Arc 21The Ancient Kingdom Hunt

Chen Qing overcame the Path Corroding Miasma, reached the Grandmaster Realm, and joined the expedition into the Ancient Kingdom Ruins. After killing Golden Court hunters and drawing a bounty, he raced to rescue Shen Qinghong from a Ghost Witch Sect ambush.

  • Chen Qing advanced through the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Refinements, formed a fifteen-pattern Golden Core, and gained control of Tianbao Tower.
  • Chen Qing killed Chi Lie and Hong Yuan, learning that the Night Clan and its allies sought their ancestor’s remains in the Ancient Kingdom Ruins.
  • Chen Qing joined the North Cang Alliance expedition, entered the ruins, reached the tenth layer of his Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body, and killed Xuan Ting and Xuan Chi.
  • After Xuan Ming placed a bounty on him, Chen Qing advanced to the Second Turn and hunted Golden Court cultivators across the ruins.
  • Chen Qing killed Ying Li and other Golden Court experts, while Great Lord Guli and Great Lord Feili joined forces to trap him.
  • Chen Qing found that six tokens were needed to enter the ruins’ core, then warned his companions to beware the Golden Court hunters.
  • Wu Xuanhai and Wu Guoluo lured Shen Qinghong into an ambush, and Chen Qing arrived at Bafang Tower and pierced Wu Guoluo with his Jingzhe Spear.
Chapters 516–543 Vol. 6 Read

Ch. 516Martial Uncle

Chen Qing learned that Northern Cang’s forces might unite for war and began cultivating to prepare, while Taiyi Supreme Sect celebrated Jiang Tuo’s breakthrough into the Grandmaster realm. Li Qingyu learned that the Path Corroding Miasma had afflicted Chen Qing and began planning to restore his strength.

  • Zhu Yu told Chen Qing that the sects and Imperial Court had killed a Frost Eagle Tribe Grandmaster and a Night Clan Night Watcher, while Emperor Yan was rumored to be gathering Northern Cang’s forces for a Northern Border campaign.
  • Chen Qing ordered Zhu Yu and Ping Bo to track imperial and sect movements, then resolved to advance his cultivation, complete his Spear Intent, and pursue control of Tianbao Tower before attempting the Fourteenth Refinement.
  • Chen Qing swallowed an Earth Vein Fire Origin Pill and circulated the Great Void True Scripture as its intense medicinal power began raising his cultivation.
  • Jiang Ci and Feng Shuofang discussed reports that Chen Qing had been afflicted by the nearly incurable Path Corroding Miasma, then sensed Jiang Tuo’s breakthrough and joined Taiyi Supreme Sect in celebrating his new Grandmaster.
  • Wuzhu delivered Li Qingyu a secret letter from Grand Duke Chi Lie, and Li Qingyu celebrated that the Path Corroding Miasma had weakened Chen Qing’s prospects before entering seclusion to restore his strength.

Ch. 517Thirteen

As Jiang Tuo’s Grandmaster breakthrough shifted the balance among the sects, Chen Qing ignored rumors that his Path Corroding Miasma would block his progress and continued refining his True Essence. After Hua Yunfeng returned with two rare medicines, Chen Qing broke through to the Thirteenth Refinement, leaving his Grandmaster path closer than ever.

  • News spread that Jiang Tuo had become a Grandmaster, while Luo Ziming urged Nan Zhuoran to seize the chance and break through with the sect’s support.
  • Luo Ziming told Nan Zhuoran that the emperor was preparing the North Cang Alliance to explore the Ancient Kingdom Ruins and fight Golden Court and the Night Clan.
  • Chen Qing ordered Qing Dai to exchange his Contribution Points for cultivation resources, then continued his secluded training despite rumors that his Path Corroding Miasma would prevent him from reaching Grandmaster.
  • Hua Yunfeng returned from the Xuantian Supreme Sect with a Nine-Orifice Ginseng and a Heavenly Heart Lotus, which he gave Chen Qing to help his cultivation and condition.
  • After preparing himself and refining his resources, Chen Qing advanced the Great Void True Scripture to its Thirteenth Layer and achieved the Thirteenth Refinement.

