Translator: AnubisTL
Boom!
The shattered origin great fire seal, swirling with crimson and white flames, streaked across the sky, distorting the air in its wake. Its immense power was undeniable.
The blood lotus, deeply rooted in the ground, stood as a stationary target for Li Qing.
Finally, the shattered origin great fire seal struck the eerie blood lotus with pinpoint accuracy.
Boom!
Another earth-shattering explosion erupted, sending violent shockwaves surging across the land and unleashing terrifying surges of spiritual energy.
The citizens of Precious Lotus City were destined for another restless day as the ground trembled once more.
A sea of fire bloomed, its scorching flames instantly engulfing the central district of Precious Lotus City.
The explosive force repeatedly battered the blood lotus, soon submerging the eerie flower within the fiery inferno.
"Did it work?" Li Qing murmured, his gaze fixed on the epicenter of the aftershocks.
After a long moment, the flames gradually dissipated, and the thick dust clouds dispersed with the wind, revealing the blood lotus once more.
Petals of the shattered lotus drifted down one by one. The entire flower bud was severely damaged, its once-crimson petals now scorched black.
The blood lotus, having endured Li Qing's divine ability head-on, was severely damaged but still alive.
Its stem continued to sway, and soon, tendrils began to spread from its base, reaching toward the Blood Lotus Sect disciples Li Qing had just slain.
Additionally, some of the tendrils surged toward the distant crowd of onlookers.
Was it seeking blood food to replenish itself?!
For the lotus, the Blood Lotus Sect Leader's life force was insufficient to fuel its growth to its full potential.
In its prime, the lotus should have resembled the sky-obscuring demonic willow of the Black Wind Domain, becoming an invincible force in its domain.
To achieve this, it would inevitably need to devour vast quantities of strange beasts and crimson crystals.
Realizing the blood lotus's intentions, Li Qing immediately shouted coldly:
"Get out of here! Do you want to become the lotus's food?"
Only after his warning did the onlookers belatedly begin to retreat.
Earlier, Li Qing's display of power had been so astonishing, the scene so utterly overwhelming, that they had convinced themselves he could handle the bizarre blood lotus alone and that they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.
After Li Qing's stern rebuke, the crowd panicked and surged toward the city gates.
Soaring through the air, Li Qing surveyed Precious Lotus City before clenching his fist.
As the main city of the Autumn Mountain Domain, Precious Lotus City housed a vast population.
If the blood lotus were allowed to devour them all as nourishment, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Not only would its injuries be fully restored, but it might also grow to an unmanageable level.
As a newly formed core formation cultivator, Li Qing doubted he could handle such a threat.
"No, I must eliminate it quickly, or the future consequences will be catastrophic."
With his considerable combat experience, Li Qing immediately assessed the situation.
"But at this point, all I can do is test the power of this Heavenly Thunder Pearl."
Li Qing murmured, a perfectly round, dark purple pearl materializing in his hand.
The Heavenly Thunder Pearl!
During his foundation establishment realm, he had used this pearl to intimidate many foes, making it one of his trump cards.
Now that he had advanced to the core formation realm, the pearl's effectiveness had diminished considerably.
Now, using it here seemed perfectly appropriate.
By harnessing the thunderous might of the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, with its supremely yang and destructive force, to confront this blood lotus, it couldn't be a more fitting approach.
With this thought, Li Qing narrowed his eyes, his gaze locked on the gap blasted into the blood lotus's bud by the shattered origin great fire seal.
Launch the Heavenly Thunder Pearl inside to unleash its destructive power from within, maximizing its effectiveness!
"Kill!"
With a roar, Li Qing charged forward, wielding the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer in one hand.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He unleashed three consecutive hammer strikes, each blow nearly shattering the air itself.
The eerie blood lotus once again closed its petals, but this time it was clearly struggling. The entire plant trembled violently, petal after petal continuing to fall.
Seizing this momentary opening, Li Qing finally found his chance. He flicked his finger toward the exposed wound on the blood lotus.
A smooth, purplish-black pearl shot through the air with blinding speed, striking its target with deadly precision.
Instantly, a dense network of electric arcs and thunderbolts erupted from within the blood lotus.
Boom!
Li Qing, standing nearby, felt his ears ringing from the earth-shattering roar. The Heavenly Thunder Pearl, a small, round bead, contained an unimaginable amount of Heavenly Thunder energy—a refining technique known only to ancient cultivators.
This method had long been lost, making such pearls exceedingly rare even in the Great Wilderness Domain. Those facing thunder tribulations had no need for such items, and the refining process was so complex and time-consuming that it was hardly worth the effort.
Aside from a few powerful cultivators who might craft some for their descendants as defensive measures, these pearls had become obsolete. With the rise of talisman treasures, they gradually faded from the cultivation world's historical records.
Returning his gaze to the blood lotus, Li Qing saw countless lightning bolts erupting from within, instantly shattering the lotus that had just closed. Fragments of crimson petals danced wildly in the air.
