Chapter 245: Don

“Die!”

Ji Xuan gritted her teeth against the searing pain in her abdomen, immediately channeling spiritual power to stem the bleeding—but it was no use.

But soon, her expression changed: the blood still poured relentlessly from the wound, her spiritual power unable to halt even a single drop.

“The sword is poisoned?” was the first thought that flashed through Ji Xuan’s mind.

Without hesitation, she pulled out a large quantity of high-grade antidote pills and swallowed them all at once—yet still, nothing happened. A wave of panic surged through her.

Watching Zhou Qing’s figure shrink into a golden speck in the sky, Ji Xuan’s fury burned hotter.

She no longer cared about caution—she shot forward at her maximum speed.

“Brat, stop right there!” Ji Xuan roared, her voice thick with murderous intent.

Zhou Qing laughed loudly in midair, feeling utterly exhilarated—finally, he’d gotten his revenge.

But a Soul Transformation cultivator was vastly different from others—even if half his blood had spilled, his Primordial Spirit could temporarily leave the body to fight.

Especially since this was still Qingyu Immortal Sect’s territory.

All he needed to do now was annoy her a little longer, then escape quickly before Qingyu’s space vessel caught up.

“Old dog, are you even capable? I’ve already slowed down.”

“If you can’t catch me, call for help—you’re used to bullying others with your numbers anyway.”

“Slow down, you’re past your prime—don’t bruise or break a bone.”

…

Zhou Qing kept taunting her with words; Ji Xuan was furious and desperate, yet she couldn’t close the distance.

Especially as she realized: the faster she moved her spiritual power, the faster the blood gushed from her wound—her body grew weaker, her vision blurred, her head spun.

“What kind of poison is this? How terrifying!” Ji Xuan’s dread deepened with every chase.

Seeing Zhou Qing constantly provoking ahead, she gritted her teeth, dove down, and hid her physical body.

Then, her Primordial Spirit glided free, instantly streaking toward Zhou Qing.

After all, she was a veteran Soul Transformation peak—if even she couldn’t handle this strange poison, no one else stood a chance.

If Zhou Qing escaped now, where would she find an antidote?

Seeing how readily he abandoned his body, Zhou Qing suddenly conceived a bold, reckless idea.

Since you like to overreach, I’ll gamble too!

With that thought, Zhou Qing roared, spun around, and his entire body erupted in thunder.

“Old dog, I see you’ve studied the Thunder Arts of Jin Leizong—you love framing others. Then judge this technique of mine!”

As he spoke, Zhou Qing swiftly formed hand seals, muttering incantations under his breath.

With his movements, the thunderous energy in the air grew wilder—countless lightning-lit meteorites crashed down from the sky.

Simultaneously, a colossal spectral lion emerged slowly from behind him, unleashing a deafening roar before charging straight at Ji Xuan.

“I’m gone!” Zhou Qing laughed loudly and turned to flee.

Ji Xuan’s Primordial Spirit froze, her face turning pale.

Just as she moved to react, the lion—defying all logic—exploded violently.

In an instant, a powerful shockwave erupted from the lion’s core, spreading wildly in all directions.

The surrounding peaks collapsed under the force, crumbling into countless shards of rock.

Ji Xuan recoiled instantly, watching helplessly as the energy wave flattened everything around her.

“Brat, you’re too eager!” Ji Xuan sneered—she hadn’t been scratched at all—and immediately chased after him again.

A few breaths later, to everyone’s shock, Zhou Qing crawled out of a ravine below, covered in dust and dirt.

He watched Ji Xuan’s retreating back, a smile spreading across his face.

“I won! She ignored me again!”

His original plan had been: if this failed, he’d use the Jin Wu Burning Sky Scripture and try again.

If that failed, he had the Cang Lei Sword Art—these three techniques could be cycled endlessly.

One of them would inevitably trigger [Reduce Presence].

But he hadn’t expected it to work on the first try.

Zhou Qing immediately turned and looked back, rubbing his hands excitedly, recalling where Ji Xuan had fallen, then sprinted toward it.

