Chapter 21: Killing Ninth Elder, Xiao Tianmie Isn't Dead?

After bidding farewell to the Ho family's elder and youth, Li Qingran walked along the forest path, heading toward Black Cloud Mountain Villa.

He planned to return and refine and absorb the sea demon spirits he had fished up this half-day, while also refining the Seven-Colored Sea Carp Spirit into a pill.

From the Nine Li Clan's inheritance, he learned a pill formula that used the Seven-Colored Sea Carp Spirit as the main ingredient to refine a pill called the "Aptitude Immortal Pill."

Its effect could be described as heaven-defying, able to one hundred percent elevate the talent of guardian spirits below S-rank by one level.

If a guardian spirit directly swallowed the Seven-Colored Sea Carp Spirit, the success rate of talent elevation was less than thirty percent.

Suddenly, Li Qingran halted his steps, a cold smirk flashing across the corner of his mouth.

Whoosh—whoosh.

Wind blew through ancient trees, rustling like rain, and the surroundings fell terrifyingly quiet all at once.

Li Qingran pushed off with his toes, like an exploding cheetah; spirit power circulated, forming a giant fist that slammed toward one of the thick ancient pines.

"Huh?"

A startled, doubtful cry came from the ancient pine's blind spot.

A bedraggled black figure was exposed amid the sky-full of wood chips, with nowhere to hide.

The man wore a black robe, only a pair of surprised eyes visible: "I was merely passing by this road; we are strangers. Why did you attack me without cause, sir?"

The black-robed man wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, tightened his black robe, worried his identity would be exposed.

"Nothing much, just greeting you." Li Qingran smiled faintly, amusement in his eyes, and threw a punch using only physical strength.

Bang!

The black-robed man hurriedly crossed his arms before his chest, only to hear a dull, crisp crack, followed by intense pain shooting through his nerves.

His arms were actually broken!

Li Qingran's gaze was like ice: "Been well, Ninth Elder!"

"You, you know it's me?" Upon hearing this, Ninth Elder directly threw off his black cloak, no longer disguising himself, rage thundering in his heart.

If he had known earlier that Li Qingran recognized his identity, he would have summoned the Strange Fire Spirit directly and would not have had his arms broken for nothing by Li Qingran.

Truly stifling!

The next instant, Ninth Elder summoned his guardian spirit, the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire.

Looking at the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire like magma, Ninth Elder regained full confidence and said in surprise: "Xiao Qingran, didn't expect you to still be alive.

And it's been a year; without a guardian spirit, your cultivation didn't drop but rose instead, which is rather unexpected.

I'm very curious—what exactly happened to you this past year."

The Xiao Family's intelligence network covers the world; yesterday, the Xiao Family received intelligence—a youth resembling Li Qingran appeared in Black Sea City.

Thus, Ninth Elder was ordered to come verify.

No choice; Li Qingran is someone the future clan head personally wants to kill.

Had to obey.

Li Qingran clenched both fists and sneered: "Curiosity kills the cat."

As he finished speaking, his figure moved like a ghost.

An afterimage flashed; he had already arrived before the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire.

Li Qingran extended his palm, pressing it against the guardian spirit Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire's body.

A black vortex emerged in his palm.

"Demon God Refinement Art, Devour!"

The vortex carried terrifying devouring power, devouring the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire's essence.

Yet the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast Fire remained motionless the whole time, letting itself be taken.

Under this devouring refinement, Li Qingran clearly felt his cultivation rapidly rising.

The cultivation path also follows—wife is not as good as concubine, concubine not as good as stealing; so satisfying!

Ninth Elder's eyes widened, shock and fear intertwined; he wanted to counterattack but discovered to his astonishment that both he and his guardian spirit couldn't move, locked down by spatial locks.

"Spatial Lock?"

Then came disbelief.

A Spirit Grandmaster preliminarily grasps spatial power and can create Spatial Locks!

Ninth Elder's heart was filled with shock—this meant Li Qingran was a Spirit Grandmaster!

How is this possible?

A year ago, at the Xiao Family ancestral hall, he personally witnessed Li Qingran self-destruct his guardian spirit.

