Translator: AnubisTL
Wu Chong had truly descended into madness. The moment he broke free from the Exquisite Immortal Sound's interference, he charged forward like a madman, unleashing wild, sweeping attacks against the pale-faced old woman before him.
It was clear Wu Chong no longer valued his life. He completely ignored the surging aftershocks of the Golden Core explosion behind him, determined to capture Wen Xing at any cost—even if it meant mutual destruction!
"You little wretch! If I weren't weakened, I'd never let you bully me like this!" Wen Xing cursed furiously, but she couldn't shake off Wu Chong's relentless assault.
Boom!
In an instant, the aftershocks of True Lord Yang Tian's Golden Core self-detonation swept across the battlefield.
The terrifying shockwave distorted the surrounding space, leaving no time to evade.
"Kill!"
Undeterred, Wu Chong unleashed four gluttonous beasts that swirled around him, ravenously devouring the spiritual energy surging toward his fleshly body.
Fueled by this influx of spiritual energy, Wu Chong's attacks grew even more ferocious, and the phantom image of a gluttonous beast materialized behind him!
Drawing upon the Gluttonous Divine Art, he fully activated the dormant gluttonous true blood within his veins, transforming each strike into a terrifying manifestation of the True Spirit gluttonous beast itself.
Already weakened by a Dao injury, Wen Xing now faced not only Wu Chong's relentless assault but also the devastating aftershocks of the Golden Core explosion.
Against such overwhelming force, the early Core Formation Realm cultivator could barely hold on.
Finally, with a mournful cry, her fleshly body was torn apart by a ferocious gluttonous beast, dissolving into a rain of blood that stained the sky.
Having accomplished his task, Wu Chong threw back his head and roared, letting the surging spiritual energy wash over him.
"Ah!"
"Master!"
His long-awaited revenge had finally been achieved. For years, he had wandered the world, the memory of the Lingyun Sect's destruction burned into his mind.
He could still vividly recall his master's desperate sacrifice to send them out of the Azure Ridge Domain.
Now, one of the prime culprits behind Ancestor Devourer of Heaven's death had been personally eliminated.
The other battles were also drawing to a close.
Ling Ying immediately sensed the shift in momentum and unleashed his wind attribute divine ability, attempting to flee the battlefield.
Liu Hanyue, who harbored an equally deep-seated hatred, gave chase without hesitation.
The shockwave surged behind them, scouring the entire Shangqing Sect's mountain gate and reducing several spirit peaks to rubble.
"Ling Ying, don't run! I will cut you down today!" Liu Hanyue's voice rang out, cold and resolute.
But Ling Ying paid her no heed, abandoning all thoughts of continuing the fight.
In his eyes, sect grudges and personal dignity paled in comparison to the value of his own life.
Having only recently achieved core formation, and possessing a Wind Attribute Variant Spirit Root, his dao path stretched bright and clear before him. He had no intention of risking it all in a deadly clash with Liu Hanyue.
To be honest, after their brief exchange, he knew full well that his Wind Spiritual Root core formation realm cultivation was no match for her.
Ling Ying couldn't help but wonder how the Liu Clan's Young Miss had suddenly become so formidable.
"Moonbow Slash!"
Behind him, Liu Hanyue unleashed another lethal strike.
This divine ability, derived from her natal magic treasure, manifested as a fleeting arc of moonlit rainbow. For a moment, everything around them seemed bathed in ethereal moonlight.
Then, the moonlight shattered like a fragile bubble, dissolving into nothingness.
Crack!
Ling Ying, who had braced himself for the impact, was struck with the force of a thunderbolt. His body convulsed violently before he was sent hurtling backward like a kite with a severed string.
Yet he wasn't dead. Instead, he used the momentum to propel himself away, desperate to escape this deadly encounter.
"Heh heh, Brother Ling, as the host of the Core Formation Ceremony, isn't it rather impolite to leave in such a hurry?"
A voice suddenly echoed before Ling Ying, and the space began to distort, revealing a towering figure wielding a massive hammer.
Li Qing wore a carefree smile, yet pure spiritual energy surged from his hand, continuously pouring into the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer.
Moments earlier, to escape the explosion's aftershocks, he had refined more Kunpeng Divine Power within his body using his true essence.
He immediately activated Kunpeng Extreme Speed to evade the blast, but as he prepared to flee the battlefield, he quickly seized this opportunity.
"Li Qing! No!" Ling Ying roared in terror, but it was too late to dodge.
Boom!
The Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer unleashed a terrifying aura, as if it could shatter the very heavens and earth.
The power within Li Qing's fleshly body was even more terrifying. His physical form now rivaled that of a third-tier demonic beast, and the immense strength perfectly complemented the Peerless Hammer in his hand.
