Chapter 218: The Full Story of the Celestial Skill Sect’s Annihilation

Chapter 218: Chapter 218: The Full Story of the Celestial Skill Sect’s Annihilation

In the courtyard.

The sound of Xiao Yunzhi emerging naturally startled Li Ping and Shi Yutong.

For a moment, the air in the courtyard seemed to freeze.

"Ahem..." Li Ping coughed lightly, breaking the silence.

He was a man of integrity and naturally felt no embarrassment over such a trivial matter.

"Sect Leader Shi," Li Ping introduced calmly. "This is my sworn sister. We came to the Land of the Far North together over ten years ago."

Referring to Xiao Yunzhi as his sister was something they had agreed upon long ago, and Li Ping stated this relationship without hesitation.

Hearing Li Ping’s explanation, Shi Yutong covered her mouth and smiled softly. "There’s no need to explain to me, Brother Li. Yutong trusts your character."

The moment she spoke, Xiao Yunzhi’s expression turned slightly resentful.

Especially when she heard Shi Yutong call him ’Brother Li’ and say things like ’no need to explain’ and ’I trust your character’ with a look of understanding, it made it seem as if she and Li Ping shared an unusually close relationship.

However, with Xiao Yunzhi’s personality, she was at a loss for how to deal with such "green tea" talk and could only remain silent.

Li Ping, however, just shook his head speechlessly. He could now confirm it. ’This Sect Leader Shi is a calculating green tea.’

Revealing the secret of her mixed heritage and begging him not to tell anyone, addressing him so familiarly as ’Brother Li,’ and now deliberately saying these ambiguous things...

It was all standard procedure for a green tea.

This was different from Xiao Yunzhi. He had once used his Nourishing Life Skill Power to treat the poison in her system. Nourished by the Nourishing Life Skill Power, Xiao Yunzhi naturally developed favorable feelings for him.

Furthermore, during the secret realm expedition over a decade ago, she had nearly died at the hands of six cultivators from the Spirit Control Sect. It was Li Ping who descended like a god from the heavens, saving her life and leading her out of danger.

After experiencing so much, it was only natural that she secretly gave her heart to him.

But this Sect Leader Shi Yutong?

Li Ping had known her for less than a day. He was well aware of his own looks and knew he wasn’t the type to inspire love at first sight.

’For Shi Yutong to be so flirtatious in everything she says and does... a textbook green tea, no doubt about it.’

Of course, Li Ping suspected her bold and open personality was also related to her half-Yeti bloodline.

Over the past decade, he had heard Ji Shu Xuan share some interesting tales about the Land of the Far North.

For example, some remote Yeti Tribes had a custom of offering their wives to guests. To them, the boundaries between men and women were not a significant matter.

If this were the Western Wilderness, unless they had already confessed their feelings for each other, a Female Cultivator would not casually flirt with other male cultivators.

But the Land of the Far North was different.

So it wasn’t that Shi Yutong was sexually frustrated and looking to hook up, nor was she inherently promiscuous. It was simply that the local customs were just that open.

However, Li Ping only wanted to borrow the Tier Three Spirit Vein to attempt Core Formation. He had no intention of playing her ambiguous games, nor did he have any designs on her himself.

Therefore, his gaze swept over the softly chuckling Shi Yutong and the resentful Xiao Yunzhi. He shook his head and said coolly, "Sect Leader Shi, you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t explaining myself; I was introducing my sworn sister to you. And I don’t believe I have anything I need to explain to you."

Hearing the coldness in Li Ping’s tone toward Shi Yutong and his defense of her, the resentment on Xiao Yunzhi’s face vanished, replaced by a smile.

Shi Yutong, on the other hand, was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting someone to be so blunt with a beautiful young woman like herself.

’Could it be that this Fellow Daoist Li before me is an ascetic cultivator, single-mindedly devoted to the Dao?’

At this thought, her expression turned solemn. "I misspoke just now. I hope Brother Li won’t hold it against me."

"It’s nothing." Li Ping waved his hand dismissively, then nodded to Xiao Yunzhi before saying coolly, "Sect Leader Shi, you came looking for me. I wonder what I can do for you."

At this point, having asserted her claim, Xiao Yunzhi smiled, nodded a farewell to them both, and returned to her room to continue her arduous cultivation.

Only Li Ping and Shi Yutong remained in the courtyard, sitting across from each other.

"I heard from Senior Brother Mei that an Alchemy Master had arrived in the city. As it happens, I have collected a furnace’s worth of Spirit Medicines, so I came to visit, hoping to ask Brother Li to help me refine them into Pills." Shi Yutong shed her seductive demeanor, resuming the competent air of a Sect Leader.

Now that she was serious about business, with her silver hair hanging low, her skin like fine jade, and her elegant brows set in a solemn expression, Li Ping found her even more radiant and moving than before.

’The Yeti bloodline truly lives up to its reputation,’ Li Ping couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

...

Li Ping hoped to borrow the Tier Three Spirit Vein within Flying Snow City to attempt his breakthrough to Core Formation in the future.

So, he naturally agreed to Shi Yutong’s request for Alchemy.

He smiled and asked, "I wonder what kind of Pill Sect Leader Shi wishes to refine? By the way, you should be aware of my rules for Alchemy, correct?"

Shi Yutong nodded her lovely head. "Of course. I would like to ask Brother Li to refine the Ganlu Pill."

"The Ganlu Pill..." Li Ping looked contemplative.

The Ganlu Pill was a Tier Two Upper Grade Pill that could be consumed by Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators to advance their Cultivation. It was a relatively common type of Tier Two Upper Grade Pill, and many Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators with strong backing would use it to speed up their training.

