Translator: AnubisTL
The area north of the Imperial City had become eerily quiet after Li Qing brandished the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.
No more fools dared to disturb Shen Ningbing's core formation. Clearly, everyone valued their lives and fortunes too much.
They feared that if Shen Ningbing failed, Li Qing might blame their presence for the interference, a disastrous outcome.
Even core formation realm cultivators wouldn't risk being struck by a Heavenly Thunder Pearl—a lethal weapon!
"Finally, some peace," Li Qing murmured, gazing at the ice-encrusted cavern. "I hope Junior Sister's core formation proceeds smoothly."
The path to enlightenment was fraught with peril. Only those with heavenly spirit roots could confidently claim a chance at successful core formation.
In cultivation, each realm was a Heavenly Chasm, a seemingly insurmountable barrier.
Boom!
The spiritual energy in the air grew denser, surging violently toward the cavern Shen Ningbing had carved out.
Even Li Qing, who usually maintained his composure, couldn't remain calm. He watched Shen Ningbing's progress with unwavering focus.
After all, this was his first time witnessing someone undergo core formation. Since he would have to go through it himself someday, observing the process couldn't hurt.
Time gradually passed, and only one day remained until the auction.
Yet Shen Ningbing's aura remained unstable, fluctuating wildly between intense surges and sudden collapses.
Uncertain of the cause, Li Qing grew increasingly worried about her condition.
It was clear that such erratic fluctuations couldn't be a good sign.
"Is core formation this difficult even for someone with an Ice Attribute variant spirit root?"
"If it were me, the situation would probably be even worse."
At that moment, Li Qing's confidence plummeted to its lowest point.
But just then, a Bright Moon suddenly appeared in the western skies above the Imperial City.
That night, every cultivator in the city witnessed this extraordinary phenomenon!
Two moons hung in the sky!
The appearance of two Bright Moons on the same night was utterly astonishing. Many struggled to comprehend why such a thing had occurred.
However, a few well-informed individuals revealed the truth.
Perched atop the highest pavilion of a magnificent tower, Zhang Xiao sat cross-legged, meticulously nourishing a massive seal.
As the Bright Moon rose over the western horizon, Zhang Xiao slowly turned his head, a hint of solemnity flickering in his eyes.
Finally, he uttered three words:
"Moonchase Palace!"
Indeed, the newcomers were from Moonchase Palace, one of the Great Wilderness Domain's foremost immortal dao factions.
This powerful sect, renowned for its absolute neutrality, had unexpectedly appeared in the Ancient Hua Imperial City.
The Bright Moon swayed gently as it drifted toward the palace complexes hovering above the Imperial City.
But soon, the lunar orb halted its descent.
Buzz!
Moonlight rippled outward like water, and within the Bright Moon, several graceful figures materialized.
"Hmm, someone in this city is attempting core formation," one of the figures murmured softly. "And their aura... it feels strangely familiar."
As the voice faded, the Bright Moon swiftly soared northward across the Imperial City.
Li Qing, who had been observing Shen Ningbing's core formation attempt, immediately sensed the rapidly approaching Bright Moon in the sky.
In an instant, the hairs on the back of Li Qing's neck stood on end, like a cat facing a rat.
"Damn it, a big one's coming!"
From the Bright Moon, he sensed an aura of absolute invincibility—the oppressive presence of a superior being. This meant the person within was far beyond his own cultivation realm.
Facing the Bright Moon, Li Qing felt a rare tremor of fear, as if he were nothing more than an ant.
He had only experienced this sensation once before, back when he was still at Lingyun Sect. During the Chi Demon Tribe's assault on the mountain gate, both the Chi Demon Tribe's ancient ancestor and Ancestor Devourer of Heaven had exuded such terrifyingly powerful auras.
Nascent soul realm!
Upon confirming this, Li Qing felt the Heavenly Thunder Pearl in his hand and the Golden Blade Talisman treasure seemed like a joke.
The newcomer was a peerless powerhouse in the nascent soul realm. These items might not be enough.
The Heavenly Thunder Pearl could harm core formation realm cultivators, but against a nascent soul realm being, it might only tickle them.
"Senior..."
Before Li Qing could finish speaking, a soft, questioning voice suddenly echoed from within the Bright Moon.
"Hmm? This talisman treasure?"
