Chapter 282: Coming To Kill
Within the Boundless Sword Sect.
The Sect Leader succession ceremony had ended. After instantly killing more than ten Great Powers including those from the Northern Profound Upper Sect, Ning Qi entered closed-door cultivation.
Within the sect, aside from the necessary personnel on guard duty, the existence of the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Integration Realm Magnate brought immense pressure to everyone. The others also followed suit one by one into closed-door cultivation.
All the Elders had previously received Dao instruction from the Sword Ancestor and later had Ning Qi divide Rule Jades for them. Under this pressure, many felt a strong drive for progress.
As for the eight True Disciples who had followed Ning Qi to the Profound True Secret Realm, each one was preparing to impact the Void Dao Realm.
The Northern Profound Upper Sect had suffered such heavy losses this time that who knew when their Integration Realm Old Ancestor Zhou Tianzi might come knocking.
They might not be able to cope with Zhou Tianzi, but they also hoped that if the sect faced calamity, they could quickly break through to the Void Dao Realm to deal with the other Great Powers of the Northern Profound Upper Sect.
The entire Boundless Sword Sect, from top to bottom, was unprecedentedly united, all preparing for the great battle.
…………
At the same time, the terrifying battle that occurred in the Boundless Sword Sect spread throughout the entire Northern Xuan Region.
In the Feixing Sect, Old Daoist Lu Yixin was personally reporting the matter to the Sect Leader.
The Feixing Sect Sect Leader gave the infatuated Lu Yixin a serious look and said:
“Elder Lu, you did very well by not being swayed by the Northern Profound Upper Sect. Otherwise, it would probably be impossible for us to avenge you.”
Lu Yixin replied: “It was also thanks to Xiao Lan’s protection. Otherwise, if I had lost control and attacked Jian Jingjue back then, I’m afraid my disciples and I truly wouldn’t have made it back.”
“Those five sects’ Great Powers who were pulled in by the Northern Profound Upper Sect—their sects must be restless right now. I wonder what choices they will make?”
Lu Yixin said: “They absolutely won’t dare to go to the Boundless Sword Sect alone. They can only wait for the Northern Profound Upper Sect to make another move and then try to ride the wave of victory.”
The Feixing Sect Sect Leader smiled, “Ride the wave of victory? Those five thought the same before.”
Hearing this, Lu Yixin and the several True Disciples who had followed him were all stunned, involuntarily recalling the scene of the five perishing inside the Boundless Sword Sect.
Lu Yixin came back to his senses, looked at the Sect Leader, and said again: “Ning Qi asked us to help his Boundless Sword Sect. What does the Sect Leader think?”
The Feixing Sect Sect Leader pondered for a moment and said:
“If the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Integration Realm cultivator is only at the early or middle stage, I could bet the sect’s future on Ning Qi’s potential.”
“But that Zhou Tianzi entered the late Integration Realm years ago and is probably at Perfection by now. The risk is too great in this matter—better to drop it.”
Hearing this, Lu Yixin and the others deeply understood the Sect Leader’s choice.
The Feixing Sect Sect Leader’s gaze suddenly swept toward the several True Disciples behind Lu Yixin.
They each had their heads lowered, but shock still lingered on their faces. It seemed this trip had impacted them greatly.
As fellow True Disciples, they had originally been of the same generation as that Ning Qi, and at first harbored some jealousy.
But now, all jealousy had dissipated, leaving only endless admiration and a trace of lingering fear.
“You lot need not feel dejected over the brilliance of a peer. Throughout history, dazzling prodigies have emerged endlessly like carp crossing the river, but how many truly make it to the end?”
The Feixing Sect Sect Leader seemed to sigh.
Everyone felt a bit better. Receiving encouragement from the Sect Leader, they resolved to cultivate diligently. Even if they couldn’t match that Ning Qi, they would uphold the future of the Feixing Sect.
They looked at the Sect Leader, who had raised his head to gaze at the sky, not knowing what he was thinking. A moment later, they heard the Sect Leader say again:
“It’s such a pity. If that Ning Qi can pass this trial, he will soar to the heavens. Even we will have to look up to him.”
