The New Year has passed, and spring has arrived after winter.
The temperature remains cold, with no sign of the white snow melting away.
Eighteen-year-old Li Qing, dressed in new clothes, greeted the neighbors and acquaintances.
Due to his martial arts training, his physique is robust, and his appearance seems slightly mature, making him look nothing like someone who has just turned eighteen.
Of course, this might also be related to Li Qing having spent a year in the Eternal Night World; in reality, his physical age is already close to nineteen.
The turmoil at Xiao Cuiling had completely settled down a few days ago, but specific news had yet to spread.
Thus, in recent days, Li Qing often visited the tavern to gather information.
Finally, on the afternoon of the first day of the New Year, someone brought specific news about Xiao Cuiling to the tavern.
“Crazy! The entire Xiao Cuiling is littered with corpses, and the ground is stained red with the blood of martial arts experts.”
“Gasp!”
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tavern simultaneously inhaled sharply, as if they could see the white snow covering Xiao Cuiling turning red.
“It's truly strange; what kind of martial arts expert's tomb could provoke so many people to fight over it?”
“Yeah, it’s just a tomb of an Inner Strength martial artist from the previous dynasty; it’s not like it’s a Master’s inheritance.”
“Even if it were a Master’s inheritance, the Jiulian Sect wouldn’t need to clash with Prince Yu; isn’t the leader of the Jiulian Sect a generation Master himself?”
“A generation Master!”
Hearing these four words, Li Qing's heart tightened slightly, and his drinking motion became somewhat unnatural.
In the martial world, reaching the level of a Master in Inner Strength is considered the pinnacle of existence, revered by thousands.
Such individuals, as long as they do not wish to die and are determined to escape, are difficult to kill even when surrounded by tens of thousands of troops.
Thus, even the court is reluctant to offend a Master-level expert, for the consequences of their revenge can be severe.
Not only Li Qing, but the other patrons in the tavern also displayed envy and admiration in their eyes upon hearing the term "Master."
However, there were others who knew better, and one of them sneered at that moment.
“Hey, what do you know? Compared to that person's inheritance, the martial arts of Master level might not even be that attractive.”
The speaker was a carefree man in the corner of the tavern, casually crossing his legs and resting his feet comfortably on the table, holding a jug of wine in his hand.
“Brother, may I ask what that inheritance is? How could it possibly surpass the secret teachings of a Master?”
“Yeah, please tell us! For the past few days, I’ve been speculating with others about what exactly is buried in that tomb at Xiao Cuiling.”
“Brother, this drink is on me.”
A generous patron boldly declared.
The carefree man had a handsome face, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his facial features as distinct as if carved by a knife.
He chuckled lightly, elegantly lifting the wine jug to pour himself a drink.
“Ha, the owner of that tomb is named Lin Yi!”
Clang!
Upon hearing this name, someone in the tavern lost grip of their wine cup, which fell to the ground.
Li Qing narrowed his eyes; he found the name somewhat unfamiliar, but judging by the reactions of others, this Lin Yi must be quite famous.
“Lin Yi... it’s actually him.”
“Right, I should have thought of that. Among the Inner Strength experts of the previous dynasty, only Lin Yi could possess such allure.”
“Gasp! Impossible! Wasn’t that Lin Yi said to have gone missing in the end? How could he possibly be buried at Xiao Cuiling?”
“It is said that the martial arts expert Lin Yi from the previous dynasty, though merely an Inner Strength martial artist, could not be held back even by Master-level experts.” In addition, there were some newcomers like Li Qing who did not understand the significance of Lin Yi's name.
“Excuse me... who is this Lin Yi? Is he really that powerful?”
Soon, someone answered his question.
“This Lin Yi, in his first year in the martial world, wasn’t even an Outer Strength martial artist, and his fame was negligible.”
“In the second year, he stepped into the realm of Outer Strength experts.”
Entering Outer Strength in one year is indeed fast, but some martial arts prodigies could achieve that.
However, the next statement made those who did not know Lin Yi, including Li Qing, gasp in shock.
“In the third year, Lin Yi had already become an Inner Strength expert.”
“In the fourth year of entering the martial world, his martial arts realm was already approaching that of a Master!”
Too exaggerated!
Only those who have personally practiced martial arts know how difficult it is to make progress on this path.
Even the most exceptional martial arts geniuses could not possibly achieve the transition from not being an Outer Strength expert to becoming an Inner Strength expert in just three years.
It’s obvious that this Lin Yi must have some secrets.
Indeed, the martial arts experts of the previous dynasty thought the same; even some Master-level experts at the time were tempted to explore the secrets behind Lin Yi.
Thus, a bloody storm erupted in the martial world, with people from all over the land mobilizing to hunt down this martial artist named Lin Yi.
Once this pursuit began, it became endless.
Because everyone knew that if Lin Yi were given another year, he would likely establish himself at the Master level in five years.
Three years to Inner Strength, five years to Mastery.
Do you think this is an entrance exam?
Li Qing couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth, internally mocking.
Five years to become a martial arts Master; anyone who hears this would feel dizzy. No wonder even the Masters at that time couldn’t contain themselves.
In contrast, they had trained their entire lives to reach the Master level, while others could achieve it in five years—how could they bear that!
Later, Lin Yi vanished amidst the pursuit throughout the martial world.
Some said he was captured alive by a Master-level expert, others said he finally advanced to the Master level and swept through the four directions, while some claimed he fled to another country and lived in seclusion.
No one knew his exact whereabouts, and he became a huge mystery at that time.
Now that news of his tomb has emerged, it’s no wonder the entire martial world of the Maple Kingdom has stirred, even the esteemed prince could not sit still.
“Ha!”
“So, what happened with Lin Yi’s tomb? Who obtained the inheritance?”
“Yeah, is that tomb real or fake? Could there really be a martial arts inheritance that allows someone to enter Inner Strength in three years?”
Regardless of whether it’s real or not, it should be a hot potato; even if obtained, it would likely be hard to keep, and even Prince Yu might not be able to hold onto it.
Li Qing thought to himself.
Bang!
Someone who knew the recent events at Xiao Cuiling put down their wine cup and mockingly said,
“Fake! It’s said to be fake! Prince Yu and the Jiulian Sect gained nothing and returned empty-handed, wasting the lives of so many!”
“The tomb is very deep; after digging it open, it turned out not to be a coffin, but a mansion within the tomb, suspected to have been inhabited in recent years. Even if there was any inheritance, it’s likely already been taken away.”
Upon hearing this, everyone looked astonished.
A fake tomb resulted in so many deaths; it’s simply terrifying!
In the corner of the tavern, the handsome and carefree man shook his head disdainfully, wiped the wine from the corner of his mouth, and murmured softly to himself, “Heh, fake, huh...”
(End of Chapter)