Chapter 248: Venerable of the Vast Sky, Spatial Inheritance

Xiao Zhangqing, after listening, took a deep breath and said, "I didn't expect A Li to be a descendant of the Five Elements Emperor…"

"So now that the sect leader knows my disciple's identity, as long as we send A Li to Taiyi Gate, the San Yang Sect's crisis will be easily solved, and Fu Hai Sect and Zi Xia Sect will no longer dare to strike the San Yang Sect, right?"

Zi Xia Sect, among the nine great sacred lands, may not be at the bottom of the rankings, but at best it's mid‑tier.

Compared with Taiyi Gate, whose foundation is the deepest and whose strength consistently ranks in the top three, the gap is enormous.

Not to mention, Taiyi Gate has senior cultivators at the Late Nascent Soul stage, which alone can intimidate Zi Xia Sect.

There are also disparities among the sacred lands.

At that moment, the gravely wounded, dying Jin Mu Zhenren spat a mouthful of blood and laughed grotesquely, "With Hu Li present, the San Yang Sect might escape disaster, but our sect leader is inevitably doomed! Hahaha, Chi Xuan Zhenjun, even if I die today, it's only a step before you."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Xiao Zhangqing said, looking at Chi Xuan Zhenjun.

Chi Xuan Zhenjun remained silent, seemingly allowing Jin Mu Zhenren to lay his old secrets bare.

"Hehe, why? Naturally because our sect leader angered the Zi Xia sacred land, making his death unavoidable! Our San Yang Sect's current situation is entirely thanks to the elder's great achievements!"

Jin Mu Zhenren, knowing his death was certain, no longer held back and began to speak sarcastically, constantly mocking.

"Chi Xuan Zhenjun, you pursued personal desire, offending the Zi Xia sacred land, causing Cang Lan Zhenjun's body to be damaged and forcing his Nascent Soul to exit the dantian and flee! The result? It was a futile effort; you failed to reach the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, and our San Yang Sect gained no tangible benefit!"

"Yet now the San Yang Sect faces the risk of lineage extinction because of you! Shouldn't you feel a hundred deaths for your deeds?"

"Only if you die will our San Yang Sect have a chance!"

"If you die, the Zi Xia sacred land will cease its retaliation!"

Chi Xuan Zhenjun asked coldly, "Is that all?"

"No!"

Jin Mu Zhenren, hysterically, "You call me a sect traitor? I'm not! My cooperation with Fu Hai Sect was only to appease the Zi Xia sacred land's fury! If I hadn't discovered that Hu Li carries the royal bloodline of the Five Elements Dynasty, the San Yang Sect would have had no hope!"

"So I'm not a sect traitor; the real traitor is you!"

"If you die, under my leadership the San Yang Sect will surely revive! With Taiyi Gate's assistance, we might even surpass our former glory and reach a pinnacle!"

"Chi Xuan Zhenjun, a hundred deaths are nothing to you!"

"Noisy!"

Chi Xuan Zhenjun no longer wished to listen.

With a casual wave, a terrifying wave spread, and the powerless Jin Mu Zhenren instantly fragmented inch by inch, turning to ash.

For an elder who betrayed the sect, Chi Xuan Zhenjun could not possibly show mercy.

The reason he let him live until now was only to explain Hu Li's identity before Xiao Zhangqing, so that Xiao Zhangqing would believe him.

Now that the purpose was achieved, Jin Mu Zhenren no longer needed to stay alive.

Xiao Zhangqing did not intervene, but curiously asked, "Sect leader, I have a question; may I ask it?"

Chi Xuan Zhenjun said, "You want to ask why I offended the Zi Xia sacred land, causing Cang Lan Zhenjun's Nascent Soul to exit the dantian, right?"

Xiao Zhangqing nodded.

Chi Xuan Zhenjun then did not conceal anything and spoke truthfully.

It turned out that more than ten years ago, a ruin drifted onto the sea not far from Dongji Zhou, and at first only a few Foundation Establishment cultivators entered it; merely exploring the outermost area, many perished while many also obtained precious treasures.

Later, as the news spread and continuous exploration confirmed, it was identified as a Nascent Soul‑level ruin.

The dangers inside were not absolutely safe even for Nascent Soul cultivators, and naturally there were priceless treasures that could greatly aid a Nascent Soul Zhenjun.

Thus, the ruin attracted many Nascent Soul cultivators.

Chi Xuan Zhenjun, seeking a chance to breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, also took part.

But during the scramble for treasures inside, he clashed with the Zi Xia sacred land's Cang Lan Zhenjun.

Cang Lan Zhenjun tried to dominate with force, leveraging the Zi Xia sacred land's reputation to force Chi Xuan Zhenjun to leave and hand over the treasure.

