Translator: AnubisTL
The moment the sigh echoed through the mountain forest, every Shangqing Sect remnant, including the silver-haired Elder Bai, froze in place.
The sigh seemed to emanate from all directions, reverberating endlessly.
This was no hallucination; everyone heard it.
Bai Qianfan's cloudy eyes narrowed as he barked, "What skulking rat dares hide in the shadows? Show yourself at once!"
As he spoke, he unleashed his Divine Sense Domain, probing the surroundings of the ancient forest.
But as a mere foundation establishment realm cultivator, how powerful could his divine soul truly be?
The other black-robed Shangqing Sect disciples also tensed, but their anxiety eased somewhat when they glanced at Elder Bai, their leader.
Emboldened, they joined Elder Bai in his arrogant shouts and curses, their words dripping with malice.
Finally, a tall figure descended from the sky above the trees.
The newcomer's features were unremarkable, his expression calm and detached, radiating an aura of tranquil wisdom.
In an instant, Elder Bai's scalp prickled with terror. His deeply wrinkled eyes widened, the cloudy pupils nearly bulging from their sockets.
He was flying through the air without the aid of any magic artifact!
This was a core formation realm cultivator!
"Run!"
Elder Bai made a snap decision, shouting the command and turning to flee without a second glance.
His movements were swift, and he possessed a secret escape technique that allowed him to merge with the trees of the forest, using the dense foliage to conceal his retreat.
The remaining qi refining realm remnants of the Shangqing Sect finally reacted, a tidal wave of terror surging through their hearts.
Completely paralyzed by fear, they found themselves unable to move, their bodies frozen in place.
Li Qing finally spoke, his first words: "A mere mid-foundation establishment stage cultivator? If I, Li Qing, let you escape in this forest, I might as well not live."
Having witnessed everything, Li Qing returned Elder Bai's earlier words verbatim.
Before his voice had even faded, a wave of oppressive aura unique to late-stage core formation cultivators swept outward!
The instant this aura erupted, all the qi refining realm disciples of the Shangqing Sect collapsed to their knees or sprawled on the ground, their bodies trembling violently.
Then, Li Qing snapped his fingers.
Whoosh!
A pale golden blade flashed through the forest, slashing through the air.
Divine Sense Domain: Soul Condensing Slash!
From beginning to end, Li Qing had completely blanketed the entire area with his divine sense, leaving no corner beyond his perception.
Thus, the moment Elder Bai attempted to flee, Li Qing casually unleashed a Soul Condensing Slash, barely daring to exert even a fraction of its full power.
His divine soul had grown overwhelmingly potent, nearing the strength of a nascent soul realm cultivator and far surpassing the capabilities of a core formation realm cultivator.
He feared that if he lost control even slightly, Elder Bai's soul would be annihilated instantly, leaving him dead on the spot.
This wasn't out of mercy, but rather Li Qing's profound curiosity. How could a mere foundation establishment realm remnant of the Shangqing Sect dare to target the Lingyun Sect?
This wasn't just illogical—it was utterly inconceivable!
In Bai Qianfan's position, most people would flee as far as possible. How could he possibly dare to provoke the Lingyun Sect?
The Lingyun Sect now stood at the pinnacle of power, boasting six core formation realm supreme elders—a force that dominated the entire Azure Ridge Domain.
Whoosh!
The Soul Condensing Slash flashed past in an instant. Elder Bai, who had been weaving through the ancient trees, suddenly froze, his pupils contracting sharply.
For a split second, Elder Bai's mind felt like it had been torn apart, as if someone had cleaved his skull in two.
Thud!
Elder Bai collapsed to the ground, his body curled into a fetal position like a worm.
"Ugh..."
This was only because Li Qing had restrained his strike. Had he not, the elder would have been annihilated instantly, body and soul.
Seeing that the man was still alive, Li Qing let out a small sigh of relief. He flew over to the hunched, silver-haired elder and hoisted him up by the collar.
Meanwhile, the withered leaves that had bound Xu Xia and Junior Brother Wang fell away, freeing them.
But they were still reeling from the shock. What had just happened?
They had braced themselves for brutal torture at the hands of mortals, yet in an instant, the Shangqing Sect remnants had scattered or knelt in submission, like a pile of loose sand.
