Chapter 67: Ji Yan: My State of Mind Has Collapsed?
On the other side.
Thunderclap Peak.
After the communication was hung up by Li Zuiyue, Ji Yan grew more uneasy the more he thought about it.
He wasn't worried that Li Zuiyue would exterminate Wang Xiu or anything like that. He was worried that Li Zuiyue would also discover just how outstanding Wang Xiu was.
And then.
Tell her master, Dugu Qingqian, about it.
One must know that the Sword Vein is an extremely dominant existence among the various branch veins of the Three Purities Immortal Sect; its comprehensive strength even surpasses that of the Thunder Vein.
And the current Chief of the Sword Vein, Dugu Qingqian, is as famous as Luo Binglan.
These two became famous in the same year, formed their Golden Cores in the same year, formed their Nascent Souls in the same year, and reached the Soul Formation stage in the same year. They had been at daggers drawn for half their lives.
However.
In her rivalry with Luo Binglan, Dugu Qingqian seemingly never gained any advantage.
Every time, she was suppressed slightly by Luo Binglan.
Moreover.
The temperaments of both were extremely explosive.
They were the type to draw swords and attack people at the slightest disagreement. The current peak chiefs and elders of the Three Purities Immortal Sect suffered plenty at their hands when they were young.
Later on.
Luo Binglan was ambushed and besieged at Yingmo Island in the East Sea, and she directly dove headfirst into a graveyard of the Divination Vein.
Over the years, having lost this deadly rival to compete with, Dugu Qingqian's temper became even more extreme and violent. She constantly mumbled about "being polite."
Hmm.
Indeed, one must be polite. Every time she bowed to someone, it represented that she was about to beat them up.
The lower she pressed her head during the bow.
The harder she would slash when attacking.
Over the years, many elders of the Immortal Sect have added her to the list of the "Four Great Scourges of Three Purities."
Her name sits alongside the Sect Master, Zhuo Canglang, and the Divination Vein's Luo Binglan.
Terror personified!
If she knew how outstanding Wang Xiu was, she would very likely raise the idea of competing with Luo Binglan again and try to poach a disciple!
You must know.
Dugu Qingqian is a genuine Manifestation Stage existence, and she is currently in her peak period.
Her value.
Is absolutely not something Ji Yan, a mere Soul Formation expert, can compare with.
On top of that, Ji Yan has too many sons, all heirs, whereas Dugu Qingqian has no children, no Dao companion, and is a great beauty herself.
If Dugu Qingqian got the idea to take Wang Xiu as her disciple, her competitiveness would instantly explode!
"No!"
"I must make a trip to Maple City and boost my favorability rating!"
After pondering it over several times, Ji Yan ultimately couldn't hold back and decided to temporarily swallow his pride.
He slashed open a rift in the void with a single palm, strode into it, and shot towards the direction of Maple City at the fastest speed.
A moment later.
Within the psychedelic void rift, Ji Yan slashed out once more and walked out from it.
Ruins!
Broken walls and ruins, devastation everywhere. The once splendid Zhao Residence had now been reduced to a wasteland.
Under the dim night sky, a faint aura of Yin and evil energy lingered. On the surrounding walls and broken stones, there were traces left behind by the crossing of blade glints and sword qi.
At this time.
No one remained at the Zhao Residence. Li Zuiyue had left, and Wang Xiu had already departed as well.
Sensing the residual auras of Li Zuiyue and Wang Xiu—one was clearly stronger, the other clearly fainter—it seemed the two likely hadn't left at the same time.
Hmm.
Thinking of this, Ji Yan relaxed slightly.
It was good that the two hadn't traveled together; it would reduce much unnecessary conversation.
Wait!
Suddenly, Ji Yan seemed to sense something.
On his upright and dignified face, a look of horror and panic appeared, as if he had seen a ghost.
No.
As the dignified Chief of the Thunder Vein, what was there to fear about seeing a ghost? It should be the ghost being afraid of seeing him.
But what he discovered.
Was simply more terrifying than seeing Dugu Qingqian!
This.
In the central area of this Zhao Residence, there was actually the residual aura of the Will of Heavenly Tribulation.
Although it was very faint and erratic, ordinary people wouldn't be able to sense it.
But who was Ji Yan?
He is the dignified Chief of the Thunder Vein! He has guarded Thunderclap Peak for nearly a millennium and entered the Valley of Heavenly Tribulations countless times. He was extremely familiar with the aura of the Will of Heavenly Tribulation.
He could be one hundred percent certain that that residual aura was definitely left behind after a Heavenly Tribulation.