“Why aren’t geniuses like Ning Qi and Jian Jingjue born in our Feixing Sect?”
The several True Disciples: “……”
They felt deeply hurt inside.
Lu Yixin: “?”
Weren’t you just encouraging the juniors, saying that dazzling prodigies may not reach the end? How in the blink of an eye are you sighing that your own sect lacks them?
Similar things happened in almost every sect that had gone to participate in the Boundless Sword Sect’s Sect Leader succession ceremony—of course, except for the sects of those five dead Great Powers.
The five sects were exactly as Lu Yixin had thought at this moment.
On one hand, they hated immensely—hated that Ning Qi dared to kill their sect’s Great Powers, hated why the Northern Profound Upper Sect had to pull their people in at the last moment.
On the other hand, though they wished for revenge, they didn’t dare to go.
The five sects naturally communicated with each other and discussed what to do, but in the end, it came to nothing.
That Boundless Sword Sect, due to Jian Jingjue’s emergence from seclusion and the existence of the Immortal Seed Ning Qi, was no longer a sect they could provoke.
However, they all understood that the Boundless Sword Sect would sooner or later face destruction.
……
Ning Qi easily passed through the Sect Protecting Grand Formation and appeared outside the Boundless Sword Sect, undetected by anyone.
Looking back at the vast Boundless Sword Sect, divine light flickered in Ning Qi’s eyes.
He had finally established a foundation in the Shan He Realm, become the Peak Master of Five Elements Peak, taken the top ten True Disciples, and ascended to the Sect Leader position. How could he let this foundation be easily destroyed?
He turned his head toward the north, his entire figure illusory and indistinct. Even ordinary Void Dao Realm Great Powers would struggle to see him.
The Northern Profound Upper Sect was located at the northernmost part of the Northern Xuan Region, occupying the widest and best territory there, reigning supreme by virtue of the north.
Their Boundless Sword Sect was situated more to the south, so even for him, it would take some time to reach the Northern Profound Upper Sect.
Ning Qi felt somewhat annoyed. It seemed he needed to promote Teleportation Arrays in the Mountain Sea Realm from now on—otherwise, travel time was too long.
Within the Mountain Sea Realm, there were no such things as Teleportation Arrays.
It was probably deliberate by the Mountain Sea Realm Will—Ning Qi couldn’t quite figure out the specifics.
However, as the True Martial Realm Master, he could already freely open space channels between the two realms, so even a Teleportation Array was something he could set up now.
Putting words into action, Ning Qi quietly found a hidden spot outside the Boundless Sword Sect and, using Spirit Stones and other Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, set up a Teleportation Array for his return.
To avoid returning to find the Northern Profound Upper Sect destroyed and news already spread while he was absent.
At the same time, for safety, he layered various formations around it, such as stealth for aura, stealth for teleportation fluctuations, defensive formations, and more.
This was a one-way Teleportation Array usable only by him. In the future, whenever he went out, he could swiftly return via it.
Finishing everything, Ning Qi instantly vanished from the spot.
Along the way, Ning Qi encountered many cultivators and, with his powerful Primordial Spirit Power, eavesdropped on quite a few messages from their conversations.
As expected, the other sects, though shocked by the events in the Boundless Sword Sect, shocked by the Sword Ancestor’s emergence, and even more shocked by his Ning Qi’s strength, had no intention of helping the Boundless Sword Sect.
Ning Qi didn’t care about these shortsighted sects—he had only mentioned it casually at the time.
Did he really need these sects to deal with the Northern Profound Upper Sect?
He headed straight for the Northern Profound Upper Sect, concealing all his aura. Midway, he changed his divine appearance and countenance. When he reappeared, he was a white-haired yet immortally aura-clad Supreme Expert.
……
Northern Profound Upper Sect.
There was a place dedicated to the soul lamps of the sect’s Great Powers and True Disciples, called the Soul Hall.
The True Disciples’ soul lamps were guarded by the sect-selected True Disciples, while the Great Powers’ soul lamps were guarded by the Great Powers themselves.
This was an idle position with little to do under normal circumstances.
So the guardians usually cultivated in peace while splitting off a wisp of Primordial Spirit to monitor.
