Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 576: The Qiongqi Tribe’s Tomb
The Invisibility Talismans Gan Tian provided were of an extremely high grade, with no level restrictions for the user. Upon burning the talisman, Lu Yang turned invisible and moved unimpeded through the branch Qiongqi Tribe as if it was a no man’s land.
Although it was called a branch tribe, that was relative to the main Qiongqi Tribe. In the outside world, these branch tribes would be revered by other demons. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Despite walking only a short distance, Lu Yang already encountered a patrol squad. The captain was a Foundation Establishment expert, and every squad member was powerful, at the eighth or ninth layer of the Qi Training Stage.
And this was just a small squad leader. A medium squad leader was likely a Golden Core old ancestor or a Half-Step Golden Core old ancestor.
“The chieftain of this branch tribe is at the Basic Fusion Stage. With such cultivation, he could hold a seat even in the Qiongqi Tribe’s elder council. However, he was injured in his early years, so he can’t act easily.” Gan Tian reminded them. This branch tribe has the strength of a first-class sect, albeit the weakest kind, but we still can’t afford to be careless.
The two nodded in unison, assuring Gan Tian. While we brothers may not have many strengths, being cautious is definitely one of them.
Lu Yang also saw a young mixed-blood qiongqi training diligently, panting heavily as he jumped around in a small courtyard. His fur was soaked in sweat, yet he didn’t stop for a rest.
“I must evolve my bloodline into a pure-blood qiongqi and bring honor to my family!” The young mixed-blood qiongqi’s eyes sparkled, full of hope.
The demon race had unique cultivation methods that could purify bloodlines, enabling the possibility of a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate[1]—going against the tide and rising to prominence. However, those who could achieve this were few and far between.
“Ah, the bloodline evolution method has been passed down to this day.” Having dealt with demon beasts for a long time, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy recognized the young mixed-blood qiongqi’s movements at a glance. It was a bloodline evolution technique compiled by the Qilin Immortal.
Before the Qilin Immortal, bloodline evolution methods did exist, but their efficiency was too low.
“Immortal Fairy, can he evolve into a pure-blood qiongqi?”
“This little tiger’s bloodline is quite mixed; his ancestors include six or seven different demon beasts. With his talent, he’s counted as a genius in the branch tribe, and if he cultivates like this, he can indeed advance to a pure-blood. But that’s all. Once he becomes a pure-blood and enters the Qiongqi Tribe, he’ll realize geniuses like him are a dime a dozen. He won’t stand out in the Qiongqi Tribe.”
“That tragic?”
“That’s not called tragic—it’s reality. The talent disparity is clear. If this little tiger were in Great Xia, he wouldn’t even qualify for the tournament finals. The Qiongqi Tribe has many geniuses like him, equally hardworking, and these geniuses enjoyed better resources than him in the past. How can he rise above them?
“To become the strongest, both talent and resources are indispensable. Your talent is strong enough, right? Forget placing you in a second or third-class sect; even in a first-class sect, could they fully bring out your potential? No, they can’t.”
Lu Yang nodded. Not to boast, but my talent absolutely can’t be fully realized in a first-class sect, perhaps not even in the Five-Elements Sect.
“So you see, hard work does lead to success, but no matter how hard you work, you can’t surpass someone equally hardworking and more talented than you.”
“Immortal Fairy, are you telling me all this to encourage me to cultivate harder?”
“No, what I mean is that Lass Yun has great talent, is willing to endure hardship, and has cultivated several hundred years more than you, so you probably can’t catch up to her. When our Everlasting Lineage fights her, I’ll be the main force, and you’ll provide support.”
Lu Yang, “...”
~~~
The three passed through the branch tribe without incident and arrived at the Qiongqi Tribe. Squads of five qiongqi patrolled both the sky and the ground. Every ten minutes, another squad would pass by.
“Strange, why is the Qiongqi Tribe so heavily guarded? Are they about to fight the Moonhowl Skywolf Tribe?”
“Should we change locations?”
“No need. It’s not targeted at us anyway.”
“How do you know, Senior Sister?” Meng Jingzhou was curious.