Under what circumstances would the Will of Heavenly Tribulation appear?
Either it was an Earth Immortal of the Tribulation Crossing Stage, crossing tribulation to elevate their realm, which would leave behind the Will of Heavenly Tribulation.
But the trace of Heavenly Tribulation Will remaining here was clearly not from an Earth Immortal; the difference in magnitude between the two was like the difference between clouds and mud.
Or.
It was a heinous demonic cultivator. After triggering the Executation of Heaven to kill them, the Will of Heavenly Tribulation would also remain.
This possibility, naturally, also existed.
Although not one in tens of thousands of demonic cultivators might be executed by Heaven, there would always be some unlucky soul.
If it were in previous years, upon sensing the Will of Heavenly Tribulation, Ji Yan would certainly not lose his composure like this. After all, while the Executation of Heaven is rare, it isn't worth paying much attention to.
But.
Don't forget that just five days ago, Ji Yan had given Wang Xiu a jade slip containing the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
And the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
Is precisely a supreme technique for communicating with the Will of the Heavenly Dao and requesting the Heavens to send down the Executation of Heaven to slaughter evil demons and heretics.
Five days ago, Wang Xiu obtained the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
Five days later, the evil demons and heretics of the Zhao Residence died under the Executation of Heaven?
And Wang Xiu happened to be within the Zhao Residence at that time.
This...
This...
This...
This matter is a bit too coincidental, isn't it!
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Ji Yan took a deep breath and slowly formed seals with his hands.
His Divine Sense swept across the entire Zhao Residence in an instant. He checked the place where the Heavenly Tribulation remained back and forth a hundred times!
Suddenly.
Ji Yan's pupils shrank sharply. He discovered something was off; this residual aura of the Will of Heavenly Tribulation had slight differences from the Executation of Heaven produced naturally by the Heavenly Dao.
Even if other cultivators were Manifestation Stage existences, they would hardly be able to discover such subtle differences, but Ji Yan could clearly identify them.
This Executation of Heaven was definitely not naturally produced; it was summoned by someone using the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation!
Crack~
Between heaven and earth, the sound of something breaking suddenly rang out.
Hmm.
That was the sound of Ji Yan's Dao Heart.
At this moment.
Ji Yan's eyes turned blood-red, and his Dao Heart collapsed in an instant.
How is it possible in this world for someone to cultivate the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation to the entry level within five days, and even directly apply it in actual combat?
You must know that Ji Yan once sat in meditation in the Valley of Heavenly Tribulations for over a hundred years.
During those hundred years, aside from sowing seeds and having children, he spent almost all his spare time soaking in the Valley of Heavenly Tribulations, comprehending the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
Yet, despite his painstaking efforts, he still didn't make the slightest bit of progress.
His Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
He couldn't even complete the most basic "entry level," let alone cultivate it to success and use it in battle. That was simply something he didn't dare imagine.
Coincidence!
All of this is definitely a coincidence!
I, this Seat, am not crazy!
Not crazy!
Ji Yan's face turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of rebellious blood. Even his incomparably sturdy Nascent Soul directly cracked apart.
It wasn't that his psychological endurance was too poor.
It was simply too inconceivable. He could accept that Wang Xiu learned lightning techniques as if aided by the gods, and it wasn't that he couldn't accept Wang Xiu mastering the supreme technique of the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation.
He could even accept that Wang Xiu, without relying on the Valley of Heavenly Tribulations, forcibly cultivated the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation to success relying solely on his own talent.
But, at the very least, it should take a few years!
Five days?
Preliminarily mastering the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation in five days, isn't this too fast? Isn't this too insulting?
Could it be.
That the gap in aptitude between people can really be this huge?
It's simply a bigger gap than between humans and dogs!
At this moment.
The aura around Ji Yan became extremely chaotic, and he even began to doubt his own "Dao."
The so-called collapse of the Dao Heart.
It is not just a metaphor. After reaching the Nascent Soul Stage, cultivation is not merely the simple inhalation and exhalation of spiritual energy and the accumulation of mana.
More importantly, it is the tempering and sublimation of the state of mind. As the saying goes, a hundred years of bitter cultivation is not as good as a sudden moment of enlightenment.
One thought to become an immortal, one thought to become a demon.
Although this saying is a bit exaggerated, it holds some truth. The current Ji Yan had fallen into this special state.
The residual aura of the Heavenly Tribulation Incantation left by Wang Xiu hooked out the deep-seated obsession in Ji Yan's heart.
Or perhaps, it hooked out his Heart Demon.
(End of Chapter)
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