The curtain falls

Li Qingyue was not worried about Qin Ming's safety, because she had already dealt a heavy blow to her former best friend and fellow disciple with whom she was now in competition.

Wang Caiwei was seriously injured. Her black and gold armor was shattered, her stomach was broken, and her face was as pale as paper. She, who usually loved to laugh, was in extremely bad shape at this moment, and her brows and eyes were filled with sorrow.

The Body Protecting Golden Garment worn by the disciples of the Beyond the Mundane were worn underneath her, completely dulled, having been pierced and stained with blood.

In the past, she walked with a graceful figure, but today she came in a hurry wearing tattered Black Gold Armor. Although her feet glowed and she was moving very fast, something was clearly wrong, especially when she staggered as she got closer.

Qin Ming remained calm, wielding Eight Trigrams Furnace Immortal Mist Furnace in one hand as a weapon, while his other hand was already covered with Heavenly Light Force capable of burning away Consciousness Spirit Light energy.

Although he wasn't very familiar with Wang Caiwei, he didn't dislike her. If he thought about it carefully, he found her thoughtful and cheerful during their trip together, and they had a pleasant time together.

However, more than two years have passed since that one private trip, and the past and details have faded away.

Honestly, Qin Ming hoped to keep to himself and avoid conflict; that would be best. But if she tried to seize Near Immortal Object, then he would have no choice but to intervene.

Wang Caiwei lost her footing and suddenly stepped forward a short distance away. She did not attack; after losing too much blood, her beautiful but pale face had lost its usual smile, giving her a poignant beauty. She stared at Qin Ming, then secretly transmitted her voice, saying, "Is it you? From Red Haze City?"

Qin Ming's expression remained calm, but she was inwardly shocked. She had investigated him and knew some of his current situation, and now she recognized him—how could this be?!

He is now wearing armor and a golden mask, and his face has been altered by Meng Xinghai using Esoteric Sect methods.

"What are you saying?" Qin Ming raised his right hand slightly. The three great Extraordinary Art and eighteen kinds of Heavenly Light Force resonated and merged into one, which was extremely terrifying. To many Beyond-Mundane Disciples, it was like being burned by the Scorching Sun.

"I know it's you who's back. Please help me this once. As long as my strength increases quickly enough, the Wang Family won't be willing to let me marry out. I need Near Immortal Object. I don't want to become a sacrifice in a political marriage." Wang Caiwei's face was pale, and she seemed somewhat sad and helpless.

She looked at the tall figure in front of her, completely covered in golden armor, and said, "I know it's you. I have a photographic memory. Some of your habitual movements and details were already familiar to me before I met you; the Wang Family showed me their information."

Qin Ming shook his head and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Near Immortal Object already have an owner."

He was ready for a great battle, his left hand gripping the flowing Eight Trigrams Furnace of Ruixia, while the condensed Heavenly Light Force in his right hand seemed to transform into a dazzling little Solar Yang.

"We're old friends, yet you're wholeheartedly helping Li Qingyue, but you're so wary of me. And I really have no ill intentions towards you... How much do you really know about Li Qingyue?" Wang Caiwei secretly transmitted her voice, letting out a sigh.

Qin Ming frowned and said, "If you want Near Immortal Object, trade it for the Sky Supporting Force, the Tathagata Force, Jade Clarity Force, or send me three stacks of Extraordinary Art."

"Li Qingyue aspires to Near-Immortal, and once she reaches the Eight Trigrams Furnace Shop, she will never again set foot in the mortal world. This parting today will likely be the last time you see her. In the future, she will either lead the Beyond the Mundane to its zenith, transforming all Blessed Land into Grotto-Heaven and leaping into the void, or she will lead all those Beyond the Mundane People to their deaths in the depths of the Night Mist World during the Great Pioneering Era, their paths blocked and severed. Her thoughts are different from ours; you do not understand her. Having obtained the Near Immortal Object, she will inevitably sever all ties and is destined to become an incomparably pure practitioner on the Immortal Path."

Qin Ming frowned, put some distance between himself and her, and remained on guard.

"You and I are actually more alike; we are both struggling to change our fate. Help me this time. If I have an amazing performance, I can change the Lineage's mind, and afterwards I can give Li Qingyue Near Immortal Object. I swear by Beyond-Mundane Forbidden Arts!" Wang Caiwei's eyes were red, and she looked very helpless and desolate.

Qin Ming has been through quite a bit, and he simply listens to what others say; the most important thing is to observe their true behavior.

Sometimes, when he couldn't make a judgment, he would only accept one principle: judge by actions, not intentions. He didn't approach the other person to achieve spiritual resonance, always maintaining a distance. His Core Disciple were more accomplished than him, so there was no need to take the risk.

"You've said so much, but I don't understand." Qin Ming quickly considered whether recognizing him would lead to serious consequences and terrible dangers when leaving the Luofu Immortal Mountain Ruins.

Wang Caiwei sighed softly, "You think I laugh a lot, that I'm hypocritical? Sigh, actually, most people who laugh a lot are just hiding their not-so-bright feelings. I really want to cry, because I can't control my own destiny."

She took two steps forward, trying to get closer.

The Eight Trigrams Furnace in Qin Ming's hand hummed and roared under the impact of his Heavenly Light Force, ready to be unleashed at any moment.

Wang Caiwei sighed softly, and with a whoosh, she quickly disappeared into the distance, choosing to leave the Luofu Immortal Mountain Ruins without making a move against him.

