Cult of the Sacred Runes

Chapter 104 – Home

“You have to understand, master left all of these priceless treasures behind, but his wish is for you to get stronger and not to rely on them.” Pu Yuan could see Ye Wei was confused, so he kept explaining. “If you want to get access to everything stored in the temple there is only one way, to become stronger. Certain parts of the Glacial Emperor’s legacy won’t be unlocked until you’ve reached a certain cultivation level.”

“There are entrances to three different secret realms and also many other priceless artifacts in this hall, but you won’t be able to acquire them until you are strong enough to use them.”

“Now that you are a Warrior, you can have access to one of these chambers, and you get to decide which of them it will be.” Pu Yuan smiled at Ye Wei. “My advice is to pick what you think would help you the most to develop yourself as a cultivator.”

“Yes.” Ye Wei nodded respectfully.

Pu Yuan was glad to see how humble Ye Wei was acting, “So which of the halls do you wish to access?”

Ye Wei was startled by the suddenness of the question, and he frowned while thinking deeply. ‘What can I use those runes for? I don’t have sufficient experience to create my own stances anyway...’

‘As for the treasure hall... I’ve collected a fair bit since I entered the labyrinth. I don’t really have a use for these things currently. With my cultivation level, I wouldn’t be able to use the rarer items either.’

‘On the other hand, it bothers me that I’m already a Warrior, but I hardly know any stances! However, I do know Supernova stance in a sense, and its first stage is only made up of one hundred and thirty-six special runes. It will take some time to correctly optimize it.’

After thinking for a moment, Ye Wei lifted his head and humbly asked, “Can you please give me some advice?” He was aware that Pu Yuan was once the Glacial Emperor’s disciple and therefore would have much better insight into cultivating than himself.

“You comprehended the Supernova stance and even refined and evolved it, but your body isn’t strong enough to use it without help...” Pu Yuan could understand Ye Wei’s frustration.

“Yeah!” Ye Wei nodded. Earlier when he fought Mo Ya, he felt the overwhelming power of Supernova stance but without Pu Yuan’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to successfully unleash this stance.

“You already know the Supernova stance is an amplification stance and using such a stance is a bit different than using an ordinary stance. If you want to be able to use it properly and at anytime, you will have to carve all one hundred and thirty-six of these runes into your bones. That is the secret to the incredible strength of the wild beasts which amplification stances were inspired by.”

“You have to be prepared for immense pain if you want to accomplish this, but before even considering it, I can tell you that your bones are currently not strong nor hard enough!”

“Without external help, you will need at least three more years before your bones are in the condition to carry these runes.”

“Thank you for pointing that out!” Ye Wei said sincerely, ‘I doubt I would have figured out that I need to engrave these runes into my bones to increase the efficiency of the stance if it wasn’t for Pu Yuan... Though three Years is quite a long time!’

“However, in the treasure chamber there is a bone strengthening pill... Haha...” Pu Yuan’s hoarse voice could be heard laughing.

Having experienced the Supernova stance’s power first hand, Ye Wei was determined to master it. He was determined to make it a technique he could rely on. “I would like access to the treasure chamber!” He said.

“The seventy-fourth row, thirty-sixth column. There you will find what you’re looking for!” Pu Yuan pointed to the corridor that led to the treasure chamber.

“Thanks!” Ye Wei nodded and went in.

Moments after, Ye Wei returned with a jade bottle in his hand. It contained the specialized bone strengthening pill, Unyielding Gold. This pill was very rare. Nowadays it could be found nowhere other than the treasure chamber of the Glacial Temple.

“This jade trinket...” A little sword-shaped jade trinket appeared in front of Ye Wei as Pu Yuan waved his hand.

“There is a miniature teleportation array. When you become a five-star Warrior, you will be able to use this trinket. It will bring you back here to the temple.”

‘This is... This is beyond belief.’ Ye Wei’s eyes lit up, and he took the trinket without hesitation.

