"Feng, there's no need to be disheartened. With his divine powers and manifestations, it's normal to lose to him," Ling Ke said with a gentle smile, her jade hand tapping her waist, causing three jade vials to float into the air.
"Your injuries are quite severe; you should heal quickly. I'll guard you here," she continued, the vials drifting towards Feng Sheng.
"Thank you, Junior Sister Ling Ke!" Feng Sheng replied gratefully, nodding. With their storage bags confiscated by Li Sheng, they were anxious about how to heal their injuries.
Ling Ke smiled slightly, waving her hand to dismiss their gratitude. As they looked at her beauty, a hint of admiration flashed in Feng Sheng and the others' eyes, stirring an unexplainable excitement within them. Her flawless skin seemed to shimmer with a radiant glow.
Feng Sheng shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts. He opened the vials casually, ensuring the pills were intact before distributing them to his junior brothers and sisters.
As they began healing, Ling Ke leaned against a nearby stone, a subtle smile gracing her lips as if recalling something joyful.
---
Within the sect's grand formation, Li Sheng and the others stood at the edge, quietly watching Feng Sheng's group.
"Li, why did you engage?" Yan Yunfei asked, mostly fixated on Ling Ke outside the formation, his admiration evident. He then turned back to Li Sheng.
Li Sheng shook his head, choosing not to respond.
Nearby, Wang Ye took a sip from his flask and remarked pointedly, "The chief true disciple of the Divine Power Sect must have some hidden tricks up his sleeve. If we truly engage, we must ensure it's foolproof; otherwise, it could lead to unnecessary troubles. Those top sects are not as simple as they seem."
Li Sheng nodded, understanding this well. That was why he had suppressed his urge to kill earlier. While he wasn't afraid of an ordinary Grand Master with a fourth-grade formation and spirit beasts at his side, he knew that if they were surrounded without attacking, it would only lead to his own discomfort.
He cast a lingering glance at Ling Ke, sensing nothing unusual, then suppressed his doubts and gestured for the others to enter the sect.
As they left, Ling Ke, still leaning against the stone, casually glanced over the spot where the others had just stood. A glint of intrigue flashed in her bright eyes, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards.
---
Inside the sect, Li Sheng instructed his clone to refine a Golden Vitality Pill and handed it to his junior sister for healing. Bai Ye's injuries were not severe; her internal organs were slightly misaligned, but with some rest, she would recover fully.
He then invited Wang Ye and Yan Yunfei to the meeting hall. On their way, Yan Yunfei marveled at the exquisite architecture surrounding them, his admiration apparent.
In the hall, after sipping his tea, Yan Yunfei smiled and remarked, "Li, the architecture of your sect is exquisite and unparalleled. Except for its size, it's no less impressive than that of some major powers. Could it be that you have a talent for construction within your sect?"
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"A talent for construction?" Li Sheng was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood that some of the buildings had automatically beautified themselves upon his advancement.
"It's just a small trick," he said, waving his hand dismissively.
At that moment, Wang Ye interjected, "Now that the demonic disaster has subsided, the entire continent is about to undergo significant changes. What are your plans, Li?"
"What do you mean?" Li Sheng inquired, intrigued.
"It's about the previously circulating news that there are tens of thousands of demon nests in the boundary space, meant for cross-border sacrifices. If the high-ranking members of the Abyss race truly arrive, we'd better find a good place to settle," Yan Yunfei sighed, feeling disheartened.
"As for my plans..." Li Sheng pondered, "Let's take it one step at a time. The boundary space is elusive, and finding it will be as difficult as climbing to the heavens. It might require someone at the pinnacle realm to have hope of locating it."
"The pinnacle realm? That's tough! The Xuantian Continent hasn't seen someone of that caliber in over a thousand years," Yan Yunfei said with a bitter smile.
"Don't be too pessimistic, Daoist. I actually know a way," Wang Ye said with a chuckle, taking another sip of his drink.
"Oh?" Li Sheng and Yan Yunfei exchanged glances, eager to hear more.
"What do you mean?" Li Sheng pressed.
"This method doesn't involve us directly, but once the demons here are dealt with, the Yulong Dynasty and the Snow Domain Sacred Ground will surely cause a stir!" Wang Ye explained.
"The Yulong... and the Snow Domain?" Li Sheng furrowed his brow, considering that one was the foremost dynasty and the other the top sect, both deeply rooted in history.
"The founding master of the Yulong Dynasty is said to have ascended over a thousand years ago, though the truth of that is uncertain. However, it's well known that the Snow Domain Goddess ascended two thousand years ago," Wang Ye continued. "You're suggesting a connection..."
"Your insight is impressive!" Wang Ye looked at Yan Yunfei with surprise.
"Of course, the news from the Absolute Realm is well-known. Everything that happens in the world, they seem to know. Our leader..."
At that moment, Yan Yunfei seemed to recall something, abruptly falling silent.
Seeing the two playing a guessing game, Li Sheng didn't press further. Although he hadn't spent much time with Wang Ye, he was a straightforward person, incapable of keeping secrets.
This proved true; noticing Li Sheng's calm demeanor as he sipped tea, Wang Ye lowered his voice, attempting to sound profound:
"Rumor has it that any force that has ascended has the ability to communicate with the upper realm. However, the costs of doing so are steep. If the boundary space issue is real, this action could be essential!"
"Communicating with the upper realm?" Now Li Sheng was somewhat unsettled.
While it seemed few had ascended from the Xuantian Continent, over time, the number was certainly not insignificant. If they could truly gain support from the upper realm, perhaps this calamity could be resolved.
"Can those who have ascended come to this realm?" Li Sheng asked curiously.
"I once read in an ancient tome that during the ancient era, when the channels between the two realms were open, powerful beings from the upper realm often descended here. Nowadays, if you trace the origins of the sects on the continent, they all lead back to the upper realm. But since the channels closed, such powerful beings rarely come to this realm."
"Rarely?" Li Sheng's expression shifted; "rarely" didn't mean "never."
"Are you implying what happened six thousand years ago?" Yan Yunfei suddenly blurted out, looking astonished.
"Six thousand years ago?" Li Sheng muttered. If anything significant had occurred six thousand years ago, it would undoubtedly involve the notorious Demon Lord Pang Ban.
"Exactly. There are whispers that the bloodbath caused by the Demon Lord was suppressed by powerful beings from the upper realm. Of course, whether this news is true remains uncertain. However, if it is, it indicates that the two realms still have some connection."
"Over the past two thousand years, two individuals have ascended from the Xuantian Continent. Perhaps these two forces can reach out to the upper realm. Once this matter is resolved, we can gauge the movements of these two forces to draw some conclusions."
"Powerful beings from the upper realm..." Li Sheng's brow furrowed but then relaxed. If Wang Ye's claims were accurate, the boundary space issue might find a resolution.
However, he felt a lingering curiosity: something of great importance must be hidden in the Xuantian Continent; otherwise, why would those powerful beings have frequently descended during ancient times? And why was the Abyss race willing to sacrifice so many demon nests just to breach this realm?