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On the plaza, thousands of disciples looked up at the corpse nailed to the mountain wall.
After a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted.
"Li Qingyu is dead!"
"The sect traitor has finally been executed!"
The young disciples were excited; some clenched their fists, others roared to the sky.
Jiang Lishan stood at the edge of the plaza, his black sword slowly sheathing.
He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the crowd, landing on the corpse nailed to the mountain wall, his face expressionless.
Hua Yunfeng stood atop Prison Peak, his Cangwu Sword hanging at his side, its azure light slowly receding.
His gaze traveled a thousand feet, landing on the corpse, motionless.
Of everyone present, his bond with Li Qingyu was the deepest.
Memories of his youth surged forth like a burst dam.
He remembered the day he first entered the True Martial lineage.
Most of his swordsmanship was taught by Li Qingyu; he had never forgotten that.
But the senior brother who taught him to wield the sword, the senior brother who led him to the True Martial Peak, the senior brother he once looked up to and followed, had ultimately betrayed the sect, betrayed everyone.
A few breaths later, the complex emotions in Hua Yunfeng's deep eyes faded, leaving only calm.
He missed the senior brother who taught him swordsmanship, but he hated the traitor who betrayed the sect even more.
Chen Qing descended from the high platform, his steps unhurried.
He crossed the plaza, passed through thousands of complex gazes, and walked towards the mountain wall.
The Meteor Spear was embedded in the wall, most of its shaft submerged, the butt still trembling slightly, emitting a low hum.
Chen Qing stopped before Li Qingyu, his true essence flowing, the spear vibrating, slowly withdrawing from the wall.
Losing its support, Li Qingyu's body slid limply to the ground.
Chen Qing calmly reached out and searched his body for a moment.
Two cloth bags, one hanging at his waist, the other hidden inside his clothes.
Besides these, there was also a sword.
Chen Qing turned around, picked up the Meteor Gun, and walked towards the center of the square, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
"It's over."
This battle has finally come to a complete end.
The main peak plaza of Tianbao Sect is a scene of utter devastation.
Xue Li and Ling Shuang's corpses lie in the distance.
Xuan Ming—not even a corpse remains.
Hua Yunfeng's sword shattered his body and soul, turning them into a cloud of blood mist that dissipated in the wind, leaving not even a single intact bone.
As for the other Grandmasters, none of the remaining Great Lords of the Eight Divisions of Jinting, or the experts like Wei Donglei and Su Wenyi from the Tianxing Alliance, escaped.
Xue Zhu and Yu Huai'an caught up with Yan Jin.
This leader of the Tianxing Alliance, the overlord of the Thousand Reefs Sea, and a top expert among the Eighth-Rank Grandmasters, ultimately died under the combined attack of the two Hidden Peak Elders.
When Chen Qing returned to the high platform, Hua Yunfeng, Qi Ku, Jiang Lishan, Zhang Lingchi, and others had already gathered together.
"Are you alright?"
Hua Yunfeng stepped forward, his gaze carefully examining Chen Qing, his brows furrowed.
He saw the mouthful of blood Chen Qing had just spat out and noticed his pale face.
"It's nothing,"
Chen Qing waved his hand.
Hua Yunfeng's brows furrowed even more.
A depletion of essence blood was no small matter.
For a Grandmaster, essence blood was the primordial essence formed by the fusion of physical body and true essence; each drop required a long time and a large amount of resources to condense.
Even more troublesome was that a depletion of essence blood could affect Chen Qing's future breakthroughs.
The threshold of the Nascent Soul Realm was already incredibly high; if his foundation was also compromised, it would truly be a difficult situation.
"I'll get you some precious medicine later,"
Hua Yunfeng said in a deep voice. "If you need anything, come to me anytime."
Zhang Lingchi stood to the side, his face also full of concern.
After a moment's hesitation, he said, "I still have some hundred-year-old precious herbs on hand, which I've accumulated over the years. Although they're not rare treasures, they should be helpful in restoring essence and blood. I'll send them to you later."
Chen Qing looked at Zhang Lingchi, then at Hua Yunfeng, and nodded slightly, "Thank you, Uncle Hua, thank you, Elder Zhang."
He had the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda, which could transform precious herbs into Xuanhuang Qi, so he didn't refuse.
