As the mysterious light faded, Li Qingshan's figure appeared silently in the deepest part of the Jade Pool Holy Land, in a small world shrouded in Eternal immortal mist.
The massive uproar caused by his annihilation of the Nine Hells in one night seemed to have no effect on the peace and tranquility of this place.
The Queen Mother of the West and several Tai Shang elders were already waiting there.
Upon seeing his safe return, although everyone tried their best to remain calm, the excitement and shock in their eyes betrayed the turmoil within them.
" Qingshan, you've worked hard." The Queen Mother of the West spoke first, her tone gentle and concerned.
Li Qingshan nodded slightly as a greeting.
Without any further pleasantries, he took out a crystal-clear jade slip and presented it to the Queen Mother of the West in mid-air.
"This is what I obtained on this trip: information about Hell's secondary strongholds that have not yet been exposed or cleared, its peripheral vassal forces, its hidden communication nodes, and some clues about forces secretly colluding with it. Although not all, it is enough to severely damage its intelligence network."
Queen Mother of the West scanned the jade slip with her divine sense, even with her composure, her eyebrows couldn't help but twitch slightly.
The information contained in the jade slip was far more detailed and covered a wider range of topics than expected.
It not only includes geographical locations, personnel composition, and defense force assessments, but also marks the linkages between some outposts and evacuation plans.
This is no longer just simple intelligence; it's more like a detailed "bandit suppression strategy."
"Excellent! Fantastic!" A Tai Shang elder couldn't help but clap his hands, his face flushed with excitement.
"With this as proof, the alliance members can then target their attacks more effectively, increasing efficiency by more than double! Those demons and monsters will be severely wounded this time, leaving them with no means of concealment!"
The Queen Mother of the West took a deep breath, calmed her emotions, and decisively gave the order:
"Immediately summon disciples skilled in intelligence gathering. Using this jade slip as the core, categorize the information according to region, urgency of factional connections, and other factors, creating easily distributed copies. Send these copies urgently to all members of the alliance in the name of Jade Pool, along with a note."
She hesitated for a moment, a sharp glint in her eyes, "Eliminate evil completely!"
"Yes!" The Tai Shang elders responded in unison, their spirits high, and immediately sprang into action.
Just as Li Qingshan and the Queen Mother of the West had predicted, when the intelligence brochure compiled by Jade Pool was delivered to the holy lands, Desolate Ancient Family, and great dynasties throughout the Big Dipper, it immediately triggered a chain reaction.
Initially, some forces adopted a wait-and-see or cautious attitude, but soon, after news came that the first group had followed the clues, successfully dismantled a secret supply depot in Hell, and seized a considerable amount of loot, greed and the desire for achievement quickly overwhelmed their concerns.
In an instant, across the Five Regions, numerous powerful forces, like sharks smelling blood, bared their fangs and pounced on the "prey" marked in the intelligence report.
The remaining forces in Hell were clearly terrified by Li Qingshan's terrifying method of attacking Nine Hells in one night, and reacted extremely quickly.
Most of the core or important secondary strongholds had already implemented emergency plans before the intelligence from Jade Pool was sent out. Personnel and important supplies were quickly evacuated, leaving behind empty or even deliberately destroyed nests.
Those who were slow to act or harbored wishful thinking were quickly crushed and divided up by the various forces that rushed in.
The " Human World " suffered particularly heavy losses, perhaps due to disagreements among the core decision-makers or insufficient information transmission, resulting in a delayed response.
According to incomplete statistics, within just half a month, more than 200 important strongholds and training camps that had been taken over or secretly controlled by the Human World were uprooted, a large number of peripheral assassins and informants were captured and killed, and the huge amount of resources, materials and intelligence they had stockpiled became the spoils of war for various forces. Their painstakingly rebuilt network suffered a devastating blow, which can be described as truly crippling, and they will no longer have the power to cause trouble in the short term.
At the same time, the "list" previously released by the Yaoguang Holy Land, which involved collusion with the Assassin Divine Dynasty, began to cause violent upheavals and purges within various forces.
Under the overwhelming pressure of suppressing the Assassin Divine Dynasty, especially regarding the assassination attempt on the Eastern Exalt, no major power can afford to let the matter rest easily.
Self-examination, interrogation, and purges—under absolute stakes and external pressure, the forces on the list demonstrated near-ruthless efficiency.
One branch of the Ji Family was completely eradicated, its leader was stripped of his cultivation and imprisoned in the family's black prison, and its followers were either severely punished or mysteriously disappeared.
