Translator: AnubisTL
Feng Jing, the Clan Head of the Feng Clan, felt his head buzz as the situation became clear. He froze in place, utterly stunned.
They hadn't provoked some rogue cultivator in the foundation establishment realm; they had angered a core formation ancestor of the Lingyun Sect!
He had naturally heard of Ancestor Limitless's formidable reputation. This very individual had played a crucial role in the complete downfall of the Shangqing Sect.
The Feng Clan had actually provoked such a being!
As he watched his son collapse at Li Qing's feet, Feng Jing nearly fainted.
We've committed a catastrophic blunder!
Thud!
Without another word, Feng Jing dropped to his knees.
"This humble one was unaware of the true lord's descent. If any offense has been given, I beg Ancestor Limitless to show mercy!"
Li Qing showed no sympathy for this abject plea. His expression remained icy, unmoved by the man's desperation.
His gaze swept past Feng Jing and settled on Su Yue.
The Lingyun Sect elder lay prostrate on the ground, his entire body trembling violently. He didn't dare lift his head even slightly.
"Elder Su Yue, you certainly have quite the audacity! You're using the Lingyun Sect's reputation to bully others, disregarding right and wrong, and now you're siding with the Feng Clan."
"You've openly taken the Feng Clan's side. Do you even know the evil deeds they've committed behind the scenes?"
Li Qing's voice was low and stern as he questioned the elder. He wouldn't have been so enraged if the Lingyun Sect's elder hadn't appeared, but the sight of him ignited an inexplicable fury within him.
If every member of the Lingyun Sect were to disregard right and wrong like this, it wouldn't be long before the sect faced annihilation once again!
"This subordinate was previously unaware of these matters and has committed a grave error. I beg Ancestor Limitless to punish me!" Su Yue prostrated himself on the ground, trembling as he spoke.
"So ignorance is your excuse? If this is how the sect operates so soon after its founding, then its disciplinary standards clearly need a thorough overhaul."
Li Qing's face was as dark as water, his voice icy.
How could he not see through Su Yue's charade? The elder had clearly had no prior dealings with the Feng Clan, yet now he was pleading on their behalf, a clear sign of having accepted bribes and formed a corrupt alliance.
In other words, if a different core formation realm true lord had attacked the Feng Clan today, Su Yue's invocation of the Lingyun Sect would have needlessly created an enemy for the sect!
At this rate, over time, the Lingyun Sect would likely accumulate countless enemies.
Bang!
By now, Li Qing was seething with rage.
Without another word, he activated the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer and slammed it violently into the Feng Clan's territory.
This time, under Li Qing's furious assault, the Feng Clan's formation spiritual light could no longer withstand the force and shattered instantly.
Boom!
A rain of spiritual light erupted across the sky. Feng Jing and Su Yue, trapped within the formation, trembled violently under the terrifying pressure.
This is what it feels like to face a core formation realm true lord directly? The gap between us is truly vast—like the difference between the ocean and a stream.
"Ancestor, please punish me!" Su Yue regretted his actions to the core. He never imagined that accepting a small favor from the Feng Clan would lead to such a catastrophic outcome.
As for Feng Jing, the Feng Clan Head, his heart had already turned to ashes. Having offended a core formation true lord, his fate was unlikely to be pleasant.
Watching Li Qing unleash his full power, Liu Sheng felt a surge of awe. He never imagined that his old friend, who had not only successfully achieved core formation but had also become an ancestor-level figure in the Lingyun Sect.
This was the Lingyun Sect that now ruled the entire Azure Ridge Domain—the very sect that had crushed and annihilated the once-ascendant Shangqing Sect!
"Brother Li, Zheng'er is already dead. Even if you slaughter the entire Feng Clan, you can't bring him back. Just eliminate the mastermind behind this tragedy."
Over the years, Liu Sheng had grown more pragmatic, his sharp edges smoothed by experience. While wiping out the Feng Clan under Li Qing's authority might be satisfying, it could also tarnish Li Qing's reputation.
After all, Li Qing was no longer a rogue cultivator but a core formation ancestor of a cultivation sect. His actions now carried far greater weight and required careful consideration of external consequences.
Upon hearing Liu Sheng's words, Li Qing sighed softly.
"Ah, Brother Liu Sheng, you're still too kind-hearted."
Liu Sheng smiled wryly. "We've already killed a large number of Feng Clan members just now. That should be enough to make them feel the pain."