The rest of the Tianbao Upper Sect members also showed a hint of emotion.
In today's battle, Chen Qing activated the Tianbao Pagoda, delivering a decisive blow.
Everyone present witnessed the power of that strike.
A thousand-foot mountain descended from the sky, suppressing the primordial spirit and crushing everything.
This was something no one, except the founding patriarch, had ever accomplished in the thousands of years since the Tianbao Upper Sect's founding.
Hua Yunfeng's breakthrough to the primordial spirit realm was undoubtedly a great joy.
However, Chen Qing's ability to completely control the Tianbao Pagoda, in some ways, was even more significant than Hua Yunfeng's breakthrough.
Because while the Tianbao Upper Sect had had primordial spirit realm experts, and other upper sects had had them as well,
those who could fully unleash the full power of a heaven-reaching spiritual treasure were few and far between in thousands of years.
The Tianbao Pagoda had been passed down in the Tianbao Upper Sect for thousands of years; successive sect leaders, branch masters, and countless brilliant geniuses had all attempted to control this heaven-reaching spiritual treasure, but none had succeeded.
And today, Chen Qing had done it.
Hua Yunfeng raised his head, looking in the direction the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord had fled, his expression gradually becoming solemn.
"The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord is at the second level of the Primordial Spirit realm. His Primordial Spirit can temporarily leave his body without perishing. Although his physical body is destroyed and his Primordial Spirit injured today, with his foundation, he may still have a way to recover."
His voice was deep. "This man is vengeful; he will never let today's grudge go unpunished."
Upon hearing this, everyone present paled.
Just moments before, they had been immersed in the joy of victory, but now these words had pulled them back to reality.
The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord was still alive.
Even with his physical body destroyed and his Primordial Spirit injured, as long as his Primordial Spirit remained intact, there was a possibility of a comeback.
Qi Ku clasped his hands together, chanting a Buddhist prayer.
"Amitabha."
The old monk raised his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.
Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Qi Ku slowly explained, "Upon reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, it is divided into five minor realms, also known as the Five Heavens of the Nascent Soul." He
paused slightly, his gaze falling on Hua Yunfeng.
"This humble monk and Benefactor Hua are both only at the first heaven level, having just stepped into the threshold of the Nascent Soul Realm, our foundations not yet stable."
"The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord, however, is at the second heaven level."
"His Nascent Soul can leave his body for a short time, which is the fundamental reason he was able to escape today."
The Five Heavens of the Nascent Soul!
The several Heavenly Pivot Clan Masters present were hearing this for the first time, their expressions solemn, yet a hint of longing unconsciously flashed in their eyes.
The Nascent Soul Realm—
that was a realm they might never reach even in their entire lives.
Qi Ku turned to Hua Yunfeng: "This humble monk only possesses cultivation methods for the third heaven level. May I ask what level Benefactor Hua possesses?
"
Hua Yunfeng remained silent for a moment, then slowly replied, "I also only possess cultivation methods for the third heaven level."
The method he cultivated was brought out of the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda by Chen Qing.
However, the method was incomplete, only containing the first three levels.
This wasn't because Chen Qing harbored selfish motives, but rather because the inheritance within the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda was inherently incomplete.
Perhaps the founding patriarch intentionally withheld a portion of the method when leaving it behind, believing that future disciples might not be able to reach that level, or perhaps he simply didn't want to give it to them.
"The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord is at the second level of cultivation—"
Chen Qing silently pondered, "I suppose Xu Yan and Yang Xuanyi are not far off."
Qi Ku clasped his hands together and looked at the people of the Heavenly Treasure Upper Sect: "This humble monk came down from the mountain this time to sever my attachments. Now that I have succeeded in severing my attachments, it is time to return to Buddhism."
His voice was calm, but the meaning behind his words made the people present slightly startled.
"Master, you are going back to Buddhism?" Jiang Lishan frowned slightly.
"Yes."
Qi Ku nodded, a faint sense of relief on his withered face.
"This humble monk was originally a Vajra of the Buddhist sect, and I left the sect years ago to sever my attachments. Now that I have succeeded, it is only natural that I should return."
Everyone present understood that with Qi Ku's departure, the Tianbao Upper Sect would lose a Nascent Soul Realm expert.
