Chapter 286 - 170: Disturbance in Demon Ridge, Clash at the Peak

Chapter 286: Chapter 170: Disturbance in Demon Ridge, Clash at the Peak

Feeling the youth’s approach, for the first time in her life, Li Qingyi realized just how insignificant she was. In this world where the strong reigned supreme, the shock of a weakling having no control over their own life or death was enough to shatter a Cultivator’s psychological defenses.

Just as she thought she was about to become nothing more than a dried corpse in the rolling tides of fate, a strong hand gently steadied her trembling shoulders. "Get up," a calm voice echoed through the Holy Hall.

Lifted by a trace of the Power of Transcendence, the young girl stared blankly at the familiar face before her. Her beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief and shock as she stammered, "Jiang... Jiang Hao?"

Jiang Hao smiled helplessly at her reaction, then said gently, "Call me Eldest Senior Brother."

As soon as he spoke those words, perhaps truly terrified, a layer of mist immediately formed in Li Qingyi’s frightened eyes. That phrase, ’Call me Eldest Senior Brother,’ was equivalent to pronouncing her final fate. The moment she called out to him as her Eldest Senior Brother, Li Qingyi could no longer hold back her tears. DRIP DROP. They spilled down her cheeks.

The feeling of walking through the Ghost Gate only to be pulled back to life was enough to break through anyone’s emotional defenses. Back in Xingyue City, she might have been the radiant prodigy chosen by the Beardless Sect. But here in the Beardless Sect, she was merely an expendable outer sect disciple. She had no power, no influence, and absolutely no background. Even if she died, the Beardless Sect wouldn’t necessarily care.

Hearing her address him as Eldest Senior Brother, Jiang Hao shook his head helplessly. He then turned to face Master Beardless and the other two. "Senior Brother, could you do me a favor and forgive her this once?"

A smile touched the corners of Master Beardless’s mouth. He nodded immediately. "Since Junior Brother has asked, of course. Sect rules are dead, but people are alive, hahaha." After a brief chuckle, the cunning old man’s tone turned stern. "However, she may be spared from death, but she cannot escape punishment."

With a wave of his large hand, a restrictive seal transformed into a beam of Holy Light and sank directly into the space between Li Qingyi’s brows. "This is the Heart-locking Technique. From this day forward, you will let everything concerning Junior Brother Qin rot in your stomach. If you even breathe a word of it, I will sense it immediately. With a single thought, I will turn you to ash and deny you reincarnation for all eternity."

It was obvious that even though he had agreed to Jiang Hao’s request, Master Beardless still added a layer of insurance to guarantee the secret wouldn’t leak out again.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Jiang Hao looked at Li Qingyi. "You may step down. Starting today, you will reside on Great Ming Peak. Focus on your cultivation; you may use any of the resources on Great Ming Peak." The youth paused, his eyes filled with a sense of weariness. "In the future, if you have the chance, go see Qingxian for me. Tell her that I am doing well and that she shouldn’t worry about me."

After he finished speaking, Jiang Hao dismissed Li Qingyi from the Beardless Saint Hall. In truth, the eldest daughter of the Li family wasn’t bad by nature; she had even thought of helping Ye Qingxian back then by offering her protection.

As they watched the young girl disappear from the grand hall, the smile on Master Beardless’s face slowly gave way to a serious expression. "Junior Brother Qin, there is another matter. Your two senior brothers and I wish to discuss it with you. Since you are already here, we won’t need to make a trip to your Great Ming Peak."

Jiang Hao turned back around, looking at Master Beardless in confusion. "What is it, Senior Brother?"

"Take a seat first, Junior Brother. Let’s talk about this slowly." At the mention of this matter, the expressions of Master Wuchen and Master Wugou standing to the side also grew solemn. Observing the shift in their demeanor, Jiang Hao immediately realized that whatever they were about to discuss would not be so simple.

Sure enough, a short while later.

"Unrest in the Demon Ridge?" Jiang Hao furrowed his brows. Still lacking a complete understanding of Thousand Sects Island, this was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

Master Beardless nodded, his expression growing even more grave. "We just received the news. An urgent report came from the coastline of Thousand Sects Island, stating that an anomaly has been discovered within the Demon Ridge. A massive ’Demon King crossing’ phenomenon has appeared.

"Over the past hundred thousand years, Thousand Sects Island has experienced countless disturbances from the Demon Ridge. Each time, the saints would go to suppress it. And with every suppression, we would enjoy a thousand years of peace. Based on past experience, we should have had at least another two hundred years before the next outbreak of chaos in the Demon Ridge.

"However, this time it has occurred years in advance without any warning. It is highly likely that a drastic change has taken place deep within the Demon Ridge. Just now, the Thousand Sect Leaders contacted one another. As always, following the hundred-thousand-year-old tradition, every sect will first dispatch their strongest prodigies to investigate the depths of the Demon Ridge. It serves as a trial for the prodigies of each generation.

"Your two senior brothers and I were thinking that, if you are willing, we would like you to be the leader of our group venturing into the Demon Ridge this time. For one, this is an unspoken agreement that Thousand Sects Island has upheld for a hundred millennia. Secondly, it’s a rare opportunity to test the waters against the ultimate prodigies of the other sects.

"But remember this, Junior Brother: you absolutely must not linger in the Demon Ridge for too long. You must return before the Thousand Sects Secret Realm opens. What do you think?"

Jiang Hao furrowed his brows deeply upon hearing this. According to Master Beardless, the unrest in the Demon Ridge this time was highly abnormal. However, that wasn’t what Jiang Hao was most concerned about; his focus was drawn to a specific detail Master Beardless had mentioned.

"Senior Brother, do you mean that the strongest prodigies from every single sect on Thousand Sects Island will be heading deep into the Demon Ridge to investigate?"

Master Beardless nodded. Jiang Hao felt a surge of surprise. For the strongest prodigies of every Holy Sect to mobilize collectively meant that everyone was being gathered in one place ahead of schedule. Coupled with the imminent opening of the Thousand Sects Secret Mirror and the emergence of the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top, the consequences of all these people gathering in the same place were easily imaginable.