Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 172: The Unopenable Stone Box (Part 2)
"You’ve seen this before?" Having followed Li Qiye for so long, Li Shuangyan understood him better than anyone. She immediately sensed the change in him and couldn’t help but whisper into his ear.
Li Qiye didn’t speak. He stared at the old man, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a faint smile.
"What I ask of everyone is very simple." The old man raised his head, looked at the crowd with a wide grin, and announced, "Whoever can open this box can choose any one of the three treasures!" As he spoke, he patted the Stone Box resting by his leg.
The old man’s words immediately sent the crowd into an uproar. It was simply too incredible, like something too good to be true. Opening a Stone Box to claim a Great Sage True Artifact or a Great Sage Longevity Treasure? It was the best deal in the world! After the old man finished speaking, everyone stared at him in disbelief.
"Is this for real?" A Prince-level Demon King couldn’t help but ask.
The old man squinted and said with a grin, "Truer than pearls. My word is my bond. Whoever opens this Stone Box can pick any one of the three treasures."
"Are there any conditions?" Instantly, everyone was itching to have a go. This was an opportunity falling right into their laps, and no one wanted to miss it!
"No conditions. Whether you want to smash it, chop it, or even burn it, it’s all fine. As long as you can open this Stone Box, that’s all that matters!" the old man said with a cheerful smile.
"Let me! Let me! Let me!" In an instant, everyone scrambled forward, desperate to be the first to rush up and open the Stone Box.
"No rush, no rush. Take it slow. Everyone will get a turn." With a casual wave of his hand, the old man blocked everyone trying to rush forward. He said with a wide grin, "If you want to try, form a line. One at a time!"
The old man had just effortlessly tossed a True Master aside, so now that he was speaking, no one dared to act up. The crowd immediately fell silent. One quick-witted person dashed to the front and shouted, "We’ll form a line!"
In an instant, everyone surged forward, forming a long line. The cultivators in the queue ranged from ordinary disciples to regional Princes, and even True Masters and Ancient Saints!
Li Qiye, however, didn’t join the line. He pulled Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao aside, content to stand back and watch the show.
In no time, a line as long as a great serpent had formed. The sheer number of people made for a spectacular sight.
"Let’s begin," the old man said with a beaming smile. "Whoever’s turn it is needs to be quick. You only get three tries at most, so don’t waste everyone else’s time."
"OPEN—" The one at the very front was a Demon King. He rushed forward impatiently, grabbing the top and bottom of the Stone Box and heaving upwards with all his might. The Demon King’s Blood Qi billowed, and his Demon Qi surged to the heavens. His muscles bulged with enough power to shake mountains, but no matter how much force he used—even mustering every last ounce of his strength—he couldn’t open the Stone Box.
"Open for me—" The Demon King refused to give up. He transformed, reverting to his True Body—a giant ape. His incredibly sharp claws dug fiercely into the Stone Box, but it didn’t move an inch.
"You failed. Next," the old man said, shaking his head.
The Demon King was indignant, but since he couldn’t open the box even with all his strength, he had no choice but to retreat resentfully and watch the show from the sidelines.
"BREAK—" The second in line was a True Master. He opened his mouth and spat out a long saber. The saber resembled bone; it was incomparably sharp and wreathed in a sinister aura. This Bone Saber was terrifying, as its sinister aura could corrode anything.
CLANG— However, no matter how powerful his Bone Saber was, when it struck the Stone Box, the box remained motionless and unharmed. It didn’t even leave the faintest scratch.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG— This great figure struck three times in a row. Each strike could sunder mountains and cleave rivers, yet they couldn’t damage the Stone Box in the slightest.
"Next—" The old man couldn’t even be bothered to look at the True Master. He just shook his head and spoke.
"Open for me—" The third cultivator in line let out a long roar as soon as he stepped up. His Life Palace appeared above his head, and his Life Wheel spun endlessly. All of his Blood Qi condensed into a single blood needle that shot like lightning toward the Stone Box.
However, the result was the same. He still couldn’t open the Stone Box.
"Next—" The old man shook his head in disappointment...
One by one, the cultivators took their turns, each displaying their own Divine Techniques. All sorts of methods were used. Some used True Artifacts to strike the box, others tried to freeze it, some smashed it wildly, and there were even those who tried soaking it in medicinal potions...
But no matter the method, the Stone Box remained completely motionless and undamaged. Finally, an Ancient Saint took action. With a wave of his hand, he seemed to refine the sun and moon, gathering the world into his palm. All of his Blood Qi and all the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi condensed in his hand, forming a beam of sword light. When he slashed down, the sword light carried the power to split the heavens and crack the earth, but it still failed to cleave the Stone Box.
