I Can See Through Everything

I Can See Through Everything

Ningjizi’s miserable screams lasted a full quarter of an hour before they finally ceased.

It was not out of Lu Qing’s mercy, but because Ningjizi could no longer withstand the endless illusions wrought by Lu Qing’s Divine Ability, Phantasm.

Within that boundless torment, his soul completely collapsed, scattering into nothingness.

After all, time inside the illusion was not the same as in reality. Though only a quarter-hour passed in the real world, Ningjizi’s soul had endured who knew how long of endless torture. In the end, driven mad by the ceaseless agony, his mind shattered and his soul was extinguished.

Lu Qing’s gaze remained calm as he looked at Ningjizi’s lifeless body. He stowed the corpse away, then retrieved the severed head of the Blackheart Bandit leader and collected it as well. Without another word, without even sparing the people below a glance, he turned and soared away.

All the disciples of Guiyuan Sect, including the several Golden Core late-stage Elders, did not dare move, even after Lu Qing withdrew the suppressive force binding them. They only watched him leave, eyes filled with awe and fear.

By now, they had all realized that the ghost-masked man was no ordinary expert—he was certainly a cultivator above the Nascent Soul Realm. Before such a being, resistance was impossible. Any thought of defiance would surely mean the destruction of their entire sect.

Only after Lu Qing’s figure vanished did one trembling disciple whisper, “Elder… the Sect Master has fallen. What should we do now?”

The leading Elder’s expression was grim. Their Sect Master had been tortured to death in public—when word spread, Guiyuan Sect would surely suffer a devastating blow. But what weighed heavier on his heart was the masked man’s accusation. Was it truly possible that their Sect Master had ties to the Blackheart Bandits?

By instinct, he did not want to believe it. But then he remembered the severed head of Duan Xin—the man who had gone missing thirty years ago—pulled out before their eyes. He recalled the Sect Master’s strange behavior in recent years, and the inexplicable failures of their repeated attempts to eradicate the Blackheart Bandits. Somehow, those bandits had always anticipated their moves and vanished into underground tunnels before an ambush could be sprung.

Unwillingly, suspicion took root in his heart. Still, for the sake of the sect’s reputation, he could not voice such thoughts aloud.

Finally, he said, “That man’s origins are unknown. We cannot say what grudge he bears against Guiyuan Sect. But his strength is beyond us. I will report this matter to the Holy Assembly and have them seek justice on our behalf.”

At his words, the disciples all breathed sighs of relief. If the Holy Assembly intervened, that would indeed be best. Their Sect Master might be dead, but the masked man was far too terrifying. Even if they longed for revenge, they had no means to achieve it.

The Elder saw the shaken state of his sect. The mysterious stranger had left Guiyuan Sect completely cowed, and they had no idea why he targeted them. A heavy gloom pressed down on the Elder’s heart.

As for Lu Qing, he had no interest in what remained of Guiyuan Sect. Had he not discovered during Ningjizi’s torment that only the Sect Master controlled the Blackheart Bandits, while the rest of the sect knew nothing, he would have annihilated them all.

Flying through the sky, Lu Qing suddenly halted. Suspended in midair, he gazed at the setting sun on the horizon, silent. Xiao Li lay quietly on his shoulder, keeping him company without a word.

After a long while, the little beast whispered, “Ah Qing, are you still unhappy?”

“No,” Lu Qing shook his head. “The world is unfair, and the weak are slaughtered. I’ve long known this. Our cultivation is for no other reason than to escape such fates. But when I saw the horrors in those underground caves, I felt a surge of fury unlike ever before. My killing intent grew, and strangely enough, even my sword qi grew stronger.”

Earlier, when Lu Qing casually released his sword qi, Ningjizi—at the peak of the Ninth Transformation of the Golden Core Realm—was unable to resist at all. Even Lu Qing himself was surprised by its overwhelming might. In the heat of rage, he had not thought much of it, but now, reflecting, it felt strange.

“I felt it too,” Xiao Li said anxiously. “Your killing intent was far heavier this time. It scared me a little.”

Ever since Lu Qing had started cultivation, Xiao Li had been by his side. It had seen him angry before, but never like this. This surge of bloodlust was unnatural.

“It is indeed unusual. Guard me while I investigate.”

Summoning a cloud, Lu Qing sat cross-legged upon it. Xiao Li crouched solemnly nearby.

Quieting his mind, Lu Qing entered a state of Enlightenment, his extraordinary ability allowing him to inspect himself with crystal clarity. Soon, he found the cause.

“So that’s it… it’s the influence of the Minor Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi.”

