It was the time before dawn. Night was about to come to an end.
Great mist permeated the ocean. Even the sound of waves seemed exceptionally tranquil.
The lamps that remained lit throughout the night in Myriad city had now been reduced to balls of orangey-yellow haze by the mist.
On the cobblestone path moistened by the mist, Li Qingshan advanced through this haze.
The signs on the sides of the street were all illuminated by all sorts of colours, forming colourful balls of haze within the mist.
Figures flickered around on the street, no less than daytime. Many voices rang out in the mist, no quieter than daytime either.
This was a city of cultivators. It was not affected by time or weather. It was truly a city where the sun never set, but no one seemed to notice the approach of the storm.
Residing within the enemy’s base, Li Qingshan did not feel worried at all. He strolled through the streets and alleyways. He could even spare the effort to buy a flask of alcohol and a few steaming meat buns as breakfast.
Perhaps at this very moment, the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was watching him. He still did not want to expose himself so soon.
He emptied the flask in a single gulp and exhaled deeply. His belly felt warm, which was very comforting. He liked Shen Yushu’s body. Without much body forging, the alcohol felt a little more intense.
Speaking of which, despite spending all these years as a disciple of the Myriad sect, Li Qingshan did not get much opportunity to stroll around like this. Now, he strolled around everywhere in the city as if he wanted to use this chance to properly tour the place.
However, while his pace seemed relaxed and his face seemed slightly tipsy, the depths of his eyes were filled with calmness and sharpness.
Sure enough, Pi Yangqiu is right. The formation is completely flawless!
The protective formation of the Myriad sect was commonly referred to as the Myriad formation, but it did not actually possess a proper name. It was just like the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance, seeming like it did not exist yet present everywhere. It was wondrous and mysterious, but also very thorough and meticulous.
As the master of the Department of Heavenly Dwellings, Pi Yangqiu had remained in Myriad city for all these years yet even he had not comprehended everything that the formation was capable of.
Originally, Li Qingshan thought it was because Pi Yangqiu’s cultivation was insufficient, but now, he could not help but admire the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s methods. He looked up and peered through the thick mist, seeing the glorious outline of the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes.
The Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes was the centre of the Myriad formation. It was both its strongest component as well as its greatest weak point.
Originally, as long as he entered the pavilion, he would have a very good opportunity at destroying the formation in a single strike before the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance realised it with the cultivation of this clone.
However, the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance had actually sealed up the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes beforehand, plugging the greatest opening. Who knew whether he had sensed it beforehand or it was just an act of caution, or perhaps a combination of both.
A spirit turtle at the sixth heavenly tribulation and one of the best formations in the six realms of saṃsāra. If any aspect was missing, they would stand no chance against Li Qingshan, but together, they became extremely troublesome. This combination could even stop Demon Gods for a moment, while Heretic Gods were basically guaranteed death if they were trapped in there.
Li Qingshan also did not possess absolute confidence in being able to destroy the formation successfully.
“If that’s the case, there’s nothing else I can do!”
Li Qingshan tossed aside the empty flask in his hand and bought another flask of alcohol from a street vendor, making his way towards the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes as he drank. His figure gradually vanished within the colourful haze.
The sky was gradually brightening up, so the lamps were extinguished one by one. However, the mist only grew heavier. Many figures shuffled around quickly as if something was surging within the mist.
Li Qingshan arrived beneath the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes on the huge square that spanned several thousand metres. Before him was a stone wall that stood over thirty metres tall. It was the eastern foundation of the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes, but it also possessed a much more resounding name—the Myriad rankings.
Now, apart from the fact that it had become particularly dark as it had been moistened by the mist, it seemed no different from a regular stone wall.
Some foreign cultivators were currently waiting for the sunrise. When the sunlight shone against the stone wall, it would reveal the names and rankings of all the disciples in the Myriad sect. It was one of the great scenes available in the Myriad sect, called “Illuminating the World”.
The meaning of that was obviously the names on the Myriad rankings would illuminate the world like sunlight in renown.
This was both a wonderful idea as well as the actual situation. Basically all the cultivators in the Human realm had heard of Li Qingshan’s name now.
However, he knew even without looking at it that Li Qingshan’s name would never appear on it again. He no longer needed to make the people of the world learn his name through this way either.
Above the stone wall were white stone steps that were three hundred metres wide and several dozen metres long. At the end of the steps was the eastern gate to the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes.
The gate was firmly shut, but Li Qingshan still planned on testing it. He wanted to see if he could smash it open and force his way into the pavilion before the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance realised it, but he did not hold much hope in that. After all, the one who fell asleep in the fable was not the tortoise.
He was just about to make his way around the stone wall when he suddenly stopped, raising his eyebrows slightly and looking back.
A few figures gradually emerged from the mist, appearing above the square. They were all faces that Li Qingshan found familiar. Basically all the direct disciples of the Myriad sect had arrived here, while the one leading them was the first senior sister, Dai Mengfan.
Figures flickered behind them, all inner disciples of the Myriad sect. They all stood sternly and warily, while some of them were confused, uncertain about what was going on. They had just received the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s order suddenly, saying that the Myriad sect was under attack.
Only now did Li Qingshan realise that the Myriad formation had already been activated. The mist had stopped being regular mist a long time ago, or he should have noticed much sooner.
But even until now, he was still unable to sense the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s existence.
“Shen Yushu, what are you doing here?” Dai Mengfan shouted, “What’s happened to the Hundred Herbs garden?”
She had received the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s order and hurried here to face the enemy. Only when she saw it was Shen Yushu did she relax a little, but she also found the entire matter to be strange. Just a measly Shen Yushu was enough to amount to being “under attack? Just what part of a Yin Soul cultivator like him was threatening to the Myriad sect? Even if he was threatening, the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance could casually suppress him. Why did he assemble all the direct disciples?
“How did you notice me?” Li Qingshan ignored Dai Mengfan and asked the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes loudly.
He felt like he had done a decent job portraying Shen Yushu when returning to the sect. He had not divulged anything in terms of aura, so it was not very likely for the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance to realise it was him, which left him rather curious.
Yeah, he must have noticed something fishy from the way he walks or something like his microexpressions. With that old turtle’s memories, he might even remember exactly how long Shen Yushu’s strides are. I must have been a few millimetres off today.
“You drank too much.”
A cold and mighty voice pierced through the surging mist, ringing out from the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes, but only Li Qingshan and a minority of the direct disciples could hear it.
“Erm…”
Li Qingshan glanced at the flask in his hand and became slightly awkward. He had indeed drank quite a lot along the way, around several hundred flasks.
“Since you’re already exposed, why don’t you back off immediately? Don’t forget about your original promise to me,” said the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance.
“Sigh, everything is always so unpredictable! I don’t want to oppose the Myriad sect either. As long as you hand over an item, I’ll leave immediately. I won’t stay here for a second longer, and I’ll definitely show you mercy if I encounter you again in the future!”
The direct disciples looked at one another. Wasn’t this Shen Yushu talking a little too boldly? He actually said he would show mercy to the spirit reverend. However, the spirit reverend’s behaviour was truly strange as well, like he was intentionally lowering his voice for negotiation, hoping to avoid conflict and also hoping that no one else would hear this.
“What is it?” the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance asked.
“The Myriad Heavenly Tome!” Li Qingshan said sternly.
“You’ve already obtained seventeen of the thirty-eight Myriad Heavenly Tomes. Are you still not content?”
“I don’t want the thirty-eight. I only want the one. I want the true Myriad Heavenly Tome!”
