Chapter 9: Apocalypse Secret Treasury

“Self-created martial arts?”

Cang Yinyue did not believe a word of what Li Musheng said; creating a martial art was not that easy.

Not to mention those rare, top-tier divine manuals, even ordinary techniques and martial skills were created by masters with profound martial cultivation who had painstakingly devoted their entire lives, or through the efforts of several, even dozens of generations, to succeed.

Li Musheng was only twenty years old. Even if he had started practicing martial arts from his mother’s womb, his martial foundation would not be enough to create a martial art.

Moreover, the acupoint-striking technique he had just used was truly formidable. Cang Yinyue was certain it could not have been his own creation; she guessed it was something obtained through a stroke of luck.

At this moment, Li Musheng looked up and shrugged

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me, but that is the truth.”

Then, he shook the wooden box in his hand in front of Cang Yinyue

“Tell me about this thing instead. I never expected Old Man Yu to actually hide such a treasure.”

However, Cang Yinyue let out a cold snort and did not answer.

She simply closed her eyes, attempting to mobilize the martial qi in her dantian to strike at the sealed acupoints throughout her body.

But she soon discovered with shock that her dantian had also been sealed; she could not mobilize even a shred of qi to circulate.

Seeing Cang Yinyue thwarted, Li Musheng’s heart stirred. He deliberately put on a stern face and said

“It’s useless. Only I can undo these acupoints. Although I don’t want to be a villain, I advise you to cooperate obediently. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I won’t do some strange things.”

As he spoke, his eyes scanned her up and down, but as if thinking of something, he suddenly withdrew his gaze with a sense of listlessness.

Seeing this, a flash of killing intent suddenly crossed Cang Yinyue’s clear eyes, and she asked in a chilling voice

“Have you seen my face?”

Li Musheng was slightly stunned, then sighed

“Ah, you caught me. However, I don’t mean to discriminate against you.”

The killing intent in Cang Yinyue’s eyes grew even stronger, almost tangible.

In her view, while Li Musheng claimed he wasn’t discriminating, his previous expression had betrayed his true thoughts!

“Don’t look at me like that, it’s quite scary.”

Li Musheng spun the six-sided wooden box in his hand like a basketball, looking at her earnestly

“I just feel it’s a pity. Miss Cang is clearly a natural beauty, yet you were subjected to branding, carved with the character ‘cheap’—it is truly too cruel.”

Cang Yinyue stared fixedly at Li Musheng. After a few breaths, she closed her eyes and said

“The item is yours. If you still want to go to Shangyang City, then release me. If you are unwilling, killing me now is fine too.”

“No need for that, no need for that.”

Li Musheng shook his head repeatedly and said

“How can one give up halfway through a task? I think I can still strive for the identity of the Seventh Prince.”

Hearing this, Cang Yinyue snorted coldly, opened her eyes abruptly, and said

“Then release my acupoints now.”

“No problem, but… you have to tell me about this box first.”

Li Musheng suddenly clamped the spinning wooden box between his fingers, stopping it right in front of Cang Yinyue’s eyes.

Cang Yinyue narrowed her eyes, looked at the wooden box for a moment of silence, and then suddenly asked

“Do you know of the ‘Tianqi Secret Treasury’?”

“What is that? It sounds quite impressive, though.” Li Musheng looked puzzled.

“The Tianqi Secret Treasury is a secret vault left behind by the founding emperor of the Great Qi, Emperor Tianqi. Some say it contains the divine martial arts and peerless pills that allowed Emperor Tianqi to reach the pinnacle of martial arts. Others say it hides gold and treasures enough to rival a nation. Still others say it contains everything, and whoever obtains it can possess the entire world.”

Cang Yinyue spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on Li Musheng

“However, for a thousand years, no one has ever known what is actually inside.”

Hearing this, Li Musheng rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

He naturally knew of the Great Qi Dynasty.

It was a very rare, prosperous dynasty that had lasted for a thousand years. On the Blue Star he once knew, he had never seen a feudal dynasty with such longevity.

However, this Great Qi had been destroyed a hundred years ago, and its vast territory had been carved up by the current five great dynasties. The Great Li, where he was now, was one of them.

As for Emperor Tianqi, he was even more extraordinary, hailed by the world as an emperor for the ages, whose achievements shook both the past and the present.

His most important achievement was the expulsion of the Barbarian and Desolate tribes, ending thousands of years of history where the human people suffered under their invasion and enslavement.

Furthermore, Emperor Tianqi was a martial arts genius, invincible in the world. In his era, the entire martial arts world could only look up to him…

Li Musheng pondered, his eyes suddenly brightening.

Emperor Tianqi was a being who had truly reached the pinnacle of martial arts; perhaps he had even touched the realm of transcendence.

He stood up excitedly, flicked his finger to release the acupoints on Cang Yinyue’s body, and immediately grabbed her hand, saying

“Let’s not go to Shangyang City for now. You take me directly to find the Tianqi Secret Treasury; I’m more interested in that.”

Cang Yinyue was stunned for a moment after her acupoints were released.

But soon, a sharp glint appeared in her phoenix eyes.

Martial qi instantly surged through her meridians and gathered in her palm, and with lightning speed, she launched a sneak attack, aiming to strike the back of Li Musheng’s neck without any hesitation.

However, the next moment, she found that she could not move again.

The situation was exactly the same as before.

“Miss Cang, why are you attacking again? It’s a good thing I reacted quickly.”

Li Musheng held her hand and shook his head, while Cang Yinyue was clearly furious, remaining silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Li Musheng began to earnestly persuade her, wanting her to take him to find the Tianqi Secret Treasury.

Cang Yinyue, annoyed by his persistence, poured a bucket of cold water on him.

“You think you can obtain the Tianqi Secret Treasury just by relying on a wooden box key of unknown authenticity?”

Li Musheng was stunned. “This wooden box could be fake?”

Cang Yinyue glanced at the six-sided wooden box and said

“I’m not sure. The information obtained by the Seven Thieves of Zhahe is unknown. They killed many people just for this thing, and it wasn’t until today that it was found at the Yu Family Martial Hall.”

“Furthermore, as far as I know, there are seven keys to open the Tianqi Secret Treasury. Only by gathering all seven can it be opened.”

Hearing this, Li Musheng’s heart sank.

This plot seemed somewhat familiar. Gathering seven dragon balls to summon a dragon?

He muttered a complaint to himself, his initial excitement gradually calming down. After thinking for a moment, he sat back down by the campfire, fiddling with the wooden box in his hand.

“I have a question. Since the secret vault was left by Emperor Tianqi and over a thousand years have passed, could it have already been opened by someone?”

Hearing this, Cang Yinyue glanced at Li Musheng and said

“No one should have obtained the Tianqi Secret Treasury yet. As far as I know, the closest anyone came to opening it was a hundred years ago, when the last emperor of Great Qi gathered all seven keys.”