"An eye for an eye will never end. I have no desire to pursue the rest of the Feng Clan any further. Now, allow me to personally end the life of this mastermind, and let's settle this once and for all."
With that, Liu Sheng drew a long blade from his storage pouch. Beside him, the girl Liu Xue instinctively covered her eyes.
He strode toward Feng Ming, who lay paralyzed on the ground, his face contorted in terror. Feng Ming frantically crawled backward, shaking his head.
"Liu Sheng, you wouldn't dare kill me!"
"No, you can't kill me! I'm the Feng Clan's Young Master!"
"Father! Father, save me!"
"No, no, please! I was wrong before! Please spare me this time!"
Feng Ming sank into despair, desperately pleading for his father's help. But Feng Jing remained kneeling on the ground, utterly indifferent, too afraid to interfere.
"Spare you? Did you ever consider sparing Zheng'er?"
"He was just a mortal without a Spiritual Root. Could the young master of the Feng Clan not even tolerate his existence?"
With these words, Liu Sheng swung his willow-leaf saber in a swift, decisive arc, severing Feng Ming's head.
Thud!
The moment Feng Ming's head hit the ground, Feng Jing, who was kneeling before the Feng Clan gates, shuddered violently before quickly regaining his composure.
Seeing this, Li Qing slowly retracted the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer.
He surveyed the Feng Clan's terrain and remarked, "Your clan's guardian grand formation is quite intriguing. What's its origin?"
"Reporting to the true lord," Feng Jing replied respectfully, "our clan's guardian grand formation originates from a fragmented formation plate. It's called the Nine Heavens Falling Cloud Formation!"
"However, due to its incompleteness, it can only unleash less than one or two tenths of its full power."
Feng Jing answered Li Qing's question honestly, daring not to conceal anything.
Nine Heavens Falling Cloud Formation?
Li Qing's knowledge of formations was limited.
Remembering that the Lingyun Sect lacked a guardian grand formation, he couldn't help but consider acquiring this Nine Heavens Falling Cloud Formation.
Even in its incomplete state, the formation could unleash less than twenty percent of its full power, yet it already surpassed many ordinary second-tier formations—a truly remarkable feat.
If a skilled formation master could repair it, its power would undoubtedly be amplified even further!
"Hand over the formation plate," Li Qing said coldly. "If you do, I'll spare the Feng Clan from the grave crimes you've committed."
Faced with Li Qing's demand, Feng Jing dared not refuse. He even wept tears of gratitude, saying:
"For the true lord to take interest in this formation plate is truly an honor for the Feng Clan!"
"Thank you for your mercy, true lord! Thank you!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
As he spoke, Feng Jing kowtowed vigorously on the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, he personally rushed back into the Feng Clan estate to retrieve the formation plate from its place at the Formation Core.
The plate was a nine-sided black jade disc, etched with intricate formation patterns. However, most of the lines and patterns had been worn away, their original paths now indiscernible.
By activating the formation plate, spiritual light would emanate from its patterns. Following these luminous cues, one could place the corresponding formation materials and spiritual resources, then insert the formation flags to complete the formation.
This was the brilliance of the formation plate—with such a device, even someone with no foundational knowledge of formations could deploy them.
Of course, refining such a device required a formation master with exceptionally profound mastery of formations!
Li Qing unhesitatingly claimed the black jade formation plate. He glanced at Feng Jing before withdrawing his gaze and turning to Su Yue, who remained kneeling on the ground.
"Su Yue, your actions have corrupted the sect's reputation and warrant severe punishment!"
"However, considering that your actions did not result in any substantial harm, I will grant you an opportunity to redeem yourself."
"From this moment forward, I order you to escort my old friend and his daughter safely to the sect. Afterward, you will voluntarily enter the Water Prison to serve a year of confinement!"
Hearing Li Qing's words, Su Yue breathed a sigh of relief. He kowtowed heavily on the ground.
"Thank you, Ancestor, for your judgment! Su Yue will not fail your trust!"
Liu Sheng, feeling somewhat embarrassed, spoke up. "Brother Li, how can I possibly face the Lingyun Sect after causing you so much trouble?"
Li Qing smiled. "Brother Liu Sheng, you're being too formal," he said. "If you hadn't led me to the Liu Clan back then, I might have spent years wandering before finding the cultivation world!"
"Besides, the Lingyun Sect is vast and prosperous. Surely we can afford to support you and your daughter?"