Soon, he reached the area, unleashing a vast spiritual sense, scanning the ground repeatedly.

In moments, his face lit up—he landed, smashed the cliffside with a single punch, and revealed Ji Xuan’s body, still gushing blood from her abdomen.

Simultaneously, Ji Xuan’s Primordial Spirit sensed the danger to her body and erupted in rage.

“Brat, how dare you!” Without hesitation, she spun back with full force.

*Squelch—*

Without the slightest pause, Zhou Qing slashed the *Poisoned Blade* across Ji Xuan’s neck—her head rolled free, and he caught it in his hand.

“This Poisoned Blade really works—useless against anything else, but slicing flesh? Utterly razor-sharp!”

Zhou Qing muttered to himself, then swung the *Poisoned Blade* wildly, hacking and chopping at Ji Xuan’s corpse.

But Soul Transformation cultivators’ bones were too hard—the *Poisoned Blade* hit its limit here.

Seeing only a bloody pulp remain, Zhou Qing immediately fled in another direction.

This time, less than ten breaths passed before Ji Xuan’s Primordial Spirit returned.

Gazing at the unrecognizable heap of bloody flesh and shattered bones, her Primordial Spirit trembled violently, her eyes blazing with fire.

“Zhou Qing! I’ll tear you into a thousand pieces! Tear you into a thousand pieces!”

Ji Xuan screamed to the heavens, her voice raw with agony.

…

Zhou Qing, still carrying a severed head, shuddered and redoubled his speed.

Two days later, in a forest, Zhou Qing was frantically absorbing spirit stones to replenish his strength when he immediately concealed his aura with the Void Realm Manifestation.

Three breaths later, wind howled overhead—flashes of light shot past above him.

Zhou Qing cautiously looked up—and when he recognized the figures, his tense face broke into a grin.

No longer caring about concealment, he shot skyward and shouted: “Uncle Bai!”

At that moment, Cao Zheng was frantic, receiving reports from every direction.

Especially after learning someone had found Li Bin’s corpse and was investigating it—his heart grew heavier.

Just as he prepared to return to the site of Li Bin’s body, a familiar voice rang out from below.

He froze, then looked around—but saw no one.

“Damn it, I’m hallucinating now!”

Cao Zheng, exhausted, rubbed his temples instinctively—then noticed a figure racing toward him.

When he saw who it was, Cao Zheng could no longer hold back—his eyes instantly filled with tears.

“Zhou Qing!” His voice trembled as he rushed forward and embraced him tightly, afraid it was a dream.

“Where have you been? You scared us to death!” Cao Zheng asked anxiously.

The others nearby also spotted the unharmed Zhou Qing—their tense hearts eased, and they gathered around, faces filled with relief.

Zhou Qing, still held in Cao Zheng’s arms, felt embarrassed and quickly broke free.

“I’m fine—it was Qingyu Immortal Sect!” He immediately pulled out Ji Xuan’s severed head.

When Cao Zheng saw the head in Zhou Qing’s hand, his pupils shrank sharply—the others froze in place, eyes wide with disbelief.

What had they just seen?

The severed head of Qingyu Immortal Sect’s Grand Elder—held aloft by the Young Master.

How was this possible?

Cao Zheng swallowed hard, stunned into silence.

“You—you did what?” Cao Zheng asked, voice trembling.

Zhou Qing snorted coldly, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

“That night, Li Bin came to me—he said he saw my second senior sister’s figure in Yanlong City…”

…

Qingyu Immortal Sect!

A unconscious body was carried in by Yun Jing and gently placed on the ground.

The person was none other than Yuan Ya, familiar to Zhou Qing.

“This girl is the only one left with solid roots in our sect—and she’s close to Zhou Qing. It was her who showed him the escape route!”

Yun Jing brushed his sleeve.

Ji Xuan’s Primordial Spirit hovered in midair, nodding, eyes filled with hatred, voice shrill: “This brat tricked me twice—I’ll kill everyone connected to him!”