Just as the eight Great Powers of the Northern Profound Upper Sect perished one by one in the Boundless Sword Sect, their soul lamp life fires naturally extinguished accordingly.
The person in charge of guarding the Great Powers’ soul lamps was named Zhu Jianxing.
The moment the life fires extinguished, he instantly sensed the anomaly.
Zhu Jianxing immediately opened his eyes to look at the soul lamps, first seeing the life fires of two late Void Dao Great Powers extinguish simultaneously. He couldn’t help but be startled.
However, he didn’t leave the Soul Hall for the time being to report to the Sect Leader.
Since the eight Great Powers had joined forces to destroy the Boundless Sword Sect, some deaths were to be expected—no need for excessive alarm.
“The Boundless Sword Sect does have some strength. I wonder how many lives they traded for the deaths of our sect’s two late Void Dao Great Powers?”
“With the lineup of Li Daocheng and the other two plus Grand Elder Xu Chen, they probably got their sect exterminated, right?”
Zhu Jianxing composed his shock and muttered to himself.
“Trading the lives of two Great Powers for the destruction of a sect—though it sounds a bit heartless, it was indeed worth it!”
At this moment, his mind was fully focused on the soul lamps.
Even if he believed the outcome would be like this, he still had to keep a close watch to avoid surprises.
Time passed bit by bit. Suddenly, another life fire before Zhu Jianxing’s eyes extinguished—this one was enormous, indicating the corresponding Great Power was extraordinary.
Zhu Jianxing almost thought he had seen wrong.
He rubbed his eyes hard and checked with his Primordial Spirit. After confirming again, the shock on Zhu Jianxing’s face instantly turned to terror!
“How could it be Grand Elder Xu Chen’s life fire? He was a peerless Great Power!”
Zhu Jianxing nearly jumped up.
The previous extinguishing of the two late Void Dao Great Powers’ life fires was one thing, but now Grand Elder Xu Chen’s life fire suddenly going out made Zhu Jianxing feel as if he had seen a ghost.
No matter who it was, knowing that their Northern Profound Upper Sect’s eight Great Powers had gone to destroy an ordinary Upper Sect, no one would think the strongest among them was in danger of falling.
If there were deaths, they would be from weakest to strongest in order.
But the scene before him forced Zhu Jianxing to accept reality. He rushed out of the Soul Hall and headed straight for the Sect Leader.
Soon, Zhu Jianxing returned with the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Sect Leader Zhou Qin Dao.
The two looked at the soul lamps again, only to find two more had extinguished!
Both widened their eyes, hardly able to believe what they saw.
Eight top-tier Great Powers had set out together—they could strut across the Northern Xuan Region, destroy any sect. This was the common cognition of the entire Northern Profound Upper Sect.
Even if other sects brought out their foundations, they would kneel and beg mercy under the eight combined.
That was why Zhou Qin Dao had sent the eight to the Boundless Sword Sect.
But now five had been killed. Zhou Qin Dao’s breathing grew heavy, and Zhu Jianxing beside him didn’t even dare breathe.
This was absolutely the greatest incident since the founding of the Northern Profound Upper Sect!
“Did they really go to the Boundless Sword Sect?” Zhou Qin Dao found it hard to accept and voiced.
Zhu Jianxing didn’t dare answer, as he didn’t believe it either.
Could it be that the eight Great Powers had gone to a top-tier Upper Sect with an Integration Realm Magnate sitting guard?
Only an Integration Realm Magnate could so easily kill a peerless Great Power like Grand Elder Xu Chen.
Zhou Qin Dao knew the matter was grave. Even as Sect Leader and descendant of Integration Realm Old Ancestor Zhou Tianzi, he felt pressure like a mountain.
Eight top-tier Great Powers—that was half of their Northern Profound Upper Sect’s strength. The remaining half had less power but more numbers—fifteen besides Sect Leader Zhou Qin Dao.
For now, the life fires of Li Daocheng and the other two at Void Dao Realm Perfection were still lit. But since even Grand Elder Xu Chen had died, they probably…
Zhou Qin Dao decided to call for reinforcements, summoning all the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Great Powers to the Soul Hall to witness this.