In the Jiang Family, the lineage to which a powerful elder belonged was severely purged, and all those involved were punished according to clan rules, greatly diminishing the power of that elder's lineage.
Within the Yaoguang Holy Land, the turmoil has become even more unpredictable.
The peak master of Dragon Mark Peak and several of his trusted disciples were found to have dealings and intelligence exchanges with Hell. Although there was no direct evidence to prove that they participated in the assassination of Li Qingshan, the charge of "colluding with the Assassin Divine Dynasty " was fatal enough.
Taking advantage of the prevailing circumstances, the peak master was stripped of all his power and suppressed deep within the Yaoguang Forbidden Land.
Anyone with discerning eyes can see that Dragon Mark Peak is a descendant of the Yaoguang Holy Son.
This incident dealt a heavy blow, and the authority of the Holy Lord's lineage became even stronger.
Within the two major dynasties of the Central Continent, several members of the royal family were either imprisoned or exiled, and the network of interests they had been involved in was ruthlessly severed.
The Northern Plains, Southern Ridge, and Western Desert —the thirty-six major powers in the Five Regions on the list, whether holy lands, major sects, or imperial families—all completed their internal purges with swift and decisive measures.
For a time, the top leadership of Big Dipper was on edge, but as a result, the "purity" and cohesion within the alliance reached an unprecedented level after the bloody purge.
When Li Qingshan learned of this news deep within Jade Pool, he merely commented. "A strong medicine is needed for a serious illness, and harsh measures are used in chaotic times. However, I suspect that this prescription also contains some personal agenda to eliminate dissidents."
He paid particular attention to the matter of Yaoguang Dragon Mark Peak, and was almost certain that there was a force behind the current Yaoguang Holy Son involved, as well as the Yaoguang Holy Lord's intention to consolidate his power through this.
Political infighting and leveraging others' strengths are common occurrences throughout history.
While the outside world was turbulent and filled with bloodshed, Li Qingshan entered a deep seclusion for cultivation within the Jade Pool Small World.
This destruction of the nine levels of Hell has been incredibly fruitful.
The biggest surprise, of course, came from Wang Teng's secret word "qian" (前).
This secret method focuses on cultivating the primordial spirit, resulting in keen spiritual perception and the ability to foresee the future; its profound mysteries are extensive and complex.
He immersed his mind in the Daoist essence contained within the bone fragment, carefully comprehending its meaning.
The core of the "Previous" secret lies in refining the primordial spirit into a clear, bright mirror that reflects the universe, capturing even the slightest ripple of the Heavenly Dao path in the darkness, thereby foreseeing good or bad fortune and gaining insight into opportunities.
His cultivation method is unique, involving the tempering of the primordial spirit and the ultimate extension of spiritual awareness. Many of his concepts are inspired by the seventh seal he is currently developing, the " Primordial Heart Seal ".
The prototype of his seventh seal originated from the inspiration of observing the elegance of the Desolate Heaven Emperor's style and the true meaning of the " Six Seals of Yuanshi ". It aims to explore the mystery of the most essential "god" of living beings such as mind, soul, and true spirit, and to directly point to the origin of the primordial spirit and the power of the mind.
Its essence gradually became clear: in the beginning, before the separation of heaven and earth, there was no distinction between the eight directions and the six realms, no order of past and future, and no distinction between mind and soul.
When the Yuanshi Heaven-Opening, Yin-Yang gave birth to all things, and the primordial spirit condensed, the soul and spirit were born, and thoughts flowed.
This original and ancient power of the mind is subtle, unpredictable, mysterious, and profound. It is the supreme method that can shake and even control the true spirit and primordial spirit.
This seal can be described as the " Primordial Heart ".
Although the "Premonition" secret focuses on "premonition," its in-depth exploration of the primordial spirit and spiritual potential provides an extremely valuable and specific supplement and reference to the framework of the Seventh Seal.
In his secluded meditation room, Li Qingshan sat cross-legged. The best novel in the " Shrouding the Heavens: Yuanshi of the Myriad Heavens " series, voted by readers, was ranked at the top! A faint chaotic aura swirled above his head, and six blurry, gigantic seal phantoms appeared behind him.
The six seals of Heaven-Opening, Yin-Yang, the Four Symbols, the Void, the Wuji, Heaven-Overturning heaven and earth slowly rotate, forming a crucible of Daoist principles that encompasses all laws.
