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"I've heard of Xue Qianbai," someone remarked. "His Thousand Snow Sword is something he never lets others touch. That sword is like his wife!"
Zhen Wanshou looked at Li Changqing with disbelief as he boasted.
"If you don't believe it, forget it."
Li Changqing shrugged, indicating that he didn't mind if Zhen Wanshou didn't believe him.
He continued to examine the treasures in the vault.
That was the most important thing at the moment.
The Red Phosphorus Sword was indeed a fine blade, but Li Changqing already had seven swords, so there was no need to take another.
His attention was on the other treasures.
However, Li Changqing recognized too few of the items to understand their value, so he could only wait for Zhen Wanshou to offer some advice.
But at this moment, Zhen Wanshou was completely lost in the wealth of treasures, touching this and fiddling with that, looking even more inexperienced than Li Changqing, which left him somewhat speechless.
"Found anything yet?" After a while, Li Changqing couldn't help but ask.
Hearing Li Changqing's voice, Zhen Wanshou snapped back to reality, remembering he was there to help Li Changqing find suitable treasures.
"Well…"
Zhen Wanshou's gaze swept over the entire vault. He had looked at most of the items already. There were countless valuable treasures, but to pick out the most precious…
Zhen Wanshou pondered for a long time.
Then he took out a black box from a corner.
Handing it to Li Changqing, he said, "There are many treasures in this vault, but most are common. However, I found this, which I think is quite rare. If you're interested, you can take it with you."
"What is this?"
Li Changqing curiously opened the black box.
Inside the black box was a stone.
The stone was also entirely black, exuding a dark aura that slowly rose as if it were something evil.
"This is the Dream Soul Stone."
Zhen Wanshou explained, "It's a very rare treasure. I didn't expect to find such a rarity in the North Cold Country."
"Dream Soul Stone?"
Li Changqing was surprised. "What's it for?"
"It's for making dreams," Zhen Wanshou said casually.
"If you like dreaming, I can make you never wake up again. How about that?" Li Changqing said with a smile.
"No, no, listen to me explain, it's not what you think," Zhen Wanshou hurriedly clarified, "Legend has it that the Dream Soul Stone is a treasure from the Black and White Forbidden Zone, originating from that strange place. Whoever possesses the Dream Soul Stone can use it to create a relatively complete world, with its own order and rules. At the same time, as long as your Divine Soul is strong enough, you can pull people into the Dream Soul Stone, into the world you've created."
"Once they enter the world you've set up, they must abide by the rules of that world. It won't be easy to leave your world," Zhen Wanshou said with a smile. "Someone once used the Dream Soul Stone to create a prison, trapping people inside, unable to escape until their physical bodies died of old age!"
"Some create a luxurious world where they are the ruler, and then they pull others into that world to escape the harshness of reality, thereby achieving a kind of alternative immortality."
"That's why I say this treasure is quite rare. It can also be useful when fighting enemies."
"As long as the opponent isn't of particularly high cultivation or has an especially strong Divine Soul, they will be pulled in and have to survive in the world you set up, unless they trigger the mechanism you've established. Otherwise, it's very difficult for them to leave."
After hearing Zhen Wanshou's introduction, Li Changqing looked at the Dream Soul Stone in his hand with surprise. Could this inconspicuous stone be so powerful?
"Actually, there have been many owners of the Dream Soul Stone, but it's difficult to create a world from scratch and establish uncollapsing rules. Not everyone has the ability. But seeing how well you tell stories, you could easily set up a world, like the one from 'Snow in the Blade's Path.'"
"If you trap your enemies in that world and set the mechanism so that they must defeat Wang Xianzhi to return from the Dream Soul Stone, they might not be able to come back for a very long time. Moreover, if they truly die within the Dream Soul Stone, their souls will also truly perish."
Zhen Wanshou explained the rules to Li Changqing.
"Actually, I've never dealt with the Dream Soul Stone myself. It's quite troublesome with many rules. You can choose to study it on your own."
Li Changqing looked at the Dream Soul Stone in his hand, feeling somewhat tempted. The item could be useful, but also not very useful.
Still, Li Changqing chose to keep it, as he had a plan in mind.
Eventually, Li Changqing selected the Dream Soul Stone and left the vault, returning to the Changqing Residence.
He also notified the Changqing Trading Company that if there was anything, they could find him at the Changqing Residence.
***
At nightfall.