Ch. 518Domain Complete

Chen Qing completed all eighteen Spear Intents and fused them into a powerful Spear Domain, then went to Tianbao Tower to challenge the founding patriarch’s will projection. He stood before the projection and asked for its guidance.

  • Chen Qing studied his cultivation methods and devised a framework for attempting the Fourteenth Refinement, but decided to stabilize his Thirteenth Refinement and cultivate his spear techniques first.
  • After more than twenty days of training, Chen Qing reached the Extreme Realm in the Tai Chu Po Xu Spear and Star River Falling World Spear, completing all eighteen Spear Intents.
  • Chen Qing overcame the conflicting Spear Intents and fused them into a stable domain whose destructive power approached the second level despite its limited range.
  • Chen Qing went to Tianbao Tower, where the steward and nearby disciples watched him arrive amid rumors about his setbacks and the Taiyi Supreme Sect.
  • The founding patriarch’s will projection appeared on the seventieth floor, and Chen Qing introduced himself and asked for its guidance.

Ch. 519Transcendence

Chen Qing fought the Ancestor Projection on the Seventieth Floor of Tianbao Tower, matching his cultivation and defeating his sword array and tower phantom with his Spear Domain and True Martial Demon Purging Spear Array. The Ancestor Projection acknowledged that Chen Qing had surpassed him at the same realm as his projection faded.

  • Chen Qing unleashed the thirteenth refinement of the Great Void True Scripture and clashed with the Ancestor Projection in a rapid spear-and-sword duel.
  • The Ancestor Projection formed the True Martial Demon Purging Sword Array, and Chen Qing answered with his True Martial Demon Purging Spear Array, gaining a slight advantage.
  • Chen Qing and the Ancestor Projection used the Great Void Annihilation Divine Light against each other, and Chen Qing endured the annihilating aftershock with his powerful body and True Essence.
  • The Ancestor Projection summoned a giant phantom of Tianbao Tower and drove it down on Chen Qing, who resisted with Wind Snow Hidden Dragon's Roar.
  • Chen Qing opened his Spear Domain and combined it with the True Martial Demon Purging Spear Array to break the giant tower phantom.
  • The Ancestor Projection was gravely weakened and praised Chen Qing for surpassing him at the same realm before fading away.

Ch. 521Ancestral Land (11K Thanks to Gentleman JOB for Becoming Alliance Leader)

Chen Qing learned the Tianbao Supreme Sect’s founding ancestor had come from the Ancestral Land to guard against the Night Clan, received the Fourteenth Layer Heart Method, and gained initial control of the Tianbao Tower. After using the tower to refine borrowed resources into Profound Yellow Qi, he completed the Fourteenth Refinement and turned to the Reversing Fate Star Vortex Pill.

  • The Ancestor Projection revealed the Tianbao Supreme Sect’s origins, warned that the Night Clan was stirring again, and passed Chen Qing the Fourteenth Layer Heart Method and Golden Core tempering methods.
  • The Ancestor Projection gave Chen Qing initial control of the Tianbao Tower, explaining that it could refine materials into Profound Yellow Qi and contained a secret Nascent Soul method.
  • Chen Qing tested the tower’s furnace, confirmed Profound Yellow Qi strengthened his cultivation, and secretly sent letters asking the sect, the Imperial Court, and prominent clans to lend him resources.
  • Jiang Lishan approved the sect’s larger share of resources for Chen Qing after Hua Yunfeng argued that the sect should support him, while the Wang and Ruan Families agreed to lend herbs and Wang Han privately increased his family’s contribution.
  • Emperor Xu Yin ordered medicinal treasures sent to Chen Qing as a public display of Imperial Court favor, while viewing the gesture as a way to win support.
  • Chen Qing refined the borrowed medicinal treasures into Profound Yellow Qi and used it to complete the Fourteenth Refinement of the Great Void True Scripture, then looked toward the Reversing Fate Star Vortex Pill.

