Pat.
Inside the cave abode, a warm palm gently rested on Lu Qingya's shoulder.
That hand was utterly gentle, yet the instant it settled on him, Lu Qingya felt a sinister chill cascade like a waterfall from the point of contact, nearly freezing his entire body solid.
It was as though he had plunged into an eternal abyss of ice. His whole body stiffened, leaving him almost unable to move.
He could clearly sense a vast yet profoundly sinister power of the soul surge like a tide, instantly locking down his limbs and bones, his soul's sea of consciousness, and his innate spirit and true essence.
Even attempting a counterattack had become agonizingly difficult.
"You..."
Lu Qingya slowly turned his head and saw that a figure was already standing behind him.
The figure looked exactly like the person in the painting earlier. Golden light enveloped his entire body as he gazed gently at Lu Qingya.
"Excellent. Truly excellent. It has only been close to a thousand years since we last met, yet your divine abilities have grown ever more refined. Among the Yu Long Sect's Core Disciples, few could rival your presence of mind."
"You have more potential than I imagined."
The figure looked at Lu Qingya and spoke slowly, his voice warm and resonant, yet carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure:
"You are now a Half-Step Great Dao Lord, probably only a single step away from the true Great Dao Realm. Such talent likely falls only a hair short of the finest prodigies in all the heavens."
"Given time, if you can reach your full potential, you will surely become a towering figure capable of shouldering the sect's future."
"Unfortunately, these meager divine abilities of yours still amount to nothing before me."
"Just now, you personally promised me that