Murderous Intent

Inside the Water-Curtain Cave, Chen Lingxi was still cultivating.

On the Dao Platform, the Thunder-Prison Profound Root still flourished, with the Weiji Thunderlight flowing slowly along the veins of its leaves.

On one side, a rugged, mottled, Jade-Colored Profound Root quietly sprouted its first bud from the depths of the Dao Platform.

At the same time, the Dao Origin within Chen Lingxi's Dragon-Stripping Dao Platform was continuously increasing and becoming more concentrated.

"The Dao Foundation Middle Stage is within reach."

He was thrilled.

Throughout his cultivation, he has used the Ancestral Mountain Mother Qi to open his Spirit Aperture, used the Immortal Husk to nourish his Dao Platform, and used the spiritual energy of the two Immortal Ranking to refine his aptitude and strengthen his foundation.

Along the way, we have achieved what we have today through luck, fortuitous opportunity, or by taking Total Perception Evolution we have gained.

According to the common sense of the cultivation world, it usually takes more than a hundred years of accumulation for a cultivator in the Dao Foundation Early Stage to step into the Dao Foundation Middle Stage.

Even those disciples from noble immortal clans, with masters behind them searching for spiritual objects, preparing provisions, and opening cave abode for them, often still need to spend decades.

Chen Lingxi, after entering the Great Xuanzhuo Realm and settling down on Deer-Sleeping Peak, lived for less than ten years.

"I really am a genius."

Chen Lingxi boasted to himself, then looked down and saw the robes he was wearing.

His thoughts raced, and his Divine Sense returned to the Hongdong Bag, where two more items were found.

The garment was entirely silver-white, its texture fine and supple, with not a single wrinkle visible at the folds. When illuminated by a sliver of sunlight filtering through the opening, a faint layer of pale blue velvet sheen shone through its pure white surface.

The other piece is black with gold patterns. The gold is neither too dark nor too light, perfectly matching the dark background, creating a ring of flowing cloud-like patterns.

These were the two Spirit Robe that Yuan Lingyu had tailored for him.

"My junior sister's feelings for me are truly sincere."

Chen Lingxi to herself.

Even though he knew that this sincerity came from the Fate-Evolving Purple Radiance of the Cauldron Vessel of True Person Xiang Shu, Yuan Lingyu was not deliberately putting on an act.

She truly regarded him as her senior brother.

"It's not a good thing to always accept favors from others."

Chen Lingxi stood up, recalling the fortuitous opportunity he had obtained regarding the Heavenly Calamity Law from the Great Luo Heaven-Observing Mirror during his Total Perception Evolution.

There are two fortuitous opportunity Heavenly Calamity Law within a radius of one million li.

[Firstly: Three thousand li Dragon-Offering Territory, there grows a Mars Reflecting the Moon Zhi.]

[Secondly: Within the Dragon-Offering Territory, in the Calamity-Falling Valley Sun-Awakening Upper Peak, there lies Calamity-Machinery Stone Marrow.]

Two fortuitous opportunity...

Chen Lingxi's eyes flickered.

Now that he has mastered his second great Divine Ability, there is nothing urgent happening inside or outside Deer-Sleeping Peak. It is the perfect time to find these two fortuitous opportunity for his junior sister.

He slowly stood up, parted the curtain of water, and stepped out of the cave abode.

Outside the cave, the sunlight was at its brightest.

The three great suns each hung high in one direction, illuminating the sea of clouds over Deer-Sleeping Peak until it was crystal clear, and casting a very faint golden glow from the radiant light of the Divine Deer's phantom.

Chen Lingxi stood before the cliff, gazing at the two hundred peaks of the Dragon-Offering Sect in the distance.

Distant mountains appear as if gathered together, and the sea of clouds resembles a dragon.

"The Dragon-Offering Sect is truly magnificent."

He shook his head, and clouds spontaneously formed beneath his feet, transforming into a faint wisp of lightning, from which he rose into the air.

--

Sword-Illuminating Mystic Peak.

This peak is located below the Dragon-Offering Main Sect. Its terrain is extremely high and dangerous, like a stone wall carved straight by time, piercing straight into the sky from the sea of clouds.

Thick clouds swirl around the mountainside year-round. These clouds are not ordinary mist; they contain a faint flow of sword intent that cleaves through the Void.

This inner peak, where the aura of sword energy never dissipates year-round, contains an extremely secluded cave abode, nestled on a shady cliff halfway up the mountain. The Spiritual Qi here is exceptionally rich, making it an extremely precious and rare place for cultivation, even within the Sword-Illuminating Mystic Peak.

Inside the cave.

A young man sitting cross-legged slowly opened his eyes.

