The most taboo thing for Luo Lingfeng to hear was about Wei Yunshu’s death.
No matter how the Cloud City disciples discussed it privately, they dared not mention it in front of Luo Lingfeng.
Hearing the words “accept my condolences” so suddenly, Luo Lingfeng’s eyes instantly turned cold, and a chilling aura permeated her entire being.
Wei Yunshu remained composed. She calmly met Luo Lingfeng’s gaze, unafraid of the aura emanating from her.
The Cloud Sovereign’s death was her wish, so why is she still unhappy even though her wish has been granted? Wei Yunshu thought to herself.
Wei Yunshu was the first to avert her gaze. Water droplets fell into the pond, spreading in ripples. She steadied herself. She had only sought out Luo Lingfeng to offer a small warning. Now, it seemed Luo Lingfeng was aware of the situation, and her concern was clearly unnecessary. She said, “Listening to True Monarch’s music is like hearing celestial melodies. However, it is improper to continue to bother True Monarch.” Wei Yunshu’s words clearly indicated her intention to leave.
Luo Lingfeng flicked her sleeve coldly, no longer attempting to detain her. She watched Wei Yunshu pass by like a startled swan skimming the water, her eyes gradually becoming deep, even adding a hint of maliciousness.
After this unpleasant parting, Wei Yunshu did not seek out Luo Lingfeng again. She had come to the Sunset Burial Mounds also out of concern for the demonic matters, originally thinking the Cloud City disciples would have arrangements. Although her cultivation had not reached a heaven-shattering level, her current body could display the strength of a Golden Core cultivator, which was also a form of assistance. Who knew that Cloud City had shown no sign of needing her help? She had tried to inquire several times, but the other party hurried away, their eyes flickering, clearly unwilling to speak with her.
Wei Yunshu didn’t know if this was Luo Lingfeng’s or Yun Dan’s intention. If she were a Cloud City disciple, she might have been trapped in a state of being ignored. But now, she had no connection with Cloud City. After buying a map, she set off towards the defense line on her own.
On the other side of the Chaos Tree.
Demonic energy soared to the heavens, and everything visible was covered in shadows. In the Northern Continent, any living being contaminated by demonic energy would transform into a demonized creature. At this moment, groups of demonized beasts served as the vanguard of the opposing side. Amidst the eerie horn calls, they charged towards the defense line like a sharp sword. This was the territory of the Luoshui Divine Palace. Along the long defense line, there were four outposts, each governed by one of the four clans of the Luoshui Divine Palace. The outpost Wei Yunshu arrived at was guarded by the Luoshui Divine Palace itself. From the weary state of the cultivators here, it was evident that the situation was far from ideal.
“Are these demons planning to invade our Immortal Realm? They have been constantly encroaching in the past, but never as fiercely as this time.”
“Fortunately, the Palace Lord issued the Luoshui True Invitation. If we hadn’t received help from these fellow Daoists, we might not have been able to hold on.”
“Bad! Something happened in the oblique valley ahead!”
“Oblique valley? The Heavenly Carriage Disk didn’t show any demons there. Investigating that area was supposed to be a leisurely task. Everyone was even jealous of that Senior Brother before.”
Whether they were disciples from sects or rogue cultivators, in such a dangerous territory, they would choose to act together to increase their chances of survival. Wei Yunshu did not conceal her cultivation. Upon arriving at the defense line, several teams eagerly invited her to join them. While Wei Yunshu was contemplating, she suddenly saw several disheartened disciples of the Luoshui Divine Palace in front of her. They held a Dharma talisman that was flickering with spiritual light, their faces now filled with fear and dread.
“You just arrived today, perhaps you don’t know?” A nearby cultivator, seeing Wei Yunshu’s expression, smiled and explained, “The oblique valley is less than ten kilometers from here. It has always been patrolled by the Luoshui Divine Palace’s own disciples. There is a sword scar left by a certain Immortal Sect grand cultivator a thousand years ago, so demons usually don’t approach. How could there be danger?” Towards the end, he scoffed again, “Perhaps they saw something good and had a conflict among themselves, which led to their deaths.”
