Chapter 364

Words : 2206 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 364“Western State has really changed. Xuankong Mountain has grand ambitions,” Lu Qing sighed. At the moment, he was standing outside a small town in Western State, before a low mountain peak. Halfway up the mountain, there was ongoing construction for a Buddhist temple, with statues being carved. Down at the foot of the mountain, common folk were bowing step by step as they made their way up the mountain, their faces full of devotion. Lu Qing had seen this scene many times on his journey here. Although he’d never been to Western State before, he’d heard a bit about it. He knew that while there was a tradition of Buddhist worship here, it was never as fervent as he was seeing now. “If this continues, it won’t be long before Xuankong Mountain completely controls Western State.” Lu Qing was well aware of the power of belief. With Xuankong Mountain's methods, if they were given a little more time, they’d have the entire Western State under their solid grip in no time. By then, when they had free rein, they would probably turn their attention to dealing with him. “These bald monks, still using the same old tricks even after all these years.” Yan, who was observing the scene alongside him, said, “In the ancient Immortal Era, Western State was the stronghold of many Buddhist sects.” “Yet now, Xuankong Mountain stands alone,” Lu Qing replied calmly. “But whether they can truly reclaim control over Western State remains to be seen.” With that, he left, taking Xiao Li with him and moving forward. He didn’t trouble the ordinary craftsmen who were constructing the temple and carving statues. After leaving the small town, Lu Qing used a talisman technique to move like a breeze through the mountains and forests. This time, he didn’t wander; he headed directly westward in Western State. Now that he knew about Xuankong Mountain’s plans, there was no need to waste time on trivial matters. He would strike straight at the heart. With the talisman technique aiding him, his speed surpassed even that of the Precelestial Realm. By noon, he arrived in the western part of Western State. Looking ahead, he saw endless mountains stretching as far as the eye could see. Most prominent among them was a towering peak that reached into the clouds, situated on a vast expanse of land. The clouds lingered around the mountain’s waist, hiding the view of its summit. “This is the Ling Mountain range. I should have guessed that the secret entrance to Xuankong Mountain’s realm would be here,” Lu Qing thought to himself as he gazed at the majestic sight. Though this range wasn’t as grand and inviolable as the Sacred Mountain in Central State, it was still the most impressive he had seen apart from it. The Hundred Thousand Mountains near Jiuli Village paled in comparison. “I visited this Ling Mountain range once in the past.” Yan’s figure appeared beside Lu Qing, looking at the mist-covered mountains with a strange expression in his eyes. “In the ancient Immortal Era, this was the ancestral ground of the Buddhist sects. Back then, Ling Mountain was even more imposing and awe-inspiring than it is now. “Any cultivator passing through was required to ground themselves and walk. Flying over was seen as an affront to the Buddhist sects.” “So these monks were this domineering even in ancient times,” Lu Qing chuckled lightly. “It’s no wonder they’ve remained crooked for so long; the rot started at the top.” “Xiao Li, let’s go.” Lu Qing’s spirit talisman at his brow acupoint stirred, and his aura quickly receded, becoming almost undetectable. His form gradually faded until he disappeared entirely. As for Xiao Li, it was even simpler; it leaped into a spatial fold, hiding even more thoroughly than Lu Qing. Soul Concealment Technique and Invisibility Talisman. Yan marveled as Lu Qing used these two techniques to vanish completely. Lu Qing had an astonishing amount of knowledge. With the combined legacies of the Divine Rune Sect and the Li Huo Sect, his understanding of runes was on par with his martial prowess. Moreover, Lu Qing was even more cautious than Yan had imagined. Not only did he use a transformation technique to change his spiritual aura and physical appearance, but he also wore a mask. Now, he employed both the Soul Concealment and Invisibility Talisman to hide completely. He was the epitome of caution. Yan found himself almost pitying Xuankong Mountain. They had provoked a formidable and extremely cautious foe, whose cultivation talent was nothing short of extraordinary. Adding to that, he had a companion like Xiao Li, a Black Night Spirit Lynx with spatial abilities, who could appear and disappear at will... Even thinking about it made Yan’s heart race. He could already foresee the misery awaiting Xuankong Mountain. After concealing himself, Lu Qing and Xiao Li moved toward the towering peak ahead, hidden in the Ling Mountain range. Soon, they arrived at the foot of the enormous mountain. The journey had gone smoothly. Xuankong Mountain had only recently emerged, and they were occupied with subduing the various sects in Western State. They hadn’t had the chance to properly secure the Ling Mountain range yet, not even setting up a protective formation, so they didn’t detect Lu Qing. As he approached the towering peak, the sounds of bustling activity reached Lu Qing’s ears. There, too, construction was underway, with temples and statues being built. The scale was even grander than what he’d seen elsewhere in Western State. From a distance, he could see craftsmen with martial skills carving a massive new statue into a cliff nearly a hundred feet high. The statue’s head alone was over ten feet tall, a truly magnificent sight. Seeing the half-finished statue, Lu Qing felt a surge of resolve and quietly approached. It wasn’t long before he arrived at the base of the cliff, where he spotted a few bald monks in red robes, standing before the cliff. Feeling the monks’ aura, Lu Qing’s heart tensed. These monks had powerful vital energy; the weakest of them was at the Precelestial Realm. The lead monk, dressed in red, had an aura so complete it seemed to blend with the surroundings. This was a Precelestial Realm cultivator at the peak. It was the first time Lu Qing had encountered a Precelestial cultivator of such strength. When he encountered the Third Holy Lord in Sacred City, it didn’t count. The Third Holy Lord had used a puppet avatar, which, though formidable, wasn’t quite the same as facing a true peak Precelestial. Moreover, Lu Qing sensed that the lead monk’s aura wasn’t purely one of powerful vital