Seeing Teng Qingshan plummeting from the sky, both the Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang were filled with confusion.

"What on earth is Teng Qingshan doing?" The Cloud Dream War God observed, watching as Teng Qingshan, wielding the Black Flame Cudgel, flashed through the Helian Estate like a spectral phantom. In just two breaths, Teng Qingshan seemed to pinpoint a specific location, stopping abruptly before diving straight into the earth.

Mu Wang and the Cloud Dream War God startled.

"Master, has Brother Teng found the treasure?" Mu Wang found it hard to believe; how could Teng Qingshan find anything just by running around randomly?

"It looks like he has," the Cloud Dream War God admitted uncertainly. "Let's go take a look."

Immediately, the Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang hurried toward the rumored treasure location.

"Just as I expected." Teng Qingshan, gripping the Black Flame Cudgel, continued to bore his way underground. "The nine lotus seeds are the essence of the Flame Red Lotus. They certainly should cause a reaction in the Black Flame Cudgel."

Sensing the Black Flame Cudgel in his hand growing increasingly hot, Teng Qingshan easily determined the direction. Suddenly—

A wall of rock, entirely gray-black, appeared before him. Teng Qingshan lightly struck out a palm, and the unyielding rock shuddered violently before crumbling into fine powder that streamed downward, revealing a large opening, tall enough for a man. Teng Qingshan stepped through the aperture and entered the subterranean secret chamber.

The dim light of a perpetual lamp illuminated the entire chamber.

"This is the Tianfeng family's hoard, accumulated over a thousand years?" Teng Qingshan gasped. At the far end of the chamber lay stacks of gold resembling bricks; vast quantities of the metal were scattered about like cheap gravel. Besides the immense gold, various priceless treasures lay strewn across the floor.

In addition to treasures, rows of armor and weapons were neatly arranged, numbering several hundred sets at a glance.

"All top-grade armor," Teng Qingshan said, standing beside an iron chest. He reached out and grabbed a jade box; the heat from the Black Flame Cudgel told him the nine lotus seeds were hidden within this box.

Crack!

The jade box opened, revealing the jet-black, jade-like lotus seeds lying neatly inside. Teng Qingshan smiled, closed the box, and tucked it into his embrace. "Tianfeng War God, oh Tianfeng War God, you snatched the Flame Red Lotus from my hands back then. Today, I managed to find the nine lotus seeds, leading me to your Tianfeng family's great treasure. You robbed me back then; should I hate you or thank you now?"

Teng Qingshan felt the capriciousness of fate. Without the nine lotus seeds, neither he nor the Cloud Dream War God could have found this deeply concealed treasure.

"Gold and such are useless to me," Teng Qingshan glanced over the armor sets, touching them; they felt cold. "They are all heavy Cold Iron armor; each suit weighs several hundred pounds. But now that I possess 'Fire Gilt Iron,' I have no need for this kind of protection." Teng Qingshan’s gaze swept over the numerous weapons, armor, and wealth, finally settling on the iron chests.

"Qingshan, haha, you truly are amazing, to think you found it for me," a loud laugh rang out.

"Brother Teng." Teng Qingshan turned and smiled.

The Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang stepped into the chamber together. Upon seeing the staggering wealth in this vast space, even their faces showed astonishment.

"This is Tianfeng Cold Iron, a specialty of the Tianfeng Canyon," the Cloud Dream War God marveled, touching a set of armor. "There are nearly six hundred suits of 'Tianfeng Cold Iron' heavy armor... If not for the Fire Gilt Iron, cavalry equipped with this Tianfeng Cold Iron armor would surely be number one."

In terms of resilience, Tianfeng Cold Iron was slightly inferior to Fire Gilt Iron, but it was extraordinarily heavy.

"This gold alone must be tens of millions of pounds," the Cloud Dream War God observed, as the gold completely blocked the far end of the chamber, making it impossible to gauge its true depth.

"Qingshan, this is the Tianfeng family's thousand-year treasure, haha! As we agreed, whoever finds it keeps it—this is all yours!" the Cloud Dream War God laughed heartily.

The Elder Mu Wang couldn't help but glance at his master.

Teng Qingshan was secretly astonished. "Seeing this treasure, the Cloud Dream War God can actually suppress the urge of greed." If transport hadn't been an issue, Teng Qingshan would have loved to move all the treasures to the Nine Provinces, but the Six-Legged Blade Cicada was only so large; carrying the Fire Gilt Iron was already its limit. As for the Undying Phoenix, 'Xiao Qing,' its body was nearly forty feet long, leaving an even smaller area on its back for cargo.

"Qingshan, with this, I imagine... the Duanmu Continent will soon have a Teng Clan," the Cloud Dream War God remarked, though inwardly he sighed. It wasn't that he lacked greed, but... he knew the rule had been set between them. Moreover, with the Undying Phoenix plus Teng Qingshan, the Cloud Dream War God dared not act domineeringly.

"A Teng Clan?"

