"Adorable? That's the spirit of a fourth-tier formation. A single breath from it could wipe us out, so let's not get carried away, my foolish sister..."
"Hmph, mind your own business!"
"Gentlemen, do you think this could be an unclaimed ruin? If it were a sect, the Da Yan royal family would have heard about it long ago."
"An unclaimed ruin?"
At this, everyone's eyes lit up. News had already spread that the Seven Stars Alliance had found four portions of Void Liquid in the boundary space, making it plausible that an ancient ruin had emerged.
Inside a two-story inn, Qingyi and her aunt sat by the window, exchanging surprised glances as they overheard the discussions.
"Qingyi, that's..."
"Aunt!"
Qingyi frowned and quickly interrupted. Seeing her niece shake her head, Yue Ling sighed in relief, realizing the previous scene had been too shocking, momentarily causing her to forget their location.
She had visited the Qing Ling Sect twice and held a high opinion of Li Sheng's character and cultivation. Yet, she never imagined that the seemingly unremarkable protective array could withstand despair-level monsters.
"Qingyi, your insight is impressive; have you already sensed something extraordinary there?" Yue Ling asked curiously.
Qingyi shook her head, choosing not to respond. She hadn't discovered much during her time at the Qing Ling Sect, as many facilities were shrouded in mist. However, she had guessed from Master Li's aura during his breakthrough that the sect must possess several spirit-level martial arts.
"If you survive this ordeal, you should build a good relationship with Master Li. Given your connection, he should be able to assist you," Yue Ling suggested with a gleeful expression.
"Aunt, let's set that aside for now; we'll discuss it after this magical disaster is over," Qingyi replied, forcing a smile despite her worry.
"Look, it's Master Li!" Yue Ling exclaimed, her eyes brightening.
On the void screen, Li Sheng's handsome figure appeared, with Tuan Tuan perched on his shoulder, her little legs swinging joyfully. Li Sheng playfully poked at her, exuding a sense of affection that made many young girls' eyes turn into hearts.
"Oh my gosh, what a loving scene!"
"That little one is so cute; I want to hug her!"
"That man looks familiar. Right, he's the talented Li Sheng, a seed of divine-level abilities!"
"Isn't he supposed to be a loose cultivator? Could that place be his sect?"
At the highest building, Dantai Qingqing watched the scene with curiosity, a flicker of light appearing in her cold eyes. She unconsciously extended her delicate hand, as if measuring Tuan Tuan's size.
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Yu Huasheng's expression turned slightly surprised; he hadn't expected this seemingly icy girl, who was always focused on her training, to retain a hint of childlike playfulness.
"This person is not weak!" Tian Buer suddenly interjected.
"Not weak?"
Yu Huasheng scrutinized, "He's already formed a Three Talents Array, but I wonder how far he is from the Six Paths..."
Meanwhile, at the Qing Ling Sect, Li Sheng stood in the sky, looking at the undaunted Tuan Tuan beside him.
"You've worked hard."
"ChirpChirpChirp!" Tuan Tuan tried to strike a pose of mastery, waving her little hands humbly, but she couldn't maintain the act for long, her pride evident.
Li Sheng closed his eyes, sensing that the commotion around them was diminishing; the four monsters had clearly been suppressed by the formation. However, the spirit energy concentration in the spiritual vein had decreased by nearly ten percent.
"The formation is powerful, but it consumes a lot of energy... Just two and a half days left; I hope everything goes smoothly," Li Sheng thought to himself.
As the activity subsided, the images of the Qing Ling Sect faded from the screen. Suddenly, he felt a shift and appeared at the edge of the spiritual pool, where a faint yellow vortex emerged. Moments later, a half-human, half-turtle creature surfaced, exuding a strong earthy scent.
"Has it successfully advanced?" Li Sheng asked with delight as he opened the interface, focusing on the protective spiritual beast section.
**Protective Spiritual Beast: Tortoise of Heaven (Growing Phase) (Earth Manipulation, Water Manipulation, Giantization, Guidance, Fusion)**
"The affinity for earth has transformed into earth manipulation, and a new ability has been added. The ability to alter earth structures freely--it's practically a divine body for construction. From now on, the sect's construction tasks will be in your hands, Turtle!" Li Sheng marveled, then proceeded to check the details on the fusion ability.
**Note: Fusion is limited to merging with the contract holder, significantly boosting combat power, but only within the sect's boundaries.**
"Just when I was feeling drowsy, an opportunity drops in my lap!" Li Sheng felt invigorated; he could finally participate in the battle. He followed the contract to inquire about the Tortoise of Heaven's current strength. After a rather clumsy explanation from the tortoise, he realized its power had reached the grandmaster level, though the specifics would need testing.
Li Sheng nodded and called for Tuan Tuan to unlock the barriers of the Purple Mountain scene, tossing the Tortoise of Heaven inside before entering himself with Tuan Tuan. Although the purple mountain seemed small, it suddenly shot up, blocking half the sky as they entered.
Li Sheng understood that the mountain wasn't actually growing; rather, they were shrinking under the influence of martial intent. Beneath the purple mountain, two monsters--a black and a silver one--were relentlessly attacking the mountain, causing it to tremble with thunderous booms.
"It seems suppressing two of them is the limit..." Li Sheng observed quietly. Upon sensing their entrance, the two monsters abruptly ceased their attacks and turned to roar at them.
With a wave of her small hand, Tuan Tuan began to exert full force to suppress them as instructed by Li Sheng. The Tortoise of Heaven roared in response, its tiny frame swelling until it matched the size of the two monsters.
The ground around the Tortoise stirred, with countless towering spikes erupting, their heavy aura spreading out as they charged toward the monsters.
"Roar!" The silver giant monster opened its fearsome jaws and howled at the sky, unleashing countless black orbs that radiated a terrifying aura.
The enormous spikes glimmered with yellow light, exuding an indestructible feel as they collided with the swarm of black orbs. The powerful shockwave forced Li Sheng to retreat, increasing the distance between them.
Where they collided, the black orbs detonated, releasing corrosive energy that swiftly dissolved the yellow spikes. The stalemate lasted but a moment before several spikes from behind shattered through, slamming into the giant monster's body, causing its silver scales to crack and reveal gruesome wounds as black blood cascaded down like a waterfall.
"Roar!" The silver giant monster howled, and a silvery glow flickered across its body, quickly healing its wounds until it was restored in the blink of an eye.