“If it were targeted at us, the Qiongqi Tribe elders would be patrolling outside. What use are these small fries? Such heavy security is probably for show.”
“...Makes sense.”
“Every noon, the tribe’s great protection array has a gap lasting three breaths. We need to seize that opening to enter.” Gan Tian knew her way around and was familiar with the Qiongqi Tribe’s arrays. One could only wonder how many times she had been here.
Fifteen minutes later, Gan Tian signaled with her eyes. The three timed it perfectly and successfully entered the Qiongqi Tribe.
Qiongqi were accustomed to living in jungles and caves. Hence, hollowed-out tree holes and mountains were ubiquitous in the Qiongqi Tribe.
While moving through the tribe, the trio occasionally encountered small groups of qiongqi conversing. Lu Yang faintly heard phrases like “envoy visit,” which inevitably piqued his curiosity.
Is this the reason for the Qiongqi Tribe’s tight security? An envoy is visiting? What level of envoy warrants such a grand display from the Qiongqi Tribe?
Lu Yang quietly asked Gan Tian.
“Envoy? A visit from an equal wouldn’t result in such a fuss. It’s probably a race even stronger than the Qiongqi. That would have to be at the level of Dragons or Phoenixes.”
“Third Senior Sister, where are we going?”
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou followed Gan Tian. The further they went, the more remote it became. They walked for half a day without seeing a single qiongqi, and the atmosphere felt eerie.
“The Qiongqi Tribe’s tomb. To conduct archaeology and unearth secrets hidden in history, one must go to such places. Whether murals or burial objects, they are all cultural relics worth studying.
“Didn’t I ask Big Senior Sister to send someone knowledgeable about ancient history? It was here, in the Qiongqi Tribe’s tomb, that I discovered something strange.”
“Something strange.”
“It’s hard to explain in a few words. You’ll know when you see it.”
The Qiongqi Tribe placed much importance on their tomb, stationing a Fusion-Stage qiongqi as a tomb guardian. Unfortunately, this guardian was nothing more than a decoration to Gan Tian; she even had energy to spare to bring two youngsters in.
Upon seeing the Qiongqi Tribe’s tomb, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were utterly awed.
Before them was a colossal qiongqi statue huge enough to fill their field of vision. It was carved from three mountains and joined together with great powers. The qiongqi statue was lifelike—a fearsome tiger with wings upon its back, its eyes stern and majestic. Its stance was poised for flight, as though it was ready to spread its wings and soar at any moment. Just looking at this statue was intimidating.
The Qiongqi Tribe’s tomb lay beneath this enormous statue.
“It’s said this tomb was constructed in ancient times. This style was very popular for demons then,” Gan Tain explained, expressing that they didn’t need to be so startled.
Suddenly, Meng Jingzhou halted. He pointed at the qiongqi statue above them and dared not look up. “Why do I feel like this statue is alive and constantly watching us? Is it an illusion?”
Lu Yang froze, a chill running down his spine. He actually had the same feeling. If two people felt it, it isn’t an illusion.
Gan Tian transmitted an auditory message to the two. “I also feel like we’re being watched.” She revealed a secret. “There’s always been a legend in the Qiongqi Tribe that the thing above isn’t a statue but an ancient qiongqi turned to stone. It has slumbered until now and accumulated strength, possibly awakening at any moment!”
The two grew even more tense and gulped, their hearts pounding violently. It felt as though the ancient qiongqi above them had already awakened, opening its bloody maw toward the three intruders, saliva dripping...
The knowledgeable and experienced Everlasting Immortal Fairy explained, “That feeling of being watched is due to an array researched by the Heaven Mandate Immortal. He advocated for everyone to set up this kind of array when building their tombs. It can scare people and give rise to legends.”
1. It’s a folk tale where the carp can transform into a dragon if it’s able to jump over the Dragon Gate, a canyon of the Yellow River. The meaning is explained in the next part of the sentence. It is a famous idiom often used to encourage students to succeed through hard work and perseverance. In the past, it was mainly through the imperial examinations, and now it is through the gaokao, the national high school leaving examinations. ☜