Sending the eight to the Boundless Sword Sect hadn’t been his sole decision—it had been jointly discussed by all the Great Powers.
Soon, Great Powers arrived one after another.
In the entire Soul Hall, sixteen Great Powers stared at the life fires of Li Daocheng and the other two, their faces extremely grim.
Suddenly, two of the life fires scattered like blown by a fierce wind, leaving only a wisp of green smoke.
The sixteen Great Powers’ faces instantly stiffened.
Their attention turned to the last one’s life fire—precisely Li Daocheng’s.
Though that life fire was still burning, everyone clearly saw signs of decay.
Sure enough, not long after, Li Daocheng’s life fire was snuffed out as if pinched by hand.
Within the Soul Hall, the sixteen Great Powers were silent, yet an invisible aura spread out. The disciple guarding the True Disciples’ soul lamps in the outer hall was nearly scared to death.
Sect Leader Zhou Qin Dao knew he had to speak.
He spoke with difficulty: “What do the Elders think?”
Zhu Jianxing beside him didn’t dare speak, but another Elder nearby said:
“Sect Leader, in my view, they absolutely did not go to the Boundless Sword Sect. There must be some mastermind targeting our Northern Profound Upper Sect!”
Nearly all sixteen Great Powers nodded in agreement.
But if that were true, the trouble would be enormous.
Who in the entire Northern Xuan Region dared target their Northern Profound Upper Sect? Could it be those top-tier Upper Sects from the Southern True Domain? Had they secretly allied to invade the Northern Xuan Region?
At that moment, a Great Power suddenly said:
“Let’s first check our own message jade talismans. Any messages from those eight?”
The Great Powers hurriedly took out their message jade talismans. With so few Great Powers in the Northern Profound Upper Sect, many naturally had good relations with the eight. But the next second, all shook their heads, indicating no messages from the eight.
“It’s a pity—they perished without sending even one message. What exactly happened?”
This wasn’t the eight’s fault. Li Daocheng and the others had strutted into the Boundless Sword Sect, confident of victory.
Even though the Boundless Sword Sect’s Sect Protecting Grand Formation hadn’t instantly activated its killing array that day, the isolation of messages had activated immediately.
An Elder, upon seeing Jian Jingjue instantly kill two, had immediately activated the Sect Protecting Grand Formation’s message isolation formation.
Thus, afterward, even if Li Daocheng and the others wanted to send messages, they couldn’t.
The sixteen Great Powers furrowed their brows deeply, completely unclear on what had happened.
“For now, the best course is to inquire about the situation from the Boundless Sword Sect side,” a Great Power said.
Thus, everyone contacted their disciples outside or other sects to probe for information.
It wasn’t until half a day later that information gradually came back—just as the other sects that had gone to the Boundless Sword Sect for the Sect Leader succession ceremony were leaving.
However, such a major event naturally required those sects’ people to report clearly to their own Sect Leaders—they didn’t dare spread information recklessly.
So, by the time the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Great Powers truly received the news, more than half a day had passed.
Northern Profound Upper Sect Sect Leader Hall.
The sixteen Great Powers saw the returned messages, each completely unable to believe.
“Boundless Sword Sect’s prodigy from ten thousand years ago, Jian Jingjue, emerged from seclusion and instantly killed two late Void Dao cultivators.”
“The new Sect Leader Ning Qi is a peerless prodigy unseen in a million years, already advanced to late Void Dao Realm, slaying a peerless Great Power with one sword!”
“Ning Qi alone killed eleven Great Powers!”
These returned messages were even harder for the sixteen to accept than believing top-tier Upper Sects from the Southern True Domain had allied to target their Northern Profound Upper Sect.
But truth was truth—they could only grit their teeth and accept it no matter how unwilling.
For a time, the entire Sect Leader Hall was deathly silent, where a pin drop could be heard.
Everyone’s hearts felt crushed by a great mountain. The fall of eight top-tier Great Powers was something they couldn’t bear.
The situation in the Boundless Sword Sect was even more unbearable for them.
“Sect Leader!”
Zhou Qin Dao snapped out of his contemplation and looked toward the speaker.
