Even the Sword Spirit was stunned by Shu Xin’s speed.
The Unblemished Realm cultivators who had been restraining and hindering one another outside were nearly struck dumb when they sensed the change in Shu Xin.
“...Could I have fallen into some kind of illusion?”
“Can the Divine Fire Diagram Spirit Book really allow a cultivator to advance to the Unblemished Realm so quickly?”
“I remember it hasn’t been that many years since Shu Xin became a Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator. Is she even two hundred years old yet?”
“She’s just over two hundred, I believe,” White Crane Dao Lord said with difficulty.
He had thought he already understood how terrifying Shu Xin was.
But now, it seemed he had still underestimated her by far.
The aura of an advanced Unblemished Realm cultivator could not be faked.
Even under the ominous circumstances hanging over the Seeking Gods Sect, it could not be concealed.
The situation was so critical, and the aura of tribulation in the sky was so intense.
How could she have passed through the Three Winds and Four Fires so easily and become an Unblemished Realm cultivator just like that?
White Crane Dao Lord had originally thought that Shu Xin’s rejection of Qu Yougu was a good thing for his disciple.
But now, he had begun to resent his own foolish disciple for being so obtuse and having no idea how to win a female cultivator’s favor.
A Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator who was two hundred years old and an Unblemished Realm cultivator who was just over two hundred—how could they possibly be the same?
Xi Fu and Yin Rushi exchanged a glance, and both saw relief in the other’s eyes.
Fortunately, they had not rashly attacked Shu Xin. Otherwise, they might not even have known how they died.
Qin Rushan truly had not died unjustly.
Shu Xin was genuinely formidable.
Meanwhile, in the rear mountains, Ning Weixuan was much closer to the source and naturally understood even more clearly that someone nearby had just achieved the Unblemished Realm.
His expression changed immediately.
The only person who could achieve the Unblemished Realm at this time and in this place had to be his enemy.
And when he saw the undisguised delight on Wen Jingzhi’s face, Ning Weixuan’s heart sank.
The person who had achieved the Unblemished Realm was Shu Xin?
Within the Seeking Gods Sect, she was the only one in the Grotto-Heaven Realm.
But Situ Jian had cultivated a strange demonic art, so even the Earth Immortals had been unable to resist attacking him. What reason could Shu Xin possibly have?
Ning Weixuan realized that he might have made a terrible mistake.
But before this, who could have imagined that this tiny Seeking Gods Sect concealed a pair of men and women who had shattered the records of the cultivation world?
Ning Weixuan was already considering fleeing first.
In his eyes, Situ Jian and Shu Xin posed no less of a threat to the Longevity Dao Sect than Xu Guan did.
He had to return and report this immediately.
Once Ning Weixuan had decided to retreat, it naturally became even more obvious in his fight with Wen Jingzhi.
Wen Jingzhi could restrain Ning Weixuan, but could not kill him.
And when Ning Weixuan tried to escape, it was extremely difficult for Wen Jingzhi to stop him.
Seeing Ning Weixuan’s figure gradually turn translucent, Wen Jingzhi did not appear anxious in the slightest. Instead, she called toward the sky, “Sister Shu, Senior, we absolutely cannot let Ning Weixuan escape!”
Neither Shu Xin nor the Sword Spirit paid any attention to the fact that Wen Jingzhi had suddenly regained consciousness.
They knew perfectly well which matter was more important.
“Don’t worry. I know.”
Shu Xin gripped her sword and swung it horizontally. The slash directly blocked Ning Weixuan’s path.
Shu Xin and Wen Jingzhi stood before and behind him, sealing off every possible route of escape.
When Ning Weixuan saw Shu Xin, whose aura of tribulation had yet to fully dissipate, his expression became extremely complicated.
“You two possess extraordinary talent. In all my life, I have never seen anyone like you,” Ning Weixuan said. Even as their enemy, he could not help but acknowledge their excellence.
They had been born into humble circumstances, yet had managed to conceal their true strength within the Longevity Dao Sect for so many years. In little more than a century, they had become the powerful Unblemished Realm cultivators they were now—existences capable of contending with him.
If they had both been Dao disciples of the Longevity Dao Sect, the next generation of the Nine Sons of Longevity would have become the Twin Sons of Longevity.
No matter how outstanding the Dao disciples of the other sects were, how could they possibly surpass these two?
And yet, the Longevity Dao Sect had failed to retain them!
