Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 162 – Heaven Hiding Seal

Bang –

At this moment, an angry invisible river seemed to rush out from the stone door. Qin Yu took a deep breath. Before his black robes could even flutter they were pasted back against his body. A wild aura tumbled about like a massive grinding pan. It spun constantly, capable of grinding a person to pieces and blowing them up.

Soupman had a tranquil expression. He covered his eyes, a trace of worry flashing through them. Then he turned and smiled, “Honorable Ning, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

In truth, Qin Yu’s initial thought was that he had been exposed in that instant. But, he immediately changed his mind. If this person wanted to kill him he wouldn’t need to go through so much trouble. As Qin Yu heard Soupman’s casual tone, his lips moved and he wasn’t able to prevent himself from ‘kindly’ asking about Soupman’s family.

Just by standing outside the door, the aura was actually so terrifying; it was easy to imagine how terrifying it would be once he stepped it. Qin Yu’s cultivation wasn’t weak either and his Demon Body was considerably potent. Still, he didn’t have any inclination of entering. So, he thought about it and asked in a soft voice, “What do I do if there’s a problem?”

Soupman smiled brilliantly. “If there’s a problem then you certainly must overcome it. The young should march forwards without fear. Moreover, I believe that Honorable Ning’s strength will not leave me disappointed.” He slapped his forehead. “I almost forgot. After Honorable Ning enters, you must only use your own strength to resist it. Do not borrow the help of any items, otherwise things will become much more troublesome.”

As for what kind of trouble it was, Soupman didn’t explain further. Looking at his wide smile, this ‘trouble’ wouldn’t be small at all.

Qin Yu’s expression nearly broke. He cursed several times inwardly before he turned and smiled, nodding all the while.

He took a deep breath and stepped towards the stone door. It was like swimming against a flowing river. A powerful strength struck against his body, separating from both sides.

Qin Yu stood at the entrance and calmed himself. Then, he stepped in. Once he did, the feeling suddenly changed. It was like he began in a rapid river but had fallen into a raging sea. The wild churning waves brought with them an annihilating strength, causing Qin Yu to pale.

Behind him, the stone door quietly closed. Only darkness remained.

Outside the stone door, Soupman’s smile disappeared. After a long time, he self-deprecatingly laughed. “Hah, I really must apologize to my old mom. Even though she has been gone for so long, she is still mentioned by others. However, I have no other choice. As the saying goes, in the sea, the seafolk cannot help themselves.”

He fell silent once more. Then, a dignified look gradually lit up his eyes. He muttered in a quiet voice, “Honorable Ning, no matter how much you may curse at me, from here on out…I really must depend on you…”

…

Royal palace.

No one was within the grand hall.

On the dragon throne, the Sea Sovereign had a serene appearance. He looked out the window, seemingly at peace.

“Your Majesty, Soupman has delivered Honorable Ning in.”

“Mm.”

“Your Majesty…” The voice sounded out again. It was heavy and helpless and even trembled a little.

The Sea Sovereign looked away. “This Solitude knows that you all are worried, but worrying cannot resolve the issue at hand.” He smiled. “If worrying could preserve my life, then it would be fine if you wanted to cry until the heavens fell…but in the end, it is useless.”

“This official knows that the situation is incredibly dangerous right now. Has Your Majesty made no arrangements?”

The Sea Sovereign lightly said, “Things have occurred too suddenly. Just like you, this Solitude has made no preparations. But even so, you need not panic. After all, you knew and this Solitude knew that this day would eventually arrive. The necessary arrangements have already been made. If things cannot change, then you will carry them out.”

“I obey…Your Majesty!” The voice quieted down.

The Sea Sovereign let out a breath, feeling a bit helpless, feeling a bit moved, but most of all feeling calm at heart. He had lived for a long, long time, far surpassing the lifespan of most living beings in this world. He had reached the peak of authority and had enjoyed all there was to enjoy. In truth, he had no regrets if he were to die.

It was just that in his heart, there was a little bit of unwillingness.

