Chapter 173

I know nothing!

Qin Shuo shook his head righteously and confidently.

His words weren't entirely meant to anger Sect Master Nie opposite him; rather, he truly knew very little.

Besides the information gained from the Taotie Cauldron, he also spent these days perusing many historical tomes and wild histories in the Demon Suppression Office's archives, yet there was not a single record concerning the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons.

This is also why, when Sect Master Nie Jin Feng brought up the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons, he agreed without hesitation.

Because he genuinely urgently needed a way to obtain information about the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons.

"Exactly, the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons are ancient secrets."

Even in Wind Thunder Valley, records of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons are few, and ordinary elders and disciples cannot reach them.

You're just a newly promoted Cloud Dragon Colonel; it's normal that you can't know such information.

Nie Jin Feng spoke calmly, but Qin Shuo felt his teeth itch.

This old geezer is definitely the type to repay a grudge.

I just talked back to him, and now he's already using his rank to step on me and belittle me—truly petty.

"It's just that I can't beat you now; sooner or later I'll beat you until you cry for your father and mother!" Qin Shuo seethed inwardly.

But for now, he urgently needs information about the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons, so he can only grit his teeth and not quarrel with this old geezer.

According to Sect Master Nie Jin Feng, the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons are said to number twelve in total, left by the ancient Human Emperor who severed Heaven's Connection, used to suppress the mortal realm.

Since time immemorial, over countless long years, the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons have occasionally appeared.

But each appearance inevitably stirs up a bloody storm in the jianghu.

Not only human experts, but even the demons lurking in the vast wilderness mountains and the northern ice plains will intervene in the struggle.

Even human martial sages who have grasped the Dao and stand at the pinnacle of martial arts, as well as the lord of all demons, will fight over the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons.

And the last appearance of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons was, according to legend, over six hundred years ago, when the Great Li Founding Emperor Pei Yunlong wielded them to unify the realm.

He once used the divine weapons to summon an ancient heavenly dragon, overthrowing the previous dynasty's state-protecting divine general Gong Xuanba and his three hundred thousand strong army of martial artists, in one fell swoop capturing the divine capital and becoming the supreme ruler of the world.

Afterwards he continually waged southern and northern campaigns, heavily wounding the demon saint Bai Ze in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, and suppressing the single-horned azure dragon on the northern ice plains.

Even the islands of the South Sea and the three mountains of the East Sea bear the footprints of this Great Li Founding Emperor.

From this one can see how mighty and overbearing the power of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons is.

You should know that although martial sages are rare, they have existed in every dynasty, and in the past thousand years they have never been cut off.

The Great Li Founding Emperor Pei Yunlong, relying on his own strength, subdued all sages and stabilized the realm; the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons in his hand played an extremely crucial role.

Leaving other things aside, the previous dynasty's divine general Gong Xuanba, acclaimed as the "Later Hegemon Sovereign," a mighty martial artist, was hoped to join the ranks of the ancient "Fifth Sage."

But such an unparalleled hero ultimately still fell at the hands of the Great Li Founding Emperor Pei Yunlong.

The value of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons can be seen from this.

"Summon an ancient heavenly dragon? Do the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons have such ability?" Qin Shuo exclaimed in disbelief.

But immediately he thought of the Not Zhou Stone Box.

Since even the mythical Fire God, Water God, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise exist.

Then, the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons personally left by the ancient Human Emperor being able to summon an ancient heavenly dragon seems not too hard to accept.

But……

Is the primordial ancient dragon summoned by the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons a living being, or merely some kind of indelible mark, like the divine-human will within the Not Zhou Stone Box?

"Legends are often exaggerated; whether the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons can summon an ancient heavenly dragon awaits verification, but their might is unquestionable."

Otherwise, with the demon saint Bai Ze's strength, it would be impossible for him to have been severely wounded by the Great Li Founding Emperor and then remain hidden in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains for six hundred years without emerging.

You should know that the demon saint Bai Ze's existence spans far longer than that of the Great Li Founding Emperor.

It is said that its existence can be traced back to the era when the Qin Emperor Hegemon contended for the world.

At that time, it had already become a demon saint.

After thousands of years, its strength must have reached an extremely terrifying level.