In the next moment, Li Qing's hand involuntarily opened, and to his horror, the Golden Blade Talisman flew out.
The talisman treasure floated upward, ultimately soaring into the Bright Moon.
A chilling voice then emanated from within the moon:
"Young one, what is your relationship with Heaven Devourer? Why do you possess a talisman treasure crafted by him?"
Li Qing's scalp nearly exploded, his entire body stiffening.
This person actually knows Ancestor Devourer of Heaven? And that icy tone... could they be an enemy?
What should I say? Deny knowing him?
But how to explain the talisman treasure? The other party clearly sensed Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's lingering aura within it.
Claim I found it? Or bought it?
Unconsciously, beads of sweat began to form on Li Qing's forehead.
"Senior, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven was once an ancestor of my sect. However, he... perished at the hands of the demonic race several years ago."
He ultimately chose to tell the truth. Given the circumstances, it was the only option. If the other party truly harbored enmity toward Ancestor Devourer of Heaven, Li Qing could only hope they would show mercy, considering their enemy was already dead.
To Li Qing's surprise, the Bright Moon suddenly began to tremble violently.
Finally, the Bright Moon dissipated, revealing several ethereal figures as cold and beautiful as immortals from the Moon Palace.
"You're saying Heaven Devourer is dead?"
The leader, crowned with a crescent moon, fixed her piercing gaze on Li Qing.
Li Qing dared not meet her eyes, forcing himself to lower his head and stammer, "Yes, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven perished at the hands of the demonic race."
As if struck by earth-shattering news, the beautiful woman's face gradually drained of color, turning deathly pale.
"Tell me everything in detail. I want to know every last detail," she commanded, her voice as cold and clear as ten-thousand-year-old glacial ice, sending a chill that threatened to freeze Li Qing to the bone.
With a graceful wave of her hand, a soft moonlight enveloped the area, completely isolating it from the outside world. Even the commotion from Shen Ningbing's core formation was completely suppressed.
Only then did Li Qing slowly raise his head, his gaze finally meeting that of the crescent-moon-crowned woman.
He was immediately stunned to discover several equally graceful figures standing beside her.
What truly shocked him was that these figures were identical to the crowned woman in every way—their faces, their features, their very essence—leaving no room for doubt.
Li Qing then recounted everything he had witnessed at the Lingyun Sect, sparing no detail.
It was a long and winding tale, stretching late into the night. Only then did Li Qing finish recounting how he and Shen Ningbing had used the Void-Piercing Talisman to reach the Great Wilderness Domain.
After finishing, Li Qing glanced furtively at the nascent soul realm woman hovering in the air.
He noticed a tear glistening at the corner of her eye.
After a long silence, the woman finally spoke softly, "That's exactly the kind of thing he would do. Sacrificing himself for the sect, valuing it above all else... He truly hasn't changed a bit."
Hearing this, Li Qing finally understood. This senior wasn't the Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's enemy, but rather an old friend.
Moreover, her words carried a deeper, unspoken meaning.
The relationship between the Ancestor Devourer of Heaven and this woman was likely far more complex than mere friendship.
"The person inside must be Bing Yun's personal disciple," the woman with the moon-crowned headdress said, glancing at the ice cave before quickly withdrawing her gaze. "Heh, to have cultivated the Ice Extreme True Manual to this level... She must possess an ice spirit root."
"Her aura has stabilized," she continued. "It seems her core formation is all but assured."
With a wave of her hand, the barrier that had been isolating all sound and movement abruptly vanished.
Deep within the underground ice cave, Shen Ningbing's aura, which had been fluctuating wildly moments ago, gradually stabilized.
Boom!
A massive surge of heaven and earth spiritual energy transformed into a tidal wave, rapidly converging toward the ice cave.
Inside the cave, Shen Ningbing slowly opened her eyes.
Within her dantian, a Golden Core radiating wisps of icy mist gradually coalesced.
Shen Ningbing had successfully achieved core formation!
But she had no time to savor the moment, nor even to stabilize her newly attained realm. She had been fully aware of everything happening outside the cave.
Whoosh!
Dressed in an Ice Blue gown, Shen Ningbing swiftly emerged from the ice cave she had carved out.
"Shen Ningbing greets Senior. May I ask if you are True Monarch Yuexuan?!"
