Chapter 259:

Our Discord Server: .gg/PazjBDkTmWAfter discussing the matter of rare treasures, Emperor Yonghe tried to change the subject and talk about the important matters in Great Qin City, wanting to hear the opinion of this royal family member with a sharp insight. However, as soon as this topic was brought up, Yan Shenji showed clear disinterest and lack of enthusiasm. Emperor Yonghe also understood the temperament of the old ancestor; he didn’t like politics, only loved martial arts. So, he changed the topic: "Speaking of it, the Qiao family member who emerged in Great Qin City is truly remarkable." Emperor Yonghe spoke up: "The Qiao family is a very mysterious martial arts family, said to have lived for generations on the overseas Hero Island, only recently emerging, very mysterious indeed." "What’s more, this Qiao family seems to have some connection with the Heyang City’s Qiao Family who practice the Long Life Fist, also producing many elders over a hundred years old." "Of course, they may just be over a hundred years old, extremely long-lived by worldly standards, considered blessings, but compared to their ancestors, they are nothing." "Qiao family youngsters over a hundred years old?" Upon hearing this, Yan Shenji also became interested: "It’s a bit interesting, but not very meaningful." Yan Shenji’s longevity is mainly due to his exceptional talent, being a Medicine Spirit Body. S~eaʀᴄh the nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although there is no elixir of immortality in this world, there are rare longevity medicines available. It’s actually not that rare. Most of the precious treasures in this world are owned by someone, either controlled by cultivators or occupied by demonic beasts. The remaining ones can only be obtained by a few lucky chosen ones or powerful figures like mortal emperors. Moreover, these life-extending treasures usually only work effectively the first time. When taken for the second or third time, their effects often rapidly decline… Not only life-extending treasures, but also other items like the Centennial Vermilion Fruit that increases strength or the pills refined by cultivators, all follow this rule. So, even cultivators cannot forcibly extend their lifespan too much using life-extending treasures; there is usually a limit. Yan Shenji is different. So far, he has not noticed the declining effects of life-extending treasures—maybe even the Medicine Spirit Body cannot endlessly consume medicines, but he has not yet reached the limit of his physical condition. An ordinary martial artist who only lives to a hundred years actually doesn’t qualify to impress him. As a pivotal figure of the royal family, Yan Shenji has rarely made moves in the past century, but the people he has dealt with are usually the most outstanding figures of the time, naturally giving him a broad perspective. When Emperor Yonghe just mentioned that members of the Qiao family are long-lived, Yan Shenji didn’t take it seriously. But when he talked about Qiao Miao killing King Qin using martial arts to defeat immortals, Yan Shenji became very interested and his eyes lit up. "Please bear with it for a while, ancestors." Seeing this, Emperor Yonghe also sighed slightly. "I know that the ancestors have a fierce temper, inheriting the legacy of the founding emperor, but this matter concerns the country and society. Please prioritize the overall situation." ℝ This Yan Shenji was actually a legendary martial artist of his generation. Since the founding of the country by the founding emperor three hundred years ago, among the royal family, except for the founding emperor himself, there was only Yan Shenji who had such a superb rank. It is said that Yan Shenji was the most beloved grandson of the founding emperor at that time, with a temperament as strong as the founding emperor. He left the imperial palace in a fit of anger when he was young and built a great reputation in the martial arts world. It is said that when Yan Shenji was young and exploring the world, he accidentally obtained the Centennial Vermilion Fruit, gradually discovering his unique physique, and thus creating a legend in the martial arts world. At his peak, he was once ranked third on the Tide Listening Building Strength List. Although not as mighty as the founding emperor who conquered the Great Yan territory with unmatched bravery, he also gained immense fame in the martial arts world. People at the time thought Yan Shenji, as the prince, had inherited the virtues of his ancestors, which was not without reason. But when Yan Shenji heard Emperor Yonghe praise him, he just smirked: "Don’t flatter me, how outstanding was my ancestor really?" "If I had a fierce temper and sharp eyes, during the Inhuman War forty years ago, I would have entered the Immortal Gate, how could I still be alive today?" Speaking of this, Yan Shenji also sighed: "After all, I am getting old, not like before." "It’s not that I am old, but my heart is aging." "Throughout the ages, how many emperors were ambitious in their youth, but indulged in pleasures in their later years, losing their integrity?" "Time is ruthless, beauty fades, heroes grow old, and