“Disciples of this island, remain calm. Return to your cave abodes and hold your positions.”
A streak of light flew over, revealing Fang Qing’s figure.
“So you are the guardian of this island?”
Zhong Lingxiu swept his divine sense across him. “Mid-stage Foundation Establishment? You deserve death!”
In truth, he and Fang Qing shared quite a bit of history. They had crossed paths briefly during the beast tide years ago, and even earlier during the fishing ground attack, where Fang Qing had once been hunted down by this very man and incidentally profited from the chaos as well.
But now, in Zhong Lingxiu’s eyes, Fang Qing was nothing more than an ordinary Blue Sea Sect cultivator.
Cold light flickered in his eyes as the Ice Soul Profound Light in his hand was about to fly forth. Yet in the very next instant, heaven and earth transformed!
Buddhist chants echoed in every direction as golden radiance blazed brilliantly.
Heavenly flowers rained from above while golden lotuses bloomed from the earth below.
“Spatial transference?”
“A third-rank supreme array, a Sealed Domain Grand Array?!”
Zhong Lingxiu sucked in a cold breath. “Someone set an ambush for me? Ruan Zhixuan, Shi Tiexin… come out!”
Now trapped within a third-rank grand formation, escape would not come easily. There had to be a powerful enemy waiting to strike.
He dared not show the slightest carelessness. Immediately he summoned his natal magic treasure, another pearl shimmering with icy radiance. It was the treasure recorded within the Zhong Family’s Mysterious Ice Profound Art, the Ice Soul Pearl!
This was not the one belonging to the Zhong Family ancestor. After forming his Core in the Eastern Sea, Zhong Lingxiu had painstakingly gathered third-rank treasure materials and refined this one personally.
Yet in the next instant, Zhong Lingxiu’s divine sense saw Fang Qing likewise produce an Ice Soul Pearl.
No. It was an Ice Soul Pearl talisman treasure!
His eyes instantly turned bloodshot. “Thief!”
The Ice Soul Pearl carried hidden profundities. Without mastering the Ice Soul Profound Light, even Core Formation cultivators would struggle to refine it into a talisman treasure!
The one in Fang Qing’s hands had to come from the Zhong Family, and from a direct descendant line at that!
Zhong Lingxiu swept his divine sense outward and found no Core Formation cultivators lying in wait. This meant the third-rank array had already been arranged here long ago.
‘So this was a hidden safeguard prepared against the Sea-Destroying Alliance? With a third-rank array and a talisman treasure in the hands of the array master, even a Core Formation cultivator could be stalled for quite some time while waiting for reinforcements.’
‘Against Heiyuan True Personage, perhaps this person could delay matters briefly. Unfortunately for him, he is using an Ice Soul Pearl talisman treasure and happened to run into me!’
Zhong Lingxiu narrowed his eyes slightly. The Ice Soul Pearl in his hand released streams of white jade-like radiance. Behind him, ice crystals suddenly condensed into a pair of magnificent frost wings.
“Go!”
He formed hand seals with both hands. The Ice Soul Pearl shot forward, carrying with it a strange pulling force.
The talisman treasure Ice Soul Pearl had already lacked sufficient power from the start. Now it suddenly froze midair. Dense runic patterns surfaced across its surface before a flash of white light transformed it back into a talisman.
The talisman ignited without wind. Streams of mana surged forth and poured directly into the true Ice Soul Pearl magic treasure, causing its brilliance to intensify even further.
‘How could the talisman treasure personally refined by a Core Formation cultivator of my clan fail to guard against outsiders using it against our own people?’
The frost wings behind Zhong Lingxiu beat gently once, propelling him forward a hundred zhang in an instant. His movement speed far surpassed that of ordinary early Core Formation cultivators.
Cold light gleamed in his eyes. The Ice Soul Profound Light in his hand sharpened like a blade, preparing to decapitate this mere mid-stage Foundation Establishment island guardian in a single strike.
But in that very instant, Zhong Lingxiu saw the cultivator’s face clearly.
The other party’s eyes held only calmness.
And perhaps even the joy of a fisherman finally hooking a great fish.
“Not good!”
Realization came too late. Zhong Lingxiu tried to recall his Ice Soul Pearl magic treasure, but it was already impossible.
