Too Talkative

Yun Long took a deep breath, the surging power from his breakthrough flowing through every limb and meridian.

Qi Refining Stage!

This was true transcendence!

He now perceived with absolute clarity that his father Yun Ji and the others had guessed correctly without a shred of error.

Xiantian was, after all, merely the peak of the Mortal Stage.

Beyond the Mortal Stage lay the first tier—Qi Refining!

And beside that Ninth Prince, there was actually a Qi Refining cultivator of this caliber!

Yun Long's eyes turned cold.

Searching the mountains?

A Qi Refining cultivator's Spiritual Sense could sweep across several hundred zhang, leaving nothing hidden—why would they need Xiantian martial artists to toil in vain?

That so-called ancient cultivator's relic had likely already fallen into someone else's hands.

Those missing Xiantian martial artists had probably long since turned to bone.

Yun Long stepped out of the cave.

"Really... broke through?" Li Pinghu's voice carried a faint, barely perceptible tremor.

Yun Long nodded calmly.

Li Pinghu and Shi Tie both exhaled in relief, the taut strings of their hearts finally loosening.

All their effort and sacrifice had been worth it!

At the very least, their lives were temporarily secured.

"Where do we go now?" Shi Tie asked in a low voice, his gaze sweeping the surroundings warily.

Yun Long's eyes narrowed slightly, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Nowhere."

He spoke flatly.

"Someone's coming."

"In a moment, stay far back."

At these words, Yun Ji, Li Pinghu, and Shi Tie's faces changed drastically!

Yun Long's tone was so grave—whoever approached was no mere Mortal Stage Xiantian!

A Qi Refining cultivator!

They had been found!

Yun Long's heart also tightened, and he silently thanked his luck.

If he hadn't made the snap decision to swallow five pills at once and break through the bottleneck with the most ferocious momentum, stepping into Qi Refining, he would have been a lamb for slaughter by now.

Barely two breaths passed.

An old, gloomy figure appeared among the trees, flickering closer until he stood right before them.

It was that unfathomable Elder Mu beside the Ninth Prince!

Elder Mu swept his hawk-like gaze over the group, finally landing on Yun Long with a hint of mockery.

"Heh, you ants sure know how to hide."

"Hand over the inheritance you carry. If this old man is pleased, I might put in a good word for you before the Ninth Prince and grant you a quick death."

Elder Mu stood with his hands behind his back, his posture arrogant.

Yun Long's cultivation technique was profound, perfectly concealing his aura; to outsiders, he appeared no different from an ordinary Xiantian peak martial artist.

Elder Mu clearly hadn't seen through his true cultivation.

"Immortal."

Yun Long cupped his hands, adopting a very humble demeanor.

"This junior has a few questions and dares to ask the Immortal for clarification."

"Once this junior understands, I will surely present the immortal inheritance the Yun Clan stumbled upon with both hands, only hoping... to die as a clear ghost."

"Immortal inheritance?" Elder Mu's murky eyes suddenly lit up, a flash of greed passing through them.

"Just as I thought! There's no way mere mortal martial arts could produce potential that even the Ninth Prince would regard so highly."

He bared his teeth in a cruel grin.

"Fine, this old man will satisfy your curiosity."

"Ask away."

In his eyes, these mortals were already fish in a barrel, incapable of stirring any trouble.

"Your Highness the Ninth Prince—what relic did he truly send us into the mountains to search for?" Yun Long asked in a deep voice.

"Heh heh heh..." Elder Mu let out a piercing, eerie laugh, dripping with disdain and mockery.

"Utterly foolish mortals!"

"Why would I need you wastes to search? That so-called relic—this old man had it thoroughly scouted in half a day's work."

"Sending you into the mountains to die was merely giving you a seemingly reasonable place to be buried, a facade to deceive the world."

"You are all nothing but fertilizer to aid His Highness the Ninth Prince in cultivating that Mid-Grade Qi Refining technique, the 'Yuan Sect Blood Demon Qi'!"

Elder Mu's eyes gleamed with bloodthirsty light.