Hua Yunfeng nodded: "If we can exchange and verify our understanding, that would naturally be a good thing."
He had only recently broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm, and many things were still being explored, like a blind man feeling an elephant, making every step difficult.
The Tianbao Upper Sect had been without a Nascent Soul Realm expert for far too long, and everything about the Nascent Soul Realm had to be learned by him on his own.
If he could exchange and verify his understanding with Qi Ku, it would undoubtedly be of great help to him.
Qi Ku nodded slightly, put his hands together, and bowed to Hua Yunfeng.
"Then it's settled."
Hua Yunfeng nodded, then looked at Chen Qing and instructed, "Now that this matter is over, you should rest well. Depletion of essence and blood is no small matter; take good care of yourself."
Chen Qing nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Uncle Hua."
Hua Yunfeng glanced at him, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards Prison Peak with Qi Ku.
The two figures, one in azure and one in gold, gradually disappeared into the morning light, soon vanishing into the clouds.
After the two Nascent Soul Realm experts left, the atmosphere on the plaza relaxed slightly.
Chen Qing instructed several branch leaders to handle the follow-up matters, and they obeyed, gradually restoring order to the plaza.
Chen Qing turned around, looking at Jiang Lishan, then at Zhang Lingchi and several Hidden Peak elders.
"Uncle Jiang, Elder Zhang, elders, please follow me."
The group nodded and followed, heading towards the main hall of the main peak.
Inside the hall, candlelight shone brightly.
Chen Qing sat down in the main seat, followed by Jiang Lishan, Zhang Lingchi, Luan Feng, Xue Zhu, and Yu Huai'an.
The hall doors closed, shutting out the outside noise.
Chen Qing's gaze swept over their faces as he slowly spoke, "There are still many things to deal with."
The Great Snow Mountain suffered heavy losses this time: two followers were killed, a ninth-level Grandmaster perished, several Grandmasters were killed, and even the Holy Lord himself had his physical body destroyed and his primordial spirit injured.
However, the Great Snow Mountain was still one of the largest forces in the Northern Cang Kingdom, and the foundation of the Eight Departments of the Golden Court remained, making it temporarily beyond the reach of the Heavenly Treasure Upper Sect.
But the Heavenly Star Alliance was different.
The three Grandmasters of the Heavenly Star Alliance—Yan Jin, Wei Donglei, and Su Wenyi—had all died at the hands of the Heavenly Treasure Upper Sect.
The landscape of the Thousand Reefs Sea had completely changed from this day forward.
The force that had once run rampant in the southeastern sea of Yan Kingdom was now leaderless, making it the perfect time to strike.
"Uncle-Master Jiang, I'll leave all of this to you,"
Chen Qing said, looking at Jiang Lishan.
Jiang Lishan nodded, not refusing. Having been the sect leader for so many years, she was already adept at handling such matters.
"There's one more thing—"
Chen Qing paused slightly, exchanging a glance with Jiang Lishan.
"Li Qingyu is dead, and the experts from Jinting and Daxueshan are also dead, but within the sect—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but Jiang Lishan understood his meaning.
Those who secretly colluded with Li Qingyu, Jinting, and Daxueshan were still hiding within the sect.
Chen Qing had set this trap at the sect's grand ceremony today, luring the snakes out of their holes and fishing out the big fish, Li Qingyu, but the smaller fish and shrimp hadn't been cleared out yet.
Jiang Lishan nodded, understanding without saying a word.
"I understand."
Her voice was soft, but a cold glint flashed deep in her eyes.
Chen Qing took out a thin book from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
The cover of the book had five characters written on it—"The Great Void Refining Spirit Chapter."
"Uncle-Master Jiang, Elder Zhang,"
Chen Qing said calmly, "this is the method for breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm that I obtained within the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda. You two have both reached the ninth level, so it's a good time for you to study it."
Jiang Lishan was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling on the booklet, a strange light flashing in his eyes.
He was now at the ninth level of cultivation, just one step away from the Nascent Soul realm.
But without a cultivation method to guide him, that step would be incredibly difficult.
He had studied the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda for many years, not only wanting to control it but also seeking a method for breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Although the pagoda was now under Chen Qing's control, obtaining this cultivation method was still a considerable gain.
