Ever since Qin Feng had "returned" the Eight Trigrams Cloud Light Scarf to Shi Ji in that domineering yet gentle manner, Azure Stone Palace had returned to its former tranquility.
No, it should have been said that it was more tranquil than ever before.
Every day, Shi Ji meditated in her quiet chamber, with the transformed Eight Trigrams Cloud Light Scarf floating above her head. Strands of Chaos Dao charm descended from it, enveloping her.
She could clearly feel that her comprehension of the Great Dao was advancing by leaps and bounds. The mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal bottleneck that had once seemed impossibly distant now felt like nothing more than a thin sheet of paper, ready to be pierced at any moment.
And all of this stemmed from that man.
Whenever she thought of Qin Feng, ripples would unconsciously spread across the lake of Shi Ji's heart. A sweet smile she herself had never noticed would always appear on that stunningly beautiful face.
It was wonderful to have Daoist Master by her side.
However, that peace was ultimately torn apart by an ill-timed, arrogant roar.
"Demoness Shi Ji! You killed a member of my Chan Sect! Your crime deserves death! Get out here at once and kneel to receive your death!"
The furious shout exploded at the foot of Azure Stone Palace like thunder, filled with lofty arrogance and killing intent.
Shi Ji's delicate body trembled as she meditated. She abruptly opened her eyes, and the fear she had only just calmed once more gripped her heart.
The Chan Sect!
The Chan Sect again!
Were they truly unwilling to let her go?
That bone-deep fear made her instinctively rise, but the gentle aura descending from the cloud scarf above her head instantly calmed her down.
She thought of Qin Feng.
Right. With Daoist Master here, what did she have to fear?
Shi Ji steadied herself and walked out of the quiet chamber. Qin Feng was already standing at the entrance to the cave dwelling with his hands behind his back, gazing idly toward the foot of the mountain, a faint sneer hanging on his lips.
"Daoist Master..." Shi Ji hurried to his side, her face carrying a trace of nervousness.
"Just a fly."
Qin Feng did not even turn his head. His tone was as casual as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather.
A fly?
Following his gaze, Shi Ji saw that a divine general had appeared at the foot of Azure Stone Palace at some unknown time.
The general wore silver armor, held a long spear, and rode an extraordinary divine beast. He looked majestic and imposing, his aura fierce. He was clearly no ordinary mortal.
It was none other than the Governor of Chentang Pass, Li Jing.
At that moment, Li Jing's heart was filled with heroic ambitions of earning merit and making a name for himself.
His master, True Person Du'e, was a renowned immortal of the Chan Sect and a close friend of Taiyi Zhenren, one of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
A few days earlier, Taiyi Zhenren had fled back to Kunlun Mountain in a miserable state. News that his disciple had vanished without a trace had already spread throughout the Chan Sect.
Although the Saints had ordered everyone to keep silent, Li Jing had still learned the general details from his master.
A demon immortal of the Interception Sect, Shi Ji, had actually dared to kill a third-generation disciple of the Chan Sect and even forced Taiyi Zhenren to lose face?
It was simply an unbearable humiliation!
In Li Jing's eyes, this was the perfect chance for him to prove himself!
The Chan Sect had always looked down on disciples of the Interception Sect, dismissing them as beasts with fur and horns, creatures born damp or hatched from eggs.
As a Registered Disciple of the Chan Sect and a governor in the mortal world, would dealing with a mere demon immortal not be effortless for Li Jing?
As long as he captured Shi Ji and handed her over to Taiyi Zhenren, he could not only restore his sect's honor, but also curry favor with Taiyi Zhenren, one of the Chan Sect's higher-ups. Would his future path in immortality not be bright beyond measure?
As for the mysterious expert rumored to have even made Taiyi Zhenren suffer?
Li Jing curled his lip and paid it no mind at all.
In his view, some Great Power of the Interception Sect had most likely happened to pass by and lent a hand.
How could an existence like that, whose whereabouts were as elusive as a divine dragon, possibly remain in a demon cave in such a barren, wretched place?
By now, that Great Power of the Interception Sect had probably left long ago.
Azure Stone Palace was a ripe peach, just waiting for him to pluck it!
"Demoness! If you still refuse to come out, do not blame this general for flattening your Skeleton Mountain and grinding your bones to dust!"
Li Jing roared again, his voice filled with impatience.
He had already decided that after capturing Shi Ji, he would humiliate her thoroughly first, so that this demon immortal who did not know the immensity of heaven and earth would understand the consequences of offending the Chan Sect!
Thinking of this, Li Jing no longer hesitated. He clenched his legs around his mount, pointed his long spear at the mountain gate, and prepared to charge straight in.
However, just as he urged his mount forward and entered within a hundred zhang of the mountain gate—
A sudden change erupted!
Buzz—!
The air throughout heaven and earth seemed to freeze at that instant.
An incomparably cold, unimaginably sharp killing intent suddenly enveloped him without warning!
Li Jing's pupils abruptly contracted into dangerously tiny pinpoints!
He raised his head in horror and saw countless golden specks of light appear from nowhere in the void ahead.
At first, those specks were vague, but in an instant, they stretched into terrifying sword qi several zhang long, each radiating endless Geng Metal Qi!
Thousands upon thousands of sword qi floated in the air, their tips all aimed at him, forming an airtight Prison Cage of sword qi.
