Enemies Meet!

Rumble!

Outside the valley, the light screen of the Five Elements Maze Formation flickered violently, dimming and brightening as it endured a relentless assault.

"Big Brother! This formation can't hold much longer! The treasures inside will be ours in no time!"

A sharp-featured, monkey-faced cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining shouted excitedly, his flying fork stabbing repeatedly at the light screen.

Leading them was a scarred, burly man at the ninth level of Qi Refining. Greed flickered in his eyes as he swung a massive axe artifact with all his might, roaring, "Put your backs into it! There's no one presiding over this formation; it won't last! That heaven and earth phenomenon just now was definitely no small matter—it must be an incredible treasure manifesting!"

Two other cultivators at the seventh level of Qi Refining were also attacking with all their might.

The four of them had been the closest, and upon sensing that heaven and earth phenomenon, they had rushed over immediately.

Believing that a heaven-sent treasure or the cave dwelling of an ancient cultivator had appeared, they were overcome with excitement and began bombarding the valley's grand formation, desperate to seize the opportunity.

With four late-stage Qi Refining cultivators attacking simultaneously, the Five Elements Maze Formation began to falter.

Just as the light screen teetered on the brink of collapse, a cold voice, like a wind from the Nine Netherworlds, suddenly echoed from within the valley:

"Who dares disturb my meditation?"

The voice was not loud, yet it carried a heart-stopping majesty and a vast, crushing spiritual pressure!

Immediately following, the light screen rippled, and a figure clad in grey dharma robes and a dark grey cloak stepped slowly out.

The hood of the cloak obscured most of his face, revealing only a firm, chiseled jawline and a pair of eyes as deep and cold as the stars.

What made the scarred man and his companions lose their wits was the spiritual pressure radiating from the man—heavy as a mountain, it was unmistakably the aura of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator!

"F-Foundation Establishment Senior?!"

"Senior, spare us! Please, Senior, spare our lives!"

"We didn't know you were in seclusion here! We thought a treasure had appeared and were blinded by greed—that is why we offended you! Please, Senior, spare these ants!"

Terrified to the point of their livers splitting, the four Qi Refining cultivators instantly ceased their attacks. They collapsed to their knees, kowtowing like pounding garlic, their bodies trembling like chaff in the wind.

They were filled with bottomless regret.

They had thought a treasure was emerging, never imagining this was the private retreat of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

To attack the defensive formation of a Foundation Establishment expert was like an old man eating arsenic—they were simply tired of living.

At the same time, they were struck with absolute horror: what kind of breakthrough could trigger such a terrifying heaven and earth phenomenon?

Could it be a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator attempting to break through to the Golden Core Realm?

This Senior's strength was likely far beyond their imagination!

Li Qingshan swept a cold glance over them. A flash of killing intent crossed his mind, but he ultimately suppressed it.

Killing a few minor Qi Refining cultivators was meaningless and might only leave behind more traces.

"Scram."

He uttered the single word coldly, the pressure contained within his voice making the four feel as if they had been granted a pardon.

"Thank you, Senior, for your mercy! Thank you, Senior!"

The four scrambled away, not daring to look back, fleeing in a panic for fear that the Senior might change his mind if they were even a second too slow.

Watching them vanish into the horizon, Li Qingshan had just let out a sigh of relief and prepared to pack up and leave this place of trouble when his brow suddenly furrowed!

His divine sense perceived two more auras approaching at high speed!

One of them even felt somewhat familiar!

Sure enough, a moment later, two streaks of light descended, revealing a man and a woman.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, dressed in red, with her usual air of arrogance between her brows—it was Zhang Hongxiu.

Beside her followed a cold-faced, middle-aged man in black whose aura reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage; he was clearly her bodyguard.

A cold glint flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes. He had not expected to run into Zhang Hongxiu here.

Truly, enemies often cross paths!

But unfortunately, Zhang Hongxiu had likely long forgotten the old man from the Waste Pill Hall.

This time, after failing her Foundation Establishment and recovering from her injuries, Zhang Hongxiu had come out to clear her head. She hadn't expected to encounter such a heaven and earth phenomenon, and she immediately assumed a treasure had appeared, prompting her to come and investigate.

The early Foundation Establishment cultivator beside her was a bodyguard arranged by her grand-teacher, Zhang Yuzhen.

As soon as Zhang Hongxiu landed, her gaze swept greedily across the valley before finally settling on Li Qingshan. Though she couldn't see his face clearly, she could sense his early Foundation Establishment cultivation base perfectly well.

She never once associated this "ordinary" Foundation Establishment cultivator with the old waste from the Hall of Discarded Treasures.

"What was that heaven and earth phenomenon just now? Was there some rare treasure that appeared? Did you get your hands on it?"

Zhang Hongxiu lifted her chin, questioning him with her usual imperious tone. "Hand it over. That is not something you are qualified to possess!"

Even though she was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, and even though she was facing a Foundation Establishment cultivator, she remained incredibly haughty and condescending.

After all, who could blame her when she had a Golden Core True Person standing behind her?

Li Qingshan sneered inwardly. What a small world!

He altered his voice, speaking in a raspy tone: "You are mistaken. There is no treasure; the phenomenon was merely caused by this humble one breaking through to a new realm."

"Breakthrough?"

Zhang Hongxiu scoffed, her face full of disbelief. "A breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm could cause such a massive commotion? Do you take me for a three-year-old? Since you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, Uncle Feng, take him down! A soul-search will reveal the truth!"

The guard at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage standing beside her, the one she called Uncle Feng, felt a cold glint flash in his eyes upon hearing this and struck without hesitation!

A blue flying sword radiating a bone-chilling aura was unleashed, emitting the formidable pressure of a low-grade spiritual artifact as it transformed into a sharp streak of sword light, stabbing straight at Li Qingshan!

He opened with a lethal move, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation!

Li Qingshan's gaze turned icy; he had intended to settle things peacefully, yet the other party was pushing him relentlessly and going straight for the kill!

He dared not be negligent, and the Crimson Dragon Sword flew out instantly to meet the attack!

Clang!

A crisp sound rang out!

Although the Crimson Dragon Sword was a peak-grade tier-one magical tool, it was ultimately a notch inferior in quality when facing a genuine tier-two low-grade spiritual artifact!

Furthermore, Li Qingshan had only just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and was not yet fully accustomed to his true essence, so the blue flying sword actually cleaved a deep crack into his blade, causing its spiritual glow to dim by more than half in an instant!

"Hmph, a mere peak-grade magical tool dares to block my spiritual flying sword? Overestimating yourself!" Uncle Feng sneered, his offensive growing even more urgent.

Li Qingshan was forced to retreat repeatedly by the spiritual flying sword, its cold light weaving into a net around him, leaving him in constant peril.

Having just broken through, he truly had not yet cultivated any Foundation Establishment Realm techniques, and coupled with his lack of experience in Foundation Establishment combat, he was completely suppressed for the moment, able to barely dodge only by relying on the Flying Rainbow Technique and his powerful divine sense.

Seeing this, the look of triumph on Zhang Hongxiu's face grew even more intense: "Uncle Feng, finish him quickly!"

She simply regarded Li Qingshan as a lucky rogue cultivator who had reached Foundation Establishment and did not take him seriously at all.

To disciples of major sects like them, a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm was simply vulnerable and weak.