What do you mean by my awakened profession being Monster Hunter?

With a deafening roar, the void around Qi Shi'an distorted as he forged a furnace, using heaven and earth as the furnace and all the myriad paths as the fire!

A divine furnace took shape, its form exquisite and imbued with Daoist charm. Inside, a hazy mist swirled, sealing him within.

Outside the divine furnace, countless runes transformed into flames that burned the furnace, forging its sinews and bones, tempering its soul, and giving birth to the true meaning of the heavens, thus enacting supreme rules.

In an instant, all the sounds resonated, and the place instantly erupted in excitement.

Time within this great hall is completely chaotic, as if it were a world unto itself!

At this moment, the divine furnace was riddled with holes from the fire, and Qi Shi'an was charred black all over. He was crushed by the myriad paths of the heavens and subjected to the tempering and burning of endless runes, and was almost broken.

This is completely different from the Three Thousand Bluestone Road. On one side, one is tempered by the Three Thousand Dao Principles, and on the other side, one is imbued with the Ten Thousand Dao Principles. One can imagine how dangerous it is.

Fortunately, the Myriad Dao Tree was also helping him overcome his tribulation, and the symbols evolved from the three figures were also forging his spiritual embryo. Now, the nine divine runes swirling around the spiritual embryo have formed mysterious characters.

Chapter 164 A Meeting Across Time and Space

"Could these characters be... the Nine Secrets?!"

Qi Shi'an's pupils contracted slightly. He "saw" the nine divine characters around the spiritual embryo, which looked extremely similar to the Nine Secrets of later generations. Combined with the three figures on the wooden wall, it was hard not to associate them with the three Heavenly Emperors of later generations.

However, this is just a guess; the three figures on the wooden wall remain blurry and cannot be clearly seen.

Furthermore, although these nine characters form a shape, they are still difficult to recognize, and it is impossible to confirm that they are truly the Nine Secrets.

boom!

With a deafening roar, the furnace formed from the void of heaven and earth exploded and shattered into pieces, and Qi Shi'an suffered a heavy blow as a result.

Half of his body was riddled with countless runes, his injuries were terrifying. If anyone saw him, they would turn pale. What kind of suffering was this?

He took out the blood essence datura, ingested it, and silently healed his wounds.

Although Qi Shi'an suffered a severe injury this time, he saw a faint wisp of immortal energy appear in his daze.

"Let's give it our all!"

Qi Shi'an inscribed a seal between his eyebrows, then condensed the Heaven and Earth Furnace once more. He sat cross-legged and remained motionless, drawing upon countless attacks. He didn't know how many days had passed until the Heaven and Earth Furnace exploded. He himself was riddled with holes and charred black.

He did not back down and planned to break through the deadly barrier in one fell swoop, smash through the gate, and cultivate the second strand of immortal energy!

boom!

Once again, he was engulfed by a myriad of blazing flames. Qi Shi'an saw endless mountains and a dazzling galaxy... A grain of sand contains a world, a leaf contains a Bodhi tree. He was wandering in the void, struggling in the fire of the Dao. His physical body and spiritual embryo were being burned, and he had endless insights. In an instant, it was as if he had experienced many great worlds.

"So close!"

Qi Shi'an gritted his teeth and persevered. He had already seen the second wisp of immortal energy, but with a hum, his spiritual embryo trembled and stopped drifting.

In an instant, Qi Shi'an's consciousness plunged into endless darkness, completely sealed in a dark space from which he could not escape, as if nothing existed anymore.

This place is unknown and mysterious; all the past seems to have been lost forever. It is an impenetrable prison that is difficult to break through.

"Fortunately, it left a mark."

The seal Qi Shi'an left on his physical body was just in case, and it has finally come in handy.

"rise!"

Qi Shi'an's physical body glowed from between his eyebrows, and one mysterious symbol after another flew out, dazzling and brilliant, like words forged by immortal energy, imprinted in the void.

This seal can resonate with the spiritual embryo. If it accidentally falls into the dark prison, it can be triggered on its own to guide it back to the mortal world.

"Luckily, I was wise enough to have a backup plan."

In the darkness, Qi Shi'an unleashed nine characters that swirled around him, piercing through the cage and breaking free. He then followed the source of the mysterious symbols back to the real world!

"boom!"

The moment he stepped out of the darkness, Qi Shi'an's spiritual embryo returned directly to his head and back to his body. The intense pain in his body made him let out a long howl.

Chi!

Qi Shi'an's body was regenerated with a wisp of immortal energy, and the two wisps of immortal energy circulated around his body. Now his combat power has risen to another level, and he can roam freely in the ancient immortal realm!

Two streams of immortal energy—this is an absolutely invincible myth, unimaginable. Once it gets out, it will surely shake the entire world. This is an incredible achievement, the most glorious of all.

"You little devil, where did you come from, you monster?!"

