426 Looking for Target Practice
Qin Huai stared in wonder at the silver-white wings on his back. Had the power of the strange beast from the poison king technique combined with his dragon king form under the influence of the emperorâs force?
The emperor looked at Qin Huai, who now had wings on his back and sharp tiger-like teeth protruding from his mouth. âWhen the power of a king extends to birds and beasts, the white tiger appears,â he explained.
âUsing the True Path sectâs nine dragons true qi technique to understand the emperorâs force and cultivating the four-directional tiger-wolf technique, the blood tiger within you woke up to its white tiger form under the influence of the emperorâs force, giving birth to this pair of wings.â
The emperor then continued, âHowever, it seems that youâve also practiced the poison king technique and the wind breath technique⦠After ten thousand years, I didnât expect these techniques to still be handed down. I donât know whether to feel happy or sad at this.â The emperor sighed.
He knew many cultivation techniques and was able to discern characteristics of various sect techniques, such as bone patterns, at a mere glance, which allowed him to understand Qin Huaiâs method of cultivation.
However, the emperor couldnât identify the bone patterns on Qin Huaiâs spine. It was a rare humanoid bone pattern.
âWhite Tiger, huhâ¦â Qin Huai could feel an intense killing power surging from his wings.
It seemed like the emperorâs explanation was correct â his wings were born out of the combination of the four-directional tiger-wolf technique, the poison king technique, and the wind breath technique. As his wings flapped, a strong wind filled with a killing intent swirled around him.
âIn my âworldâ, can all my cultivation techniques be upgraded?â Qin Huai inquired.
âIndeed, but your âworldâ is still incomplete,â the emperor replied, scrutinizing Qin Huaiâs current form. âYouâre like a peculiar beast of indeterminate form. You havenât truly integrated this power into your body. In simple terms, this should be resolved after a few battles.â
Qin Huai nodded and then asked, âWhat did you mean when you said there were guests outside just now?â
In response, the emperor waved his hand. A pool of spring water suddenly bubbled up from the ground between them, reflecting a vague scene within its rippling surface.
On the waterâs surface, countless martial artists could be seen entering the collapsed sinkhole and scouring the ground for bones marked with many bone patterns.
Observing the scene, Qin Huai furrowed his brows slightly. The corpses seemed vaguely familiar to him.
âThis is the bronze realm,â the emperor explained. âThe bronze realm is an enormous formation that I created underground with the aim of finding a worthy successor. The bronze mountain and river diagram symbolizes this world and serves as the formation core, continuously drawing power from all of Qingzhou to sustain its operation.
âThe bronze realmâs materials, which I used for its construction, have melted away over the course of ten thousand years,â the emperor continued to explain. âMost importantly, your understanding of the diagram disrupted the delicate balance between the inherent power of the formation and the energy it absorbs from Qingzhou. In essence, this bronze realmâs lifespan is nearing its end.â
Qin Huai was taken aback. How much skill and knowledge would it take to maintain such a grand formation for ten thousand years?
âIf there were no successors for ten thousand years, would this grand formation continue running?â he asked.
âThat wouldnât be the case. Judging from the current situation, the formationâs pillars will collapse in another two to three hundred years at most,â answered the emperor, smacking his lips appreciatively. âThat old man is pretty decent. I didnât overcharge him too much.â
The corners of Qin Huaiâs mouth twitched. The old man the emperor referred to must have been a master of formations who would leave his name in history, able to set up a formation covering the entire Qingzhou.
The emperor squatted in front of the small pool, stirring the waterâs surface gently with his fingers. The scene reflected in the water quivered wildly.
âYoung girls these daysâ¦theyâre becoming more and more lively. This skin moisturizer must be selling well in Qingzhou,â he remarked, observing a little girl in the scene.
âIt should be pretty good,â Qin Huai responded half-heartedly, not knowing much about it. He recalled his past life where, as long as there were women around, cosmetics businesses would inevitably thrive.
âHey, kid, come and look around. See if you can spot any enemies in Qingzhou City,â the emperor said, patting Qin Huaiâs shoulder and pulling him closer. âIâll teleport you directly there. It would be like killing two birds with one stone if you could use them for practice.â
Qin Huai, standing beside the middle-aged man, reached out cautiously and manipulated the scene in the water. It wasnât much different from using a tablet in his previous life.
As he rapidly scanned for any traces of the Blood Poison Gang members, he realized that his current appearance could easily expose him, especially to Wen Zonghao, who had seen his true form and dragon king form in the outer city.
As long as Wen Zonghao was eliminated, the only person left to inherit the emperor of Qingzhouâs legacy would be Zhou Cunzhong, who had narrowly escaped death.
Remembering the emperorâs previous advice, Qin Huai knew he couldnât reveal his true identity. Otherwise, an unimaginably powerful person might be attracted to his presence.