He Qing explained the ins and outs with a smile that never waned, while Yu Ci just stared at her, showing no reaction. The female cultivator didn't seem to mind; her smile even grew warmer:
"I really should thank you. The part of the Yang Spirit that I severed and became demonic was the most difficult step I had anticipated. With my current state, I might not have been able to overcome it. But who would have thought your mirror's Divine Power to be so formidable, saving me a great deal of effort."
As she spoke, she reached out to touch the tangible cyan light. With a mere gesture of a Taoism Immortal Cultivator's Divine Power, the floating bronze mirror seemed poised to fall into her hand.
Yu Ci remained unresponsive, only his eyes flickering slightly. However, his attention was not even slightly divided towards the Divine Bronze Mirror but was wholly focused on He Qing.
He was looking for an opportunity.
Regardless of the previous plan, with the situation having reached this point, there was no need to consider anything else. His sole aim was to find a way out of this desperate situation. Thus, he concentrated all his energy on finding an opportunity. At this moment, He Qing's aura was faint, perhaps revealing a vulnerability that had not been present before.
With this thought in mind, and thanks to the fortune of his Yin Spirit's earlier disintegration and reassembly, Yu Ci's Yin Spirit, though severely damaged, had a Spirit Platform clear as a mirror. However, the longer he gazed at the person before him, the more doubt clouded his mind like a slow-gathering storm.
What impact would severing the lifeline of the Divine Soul have on a Cultivator? The He Qing before him not only had a different demeanor but also spoke more than before, with subtle changes in her choice of words. If he closed his eyes and relied solely on her tone, he might even mistake her for someone else.
Indeed, she was not the stern, upright beautiful woman he remembered—in fact, she might never have been. Yet the changes were incomprehensible.
In the end, He Qing did nothing more; her finger touched the light and immediately withdrew, as if out of mere curiosity. She then pressed her hand against the wound over her heart. In no time, the bleeding stopped, and her flesh and bones, including her severely damaged heart, regenerated at a terrifying speed, showcasing the undying body of a True Immortal.
Witnessing this, the long-silent Shadow Ghost exclaimed in admiration, "She has a precise grasp, forcibly tearing apart the Yang Spirit without causing her realm to fall. Even if there are special techniques involved, it's no simple feat... Boy, you'd better think of a way to escape with your life. As long as she is of the Realm of the True Being, even with just a breath left, she could effortlessly slay ten or eight of the likes of you!"
Yu Ci did not reply, and the Shadow Ghost immediately realized the foolishness of its words. With such a disparity, what difference did it make to flee or not?
Fear inevitably surged in its heart. If Yu Ci were to perish, its fate would certainly be no better. In a fit of desperation, it cursed, "Xing Tian, that old relic, always acting high and mighty, but when it's time to rely on him, where does he vanish to?"
"Shut up!"
Xing Tian interjected just in time, silencing the Shadow Ghost. However, it quickly noticed that although Xing Tian's tone was as stern as ever, his thoughts were faint and ethereal.
"Those of the Fang surname have already become aware; we mustn't delay any longer—I'll send you off..."
"Fear him for what!"
"Scram with your nonsense!"
Infuriated to the point of embarrassment, Xing Tian's bellowing thoughts surged forth, but before it could continue, a golden halo flew up ahead, buzzing and vibrating. In an instant, the ten-mile Sea of Spirit flattened out without a ripple, the surrounding Primordial Qi neatly gathered and controlled by the golden ring, including that within Yu Ci's body.
"Law Sky Prison!"
The entire ten-mile Sea of Spirit collapsed, and Yu Ci, like falling into an abyss, uncontrollably plummeted downwards. Then came a whirlwind disorientation as the Deep Blue Nimbus Sea engulfed him in its spinning embrace, a tremendous force propelling him like a released arrow, shooting him in a specific direction.
"Damn it all!"
Xing Tian and Shadow Ghost cursed in unison, but Yu Ci heard nothing. His Heart-Mind, naturally retracting the moment Law Sky Prison was invoked, focused intently on his own being. Regardless of the fall or being blasted away, only his body moved; his spirit remained steadfast.
Thus, he quickly discerned his predicament and location.
"Outwards!"
The roar in his ears was intense, the severe pressure differential nearly bursting his eardrums. In that moment, Yu Ci was no longer rubbing against the Deep Blue Nimbus Sea but rather bursting through the thin air of high altitude. In the blink of an eye, He Qing had propelled him through the Sea of Spirit's Vital energy transformation gate, blasting him out of the Sect's Mountain Gate!
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After tumbling through the air for seven or eight miles, Yu Ci managed to steady himself, still within the grasp of Law Sky Prison, while He Qing had already caught up with ease.
Yu Ci struggled to maintain steady breathing, and within his Brain Palace, the thoughts of Xing Tian and Shadow Ghost were in turmoil, their strengths distinct yet inextricably entangled. Fortunately, the exchange of thoughts was incredibly fast, and in the realm of reality, only a brief moment had passed. They had already gone from fierce contention to a unanimous agreement.
"It's easier to exert force from the outside. Xing Tian will disguise itself as a passing Sword cultivator, holding He Qing at bay for a while. Meanwhile, I'll help you completely conceal your breath, hiding deep underground to see if we can slip past unnoticed..."
This was a standard tactic, but given their limited options, it was the best they could come up with. To this, Yu Ci responded with a single acknowledgment, without further comment. Even for two ancient beings who had lived for tens of thousands of years, his attitude remained an enigma.