The legacy left by Xu Pingsheng naturally included such common Pills.

Although Li Ping had never refined one before, with the help of his unparalleled talent, he had already mastered the refining method.

Thinking of this, he looked at Shi Yutong. "Sect Leader Shi, did you bring the refining materials with you? If you did, I can start the furnace and begin the Alchemy right now."

"I did, I did." Shi Yutong took out dozens of Spiritual Materials from her Storage Bag and placed them all on the table.

Li Ping swept his Divine Sense over them, inspecting each one carefully.

After a long while, having confirmed there were no issues, he finally looked up. "The materials Sect Leader Shi has provided are all of the highest quality. In that case, I will begin the Alchemy for you now."

As he spoke—

SWISH!

He directly swept the Spiritual Materials off the table and into his possession, then led Shi Yutong towards the Alchemy Room.

...

Ten days later, Shi Yutong walked out of the Alchemy Room clutching a Jade Bottle, her face a mask of shock and delight.

Having watched Li Ping perform Alchemy for the past ten days, she finally understood what true skill was.

A single furnace yielded ten Pills, and every single one was of fine quality.

Li Ping’s confidence, his casualness, his nonchalance... it all proved that his Alchemy skill was not merely at the ordinary Tier Two Upper Grade. He had clearly been immersed in Tier Two Upper Grade Alchemy for a very long time and might even be on the verge of reaching Tier Three.

"If he can become a Tier Three Pill Master..."

Thinking of the many benefits a Tier Three Pill Master would bring to the sect, Shi Yutong made up her mind. ’I must recruit him! I have to recruit him as an Honored Guest Elder for the Sect!’

...

After the Pills were refined, her heart was still pounding with excitement.

Shi Yutong did not leave in a hurry but instead lingered, chatting idly with Li Ping in the courtyard.

She looked at Li Ping, and a smile touched her eyes as she recalled another piece of intelligence about him.

"Thank you so much for refining the Pills for me, Brother Li. If you ever need my help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask," Shi Yutong said with a smile as she put the Pills into her Storage Bag.

Li Ping nodded. He did indeed have a favor to ask of Shi Yutong, but it wasn’t the right time to bring up borrowing the Tier Three Spirit Vein.

First, he had only just entered the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment and had no immediate use for a Tier Three Spirit Vein.

Second, his relationship with the Flying Snow Sect was not yet strong enough. If he rashly proposed borrowing their Tier Three Spirit Vein now, they would most likely refuse, and he would only be humiliating himself.

After all, the Tier Three Spirit Vein was the true lifeblood of Flying Snow City.

The cultivators and millions of mortals in the city all depended on this Spirit Vein to survive in the icy Land of the Far North.

A matter of such importance couldn’t possibly be entrusted to an outsider so casually.

As the two chatted, it wasn’t long before Shi Yutong shifted the conversation to another topic.

She asked with feigned curiosity, "I’ve heard that you’ve been searching for materials to craft puppets, Brother Li. Could it be that you’re also proficient in the art of puppets?"

Li Ping had never thought he could hide the fact that he’d asked Ji Shu Xuan to help him collect materials for crafting puppets from the Flying Snow Sect.

After all, Ji Shu Xuan had been open and public about gathering puppet materials and inquiring about the Celestial Skill Sect.

As the local power, the Flying Snow Sect surely had a firm grasp on all matters within the city. It would be stranger if Shi Yutong knew nothing about it.

He nodded. "I am indeed interested in the art of puppets. I wouldn’t say I’m proficient, but I have achieved some minor success."

"Brother Li, you’re so multi-talented! I’m truly impressed," Shi Yutong said, her tone a mixture of admiration and exaggeration. Unconsciously, she was putting on her green tea act again.

Li Ping automatically ignored her green tea talk.

Unaware of Li Ping’s thoughts, Shi Yutong continued with a sigh, "By the way, Brother Li, did you know? There was once a Sect in this Land of the Far North that was extremely skilled in the art of puppets. Through the cumulative efforts of generations of cultivators, they even managed to craft several Tier Three Puppets. They once relied on those Tier Three Puppets to dominate the Land of the Far North."

Li Ping listened quietly.

Shi Yutong continued, "This Sect was called the Celestial Skill Sect. Back then, the Celestial Skill Sect was the most powerful of the nine Main Cities of humanity in the Land of the Far North. Many Alien Races, awed by the power of the Tier Three Puppets, had no choice but to submit to them."

"Nine Main Cities?" Li Ping picked up on an interesting detail in her words.

Shi Yutong sighed. "But they rose by puppets and fell by puppets. The Celestial Skill Sect used their Tier Three Puppets to dominate the Land of the Far North, but in the end, it was also because of their Tier Three Puppets that they were tragically annihilated."

Li Ping was puzzled. "From what you’ve said, Sect Leader Shi, if the Celestial Skill Sect already dominated the Land of the Far North, what enemy could have possibly annihilated them?"

Having experienced a few battles with them, he deeply understood the power of puppets.

If the Celestial Skill Sect truly possessed several Tier Three Puppets, they would be considered a first-rate power not just in the Land of the Far North, but even in the Western Wilderness.

How could they have been wiped out?

Shi Yutong raised a delicate hand and pointed north. "It’s true that no power in the Land of the Far North was their match, but the Ice Sea had one. The Ice Flood Dragon in the Ice Sea is a Transformed Great Demon that has survived its Thunder Tribulation.

"According to my sect’s records, a thousand years ago, it suddenly struck, destroying the Celestial Skill Sect’s gates, devouring its cultivators and millions of mortals. Even the Celestial Skill Sect’s Tier Three Spiritual Land was utterly shattered by it, reduced to nothing."