Now!
Li Qing's eyes narrowed. Seizing the brief window as the Heavenly Thunder Pearl's power waned, he hefted the Primordial Chaos Peerless Hammer, channeling every ounce of true essence within him, and brought it crashing down once more.
This strike seemed to drain every last bit of his strength.
Heavy and powerful!
Bang!
This time, the Peerless Hammer smashed directly into the heart of the blood lotus, its terrifying force crushing all resistance.
The still-immature blood lotus finally met its end, its lotus body swaying weakly in the air before collapsing limply, all signs of life extinguished.
Drip!
A blood-red lotus seed rolled out from the shattered heart of the flower, standing out vividly amidst the ruins.
Seeing this, Li Qing immediately descended and took the seed into his hand.
"The blood lotus ultimately devoured Yue Qiusheng and then produced this seed," Li Qing murmured to himself, raising the seed high to face the cold, crimson Blood Moon in the sky.
A faint vitality emanated from within the seed. Sensing this, Li Qing narrowed his eyes.
"Could it actually be possible to grow this?"
The vitality within the seed was indeed remarkably potent. Given the right conditions, it might indeed be possible to revive the blood lotus.
For instance, the blood pool beneath the ground. However, due to Li Qing's actions, that pool had long since been shattered, its accumulated blood seeping into the earth, leaving nothing behind.
"I'll keep it for now. This thing is far too malevolent. Unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to plant it recklessly."
With that, Li Qing stored the lotus seed away.
After the battle concluded, Lin Jing rushed over, her face beaming with joy.
"Master!"
"Master, you're so strong! How did you do that? Can I learn it too?"
Lin Jing's face was filled with admiration, her cat ears twitching incessantly, betraying her inner excitement.
Hearing this, Li Qing smiled wryly and ruffled her hair. "This path is now severed," he said. "You should continue cultivating the vital energy martial dao with Miao Xi. Your future achievements won't be any less remarkable."
A clear look of disappointment washed over Lin Jing's face.
The techniques Li Qing had demonstrated just now were clearly beyond the capabilities of the vital energy martial dao—magnificent, powerful, and utterly captivating.
But since her master had spoken so decisively, she understood that this path was unattainable and didn't press further.
"Alright, Master," she said. "Is this what the Blood Lotus Sect calls the lost immortal dao? I heard that before the sun vanished, spiritual energy still flowed through the world, and there was a cultivation world."
As a high-ranking member of the martial alliance, she naturally knew the origins of the Blood Lotus Sect.
But these were merely oral traditions, and few took them seriously.
She never imagined she would witness such legendary phenomena firsthand, manifested by her own master.
"Yes, but now that spiritual energy has withered, the world has entered the End of Dao Era, and the Great Dao has become severed and inaccessible," Li Qing said, his gaze drifting toward the Red Moon hanging eternally in the night sky.
"Why did the spiritual energy disappear, Master? Do you know the reason?" Lin Jing asked, her bright eyes blinking as she looked up at her master.
Li Qing shook his head. "I don't know. I'm still investigating this matter myself."
Lin Jing's face lit up with sudden understanding. "Ah, so that's why you disappeared for so long—you were researching this!"
Li Qing offered no further explanation, turning his attention to the Martial Artists from the martial alliance who were approaching with cautious expressions.
"Guardian Lin, is this senior the dao guardian of our martial alliance?"
Lin Jing turned, nodding with a proud smile. "That's right! This is my master, the one who guided me on the path of the Martial Dao!"
"He's the dao guardian of our martial alliance!"
Upon hearing Lin Jing's confirmation, the Martial Artists knelt down, their voices filled with utmost respect.
"Greetings, Senior Li!"
With a wave of his hand, Li Qing released a gentle surge of true essence, lifting all those who had knelt to their feet.
"A man's dignity is worth more than gold, and a martial artist should possess unwavering integrity. I kneel to neither heaven nor earth, and you need not kneel to me either."
"Does Miao Xi usually teach you to kneel so readily to others?"
The others shook their heads nervously, stammering, "Of course not! Alliance Leader Miao, he..."
It was clear they held Miao Xi in high regard.
Li Qing simply shook his head. "Alright, this matter is settled."
Before he could finish, Lin Jing grew anxious. "Master, are you leaving again? Can I come with you this time? Your disciple wants to follow you."
"Heh, don't worry. I won't be leaving so soon this time. I want to see what this new path of the Martial Dao that Miao Xi and your Senior Brother Xi Shan have forged looks like." Li Qing affectionately ruffled the cat ears on Lin Jing's head.
(End of the Chapter)
📖Read [IR] ahead on Pa.treon@AnubisTL upto c572. [+2]
🎁All [3] Novels can be accessed for just $6/mo.
🔥Translated [1.1k+] Chapters and [2.46M+] Words.
🌐Read for FREE Upto Ch512 on the Site. Visit P@treon for details.