Translator: AnubisTL
A colossal, sky-obscuring gluttonous beast suddenly loomed over the Shangqing Sect, its immense bulk completely eclipsing the heavens!
The beast's monstrous maw gaped wide, as if even light itself were being drawn into its insatiable maw.
The scene resembled the legendary gluttonous beast devouring the sun!
"ROAR!"
A thunderous roar shook the heavens and earth, sending massive waves crashing against the distant Boundless Sea.
The gluttonous beast slammed its massive palm down toward the mountain gate below, the air exploding with a deafening crack as it was violently compressed.
BANG!
Yet this earth-shattering strike never landed. The Shangqing Sect's Sect-Protecting Grand Formation intercepted the blow.
Rumble!
The mountain gate trembled violently, and the faces of most cultivators within the Shangqing Sect turned deathly pale.
"A gluttonous beast... How could such a supremely malevolent True Spirit appear here?"
"Is this the end of the world? Will any of us survive?"
"Wait, this gluttonous beast couldn't even destroy a third-tier grand formation. It can't be a True Spirit!"
"..."
Below, Li Qing, who had been confronting the Shangqing Sect's ancestors, finally breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.
Fatty Wu had finally arrived!
Although the gluttonous beast's attack hadn't shattered the Clear Sky Spirit-Locking Formation, it had undeniably shaken it.
The Shangqing Sect's core formation ancestors, stationed at the Formation Core, lifted their heads to gaze at the colossal, sky-obscuring gluttonous beast.
Ling Ying sneered, "It can barely shake the Grand Formation. Looks like some core formation realm cultivator is causing trouble outside."
"Hmm, it's unlikely to be a true gluttonous beast descending upon the world," Yang Tian remarked. "Otherwise, its mere presence would have completely annihilated everything around it."
Soon, a hunched old crone emerged from a spirit peak within the mountain gate, coughing incessantly:
"Cough, cough, cough!"
"How amusing! That old ghost Heaven Devourer cultivated the Gluttonous Divine Art back in the day. Now, years after his death, a gluttonous beast attacks our Shangqing Sect's mountain gate. For a moment, I almost thought Old Ghost Heaven Devourer had returned from the grave!"
"Cough, cough... It must be that little bastard Heaven Devourer sent away at death's door. Who would have thought he'd actually amount to something?"
As she spoke, Wen Xing's gaze fell upon Li Qing and Shen Ningbing below. She quickly recognized them:
"And you two—the insects who escaped with a Void-Piercing Talisman back then—have actually achieved core formation? Unbelievable."
"Are the remnants of the Lingyun Sect truly so remarkably talented?"
Seeing Wen Xing's arrival, the murderous intent on Li Qing's face intensified. He roared toward the mountain gate:
"Fatty Wu, keep shaking the Grand Formation! I'll go kill that old hag!"
With those words, Li Qing charged forward.
Three Po Jun Blades materialized around him, accompanying his flight. Guided by his divine sense, the blades shot out first, forming a triangular formation as they hurtled toward Wen Xing.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Po Jun Blades tore through the air, hurtling toward the Old Hag Wen Xing.
"Old hag, prepare to die!" Li Qing followed closely behind, once again channeling the Kunpeng Divine Power within him, his figure merging into the void.
Yet facing Li Qing's relentless assault, Wen Xing remained unhurried. She continued to walk through the air, leaning on her cane, and said calmly:
"It's useless. As long as the Clear Sky Spirit-Locking Formation remains intact, even multiple core formation realm true lords couldn't break through."
"Unless the Old Ghost Heaven Devourer is resurrected today, his disciples alone have no hope of breaching this formation!"
Old Crone Wen Xing strolled leisurely, utterly unconcerned about dying at Li Qing's hands, radiating absolute confidence.
Despite her cultivation having plummeted to the early Core Formation Realm, she remained confident to the point of arrogance.
She was intimately familiar with the Grand Formation, knowing that as long as she remained within its boundaries, Li Qing posed no threat to her.