A Spirit Master without a guardian spirit cannot cultivate.

Over time, cultivation continuously declines until becoming an ordinary person.

But on Li Qingran, he saw a miracle.

Li Qingran's strength not only didn't drop, but actually reached Spirit Grandmaster.

In one year, from Fifth-Rank Grand Spirit Master to Spirit Grandmaster—this cultivation speed, even Spirit Masters with SSS-rank guardian spirits couldn't achieve, right?

"You, how can you possibly be a Spirit Grandmaster?"

Ninth Elder exclaimed in horror, feeling a thunderclap in his mind; the scene before him began to blur.

This was the Silver Spirit's Illusion Curse taking effect.

Li Qingran casually asked: "Who sent you?"

A trace of struggle flashed across Ninth Elder's face; in the end, he obediently answered:

"It was Young Master Xiao Tianmie who sent me.

Yesterday I received a secret report that a youth with an appearance very similar to yours and of similar age appeared in Black Sea City.

Young Master Xiao Tianmie dispatched me to verify."

Li Qingran's gaze condensed, and he said in a deep voice: "One year ago, Xiao Tianmie didn't die?"

The Ninth Elder was like a walking corpse, knowing nothing he wouldn't say, saying nothing he wouldn't tell, completely unaware that he had spilled secrets known only to the Xiao clan's elder council.

"Young Master Xiao Tianmie's S-rank guardian spirit is a strange fire — the Void Devouring Flame.

The Void Devouring Flame is born from nothingness, formless and intangible, a rather bizarre existence.

The Void Devouring Flame also possesses a terrifying ability: it can split and produce child flames, becoming the guardian spirits of other spirit masters.

Even if the main flame is extinguished, as long as there are living child flames, it can possess the child flame's spirit master and achieve rebirth!"

"The Void Devouring Flame possesses the ability to devour all things; by devouring myriad spirits, one can rapidly increase cultivation.

Between heaven and earth, only a scant few guardian spirits can contend with this devouring ability."

"Currently, Young Master Xiao Tianmie's strength has already reached the Spirit Master Grandmaster realm!"

"Young Master Xiao Tianmie has already been pre-admitted to the Imperial Capital Heavenly Gate Spirit Master University!"

"..."

Listening to the Ninth Elder spill his guts, Li Qingran suddenly understood.

He hadn't expected there to be such a marvelous guardian spirit.

No wonder it could be rated an S-rank guardian spirit!

Li Qingran's killing intent surged.

"Xiao Tianmie, if I can kill you once, I can kill you ten times! A hundred times! I'll slaughter every last one of your child flame spirits!"

Li Qingran fired question after question: "What other secrets do you have?"

The Ninth Elder spoke calmly: "I drove to death the daughter of Old Man Liu in the northern suburbs of the Imperial Capital, because I wanted to keep her as a mistress, but she chose death over submission.

I embezzled the Xiao clan guard corps' public funds to visit prostitutes.

I have a fetish — Sister Wang's bras and panties are under the pillow in my house.

The Seventh Elder's son, Xiao Tianhuan, is my son.

The Seventh Elder's wife and I are very familiar; I know her depths, she knows my measure."

Li Qingran: "..."

"The last one, elaborate."

"..."

Yin Lingzi excels at illusion curses; during the ancient god-demon war, even the then Demon-Subduing Heavenly God Yi He could not unravel them.

With just a look from Li Qingran, the Ninth Elder spilled everything — even the color of the underwear and the Seventh Elder's wife's three measurements, he told him all.

Li Qingran only felt his pure thoughts had been polluted.

No more useful information.

"Then go die..."

Li Qingran absorbed and refined the essence of the Ninth Elder and the Illusory Golden Scorpion Dragon Beast's fire; a gust of wind blew, and one person and one spirit vanished like smoke, as if they had never come.

At this cultivation speed since arriving in Black Sea City, reaching the Spirit Master Saint realm would take a year at most.

Moreover, despite such rapid cultivation advancement, there were few aftereffects, because the Demon God Refining Art itself possesses tempering power, completely eliminating worry about hollow strength.

"Wonder how it compares to Xiao Tianmie's devouring ability — which is stronger?"

Li Qingran stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distance.