At the end of the sky and sea, a creamy-white colour lit up in the east. The sun was about to rise up, except the mist grew heavier. The towering Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes shimmered in the surging mist like it was about to tip over at any moment. The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance inside remained silent.
“The Myriad Heavenly Tome!?”
The direct disciples had all heard of this legend before.
The general understanding was the Myriad Heavenly Tomes was only a way to reference all of the heavenly tomes. All of the heavenly tomes combined formed the Myriad Heavenly Tomes. However, it was rumoured that the Pavilion of Heavenly Tomes contained a true Myriad Heavenly Tome. All of the heavenly tomes evolved from the Myriad Heavenly Tome. It was truly all-encompassing, containing all the cultivation methods and paths in the world.
“That’s just a legend!” Dai Mengfan shouted, “You’re not Shen Yushu! Who are you!?”
It sounded off the more she heard. Shen Yushu was merely an inner disciple. He only practised the Heavenly Tome of Nature, so where did the seventeen heavenly tomes come from? Even if he was a direct disciple, it was impossible for him to possess that many heavenly tomes unless he was the first senior brother.
However, the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance could not be blabbering nonsense either. She became strangely anxious and fearful. A terrifying thought called out to her.
“Legend?” Li Qingshan shook his head. If he did not practise the Spirit Turtle Transformation, he could not be certain about the Myriad Heavenly Tome’s existence either. However, after completing the Spirit Turtle Transformation, he had already become completely certain that the seventeen heavenly tomes in his possession shared the same origin.
Actually, he did not really need any other cultivation methods because he possessed the Nine Transformations of the Demonic and Divine. The reason why he was determined to obtain the Myriad Heavenly Tome was not for himself, but for the living creatures of the Demon domain.
As everyone knew, a cultivation method had a tremendous impact on one’s personality. The cultivation methods circulated through the Demon domain were all ruthless and wicked. Even when regular people practised them, they would become filled with malice and wicked thoughts. In the past, only these cultivation methods made it easier to gain the demonic heavens’ blessings.
But now, Li Qingshan had broken down the barrier between Sukhāvatī and the Demon domain, allowing it to return to being the Qilin Paradise. As a result, demonfolk were no longer born as demonfolk. That was liberating the demonfolk from depravity from birth, but he could not stop them from becoming depraved again through nurture.
Even when Li Qingshan had already become a god, it was impossible for him to deduce the countless cultivation methods derived from the Dao. That would take too much time, and the exact thing he lacked right now was time. The enemy would not give him too much time.
As a result, he had to obtain the Myriad Heavenly Tome, regardless of the cost!
Many years ago, what he treasured were pills and medicines, but now, he cherished crops and vegetables. The value of objects would always change with circumstances. At this very moment, probably even the gods in the Nine Heavens had not realised the special value of the Myriad Heavenly Tome, which was why they gave him the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the Myriad sect.
“Hmph, the Myriad formation has already been activated. No matter who you are, you can forget about leaving here alive!” Dai Mengfan was angered by his arrogance, so she immediately demonstrated her might as the first senior sister, but she also seemed to be hiding something at the same time.
Li Qingshan suddenly glanced at Dai Mengfan from the side. “Junior sister Dai, do you really not recognise me?”
That was the side of a regular man’s face, so ordinary that there were no special features at all.
After having his body destroyed by Li Qingshan, Shen Yushu had always been using a body bug specially nurtured by the Spiritual Beast garden in the Myriad sect. Normally, they were shaped like bugs, but they would take a human shape very soon under the influence of a technique. Their skeletal structure and blood vessels were no different from a mortal’s, except they were born without souls. They were specially provided to be possessed. Their external appearances possessed no special features either.
However, the relishing expression, the familiar smile… Dai Mengfan’s eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she took a great step back. She said in shock, “You’re Li-”
“Shh!” Li Qingshan brought his index finger up to his lips, and Dai Mengfan halted before she could say the last part.
He was still waiting for the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance’s decision. The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance clearly did not want to declare war against him, so there was still a chance of negotiation. If things went out of hand, then he could only fight.
