The small box in Lu Qing's hand was found in the Gongshu family's main treasury.

This small box alone is of the level of a spiritual artifact.

It was placed with great solemnity in the very center of the space where the spirit stones were stored, which shows how precious the items inside were.

In fact, the contents of the small box were indeed very precious.

Lu Qing opened the small box and saw ten dazzling spirit stones inside, as bright as stars.

Although no spiritual energy was emanating from it, the flowing radiance alone was enough to intoxicate even those in the Nascent Soul realm.

Even Lu Qing felt a tremor in his heart.

Top-grade spirit stone.

Lu Qing had already used his special ability to investigate, and these ten spirit stones, which resembled stars and possessed an incomparably restrained spiritual aura, were indeed the legendary top-grade spirit stones.

This is a true treasure.

Although high-grade spirit stones are hard to come by, some major sects and families still have some in their collections.

However, top-grade spirit stones are different; they are truly rare treasures that can only be encountered by chance.

Its rarity and preciousness even surpass some top-grade spiritual herbs.

This is because top-grade spirit stones can only be produced in the very core of certain large spirit stone mines.

Furthermore, the yield is extremely low; even a large spirit stone vein may not always produce one or two top-grade spirit stones.

Given how precious top-grade spirit stones are, one can only imagine the joy Lu Qing felt when he found ten of them in the treasure vault.

"According to some records in the Immortal Palace's inheritance, a Nascent Soul Realm expert who has reached the Nine Tribulations Perfection will find it easier to break through to the Dao Integration Realm if they have top-grade spirit stones to help them."

For me, the ninth tribulation of the primordial spirit might not be the limit, but if I want to break through that limit and reach a realm above the ninth tribulation in the future, top-grade spirit stones will definitely be of considerable help.

Before leaving the Immortal Palace, Lu Qing downloaded and copied the inheritance of all eight passages within the Immortal Palace.

As a result, I learned many secrets of spiritual practice.

There is also a lot of knowledge about the wonderful uses of top-grade spirit stones.

Top-grade spirit stones have another wonderful use in breaking limits and advancing to new realms.

This makes this treasure even more precious.

The reason the Gongshu family kept these top-grade spirit stones was probably for their ancestor to use when he reached the ninth tribulation of the primordial spirit realm and needed to break through.

However, all of this has now benefited Lu Qing.

After taking inventory of all the treasures, Lu Qing began to think about his next plan.

His attack on Zhou Tian City was very successful, but it will inevitably attract the attention of the Holy Alliance.

The other party may have already guessed his identity.

However, Lu Qing didn't care.

His previous deductions about the whereabouts of the Five Treasures Taoist and Ye Qingzhu had already alarmed the Holy Alliance.

Given the Holy Alliance's intelligence capabilities, they probably immediately guessed that it was him who had returned.

After all, the reason why Wu Bao Daoshi and Ye Qingzhu were captured was because of him.

It's impossible that the Holy Alliance wouldn't have considered this possibility.

He had previously learned from Nangong Yuanwu that the location of the Holy Alliance's Heavenly Prison was extremely dangerous.

Not only is it located in the core of the Holy Alliance's headquarters, but it is also protected by a powerful array.

There are also many powerful figures guarding the area in secret, making it difficult even for a Nascent Soul Ninth Tribulation expert to get close, let alone rescue anyone.

Unless he has the power to crush everything.

This is also why Lu Qing immediately went to Zhou Tian City after bidding farewell to Nangong Yuanwu.

The cultivation resources he needs are located in Zhou Tian City.

If he can break through one or two more levels in his cultivation, then there will be no one in the entire Tianyuan Great World that he needs to fear.

Even a Dao Integration Realm expert descending with a divided spirit is no exception.

Thinking of this, Lu Qing said to Xiao Yan and Xiao Li, "Now that we have obtained so many resources, it's a good time to go into seclusion and digest them."

"Didn't your brother want to save your friend?" Xiaoyan asked.

“Now is not the time,” Lu Qing said. “Our most important task right now is to strengthen our own capabilities.”

As for the safety of Wu Bao Daoist and Ye Qingzhu, Lu Qing was not too worried.

Since the Holy Alliance had captured and imprisoned them so early on, it was clear that they wanted to use this to threaten and control them.

Since that's the case, as long as he doesn't actually show his face, they shouldn't be in any danger.

Therefore, his current decision to remain hidden is the right one. If the Holy Alliance cannot find him, they will have no way to threaten him.

Although Lu Qing wanted to save people, he would not put himself in danger.