With the *Tai Xu Refining God Scripture*, he had a clear direction and the possibility of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.
Jiang Lishan took a deep breath and said, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Zhang Lingchi also took the booklet, flipping through a few pages, a complex expression appearing on his aged face.
His lifespan was nearing its end, his blood and energy were declining, and the possibility of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm was extremely slim.
But with the Primordial Spirit Method right before their eyes, they still had to give it a try, even if it seemed like a gamble .
"This method will remain within the sect from now on,"
Chen Qing's voice rang out again. "From now on, anyone in the sect who breaks through to the ninth level can view this manual."
His words, though not loud, sent a shiver down their spines.
The teachings should not be lightly passed on; this has been an unchanging rule for thousands of years.
Countless people treasure their cultivation manuals like precious gems, hiding them deep in the mountains, never showing them to others, fearing they might be learned.
Some even prefer to let their techniques be lost rather than pass them on to outsiders.
This is human nature, especially in the martial arts world; having what others don't is the norm. Those who
can truly be selfless are few and far between.
Jiang Lishan gave Chen Qing a deep look, a look that held surprise and a touch of emotion.
"Alright,"
he nodded, saying nothing more.
The three Hidden Peak elders, Luan Feng, Xue Zhu, and Yu Huai'an, also looked at Chen Qing with varying expressions.
Then, everyone dispersed.
When Chen Qing returned to the meditation room, it was already afternoon.
He sat cross-legged on the futon, slowly exhaling a breath of stale air.
"This time, the consumption was enormous, the losses were considerable—"
he muttered to himself, his tone tinged with heartache.
The Jingzhe Spear was broken.
That superior spiritual treasure that had accompanied him for many years, under the suppression of Li Qingyu's fourfold sword domain, shattered along with the other seventeen spears, turning into a pile of iron fragments.
The precious herbs that had accumulated in the Zhou Tian Wan Xiang Diagram for so long were all turned into Xuanhuang Qi under the attack of the Tianbao Pagoda, completely devoured, leaving not a single one.
"But it was worth it in the end."
Chen Qing took a deep breath, suppressing the heartache.
Li Qingyu was dead, his master's revenge was complete, and this major threat was finally eliminated.
Chen Qing took out the two cloth bags he had taken from Li Qingyu.
Five precious herbs, each contained in a jade box, were extremely well preserved.
Chen Qing looked at them one by one, and a glimmer of light gradually appeared in his eyes. The bag contained five rare herbs:
a 120-year-old Crimson Blood Ginseng, a 100-year-old Jade Marrow Lingzhi, a 110-year-old Wisteria, a 130-year-old Golden Marrow Spike, and a 100-year-old Azure Origin Leaf. The Wisteria and Golden Marrow Spike, in particular, were rare and highly sought-after items for breaking through cultivation levels. "Although these breakthrough items are useless to me—" Chen Qing looked at the two precious herbs, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. If the Heavenly Treasure Pagoda refined them into Xuanhuang Qi, it would greatly benefit his cultivation. Chen Qing carefully put the five herbs away and continued examining the bag. Besides the herbs, there were a few other items. A thin booklet. The cover was blank, but upon opening it, he found it contained cultivation insights and secrets, mostly accumulated by Li Qingyu over the years. Chen Qing quickly flipped through a few pages before putting it away; he would read these things later. The last item was a small porcelain bottle. The bottle was only the size of a thumb, entirely black, and sealed with wax, giving it a mysterious appearance. Chen Qing uncorked the bottle, and a strong, pungent smell of blood immediately wafted out. He frowned and glanced into the bottle. Inside was a small vial of dark red liquid, viscous like blood, emanating an eerie aura. "This is—" Chen Qing examined it carefully for a moment, but still couldn't identify what it was. He recorked the bottle, put the porcelain bottle away, and would study it again later. Besides the two cloth bags, Li Qingyu also carried a sword. The sword was as black as ink, its blade terrifyingly sharp, and the characters "Han Chi" were engraved on the hilt. Chen Qing tried channeling his true energy into the sword, and the blade suddenly glowed brightly. A sharp sword aura shot out from the tip, leaving a deep sword mark on the ground. "A fine sword," Chen Qing praised inwardly, then put the Han Chi sword away as well. Just then, a voice came from outside the door. "Sect Master!" It was Nan Zhuoran. "Come in." The palace door was pushed open, and Nan Zhuoran strode in, followed by two disciples carrying a corpse. The physical body of the Holy Lord of the Great Snow Mountain. "Sect Master, it has been delivered as you instructed."
