"The former number one of Xunyang Prefecture?"

Qin An furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

As a member of the Evil Extermination Bureau, he had perused nearly all the bureau's records, but had never seen any mention of this number one person.

Currently, the universally recognized strongest in Xunyang Prefecture is the Lord of the General Mansion outside, so who is this former number one, really?

"Have you ever heard of this person?" Qin An turned his head to look at Zhao Quan.

Zhao Quan shook his head and said, "Sir, I only know that the current number one is the Lord of the General Mansion. As for those before... it seems there's no record."

Zhao Xue also shook her head slightly, indicating she was also unsure.

Qin An withdrew his gaze and stared at the pseudo-god kneeling on the ground: "Tell me, what Heart Method did this number one leave behind, and what is his background?"

The pseudo-god dared not neglect, still maintaining his kneeling posture, speaking rapidly: "When that old fool suppressed me, he often talked to himself out of loneliness. According to him, the former number one of Xunyang Prefecture was actually a beast - a true dragon!"

"A true dragon?" Qin An said with interest: "There are no records of a true dragon ever appearing in Xunyang Prefecture. Continue."

Although Jiao Long Hall has the character for dragon, it's only a flood dragon.

They admired true dragons, hence the name Jiao Long Hall, and even those beasts have dragon surnames.

Even when later the Hall Master of Jiao Long Hall acquired the corpse of a flood dragon, they treated it as a treasure.

As for whether Xunyang Prefecture has true dragons, Qin An knew well there was no remaining true dragon power.

Qin An had only seen a flood dragon corpse from the campaign against Jiao Long Hall in the past.

Now with another flood dragon corpse appearing, Qin An estimated there might be a connection between the two.

Of course, he wouldn't bother with it.

Now, he only wanted to know what benefits he could gain from this.

The pseudo-god spoke softly: "Long ago, a true dragon rampaged through Xunyang Prefecture, devouring whole villages at will. At that time, the prefecture was helpless until the General Mansion allied with various forces to lay an ambush."

"That battle was bloody, with mountains of corpses piled high. Although they severely injured the true dragon, they couldn't kill it. The beast escaped to the relics of the Ancient Battlefield and vanished."

"Gone, but not dead?" Qin An rubbed his chin, his eyes gleaming with interest: "This is quite interesting."

"It appeared to be alive on the surface, but was actually on its last legs," the pseudo-god explained, "When it fled to a hidden place, it happened upon the Zhao family's ancestor. The true dragon promised to bestow a Heart Method in exchange for medicinal herbs, but..."

"Before the Zhao family's ancestor could gather the herbs, the true dragon had perished."

"Then why not just take the Heart Method?" Qin An asked.

The pseudo-god shook his head: "The Heart Method was hidden inside the true dragon's belly, sealed with a Secret Technique that was impossible to break. Therefore, the Zhao family's ancestor calculated the time, waiting for the Secret Technique's dissolution to retrieve it."

"He placed the true dragon's corpse in a hidden location within the Ancient Battlefield relics. By now, the Secret Technique should have dissipated. He planned to absorb me and then seize the Secret Technique, but didn't expect to encounter your might and was slain on the spot."

Qin An didn't speak.

After the pseudo-god finished speaking, a silence fell.

The stone cave was deathly silent.

Zhao Quan and Zhao Xue both knew Qin An was contemplating and refrained from interrupting.

Qin An paced back and forth in the stone cave with his hands behind his back.

The sound of footsteps was exceedingly clear in the quiet space.

After a moment, the footsteps paused slightly.

Qin An glanced back at the pseudo-god kneeling on the ground: "Where is that Heart Method now?"

He had pondered for a moment and thought it might be feasible.

Although he had a Golden Finger to deduce cultivation techniques, encountering a supreme technique would enhance the deduction greatly.

Thus, this trip seemed worth a try.

As for any dangers, he would deal with them when they came.

Opportunities like this don't come often. If he didn't even dare to take a look, Qin An would feel it a great loss.

