Ru Xin let out a deep breath. He really was quite a good man!
Li Qingshan returned to Cloudwisp island and saw Xiao An sitting below the loft. He smiled. “What, you weren’t put under house arrest?”
Xiao An said, “I’m beyond his control. I can sense that he’s slightly afraid of me.”
Li Qingshan laughed and scooped her up. He whispered something into her ear, and Xiao An beamed in response. She felt happy for him. He had endured and waited for so long, and finally, there was a glimmer of hope.
Afterwards, Li Qingshan continued to go find Ru Xin every day to learn alchemy. Although he could just get her to refine whatever pills he needed right now, they would eventually part. He would not remain in the Clear River prefecture, the Ruyi commandery, the Green province, or the nine provinces forever.
One afternoon, before Li Qingshan could even visit Ru Xin, she came to visit him instead. She handed some pills to him before smiling. “I’m going to enter secluded cultivation.”
Li Qingshan said, “Good luck.”
“You too.”
After Ru Xin departed, Li Qingshan raised his head. Faint clouds floated through the blue sky. Currently, his heart was overflowing with joy. It was about time for him to set off as well.
Li Qingshan went to Anāsravā? island to call Xiao An along, but Qian Rongzhi actually happened to be there too. She crouched down beside Xiao An, telling her something. Seeing Li Qingshan walk over, she stood up and smiled. “Have you heard?”
Li Qingshan asked, “Heard what?”
Qian Rongzhi said, “Vice sect master Wei of the Sect of Clouds and Rain has successfully established a foundation.”
Li Qingshan had almost forgotten about this person’s existence. Roughly two years had already passed since he last clashed with Wei Zhongyuan. After that, he spent most of his time in the academy. Combined with his rise to prominence, Wei Zhongyuan probably understood there was nothing he could do to Li Qingshan with just a cultivation at the tenth layer, so he had been very quiet too.
“He’s managed to reach Foundation Establishment despite how old he is?”
Qian Rongzhi said, “I don’t know. I heard he managed to get his hands on two True Spirit pills somehow and succeeded out of luck.”
Li Qingshan immediately understood that the two True Spirit pills probably came from the twenty True Spirit pills he had given to Ru Xin. He was at a loss as for how to react. The matters of the world truly were unpredictable.
Qian Rongzhi smiled. “That old coot won’t spare either of us. Do you want to work together again? I can give you the opportunity to clash with him!”
Li Qingshan asked, “Just by you?”
Qian Rongzhi looked around and saw that no one else was present, so she extended her hand. A brightly-coloured little snake emerged from her sleeve, slithering into her palm and suddenly raising its head. Part of its body went from being a tattoo to an actual creature.
Li Qingshan understood now. If it was this, then probably even Foundation Establishment cultivators would suffer if they were not prepared. All they needed was a single moment and Li Qingshan and Xiao An could even kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator if they worked together.
“You can separate it from your body?”
“I can’t. It’s already merged with me, and why would I separate it from me anyway? Look at how beautiful it is!” Qian Rongzhi gently stroked the tiny snake’s head, like a mother soothing her child.
Li Qingshan contemplated the proposition before agreeing to it.
He just happened to be in search of a place to take his final step, to face the heavenly tribulation and become a Daemon General. If that old bastard ended up coming for him, wreaking havoc at a crucial moment, it would be troublesome.
He would strike first so that he was in control of the situation.
Under the vast night sky, Wei Zhongyuan stood atop a mountain. The wind buffeted his robes as he gazed down at the other mountains. He felt like he could do anything. The spiritual qi of the world constantly resonated with him. Never had he felt so happy before.
Many memories flashed through his head. Suddenly, it stopped on a young face. He ground his teeth. “Li Qingshan, I will return the pain and humiliation you’ve caused me by ten, no, a hundred fold!”
However, no matter how bold he was, he still would never venture into the academy to kill him. That was just seeking death. However, he had already ordered people to keep an eye on Li Qingshan at all times. He would capture him the moment he set foot out of the academy. If there was no evidence, no one could do anything to him.
