Chapter 270: Collapse
“You all recover your injuries first. Use pills where needed. Leave the rest to me.”
Ning Qi took one step forward, his lingering voice not yet faded, his white robes crossing the void.
“Arrogant!”
Ren Zong and Wu Dao’s expressions darkened, shouting in unison.
This guy before them, facing two heavenly prides like them, actually wanted to fight one against two?
Though they didn’t know how Ning Qi had saved the congregation earlier, they assumed he had used some powerful secret treasure.
This time, Ren Zong struck first. A hundred star shadows appeared on his body surface, as if he were draped in a starry sky curtain.
Infinite star power emanated hazy starlight. Ren Zong suddenly pointed at Ning Qi, like drawing a bow and nocking an arrow!
A hazy arrow of flowing light immediately shot toward Ning Qi. The congregation looked on, as if Ren Zong had sliced a segment of the Milky Way from the night sky.
Their Heavenly Star Upper Sect cultivated the myriad heavens star canon. It was rumored that at its peak, one could grasp the sun and moon and pluck the stars, not like now, merely borrowing power.
But at present, Ren Zong’s strike was also extremely terrifying.
Ren Zong even felt this was the most skillful execution he had ever performed in his life.
Ning Qi crossed the void, and the incoming arrow of flowing light suddenly magnified, truly crashing like the Milky Way.
But he merely extended his right hand and casually slapped out with one palm.
Around Ning Qi’s body, there wasn’t even the five-colored rainbow light that had previously helped the congregation resist the two’s attacks.
Seeing Ning Qi respond to his proudest strike this way, Ren Zong’s face turned extremely ugly. He coldly said, “This kid is courting death!”
Yet in the next second, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The arrow of flowing light neared his body. Ning Qi’s utterly ordinary palm struck out, a single hand covering the sky, like the deepest darkness in the universe, instantly extinguishing myriad starlights.
And his white-robed figure flashed through the abruptly fading starlight, impervious to all techniques!
It happened in the blink of an eye—Ning Qi was already before the two, that sky-covering hand about to slap onto their bodies.
Wu Dao flipped his palms. Instantly, layers of clouds formed under their feet.
In that instant, the two’s figures immediately distanced themselves from Ning Qi.
Their retreating figures were extremely pretentious, falling in the eyes of the others present, giving the impression they were ascending to immortality, while the congregation below could only remain mired in the mortal world, looking up at them.
Unfortunately, they had encountered Ning Qi.
Wu Dao used a formation for teleportation distance. The two stood at the cloud top, disdainfully looking down on Ning Qi.
Suddenly, the two staggered underfoot. The layers of clouds instantly shattered, and the two immediately fell from the cloud top.
They barely stabilized their figures. Ren Zong felt his face utterly lost and looked at Wu Dao, asking, “Brother Wu, why did your teleportation formation fail?”
Wu Dao was dumbfounded. Though his formation way was peerless, he truly didn’t know what had happened just now.
But facing Ren Zong’s question, he couldn’t show it directly and could only make an excuse:
“Brother Ren, sorry. I forgot we were inside the Golden Treasure Hall, which has restrictions above.”
Hearing this, Ren Zong thought for a moment and didn’t dwell on it. Besides, with Ning Qi’s attack coming again, they had no time for further thoughts.
“This kid’s body seems terrifyingly strong too. Absolutely do not engage him in close combat!” Ren Zong reminded.
Wu Dao nodded.
“Rest assured. I’ll bring out my treasured chain formation—trapping formation, limit formation, fatigue formation, poison formation, killing formation—to deal with him. So far, no one has been worth using it on!”
With that, facing Ning Qi’s approaching figure, Wu Dao’s body suddenly became blurry.
Not only him, even the surrounding void became faintly illusory.
In the formation way, the highest technique was to make others unable to see one was setting a formation.
Ordinary formation masters always left obvious traces when setting formations, but Wu Dao’s action clearly reached a profound realm.
Ning Qi’s temporarily halted offensive figure looked toward the surroundings.
Every place he looked, Wu Dao’s face across from him paled a bit more.
In the end, he was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving violently, on the verge of spitting blood!
Ren Zong beside him was greatly startled, thinking Wu Dao was going all out.
Who knew that the sharp light shooting from Wu Dao’s eyes already contained undisguisable fear.
He roared inwardly: “Impossible! Why can that Ning Qi see where I’m setting the formation, even pinpointing every position?”
For a formation master, what they feared wasn’t the opponent breaking their formation, but being completely seen through before the formation was even set!
How could this be played?
However, Wu Dao’s heart refused to believe this. In the north and south regions, only he, Wu Dao, was peerless in formations. How could anyone else be more proficient than him?
Thus, with a sliver of luck, Wu Dao wanted to complete the chain formation and confirm if what he saw was real!
Around Ning Qi, the void twisted. As Wu Dao placed the final formation node, the great formation immediately activated.
Buzz!
Instantly, the void produced a colorful barrier, enveloping Ning Qi within.