At this moment, Ji Xuan’s hatred for Zhou Qing had reached its peak—she longed to tear him into a thousand pieces.

“Don’t rage so much. At our age, the body is just a temporary shell—make do with it. You’re never going to cross that final threshold anyway.”

Yun Jing sighed softly, his expression calm.

Ji Xuan forced down her fury, then turned to the three and urged: “I was careless—I let that brat slip right under my nose. What do we do now?”

The Poison Witch fell silent, then spoke slowly: “Apologies are impossible now. We used Li Bin to steal secrets from Taiqingmen, then killed him and framed Jin Leizong—especially Zhou Qing—he’s struck at Taiqingmen’s very foundation.”

The conflict between both sides is irreconcilable—no amount of compensation will help.

“So the only option left is to quickly seek allies to face Taiqingmen’s wrath.”

The Poison Witch added.

“Allies? Who are you looking for? The only one who can now stand up to Taiqingmen is Cangyan Dao Palace!” Lei Zhen’s eyes flashed, and the words slipped out.

The Chan Po nodded gravely. “That’s right—it’s Cangyan Dao Palace. But we may need to seek the Sect Master’s opinion first.”

“I agree!” At that moment, Xuan You Xianzi pushed open the door and entered.

Her gaze was unusually calm, as if she had already prepared for everything.

The Chan Po rose quickly. “It’s merely a delaying tactic, Sect Master—no need to worry.”

“This whole matter began because of me. I’ve dragged all you uncles and the entire Qingyu Immortal Sect into this!”

After speaking, Xuan You Xianzi knelt directly and bowed her head to beg forgiveness—but four figures swiftly blocked her.

They held her up, their eyes filled with pity.

“Sect Master, absolutely not! We’ve said it before—this has nothing to do with you. This is our fate, and it is Qingyu Immortal Sect’s fate!”

Xuan You Xianzi looked up at the four aged figures before her, tears welling uncontrollably down her cheeks.

When she first entered the sect, her four uncles were at the peak of their vigor.

Now, their hair was streaked white, their bodies no longer straight—but still they toiled tirelessly for the sect.

As Sect Master, she owed them so much.

…

“Cangyan Dao Palace’s sacred grounds—who are you?”

At the mountain gate of Cangyan Dao Palace, the guarding disciple raised his voice, alert and wary.

A stern old woman descended from the sky, radiating the aura of a Soul Transformation realm’s peak—every disciple froze, breath held, eyes locked on her.

Then the gate’s barrier rippled. Yan Xiao, the Elder stationed here, rushed forward with a beaming smile and bowed deeply.

“So it’s Elder Yun Jing of Qingyu Immortal Sect! We had no idea you’d come—forgive our tardy welcome.”

Yun Jing did not respond immediately. Her cold gaze swept over them all, finally settling on Yan Xiao.

She spoke slowly: “I’ve come today to discuss urgent matters with your Dao Palace’s Sect Master.”

Yan Xiao frowned slightly, yet kept his smile. “May I ask, what matter, Elder? So I may report it accurately.”

Yun Jing cut straight to the point: “A marriage alliance.”

“Marriage alliance?” Yan Xiao froze, stunned. “With whom?”

He’d heard rumors: Qingyu Immortal Sect’s Sect Master, Xuan You Xianzi, had taken her top disciple Zhu He to Taiqingmen—also for a marriage alliance.

And the intended groom? Zhou Qing—the rising star of the younger generation.

So why now was Qingyu Immortal Sect suddenly coming to Cangyan Dao Palace for the same thing?

Had they been rejected by Taiqingmen and now saw Cangyan Dao Palace as a backup?

Yun Jing’s expression remained calm. “The alliance is between our two sects—between our Sect Master and your Dao Palace’s Master.”

Yan Xiao froze again.

Their Master, Sikong Yan, had pursued Xuan You Xianzi for years—but she’d never even looked his way.

At the start of the Five Sects War, our sect struck Qingyu Immortal Sect first. The hatred between us ran deep.