The pseudo-god clenched his teeth and remained silent.

Qin An's lips curled slightly, teasing: "I know what you're thinking. You worry that telling me would lead to me killing you on the spot, hence using it as leverage for a comeback. But have you considered one thing?"

The pseudo-god hesitated and asked: "What thing?"

Qin An's eyes flashed with killing intent: "I may want the Heart Method, but to me, it's just icing on the cake, not a matter of life and death. If you don't speak, I won't keep an unstable element by my side."

The pseudo-god hung his head silently, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Qin An stepped forward, bringing Cold Star to the pseudo-god's neck: "I'll give you three breaths' time. If you're unwilling, then you'll meet the Zhao family's ancestor."

Three breaths were the most time Qin An would allow.

If he remained silent, Qin An would indeed decapitate him.

As for the Heart Method, it was far less important to Qin An than stability.

If he gained it, it was a bonus; if not, so be it.

With the divine wood attribute already attained, Qin An was content.

The pseudo-god could clearly feel the cold blade against his neck and the terrifying killing intent emanating from Qin An, causing his heart to tremble slightly.

He realized Qin An truly intended to kill him, with no jest involved.

After deciding, the pseudo-god looked up and rasped: "Sir, do you keep your word?"

Qin An laughed: "You have no choice. Whether you trust or not, it's the difference between certain death and a slim chance of survival. As I see it, it's better to choose the slim chance, wouldn't you agree?"

"Alright," the pseudo-god said, "about three hundred miles north of here, there's a large river. The treasure is hidden within it!"

"Hidden in the river?" Qin An frowned: "Why?"

"Dragons love water, especially an injured true dragon," the pseudo-god explained, "The river water could alleviate the true dragon's injuries. Even in death, a true dragon's body can be preserved in water."

"As for why preserving a true dragon's corpse, because it's full of treasures. The Zhao family's ancestor intended to use the true dragon's body treasures, thus placing it in the river for preservation."

Qin An nodded: "That explanation makes sense."

The pseudo-god looked up: "Sir, I've told you everything I know. I've never harmed anyone here. Could you let me go?"

"Rest assured, sir. After you release me, I will leave at once and dare not come near you ever again."

Qin An teased: "Never harmed anyone? Only because you've never left. I can sense the unpleasant Evil Qi from you. While there are both good and evil pseudo-gods, you are not a benevolent one."

The pseudo-god glared wide-eyed, suddenly darting towards the exit.

Before he could take a step forward, a cold gleam flashed in Qin An's hand.

The terrifying Five-Colored True Essence enveloped the Pseudo-God entirely.

The slash pierced through the Pseudo-God's chest.

The Pseudo-God looked down at the blade's tip protruding from his chest, gritted his teeth, and said, "You, a man of broken promises, will die! You will die miserably! I'll be waiting for you below!"

Qin An's expression was indifferent as the Five-Colored True Essence trembled, turning the Pseudo-God into scattered ashes.

A Pseudo Pill fell into Qin An's hand, which he absorbed before sheathing his saber.

The underground cavern plunged into silence.

A moment later, Zhao Quan stepped forward, breaking the quiet.

"Mr. Qin, thank you so much for your help; otherwise, we wouldn't have obtained the inheritance crystal. If the Zhao family can reclaim its past glory, Mr. Qin will surely lead the way."

Zhao Xue followed, saying, "If Mr. Qin directs us east, we shall never go west."

Qin An turned to the Zhao siblings, shook his head, and said, "It's all just business; nothing else matters. Since the transaction is complete, you should leave."

Zhao Quan hesitated and said, "Sir, the location where the True Dragon body is kept is likely quite perilous. Please be careful."

He didn't try to persuade Qin An not to go, knowing Qin An's character well.

Not going would be truly out of character.

Moreover, how could someone as insignificant as him dissuade Qin An?

Zhao Xue couldn't meet Qin An's gaze, excitement flashing in her eyes, as she bit her lip.