"Hurry up, I'm pressed for time!" Xing Tian could no longer maintain the pretense of a senior; its current predicament was indeed awkward. A deal from years past had not only shattered its path to Dao attainment but also left a fatal flaw within the Lichen Sect. Otherwise, with its level of cultivation, why would it need to be so cautious and apprehensive?
"Bastard, the Thunderbolt Tribulation is no joke! But then again, this woman's methods..." A thought began to sprout, only to be deeply buried in the heart, urging Yu Ci to make a decision quickly. However, at this moment, Yu Ci had ceased even the simplest of responses.
Meanwhile, not far away, a female cultivator stretched out her hand, not to unleash a deadly move, but to freely extend her arms, tilting her head to gaze into the profound, endless night sky. She took long breaths in and out, seemingly intoxicated by the cold, thin air.
In the distance, a black light flickered, and the hornless Shan Gu seemed to have followed the trail of the scent. Approaching He Qing from behind, it suddenly stopped, hesitating.
Witnessing this scene, Yu Ci suddenly spoke up, "The Longevity Thunderbolt Tribulation has just passed, the malevolent force of the Thunderbolt Tribulation Method has also receded. Now, what Thunderbolt Tribulation are you undergoing?"
************
Atop the Star Plucking Tower, the conversation between two old friends had paused for a while.
Outside, led by Jade Void Elder, a group had already sorted out the protective enchantments of the Sect's Mountain Gate and were laying out the Thousand-Mile Bright Light Mirror along with a series of complementary detection talismans, assessing the current state of the Sect's Mountain Gate. The changes above the Sea of Spirit were also under surveillance. However, the headache for these individuals was that the area was being obscured by some formidable force, making it impossible to discern the specifics.
If it were a hostile situation, it would be straightforward—they would just need to know that someone was inside and take action. But now, that approach was clearly not viable. To several experienced Old Daoists, who were also privy to the details, it was evident that He Qing had employed the Law Sky Prison, concealing the surrounding environment and blocking all kinds of detection techniques.
They couldn't understand: was it necessary to go to such lengths for a junior?
Even the thick sideburns couldn't hide the ashen face of Uncle Lu De. He had long wanted to rush over and see for himself, but Jade Void Elder firmly stopped him, using the authority of Grandmaster Fang to pressure him:
"The Grandmaster has said not to interfere!"
Although Uncle Lu De was a first-rate powerhouse among the Vacuum Walking Cultivators, he still had little power to resist in the presence of Jade Void Elder. After several failed attempts to have his way, his frustration made him speak out of turn, "I don't care if He Qing dies! I'm concerned about that boy Yu Ci..."
He was cut off mid-sentence as a sudden chill descended upon him. Looking up in surprise, the source of the coldness was above, at the Star Plucking Tower, which showed no change.
Finally, the conversation resumed upstairs, "Is this really okay? They are all disciples of your Lichen Sect. If you favor one over another..."
Fang Hui responded with an air of inevitability, "This is what the Sect owes her."
But what about what is owed to Yu Zhou?
This question, Old Master Zhu ultimately left unspoken.
**********
Xing Tian and Shadow Ghost never expected that Yu Ci, at such a perilous moment, would still strike up a conversation with He Qing.
"Don't you see? It's like being released from prison."
The female cultivator continued to stretch her arms, even closing her eyes, utterly lost in ecstasy, "This is what it feels like to breathe without any pressure at all!"
"Oh?"
"For seventy years, night and day, I've been drained by Fang Hui's 'Burning Marrow Blood River' technique, exhausting all my potential. If I don't ascend to the Realm of the True Being, I'll wither away within a decade at most. Even if I do ascend, with such a shaky foundation, a minor Thunderbolt Tribulation could claim my life. What good is such a Taoism Immortal then?"
Yu Ci was startled to hear her address Fang Hui so casually, and then he heard her continue: "The foundation for Attainment of Dao is divided into three parts—I possess one part, Shan Gu another, and the Yin and Yang energies make up the last. Not only is it impure, but it's also constrained by Fang Hui's limitations, step by step, with a path that's already been severed. What's the point in that?
"Of course, the most important thing is, after seventy years of shackles, now that they're cast off, what I do is naturally what I like and... what I need!"
As her words fell, behind her, Shan Gu finally shed its hesitation, twisting its single horn closer to her in a sniffing gesture. But the next moment, her slender hands clasped together, seizing its horn.
The Fish-Dragon was taken aback, but as her fingertips penetrated, the creature began to struggle violently, its long tail whipping, tearing through the clouds. The more it thrashed, the tighter the female cultivator's grip became, and Shan Gu's long, slender body of forty to fifty feet began to shrink rapidly. Visibly, a sheen of luster was traveling up He Qing's arm.
Hey, that's Shan Gu!
"What a ruthless woman!"
Yu Ci watched with his hair standing on end, and Shadow Ghost, too, momentarily forgot about escaping, exclaiming, "Today, she takes a risk, splitting her Yang Spirit, wounding her flesh body, and in the end, drawing on the Qi of the Heavenly Dragon True Form for her own use, filling the void, Strengthening the Foundation and Cultivating the Origin. Although she has depleted her Cultivation Level, what of it? Her realm has been reached, and without those hidden dangers, the future is a clear path!"
A clear path?
***********