decline in old age is common." "Life is like the ebb and flow of the tide, how can one’s heart withstand the erosion of time?" Emperor Yonghe remained silent, wanting to speak but unsure. This elderly royal ancestor, although old, sometimes rambled on about the past. "Our ancestor’s charisma is just as impressive as before, who in this world can match our ancestor?" Emperor Yonghe hastily replied. "Living for two hundred years in this Jiu Province, one may not find anyone more long-lived and resilient to the passage of time than our ancestor." "People often talk about the rare longevity of the Qiao family, with many centenarians. But they only know of the Qiao family’s fame, unaware of our elderly ancestor still living in the palace." Of course, when comparing ages, cultivators are excluded by default. "Hey, what’s the point of comparing me with someone in their early hundreds? Isn’t that unfair?" Yan Shenji waved his hand. "It’s quite peculiar," Emperor Yonghe remarked. "The Qiao family has many martial artists, and they all get stronger as they get older. The older they are, the more powerful they become." "But now there is a warrior named Qiao Miao who has died in battle, and Qiao Shuanggui. Both of them are middle-aged with white hair, but they are much stronger than the older members of the Qiao family." Yan Shenji didn’t pay much attention at first, but his eyes lit up when he heard this. "Oh, it seems like the martial arts skills of the Qiao family members are quite impressive, right?" "What does the ancestor mean?" Emperor Yonghe was a bit confused. "You don’t understand even this…I told you to practice martial arts earlier, why did you neglect so many years?" Yan Shenji waved his hand. "Didn’t you say that the Qiao family members from Hero Island overseas also practice the Long Life Fist?" "The Long Life Fist has the effect of staying strong as you get older, but it’s very challenging. It’s not as good for attacking as other martial arts like the Pure Yang Wuji Skill or Vajra Immortal Skill…so very few people can master it." "In the past three hundred years, I am the only one who has mastered the Long Life Fist." "Now it seems like the older Qiao family members didn’t practice Long Life Fist well or maybe their martial arts skills weren’t high enough. Their energy and blood flow couldn’t be controlled anymore, showing their aging signs." "As for the Qiao Shuanggui you mentioned?" Yan Shenji pondered for a moment. "Since he is stronger than the other elders… This person might actually be younger in age and seniority compared to the previous elderly clan members, but his Long Life Fist skills are higher, so his energy and blood haven’t declined much yet." "Oh? Is there such a thing?" Emperor Yonghe was surprised. He didn’t practice martial arts, so he didn’t understand the secrets of Long Life Fist. "Could this Qiao Shuanggui be over a hundred years old? How can an ordinary person live for so long?" Thinking about this, Emperor Yonghe also felt amazed. "Indeed, it’s very difficult for ordinary people to live that long. I just said it casually, don’t take it seriously," Yan Shenji said indifferently. "It’s more likely that… Qiao Shuanggui is a genius of the Qiao family, so he practiced martial arts for a shorter time but his martial arts skills are higher." "After all, martial arts don’t depend on age. Just because someone is older doesn’t mean they have higher martial skills. If martial arts also had to do with seniority, it would be too boring." When Yan Shenji heard about Qiao Shuanggui, a middle-aged man mentioned by Emperor Yonghe, he became interested. "I have mastered the Long Life Fist to a high level now. Even the hundred-year-old master of the Qiao Family in Heyang City is not as good as me. If I spar with this young man, I should be able to guess his real age." "Whether Qiao Shuanggui is a martial arts genius or a hundred-year-old man, it will be clear once we fight." "Has the ancestor’s martial arts reached such an unbelievable level?" Emperor Yonghe sensed that Yan Shenji was eager to leave the palace and quickly said, "But it is a turbulent time recently, it is better for the ancestor not to leave the palace." "Why are you so boring?" Yan Shenji felt a bit disappointed and waved his hand, saying: "I just mentioned it casually, I didn’t really mean to leave the palace… Anyway, when the people from Tide Listening Building publish the new main list, just send it to me for a look." "I am quite interested. Is the young man from the Qiao family this time called Qiao Miao or Qiao Shuanggui? With such a big momentum this time, what title can he achieve on the top four main lists of Tide Listening Building?" "I have not been in touch with the world for many years, so I am not so familiar with the current situation in the martial arts world." Yan Shenji was very interested in martial arts, but not so much in politics. Emperor Yonghe tried to change the subject several times, wanting to hear the royal relative Dinghai Shenzhen’s views on political matters. But Dinghai Shenzhen kept steering the conversation back, leaving Emperor Yonghe no choice but to give up. They talked for about half an hour before