Ch. 522Grandmaster (98K Thanks to Gentleman JOB for the Alliance Leader)

After emerging from seclusion, Chen Qing cautiously investigated intelligence Wu Xuan sent about Golden Court and Night Clan hideouts, then received life-giving dew from Xu Min and used it to complete his preparations for advancement. He refined to the Fifteenth Refinement, condensed a Golden Core with fifteen Pill Patterns while concealing four of them, and revealed his breakthrough as a Grandmaster to the astonished Tianbao Supreme Sect.

  • Chen Qing reviewed Wu Xuan’s intelligence about three suspected enemy hideouts and ordered Ping Bo to verify one without exposing their covert channel.
  • Chen Qing questioned Xu Min about her poor health, learned she had used her Essence Blood to nurture a dead seed, and accepted its three drops of dew for his Path Corroding Miasma.
  • Chen Qing refined the dew into exceptionally potent Xuanhuang Qi, swallowed the Reversing Fate Star Vortex Pill, and completed the Fifteenth Refinement before beginning to condense a Golden Core.
  • Chen Qing’s Heaven Rewards Diligence fate ensured his Golden Core formed with fifteen Pill Patterns, while the pill’s remaining power concealed four patterns and reduced the visible phenomenon to eleven.
  • The Golden Core’s storm and aura alerted the Tianbao Supreme Sect’s Grandmasters, who gathered at Wanfa Peak as Chen Qing emerged from seclusion and confirmed his breakthrough.
  • Chen Qing credited Xu Min’s secret method with helping him escape the Path Corroding Miasma, and Jiang Lishan announced that the sect would celebrate his achievement.

Ch. 524Escape Heaven

After breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm with an eleven-pill-pattern manifestation, Chen Qing began consolidating his cultivation and mastering new techniques. News of his achievement spread through Tianbao Giant City, forcing the Ruan Family to regret its lack of support and scramble to seek an audience through Qing Dai.

  • Chen Qing learned from Han Guxi that Hua Yunfeng had left the sect to seek a way to resolve Chen Qing’s Path Corroding Miasma, then returned to Wanfa Peak to consolidate his cultivation.
  • Chen Qing sensed his fifteen-pill-pattern Golden Core, mastered the Great Void Escape Technique, and received the Great Void Spirit Refinement Chapter from Tianbao Tower.
  • Chen Qing decided to give the Nascent Soul cultivation method to Hua Yunfeng when he returned, then planned to strengthen his Golden Core, body, spear arts, and divine sense.
  • News of Chen Qing’s breakthrough spread through Tianbao Giant City, and the families that had supported him celebrated while others regretted their choices.
  • Ruan Lingfeng told Ruan Hongyi and Ruan Hongchang that Chen Qing had become a Grandmaster with eleven Pill Patterns, prompting Ruan Hongyi to order them to seek help from the Qian Family through Qing Dai.

Ch. 525Death Sentence

Emperor Yan Xu Yin and the Taiyi Supreme Sect learned that Chen Qing had entered the Grandmaster Realm with an eleven-pattern Golden Core, prompting speculation about his role in the Northern Border conflict and Jiang Tuo’s confidence in facing him. After stabilizing his cultivation, Chen Qing learned that Chi Lie was likely hiding in Blackwater Great City, sent Ping Bo to bring his mother to Wanfa Peak, and marked Chi Lie for death.

  • Xu Yin received a confirmed report that Chen Qing had broken through to the Grandmaster Realm and ordered the news neither publicized nor sealed off.
  • Jiang Ci and the Taiyi Supreme Sect elders discussed Chen Qing’s breakthrough, while Jiang Tuo welcomed him as a worthy rival.
  • Chen Qing emerged from seclusion, greeted Qing Dai, Zi Su, and Su Wen, and heard Ping Bo’s congratulations.
  • Ping Bo reported signs that Chi Lie was hiding in Blackwater Great City, and Chen Qing ordered him to bring Madam Han safely from Gaolin County.
  • Chen Qing drew a heavy line through Chi Lie’s name in his black booklet, declaring that the death sentence could be handed down.

