"Hmph, at least you know your place."
Luo Liuli lightly pinched her fingertips together, and that wisp of silver-gray soul power condensed into a crystalline bead in her palm.
With a casual flick, she sent the silver bead flying into Wei Qing's hands in a streak of light.
"Raise your strength with everything you have within five years." Her figure began turning transparent. "This seal can hold out for five years at most."
Before her voice had even faded, a flash of red swept by, and Luo Liuli had already vanished into Wei Qing's brow.
Everyone present only saw Wei Qing suddenly freeze. None of them knew what had happened.
"Five years?" Wei Qing stroked the silver bead in his hand, his brows drawing together slightly.
He knew perfectly well that in five years, he would have only two choices: either break through to the Martial King Realm and personally suppress the Heavenly Demon, or ask a Martial King of the human race to intervene.
"Qingzi, what's wrong?" Jun Wushang patted him on the shoulder.
"Nothing."
Wei Qing came back to himself and walked to the sealing formation, pretending to form hand seals without showing anything. Using his sleeve as cover, he took out the silver bead.
Clutching the silver bead in his hand, he turned and returned to the others. "All right, we've obtained the demon's soul power."
"Wonderful! We can finally leave this damned place!" Dongfang Rongrong excitedly waved her fists.
The others also revealed delighted expressions upon hearing this.
Tantai Yue gave Wei Qing's brow a thoughtful glance. The Ice Soul Sword trembled faintly within its sheath.
She seemed to have noticed something, but ultimately did not ask further.
Wei Qing stepped forward and pressed the silver bead against the core of the formation.
In an instant, the entire formation lit up with silver radiance. The formation patterns on the ground began flowing as though life had been breathed into them.
The silver bead slowly revolved at the formation's eye, releasing a halo of light with every turn.
When the ninth halo spread outward, the space above the formation suddenly twisted, and a portal rippling like water gradually took shape.
Starlight swirled within the portal, and the familiar scenery of the outside world could faintly be seen.
Just as Wei Qing was about to step into the portal, an inexplicable call suddenly came from the depths of the Black Mist Wasteland.
It felt as though someone had grabbed him, causing his footsteps to halt involuntarily.
"What's wrong?"
Tantai Yue, walking beside him, turned around sharply.
"Nothing."
Wei Qing shook his head and stopped concerning himself with the source of that calling sensation.
The origins of the Black Mist Wasteland were far too mysterious. To this day, no one had discovered what lay in its deepest reaches.
With his current strength, exploring it would be far too dangerous.
"Let's go!"
Wei Qing gave a low shout and stepped into the portal first.
The others followed close behind, their figures vanishing one after another into the curtain of light.
Once everyone's aura had disappeared, Silvermoon Demon, who had originally been lying weakly inside the sealing formation, immediately sprang back to full strength. A vicious glint flashed through his eyes.
"The day this king breaks free, I will repay today's humiliation a hundredfold!"
At the same time, outside.
The air before Feng Wuya and the others began to twist, and a portal identical to the one inside the Black Mist Wasteland appeared out of thin air.
"Stay alert!"
Upon hearing Zhang Zhidong and Liu Xinghe, everyone placed their palms on their respective weapons.
Although the people from the Blood Robe Sect had perished earlier, they had confirmed that their disciples were temporarily safe.
But with this portal appearing so suddenly, no one knew whether those who emerged would be their disciples or their enemies.
If they were enemies, they had to kill them immediately.
Under everyone's tense gazes, Wei Qing was the first to step out of the portal.
Tantai Yue, Jun Wushang, and the others appeared in succession behind him, exhaustion written across every face from narrowly surviving the calamity.
"Mother."
Like a fledgling swallow that had weathered a storm, Zhang Xue abruptly threw herself toward Shen Yan in the crowd.
Shen Yan opened her arms and pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, her trembling fingers brushing over her disheveled hair.
"You're all right... That's good... You're all right..."
Seeing his daughter return safely, Zhang Zhidong finally let go of the heart that had been hanging in suspense.
"Master."
"Father."
"Master, Grand Elder."
Qin Shuang, Liu Yulong, Dongfang Rongrong, and the other sect disciples reunited with their elders one after another. For a time, the scene was a mingling of grief and joy.
"Rongrong, Yuan Ming, what happened to your cultivation?"
Amid his joy, Zhao Santong noticed the cultivation levels of his two disciples. His smile suddenly froze, and he rubbed his eyes in disbelief, his voice changing pitch.
Dongfang Rongrong's aura had astonishingly reached High Seventh Rank, while Song Yuanming had broken through to Low Sixth Rank—only two minor realms below him, their master.
That was a full three minor realms higher than before they entered the Black Mist Wasteland, at the very least!
"Mid Sixth Rank?" Xuan Yue Li grabbed Nangong Ruyan by the wrist. After probing with her true essence, her pupils suddenly contracted. "This... How is this possible..."
"Xue'er, your cultivation has also..."
Shen Yan and Zhang Zhidong likewise discovered that Zhang Xue's cultivation had actually soared to Mid Seventh Rank.
Only then did the elders of the various sects present notice the anomaly, and they hurriedly examined their own disciples' cultivation levels.
The result left everyone horrified—
Of the disciples who emerged from the Black Mist Wasteland, those who had not broken through were the exception. Every disciple who had broken through had advanced by at least two minor realms.
At the same time, they discovered that some of their disciples were missing.
They immediately began asking questions.
While learning that a mysterious inheritance had made their disciples stronger and feeling happy for them, they also learned of the Blood Robe Sect's collusion with the demons.
"What?!" Zhao Santong roared, his beard and hair bristling. "Damn it! I knew there was something wrong with that bastard Zhou Xing. Why else would he run faster than a rabbit?"
Liu Xinghe's expression was as gloomy as still water. "Upon returning to the sect, immediately summon all the sects. We absolutely cannot let traitors like the Blood Robe Sect live another day!"
Xuan Yue Li said, "Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
The sect masters and elders of the various sects erupted in fury. Those whose disciples had fallen were especially eager to march on the Blood Robe Sect this very instant.
Feng Wuya slowly walked up to Wei Qing, rare solemnity flickering in his eyes. "Wei Qing, if you hadn't turned the tide this time, my lineage might have lost its inheritance."
"Consider me indebted to you. If you ever need anything in the future, this old man will do everything in his power to help."
"My Blazing Sun Sect owes you a favor as well. Whatever you need, our entire sect will help you."
"My Mystic Maiden Palace as well."
"My Qingshan Sect too."
Every sect present made a promise in turn.
Not only had Wei Qing protected their sects' inheritances, but they had also learned from their disciples that Wei Qing was a sixteen-year-old High Seventh Rank peerless prodigy.
With such terrifying talent, under the protection of the Heavenly Realm Division, so long as Wei Qing did not perish, he would inevitably become another terrifying existence capable of suppressing Great Zhou—and even the Eastern Domain—in the future.
Their promises were made not only out of gratitude, but also with the intention of forming ties with him.
Zhang Zhidong was slightly moved when he saw this.
Wei Qing had suddenly become the protected figure of all the major forces in Ji Province. In other words, even setting aside his identity as a member of the Heavenly Realm Division, no force in Ji Province would dare offend him lightly from now on.
"Senior, exterminating demons is precisely the duty of my Heavenly Realm Division. There's no need for you to..."