I can only beat noobs.

Chapter 266 Three Hundred Years Old

In the dark first level of the prison, the prisoners in the cells on both sides of the passageway shouted loudly that they were being wronged when they heard someone passing by.

Chen Ming and his companion both turned a deaf ear to this.

Tang Shouzhen said mysteriously, "I heard that even our palace masters were alarmed. Last night, there were intense fluctuations in energy in both the Samsara Palace and the Sky Patrol Palace. These two palace masters have been in seclusion for several years."

Chen Ming secretly wiped away a cold sweat and said regretfully, "It's a pity that I was so immersed in the visualization at the time that I had no awareness of the outside world and was unable to witness such a rare spectacle."

"There will always be a chance. The Nine Heavens has opened once, which proves that it has a new master. It will definitely open again in the future."

"I wonder who the master of the Nine Heavens is?" he said with a hint of envy.

"Anyway, our Emperor is probably going to have trouble sleeping. I heard that he summoned his court officials to a court meeting early this morning, and even the two palace masters who just came out of seclusion were summoned by imperial edict."

Chen Ming said, "No matter what, the Nine Heavens is just a secret realm. How could it possibly make the Emperor anxious?"

Tang Shouzhen said, "Since the Three Sovereigns of antiquity, every dynasty has held control of at least one of the Nine Heavens until the Jing Dynasty fell two thousand years ago. All the tokens of the Nine Heavens were lost. The world officially entered a period of fierce competition among heroes. Now the Nine Heavens suddenly have a new master, which is not a good omen."

There were some things he didn't say. The Nine Heavens had a new master. Did this foreshadow chaos in the world?

Chen Ming said, "The concept of destiny is vague and unfounded. I don't believe that someone who becomes the master of one of the nine heavens can become the ruler of the world."

Tang Shouzhen said, "Actually, I don't really believe it either. The world is generally peaceful now, and people are getting by. Who would want to be caught up in war?"

Chen Ming thought to himself that in this world where martial prowess is paramount, this doesn't quite align with the people's historical perspective. Individual martial strength is too overwhelming; these powerful individuals are the key to influencing the overall situation of the world.

Anyway, he had no intention of becoming emperor. It would be so much better to be free and independent once he had enough power.

……

As usual, Chen Ming spent several hours challenging all eighteen first-rank opponents. Compared to yesterday, his income was half that of yesterday, only around one million points, which was still quite good.

As Tang Shouzhen was leaving, he remembered something. "It's strange, but after we saw that cultivator who had been sitting in meditation for fifty-seven years yesterday, he died and turned into a pile of ashes. At first, I thought he had escaped in some way, which startled me. I quickly called the people from the Celestial Master's Mansion, and later the Little Celestial Master came. It was true that the old man was dead."

"What a coincidence!" Chen Ming's expression changed slightly. "I've heard that such cultivators use unpredictable and unpredictable methods. Should I ask someone from the Celestial Master's Mansion to take a look?"

Seeing his words, Tang Shouzhen relaxed and whispered a reminder, "We must not let the Celestial Master's Mansion know about our visit to that old man yesterday. Don't invite trouble. It's better to avoid trouble."

“Brother is right. But why is the Celestial Master’s Mansion so concerned about that person?”

"Anyway, this old man didn't commit any crime. He was arrested by the people from the Celestial Master's Mansion and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison. He probably offended the people from the Celestial Master's Mansion."

"I see.

After leaving the prison, Chen Ming thanked Tang Shouzhen and left alone.

"That old Taoist priest is really lucky."

He sighed inwardly, and to be honest, he was quite worried that the old man's escape might implicate him.

However, he couldn't ask directly, lest Tang Shouzhen become suspicious.

Now they could finally relax. Tang Shouzhen, not wanting to take responsibility, actually kept the fact that he had met the old man a secret from the two of them.

In this way, the Celestial Master's Mansion would only assume that the old man was truly dead, and would not suspect him.

……

After returning to the Duke of Jingguo's mansion, Chen Ming went back to his courtyard and wanted to find the old Taoist priest to ask him for clarification.

As soon as I entered, I heard someone call out "Young Master," their voice filled with grievance.

He looked up, somewhat surprised. "It's you?"

It was Xiao He, Gu Xianyu's maid.

He had completely forgotten about this person, so his sudden appearance naturally surprised him.

The little maid felt even more aggrieved, and tears almost fell down her cheeks.

"I'm relieved to see you're alright," Chen Ming comforted him. "I didn't see you in Xiazhou City, and I was worried you... Thank goodness you're alright."

Xiaohe then stopped crying and smiled, and told him what had happened after they parted ways.

It turned out that when the news of Chen Ming's disappearance reached Xiazhou City, Xia Mudan had just been taken away by her mother. The Xia family was in chaos, and no one was there to help her deliver the message.

So she had to go herself to inform Gu Yuyin of the news.

Then, she returned to Xiazhou City and learned that the young master had returned safely and had already gone to the capital. Only then did she follow him and rush to the capital.

They were about ten days behind Chen Ming and his group.

Judging from her appearance, she must have suffered a lot along the way.

Xiaohe concluded, "I am relieved to see that you are safe and sound, young master."

"Ah."

Chen Ming thought to himself, "Why don't you run away halfway? Maybe you'll live a little longer."

Xiaohe looked around and whispered, "When I entered the city, I saw Miss Xia's carriage. I followed it all the way and remembered where it went."

Xia Mudan has finally arrived in the capital.