Facing the oncoming hammer strike, despair flashed in Ling Ying's eyes.
Bang!
There was no suspense. Ling Ying, who had only recently achieved core formation, was struck head-on by the Peerless Hammer.
Ling Ying's fleshly body instantly disintegrated into a pool of bloody mud, plummeting to the ground. Splatters of blood rained down like a crimson shower outside the Shangqing Sect's mountain gate.
It was too fast. Everything happened in an instant. Ling Ying never even had time to react before meeting his end.
"Brother Li!"
Liu Hanyue, arriving moments later, watched the scene with a complex expression.
Her long-sought revenge had finally been achieved. The massacre of her clan and the destruction of her sect had all stemmed from this Flying Eagle Bandit.
Liu Hanyue could never have imagined that a sect mission she had accepted back in the qi refining realm would only be completed now, after reaching core formation.
"To eradicate evil completely, I must personally settle accounts with one more."
Li Qing nodded to Liu Hanyue, his gaze quickly shifting to Yan Xi, who was fleeing for his life.
This man shared a deep history with him, all tracing back to Young Master Shi of the Shi Clan.
Without time for explanations, Li Qing once again unleashed the Kunpeng Extreme Speed, pursuing Yan Xi relentlessly.
"Fellow Daoist Yan, I trust my friend Shi Nantian's fleshly body is serving you well?"
This time, Li Qing's expression turned icy.
Though his acquaintance with Shi Nantian had been brief, he held genuine affection for the young man's unwavering sincerity.
Having witnessed the deceit and treachery rampant in the cultivation world, cultivators like Shi Nantian were exceedingly rare.
Perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate that such a kind-hearted and sincere person had his body stolen by another.
Yan Xi turned to glance at Li Qing, his expression complex. He could never have imagined that this insignificant figure he once regarded as an ant could have risen to such heights.
Leading a group of core formation realm cultivators, Li Qing had completely razed the Shangqing Sect's mountain gate.
"Li Qing, spare me! I'll swear a great heart demon oath to never oppose you again!" Yan Xi pleaded, his heart pounding with fear. He realized Li Qing's speed was utterly absurd, far beyond what any normal core formation realm cultivator could achieve.
In truth, Li Qing wasn't teleporting through space. Instead, he was channeling the Kunpeng Divine Power into his body to enhance his speed. Even so, this far exceeded the escape speed of ordinary core formation realm cultivators.
To match Li Qing's speed now, one would need either a naturally gifted demon beast or a cultivator who had refined a speed-enhancing magic treasure. Otherwise, no core formation realm cultivator—not even Ling Ying, with his Wind Spiritual Root—could possibly outpace Li Qing.
This was the heaven-defying power of the Kunpeng Treasure Technique!
After all, it was an inheritance from a True Spirit of the upper realm. Even if Li Qing couldn't unleash its full potential, even a fraction of its power was enough to make him the undisputed ruler of the lower realm.
"Since Brother Yanxi has spoken, I naturally won't press the matter further. Why don't you stop so we can discuss this properly? I still have some questions I'd like answered."
Looking at Yan Xi's familiar face, Li Qing's killing intent surged even more fiercely.
But Yan Xi wasn't a fool. He knew that running offered a chance of survival, while stopping meant certain death.
He redoubled his efforts, flying through the air with renewed urgency.
Yet no matter how fast he flew, how could he possibly outpace Li Qing, who had mastered the Kunpeng Art?
Suddenly, Li Qing accelerated again, channeling every last drop of Kunpeng Divine Power he had squeezed from his body.
Whoosh!
"If you refuse to drink the toast, then you'll have to swallow the penalty!"
Li Qing's voice turned icy cold, his killing intent palpable. With a flash, his figure vanished from the air and reappeared instantly above Yan Xi's head.
In the next moment, he reached out and seized Yan Xi by the back of his neck, his life now completely in Li Qing's hands.
"Running, huh? Why aren't you running anymore?" Li Qing suppressed the urge to kill him outright and dragged the gasping Yan Xi downward.
Bang!
Just before they hit the ground, Li Qing's arm exploded with force, slamming Yan Xi into the earth like a ragdoll.
The impact cratered the ground, nearly knocking Yan Xi unconscious.
Li Qing had no intention of stopping. After landing, he seized Yan Xi's ankle again and hurled him away.
With the Brahma King True Body, Li Qing's fleshly body possessed terrifying power. Once he closed in, Yan Xi had no chance to retaliate.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yan Xi was repeatedly slammed into the ground, his body feeling like it was about to fall apart. He had no strength left to resist.
"I have some questions for you now," Li Qing said coldly. "Cooperate, and I'll make your end quick."
Yan Xi, barely clinging to life, tried to struggle, but Li Qing pinned him down with a foot on his chest, ready to end him at any moment.