However, his top priority right now was not this. Shooting off in the air, he arrived above Clear River city in the blink of an eye. He directly landed in front of the Parlour of Clouds and Rain. Under the gaze of thousands of people, he walked towards the parlour, like a king returning to his rightful place with insufferable arrogance.
The Parlour of Clouds and Rain blazed with light just like before, making it seem like daytime inside. Wei Zhongyuan gazed at the sky before striding in.
In the eyes of regular people, they found this man to be awe-inspiring, like a god. However, all the cultivators gasped in amazement. He was clearly a Foundation Establishment cultivator with the feeling he gave off.
The parlour full of disciples rushed over to congratulate him. Everyone tried to fawn over him, and the people who belonged to Wei Zhongyuan’s side in the first place were overjoyed.
Wei Zhongyuan swung his hand in a dramatic manner. “The Sect of Clouds and Rain has some internal affairs to settle today, so the parlour will be closing down for today. Everyone, please return!”
The disciples of the Sect of Clouds and Rain immediately began to clear everyone out. Every single word of his bore the weight of a mountain and had to be enforced. To Qi Practitioners, Foundation Establishment cultivators were unshakeable existences. Every single disciple understood that the Sect of Clouds and Rain would be going through some changes today.
Wei Zhongyuan led a group of disciples and directly made his way to the highest floor.
Qiu Haitang currently stood among the rooftop garden, gazing at the resplendent night scenery of the city with her arms in her sleeves in thought. She heard something from behind and suddenly turned around, meeting Wei Zhongyuan’s eyes. Both of them were slightly taken aback before undergoing a different series of reactions. One’s worries grew heavier, while the other’s lust and joy surged.
Wei Zhongyuan studied Qiu Haitang’s body greedily. He no longer had any scruples. He fantasized about the joys of pushing down this woman who had once ordered him about, now completely at his whim. He took a step forward and clasped his hands. “Sect master Qiu, I’ve already undergone the heavenly tribulation successfully and reached Foundation Establishment. According to the rules of the Sect of Clouds and Rain, I hope we can complete our marriage soon so that we can become cultivation partners and comprehend the wonders of yin and yang together!”
Qiu Haitang waved her hand in a rather tired manner. “You can all go.”
With her lingering influence, the disciples of the Sect of Clouds and Rain would never disobey her. They just looked at Wei Zhongyuan.
“You can all go wait outside.” Wei Zhongyuan waved his hand. He was not afraid of Qiu Haitang suddenly turning hostile against him. She might have reached Foundation Establishment many years ago, but she was still an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. The cultivation methods of the Sect of Clouds and Rain focused on harmony between yin and yang, or mutual promotion and regulation. If she were bold enough to turn him down, then she would immediately fall out with the sect. By then, he would be able to succeed her as sect master, and he could then capture her as a traitor who broke the rules of the sect, allowing him to do whatever he wanted with her.
Everyone dispersed, only leaving the two of them on the rooftop. Wei Zhongyuan frowned. “Who else is there?”
“Disciple Qian Rongzhi greets vice sect master Wei!” Qian Rongzhi emerged from behind a flowering shrub on the side.
Wei Zhongyuan said, “Weren’t you expelled from the Sect of Clouds and Rain already?”
“I accepted her as a disciple of mine again.” Qiu Haitang’s expression was cold and haughty.
Wei Zhongyuan’s expression changed, and his eyes narrowed. He stared at Qian Rongzhi to a point where she shivered, but now was not the time to fuss over something like this after all. He took another step forward and asked Qiu Haitang, “So what do you think, sect master?”
Qiu Haitang hesitated and looked back at the night sky, gazing in the direction of the Academy of the Hundred Schools. The person she was waiting for was currently cultivating arduously in seclusion.
Wei Zhongyuan strode forward and reached towards Qiu Haitang’s hand. “Today, you’ll have to agree to it whether you want to or not.”