From the void, an azure pearl suddenly appeared. It leapt lightly through the air, carrying the boundless heavy waters of mountains and seas as it slammed into the Ice Soul Pearl.
It was the magic treasure, the Sea-Transformation Pearl!
At the same moment, an incomparably fierce and condensed surge of Core Formation mana erupted before him. Its purity and force even surpassed Zhong Lingxiu’s own Blue Sea Technique cultivation.
Fang Qing smiled faintly. A white jade flute appeared in his hand, and he raised it gently to his lips.
“Core Formation cultivator?”
Zhong Lingxiu had no time to be shocked before invisible soundwave force spread through the air, instantly penetrating his internal organs.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His Ice Soul Profound Light reacted immediately, freezing the injuries throughout his body.
At the same time, a crystalline half-armor appeared over him. It seemed forged entirely from profound ice, releasing chilling cold qi capable of freezing one to the bone.
“A defensive magic treasure?”
“As expected, outside cultivators are much wealthier!”
Fang Qing formed hand seals. The jade flute magic treasure released a long cry and transformed into a white phoenix. Its eyes shone with startling intelligence. Multicolored runic radiance flickered at the tips of its wings and tail feathers as it flew toward Zhong Lingxiu, its icy beak poised to strike.
“Two magic treasures?”
Zhong Lingxiu’s expression had likewise turned incomparably grave. His hands formed seals as layers upon layers of Ice Soul Profound Light erupted to their utmost limit, transforming into an icy crystal phoenix that lunged toward the white phoenix formed from the magic treasure.
High above the heavens, the twin phoenixes circled endlessly. From time to time, sheets of icy radiance and invisible soundwaves scattered downward.
Any remnant shockwave from this battle was enough to heavily injure a Foundation Establishment cultivator. As for Qi Refining cultivators, they would be annihilated on the spot, body and soul alike.
‘A backwater sect like this actually produced such a heaven-defying genius?’
Feeling the rapid depletion of his Core Formation mana, Zhong Lingxiu’s expression grew increasingly solemn.
No matter how he thought about it, he could never have imagined that what he believed would be a leisurely first step in his revenge would instead mire him in mud from the very beginning.
‘I am a disciple of a Nascent Soul sect, blessed with extraordinary talent since childhood, forget it. I’ll have to use my true trump cards after all.’
For the sake of competing over the ruins this time, Zhong Lingxiu had naturally prepared many hidden cards.
A flash of spiritual light flickered in his hand, revealing a strange talisman. The talisman was only palm-sized. It was entirely different from a talisman treasure, yet it radiated an even more dangerous aura.
“A third-rank treasure talisman?!”
“This Hidden-Treasury Mandala Array is only an empty shell. At most it can sever space itself. It lacks much suppressive power, after all, there was no way to invite that many Dharma Protector Wisdom Kings.”
“Time to use real methods.”
Fang Qing reacted with astonishing speed and let out a cold snort.
His Core Formation-level divine sense exploded forth violently, transforming into a radiant golden Demon-Subduing Vajra Pestle that smashed directly into Zhong Lingxiu’s sea of consciousness.
Zhong Lingxiu groaned in pain. The action of activating the treasure talisman was instantly interrupted.
Immediately afterward, a figure flashed before him.
Fang Qing had already arrived.
The distance between the two was so close they were practically staring directly into each other’s eyes.
Only at this moment did Zhong Lingxiu finally recall the fishery that night… and Zhong Wufu.
“You are…”
But he could no longer finish the sentence.
Because an incomparably vast surge of blood qi, comparable to that of a third-rank demon beast, had already erupted from Fang Qing’s body!
Fang Qing’s five fingers clenched together into a fist that smashed heavily onto the icy armor.
Crack!
At that instant, Zhong Lingxiu seemed to hear the sorrowful wail of his own ice armor magic treasure. He also finally understood why, despite knowing he possessed a defensive magic treasure, Fang Qing had still chosen close combat.
‘Third-rank Body Refinement? A monster like this actually exists in this place?’
He retreated rapidly.
Although the magic treasure barely withstood the blow, the terrifying recoil force still made it feel as though his internal organs had shifted out of place. A mouthful of blood surged up his throat, only for him to forcibly suppress it.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Fang Qing gave him no opportunity whatsoever.
