Chaotic Times and Disasters: I Hunt Down Martial Arts Masters and Become a God

Everyone regulated their breathing, while Su Xue and Su Wen treated their injuries.

Fu Qing walked up to the remains of Qingming Jushi, snorted coldly, and kicked the pale gold skeleton over.

An Sheng watched from behind, muttering in confusion.

"They've been dead for over a thousand years, and they don't even give them any dignity."

Yu Fu, clutching his bundle, rolled his eyes. "We've suffered so much in this godforsaken place, it's only right that we kick him!"

Fu Qing ignored them, kicked over the skeleton, and found a brocade box in a hidden compartment under the corpse.

He turned his back to everyone and opened the brocade box to take a look—it contained an ancient seal with nine characters on a coiled dragon.

He calmly put the Heavenly Seal into his robes. Everyone was busy adjusting their breathing or searching for treasures in the hall, and no one noticed what he did when he bent down.

The elixirs, armor, and jade slips left behind by the Qingming Layman were distributed equally.

An Sheng took a set of ancient spear techniques jade slips, Xiahou Jun shared several bottles of bone-tempering pills, Ling Yuxi got a scroll of Golden Body Realm notes, Song Zhiwen found several fragments of Confucian and Taoist texts, and Yu Fu stuffed all the gold and silver utensils that could be moved from the hall into his bundle.

Yunnan walked up to the fallen skeleton, picked up the landscape painting with both hands, and saw the landscape slowly flowing on the scroll, where the humans and demons were still living, cultivating, and fighting.

On the back of the scroll is a line of small characters: "This scroll is the culmination of my life's work. It contains a hidden world, waiting for a destined person to open it."

She held the scroll to her arms and said softly, "This is the last masterpiece of the second rank in painting, and it is also a great treasure. I want this."

As she spoke, she kept glancing at Fu Qing. After all, she wasn't the only knowledgeable person present, and Fu Qing was the strongest fighter in the room. If he didn't agree, she wouldn't be able to take anything with her.

Fu Qing chuckled, "Take it if you want it. I don't know anything about painting, so it's useless to me..."

Yunnan raised an eyebrow slightly, about to say something, when Suwen suddenly spoke up.

"The treasure left behind by a powerful being at the Painting Venerable Realm has enough resources to help you break through to the fifth rank of Martial Dao, the Visceral Realm. It can be exchanged between two countries for a whole province of Jing Kingdom. Are you sure you don't want it?"

Fu Qing was stunned for a moment, then looked towards Yunnan.

Yunnan nodded. "What she said is true. Throughout history, there have been dozens of painters of the second rank, but only a few have left behind treasures. This thing... is very valuable!"

"Haha, what do you take me for..."

Fu's heart was bleeding, but he still stubbornly said, "I'm not that kind of person. I don't lack those resources. Take them if you like, haha..."

He turned around and pretended to search for treasures, his face turning pale with anger, wishing he could slap himself twice!

Holding the painting, Yunnan looked at Fu Qing's back, her eyes overflowing with tenderness.

"Tsk..."

The fat man sneered, "My brother's really generous! Using such a rare treasure to pick up girls. He's a role model for us all. That's real class. I'm not as good as him... hiss!"

He screamed in pain, his face contorted instantly, and he turned his head to look at Suwen, who was giving him acupuncture.

"Sister Su...why is my car crooked? It looks like a cone!"

Suwen withdrew her gaze from the person, glanced at him expressionlessly, and said, "Oh, I made a mistake. Sorry."

Su Xue, who was standing to the side, glanced at her junior sister in surprise and chuckled.

...

Just as everyone finished looting and was about to leave, they suddenly heard a series of heavy, panting breaths.

Yu Fu was busy holding the stone tablet of Qingming Jushi, which was engraved with his life story.

The stele was taller than him and weighed at least ten thousand jin. He was gritting his teeth and inching his way out of the hall, his round face flushed red and the veins on his forehead bulging.

"Ikuo."

An Sheng, supporting the silver spear, looked at him and asked, "Why are you hugging a stone tablet?"

"This is no ordinary stone tablet!"

Yu Fu slammed the stone tablet to the ground, panting heavily, his voice righteous and indignant.

"This is Xuan Tian Stone! Top-grade Xuan Tian Stone! My father told me that this kind of stone is a material only emperors could afford; it's priceless!"

"It's such a waste that Qingming Jushi left such a fine stone here unclaimed! I, Yufu, cannot disappoint his kindness!"

"Put it down."

"I won't let go! At worst, I'll open a Xuan Tian Stone specialty store in Jingjing and take 30% from Brother Fu!"

"Fifty percent." Fu Qing didn't even turn his head.

"Forty percent!"

"Fifty percent."

Yu Fu's face fell immediately. He hugged the stone tablet, agonizing for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and nodding.

"Deal! 50% off! What can I do? You're my brother!"

An Sheng, unable to bear watching any longer, shook his head and helped Yu Fu carry the stone tablet onto his shoulder.

Yu Fu carried the stone tablet at the back of the group, his back view looking like an ant carrying a grain of rice. As he walked, he muttered to himself how much money he would need to sell the stone tablet to break even after they got out.

The group descended from the Heavenly Palace and followed the route they had taken, traversing snow-capped mountains, deserts, and dense forests, before returning to the exit of the secret realm.