As expected, three Po Jun Blades suddenly veered off course, swept aside by a wave of spiritual light, and plunged into the ground, beyond Li Qing's control.
Li Qing himself was once again blocked by a barrier of spiritual light.
Bang!
Stunned by this repeated obstruction, Li Qing wore an expression of disbelief. He had prided himself on his Kunpeng Extreme Speed, believing his movements to be utterly unpredictable. Yet, time and again, his attacks were thwarted as if his opponent could see through his every move.
This was simply inconceivable!
But when Li Qing caught the mocking glint in Ling Ying's eyes, his heart sank slightly.
"This formation is called the Clear Sky Spirit-Locking Formation. It must be able to keenly sense the flow of spiritual energy within this space!"
"No wonder... It seems that whoever controls this Grand Formation also gains dominion over the space it encompasses."
Fighting within this formation would indeed be a grave disadvantage.
Meanwhile, outside the mountain gate, Wu Chong had already begun his assault. Transformed into a gluttonous beast, he relentlessly bombarded the Grand Formation with savage fury.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Senior Brother Yang Tian, take control of the formation and deal with the external assault. Leave the rest to me," Ling Ying said, his eyes gleaming with the predatory glee of a cat toying with a mouse. He activated the formation, turning his attention to Li Qing.
Despite Li Qing's higher cultivation level, Ling Ying dismissed him entirely.
Swish!
Within the Spirit-Locking Formation, golden rings suddenly materialized, hurtling toward Li Qing to bind him.
Seeing these golden spiritual rings, Li Qing felt a foreboding sense of danger. He knew that being restrained by them would lead to a grim fate.
Yet the rings seemed to be locked onto him, relentlessly pursuing him.
His Kunpeng Divine Power was dwindling, barely enough for two or three more uses of Kunpeng Extreme Speed before it would be completely exhausted.
To conserve his divine power, Li Qing was forced to rely on his own speed to evade the rings.
"Heh, so that miraculous speed you displayed earlier wasn't limitless after all. There must be some restrictions, hmm?" Ling Ying sneered. "Once I capture you, I'll dissect that extraordinary technique myself. How could your speed possibly surpass even my Wind Spiritual Root?"
Ling Ying sneered, already seeing Li Qing as a trapped turtle in a jar.
At that moment, the golden ring relentlessly pursued Li Qing, clinging to him like a maggot to a bone.
In another corner of the formation, Shen Ningbing and Yan Xi were locked in a fierce battle. For now, no one dared to interrupt them, but it seemed unlikely either would gain the upper hand anytime soon.
Outside the formation, a massive gluttonous beast relentlessly attacked, yet all its efforts proved futile.
To the observing guests, the outcome seemed inevitable.
With the Shangqing Sect's advantage within the Grand Formation, they could easily handle three core formation realm powerhouses.
They wouldn't even need to engage in a life-or-death struggle. By simply exploiting the formation's power, they could slowly grind down these three invading core formation true lords.
"It's over. The Shangqing Sect's foundation is too formidable."
"Indeed. Exquisite True Lord and Ancestor Wen Xing haven't even truly moved, yet these three are already in dire straits."
"These Lingyun Sect remnants are doomed!"
A chorus of sighs and murmurs rippled through the crowd, lamenting the Shangqing Sect's overwhelming power—a force that a mere handful of core formation realm cultivators could never hope to shake.
They also deemed the Lingyun Sect remnants' actions reckless and foolish, akin to walking straight into a trap.
If they had planned more carefully and avoided a direct confrontation with the Shangqing Sect, the situation would undoubtedly have been much better.
"Hmph! As if the Shangqing Sect could be shaken by such rabble!" Lin Ya scoffed, tilting her chin with supreme arrogance.
Just as the situation seemed to reach a stalemate, five talismans suddenly floated into view from outside the formation.
A confident voice followed:
"Fellow Daoist Limitless, this formation has no obvious flaws, but I have identified five relatively weak points—precisely where these talismans are pointing!"
True Lord Fu Xuan soared into the air, riding a golden talisman brush. The wind whipped his robes, making them billow dramatically, lending him an air of effortless grace.