“With your talents, even my master would be desperate to recruit you. The Seeking Gods Sect is a small sect with limited resources. Even if Xu Guan successfully ascends to the Mahayana Realm, merely gathering the resources needed for his own cultivation would be enough to drain the entire sect. How could he possibly help the two of you cultivate? At your level, ordinary spirit stones can no longer benefit you. Only the Longevity Dao Sect can be your true home.”
Ning Weixuan sincerely urged them, “As long as you are willing to set aside our past grievances and return with me, I can swear a Dao-heart oath that I will make the two of you the new Nine Sons of Longevity. You will become disciples of my master and receive his personal guidance. What do you say?”
That was the best offer Ning Weixuan could make.
To leap from being disciples of the Seeking Gods Sect to becoming members of the Nine Sons of Longevity, taking charge of the Longevity Dao Sect’s future, while also becoming disciples of an Earth Immortal and receiving instruction from him—this was no different from ascending to heaven in a single step for any cultivator.
The fact that Ning Weixuan could make such a proposal showed that his sincerity exceeded that of all the cultivators outside combined.
Even Shu Xin could not help laughing when she heard this.
“Senior Ning—no, that’s not right. Daoist Ning, you truly know how to assess the situation,” Shu Xin said admiringly. “If you hadn’t figured out my relationship with him, we wouldn’t have stopped you so determinedly when you tried to leave. But now that you know who we are and have also guessed the nature of our relationship, if our positions were reversed, would you really let us leave?”
“It would naturally be impossible for me to leave alone. But if the two of you came with me, what objection could there be?” Ning Weixuan had genuinely developed some appreciation for their talents. “Xu Guan was able to survive his tribulation because the Divine Fire Diagram Spirit Book replenished the spiritual energy he had expended. But it is impossible for the Seeking Gods Sect to find a second Divine Fire Diagram Spirit Book. That means the two of you will have almost no chance of reaching the Mahayana Realm.
“Even if the cultivation world falls into turmoil and Mahayana cultivators die, leaving vacancies behind, without sufficient resources, at most you will be able to exhaust your own potential and remain forever stuck at the Mahayana Realm. Given your age, the two of you might even break through the shackles of the Earth Immortal Realm and ascend to the Immortal Realm.
“Are you truly willing to abandon such a promising future and remain in this little sect?”
An ordinary cultivator would probably have been shaken after hearing Ning Weixuan’s words.
But Shu Xin was not swayed by empty promises.
“Would ascending to the Immortal Realm really make everything better?” Shu Xin countered. “Daoist Ning, do you truly believe that the Immortal Realm is some place where all your wishes come true? What if, after ascending, you discovered that you were at the very bottom of the Immortal Realm, just like an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator who has only recently entered the cultivation world here? Would you still want to ascend?
“Down here, you are an honored ancestor revered by all. But up there, you might live a life worse than a dog.”
Ning Weixuan frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about? The Immortal Realm is naturally a place of eternal life and carefree freedom.”
“How could ordinary people looking at our cultivation world not assume that this is some carefree paradise?” Shu Xin couldn’t help laughing. He gripped his sword, its tip pointed straight at Ning Weixuan. “I’m sorry, Daoist Ning, but we truly have no interest in ascending.”
“If cultivation isn’t for the sake of ascension, then what are you cultivating for?” Ning Weixuan asked, unable to understand.
【To butcher you, obviously.】The Sword Spirit couldn’t help but cut in. 【Why are you still prattling on? Just kill him already.】
“Don’t rush. Even a cornered rabbit will bite. Since Ning Weixuan dared to come here alone, he must have some treasured artifact capable of protecting him.” Shu Xin shook his head. “It’s best to be careful until he reveals his trump card. Didn’t you notice that Jingzhi isn’t in a hurry either?”
【Hmph. The Little Fox’s fox tail has finally shown itself. Who knows when this brat actually woke up?】The Sword Spirit secretly snitched on him.
Shu Xin, however, wasn’t angry.
“Perhaps he only just woke up. Besides, I can understand. If he came to his senses halfway through and realized he’d previously been acting like a complete idiot, he’d probably feel too embarrassed to say anything.” Shu Xin had experienced that sort of ostrich mentality himself, so he could understand it.
Of course, the score would still have to be settled—but first, they needed to deal with the matter at hand.