And now Qingyu Immortal Sect proposes marriage?

“Any other questions?” Yun Jing’s gaze burned into Yan Xiao, cold and sharp.

Yan Xiao snapped back to himself. “No, no! Elder, just wait a moment!”

Saying this, Yan Xiao hurried inside.

Yun Jing stared at the enemy sect she despised, sighing inwardly.

If she could’ve avoided it, she’d rather die than step foot here.

But now, a perfect hand had been shattered by her own missteps.

Time passed slowly. The atmosphere at the gate grew heavier.

Soon after, Yan Xiao emerged, his expression complex, a strange look on his face—as if wrestling with something.

“Open the gate. Let me in to speak with him!” Yun Jing stepped forward, voice commanding.

Yan Xiao bowed slightly—but his face showed no sign of granting entry.

Instead, he said gravely: “Elder, you misunderstand. I’m not here to invite you in—I’m here to deliver a message.”

Yun Jing’s brow snapped shut, a flash of irritation in her eyes.

In the past, Sikong Yan had visited Qingyu Immortal Sect countless times to court Xuan You Xianzi.

Back then, though not intimate, the two sects maintained basic courtesy and contact.

Even after the Five Sects War, relations had changed—but not to this degree of disrespect.

Especially since Qingyu Immortal Sect had come humbly to propose marriage.

“Deliver a message? What message?” Yun Jing forced her voice cold, suppressing her rage.

Yan Xiao took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “The Master says your Sect Master is nearly dead. He doesn’t want to become a widower so young.”

“Besides, if she carries some contagious illness, his frail body won’t survive. So the marriage alliance is off.”

“Jin Leizong’s Sect Master, Lei Wuji, is big and strong. You can go bother him.”

The gate guards bit their lips, struggling not to laugh, faces flushed red.

Yun Jing trembled with fury.

She never imagined Sikong Yan would say such an insulting thing.

But how did he know the Sect Master was dying?

Was that unseen white-robed man him?

Impossible. It made no sense.

“Elder Yun Jing, Jin Leizong lies that way. Good riddance!”

Yan Xiao turned and strode into the barrier, leaving Yun Jing alone at the gate.

Yun Jing’s face burned with humiliation and rage. She whipped her sleeve, snorted coldly, and flew away on her sword.

…

Soon after, Xuan You and the others received the news—their faces turned grim.

Of the five sects in the Eastern Region, the strongest were Taiqingmen and Cangyan Dao Palace.

Qingyu Immortal Sect had already angered Taiqingmen. Now Cangyan Dao Palace stood by, watching the tiger and leopard fight, refusing aid.

As for Tianji Men, their Sect Master, Xuan Ji Zi, had perished in the Linggu Skull Mountain’s secret realm—now they were barely surviving themselves, unable to ally with Qingyu.

Besides, they were Cangyan Dao Palace’s most loyal lapdogs.

Thus, the only sect Qingyu Immortal Sect might still ally with was Jin Leizong.

But the question remained: what leverage could they offer to make Jin Leizong willingly join them against Taiqingmen?

After all, Jin Leizong wasn’t foolish. They were still recovering. Without a tempting enough prize, they’d never risk involvement.

“What if we leak the Nine You Lotus Seed secret? We’ve already failed anyway.”

The Chan Po frowned, hesitating.

Xuan You Xianzi shook her head slowly, grave.

“What good would that do? Everyone’s already absorbed the seeds. No one can steal them now.”

“And doing this would alienate the other sects—especially Cangyan Dao Palace, which holds ten seeds. Not worth it.”

Lei Zhen agreed: “Yes. One of the four sects may have already secretly severed their spirit. No one’s stupid enough to provoke them.”

Then, seated quietly nearby, “Yuan Ya” slowly opened her eyes—but now her gaze was ancient, weary.

“Perhaps there’s one last way to buy us time,” Yuan Ya’s voice spoke—but it was Ji Xuan’s ancient, hoarse tone.

The three turned to her.

