Capable of Slaying a Third Rank

"What happened to the Holy Son?" Li Qingxian asked.

Xiaoya sighed. "Near noon, the Holy Son suddenly screamed and vomited blood again and again. The Holy Son's wife desperately tried to treat him, weeping and wailing to heaven and earth. We were busy for quite a while before we finished."

"How are the Holy Son's injuries?" Li Qingxian asked.

Xiaoya hesitated for a moment. "The Holy Maiden said you were one of us, and you're also Lord Zhou's nephew, so I won't hide it from you. The Holy Son's injuries were already severe, but this time... it seems he has symptoms of a wandering soul. I'm afraid his Spirit Platform has been damaged."

"How could he suddenly be injured? Did someone harm him in secret?" Li Qingxian asked.

Xiaoya lowered her voice. "The other senior brothers and sisters asked too, but the Holy Son's wife said no. It's just... I'm afraid a woman was behind it."

"Why?"

"We all heard the Holy Son's wife curse 'bitch' through gritted teeth several times, but we don't know who she meant."

"Probably a woman from the Demon Sect."

The two chatted for a while before Xiaoya left.

In a courtyard not far away stood an imposing three-story building.

In the master bedroom on the second floor, a middle-aged man with an ashen face lay unconscious on an ocean-blue bed. The room was thick with the pungent stench of medicinal pills.

A middle-aged woman in a dark blue Daoist robe sat beside the bed.

The middle-aged woman wiped away her tears and said softly, "Brother Ren, this time it isn't your fault or mine. It's all that little bitch's fault. We thought she would surely be injured this time, and that you could take the chance to influence her with the Soul-Control Art. Who knew she would summon Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder and destroy a wisp of your divine soul? Don't worry. I'll definitely find a way to seize that little bitch's cultivation and magical power, then kill her!"

The middle-aged woman sighed. Ever since Sect Master Jiang Zhijian disappeared, the Sky Firmament Sect had changed, and she and her husband had changed as well.

The next day, Li Qingxian rose early and entered Jiang Youfei's bedchamber.

Jiang Youfei lay in bed beneath a pale yellow quilt, her head resting on a soft pillow embroidered with twin phoenixes. She looked sickly and weak.

Li Qingxian teased her for a while, then asked her about cultivation. Time passed swiftly.

Despite her young age, Jiang Youfei was a cultivation prodigy. Not only was she proficient in Daoist arts, she had deep attainments in Fate Arts, martial cultivation, literary cultivation, and many other fields.

In just one day, she helped Li Qingxian establish the initial framework for cultivating Daoist arts and Fate Arts.

All that remained was to fill in that framework, and he could grow at breakneck speed.

On the morning of the third day, Jiang Youfei was already able to get out of bed and walk. Li Qingxian bid her farewell, then returned to the Night Guard Yamen with Zhou Hen.

Halfway to Chunfeng Residence, they encountered Zhou Chunfeng.

When Zhou Chunfeng saw that Li Qingxian was not only unscathed but positively brimming with energy, he softly said, "Good!"

Under Zhou Chunfeng's steady stream of concern and inquiries, the three entered Chunfeng Residence.

Beside the artificial mountain outside Chunfeng Residence, someone stepped out onto the grass and watched the three vanish amid red flowers and green trees.

Ye Han sighed and muttered, "If only I'd been a little more ruthless back then..."

Remembering the days when he and Zhou Chunfeng had laughed and chatted together, Ye Han felt a sense of loss. He turned and left.

Outside Chunfeng Residence, a cool breeze whispered through swaying banana leaves.

Inside Chunfeng Residence, Li Qingxian and Zhou Chunfeng took their seats.

Zhou Chunfeng immediately asked, "I truly underestimated you. I never expected that at such a young age, you would understand such a vicious scheme!"

Li Qingxian was just about to boast when he sensed something off in Zhou Chunfeng's tone. "Uncle Zhou, which vicious scheme?"

"Was there more than one?" Zhou Chunfeng asked, caught between laughter and tears.

"I really don't know." Li Qingxian wondered if his theft of Ye Han's opportunity had been discovered.

Zhou Chunfeng said, "You initially refused to help Youfei because you must have guessed long ago that the Demon Sect had infiltrated the Divine Capital Office and learned our every move. That was why you trapped Ye Han here that day, making the Demon Sect suspect that Ye Han had discussed impersonating Lü Ren with us. But your plans did not end there. Ye Han failed to visit his mother's grave that day, then went alone early the next morning. That overlapped with the time you impersonated Lü Ren, making the Demon Sect suspect him even more."