Another Core Formation Realm cultivator!
Counting True Lord Ziqing, the Lingyun Sect had now revealed a staggering five Core Formation Realm cultivators!
What an overwhelming force!
Upon seeing True Lord Fu Xuan, the Shangqing Sect's ancestors frowned simultaneously, a faint sense of unease stirring in their hearts.
Too many Core Formation Realm combatants!
This development had caught them off guard. If these cultivators had avoided a direct assault and instead meticulously planned their moves from the shadows, they might have inflicted a devastating blow on the Shangqing Sect.
Fortunately, all their enemies had now revealed themselves, a silver lining in this dire situation.
After all, the most terrifying foes are those hidden in the shadows.
"The Lingyun Sect... they truly are a persistent menace," Old Crone Wen Xing muttered, her cloudy eyes narrowing. Finally, she could no longer bear to watch.
She retrieved a remarkably crude wooden bow from her storage pouch, its surface riddled with wormholes and utterly unremarkable.
Yet Li Qing recognized it instantly: the very nine lives bow that had once caused Ancestor Devourer of Heaven such immense trouble!
This bow could lock onto its targets with terrifying accuracy and unleash devastating power.
It had even posed a threat to the nascent soul-stage Ancestor Devourer of Heaven!
Seeing the bow, Li Qing acted without hesitation. As the enemy drew back the string, he roared:
"Junior Sister Shen, Fellow Daoist Fu Xuan, prepare to strike!"
At his command, Shen Ningbing immediately disengaged from Yan Xi, ceasing their prolonged skirmish.
In the next instant, Li Qing soared into the air, five talismans materializing in his hand as if from nowhere!
Meanwhile, True Lord Fu Xuan, positioned outside the formation, also produced five identical talismans.
Shen Ningbing followed suit. After breaking free from Yan Xi, she too held five talismans in her hand!
These were no ordinary talismans—they were third-tier formation-breaking talismans!
"No! Stop them! Those are third-tier formation-breaking talismans!" Yang Tian, who had some expertise in talismans, recognized them instantly.
His words struck everyone like a thunderbolt.
Third-tier formation-breaking talismans!
Each of them had five! How was this possible?!
Even Yang Tian struggled to believe his eyes. As a Third-Tier Talisman Master himself, he could barely manage to craft a few low-grade third-tier talismans.
The difficulty of crafting these formation-breaking talismans rivaled, and perhaps even slightly exceeded, that of third-rank high-grade talismans.
Yet here, fifteen of them had appeared at once—an utterly absurd number.
Even scouring the entire Azure Ridge Domain today might not yield so many third-tier formation-breaking talismans. They were strategic resources, akin to national treasures!
Their attempts to intervene came too late. Li Qing and his group moved with practiced precision, activating their talismans almost simultaneously, leaving no time for the others to react.
Li Qing's divine soul was exceptionally strong, and his mental power was boundless. He activated three formation-breaking talismans at once.
Boom!
The three talismans struck the same weak point in the Grand Formation. Their terrifying power threatened to shatter the very fabric of heaven and earth, disrupting the Yin-Yang Five Elements.
One corner of the formation looked as if it had been subjected to a terrifying bombardment, the terrain itself warping under the assault!
But this was far from over. Before Li Qing could even adjust, he activated the remaining two talismans, targeting another weak point in the formation.
Shen Ningbing's divine soul was weaker than Li Qing's, preventing her from simultaneously activating so many third-tier formation-breaking talismans. Seeing Li Qing's move, she immediately reinforced the newly created breach with her own talisman.
Boom!
Another violent explosion shook the Clear Sky Spirit-Locking Formation, its spiritual light flickering erratically, as if on the verge of collapse.
Meanwhile, True Lord Fu Xuan outside remained undisturbed, his talisman activation proceeding with flawless precision. He unleashed three Restriction-Breaking Talismans in rapid succession, each strike aimed at the formation barrier before him.
Rumble!
In the blink of an eye, the third-tier formation that had protected the Shangqing Sect for centuries was blasted open with three gaping holes, teetering on the brink of total disintegration.
