Heavenly Dao Engine
Chapter 1445 - 1445 0818 A Snake Cant Move Without Its Head

Chapter 1445: Chapter 0818: A Snake Can’t Move Without Its Head Chapter 1445: Chapter 0818: A Snake Can’t Move Without Its Head Chapter 0818: A Snake Without a Head is Useless

After obtaining intelligence from Chen Yang, Qi Tian sealed Chen Yang’s Nascent Soul and threw it into the storage chamber of the Heavenly Dao Engine to suppress it. Qi Tian then continued on his journey as if nothing had happened. He learned from his encounter where Chen Yang tried to assassinate him; he firstly disguised his cultivation level, suppressing it from the Gold Core Realm down to the Foundation Establishment Stage. He then changed his flying sword to a moderately above average one within the Foundation Establishment Stage, replacing the original. He also slowed down his traveling speed. In a word, he took various measures to lower others’ estimation of him to prevent anyone else from jumping out to stop him from reaching the secret realm.

The measures taken by Qi Tian proved to be quite effective. During his subsequent journey, he was able to remotely observe several Nascent Soul Masters in disguise through the sensing function of the Heavenly Dao Engine, but none of them launched a sneak attack like Chen Yang had. It seemed they all regarded him as an insignificant figure and didn’t even bother to stop and interrogate him.

Qi Tian was naturally very satisfied with this outcome. He maintained this state and continued on his journey. He arrived at the secret realm before the appointed time and found the gathering point set up by Wanjie City at the location written on a piece of paper provided by Yi Xuwen.

After Qi Tian reported his name, several people came out from inside the gathering point. Qi Tian was somewhat surprised when he saw one of them; it was Sun Xiqi. Hadn’t he said he would stay in Wanjie City a while longer? Why had Sun Xiqi arrived faster than him?

Seeing Qi Tian’s surprised expression, Sun Xiqi chuckled and said, “When I was coming over, I was still asking about your whereabouts, Qi Tian. I was wondering why you set out so early, and yet I arrived before you. Now I understand, it turns out you traveled this way. It’s my fault; I forgot to tell you that we at Wanjie City had already set up a teleport point here that’s connected to Wanjie City. You could easily teleport here through the Teleportation Array.”

Realizing this, Qi Tian spoke with slight resentment, “Elder Sun, how could you forget to tell me something so important? You made me look like a fool. You don’t know how hard I struggled on my journey here. I was even thinking I’d perform well and certainly arrive before you, but in the end, you still beat me to it.”

Sun Xiqi laughed heartily and said, “My fault, my fault. By the way, did you encounter any special circumstances? Were you not attacked and killed?”

Qi Tian replied, “I was indeed worried about such a scenario, so I did a bit of disguising. Fortunately, nothing happened on the road. Otherwise, Elder Sun, you’d have had to explain it to the Mansion Master after you returned.”

Sun Xiqi heaved a sigh of relief. The fact that Qi Tian hadn’t been attacked and killed was the most ideal outcome. He was actually worried that something might happen to Qi Tian on the way. If that had been the case, he would definitely have faced criticism from the Mansion Master, and the Master Mansion would have had to send someone else.

Sun Xiqi said, “After the matters of the secret realm are over, I will specifically host a banquet to apologize to you. Let me first introduce you to these few Sirs. We will be fighting alongside each other for a while.”

While speaking, Sun Xiqi began to introduce those present to Qi Tian. All of these people were Nascent Soul Masters, all of whom had rushed over from Wanjie City, including members from Wanjie Commerce and other forces. As Sun Xiqi introduced them, they all greeted Qi Tian courteously. Although Qi Tian was not a true Nascent Soul Master like them, he had publicly defeated Cheng Daoran in Tribulation City, and with such a basis, no one dared to look down on Qi Tian.

Including Qi Tian, there were already over a dozen Nascent Soul Masters at the gathering point, and that wasn’t everyone. According to Sun Xiqi, a few more were expected to arrive later. In the end, the total number of Nascent Soul Masters would be around twenty—a very significant number.

As Sun Xiqi was making introductions, Qi Tian noticed something; all the people present were at the First Level of the Nascent Soul Stage, and not a single one was at the Second Level of the Nascent Soul Stage, nor did he see anyone at the peak of the First Level. He quietly noted this matter in his heart but did not inquire about it.

After Sun Xiqi finished the introductions, everyone returned to the gathering point where a feast had already been laid out. When Qi Tian arrived, Sun Xiqi and the others had already started drinking. Of course, they weren’t drinking ordinary alcohol nor eating common dishes; everything was top-tier ingredients befitting their status, each worth a fortune.