“Daoist Ning, do you know what your master truly intended to do with the deceased Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge?” Wen Jingzhi suddenly asked. “Those two had weak convictions. The only reason they were able to become Wugou-realm cultivators was because your master forcibly infused them with cultivation. With the foundation and abilities of the Changsheng Dao Sect, two Wugou-realm cultivators were hardly worth mentioning. Yet the two of them became members of the Nine Sons of Longevity. Don’t you find that strange, Daoist Ning?”
“Them?” Ning Weixuan gave a derisive laugh. “They were probably used by Master to practice some cultivation technique. Among us disciples, there are always a few who aren’t outstanding enough and end up becoming consumables. Over the years, the candidates for the Nine Sons of Longevity have changed again and again, but only true geniuses can remain standing. I suspect those two may have possessed special bloodlines or physiques, making them useful to Master for cultivation at critical moments. That must be why he accepted them as disciples. Otherwise, when I killed your master, Gong Changshou, I would have killed the two of them along with him.”
Given Ning Weixuan’s usual methods, there was no way he would have left those two potential threats alive.
But Ning Weixuan had been worried that doing so would disrupt Wuweizi’s plans.
He could explain killing Gong Changshou as a contest for the position of Mahayana cultivator. Wuweizi could accept that sort of competition.
But if he killed Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge, he would be offending Wuweizi.
Ning Weixuan naturally wouldn’t offend Wuweizi without good reason.
“What? They really died at your hands? Then I suppose you’ve done me a favor.” Ning Weixuan answered without hesitation. “They’re dead, so let them stay dead. With the talent you two possess, even if Master finds out that you killed them, he won’t care. They were merely consumables. He can always find a few more.”
Wen Jingzhi suddenly fell silent.
Even after becoming a cultivator for so many years, he still couldn’t grow accustomed to the stark, naked reality of this cultivation world—a world that devoured people.
“You knew?” Wen Jingzhi asked, seemingly unable to believe it.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ning Weixuan countered. “If they had no value, why would they have been able to become members of the Nine Sons of Longevity? Besides, although they were Master’s disciples, he hardly ever taught them anything. He merely raised their cultivation. They couldn’t even participate in many of the Changsheng Dao Sect’s core affairs, could they?”
That was true.
If Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge had truly been core figures of the Changsheng Dao Sect, Wen Jingzhi wouldn’t have found it so easy to kill them.
At that thought, Wen Jingzhi couldn’t help laughing.
“Haha… hahahahaha.”
“So you all knew. They were the only ones who didn’t.”
How absurd.
For the sake of becoming so-called cultivators, for the sake of obtaining a place among the Nine Sons of Longevity, Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge had not hesitated to destroy Wen Family Town—the place that had given them life and raised them. They had slaughtered countless relatives and clansmen.
Yet in the eyes of the true core figures of the Changsheng Dao Sect, they were nothing more than slightly higher-grade consumables.
How laughable.
Wen Jingzhi almost wanted to pull the souls of Wen Jingshu and Fu Ge out of the soul banner and make them listen to this themselves.
But what would be the point?
Even if he killed them both a second time, his parents and clansmen would never return.
Only after laughing his fill did Wen Jingzhi slowly come to a stop.
At that moment, the last trace of chaotic demonic energy within him strangely settled down instead.
【The fluctuations of his demonic energy have vanished?】
【Has the Little Fox completely endured the backlash from the Heaven-Stealing Sun-Swapping Art?】
The Sword Spirit was utterly baffled.
Why was this happening?
Normally, it was extremely difficult for demonic cultivators to break free from the obsessions in their hearts.
It was precisely because their obsessions ran so deep that they fell into the demonic path, their temperaments becoming volatile, cruel, and murderous.
Yet now, it seemed that Wen Jingzhi had somehow digested this obstacle with remarkable ease.
“He’s only accepting the rules of this world now,” Shu Xin sighed. “Jingzhi is different from me. I come from another world, so on a fundamental level, I’ve always felt that this world is sick.”
But Wen Jingzhi was not like that.
He had been born in this world. As a child, he had been a blood slave of the Blood Demon Nation, so his understanding of the world had been warped. Later, Wen Jingzhi’s adoptive parents from the Wen family had instilled an entirely different set of rules in him, and he had believed them.
But those rules had quickly proved false as well.
Good people died young, while calamities lived for a thousand years.
That set of rules simply didn’t apply in the cultivation world.
Yet Ning Weixuan’s words had allowed Wen Jingzhi to understand that in this world, no matter how high one climbed, in the eyes of someone stronger, one was still nothing more than a consumable.