In the border areas between the Northern Continent and the other three continents, warfare and bloodshed had never ceased. There were countless unknown individuals buried here, their bones, magic artifacts, and even Daoist texts left uncollected, providing easy pickings for later cultivators.
“Although I came at the invitation of the Luoshui Divine Palace, I advise you, if you don’t have any connections, don’t easily believe what their disciples say. These people from major sects are all afraid of death and like to push all the dirty and difficult work onto us rogue cultivators. They say that accumulating merit points can be exchanged for pills, jade, or Cloud Sand, but after going through so many hands, who knows how much will be embezzled.” The cultivator’s tone became increasingly resentful. His voice was not low, and it was heard by the Luoshui Divine Palace disciples. When one of them cast a warning glance, the cultivator merely let out a mocking laugh and widened his eyes like copper bells, stubbornly staring back.
In normal, slightly more leisurely times, these Luoshui Divine Palace disciples would have been the first to curse back. But now that something had happened in the oblique valley, they had no energy to deal with the rogue cultivator’s nonsense. The leader among the disciples took out a bird whistle-like magic artifact from his sleeve and blew into it with all his might. A sharp whistle echoed throughout the outpost. A few breaths later, the whistle sound transformed into several jade talismans, floating towards various parts of the outpost.
Wei Yunshu reached out and took one. With her divine sense, she scanned it and found it was an invitation, asking them to investigate the situation in the oblique valley. Below it was a line of small text, clearly stating the rewards for completing the task.
“Is this actually happening?” The nearby cultivator, who also received a jade talisman, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise. He turned to look at Wei Yunshu and kindly advised, “Fellow Daoist, I still advise you not to accept this. The oblique valley is always under the surveillance of the Luoshui Divine Palace’s True Artifact, but the Heavenly Carriage Disk is showing no reaction. This means the opponent is capable of concealing themselves from a True Artifact; they must be difficult to deal with.”
“Hmm, a hu of Heaven-tier Cloud Sand… that’s quite a sum. It must be a very dangerous task.” The cultivator kept shaking his head. He was willing to gain some benefits through trials, but he didn’t want to lose his life here. After thinking for a while, he laughed loudly again, “If Fellow Daoist wants to become a guest elder of the Luoshui Divine Palace, then you must go on this trip.”
Wei Yunshu cupped her hands towards the cultivator and said, “Thank you.”
She did not wish to become a guest elder of the Luoshui Divine Palace, but since she had heard about this matter, she could not let it pass so easily.
Not long after the jade talismans fell, several streams of escape light left the camp and flew towards the oblique valley. Wei Yunshu did not hesitate. Spiritual energy surged throughout her body. Using her escape technique, she also became a point of light, piercing directly through the shadows in the sky.
Oblique Valley.
As if a towering mountain had been cleaved by a single sword strike, the cliffs on both sides were extremely steep. Countless chaotic sword intents surged through the valley, accompanied by the painful roars of beasts, and the dense smell of blood spread on the wind.
On a dark stone in the valley, a hundred feet high, sat a gray-robed Daoist with sinister eyes, currently cross-legged. His dark gray eyes narrowed at the corpses on the ground. As his cultivation method circulated, he devoured the other party’s blood energy and primal souls. On the ground, only wrinkled skins remained, while his body was full of blood energy, slowly forming a bloody protective cloud above his head. This person was named Wan Bulai, a Golden Core cultivator from the Corridor of Sins. He cultivated the “Blood Soul Art,” which required devouring the essence and flesh of cultivators to increase his cultivation. He had been eyeing the oblique valley for a long time, knowing that the disciples here were mostly from the Luoshui Divine Palace’s main lineage. Although their profound cultivation was extremely pure, they were greedy and afraid of death, lacking in training, making them tempting targets. However, because of the sword energy here, he had never dared to act.
But this time, his sect had a major plan and had granted him a handful of “Primal Magnetic Sand.” Primal Magnetic Sand was a rare and excellent item, capable of disrupting sword energy and blocking sword intent. It was originally refined specifically to deal with the sword cultivators of Buzhou Peak. Now, it was used here to completely intercept the sword energy surging within the cliffs.
A rustling sound entered his ears.
