Translator: AnubisTL
Longevity Valley, the Spirit Vein Land occupied by the Liu Clan.
A paper letter soared from the sky, landing with lightning speed just outside the Liu Clan's protective Grand Formation.
The letter quickly caught the attention of the Liu Clan disciples guarding the formation. A passage opened in the barrier, and a wary figure stepped through to retrieve the message.
The Liu Clan disciple picked up the letter, opened it, and read its contents. His face immediately paled, and he rushed back into the clan in a panic.
"Disaster! Clan Head, disaster!"
Moments later, a furious roar echoed across Lake Heart Island within the Liu Clan's territory.
"Quick! Send someone to Heavenly River Market to bring Yue'er back!"
"And from now on, increase the number of guards at the Grand Formation! A Late Qi Refining Realm Clan Elder must oversee the formation daily!"
The Liu Clan Head's orders sent shockwaves through the entire clan. Many remained unaware of the crisis that had triggered this sudden mobilization.
Meanwhile, outside Longevity Valley, Li Qing watched the Liu Clan's frantic activity with a sigh of relief. He knew his letter had reached the clan's leaders.
"After all, the Liu Clan owes me the favor of guiding me to immortality, and considering Old Zhou's past kindness, delivering this letter today was the right thing to do."
"But my cultivation is still shallow, and this is all I can do. From here on, may our paths diverge like distant mountains and flowing rivers. Farewell!"
Li Qing muttered to himself before charging off in another direction without looking back.
The letter he delivered contained information about the impending chaos at Heavenly River Market and the origins of the Flying Eagle Bandits. It also included Li Qing's own assessment of the future state of the cultivation world.
For a cultivation clan dependent on the Heavenly River Sect for survival, this letter was as valuable as half a Foundation Establishment Pill. By gaining advance knowledge and preparing accordingly, they could face any sudden crises with relative composure.
Of course, this hinged on the Liu Clan believing the letter's contents.
Having done all this, Li Qing felt he had fulfilled his duty to the utmost. Regardless of the Liu Clan's subsequent actions, he had no regrets.
Now, he planned to return to the Hidden Realm, seclude himself there for a period of intensive cultivation, and pray that the impending war wouldn't reach him.
Not long after Li Qing departed, the Liu Clan in Longevity Valley reacted swiftly, immediately dispatching search parties to find the messenger.
Unfortunately for them, Li Qing was already riding Fan Tong, having covered a considerable distance. The Liu Clan's search parties stood no chance of catching up.
Several Liu Clan disciples sighed, "Ah, it seems he's already gone too far. The Clan Head was so determined to invite this esteemed expert back to our clan."
"I heard the letter he delivered concerns a major shift in the entire cultivation world. I wonder what kind of extraordinary figure he is."
"What a pity. The Clan Head valued him so highly. If only he would agree to oversee our Liu Clan."
"..."
Little did these disciples know that the messenger they sought had once been a rogue cultivator working for the Liu Clan—one of those individuals they would never have given a second glance in ordinary times.
Several days later, news of the attack on Heavenly River Market finally spread like wildfire throughout the Azure Ridge Domain's cultivation world.
The curtain had been raised on a chaotic era. The cultivation world, which had enjoyed nearly twenty years of peace, was once again shrouded in the dark clouds of war.
As more attention focused on the matter, further details began to emerge.
"What?! Over twenty years ago, the Exquisite Treasure Physique of the Shangqing Sect didn't die? It only suffered a severe loss of Vital Energy?"
"Hiss... Not only has she recovered her Vital Energy, but her cultivation has also advanced dramatically. She's now at the Pseudo-Core Realm, just half a step away from the Core Formation Realm!"
Everyone who heard this news felt a wave of dizziness. The Exquisite Treasure Physique, which had once ignited a great war in the cultivation world, had finally come of age—and now she was back for revenge.
"The Heavenly River Market has been breached! The Shangqing Sect, well-prepared, used a demon beast with True Spirit bloodline to withstand the Third-Tier Grand Formation!"
"Aside from the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, the entire Heavenly River Market was nearly swept clean, resulting in catastrophic losses."
"The Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion remains formidable. Even the Shangqing Sect, with its overwhelming force, hesitated to provoke them."
"After all, it's the mysterious Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild. Even major Immortal Path sects are wary of antagonizing them lightly."
"..."
Meanwhile, Li Qing halted Fan Tong at a small hill near the entrance to the Hidden Realm.
Perched atop Fan Tong, he didn't immediately retrieve the Jade Pendant to open the Moonlight Gate. Instead, he urged Fan Tong to head in another direction.
After traveling nearly fifteen kilometers, Li Qing spotted a letter hanging from a tree.
He leaped effortlessly into the air, plucked the letter from the treetop with ease, and landed gracefully.
"Looks like Ye Feng has settled down already," Li Qing murmured in surprise as he examined the letter. "He's sending messages via Spirit Bird so quickly."
Though Li Qing had retreated to cultivate in seclusion, he remained keenly aware of the outside world's developments. He had previously arranged with Ye Feng to receive regular updates via Spirit Bird, allowing him to stay informed about the cultivation world's movements.
"True Lord Wanshan's Incarnation has been slain, and Liu Huai'an, the Heavenly Spirit Root disciple, is missing and presumed dead. This is truly earth-shattering news."
Li Qing clicked his tongue, recognizing the Shangqing Sect's unwavering determination for revenge from the brief message.