That person said: “Right now, the only option is to request the Old Ancestor emerge from seclusion. If we let the Boundless Sword Sect continue developing, our Northern Profound Upper Sect will be in peril.”
Zhou Qin Dao frowned, “But the Old Ancestor only returned yesterday, and his expression wasn’t good. He told us to handle any matters ourselves, and unless someone attacks the sect directly, absolutely do not disturb him!”
Those Great Powers also knew Old Ancestor Zhou Tianzi’s temperament—emotionally detached. In the entire Northern Profound Upper Sect, aside from his direct descendants, others generally weren’t valued by him.
It was only when Chu Xiaotian and the others went to the Profound True Secret Realm that the Old Ancestor met Chu Xiaotian, instructing him to kill Boundless Sword Sect True Disciples within and seek the whereabouts of the Dao Integration Profound Technique.
Unexpectedly, Chu Xiaotian had died at Ning Qi’s hands instead, but Zhou Tianzi no longer cared.
Upon receiving the news, he had told them to handle the Boundless Sword Sect, while Zhou Tianzi himself went to the collapsed Profound True Secret Realm to seek the rogue cultivator Fu Chen, hoping to obtain the incomparably precious Dao Integration Profound Technique and step into the Dao Integration Realm one step sooner.
As Zhou Tianzi’s descendant, Zhou Qin Dao knew more than the others.
On this trip, besides seeking the Dao Integration Profound Technique, Zhou Tianzi had briefly clashed with a Integration Realm Magnate from the Heavenly Star Upper Sect.
Zhou Tianzi had neither found the Dao Integration Profound Technique nor bested the Heavenly Star Upper Sect’s Integration Realm cultivator, so upon returning to the Northern Profound Upper Sect, he immediately entered closed-door cultivation, instructing everyone not to disturb him.
Within the hall.
Hearing this, the other fifteen Great Powers didn’t press further.
Everyone discussed various methods in succession, but ultimately reached a unified conclusion.
They couldn’t all band together again to destroy that Boundless Sword Sect, could they?
Though their numbers were half again as many, no one truly felt confident.
Not to mention that the Boundless Sword Sect had surely activated its Sect Protecting Grand Formation by now. The previous eight had chosen the day of the Sect Leader succession ceremony when the grand formation was temporarily down.
Otherwise, with the Boundless Sword Sect guarded by its Sect Protecting Grand Formation and holding the terrain advantage, even they would struggle to breach it—unless the Old Ancestor acted.
So in the end, everyone could only look to Zhou Qin Dao again. Even with the Old Ancestor’s instructions, they had to get him to emerge!
Thus, everyone headed to Zhou Tianzi’s closed-door cultivation site.
Zhou Qin Dao triggered the guarding formation—the Old Ancestor was inside.
But no matter how he triggered it, Zhou Tianzi inside seemed utterly unperceiving.
“Could the Old Ancestor have entered death seclusion?” a Great Power said.
“It’s only been a day—even for death seclusion, that’s impossible.”
“Then the Old Ancestor is deliberately refusing to see us?”
The sixteen instantly felt helpless!
Damn, they were truly convinced. Even Zhou Qin Dao’s face turned ugly—his own descendant had come, yet the Old Ancestor wouldn’t see him. That was too disrespectful to the descendants.
Zhou Qin Dao could only keep triggering the guarding formation nonstop—the other Great Powers lacked the courage.
Ripples spread continuously across the guarding formation, growing denser and denser.
Zhou Qin Dao’s current cultivation was also at Void Dao Realm Perfection, but triggering this guarding formation had him sweating on his forehead.
Finally, after who knew how many triggers, the guarding formation finally opened.
A figure emerged from within. Though short and stout, the aura around his body gave everyone a terrifying sensation of having their throats gripped.
Divine light brewed in the Elder’s eyes as he looked at the crowd—they felt as if slashed by a knife.
“I said, unless someone comes knocking at the door, do not disturb me. What is the meaning of this now?”
Everyone knelt down with thuds.
Sect Leader Zhou Qin Dao immediately informed Zhou Tianzi of everything.
