Translator: AnubisTL
Outside the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate, a vast fleet of spirit boats descended from the sky.
Several powerful auras surged skyward, churning the clouds into chaos.
They're here!
Every member of the Lingyun Sect felt a chill in their hearts, knowing that the long-awaited storm was finally upon them.
"Awooo!"
In a secluded corner of the mountain gate, Fan Tong, who had been sleeping like a log, slowly stirred awake. His tiger eyes gleamed with a ferocious light as he glared malevolently at the sky beyond the gate.
Above True Lord Fu Xuan's spirit peak, ancient talismans swirled into a ring and rapidly flew outward.
On Ice Cloud Peak, a pristine blue ice lotus bloomed, and Shen Ningbing rose into the air, stepping onto the lotus's icy petals.
Above Purple Cloud Peak, where Ancestor Ziqing resided, purple qi billowed skyward.
On Swallowing Cloud Peak, a solid, gluttonous beast strode across the heavens. Wu Chong swiftly took his position, guarding one of the core formation nodes within the sect's grand formation.
Even Su Xin emerged from her cave abode, fully prepared to engage in battle.
Every supreme elder of the Lingyun Sect stood ready for war. Even if a nascent soul realm cultivator arrived, they were determined to fight with all their might.
At the five core formation nodes of the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation, five core formation realm supreme elders took their positions. In an instant, the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation was fully activated.
Boom!
A dense spiritual light surged forth from the formation, sealing off the entire region. Even the spiritual energy lingering in the air froze in place.
Outside the mountain gate, aboard the Free and Unfettered Sect's spirit boat:
"Hiss... This formation is actually a Fourth-Tier Grand Formation?"
"Impossible! The Lingyun Sect was only established a few years ago. How could they possess such a foundation?"
"It's undeniably a genuine Fourth-Tier Grand Formation. The formation has become one with the surrounding heaven and earth, a characteristic only a Fourth-Tier Grand Formation could achieve."
The remaining core formation true lords of the Free and Unfettered Sect were stunned. They had never anticipated encountering a Fourth-Tier Grand Formation today—a completely unforeseen development.
True Lord Chang Jue's expression darkened. This was his oversight. While investigating the Lingyun Sect's supreme elder's true strength in the Azure Ridge Domain, he had neglected to consider this possibility.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault. In the current immortal realm, there were scarcely any formation masters capable of deploying Fourth-Tier Grand Formations. Even in the Great Wilderness Domain, such experts had been absent for centuries.
Thus, he and the other supreme elders had naturally assumed that the Lingyun Sect's guardian grand formation would be at most a third-tier formation.
Now, the unexpected variable had finally emerged!
"A Fourth-Tier Grand Formation? Could the Lingyun Sect truly have a fourth-rank formation master at the nascent soul realm?" someone whispered, their face filled with apprehension.
But having come this far, there was no turning back now.
On the lead spirit boat, the silver-haired Carefree Old Lord slowly stepped forward, immediately calming the minds of all the sect's disciples.
"A Fourth-Tier Grand Formation? This is somewhat beyond my expectations," the Carefree Old Lord murmured to himself before taking a decisive step.
In the next instant, his slightly hunched figure appeared directly above the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate, demonstrating the Ground Shrinking Technique—a divine ability that could traverse vast distances in a single step, turning inches into miles!
"Hmph! Today, I will test whether this Fourth-Tier Grand Formation you've erected truly lives up to its reputation!"
As his words echoed, the Carefree Old Lord's cloudy eyes suddenly cleared, shining with a piercing light.
"Jade Extreme Heavenly Eye!"
Immediately, the clouds above parted, revealing a colossal eye that stared directly at the formation-protected Lingyun Sect's mountain gate.
The oppressive sight caused every disciple who witnessed it to swallow hard, their hearts pounding wildly.
Terrifying!
Is this the divine ability of a nascent soul realm cultivator? Such an exaggerated phenomenon—it's as if the heavens themselves have opened their eyes!
At that moment, a tall, imposing figure soared into the sky. Li Qing faced the colossal eye that glared down upon the entire sect, his expression unwavering as he commanded in a low voice:
"Activate the formation! Gather the spiritual barrier!"
Hum!
The five supreme elders, positioned at the formation's core nodes, swiftly activated the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation.
A layer of crystalline spiritual light surged forth, instantly enveloping the entire Lingyun Sect mountain gate in a protective barrier.