Junior Brother Wang's voice trembled as he whispered, "Senior Brother Xu... that person just now... it looked like Ancestor Limitless! We're saved!"
Even Xu Xia, usually composed, wore a stunned expression.
"Ancestor Limitless..." he murmured to himself. "It really was him!"
Around them, the kneeling Shangqing Sect remnants were utterly dumbfounded.
The man who had been mocking them earlier now buried his face in the dirt, his mind blank.
He had sneered at the two Lingyun Sect inner sect disciples, declaring that unless their sect patriarch himself appeared, no one could save them today.
But who could have imagined that in the blink of an eye, their sect's Ancestor Limitless would actually materialize?
This Shangqing Sect remnant felt like crying but couldn't shed a tear. Had the immortal realm truly devolved to this?
A mere qi refining disciple's mission now warranted the clandestine escort of a core formation ancestor!
They had only intended to catch two small fish, but behind those fish lurked a prehistoric crocodile, swallowing both the bait and the anglers whole.
He even suspected the two disciples might be the core formation ancestor's illegitimate children. Otherwise, why would they receive such extraordinary protection on a routine mission outside the sect?
Meanwhile, Li Qing had effortlessly subdued Elder Bai.
"Ask what you want," Bai Qianfan said, his eyes dim and his aged face ashen. "I admit defeat."
But Li Qing's gaze remained utterly calm, showing no interest in playing any interrogation games.
"I don't like wasting time trying to discern whether someone is telling the truth or not," Li Qing said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion. "That's why I use soul-searching and soul-refining on my enemies—no need for idle chatter."
As his words fell, a divine soul, sharp as a blade, pierced Elder Bai's Sea of Consciousness, effortlessly shattering all defenses without encountering the slightest resistance. The entire process was astonishingly easy.
Within moments, Bai Qianfan's memories lay completely exposed, like an open book for Li Qing to peruse.
Li Qing skimmed past the man's cultivation history, finding no interest in those scenes. Delving into them would only tarnish his spirit platform, offering no benefit whatsoever.
Soon, Li Qing's soul-searching and soul-refining reached the crucial part. He finally glimpsed Elder Bai's recent activities.
"As I suspected, something's fishy."
Li Qing's suspicions were confirmed. Elder Bai's audacity in targeting the Lingyun Sect with his mere foundation establishment realm cultivation was indeed suspicious!
It turned out that long ago, the Shangqing Sect had dispatched him to the Grasslands on a secret mission.
This mission revolved around the Lingyun Sect's Dragon Blood Vine—a nearly millennial spirit herb capable of refining the Dragon Transformation Pill.
This Dragon Blood Vine originally belonged to True Lord Yang Tian of the Shangqing Sect. Seeing that Exquisite True Lord was on the verge of her critical breakthrough to nascent soul formation, he planned to use the vine to refine a furnace of Dragon Transformation Pills, hoping to aid her in breaking through this crucial barrier.
It was around this time that rumors of the Dragon Transformation Pill formula allegedly surfaced during a sacred ritual held by the Grassland Holy Temple Tribes.
Unsure of the truth, True Lord Yang Tian assigned Elder Bai to investigate the matter. If the rumors proved true, he would personally travel to the Grasslands to secure the pill formula.
However, fate is unpredictable. No one could have foreseen that Ling Ying's Core Formation Ceremony would coincide with Li Qing's quest for vengeance against the sect.
Thus, the Shangqing Sect was systematically annihilated, and the Lingyun Sect replaced them as the dominant power in the Azure Ridge Domain.
Meanwhile, Elder Bai, who was thousands of miles away in the Grasslands, only learned of his sect's destruction after a considerable delay.
Initially, he rejoiced at having narrowly escaped the calamity. But as he pondered his future, he realized he was now a rogue cultivator—one likely to be wanted by the Lingyun Sect. His dao path ahead looked bleak indeed.
Having made his decision, he went all in, secretly defecting to the Holy Temple Tribes of the Grasslands and revealing his true purpose for coming there.
In other words, the Grassland Holy Temple Tribes now knew that the Lingyun Sect likely possessed the key ingredient for refining the Dragon Transformation Pill: the priceless Millennial Dragon Blood Vine!