Hearing the whole story, star-like phenomena seemed to fall around Zhou Tianzi as he suddenly erupted in fury.
“Just when I’m in a foul mood—no one in the entire Northern Xuan Region has dared enrage me like this in ages!”
“Today, we’ll use the Boundless Sword Sect to make an example—let all sects know the consequences of angering our Northern Profound Upper Sect!”
“Old Ancestor sees clearly!”
Everyone was about to arrange personnel to follow the Old Ancestor into action. Even if the Old Ancestor decided to destroy the Boundless Sword Sect, they needed to make preparations and put on a proper show for the Northern Profound Upper Sect.
They had just flown out of Zhou Tianzi’s closed-door site when the entire Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Sect Protecting Grand Formation violently shook at that moment.
Everyone was instantly shocked and enraged—someone was courting death by causing trouble at the Northern Profound Upper Sect right now. Didn’t they see the Old Ancestor had just emerged?
Everyone flew toward the sect gate together.
Zhou Tianzi didn’t go. With his status, before confirming the intruder, if he rushed there in panic like the juniors, wouldn’t it make him, the Old Ancestor, seem unsteady?
Even so, Zhou Tianzi’s expression turned utterly cold.
The Sect Protecting Grand Formation was shaking so violently—could it be that fellow from the Heavenly Star Upper Sect, unsatisfied with their previous clash, had come again?
If so, that would be utter bullying!
However, as the sect gate opened.
A stranger Elder appeared before everyone’s eyes, one no one recognized.
The Elder wore rather archaic clothing, as if he had just crawled out of a tomb.
“Who goes there?”
The newcomer was naturally Ning Qi in disguise.
Seeing them arrive so quickly, he was also stunned.
Looking closely, there were over a dozen Great Powers, with countless True Disciples hurrying over.
Ning Qi frowned slightly. Such a lineup clearly couldn’t have assembled so quickly just because he had attacked the Northern Profound Upper Sect’s Sect Protecting Grand Formation.
Gathering so many people—aside from dealing with the Boundless Sword Sect, what else warranted such fanfare?
Ning Qi inwardly sighed in relief—good thing he had come in time!
“You lot, seeing the Patriarch, do not kneel in welcome?” the Elder into whom Ning Qi had transformed said.
The dozen-plus Great Powers were stunned. “Patriarch?”
This strange Old Daoist claimed to be their Patriarch—could he be a madman?
“You madman, if you keep spouting nonsense, don’t blame us for chopping you into minced meat!”
“You all practice the Void God Refining True Method I passed down—do you only cultivate the method without knowing its origin? Hasn’t Zhou Tianzi told you?”
The Great Powers were stunned again.
This strange Elder had such gall, claiming the Void God Refining True Method they practiced was his transmission!
They did all practice it, but it came from Zhou Tianzi—how could it be from someone else?
However, Ning Qi struck directly.
Before him, the void instantly condensed a massive forty-zhang Primordial Spirit Slash Blade, rules aggregated upon it. With one sweep.
The void shattered instantly. Three Great Powers who couldn’t react in time were instantly slain under the blade.
The other Great Powers were shocked. The deaths of the three didn’t shock them as much as this blade—because it was indeed their Northern Profound Upper Sect’s technique.
Even more terrifying was that such a massive Primordial Spirit Slash Blade, none of them could wield—not even Old Ancestor Zhou Tianzi.
They had practiced the Void God Refining True Method for a long time and knew its power well.
The one used by the Elder before them was clearly more perfected and refined. Compared, it seemed far more like the true transmission than what they practiced.
Could it be… this person was truly the Old Ancestor who created the Void God Refining True Method?
A Great Power asked tremblingly: “May we ask the Patriarch’s title? Zhou Tianzi Old Ancestor has just emerged from seclusion—we can report to him.”
He seemed respectful but was secretly signaling that Integration Realm Zhou Tianzi had emerged, to intimidate Ning Qi with these words.
Who knew Ning Qi would stroke his long beard and say:
“I am Zhan Xuan Shang Jun. Go tell Zhou Tianzi—does he still remember urinating in front of my cave abode back in the day? Now that this Ancestor has been reborn and returned, why hasn’t he come to pay respects?”