The gray-robed Daoist abruptly looked up. Counting the four streams of escape light that appeared in front of him, a meaningful smile curved on his lips. The bloody protective cloud above his head trembled, immediately splitting into a blood soul similar in appearance to him. This was the wondrous aspect of his cultivation method. Although he was only at the Golden Core realm, if the bloody cloud above him remained, he could manifest avatars. It didn’t matter if they were killed; he could simply devour more cultivators in the future to replenish the lost blood energy.
The first four cultivators to arrive were rogue cultivators who were eager to become guest elders of the Luoshui Divine Palace. Among them was precisely Daoist Zheng, who was extremely interested in the “Taiyi Sword.” He cultivated a strength technique, his body like forged steel, and had accumulated a lot of merit points by roaming the Sunset Burial Mounds. But this was not enough; what he could do, others could also do. Even if he became a guest elder of the Luoshui Divine Palace, there would be ranks. He urgently needed an opportunity to make a name for himself in the Luoshui Divine Palace. Thus, upon hearing about the oblique valley incident, he was overjoyed and rushed here without delay. However, glimpsing the fellow cultivators accompanying him, his heart sank again. His competitors were also battle-hardened, their cultivation not inferior to his.
However, Daoist Zheng had no time to contemplate other matters. Stepping into the valley, his vital energy circulated, shaking off the evil energy that was closing in on him. His gaze fell upon the scattered corpses, filling him with shock and anger! “Where did these demons come from, daring to act so presumptuously?” Daoist Zheng roared, his voice like spring thunder, shaking the rocks off the mountain cliffs.
Wan Bulai glanced at Daoist Zheng, quite disdainfully. When he saw the other party’s body shrouded in vital energy, he uttered a surprised “Oh” and his eyes gleamed. “He’s a strength cultivator, and his blood energy is even more powerful. Excellent!” He exclaimed. The bloody cloud above his head split into another blood soul. Feeling this was still not enough, he reached out and grabbed a bloody banner that appeared in his palm. With a gentle shake, several illusory human figures stepped down from the banner. This banner was a magic artifact bestowed by his senior, and the evil spirits within were refined from captured cultivators. Wan Bulai intended to capture the four incoming cultivators in one fell swoop, so he held nothing back. With a point of his finger, he commanded the blood souls and evil spirits to charge forward.
“They are all seniors from my Immortal Sect.” Daoist Zheng’s face became even more grim as he looked at the evil spirits’ clothing. There were even True Disciples of the Luoshui Divine Palace among them! These evil spirits retained the cultivation methods and divine abilities they possessed in life, although their combat awareness was slightly lacking. However, there were six of them in total, making them quite difficult to deal with. Yet, they had no way out. Daoist Zheng steadied himself, shouted loudly, and swung a golden glowing staff towards the evil spirits in front of him.
Rogue cultivators’ cultivation methods varied in quality. Even if they gained opportunities, they were not as pure and profound as those of major immortal sects. Wan Bulai watched them with cold eyes, a mocking smile curving on his lips. He watched the cultivators moving among the sinister wind and blood souls with amusement, patiently wearing down their magic artifacts and spiritual energy. He hadn’t switched from the righteous path to the demonic path midway; he had lived in the Northern Continent since childhood, cultivating pure evil arts. Although his methods harmed the heavens and were against natural law, when fighting for survival against the heavens, why care about such things? As long as the methods were effective, that was enough.
Suddenly, a warning sign flashed in Wan Bulai’s heart. Cultivators would have some sense of the heavenly secrets. Wan Bulai did not ignore this hint of ominous premonition. He used an escape technique, instantly teleporting himself elsewhere. A loud bang echoed. The dark stone he had been sitting on a moment before was shattered into dust by the immense spiritual power. This was not the use of any divine ability, but purely using spiritual power to resist the enemy. Ordinary rogue cultivators absolutely did not possess such formidable vital energy. Who is it? Wan Bulai’s expression became grim. He suddenly felt something and looked up towards the south, only to see a female cultivator in snow-white robes, holding a whisk, arriving on the wind.