Yet such a demon saint that has lived for several thousand years was defeated by a human martial sage who rose to prominence in only a few decades.

"The power of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons absolutely far exceeds your imagination." Sect Master Nie Jin Feng said solemnly.

One must say, Wind Thunder Valley truly deserves its reputation as a great sect that has dominated Cloud Prefecture for a thousand years.

Its history spans multiple dynasties, and the information it possesses far surpasses that of ordinary martial clans, even comparable to the Demon Suppression Office, a governmental organization.

It's not that the Demon Suppression Office's intelligence is weak; rather, such secrets are fundamentally unobtainable by ordinary sects and organizations.

Because these are accumulated through generations of inheritance, they constitute the sect's foundation.

"Having said all this, Sect Master Nie merely wants to tell me that the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons are immensely powerful, even demon saints covet them."

"But if it's so important, why doesn't Sect Master Nie take it himself instead of wanting to trade with me?"

Qin Shuo was not dazed by the might of the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons described by Sect Master Nie Jin Feng; on the contrary, he remained clear-headed.

With such divine weapons, who could not be moved?

But Sect Master Nie Jin Feng wanting to trade them with me is itself quite abnormal.

Therefore, Qin Shuo boldly speculated,

Either the divine weapon's master-recognition conditions are harsh, and Sect Master Nie feels no one in Wind Thunder Valley can meet them, so he chose to trade with me.

But Wind Thunder Valley's ruling elite occupy the three prefectures; what outstanding talents do they lack?

Why single me out?

To outsiders, he's merely the son of a border-town hunter; what could be worth their regard?

Or perhaps he possesses something on his person that could help them obtain the Boundary-Suppressing Divine Weapons.

The other party's promise to help him obtain the divine weapons is merely a pretext.

Their true purpose is likely to use him to fulfill the conditions for mastering the divine weapons.

Although Qin Shuo did not like the arrogant old fogey opposite him,

but he had to admit that the other party could achieve the rank of Martial Dao Grandmaster, stand out among countless heavenly prodigies, and become the Valley Lord of Wind Thunder Valley,

His disposition and scheming were certainly not those of a common person.

At the very least, if we switched places,

he could not, like the other party, remain calm and casual while doing business with the enemy who had slain over a dozen disciples of his own sect.

So Qin Shuo had to raise his utmost vigilance, lest he fall for this old fogey's tricks.

「Naturally, it's because even I, and even all the ancestral masters of Wind Thunder Valley throughout the ages, cannot gain the recognition of a divine weapon."

「Otherwise, do you think it's your turn? 」 Nie Jin Feng snapped unhappily.

Heh!

He lacks ability, yet he speaks so arrogantly.

Qin Shuo almost laughed at this arrogant Sect Master Nie.

But he endured it in the end.

There's no way around it; the other person is a grandmaster, while he is merely a lowly Condensed True Warrior.

Circumstances were stronger than the person, so he could only silently watch the other show off, unable to give him two big embarrassments.

But he wasn't polite in his words either, pressing on:

「Even a Sect Master Nie of this Martial Dao Grandmaster level cannot gain divine weapon recognition; how could I, a mere Condensed True Warrior, possibly succeed? 」

「When did I ever say you could make it? 」 Nie Jin Feng sneered.

Here we go again!

Qin Shuo grit his teeth in secret.

That old fogey really doesn't let slip any chance to strike at him.

However, this time Old Nie wasn't too over the top, but continued:

「To gain recognition from a divine weapon, you first need to have the qualifications to enter the Divine Weapon Secret Realm.

「Given your archery talent, I suppose you've already seen a divine weapon.

「But this only means you have the potential to enter the Divine Weapon Secret Realm and undergo the divine weapon's trial.

「To obtain the qualifications to enter the Divine Weapon Secret Realm, with your current archery talent and cultivation, you're still far off……

「So then? 」

Qin Shuo's eyes turned slightly cold.

That old fogey seems uncomfortable unless he puts himself down a bit each time he speaks; he has not a trace of a grandmaster's bearing.

「So, you must first prove yourself! 」

「How to prove? 」

「Within an hour, comprehend the Thunderbolt Arrow! 」

Nie Jin Feng flipped his palm, and a pitch-black giant bow, as black as charcoal, appeared in his palm.