Ultimately, he didn't actually owe Wu Bao Daoshi and Ye Qingzhu anything.

On the contrary, they saved their lives many times back then.

If he can rescue them this time, that would be fine; if he can't, he'll just make the entire Holy Alliance pay for it.

In the time that followed, Lu Qing directly burrowed underground and found a spacious underground cave.

Then he made some arrangements, setting up multiple layers of formations to conceal the cause and effect, in order to prevent anyone from spying on him.

After finishing all that, he began a new round of seclusion.

In a spacious cave, Lu Qing set up a spirit-gathering array with high-grade spirit stones. As the array was activated, a surging and incomparably pure spiritual energy flowed out from the spirit stones.

Lu Qing circulated his cultivation technique, absorbing the pure spiritual energy into his body and refining it.

Immediately, his cultivation level, which had not improved for some time, began to slowly rise again.

Just as Lu Qing was in seclusion.

In the Holy Alliance, in a grand hall with many thrones, more than a dozen powerful figures were sitting on the thrones.

If cultivators from the outside world were to witness this scene, they would surely be extremely shocked.

Because among these powerful figures, many are top-tier Nascent Soul Realm experts who are renowned throughout the entire Tianyuan Great World and whose prestige shakes the world.

It can be said that everyone here has the potential to establish their own school of thought and become a giant in their own right.

However, the atmosphere in the main hall was somewhat heavy at this moment.

Everyone stared at the light screen in the center of the hall, their faces solemn.

On the light screen, Zhou Tiancheng's situation was displayed.

"Everyone, this is what Zhou Tiancheng looks like now. I used a recording stone to make a rubbing of it from high above."

The imposing middle-aged man in a lightning-patterned robe who had rushed to Zhou Tiancheng after receiving the distress call said.

In his hand, he held a shimmering crystal, which manifested as a screen of light in the sky.

"Zhou Tiancheng was cleaved in two by a single sword strike from high above, destroying the entire formation. Subsequently, all members of the Gongshu family, from the clan leader down to ordinary Golden Core Realm experts, perished at the hands of that mysterious expert."

The sight of the massive sword mark that stretched across the entire Zhou Tian City on the light screen caused a stir among the people in the hall.

"Lord Lei, are you sure the sword mark was made by a single sword strike?"

A powerful figure asked in disbelief.

"At first I also thought it was impossible, but after asking many citizens of Zhou Tiancheng, they all said the same thing, including many experts at the Nascent Soul Realm, so it must be true," the dignified middle-aged man said solemnly.

Silence fell once again in the main hall.

If this is true, then it is truly a momentous matter.

No wonder that as soon as Lord Lei returned, he immediately convened a meeting of elders.

It turns out that such a horrifying thing had happened.

With Zhou Tiancheng breached, the Gongshu family, one of the thirty-six superior clans, was also defeated, and their decline was inevitable.

More importantly, it was able to cleave through Zhou Tian City with a single sword strike, leaving a sword mark that stretched for thousands of miles.

Such astonishing power is something even they have never possessed.

When did the Gongshu family get involved with such a person?

"Gentlemen, this is not the worst of it." Just then, the dignified middle-aged man continued, "I suspect that the mysterious person who destroyed Zhou Tian City is very likely the same evil demon from decades ago!"

"Who was that demon from decades ago?" a figure asked in confusion.

But another figure's expression changed drastically, and he asked urgently, "Palace Master Lei, are you sure the one who made the move was that demon from decades ago?"

The other figures also shuddered upon hearing this.

They thought of that major event that happened decades ago.

"This is just my speculation."

The dignified middle-aged man waved his hand, conjuring a phantom image in mid-air.

The phantom was wearing a black bamboo hat and a strange ghost mask, its gaze calm and indifferent.

It was a phantom that the dignified middle-aged man extracted from the minds of those opportunistic cultivators in Zhou Tian City using his soul-searching technique.

"According to the memories of the citizens of Zhou Tian City, this person is the mysterious expert who attacked Zhou Tian City and killed many members of the Gongshu family at the Yuan Shen realm."

His attire is exactly the same as that of the assassin who infiltrated Zhou Tian City and killed the seventh son of the Gongshu family.

Based on our investigations over the years, that assassin is very likely one of the identities of that evil spirit.

And didn't we also find out that the demon and the Gongshu family have a deep-seated grudge?

If it were him who made the move, it would make perfect sense.

Otherwise, where did the Gongshu family find such a formidable enemy?

