Hearing Qiu Xia's words, Wencai immediately looked aggrieved. "Is Master's rank as an Earth Master the same as mine? I've only boosted my magic power; I don't actually know many Daoist techniques."
"If you don't know many techniques, didn't I give you a set of magic treasures? When the time comes, you can rely on those treasures to deal with any demons or ghosts."
Wencai wanted to argue further, but Qiu Xia's expression turned solemn. "To be honest, Senior Brother, the reason Master chose to break through here instead of returning to Maoshan is for your sake.
He plans to bring you back to Maoshan for Ordination after he succeeds. That way, whether you die or your lifespan ends, you'll be able to secure a good position in the Underworld. But if he broke through at Maoshan, the sect would definitely investigate your situation thoroughly."
"My spiritual qi vegetables wouldn't be safe then, and even if you were allowed Ordination, you'd have to pass rigorous assessments. So, Master chose to break through out here mainly for you two. If you have any conscience at all, summon some courage and protect Master properly."
Faced with Qiu Xia's lecture, what else could Wencai do? To continue grumbling would be entirely inappropriate. Even with Wencai's limited wits, he knew what needed to be said at a time like this.
Beside him, Qiu Sheng clenched his fists. "Junior Brother, leave the demons and ghosts to Wencai and me this time. You stay here to guard Master. We'll handle whatever we can, and if we truly can't manage, you can step in to help."
Qiu Xia nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Now those are my good senior brothers."
After advising Qiu Sheng and Wencai, the three of them waited at the entrance of the mortuary. As the fluctuations from Uncle Jiu's breakthrough intensified and the Spirit Gathering Array pulled in more spiritual qi, waves of demons and ghosts began rushing toward the mortuary. To a cultivator, the surging yin energy and malice were visible to the naked eye.
Before long, a swarm of evil spirits appeared. The first batch consisted of five zombies, while the rest were ghosts.
"Senior Brothers, go!" At Qiu Xia's command, Qiu Sheng and Wencai gritted their teeth and charged forward, engaging the zombies and spirits in battle.
Relying on the magic treasures Qiu Xia had given them and their cultivation as Earth Masters, the two managed to hold the line against the first wave easily, slaying the attackers. But before they could even catch their breath, a new wave appeared foxes, yellow weasels, rats, and snakes shrouded in black smoke swarmed toward them.
Qiu Sheng and Wencai were forced to continue their assault. The monsters came wave after wave. By the fifth wave, a Hairy Jiangshi appeared. Qiu Sheng and Wencai couldn't recognize it,
but Qiu Xia knew who it was at a glance it was actually Old Master Ren. Qiu Xia hadn't expected that Uncle Jiu's Human Tribulation during his breakthrough to Celestial Master would draw out Old Master Ren himself.
However, thinking about it, it wasn't impossible. In the threads of fate and karma, Old Master Ren was meant to die at Uncle Jiu's hands. Thus, it was natural for Uncle Jiu to encounter him during a breakthrough.
Due to the karmic link, the original Old Master Ren who was supposed to reach the Hairy Jiangshi stage only after consuming Master Ren had prematurely evolved into a Hairy Jiangshi now.
Although dealing with a Hairy Jiangshi should have been easy given their current cultivation levels, the two disciples only had the magic power of Earth Masters. Their mental state and Daoist arts were nowhere near that level. Relying solely on magic treasures, they would have to grind down Old Master Ren for a long time before they could finish him.
While Qiu Sheng and Wencai were tied down by the Hairy Jiangshi, other entities emerged: a gray rat larger than a calf, a fox, and three ghosts.
The two monsters were at the rank of Monster General, equivalent to an Earth Master, and the three spirits were Ghost Generals, also at the Earth Master level. These five new high-level combatants proved too much for Qiu Sheng and Wencai. Even with the high-grade magic treasures Qiu Xia had forged, they struggled just to stay alive.