Wan Bulai was familiar with the Golden Core cultivators of the major sects, but this person before him, he had never seen before. Perhaps she had concealed her face? Thinking this, Wan Bulai frowned. He made a hand seal with a serious expression, instantly summoning a gust of sinister wind. This kind of sinister wind was mixed with the wails of ghosts and could greatly defile spiritual light.
Wei Yunshu glanced at Wan Bulai, a hint of anger flashing in her eyes. This evil cultivator was full of blood-soaked evil energy, likely having harmed countless lives to cultivate these wicked methods. Facing the howling sinister wind, she swung her whisk forward. A ray of pure light immediately dispersed the murky, polluted atmosphere. She did not enter the formation to help Daoist Zheng and the others. Instead, her gaze focused on the “Primal Magnetic Sand.” She recognized this item. In the past, when dealing with evil cultivators, they often used this to counter her, as she also cultivated the Dao of the sword. Initially, there was indeed nothing she could do against the “Primal Magnetic Sand.” Later, she figured out a method and refined a magic artifact called the “Hidden Sword Spring Thunder Bottle,” into which she injected sword energy. This “Primal Magnetic Sand” was most attracted to sword intent. Coupled with the absorbing talismans on the bottle, she had no trouble collecting it.
Wei Yunshu glanced around. There were no Cloud Sect disciples nearby, so she wasn’t afraid of being recognized. She drew her whisk forward, and a trail of energy immediately appeared in front of her, intercepting the approaching sinister wind. Immediately after, she threw the “Hidden Sword Spring Thunder Bottle,” made a hand seal, and a countless sword cries echoed. The bottle vibrated violently, as if it would be torn apart by the sword energy within. And the Primal Magnetic Sand, which had been grinding against the sword scar, trembled and transformed into a pale golden stream of light, surging towards the bottle.
Wan Bulai was initially delighted when he saw Wei Yunshu distracted. But upon seeing the change in the Primal Magnetic Sand, the smile on his face instantly vanished. If the Primal Magnetic Sand disappeared, and the sword scar on the wall was not suppressed, his evil arts would be difficult to display! He roared and suddenly inhaled the remaining one-third of the bloody cloud above his head. As the blood entered his body, his face turned red, but his aura also rose steadily. As his spiritual energy circulated, a colossal, blood-colored hand, large enough to cover the sky, appeared above his head and ruthlessly grabbed towards the “Hidden Sword Spring Thunder Bottle”! How could Wei Yunshu allow this Daoist to succeed? But at this moment, the Daoist’s aura suddenly increased dramatically, his energy long and sustained. He was likely difficult to deal with. With a thought, she hooked the “Hidden Sword Spring Thunder Bottle” with her whisk and immediately escaped from the range of the bloody hand.
Wan Bulai’s eyes subtly changed. His bloody hand had struck down very quickly. Only sword cultivators could easily escape it. But this person had never used a magic sword, nor did she have any trace of sword energy on her body. How could she escape? Could it be another escape technique? That would be troublesome! A cultivator of the same realm with an extremely high escape technique was very difficult to capture. Wan Bulai thought to himself, a fierce gleam bursting in his eyes. He had not seen Wei Yunshu use any divine abilities, so he speculated that she had only cultivated her escape technique to an extreme level. As his thoughts churned, he decisively gave up on Wei Yunshu and turned his gaze towards the four people on the field! Once he dealt with these individuals, his blood energy would surely be robust. The Primal Magnetic Sand was not that easy to collect entirely; he could just abandon this place and leave! Moreover, would immortal sect cultivators, seeing their fellow Daoists in distress, not extend a helping hand?
Daoist Zheng and his group were already under immense pressure when dealing with the evil spirits and blood souls. Now, with Wan Bulai’s full force pressing down on them, their movements became even more constrained, and their rhythm was quickly disrupted. Daoist Zheng had seen Wei Yunshu earlier and thought things would be easier, but he never expected her to not even cast a glance their way. He had initially endured it, but slowly, he couldn’t hold on anymore and roared at Wei Yunshu, “Fellow Daoist, why don’t you come and help us?”