Every strand of sword qi was wreathed in a chilling sword intent that made one's Primordial Spirit tremble, as though it could effortlessly cleave the heavens and sever space and time!
Li Jing and the divine beast beneath him were instantly locked in place by that terrifying sword intent. They froze where they stood, not daring to move even a finger.
That divine beast, which had looked so majestic moments ago, now trembled like a sieve, foam spilling from its mouth. It was so terrified that it collapsed to the ground, defecating and urinating uncontrollably.
"Wh... what is this?!"
Li Jing's mind buzzed, turning completely blank.
A sword formation?
How could the entrance to a demon immortal's cave dwelling possess such a terrifying sword formation?!
That Geng Metal Sword Intent, pure to the extreme, that murderous aura that seemed intent on reducing all things in heaven and earth to powder...
He had only felt similar pressure deep within certain forbidden areas of Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain!
No!
It was even more terrifying and purer than what he had felt there!
Li Jing's heart convulsed violently.
Refusing to believe it, he bit the tip of his tongue hard, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart. He pushed his immortal essence to its limit, and his long spear erupted with brilliant golden light as he thrust it toward the sword formation ahead.
"A mere illusion formation! Break for me!"
However, his spear had only just extended forward.
Of the countless sword qi ahead, only one thread-thin strand casually separated and drifted toward him.
There was no earth-shattering momentum and no world-destroying might.
That golden sword qi was like a weightless willow leaf as it met Li Jing's thunderous thrust.
Hiss.
A nearly inaudible sound rang out.
The instant the tip of Li Jing's spear touched the golden sword qi—
His long spear, a Houtian Merit Spirit Treasure, shattered inch by inch from the spearhead onward, turning into dust that scattered through the air.
There was not the slightest resistance throughout the entire process, as though a red-hot iron rod had been thrust into a block of butter.
No, it had been even easier than that.
Li Jing: "!!!"
An icy chill rose wildly from the soles of his feet, raced up his spine, and shot straight to the crown of his head!
He was completely dumbfounded, staring blankly at the half-broken shaft left in his hand. His mind had utterly lost the ability to think.
It... it shattered?
His famed magic treasure, a Houtian Merit Spirit Treasure, was just... gone?
A single sword qi had lightly touched it, and it had turned to ash?
What kind of prehistoric joke was this?!
The color drained from Li Jing's face in an instant, replaced by boundless terror and shock.
He finally realized what kind of existence he had provoked.
This was no ripe peach!
This was clearly an ancient glacier forged from Chaos Divine Iron, hidden beneath a coating of sugar!
Had he kicked an iron plate?
No!
He had directly kicked the gates of a Saint's dojo!
At that moment, every trace of Li Jing's luck, arrogance, and ambition was ground into dust.
He finally understood why Taiyi Zhenren had lost.
Why, after suffering such a tremendous loss, the Chan Sect had chosen such eerie silence.
It was not that they did not want revenge!
It was that they... did not dare!
The one residing in Azure Stone Palace was no demon immortal of the Interception Sect at all, but a terrifying Great Power they did not even dare imagine!
And he, a self-righteous clown, had actually come here to challenge such an existence?
At that thought, Li Jing regretted it so deeply that his intestines seemed to turn green.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall, instantly soaking his armor.
He stood frozen in place before the thousands of Geng Metal sword qi poised to strike. Forget charging up the mountain—he did not even have the courage to take a single step back.
He had no doubt that if he dared make the slightest unusual movement, the terrifying sword formation would shred both his body and Primordial Spirit into the most insignificant dust in heaven and earth!
Inside the cave dwelling.
Qin Feng had no interest in giving the governor at the foot of the mountain, who was nearly frightened into wetting himself, another glance.
To him, Li Jing really was no different from a noisy fly.
His gaze had already pierced through layer after layer of void, crossed countless mountains and rivers, and landed upon the mortal city of Chentang Pass.
Within his vision, fortune gathered above Chen Tang Pass Governor's Mansion.
A crystalline spirit pearl containing vast life force and violent killing aura slowly descended from the Ninth Heaven. It passed through the mansion's many restrictions and entered Lady Yin's womb with perfect precision.
The secrets of heaven were clearly laid out before him at that moment.
Spirit Pearl had reincarnated. Nezha was about to be born.
Another key figure in the Investiture of the Gods Calamity was about to take the stage.
A supremely amused smile slowly curled across Qin Feng's lips.
To others, this was the grand momentum of the Heavenly Dao, a chess piece in the Saintly Gambit.
But to him...
It was new prey, a new game.
He withdrew his gaze, turned to Shi Ji beside him, who was watching him with nervous curiosity, and smiled faintly.
"Just a fly. There is no need to mind it."
Qin Feng reached out and affectionately ruffled her hair, speaking in a relaxed tone.
"A more interesting show is about to begin."
Shi Ji's pretty face reddened at his sudden intimate gesture. Hearing his words only left her even more confused.
A more interesting show?
She followed the direction Qin Feng had been looking toward, but all she could see was a sea of clouds. She could not make out anything clearly.
Yet for some reason, when she saw the expression on Qin Feng's face, as though everything was under his control, the heart she had been holding tight finally settled completely.
In its place rose intense curiosity and anticipation.
She did not know what grand show Daoist Master was talking about.
But she knew that following this man, she would never be bored.
Before you continue