Translator: AnubisTL
Before the main hall plaza of the Lingyun Sect, one foundation establishment stage elder after another gathered, their auras coalescing. At the forefront stood Sect Leader Xu Yun, his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze solemn as he surveyed the assembled elders.
Nurtured by vast amounts of sect contribution points, nearly all of them had grown significantly stronger over the past year.
"Fellow sect brothers and sisters, the year has passed. I trust you are all prepared."
"Three days ago, Ancestor Bing Yun sent word from deep within the snow mountain. The gap in the formation has widened enough for foundation establishment stage cultivators to pass through."
"This is a trial the Lingyun Sect cannot avoid. I pray that all of you return alive!"
These words weighed heavily on the elders' hearts.
No one knew how many ancient demons remained within the sealing formation. They might have perished over the ages, or some might still exist—entities of such immense power that they would be utterly insurmountable.
If they succeeded, the Lingyun Sect would finally break free from the ancestral restrictions, opening up a boundless future.
If they failed to break through, the Lingyun Sect would be annihilated, ceasing to exist forever. The Azure Ridge Domain would once again face the ancient demon scourge that had plagued it millennia ago.
Every foundation establishment stage elder understood that there was no escape now. They had no choice but to steel themselves, grit their teeth, and press forward.
Among the crowd, Li Qing had already steeled himself for the perilous journey ahead.
Everything had two sides. Having enjoyed the sect's benefits, he naturally had to bear some responsibility in return.
"The Cold Wind Secret Realm lies within the sealing formation. According to the sect's information, there's a chance we might encounter the Netherworld Cold Fire."
"Fortunately, I prepared soul-protecting pills and supreme yang items in advance. If the opportunity arises, I might attempt to subdue it."
"I originally planned to spend a century preparing for this, but things never go according to plan. I'll just have to take things one step at a time."
Li Qing murmured to himself, mentally calculating the various possibilities that lay ahead.
Just then, a figure in a black robe suddenly materialized behind Sect Leader Xu Yun.
An elderly man appeared, his face etched with deep wrinkles, yet his hair remained remarkably black and thick.
His eyes were particularly striking, unlike the cloudy, dull gaze of most elders. Instead, they were profoundly deep, like two black holes devouring everything around them.
The moment he materialized, Sect Leader Xu Yun immediately bowed respectfully, clasping his hands in a salute. "Greetings, Martial Uncle Devourer of Heaven!"
Indeed, this was Ancestor Devourer of Heaven of the Lingyun Sect, a master of Daoist Arts whose cultivation had reached unfathomable depths. No one knew the true extent of his power.
However, given that he cultivated the Gluttonous Divine Art—a supreme cultivation manual—it was safe to assume that even among core formation stage cultivators, this Ancestor stood as an absolute pinnacle.
"Are you all prepared? Let's draw the match pairings now!"
Before the other elders could react, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven swept his sleeve.
Boom!
Instantly, clusters of objects enveloped in black spiritual power materialized in the air.
This spiritual power possessed a peculiar nature, hovering in the air as if slowly devouring the chaotic spiritual energy of the world.
Yes, this was the devouring true essence cultivated through the Gluttonous Divine Art. Once it struck a cultivator, this mana would relentlessly erode their entire body's mana reserves.
Li Qing gazed at the floating black orbs of spiritual power and quickly understood their purpose:
Drawing lots!
These orbs determined the order in which cultivators would enter the sealing formation. Each group would explore a certain distance before returning.
The Lingyun Sect's leaders weren't fools. Sending all the foundation establishment stage elders in at once would be disastrous if they were wiped out. Dividing the elders into ten groups, each entering the sealing formation in turn, was the optimal strategy.
Soon, someone extended a finger, releasing a spiritual light that unlocked one of the black orbs.
"Seventh."
Seeing this, Li Qing followed suit, casually pointing at a black orb in the air.
"As long as it's not first or tenth."
Entering first meant facing the greatest unknown risks—a complete shot in the dark!
Being in the final group meant venturing deep into the heart of the sealing formation, a task fraught with extreme danger.
In both scenarios, the risk of total annihilation was highest.
With a heart filled with apprehension, Li Qing channeled his mana to activate a black spiritual power orb.
After absorbing Li Qing's mana, the orb dissolved, revealing a bamboo slip inscribed with the number three. The slip fell into Li Qing's hand.
The third group!
Not bad, Li Qing thought, slightly relieved. At least I'll have the intelligence gathered by the first two groups before entering.
Once everyone had received their assigned bamboo slips, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven wasted no time on formalities.
With a single tap on his storage pouch, the sect main hall plaza plunged into sudden darkness, as if a storm had rolled in.