Seeing the illusory figure manifested by the dignified middle-aged man, and hearing his speculations, the expressions of the group of powerful figures were somewhat shaken.

Those who had participated in that battle, in particular, saw a terrifying glint in the eyes of the phantom.

It's so similar, so incredibly similar!

The eyes of this phantom are so similar to those of that evil demon from back then.

"If even that demon from back then, his strength has increased far too quickly. Could it be that he has already stepped into the ninth tribulation of the primordial spirit realm?"

One of the figures said in disbelief.

According to the information uncovered by the Holy Alliance, in that battle decades ago, that demon had only just passed the tribulation of the primordial spirit and achieved the primordial spirit stage.

Logically speaking, even if his talent is extraordinary, it's impossible for him to have cultivated from the initial stage of the Primordial Spirit Realm to the Ninth Tribulation of the Primordial Spirit Realm in just a few decades.

"This demon cannot be judged by ordinary standards. Whether he broke through Zhou Tian City with magic weapons or his own strength, it is the same for us. We must treat him with utmost care," said the dignified middle-aged man.

"Speaking of which, recently this old man has also sensed that someone is using divination techniques to try to spy on the situation in the Heavenly Prison. Could it be that evil demon?"

At this moment, an old man with a bald head and only a few strands of hair left suddenly spoke, as if he had remembered something.

"Someone is calculating the situation in the Heavenly Prison, Lord Prison Master, is what you're saying true?" the dignified middle-aged man asked hurriedly.

“Indeed, that person’s divination technique was extremely profound. If it weren’t for the reminder from the spirit of the Heavenly Prison, even I would have had difficulty detecting it,” the bald old man nodded.

“That’s it. In recent years, there haven’t been many prisoners in the Heavenly Prison. Just over ten years ago, some people related to that evil spirit were arrested and imprisoned. Before that, no one dared to speculate about the Heavenly Prison. It must be related to that evil spirit.”

"So, it really is the return of that evil spirit?"

"Very likely!"

Upon hearing this, the hall fell silent once again.

If the masked man who breached Zhou Tian City is indeed that same evil demon from back then.

For them, there couldn't be worse news.

This shows that in just a few decades, the demon had truly grown from the initial stage of entering the primordial spirit realm to a level that even they feared.

Although their long-standing spiritual practice told them that this was unlikely.

But when I think back to how that demon had only recently passed through the tribulation of the primordial spirit, yet was able to calmly escape from the siege of ten fifth-tribulation primordial spirits from both the human and demon races.

They even managed to kill a fifth-level demon king of the demon race.

They also felt that it might not be entirely impossible.

"So what should we do now?" another figure broke the silence and asked.

"I suggest we inform the demon race first. This demon is extremely cunning. Now that he has returned, he must be very confident. With the strength of our Holy Alliance alone, we may not be able to deal with him."

The demon race was also involved in what happened back then; we can't let them remain uninvolved.

"To unite with the demon race and combine the strength of both races to kill the evil spirits is indeed a possible solution," a figure nodded.

When others heard about the alliance with the demon race, some showed a hint of unease on their faces.

However, they glanced at the sword mark that ran across Zhou Tian City in the light screen in the center of the main hall.

In the end, he didn't say anything against it and nodded in agreement.

"We also need to keep a close eye on those people in the Heavenly Prison, in case that demon suddenly attacks. According to the intelligence we've gathered, that demon is clearly skilled in the art of changing one's aura, so we can't afford to be careless about that."

"Don't worry, with this old man here, even someone at the ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage won't be able to easily break through the Heavenly Prison's defenses," the bald old man said confidently.

"Furthermore, we can't just wait around; we have to take the initiative and search for the demon's tracks..."

One plan after another was proposed and discussed by a group of powerful figures.

As one of the most powerful forces in the Tianyuan Great World, the Holy Alliance undoubtedly possesses terrifying power.

Before long, a series of vicious schemes targeting Lu Qing were quickly finalized, and the entire Holy Alliance began to take action.

A day later, a flying boat flew from the human territory into the demon territory.

Not long after, the demon race also began to stir up trouble.

Lu Qing, however, paid no attention to these commotions and focused solely on his secluded cultivation in the underground cave.

He knew, of course, that the Holy Alliance would definitely take some action.

But for him, the most important thing right now is to improve his own strength.

Faced with sufficient power, all conspiracies, tricks, and evil spirits are nothing but smoke and clouds, easily dissipated.

And so he continued to cultivate in seclusion underground.

Time passed day by day, and finally, on this day, he sensed the opportunity for a breakthrough once again. (End of Chapter)