In the end, almost everyone had taken a turn, but still, no one could open the Stone Box. It was like a stone from a latrine—both hard and foul. The frustration made everyone want to vomit blood. They simultaneously loved and hated the box, resisting the urge to go up and give it a vicious stomp!
At this point, the vast majority of people were just looking at each other, completely at a loss. This Stone Box was simply a monster; it was utterly impossible to open!
"I’ll do it!" At this moment, a cold voice rang out as a monstrous killing intent surged forth. The moment the killing intent arrived, everyone’s expression changed, and many couldn’t help but take a step back.
A woman in black appeared, cradling a sword. With a single step, her killing intent washed over them like a tidal wave. The woman was cold and merciless, her aura chillingly severe. It was enough to make one’s blood run cold. This wasn’t some delicate act—when she struck, she would draw blood and take a life.
Even though the Black Sword cradled in the woman’s arms was still sheathed, one could already smell the stench of blood, making them shiver involuntarily.
"The heir of the Divine Sword Holy Land!" someone cried out in shock upon seeing the black-clad woman. Feeling her fierce killing intent, they couldn’t help but shiver and didn’t dare to get too close, immediately taking several steps back.
Seeing the black-clad woman, many felt a shiver run down their spines. The heir of the Divine Sword Holy Land.
Someone from the Divine Sword Holy Land... just hearing the name of this lineage was enough to make one’s skin crawl. Divine Sword Holy Land—to the uninformed, such a name sounded domineering and grand.
But for those who knew the history of the Divine Sword Holy Land, hearing those four words was an absolutely terrifying experience!
The Divine Sword Holy Land was a great Holy Land in the Western Wilderness and, more importantly, an Emperor Immortal Gate. It was founded by the Yeti Immortal Emperor, and its might once shook the world.
Regarding the Yeti Immortal Emperor, there was a saying from his era: "When a child hears his name, their night cries cease!" This meant that in that era, when children cried at night, they would immediately stop upon hearing the name of the Yeti Immortal Emperor. That was how he came to be known as the Yeti Immortal Emperor.
The Yeti Immortal Emperor dedicated his life to the sword. His Sword Dao was unparalleled, and he was even called the Sword God! But he was even more proficient in killing! The Yeti Immortal Emperor achieved his Dao through slaughter, his life a path of merciless killing!
Although every Immortal Emperor throughout the ages has killed countless enemies, some believe that the one who killed the most was the Yeti Immortal Emperor.
There was even a legend that in order to attain his Supreme Killing Dao, the Yeti Immortal Emperor went so far as to kill his own wife. Although this legend could never be confirmed, it was enough for later generations to understand his merciless nature!
The Sword God Holy Land, founded after the time of the Yeti Immortal Emperor, was an Emperor Immortal Gate of unfathomable power. In any given era, it was rare to see a disciple of the Sword God Holy Land walking the world. But whenever one did appear, they would inevitably stir up a storm of blood and gore. They were absolute Godslayers, inspiring a healthy dose of fear in all!
The black-clad woman before them came from the Sword God Holy Land, and was even its heir. How could this not make people’s faces pale and fill them with terror at the mere mention of her name?
The black-clad woman was as cold as a sword, as frigid as iron. She stood before the Stone Box, her beautiful eyes narrowed, and in an instant, two beams of deadly light shot out from them.
ZING— In a flash, she struck. No one knew how she had drawn her sword. With one strike, her killing intent was peerless. All anyone saw was a single streak of Sword Radiance slashing down. One streak of Sword Radiance—that was more than enough. When her sword emerged, its killing power was absolute! The terrifying killing intent made everyone shiver.
Everyone felt a chill run through their bodies. A cold sensation crept up their necks, as if blood were about to gush out. At that moment, everyone felt as if the sword hadn’t struck the Stone Box, but their own necks.
The more timid ones fell right on their asses, scared out of their wits by the terrifying killing intent, pissing their pants!
CLANG— However, even a strike with peerless killing intent still couldn’t cut open this hard and foul Stone Box. After the slash, the box was completely undamaged!
Even the black-clad woman couldn’t believe it. She was supremely confident in her strike. Forget a Stone Box; she could have cleaved a Divine Stone in two with that attack. Yet, the box before her was completely unscathed. It was simply unbelievable.
The black-clad woman’s beautiful eyes sharpened, her killing intent seeming as if it could pierce right through the Stone Box!
"You failed," the old man said, shaking his head. "The sword is good, and your swordsmanship is peerless, but it’s still not enough."
So many people had tried, yet the old man hadn’t commented on any of them. The fact that he offered an evaluation now was proof enough that the black-clad woman was truly extraordinary.
Although the black-clad woman found it hard to believe and utterly incredible, she didn’t try again. Without a word, she retreated to the side.
As she stood off to the side, everyone else hastily retreated three steps, not daring to get close. No one dared to provoke such a Godslayer. To do so was to walk a path to certain death!