Teng Qingshan shook his head. "Brother Mu, I have no ambition for the Duanmu Continent. This treasure—the gold, precious gems, armor, weapons, all of it—I want none of it. It all belongs to your Mu family. I will only take the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures that can alter aptitude, enhance internal strength, or elevate the 'God' level, along with some secret manuals."

"This..." The Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang were utterly shocked.

Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures?

Aside from the Three Great Spiritual Treasures, the Mu family already possessed many other spiritual medicines and fruits, though these offered little tangible benefit to enhancing the Mu family’s strength. As for secret manuals? Their family lineage traced back to the supreme expert, 'Thunder Blade Celestial God' Duanmu Yu; they simply didn't care for the Tianfeng family's techniques.

"Qingshan, I cannot accept this," the Cloud Dream War God insisted. "Compared to this armor, weapons, and gold, those spiritual treasures are nothing. Only the nine lotus seeds, the Tianfeng Water Pearl, and the Cloud Dream White Fruit hold real value."

"Brother Mu."

Teng Qingshan smiled calmly. "To tell you the truth, I am not from the Duanmu Continent."

"What?" The Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang were greatly surprised.

"Brother Mu, I actually hail from a continent called the 'Nine Provinces.' That is my true home! Furthermore, the Divine Axe Celestial God 'Da Yu' is also from our land." Teng Qingshan chose not to hide anything; there was, after all, no point in concealment, as the Nine Provinces and the Duanmu Continent were separated by an immense distance. Even a peak Innate Golden Core expert would face peril attempting to cross the North Sea; only Void Realm experts could manage the passage.

"The Nine Provinces?" The Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang were completely stunned.

"In our Nine Provinces, there are billions of people—ten times the population here. Experts are as numerous as clouds... and Void Realm experts far outnumber those here," Teng Qingshan sighed, shaking his head. "In my estimation, the entire Nine Provinces might have over twenty Void Realm experts!"

If calculated at three Void Realm experts per province, the Nine Provinces would have twenty-seven! If two per province, eighteen! Teng Qingshan didn't believe that the efficiency of producing Void Realm experts in the ancient Yu Imperial Gate, the Qinling Family, or the most powerful 'Mani Temple' would be lower than that of Yangzhou. If one factored in the numerous islands in the East Sea, the various kingdoms of the Western Regions, and the many tribes on the Great Grasslands, how many more Void Realm experts would emerge? The mysterious Celestial Palace, for instance, was a lurking super-sect! It could be said—the situation on the Duanmu Continent was clear, but the land of the Nine Provinces was rife with hidden undercurrents; it was profoundly deep, whether openly or secretly!

"Twenty Void Realm experts?" The Cloud Dream War God swallowed hard, while Mu Wang was simply terrified into silence. Compared to the Nine Provinces, the Duanmu Continent was akin to just one of its provinces.

"That is only my conservative estimate," Teng Qingshan said, his gaze distant. "I know too little about the Nine Provinces. How many Void Realm experts truly exist, I will only know when I return."

The Cloud Dream War God and Mu Wang were utterly dumbfounded by this revelation. It turned out that what they considered the world's foremost power was merely an outlook from the bottom of a well.

"However, you need not worry. The Nine Provinces are more than a hundred thousand li away from here. Even Void Realm experts rarely bother crossing such a vast sea for mere curiosity," Teng Qingshan smiled. "Brother Mu, if you ever wish to visit the Nine Provinces, just travel due south for over a hundred thousand li, and you will arrive."

"Over a hundred thousand li?"

They felt awe at the vast distance, yet simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. At least the major powers of the Nine Provinces were unlikely to invade.

After searching the secret chamber briefly, Teng Qingshan emerged carrying two large iron chests. One chest contained various heavenly treasures, and the other held five stone tablets inscribed with the 'Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting.' What made Teng Qingshan happiest was that, in addition to the nine lotus seeds, he also found three drops of 'Tianfeng Water Pearl.'

A single drop of Tianfeng Water Pearl could completely clear the meridians of the user and boost their physical strength to the level of one hundred thousand jin. His senior disciple, 'Teng Shou,' had only reached one hundred thousand jin of strength upon achieving the Grandmaster realm.

...

The senior leadership of the Tianfeng family was nearly wiped out; the struggle for the family headship alone threw the clan into chaos. With the strength of the Cloud Dream War God and the might of the Rising Sun Merchant Guild, seizing the Helian family's hoard was relatively easy. Only the sheer volume of gold required considerable effort from the Cloud Dream War God and the Merchant Guild to move.

August 13th, the day after the Tianfeng War God's demise.

Within the Donghua Garden of Rising Sun City, Cloud Dream Ancient City.

"Brother Mu, there is no need to see me off," Teng Qingshan said with a smile.

The Cloud Dream War God sighed emotionally. Although Teng Qingshan had not been on the Duanmu Continent for long, he had left behind numerous legends—whether it was his title as the strongest Martial Saint, the burning of the army at Ox-Head Mountain, or his battle with the Tianfeng War God—his name would forever be remembered by the Duanmu Continent.

"Brother Qingshan, I too long to see the Nine Provinces," the Cloud Dream War God lamented. "Solitude is heavy; there are truly no worthy opponents left on the Duanmu Continent." The peak expert felt lonely.

