Tracing karma!
With lightning speed, Qi Yun followed the route he remembered from his journey, swiftly traversing the intricate, dimly lit, and silent corridors of the Earth Temple.
Those clay monks who tried to stop him seemed to have lost their backbone because the core relic had been taken away. Their movements became increasingly sluggish and dull, and he easily bypassed them.
In a few leaps and bounds, he had already broken out of the main building complex of the Earth Temple.
They arrived before the gaping maw that resembled the gaping maw of a ferocious beast.
Without hesitation, he leaped into the air, his figure disappearing into the distorted, fluctuating spatial rift.
After a brief period of dizziness, my feet once again stepped onto the dark red, cracked earth of Yin Ruins.
The familiar air, tinged with the stench of blood and Sha Qi, filled my lungs.
Although it cannot compare to the exquisite beauty of the Earth Temple, it gives people a sense of groundedness, like returning to reality.
He looked up and saw that the sealing light curtain, which had originally covered the entire Yin Ruins like an overturned dark gray bowl, was now flickering violently and changing directionally. The speed at which the distorted Tianwen runes on the light curtain flowed was also abnormally chaotic.
Clearly, the Foundation Establishment True Person from the sects outside are going all out.
An attempt was made to break through this barrier.
"That's quite a commotion--" Qi Yun muttered to himself, but his face remained calm and composed.
He leisurely found a relatively quiet corner where he wouldn't be easily noticed, brushed away the pebbles on the ground, and sat down cross-legged peacefully.
What followed was beyond the concern of a mere Qi Refining disciple like him.
The core control object of the Earth Temple, the relic of the Mingxin monk Mingxin, has already fallen into the hands of the True Person Qianxin.
In a sense, this [Dao Land], which is capable of changing the foundation of a sect, is already in the hands of the Wuji Sacred Sect.
The True Person struggles outside are nothing more than a matter of dividing up interests and wrangling over trivialities.
As for the cultivators from the three sects still trapped in the Earth Temple, will they reveal his existence and actions once they are released?
Qi Yun casually flicked his sleeve, showing no sign of worry on his face.
"At worst, I'll just get rid of this ' Zhang Mazi ' persona and find another one." He was very easygoing about it.
Disguising his identity and changing his appearance was not difficult for him.
He painstakingly cultivated this identity precisely for this moment.
Once the core interests are secured, minor troubles can be sacrificed.
Having made up his mind, Qi Yun took out the Soul Refining Banner that had rendered great service.
The Soul Refining Banner is currently in a rather poor state.
On the dark banner pole, the cracks inflicted by the Azure Sect Ancient Sword became increasingly apparent, even spreading out into several small branches.
The Divergent Method patterns that were once flowing continuously on the banner surface now became intermittent, and their spiritual light faded.
Clearly, it suffered considerable damage in the previous fierce battles, especially during the final forced mobilization to resist the siege.
Qi Yun channeled strands of pure True Essence into the banner, gently nourishing this damaged magical Law Artifact.
The flow of True Essence through the cracks caused a slight stinging sensation, but he remained patient.
During this trip to the Earth Temple, the Soul Refining Banner as both an offensive and defensive weapon, playing a crucial role in both blocking external enemies and resisting Buddhist intent.
This gave him a deeper understanding of the path of cultivating both physical techniques and magical methods.
He slowly turned the white gold Buddhist beads on his wrist, thinking to himself, "I underestimated this fellow practitioner of both artifacts and magic."
This method requires a significant investment of resources in the early stages to craft magical Law Artifact.
The cultivation process also requires constant nurturing of the Law Artifact and improvement of their quality, keeping them in sync with one's own cultivation level, which is indeed mentally taxing.
It's far less convenient than specializing in Law Technique.
"However, once the Law Artifact and the Law Technique are upgraded in tandem and truly take shape, their power is indeed more fierce and comprehensive than ordinary Law Technique."
Whether it's the Soul Refining Banner's use in group battles, crowd control, or even Divine Sense attacks, it far surpasses the scope of a single Law Technique.
"Ordinary cultivators who practice this method need to collect rare materials to improve their Law Artifact while painstakingly studying the mysteries of Law Technique."
Therefore, very few people can cultivate it to the point of mastery.
It's time-consuming and laborious, and the gains don't outweigh the losses.
"But I have the Law Technique Panel to enhance my abilities; with version updates, all shortcomings will be made up for, and my power will be amplified."
"After returning to the sect and receiving the rewards, I can finally delve deeper into this method. The Soul Refining Banner needs repair and further improvement, and perhaps—I could also seek out other suitable techniques for cultivating both artifacts and methods?"
Just as Qi Yun was immersed in his plans after returning to his sect, pondering how to further leverage the advantages of cultivating both weaponry and techniques, "Buzz!!!"
A deafening roar, seemingly originating from the very source of heaven and earth, resounded fiercely throughout the entire Yin Ruins!
In the sky, the dark gray sealing light curtain, which was already flickering and changing light, suddenly burst forth with a blinding rainbow light!
Countless talismans scattered and shattered like a school of startled fish.
The light curtain itself distorted violently, as if it were bearing some irresistible force, and emitted a mournful cry of unbearable strain!
The next instant, a loud bang!