Wei Yunshu was not a person who would stand by and watch others die. She saw that Daoist Zheng and his group still had some strength left and was considering how to attack the “Primal Magnetic Sand.” But she didn’t expect them to be so impatient. They hadn’t even taken out all their protective magic artifacts, had they? Wei Yunshu sighed inwardly and urged her spiritual energy to accelerate the speed of absorbing the “Primal Magnetic Sand.”
Wan Bulai’s eyes flickered with surprise. He hadn’t expected the female cultivator to not turn back even at this point. She was truly ruthless. He smiled at Daoist Zheng and his group, “Do you immortal sect cultivators seem any different from us? If you die, will the merit points you’ve accumulated belong to her?” Upon hearing this, Daoist Zheng and the others showed varying expressions. Wan Bulai was accustomed to rogue cultivators and knew they were easier to shake. He slowly persuaded them, “I think the Luoshui Divine Palace is even less fair in its rewards and punishments than my Corridor of Sins.” Although his appearance was aged, his voice had a hint of demonic charm.
Daoist Zheng abruptly regained his senses and shouted loudly, “Fellow Daoists, don’t listen to this demon’s bewitching words!” The evil energy here was already strong. If they were infiltrated by demonic thoughts, it would be difficult to expel them later. With his shout, the other three also gradually recovered. But in that moment of stunned hesitation, Wan Bulai seized the opportunity, and several blood souls were already upon them.
However, at that very instant, several sharp sword lights flew out. As if the scorching sun was melting snow, the blood souls shattered upon contact. The Primal Magnetic Sand had not been completely removed, but it could no longer completely block the sword scar on the wall. Wei Yunshu flicked her whisk, drawing out several streams of sword energy, striking towards the blood souls. “Fellow Daoists, if you can’t hold on, retreat first,” Wei Yunshu said blandly.
Daoist Zheng snorted coldly. How could he retreat? But the other three were not of one mind with him. Seeing the demon’s numerous methods and even its ability to stir up evil thoughts within them, they had already decided to retreat. It just so happened that someone was covering their retreat, making this the best opportunity. Glancing at each other, they silently bowed to Wei Yunshu and transformed into streams of light, leaving. Wan Bulai would not let them leave! But the sword intent behind him was like a thorn in his back, making him dare not ignore it. He never expected someone to be able to draw out the sword intent on the wall! His actions were all based on his own conjectures. Once he miscalculated, it was one step wrong after another. Glaring fiercely at Wei Yunshu, the hatred in his eyes grew stronger. “Today, this humble Daoist will sacrifice you to my blood banner!” Wan Bulai roared, opened his mouth, and inhaled the scattered blood energy into his body. He urged the evil spirits on the banner and, acting ruthlessly, turned his head to take down Daoist Zheng!
Daoist Zheng dared not be careless. Even though his body was like steel and impervious to water and fire, he did not want to be stained by even a drop of blood. But after several rounds of combat, his Golden Core became weaker and weaker, and the spiritual energy in his body was almost completely depleted. If he continued fighting, he would likely end up like the Luoshui Divine Palace disciples. His heart was filled with bitterness, and his past resolve crumbled in an instant. He silently moved towards Wei Yunshu’s location. Finally, he grabbed a handful of thunder beads from his storage pouch and scattered them, shouting loudly, “This demon’s power has been greatly weakened! Fellow Daoist, wait while I go find reinforcements.”
Wei Yunshu didn’t care about Daoist Zheng’s attitude. She had seen many people like him. She knew the demon intended to capture Daoist Zheng and even spared some of her energy to block him. Only after the aura of the extraneous individuals completely disappeared did Wei Yunshu breathe a sigh of relief. She looked up at the evil Daoist with a twisted face and frowned, “Your aura is impure, and you cannot cultivate to the Great Dao. Why not turn back?”
Wan Bulai was already very impatient with Wei Yunshu. Hearing her words, he scoffed coldly, “If I turn back, will your Immortal Sect let me go?”
Wei Yunshu said without hesitation, “No.”
“Why are you being so verbose? It’s not certain who will die!” Wan Bulai was filled with anger. Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary female cultivator would be so troublesome? He had received the relevant information when he came out, but no one had mentioned such a person here! He didn’t know how those people had gathered their information.