It was none other than Qi Chuan, the top-ranked member of the Second Profound Sword-Illuminating Mystic Peak.

He sat atop a black stone, a faint trace of sword intent still lingering in his eyes.

He slowly turned his palm over.

A bamboo-shaped Cauldron Vessel appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The bamboo strip was about two fingers long, its surface dark and jade-like, with a faint, ancient aura flowing over it.

It was his Cauldron Vessel, the Anger-Devouring Bamboo Molt.

Qi Chuan looked down and saw a faint name rising and falling on the bamboo stalk.

Primordial Spirit Bearer.

The three words shone with golden light, slowly emerging from that ancient aura.

"The name of this person is still so clearly displayed on this Cauldron Vessel of mine."

Qi Chuan muttered to himself, "This person must be hiding many secrets. If I can truly devour his life-or-death rage, perhaps I can break through this last bottleneck before me."

only...

Qi Chuan frowned slightly.

"I humiliated him several times on Southern Luminary Peak, yet he remained unperturbed."

"Moreover, a little bit of anger is not enough for me to fully obtain the fortuitous opportunity to acquire the Cauldron Vessel... What I need is... the anger of life and death."

Qi Chuan's eyes narrowed slightly.

He has now cultivated three great supernatural Divine Ability, two of which have already been established on the Profound Root Dao Platform, and the third great Divine Ability has also been completed.

If the third Profound Root also falls into the Dao Platform, he can step into the Dao Foundation Late Stage, the Third Profound Realms.

The opportunity to break through to the next level is right before our eyes, yet it is unattainable.

Qi Chuan snorted coldly.

Before his thoughts had settled, his expression suddenly changed, as if he had sensed something.

"Um?"

With a flick of his sleeve, a Cauldron Artifact Fragment appeared from his sleeve.

That Cauldron Artifact Fragment was extremely strange.

It is about three inches tall, and its whole body is dark blue. There are no runes engraved on it, just like a strange stone that has been polished millions of times.

But when Qi Chuan activated it with Dao Origin, the fragment slowly began to rotate in the Void, its ancient aura flowing out, enveloping the cave abode in a serene atmosphere.

Then, a very faint phantom image suddenly appeared on that fragment.

The phantom wasn't very solid; it was just a hazy outline. But Chen Lingxi could tell at a glance that it was a strange beast.

The strange beasts were as fierce as oxen and tigers.

It has the body of an ox, the head of a tiger, and a single, hook-like horn that protrudes high from the center of its forehead, landing precisely on its back.

The most distinctive feature is right in the center of the bull's forehead.

There, surprisingly, was a third eye.

The third eye was tightly closed, its eyelids as deep as a pool, covered with extremely intricate patterns that intertwined and connected, resembling an ancient talisman branded on the forehead of some High Antiquity powerful being.

Qi Chuan understood immediately after a glance.

This Cauldron Artifact Fragment is named [Eye-Origin Beast Pupil].

The owner of this Cauldron Vessel feeds on what he "sees".

Those who are marked will have their tracks and whereabouts revealed.

Qi Chuan extracted the aura of his junior uncle on Southern Luminary Peak and used it to mark the person with his Eye-Origin Beast Pupil.

These days, Junior Uncle has been cultivating at Deer-Sleeping Peak.

The ancient aura of that Eye-Origin Beast Pupil suddenly shifted just now because that junior uncle from Deer-Sleeping Peak had already left the Deer-Sleeping Peak territory.

Qi Chuan slowly raised his head, gazing at the surging sea of clouds outside the cave, a smile slowly appearing on his lips.

"Alright."

He slowly raised his right hand, put two fingers together, pinched a very simple talisman, and then flicked it with his finger.

The talisman flew from his fingertip, enveloping the fragment of the Eye-Origin Beast Pupil Cauldron Artifact Fragment. It transformed into a stream of light, soaring into the sky from the surging sea of clouds, passing over the summit of Sword-Illuminating Mystic Peak, and over the fragmented cloud of sword intent, heading straight towards the Dragon-Offering Sect.

--

North of the Dragon-Offering Main Sect.

Deep within the sea of clouds, there stands a towering peak.

This peak is named [Sandalwood-Cloud Peak]. Its main peak is towering, and its waist is shrouded in a thick layer of spiritual mist all year round.

On the mountainside, there is an extremely quiet Daoist temple.

Inside the temple, a female practitioner sat cross-legged.

She had been sitting there quietly for who knows how many days.

Her light blue robe with cloud patterns cascaded down her body, its fabric adorned with intricate spiritual runes that confined all her aura within a three-foot radius.

Her appearance was aloof and her features were exquisite, yet her expression was unusually indifferent.