Indeed, the culprit was clear. The Minor Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi, derived from the legacy of Daoist ‘Heaven-Shatterer’ from ten thousand years ago, was originally meant for cultivators of the Nascent Soul Realm and beyond. Yet Lu Qing had, through repeated immersion in the legacy’s illusory teachings, devised his own variation—a version he could cultivate while still in the Golden Core Realm.

Through years of secluded cultivation, he had refined this Minor Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi to its peak. But repeated use had subtly seeped killing intent into his heart.

“No wonder. Even a self-created variant carries traces of the original’s will. To think the legacy of a Nascent Soul powerhouse who survived countless tribulations could still affect my heart so deeply.”

Lu Qing sighed with a mix of awe and unease. If a mere inheritance fragment could bend his will, then the living Nascent Soul masters who had endured many tribulations must be unimaginably terrifying.

But then a thought stirred.

“Perhaps this isn’t entirely bad.”

He summoned his killing intent, letting it flow into the sword qi. The effect was immediate—the power of the sword qi surged.

“So that’s it. The Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi was always meant to sever all under heaven, to slaughter without restraint. Only by embracing a true heart of slaughter can its essence be realized. I had created a ‘Minor’ version, but without infusing my own killing intent, it lacked its true spirit. The horrors I witnessed today awakened genuine bloodlust within me—completing what was missing.”

A thin strand of sword qi coiled around his fingertip. Its power was contained, yet sharp enough to slice space itself. Terrifying.

“This is no longer the Minor Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi. What I now wield is the true Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi.”

Though this technique was meant only for those who had stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm, Lu Qing’s foundation was extraordinary. His perfect Golden Core, his unmatched body and soul—all gave him the strength to forge this sword qi ahead of its time. Were it any other Golden Core cultivator, their body would have shattered under such force.

“With this Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi, I have another weapon to hide my identity.”

He smiled faintly, satisfied. Until now, in order to keep his “Chen Qing” identity concealed, he had relied solely on the means of a sword cultivator, rarely revealing his physical might or the Li Huo Cauldron. Against Golden Core enemies, this sufficed. But against Nascent Soul experts, it was far too risky. Now, with true Heaven-Shattering Sword Qi, he could face even a Nascent Soul cultivator head-on without relying on other trump cards.

Content with the realization, he put away the sword qi and drew out a storage treasure taken from Ningjizi. Within lay piles of spirit stones, medicines, and artifacts.

As he looked them over, a shadow fell over his joy. Many of these treasures had no doubt been offerings from the Blackheart Bandits—spoils bought with the lives of murdered travelers. The sight of them dimmed the satisfaction of his recent breakthrough.

He put them away silently and rose.

“Ah Qing, did you find the reason?” Xiao Li asked.

“Yes. It was due to one of my cultivation techniques. But it’s resolved now. Let’s go. We still have many tasks ahead.”

Xiao Li studied him carefully, then nodded once it sensed no lingering shadow in his heart. Lu Qing rubbed its head with a faint smile.

“Really, it’s fine. No need to worry.”

“Then let’s go.”

Together, they flew on.

Over the next month, Lu Qing traversed several regions, completing one mission after another. Of the tasks he chose in the Netherworld Palace’s Soul-Space, only a handful were assassinations, the rest involved seeking rare herbs or strange treasures. Assassination targets were all notorious villains whose deaths weighed nothing on his conscience. The search missions, aided by Xiao Li’s uncanny talent for finding treasure, also went smoothly.

On the twenty-fifth day, Lu Qing entered a small city and walked into a nondescript building. Inside, the same old man who had once handed him the Trial Jade Token was dozing as before.

Shaking his head, Lu Qing called softly, “Senior, I’ve come to claim mission rewards.”

It took several breaths before the old man opened his clouded eyes, annoyance on his face. “Mission rewards? What mission rewards?”

But then, recognizing Lu Qing’s masked figure, his expression shifted.

“You? Boy, it’s you?”

Lu Qing inclined his head. “Yes, this junior. That day, it was thanks to Senior’s Trial Jade Token that I became an outer member of the Netherworld Palace.”

“The token was earned with your own strength, not a gift from me,” the old man said curtly. Still, a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to actually survive the trial. You said you came to claim rewards?”

“That’s right. I’ve completed several missions and wish to collect the payment.”

Lu Qing handed over his Netherworld Token. Because the Soul-Space only connected through divine sense, tangible proof of missions could not be submitted there. Killers of the Netherworld Palace still had to deliver evidence at physical outposts in exchange for rewards and merit points.

The old man muttered, “Let’s see what missions you completed…”

He activated a few seals on the token and probed it with his mind. Then his eyes widened.

“In less than a month… you completed ten Grade-D missions?”