Ma Yuan's Provocation

No years were counted in the Primordial World.

Several hundred years quietly passed.

Within Qingxu Peak of Kunlun Mountain, Li Qingxu sat cross-legged upon a Cloud Bed, purple divine radiance flowing around him as every inch of his flesh gleamed with crystalline clarity.

His every movement harmonized with the entire world, while mighty divine power surged and roiled through his meridians, roaring like great rivers and rushing torrents.

The aura Li Qingxu exuded was more than ten thousand times stronger than before.

After a while, the divine radiance around Li Qingxu gradually faded, and he opened his eyes.

"So this is what it feels like to possess a top-tier Innate Root?"

"It's simply the difference between heaven and earth compared to before."

Li Qingxu carefully sensed the transformation within himself and could not help sighing from the bottom of his heart.

No wonder the Primordial World was said to be thirty percent effort, seventy percent opportunity, while the remaining ninety percent depended on one's foundation.

After refining the Primordial Violet Qi, his physical body, Nascent Soul, affinity with the Laws of Heaven and Earth, and comprehension had all undergone earth-shattering transformations. They were simply incomparable to before.

Moreover, as his foundation transformed, Li Qingxu's cultivation had broken through from the Late Heavenly Immortal realm to the peak True Immortal realm. His strength had soared, and the gap between him and the other Chan Sect disciples had narrowed considerably once more.

"I can't become complacent."

"Although I've improved, there's still quite a gap between me and Guangchengzi, Jade Cauldron True Man, and the others."

"Besides, the Demon Race's massacre of humans could happen at any time. I must cultivate diligently and cannot afford to slack off."

Li Qingxu muttered to himself. He quickly calmed his mind and continued cultivating the Jade Purity Immortal Art, making every second count.

Several hundred more years passed, and Li Qingxu's cultivation rose once again. He was now only a single step away from the Golden Immortal realm.

Just as he was preparing to press onward in one burst and break through to the Golden Immortal realm, a tremendous boom suddenly came from outside, making the entire Qingxu Hall shudder violently.

"What's going on?"

Li Qingxu had no choice but to stop cultivating. Frowning, he walked out of Qingxu Hall.

Yet the sight before him left him utterly astonished.

The Peak of Kunlun Mountain, once beautiful and picturesque beyond compare, had become a complete mess.

The ground was pitted and scarred, exotic flowers and spiritual herbs had been trampled beyond recognition, and dense demon qi and Malevolent Qi had scattered the immortal mist and Rosy Clouds. Bloodstained feathers lay everywhere, clearly showing that the immortal cranes which had once lived here had already met a cruel end.

When Li Qingxu reached the entrance, several Jie Sect Disciples in their true forms flew overhead. One of them, apparently "flying freely," nearly crashed into him.

"It seems Tongtian Saint has taken in quite a few more disciples during this time."

Li Qingxu muttered with a frown.

Seeing one of the foremost immortal sanctuaries in the entire Primordial World reduced to such a state, he suddenly felt that his Master's dislike of Beasts with fur and horns and the Oviparous and Moisture-born was not entirely without reason.

Though prejudice in people's hearts was like a great mountain, such a mountain did not arise for no reason.

Not far away, True Person Huang Long stood at the entrance of his Dao Field, red-faced as he argued with several Jie Sect Disciples.

The leading man was broad and burly, yet hideous in appearance. A necklace strung with skulls hung around his neck, while a large hand grew from the back of his head, sending chills down one's spine. He was none other than the Primordial Chaos One Qi Immortal, Ma Yuan.

"Fellow Daoists, Kunlun Mountain is the sacred land where Saints reside, and also the shared Dao Field of disciples from the Three Religions."

"The greatest taboo in cultivation is disturbance. If one is interrupted at a critical moment of breakthrough, one could even suffer Deviant Cultivation and damage one's foundation."

"Could you keep the commotion down when establishing your Dao Fields in the future, so as not to affect the other disciples?"

Like Li Qingxu, True Person Huang Long had clearly had his cultivation interrupted by the disturbance caused by the Jie Sect Disciples. Yet out of consideration for the bonds of Xuanmen, he still forcibly suppressed his anger.

