"No..."
Li Yin let out a final desperate roar before his divine soul was completely annihilated.
"Huff!"
Gu Qing put away the Profound Fire Treasure Mirror, his face pale as he staggered back to the Spacetime Shuttle, swallowing several Immortal Yuan Pills and Heavenly Soul Pills.
Seeing this, Zhi Meng waved her hand, collecting Li Yin's treasures and storage ring before quickly fleeing in the flying boat.
They had already entered the Time's Dusk, where Profound Divine Experts gathered in great numbers.
Although the battle between Gu Qing and Li Yin wasn't spectacular, with Profound Divine power, they should have sensed it.
Sure enough, shortly after the Spacetime Shuttle departed, several Profound Divine Experts descended, their divine might immeasurable and their Dao methods illuminating the boundless void.
Their divine eyes shimmered with light, as if they could see through everything.
"A Profound Divine Expert has fallen."
"What kind of treasure is this?"
"There's also residual Heavenly God Realm power."
Several Profound Divine Experts stared at the World-Destroying Profound Light remaining in the void, their hearts trembling with fear.
A Heavenly God Realm aura actually remained on the battlefield, which meant a Profound Divine Expert was killed by a Heavenly God with a treasure?
What level of heaven-defying killing treasure was this?
Thinking of this, several Profound Divine Experts felt deeply pained.
If they had arrived earlier, perhaps they could have obtained a heaven-defying treasure.
On the other side, after stabilizing his realm, Gu Qing caressed the Spacetime Shuttle, unable to let go of it.
"Truly a fine treasure."
At this point, even if someone offered to trade it for a congenital spiritual treasure, he wouldn't agree.
"Indeed." Zhi Meng also remarked with emotion.
"The Spacetime Shuttle has not only become our life-saving treasure but also exhausted a Profound Divine Expert to death."
She had seen it clearly—the Calamity Black Dragon could curse a Profound Divine Expert, and the Profound Fire Treasure Mirror could incinerate one.
But if Li Yin hadn't been exhausted to the point of disability, Gu Qing could never have killed him.
No matter how powerful a treasure, it depends on who wields it.
Profound Divine Experts are terrifying to this extent.
Thinking this, Zhi Meng looked at the pale-faced Gu Qing with heartache and said, "You should go into seclusion to recover. I'll control the flying boat."
Gu Qing glanced at the spacetime projection, seeing no Profound Divine Experts pursuing them, so he confidently entered the Aspatial Space.
Then he consumed several immortal pills and took a month to restore his cultivation to the peak of the Divine Fire Realm's fourth level.
As for the Calamity Black Dragon, it had burned much of its cultivation, causing its realm to drop by one level, currently at the Heavenly God Realm's fourth level.
Gu Qing released his adoptive father from the small black room.
[Congratulations, Host, for super-rank enemy killing, successfully slaying a Profound Divine Expert. Reward: Upper Grade Congenital Spiritual Treasure, Heavenly Thunder Bead.]
"My adoptive father has never let me down."
Gu Qing happily accepted the Heavenly Thunder Bead, thought for a moment, removed its divine soul imprint, placed it in a jade box, and applied a restriction.
After finishing all this, Gu Qing walked out of the Aspatial Space to see Zhi Meng controlling the flying boat while cracking open Li Yin's storage ring.
Gu Qing spoke up: "Master, let me handle this."
"Alright!"
Gu Qing activated his Dao Pupils, and the prohibition array patterns on the storage ring were laid bare before his eyes. In an instant, he imprinted his own divine soul mark upon it.
While Zhi Meng wasn't looking, he placed the Heavenly Thunder Pearl inside, then took it out right in front of her.
Opening the jade box, he feigned surprise and said: "Master, look, it's a Primordial Spiritual Treasure."
Zhi Meng looked closely, her face filled with wild joy.
She never expected that Li Yin would actually possess a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, and moreover, one that hadn't been refined yet.
At the same time, Zhi Meng also broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, Li Yin hadn't refined it yet. If he had already refined the Heavenly Thunder Pearl.
With the power of a Primordial Spiritual Treasure, it probably could have blasted the Profound Fire Mirror away in a single strike, right?
And with the Heavenly Thunder Pearl suppressing it, the Calamity Black Dragon likely wouldn't have been able to successfully curse it at all.
The thought flashed through her mind as Zhi Meng urgently said: "Disciple, you must refine it immediately."
Seriously? Such a precious treasure, and you're not even thinking about it?
Gu Qing paused for a moment, then smiled and said: "Master, I already have Primordial Spiritual Treasures. It's not about quantity but quality. Master should be the one to refine it."