"Petty mortals, what could you possibly know of the mysteries of Qi Refining? Even if I explained, you frogs at the bottom of a well would never understand!"

"Many thanks for the immortal's clarification."

Yun Long gave a deep bow.

"This junior will now present the inheritance."

No sooner had he spoken than his feet began to move, stepping forward with apparent reverence toward Elder Mu.

One step, two steps...

When the distance between them shrank to less than three feet!

Yun Long's gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade!

"Boom!"

His internal energy erupted without warning!

Great Arhat Fist!

Without hesitation, without any flourish, he punched out. The air let out a muffled explosion, and a golden fist shadow condensed as solid as the real thing, slamming straight into Elder Mu's chest!

"Heh heh heh... This old man knew you foolish mortals would never resign yourselves to fate!"

Elder Mu cackled, his face still wearing the teasing expression of a cat toying with a mouse.

Yet the moment Yun Long's fist wind touched his body, the smile on his face froze solid!

A terrifying force far beyond the Xiantian realm, accompanied by a surge of true qi that made his heart tremble, came crashing in!

"No, that's wrong!"

"This is impossible!"

For the first time, Elder Mu's eyes showed sheer terror!

"You... you're also at the Qi Refining Stage!"

In frantic haste, a flash of green light flickered over Elder Mu's body as he barely managed to defend!

Thud!

A dull impact rang out. Elder Mu's frame shuddered violently, and he stumbled back several steps before barely steadying himself.

He felt his blood and qi churning, his arm numb!

What horrified Elder Mu most was that this brat, whom he had regarded as an ant, could clash head-on with him—a Qi Refining Stage third-layer cultivator—without losing ground!

He knew full well that within his own body, he had condensed a full five strands of "Calm Lake Rain Walking Qi"!

Each strand was pure to the extreme!

And Yun Long—he could clearly sense that the other party only had a single strand of qi within him!

One strand!

But the quality of that single strand far surpassed his Calm Lake Rain Walking Qi!

Condensed! Domineering! Radiating an imposing, righteous aura!

"Your qi... it's not low-grade!"

Elder Mu's eyes bulged, greed and murderous intent intertwining and erupting.

"Heh heh heh! Good! Very good! Heaven has not been unkind to this old man!"

"Boy, that cultivation technique of yours—this old man is taking it!"

Elder Mu instantly understood that Yun Long's earlier act was merely to extract information.

But instead of anger, an endless surge of wild joy and anticipation welled up within him.

A qi cultivation technique of such quality—even if he couldn't switch to it himself, trading it for cultivation resources would benefit him immensely!

Thoughts racing, a vicious glint flashed in Elder Mu's eyes.

He knew well that a prolonged battle was disadvantageous, especially against such an unusual technique.

Strike where the enemy must defend!

While warily guarding against Yun Long's next attack, Elder Mu sinisterly locked his gaze onto Yun Ji and the other two, who stood unarmed not far away!

"Ice Rain Flying Needles!"

Elder Mu hissed. A stream of green Calm Lake Rain Walking Qi surged from his body, instantly transforming into a sky full of dense, ice-blue needles that shrieked as they rained down in a deadly barrage upon the defenseless Yun Ji trio!

Extremely vicious!

Yun Long had long anticipated this. His face was as calm as still water, showing not a trace of panic.

"Golden Bell Shield!"

He let out a low shout.

The single, overbearing Vajra Primordial Qi within his body suddenly erupted!

Hum!

A dazzling golden light burst forth from his body, instantly forming a massive, solid golden bell phantom around him and the three Yun Ji disciples!

On the surface of the bell, faint Sanskrit characters swirled, radiating a heavy aura of inviolability and indestructibility—a presence of the Indestructible Diamond Body!

Clink, clink, clink, clink—!

The dense Ice Rain Flying Needles struck the golden bell, producing a series of crisp impacts, yet they were like ants trying to shake a tree—all were deflected and shattered, failing to move the bell even a hair.

Seizing this opportunity, Yun Long, bearing the enlarged golden bell like a moving fortress of gold, braved any subsequent attacks Elder Mu might unleash, advanced instead of retreating, and charged straight at Elder Mu!