Emperor Yonghe got up to bid farewell. However, he felt a bit helpless inside. While the ancestor was indeed a revered figure in the royal family, he was more like a caged dragon. Although he also needed Emperor Yonghe to spend resources gathering the elixir of longevity, ultimately it was Emperor Yonghe who needed the ancestor more. Despite his old age, he still remembered the ties to the royal family, so he had resided deep in the palace for many years, almost unknown to the outside world. The palace maids and eunuchs only vaguely knew of this highly esteemed royal elder in the palace, unaware of his exact age or identity. Despite being a legendary martial artist, his seniority made him unassailable even by Emperor Yonghe. In Zhong Province, there is a town called Anxi. The town is not very big, and usually only traders and travelers pass through. People only come to pay respect to the heroes who died in the Inhuman War forty years ago during the Qingming Festival. However, when three hundred old soldiers from the Hundred-mile Desert and the Minister of Rites Hai Wuya from the court held a ceremony to honor the heroes, the town became famous across Zhong Province and became a well-known attraction. Anxi Town is not far from Great Qin City. After the establishment of the Great Qin Prefecture, the town was also included in the area of the Great Qin Prefecture, making it a territory under the rule of King Qin. Therefore, many refugees from the battle between King Qin and various Dao Sect cultivators, as well as fleeing residents of Great Qin City, passed through this town. Among these refugees, there were also a few eyewitnesses who were in the vegetable market of the Great Qin Prefecture. With their flight, news of the events happening in Great Qin City spread quickly throughout Zhong Province. The old inn in Anxi Town is now full of people. The innkeeper put up a sign claiming that a member of the Qiao family had stayed there and even helped deliver a letter through the underworld, attracting many customers. In the inn’s lobby, Storyteller Jiang Chen, dressed in a long robe, clapped his hands and began telling the story of a member of the Qiao family. "Today, let me tell you about the deeds of the Qiao family member in the Great Qin City, where they faced King Qin and defeated powerful enemies!" Jiang Chen’s storytelling skills were getting better, and soon the audience had filled the inn’s lobby. In a corner of the lobby. An old man with white hair was playfully holding a cat in his arms, without a care in the world. The old man with white hair looked ordinary, but the multicolored cat in his arms was beautiful and eye-catching, with a round face and fluffy fur that seemed to shine softly, drawing attention. "You lazy cat, when will you repay my kindness?" Qiao Mu reached out to play with the cat, but lost interest halfway through. "Never mind, you’re so fat. If you transform, you might turn into a wild boar! It’s better for you to stay as a cat." The multicolored cat in the man’s arms widened its eyes like copper bells and tried to struggle in the air, as if wanting to escape, but where could it run to? After releasing the first half of "Human Path Sutra" and reaching a superb level in martial arts, this cat couldn’t escape from Qiao Mu’s hands anymore. Especially after practicing the Heavenly Dragon Eight Steps, the current Qiao Mu no longer needs the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method to catch this round but agile little kitty pig. Qiao Mu picked up the clear tea on the table and drank it all, casually played with the cat, listened to the storyteller bragging about himself, telling his glorious deeds, and felt quite content inside. Now, he is already 375 years old, and in any dynasty from ancient times to the present, no one is older than him. But after waking up from the dream, he stubbornly maintained his small hobbies from his youth: Playing with the cat, listening to people boasting about himself, and appearing saintly in front of others. The more lonely he felt in the dream, the more he enjoyed the simple and relaxing life. "This is what life is about, always being locked up, what’s the point? It’s not living at all." Just then, a person walked into the inn and sat at Qiao Mu’s table, it was Wei En who had also changed his appearance simply. "Brother Qiao." "Tide Listening Building has released a new issue of the Power Ranking. Your name is also on it. Do you want to take a look?" Wei En said. "I never cared much for empty fame. Is there anything interesting to see?" "Moreover, wasn’t Martial Saint not on the list before? Without Martial Saint in the rankings, what’s good to look at?" Qiao Mu said with pride. Just with two sentences, Wei En intrigued Qiao Mu’s thoughts: "That Earth Sword Immortal from the past, actually ranks first in Tide Listening Building’s Skill List. Do you want to see the other three lists?" "But now there is no Hero List, only the Power Ranking. Otherwise, Earth Sword Immortal may have a chance to be the number one in the world. It’s just that his life and death are uncertain… Wooden Sword Walker Lu Yanbei insists he’s alive, so he remains on the list."