Ch. 526The Ancient Kingdom

After Chen Qing brought Madam Han to live on Wanfa Peak, he left to hunt down Chi Lie and Hong Yuan, who were plotting against him in Blackwater Great City. The chapter ended as an unknown attacker pierced Hong Yuan’s Killing Intent shield in a sudden ambush.

  • Chen Qing welcomed Madam Han to Wanfa Peak, where she settled into her new home and spoke with him about Gaolin County, Yang Huiniang, and his junior sisters.
  • After Madam Han fell asleep, Chen Qing changed his appearance, took the Golden Feather Eagle, and flew toward Blackwater Great City to deal with the danger posed by Chi Lie and Hong Yuan.
  • At Everlasting Abundance Trading House, Chi Lie and Hong Yuan discussed Chen Qing’s breakthrough and planned to kill him when he joined the investigation of the Ancient Kingdom Ruins.
  • Chi Lie decided to leave for the Blood Leopard Tribe the next morning, but the hall’s candles suddenly went out and an unknown attacker pierced Hong Yuan’s Killing Intent shield.

Ch. 527Night Lord

Chen Qing killed Chi Lie, escaped Blackwater Great City with the mortally wounded Hong Yuan, and interrogated him about the Night Clan and the Ancient Kingdom Ruins. After Hong Yuan revealed that the ruins held the remains of a Night Clan ancestor, he tried to attack Chen Qing and was killed, leaving Chen Qing with a second drop of Night Clan baleful blood.

  • Chen Qing burst into the hall, killed Chi Lie with the Jingzhe Spear, and took the barely living Hong Yuan before Diao Tianze arrived.
  • Chen Qing escaped Blackwater Great City with Hong Yuan using the Great Void Escape Technique and revived him with a Healing Pill in a forest.
  • Chen Qing tortured Hong Yuan with Origin Piercing until he revealed that more than fifty Night Watchers and ten Night Lords had entered the region, and that the Night Clan sought its ancestor's remains in the Ancient Kingdom Ruins.
  • Hong Yuan said the Night Clan, Golden Court, and Great Snow Mountain would send experts into the ruins to recover the remains, which could strengthen the Night Clan and help loosen its restrictions.
  • Hong Yuan secretly burned his Killing Intent source, but Chen Qing killed him with the Jingzhe Spear and collected a second drop of Night Clan baleful blood.

Ch. 528News

Chen Qing returned to Tianbao Supreme Sect, strengthened his divine sense, and learned that the North Cang Alliance would soon form around an expedition to the Ancient Kingdom Ruins. After giving Hua Yunfeng Tianbao Supreme Sect’s lost Nascent Soul method, Chen Qing prepared to focus on his cultivation before the expedition.

  • Chen Qing returned to Wanfa Peak and refined the Mysterious Yin Soul Condensing Grass, strengthening his divine sense enough to sustain his Spear Domain for half an hour and use the Great Void Escape Technique for more than ten teleports.
  • News spread that Chi Lie had died in Blackwater Great City, while the Northern Border gathered under the growing threat of the Night Clan and the Golden Court Eight Tribes.
  • Hua Yunfeng returned and told Chen Qing that powerful factions were gathering around the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, where a Dao-resonance barrier barred Grandmasters at the sixth turn and above.
  • Hua Yunfeng revealed that the North Cang Alliance had been settled and would be formally announced within a month, with the Ruins exploration serving as its opening operation.
  • Chen Qing gave Hua Yunfeng a lost Tianbao Supreme Sect method for condensing a Nascent Soul, and Hua Yunfeng took it to study in seclusion.
  • After Hua Yunfeng left, Chen Qing resolved to stabilize his first-turn cultivation, pursue the second turn, and train his Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body toward its tenth level.

Ch. 529Great Upheaval

Tianbao Supreme Sect appointed Chen Qing to the Tianshu Seat and chose him, Hua Yunfeng, Ke Tianzong, and twelve disciples to attend the North Cang Alliance assembly and explore the Ancient Kingdom Ruins. Meanwhile, Jiang Shagui planned to exploit the absence of Xie Mingyan and other Grandmasters to seize control of Cloudwater Supreme Sect.

