to him by a cultivator who entered the Immortal's Tomb. He never expected that Qin Yi, a mere mortal, would also possess a spiritual talisman.
Qin Yi himself was also slightly stunned. This talisman had been given to him by Young Master Li before they left Wushan City. At the time, he hadn't known its purpose, but when faced with the fireball, the talisman had activated on its own.
"Since you possess a spiritual talisman, you must know something about cultivators. Coincidentally, my Young Master is quite interested in matters related to cultivators."
With a single step, Qin Yi surged forward, his speed so fast that even Qiu Yibai and Qiu Wanqian, both peak Xiantian experts, couldn't follow his movements.
Before Qi Zhengwu could react, Qin Yi's scabbard struck eight vital points on Qi Zhengwu's body.
Qi Zhengwu's body stiffened, completely immobilized.
"Don't think your Tianxia Guild has won just because of this. My family's cultivator has already entered the Immortal's Tomb. Li Changsheng walking in now is just walking into a trap!"
Even though he was captured, Qi Zhengwu sneered, his tone filled with confidence.
What?
Qiu Yibai and Qiu Wanqian's expressions changed slightly.
"No wonder Qi Zhengwu was only guarding the entrance—someone had already gone in ahead of us!"
"This is bad. Even if Li Changsheng is a Grandmaster, he's likely no match for a cultivator!"
Qin Yi's expression also turned serious. He grabbed Qi Zhengwu and rushed into the passage.
"Qiu Yibai, what should we do?"
Qiu Wanqian stared at Qin Yi's retreating figure and asked softly.
"Let's go back.
"Whether it's Li Changsheng or the cultivators in the tomb, neither is someone we can afford to provoke. One wrong move could lead to the destruction of our entire clans. As for the Grandmaster Realm... I fear I'll never reach it."
Qiu Wanqian's face also showed a trace of melancholy.
Indeed, if it were just a matter of opposing the Imperial Family, they could handle it. But if the cultivators behind the Imperial Family were involved, their continued association with the Tianxia Guild would bring disaster to their sects.
Thinking of this, both of them felt a sense of resignation.
…
Inside the tomb.
Li Changsheng moved swiftly, noticing the remnants of dismantled traps and arrays along the way. Frowning slightly, he quickened his pace.
After ten minutes, he finally reached the end of the passage.
Stepping out of the passage, Li Changsheng found himself in a spacious stone chamber, roughly the size of a basketball court. However, two young people were already inside—a man and a woman, both appearing to be in their twenties. Both were cultivators, with the man at the third level of Qi Refining and the woman at the second level.
The two stood beside a pale golden skeleton, the woman holding a small pouch about the size of a palm, her face filled with joy.
"Who is it?"
The moment Li Changsheng entered the chamber, the two young cultivators noticed him and turned to look.
"The Qi Family in the mortal world is truly useless—they couldn't even stop a mortal!" Qi Ming, the male cultivator, said, slightly surprised.
Qi Yue, the female cultivator, sneered, "Do they even deserve the Qi name? The mortal Qi Family hasn't produced a single person with a spiritual root in a hundred years. When I return to the family, I'll definitely report this to the Patriarch and suggest that another branch take over the mortal world!"
"The mortal Qi Family is indeed too weak. Even the weakest branch of our family surpasses them. It's time for a change in the mortal world's leadership." Qi Ming nodded in agreement, clearly displeased that a mortal had broken through the Qi Imperial Family's blockade and entered the tomb.
"We'll discuss the mortal Qi Family when we return. Let's deal with this kid first." Qi Ming shook his head slightly, forming a hand seal. A fireball the size of a fist shot toward Li Changsheng.
"Whoosh!"
But something unexpected happened. The moment Qi Ming formed the fireball, the young man opposite him also formed a hand seal. A wind blade half a zhang long shot out, slicing through the fireball and heading straight for them.
Qi Yue and Qi Ming both paled, unable to defend in time. They could only dodge to the side in a panic.
Swoosh!
The half-zhang-long wind blade cut through Qi Ming, who was at the third level of Qi Refining, slicing him in two.
Qi Yue, who was slightly further away, rolled to the ground and barely escaped. However, the small wind blades that exploded from the attack still tore through her clothes, revealing her fair skin beneath.
"Which family's cultivator are you? How dare you attack the Qi Family in the Qi Kingdom?"
Qi Yue was both shocked and furious. She hadn't expected the young man before her to be feigning weakness. The speed at which he formed his hand seals was far beyond what an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator could achieve.
Li Changsheng remained silent, several small wind blades instantly forming and shooting toward Qi Yue.
"You…!"
Qi Yue's expression changed. Gritting her teeth, she slapped the small pouch at her waist. A sword-shaped talisman appeared in her hand. With a surge of true energy, the talisman transformed into a streak of light, speeding toward Li Changsheng.
Li Changsheng's face changed as he saw the flash of blue light.
'Not good!'
He retreated quickly, but it was already too late.
Boom!
The blue light moved incredibly fast, slamming into Li Changsheng and sending him flying.
"Urgh!"
Li Changsheng spat out a mouthful of blood, crashing heavily to the ground. A small blue sword formed from the talisman was embedded in his chest.
"Daring to provoke the Qi Family is a death sentence!" Qi Yue said coldly.
Qi Ming, with his triple spiritual root, had been considered quite talented in their generation, with the potential to become a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the future. Now, with him dead here, Qi Yue would inevitably face punishment when she returned to the family.
Qi Yue stepped lightly, landing beside Li Changsheng. She formed a hand seal, intending to retrieve the sword-shaped talisman.
"Not good!"
Qi Yue's heart skipped a beat as a wind blade shot toward her. But before she could react, her head was sent flying, her body collapsing to the ground.
"Thankfully, they underestimated me, giving me the chance to kill a third-level Qi Refining cultivator."
"Otherwise, today would've been dangerous."
Li Changsheng slowly got to his feet, his face pale. The sword-shaped talisman was still embedded in his chest, blood gushing from the wound as if it were free.
"Urgh!"
With another mouthful of blood, Li Changsheng pulled the talisman out of his body.
"In the future, I mustn't underestimate my enemies like they did… Also… this Golden Body Art is more extraordinary than I imagined…"
Li Changsheng reflected inwardly.
If it weren't for the protection of the seventh level of the Golden Body Art, he would have died from that sword-shaped talisman.
"Fortunately, it's time to reap the rewards!"
A smile appeared in Li Changsheng's eyes as he walked over and took the small pouches from Qi Yue and Qi Ming's waists. Along with the pouch Qi Yue had taken from the skeleton, Li Changsheng now held three small pouches.
"Is this the legendary storage pouch?"
Li Changsheng murmured softly.
He had witnessed Qi Yue slap the pouch, and the sword-shaped talisman had immediately appeared in her hand.
Although Li Changsheng had never interacted with cultivators before, he had read enough in his previous life to recognize what a storage pouch was.
"But this isn't the place to sort through the spoils."
Thinking this, Li Changsheng rushed toward the passage exit.