As the carriage moved away, the sky darkened. Li Sheng headed towards the post station five miles to the right. Upon arriving at the post station, he ordered some food and drink to take a short rest. When it was fully dark, he hired another carriage to head towards Qingshan City.
...
The city lord's mansion was located in the center of Rongsheng Square. At this moment, a carriage slowly approached the quiet street. The thin coachman pulled the reins to stop and called out, "Sir, we've arrived at Rongsheng Square."
"Sir... Sir?"The coachman called several times, but received no response. He then lifted the curtain of the carriage.
Inside the carriage, there was no one, only a few pieces of silver scattered on the seat. The coachman was taken aback, looking around before quickly turning the horse around and leaving in a hurry.
Under the shadow of the wall on the right side of the street, Li Sheng stood silently, watching the departing carriage. He blurred and jumped over the wall, sneaking into the city lord's mansion.
Following the route he had taken during the day, Li Sheng carefully avoided servants and maidens, arriving at the roof of the meeting hall. He channeled his true energy and cautiously removed a roof tile, revealing the scene inside.
In the grand hall, there was revelry, with several women accompanying each person. Among them were seven or eight young girls who appeared to be only thirteen or fourteen years old, their faces filled with terror.
"Brother Fei, that kid outright rejected my proposal. It seems we can only rely on Brother Chen now,"said the plump Fei, taking a sip from the cup offered by a young girl while chatting with the city lord of Li.
"That kid does have some skill, able to fight to a standstill with Brother Chen,"he continued.
"However, after this battle, those second-tier sects are also beginning to look towards the Qingshan Sect. With Xinghuo Sect and us blocking the way, they are still observing, but I doubt they can hold back for long. I hope Brother Chen can consolidate his martial domain soon; we cannot let this juicy piece of meat get snatched away by others."
The city lord of Li set down his cup, worry etched on his face. "I've heard that a new demon cave is about to open here... I wonder if Brother Fei has any plans?"
"What?"The expression of the Fei master changed in shock, losing all inebriation. "I haven't received any news... Could it be a royal prince?"
The city lord chuckled, not elaborating further, but the plump Fei knew well the implications behind it. "They're looking for benefits..."
Fei scanned the slightly disordered crowd below and jokingly scolded, "You lot... do you want to perform a living spring palace show for me and Brother Li?"
"If Brother Fei wants to watch, we won't refuse, hahaha…"
"Get lost, get lost…"
"It's late, everyone should rest. Brother Fei and I still have important matters to discuss…"With that, the city lord's words prompted the high-ranking members of the various forces to leave one after another.
On the roof, Li Sheng felt murderous intent towards the two of them several times, but thinking about how both were martial artists of the Blood Realm, he suppressed the impulse. One against two, he wasn't their match.
Glancing at the two in the hall, he moved to chase after a group of sixth-grade martial artists.
...
By midnight, the brightly lit courtyard plunged into darkness, leaving only one room in the southwest corner still lit. Li Sheng drifted like a ghost in this area.
"Twenty-three... just one more person left,"he whispered to himself, like a soul collector.
Inside the room, several pale bodies were entwined in a deep slumber. Li Sheng glanced in, then thrust his sword through a burly man's chest. With a surge of true energy, he instantly destroyed the man's organs, causing him to die violently.
After finishing the deed, Li Sheng disappeared from the room, moving like a phantom towards the mansion's exit. Outside the western courtyard, by the pavilion, a figure stood in the shadows, watching Li Sheng leave.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Only when Li Sheng's silhouette vanished did the figure step out of the shadows. Dressed in a green robe and holding a feather fan, the figure walked towards the meeting hall. Though the steps appeared slow, each step covered several yards, creating an eerie effect.
...
After leaving the city lord's mansion, Li Sheng hurried back to Qingshan Sect in half an hour. He busily used up the numbers from the earlier events, taking the top-grade refining dirty pill to the gathering spirit room.
Three of the rooms were already occupied—by his senior sister, junior sister, and Hong Ying. Seeing this, he smiled with satisfaction and entered an empty gathering spirit room.
Swallowing the pill, he began to practice the Dragon Elephant Breathing Technique. There were no true dragon legends in this world, and he didn't know what principle this technique was derived from. Gathering his thoughts, Li Sheng controlled his breathing according to the technique's description.
Gradually, a peculiar rhythm began to spread, drawing true energy in and resonating with his flesh and blood. Soon, a loud crash echoed in his mind, as if his consciousness had shattered. Thoughts faded, and he lost recognition of himself.
Uncertain how much time passed, a buzzing sound gradually emerged. It was faint but carried immense authority.
"Ang~"
Li Sheng's fragmented thoughts seemed to receive guidance, attaching to the sound and soaring with it. In his mind, the buzzing grew louder, and he felt as if he had transformed into a giant dragon, swimming freely through the sea of stars, roaring in exhilaration.
As his thoughts gradually returned, a sense of completion filled his heart.
"Hu~"Li Sheng exhaled, opened his eyes, and a strange light shone within them as he murmured, "Just from one practice, I comprehended the spiritual form. My talent is getting more and more outrageous, but refining my organs will still require two or three days of careful effort."
By this time, the sky was already bright. Li Sheng exited the gathering spirit room, looking up to see the sun nearly overhead. He focused his mind and summoned the panel.
**[Special Task: Hell Level]**
**[Soul Devouring: 3080/3000]**
**[Sect Destruction: 85/50]**
**[Hundred Kills: 151/100]**
"Destruction of sects has reached eighty-five?"Li Sheng's expression brightened. "It seems last night's events have already spread; otherwise, the number of sects disbanding wouldn't have doubled. Clearly, those people were frightened by my actions."
Li Sheng noticed the prompt below. **[Task completed, would you like to settle?]**
"Settle!"Li Sheng silently thought.
**[Hell Level special task completed, settling rewards...]**
**[Settling complete, reward: Cultivation Secret Realm, True Martial Tower]**
**[Task exceeded, additional reward: True Spirit Bloodline (fragment)]**
**[Note: True Spirit Bloodline can cultivate spirit beasts for the sect; consuming it automatically contracts with the host.]**
"Cultivation Secret Realm, True Martial Tower?"Li Sheng was filled with anticipation. He then focused his mind and set the True Martial Tower beside him. Suddenly, a towering black tower appeared before him.
It was pitch black, adorned with mysterious ancient symbols. The tower was covered in traces of age, rusty and weathered, exuding a desolate, wild aura. It seemed to have crossed through the long river of ancient times, appearing out of place in this realm.
"It looks extraordinary. I wonder how effective it is?"Li Sheng didn't rush to enter the tower. He held the silver metal tightly and ran towards the spirit pond.
Compared to the cultivation secret realm, he was more interested in the spirit pets. He had always wanted a spirit pet for protection, but those that could form contracts were extremely rare, often priced beyond his reach.
An old turtle that had lived for hundreds of years already had some spirit beast qualities. He had tried to target it in the past, but its lazy nature had always ignored him.
Now, with the True Spirit Bloodline, he was finally going to fulfill that dream...