And deep in the sea of consciousness between his brows, the little golden figure transformed by Yuan Shen sat cross-legged in the Daoist fire, holding up the shadow of the chaotic bone fragment with one hand, absorbing the secret meaning of the word "front" in it;
With his other hand, he continued to sketch, trying to condense a more hazy mark, as if it were formed by countless subtle mental fluctuations and the light of the soul. That was the prototype of the seventh mark.
The two are intertwined in their Daoist principles, mutually reinforcing each other.
At times, the spiritual ripples of the "front" seal spread out, making the outline of the seventh seal slightly clear;
From time to time, the feedback on the seventh seal's insights gave Li Qingshan a deeper understanding of the secret word "Qian".
Besides studying secret techniques, he was also consolidating his cultivation after Severing the Dao.
The realm of the seventh small step of the Immortal Platform Third Heaven is already as solid as a mountain, and with the terrifying accumulation and the continuous nourishment from the Immortal Divine Medicine, it is slowly but steadily moving towards the eighth step.
The Life Spring within the Bitter Sea gushed forth with ever greater force, its life essence incomparably pure, carrying a primordial Daoist charm akin to the Heaven-Opening, nourishing the three Immortal Divine Medicine.
The patterns on the shell of the Qilin Seed became increasingly radiant, and its life force surged like the ebb and flow of the tides.
The remnants of the humanoid Immortal Medicine body had gained a touch of luster, and the deathly aura had noticeably subsided;
The Phoenix Immortal Medicine and radiant, showers down drops of light and rain of Nirvana.
The virtuous cycle formed by the resonance of the three medicines further enriched the essence of heaven and earth and the fragments of the Great Dao, accelerating his cultivation.
Two months outside were but a blink of an eye Guanzhong.
On this day, Li Qingshan slowly opened his eyes. The strange phenomena of chaos being created and stars being born and dying flashed by in his eyes and then disappeared, returning to the calm of the ancient well.
The prototype of the Seventh Seal is about 10% clearer and more solid than before, and the mastery of the secret word "Qian" has also begun to be mastered. The soul has become more crystal clear, and the sensitivity of the spiritual sense has been significantly improved.
His cultivation has also been steadily improving, and he is not far from reaching the eighth step of the Immortal Platform Third Heaven.
"It has been about half a year since Severing the Dao and underwent my tribulation."
He silently calculated the time in his mind, then suddenly frowned slightly, a strange feeling rising in his heart, as if he had forgotten something that wasn't important, but something he should know.
After a moment of deep thought, a name suddenly came to mind: Yan Ruyu.
Before the Severing the Dao, the envoy of the Azure Flood Dragon King of Ze Prefecture in the Northern Region visited with his token, saying that he would send the demon princess Yan Ruyu to Jade Pool in three months. It seemed that he also intended for Yan Ruyu to avoid trouble and cultivate in peace in the relatively safe Jade Pool.
I didn't pay much attention at the time and just casually agreed.
Now that I think about it, if she really wanted to come, she should have arrived long ago.
After Severing the Dao, he secluded himself for nearly three months, followed by the destruction of the Nine Levels of Hell. Upon returning to Jade Pool, he again secluded himself for two months. During this time, the affairs of Jade Pool were handled by the Queen Mother of the West and others, and they would not likely disturb his seclusion for such a "trivial" matter as Yan Ruyu's arrival.
With a thought, Li Qingshan transformed into a wisp of light and appeared the next moment at the shore of a spiritual lake where the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, Lin Qingyao, usually cultivated in seclusion.
On the lakeside, celestial flowers bloom and the spiritual spring babbles. Lin Qingyao, dressed in white, is contemplating the Dao of nature by a thousand-year-old jade herb.
Sensing the arrival of the person, Lin Qingyao turned around gracefully. Upon seeing Li Qingshan, a faint smile appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face, "Junior Brother has emerged from seclusion? Is there something you wish to discuss with Qingyao?"
Li Qingshan cut to the chase. "There is indeed something I wish to inquire about. The Azure Flood Dragon King of the Demon Clan once said that he would send Princess Yan Ruyu to my Jade Pool for a period of time. I wonder if she has arrived yet? And where is she now?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of realization flashed across Lin Qingyao's bright eyes, then she pursed her lips and smiled slightly, a smile tinged with helplessness and mischief:
"So that's what the Eastern Exalt was thinking about. Princess Yan has already arrived. Judging from the time, she has been staying at my Jade Pool Inn, ' Water Moon Grotto-Heaven,' for almost five months now."