Li Qingxian said, caught between laughter and tears, "How come I didn't know I was so formidable? If I could calculate that far ahead, I'd definitely praise myself as the foremost strategist in the Qi Kingdom."

"Really?"

"If I had planned it, could I possibly fail to praise myself properly?"

"That's true..." Zhou Chunfeng nodded. "I forgot one thing: you don't know much about the Demon Sect. Never mind that. You reached Entry Rank? Stand up and let me see!"

Li Qingxian stood and circulated his magical power. An unusual force flowed through his body. It was as if a clear breeze stirred beneath his azure robes, giving his entire person an unworldly, drifting aura.

"Good! Good! Good!" Zhou Chunfeng's face was as white as jade, making the redness around his eyes especially obvious. "Brother Gang Feng's spirit in heaven will surely be greatly comforted!"

Zhou Chunfeng's hair was streaked black and white, and every root seemed to tremble.

"It was all thanks to Uncle Zhou's help. Youfei and I agreed that once she recovers from her injuries, we'll come thank you together. Asking a Second Rank high official to act is far too great a favor."

"Master Wu owed me a favor from years ago. I never had a use for it, so it was just right to use it on the two of you. By the way, although Cao Ming has already reported it, many details are still missing. Tell me everything, starting with the Divine Firmament Thunder Seed."

As Zhou Chunfeng spoke, he flicked his sleeve. The doors and windows shut, and an unusual force enveloped the room.

Li Qingxian had no choice but to explain everything in detail, omitting key information such as the Heaven's Mandate Instrument.

As for the battle outside the city, Li Qingxian concealed almost nothing. Even if he did not tell it, Jiang Youfei would.

When Zhou Chunfeng heard that Li Qingxian had actually obtained the Dragon-Seeking Spirit Eye, joy rose to his brows. He smiled so broadly he could not close his mouth, repeatedly warning Li Qingxian never to let word of it spread.

Zhou Hen, however, sighed inwardly. Having followed Lord Zhou for so many years, this was the first time he had seen him so delighted.

After Li Qingxian finished, Zhou Chunfeng said seriously, "You were still lucky. How could Upper Three Ranks experts die so easily? Those four Third Rank Demon Sect members knew that Jiang Youfei was skilled in battle but inexperienced in the ways of the world, so they had been concealing their strength. Even if Youfei had risked her life to activate the Thunderlight Fire Seal, she might not have been able to kill them. Fortunately, the phantom of Ancient Thunder City was drawn forth, enhancing the Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder to the Beyond-Rank level. Only then did it instantly suppress the Three Flowers above those four men's heads. If the Divine Firmament Heavenly Thunder had been even slightly weaker, those four Third Rank Demon Sect members would have needed only an instant to activate their demonic arts or treasures and flee without a trace."

"I thought the Demon Sect was weak..." Li Qingxian said.

Zhou Chunfeng shook his head. "The gap between the Upper Three Ranks and the Middle Three Ranks is beyond imagination. Youfei is the personal disciple of the head of a major Dao Sect, possesses an Illuminating Sword Body and a First Rank treasure, and has encountered an immortal opportunity, giving her extraordinary fortune. That is why she could resist them. Replace her with an ordinary Fourth Rank, and they would not last three moves before those men."

"What about you? You're also Principal Fourth Rank." Li Qingxian asked curiously.

Zhou Chunfeng thought for a moment. "Without the Righteousness Sword, I am no match for a Third Rank. But with the Righteousness Sword, I can slay a Third Rank!"

"Lord Zhou is very strong," Zhou Hen added, a rare occurrence.

"Impressive!" Li Qingxian said. "But I heard that the longer the Righteousness Sword is nurtured in the Middle Dantian, the stronger it becomes. After it is used, it must be nurtured anew, and its power falls greatly. Better not to use it unless necessary."

"Of course. A scholar's Righteousness Sword is meant to save one's life. As for the Righteousness Sword Seed, I'll think of another solution." Zhou Chunfeng said.

"Then I'll await good news from Uncle Zhou," Li Qingxian said.

Zhou Chunfeng pondered for a long while, then looked up at Li Qingxian. His peach-blossom eyes were especially bright. "Qingxian, are you interested in returning to literary cultivation?"