Translator: CinderTL
High above a mountain valley tens of thousands of miles southwest of Qingyi City, Song Wen swept his spear in a wide arc, unleashing a crescent-shaped spear beam.
The beam struck the valley floor, tearing a fissure ten miles deep into the rock.
The fissure was about three meters wide and half a kilometer long.
Young Master Ming stared at the rent earth, his eyes wide with terror, momentarily forgetting the searing pain in his chest.
"Senior, I don't want to die! Please spare me! I accidentally killed your wife in a moment of carelessness... Ah!"
A piercing scream erupted from his throat.
The sword impaling his chest suddenly shifted, dragging him plummeting toward the ground.
"My father is Li Rui, the great elder of the Li Clan! If you let me go, he'll reward you with countless treasures!"
Amidst his frantic cries, Young Master Ming and the flying sword plunged into the fissure, plummeting to its depths.
The sword sank deep into the rock, pinning Young Master Ming to the ground.
His pale face twisted in agony as he writhed desperately, trying to break free from the sword's grip.
But the sword suddenly vibrated violently, unleashing a torrent of Sword Qi.
The Sword Qi, like countless silver threads, surged through his body, wreaking havoc within.
A searing, agonizing pain surged through him like a tidal wave, as if countless razor-sharp daggers were simultaneously churning within his body.
Young Master Ming's vision blurred, his consciousness fading under the unbearable agony.
He dared not move a muscle, forced to remain pinned to the ground, his eyes fixed in despair on the distant, unreachable sky above.
Song Wen ignored Young Master Ming, summoning his Cosmic Transformation Incarnation to guard the entrance to the fissure.
Then, he flew over two thousand miles forward, plunged into a small pond, and buried himself in the mud at the bottom, suppressing his aura completely and remaining utterly still.
No sooner had he completed these preparations than two figures arrived in a blur: a man and a woman.
The man appeared to be in his fifties, with a late-stage Void Refinement cultivation base. The woman, a middle-aged matron, possessed a peak Divine Transformation Stage cultivation base.
Noticing the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation and Young Master Ming pinned at the bottom of the fissure, they halted above the mountain valley.
"You dare harm my son! I'll tear you limb from limb!" the woman snarled at the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation, her voice dripping with venom.
After speaking, she turned to the man beside her.
"Husband, why haven't you killed him yet? Save our son!"
Young Master Ming, trapped in the fissure below, heard his mother's words and cried out loudly.
"Mother, save me..."
"I advise you both not to act rashly," the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation said slowly, tilting its head to gaze at the pair hovering above. "Otherwise, with a mere flick of my finger, I can reduce your young master to dust, scattering his soul and spirit."
The man was far more composed than the woman, his eyes fixed on Song Wen with a scrutinizing gaze.
According to the information obtained from Eight-Character Mustache, their son had been abducted by a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator. Yet the aura emanating from the person before them was that of a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, matching his own cultivation level.
He could casually slay a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator, but a Void Refinement Stage cultivator required careful consideration.
"I am Li Rui, and this is my wife, Li Xinxin. May I ask your esteemed name?"
"I am Jiang Yushan," the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation replied. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Li."
"So you are Fellow Daoist Jiang," Li Rui said. "Why have you taken my son hostage? Surely it's not over some supposed dao companion?"
"Fellow Daoist Li has a keen eye," the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation said, admiration in its voice. "I brought your young master here to meet you."
"Oh? And what business do you have with me?" Li Rui asked.
"Your Li Clan members raided my cultivation cave while I was away," the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation said. "I've come to reclaim what is mine."
Li Rui said, "The person who raided your cultivation cave must have at least reached the Void Refinement Stage. However, all six of our Li Clan's Void Refinement Stage cultivators have remained within our territory recently. How could they have raided your cave?"
"Is that truly the case?" the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation pressed.
"Absolutely true," Li Rui affirmed. "If you doubt me, fellow daoist, you can inquire around. Seven days ago marked the 9,500th birthday of our Li Clan Ancestor. Though we didn't hold a grand celebration, all six of our Void Refinement Stage cultivators were present. They haven't left the Li Clan's territory for over half a month."
Hidden nearby, Song Wen's heart sank upon hearing these words. He sensed that Li Rui's claims might be true. The robber cultivator who had plundered his cave might not be from the Li Clan after all.
As he pondered his next move, Li Xinxin spoke up: "Why waste words on him? Just kill him."
With that, a flying sword materialized before her, streaking toward the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
"Madam, please don't act rashly!" Li Rui urged, but he didn't interrupt her spellcasting.
The Cosmic Transformation Incarnation conjured a long spear, preparing to parry the incoming sword, when his expression suddenly turned icy.
Song Wen sensed another presence deep underground—a Mid-Void Refinement Stage male cultivator tunneling rapidly toward Young Master Ming at the bottom of the fissure.
Li Xinxin's arrogant and domineering behavior was clearly a facade, designed solely to attract Song Wen's attention and create an opening for the male cultivator to rescue their son.
Clang!
The spear clashed against the flying sword.
A tremendous force surged through the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation, forcing it to stumble back two steps, the spear nearly slipping from its grasp.
Li Rui and Li Xinxin exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise.
The opponent had clearly displayed a Void Refinement Stage cultivation, yet he had been forced back by Li Xinxin's full-power strike—a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator. This was truly baffling.
However, their hidden clansmen had successfully rescued their son from the depths below, achieving their primary objective.
Just then, two figures emerged from the ground on a nearby mountain peak: Young Master Ming and the Void Refinement Stage cultivator who had rescued him.
Li Xinxin's face lit up with joy as she rushed to greet them.
"Ming'er, are you alright?"
"Li Zhengqing, thank you."
Li Rui remained motionless, his cold gaze fixed on the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation still standing at the bottom of the valley.
"You're courting death!" the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation growled.
An ominous premonition surged through Li Rui's heart. He abruptly looked up and saw that the once clear sky had suddenly been engulfed by churning dark clouds, within which golden lightning crackled.
Boom!
With an ear-shattering roar, a bolt of golden lightning tore through the clouds.
The blinding light, carrying the force of heaven and earth's destruction, hurtled straight toward Li Rui.
Li Rui's eyes widened slightly. He sensed the threat of death emanating from the golden lightning.
"Li Zhengqing, help me!"
As Li Rui spoke, a flying sword materialized before him.
The sword transformed into a streak of light, shooting toward the descending lightning.
Nearby, Li Zhengqing summoned a bronze bell.
The bell expanded rapidly, swelling to a diameter of ten miles, enveloping himself, Li Xinxin, Young Master Ming, and Li Rui within its protective dome.
(End of the Chapter)
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