She paused, and seeing Li Qingshan's slightly surprised expression, she continued to explain:
"In fact, when Princess Yan first arrived, she temporarily stayed in the VIP pavilion on Immortal-Welcoming Peak. Unexpectedly, not long after her arrival, about seven or eight days later, assassins from the Human World infiltrated, intending to harm Princess Yan."
Lin Qingyao's expression turned solemn:
"It was a meticulously planned surprise attack. The assassins who infiltrated were highly skilled, fearless, and had a clear objective. Although we repelled them, several halls and pavilions on Immortal-Welcoming Peak were damaged, and several guards were injured or killed. Princess Yan's entourage also suffered significant casualties."
" The Queen Mother was furious and personally ordered a thorough investigation of the Jade Pool and the reinforcement of all formations. Considering Princess Yan's safety, and the fact that ' Water Moon Grotto-Heaven ' was protected by the ' Illusory Moon Heaven-Bewildering Great Formation,' one of the core formations of the Jade Pool's immortal array, making it more secluded and secure, Princess Yan and her entourage were moved there. After this incident, the Jade Pool kept the news secret to avoid unnecessary panic and to prevent the Assassin Divine Dynasty from confirming the success of the attack. Junior Brother, you were either away or in seclusion during that time, so you were unaware of it."
"An attack, nearly five months ago?" Li Qingshan was slightly taken aback. Did that mean she had already arrived shortly after he integrated the various holy lands and families following the Jade Pool Grand Gathering? He had been so engrossed in cultivation that he had completely forgotten about this matter.
Seeing the rare, subtle look of surprise on Li Qingshan's face, Lin Qingyao's smile deepened, and she explained:
"Junior Brother, you went into seclusion after the Jade Pool Grand Gathering. The Queen Mother and the elders knew that your cultivation was of utmost importance, and that Princess Yan's matter wasn't urgent, so they didn't disturb you. Princess Yan has been quite composed; for the past few months, she has rarely left her secluded home. Apart from occasionally discussing Daoist principles and enjoying tea with me, she has been quietly cultivating in the Water Moon Grotto-Heaven, without ever asking a single question about Junior Brother. I thought..."
She paused, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes, "Junior Brother and Princess Yan have a tacit understanding, or perhaps the Azure Flood Dragon King has other instructions?"
Li Qingshan shook his head. "There was no specific instruction; it was just something I mentioned casually that day."
He felt a little guilty. In any case, it was somewhat impolite of him to let Yan Ruyu be assassinated by Jade Pool, and to have lived there for nearly five months without his knowledge, even though he was one of the hosts.
"Since she is in Jade Pool, I should go and see her."
Lin Qingyao pointed to a vast expanse of spiritual lake in the southeast of the sacred land. "It's on an island in the center of ' Illusory Moon Lake.' Do you need me to guide you?"
"No need, I can go myself." After saying this, Li Qingshan nodded slightly to Lin Qingyao, and then his figure disappeared.
Lin Qingyao gazed in the direction he had disappeared, the faint smile on her lips gradually fading, and a barely perceptible complex expression flickered in her autumn-water-like eyes.
She gently bit her lower lip, her fingertips unconsciously brushing against the leaves of the herb beside her.
"I haven't heard from her for nearly five months," she murmured to herself, her voice so soft it seemed as if she feared the wind might overhear, "I'll go find her the moment I leave the pass."
She recalled the slight bitterness that welled up in her heart half a year ago when she heard that the Azure Flood Dragon King to send Yan Ruyu to Jade Pool for a temporary stay.
For the past five months, she had occasionally visited the Water Moon Grotto-Heaven to discuss Dao and enjoy tea with the peerless demon princess. She found the princess to be calm and composed, never asking about her junior brother. Her demeanor and elegance impressed even herself.
And what about the junior brother? He was in seclusion, focused solely on his cultivation, seemingly oblivious to the presence of such a guest at Jade Pool.
She thought that perhaps her junior brother really didn't take this matter to heart.
But just now, not long after he came out of the pass, he came specifically to ask.
Upon learning that Yan Ruyu had already arrived and had even been attacked at Jade Pool, a subtle ripple, rarely seen in her usually calm and profound eyes, clearly flickered.
"What's wrong with me?" Lin Qingyao gently shook her head, suppressing the ripples in her heart that shouldn't have been there.
She is the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, her heart as still as water, focused solely on the Great Dao.
However, that faint sense of melancholy lingered like a thin mist over a lake.
She stopped thinking about it and turned her attention back to the graceful swaying herb. This time, however, the dewdrops rolling on the tips of the herb's leaves seemed to be veiled in a faint haze in her eyes.