However, Ma Yuan and the others showed no appreciation whatsoever.

"Oh, oh, oh."

"High Immortal Huang Long is actually lecturing us now?"

Ma Yuan wore a mocking expression as he sized True Person Huang Long up from head to toe with narrowed eyes. Then his shrill voice rang out again.

"You know Kunlun Mountain is the Dao Field of disciples from the Three Religions too, not the backyard of your Chan Sect, right?"

"Since that's the case, we'll establish our Dao Fields wherever we please. What business is it of yours?"

After Ma Yuan finished speaking, the other two Jie Sect Disciples also chimed in with strange, mocking tones.

"Exactly. You Chan Sect disciples are just so fussy."

"If you can't stand it, then move. Who's forcing you to stay here...?"

True Person Huang Long had suppressed his anger and treated them with courtesy, only to receive Ma Yuan and the others' sarcastic mockery in return. His face immediately flushed crimson, and he began arguing with them.

Seeing this, Li Qingxu finally understood.

Although Kunlun Mountain was vast, the number of Spiritual Eyes was limited. They had already been occupied by the first batch of Chan Sect and Jie Sect disciples to join.

Ma Yuan and the others clearly intended to force True Person Huang Long away by this method, then seize that Spiritual Eye to establish their own Dao Field.

Having understood the full story, Li Qingxu did not choose to sit idly by.

For one thing, True Person Huang Long and he were both Chan Sect disciples, so they ought to help one another.

For another, if Ma Yuan and the others disgusted True Person Huang Long enough to drive him away, the remaining Jie Sect Disciples would most likely set their sights on him as well.

He took a single step and instantly arrived before True Person Huang Long.

"Junior Brother Qingxu!"

Faced with Ma Yuan and the others' sophistry and their barrage of voices, the inarticulate True Person Huang Long was like a scholar meeting soldiers—unable to reason with them.

The moment he saw Li Qingxu, it was as though he had spotted a savior.

"Mm."

Li Qingxu nodded and looked directly at Ma Yuan and the others.

"It is true that Kunlun Mountain belongs to the disciples of the Three Religions, but there is always a matter of first come, first served. Kunlun Mountain is so vast, yet you deliberately chose this spot to build your Dao Field and made such a huge commotion."

"Wasn't it simply to drive us away so you could occupy these two Spiritual Eyes?"

Li Qingxu's tone was calm, yet it carried an invisible authority as he mercilessly exposed Ma Yuan and the others' scheme.

However, after being exposed to their faces, Ma Yuan and the other Jie Sect Disciples felt no guilt whatsoever. Instead, they began to argue shamelessly.

"Hmph, that is all your wild speculation. We never had such intentions."

"You may return to your Dao Field and continue cultivating—if you can still settle your minds enough to cultivate."

"Hahaha..."

Several Jie Sect Disciples burst into laughter, clearly certain that Li Qingxu and True Person Huang Long would not dare lay a hand on them.

"This one will count to three."

"If you still do not get lost, do not blame this one for disregarding the bonds between fellow disciples!"

Ma Yuan and the others were acting like unruly thugs, and Li Qingxu could not be bothered to waste words arguing with them. He issued his final ultimatum directly.

He believed that every movement on the Peak of Kunlun Mountain was under the Saint's control.

As a member of the Chan Sect, he represented the dignity of both the Chan Sect and the Primordial Saint.

If he swallowed his anger even when facing Jie Sect Outer Disciples like Ma Yuan and the others, it would only damage the Chan Sect's prestige and further fuel the arrogance of the Jie Sect Disciples.

Ma Yuan and the others possessed only Heavenly Immortal cultivation. Sensing the formidable aura emanating from Li Qingxu, their expressions changed drastically, and their hearts began to pound.

Just as fear rose within them and they prepared to avoid the edge of his wrath for the moment, a cold, arrogant rebuke suddenly rolled in from the distant heavens like thunder exploding:

"Li Qingxu, what imposing authority you have!!"