  • Jiang Lishan told the Tianbao Supreme Sect leaders that the North Cang Alliance would gather to oppose the Night Clan and that the Ancient Kingdom Ruins would admit only Grandmasters below the Sixth-Turn and True Origin Realm cultivators.
  • Chen Qing, Hua Yunfeng, and Ke Tianzong were selected as Tianbao Supreme Sect's three Grandmasters for the expedition, and Nan Zhuoran was among the twelve disciples chosen.
  • Jiang Lishan announced Chen Qing's promotion to the Tianshu Seat, and the sect approved his assignment to the Northern Border expedition.
  • Chen Qing gave Nan Zhuoran a drop of Purple Marrow Spirit Liquid to help him advance toward the Grandmaster Realm.
  • Lu Song told Jiang Shagui that Xie Mingyan, He Chong, and Wang Bai would leave Cloudwater Supreme Sect for the alliance gathering, and Jiang Shagui ordered him to secretly gather their faction's strength and prepare to seize control.

Ch. 530Arrangements

Chen Qing prepared to leave for the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, warned Han Guxi about suspected spies in the sect, and set out with Tianbao Supreme Sect's expedition. The party reached Vast Sea Ruined City, where Taiyi Supreme Sect disciples spotted Chen Qing and reported his arrival.

  • Chen Qing told Han Guxi that Ruan Lingxiu might be connected to the Demonic Sect and urged him to secretly watch her; Han Guxi also revealed that the sect had failed to identify another hidden spy.
  • Han Guxi promised to protect Wanfa Peak while Chen Qing traveled north and asked him to look after Qu He in the ruins; Chen Qing agreed.
  • Chen Qing entrusted affairs at Wanfa Peak to Ping Bo, then departed with Hua Yunfeng, Ke Tianzong, and twelve True Origin Realm disciples under the leadership of Hua Yunfeng.
  • During the journey, Hua Yunfeng announced that he would head north alone to investigate Night Lord experts, then secretly vanished from the party after they resumed flying.
  • After traveling through the Vast Sea Desert, Chen Qing's group arrived at Vast Sea Ruined City, where Taiyi Supreme Sect disciples recognized him and sent word to Senior Brother Jiang.

Ch. 531Vast Sea

Chen Qing and the Tianbao Supreme Sect party arrived at Vast Sea Ruined City, where Shen Qinghong warned him and Ke Tianzong that the Ancient Kingdom Ruins would draw many powerful factions and Grandmasters. As the city awaited the entrance’s appearance, Chen Qing returned to his Quiet Room and prepared to strengthen his cultivation before entering.

  • Chu Xuanhe and Li He spotted Chen Qing, but Chu Xuanhe chose not to approach him to avoid alienating the Taiyi Supreme Sect and Jiang Tuo.
  • Shen Qinghong welcomed Chen Qing and Ke Tianzong, then led their combined parties to a residence arranged by the Imperial Court.
  • Shen Qinghong warned Chen Qing and Ke Tianzong about the Western Region Grandmasters, the Buddhist Kingdom experts, the Que Sect, and the possible arrival of Ling Xuance.
  • Shen Qinghong explained that the Ancient Kingdom Ruins would become accessible only after the coming Black Wind Sandstorm, and urged Chen Qing to avoid conflicts while they waited.
  • Chen Qing assessed his progress toward the Second-Turn Realm and the tenth level of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body, then resumed cultivating.

Ch. 532The Pill Furnace

Jiang Tuo and the Taiyi Supreme Sect prepared for the Ancient Kingdom Ruins as factions gathered in Vast Sea Ruined City. When the ruins opened, Chen Qing and Ke Tianzong entered the outer perimeter, found pills in several furnaces, and then split up to search separately.

