Chapter 953

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Xu Zhangqing circulated the Power of Creation to its utmost limit; the Qing Emperor's Dao Marks forcibly obscured the heavenly secrets, not leaking a single thread of aura.

Li Chuan shrank behind Xu Zhangqing, a trace of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

He knew Gui Lao was powerful, but he had not expected him to actually be a Great Power of the Refining Void stage.

Over these years, he had run into the other party several times; fortunately, there had been no contact or conflict.

Otherwise, what would be standing here today would probably be nothing more than an unnamed burial mound.

At this moment, Gui Lao stood beneath the Xuan Huang Ling Zong Fang Men; the Xuan Huang Ancient Coffin contracted, finally transforming into a wisp of flowing light, which he took into his Storage Magic Treasure.

Having done all this, his turbid eyes opened, a sharp beam of light sweeping across the surroundings, like an invisible giant hand ruthlessly crushing the surrounding Disaster Mist and Turbid Qi.

It looked as if he were searching for something.

Seeing this scene, Xu Zhangqing did not panic in the slightest.

After all, he was operating an Immortal-rank Cultivation Method; its concealment ability was not to be underestimated.

Gui Lao's Divine Sense surged over like a tide, sweeping past the collapsed Dongting Old Site, sweeping past the surging Disaster Mist, sweeping past the position where Xu Zhangqing and Li Chuan were concealed, yet it did not linger.

He discovered nothing, and this caused his brows to furrow slightly.

Previously, he had clearly perceived a faint, barely-there fluctuation, but it vanished in the blink of an eye.

His withered fingers lightly pinched and moved, the aura around him stirring faintly, as if he were divining something.

A moment later, the sharpness in Gui Lao's eyes gradually faded, returning to turbidity, and along with it his Divine Sense was completely withdrawn.

That trace of abnormality just now had been perfectly covered by the Power of Creation and the Qing Emperor's Dao Marks, making it impossible to divine.

Gui Lao did not stay any longer, nor did he bother with that Fang Men still standing in place; his figure turned into a gray streak, piercing through the sky-filling Disaster Mist in an instant, vanishing at the horizon.

Not until Gui Lao's aura had completely dissipated, with not a shred remaining perceptible, did Xu Zhangqing turn his head and exchange a glance with Li Chuan.

In both their eyes, a thread of solemn color surfaced.

Li Chuan spoke in a low voice: "My Lord, that was close!"

Xu Zhangqing did not respond; his gaze fell upon that Xuan Huang Ling Zong Fang Men, his eyes filled with shock — he had never imagined matters would become complex to this degree.

Gui Lao took away the Xuan Huang Ancient Coffin, yet left behind the Fang Men.

From this it could be seen: his target from beginning to end had only ever been that Ancient Coffin.

Li Chuan could not help but ask: "My Lord, is there still a problem?"

Xu Zhangqing slowly spoke: "Before, I still wondered why Gui Lao's attitude toward the Dongting Immortal Sect was so subtle — at times indifferent, at times attentive.

Thinking back now, it was all disguise."

He paused, then continued: "This person was never a member of the Dongting Immortal Sect; he stayed here for thousands of years, enduring without acting, merely to hibernate, to wait for the opportunity to seize this Xuan Huang Ancient Coffin."

Hearing this, Li Chuan's pupils contracted sharply: "My Lord, you mean to say Gui Lao came for the Xuan Huang Ling Zong's things from the very start?

Then what exactly is his relationship with the Dongting Immortal Sect?"

"Unclear."

Xu Zhangqing shook his head: "But one thing is certain — he and the Xuan Huang Ling Zong that was destroyed ten thousand years ago inevitably have intricate connections.

Perhaps he is a remnant of the Xuan Huang Ling Zong, perhaps a powerhouse who coveted the Xuan Huang Ancient Coffin back then.

Hibernating until now, all for today."

Just as the two were conversing, a strange fluctuation emanated from within the Xuan Huang Ling Zong Fang Men.

Xu Zhangqing's expression changed; he immediately looked over, only to see that ten-zhang-tall Fang Men — though it had lost the suppression of the Xuan Huang Ancient Coffin — still continuously sent out dense Earth Qi, and the concentration of the Earth Qi was growing higher and higher.