Nan Zhuoran clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
Chen Qing nodded: "Put it down."
Nan Zhuoran waved his hand, and two disciples placed the corpse on the ground and bowed as they withdrew.
Inside the quiet room, only Chen Qing and the physical body of the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord remained.
Chen Qing began to search the body.
Two bottles of pills.
The pills were contained in purple porcelain bottles, the bottles engraved with intricate patterns, clearly not ordinary.
Chen Qing uncorked the bottles and brought them close to smell them.
A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, containing an aura he had never encountered before—pure and profound, as if from a higher level.
"Pills used for cultivating the Nascent Soul Realm?"
Chen Qing's heart stirred, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
The pills carried by the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord were naturally not ordinary.
However, he did not rashly consume them, but recorked the bottles and put the two bottles of pills away, intending to study them more thoroughly later.
After searching the pills, Chen Qing's gaze returned to the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord's physical body.
"This physical body is rather strange—"
He reached out and pressed his hand against the chest of the body.
It was icy cold to the touch, like touching a piece of thousand-year-old ice, yet it contained a mysterious aura.
Chen Qing pondered to himself.
He had long sensed that this physical body was extraordinary.
The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord was a second-level Nascent Soul expert;
his physical body was far beyond that of a Grandmaster. Yet Chen Qing could sense that something else was hidden within this body.
He closed his eyes, and his true essence slowly flowed into the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord's body.
The true essence circulated freely through the meridians.
But the moment the true essence touched the heart, a sudden change occurred!
The Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord's body suddenly trembled violently.
The trembling did not come from muscle spasms, but rather from deep within the flesh and blood, from every meridian, every inch of bone.
Then, the body began to change.
Dense red lines appeared on the skin, like blood vessels spreading throughout the body, spreading from the chest to the limbs, becoming increasingly dense and brighter.
The flesh began to writhe, the bones began to contract, and the entire body seemed to be kneaded and reshaped by an invisible hand.
In just a few breaths, the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord's physical body transformed into a fist-sized mass of flesh.
The flesh was entirely crimson, its surface covered with fine lines, emitting a faint red glow, floating in mid-air, slowly writhing, as if it possessed life.
"This is!?"
Chen Qing's eyes widened, completely stunned.
He stared at the mass of flesh floating in mid-air, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.
What was this thing?
How could the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord's body have become like this?
Chen Qing reached out and carefully touched the mass of flesh.
It was warm to the touch, soft and elastic, like a piece of living flesh.
He could feel that the mass of flesh contained an extremely rich life force, even more vigorous than when the Great Snow Mountain Saint Lord was alive.
"This thing—has a spirit?"
Chen Qing tried to inject his true essence into it, and the red glow on the surface of the flesh brightened slightly, then dimmed again.
"Strange—"
Chen Qing frowned, studying it for a long time without any results.
"I'll keep it for now."
He shook his head and put the lump of flesh into the Zhou Tian Wan Xiang Diagram.
"This thing is definitely not simple. I'll ask Elder Li later."
Elder Li is knowledgeable and might know the origin of this lump of flesh.
Speaking of which, he hadn't seen Elder Li for a long time.
"And the Soul-Stabilizing Jade Marrow from the Mountain Beyond the Mountain, I'll have to try it when I have the chance."
This thought flashed through Chen Qing's mind, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
The Soul-Stabilizing Jade Marrow was what Elder Li had asked him to find; it was something used to condense a second primordial spirit.
"This matter is not urgent for now."
Chen Qing suppressed his distracting thoughts and focused his attention back on the present.
"Jin Ting suffered heavy losses this time. Uncle Hua and Qi Ku have both broken through to the primordial spirit realm. The situation may change in the future—"
Chen Qing exhaled a breath of turbid air and took out a healing pill from his sleeve and put it in his mouth.
The pill entered his stomach, transforming into a warm current that spread throughout his body.
He closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing
.
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