Chapter 382 Li Bai Will Come

After Tianxuanzi finished speaking, he stared fixedly at Li Qingqiu, waiting for his decision.

Li Qingqiu calmly said, “You speak in grandiose terms, but I’ve understood it clearly. You never came for the Human Emperor Bell at all. You came for yourself. This so-called mission is merely a smokescreen. In the end, you’ve simply reached a dead end.”

“You know the Clear Sky Sect is closest to the Land of Demons and Devils. Once we learn of a supreme treasure like the Human Emperor Bell, it would naturally be difficult to refuse. That’s why you concocted all these lofty-sounding excuses.”

When Tianxuanzi heard this, his expression changed slightly, and he instinctively wanted to defend himself.

Suddenly!

A terrifying pressure enveloped him, causing every hair on his body to stand on end as he trembled uncontrollably.

Li Qingqiu still sat upon the chair, but his expression had turned cold, bringing immense pressure upon Tianxuanzi.

“That is not what I intended. I truly—” Tianxuanzi hurriedly explained as beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead.

Li Qingqiu interrupted him.

“To scheme against the Clear Sky Sect, you truly think too highly of yourself. Since you know the Clear Sky Sect’s fortune is soaring, why not consider whether you are even qualified to toy with such fortune?”

Boom!

The terrifying pressure intensified once more, forcing Tianxuanzi to kneel before Li Qingqiu.

The great hall did not collapse, because Li Qingqiu had already dragged Tianxuanzi into his Dharma Form Domain.

Tianxuanzi was pressed down until he lowered his head. He gasped heavily for breath while the sound of his own heartbeat thundered in his ears. His heart was filled with shock and horror.

How was this possible!

The Clear Sky Sect actually hid such a terrifying expert!

He had believed Li Qingqiu had already surpassed the Heaven-Reaching Sunlight Realm. With such cultivation, no wonder the Clear Sky Sect’s fortune was so terrifying.

Only now did he truly realize how reckless he had been. He had originally thought that with his cultivation, even if negotiations failed, he would still be able to retreat safely.

As for the Life-Control Talisman, he had never intended to truly become controlled by it. He merely wanted to gain Li Qingqiu’s trust first before bringing up the talisman.

He had not actually deduced Wei Tianxiong’s existence. Rather, many of the Clear Sky Sect’s formations, magic implements, and pills carried traces of the Divine Origin Sect, leading him to suspect the Clear Sky Sect had inherited the Divine Origin Sect’s legacy.

Even if Li Qingqiu had not known about the Life-Control Talisman, it would not have mattered. He could simply have taught him the refinement method for it.

After countless calculations, the one thing he had failed to calculate was that Li Qingqiu was both this powerful and this domineering.

No wonder this small sect had managed to crush the Myriad Yin Sect and even devour Ziyang Island, becoming the local overlord of this region.

No, it was far more than a local overlord.

It was a fierce dragon!

Tianxuanzi regretted his actions so much his intestines nearly turned green. Right now, he could only think about how to escape.

“Sect Master Li… let’s discuss things properly… I hold no grudge against the Clear Sky Sect… The Human Emperor Bell truly exists, and it truly can help you. Using borrowed flowers to offer Buddha was indeed wrong of me, but the result would still benefit your sect…” Tianxuanzi gritted out through trembling lips, his entire body shaking as though he might collapse onto the ground at any moment.

He could sense that Li Qingqiu still concealed an even more terrifying power, forcing him to submit.

Li Qingqiu withdrew his aura, though he did not dispel the Dharma Form Domain. The surroundings appeared unchanged, but in reality, they had entered another space where no one could spy on their conversation.

“Hand over everything on you. Consider it redemption for your offense.” Li Qingqiu stared at Tianxuanzi and calmly said.

Tianxuanzi hurriedly removed his Storage Pouch and even took off a thumb ring, placing them on the ground.

Li Qingqiu raised a hand and took out a Life-Control Talisman. The moment Tianxuanzi recognized it, his expression drastically changed.