  • Jiang Tuo discussed a cautious plan for exploring the ruins with Chang Xin and Lu Yunsong, then learned Chen Qing and Ke Tianzong had arrived and heard that Ling Xuance might enter as well.
  • Marquis Zhenbei and the Jingwu Guard's Great Governor announced that Grandmasters could not attack True Origin Realm cultivators inside the ruins.
  • The sandstorm cleared the mist concealing the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, and Chen Qing led the Tianbao Supreme Sect party into the outer perimeter.
  • Chen Qing and Ke Tianzong cleared Corrupt Yuan Miasma from three Green Pattern Pill Furnaces and recovered Guiyuan Cui Zhen Pills to divide among themselves and the disciples.
  • Ke Tianzong proposed splitting up to search more efficiently, and Chen Qing agreed; Ke Tianzong then led six disciples northwest while Chen Qing stayed with the other six.

Ch. 533Black Hair (Happy New Year's Eve!)

Chen Qing searched the pill courtyards, shared Guiyuan Cui Zhen Pills with his companions, then followed the Thirteen-Petal Pure World Lotus Platform’s reaction to a powerful drop of Essence Blood. He found it beside an enormous skeleton, but a strange black-haired monster attacked him before he could reach it.

  • Chen Qing cleared Corrupt Yuan Miasma from a pill furnace, took one of five Guiyuan Cui Zhen Pills, and gave the other four to Nan Zhuoran and the others.
  • Nan Zhuoran suggested that the group search separately within a hundred feet of Chen Qing, and Chen Qing agreed before continuing alone.
  • Chen Qing searched more courtyards, then sensed the Thirteen-Petal Pure World Lotus Platform reacting to something northwest of him.
  • Chen Qing broke through a powerful killing restriction and discovered an enormous skeleton with a drop of potent Essence Blood beside its exhausted Golden Core.
  • A black-haired monster ambushed Chen Qing near the skeleton, and he blocked its first attack with the Jingzhe Spear before it charged again.

Ch. 534Essence Blood (Happy New Year's Eve!)

Chen Qing defeated a corpse-guarding monster in the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, absorbed part of a mysterious Essence Blood drop, and broke through to the tenth layer of the Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body. After Qu He and Huo Qiushui signaled for help, Chen Qing arrived just in time to kill Xuan Ting as he was about to attack them.

  • Chen Qing used Wind Snow Hidden Dragon's Roar to disorient the corpse-guarding monster, then pierced its brow and reduced it to ash.
  • Chen Qing struggled to remove the Essence Blood from the enormous skeleton, then used Dragon Elephant Power to draw it free and swallowed it.
  • The Essence Blood reforged Chen Qing's body, advancing his Dragon Elephant Prajna Vajra Body to the tenth layer while revealing that the blood might be dangerous.
  • Qu He and Huo Qiushui found a huge Green Pattern Pill Furnace and sent a signal for Chen Qing, but Xuan Chi and Xuan Ting arrived and grievously wounded them.
  • As Xuan Ting moved to kill Qu He and Huo Qiushui, Chen Qing arrived and destroyed Xuan Ting's shield, pierced his dantian, and shattered his Golden Core.

Ch. 535Ninth Turn (Happy New Year!)

Chen Qing killed Xuan Ting and Xuan Chi after they attacked Qu He and Huo Qiushui, then opened the Green Pattern Pill Furnace and collected its pills. With the battle drawing attention across the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, Chen Qing led his companions away.

  • Chen Qing killed Xuan Ting with a single spear thrust, and Xuan Chi fled before turning to fight him.
  • Chen Qing overcame Xuan Chi’s Myriad Golden Xuan Blades and Golden Xuan Indestructible True Body, then destroyed Xuan Ming’s protective remnant thought when it tried to stop him.
  • Chen Qing killed Xuan Chi with the Mountain River Seal as Nan Zhuoran, Zhang Baicheng, and the others arrived and saw the aftermath.
  • Chen Qing collected Xuan Chi and Xuan Ting’s belongings, including Guiyuan Cui Zhen Pills, while witnesses fled and spread news of the fight.
  • Chen Qing opened the Green Pattern Pill Furnace, collected its pills, and led the group out before more people arrived.