Qiu Haitang’s expression changed, while Wei Zhongyuan sneered. Black and white spiritual qi collided viciously, but it caused no disturbance at all. Instead, they nullified each other.
With how yang could overcome yin, Wei Zhongyuan gained a slight upper hand. Just as he was about to grab Qiu Haitang’s wrist, Qian Rongzhi blocked him as a gesture of loyalty to protect her master. She called out, “Vice sect master Wei, please don’t be like this.”
Wei Zhongyuan immediately sent a slap towards Qian Rongzhi’s face, but suddenly, all of his strength vanished. It did not produce any sound at all.
The hell snake slithered onto Qian Rongzhi’s face and bit Wei Zhongyuan’s hand. Wei Zhongyuan’s mouth widened as his eyes bulged. This was agony from the depths of his soul.
At that instant, Li Qingshan’s figure appeared behind Wei Zhongyuan. He pressed his hand on his back, and over a hundred strands of sword qi surged out. Wielding the vajra sword, Xiao An swung down with it from above, while a pair of fingers extended from Qiu Haitang’s hand, stabbing towards Wei Zhongyuan’s eyes.
Under the pressing killing intent, Wei Zhongyuan forcefully suppressed the pain and mobilised his true qi. He wanted to put up a desperate counterattack, but it was already too late.
Sword qi rampaged through his body, tearing apart his organs that had lost the protection of spiritual qi. The vajra sword landed on the top of his head, and the sword qi and sword intent surged all the way to his feet. Not only had the two slender fingers pierced his eyes, but they had even penetrated his brain, stirring it up viciously.
In the end, all he heard was Qian Rongzhi say, “Vice master Wei, what’re you touching my face for?” Afterwards, he lost all consciousness within the pain and a refusal to accept this.
Wei Zhongyuan’s body collapsed loudly. A mighty Foundation Establishment cultivator had been reduced to a corpse in a single instant.
Li Qingshan immediately stowed the corpse away. The corpse of a Foundation Establishment cultivator was equivalent to an extra large pill to Xiao An. The benefits it could provide could not be compared to the corpses of regular people. Wei Zhongyuan’s hundred treasures pouch obviously ended up in his hands too.
Qiu Haitang was still in a slight daze. She struggled to believe that Wei Zhongyuan had just died like this, dying so easily. That day, Qian Rongzhi had visited her and told her she could help her kill the Foundation Establishment Wei Zhongyuan silently. She was still rather unconvinced. Even if three Foundation Establishment cultivators worked together in an attempt to kill a single Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would not be that easy, let alone with a mere Qi Practitioner.
However, the reality was presented right before her. Even if she had done nothing, the three of them probably still would have managed to kill Wei Zhongyuan. Three Qi Practitioners had killed a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
“Master, I’ve done it.” Qian Rongzhi bowed towards Qiu Haitang, but there was not the slightest loyalty in her eyes. The matter of the White Lotus cult sure had ruined a lot of her plans.
Qian Rongzhi had been a double-crossing spy. It was not like Qiu Haitang was an idiot. She had discovered that Qian Rongzhi was not under her control at all. All the loyalty she showed in the past was an act, so much for her for teaching her the various cultivation methods of the Sect of Clouds and Rain without the slightest suspicion, treating her like an obedient puppet.
But by then, Qian Rongzhi had already established a connection with Gu Yanying. She had assisted Gu Yanying in completing the plan. Even if Qiu Haitang was utterly furious, she could not lay a single finger on Qian Rongzhi, or she would be treated as a member of the White Lotus cult, which was enough to destroy her entire sect. Trying to use mesmerisation to control a Hawkwolf Guard went even more without saying.
Afterwards, the two of them never met again until a few days ago. Qian Rongzhi suddenly visited her and told her that she could eliminate a disaster for her…
PS: It’s almost the end of the month. If you don’t vote, you’ll be wasting it. Hey, I’m not telling you to vote for someone else. This way, this way!