In the sky, the hunched old man slowly closed his eyes, and the colossal eye above followed suit.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the eye closed, the space violently trembled, and a terrifying aura erupted.
The attack was eerily sudden. Without warning, the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation was subjected to a ferocious assault.
Had the protective spiritual barrier not been activated in advance, the formation itself might have withstood the blow, but the lower-cultivation disciples within the mountain gate would undoubtedly have been injured by the shockwave.
Even so, the five supreme elders at the formation's core nodes wore grave expressions.
"So this is the power of a nascent soul realm attack... a Fourth-Tier Grand Formation," Wu Chong said, his face grim. "If it were only a third-tier formation, it would have been breached instantly."
The other four remained silent, focusing entirely on maintaining the formation's operation and awaiting Li Qing's command.
The Carefree Old Lord temporarily halted his assault, his gaze fixed on the towering figure within the formation. His voice, cold and detached, echoed across the battlefield:
"Are you the Limitless True Lord who slaughtered several core formation elders of my sect?"
"If you willingly leave the formation and offer your neck for execution to atone for the lives of our supreme elders, I will spare the others."
"You may also consider handing him over. I swear upon my dao, and invoke the heart demon as witness, that I will honor my word."
This final remark was clearly directed at Wu Chong and the others. As the five jointly controlled the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation, they could, if they chose, deliver Li Qing out of the formation.
However, it was evident that none of them entertained such thoughts. The other four maintained their composure, continuing to sustain the formation, while Wu Chong erupted in a furious tirade:
"You old fool! Has your brain finally rotted away? Has your mouth not been washed in centuries? How dare you spew such nonsense?"
"Hand over Li Qing? You'd be better off slitting your own throat!"
Wu Chong's voice, amplified by the formation, boomed across the battlefield, reaching not only the disciples of the Lingyun Sect but also those of the Free and Unfettered Sect.
The vulgar, street-urchin-like curses drew strange looks not only from the Lingyun Sect's elders and disciples but even from the other supreme elders.
High above in the sky, the Carefree Old Lord heard every word clearly, his face instantly turning ashen. Having lived for so long and cultivated to the nascent soul realm, he couldn't remember the last time he had been so thoroughly insulted.
"Hahaha, well said, Fellow Daoist Xiaoyao! I suggest you take your own life. Living to such an old age and still spouting such nonsense? You're clearly regressing with age!" Li Qing responded with a light laugh, his demeanor utterly relaxed, showing no hint of the pressure of facing a nascent soul realm cultivator.
"Very well, very well!" the Carefree Old Lord growled, his face dark as a thundercloud. "After I break this formation, you will all regret your words!"
With that, he opened his mouth and spat out a pitch-black miniature mountain.
Boom!
"Xiaoyao Peak, suppress!"
The moment the mountain appeared, the heaven and earth spiritual energy sealed by the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation began to waver.
Li Qing's expression shifted slightly, realizing that this seemingly ordinary black mountain was far from simple.
This was the Carefree Old Lord's natal magic treasure—not a blade, spear, sword, or halberd, nor a bell, cauldron, tower, or furnace. Its form was that of a natural mountain.
The moment the small mountain appeared, it rapidly expanded, descending with a force that seemed capable of crushing heaven and earth.
"Heavenly Origin, Spirit-Slaying!" Li Qing roared, abandoning his defensive stance and launching a counterattack.
The five core formation elders stationed at the Formation Core sprang into action, channeling their full power into the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation.
Dense spiritual light converged, and every node and formation flag pulsed with immense energy.
In the next instant, a blazing white pillar of light, sharp as a sword, shot skyward, directly striking the descending Xiaoyao Peak.
Boom!
The world seemed to darken as all light vanished. Waves crashed against the nearby coastline, and the earth within several thousand zhang of Lingyun Sect's mountain gate visibly collapsed.
Yet even this strike failed. The Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation demonstrated the miraculous power of a fourth-tier formation, withstanding the natal magic treasure of a nascent soul realm cultivator!
The formation showed no signs of damage, its foundation remaining remarkably sturdy.
Carefree Old Lord's face darkened further, his detached composure finally crumbling. He realized he might not be able to subdue the Lingyun Sect today. If they remained entrenched within their Fourth-Tier Grand Formation, he seemed utterly powerless against them.
Immediately, he unleashed several concentrated streams of true essence, channeling them into his natal magic treasure. The pitch-black stone mountain trembled violently as it repeatedly slammed against the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation.