Wei Yunshu nodded, no longer speaking unnecessarily. The Hidden Sword Spring Thunder Bottle was still absorbing the Primal Magnetic Sand, but at this moment, Wei Yunshu didn’t care anymore. She looked at the evil Daoist with a detached expression. With a wave of her hand, a loud boom echoed. Immediately, countless purple lightning bolts appeared in the sky, flashing and surging, spreading for miles. The lightning and thunder roared, and fierce winds blew, like waves crashing against the shore, coming in continuous surges. Amidst the incessant explosions, Wan Bulai’s expression suddenly turned pale.
Thunder is the key to heaven and earth, the movement of Yin and Yang, and a wonderful method for subduing evil!
On a tall mountain more than thirty miles away.
The white-haired female cultivator, originally seated cross-legged with a blood-red seed the size of half a palm floating before her, abruptly looked up at the sky when she heard the thunder. Her expression suddenly changed!
“One Qi Nine Dominance Heavenly Thunder! Wei Yunshu?!” she murmured, abruptly rising to her feet, poised to head towards the area where the lightning was rolling most intensely.
A plume of black smoke rolled. A black-robed cultivator with a ruddy face and green hair emerged from it. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at Luo Lingfeng, “True Monarch Luo, aren’t you here to take the Taiyi Sword? Where are you going?”
Luo Lingfeng’s face was cold, and she didn’t respond. She was still contemplating the “One Qi Nine Dominance Heavenly Thunder.”
Cloud City’s treasury was abundant, containing countless divine abilities and cultivation methods. For example, the “Grand Supreme Three Lights Jade Scroll,” which Wei Yunshu cultivated, was one of the top-tier scriptures. However, apart from that, Wei Yunshu had only cultivated the introductory “One Qi Orthodox Sutra.” Her great divine abilities, such as “One Qi Nine Dominance Heavenly Thunder” and “Three Lights Dragon Capturing Seal,” were all derived from her own insights.
Wei Yunshu was generous and kind to others and rarely displayed her divine abilities in front of outsiders. But Luo Lingfeng had spent the past three years frantically searching for anything related to Wei Yunshu, naturally including all her combat experiences. Thus, she knew about these two cultivation methods. Having reached Wei Yunshu’s realm, she should have accepted disciples long ago. However, the noble families in Cloud City were often evasive and unwilling to send their talented disciples to work under Wei Yunshu, whom they looked down upon. Therefore, Luo Lingfeng was certain that only Wei Yunshu knew how to use this divine ability!
Luo Lingfeng became increasingly anxious. The mountain wind blew her sleeves, her eyes were deep and dark, and her entire body exuded a compelling aura. But the black-robed cultivator was not afraid of her. He smiled sinisterly and said again, “I’ve heard that the Luoshui Divine Maiden is exceptionally skilled in the zither, entering the path of the zither with the ‘Twenty-Four Heavenly Chapters.’ This humble one will come to learn today!” Saying this, he flicked his sleeve, and a strange, dark black sun gradually appeared behind him.
This black-robed cultivator was precisely Zhou Yuxiao, who had entered the demonic path from the righteous path. When he was a disciple of the immortal sects, he cultivated the “Grand Supreme True Sun Art,” which was like the fierce true fire of the scorching sun. After leaving his sect, he turned to the demonic path, transforming the glorious and upright true sun into the “Great Sun Black Heaven Art,” which devoured all life force. At this moment, he stared fiercely at Luo Lingfeng, a sinister evil energy swirling in his eyes. He pointed forward with his hand, and countless black sun flames surged towards the front like arrows, carrying the destructive aura that could burn everything.
The rolling thunder in the sky did not need much time to gather momentum; it descended with a boom in just a few breaths. In just the blink of an eye, the rolling thunder showed signs of dissipating. Luo Lingfeng was eager to find the source of the thunder, but the troublesome evil cultivator in front of her was blocking her way. The look of annoyance in her eyes became even clearer, but a smile curved on her lips. She gazed at the flowing black flames in front of her, her aura rising, and countless waves surged forward, crashing like great waves. Amidst the rolling water current, several dark, ink-like water droplets moved, rubbing against each other and emitting sounds as fierce as thunder.