The Blood God Tree, hiding in the spatial artifact, was utterly astonished. A young man who was not even twenty years old had actually cultivated two strands of immortal energy. It was simply astonishing, and probably no one would believe it if it were told.

Qi Shi'an looked down with disdain and said domineeringly, "Me? I am naturally an emperor descending to earth!"

The Blood God Tree scoffed. It didn't believe it. "An emperor descending to the mortal realm? Why not say that he tramples the Great Dao under his feet and stands on equal footing with the heavens?"

Qi Shi'an grunted twice and then fell silent.

He closed his eyes and examined the spiritual embryo within his body. The nine characters surrounding the spiritual embryo possessed extraordinary Daoist charm, shimmering with brilliant divine light and incomparably intense.

However, when Qi Shi'an tried to comprehend them, he found that these nine characters were not the nine secrets he had imagined; they only contained Daoist rhymes and did not have the effects of the nine secrets.

However, in the future, he can infuse the nine characters with supernatural powers, transforming them into a complete method. He may well become the true master of the Nine Secrets, or even the true creator of the Nine Secrets!

"However, these nine characters seem so similar, yet they are not quite the same."

With his doubts in mind, he slowly walked towards the wooden wall.

He wanted to know if the three figures were as he imagined, and why the nine characters surrounding the spiritual embryo looked so much like the Nine Secrets.

"Hey, Old Dengshu, do you know what this wooden carving is?" Qi Shi'an stroked the wooden wall and found that it was completely free of dust. The cracks on the wall had also damaged some of the images, making them difficult to see.

This wooden carving is even more ancient than the ones outside, exuding a strong sense of age, as if the two were not carved in the same era, but rather separated by several eras.

"How could I have known? If it weren't for you, I would never have been able to get into this place."

Why?

"I am tainted by the ancient curse. Anyone tainted by the curse cannot enter certain forbidden areas to seek inheritance. Once the rules are violated, the cursed person will immediately trigger the curse and perish both body and soul," the Blood God Tree explained.

Qi Shi'an suddenly realized that the Immortal Ancient Curse was not an ominous or eerie curse, but an extremely ancient and mysterious curse originating from the previous era.

This is like an invisible shackle, trapping the original inhabitants of Xian Gu within their respective areas, preventing them from traveling far or exploring forbidden lands, otherwise they will surely be cursed to death.

In the past, some ancient inhabitants of the Immortal Realm left, either following geniuses from the Upper Realm into the Three Thousand Provinces or exploring forbidden areas. But without exception, they were all obliterated, their bodies and souls annihilated.

As for the people from the Three Thousand States who come here, if they have children here, these descendants will also be cursed and suffer the same calamity as the natives.

"Then why do you say that being able to enter this place is related to me?" Qi Shi'an asked suspiciously. The artifact containing the Blood God Tree was merely a Heavenly Artifact, not particularly rare, and it could not block the power of the forbidden area's rules.

However, the Blood Tree is still in good condition and shows no signs of triggering the curse.

"The Forbidden Land of the Gods is not as simple as you think. Everyone who can enter here is physically powerful. To reach the Martial Heaven Palace, one must possess extremely great fortune. Only in this way can one enter."

"These individuals with great fortune can influence others through their own fortune, thereby leading the indigenous people to explore forbidden areas."

"However, those who possess great fortune are rare in the world; it may not be possible to find even one in several eras."

Qi Shi'an suddenly realized that there was such a saying in the Immortal Ancients. He had studied countless bone books, but none of them had ever recorded such information.

Is this only the case in the forbidden lands of the gods?

The Blood God Tree stated directly, "No, within the Immortal Ancient Realm, besides the Forbidden Land of Gods, there are three other places I know of."

"But you can't leave, so how do you know so clearly?" Qi Shi'an asked, his eyes half-closed.

"Tens of thousands of years ago, a white tortoise came here and took away countless divine medicines. At that time, it originally wanted to take me with it, but in the end it said that my true opportunity was here. I begged it to explain the reason, and only then did the white tortoise say these words."

Qi Shi'an nodded. If what the white tortoise said was true, it was probably true. After all, the white tortoise carrying the immortal was transformed from the elixir of immortality, so it naturally knew many ancient stories of immortals.

“The nine characters inside the spiritual embryo are related to this wooden wall, so there must be some connection between them,” Qi Shi’an thought to himself.

Without hesitation, Qi Shi'an immediately guided the nine characters within his spiritual embryo to manifest.

"go with!"

With a flick of his finger, the nine characters surrounding Qi Shi'an transformed into a divine rainbow and disappeared into the wooden wall.

In an instant, the wooden wall seemed to be activated, bursting forth with boundless divine light. The three humanoid beings carved on the wooden wall became crystalline, exuding an unfathomable pressure!

Qi Shi'an took a few steps back, his heart filled with shock and disbelief. Just what kind of master was this? A mere portrait had made his hair stand on end, as if he were facing a prehistoric beast.

A single engraved image, its power is enough to overwhelm the world!

