Chapter 554 553: Mr. Yi
Qin Ya took out the Devouring Evil Seal and sensed the immense Evil Qi in the air. A faint smile touched his lips as he circulated his True Essence, instantly absorbing it all. The sheer volume of Evil Qi was so vast that it took him the better part of ten minutes to finish.
After absorbing the Evil Qi, just as Qin Ya was about to leave...
SWOOSH! A black, eerie light shot out from his Storage Ring. Qin Ya immediately circulated his True Essence, which formed a massive hand that snatched the black light out of the air.
It was an irregular black stone, about the size of a human head.
The black stone was now vibrating incessantly in Qin Ya's palm, as if trying to break free from his grasp. 'This Crystal Stone... Don't tell me there's another piece nearby...'
Qin Ya's eyes narrowed, a sharp glint appearing within them.
This black stone emanated the aura of the Mysteries of Destruction. It was incredibly rare, and what he had was only a fragment. The last time he found a piece, the stone had reacted just like this.
And now, the black stone was reacting again.
That could only mean one thing: there was another piece of the black stone nearby.
'Where could it be?'
Qin Ya activated his Divine Thought, spreading it out like a tidal wave to cover a radius of over ten thousand zhang.
Suddenly, his figure flashed, and he appeared within a fractured mountain range.
The damage was a result of his battle with the Giant Fiend. There, he saw a massive rift valley, so deep it seemed bottomless—a dark, profound, and seemingly endless chasm.
As he drew closer to the chasm, the vibrations from the black stone grew even more intense.
'Could it be... that the fragment is down there?'
'And the other piece isn't showing any signs of movement. It's as if it's being restrained.'
'No matter. I'll find out once I go down and take a look.'
Qin Ya's gaze sharpened, and he plunged into the chasm.
In an instant, darkness enveloped him. He felt his Divine Thought completely suppressed, as if some unseen force was interfering with it.
He circulated his True Essence, and a ball of Flame condensed in his palm.
The light instantly illuminated a hundred-zhang radius. Aided by the firelight, Qin Ya continued to descend deeper into the chasm. After a while, he had already gone down a full ten thousand zhang, but there was still no bottom in sight. With no other choice, he pressed on.
After some time, he finally saw the ground.
'I'm finally here.'
Qin Ya set foot on the ground, the black stone in his hand vibrating relentlessly. Using the firelight, he looked ahead and saw a palace. It was magnificent, with intricately carved beams, painted rafters, and grand pavilions, yet hidden within its splendor was an eerie, unsettling aura.
An... underground palace.
'To think there's a palace... deep beneath the Slaughter Ruins!'
'Who? Who would build a palace here?'
Though his mind reeled with questions, Qin Ya paused for only a moment before slowly stepping into the palace. Instantly, a faint, almost imperceptible presence washed over him.
It felt like... it was probing him!
Qin Ya's expression flickered, and he became even more wary.
He explored the palace for a while before coming to a long corridor. At the very end of it stood a pavilion, entirely pitch-black.
From within the pavilion... wisps of a malevolent aura emanated.
Just then, an ethereal white glow shone from within Qin Ya's body. The Void Tower flew out, and the figure of the Void Saint slowly materialized. He spoke calmly to Qin Ya, "Go on, Qin Ya. It seems a friend is waiting for us over there."
'Friend?'
Though a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, Qin Ya still stepped onto the corridor.
At that moment, the scene around him warped. Evil Spirits materialized in the air, baring their fangs and claws. With murderous glints in their eyes, they lunged at Qin Ya.
Though these Evil Spirits were small, their auras were in no way inferior to that of the Giant Fiend.
The Void Saint beside Qin Ya just smiled faintly and waved his hand. Instantly, all the surrounding Evil Spirits vanished without a trace. He said nonchalantly, "I am already here. Cultivator, why bother with these little tricks to frighten people?"
A light chuckle echoed in response. "Heh, my apologies. I've made a fool of myself in front of a friend."
The voice was gentle and ethereal, like that of a middle-aged man. It was impossible to pinpoint its source. Qin Ya's spirit trembled slightly before he resumed walking.
CLACK, CLACK, CLACK...
Qin Ya reached the pavilion, and the black stone in his palm abruptly stopped vibrating. Slightly surprised, he returned it to his Storage Ring.
He reached out and, with a CREAK, pushed the pavilion door open.
Before him was an elegantly decorated room filled with a scholarly air. In the center, a middle-aged man in a white robe sat on a meditation cushion. In front of him was a low table bearing three cups of tea, their fragrant aroma filling the room.
"Young friend, come and have a seat."
Qin Ya did as he was told, walking over and sitting down opposite the middle-aged man without any reservation. His eyes fell on the tea, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.
The tea had a faint golden sheen, and its fragrance was crisp and invigorating.
It also seemed to possess a unique allure that captivated the spirit, like a cool, refreshing spring. Qin Ya couldn't help but ask in admiration, "What kind of tea is this?"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "Soul Nourishing Tea."
He then turned to the Void Saint beside Qin Ya and smiled. "To serve a friend a treasure of such fantastical quality... Heh, this should be sufficient, I hope?"
The Void Saint's gaze burned with fervor as he looked at the Soul Nourishing Tea. He smiled slightly. "For you to possess such a priceless treasure, I consider myself truly blessed."
With that, he didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a cup.
After drinking the Soul Nourishing Tea, his somewhat transparent body grew noticeably more solid.
Qin Ya's eyes lit up. Seeing the Void Saint finish his cup, he no longer hesitated, picking up another and drinking it down. In an instant, a refreshing current swept through his body.
The current circulated throughout his body before surging into his Divine Acupoint. Under its influence, Qin Ya's already-liquefied Divine Thought began to churn violently. It then gathered around the current, converging and beginning to spin.
It was forming a... vortex!
And at the center of the vortex, a speck of brilliant golden light shimmered.
Looking closely, he saw that the golden light was condensing into a... pearl!
'My Divine Thought is forming a vortex and condensing into a core... This is the Divine Thought of an Era-Defining King!'
Qin Ya sucked in a sharp breath, utterly shocked.
A single cup of tea had produced such an astounding effect.
"I am Qin Ya. Thank you, Senior."
"May I ask for Senior's esteemed name, so that I may remember it well?"
The middle-aged man gave a faint smile and said, "Think nothing of it. You have received a Saint's inheritance and have mastered several Top Profound Mysteries. Your future achievements will surely be no less than my own. I am simply forging a positive bond. As for my name... in the past, people called me the Yin Yang Evil Saint. You can just call me Mr. Yi."
Qin Ya's mind reeled at his words. 'The Yin Yang Evil Saint!'
This unassuming middle-aged man was actually a Saint!
He then continued, "Senior, may I ask why you are here?"
"It's all ancient history..."
A cold glint flashed through Mr. Yi's eyes, and an incredibly dense Evil Qi suddenly permeated the room. The very air seemed to freeze over.
'It seems this Mr. Yi is no simple character.'
'Otherwise, why would he be called... the Yin Yang Evil Saint!'
'Wait a minute, Yin Yang Evil Saint!'
Qin Ya's brow furrowed. "Sir, you are known as the Yin Yang Evil Saint. I wonder, then, what is the connection between you and the Evil Spirits in these Slaughter Ruins?"
Mr. Yi smiled faintly. "They are merely byproducts born from the Holy Dao Rules I have comprehended. I have been asleep for three thousand years, and my aura leaked out unconsciously, causing this region of the Slaughter Ruins Space to transform and give rise to the Evil Spirits."