Honorable Ning…

As he thought of the sea spirit baptism that lasted almost 10 hours, a bit of anticipation flashed in his eyes. But, his gaze immediately returned to tranquility.

…

This was a land where the pitch black darkness was so deep you couldn’t even see your own hand in front of your face. That darkness was like the world’s most viscous ink, and at the same time you had to face a wild barrage of aura coming from all directions. In such an environment, those who lacked willpower and determination wouldn’t be able to last long at all. Their spirits would soon break.

Bang –

Bang –

The ringing was incomparably clear. This wasn’t a sound that transmitted through the ears, but came from an outside strength bombarding the body, reverberating through one’s flesh and blood and bones. Qin Yu coughed and spat out a mouthful of blood. His chest felt much better afterwards.

After passing through the stone door, the wild strength shut off all directional senses. It was hard for him to tell just which way he was going. He could only constantly move forwards towards the source of that wild strength.

The closer he got to the source, the more potent the strength became. At first he was able to resist it, but now he was starting to become injured. The darkness continued up the road without end. If things persisted like this, he had no idea how long he would be able to last.

But thinking about it, Qin Yu wasn’t too worried. Old Sea had said that with his status, and before anyone had seen through his disguise, there wouldn’t be anyone that would move against him. If he said this, it shouldn’t be lies. Thus, if Soupman had brought him here then with his strength he should be safe.

He paused, catching his breath even as the wild barrage continued. Then, he continued forwards.

Two hours.

Four hours.

Six hours.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

Within the grand hall, the Sea Sovereign shook his head and sighed. It seemed that he had thought too much about this. The great Dao was truly heartless. He was destined to die and there were no more paths left for him to take.

After determining that his death would come, this ruler that seemed to wield the highest power in the world wasn’t afraid or panicked. Instead, a happy smile curved up the corners of his mouth. This was because even facing the world, he had managed to last all these years. When he thought of this, even with his status he couldn’t help but feel pride.

Outside the stone door, Soupman’s complexion paled. He muttered to himself, “How could this be…how could this be…” His eyes suddenly popped open and he began violently coughing. Without any time to care about these things, he took out a black spirit shell from his chest and made a call.

“Cough cough…your Majesty…the Companion Vine’s…strength…cough cough…has there been any changes…?”

Soupman’s voice sounded throughout the grand hall. On the dragon throne, the supreme Sea Sovereign suddenly stiffened. But this lasted for only a moment before he composed himself. His voice was dignified as he said, “Mm, it seems a bit stronger than before.”

Soupman’s round face twisted as if he was about to cry at any moment.

What sort of cultivation did His Majesty possess? Although he had sensed only a slight increase, the actual situation was likely several times worse than expected. According to his judgment of the information he had obtained, Honorable Ning should have been able to arrive safely. But now it seemed that…

The grand hall was deathly silent.

Right now, everyone who had the qualifications to speak to him were frozen in place, horrified expressions covering their faces.

Angry growls suddenly sounded out. “Soupman, you have harmed His Majesty, you have harmed His Majesty!”

The final hope, and also the most likely hope, had been destroyed like this.

Even the high ranking courtiers were unable to withstand such a dramatic contrasting change. They lost their minds and started to roar!

Soupman stared at the ground in a daze. His Majesty’s condition wasn’t good right now, so an oversight was understandable. But, how had he himself not discovered that the strength of the Companion Vine had increased? He looked up and stared at the shut stone door. He suddenly raised his hand and a rune from the stone door flew out, landing in his palm.

“Heaven Hiding Seal, this is actually the Heaven Hiding Seal…Your Majesty, this servant is sorry, this servant is sorry!” Soupman fell to his knees and cried.

In the eyes of outsiders, this person was a terrifying money-grubbing schemer. But right now he was crying like a heartbroken child, his tears flowing endlessly.

The questioning roars came to an abrupt end.

No one ever imagined that someone had managed to come here first and lay a trap ahead of time, placing His Majesty into a dangerous spot.

This was Soupman’s dereliction of duty. But all of them had the authority to come to the stone door, and many of them had come more than once. Yet, none of them had discovered anything.

Strictly speaking, everyone had made a mistake!