In Tu Shan City.
Li Hengsheng had spent the day gathering evidence against two families as instructed by Hua Zhe Liu and Mu Jing. He planned to arrest them at dawn.
With ironclad evidence in front of him, the Hua family and Mu residence were doomed.
But that night, Li Hengsheng did not sleep well.
He, who rarely dreamed, had a dream.
Li Hengsheng dreamed he had arrived in a strange place.
It was a terrifying world, as if all living beings had been extinguished.
The earth was cracked, stretching for billions of miles, and the gaps between two cracks were tens of miles wide, forming huge abysses.
The abysses were bottomless, and as Li Hengsheng walked on this land, it felt like he could fall into the abyss at any moment.
He looked up and saw that even the sky was cracked, with black, strange water flowing from the gaps in the sky into the abyss, then disappearing without a trace.
Every part of this place was eerie, so eerie that Li Hengsheng felt fear, his heart pounding.
What kind of place was this?
Why had he come here?
At that moment, Li Hengsheng suddenly saw a withered little flower on the dry ground.
The flower was purple, a color Li Hengsheng had never seen before.
But it also seemed to be on the brink of death, ready to wither at any moment.
Li Hengsheng walked over, squatted down, and plucked the flower from the cracked rock, feeling very real, not at all like a dream.
"Li Hengsheng."
At that moment, an ethereal voice came from nowhere.
The voice went straight into Li Hengsheng's mind, filled with endless majesty, as if it were the ruler of this world.
It was soul-stirring.
Li Hengsheng couldn't help but shout, "Who is it?"
But no one answered him.
It wasn't until a while later that Li Hengsheng noticed a fog slowly drifting into this broken world.
The fog enveloped every corner of the world, hiding unknown secrets.
"Li Hengsheng."
The voice came from within the fog.
Li Hengsheng's heart shook. At this moment, he could feel that hidden in the fog was an extremely terrifying existence.
Perhaps more frightening than anyone he had ever seen!
"Who are you?"
Li Hengsheng still mustered the courage to ask.
"I am an immortal."
The voice came, and the simple statement "I am an immortal" left Li Hengsheng speechless.
Immortal?
Do immortals really exist in the world?
What counts as an immortal?
Are land immortals considered immortals?
"Your soul has unlocked a seal," the voice continued. "You have offered your soul as the first person, and I want to reward you."
"I don't understand, my soul?"
Just as Li Hengsheng was about to say more, he paused and then asked, "Was it Lu Qiaoqiao who used my key to open the door?"
The voice did not answer Li Hengsheng's question, only saying, "You are excellent. If possible, I truly hope that one day we can meet face to face."
Li Hengsheng felt an indescribable fear in his heart.
Was this so-called immortal the ancestor that the Longevity Sect was trying to resurrect?
Was this person really an immortal?
He was too powerful.
If he truly resurrected, wouldn't that mean the Cangyuan Realm was about to face an unparalleled catastrophe?
"As a reward for unlocking the first part of my seal, Li Hengsheng, I allow you to ask me anything, but I will only answer one question as a reward. I hope you make good use of this opportunity."
The voice said calmly, as if devoid of any emotion.
One question?
"Any question?" Li Hengsheng frowned.
"Any question."
The voice said, "Whatever you wish to know, I am aware."
Hearing this, Li Hengsheng was surprised. Wasn't that a bit too boastful? It meant that as long as he could ask, this so-called immortal could answer.
Wasn't that a bit too pretentious?
But what if it was true?
Li Hengsheng guessed that the immortal before him must have been sealed for some reason, and he was one of the keys to unlocking his seal. Lu Qiaoqiao had already unlocked part of his seal, and the immortal was pleased, so he found Li Hengsheng and decided to reward him.
Allowing him to ask any question.
Any question has an answer, but at this moment, Li Hengsheng didn't know what to ask.
"Have you decided?" The voice floated over. "If you don't know what to ask, I can give you some suggestions."
"Hm?" Li Hengsheng was curious about what kind of suggestions the other party could offer.
"I see you practice the 'Overlord Immortal Spear Technique.' I can tell you where the true Overlord Immortal Spear has been lost. If you can control the true Overlord Immortal Spear, your strength will surely increase. I think you wouldn't want to miss this treasure," the voice said.
Overlord Immortal Spear!
Of course, Li Hengsheng wanted it.