“When you are back outside, you will have to be careful with your every move. The Glacial Emperor was once the strongest man in the Zhou dynasty, and one does not become the strongest without making enemies. If people learned that you are master’s successor they would stop at nothing to kill you, especially those people from the Vermilion dynasty!”

“About three hundred years ago master was set-up... He was surrounded by over ten thousand Vermilion dynasty elites. He fought for three months day in and day out. After killing a few thousands of some of the strongest cultivators in that era, he succumbed from exhaustion dying by their hands .”

“Usually, only the leader of a dynasty could call himself emperor, but during master’s era the reigning emperor did not dare say anything about the name master went by...”

“There are three dominating families, three royal families. Ever since the Zhou dynasty was established, the strongest cultivators were chosen from these three families in a strict selection process to determine who would become the dynasty’s emperor. One of the three royal patriarchs was once my master’s disciple.”

“When the royals and nobles heard that master had fallen, they all felt regretful. Had they known about the ambush earlier, they would have sent their men to rescue him. If he had lived, the Zhou dynasty would still be at its highest right now...” Pu Yuan sighed then continued, “But if you cover your tracks well, the news of a new successor should not reach that far for a few years. Having said that, you shouldn’t let your guard down because master had enemies within the Zhou dynasty’s borders as well.”

‘One person against over ten thousand cultivators?’ Ye Wei was absorbed in the story Pu Yuan was telling, shocked and tongue-tied.

“I hope that one day you can overtake master’s level and achieve greatness far beyond him!” Pu Yuan rose his head and glanced at Ye Wei with an energized look.

“Exceed the Glacial Emperor?” Ye Wei could feel Pu Yuan was being cryptic. He was confused and did not see how he would be able to surpass the Glacial Emperor.

“Master built this temple partially to seal the demons and monster lurking below in the Bloodmist Abyss... That iron talisman, he found it in the abyss you saw a few days ago. Although he spent decades researching it, he failed to fathom its mysterious purpose or use. I have been watching since I opened the bloodmist barrier and the fact that you are able to use it alone says to me how special you are!”

“Now that you are master’s inheritor, you life will change! Your shall become powerful, and you will shape the world.” Pu Yuan’s face became straight. “I strongly advise you master the Supernova stance in the temple before going outside again.” He continued as Ye Wei put the jade trinket in his bag.

“It will take some time for me to master it... Sorry, but I have pressing matters back home; I have to go home first.” Ye Zhong was still Ye Wei’s priority after all. ‘I have the Welkin Leaves in my bag now, and Zi Yan is waiting for me outside!’

“As you wish... I will teleport you outside now. Come back again when you become a five-star Warrior!” Pu Yuan nodded and covered Ye Wei in a blue light.

“Be careful out there!”

Pu Yuan waved his hand, and the temple was once empty again.

‘This boy truly has great potential! What if he really can reach that level? I might actually get to live again...” Pu Yuan mumbled.

“A diamond in the rough. It just needs some polishing.” He pondered and laughed as his figure faded in the temple.

After the slightly uncomfortable feeling of dimensional travel, Ye Wei opened his eyes to see the familiar scenery. He was once again in the valley.

“Little Wei, are you okay?” Lin Zi Yan smiled.

“Zi Yan!” Ye Wei smiled back while running over to her.

“Bang! Bang!”

Just when Ye Wei got to her side, a rumbling noise sounded and echoed in the valley. The Selenic Beast statue sank into the ground and disappeared, and the cultivators sent here by different powers who camped outside panicked as the unexpected happened.

The red mist in the valley slowly faded shortly after. From now on, only the jade trinket would allow one to step inside the mysterious realm.

“Zi Yan, let’s go!” Ye Wei looked at the now ordinary valley and said eagerly.

“To the Ye mansion? Or where do you want us to go?” It was not hard for Lin Zi Yan to guess why he looked nervous and restless.

“To Master Yi first!” Ye Wei decided as they ran to the beast carriage. ‘There is no point going home, none of us know how to use the herb anyways.’