After extracting the memories from the man's Sea of Consciousness, Li Qing's expression turned utterly glacial, his murderous intent leaking out like a tangible presence.
"You really know how to make trouble for me," Li Qing said, his voice as cold as ice. A ghostly white flame ignited in his palm.
This flame, far from being warm, radiated an unbearable chill that pierced directly into the soul.
Li Qing channeled the Netherworld Cold Fire, wrapping it around Elder Bai's body. Tendrils of the cold flame burrowed into his flesh, burning not only his physical form but also slowly igniting his divine soul.
"Ah... mercy... spare me..."
Bai Qianfan, his divine soul now smoldering, endured the most excruciating torment of his life.
This was a pain that struck directly at the soul, utterly clear and with no means of relief.
Elder Bai, a dignified foundation establishment cultivator, now writhed on the ground, utterly losing his composure. His facial features twisted into grotesque shapes as his pupils were gradually consumed by two eerie white flames.
A piercing, desperate scream tore from his throat, sounding like a wail from the depths of Nine Nether Hell.
Xu Xia and the Shangqing Sect remnants nearby heard the agonizing cry. Though they only heard it, they could sense the unimaginable pain behind it.
The mere sound of that wretched scream sent shivers down their spines.
What technique had Ancestor Limitless unleashed to make Elder Bai scream in such agony?
Suddenly, the screaming stopped abruptly!
Moments later, a tall, upright figure emerged slowly from the forest.
His expression remained calm, his unremarkable features radiating an aura of serene detachment that put others at ease.
"Disciple Xu Xia, Wang Song, greet Ancestor Limitless!"
"We thank the ancestor for saving our lives!"
The two Lingyun Sect inner sect disciples knelt without hesitation, their voices filled with utmost reverence.
Li Qing glanced indifferently at the qi refining realm Shangqing Sect remnants, then casually waved his hand. A streak of pitch-black demon flame swept across the area.
In the next moment, the Shangqing Sect remnants vanished from their positions, as if they had never existed.
After completing this, Li Qing nodded slightly and said, "Hmm, rise. You've both worked hard this time. This mission involved far more than initially appeared, but fortunately, we discovered the truth early."
"You two have performed exceptionally well. Upon our return, you will both receive rewards from the sect."
Xu Xia and Wang Song trembled inwardly at these words, their minds instantly flooded with speculation.
This mission involved far more than initially appeared?
What could it be?
Their thoughts raced through various possibilities, and their eyes filled with even greater reverence as they looked at Li Qing.
Xu Xia hesitated for a moment before hastily saying, "Ancestor Limitless, we merely performed some trivial tasks, nothing worth mentioning. How could we dare accept additional rewards from the sect?"
"Besides, if you hadn't intervened, Junior Brother Wang and I might already be..."
Li Qing burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha! You are both meritorious individuals, and the sect never neglects those who have earned their due. There's no need for such false modesty—you deserve every bit of it!"
With a casual flick of his wrist, Li Qing tossed out a storage pouch. "This is Elder Bai's storage pouch," he said. "There are some decent items inside. Divide them among yourselves later."
Xu Xia was startled again. He quickly protested, "Ancestor Limitless, these are your spoils of war! How could a disciple dare accept them?"
"Just take them," Li Qing insisted. "If there were anything truly valuable, I would have taken it already!"
"Enough with the refusals. I'll take you back to the sect to report your mission!"
"This incident is of great importance. We must return to the sect as soon as possible to discuss it with the others."
Without waiting for their response, Li Qing swept his sleeves, unleashing a torrent of profound spiritual energy that lifted both disciples into the sky.
A heavily modified Serpent-Head Spirit Boat materialized in the air. The spirit boat carried the two Lingyun Sect inner sect disciples eastward.
Xu Xia and Wang Song instinctively glanced back at the location where the Shangqing Sect remnants had been moments before. They quickly realized that only ashes remained—not a trace of the enemy.
The sight sent a chill down their spines, leaving them awestruck by Ancestor Limitless's ruthless methods.
Yet, a newfound sense of security settled in their hearts.
With such a powerful ancestor guarding the sect, what could they possibly fear?
(End of the Chapter)
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Translator's Corner
🙏Sorry for the delayed chapters. Had a technical issue. To read ahead please go to the site. It is always updated first.
𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟒𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟐𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]