Translator: AnubisTL
As Li Qing's bone-chilling voice fell, everyone present clearly sensed the chilling intent to kill in his words.
"Attack together! This man's daoist arts are extraordinary—we can't underestimate him!"
"Avenge Xi Feng!"
The core formation true lords from the Free and Unfettered Sect maintained their composure, undeterred by Li Qing's earlier devastating strike. They immediately reacted, preparing to overwhelm him with their numerical advantage.
Soon, each of them unleashed their most powerful techniques, abandoning the restraint they had shown while breaking the formation.
Against such a formidable foe, any hesitation could spell their doom!
The three true lords summoned their natal magic treasures: a golden bell, a water-blue greatsword, and a Profound Crystal Pagoda.
Among these, the golden bell radiated the most extraordinary aura. The moment it appeared, it erupted with boundless golden light, bathing half the sky in a golden glow.
This was True Lord Chang Jue's natal magic treasure, refined from rare spirit gold and perfectly attuned to his Metal dao cultivation manual.
"Boundless Bell Resonance, suppress!"
The three natal magic treasures descended upon Li Qing simultaneously, locking down the surrounding space and leaving him no room to retreat.
Li Qing was no pushover. Faced with the suppression of three extraordinary magic treasures, his expression remained calm.
His hands moved swiftly, forming an arcane seal as his body's immense true essence surged forth like a tidal wave.
Heavenly Fire Curse!
This divine ability, inherited from the Crimson Radiance Hall, was one Li Qing had only barely mastered to the minor completion stage.
The cultivation threshold for this technique was exceptionally high, best attempted after reaching the nascent soul realm to unleash its full power.
Even at the peak of the core formation realm, Li Qing found it challenging to execute.
Yet he successfully unleashed the Heavenly Fire Curse!
The surrounding space warped, scorched by the extreme heat.
In the next instant, a massive black-and-white flame curse seal materialized, its blazing spirit fire churning endlessly.
Forged from two heavenly spirit fires, the seal shot forth with twin-colored tails of flame, intercepting the three natal magic treasures converging on Li Qing.
Boom!
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth instantly erupted into chaos. The shockwaves from this clash were terrifying; even the residual impact devastated the entire Black Sand River Basin beyond recognition.
Three powerful natal magic treasures were suddenly halted, blocked by a single Heavenly Fire Curse Seal.
This utterly defied the expectations of the three Core Formation True Lords from the Free and Unfettered Sect. Limitless True Lord's combat prowess seemed absurdly formidable. His mastery of Fire Dao Divine Power was transcendent, its destructive force beyond comprehension.
"It's heavenly spirit fire!" someone rasped, revealing the truth.
The other two Core Formation Realm cultivators finally understood, their faces twisting into bitter expressions. They had truly kicked an iron plate this time.
Meanwhile, Wu Chong, who had been escorting the Lingyun Sect elders away from the battlefield, immediately rushed back.
"Trying to gang up on him? You think you can ignore Ancestor Gluttony?" Wu Chong's face darkened as he immediately moved to reinforce Li Qing.
"Gluttonous Demon Phantom! Devour Heaven and Earth!"
Before Wu Chong, a ferocious Gluttonous Shadow materialized, its maw gaping wide enough to swallow the heavens. It lunged at one of the Free and Unfettered Sect's supreme elders.
"Roar!"
Earlier, facing four opponents simultaneously, even Wu Chong's formidable cultivation manual couldn't match their combined might. But now, tasked with holding off just one opponent, he could accomplish it with ease.
The supreme elder of the Free and Unfettered Sect, who was wielding the water-blue giant sword, his expression shifted slightly as he immediately redirected the sword's momentum to counter the ferocious Gluttonous Shadow.
Meanwhile, the remaining two cultivators felt the pressure intensify dramatically after losing their ally.
Previously, the three of them had barely managed to hold their own against Li Qing. Now, with one member gone, the precarious balance they had maintained was finally about to collapse.
Conversely, Li Qing, now relieved of some pressure, finally had the mental space to act.
At this moment, he held nothing back, unleashing his own magic treasures.
