Chapter 999: Return

Li Qing's divine soul returned to his fleshly body, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Before him lay a porcelain bottle filled with medicinal pills and a black jar.

"Five Soul Condensation Pills. With these, I can save considerable effort in cultivating my divine soul in the future," he murmured, immediately storing the rewards in his storage bag.

Meanwhile, within his sea of consciousness, a profound and cryptic heart method had appeared.

After meditating on it for a while, Li Qing realized this heart method was no ordinary technique. It encompassed everything from divine soul cultivation to divine abilities and cultivation techniques, leaving nothing unaddressed.

The Nine Serpent Heart Sutra allowed simultaneous cultivation of the divine soul and the development of other powerful divine abilities.

This heart method originated from Nine Serpent Island, a place said to worship the true spirit, the nine-headed serpent.

"Excellent! The heart method even includes divine abilities related to the nine-headed serpent. Truly extraordinary! If I master this, I'll have gained an inheritance connected to a true spirit."

Li Qing had already cultivated the Kunpeng Treasure Technique, and the Kunpeng divine power within him had proven immensely beneficial. Over the years, this inheritance had allowed him to overcome countless enemies and escape perilous situations.

Obtaining another inheritance related to true spirits was undoubtedly a tremendous gain, its value no less than that of the Creation Origin Liquid or Soul Condensation Pill.

Just as Li Qing was about to replenish his divine soul power, the Heavenly Light Token in his lap began to glow.

Buzz!

The training expedition in the Heavenlight Secret Realm had concluded. He would now be teleported out, exiting through the same Guiding Dao Platform he had entered from.

"So soon? I was hoping to hunt a few more Ancient Savage Beasts after restoring my divine soul power. Now it seems I'll have to wait for the teleportation."

The essence blood of Ancient Savage Beasts was highly prized. Having refined his primordial spirit weapon and significantly enhanced his strength, Li Qing was now confident in facing those beasts comparable to cultivators in the void refinement realm. With his primordial spirit weapon, he could likely slay them with remarkable speed.

With a hint of regret, Li Qing sat cross-legged, awaiting the guiding light of teleportation.

Moments later, a clear light enveloped him, and the space around him began to distort and shift.

The prolonged journey through the Heavenlight Secret Realm had finally come to an end.

Boom!

As the spatial distortions subsided, Li Qing opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by scattered bull-headed men from Wild Bull Ridge.

To their surprise, the one who came to retrieve them wasn't the body integration realm old monster who had brought them here earlier, but a massive black bull as dark as ink.

"Brother Niu'an, why are you here to pick us up? Where are the elders?" Little Bull King asked urgently.

The Big Black Bull replied in a deep, rumbling voice, "War is about to break out. The Tree Demon Clan has been advancing north, launching another full-scale war against the Giant Spirit Race."

"This time, Wild Bull Ridge may not be able to remain neutral. The Tree Demon Clan's ancient ancestor aims to settle everything before the great heavenly tribulation descends."

"The elders have been overwhelmed with urgent matters these past few days. They have no time to spare for retrieving you."

As these words fell, a suffocating sense of dread washed over everyone present.

The Tree Demon Clan was truly preparing for a desperate, all-out war. This immortal dao war would likely be far more than the usual skirmishes.

Even Wild Bull Ridge, which had always maintained neutrality, couldn't remain uninvolved and would have to choose a side. Clearly, this war was destined to engulf the entire Tonggu Continent.

Upon hearing this news, Li Qing's expression darkened slightly. He hadn't expected such a sudden and drastic turn of events upon his return, leaving him no time to prepare.

In that instant, he felt an overwhelming urge to flee Tonggu Continent and seek refuge elsewhere.

The immortal dao war was no child's play. Once it fully erupted, no one could remain unscathed, and every inch of land could become a battlefield.

The human race of Profound Ancient City, being vassals of the Giant Spirit Race, would likely bear the brunt of the conflict.

Hu Sheng was the most anxious among them, repeatedly asking, "What's the situation now? How is Profound Ancient City?"

Having just emerged from the Heavenlight Secret Realm, Hu Sheng trembled at the news brought by Big Black Bull, fearing to hear even worse tidings.

Big Black Bull glanced sideways at him before finally answering, "The Tree Demon Clan has already reclaimed their lost territories. Your human race hasn't been directly affected yet, but it's unlikely you'll remain uninvolved for long."

Hu Sheng breathed a sigh of relief at this news.

Li Qing surveyed their surroundings and noticed that City Lord Lingxu was absent. He surmised that the sudden outbreak of war had kept the City Lord too occupied to greet them.

"Alright, let's return to Wild Bull Ridge first!" Big Black Bull waved his hand, then led the Wild Bull Ridge contingent away, leaving Li Qing and his companions behind.

Clearly, at this sensitive juncture, they wouldn't risk bringing Li Qing and the other humans back to Wild Bull Ridge.

After all, Wild Bull Ridge hadn't yet chosen a side. If the clan elders decided to support the Tree Demon Clan, Li Qing and his companions would be in grave danger.

"We should return to Profound Ancient City as soon as possible," Hu Sheng said. "This war has erupted so suddenly. The Tree Demon Clan must have been planning this for a long time."

Old Lord Hei You remained silent for a moment before replying, "This old one still needs to find a secluded place to prepare for advancing to the void refinement realm. I won't be returning to Profound Ancient City with you."

With that, he tossed a small porcelain bottle to Hu Sheng. "This contains Creation Origin Liquid," he continued. "It should be enough for Lingxu to survive his next great heavenly tribulation. When you see him, tell him this old one has fulfilled his duty."

Hu Sheng caught the bottle, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at Old Lord Hei You in confusion.

"Fellow Daoist Hei You, you're also a human from Profound Ancient City. Why aren't you returning to defend our city in this time of crisis?"

"Remember, you earned considerable merit in the previous war. This is the perfect opportunity to seize even greater opportunities!"

Old Lord Hei You replied coldly, "Then we'll see what happens after I advance to the void refinement realm. For now, I refuse to be drawn into this war."

With that, Old Lord Hei You decisively departed, fleeing in the opposite direction of Profound Ancient City.

Watching his retreating figure, Hu Sheng opened his mouth, hesitating as if wanting to say something but holding back.

Then, Hu Sheng turned to Li Qing beside him, his eyes filled with hope.

Li Qing's performance in the Heavenlight Secret Realm had been undeniably powerful. He had not only suppressed the Azure Phoenix Saintess of the Flying Spirit Clan but had also fought the Heavenly Sword Grass of the Tree Demon Clan to a bloody stalemate.

"Fellow Daoist Li, what about you? Are you also leaving?"

Hearing this, Li Qing shook his head with a wry smile.

He would have liked to simply vanish like Old Lord Hei You, but he didn't know where to go.

More importantly, he still needed to acquire the Ghost Eye Purple Gold, the crucial spiritual material for refining his second killing sword.

He needed to return to Profound Ancient City to negotiate a trade with the Marquis Family.