Inside were a trapping formation restricting his movement, a limit formation weakening his mana and primordial spirit power, a fatigue formation affecting his mind, a poison formation releasing toxic gas, and even a killing formation that could take lives.
These formations combined were Wu Dao’s pinnacle masterpiece.
Even Ren Zong, seeing this chain formation, was shocked. He believed that if he fell into it, he would only have defeat.
And among the congregation present, many who believed in Ning Qi couldn’t help but worry.
After all, earlier Wu Dao had merely constructed two killing formations and nearly slaughtered the congregation inside. Now, wasn’t it even more terrifying?
Wang Ye stared at the mutually coordinated formations and suddenly recalled ten years ago, when Ning Qi asked him about the path for the Three Heads Six Arms Fiend Body.
At that time, Ning Qi had said that no matter what path he took, don’t forget six words.
Attack speed defense trap limit weaken, six in one!
Senior Brother Ning had mentioned this concept long ago. Now that he was in Wu Dao’s formation, how could he not know Wu Dao’s methods?
Wang Ye’s hot blood rushed to his head. He believed in Ning Qi and wanted to know how Ning Qi would break Wu Dao’s formation, which could also be considered six in one.
Within the colorful great formation, Ning Qi’s expression remained calm as ever.
Wu Dao constantly watched his expression. Seeing this, his heart pounded wildly.
He feared Ning Qi had truly seen through everything, feared someone had greater talent than him in the formation way.
Wu Dao gritted his teeth, suddenly clapping his hands fiercely before his chest.
The great formation ahead spun rapidly, even Ning Qi’s figure becoming faintly invisible.
At that moment, the chain great formation suddenly shattered like a mirror, and Ning Qi walked out leisurely.
Ren Zong was dumbfounded. Wu Dao couldn’t help retreating a step, pointing at Ning Qi, unable to say a word.
“Since you like playing with formations so much, try my formation.”
Ning Qi’s cold voice spread throughout the entire Golden Treasure Hall.
As his words fell, the entire treasure hall shook!
Next, Ren Zong, Wu Dao, and the congregation present witnessed a scene they would never forget in their lives.
Inside the Golden Treasure Hall, there were originally numerous tall statues. At this moment, those statues seemed to come alive.
They automatically levitated, instantly flying out like meteorites, surrounding Ren Zong and Wu Dao.
Even more terrifying, the various exotic treasures in their hands all emitted their own lights, enveloping the two.
If Wu Dao’s formation level still relied on his own methods, then Ning Qi’s formation level had reached the point of casually borrowing everything around him.
“Brother Wu, what’s going on? Didn’t you say you communed with the Golden Treasure Hall’s formation? Wasn’t it you who closed the Golden Treasure Hall’s gate?”
Panic appeared on Ren Zong’s face for the first time.
When the statues surrounded them, he used every means to desperately break out, but couldn’t escape this great formation laid by the statues inside the Golden Treasure Hall.
Even when he took out a complete mid-grade spirit treasure, desperately pouring in mana and primordial spirit, unleashing an unparalleled strike, it only created a slight ripple on the great formation.
Wu Dao didn’t respond to Ren Zong’s question at all.
He finally knew who had closed the Golden Treasure Hall—it was Ning Qi!
Seeing him silent, and the exotic treasures in the surrounding statues’ hands beginning to charge, clearly about to attack them in the next second.
Ren Zong’s expression changed repeatedly. Suddenly, his knees buckled, and he knelt directly in the formation, looking toward Ning Qi outside, saying:
“Ning Qi, I was wrong. You are the true number one heavenly pride. I failed to recognize a great one before. I hope you can spare my life.”
However, he saw no moved expression on Ning Qi’s handsome face.
Ning Qi looked at him like overlooking an ant, like watching a monkey’s performance.
Seeing Ren Zong kneel to Ning Qi for his life, Wu Dao revealed a sorrowful color.
He had thought that on this Profound True Secret Realm trip, he would join the Heavenly Star Upper Sect and forge his own path. Who knew his life would end here so soon.
However, Wu Dao didn’t kneel to beg Ning Qi like Ren Zong.
If kneeling worked, all those they had killed earlier would have knelt to them!
But would they have spared them? Obviously not!
And Ren Zong wasn’t unaware of this. It was just that his scheming heart was too heavy; he probably planned to preserve his life first and settle accounts later.
Wu Dao sighed.
He looked at Ning Qi and said, “There are people beyond people, heavens beyond heavens. Ridiculous, I actually thought I was the sole formation genius of the north and south regions.”
Niu Man and the others said nothing.
Wu Dao was indeed a genius, a heavenly pride—this even they admitted. It was just that he had encountered the immortal seed Ning Qi.
Genius has levels too!
“Can you tell me when you comprehended the Golden Treasure Hall’s formation?”
Ning Qi said indifferently, “When you used a formation to trap the seven from Northern Profound Upper Sect.”
“So it was then!”
Wu Dao pursed his lips tightly, seeming unwilling to speak further. But after closing them for a moment, he couldn’t help opening them again.
In his narrow, long eyes, divine light shone brightly, with no one else’s figure, only Ning Qi’s shadow.