Ji Xuan, having devoured Yuan Ya’s spiritual sense and successfully possessed her, spoke slowly: “Three Flowers Gather at the Crown. Linggu Skull Mountain.”

The three froze for a moment—then their eyes blazed.

Brilliant move—drive the tiger to devour the wolf!

…

Almost simultaneously, Jin Leizong and Tianji Men received the shocking news from Qingyu Immortal Sect.

They couldn’t believe it—these people had dared strike at Taiqingmen’s preordained heir.

Why?

Why had there been no warning?

But regardless of motive, attacking the heir was an open declaration of war—an affront to the entire sect.

This would not be settled easily.

Now, the show was about to begin!

…

Taiqingmen, Council Hall!

“Unthinkable! Utterly unthinkable!”

Upon hearing the details, several Peak Masters glared in fury.

Ling Yue Xiao, Peak Master of Baizhan Peak, slammed his fist down—shattering the redwood desk into two pieces.

Who was Zhou Qing? A core disciple of Xiao Ling Peak, Taiqingmen’s prodigy, idol to countless young disciples, a Level-Two Array Master—his future boundless.

He’d nearly been quietly murdered by those old women.

Worse—they’d tried to frame Jin Leizong, deliberately provoking a war between the two sects. Their cruelty was monstrous.

“Laughable. You thought he was Three Flowers Gathered at the Crown? Why didn’t you say he was Four Flowers Gathered?”

Master Tong Min of Jade Clear Peak wore an angry expression, her tone brimming with mockery and disdain.

Master Ruan Mingxiu of Cloud Conceal Peak rose to his feet and said: “What’s left to discuss? They’re already shitting on our necks—fight, we must crush them hard!”

Cao Zhengyang frowned deeply, glancing at Zhou Qing first, then sweeping his gaze over the group: “You may not know about Xuan You’s condition—and of course, I know she won’t last much longer…”

He then shared some secret details with his junior disciples, giving them a general understanding of why they had come to Zhou Qing.

After hearing this, the group finally grasped the full reason—and grew even angrier.

Is rapid advancement to Foundation Establishment the same as the Three Flowers Converging on the Crown?

Then all the prodigies in the entire Level Four spiritual nation ought to die, then?

“So far, they haven’t sent anyone to explain or negotiate—clearly, they’ve decided to burn everything down. If so, we must be cautious!”

Cao Zhengyang said solemnly.

It’s said the barefoot have nothing to fear from the shodded; with the sect master about to perish, who knows what outrageous acts the Qingyu Immortal Sect might commit?

Especially our Taiqingmen—six peak masters are in seclusion, likely to reach Great Perfection and emerge within a year or so.

Others held spirit stones tightly, eagerly awaiting the chance to break through.

Master Gao Xuan of Golden Sun Peak understood his sect master’s concerns—especially whether the Qingyu Sect might ally with the Cangyan Dao Palace or other sects?

Or worse, might the Cangyan Dao Palace sit back and reap the benefits, stepping in to clean up the wreckage once Taiqingmen and Qingyu Immortal Sect have crippled each other?

After all, Sikong Yan’s mysteries run too deep; his methods are erratic and unpredictable, always leaving people unable to fathom him.

Moreover, if we start a war now, Taiqingmen will inevitably suffer losses.

Then we’d have to spend time healing hidden injuries, delaying our own advancement to Great Perfection.

What might happen during that time? No one can say.

If we could delay just a few more years, until Taiqingmen has thirteen full Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivators, even if all four sects united, we’d have sufficient strength to stand against them.

But right now, we cannot retreat an inch—if we do, how will Taiqingmen ever stand again in Lingyun Prefecture?

Do they really think we’re easy to bully!

“Send Li Bin’s corpse to Jin Leizong first—at least prevent them from forming an alliance!” Gao Xuan said after a pause.

Cao Zhengyang nodded in agreement and immediately ordered his subordinates to carry it out.

Tianji Sect poses no serious threat to Taiqingmen—we don’t even consider them worth noticing.

The real concern remains the Cangyan Dao Palace.

(End of Chapter)