That was simply how this world worked.
Accepting that one’s world was in such a state required a catalyst.
Everything that had happened to Wen Jingzhi, when all was said and done, was because this world had been wrong from the very beginning.
Once he understood that, the last trace of demonic energy within Wen Jingzhi naturally vanished.
Ning Weixuan didn’t know what had happened within Wen Jingzhi, but his instincts told him that something was wrong.
Those two didn’t seem to be planning to calmly discuss what would happen next.
“Then I truly must thank you, Daoist Ning.” Shu Xin smiled. “After you die, we’ll remember your kindness today and burn a little extra paper money for you.”
With that, Shu Xin attacked without the slightest warning.
Sword light flashed like thunder.
The Sword Spirit also showed no mercy, pouring even more power into the strike.
The ferocity of that sword was beyond description.
Ning Weixuan felt his heart jolt with tension. He used his fastest speed and only barely managed to evade Shu Xin’s strike.
But the moment he dodged the first sword, the next one was already upon him.
The two swords in Shu Xin’s hands seemed to possess minds of their own. They attacked from all sorts of inconceivable angles. Sometimes, even after Ning Weixuan had dodged them, the swords would abruptly twist around in midair and slash another wound across his body, tearing through his defenses.
The swordsmanship looked ordinary at first glance, but it was incredibly difficult to withstand.
Ning Weixuan’s heart sank. He grew even more desperate to escape.
But the next moment, Wen Jingzhi’s attacks followed close behind.
If Shu Xin’s attacks were like an endless, flowing stream, with a new attack appearing after every completed strike, then Wen Jingzhi’s techniques were like thunder hidden within a spring shower—seemingly ordinary exchanges concealing deadly killing intent.
The two of them did not communicate at all as they fought, yet their coordination was terrifyingly perfect.
Together, they achieved an effect greater than the sum of their parts.
At first, Ning Weixuan still handled them with ease, but before long, he found himself unable to keep up.
His magical robe began to suffer damage in one place after another. Even the jade pendant Master Yushan had given him had developed several cracks after enduring repeated attacks, and it was gradually losing the ability to conceal his cultivation and aura.
This was bad.
If his true appearance were exposed and sensed by the Wugou Realm cultivators outside, the Longevity Dao Sect would likely abandon him.
Ning Weixuan made his decision immediately. He tightened his grip around the jade pendant, transformed into a streak of escaping light, and fled without hesitation.
He absolutely could not remain here any longer.
Neither of these two was someone he could kill in his current state.
By comparison, let Xu Guan undergo his tribulation if he had to.
A Mahayana cultivator might cause some trouble, but it would not cripple the Longevity Dao Sect.
However, if he died here and his identity was exposed, the Longevity Dao Sect would not avenge him. Instead, it would shift all responsibility onto him alone.
That would truly leave him without even a burial place.
Ning Weixuan’s judgment was remarkably accurate.
Once he transformed into escaping light and fled, his speed was far beyond what ordinary cultivators could pursue.
Wen Jingzhi and Shu Xin immediately followed, chasing after him.
Outside, the Wugou Realm cultivators, including Cui Yuhua and the others, were still locked in stalemate with their opponents.
When they suddenly sensed a streak of escaping light rushing toward them, they sprang into action at once.
White Crane Dao Lord and the others especially remembered Shu Xin’s earlier warning that no one was to be allowed to leave.
Thus, several Wugou Realm cultivators moved simultaneously to block Ning Weixuan’s path.
“Damn it! Get out of my way!” Ning Weixuan had not expected to be obstructed even while fleeing.
He swept out a palm, and the tremendous force sent the Wugou Realm cultivator in front flying.
Although his speed was forced to slow for a moment, he continued onward.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The cultivator who had been struck aside looked utterly bewildered.
He was a Wugou Realm cultivator, at least.
Who was that person?
Shu Xin and Wen Jingzhi chased past him. In the blink of an eye, the three had vanished beyond the territory of the Asking Gods Sect.
“…Master, should we pursue them?” Xi Fu asked Cui Yuhua helplessly.
Cui Yuhua was just as dazed.
“We probably won’t catch them. I’m sure the Ancestor will understand.”
This was simply too outrageous.
Hadn’t Shu Xin only just become a Wugou Realm cultivator? How could she be so fast?