Great Sun Black Heaven Flames could not be extinguished by ordinary water, but Luo Lingfeng cultivated the “Abyssal True Water,” which was a top-tier method. This method had three stages and three realms. When she reached the second realm, Abyssal Heavy Water, those water droplets transformed into objects as heavy as a thousand jin. Not to mention that Luo Lingfeng had now reached the third realm, “Abyssal True Water.” A single drop of True Water could transform into a vast flood. In this boundless torrent, both the circulation of life force and the movement of magic artifacts were suppressed.
Zhou Yuxiao frowned and murmured, “Water cultivation? The news from over there is wrong.” However, having fought against immortal sect disciples for a long time, he knew he absolutely could not let this water current touch him. He made a hand seal, and the black flames that fell into the water suddenly expanded, like dying suns about to be extinguished. In less than a breath, they exploded. The deafening roar of spiritual energy colliding echoed throughout heaven and earth, lasting for a full quarter of an hour before dissipating. Zhou Yuxiao sat cross-legged on a black cloud, black energy swirling around him. He extended his palm and pressed forward, and the black energy condensed into a gigantic hand, sweeping forward. Gusts of fierce wind erupted from the raging current, as if wanting to crush everything in its grasp.
Luo Lingfeng walked on the water current, her white hair fluttering in the wind, covering half of her face, revealing only her eyes, which gleamed with a dark light. She flicked her finger, and several drops of heavy water shot out from the vast river, hitting the hand with a bang. In an instant, powerful winds spread, and the hand began to crumble from the fingertips.
“True Monarch Luo is truly skilled!” Zhou Yuxiao’s eyes sparkled with endless light. Although both he and Luo Lingfeng were currently at the Nascent Soul realm, the other party was originally a Cavern Heaven cultivator. With his abilities alone, he could not possibly defeat her. His current reckless move was merely a test. He now had a rough idea of the cultivation of Luo Lingfeng’s Nascent Soul avatar and decided to withdraw. He raised his eyebrows with a smile, and a talisman radiating brilliant light appeared in his sleeve. He raised his voice and said, “If True Monarch Luo wants the Taiyi Sword, just come and get it.” Saying this, the light from the talisman enveloped his body. In a flash, he vanished without a trace.
Luo Lingfeng’s eyes flashed with ferocity. She had no intention of pursuing Zhou Yuxiao. Instead, she looked at the rapidly dissipating aura, completely released her own aura, and then disregarded everything and flew towards that area. But when she found the oblique valley, she only saw the mountain body shattered into pieces by the lightning, and there was not a single trace of a person! Luo Lingfeng’s anger intensified. She cursed, “Damn it!” The water current beneath her feet surged forward, completely destroying the remaining half of the mountain.
At this very moment, several figures approached on sword light. The leader among them was precisely Daoist Zheng. After finding an opportunity to escape, he had gone to find reinforcements. He had already lost all hope, but who would have thought that upon arriving here, he would see the gloomy-faced Luo Lingfeng. Daoist Zheng’s eyelids twitched. He dared not look up at that figure directly. He quickly halted his escape light and said respectfully, “Greetings, True Monarch Luo.”
Luo Lingfeng did not speak. She suddenly looked at Daoist Zheng and his group, the ferocity and killing intent in her heart still not having dissipated.
The oppressive pressure was like a torrent, causing the disciples who had come here to sway back and forth. Daoist Zheng cultivated a strength method and could barely stand, but his face had turned ashen. A warning sign appeared in his heart, and immense fear and unease enveloped him. He wished he could immediately escape from here, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move. “So, True Monarch Luo was the one who eliminated the evil cultivator,” Daoist Zheng managed to squeeze out a sentence. He had previously boasted that he would fight for the “Taiyi Sword.” But when he truly faced Luo Lingfeng’s boundless power, he realized how ridiculous his thoughts were.
Luo Lingfeng spoke, neither lightly nor heavily, “Evil cultivator?” She flicked her sleeve, controlling the killing intent swirling around her.