As an artifact refiner, magic treasures had always been his greatest reliance.
Boom!
A nine-tiered iron tower spun into existence, descending from the heavens to suppress the two remaining core formation realm cultivators.
But that wasn't all. A massive, gray-mist-shrouded hammer suddenly materialized and slammed down with earth-shattering force.
The West Mausoleum Tower and the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer!
The former, a rare treasure of immense power and unbreakable resilience, needed no further introduction.
The latter, however, was even more extraordinary. This natal magic treasure, forged by Li Qing from the Primordial Chaos Stone, had been nourished within his body with true essence over countless days.
Now that his cultivation had reached the peak of the core formation realm, the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer's power far surpassed its original state upon refinement.
Among the natal magic treasures of core formation realm cultivators, few could rival the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer in power.
At least, the supreme elders of the Free and Unfettered Sect currently facing Li Qing were not among them.
The Heavenly Fire Curse Seal directly withstood the Profound Crystal Pagoda and the golden bell, while the West Mausoleum Tower descended from above, simultaneously suppressing both treasures.
Li Qing extended a hand and grasped the Peerless Hammer's handle, feeling its weighty heft. He suddenly chuckled softly.
In that instant, both core formation true lords of the Free and Unfettered Sect felt a bone-chilling killing intent envelop them, sensing the overwhelming aura of death.
Chang Jue's eyes flashed with deep apprehension as he finally spoke, his tone tinged with desperation: "Fellow Daoist Limitless, might we call a truce? We are supreme elders of the Free and Unfettered Sect!"
"Our sect's ancestor, the Carefree Old Lord, still lives. If you kill us, this matter will never be resolved peacefully."
The other elder nodded frantically, his body trembling uncontrollably.
This Limitless True Lord's combat prowess was simply monstrous, each technique more ruthless than the last. Even the notorious demonic path giants of the Great Wilderness Domain, renowned for their peerless combat strength within their realm, couldn't possibly match this level of ferocity.
"Fellow Daoist Limitless," he said repeatedly, "our sect's ancestor will arrive in this domain with the rest of our forces soon. Why not cease hostilities and discuss this properly?"
Li Qing didn't even twitch an eyelid. His gaze remained coldly indifferent, the look of someone staring at a dead man.
He had already considered the matter thoroughly before acting. This conflict was destined to end in bloodshed.
While his understanding of the Free and Unfettered Sect's situation wasn't detailed, he could make a reasonable guess.
This sect, driven out of the Great Wilderness Domain by demonic forces, was now desperately seeking a foothold. The Azure Ridge Domain, with its increasingly abundant spiritual energy, was the ideal place to establish their roots.
He had learned the principle that "one mountain cannot harbor two tigers" many years ago.
"If the Carefree Old Lord comes to the Azure Ridge Domain, I'll deal with him as well."
These words caused the Free and Unfettered Sect's supreme elder's expression to change drastically.
"Deal with him? How? Our sect's ancestor has already reached the nascent soul realm, while you're merely at the core formation realm!" Chang Jue roared, desperate to make Li Qing see reason.
But Li Qing was already perfectly rational. Ignoring Chang Jue's words, he channeled the Kunpeng Divine Power within him.
Hum!
As the Kunpeng Divine Power surged, a pair of silver wings etched with Wind-Thunder spirit patterns materialized behind Li Qing.
In less than the blink of an eye, Li Qing, wielding the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer, vanished from his spot, his figure transforming into a silver blur that flickered like a phantom.
The next moment, the fleshly body of the person beside True Lord Chang Jue exploded violently—the attack was too sudden!
Pfft!
Before True Lord Chang Jue could react, Li Qing's Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer swung out again, crushing the void itself. True Lord Chang Jue's pupils contracted sharply.
Too fast! The speed was almost unimaginable, far beyond what a core formation realm cultivator should possess.
Not good.
The thought flashed through True Lord Chang Jue's mind as the massive hammer descended. The void trembled, and his figure distorted.
But then, something unexpected happened. When the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer struck, True Lord Chang Jue's figure dissolved into a tattered piece of Talisman Paper.
The hammer had struck empty air!