His figure flashed repeatedly as one heavy punch after another crashed down onto the ice armor.
“...”
Zhong Lingxiu could no longer endure it. He spat out a mouthful of essence blood and shouted, “My ice armor contains ten-thousand-year frost poison… even with a third-rank body, you may not be able to…”
But the moment he saw Fang Qing’s hands, he froze.
Fang Qing’s palms were smooth and jade-like, showing not the slightest sign of poisoning.
No.
Not only that, there even seemed to be a layer of transparent flames burning atop his hands, distorting the surrounding void.
The flames arose from namelessness itself, born from heartfire, capable of burning all things.
Thus their name: Ignorance Illuminating Ashes!
Zhong Lingxiu suddenly felt the anger within his own heart ignite, transforming into a third-rank spirit flame he had never heard of before. It exploded throughout his body in an instant!
This completely worsened the injuries his internal organs had already suffered, piling wound upon wound.
After his mana was heavily depleted, he could no longer properly control his magic treasures.
Above the heavens, the white phoenix formed from soundwaves cried out triumphantly. Countless soundwave feathers sliced forth like blades, tearing apart the icy phoenix formed from Ice Soul Profound Light.
On the other side, the Sea-Transformation Pearl also unleashed overwhelming might, suppressing the Ice Soul Pearl completely.
Zhong Lingxiu could no longer even maintain his flight light. He crashed onto the ground and switched to another third-rank talisman, only to let out a bitter laugh.
The talisman in his hand had been bestowed by his sect. It was his final life-saving trump card: a high-grade third-rank Void Escape Talisman. Once activated, it could traverse space and flee instantly.
Unfortunately, he had willingly walked into this trap and entered the sealed array. It was now useless.
Fang Qing descended to the ground.
Hidden within his sleeve was still a White Bone Sarira.
Since he already knew the one coming was Zhong Lingxiu, an early Core Formation cultivator, he had naturally prepared thoroughly. That was why he had borrowed this Purple Mansion dharma treasure as well.
If the battle had gone poorly, he would have converted his mana into [Nu Earth], used the profound abilities of this Purple Mansion treasure, summoned the White Bone Great Strength Divine Demon, and directly devoured Zhong Lingxiu alive.
Fang Qing had privately tested it before. When he used the profound abilities of this Purple Mansion dharma treasure himself, its power actually surpassed both the Sea-Transformation Pearl and the jade flute artifact.
‘Actually, the most convenient solution would have been bringing Sangji here.’
‘But a secret of this magnitude cannot be shared, not even with disciples I have converted.’
He looked down from above at Zhong Lingxiu, who was already heavily wounded and had completely lost the ability to continue fighting.
Zhong Lingxiu gave a miserable laugh. “So you were that surviving fish from the fishery back then? Hahaha… I originally thought that upon returning for revenge this time, I would slaughter until the entire Minor Huan Sea trembled in fear, my vicious name enough to stop children from crying at night. Yet who would have thought that I would fall into your hands from the very beginning and become a complete joke.”
Back then, he had been an unrivaled genius who even suppressed the Life-Seizing Sword Cui Zhe.
He could never have imagined losing so miserably to someone of the same generation. Back then, this very person would have fled in terror at the mere sight of him!
“Enough nonsense. Do you want to die or live?”
Fang Qing’s voice was icy cold and carried a trace of killing intent. He had not acted for the sake of helping the Blue Sea Sect eliminate threats. He had acted solely to resolve his own troubles.
“You dare kill me? My master is a Nascent Soul cultivator. I have a soul lamp lit within my sect. The moment I die, the sect will immediately react. At minimum, they will send a late Core Formation grand cultivator to investigate!”
Zhong Lingxiu threatened fiercely.
“Oh?”
Fang Qing remained utterly unconcerned.
Conversion was not the same as killing. A soul lamp extinguishing would not happen.
He let out a cold laugh and pressed his palm onto Zhong Lingxiu’s head.
“If you do not wish to die, then open your mind.”
Zhong Lingxiu’s consciousness instantly became dazed, as though he saw a crimson great sun slowly rising into the heavens.
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