……

Ding Xuan and the others escorted Li Qingqiu to the entrance of the Tempering Hall. They exchanged glances with one another, never expecting the Sect Master to be so domineering that he would directly throw such a wealthy employer into the lowest level of the Suppressing Evil Tower.

The mission regarding the Human Emperor Bell was revoked, and the news spread throughout the sect that very same day, causing disciples and patrons alike to discuss it endlessly. The overwhelming majority trusted Li Qingqiu, though they remained puzzled about Tianxuanzi’s origins and objectives.

After returning to the Lingxiao Courtyard, Li Qingqiu played with the War God Sword Token in his hand, hesitating over whether he should personally make the trip.

According to Tianxuanzi, the treasures hidden within the War God Underground Palace were beyond estimation. Most importantly, the War God Underground Palace itself was a magic treasure once used by the ancient human race in their wars across heaven and earth. In ancient times, humanity had possessed many such underground palaces.

Li Qingqiu was extremely interested in both the War God Underground Palace and the Human Emperor Bell. Of course, what he looked forward to even more were the cultivation resources hidden within the underground palace.

This world possessed a long history. Who knew how many ruins of ancient forces lay buried beneath the earth? The Clear Sky Sect had already obtained considerable gains from such places, such as the Supreme Sword Underground Palace and the Demon Lord Immortal Palace.

Even now, these two underground palaces continuously provided endless resources for the Clear Sky Sect, while the inheritances within them also helped the sect advance further.

The current Clear Sky Sect produced new cultivation arts, spells, and secret arts every single day. The Supreme Sword Underground Palace and the Demon Lord Immortal Palace had played no small role in such development.

After much consideration, Li Qingqiu decided to personally make the journey.

Only by going himself could he truly feel at ease.

Within the Dharma Form Domain, he could sense that Tianxuanzi had not lied. The War God Underground Palace truly had the attention of many powerful factions. Trying to seize food from the mouths of wolves would not be easy.

He could not go under the identity of the Clear Sky Sect Master.

It seemed he would have to use the name Li Bai once again.

……

Inside a bright and spacious great hall, dozens of Clear Sky Sect cultivators led by Jiang Zhaoxia, Yang Jueding, and Xue Jin sat cross-legged before a massive stone pillar. The ground was uneven, and the furnishings appeared ancient and worn.

Looking into the distance, there were other groups of people gathered around different stone pillars just like the Clear Sky Sect cultivators, creating a silent atmosphere.

Yang Jueding leaned against the pillar with a blade of grass hanging from his mouth as he looked into the distance and said,

“When do you think this mechanism formation will activate again? If we continue waiting like this, trouble may appear.”

Jiang Zhaoxia and Xue Jin sat meditating on either side of him. Without even opening his eyes, Xue Jin replied,

“How would anyone know? According to what they said, this War God Underground Palace will attract many major sects. Perhaps some external force will trigger the mechanism formation.”

Jiang Zhaoxia remained silent as he focused on recovering his Vital Energy.

During the months they had been trapped here, he had already fought several battles, securing their current peace for the Clear Sky Sect.

Yang Jueding raised his gaze upward. The ceiling above the great hall resembled a gigantic compass, filled with intricate and profound patterns containing all phenomena beneath heaven. The Spirit Stones embedded within it resembled stars scattered across the sky, making it easy for one to lose themselves within the sight.

“Who exactly built this War God Underground Palace? Were the ancient human race truly as powerful as described on those stone walls?”

Yang Jueding muttered.

No one could answer his curiosity, because everyone around him was the same as him—coming from the barren land of the Nine Provinces and knowing very little about the ancient history of this world.

Bai Ning’er, who possessed the 【Lucky One】 Fate Trait, sat beside the Martial Sect elder Yan Daozong.

Bored, Bai Ning’er turned his head and saw Yan Daozong still frowning deeply, causing him to ask,

“Elder Yan, you’ve been deep in thought these past few days. What are you thinking about?”