Li Qing slowly retracted the Peerless Hammer, his brow furrowing slightly.
"A third-tier Substitute Death Talisman for a core formation true lord? That's quite the investment."
This was a talisman technique known as the Substitute Death Talisman.
Such talismans were typically given by powerful cultivators to their qi refining or foundation establishment realm descendants. A third-tier Substitute Death Talisman like this was exceedingly rare; you couldn't find more than a handful in the entire immortal realm.
Li Qing never expected to stumble upon one of these talismans.
Refining such a talisman was even more difficult than creating a Restriction-Breaking Talisman. In a sense, its value was absolutely staggering.
Moreover, the higher the tier of the Substitute Death Talisman, the exponentially greater the difficulty of refining it.
A Substitute Death Talisman capable of shielding a nascent soul realm cultivator from calamity was likely something that could only be found in the upper realm.
With this thought, Li Qing glanced back.
"Heh, since you didn't have time to retrieve your natal magic treasure, I'll gladly accept this golden bell."
On the ravaged earth, a golden bell and a Profound Crystal Pagoda lay abandoned, no longer emitting any dangerous aura.
Meanwhile, the core formation realm cultivator fiercely battling Wu Chong sensed the disappearance of his two companions' auras and felt despair wash over him.
He knew he couldn't escape his fate today.
"Even in death, I won't let you have it easy!"
As he spoke, the true essence within his body began to fluctuate wildly.
Buzzing!
Wu Chong's expression changed drastically. "He's going to self-detonate his Golden Core!" he exclaimed in alarm.
Without another word, he immediately summoned the Gluttonous Shadow as a shield and fled at top speed.
The self-detonation of a Golden Core happens in the blink of an eye, at the cultivator's will.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of spiritual energy erupted, a destructive aftershock capable of sending shivers down the spine of any core formation realm cultivator.
Wu Chong's escape speed was average, and he was instantly engulfed by the blast. Even the Gluttonous Shadow couldn't withstand the force for long.
Just as he was about to perish in the Golden Core's aftershock, a low shout suddenly echoed from the heavens above.
"Spirit Lock!"
A talisman radiating clear light materialized, instantly calming the chaotic spiritual energy that had been raging across heaven and earth. The Golden Core's explosive surge rapidly subsided.
A middle-aged cultivator in a dark Daoist robe strode forward, his brow furrowing as he surveyed the aftermath of the great war.
"Phew, Fellow Daoist Fu Xuan, thank heavens you arrived in time," Wu Chong said, patting his chest with lingering fear.
True Lord Fu Xuan finally arrived, surveying the utterly chaotic battlefield. He had never imagined the battle could have been so fierce.
Before he could even ask what had happened, Ancestor Ziqing arrived, riding a Purple Rainbow that streaked across the horizon.
The sect needed someone to remain behind, so Lingyun Sect hadn't mobilized its full forces.
"What exactly happened here? Why was the fighting so intense?" Ancestor Ziqing asked with concern.
Wu Chong sighed deeply, the joy of survival quickly fading as he considered the challenges that lay ahead.
"Ah, this is a long and grave matter. We should return to the sect first and discuss it there."
Ancestor Ziqing and True Lord Fu Xuan turned their gazes to Li Qing, who nodded, a shadow of unease darkening his expression.
After a quick cleanup of the battlefield, the group, along with the remaining foundation establishment elders, immediately returned to the sect.
Inside Lingyun Sect's Sect Leader's Hall, Xu Xia sat at the far end, already drenched in sweat, his expression more solemn than ever before.
He wasn't alone; all of Lingyun Sect's supreme elders had gathered in the hall, their faces equally grave.
"We've stirred up a hornet's nest," Ancestor Ziqing murmured, his brow furrowed beneath his purple Daoist robes. "The Free and Unfettered Sect, the Carefree Old Lord, a cultivator in the nascent soul realm..."
He knew firsthand the terrifying power of nascent soul realm cultivators. The destruction of the Lingyun Sect remained vividly etched in his memory.
Could history be about to repeat itself?
The atmosphere in the Sect Leader's Hall was heavy and oppressive. This was no small matter.