energy; there was something else as well. This indicated that the monk was cultivating other techniques alongside his martial prowess. Lu Qing activated his ability and took a closer look. In moments, a dense golden glow of energy appeared around the lead monk, along with a few floating labels. [Xuan Yi: Grand Elder of Xuankong Mountain] [Cultivation Level: Dual Cultivation of Martial and Spiritual Paths, Peak of Precelestial Realm] [Holds a unique Buddhist treasure, skilled in both offense and defense, highly formidable.] ... Lu Qing then observed the other monks and found that, as expected, they were all elder figures from Xuankong Mountain. He wasn’t surprised. According to Yan, though the Four Great Secret Realms had survived in hidden realms for thousands of years, they were ultimately just scraping by. Even their secret realms were connected to the primary world, unable to completely resist the infiltration of its rules. Thus, truly powerful beings couldn’t emerge within the secret realms. At most, they could reach the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Achieving the Golden Core Realm was impossible. For that, a cultivator had to endure a heavenly tribulation, passing through the Four-Nine Heavenly Tribulation. This was an unbreakable rule of cultivation. However, as heavenly tribulations couldn’t form within the secret realms, Golden Core Realm cultivators couldn’t exist there. Armed with this knowledge, Lu Qing dared to come alone to Western State to trouble Xuankong Mountain. Carrying a spiritual artifact, he was confident he could escape unscathed even if he couldn’t win against Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. “Grand Elder, word has arrived from Chan Xin that the Iron Sword Sect in the south is also willing to submit and serve Xuankong Mountain.” Just as Lu Qing had finished using his ability, a monk spoke up. “Excellent. With the Iron Sword Sect submitting, we have restored complete control over Western State.” Xuan Yi nodded in satisfaction. “Hmph! If not for the high cost of activating the secret realm during the spiritual energy depletion, which limited our movement, these filthy creatures would never have been able to make a mess of Western State! “Now, their submission to our Buddhist teachings is a blessing for them!” “Junior brother, don’t be angry. The ignorance of the world requires our guidance. This, too, is part of our cultivation,” Xuan Yi said, soothingly. “Senior brother Xuan Yi, with Western State back under our Buddhist control, what should we do about the other matter the Abbot mentioned?” “Are you referring to that fiend who killed Junior Brother Xuan Ming and others?” Hearing them mention him, Lu Qing’s heart stirred. “Indeed, Senior Brother Xuan Yi. Do you think the information Wujian Tower gathered about this fiend’s hideout is reliable?” asked another monk in red robes. “Wujian Tower wouldn’t dare deceive us. Their survival depends on Xuankong Mountain’s mercy. They wouldn’t risk it, even if they had a hundred lives to spare. “Besides, when the Tower Master of Wujian Tower reported this to me, my ‘Insight’ did not sense any falsehoods.” Xuan Yi paused thoughtfully before continuing. “So, it seems Wujian Tower truly did locate the fiend’s hiding place?” “It seems likely.” “To think that the fiend hails from such an obscure region as Cangzhou. No wonder those desolate places spawn such fiends! “Senior Brother Xuan Yi, the Abbot and the Supreme Elder have ordered us to capture the fiend alive and convert him. When should we act?” “There’s no rush. This fiend is a person of great fortune and has even survived a heavenly tribulation. “His strength may rival ours, and capturing him alive will require careful planning. “Once we’ve secured Ling Mountain and set up the protective formation, we’ll proceed.” Lu Qing, hidden nearby, immediately understood. The assassin from Wujian Tower who had escaped his master’s flying sword at Wei Manor had safely returned to Xuankong Mountain’s secret realm and reported his findings. He was relieved to have come early. Otherwise, if Xuankong Mountain had fully secured Western State and set up the protective formation, infiltrating the Ling Mountain range would have been far more difficult. At that point, he’d be forced into a defensive position. After all, while he could retreat at any time, the villagers of Jiuli and the Wei Family would be vulnerable. With this in mind, Lu Qing’s killing intent surged. He could tell from the monks’ conversation that Xuankong Mountain indeed had hidden experts in their secret realm. The Abbot and the Supreme Elder mentioned were likely powerful cultivators beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, the most formidable presence in the Ling Mountain range right now was this group of monks, especially Xuan Yi, who seemed to be leading the expedition. If he could kill him, it would throw Xuankong Mountain into disarray for some time. Filled with murderous intent, Lu Qing’s gaze grew colder. He silently instructed Xiao Li with a soul transmission. Then, he carefully drew his blade from the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag and began to approach the monks. When he was about thirty feet away, he noticed that Xuan Yi’s face suddenly changed, and he looked in Lu Qing’s direction with suspicion. Realizing his cover was blown, Lu Qing acted without hesitation. A powerful aura burst forth as a flash of dazzling blade light swept toward the monks! “Who goes there?!” The monks, all experts at the Precelestial level, instantly sensed Lu Qing’s aura as it surged. They were shocked, unable to believe someone could approach so close without detection! But what truly horrified them was the blade light that Lu Qing unleashed. It was incredibly sharp and powerful, sending chills down their spines and causing their hair to stand on end. “Get out of the way!” In the blink of an eye, they each responded. Some attempted to dodge the blade light with body techniques. Others activated protective qi to block it. A few raised short staffs in defense. Only Xuan Yi, the most experienced among them, sensed the danger immediately and shouted for everyone to evade. But it was too late. The blade light, charged with all of Lu Qing’s strength, was swift beyond measure. In the blink of an eye, it reached the monks, slicing through them and carving a deep, gaping scar into the cliff behind them before finally stopping. Boom! As the blade’s energy collided with the cliff, a thunderous roar echoed, accompanied by sprays of blood… Table of content

Chapter 364

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