He was none other than Lord Xiuyun, a disciple of Sandalwood-Cloud Peak's lineage.

She usually secluded herself and rarely moved around within the Dragon-Offering Sect.

Even among her fellow disciples, she was only seen once every few months.

At that moment, she suddenly opened her eyes.

A silvery-white streak of light, enveloping the Cauldron Artifact Fragment Eye-Origin Beast Pupil, broke through the sky from the Dragon-Offering Sect and slowly landed in front of her.

Lord Xiuyun did not get up, but slowly raised his right hand and plucked the stream of light from the Void.

The moment the fragment of the mythical beast Cauldron Artifact Fragment came into his hands, its ancient aura began to circulate, and then a very faint phantom slowly emerged from that serene aura.

The phantom remained in place for only a moment before transforming into a wisp of energy and hurtling straight towards the east of Dragon-Offering Territory.

Lord Xiuyun lowered his eyes to look.

"East of Dragon-Offering Territory"

"Fine, that repays Qi Chuan's favor."

She slowly stood up.

There was no further discussion or hesitation at that moment.

She simply put the Cauldron Artifact Fragment into her sleeve, stepped out of the cave abode, transformed into a wisp of cloud, and left Sandalwood-Cloud Peak, Dragon-Offering Territory.

--

Chen Lingxi was naturally unaware that less than half a day after he left Deer-Sleeping Peak, a pursuer had already taken over and was following him closely.

He was currently soaring above a rolling sea of clouds, lightning flashing beneath his feet, his robes fluttering, as he sped towards the distant Calamity-Falling Valley.

Chen Lingxi was already familiar with the mountains and rivers of Sun-Awakening Upper Peak.

He had traveled with Wang Chenchuan once, and also accompanied True Person Yu Jun on a journey along the sea of clouds in the Yangjue region.

At that time, he was only in the Dao Foundation Early Stage. Now that he has returned, his cultivation has advanced further, his aura is more profound, and the feelings he has in his heart are completely different.

We traveled westward, crossing several mountains and passing through patches of spiritual mist.

About a day later, Chen Lingxi arrived at an extremely secluded place.

It is a secluded valley surrounded by peaks.

A thick layer of miasma perpetually permeates the valley, and from a distance, the entire valley resembles a giant beast crouching among the mountains, its blue-green eye half-open.

It was the Calamity-Falling Valley.

Chen Lingxi slowly descended from the clouds and stood outside the valley entrance.

He didn't rush into the valley; instead, he used the method of Qi Observation to look into the valley at the patch of bluish-green miasma.

Sure enough, at the deepest part of the valley, a very thin and dark secret was hidden.

The inspiration slowly seeped out from a certain ley line at the bottom of the valley, meandering upwards along the cracks in the rocks, and finally condensed into a small wisp of turbid substance on a moss-covered stone platform.

Calamity-Machinery Stone Marrow.

Chen Lingxi slowly withdrew her gaze and took a step forward.

As soon as he entered the valley, a thick layer of bluish-green miasma surged towards him from all directions, as if it were a living thing.

Chen Lingxi did not dodge, but instead burst forth with lightning around her.

A layer of pale golden lightning appeared out of thin air around him, keeping the azure miasma three feet away.

When miasma touches lightning, it vanishes silently, like ice meeting embers.

He slowed his pace and descended slowly.

At the bottom of the valley, the miasma was as thick as gauze, swallowing up all light and color.

Just as he reached the deepest part of the valley.

An extremely fierce aura suddenly surged up from the depths of that churning miasma.

Chen Lingxi.

The next instant, the demonic Demon Beast hidden in the miasma suddenly pounced out from the depths of the valley.

The Demon Beast's scales were as black as ink, its body was like an ox, its four hooves were like pillars, and several bone spurs protruded from its back.

Its head resembled a snake, with an extremely powerful vortex of Calamity Qi on its forehead, and fangs protruding from its open, blood-red mouth.

Chen Lingxi remained calm.

The Abyssal Heaven Spirit Sword at his waist was drawn with a clang.

The remaining patterns of the hundred restrictions on the sword simultaneously lit up, and sword intent soared into the sky from the blade, cleaving the surging azure miasma in two.

The Jade Tiger Sea-Reversing Sword Light burst forth from the Abyssal Heaven Spirit Sword, transforming into a blue-gold sword rainbow that stretched across the valley floor, slashing head-on at the demonic Demon Beast.

The Demon Beast let out a low roar, and the vortex of Calamity Qi on its forehead suddenly spun, swallowing all the surrounding miasma into it. Then, it spewed out a turbid beam of calamity light from its mouth, meeting the sword light head-on.

