Anthony walked to the platform nearly drooling. The platform had an otherworldly aura, showing that the things on it were really good things. Once again, he threw a set of rats on the platform, but they just ran around for a while before making their way out of the room.

"The platform is safe. Treasures, here I come. I suffered a lot to get here, getting all dirty while trying to catch rats." He muttered and dropped the basket of rats, before making his way up the stairs leading to the platform.

The moment his foot touched the platform, a white glow surrounded him, swirling around him. However, he ignored them and continued on his way up since he didn't feel any threat. He moved to the table where the wooden and jade boxes were kept, reaching out tentatively to touch it. The little arch at the edge of the platform suddenly shone with a light blue light, as if triggered by his touch.

Anthony found himself quickly turning to that direction. An old man with a long white hair, and long white beard manifested there with his hands clapsed behind him, while watching Anthony like one who wanted to catch a thief about to steal his treasure.

Anthony frowned and faced the man, watching the man who seemed to be floating a centimeter above the floor. If Anthony wasn't very observant, he wouldn't have noticed that the man's foot was not touching the ground.

"Is that his coporeal body or not? Could he be the owner of this place?" He thought, watching the old man. However, the old man didn't seem like he had intentions of attacking him, so he quickly relaxed.

"You managed to come in, that's commendable." The old man said, still clapsing his hand behind his back.

"Do you own this place? What's your identity?" Anthony questioned back.

"It depends on what you mean by owning this place. If it's the perilous lands and the underground world created by the two lords, bridging the three realms while acting as a gateway to heaven, hell and earth. Then, no, I don't own this place. I won't dare to claim the fruit of guqin demon and Lord Hua Cheng's labor. If you mean this room, the answer will still be no. I don't own it, I merely borrowed it."

"You borrowed it?" Anthony echoed, trying to make sense of the old man's words.

"Exactly, I borrowed it for a hundred years. After I failed my ascension, I was very weak and some treacherous people wanted to take advantage and crush me while I was down. I had discovered this place by a stroke of luck at one time. So, in my time of distress, I sneaked back here and made this room into what it was. I locked myself here in secluded cultivation for a hundred years, before I finally managed to ascend. So, you see, this room has a lot of significance for me. It was my home when I needed shelter, and the point of redemption to me. It was also the place I discovered the strongest version of myself, and deciphered heaven's secrets. Perhaps, it's because this point is the best place in this world. It hides the foundation of this place, with the best feng shui, the gathering of heaven and earth energy, and laws of the cosmos. However, few people can find this place in the maze, or even persevere to this point. It's pretty commendable, considering the fact that your cultivation is still low."

Anthony immediately felt naked before him.

"You can even tell my cultivation level?"

"Of course, it's nothing surprising. Most masters can tell the cultivation of someone below their cultivation level or of the same level. Some can even send mental attacks—like sound attacks to destroy one's mind, create fierce backlash."

"Won't that make someone vulnerable in the battlefield?" Anthony muttered, his face scrunched up in deep frown.

The old man smiled and nodded. The boy was quite smart.

"Exactly. And that's why most people cultivate methods to hide their cultivation. However, really powerful masters who has a great power disparity can easily see through you even if you disguise yourself. Some fool proof techniques, in addition to being innately powerful can create a combination that can be difficult to see through. Unless you meet a monster of course."

Anthony nodded.

"I guess there are such techniques among the books I just borrowed from you."

"Borrowed? You mean helped yourself to? However, that's normal. In cultivation world, treasure hunting, grave robbery, and even daylight robbery happens as long as one has enough power. You being able to get here shows that you have adequate strength and wisdom. Keeping everything in this room is quite justified since you made the efforts. As long as you have the ability to take them away of course."