Chen Ming shook his head and said, "It's not appropriate for me to see her now. Alright, you've just arrived in the capital, go and rest well first. Come and serve me again tomorrow, I need to go back to my room to practice my martial arts."

"Yes."

……

"Master Wangchenzi, Master Wangchenzi, Master Wangchenzi!" After three calls, Chen Ming's consciousness re-entered that strange space and met the mysterious old Taoist priest.

"The Taoist priest has caused me so much trouble."

Chen Ming immediately began to complain.

The old Taoist priest's expression hardened. "Did those people from the Celestial Master's Mansion come looking for you?"

Taking the opportunity, Chen Ming asked, "How did you offend the Celestial Master's Mansion, Daoist? What kind of deep-seated hatred would lead to your imprisonment for fifty-seven years?"

I won't feel at ease until I figure this out.

Judging from his expression, the old Taoist priest guessed what was going on and said, "Very well, since you want to know, young friend, I will tell you. All of this is due to the Longevity Technique passed down by my sect. It's my fault for being competitive when I was young and wanting to see the supernatural powers of the Celestial Master's Mansion, the leader of cultivation. But I accidentally revealed my secrets, which led to this disaster."

"The secret to immortality?"

Chen Ming was startled. "The Taoist priest is actually a member of the Longevity Sect?"

"No, no." The old Taoist shook his head. "The method of immortality is not something that the Longevity Sect alone possesses. Our sect's techniques are orthodox Taoist methods, which are ways to avoid disasters. All our supernatural abilities are for avoiding calamities and tribulations. Although we are not good at fighting, we can live a long life."

"May I ask how old you are, Taoist priest?"

"This humble Taoist priest is not talented; I have lived to this day, but my lifespan is less than three hundred years. I am two hundred and ninety-seven years old."

Chen Ming was skeptical, knowing that the limit for a first-grade expert was probably only 130 years old.

Even those in the Divine Treasury Realm rarely live to be two hundred years old.

This old man, whose cultivation level is equivalent to the first rank, has actually lived for nearly three hundred years?

He asked, "Why did you tell me the truth, Daoist Master? Aren't you worried that someone might try to steal your secret to immortality?"

The old Taoist priest chuckled, "Our sect's method of longevity aims to avoid calamities and protect oneself from misfortune. It involves not fighting with others, severing all emotional ties, and avoiding karmic entanglements. Can you, young friend, achieve that?"

"..."

Chen Ming simply couldn't do it. He was just an ordinary person with family and friends. He would retaliate against anyone who bullied him and repay any kindness shown to him.

Even if such a cultivation method could grant immortality, what joy would there be in living?

"The Taoist priest is truly accurate in judging people," he said. "However, I am still a little worried. It is rumored that the Celestial Master's Mansion has the ability to predict the future. What if it predicts my fate? How can I contend with it?"

"Young friend, you can rest assured. The reason why the Celestial Master's Mansion can perform divination is entirely due to the magic artifact of Emperor Xi, which is now on your person."

"Speaking of that tortoise shell," Chen Ming sighed, "Senior kept it from me for so long. The Qingwei Heaven that this tortoise shell opened is one of the Nine Heavens, right? Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

The old Taoist priest chuckled, "Young friend, you were quite wary of me before. If I had told you the truth, I'm afraid you wouldn't have dared to enter Qingwei Heaven in the short term. That would have meant missing out on an opportunity."

Seeing the old Taoist's clear and penetrating gaze, Chen Ming felt a chill and said, "Taoist Master, is there a way to avoid this? If strange phenomena appear in the sky every time I enter Qingwei Heaven, that would be too ostentatious and not in line with my personality."

"Of course it exists. Just tell me which magical artifact it is before you open the secret realm."

If there was a solution, why didn't you say so sooner?

Chen Ming inwardly scoffed, then asked another question, "It's said that the Nine Heavens haven't been opened for two thousand years. Doesn't the Celestial Master's Mansion know that this tortoise shell is the key to opening the Pure Heaven?"

The old Taoist priest countered, "If they had known, would this tortoise shell have fallen into your hands, young friend?"

Chen Ming thought about it and realized it made sense.

If the Celestial Master's Mansion knew the importance of this tortoise shell, they would never have allowed anyone to take it outside, thus preventing its loss.

So here's the question: the Celestial Master's Mansion is a sacred place for cultivators throughout the world, a secret even they themselves are unaware of. Yet this old Taoist priest knows it.

He joked, "The Taoist priest is actually unmoved by such a priceless treasure?"

The old Taoist priest shook his head and said, "I would avoid such things as they involve the fate of the human race like the plague. How could I possibly get involved with them?"

Chen Ming bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Daoist Master. I won't disturb you any longer."

Then he left.

……

After returning to reality, Chen Ming took out the tortoise shell and, before opening the secret realm, silently recited, "Do not reveal any unusual phenomena."

Then, they entered the secret realm once again.

After a busy night, I captured eleven ghosts and gained 1.1 million experience points.

The total experience points have once again exceeded five million.

Chen Ming returned to reality, took a pill to restore his depleted internal energy, and began to comprehend the "God-Slaying Thorn".

This secret technique is similar to sword intent, but the most difficult part is to hone one's thoughts to the utmost yang and strength.

The most direct way is to contemplate the sun.

In this world, nothing is more masculine than the sun.

Before I knew it, it was dawn.

Chen Ming's internal energy had recovered to about 70-80%. It has to be said that the Gu family's pills were indeed very effective.

"It's done!"

I've finally mastered the basics of "Slaying Gods and Thorns" (First Level 1/100000).

This secret technique only requires 100,000 experience points for its first level?
(End of this chapter)