The sword light and the light of disaster collided violently in the Void.

The azure-green light of disaster was cleaved in two by the sword rainbow, then disintegrated inch by inch.

The sword's momentum remained undiminished, piercing straight through the Demon Beast's forehead and passing through its spine.

A muffled thud echoed through the valley.

The Demon Beast's massive body stiffened abruptly upon impact, the vortex of Calamity Qi on its forehead vanished abruptly, and its enormous body plummeted from mid-air.

Chen Lingxi his sword and sheathed it.

"With the second Profound Root, my Dao Origin is more condensed, and the Jade Tiger Sword Light is much stronger."

He nodded in satisfaction, stepped forward, and walked to the moss-covered stone platform.

On the stone platform, a Calamity-Machinery Stone Marrow was flowing silently.

Chen Lingxi took out a jade bottle and, using Dao Origin as a guide, slowly rolled up the wisp of stone marrow from the stone platform, collecting it all into the bottle. The wisp of stone marrow churned Subtle Insight in his jade bottle before gradually calming down.

Chen Lingxi sealed the jade bottle and put it into the Hongdong Bag.

"One of them is already complete."

"The second location is three thousand li east of Dragon-Offering Territory."

He did not linger in the valley any longer, and immediately rose into the clouds, speeding eastward.

Dragon-Offering Territory is extremely vast.

From the ancient dragon sculpture hanging above the Dragon-Offering Main Sect, one must travel eastward, crossing ten thousand mountains, one hundred and eighty cities under its jurisdiction, and endless mountain ranges and plains, before finally reaching that desolate borderland rarely visited by humans.

Chen Lingxi traveled eastward.

The speed of the Wonder-Realm Cloud-Riding Method was already quite fast; as it sped along, the mountains and rivers beneath its feet seemed to flow backward like water.

The sea of clouds surged past him, birds flew past beneath him, and the mountain peaks gradually disappeared from his view.

The extent of Dragon-Offering Territory is unimaginable.

Chen Lingxi flew for countless days until the mountains and rivers gradually became rugged.

The vegetation is sparse, the earth's veins are coarse and dense, and Spiritual Qi is no longer as readily visible as it was on the sides of the Dragon-Offering Peaks.

Chen Lingxi slowly pressed down from the clouds.

He stood at the edge of that desolate wilderness, looking up.

At the edge of the wilderness, a towering, solitary mountain rose abruptly from the desolate landscape.

The mountain peak was entirely dark red, with not a single tree or blade of grass growing on it, like a dark red iron pillar that had been burned for ten thousand years, piercing straight into the sky.

And directly above that solitary mountain, deep within that vast expanse of sky, a star was reflected high in the sky.

This star was extremely small, hanging in the sky, its color like bronze, its brightness like a flickering lamp.

A dark red halo surrounded it, and as the halo shone on the mountain, faint starlight appeared among the peaks.

"Is that the Mars Reflecting the Moon Zhi?"

As Chen Lingxi slowly flew closer, she clearly sensed an extremely intense aura of ferocity emanating from the star and enveloping Lonely Mountain!

The star hung high in the Void, like the ancient star Mars, exuding a fierce and murderous aura that instilled fear in people.

Chen Lingxi was no longer afraid.

Lightning slowly erupted around him.

A layer of pale golden lightning appeared out of thin air around him, isolating the murderous aura drifting from the star three zhang away.

He strode forward.

With one step, the clouds beneath his feet sank, and the lightning around him intensified. On the Dragon-Stripping Dao Platform within his body, the Thunder Thunder-Prison Profound Root trembled violently, Weiji Thunderlight erupted from within the Profound Root!

The murderous aura, upon touching that layer of Weiji Thunderlight, crumbled inch by inch as if it had encountered its natural enemy.

Chen Lingxi thunder to clear the way, climbed step by step, straight to the summit of that solitary mountain.

At the summit of Lonely Mountain.

"Right here."

A slight smile appeared on Chen Lingxi's lips.

He looked down and saw a spirit medicine right there.

This spirit medicine is only about a foot long, with a stem as white as silver, and several leaves growing on each node, shimmering with a layer of silvery-white light.

It was the very same Mars Reflecting the Moon Zhi).

Chen Lingxi gently plucked the Mars Reflecting the Moon Zhi from the blue stone and put it into her bag.

"The second one also succeeds."

"It went smoothly... mainly because I specialize in Thunder Prison, and the fierce and murderous aura of Mars can't harm me."

He rose on the clouds and flew out of the land shrouded by the ominous star.

Just then, the clouds around Chen Lingxi suddenly stopped.

He suddenly looked up at the distant sky.

Is anyone there?