"Moreover, your daughter is still young. It's not easy for you to wander alone with her. For the sake of her dao path, she should join the Lingyun Sect to establish a solid foundation in cultivation. Who knows what great achievements she might attain in the future?"
Li Qing wasn't just being polite. Liu Sheng was a member of the Liu Clan, and Li Qing still owed Liu Hanyue a debt of gratitude. He couldn't simply let them continue wandering.
After speaking, Li Qing affectionately patted Xiaoxue's head and asked, "Xiaoxue, would you like to join the Lingyun Sect and cultivate the dao?"
Xiaoxue looked up, her face filled with longing, and nodded eagerly. "Big brother, I want to! I want to join the Lingyun Sect!"
"Hahaha, good, good! From this moment on, Xiaoxue, you are a disciple of the Lingyun Sect!" Li Qing declared with a hearty laugh.
Having his daughter join the Lingyun Sect was undoubtedly the best possible outcome. The Lingyun Sect was currently the foremost cultivation sanctuary in the entire Azure Ridge Domain, without question!
The fact that countless rogue cultivators were flocking to the Lingyun Sect like moths to a flame served as the ultimate proof.
At this point, Liu Sheng had no reason to refuse. For his daughter's future dao, joining the Lingyun Sect would undoubtedly be far superior to continuing her cultivation under his own guidance.
Realizing this belatedly, Liu Sheng exclaimed, "Xiaoxue, quickly pay your respects to the Ancestor!"
Liu Xue tilted her head, her face a picture of innocent confusion, and murmured, "But Big Brother doesn't look old at all. Why is he called Ancestor?"
Her childlike words made Liu Sheng realize that Li Qing's appearance remained exactly as it had been, unchanged from their first meeting.
In contrast, Liu Sheng himself already carried the weight of age, having long passed the optimal age for cultivation. His vital energy was waning, and he had begun his decline.
"Hahahaha! Xiaoxue, if you cultivate diligently in the sect, you'll become just like me!" Li Qing naturally offered no explanation for his unchanging appearance.
Now that he was a core formation realm cultivator, Li Qing saw no need to offer explanations about his appearance. He simply allowed outsiders to speculate as they pleased.
After all, while youth preservation techniques were rare in the cultivation world, they weren't entirely nonexistent.
Thus, after Li Qing's repeated warnings, Liu Sheng and his daughter returned to the Lingyun Sect under the guidance of Elder Su Yue.
Still somewhat uneasy, Li Qing created a jade token imbued with his aura. If any trouble arose during their journey, crushing the token would alert him, allowing him to intervene immediately.
As for the Feng Clan, though they had narrowly avoided annihilation, they had suffered a crippling blow. The loss of so many late qi refining realm cultivators and a foundation establishment realm cultivator would leave them reeling for quite some time.
Finally, Li Qing issued a stern warning: the Feng Clan was forbidden from using the Lingyun Sect as an excuse to oppress the rogue cultivators residing at Azure Radiance Pool. Any further transgressions would leave no room for leniency.
With these matters settled, Li Qing resumed his solitary journey westward, heading toward the Soul Nurturing Secret Realm.
Along the way, he passed by the Heavenly River Market, but this time he didn't enter. He merely glanced at it from afar.
The market remained as bustling as ever, its cluster of islands suspended in the sky by a second-tier formation, a truly magnificent sight.
After a quick glance, Li Qing swiftly made his way to the Soul Nurturing Secret Realm.
It was night, and the area remained desolate and uninhabited.
A barren hill stood exposed under the night sky, bathed in moonlight that cascaded down like molten silver, creating a strikingly serene landscape.
Reaching the familiar hill, Li Qing basked in the gentle moonlight before retrieving a Jade Pendant from his storage pouch.
Buzz!
As soon as the pendant was revealed, the surrounding moonlight seemed drawn to it, rapidly converging.
Within moments, the moonlight coalesced in the night sky above the hill, forming a radiant, pearly-white gateway.
"Back then, I didn't appreciate the ingenuity of this method," Li Qing murmured, squinting at the gateway. "Now, it strikes me as remarkably clever!"
Over the years, he had traveled far and wide, exploring numerous secret realms and independent pocket dimensions. Most of these realms required spiritual energy to maintain their entrances.
The Soul Nurturing Secret Realm, however, was unique. It didn't rely on a cultivator's spiritual energy; instead, the Jade Pendant gathered moonlight to open the gateway.
Without hesitation, Li Qing soared into the air and flew through the moonlit portal, entering the Soul Nurturing Secret Realm.
(End of the Chapter)
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