The enormous light curtain that enveloped the Yin Ruins was like fragile glass, forcibly torn and shattered from several different directions by several overwhelming and terrifying forces from the outside world!
"Sizzle--!"
The sound, like the tearing of cloth, echoed between heaven and earth.
The sealing light barrier completely collapsed, turning into countless fireflies-like fragments of light that quickly vanished.
The moment the light curtain shattered, a huge gash was torn open in the sky above Yin Ruins.
Pairs of cold, majestic eyes, brimming with immense Law Power and domineering will, appeared fiercely in the sky like blazing suns!
That was the projection of the gazes of Foundation Establishment True Person from the four major sects.
He surveyed every inch of the Yin Ruins, every cultivator, with scrutiny, inquiry, and a hint of offended authority.
Impatient with the endless stalemate, the True Person chose to intervene forcefully in the most direct and domineering way!
At the same time that the ban was broken and the gaze of True Person descended.
Qi Yun, who was sitting cross-legged and regulating his breathing, suddenly felt a chilling coldness on his back!
It wasn't a change in temperature, but a strong sense of crisis originating from the the Unseen and involving the realm of cause and effect!
He seemed to "see" several blurry yet powerful figures in a void beyond his reach, walking step by step along some mysterious trajectory toward the "causal line" that was related to him!
Their gazes were like invisible hands, trying to dispel the fog and pull out this minor cultivator who played a key role in the changes at the Earth Temple from the vast sea of people!
"Damn it!" Qi Yun's heart tightened, and his brows furrowed deeply. "These Foundation Establishment True Person are working together to deduce cause and effect, tracing back to the source! They're about to find me!"
Once locked on, his previous actions in the Earth Temple, especially his contact with the Mingxin resentment of the young monk Mingxin, will inevitably be exposed.
At that time, he will face the wrath of three True Person simultaneously.
Even with the Holy Sect's protection, they will inevitably find themselves in a very passive and dangerous situation!
His mind raced, trying to figure out how to break out of this seemingly hopeless situation.
The feeling of being watched, like a thorn in his back, that sent chills down his spine, suddenly lessened!
It was as if those beings that were about to touch him were suddenly blocked by several silent figures.
Those "figures" who followed the cause-and-effect path seemed to have been intercepted, confused, and led in another direction.
Qi Yun's tense mind suddenly relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief. A bead of cold sweat even appeared on his forehead.
"It seems—it was True Person master from the Holy Sect who intervened, concealing the secrets of heaven and disrupting the cause and effect for me."
The sealing light barrier above Yin Ruins shattered completely, like ice and snow melting away, revealing the true sky outside.
Immediately following, a terrifying pressure, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, descended with a deafening roar!
Before the figures could fully manifest their forms, their boundless and surging Divine Sense swept across the entire Yin Ruins like an invisible storm!
The Divine Sense of Foundation Establishment True Person is incredibly powerful, like mercury seeping into the ground, penetrating everywhere.
He meticulously swept over every inch of land, every piece of rubble, and every cultivator within the Yin Ruins.
Meanwhile, Qi Yun had already taken the initiative, using Secret Method to quietly seal off most of the hundreds of acupoints that were already open throughout his body!
The surging True Essence within his body instantly became "docile" and "weak," and his outward aura plummeted from the Qi Refining Eighth Layer he had just broken through to the original Qi Refining Seventh Layer.
The crucial causal thread connecting him to the core of the Earth Temple and his clash with the Mingxin resentment of the young monk Mingxin has been disrupted and obscured by the intervention of the Holy Sect's True Person.
At this moment, in the Divine Sense perception and causal deduction of the other three sect True Person, this disciple of the Holy Sect, sitting in the corner, with a weak aura and a cultivation level of only the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, was...
However, upon closer inspection, there were no strong causal traces on his body related to the core of the Earth Temple, and his cultivation level was also unremarkable.
It's far from enough to stir up trouble in a scheme at the level of True Person.
"Just a lucky junior who might have gotten some benefits outside the Earth Temple."
"His breathing is weak; he must have just gone through a tough battle. He's nothing to worry about."
Several powerful Divine Sense lingered on him briefly, but failed to find any flaws.
It moved away as quickly as if brushing past dust, completely ignoring him.
With a slight thought, the True Person transformed into dazzling rainbows of various colors, like meteors falling to earth, carrying an unstoppable momentum as they fiercely charged into the deep crevice of the Earth Temple.
Until all the True Person entered the Earth Temple.
The immense pressure that had enveloped the entire Yin Ruins eased slightly.
At that moment, Qi Yun clearly felt a peaceful gaze, carrying a hint of barely perceptible approval, linger on him for a brief moment.
It is True Person Qianxin.
Qi Yun understood immediately; he knew this was a signal to leave.
Without further hesitation, he immediately stood up, dusted himself off, and strode towards the exit of the Yin Ruins.
We passed through the light curtain entrance jointly erected by the four major sects.
The sounds of people outside and the fresh air rushed towards me.
The temporary market outside the Teapot Valley was still bustling, with countless eyes looking towards the direction of the Yin Ruins with curiosity and awe.
The instant he stepped out of the light curtain and completely left the Yin Ruins, Qi Yun without hesitation, his mind racing!
[Gather Form and Disperse Qi]
Without attracting anyone's attention, he quietly disappeared from everyone's sight, as if he had never been there at all.