Chapter 72

Elder Yuan paused for a moment, then replied to Ding Qi with a bitter smile: "That Uncle Wu, as you saw earlier, is a mountain path guardian in our sect. He is usually responsible for sweeping the mountain paths and registering strangers entering the mountain. However, Uncle Wu is always very rigid in his work. No matter who leads strangers into the mountain, they must present a certificate."

At this point, Elder Yuan shook his head helplessly, as if he had experienced this many times before.

"Then what about the injury Uncle Wu sustained two years ago...?" Ding Qi asked curiously next.

Elder Yuan resumed his steps and said while walking: "Two years ago, Uncle Wu fell from the mountain path while sweeping. Uncle Wu himself has no martial arts skills; he is just an ordinary person. He entered our sect because of Sect Leader Nie. At that time, he was seriously injured, breaking several ribs."

Hearing this, Ding Qi nodded, looking as if he understood.

However, while climbing the mountain, Ding Qi glanced at Uncle Wu again, his eyes filled with a strange expression.

"It seems that even this high-ranking Elder Yuan does not know the true situation of this old man who guards the mountain path!" Looking at Elder Yuan ahead, Ding Qi thought to himself.

Ding Qi was very clear that the old man was not as simple as Elder Yuan described, just an ordinary person with no martial arts skills.

After all, someone who could withstand two powerful strikes from his Great Strength Technique and only break a few ribs was not common. Since he was not selected by the Qingyun Sect, Ding Qi had not come to Qingyun Mountain for the first time in these few years.

Two years ago, he had come to Qingyun Mountain at night, disguised, due to a certain matter. When he stepped onto the main peak of Qingyun Mountain, he encountered and fought with the old man.

The injury the old man sustained two years ago was not, as Elder Yuan said, due to a fall while sweeping the mountain path.

The old man was injured by Ding Qi.

The old man broke several ribs after receiving two strikes from Ding Qi's Great Strength Technique.

Although Ding Qi's Great Strength Technique was only at five layers of power at that time, he had tested it and knew that even a massive rock several feet high would be shattered by one of his strikes.

But the old man could withstand two of his strikes and only break a few ribs. This was the first time in all the martial artists he had encountered.

In the past four years, to test the power of his three techniques, Ding Qi had secretly sought out and fought several top martial artists in Jingzhou, all of whom were easily defeated by his three techniques.

The old man with the withered face was completely different. His strength far exceeded the top martial artists in Jingzhou. In the entire martial world, he was an extremely terrifying existence.

On the mountain path that day, the old man was also intercepted by a deputy sect leader of the Qingyun Sect. The deputy sect leader called the old man "Great Grandmaster."

Clearly, this was the old man's true identity.

However, the true identity of the old man with the withered face was known by very few in the Qingyun Sect. Only the sect leader and deputy sect leader knew, and even a high-ranking elder like Elder Yuan did not know the old man's true identity.

Now, the old man with the withered face probably would never have thought that the unremarkable young man he just saw was the one who severely injured him two years ago.

Thinking about the old man with the withered face, Ding Qi followed Elder Yuan's steps forward. Soon, the two of them stepped onto a platform on the mountain peak.

This platform was sparsely dotted with a few unremarkable buildings. However, from the way these buildings were densely guarded by Qingyun Sect disciples, it was clear that these unremarkable buildings were not simple.

Seeing Ding Qi's curious look at the buildings ahead, Elder Yuan introduced them: "This is the library, a key area of the sect. It contains various profound manuals collected by our sect over nearly two hundred years, and is heavily guarded. Normally, no one is allowed to enter. Even for us sect elders, entering requires many procedures, and we can only view a limited portion of the content."

"I see," Ding Qi nodded, looking as if he understood.

Then, his gaze turned elsewhere, as if he had lost interest in the library.

However, if Elder Yuan knew that Ding Qi had already read all the books in the library two years ago, he would be quite surprised.

Two years ago, when Ding Qi came to Qingyun Mountain, he had entered the library.

The先天功 (先天功) that Ding Qi obtained was initially hidden in the Iron Sand Palm manual.

According to the weapon shop owner, the Iron Sand Palm manual came from the Qingyun Sect.

Ding Qi initially suspected that the先天功 (先天功) was somehow related to the Qingyun Sect. Therefore, two years ago, he came to the Qingyun Sect to try to find the true origin of the先天功 (先天功) and entered the library to search for clues.

However, after thoroughly exploring the Qingyun Sect, Ding Qi did not find any clues, which left him quite disappointed.

It was then that Ding Qi encountered the old man with the withered face and injured him. However, Ding Qi did not intend to kill anyone and left after finding no clues in the Qingyun Sect.

Elder Yuan naturally did not know what Ding Qi was thinking.

In the following time, he took Ding Qi to tour several scenic spots on Qingyun Mountain. Time passed bit by bit, and it was soon evening.

During this period, Ding Qi subtly mentioned the matter of Ding Shan. Elder Yuan readily agreed to this small matter.

"Speaking of which, the sect will soon have a major event. This matter is related to you, Little Friend Ding. If it weren't for you saving me, this major event would not have been possible. At the same time, I have a request to make of you, Little Friend Ding." As Elder Yuan led Ding Qi down the mountain and back to his residence, the white-bearded old man suddenly spoke.

"I wonder what Elder Yuan is referring to?" Ding Qi asked curiously after hearing this.

"Actually, the sect will soon explore the center of Qixia Mountain and open a relic left by an ancestor in the center of Qixia Mountain. My encounter with danger in Qixia Mountain was actually related to this matter," Elder Yuan said with a bitter smile.

Ding Qi was taken aback: "The relic in the center of Qixia Mountain!"

At the same time, a rather surprising thought flashed through Ding Qi's mind.

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