Qin Ming watched her retreating figure and said, "Whether you're acting or feeling helpless about your fate, I wish you all the best." He was no longer Cui Chonghe; those he hadn't known much in the past had gradually become symbols of the past.

Qin Ming noticed that the clearing battle in the distance was nearing its end.

Jiang Shengyu, Su Jingzhu, Hu Tingwen and the others knew that this was Li Qingyue's battle to establish her authority. They figured she wouldn't kill them in front of so many Elite Disciple, so they used their strongest techniques.

However, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't hurt Li Qingyue in the slightest. All of them were severely injured, sent flying, covered in blood, and lying on the ground, unable to get up.

Without a doubt, this decisive battle deeply shocked all the Beyond-Mundane Disciples watching, revealing a significant gap between them and the Core Disciple.

The golden armor on Li Qingyue's body clanged as pieces flew off one by one. She was removing her armor and helmet, revealing her true face.

At this moment, she was wearing the earliest, damaged armor, stained with her own blood, proving that she had experienced an extremely cruel and dangerous battle, and had survived being surrounded and attacked.

Li Qingyue's black hair fluttered in the wind, her figure was tall and slender, her skin was like solidified cream, her face was exquisite and flawless, and her whole person was shrouded in a hazy light, surrounded by a light white mist.

Her tattered armor, stained with blood, added a touch of heroic spirit to her ethereal and otherworldly beauty. She pressed towards Tang Xumi and Li Qingxu, leaving only the two of them with the strength to fight.

"I surrender, I admit defeat!" Tang Xumi shouted readily, no longer wanting to attempt his strongest attack.

Then, he collapsed to the ground with a thud, gasping for breath, covered in blood, and laughed a few times, a laugh tinged with bitterness and relief. Li Qingxu hesitated, wondering whether to concede defeat now, or to pay a greater price and fight another round.

Li Qingyue was already close, giving him no chance to choose or Say More anything, and attacked him directly.

In an instant, the ground cracked open, the commotion was immense, and a divine rain of light shone brightly. Huge rocks continued to break off from the edge of the deep pit.

Li Qingxu unleashed his power without regard for the cost, but he was still defeated. Covered in blood, he collapsed into a pile of rocks, having exhausted all his strength.

Moreover, the treasure his teacher had helped him forge, the Purple Bamboo Stick that had withstood the Heavenly Light without being destroyed, had already fallen into Li Qingyue's hands.

Li Qingyue, carrying Purple Bamboo Stick, looked at Li Qingxu and said, "Before entering the Immortal Mountain Ruins, I mentioned that the person you dealt with back then was an old friend of mine. More than two years have passed, and I want to do something for him."

With a bang, Li Qingyue swung her Purple Bamboo Stick and struck Li Qingxu's arm, producing a crisp cracking sound.

Everyone was shocked. Li Qingyue was truly brave. Even after the duel ended, she didn't stop and dealt a heavy blow to the Old Senior's closed-door disciple!

A purple bamboo shadow streaked across the void and fell again, smashing Li Qingxu's left leg, the cracking sound clearly audible. At this moment, even the other Core Disciple were shocked, but then they understood that no matter how fierce the fight between the juniors was, the Old Senior would be too embarrassed to step in.

Moreover, in the Beyond the Mundane Pure Land, there are some important figures who can keep that domineering and protective Old Senior in check, and they will never allow him to act recklessly.

Today, Li Qingyue swept aside all the Core Disciple, winning cleanly and beautifully. She is destined to attract the attention of those important figures, and the person who controls the Eight Trigrams Furnace will be given special training and protection.

Moreover, the important figures of each sect all disliked Li Qingxu's teacher, so Li Qingyue's daring to beat his disciple probably suited the wishes of each sect.

"What is the best way to establish authority? There's no better option than beating Li Qingxu. That's enough to build up prestige!" Tang Xumi sighed inwardly. Then, he quickly retreated, afraid that he would also be beaten.

"Whether it's rationality or selfishness, I wanted to do this. I've wanted to hit you for a long time!" Li Qingyue said, and then hit Li Qingxu six times with a stick.

Three of the blows broke his arms and one leg, while the other three were less forceful; Li Qingyue simply struck lightly, slightly cracking his skull.

"My old friend suffered from amnesia for over two years, but your injuries are much less severe than his." Li Qingyue withdrew her hand, throwing the bamboo stick, which struck Li Qingxu like a spear, shimmering with a hazy purple light.

Li Qingxu was filled with hatred and felt endless humiliation. In front of everyone, he was actually beaten with his own divine bamboo, losing all face.

He had initially attempted to use a mysterious Escape Wood, a type of magical escape technique) to escape into the distance, but failed and was forcibly interrupted by the opponent, experiencing the darkest moment of his life!

"If no one challenges me, let the competition for the Near Immortal Object come to an end now," Li Qingyue said.

Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and her figure was as slender as a willow branch. She surveyed the surroundings with a cold and beautiful aura, and smiled as she nodded to her fellow disciples. Like clouds breaking through the mist, she was ethereal and otherworldly, as if she were about to ride the clouds away.

Qin Ming sighed, perhaps after this parting, he really wouldn't see her for a long time.

He was about to return to the relatively remote Red Haze City. The Millennium Aristocratic Family, the Blessed Land, and the magnificent Beyond the Mundane Pure Land were all far away from him. He needed to move forward step by step.