Xuantian Sect, an elegant villa.
Zhao Feng stood by the window, gazing at the withered chrysanthemums in the courtyard, his face so gloomy it seemed to drip water. Behind him, Su Wanqing, dressed in white, stood quietly, a hint of worry barely perceptible in her eyes.
"Wanqing," Zhao Feng suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse, "Tell me... if I hadn't provoked Xiao Chen back then in order to force you to submit, would none of this have happened today?"
Su Wanqing was taken aback, then lowered her head: "Young Master, you are too kind. This matter has nothing to do with me. It's Xiao Chen who is too extraordinary..."
"Defying the heavens?" Zhao Feng laughed self-deprecatingly, slamming his fist on the window frame. "I was stupid! I was blind! Back in the Northern Region, I clearly had the chance to kill him in one blow, but I chose to toy with him, leaving him a sliver of life! If I had eliminated him then, how could Xiao Chen be stirring up trouble across the four regions today, killing my Xuan Tian Sect elders, and making the entire sect live in his shadow?"
He recalled Xiao Chen's achievements at Cangdao Mountain, and the words "First Place: Xiao Chen, 49th Floor" on the Xuan Tie stone tablet. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.
Having passed the forty-ninth level of the Void Refinement stage, the demonic beasts there were at the peak of the Mahayana stage. Such strength was far beyond his reach, and even his father, Zhao Xuan, might not be able to defeat them with certainty.
Xiao Chen was like a sword hanging over the heads of the Xuan Tian Sect, sharp and cold, ready to fall at any moment and cut them all down. This fear gnawed at his heart day and night.
Seeing his distraught state, Su Wanqing said softly, "Young Master, it's too late for regrets now. Although Xiao Chen is strong, the Xuan Tian Sect has a deep foundation and may still be able to resist..."
Zhao Feng ignored him, staring out the window with a glint of madness in his eyes. He knew he had no way out; he either killed Xiao Chen or waited to be crushed by him.
Beyond the starry sky, a cracked star path winds its way through the night, with star fragments streaking across like shooting stars, carrying an aura of death.
Five blurry figures hovered at the end of the star path, emanating a pressure that made even the stars tremble.
"That guy's formation is stronger than when we investigated last time," a figure on the left said, his voice like the scraping of metal. "If the five of us were to descend in our true forms, are we confident we could break the formation and kill him?"
“Difficult.” A soft female voice sounded from the right. “That formation contains the rules of ‘realms’ and can draw upon the power of heaven and earth for its own use. Last time, the projection we sent out as a probe was crushed as soon as it got close, and we didn’t even get to see its face.”
"Hmph, a bunch of useless trash, can't even handle a low-dimensional native." A burly figure in the middle sneered, surrounded by blood-red mist. "In my opinion, just use your true form to suppress him. Even if you can't break the formation, you can smash this world to pieces and see if he can come out!"
Another figure said, "No, we haven't completed our mission yet. We won't be able to explain ourselves when we go back. Let's observe for a while and then make a plan."
The five remained silent for a moment, and the stardust around the star path seemed to freeze.
"Then perhaps... we shouldn't act yet." The last figure spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "Send someone to keep an eye on him. If he truly shares our goals, then we'll join forces to eliminate him. If he's merely behaving himself..."
"Then let him behave himself," the aged voice replied.
The five figures exchanged a glance, nodded silently, and then transformed into five streams of light, disappearing at the end of the star path, leaving only the star path still slowly decaying.
The Central Region is a desolate valley.
A black rock, ten feet tall, stands quietly in the valley, its body covered with moss, looking no different from an ordinary rock.
"Crack..."
Suddenly, a crack appeared on the surface of the black stone, and two hands burst forth from it, their fingernails sharp as knives and gleaming with an eerie light. Immediately afterward, stone dust fell in a flurry, and a figure covered in black stone powder slowly rose to his feet. He looked up at the sky, a crimson light flashing in his eyes.
Qingyun Sect, Lin Zhou's small courtyard.
The sun was shining brightly, and Lin Zhou was fast asleep on a bamboo chair, a slight smile on his lips, probably dreaming of something wonderful.
The old locust tree in the corner of the courtyard seemed to have a spirit, stretching out a thin branch and gently swaying the bamboo chair, as if fanning him.
[Ding! System task issued: Head to the Central Region and recruit the "Nine Netherworld Demon God" physique as your disciple.]
A cold system notification sounded in his mind. Lin Zhou frowned, turned over, and muttered, "Taking on disciples? Troublesome..."
He sat up and stroked his chin. The reincarnation of the Nine Netherworld Demon God? Sounds like someone who won't be easy to deal with.
Lin Zhou thought for a moment and decided that if the boy didn't listen, he would beat him up and keep pulling him until he obeyed.
"Alright, I'll go take a look." Lin Zhou stretched and waved at the old locust tree. "Keep an eye on the house, I'll be right back."
The branches of the old locust tree swayed gently, as if in response.
Outside the Hidden Dao Mountain, Xiao Chen transformed into a streak of azure light and flew forward.
In the past few days, he fought fiercely against the "Chaos Beast," a peak Mahayana-level demonic beast, on the forty-ninth floor of Hidden Dao Mountain. Although the battle was fraught with danger, he thoroughly consolidated his early-stage Void Refinement realm, and his spear technique broke through a bottleneck, faintly touching the true meaning of "momentum." His first-place ranking on the Xuan Iron Stone Tablet is the best proof of his journey.
"A considerable haul." Xiao Chen looked down at the rusty iron spear in his hand; the dark red patterns on the spear shaft were even clearer than before.
As he was pondering how to report his experiences at Zangdao Mountain to his master, the sky in front of him suddenly darkened.
Five enormous flying ships pressed down like dark clouds, their hulls engraved with the Xuan Tian Sect's emblem, exuding murderous intent, and instantly surrounded him.
On the flying boat, countless Xuan Tian Sect cultivators peered out, with Zhao Xuan at the head. Beside him stood several powerful elders, clearly the hidden trump cards of the Xuan Tian Sect.
"Xiao Chen, you really are here!" Zhao Xuan's voice was icy cold, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Today is your death day!"
Xiao Chen stopped, gripped his rusty iron spear, and calmly scanned the surrounding flying boats. He knew that the conflict between the Xuantian Sect and him was already irreconcilable. He was like a sword hanging over the Xuantian Sect's head, and they had finally reached the point where they were about to draw their swords.
"Just you guys?" Xiao Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire venue, tinged with a hint of mockery.
On the flying boat, Zhao Feng looked at Xiao Chen's calm and composed demeanor, and his heart clenched suddenly. A deeper sense of fear and regret welled up in his heart.
He knew that today's battle would either completely eliminate this major threat to the Xuantian Sect, or... it would be the day of the Xuantian Sect's destruction.
The wind in the sky suddenly became fierce, and killing intent and spiritual power intertwined, signaling the imminent outbreak of a great battle that would determine the fate of the Xuantian Sect.
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