This is simply unbelievable, utterly astonishing.

Who exactly carved this image?

"Damn it, you little devil, what the hell have you done? Don't get me killed!"

Sensing this oppressive force, the Blood God Tree hurriedly concealed its aura to avoid being annihilated in the next moment.

"It's nothing, just verifying my thoughts."

Qi Shi'an opened his Heavenly Eye and stared at the engraving, but he couldn't see through it. The wooden wall emitted wisps of chaotic energy, and the power of the rules of this Heyang Mountain flowed wildly.

The Heavenly Eye of Ten Thousand Paths can see through the illusions of the world's great Dao, but now even the Heavenly Eye is ineffective, which is a rare occurrence!

boom!

Suddenly, the wooden carving rippled with crimson light, and the three humanoid beings emerged, unleashing a surging aura that resonated through the void like a vast ocean, causing it to tremble violently.

Thick blood began to flow from the crimson ground beneath their feet, gathering in front of the three humanoid beings and condensing into a single drop of blood.

This drop of blood was as red as a fiery diamond, crystal clear, radiating divine light, and its emanating waves could tear the sky apart.

In the dim light, Qi Shi'an saw a woman reflected in his eyes, causing his pupils to shrink, simply because of the bronze mask on the woman's face.

The bronze mask, seemingly neither crying nor laughing, left a deep impression at first glance. It appeared to be smiling, yet it was tinged with tears, a blend of brightness and sorrow.

"This is……"

Before Qi Shi'an could be shocked for a moment, in the blink of an eye, the woman's beautiful eyes gave him a meaningful look, and then her figure blurred away. A man with a large bell hanging from his head and his back to the world appeared and disappeared for a few moments before also blurring away.

The next moment, a man stood proudly, like an unparalleled emperor, gazing at him from afar across countless worlds and endless years.

The Blood God Tree, hiding inside the spatial artifact, was trembling. The aura emanating from this man was too overwhelming. Although he did not utter a word and stood quietly in the high heavens, he could overlook the eternal space and time and suppress all the heavens!

What surprised it even more was that the little devil in front of it was completely unaffected.

Qi Shi'an stared intently at the man, utterly horrified.

He didn't understand why these three people would appear in the Forbidden Land of the Gods. Could it be that they got lost while looking for Shi Hao, based on the inscriptions on the wooden walls of the Martial Heaven Hall?

The man remained motionless, gazing at Qi Shi'an across countless ages. His eyes were incredibly deep, as if conveying unfathomable, mysterious information.

"What...do you have any advice for me?" Qi Shi'an asked boldly.

For some reason, he always felt that the man had come to find him, as if he wanted his help with something, but because the two lived in different eras and the matter was too mysterious, he was unable to express it.

Unfortunately, the man did not speak, but merely flicked his finger slightly.

boom!

The next moment, the drop of blood, accompanied by fragments of time, broke through the air, as if traversing countless ages, and landed in front of Qi Shi'an.

Faintly, Qi Shi'an seemed to hear thunder, accompanied by the indistinct voice of the Supreme Immortal Tribulation.

"Give it to him... for me..."

Chapter 165 Martial Arts of Suppressing Bandits

"Should we hand it over to Shi Hao?" Qi Shi'an wondered to himself.

He took out a bone cauldron, intending to collect the drop of blood into it, but found that no matter what he did, he could not imprison it or extract it from that fragment of time.

Just then, Qi Shi'an had a flash of inspiration. This drop of blood was seeping from the soil, so perhaps it could be captured through the soil.

Without hesitation, he immediately grabbed a handful of precious soil from the ground and placed it into the bone cauldron. In the blink of an eye, the drop of blood unexpectedly disappeared into the precious soil on its own.

"I will give it to him."

Qi Shi'an carefully put the cauldron away, holding it in his hands, feeling as heavy as a celestial mountain peak.

Because he felt that this drop of blood was too important, as it was personally delivered by the three future Heavenly Emperors. They originally wanted to find Shi Hao at the right time, but they came to the wrong time.

Although he didn't know why the three of them had come looking for him, he guessed that it was probably because he was easier to find than Shi Hao.

The moment Qi Shi'an collected the blood, all the strange phenomena disappeared. The figures of the three gradually dimmed and vanished from the wooden carving. Before leaving, the empress looked back one last time before finally disappearing into the distance.

However, Qi Shi'an was somewhat puzzled as to why the Empress had glanced back at him like that, and why he felt that there were very complex emotions in her eyes—sadness? admiration? He couldn't understand it.

Qi Shi'an remained silent. Had something unexpected happened to him in the future? What could it be?

It took Qi Shi'an a long time to recover. He shook his head and temporarily put aside all his thoughts.

Suddenly, the Blood God Tree shouted loudly, "Little devil, look around!"

Qi Shi'an snapped out of his daze, pulled himself back to his senses, and looked around. His pupils suddenly contracted because he saw that the carvings on the wooden wall had undergone a huge change.