Outside the formation.
Li Yingling watched the sky-reaching spiritual energy within the formation and the terrifying pressure that occasionally overflowed, her expression tinged with shock.
Li Xingtian's eyes were calm as he watched Xu Linglong inside the formation, showing not the slightest sign of weakness as she began to trade blows with his master.
Back then... perhaps his death was not entirely unjustified.
He just did not understand — with Xu Linglong's level of cultivation back then, if she had truly wanted to drain him, she could have simply pinned him down effortlessly. Why bother deceiving him?
If she had simply taken it by force, Li Xingtian would have merely considered the world a cold and unforgiving place.
But deceiving his emotions first and then draining him — that was the hatred of a lifetime.
Chen Baiqing's expression grew slightly tense as he watched his master's figure battling Xu Linglong within the formation.
The two figures moved at extreme speed, but even faster were the exchanges — each clash carrying tremendous might.
Even with the formation and Yuyang Daozi's assistance, his master could only fight Xu Linglong to a standstill. This in itself was rather dangerous.
Li Yingling clicked her tongue softly.
"Is this the kind of thing Master usually fights?"
Li Yingling spent most of her time in the Eastern Divine Continent and only occasionally had dealings with the Central Plains. Though she had heard of the Eighteen Immortal Sects' reputation there, and had witnessed how scattered cultivators and sect disciples in the Eastern Divine Continent looked up to and feared them.
But to Li Yingling, it had never felt real. Her impression was more along the lines of...
The Eighteen Immortal Sects? That gluttonous, fun-loving dragon who occasionally got taken advantage of by Master without even talking back — that was a core disciple of the Eighteen Immortal Sects?
Whether it was the disciples of Tianyan Sect who wandered around out of boredom, or the disciples of Xuanqing Heavenly Sect who put on an amiable face the moment they showed their token — none of it had made Li Yingling feel the true weight of the Eighteen Immortal Sects' name.
Besides, Li Yingling felt that most of the Eighteen Immortal Sects' disciples were not even as talented as herself.
She had simply assumed the Eastern Divine Continent was crawling with novices.
But now, seeing this heaven-reaching formation firsthand, and seeing Xu Linglong still counterattacking even under the pressure of such an array...
Everything truly came down to comparison.
Only now did Li Yingling begin to understand why the scattered cultivators she once led in the Eastern Divine Continent had always behaved the way they did toward the Central Plains.
Li Xingtian had spent much of his time in the Central Plains before. Though he had never reached the level of the Eighteen Immortal Sects, he had still made something of a name for himself there.
He understood this all the more deeply.
"At least Master is a friend of Xu Jin and Yuyang Daozi." Li Xingtian spoke with a sigh.
Chen Baiqing's cultivation had not yet reached the Nascent Soul realm. He truly could not fully grasp combat at such high levels. Watching Xu Linglong's ink-splashing counterattacks, he could not help asking with concern.
"Is Master at an advantage right now?"
Li Yingling nodded slightly, her expression serious.
"By numbers, yes."
"Big Sister..." Chen Baiqing looked at Li Yingling's somewhat relaxed demeanor, his tone growing urgent.
At a time like this, how could his big sister still be in the mood to joke around?
Li Yingling raised an eyebrow and asked, "What is the first and most important rule Master taught you about facing an enemy?"
Chen Baiqing blurted out, "If you can't beat them, run."
"Then there you have it." Li Yingling said.
"Master isn't truly foolish. If he can't win, he'll naturally run. Don't worry too much."
Chen Baiqing opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent.
"That's not necessarily true. Your master can be quite stupid sometimes."
A familiar voice sounded from behind the three of them — none of them had noticed her approach.
Li Yingling did not panic. She simply turned her head naturally and looked at Bai Xuanling, who wore a faint smile.
Back at the sect, Bai Xuanling had always liked sneaking up behind people and speaking without warning.
At first, it had startled her a few times. But after it happened so many times, hearing Bai Xuanling's voice no longer caught her off guard.
"Sister Bai, what brings you here?" Li Yingling's eyes lit up as she enthusiastically reached out and linked arms with her. "It's been so long! Did Master call you here too?"
Bai Xuanling shook her head slightly.
"Taodao Sect requested permission to pass through Haotian Sect's territory. They urgently contacted Tianyan Sect to act as guarantor."
The words had barely left her mouth.
Over a dozen streaks of rainbow light sped in from the west, rushing toward the formation as reinforcements.