A ripple formed in her heart, realizing that this journey to the Ancient Battlefield relics added a splash of color to her life.

Later, when engaged in casual chat, she could tell others that she witnessed the elegance of an extraordinary talent in the Ancient Battlefield relics.

An elegance that ordinary people could hardly catch up to even a hundredfold.

Qin An nodded silently, no longer speaking, holding Cold Star as he stepped out of the cavern.

Outside Cangcui Forest, a gentle breeze blew.

After bidding farewell to Zhao Quan, Qin An swiftly headed to the location mentioned by the Pseudo-God using Dragon Roar Shadow Step.

Soon, Cangcui Forest fell silent, with only the gentle wind rustling the green leaves.

...

On a high mountain, a terrifying battle raged.

Countless human cultivators and demonic pseudo-gods launched their strongest attacks, causing the whole mountain to shiver.

The mountain top shimmered with colorful treasure lights, now you see them, now you don't.

The path leading to the mountain was scattered with various corpses, including humans and demonic pseudo-gods.

This mountain was a surge location in the Ancient Battlefield, the treasures atop the mountain being the targets of countless cultivators.

Zhao Wuhuan, wielding a folding fan, pierced several demons in rapid succession.

He glanced at the mountain top's colorful lights, slightly furrowing his brows.

Black Wind, with bandages wrapped around his shoulder, wielded his Big Ring Saber, blocking several pseudo-god attacks, staying close to Zhao Wuhuan's side: "Sir, the situation isn't looking good."

They entered the Ancient Battlefield relics with a mission.

Ancient Battlefield relic missions differ from others, limited in number.

Once taken, they won't reappear.

Thus, Zhao Wuhuan and Black Wind were fortunate.

However, in entering this surge location, they faced massive demonic pseudo-god attacks. Despite other human forces battling alongside them, the situation was stalemated.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuhuan furrowed his brows even more: "Keep going, even if we can't snatch the opportunities, don't let the demonic pseudo-gods take them!"

Upon this declaration, Black Wind nodded slightly, following Zhao Wuhuan back into the fray.

The battle continued for the time it takes for a joss stick to burn.

At this moment, the two sides suddenly parted, forming two groups facing each other.

The bodies on the ground had yet to cool, but both sides tacitly refrained from ascending the mountain, instead temporarily recuperating.

Zhao Wuhuan wiped the blood from his Soft Sword as Black Wind wrapped bandages around his left arm: "Contact our colleagues at the Evil Extermination Bureau quickly; they're likely contacting their factions too. We can't let them take the treasure on this mountain!"

Black Wind took out a plaque from his waist and sent out a distress signal as Zhao Wuhuan instructed.

The sky was gathering ominous clouds, this respite uncertain in duration.

Yet both sides knew well that once reinforcements arrived, the anticipated final battle would commence.

...

In the serene landscape, without traces of birds or beasts, a gentle breeze blew.

Qin An strolled through the dense forest, nearing the great river.

However, before reaching the river, he would need to cross a mountain.

At this moment, the outline of the mountain was vaguely visible.

Qin An planned to quicken his pace, to cross the mountain and retrieve the True Dragon body's Heart Method.

Just then, rapid footsteps sounded.

Qin An grasped the saber hilt and turned to look, squinting slightly.

He saw over a dozen figures rapidly approaching, each dressed in the Evil Extermination Bureau's black uniforms.

The copper plaques at their waists gleamed with a cold light.

"Mountain Patrol Copper General? It seems they're not coming for me, where are they headed?" Qin An raised an eyebrow, pondering.

Just then, his waist's plaque shook violently.

Qin An was slightly taken aback, removing the plaque, infusing it with the Five-Colored True Essence.

Immediately, he gleaned a message from the plaque, furrowing his brow.

A set of coordinates appeared within the plaque, accompanied by a message that caught Qin An's eye.

"Come quickly to the surge location; we can barely hold on—Zhao Wuhuan."

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