Yet the attacks proved futile. The Fourth-Tier Grand Formation remained exceptionally resilient, its surface merely rippling with distorted waves.
"Join me in breaking this formation, you fools!" Carefree Old Lord roared, summoning the remaining core formation true lords from his sect to join the assault on Lingyun Sect's mountain gate.
Naturally, these cultivators dared not approach as closely as their ancestor. The Fourth-Tier Grand Formation wasn't merely a passive defense; Li Qing would undoubtedly launch a swift and lethal counterattack to eliminate anyone who dared enter its range.
In an instant, a furious storm of attacks descended.
Apart from True Lord Chang Jue, the other core formation realm cultivators unleashed their natal magic treasures, bombarding the formation with all their might.
In addition, they deployed talismans, including multiple third-tier formation-breaking talismans.
A typical third-tier formation would have shattered under such a relentless assault.
Yet the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation remained unscathed, a testament to the skill of its creator, Dao Lord Bai Ling.
However, the five Lingyun Sect supreme elders maintaining the formation now faced immense pressure. They gritted their teeth, straining to hold firm, daring not to relax their vigilance for a moment.
Carefree Old Lord, his face twisted with fury, finally snapped. Two ancient talisman papers materialized in his hands.
True Lord Fu Xuan, observing from below, immediately recognized them.
"Those are the Earth Spirit Talisman and Wind Annihilation Talisman—two low-grade fourth-rank talismans! Be careful!"
Li Qing's heart tightened slightly. He hadn't expected them to be so willing to expend such resources, even resorting to fourth-rank talismans.
These were talismans even True Lord Fu Xuan couldn't craft, treasures of immeasurable value. Each Fourth-Tier Talisman was likely worth tens of thousands of spirit stones.
A flicker of pain flashed in Carefree Old Lord's eyes, quickly replaced by ruthless resolve.
Clearly, these two precious Fourth-Tier Talismans were rare even in his own reserves, each use diminishing his supply with virtually no way to replenish them.
"Rest assured," Dao Lord Bai Ling's voice cut through the tension, reassuring Li Qing. "My Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation isn't so fragile that two Fourth-Tier Talismans could destroy it. If it were that weak, there wouldn't be any formation masters left in the world—everyone would just be crafting talismans instead."
He was right. Even the most powerful Fourth-Tier Talisman was merely equivalent to a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.
Unless it was a specialized Restriction-Breaking Talisman specifically designed to breach formations—and a fourth-tier one at that—it would be nearly impossible to shake a formation of the same rank.
Of course, Li Qing wasn't about to stand idly by. If the enemy dared to attack so brazenly, he would make them pay the price!
As the two Fourth-Tier Talismans outside the formation activated, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth instantly surged into a frenzy. The great earth trembled and cracked, and violent winds howled across the land, creating a scene of apocalyptic devastation.
Amidst this chaotic spectacle, Li Qing drew an ancient wooden bow—the Nine Lives Bow!
This was the same bow he had obtained as spoils of war after killing Wen Xing, the ancestor of the Shangqing Sect. Later, the bow had fallen into Wu Chong's hands.
Though plain and unadorned, Li Qing knew this was an ancient treasure, perhaps even a natal magic treasure meticulously nourished and refined by a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator from the Ancient Era.
Grasping the Nine Lives Bow, Li Qing channeled his pure true essence into it.
Without hesitation, he drew the bowstring taut, stretching it to its absolute limit. A faint glow began to coalesce on the bow, gradually forming a spiritual light arrow.
Instead of aiming at the Nascent Soul Realm Carefree Old Lord, Li Qing targeted a supreme elder of the Free and Unfettered Sect positioned far beyond the formation.
The moment Li Qing locked onto him, the elder felt as if he had plunged into an icy abyss, sensing a bone-chilling aura of death.
"Not good!"
Zing!
Li Qing released his grip, and the bowstring trembled violently. The spiritual light arrow shot forth, piercing the air as if ignoring the distance, and struck the core formation true lord squarely through the chest, who had been attempting to dodge.
Whoosh!
A fountain of crimson blood erupted into the air, blooming like a scarlet flower.
"Ah? Junior Brother Zhao Zhen!" Chang Jue's face paled as he rushed to the fallen true lord's side, desperately trying to slow the rapid drain of his life force.
But in the next instant, Li Qing drew his bow again, condensing another spiritual light arrow from his true essence.
The Nine Lives Bow lived up to its name: once locked onto a target, even nine lives wouldn't be enough to escape death.