Li Yingling looked up, her expression one of surprise.
These cultivators — every one of them had considerable cultivation. There were likely quite a few Body Integration experts among them.
Bai Xuanling's gaze remained calm as she looked at Xu Linglong, who was fighting with growing ferocity, her aura steadily rising.
"I received the news and went to Haotian Sect to personally guarantee them. Since I was coming anyway, I thought I'd drop by and see how Little Lingyu has been doing lately."
Li Yingling answered with a broad smile.
"Junior Brother Xie should be living quite comfortably. He's not even cultivating as hard as before — he's gotten lazy, just like Master."
Bai Xuanling nodded lightly, clearly satisfied.
"Good."
Chen Baiqing glanced at Xu Linglong, whose form had shifted into something barely human, her attacks growing ever more vicious, and asked.
"Sister Bai, what's this demoness's background? How can she fight like this?"
"Looks like a Heavenly Demon..." Bai Xuanling narrowed her eyes. "But even if she is, she won't be leaving here in good shape today."
Li Yingling nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Naturally. Sister Bai could finish her in two strikes if you went up there."
Bai Xuanling smiled but did not respond to that.
Her gaze simply remained fixed calmly on the core of the battle.
Bai Xuanling recognized the leader of Taodao Sect's reinforcements — their Great Vehicle realm Punishment Elder. Back in the day, this elder had been arrogant enough to demand a spar with her, though he was still rather green. His talent and aptitude, however, were beyond question.
When Taodao Sect's forces deployed, their Punishment Elder coordinated with over a dozen elite disciples to raise a grand formation.
Its might was even greater than Tianyan Sect's array.
Xu Linglong, whose demeanor had been relatively calm until now, also began to look grim.
Within just a few moves, the black current protecting Xu Linglong was nearly shattered. Chu Xingchen seized the opportunity to land a sword strike, blasting her into a deep crater.
Yuyang Daozi applied his divine arts to the Punishment Elder in a few swift moves.
From the look of it, the Punishment Elder even praised Yuyang Daozi's divine arts as rather well-cultivated.
Based on the current situation, Xu Linglong was unlikely to fare well here.
If she had no means of escape, she might very well meet her end today.
Bai Xuanling had specifically worn a spirit sword at her waist today. Sword intent churned in her eyes.
Since she had come, she would naturally serve as the ultimate safety net. If this Heavenly Demon possessed any escape methods, Bai Xuanling would shatter them.
Inside the battlefield.
Wanban in Chu Xingchen's hand had fully transformed into blazing azure light. Surging spiritual energy soared forth.
The situation was now settled. Everyone who could be called had arrived.
Chu Xingchen naturally stopped holding back. Fighting at full power, even the Great Vehicle realm Punishment Elder of Taodao Sect had to spare him a second glance.
"Curtain Water!"
Chu Xingchen launched Wanban from his hand. It transformed into a churning river that crashed toward Xu Linglong.
He shouted again. "Ten Thousand Streams!"
Xu Linglong's eyes lowered. She already bore many wounds on her body, yet facing Chu Xingchen's strike, she showed not the slightest intention of retreating.
She seemed to sense something, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face.
The Stellar Array suddenly shuddered violently, then a massive section shattered, dissolving into dust-light.
The next moment, countless streams of black current erupted from the ground beneath Xu Linglong, surging toward Chu Xingchen's Ten Thousand Streams.
Beneath the black current, a stick-thin, emaciated man rose to his feet with some difficulty.
Xu Linglong glanced at the gaunt man, then looked back at Chu Xingchen, her voice ringing with satisfaction.
"Good boy — did you think you were the only one who could call for backup?"
"Today, big sister will teach you another lesson! More people doesn't necessarily mean more power!"
[
Dear Readers,
I post 3–4 high-quality chapters daily across multiple fictions, with free chapters unlocking every week for everyone to read.
If you enjoy the work and would like to support it, any donation is deeply appreciated. I have a support page where you can contribute whatever amount you are comfortable with. As a small thank-you for your generosity, supporters receive some early access and bonus content as a token of appreciation.
Support Options:
$6 — Early access to 10 chapters ahead
$8 — Early access to 20 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters
$10 — Early access to 30 chapters ahead, plus bonus chapters and character artwork
Please use your browser instead of the Apple App when making a contribution. The app adds a 30% fee and delays payments by two to three months, so browser donations save you money and reach me much faster.
Whether you donate, read, or share the story with others, your support is what keeps these daily releases going. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Support: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]