Daoist Zheng, seeing that she was willing to speak, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He said, “Yes, earlier there was a fellow Daoist holding him back, allowing us to go get reinforcements. We thought we had arrived—” The word “late” had not yet left his mouth when a heavy pressure suddenly settled on Daoist Zheng’s shoulder. His knees softened, and he almost couldn’t help but kneel on the ground. Luo Lingfeng was some distance away from them, but he felt as if she were right in front of him. He was like a thin piece of paper, ready to be torn apart at any moment.
“Who?!” Luo Lingfeng demanded sharply.
Daoist Zheng was terrified and his heart pounded. His eyelids twitched, and he stammered, “This humble… humble… humble Daoist doesn’t know her name.”
“What about her appearance?”
“Very… very ordinary?” Daoist Zheng was afraid that his vague description would anger Luo Lingfeng, so he made a hand seal and conjured a water mirror, wanting to project Wei Yunshu’s image. But no matter how he tried, only a blurry, white-robed figure appeared in the water mirror, as if there was a layer of mist between them! Daoist Zheng’s heart was filled with bitterness, and his head slowly drooped.
“Useless.” A mocking phrase was squeezed out from her thin lips. Luo Lingfeng no longer paid attention to the cultivators in front of her. Perhaps influenced by the surging evil energy here, the raging fire in her heart burned even fiercer. She did not look at Daoist Zheng and his group again. She transformed into a stream of light and flew towards the depths of the Sunset Burial Mounds.
Daoist Zheng sighed in relief, the look of awe on his face slowly fading.
The cultivators who had come with him were silent and fearful. After a long while, someone said, “They all say she is the foremost beauty in the Immortal Realm, as gentle as water… But now it seems, even her avatar is terrifying.”
“How many Cavern Heaven True Monarchs can be approachable?”
“Which of the things she has done in the past three years is easy to deal with? With her leading the way, the Cloud City disciples have become even more arrogant. But speaking of which, one should never dabble in matters of love and affection. It can truly change a person’s character.”
“Fellow Daoists, stop talking nonsense!” Daoist Zheng impatiently interrupted the private conversations of the other Daoists. The evil energy here was already strong. If they were perceived, it would be troublesome. In a place like this, if someone killed them, there would be nowhere to seek justice.
In a cave a few dozen miles outside the oblique valley.
Wei Yunshu hastily cleared away the evil creatures and overgrown weeds in the area and sat down to regulate her breathing. That divine ability was immensely powerful, but it also required abundant spiritual energy as a support. Her current realm had dropped to Golden Core. In that instant, her spiritual energy was almost completely drained. Moreover, with this avatar of her primal soul… if she wasn’t careful, her own essence could also scatter. To fully recover, she would at least need to retrieve her physical body from Cloud City—but this was difficult and impossible to achieve.
Spiritual energy circulated and transformed. After one great cycle, Wei Yunshu opened her eyes. The divine light in her eyes was brilliant and dazzling, as if countless stars were gathered, but it quickly returned to darkness and stillness. She exhaled a breath of turbid air and slowly stood up. As she was contemplating where to go next, a jade talisman in her sleeve lit up. It was the communication artifact that Xie Zhichao had given her before she left.
“Fellow Daoist Bo, there’s something unusual with the Chaos Tree. If you are free, come to Ligu quickly!”
Wei Yunshu took out her map and found the location of Ligu.
That area was about a hundred li northeast of Sunset Floating Island. It was a secluded valley formed by the roots of the Chaos Tree splitting the mountain. The space there was unstable, and it was where demons appeared most frequently. Wei Yunshu did not hesitate. She put away her things and immediately used her escape technique, flying towards Ligu.
At this moment, in Ligu.
Xie Zhichao looked at the person sitting not far across from her, who wore an expression of deep remorse, and remained silent for a long while.
The team she was with was found by this good junior sister. After battling evil cultivators, internal conflicts, and angrily leaving the group, only the two of them from Buzhou Peak were left.
“Third Senior Sister,” the young girl sitting there looked at Xie Zhichao pitifully.
Xie Zhichao gritted her teeth, a vein throbbing on her forehead. Finally, she squeezed out a sentence, “Yingyue, don’t talk to me!”