Yan Daozong came back to his senses and replied,

“Earlier, I comprehended a secret art from the stone wall, but it is clearly incomplete. I’m still organizing it. If it proves cultivatable, I will submit it to the Scripture Repository.”

Bai Ning’er rolled his eyes and snorted,

“You obtained it yourself. There’s no need to hand it over. You’re far too rigid. How boring.”

Yan Daozong ignored his words and continued pondering the incomplete secret art.

Elsewhere—

Inside another tunnel of the War God Underground Palace, two figures were advancing side by side.

They were none other than Zhou Linghuan and Fang Shuang of the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect.

The two women walked shoulder to shoulder. Even within the dim environment, they still radiated brilliance, possessing graceful immortal bearing.

“Why separate from the others?” Fang Shuang glanced toward Zhou Linghuan and asked.

Zhou Linghuan looked ahead, seemingly recalling something as she softly said,

“The emergence of the War God Underground Palace caused an earth-shaking commotion. I guessed Li Bai would come, but I was afraid that if he saw me together with too many people, he would not dare approach. So I dragged you along to separate from the group.”

Fang Shuang shook her head helplessly.

“I think you’ve truly become obsessed. According to your own description, Li Bai is merely a wandering cultivator. Wandering cultivators fear trouble the most. He definitely would not involve himself in something like this.”

“But what if he does? I always feel he’s extremely arrogant.”

Zhou Linghuan replied, and the moment she thought of Li Bai, an involuntary smile appeared on her face.

Fang Shuang asked no further questions. She held little interest in either Li Bai or the War God Underground Palace. She had only come because of Zhou Linghuan’s invitation.

As if suddenly remembering something, Zhou Linghuan asked,

“Oh right, what about that disciple named Lin Xunfeng? You’re just ignoring him? The Yuan Clan is truly despicable. I asked them to hand over that girl, yet they still dared attempt murder. And my father too—he’s truly muddleheaded. His punishment toward the Yuan Clan was nothing more than superficial.”

Fang Shuang calmly replied,

“He has already betrayed the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect. Even if he suffered grievances, that was his own choice. What, am I supposed to chase after him? As for the Yuan Clan, between a major clan and a girl with mediocre spiritual root aptitude, the choice is obvious. I think the Sect Master did nothing wrong.”

Hearing these words, Zhou Linghuan frowned deeply, finding them unpleasant to hear.

“So compared to the lives of thousands upon thousands, a single person’s life truly holds no justice at all.” Zhou Linghuan mocked.

“Let me advise you: stop constantly opposing your father. The Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect may be powerful, but any mistaken decision could lead to irreversible destruction. You should try to understand your father. Perhaps he has done things incorrectly, but for the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect, he is a rare and excellent Sect Master.”

Fang Shuang’s words did not move Zhou Linghuan in the slightest. Instead, they only irritated her further.

“That may be true for all of you, but for those disciples who suffered injustice, he is the greatest evil. And as a husband and father, he has also failed in his duties. You can acknowledge his virtues, but I also have the right to disdain him.”

Zhou Linghuan snorted. Without waiting for Fang Shuang to continue, she changed the subject and asked,

“I heard many heaven-favored geniuses have come this time. Is it true?”

Fang Shuang nodded.

“That’s right. The War God Underground Palace concerns too much, and many sects are watching it. Immortal sects are leading the effort and do not wish to damage relations because of this matter, so those who came are mostly heaven-favored geniuses of the younger generation. Of course, some old cultivators from minor sects have also arrived. In short, this journey will not be easy. If the Li Bai you speak of truly comes, then he’s only looking for suffering.”

Hearing this, Zhou Linghuan widened her eyes.

“Impossible. As long as those old monsters do not appear, no one is Li Bai’s opponent. Even the Sword Demon lost to him.”

“The Sword Demon is indeed powerful, but within the Azure Dragon Domain, there are Heaven-Reaching Sunlight Realm cultivators stronger than him. Furthermore, this journey may even involve once-in-a-millennium geniuses from even higher realms.” Fang Shuang calmly replied.

Her words caused Zhou Linghuan to stare at her in shock.