A colossal spirit warship materialized in the air, its hull etched with countless spirit patterns that powered its operation.
The awe-inspiring vessel slowly floated into view, drawing gasps of wonder from many foundation establishment stage elders, including Li Qing.
"Is this the true foundation of the Lingyun Sect? Such a colossal spirit vessel is truly a rare sight."
"The spiritual materials and manpower required to forge such a vessel must be unimaginable!"
"This is truly a terrifying warship! Just looking at it sends shivers down my spine."
"..."
Even Li Qing, an artifact refiner himself, couldn't help but be deeply shaken. He understood better than most the immense difficulty of forging such a massive spirit vessel.
This was clearly beyond the capabilities of a single person. The dense network of spirit patterns etched across its hull testified to the work of multiple artifact refiners, each possessing mastery of their craft.
Before the sect elders could fully absorb the shock, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven strode to the ship's bow and bellowed, "Board the vessel!"
At his command, Sect Leader Xu Yun led the Lingyun Sect elders as they soared toward the colossal spirit warship hovering in the sky.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Once the last elder had landed on the deck, Ancestor Devourer of Heaven unleashed a series of black spirit seals with rapid hand gestures.
In the next instant, the spirit patterns lining the warship's interior walls erupted in brilliant light. The vessel then swiftly accelerated southward, toward the towering, snow-capped mountains that loomed on the horizon.
Meanwhile, below the sect, countless qi refining stage disciples raised their fists in unison, shouting, "May the sect's martial fortune flourish!"
The thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth, stirring the blood of many elders.
Li Qing, however, remained calm and rational, observing the massive spirit warship beneath his feet with keen interest.
"This spirit vessel was jointly crafted by our refining hall's grand elder and several core formation Ancestors. It required an immense amount of materials! Many of the spirit patterns were personally researched and developed by our grand elder himself," Elder Wen, the refining hall's second-in-command, approached Li Qing with a cheerful smile and struck up a conversation.
"What do you think of this spirit warship, Junior Brother Li?"
Li Qing nodded repeatedly, praising, "It's a masterpiece! To forge such a spirit vessel is truly a testament to extraordinary talent!"
His words were sincere. Every inch of the warship revealed the mysterious grand elder's unparalleled mastery of artifact refinement, suggesting his skills had reached the pinnacle of perfection.
Top-grade magical artifacts would likely pose no challenge to him.
Due to the limitations of his cultivation realm, once the grand elder of the Refining Hall successfully achieved core formation, he could immediately begin crafting his lifebound magical treasure without expending the exhaustive effort required by other core formation stage cultivators.
"Hahaha, naturally! Even the sect's Ancestors often praise the grand elder's artifact refining skills," Elder Wen chuckled heartily.
"By the way, Junior Brother Li, which wave did you enter the sealing formation in?"
Li Qing paused, then answered truthfully, "The third wave. Elder Wen, why do you ask?"
Upon hearing this, Elder Wen immediately pulled Li Qing aside to a secluded spot and transmitted a secret message via divine sense:
"Junior Brother Li, for the sake of our shared affiliation with the Refining Hall, I'll give you a word of advice: quickly find some elders who entered the sealing formation in the same wave as you and stick together for mutual support!"
"It's a pity I entered in the sixth wave; otherwise, I could have looked out for you a bit!"
"That's all I can say. Junior Brother Li, take care of yourself!"
With that, Elder Wen clasped his hands behind his back, his expression perfectly natural, and strolled off in another direction.
Hearing these words, Li Qing's heart sank slightly.
Just now, his attention had been entirely focused on the spirit vessel, causing him to overlook this crucial detail.
Even among elders from the same sect, relationships naturally varied in closeness.
Once inside the sealing formation, if multiple individuals faced danger simultaneously, those capable of providing assistance would undoubtedly prioritize saving those with whom they shared closer ties.
Realizing this, Li Qing's expression immediately turned grave.
He still didn't know which fellow sect elders had entered the sealing formation in the third batch—a glaring oversight!
"I need to find out immediately," he thought. "Hopefully, I'll encounter some familiar elders."
With this in mind, Li Qing sprang into action. He first sought out Shen Ningbing, Chu Lingyi, and Ji Bai, with whom he was relatively familiar.
Having joined the Lingyun Sect in the same cohort, their bonds were naturally stronger.
Unfortunately, Shen Ningbing had entered the formation in the second batch, while Ji Bai and Chu Lingyi were in the eighth and ninth batches, respectively—all far removed from his own.
"Damn it... Time is too tight. There's no time to cultivate these relationships," Li Qing muttered, his brow furrowing.
(End of the Chapter)
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