"However, I cannot yet leave the Mu family's affairs to rest. Once Mu Wang reaches the Void Realm, I should then be able to visit your Nine Provinces," the Cloud Dream War God said, smiling at Teng Qingshan. "When that time comes, Qingshan, you must show me around the Nine Provinces properly, and hopefully, I can carve out some great achievements there too." Creating a new path in the Nine Provinces would be ten or a hundred times harder than on the Duanmu Continent.

"Haha, certainly. But when you come, you’ll have to help me conquer the world," Teng Qingshan teased with a laugh.

"It's fine. I'm an old man, over four hundred years old; being able to clash with some Void Realm experts is worth it," the Cloud Dream War God laughed. Mu Wang beside him looked on with envy... Compared to the vast expanse of the Nine Provinces, the Duanmu Continent was truly too small.

"Brother Mu, we shall depart then."

Soon, Teng Qingshan and his group flew eastward, riding the Undying Phoenix and the Gale Eagle.

Looking back at the horizon, they watched the receding silhouettes of Teng Qingshan and his company.

"The Nine Provinces..." the Cloud Dream War God murmured, filled with yearning. "That is where Void Realm experts truly belong!"

Riding the Undying Phoenix, Teng Qingshan and his party first arrived at the Fu family's residence to return the stone tablets of the 'Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting.' Fu Yuping was deeply reluctant to leave her family to travel to the distant Nine Provinces, so she chose to stay, taking with her a copy of the 'Seventy-Two Styles of Earth Splitting' that Teng Qingshan gifted her.

The 'Seventy-Two Styles of Earth Splitting,' refined by Teng Qingshan, could be considered a supreme axe technique. For the Fu family, this technique, which they could understand, was far more beneficial than the incomprehensible 'Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting.' Seeing this copy of the 'Seventy-Two Styles of Earth Splitting,' Fu Dao was also immensely moved and deeply grateful.

"Senior Yu Huang, consider this a small compensation for your bloodline," Teng Qingshan thought to himself.

...

High above the Divine Axe Mountain, above the clouds, the colossal body of the Six-Legged Blade Cicada soared. Its massive frame was laden with three bound wooden chests, and even the Gale Eagle rested upon its back. Beside the Six-Legged Blade Cicada, the Undying Phoenix spread its wings, flying alongside. Teng Qingshan and the others were on the Undying Phoenix’s back.

"Roar! Roar~~" The Six-Legged Blade Cicada roared continuously.

"Qingshan, it’s very unhappy. It even said it won't sleep anymore," Li Jun laughed.

"Who told it to be lazy," Teng Qingshan chuckled. "Qingluan reached the Void Realm and became a Divine Beast, but the Six-Legged Blade Cicada sleeps every day and doesn't even watch me practice my boxing. If it doesn't reach the Void Realm, it’s not my fault." Earlier, when Teng Qingshan and the others entered the Divine Axe Mountain, the Six-Legged Blade Cicada was startled by the appearance of the Undying Phoenix. Especially after learning from Li Jun that Qingluan had transformed into the Undying Phoenix, the Cicada, which dreamed of reaching the Void Realm, felt both angry and resentful! It also desperately wanted to reach the Void Realm! Thus, it resolved never to sleep again and to watch Teng Qingshan practice his boxing every day!

"A'Shou, A'Dong, this trip to the Nine Provinces likely means we may never return to the Duanmu Continent in our lifetime. If you regret it now, there is still time. Once we fly far enough, regret will be useless," Teng Qingshan looked at his two disciples, concerning Teng Shou and Yang Dong's decision to stay or follow. Though Teng Qingshan wished for them to accompany him, he would not object if they chose to remain. Letting Teng Shou propagate the lineage of internal martial arts on the Duanmu Continent would also be a good thing.

"I follow Master," Teng Shou replied in a low voice.

"The Duanmu Continent? I don't wish to stay here," Yang Dong was more straightforward.

Neither disciple had any attachment to the Duanmu Continent.

"Qingshan, we are returning to the Nine Provinces. It's been a long time since I went back," Li Jun said, her gaze distant. Suddenly, a blush of shy pink crossed her face. "Qingshan, if your parents see me..." The ugly bride finally has to meet the in-laws; thinking of that moment made Li Jun feel nervous.

"Haha, my parents will surely be overjoyed," Teng Qingshan held his wife's hand and looked south.

Thus, Teng Qingshan, taking his wife, his two disciples, the Gale Eagle, the Void Realm Divine Beast Undying Phoenix, and the Six-Legged Blade Cicada—which was just a step shy of the Void Realm—headed toward the Nine Provinces. Of course, he also carried ninety thousand jin of Fire Gilt Iron, the nine Flame Lotus Seeds, three drops of Tianfeng Water Pearl, and countless secret manuals and Heaven and Earth Spiritual Treasures.

"Nine Provinces, here I come!"

"Father, Mother, your child will see you soon."

Looking toward the south, Teng Qingshan's heart had already reached the Nine Provinces, reached Jiangning Commandery—that land he yearned for, where his family, his friends, and his clan resided...