“I ask Your Majesty to pass down punishment!”

On the dragon throne, the Sea Sovereign frowned. When he heard the ‘Heaven Hiding Seal’ mentioned, he seemed to awaken. A faint smile appeared on his face. “Rise. This was not your mistake. After all…who could ever imagine it?”

He looked up straight towards the entrance of the grand hall, his eyes as deep as an abyss. “When the throne changed that year, it was this Solitude who single-handedly protected them. And now, it seems that I only have myself to blame, otherwise how could I suffer such a counterattack. In the end, this Solitude was too arrogant. I didn’t expect his arrangements to come this far.”

Soupman stood up, tears still streaming down his face. A terrifying aura surged all around him. He turned and walked out along the path of torches. His steps were heavy and fast.

Puff –

Puff –

Heads exploded one after another, blood dying the stone walls and pooling onto the ground. Countless cries of panic and sorrow filled the air as countless people slumped dead in their own pools of blood, some of them lost in horror and confusion. A slaughter was being carried out, and the sounds were clearly reflected through the spirit shell and into the grand hall. But whether it was the Sea Sovereign or the other high ranking courtiers, all of them were calm and unperturbed.

For something like this to occur, there were surely traitors within. In order to avoid spreading the news and to gain as much time as possible to set up arrangements, he could only use this brutal method and kill every possible suspect.

In truth, the saddest one here should be Soupman. After all, the guards here were all direct descendants he had personally raised and trained. After a long time, the last miserable cry sounded out. Soupman fell to his knees and lifted his hand to slam his head.

Bang –

The void suddenly shook and his entire body was sent flying away. He tumbled several times, looking extremely distressed. He wailed, “Your Majesty, why would you rescue me? Let this servant of yours die. Only by dying can my pain be lessened!”

In the grand hall, the Sea Sovereign withdrew his hand. His eyebrows were furrowed together as if he were resisting something. He slowly said, “You old thing, you should know it isn’t easy for this Solitude to make a move. If you don’t want this Solitude to immediately die, then shut up and wait for orders. This matter is not your mistake, and moreover, it isn’t your turn to die. This Solitude needs you. When this Solitude returns to the heavens, this Solitude needs you to assist the new emperor in stabilizing their rule!”

Soupman kneeled. “This servant is willing to offer his life in sacrifice!”

“Please command us, Your Majesty!”

The Sea Sovereign was silent for several breaths of time. Then, a cruel and callous voice echoed through the hall. “Inform all princes and princesses to enter the palace; no one can be absent. Inform the various legion generals to come to the palace to receive orders. Inform the Ministers of Wind and Rain to draft the royal transfer documents. Inform Magnate Turtle to enter the palace and serve!”

A dense and sharp aura flowed from the grand hall. The air suddenly turned cloudy and cold, as if it would soon freeze. It seemed that in the final moments of his life, this Sea Sovereign who had been quiet for so many years was finally about to bare his fangs. He was ready to eliminate all factions that dared to try and shake his dominion.

“Order the Dark Night Division to begin the extermination. This Solitude’s time is limited, so there is no need to investigate anyone. Within a day, in the capital city and 36 great cities, this Solitude wants blood to soak the earth red…”

He suddenly stopped.

His Majesty who was overflowing with cold killing intent, whose rising aura seemed to shake the heavens, had frozen where he was, utterly stunned.

“Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, what is wrong!?”

“Do not frighten this old servant, please, Your Majesty, awaken!”

After a brief moment of silence, Soupman and the others shouted in fear and alarm. The backs of their clothes were instantly drenched in a cold sweat.

If His Majesty really died here, they feared that a terrifying wave would follow right behind!

“This Solitude…is fine.” These words seemed to lift them from hell to heaven. All the high ranking courtiers cried with joy.

You almost scared these old servants and officials to death. Your Majesty, please don’t do this to us again! This situation doesn’t necessarily have no hope for a favorable turn!

All sorts of voices echoed in the grand hall.

The Sea Sovereign’s expression was strange. After a long silence, he said, “The orders from before, temporarily halt them…”