Ranked seventh on the Divine Weapon list, the number one spear in the world!
How could Li Hengsheng not want it?
It would be the perfect match for his Overlord Immortal Spear Technique.
But after pondering for a moment, Li Hengsheng still raised his head and asked a question, "I have a question to ask, can you guarantee that what you say is true?"
"Doubting an immortal?" The voice actually laughed, "A mere Cangyuan Realm, your vision is too narrow. In the blink of an eye, I can know all heavens."
Li Hengsheng really wanted to retort, if you're so powerful, how did you get sealed here?
But Li Hengsheng didn't dare. Who knew what this guy was capable of? He didn't want to be killed remotely.
And indeed, Li Hengsheng had a question he wanted to ask.
This question had been gnawing at Li Hengsheng's heart for too long.
Although he had always avoided it, it was just a big dream now.
Ask!
"So, immortal, I want to ask you a question," Li Hengsheng took a deep breath. "Is my father really my father?"
Obviously, Li Hengsheng's question might have even baffled the immortal on the other side.
If your father isn't your father, could he be your mother?
"What I mean is, is he still my father? Has he been possessed or something?" Li Hengsheng said, his previously relaxed palms now tightly clenched.
At this moment, Li Hengsheng regretted it.
Why ask?
His breathing became heavy, and even his heart began to beat faster.
Li Hengsheng began to fear.
Afraid to know the answer.
Just as Li Hengsheng was about to ask if he could change the question, the hollow voice actually answered with one word.
"Yes."
The voice was firm.
"Ah?" Li Hengsheng was taken aback. The answer seemed unexpected, but it was the answer Li Hengsheng wanted to hear.
"He… is my father? Hasn't changed?" Li Hengsheng seemed incredulous.
In Li Hengsheng's mind, he had already determined that his father had been possessed because his father had changed too much.
There were many secrets about his father.
Many things were manipulated by his father behind the scenes.
Especially when his father and Lu Qiaoqiao were in contact, the day Li Hengsheng left Changting Town, he was even more convinced that his father had been possessed long ago and was no longer the same person.
Although there was still contact now, it was just Li Hengsheng deceiving himself, lying to his own heart.
But this thing had always been like a mountain pressing on his heart.
The mountain was burning red, making Li Hengsheng dare not touch it.
But now, the so-called immortal's simple "yes" seemed to open a new door for Li Hengsheng.
His father was still his father, and he hadn't been possessed?
"How could it be?"
Li Hengsheng muttered.
Although he also hoped that Li Changqing was still Li Changqing, many things didn't make sense.
Various things made Li Hengsheng almost certain that Li Changqing didn't understand much about his past.
Why?
For a moment, Li Hengsheng's mind was in chaos.
"The question has been answered, go out."
The immortal's voice came, and immediately Li Hengsheng felt the world in front of him begin to distort. Li Hengsheng was eager to ask something else, but the urgency made him wake up directly from the bed.
He gasped for breath.
"Was it a dream?"
Li Hengsheng was uncertain. If it was really a dream, wasn't it a bit too realistic?
Could the answer he got in the dream be real?
Li Hengsheng chuckled to himself.
It seems that his heart preferred this answer, so he got it.
It was just a big dream.
Li Hengsheng got out of bed, walked to the window, and pushed it open to look outside.
It was already dawn in the east.
The sun was slowly rising, and Li Hengsheng watched the sunrise in silence for a long time, pondering the dream.
What immortal.
Ridiculous.
Where are immortals in this world?
Li Hengsheng turned and went to the table, intending to pour himself a cup of tea. However, when Li Hengsheng raised his hand, he was struck by lightning!
He stared at his hand in utter shock.
Because Li Hengsheng suddenly noticed that he was still holding a purple flower in his hand.
Wasn't that flower from the broken world he had discovered?
How did it end up in his hand?
Li Hengsheng stared at the purple flower in his hand, his brain almost crashing.
So it wasn't a dream?
Was he really summoned by that so-called immortal?
Does that mean the answer given by the immortal is true?
Li Hengsheng sat in the chair, drank two cups of tea to calm down.
But Li Hengsheng's eyes were getting brighter.
So, Li Changqing is still his father, right?
His father hasn't been possessed?
For Li Hengsheng, this was the best news, without a doubt.
As the sky grew brighter.
"Brother, are you up?" At this moment, Wu Santong's anxious voice came from outside.