True Lord Chang Jue soon sensed the chilling aura of death descending upon him.
"Beast! How dare you!" Carefree Old Lord roared, his fury shaking the heavens. How could he stand by and watch Li Qing repeatedly draw his bow, each arrow slaying another supreme elder of his sect?
As the spiritual light arrow shot forth, Carefree Old Lord intercepted its trajectory. He condensed spiritual energy and seized the arrow mid-flight.
Bang!
The spiritual light arrow fired from Li Qing's Nine Lives Bow shattered instantly in his grasp.
With the situation at a stalemate, both sides temporarily ceased hostilities.
Seeing this, Li Qing knew he had secured an opportunity for negotiation. He spoke coldly:
"Fellow Daoists of the Free and Unfettered Sect, you would do well to return from whence you came. The Lingyun Sect does not welcome your kind."
"Of course, if you insist on a death match with us, I must warn you: should even a single gap appear in our sect's formation, hundreds of spirit letters will be dispatched to the Great Wilderness Domain."
"This humble one once roamed the Great Wilderness Domain in his youth and cultivated a network of loyal followers there."
"Though their numbers are few, they are sufficient to relay news of your presence in the Azure Ridge Domain to the demonic path sects of the Great Wilderness Domain."
"I imagine those demonic sects would be quite interested in news of the Free and Unfettered Sect!"
Hearing this, Carefree Old Lord finally lowered his hand, his gaze turning icy as he glared at Li Qing.
"Are you threatening this old one?"
Li Qing merely chuckled and shook his head.
"Not a threat, Fellow Daoist. Simply informing you of the inevitable consequences."
The Carefree Old Lord narrowed his murky eyes and said coldly, "If you lure the demonic sect into this domain, the Lingyun Sect's fate won't be any better!"
Li Qing retorted indifferently, "But I wouldn't mind dragging your Free and Unfettered Sect down with us when the Lingyun Sect falls."
These words struck the Carefree Old Lord's weak spot. He had to admit that Li Qing's threat carried real weight.
Yet retreating from the Azure Ridge Domain in such a humiliating manner was equally unacceptable.
Patriarch Xiaoyao cast a deep, lingering look at Li Qing before declaring, "In the days to come, you'd best remain holed up within this Grand Formation and never venture out!"
"This domain now belongs to my Free and Unfettered Sect. From this day forward, every member of the Lingyun Sect who dares to show their face will be executed!"
With a wave of his hand, Patriarch Xiaoyao recalled his natal magic treasure and led his sect's forces southward.
Their intention was clear: to settle permanently in the Azure Ridge Domain. The domain still possessed two high-grade spiritual veins suitable for their needs.
As for the Lingyun Sect, after careful consideration, Patriarch Xiaoyao ultimately decided to postpone dealing with them for now.
He couldn't break through this fourth-tier formation in the short term, at best he could create a few gaps. But doing so would likely attract the attention of the demonic sects in the Great Wilderness Domain, making it impossible for the Free and Unfettered Sect to maintain a peaceful existence in the Azure Ridge Domain for long.
After confirming that the Free and Unfettered Sect's forces had indeed vanished over the horizon, the members of the Lingyun Sect collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of the circumstances, they had at least weathered this immediate crisis.
The five supreme elders who had been maintaining the Heavenly Origin Spirit-Slaying Formation all wore lingering expressions of fear.
"They're finally gone!" Ancestor Ziqing exclaimed, exhaling deeply. "These old bones of mine were about to crumble under the pressure."
But Wu Chong and the others didn't share his optimism. They had all heard Patriarch Xiaoyao's parting threat and knew he intended to remain in the Azure Ridge Domain.
The days ahead were unlikely to be peaceful.
Once they left the sect, they risked being targeted by a nascent soul realm cultivator, and without the protection of the Fourth-Tier Grand Formation, they would be vulnerable.
A pall of gloom settled over everyone.
Li Qing chuckled softly. "Regardless, we've repelled the enemy for now. We don't need to worry about this for a while. Everyone should rest well."
"You don't need to concern yourselves with what comes next."
Hearing Li Qing's words, the others cast complex glances at his upright figure ahead.
They all knew Li Qing was likely preparing to break through to the nascent soul realm.
Only a nascent soul realm cultivator could resolve the troubles of that realm.
The thought only deepened their despondency.
The weight of the sect's survival rested entirely on Li Qing's shoulders, and they were powerless to share even a fraction of the burden.
(End of the Chapter)
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