Chapter 328 : Li Qingqiu’s Dharma Manifestation
Chapter 328: Li Qingqiu’s Dharma Manifestation
Lin Lingzhou looked into the distance and saw another group of slaves walking down along the slope. Among them was a woman carrying a two-year-old boy. Both mother and child were filthy, and the woman in particular still had injuries on her cheeks.
Two cultivators from the Myriad Yin Sect were driving this group of slaves forward, occasionally lashing them with whips. This scene made Lin Lingzhou recall the time when he himself had been escorted here.
Lin Lingzhou’s gaze fell upon the two-year-old boy, and anger mixed with pity rose within his heart.
“If Master were here, he would definitely step forward… but I am not as strong as Master…”
Lin Lingzhou thought bitterly. Back then, he had been saved by Lin Xunfeng, and it was also Lin Xunfeng who had given him his name.
Looking at that boy, he could not help but think of himself, and a strong impulse to protect the child arose within him.
But even his own life was not guaranteed—how could he protect others?
“The people of the Myriad Yin Sect are truly utterly insane.”
Wan Feng’s voice came from beside him. Hearing his words, Lin Lingzhou could not help but glare at him.
Although he had been imprisoned in this spirit mine for quite a long time, he still could not let go.
Forget about going to the Nine Provinces—whether he could even survive had become a problem.
Wan Feng, however, took things lightly. He had no thoughts of having implicated Lin Lingzhou, because in his view, the moment Lin Lingzhou stepped onto that ship, such a fate had already been destined. He had never promised Lin Lingzhou anything; he only did not want Lin Lingzhou to interfere with his plans.
“Today, whoever fails to complete their quota will be fed to the evil ghosts!”
A Myriad Yin Sect cultivator stood on the cliff, overlooking the slaves within the spirit mine as he spoke. His voice, amplified by Vital Energy, echoed throughout the mine. Yet the slaves here were already numb—there was no response, no fear—only silent labor.
Lin Lingzhou withdrew his gaze, picked up his tool, and continued hacking at the rock before him.
……
Autumn arrived.
Yan Qing stood on the rooftop, gazing at the distant mountains, lost in thought as his mind drifted.
He had already been in the Clear Sky Sect for quite some time and had come to understand it deeply. Precisely because of this, his emotions had become complicated.
This sect had only been established for thirty years…
Although there was a clear gap between the Clear Sky Sect and the Spiritual Sea, no matter how one looked at it, it did not seem like a sect that could have been built within just thirty years. Moreover, Clear Sky Mountain had arisen from the barren land of the Nine Provinces.
Previously, Yan Qing had thought Li Qingqiu was a great cultivator from elsewhere. He had not expected Li Qingqiu to actually be from the Nine Provinces.
Over the past half year, he had watched the entire Dao Combat Tournament. He had to admit that there were quite a few geniuses within the Clear Sky Sect—geniuses that, even if placed in the Heavenly Nether Sea, would still be considered outstanding. Some of them even made him feel inferior.
And these geniuses had not come from other places—they had been unearthed by the Clear Sky Sect from the Nine Provinces. This made Yan Qing feel absurd.
He even developed a thought—that perhaps he was not a true genius at all, but merely a false genius cultivated through the piling of resources by the Spiritual Sea.
Now that his cultivation had been restored, he had lost his former vigor. He felt lost.
He no longer wished to return to the Spiritual Sea.
He did not even want to cultivate anymore.
“I heard you are a genius from the Spiritual Sea. Although I don’t know how powerful it is, I want to test your ability.”
A female voice rang out, pulling Yan Qing back to reality. He turned his head and saw a woman standing outside the courtyard wall, looking at him.
It was Yun Cai.
Yan Qing frowned. He had never seen Yun Cai before and did not know her identity, but the fact that she could mention his background meant her status within the Clear Sky Sect was not low.
He was at the Fifth Layer of the Spirit Perception Realm—within the Clear Sky Sect, that was absolutely top-tier cultivation. Yet he had no fame, and someone was already targeting him. Clearly, the sect did not want his identity exposed.
Yan Qing had no mood to interact with others. Faced with Yun Cai’s provocation, he merely glanced at her coldly.
He could tell that her cultivation was lower than his—she could not possibly be his opponent.
He turned his gaze back to the distance. He neither thought about the future nor harbored resentment or regret. He simply stood there absentmindedly, numb.
Seeing his state, Yun Cai sneered, “So the geniuses of the Spiritual Sea are so easily struck down. I really don’t know why the Sect Master keeps you—it’s a waste of our Clear Sky Sect’s Spiritual Energy.”
Hearing this, Yan Qing’s expression instantly turned cold. He turned his head back toward Yun Cai, his eyes filled with killing intent, and his aura became terrifying.
In the Heavenly Nether Sea, very few people dared to speak to him like this!
Enraged, Yan Qing regained his former imposing presence, causing the house beneath his feet to tremble.
Seeing this, Yun Cai’s lips curved slightly upward. She drew the Clear Sky Sword from her waist, pointed it at Yan Qing, and said, “Prove to me the strength of the Spiritual Sea.”
Yan Qing raised his right hand, holding two fingers before his lips. Looking down at Yun Cai, he said coldly, “You are seeking death.”
Yun Cai leapt up directly, sword in hand, charging toward Yan Qing.
……
Night fell. In a pleasant mood, Li Qingqiu entered Lingxiao Courtyard.
After a long period of research, he had finally managed to let his Vital Energy come into contact with his soul. From there, covering his soul with Vital Energy was no longer difficult.
He could already see the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm beckoning to him.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Chu Jing standing in the center, admiring the moon.
Hearing footsteps, Chu Jing immediately turned and saluted Li Qingqiu.