Ch. 536Bounty (Happy New Year!)

After Chen Qing killed Xuan Chi and Xuan Ting, Xuan Ming offered the Gilded Spirit Spring and surrounding lands as a bounty for Chen Qing’s head. Chen Qing broke through to the Second Turn and headed for the Inner Perimeter, where news of the bounty and the hunt for him spread among the gathered factions.

  • Xuan Ming learned that Xuan Chi had died at Chen Qing’s hands and ordered a bounty on Chen Qing, offering the Gilded Spirit Spring and nearby territory to whoever killed him.
  • Chen Qing treated Qu He and Huo Qiushui, shared pills with his companions, and left the group in Nan Zhuoran’s care while Nan Zhuoran prepared to break through.
  • Chen Qing hid in an underground Pill Room and used Guiyuan Cui Zhen Pills to advance to the Second Turn and stabilize his cultivation.
  • Ke Tianzong learned that Chen Qing had killed both Xuan Chi and Xuan Ting, while Jiang Tuo sent people to verify the news and Shen Qinghong began searching for Chen Qing.
  • Xuan Ming’s bounty spread across the Ancient Kingdom Ruins, drawing Great Lord Guli, Great Lord Feili, and other experts into the hunt as Chen Qing set out for the Inner Perimeter.

Ch. 538The Hunting Ground

Chen Qing entered the Inner Perimeter, learned that Golden Court had placed a bounty on his head, and chose to hunt his pursuers rather than flee. After killing two Black Hair monsters and three Canglang Tribe cultivators, he continued his search through the ruins, intent on turning them into a hunting ground.

  • Chen Qing explored the Inner Perimeter and met Qi Bojun, who warned him that Golden Court and other factions were hunting him for Xuan Ming’s bounty.
  • Chen Qing rejected Qi Bojun’s advice to leave the ruins and continued searching, reasoning that danger awaited him outside as well.
  • Chen Qing discovered a hidden medicinal plot, killed two Black Hair monsters with Origin Piercing and his spear, and suspected they had been created through sinister refinement of living people.
  • Chen Qing collected a Purple Leaf Dragon Ginseng and two Snow Heart Lotuses, then decided to seek out the Golden Court hunters before they could surround him.
  • Chen Qing ambushed and killed Lang Ci and two other Canglang Tribe cultivators, took their supplies, and resolved to make the ruins a hunting ground for Golden Court men.

Ch. 539The Hunt

Chen Qing entered the underground chamber after Ying Li killed A Jieluo and seized two bronze boxes, then defeated and killed the Fourth-Turn Grandmaster before escaping with the treasures. Great Lord Guli arrived afterward, found Ying Li dead, and ordered a hunt for Chen Qing.

  • Ying Li killed A Jieluo after pretending to let him leave, then took the two bronze boxes and the brothers’ belongings.
  • Chen Qing arrived and overwhelmed Ying Li with his spear, Spear Domain, and speed, while Ying Li’s four True Origin Realm followers died in the clash.
  • Ying Li tried to flee, but Chen Qing blocked his escape and killed him by destroying his Golden Core with a spear thrust.
  • Chen Qing collected the corpses’ belongings and bronze boxes, concealed the chamber’s auras, and escaped with the Great Void Escape Technique.
  • Great Lord Guli and Shi Ya arrived to find seven corpses, and Great Lord Guli ordered his men to hunt down Chen Qing.

Ch. 540Core Detonation

Chen Qing inventoried his spoils, obtained the five Earth Element essences needed to master the Five Mountains World Suppressing Seal, and strengthened his divine sense before meeting Buddhist Sect experts in the ruins. He learned that their clash with the Que Sect concerned a way into the core region, and that Golden Court experts were hunting him; an unidentified woman arrived as the chapter ended.