However, that treasure was exactly what Chi Xuan Zhenjun coveted—a Pill that would aid his breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, so he naturally refused to relinquish it.

Thus the two relied on their own abilities, confronting each other head‑on.

In the end, neither obtained it; a mysterious cultivator swooped in and took it for himself.

Moreover, Cang Lan Zhenjun's body was destroyed, and his Nascent Soul escaped the dantian, allowing him to flee by luck.

After this battle, Cang Lan Zhenjun naturally came to hate Chi Xuan Zhenjun.

Although her body was not destroyed by Chi Xuan Zhenjun, in her view, had he not confronted her directly, she would not have ended up in this situation.

Moreover, since the San Yang Sect had been riding a wave of prestige, with a trend of dual Nascent Souls, the Zi Xia sacred land began to plot suppression in secret, openly allowing the Fu Hai Sect, which holds a centuries‑old feud with the San Yang Sect, to act, gradually pushing the San Yang Sect to today's predicament.

Xiao Zhangqing, after listening, had his doubts cleared.

No wonder, in his view, Chi Xuan Zhenjun was so unwise—knowing the San Yang Sect's destruction was inevitable, yet he remained indecisive, unable to abandon the ancestral legacy, arranging for some core disciples to leave while still attempting to clash with Fu Hai Sect.

Doing so was essentially grabbing both ends, yet neither side was favorable.

It would be better to be straightforward and lead a withdrawal.

As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood.

As long as this Nascent Soul Zhenjun is present, along with several elders and core disciples, the Qingxu Realm is vast—twenty‑one provinces, endless seas, and even remote barren lands overseas—so the San Yang Sect can find a new place to settle.

It turned out that Chi Xuan Zhenjun knew this calamity of the San Yang Sect stemmed from him; even though hope was slim and his life at risk, he had to try his best.

Otherwise he could not get past that inner barrier.

"Elder Fang, six months ago I made a proposal; have your thoughts changed now? If we join forces, can we eliminate Fu Hai Sect's Lingxiao Zhenjun?" Chi Xuan Zhenjun suddenly asked.

Xiao Zhangqing was instantly at a loss for words.

He could not get past it in his heart, unwilling to abandon the legacy and flee, intending to repay the sect's debt and settle a life‑or‑death battle with Fu Hai Sect.

"But why involve me?"

"Sect leader, your true enemy is the Zi Xia sacred land's Cang Lan Zhenjun. Even if you take a step back and make the best plan, if we join forces we can eliminate Lingxiao Zhenjun; would the Zi Xia sacred land then spare you?"

Xiao Zhangqing shook his head and advised, "Better to leave!"

Crimson Xuan True Lord said in a deep voice: "The Azure True Lord's mortal body was not destroyed by my hand; as for vying for the treasure, any secret realm or ruin's treasure is ownerless, always claimed by whoever has the skill, so there is no hatred between me and her. Even if she dislikes me, she can only achieve her goal through the Fuhai Sect. Otherwise it would violate the mutual pact among the Nine Great Sacred Lands."

"Therefore, as long as Lingxiao True Lord dies, even if Azure True Lord still wants to deal with me, she will be willing but powerless."

"In the Eastern Extreme State, she cannot find a second Fuhai Sect. No other force is willing to go to war with a Nascent Soul sect on her behalf."

"Moreover, Elder Fang, with your disciple Hu Li's status, the Sanyang Sect can turn the danger into safety!"

Xiao Zhangqing smiled and again firmly declined, "If Arli truly is a descendant of the Five Elements Dynasty's royal family, I am willing to send her to the Taiyi Gate in exchange for peace for the Sanyang Sect. But regarding dealing with Lingxiao True Lord, Sect Master, you should seek a higher authority…"

Even if this theory is sound, eliminating Lingxiao True Lord to resolve Red Xuan True Lord's crisis, he still does not wish to take that risk.

"What if we add this item?"

Suddenly, a cluster of leaves shimmering with a faint aura appeared before Red Xuan True Lord.

The leaves were not wrapped in any magical energy, yet they floated in the air.

No trace of any forging technique could be seen, and the material showed no special qualities.

If a common Qi cultivator, Foundation Establishment, or even a Golden Core cultivator saw these leaves, they might glance past them without paying attention.

But at the moment the leaves appeared, Xiao Zhangqing could not help but have his Primordial Spirit tremble.

Endless spatial force radiated from the leaves; only a Nascent Soul cultivator whose Primordial Spirit has merged with Heaven and Earth and who has grasped a hint of spatial power can perceive it clearly.

It seems a world is hidden within these leaves! A cultivator who has not yet comprehended spatial power can only sense the leaves' uniqueness and value, unable to feel how strong the embedded spatial force truly is.