It even spread along the cracks in the ground, extending across the entire Dongting Old Site.

At first, only turbid Earth Qi was being transmitted, but gradually, strands of Turbid Qi began to mix into the Earth Qi, and then the Turbid Qi grew denser and denser, gradually evolving into a nauseating Filth Qi.

This qi reeked of blood and rot; spreading with the wind, wherever it passed, even the Disaster Mist was corrupted, becoming even more yin-turbid and dead silent.

Xu Zhangqing circulated the Power of Creation, forming a barrier that shielded himself and Li Chuan, isolating them from those Filth Qi.

Within this Filth Qi lay dense Dead Silence Power; the slightest carelessness would erode the Divine Soul and pollute the Dao Foundation.

It bore several points of similarity to the Earthly Filth Qi he had sensed beneath the Yin River previously.

Li Chuan summoned the Corpse King Sword and said solemnly: "My Lord, this Filth Qi is wrong!

It's too yin-evil, even more terrifying than the Disaster Mist originally at the Dongting Old Site!"

Xu Zhangqing did not speak; a spiritual sense stirring, he stared fixedly at the Fang Men entrance, and in the next second, an incredulous expression appeared on his face.

Only to see, deep within the Fang Men, a cold, turbid eye appear.

That vertical pupil was incomparably huge, its surface covered in strange patterns; if one observed carefully, one would discover that within those patterns were countless Rolling Earth Dragons struggling bitterly.

Overall, it exuded an aura of dead silence and decay.

A mere glance caused his Divine Soul a burst of stabbing pain.

"Tu Soil God!"

Xu Zhangqing, incredulous: "It's the Tu Soil God's Divine Eye again!"

He never in ten thousand years expected that he would, in this place, see the Tu Soil God once more.

Back then in the Deep Yin River, he had chanced upon it once.

Even through the other's Divine Eye, he had entered the Qing Emperor's Back Garden.

He had always thought the Tu Soil God existed only in the Deep Yin River, yet never imagined that within this Fang Men of the Xuan Huang Ling Zong destroyed ten thousand years ago, a Divine Eye of the Tu Soil God was also hidden.

Between the two, there unexpectedly existed such a tight connection.

This is too inconceivable!

The Yellow Spring Alliance, the Xuanhuang Spirit Sect, Gui Lao, the Xuanhuang Ancient Coffin, the Tu Soil God, the Yin River... countless clues linked together in Xu Zhangqing's mind, and a chill instantly spread through his whole body.

He faintly felt that behind this, a secret spanning ten thousand years was hidden.

And Gui Lao seizing the Xuanhuang Ancient Coffin, the Tu Soil God's Divine Eye lurking within the Fang Door — perhaps these were merely the tip of the iceberg of this secret.

"Tu Soil God?"

Li Chuan looked at the increasingly dense Tu Qi, and the heart-palpitating Divine Eye deep within the Fang Door, his expression growing increasingly solemn: "This Fang Door has been continuously releasing Earth Qi and Tu Qi; if this continues, the entire Dongting Old Site will be thoroughly corrupted!"

Xu Zhangqing took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

One look at this matter and you know the water runs very deep.

Rather than looking for trouble when there is none, better to let the High Level of the Dongting Immortal Sect have the headache.

Afterward, he turned his gaze onto Li Chuan.

The other party had followed him for many years, and could be called loyal and devoted.

Now the Dongting Old Site is extraordinarily perilous; naturally he cannot continue staying here.

Immediately, Xu Zhangqing said in a deep voice: "From now on, you need not stay here.

Anyway, your cultivation has already touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul Stage.

Rather than staying here to take risks, better to find a place where Spiritual Energy is abundant, hidden and safe, and peacefully undergo the Calamity.

You breaking through to Nascent Soul early can also help me share more pressure."

Li Chuan heard this and nodded: "You are right."

Xu Zhangqing raised his right hand, Golden Light flashing in his palm: "You already have the Corpse King Sword and the Myriad Aspects Spirit Fur; now adding a few Xuan Yuan Golden Light Talismans, crossing the Calamity will be as good as in the bag!"