The ancient runes on the stone gate are slowly fading.

Fu Qing glanced back at the world behind him. The monkeys in the dense forest were still leaping among the treetops, the sandstorm in the desert was still churning silently, the carcass of the ice-armored giant rhinoceros on the snow mountain was mostly covered by the newly fallen snow, and the eaves of the Heavenly Palace were still faintly visible in the sea of ​​clouds.

This great tomb, created by the Taoist master Qingming using the power of painting, is slowly collapsing. Perhaps it will no longer exist when the secret realm opens next time, or perhaps it will never be opened again, after all, he has already refined the tomb's owner.

He carefully put away the Heavenly Seal in his arms, turned around, and stepped out of the stone gate.

...

Ling Yuxi's personal guards were already waiting outside the stone gate, as was Yu Guangtian, and Kang Guo's convoy was next to them.

When Yu Fu came out carrying the Xuan Tian Stone Tablet, which was taller than him, everyone was stunned.

An Sheng, carrying the silver spear, followed behind. Seeing everyone staring at the stone tablet in Yu Fu's arms, he explained, with a wry smile, "..."

"Yu Fu brought the tombstone back."

After Yu Guangtian clearly saw what Yu Fu was holding, he stared at it for several moments, then suddenly slapped his thigh and grinned.

"Good! Good lad! You brought back a Xuan Tian Stone! May our Yu family ancestors bless you! Your father only picked up a few broken stones in the secret realm back then, but you've brought back the entire tombstone!"

Yu Fu slammed the stone tablet to the ground, his belly bulging with pride.

"I'm just upholding the tradition of our Yu family—we can't miss out on any of the good stuff!"

Yu Guangtian was very satisfied. "My son has good judgment; his father's teachings haven't been in vain!"

Both families had to go home and had to part ways.

Fu Qing stood in the open space, watching An Sheng and Xiahou Jun exchanging harsh words.

"Next time we meet, I'll stab you right through, leaving you with a hundred holes!"

An Sheng slung the new silver spear over his shoulder and sneered incessantly.

"You should focus on healing your broken leg first."

Xiahou Jun's two maces clashed together, producing a deep hum.

"Let's have another fight next time we meet."

"Wash your neck and wait."

Beside him, Yu Fu was carrying the Xuan Tian Stone Tablet, which was taller than him, and was covered in sweat. The weight of the stone tablet caused the grass beneath his feet to sink with every step he took.

He slammed the stone tablet to the ground, freeing one hand to wipe his sweat, and didn't forget to boast to Gongsun Ming beside him.

"Mr. Gongsun, guess how much this Xuan Tian Stone is worth? My father said that a piece of Xuan Tian Stone of this quality, the size of a fist, could be exchanged for a three-courtyard mansion in Jingjing!"

"This whole piece of mine—hehe, it's worth at least several hundred thousand. When we get back to Jingjing, I'll open a Xuantian Stone specialty store. I'll leave you a scrap to make an inkstone, for free. Consider it compensation for the mental anguish you suffered last time when he left you speechless in the arena."

Gongsun Ming's lips twitched. "Young Master Yu, I am a scholar, not in charge of procurement. Besides, aren't you afraid that the spirit of Qingming Jushi will come after you for carrying this tombstone around in public?"

"The Qingming Layman has been dead for over a thousand years. What spirit is left in heaven? Besides, he carved his tombstone so beautifully, wasn't he just trying to get someone to move it? I'm just fulfilling his last wish!"

Yu Fu confidently picked up the stone tablet again.

Fu Qing was watching the two bickering with great interest when he heard very light footsteps behind him.

He turned around, and Yunnan Zhizheng walked towards him.

She changed out of the dark purple outfit she wore in the secret realm and into a silver-white palace dress, adding a phoenix hairpin to her hair, regaining some of her princess-like elegance.

She stopped in front of Fu Qing, glanced at the corner of the mountain wall, and said, "General Fu, may I speak with you in private?"

Fu Qing followed her to the back of the corner of the mountain wall.

Yunnan glanced back at the group that was assembling—An Sheng was still exchanging harsh words with Xiahou Jun, Yu Fu was haggling with Gongsun Ming about scrap inkstones, and Su Wen was sitting on the edge of the carriage organizing her medicine box. No one was paying attention to them.

She then turned around, her smile fading, and spoke in a low voice.

"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. General Fu, hide that seal you obtained in the secret realm well, and don't let anyone know about it—not even the Emperor!"

"The legend of the Nine Seals is recorded in the royal families of various countries. Once exposed, the people hunting you down will stretch from Jingjing to the East China Sea!"

Fu Qing's pupils contracted slightly.

He always thought that no one saw him stealing the Heavenly Seal from the hidden compartment at the bottom of the Blood Pool. At that time, everyone's attention was drawn to the fight between An Sheng and Xiahou Jun. Yunnan Zhi was treating his sprained ankle, Su Wen was bandaging Xiahou Jun, and Yu Fu was peeling chestnuts. No one turned around to look at him.

But did Yunnan see it? No, she had her back to him at the time, so it was impossible for her to see it.

Unless she knew from the beginning that Qingming Jushi possessed a Heavenly Seal, and that she had been waiting for someone to find it.

His expression remained unchanged, but he frowned slightly and asked, "What seal is Your Highness Yun referring to?"