And the Wugou Realm cultivator at the front was terrifyingly powerful. Who exactly was he?
White Crane Dao Lord and the others were even more bewildered.
Never before had they felt so deeply that they were truly old.
They could no longer keep up with the changes taking place in the cultivation world.
【That fellow is trying to escape? Good. Let him run farther. That way, he won’t interfere with Xu Guan’s tribulation.】The Sword Spirit was thrilled.
If Ning Weixuan had not fled, the Sword Spirit would have been forced to hold back, afraid that fully recovering might interfere with Xu Guan’s tribulation.
But now that Ning Weixuan was fleeing, once he left the territory of the Asking Gods Sect, the Sword Spirit would be free to act at full strength.
The Sword Spirit practically wanted to throw its head back and laugh three times.
That man was courting death!
Dark clouds had already gathered overhead, accompanied by countless rumbling peals of thunder.
Beneath the clouds, a human figure could be seen indistinctly.
It was Xu Guan.
“Yes, he’s courting death. But he absolutely cannot enter the territory of the Longevity Dao Sect. I can’t deal with that old bastard Wuweizi right now.” As Shu Xin spoke, she drew out the profound radiance at her fingertips and slowly began merging the two swords in her hands into one.
If they were going to kill Ning Weixuan, they had to do it before he reached the Longevity Dao Sect!
While Shu Xin was fusing the swords, Wen Jingzhi had already taken on the task of hindering Ning Weixuan and buying her time.
Wen Jingzhi had once escaped beneath the eyes of the Earthly Immortals themselves. His speed had been witnessed by the top figures of the cultivation world, so stopping Ning Weixuan was not difficult for him.
The difficult part was killing Ning Weixuan in one clean attack.
But with Shu Xin present, the most challenging aspect was no longer a problem.
“Daoist Ning, there’s no need to hurry back to the Longevity Dao Sect.” Wen Jingzhi blocked Ning Weixuan’s path. “Why not allow us to show you some hospitality first?”
Ning Weixuan’s expression turned grim.
Looking at Wen Jingzhi, who had appeared out of nowhere, he said darkly, “Even if you can stop me, you can’t stop me from returning to my sect. Once my master takes action, both of you will die!”
Ning Weixuan possessed quite a few life-saving techniques.
He did not believe these two could kill him completely.
As long as even a trace of life remained, he would one day recover. It would only be a matter of time.
The only thing that vexed Ning Weixuan was that he would suffer severe injuries in the process. If so, he had no idea how many years it would take before he could reach the Mahayana Stage.
But these two truly wanted him dead!
In that case, they could not blame him for fighting to the bitter end.
“It was you who wanted us dead, Daoist Ning. We’re merely protecting ourselves.” Wen Jingzhi attacked decisively. “So please, Daoist Ning, go to your death.”
Ning Weixuan let out a series of cold laughs. “Very well. Since you insist on deciding life and death with me, I’ll play this through to the end!”
He no longer held back, nor did he worry about the consequences of exposing his identity.
Ning Weixuan’s aura and cultivation surged to their peak.
Under his feet, a five-petaled lotus platform appeared.
The lotus platform glittered with all kinds of rare treasures and overflowed with spiritual energy.
When Ning Weixuan stood upon it, his already formidable power doubled, bringing him almost to the level of the Mahayana Stage.
“To think you could force me to this point. In thousands of years, you are the first.” This was clearly Ning Weixuan’s ultimate trump card. By using the lotus platform’s secret technique, he was forcibly raising his cultivation.
“You can both go to hell!” Ning Weixuan no longer cared what these two were thinking. He would kill them first and worry about everything else later!
Wen Jingzhi fought with all his strength.
Forget a false Mahayana cultivator—even if Ning Weixuan were a genuine Mahayana cultivator, so what?
Wen Jingzhi had never feared anyone!
All of Wen Jingzhi’s manifestations emerged, and he held nothing back.
Even though Ning Weixuan held the advantage at every stage, Wen Jingzhi continued to maneuver against him.
“Jingzhi, move!”
A voice rang out.
Wen Jingzhi immediately stepped aside, opening a path.
Ning Weixuan did not suspect a thing. Just as he was about to raise his head, something reached his gaze even faster than the figure itself—a familiar sensation that made his entire body tremble.
“It’s you?!”
Ning Weixuan went pale. “The person who wounded me back then… was you?!”
There’s no way Master won’t successfully overcome the tribulation until the weekend!