"You'll pay for this!"
Wen Xing's eyes burned with fury, her murky gaze radiating murderous intent. She tightened her grip on the nine lives bowstring and fired an arrow directly at Shen Ningbing's position.
Whoosh!
The arrow pierced the air, hurtling toward Shen Ningbing with deadly accuracy.
But Li Qing was even faster. How could he stand by and watch Shen Ningbing be struck?
Without hesitation, he unleashed the full power of his Kunpeng Divine Power, once again tearing through the void.
This time, however, the Shangqing Sect's ancestor couldn't stop him!
Three massive breaches had appeared in the Grand Formation, rendering it impossible to seal. The heaven and earth spiritual energy within had become completely chaotic, and even the core formation true lords who controlled the formation couldn't effectively restore order.
Li Qing's figure flickered through the void like a phantom. He swept Shen Ningbing into his arms and summoned the West Mausoleum Tower to block the nine lives bow's arrow.
Clang!
A dull, resonant clang echoed as the spiritual light arrow struck the West Mausoleum Tower, causing the massive nine-story iron tower to tremble violently.
"Junior sister, give me the remaining Restriction-Breaking Talismans!" Li Qing murmured, cradling Shen Ningbing in his arms.
"But Senior Brother, is your divine sense strong enough?" Shen Ningbing asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Activating so many third-tier Restriction-Breaking Talismans simultaneously would be an immense strain, even for a core formation realm cultivator.
"It's fine, I can handle it. My divine soul is strong enough to sustain it!" Li Qing replied confidently.
Even before achieving core formation, Li Qing had mastered the soul core method. In his early years, he had consumed vast quantities of Heavenly Star Grass and refined his divine soul day and night using the Soul Nurturing Bell.
As a result, his spiritual sense far surpassed that of cultivators at the same cultivation stage.
Shen Ningbing, trusting his capabilities, handed over the remaining talismans to Li Qing without hesitation.
In the next moment, Li Qing coordinated with True Lord Fu Xuan outside the formation, activating the Restriction-Breaking Talismans once more to breach the Grand Formation.
Before they could even exhaust all the Restriction-Breaking Talismans, the third-tier formation, which had stood for countless ages, finally collapsed with a thunderous roar!
Boom!
The entire Shangqing Sect mountain gate shook as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting. The formation's foundation crumbled, and towering spirit peaks trembled and began to crumble.
Terrifying fissures tore across the ground of the mountain gate, making it impossible for those in the plaza and great hall to maintain their footing. They were forced to take flight to stabilize themselves in the air.
Only when they surveyed the ravaged Shangqing Sect mountain gate below did they realize the Grand Formation had truly been breached through a coordinated assault from within and without!
The situation had taken a drastic turn for the worse!
"Kill them!"
Exquisite True Lord Ling Long was the first to react. Her icy gaze burned with murderous intent as she locked onto Li Qing and Shen Ningbing, who were rapidly retreating.
The remaining core formation true lords swiftly responded, following Exquisite True Lord's lead in pursuit.
"Don't panic!" Old Crone Wen Xing's face was grim but composed as she immediately spoke to steady the Shangqing Sect disciples and elders. "The formation has merely been breached. They only have four core formation combatants, while we have five. Even without the formation's power, we can annihilate them all here!"
In her eyes, the five-on-four advantage still lay with the Shangqing Sect.
But in the next instant, a bright moon suddenly appeared in the darkening sky.
A clear, gentle voice echoed through the air:
"Hehe, Brother Li, am I late?"
"Returning to my former Clan Territory stirred up old emotions. And seeing our ancestral lands occupied by vermin... I couldn't resist stretching my limbs a bit, which delayed me."
The bright moon suddenly showered down vast swathes of moonlight, instantly weaving a flawless, pearly-white carpet across the void.
Liu Hanyue descended, her crystalline jade feet lightly treading the moonlight, her aura as holy as a moon palace fairy.
Another core formation true lord!
At this moment, everyone's hearts were seized by utter shock!
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
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