"What's the hurry?" Li Hengsheng opened the door.
"Brother, there's some trouble," Wu Santong said anxiously. "Mu Zhan from the Mu residence has left seclusion! The Mu family is going to hold a big banquet today, and all the families in Tu Shan City have received invitations, even our Inspection House has received one."
Saying that, Wu Santong handed the invitation to Li Hengsheng.
Li Hengsheng opened the invitation, saw his name on it, and couldn't help but smile.
"It seems that the Mu family is declaring war on our Inspection House," Li Hengsheng sneered. "We were planning to go to the Mu family today anyway. Since they sent an invitation, it's even more convenient."
"But brother, Mu Zhan has left seclusion!" Wu Santong said in shock. "Mu Zhan is a master at the complete level of Innate, on the same level as the Peak Masters of Dao Mountain Ancient Land!"
"Cut it out," Li Hengsheng said irritably. "Don't belittle our Peak Masters of Dao Mountain Ancient Land. Any of them could take on three of those wild family-born Innate completions!"
"Even if he's at the Innate completion level, we can't contend with him," Wu Santong said helplessly.
"I'm here, what are you afraid of?" Li Hengsheng said with a smile.
"Alright then, when do we leave?" Wu Santong said helplessly.
"Noon," Li Hengsheng said. "Aren't they starting the banquet at noon? Call our people from the Inspection House to go eat. Tell them not to have breakfast, eat and drink heavily at noon, then flip the table and capture Mu San."
Wu Santong was dumbfounded.
Too cruel.
Eat at the Mu family, drink at the Mu family, eat and drink heavily and then capture the Mu family.
Simply beastly.
"Yes."
"I'll give the orders now, tell them not to eat breakfast today, and go to the Mu family to eat and drink heavily at noon." Wu Santong nodded and went down.
The sun rose, slowly illuminating the entire North Cold City.
Li Changqing also went out early in the morning and then went to Qing Residence.
Since he promised to teach Princess Yin Qing, Li Changqing naturally had to take it seriously.
"Greetings to Master Changqing."
When Li Changqing arrived, the servants at Qing Residence all knew that he was teaching Yin Qing, so they all hurriedly saluted Li Changqing.
Seeing them kneel down, Li Changqing just nodded and said indifferently, "Get up."
Although as a modern person, he was not very comfortable with the etiquette of people kneeling, Li Changqing did not try to correct it.
Each era and place has its unique understanding. Li Changqing had seen many time-travel dramas in his previous life, where the protagonist traveled to the palace, told people not to kneel, and lectured them on the theory of equality for all, which he found somewhat silly.
So even though he was not accustomed to it, Li Changqing had to adapt himself, rather than trying to change such things with his own power.
"Good morning, Master Changqing."
When he arrived at Yin Qing's place, Yin Qing had already cleaned up and was waiting for Li Changqing.
Seeing Li Chang qing, gratitude shone in her eyes, for she knew that her life had been saved by him.
Beside her, a maid carefully held the Spring of Life, its power nourishing Yin Qing, replenishing her vitality at all times.
Not only that, even the maid felt the rejuvenation from the Spring of Life.
"This item doesn't need to be kept so close; it works within a fifty-meter radius," Li Changqing said with a smile. "Just place it inside the room."
"Ah?" The maid was surprised that the item didn't need to be carried close to the body.
"En'er, put it in the room," Yin Qing instructed. "Be careful, handle it gently."
"Yes!"
The maid took the item into the room.
Li Changqing turned to Yin Qing and said, "Alright, since I am your teacher, I will start teaching you now."
"What does the teacher plan to teach me?" Yin Qing asked curiously. "Can I choose?"
"No matter what you learn, there are some things that you must learn," Li Changqing said. "Although your lifespan has been replenished, your body is too weak. I need to condition it for you."
"How will you condition it?" Yin Qing asked curiously.
"I'll teach you a set of exercises. Follow my lead, practice every day, and your body will strengthen," Li Changqing explained. "It's called the middle school students' radio exercises."
"Ah?"
Yin Qing looked puzzled and asked, "Can this be learned directly? Doesn't it require understanding through paintings?"
"This is not a cultivation method, so it doesn't require understanding through paintings. You just need to follow my movements, it's not difficult, but it can strengthen your physique."
With that, Li Changqing began to demonstrate.
Yin Qing hesitated for a moment but then started to follow Li Changqing's movements and learn.