"If you don't work harder, Master, I'll surpass you soon enough."
Gu Qing had no intention of taking the Heavenly Thunder Pearl for himself.
The truth was, he had too many Primordial Spiritual Treasures—so many he couldn't possibly use them all. Keeping them would just let them gather dust, so it was better to give them to Zhi Meng to improve her cultivation.
With the Heavenly Thunder Pearl and the Ten Thousand Soul Lotus to assist, Zhi Meng's cultivation would definitely improve by leaps and bounds.
That way, he wouldn't have to worry about the day when he became an Immortal King while Zhi Meng was still struggling in the Heavenly God Realm.
By then, as an Immortal King, he would still have to address Zhi Meng as Master.
"Give it to me?"
"No, no, no."
"Not a chance!"
Zhi Meng waved her hands repeatedly. Although she was a devilish woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
If she wanted something, she would slaughter entire clans and sects just to get her hands on it.
However, when it came to her loved ones, she wanted to give them the very best.
First it was her sister Luorou, and now it was Gu Qing.
Both were her most precious people.
"If Master doesn't want it, then I'll give it to someone else. Anyway, I can't use the Heavenly Thunder Pearl either."
"You..."
Hearing that Gu Qing wanted to give it to someone else, Zhi Meng was furious. Her beautiful eyes glared angrily at Gu Qing, her meaning unmistakable.
"Fine, then when Qingyuan ascends to the Immortal Realm, I'll..."
"Just give it here."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhi Meng snatched it away: "Your Master will keep it safe for you for now. When you need it someday, you can come find me anytime. But you absolutely cannot give it to anyone else, not even Qingyuan."
Gu Qing smiled without speaking. If there was a suitable Primordial Spiritual Treasure that was of no great use to him, he would definitely give it to her.
Although he could be stingy, when it came to his women and family, he had never been one to hold back.
Although Zhi Meng had no blood relation with him, in the cultivation world, master and disciple relationships were sometimes even closer than blood relatives.
Because blood relatives might not be able to accompany you for long, but master and disciple relationships were different.
The two would accompany and depend on each other, seeking the Great Dao together.
Throughout this journey, Zhi Meng had taken meticulous care of him, teaching him how to temper his state of mind and overcome inner desires and fears.
Even in the future, she would continue to accompany him, spending the long immortal life together.
"Thump!" Seeing Gu Qing like this, Zhi Meng knew exactly what he was thinking and angrily tapped his forehead.
"Aren't you listening to your Master's words?" Zhi Meng said sternly.
Her disciple, though exceptionally intelligent, was ultimately too young, not even knowing how to cherish a congenital spiritual treasure.
Besides, the human heart was hard to fathom; even heaven and earth changed with the passage of time, let alone the human heart?
How many loving couples in the world, who could depend on each other through life and death, ended up killing each other over treasures?
"I hear you!" Gu Qing rubbed his forehead and nodded decisively.
Seeing Gu Qing's perfunctory attitude, Zhi Meng shook her head helplessly, feeling worried in her heart.
She loved Gu Qing's youthful vigor and spirited demeanor, treating everyone around him with sincerity.
But now, she suddenly wished Gu Qing could be a bit older, possessing the scheming and depth of an old veteran cultivator.
But if Gu Qing really became selfish, harsh, and deeply scheming, would he still be her disciple?
Zhi Meng was conflicted in her heart and remained silent.
Gu Qing changed the subject: "Master, why don't you go into the Ruyi Space to refine the Heavenly Thunder Pearl? I can handle things from here on my own."
Zhi Meng's red lips trembled, shocked in her heart.
How did Gu Qing know this was a Heavenly Thunder Pearl?
Could it be that he recognized it at a glance?
Even if it were such a coincidence, who would not refine a congenital spiritual treasure the moment they obtained it?
She hadn't thought carefully about it before, but now that she did, nothing seemed right.
The Heavenly Thunder Pearl must have been placed inside by Gu Qing and then taken out in front of her, doing this just to give the Heavenly Thunder Pearl to her.
Thinking of this, Zhi Meng looked at her handsome and spirited disciple, her beautiful eyes filled with unclear meaning as she pursed her lips and said "alright."
Since this was Gu Qing's nature, she would let him be.
As long as she was a woman whose cultivation far surpassed Gu Qing's, she wouldn't have to worry about them rebelling.
Zhi Meng adjusted Gu Qing's hair crown: "Your Master will always protect you."
