Translator: AnubisTL
In the end, Shen Ningbing only pierced the dantian of the four Shangqing Sect elders, refraining from delivering a fatal blow. She handed them over to Li Qing for further handling.
"Senior Brother Li, are these men truly trapped in an illusion?" Shen Ningbing asked, her face filled with astonishment as she gazed at the four elders lying on the ground. Their limbs had been severed, yet they remained completely unaware of their injuries.
This was the most bizarre illusion technique she had ever witnessed. Those trapped within the illusion completely lost all perception of the outside world, remaining oblivious even to the loss of their limbs!
"Until the illusion toxin is neutralized, these men have been stripped of their Five Senses. Only their divine sense can perceive the outside world," Li Qing explained with a sigh.
If not for this very reason, he might have been completely lost in North Mang City within the World of Eternal Night.
Not only vision, but all senses—hearing, smell, taste, and touch—had been stripped away, leaving them utterly lost in the illusion, completely immersed in its fabricated world.
Hearing this, even Shen Ningbing's usually detached heart couldn't help but feel a chill.
She wanted to ask Li Qing where he had obtained these bizarre, multicolored mushrooms, but wisely kept her mouth shut.
Everyone has their secrets, and it was considered highly inappropriate to pry into the affairs of fellow cultivators.
She saw no need to do so. She understood one thing: Li Qing was someone she could trust, and that was enough.
"Let's go. The commotion just now was considerable; we should avoid attracting attention."
With a wave of his hand, Li Qing gathered the Illusion Toxin Mushrooms that had exhausted their spores around the desolate mountain. He then activated several Wind Vortex Techniques to disperse the remaining spores lingering in the air.
Finally, he summoned Fan Tong, patted his storage pouch, and activated four Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain spears. These spears lifted all four of them into the air, propelling them swiftly toward the distant great wilderness.
Several days later.
In a remote, desolate valley within Giant Deer Prefecture, the first rays of dawn illuminated the scene.
But this was no tranquil morning. Heart-wrenching screams echoed incessantly through the valley.
"Ah, I'll talk! I'll talk!"
A Shangqing Sect elder with a weak will cracked immediately after a mere scratch.
Li Qing, who wasn't particularly skilled in interrogation or torture, was quite pleased with the man's performance.
Just moments ago, two stubborn elders had resisted all his methods, leaving him no choice but to end their lives.
"You should have done this sooner," Li Qing said, twirling the Wandering Dragon Dagger in his hand. "Why put yourself through so much pain? Is some sect's grand righteousness or responsibility worth more than your own life?"
He continued, "Now, tell me your name. Why did the Shangqing Sect send you to the Great Wilderness Domain? Wouldn't it have been easier to just stay in the Azure Ridge Domain and be a local tyrant?"
Zhang Da quickly answered, "My name is Zhang Da. The sect sent us here to forge alliances with major immortal dao sects in the Great Wilderness Domain, preparing for our ancestors' Core Formation to Nascent Soul breakthroughs."
"Also..." Zhang Da hesitated, his words trailing off.
"Speak," Li Qing said coldly.
"We're also here to investigate the whereabouts of the Lingyun Sect's remnants," Zhang Da said, cold sweat beading on his forehead as he avoided Li Qing's gaze. "The sect fears they might cause a major catastrophe in the future."
Li Qing sneered. "So you recognize me? It seems my old friends at the Shangqing Sect still think of me fondly."
By "old friends," he was referring to Shi Nantian and Ling Ying, both of whom had been subjected to body seizing.
After the Lingyun Sect's destruction, Li Qing had naturally been branded a remnant. Moreover, the commotion caused by his use of the Void-Piercing Talisman with Shen Ningbing that day had been considerable, making his wanted status with the Shangqing Sect entirely predictable.
However, now that he was in the Great Wilderness Domain, the Shangqing Sect's influence couldn't reach him, so he wasn't particularly worried.
"Tell me more," Li Qing said, twirling the Wandering Dragon Dagger in his hand, his smile playful as he regarded the Shangqing Sect elder. "After arriving in the Great Wilderness Domain, which sects did you submit formal greetings to?"
"The Taiyi Sect—only the Taiyi Sect!" Zhang Da blurted out nervously.
The Taiyi Sect was the leader of the righteous path in the Great Wilderness Domain, a true pillar of the righteous sects.
Its inheritance stretched back to unimaginable antiquity, predating even the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty by millennia. Its accumulated resources and influence were staggering.
The Taiyi Sect had maintained a prominent position in the Great Wilderness Domain throughout history, except for a brief period during the peak of the Ancient Hua Immortal Dynasty when its influence waned slightly.
Rumor had it that the sect harbored at least two ancestor-level figures in the nascent soul realm.
Upon hearing the name "Taiyi Sect," Li Qing fell silent for a moment before asking, "Can you tell me why you urgently need a pure yang object?"
Zhang Da readily complied, recounting in detail everything that had transpired since their arrival in Giant Deer Prefecture, proving remarkably cooperative.
As Li Qing listened, his breathing quickened, and he leaned forward in his seat.
"The Primordial Chaos Stone... it's already in your possession?!"
What audacity!
So, the ones who had snatched the stone from the Ghost Sword Sect and Yin Puppet Sect were none other than these Shangqing Sect elders right before him!
Opportunity has arrived! Truly, opportunity has arrived!
For days, Li Qing and Shen Ningbing had been traveling non-stop, searching for a secluded place to properly interrogate these men. Naturally, they hadn't yet had time to examine the storage pouches carried by the four elders.
Upon learning that the Primordial Chaos Stone was in their possession, Li Qing, as an artifact refinement master, could barely contain his overwhelming excitement.
The Primordial Chaos Stone—a peerless spiritual material perfect for refining magical artifacts!
For an artifact refinement master, this was an irresistible temptation.
"I-I've told you everything," the man stammered, his voice trembling with terror. "Can you spare me now?"
"Hah!"
"Not so fast. I still have questions for you. Tell me everything you know about the Azure Ridge Domain."
Though eager to examine the treasures in the storage pouches, Li Qing wasn't in a rush. He needed to gather all the necessary information first.
First, he wanted to know about the Lingyun Sect. After his departure, he had only witnessed the death of Ancestor Devourer of Heaven. The fates of Ancestor Ziqing and Ancestor Bing Yun remained uncertain.
Given the circumstances, it was highly likely that these two core formation ancestors had also met a grim end. Yet Li Qing clung to a sliver of hope.
"Tell me everything you know about True Lord Ziqing and True Lord Bing Yun," Li Qing asked in a deep voice.
"I don't know much. We didn't participate in that battle back then; only a few of the sect's ancestors were involved."
"Matters concerning core formation true lords are beyond our reach."
"However, there's one thing: we haven't received any definitive news of their deaths. As for what exactly happened, we have no idea!"
Matters involving core formation true lords were indeed beyond the scope of these foundation establishment realm elders.
After hearing this, Li Qing fell into a brief silence.
No news of their deaths?
That meant there was still a chance they were alive! And not a slim one at that!
"Hah! It seems the two ancestors might still be alive! This is wonderful!" Li Qing murmured to himself, a flicker of hope returning to his eyes.
As long as these two ancestors were still alive, rebuilding the Lingyun Sect wouldn't be impossible!
Suddenly, Li Qing felt a surge of renewed motivation!
(End of the Chapter)
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