“Immortal seed Ning Qi, I will remember you!”
Rumble!
Infinite attacks drowned the two. The Golden Treasure Hall shook violently as the two instantly perished!
Behind Ning Qi, the congregation’s hearts beat wildly.
Three of the north and south regions’ five heavenly prides had died at their Senior Brother Ning’s hands, and all defeated so cleanly!
The congregation’s emotions surged, various feelings rising—pride, worry, and more.
But they were all certain of one thing: as long as Ning Qi was there, the future Boundless Sword Sect would absolutely rise because of him.
Because they had never seen such a prodigy.
The north and south regions had detailed records of every sect’s descendants through the ages, and even those body integration realm magnates.
Not one had accomplished the same at Ning Qi’s age!
Niu Man and the other demons exchanged glances, seemingly reading each other’s intent: this thigh must be hugged tight!
With the battle ended, Ning Qi collected Wu Dao and Ren Zong’s relics.
Then, with a casual wave from Ning Qi, the congregation was startled again.
In the Golden Treasure Hall, the treasures enshrined in the statues’ hands all flew toward Ning Qi like they had eyes.
Especially a dao sword revealing water fire rules, which was the most eager, as if possessing spiritual intelligence, wanting to recognize a master on its own.
Niu Man’s bull eyes nearly popped out.
That water fire dao sword had been fought over by the congregation earlier, so mighty it had repelled many on its own, like that Fu Chen.
And now, it acted like a little dog, running straight into Ning Qi’s hand!
This… people compared to people really piss one off. Good thing the others had fled or died, or they’d be infuriated on the spot!
Ning Qi gripped the dao sword’s hilt with his right hand, his left gently brushing the blade.
The flowing water fire rules on it seemed to perceive Ning Qi’s touch, immediately emitting clanging sword hums.
Even two sprouts of water fire rules grew on it, gently wrapping Ning Qi’s hand in affection.
This water fire dao sword was the Golden Treasure Hall’s sole high-grade spiritual treasure, probably the only one in the entire Profound True Secret Realm.
Its value was inestimable, absolutely the most precious item in the Profound True Secret Realm.
Even the sect masters of the north and south regions’ sects, and even those body integration realm magnates, had no high-grade spiritual treasure.
At the same time, Ning Qi suddenly thought of the golden key he had obtained earlier in Shaoyang Palace—that key was also extremely mysterious.
For some reason, Ning Qi always felt the golden key wasn’t that simple.
Because with it, Ning Qi could so quickly control the entire Golden Treasure Hall, even mastering the great formation inside, making the restrictions guarding all treasures disappear.
The golden key surely hid some secret, probably deliberately left by the Golden Heavenly Tomb’s master, that dao integration realm limit expert.
Though Fu Chen had snatched the dao integration profound technique, Ning Qi believed the two most important treasures were now his.
As for the other treasures in the hall, they floated one by one before Ning Qi, emitting various lights, awaiting his collection.
Ning Qi directly used primordial spirit power to divide them into two piles: one placed before Niu Man and the other demons, one before the Boundless Sword Sect’s junior brothers and junior sisters.
“Take these.”
“Ah?” The congregation was surprised.
They had contributed little, yet Ning Qi divided some to give them.
“Senior Brother Ning…”
“Brother Ning…”
Suddenly, the entire Golden Treasure Hall shook violently, interrupting their speech.
It was as if some supreme power had formed a giant hand, grasping and shaking the sealed entire Golden Treasure Hall.
Even standing steady was hard for the people inside, their bodies swaying.
Ning Qi frowned slightly and stuffed the treasures he had given them directly into their hands.
“Come to my side quickly. I just perceived that the Profound True Secret Realm’s power of rules restriction seems lifted, and the Golden Heavenly Tomb is about to collapse.”
Hearing this, the congregation immediately used all their mana to fly toward Ning Qi.
Ning Qi didn’t know what he activated, but the congregation’s figures instantly vanished from the Golden Treasure Hall.
As for outside the Golden Treasure Hall.
The Heavenly Star Upper Sect disciples originally guarding the gate saw the Golden Treasure Hall suddenly collapse, their faces changing drastically.
“It’s over. Senior Brother Ren is still inside!”
“Look, it’s not just the Golden Treasure Hall collapsing—the entire Golden Heavenly Tomb is collapsing.”
Seeing this, they glanced at the Golden Treasure Hall once more, then reluctantly left, fleeing at full speed.
Not just them—at this moment, everyone in the Profound True Secret Realm was escaping.
Ning Qi and the others didn’t know where they had been teleported; they were still within the Profound True Secret Realm’s range.
“Brother Niu, it seems Ren Zong and Wu Dao died in the collapsing Golden Heavenly Tomb,” Ning Qi suddenly said.
Niu Man was stunned upon hearing this, but the demons quickly reacted.
“Yeah, they insisted on fighting over the treasures, causing the Golden Heavenly Tomb to collapse. They deserved to perish!”
The group smiled at each other, instantly aligning their story.
Then, they too rushed outward!