A spatial Magic Treasure? No, it is the crystallized blood of a senior master who has profound mastery of spatial power!

Xiao Zhangqing's heart and spirit quivered.

Red Xuan True Lord nodded and said, "It appears that before Elder Fang was forced to usurp a body, his cultivation was far beyond mine; he had already begun to touch spatial power, which allowed him to recognize the leaf's nature at a glance."

A Nascent Soul cultivator whose Primordial Spirit merges with Heaven and Earth can directly perceive the power of Heaven and Earth, no longer merely absorbing the ambient spiritual energy.

But the power of Heaven and Earth, like spiritual energy, also has different attributes.

Spatial power also belongs to the power of Heaven and Earth, yet it is a deeper layer than the commonly encountered Five Elements power.

Generally, only senior cultivators in the later Nascent Soul stage, or those with profound accumulation and extraordinary talent in the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, study spatial power.

"Elder Fang, have you ever heard of the Vast Sky Venerable?" Red Xuan True Lord asked.

Xiao Zhangqing searched his memory briefly and quickly replied, "Is it the Vast Sky Venerable who reached the Transformation God Venerable realm in the same era as the Five Elements Emperor?"

Red Xuan True Lord nodded, "If the Vast Sky Venerable was not born in the same era as the Five Elements Emperor, he would still be a peerless figure who dominated a generation. Even when he was contemporary with the ascended Five Elements Emperor, the Vast Sky Venerable's brilliance was never fully concealed; he once contested the world with the Five Elements Emperor, sharing the glory equally for a time."

"Unfortunately, the Five Elements Emperor was truly unparalleled before and after— the first of his kind in the history of the Qingxu Realm— and in the end the Vast Sky Venerable was defeated, left the continent, and fled overseas…"

"This Bodhi Leaf is a legacy left by the Vast Sky Venerable!"

"Refine this Bodhi Leaf, and the Vast Sky Venerable will seemingly transcend time and space, appear before you, and teach you a top‑tier Spatial Divine Skill of the Nascent Soul level!"

"If one's spatial talent is outstanding, they can incorporate this Spatial Divine Skill at the entry level; when the Vast Sky Venerable's cave residence ruins appear again, this Bodhi Leaf will allow direct entry to the deepest part of the ruins to undergo the Venerable's test! Passing the test will bring unimaginable opportunities!"

"This leaf is enough to make many Nascent Soul Middle Stage True Lords flock to it like swallows, seizing it. Even some late‑stage Nascent Soul masters would be interested."

"Elder Fang, if you are willing to join forces with me to eliminate the Fuhai Sect's Lingxiao True Lord, I will give you the Bodhi Leaf."

A transmission left by the Transformation God Venerable.

Moreover, it is a talent of extraordinary brilliance, among the top in the Transformation God Venerable's circle!

The transmission sounds like a preliminary cultivation method for a certain test; if mastered, even greater opportunities may follow.

Honestly, Xiao Zhangqing was moved.

For most Nascent Soul True Lords, obtaining this Bodhi Leaf may not be very useful, nor guarantee comprehension of the Spatial Divine Skill.

Xiao Zhangqing is different; he already possesses spatial talent, and with the item in his inventory, he can almost certainly learn this Spatial Divine Skill.

His problem is that receiving this Spatial Divine Skill transmission is best done back in Da Yu's Cultivation World.

And after returning to Da Yu's Cultivation World, he does not know when he will be able to return again.

He also does not know when the Vast Sky Venerable's cave residence ruins will reappear.

Heh—he took a deep breath, calculated for a moment, and asked: "Was the last ruin we saw the Vast Sky Venerable's cave residence ruin?"

Red Xuan True Lord nodded, "Although the most precious treasure was not obtained by Azure True Lord or me, it was snatched away by a mysterious cultivator. Yet my expedition to the ruins was not entirely fruitless; this Bodhi Leaf is what I retrieved from the ruins."

Xiao Zhangqing asked again, "Then how can we determine when the Vast Sky Venerable's cave residence ruins will appear next? Must we stay stationed in the Eastern Extreme State?"

Red Xuan True Lord explained, "No need. After refining the Bodhi Leaf, when the next ruin appears, there will be a resonance. If you have incorporated this Spatial Divine Skill at the entry level, you can even teleport from far away directly into the ruin through space!"

Hiss! If that's the case, it's rather nice.

"One final question: if I agree to cooperate with the Sect Master to deal with Lingxiao True Lord, it won't be that I only receive the Bodhi Leaf after Lingxiao True Lord is gravely injured or dead, will it?"

Xiao Zhangqing asked the most important question. (End of chapter)