"First question: I've always wondered how you managed to seize Shi Nantian's body," Li Qing asked without emotion.
This question had long intrigued him. One was in the Shangqing Sect, the other far away in the Heavenly River Sect—they should never have crossed paths.
"Cough..."
"When I failed my core formation attempt, a sliver of my remnant soul miraculously survived. The sect protected it."
"At the time, the sect was plotting against the Heavenly River Sect. They used me as part of their scheme, exploiting the rumors of Daoist Ling Miao's cave abode appearing. They placed my soul within an ancient artifact and put it up for sale at the Heavenly River Market."
"To put it simply, that brat Shi Nantian just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He ran into me right before the Heavenly River Sect's ascension conference."
"Using the last vestiges of my remnant soul's power, I drew his attention and made him buy me. Later, while he was investigating the ancient artifact's peculiarities, I seized his body."
"By posing as a member of the Shi Clan, I smoothly passed the ascension conference and infiltrated the Heavenly River Sect!"
Yan Xi cooperated fully, recounting the entire sequence of events without resistance.
After that, he repeatedly leaked classified information about the Heavenly River Sect, enabling the Shangqing Sect to successfully breach and conquer the entire sect.
Li Qing fell into a brief silence, then pieced together the full account of the Heavenly River Sect's downfall based on his own knowledge.
He shot Yan Xi another cold glance before continuing, "Two more questions. Tell me, why didn't the Shangqing Sect occupy my Lingyun Sect's mountain gate? Why did they leave it abandoned?"
Ever since returning to the Azure Ridge Domain, this question had plagued his mind.
It was truly baffling that the Shangqing Sect would ignore such a Spirit Vein Land, rich in spiritual energy and possessing high-grade spiritual veins.
Hearing this question, Yan Xi coughed again, his tone turning peculiar.
"Heh, you don't know?"
"The snow plains where the Lingyun Sect is located contain a spatial node leading to the demon realm."
"Later, the ancient demons released from the Forbidden Speech Snow Mountains returned to the demon realm through the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate."
"The spatial node remains, and no cultivator today has the power to seal it. Who knows when the ancient demonic race might invade again?"
Yan Xi's words sent a jolt through Li Qing's heart, and the realization struck him belatedly.
"No wonder..."
No wonder the demonic race had immediately stormed the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate after being unsealed.
At the time, Li Qing had assumed it was due to ancient grudges, that the ancient demons sought revenge for their long imprisonment. He never imagined they were using the spatial node to return to the demon realm.
If the entire sect had evacuated back then, would the outcome have been entirely different?
As these thoughts swirled through his mind, Li Qing's emotions became tangled.
"Finally, the third question: how do you wish to die?"
The words hung in the air, and Li Qing's face hardened with murderous intent. Before Yan Xi could respond, Li Qing's foot slammed down with explosive force.
Boom!
"You—!"
Despair flooded Yan Xi's face. He had hoped to stall for time, but Li Qing had only asked two questions.
By the third, he was already delivering the death blow.
In the next instant, Li Qing's left foot unleashed a surge of energy, shattering Yan Xi's internal organs and collapsing his chest.
Yan Xi's eyes dimmed completely, leaving only a fleeting flicker of spiritual light that vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"Heh, a remnant soul remains? But you've already seized a body once. Even with this fragment, do you think you can defy fate?"
"Vanish!"
A beam of divine consciousness erupted from Li Qing's Sea of Consciousness, striking Yan Xi's Sea of Consciousness and obliterating his soul completely.
"You'll suffer a wretched death!"
With this final curse, Yan Xi's remnant spirit dissolved into nothingness.
"Brother Nantian, our acquaintance wasn't in vain. I've avenged you, haven't I?"
With these words, Li Qing exhaled deeply, his gaze sweeping across the distant horizon.
From this moment forward, the Shangqing Sect had truly been annihilated.
Not a single core formation true lord remained. His methods had been swift, ruthless, and thorough, leaving no room for future complications.
He refused to let today's events repeat themselves!
All that remained were the Shangqing Sect's insignificant remnants.
Yet to prevent these remnants from regrouping and posing a threat, he still needed to return and eliminate them.
With this thought, Li Qing briefly surveyed the battlefield, then buried Shi Nantian's fleshly body beneath the earth. He soared into the sky, flying once more toward the Shangqing Sect's mountain gate.
The Shangqing Sect's last high-level combatant, the Mountain-Bearing Turtle, immediately abandoned all resistance upon realizing the battle was lost. It fled toward the Boundless Sea without a backward glance.
Thus, the cultivation sect that had dominated the Azure Ridge Domain for so long was reduced to a mere footnote in history.
(End of the Chapter)
Translator's Corner
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