"The Heavenly River Market has fallen. Countless shops have been stripped bare, with only the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion escaping unscathed."
As Li Qing had predicted, the Ten Thousand Treasures Merchant Guild, with its mysterious origins, would likely be one of the few places of refuge amidst the chaos.
"The Exquisite Treasure Physique is truly formidable. Its innate divine ability, the Exquisite Immortal Sound, proved unstoppable even for the Incarnation of a Core Formation Ancestor, who was slain on the spot."
"To wield such power at the Pseudo-Core stage... No wonder the Heavenly River Sect and the Holy Temple Tribes waged such a fierce war over her twenty years ago. If she ever reaches the Core Formation Realm, few in the Azure Ridge Domain will be able to restrain her."
Now that the Treasure Physique has fully awakened, bearing deep-seated hatred, her reappearance in the world is destined to stir up boundless storms.
After reading the entire letter, Li Qing remained silent for a long while before finally burning it to ashes with a wisp of spiritual fire.
"Forget it. Let the world drown in chaos. I'll just quietly retreat into seclusion and cultivate in peace."
With these words, Li Qing seized the opportunity while the moon still shone brightly in the night sky. He immediately climbed to the summit of the small hill and retrieved the Jade Pendant from his robes.
Buzz!
The moonlight was successfully drawn in, coalescing into a Moonlit Gate in the void.
Carrying Fan Tong, Li Qing leaped through the gate and entered a secluded secret realm hidden within this space.
"Awoo!"
Fan Tong, venturing into this secret realm for the first time, let out a dissatisfied howl.
Its meaning was clear: the spiritual energy here was not as dense as in the cave abode they had occupied at Heavenly River Market.
Li Qing couldn't help but roll his eyes, retorting irritably, "You should be grateful you even have a place to stay! Stop being so picky. This is a separately created Space Realm; naturally, its spiritual energy can't match that of Heavenly River Market."
Though it couldn't compare to the Cave Abode District of Heavenly River Market, it was roughly equivalent to a First-Tier Spiritual Vein—more than sufficient for Li Qing and Fan Tong's daily cultivation needs.
In truth, it was about the same as the small courtyard they had previously occupied at the Liu Clan.
Li Qing was already quite satisfied with this arrangement. The place was exceptionally secluded, ensuring they wouldn't be disturbed, and the space wasn't small either, allowing Fan Tong to indulge in its mountain king fantasies.
"Remember," Li Qing warned Fan Tong sternly, "do not wander carelessly onto those mountain peaks. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want." He cautioned it against triggering the Restrictions on the peaks to avoid any accidents.
"Awoo! Awoo!"
Fan Tong understood Li Qing's instructions and immediately began sprinting wildly through the secret realm, reveling in its primal instincts.
Seeing this, Li Qing shook his head and retrieved a Jade Locust Sapling, about the size of an infant's arm, from his storage pouch.
"To get rich, plant trees first. If that doesn't work, plant them for a few decades. By then, I should have reached the peak of the Qi Refining Realm."
Li Qing was extremely pleased with this hidden space, which no outsiders could discover. He had finally found another ideal location to replant the Jade Locust Tree.
He carefully dug a pit, then cast the Purifying Water Technique to moisten the soil. Once the ground was damp, he buried the roots of the Jade Locust Sapling.
Having already taken root and sprouted, the Jade Locust Tree still possessed strong vitality, allowing it to easily establish itself in the new soil.
This was all thanks to the Sealing Wood Technique he had acquired earlier. Even after being transplanted, the spiritual tree's life force remained perfectly preserved, making the replanting process effortless.
Gazing at the proudly upright Jade Locust Sapling, Li Qing nodded in satisfaction.
Over the next few days, Li Qing built a simple wooden hut beside the Jade Locust Tree.
Although the secret realm lacked the distinctions of day and night or seasonal changes, he found it uncomfortable to sleep outdoors. The hut provided a much more comfortable living space.
With everything completed, Li Qing stood at the hut's entrance, hands clasped behind his back, surveying his surroundings.
Several mountain peaks clustered together, their slopes covered in ancient Heavenly Star Grass that made his mouth water. Unfortunately, a Restriction prevented him from harvesting it.
Beyond the Medicinal Field Peaks, the structures on the main peak made Li Qing's eyes burn with envy.
Among those Daoist Temple-like buildings lay a secret treasure called the Soul Nurturing Bell, and perhaps even the inheritance of the Soul Nurturing Temple itself.
To claim these treasures, he would need to diligently study the Restrictions and find a way to break them.
"One day, all of this will be mine!"
Li Qing withdrew his gaze from the peaks and turned his attention to Fan Tong.
After days of wild frolicking, Fan Tong had finally settled down, finding a cozy spot to curl up in, as leisurely as ever.
Seeing this, Li Qing couldn't help but chuckle, thinking, This lazy oaf is even more relaxed than me.
"An independent Space Realm... I've heard that with sufficient cultivation, one can refine such a secret realm into a Cave Heaven Treasure—a portable, self-contained world. I wonder what level of cultivation is required for such a divine ability!" Li Qing murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Unlike mere storage pouches, Cave Heaven Treasures were complete, independent worlds that could be carried on one's person. Moreover, they could house living beings, whether Spirit Herbs or Demon beasts, allowing them to thrive within.
"Hah... A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Time to start cultivating diligently!"
(End of the Chapter)
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