Qiu Xia's primary goal was to temper his senior brothers, not to let them get killed. Seeing the five monsters close in, he flicked his wrist. Five streaks of golden light flashed past. Before the creatures could even get close or utter a single word, they were instantly obliterated.
With those five threats handled, Qiu Xia thought Uncle Jiu could finish his breakthrough in peace. Suddenly, a voice boomed out. "Hahaha! I have just escaped from the Underworld and stumbled upon such good fortune! A cultivator breaking through to Celestial Master... if I swallow him, my strength will surely skyrocket!"
"Are you kidding me? Just after killing five Earth Master-level spirits, a Celestial Master-level Ghost King shows up? What the f*ck," Qiu Xia muttered. He raised his hand, and starlight flickered across his body as astral power flowed through him. A bow made of pure starlight appeared in his grip, and he aimed toward the source of the voice.
Arrows of starlight shot out in rapid succession. The Ghost King, who had just emerged from the Underworld ready for a feast, was blindsided by the volley. He hurriedly used his magic power to defend.
Since Qiu Xia wasn't using his full strength, the Ghost King managed to block the arrows, though it cost him a significant amount of ghost qi. However, as soon as he deflected them, more arrows came flying. The Ghost King was forced to dodge and defend simultaneously, unable to advance toward his prize.
Just then, dark clouds suddenly massed in the sky. As soon as they appeared, the Ghost King retreated a great distance in fear. Qiu Xia, seeing the clouds, immediately activated a magic treasure on his person to hide his aura.
Moments later, lightning crackled within the clouds. A bolt of Tribulation Lightning crashed down toward Uncle Jiu. However, just as it was about to hit, a barrier appeared and blocked the strike. A second and third bolt followed, but the barrier held firm. It wasn't until the fourth bolt that cracks appeared, and by the fifth, the barrier shattered, only to be replaced by a new one.
The sixth bolt broke through the second and third backup barriers, but was stopped by the fourth. The seventh bolt was repelled by the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth layers of the barrier.
The eighth bolt of lightning smashed through the remaining layers and successfully struck Uncle Jiu, though it was partially mitigated by a magic treasure he used.
Finally, the ninth bolt of lightning descended, shattering the various magic treasures on Uncle Jiu's body and striking him directly. In an instant, Uncle Jiu looked like a coal miner—charred black with his hair standing on end.
After the nine bolts of lightning, the sky ceased its assault. Instead, a beam of spiritual qi descended upon Uncle Jiu. The dark clouds began to slowly disperse. The Ghost King, who had been hiding far away, seized the opportunity to rush back. "Hahaha! This Celestial Master is mine to enjoy!"
"Enjoy your grandmother's leg! Three-Star Demon-Slaying Palm!" Qiu Xia's eyes widened as he circulated his magic power and struck out toward the Ghost King. The astral power condensed into a massive palm, five stories high, which slammed into the spirit.
Under Qiu Xia's furious strike, the Ghost King was instantly blown apart. The massive palm print continued for thousands of meters behind the Ghost King, slamming into the mountains near Ren Family Town and leaving a permanent crater in the rock.
Standing at the mortuary entrance, Qiu Sheng and Wencai nearly had their eyes pop out of their heads. Holy crap, Junior Brother is this strong? That giant palm print was so damn cool! I wonder if he can teach us that move.
The Tribulation Clouds, which had been about to disperse after giving Uncle Jiu the Heavenly Dao's spiritual qi, suddenly recoiled and reconvened after Qiu Xia's strike. They grew even larger and denser than before.
Tribulation Cloud: Reporting to the Boss, I found another Celestial Master down here.
Heavenly Dao: Let me check... This kid is an unregistered household! He broke through to Celestial Master without sending me a report. Give him a make-up exam.
Tribulation Cloud: Understood, Boss. What level of intensity should I prepare for him?
Heavenly Dao: The higher, the better. If he survives this, we'll let it slide for now and hit him with a full set when he tries to become a Zhenren. If he doesn't survive... then just kill the brat.
Tribulation Cloud: Got it, Boss! Just watch me!
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