"Come on. I didn't rob you. This place is old and unkempt, so I assumed the owner had died or relocated, and won't be needing any of these under any circumstances. Didn't you just say so yourself? You're no longer in this realm. I didn't rob you. I just picked up what you no longer needed. After all, it won't profit you if you let it remain here and rot. But I'm still young and full of potential, they will be pretty useful in my hands. And if there's any that's not suitable for my cultivation method, I can give it out to someone else. In any case, I will make sure it ends up in the hands of competent people who will use it well. You will definitely be satisfied." Anthony said and flashed the old man's illusion a wide grin.

"Glib tongued brat. Just don't let those techniques down. Everything here is of good quality, at least saint ranked. From the techniques, to the pills, spirit stones, cultivation techniques, and weapons. Everything is a good item. You better not let the legacy down."

"Don't worry. Soon, my name will be heard all over the cultivation world. The world will know that Anthony has arrived." He said and winked at the old man.

"You're pretty arrogant. There are lots of geniuses. What the cultivation world doesn't lack is geniuses. However, if one lacks self awareness and carelessly looks for trouble, they will end up dead before they had the chance to achieve anything. There are uncountable short lived geniuses. Only those who endure or have tyrannical strength can achieve greatness. In cultivation, the only person you have is yourself. Even your dao companion can betray you for the sake of her interests."

"I understand, I understand."

Indeed, Anthony understood best what a greedy wife could do. The old man didn't need to remind him.

"You mentioned something about mind attack and backlash. Is there a way to prevent it?" Anthony asked, quickly changing the topic.

"Of course. There are spiritual cultivation arts that trains the mind's defenses, and protect it from attacks. Unless you have the bad luck of meeting a monster that defies reason and is way more powerful than imagination. There are attacks that specialize on attacking the mind, reflecting the attacks of others, and controlling the mind. There's a fearsome existence whose name has resounded through the ages. He's known for sound attack, using music like a blade to kill, to control other people, and to reflect attack. Lord Lan, the guqin demon is the most recent example of people who excelled in the art of sound control and attack. He's proficient in the use of sword, and other means of attack. But his most notable weapon was his seven string guqin. He even managed to cultivate a guqin soul. Cultivating musical instruments to have a soul is the hardest, most impossible thing to do because unlike sword and spears, musical instruments are not naturally aligned with the cultivation path. But he did it. He's one of those people I talk about, monsters that walk the land, defying all reasons, creating miracles and massacres along their journey."

"Do you mean brother Lan Xuanyu?"

The old man immediately looked terrified.

"How dare you refer to the celestial Lord as brother?"

Anthony rolled his eyes. Would the old man believe him if he told him that he spoke to Lan Xuanyu a while ago and even teased him?

"Lord Lan Xuanyu, Lord Hua Cheng, I have heard about them. How about you? Aren't you their senior?"

"Ha! Ancestor, you must be joking with me. I'm not qualified. Just a sneeze from either of them can kill me, talk more of a situation where they personally make a move. Age wise, they're also older."

"Ah? But they look so young! Are you mistaken? Being more powerful doesn't necessarily mean that they're older. Like you rightly pointed out, they're not normal, while you're just average. Monsters like you referred to them."

The old man didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this point. He began to regret showing his consciousness which he left to meet the person who would inherit his legacy. He didn't know if the junior before him was ignorant, arrogant or simply stupid.

"Of course they don't age. They're immortal. As long as nothing unexpected happens, they will still look like that for a thousand years to come. You probably look older than they do. Their cultivation increased too rapidly, they are monsters that are rarely seen anywhere. They created waves on the nine heavens before they suddenly retreated into secluded cultivation, not caring about the affairs of the world. However, even though they have stopped appearing, their stories can never be forgotten. Do you understand now?"

"So Lan Xuanyu is that awesome. Wow. That's indeed the type of brother one should have. Unexpectedly, he's so awesome despite being shameless." Anthony whispered, nodding.

His words hit the old man like storms. If it was not merely a projection of his consciousness left through special means, Anthony's words would have given him a heart attack.

'Is he crazy or just arrogant? If he keeps this up, he will be killed sooner or later by other geniuses. With a mouth like this, offending those you shouldn't is certain.'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.