Wu Chong pressed his lips into a thin line before speaking:
"Since the Free and Unfettered Sect fears the demonic path sects of the Great Wilderness Domain so much, why don't we spread word of this matter there and forge an alliance with those sects?"
His suggestion was immediately rejected by True Lord Fu Xuan, who interrupted sternly:
"Absolutely not! The demonic path sects of the Great Wilderness Domain are even more vicious and ruthless than the Free and Unfettered Sect. If we involve them, the Azure Ridge Domain will never know peace again."
Fu Xuan, a native of the Great Wilderness Domain, had cultivated there since his humble beginnings. He understood the situation there better than anyone.
Joining forces with a demonic path sect was akin to seeking a tiger's skin—a path to certain destruction.
Li Qing nodded in agreement. He and Shen Ningbing had once roamed the Great Wilderness Domain for a time and were intimately familiar with the demonic path cultivators' ruthless and savage nature.
While their relationship with the Ghost Sword Sect remained cordial, there was no guarantee the other two demonic path sects would honor such ties.
"Informing the demonic path sects of the Great Wilderness Domain about this matter might drive away the jackals, but it would also attract an unmanageable, vicious tiger."
Meanwhile, Shen Ningbing, her aura as cold and clear as frost, remained silent. Though her cultivation had advanced to the mid Core Formation Realm, her contribution to the overall situation remained limited.
"Ah, what should we do then?" Wu Chong asked, his face twisted in distress. "Should we seek help from Fellow Daoist Hanyue?"
Li Qing shook his head. "The Moonchase Palace's approach to worldly affairs mirrors that of the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild. They would never interfere in the conflicts of external powers."
His words cast a suffocating pall over the Sect Leader's Hall, plunging it into renewed silence.
Xu Xia, seated at the lowest rank, felt the greatest pressure. He had barely settled into the sect leader's position when the sect was already facing such a monumental crisis.
No matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't solve this problem. The issue involved such high-level matters that even the supreme elders felt utterly overwhelmed.
Finally, Li Qing broke the silence. He said, "There's no need to be so pessimistic. We should seal the sect for a while. With the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation in place, we don't need to worry about the Carefree Old Lord launching a direct assault."
"Xu Xia, instruct the sect's disciples and elders to minimize their outings. Unless absolutely necessary, they should remain within the mountain gate."
"The rest of us should do the same. Under the threat of a nascent soul realm cultivator, we should avoid leaving the mountain gate whenever possible."
Wu Chong opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. "Are we supposed to confine ourselves here forever? That's... rather stifling."
Li Qing shook his head. "Not necessarily. Let's at least observe the Free and Unfettered Sect's attitude first."
"Their most pressing concern right now should be finding a suitable Spirit Vein Land to settle in."
"This matter won't be resolved in less than a year or two. By then, the situation might resolve itself."
"In a year or two, the problem will resolve itself?"
Everyone froze, puzzled by Li Qing's words.
To solve this crisis, nothing short of nascent soul realm power would suffice!
They quickly realized Li Qing's current cultivation level had already reached the peak of the core formation realm.
All eyes turned to Li Qing in astonishment, a mix of surprise, shock, and concern.
"Senior Brother Li," Shen Ningbing said, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, "the process of breaking your core and condensing a nascent soul is fraught with peril. Failure means eternal damnation!" A hint of concern flickered in her usually icy gaze.
The others nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Unless you're absolutely certain of success, it's best not to take such a reckless gamble."
In this world, even those with heaven-defying talent dared not claim absolute certainty of successfully forming a nascent soul.
This was unlike foundation establishment, where foundation establishment pills provided a safety net, allowing for multiple failures without consequence.
Nor was it like core formation, where various spiritual objects could enhance the success rate.
The nascent soul formation stage offered almost no external assistance, save for the exceedingly rare Dragon Transformation Pill.
Even with the Dragon Transformation Pill, the probability of failure far outweighed the chance of success.
Li Qing shook his head and chuckled softly. "There's no need for such concern. I have my own plans."
"Now, let us await the coming storm."
(End of the Chapter)
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