  • Chen Qing found the Essence of Shu Earth and three Exploding Pills among the treasures he had taken from Ying Li.
  • Chen Qing combined the five Earth Element essences and mastered the Five Mountains World Suppressing Seal, then used Spirit Tempering Pills to enhance his divine sense.
  • Chen Qing encountered Hui Ling and the Buddhist Sect Vajras Jing Se, Jing Si, and Jing Hai, who told him the Que Sect had injured two of their fellow monks in a fight over access to the ruins' core.
  • Master Jingse explained that the core region was protected by a deadly restriction and that the Xuanmo Ancient Kingdom had once been ruled by two Nascent Soul Realm powerhouses.
  • The Buddhist monks warned Chen Qing that Golden Court experts were searching for him after Ying Li's death, and a woman arrived to visit Master Jingse.

Ch. 541Core

Chen Qing hunted Golden Court experts throughout the ruins, killing five Grandmasters and eighteen elite cultivators before the tribes gathered their forces and sought to trap him. Great Lord Guli and Great Lord Feili agreed to join forces against him, while Ling Xuance dismissed the request for Great Snow Mountain’s help and focused on reaching the ruins’ core.

  • Lord Lihua met Chen Qing at Master Jingse’s courtyard and later identified him as a possible second alternative.
  • Chen Qing found Batu and three Golden Court cultivators in a hidden Pill Repository, killed all four, and erased every trace of the fight.
  • Over the next two days, Chen Qing killed He Ke and eight Stone Disc Tribe cultivators, bringing his toll to five Grandmasters and eighteen elites.
  • The Golden Court experts gathered around powerful leaders such as Great Lord Guli and Great Lord Feili, while news of the killings unsettled the other factions.
  • Great Lord Feili accepted Great Lord Guli’s proposal to join forces and lure Chen Qing into a trap.
  • Frost Silence Dharma King asked Ling Xuance to help hunt Chen Qing, but Ling Xuance refused and ordered him to keep searching for a way into the ruins’ core.

Ch. 542The Pill Furnace

Chen Qing reached the core pill furnace but found its restriction too dangerous to cross without the required method, then returned to warn the Tianbao Supreme Sect members as the Golden Court Eight Tribes hunted him. Nan Zhuoran delivered Chen Qing’s warning to Ke Tianzong, who feared that Gu Li and Fei Li could overwhelm Chen Qing by joining forces.

  • Chen Qing examined the colossal core pill furnace, tested its deadly restriction, and spotted a stone with six token-shaped indentations.
  • Chen Qing returned to the outer perimeter and found that Nan Zhuoran had become a First-Turn Grandmaster while Qu He had also grown stronger.
  • Chen Qing told Qu He to bring Huo Qiushui and the others back and told Nan Zhuoran to warn Ke Tianzong and the other sect members to stay cautious.
  • Nan Zhuoran found Ke Tianzong hiding with six Tianbao Supreme Sect experts in a cellar and delivered Chen Qing’s warning about the Golden Court.
  • Ke Tianzong recognized the danger but warned Nan Zhuoran that Chen Qing faced the full Golden Court Eight Tribes, including the Fifth-Turn Grandmasters Gu Li and Fei Li.

Ch. 543Sneak Attack

A false report that Chen Qing was surrounded at Bafang Tower drew Shen Qinghong into a trap set by Ghost Witch Sect Grandmasters Wu Xuanhai and Wu Guoluo. Chen Qing realized Shen Qinghong was the real target and arrived in time to spear Wu Guoluo, leaving the battle poised to continue.

  • Zheng Chu told Shen Qinghong that Chen Qing had been surrounded at Bafang Tower, and she rushed out to help him.
  • Wu Xuanhai and Wu Guoluo ambushed Shen Qinghong, revealing that the report was a lure designed to draw her from the underground palace.
  • Shen Qinghong fought both Ghost Witch Sect Grandmasters, injuring Wu Guoluo but struggling against their coordinated attacks.
  • Nan Zhuoran told Chen Qing about the reported siege, and Chen Qing realized the trap was aimed at Shen Qinghong and hurried toward Bafang Tower.
  • Chen Qing reached the battlefield as Wu Guoluo attacked Shen Qinghong and drove his Jingzhe Spear through Wu Guoluo's chest.
Arc 21 of 22