Ever since Xiao Wuqing had been defeated in the Dao Combat Tournament, Li Qingqiu had instructed him to return and focus on cultivation.
Xiao Wuqing possessed two excellent-grade aptitudes. If his cultivation were delayed, it would be a great pity. Li Qingqiu could have others handle tasks for him.
With the Clear Sky Token, Li Qingqiu no longer needed someone specifically to relay messages.
“What is it? Something happened?” Li Qingqiu asked with a smile.
Chu Jing raised his head and said, “Yun Cai went to find Yan Qing, and the two fought.”
“What was the result?”
“Yan Qing was severely injured and lost badly. He Jinshu is already treating him.”
“Then it seems our Clear Sky Sect’s genius is even stronger.”
Li Qingqiu said with a chuckle, as if unsurprised.
Chu Jing asked in confusion, “Why send Yun Cai to strike him?”
Since Yan Qing regained his freedom, Chu Jing had thought Li Qingqiu intended to win him over. But now, sending Yun Cai to humiliate him left him puzzled.
“He’s too dispirited. Encouragement alone isn’t enough. Let someone he considers weak humiliate him—perhaps it will ignite his fighting spirit,” Li Qingqiu replied casually.
He walked to the long table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot.
Chu Jing stepped forward and continued, “There’s news from Xiyu Immortal City. Recently, mysterious cultivators have been appearing in the forests outside the city—and not just one. Their numbers are increasing, and they refuse to communicate with us. This is not a good sign.”
“Did Yuan Li take action?” Li Qingqiu asked.
“He did. He severely injured two of them, but they used a Ghost Artifact to summon ghostly fog, obscuring vision and Spiritual Sense before escaping.”
As Chu Jing spoke of this, he was filled with emotion.
According to the intelligence he received, Yuan Li’s strength made him seem like he was not even in the same realm as other Spirit Perception Realm cultivators.
In just a few months, Yuan Li’s prestige in Xiyu Immortal City had already surpassed Gu Changping.
“A Ghost Artifact? Then they’re likely not from the righteous path,” Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes.
Chu Jing nodded. “It might be related to the Myriad Yin Sect. Wasn’t that ghost city previously theirs? Perhaps our occupation of it has alerted them.”
Li Qingqiu asked, “Can you arrange for people to investigate the Myriad Yin Sect?”
Chu Jing controlled a group of disciples specialized in intelligence gathering, whose cultivation was already not low.
If they simply waited for the Myriad Yin Sect to attack, the Clear Sky Sect would be passive. Li Qingqiu wanted information.
“I’ve already arranged it.”
“Good.”
After saying that, Li Qingqiu lifted his teacup.
Chu Jing no longer disturbed him, saluted, and took his leave.
Li Qingqiu looked up at the night sky. Dark clouds were gradually covering the bright moon.
“Myriad Yin Sect…”
……
Winter snow fell.
The fervor of the Dao Combat Tournament finally faded, and the Clear Sky Sect returned to calm.
At the end of November—
Li Qingqiu came alone to the Tribulation Platform on Establishing Snow Peak. He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
His instinct told him that once he formed his Dharma Manifestation, he would face heavenly might. Thus, he chose to come here in advance.
He had already completely covered his soul with Vital Energy and gained a certain perception of the Dharma Manifestation.
Now, he had to decide what form his Dharma Manifestation should take.
According to Wei Tianxiong, once the Dharma Manifestation appeared, it could pull enemies into a domain fully controlled by oneself.
What was a domain?
Li Qingqiu felt it should be something like a small world—isolating the enemy from reality.
He pondered another question.
How large should the domain be?
A smaller one had its advantages—it could restrain the enemy more effectively—but the drawback was that it would be harder to trap them.
A larger one would likely be more difficult to construct.
Within his domain, what kind of scene should exist?
And what posture should he take within it?
As Li Qingqiu sank into deep thought, the Spiritual Energy between heaven and earth began to slowly stir, manifesting around the Tribulation Platform, giving shape to the wind.
Wei Tianxiong, who was cultivating in the Heavenly Works Hall, opened his eyes. His brows furrowed as he looked out the window.
“The momentum of heaven and earth… he’s about to succeed… this is far too fast…”
Wei Tianxiong muttered, his tone complicated.
Back then, after reaching the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Perception Realm, he had spent a full twelve years attempting to form his Dharma Manifestation. That speed had already shaken the Divine Origin Sect and earned him praise from its leader.
But compared to Li Qingqiu now, those past praises felt like a joke.
“With such strength… what kind of Dharma Manifestation will you create…”
Wei Tianxiong took a deep breath, anticipation rising within him.
He closed his eyes and continued cultivating the Primordial Unity Scripture.
Ever since obtaining the Primordial Unity Scripture, he had become immersed in it. Only cultivators who had practiced other techniques could truly appreciate its perfection.
The Primordial Unity Scripture had no striking features, but it excelled in purity and cleanliness. The Vital Energy cultivated from it contained no impurities and was extremely stable.
It gave Wei Tianxiong hope of restoring his cultivation realm, so he now focused on cultivation and rarely went out.
As the Clear Sky Sect continued to develop, disciples ascended Establishing Snow Peak every few days to undergo tribulation and breakthrough.
The next morning, Hu Yan climbed Establishing Snow Peak, preparing to undergo tribulation.
Accompanying him were disciples from the Heavenly Works Hall, who would set up a tribulation array for him. This was part of the sect’s support—disciples at the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm could apply for tribulation resources.
When Hu Yan and the others reached the summit, they stopped in their tracks, staring in astonishment at the figure on the Tribulation Platform.
Why was the Sect Master here?