The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS

August 18th, Wang Yuehe and his three companions were fully equipped and set out for Feiyun Pass.

In the Imperial City, the white-haired daoist ascended into the sky and, riding the winds, flew towards Feiyun Pass.

However, as he reached the border of Yan Province and entered Yun Province, he was suddenly struck by a palm force that tore through the air.

The palm force seemed infinitely small, yet also infinitely large, encompassing the universe and carrying with it the momentum of Heavenly Destiny, from which no one could escape.

"Boom—"

The palm force struck Qing Yu, who offered no resistance, producing a loud explosion.

And then, "Thud—"

A powerful rebounding force immediately scattered the palm force, revealing the figure of Qing Yu standing with his hands behind his back.

"Demon Path Qing Yu, you've indeed reached the Divinity Realm. So tell me, is the Red Thunder above Divine Capital because of you?"

A figure draped in a deep blue cloak gradually became visible, the voice—old yet youthful—emitted from beneath the cloak.

"Elder Shiming," Qing Yu said with certainty.

In all the world, only Elder Shiming could approach him so silently and remain enigmatic to his current powers. Others, even the strongest, would reveal some clues to Qing Yu, but only Elder Shiming, regarded as The World's Number One in Heavenly Mechanism Skill, could completely conceal his presence.

And,

"It is I," Elder Shiming nodded, "Tell me, were you the one who stirred the Red Thunder?"

As he spoke, an invisible gaze seemed to probe every detail of Qing Yu. But Qing Yu's true self was protected by the Nihility Magic Mirror, and being a master of Heavenly Mechanism himself—although not as profound as Elder Shiming— he had no trouble concealing his own secrets.

However, Elder Shiming's probing inadvertently revealed a hint of his own power.

'That palm strike was merely a probe. His true power is unfathomable.' Qing Yu silently speculated.

This eccentric old monster that Qing Yu had always been wary of suddenly appeared, searching for the secrets of Red Thunder. The mysteries behind it were deeper than Qing Yu had imagined.

"Elder Shiming, did you seek me out over the matter of the Red Thunder?" Qing Yu responded calmly, "I regret to say that I know little about it."

Anyway, this body wasn't Qing Yu's true self; even if it were destroyed, he would only feel a slight pity. Thus, Qing Yu remained utterly composed.

"You're also one of my fellow daoists, obstructing my divinations. Your skill in the Heavenly Mechanism must be within the top ten in the world. With such ability, how could you know so little about the event of the Red Thunder?"

Elder Shiming scoffed, "Qing Yu, drop the act. Surely you've noticed the limits of your lifespan as well. Unlike those brute warriors who possess mere strength without skill, we who are skilled in Heavenly Mechanism are not ignorant of the intangible limits of lifespan."

The constraints on lifespan were not inherent to oneself, but imposed by the heavens and earth. Mighty warriors of the Divine Realm, strong as they may be, failed to perceive the true nature of lifespan limits.

Many in the Divine Realm believed it to be natural, that a lifespan of merely a thousand years was expected, unaware that those of equal level in the Bitter Realm with Innate power could easily live for thousands of years without issue.

"There's something wrong with this world," Qing Yu openly admitted when Elder Shiming mentioned lifespan limits.

Indeed, there was an anomaly; even the lifespan of the Saint and Demon Embryo was constrained, indicating that the world's actual level was not inferior to that of the Thunder World. However, this invisible limitation on lifespan cruelly snuffed out any hope for Divine Realm warriors to advance further.

"There is a problem. This invisible barrier halts our path forward. At most a thousand years, and even the Supreme capable of creating space will turn to dust. Qing Yu, don't you wish to break this constraint and achieve true longevity?" Elder Shiming tempted.

"What are you trying to say?" Qing Yu asked calmly, "The arrangement of the Breaking Wolf Three Stars was also your doing, wasn't it? As The World's Number One Master of Heavenly Mechanism, only you could set up such a pattern without anyone noticing. Elder Shiming, what exactly are you plotting?"

"Plotting? Haven't you heard what the Shadow King said? Of course, it's longevity," replied Elder Shiming, "The lifespan limit for those in the Divine Realm is a thousand years, but only the strongest can reach that limit. For us in the Divine Realm, our lifespan caps at six hundred. When you're over four hundred, time's erosion begins, and you will slowly age, your vitality drying up.

By five hundred years, you're already old and can do nothing but quietly await death. This fate of despair naturally doesn't sit well with some."

'You're saying you'll only live to six hundred? You're fooling no one.' Qing Yu thought cynically to himself.

Keep in mind, even Meng Shanhe had to seek the right moment to unveil Elder Shiming's concealment of the Heavenly Mechanism. If Elder Shiming was merely an ordinary Divine communicator, he couldn't have confounded Meng Shanhe so.

However, Elder Shiming's latter words may be false, but the first half did reveal some vital information.

"You mentioned the Shadow King..." Qing Yu caught on to that detail and slowly said, "It seems you're one of those people the Shadow King spoke of, who wish to invoke a greater calamity using another calamity."

"Not just me; you will be one of us, too," Elder Shiming said with an enigmatic chuckle, "I can tell, you and I, as well as a few others, are of the same ilk. I seek longevity, and so do you. Despite your youth, you will certainly not want to experience the ravages of aging.

Qing Yu, would you like to share in longevity with us?"

"You're inviting me to join you?" Qing Yu inquired.

"Indeed, a Divine communicator in your twenties— you're destined to be one of the strongest. Moreover, the Red Thunder that threw the Heavenly Mechanism into chaos must have been triggered by you, already qualifying you to join us. However..."

Elder Shiming's tone shifted, "Our group is full. If you want to join, you must eliminate someone to free up a place and prove your strength."

"Oh?" Qing Yu seemed very interested, "Will you tell me the names of your members?"

Such secret organizations, even the Shadow King hadn't mentioned names, so would Elder Shiming so readily share the names of the members with Qing Yu?

"Tong Jue from Zhenwu Sect, the one you need to take care of. He no longer fits to be our ally, and what better way to test your mettle than him. Kill him, and you become one of us. This aligns with your wishes, doesn't it?" Elder Shiming laughed lightly.

Tong Jue, one of the Zhenwu Three Elders. If Qing Yu were to control the Zhenwu Sect, then Tong Jue would be someone he had to confront. He couldn't believe that Tong Jue would be content to be under his command.

"After you have killed Tong Jue, I will come looking for you again. I hope you will stand with us. Hahaha..."

Elder Shiming seemed certain that Qing Yu would agree. After speaking, he slowly vanished before Qing Yu, leaving not a trace behind, only a series of his booming laughter echoing in the air.

Qing Yu lingered in the air for a long while, then cracked a faint smile, "Elder Shiming, and everyone else covetting longevity, things are getting more and more interesting."