Qing Yanjing

Futu Yijing raised his spear and closed in on the spear-wielding elder like a phantom.

"True Dragon Precious Technique: True Dragon Heaven-Binding Technique!"

Spiritual energy gathered into a giant dragon that coiled around Futu Yijing, then followed his thrusting spear and opened its cavernous maw.

The spiritual energy permeating the Ancestral Pagoda seemed to stagnate for an instant, as though it had been sealed off.

"What a formidable divine ability." Even the spear-wielding elder was surprised.

No wonder this lad had refused his inheritance without a moment's hesitation back then.

But however formidable a divine ability might be, it still needed the user's cultivation to support it.

Against the spear-wielding elder, a former Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign, Futu Yijing, merely a Complete Earthly Sovereign, was clearly outmatched.

"Fine lad!" Seeing Futu Yijing attack so decisively, the admiration in the spear-wielding elder's eyes deepened. He raised his spear to block.

The spear-wielding elder circulated his spiritual energy, and hundreds of millions of rays of spiritual light erupted from his body. A terrifying pressure raged through heaven and earth. Though this ancestor had long since passed away and only a remnant of his consciousness remained, he was beyond any ordinary Heavenly Sovereign.

Futu Yijing felt an immense weight bearing down on his entire body, as though he were carrying a mountain on his shoulders.

The spear-wielding elder swung his spear, and the clash of weapons unleashed an immensely violent surge of spiritual energy.

The surge sent Futu Yijing flying backward. He only came to a halt after being hurled a great distance, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at the spear-wielding elder, his gaze still fearless and his entire body brimming with fighting spirit.

"Ancestor, this is my strongest attack!" Futu Yijing's voice, filled with boundless fighting spirit, echoed through heaven and earth.

"Come, then."

"True Dragon Precious Technique: Black Dragon Severs the Firmament!"

The spiritual-energy dragon swept forward, and Futu Yijing rode it as he shot toward the spear-wielding elder.

The spear-wielding elder stepped forward, raised his spear, and swept it across once more. The blow shattered Futu Yijing's spiritual-energy dragon and sent the charging Futu Yijing flying.

Futu Yijing spat out a mouthful of blood and slammed heavily into the ground.

Only after a long while did Futu Yijing prop himself up with his broken spear and stand again.

Despite his severe injuries, his fighting spirit remained undiminished. He stood like a divine general of antiquity, a sight that made the heart tremble.

The spear-wielding elder had held back in both attacks. Otherwise, this precious descendant of his would have died at his hands.

With a flicker, the spear-wielding elder appeared before Futu Yijing.

"You truly are a fine lad."

Standing before Futu Yijing, the spear-wielding elder glanced at the broken spear, then planted his own spear in front of him.

"This spear accompanied me all the way to Saint Grade. In terms of rank, it should count among the Peerless Saint Artifacts. It contains my entire inheritance. Now, it is yours."

Futu Yijing ached all over and had no strength left to speak.

Seriously, Ancestor, you really didn't pull your punches!

He looked at the spear-wielding elder with a trace of wounded resentment.

The spear-wielding elder noticed his look and laughed. "Hahaha! Lad, who told you to refuse me so decisively last time?"

As his words faded, the spear-wielding elder vanished from before Futu Yijing.

Futu Yijing showed no sign of sorrow.

This ancestor's manifestation of will would hardly disappear after such a casual exchange. He was merely giving Futu Yijing space to heal and receive the inheritance.

Just then, a woman in palace robes approached from afar, arriving before Futu Yijing in two or three steps.

Hundreds of millions of Spirit Seals seemed to flicker around the woman in palace robes, each one resembling a Spirit Array. The pressure radiating from her was scarcely weaker than that of the ancestor before.

Spirit Seals forming a world of their own around the body-this was the hallmark of a Saint Grade Grandmaster.

Her identity was clear as well: Qing Yanjing, the Saintess of the Futu Ancient Clan.

"It has been two hundred years since we last met, hasn't it, Futu Yijing?" Qing Yanjing said with a sigh.

Futu Yijing was circulating his spiritual energy to heal and clearly had no time to spare for Qing Yanjing.

Qing Yanjing said nothing more, simply waiting for Futu Yijing to finish healing.

With true dragon blood in his body, Futu Yijing healed quickly. Though a few hours were not enough for a full recovery, he could at least speak again.

He opened his eyes again, sitting cross-legged beside the broken spear.

"What did you come looking for me for? No one to talk to while you're locked in the Ancestral Pagoda?" Futu Yijing's tone was blunt, without the slightest respect for Qing Yanjing's status as a Saint Grade Grandmaster.

In terms of allegiance, Futu Yijing belonged to Futuo Xuan's side-the very side responsible for separating Qing Yanjing from her son.

Since they were not on the same side, there was no need to be overly polite.

Qing Yanjing did not mind Futu Yijing's tone.

"How is my elder sister doing?" Qing Yanjing sat down on the ground as well.

Qing Xuan, Qing Yanjing's elder sister, was one of the elders of the Futu Ancient Clan's Qing Lineage and a Mid-Stage Spirit Grade Heavenly Sovereign.

"I don't know. I only returned to the clan today, but I heard the Qing Lineage isn't in a good position right now." Futu Yijing shook his head.

Qing Yanjing sighed at his words.

She felt some guilt that her actions had led to the suppression of the Qing Lineage, but she did not regret what she had done.

Her guilt toward the Qing Lineage and her acceptance of her own actions mingled into one long sigh.

Futu Yijing remained silent. He had little interest in chatting.

Every bone in his body felt shattered. How could he possibly be in the mood to make small talk with Qing Yanjing?

Qing Yanjing, on the other hand, was quite eager to talk. She continued, "I remember you saying you would only return after becoming a Demon-Slayer King. Have you achieved your goal?"

Futu Yijing glanced at Qing Yanjing. "Do I look like someone who only paints grand pies in the sky?"

Though Qing Yanjing did not understand what painting grand pies meant, his tone made it easy enough to infer that Futu Yijing was already a Demon-Slayer King.

Understanding his meaning was one thing, but even she was deeply shocked by the result.

This fellow had actually done it!

The Great Thousand World had no shortage of astonishing talents, yet for a long time after Qin Tian, no second Demon-Slayer King had emerged.

This fellow had actually achieved it with the cultivation of an Earthly Sovereign. It was simply inconceivable.

Futu Yijing could be considered part of their generation. Back then, her elder sister Qing Xuan had been a Heavenly Sovereign, while she herself had been an Immortal Grade Grandmaster. This fellow had merely been a Sovereign. Even if he swept aside everyone at his level, he was still the weakest among them.

Yet now, this fellow was only a single step away from becoming a Heavenly Sovereign.

For an Earthly Sovereign, the difficulty of breaking through to Heavenly Sovereign was like an impassable heavenly chasm.

But with this fellow's talent, crossing that heavenly chasm would certainly pose no problem. Thus, aside from asking about a few matters that concerned her, she had come here to ask him for help with something.