Urban Martial Saint

Ye Qing looked in the direction pointed by Du Canglang. The stone pillar was very large and should be a load-bearing pillar supporting the hall. Moreover, this stone pillar was completely made of hard material, otherwise, it wouldn’t be able to bear the weight of the hall.

”What’s going on over there?” Ye Qing asked curiously, looking at the stone pillar. He didn’t notice anything particularly special.

”Look at the finger imprints on it.” Du Canglang said in a serious tone.

Only then did Ye Qing notice that there were indeed some marks on the stone pillar, remarkably shaped like human finger imprints. However, from a distance, he didn’t examine them closely, thinking they were painted by someone. Hearing Du Canglang’s words, he immediately walked over to take a closer look, only to be shocked to discover that these imprints seemed carved into the stone pillar, deeply embedded in it.

”These... these... these finger imprints... aren’t carved?” Ye Qing’s expression changed as he reached out to touch them, realizing that the imprints fit perfectly with human fingers, definitely not carved. In other words, these imprints were made by someone using their hand!

The Dao of Martial Arts, although ceaseless, allows powerful individuals to possess almost heaven-defying strength. Yet, Ye Qing had never seen any master who could single-handedly break such hard stone material, let alone leave such imprints on it.

Even Du Canglang, who once left six-finger palm marks on a car hood, was entirely different from creating finger imprints in stone. After all, a car hood is made of metal; having the strength to press a fingerprint into metal is sufficient. But to create finger imprints in stone requires not only strength but also incredibly hard fingers. Otherwise, sheer strength alone would break the fingers instead of the stone!

In fact, stones of such material are also very hard but relatively brittle. Strong force applied to them would likely shatter them rather than leave imprints. Such imprints are mostly carved layer by layer, how could they be made by someone’s hand? If someone could leave such imprints by hand, it would mean their Vigor Power, finger strength, and control over power are all at a transcendent level!

”These imprints were forcibly grasped by a person!” Du Canglang observed the imprints, his expression even more grave than Ye Qing’s. At his level, he clearly understood the differences between various levels of strength. To create such imprints in this stone pillar, it’s not something ordinary peak masters could achieve. Even Du Canglang himself couldn’t do it, and he knew that even masters slightly stronger than him couldn’t achieve it. Whoever could do this likely had surpassed acme.

”What kind of person possesses such strength?” Ye Qing couldn’t help but ask.

Du Canglang shook his head, his eyes scanning the hall, speaking in a deep voice: ”Unexpectedly, such a fight happened in this hall of the Gate of the Dead. It seems the allure of the Tianzhu Sword is irresistible!”

Indeed, people who transcend acme all come to seize the Tianzhu Sword, showing how powerful the sword’s lure is.

Ye Qing was even more amazed. Standing in the hall, he clearly felt two forces within him constantly converging in a standoff, never battling, as if they were wary of something. The feeling was like a third force lurking, one that both Buddha’s Relic and Devouring Demon Flower feared, causing them to gather defensively. What exactly lay within this hall?

The Yan Family members and those foreigners had already entered the Gate of the Dead to search, while Du Canglang kept surveying the hall, meticulously examining battle traces, trying to deduce the identities of those who clashed here years ago. Soon, several people entered the hall, continuing their search.

Though Du Canglang and the three others remained in the hall, the newcomers were unwilling to leave any room unchecked. Finding the Tianzhu Sword would ensure their survival, so the hall couldn’t be neglected.

Some men entered the hall, scattering to search different locations. One man approached furniture at the hall’s end, overturning them, as most were knocked over; he needed to open them entirely to check underneath for hidden items. He grabbed a large wooden table on the ground, wanting to flip it over to see if the Tianzhu Sword was beneath. But when he grasped the table and tried to move it, he found it immovable.

This perplexed the man, causing him to utter a soft ”hmm,” instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

Du Canglang and Ye Qing both looked at the man, and seeing Du Canglang look over, he promptly said, ”Senior Du, the table’s strange, I can’t move it.”

Du Canglang was intrigued and hurried over, grabbing the wooden table and trying to lift it, finding just as the man described — it wouldn’t move, as if something below tethered it, resisting any attempts to lift.

Others also noticed, gathering around. Seeing Du Canglang unable to move the large table, the man grew excited, exclaiming: ”Senior Du, this table, could it have a mechanism?”

Without waiting for him to speak, Du Canglang crouched down to examine more closely. He cleared away clutter on the wooden table, revealing the situation below. One table leg was wrapped with a golden rope, anchored into the ground; something was tied beneath.

Seeing this, the crowd broke into a commotion, with the man more eagerly exclaiming, ”Senior Du, this is definitely a mechanism!”

Du Canglang said nothing, slowly pulling up the golden rope, sensing its movements. As he lifted the rope, the hall’s end emitted a slight sound, like a mechanism being triggered, as the wall slowly opened, revealing an approximate two-meter-wide entrance!

”A secret chamber indeed!” Everyone gasped, while Du Canglang’s eyes flashed brightly. A secret chamber within the hall — what could it hold? Certainly Tianzhu Sword must be inside?

Though anxious, no one dared enter at Du Canglang’s silence. They peered in from the doorway. The chamber was pitch black, concealing its contents, though they vaguely saw someone sitting cross-legged at the entrance, appearing eerie.

Ye Qing stood at the entrance, for some reason, feeling his two internal forces quake upon opening, clearly sensing a threat, growing more alert and cautious. The obscure figure sitting cross-legged in the darkness, though hard to see, radiated an inexplicable menace, as if Ye Qing’s powers were triggered by and wary of him.

Du Canglang also watched the cross-legged figure, his brows furrowed tightly, instinctively sensing the chamber wasn’t safe. Dust in the hall suggested no visitors for years; the chamber hadn’t been opened for long. Whoever stayed inside for such a duration should be starved, their body decayed to bones. Yet, the chamber’s resident still sat cross-legged, obscured yet somehow exuding danger, cautioning Du Canglang from entering!

After a brief silence, Du Canglang suddenly turned to a few nearby, speaking gravely: ”The Tianzhu Sword should be hidden in this chamber. Whoever helps retrieve it can become my Inner Chamber Disciple!”

The nearby people exchanged looks, not idiots, aware the chamber wasn’t safe. Even ignoring potential traps, the cross-legged person alone deterred them. Du Canglang unwilling to enter, yet urging them, none dared the risk.

Du Canglang hoped others would probe the way, hence his offer to enter for the Tianzhu Sword. Seeing no one move, his brow furrowed, he scowled at them, speaking sternly: ”I told you to enter, didn’t you hear? No entrance, no antidote today.”

At his words, their expressions altered. Remembering the toxic onset they experienced, antidote was salvation, none wished to risk the toxic effects.

”Whoever enters, regardless of finding the Tianzhu Sword, will receive complete relief from the Meridian Intestine-Breaking Pill!” Du Canglang continued earnestly.

His ultimatum clear, two daring individuals reluctantly ventured inside. Seeing the two enter, others hurriedly followed. Despite unknown dangers inside, it still beat death by Meridian Intestine-Breaking Pill!