Dai Mengfan behaved like someone had grabbed her by the neck. She stared at Li Qingshan with widened eyes as all of her hairs stood on end. Her full chest heaved rapidly, gasping for air, like a herbivore that had been frightened. She no longer possessed any of the demeanor of a first senior sister.
Yes, she was naturally aware that the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance presided over the Myriad sect. Even if Li Qingshan came here in person, he would not be able to stir up any mess. However, at that moment, these logical conclusions all became useless. All that remained were the most primitive animal instincts—gasping for air to ensure the intense activity of the body, narrowed eyes to gather focus, and a tense body to make any response before fleeing, fleeing as far as she could!
Never could she forget the might and dignity of a tiger.
The other direct disciples all responded as well, either casting techniques, gripping their weapons firmly, or circulating their cultivation methods, immediately assuming a defensive stance. They did not lose their composure like Dai Mengfan, but even the calmest and coolest among them, Leng Yuan, developed a hint of fear.
Clang! Weapons were drawn from their sheaths.
Although they saw how all the direct disciples behaved like they were confronting a powerful enemy, the inner disciples at the back still had no idea what had happened. All they could do was raise the weapons in their hands.
Immediately, the square shimmered with light with weapons drawn. Countless auras rose up, churning up the mist like waves that all slammed against Li Qingshan.
However, Li Qingshan was unfazed. He smiled. “Junior sister Dai, I heard you undertook drastic changes as soon as you took office, where each and every one of them was targeted towards me.”
“I- I was only acting under orders. The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance announced that you had fallen into the Demon domain. The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance wanted me to become the first senior sister. I originally declined…”
Dai Mengfan’s eyes shimmered with uncertainty, basically unable to meet Li Qingshan’s gaze, like a child who had just committed a great mistake, explaining away in broken sentences. It led to contempt from the other direct disciples. They never expected her to be so cowardly.
By now, all of the direct disciples had settled down, especially Leng Yuan. As his cultivation method circulated, his mind became as cool as ice, completely eliminating the shred of fear. He logically deduced that it was only one of Li Qingshan’s clones here.
Li Qingshan’s main body might have undergone the sixth heavenly tribulation already, but the cultivation of his clone was at least one major realm weaker, which meant it was the same as theirs. If they had to face him alone, no one was confident about defeating him, but there was absolutely no reason to fear him in the current situation.
Leng Yuan said proudly, “Li Qingshan, humans and demons have never been able to coexist. Since you have fallen into the Demon domain, you are no longer the first senior brother of the Myriad sect but our enemy!”
Li Qingshan’s smile faded away. He said calmly and seriously, “Yes, you are my enemy. Dong Dagong’s blood won’t flow for nothing.”
Dai Mengfan looked at Leng Yuan in great surprise, like she had just witnessed an ignorant child taunting a vicious beast. She was unable to understand why he was still provoking Li Qingshan. Was he really not afraid of dying? Then she sensed the contempt from the other direct disciples and could not help but growl inside, Can you really not sense it? You’ll actually die!
Apart from Le Tian, she was the direct disciple most skilled in divination in the Myriad sect.
To her, the air was not filled with white mist but a pitch-black aura of death, pressing against her chest and taking away her breath.
Even when she faced Demon God Taotie’s embodiment outside Black Cloud city back then, she did not experience such fear. It was as if Li Qingshan could crush them all with a simple twitch of his finger.
She did not trust her so-called logical judgement. She only trusted her instincts that had developed over many years of cultivation. If the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance was not present, she would be begging for mercy from Li Qingshan already, or she would have fled immediately, getting as far away from here as possible.
No, I shouldn’t have come at all! The Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance definitely didn’t summon us here just so that we could watch but to send us to our deaths as pawns!
At this moment, Dai Mengfan suddenly noticed that apart from Li Liehuo who was in secluded cultivation for good and Wan Jianfeng who faced off against Ruan Yaozhu outside the Hundred Herbs garden, Le Tian was the only direct disciple who had not answered the summon.
That sly bastard!