After speaking, Zhi Meng entered the Ruyi Space to refine the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, using the power of heavenly thunder to cleanse her physical body and divine soul.
This process was extremely painful; the power of heavenly thunder washing over her was far more excruciating yet strangely more pleasurable than death by a thousand cuts.
Those with unsteady will would never be able to endure it.
Not to mention using heavenly thunder to cleanse the divine soul—the pain didn't need to be mentioned, and with the slightest misstep, the divine soul could be scattered to the winds.
But if one successfully endured it, the rewards were equally immense.
Thunder contained the purest life force, capable of strengthening the physical body, cleansing impurities, and causing a qualitative transformation of the divine soul.
Even, one could transform into a primordial deity who controls the Great Dao of Thunder.
Zhi Meng's expression was resolute.
From a mere spirit body, she became a heaven-defying prodigy who overshadowed all realms.
What she relied on was a relentless drive to never admit defeat; a little pain meant nothing.
As long as she lived, no difficulty in the world could hinder her progress.
"Master is truly a woman like a majestic eagle." Gu Qing glanced at the Ruyi Space, seeing Zhi Meng dare to use heavenly thunder to cleanse her soul, his heart trembled.
Ruthless, too ruthless.
To become stronger, Zhi Meng would resort to any means necessary.
However, this was too dangerous; one misstep could lead to severe soul damage or even complete annihilation of the soul.
After observing for a month and seeing that Zhi Meng was progressing smoothly, Gu Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his gaze.
Gu Qing thought for a moment and put away the Spacetime Shuttle.
The Spacetime Shuttle was too conspicuous; he didn't know how many Profound Divine Experts were in the star domain where Heni was located.
Gu Qing didn't want to be hunted down by Profound Divine Realm experts again.
He changed into ordinary clothes and casually pinned up his hair with a wooden hairpin, making him appear both free and unrestrained.
Yet his entire aura exuded nobility, like a heaven's favored son who had tempered his heart in the mortal world and traveled across the universe and starry sky.
Gu Qing stepped onto his flying sword and swaggered straight toward Heni's closed-door cultivation location.
The flying sword streaked across the sky, passing through one star river after another.
Along the way, Gu Qing saw many Profound Divine Realm experts comprehending the Dao, their divine might permeating the star rivers, and their Dao methods reflecting across all heavens.
The Profound Divine Realm experts naturally noticed Gu Qing, but they only glanced at him and then paid no further attention.
Although they were somewhat puzzled why a Heavenly God Realm ant like him appeared in the Time's Dusk, they didn't dwell on it.
Didn't he know about the Time's Dusk here?
Once the Time's Dusk arrived, even Heavenly God Realm cultivators wouldn't have time to escape; in an instant, they would be brushed into nothingness by the power of time.
There was also the Time's Wheel, the Time's Dusk Sea...
But none of this concerned them.
Gu Qing's noble and transcendent aura showed at a glance that he was a favored son of a great sect, perhaps with powerful experts secretly protecting him.
It was best to avoid contact if possible, to avoid unnecessary trouble.
On the other side, a hazy figure seemed to be the embodiment of the Great Dao, surrounded by ten thousand Dao laws, with a transcendent aura, like a god hovering above all heavens.
"Immortal Maiden He has the potential of an Immortal Emperor."
"Too powerful."
Many Profound Divine Realm experts were watching from afar, communicating with their companions through sound transmission, afraid of disturbing Heni.
Although they were also Profound Divine experts, Heni was different from them; just after entering Time's Dusk, she had beheaded a Profound Divine expert with a single sword.
Strong to an unbelievable degree.
"Does anyone know Immortal Maiden He's background?"
"No idea."
They had never seen Heni's true face, let alone knew her origins.
They only knew that Heni's surname was He, and that she was very strong.
Killing Profound Divine experts as easily as killing chickens and dogs.
The Dao rhythm emanating from He Ni was as if it transcended the heavens above, carrying an air of transcendence.
It seemed to still be at the Profound Divine Realm, yet it was fundamentally different from their own Profound Divine Realm laws.
If they could comprehend He Ni's Great Dao laws up close, they would surely be able to advance further, and might even comprehend their own Great Dao.
Unfortunately, someone had once attempted to comprehend it, but was struck down by He Ni with a single sword.
Such a heaven-defining opportunity, yet it was something they could look at but not reach, causing everyone's hearts to bleed with frustration.
"Hm."
He Ni opened her eyes, unable to calm her mind and comprehend the Dao, as a sense of unrest rose within her, as if something momentous was about to happen.
This unexplainable intuition had grown stronger in recent years, yet she could not find its source.
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