The banquet here did not feature round tables but individual tables for each person, each adorned with a nameplate bearing the names of various powers, and right below Sun Xiqi, there was one that read Qi Tian’s name. Without needing Sun Xiqi to point it out, Qi Tian, upon seeing the nameplate, knew this spot was designated for him and went straight over to sit down.

Just after Qi Tian settled down, a gaunt old man approached with a wine cup in hand. “This must be Qi Tian, the renowned Qi from Tribulation City, I presume? I am Du Wenpeng. I have long heard of Sir’s illustrious reputation, and seeing you today, it indeed lives up to it. If Sir doesn’t mind, please share this drink with me.”

Qi Tian, unsure of Du Wenpeng’s background, glanced at Sun Xiqi, who smiled and said, “This Du Sir is the discoverer of the secret realm. Without him, we would still be unaware of this realm, let alone know that it has several entrances and exits. Once the ownership of this realm is settled, Du Sir is sure to hold a stake here.”

Qi Tian then understood and looked at Du Wenpeng with a touch of sympathy. If it weren’t for another sacred cultivation place discovering the secret realm at the same time as Du Wenpeng, the realm might have become his personal property, unrelated to any of the major forces of Wanjie City. But now, regardless of what Du Wenpeng felt, his potential benefits within this realm were limited, and not only could he not enjoy it exclusively, but claiming a major share was also out of the question.

Qi Tian drank a glass of wine with Du Wenpeng and then sat down. Seeing that Qi Tian was not inclined to talk more, Du Wenpeng smiled, filled his cup again, and went off to toast other Nascent Soul Masters.

Sun Xiqi sent a message to Qi Tian, “Do you think Du Wenpeng is quite pitiable? Your feeling is right in a way and wrong in another. Given Du Wenpeng’s individual power, even if he had indeed discovered such a secret realm by himself and wished to possess it alone, it would be nearly impossible unless he could develop his own force. Without a force as a backbone, it would be impossible for him to develop the realm on his own and would eventually reveal traces. If these were accidentally discovered, he would face catastrophic consequences. Now he does not need to exert much effort and will end up holding a share without any risk. Quite good, isn’t it?”

Qi Tian smiled and said nothing.

After Qi Tian took his seat, other Nascent Soul Masters slowly arrived. Sometimes Qi Tian stayed put, and other times, he joined the crowd to welcome the newcomers outside the gathering area. Like the earlier arrivals, these new ones were also all at the First Level of the Nascent Soul Stage, with no Second Level appearing.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Qi Tian couldn’t help feeling puzzled and sent a message to Sun Xiqi to inquire about this matter.

Sun Xiqi sighed, “The Second Level of the Nascent Soul Stage in both of the sacred cultivation places represents the very top tier, a level above us. With us at the frontlines fighting desperately, it’s enough; those high-profile figures don’t need to step in. Think about it, where do you see lords bleeding and sweating on the frontline, while we sit back and reap the benefits? Right?”

Qi Tian nodded in enlightenment and did not dwell on this issue further. Now, if a Nascent Soul Second Level cultivator were to appear, he might not necessarily feel relieved; more likely, he would be even more anxious.

With his current strength, unless he resorted to using the Millennium Corpse Water again like he did against Chen Yang, he really had no means to contend with such an opponent.

However, Qi Tian did not entirely put aside this concern. Sun Xiqi verbally assured there would be no Second Level Nascent Soul great figures here, which might just be their wishful thinking; it did not guarantee the absence of such powerhouses. What if these high-profile figures did come, would they inform them? Moreover, Sun Xiqi only mentioned the situation on Wanjie City’s side; who knew whether the other sacred cultivation place would dispatch such figures? If the opponent sent such characters to the front line, determined to seize the secret realm at any cost, Qi Tian would have to carefully assess the situation on the battlefield; he wouldn’t place himself in a position of certain death lightly.

The gathering continued with the banquet, and everyone seemed to have forgotten what was happening inside the secret realm, appearing indifferent to the affairs within. Yet, this was merely an illusion. As time ticked by, finally, someone put down their cup and said, “Everyone, we’ve eaten well and drunk well. Now, should we talk about how to face the enemy? As the saying goes, ‘a snake can’t move without a head.’ With so many of us gathered, acting individually and fighting alone, we’ll be ineffective as scattered sand. I propose we form a unified group. Inside the realm, we need someone to take charge and command.”