Without hesitation, Shen Ningbing bowed respectfully to the beautiful woman wearing a moon-crowned headdress high in the sky.
"So Bing Yun mentioned me to you?" True Monarch Yuexuan said calmly, the sorrow that had clouded her face now completely gone.
"When Ancestor Devourer of Heaven achieved nascent soul formation in the Great Wilderness Domain, my master mentioned you," Shen Ningbing replied with utmost respect.
"Yes, Heaven Devourer completed his Core Formation to Nascent Soul breakthrough at Moonchase Palace," True Monarch Yuexuan said, a hint of sorrow returning to her brow. "But who could have foreseen..."
"Enough. Since the Lingyun Sect has been destroyed, would you consider joining Moonchase Palace?" True Monarch Yuexuan turned to Shen Ningbing.
Shen Ningbing paused briefly, then quickly declined. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior, but Ningbing already has a master and cannot join another faction."
Li Qing, standing nearby, was dumbfounded. Why aren't they inviting me? I don't have a master!
Of course, he knew Moonchase Palace had never accepted male disciples since its founding.
It seemed his hopes of latching onto this Nascent Soul realm powerhouse were dashed.
"Little one, I'll take this golden blade talisman treasure. In exchange, I offer you this Pure Moon Pill." The beautiful woman produced a pill the size of a dragon's eye, its color as pure and white as the moon. With a flick of her finger, the Pure Moon Pill appeared in Li Qing's hand.
"Senior, if you're interested in my talisman treasure, please take it! How could I accept something from you?" Li Qing said, his voice trembling with awe and fear.
But the woman replied casually, "The Pure Moon Pill helps remove impurities from your true essence during core formation. It's one of the few pills that can aid in the core formation process."
"This elixir is unique to Moonchase Palace. Are you sure you don't want it?"
An aid for core formation?
How could I possibly refuse?
Li Qing immediately retracted his earlier words, his face now radiating respect as he said, "Thank you for your generous gift, Senior! Li Qing is eternally grateful!"
The beautiful woman held the Golden Blade Talisman in her delicate hand, a complex expression flickering in her eyes.
"If we hadn't needed to choose a new generation of holy maiden back then, perhaps you wouldn't have died such a humiliating death."
"I always said you valued the sect above all else, but wasn't I the same?"
In the end, she carefully stored the talisman treasure away, conjured another Bright Moon, and gracefully departed, vanishing from Li Qing and Shen Ningbing's sight.
"It seems this senior truly had a close relationship with Ancestor Devourer of Heaven," Li Qing finally exhaled in relief, realizing his back was drenched in cold sweat.
Facing such a peerless powerhouse directly had been an overwhelming ordeal.
In contrast, Shen Ningbing, who had just successfully achieved core formation, fared much better. Though she still felt a slight tremor in her heart, it paled in comparison to the terrifying pressure exerted by True Monarch Yuexuan.
"Ah, I almost forgot!" Li Qing exclaimed. "Junior Sister, congratulations on your successful core formation! I suppose I should now address you as Ice Soul True Lord!"
Li Qing grinned at Shen Ningbing, whose appearance and demeanor had undergone a complete transformation, and teased, "Ice Soul True Lord! It suits you perfectly."
Shen Ningbing merely brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, rolling her eyes playfully, but the smile that tugged at her lips betrayed her true feelings.
Ice Soul True Lord!
She unexpectedly loved this daoist name.
"Oh, right, Senior Brother," Shen Ningbing said, raising two jade-like fingers as white as scallions. "During my core formation, I gained many insights. I'll transmit them to you now."
With a surge of her divine sense, she transferred the vivid experiences and profound insights she had gained during her core formation to Li Qing.
A cultivator's core formation insights!
Generally, such knowledge was only personally transmitted between master and disciple.
After all, the insights gained during a breakthrough often contained fragments of understanding about one's cultivation manual.
They might even reveal hidden secrets within the manual itself!
Unless the relationship was that of master and disciple or close family, such insights would never be shared with outsiders.
Yet Shen Ningbing freely transmitted all her core formation insights to Li Qing without hesitation, demonstrating the depth of her trust in him.
Li Qing opened his mouth slightly, but no words of refusal came.
To be honest, he desperately needed such insights.
He wouldn't reject anything that could aid his own core formation.
(End of the Chapter)
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