977 Distrusting the Heavens, Unyielding to Fate!
Xu Qing’s apothecary wasn’t the only one to collapse. At that moment, a large number of buildings in the earth city collapsed amidst rumbling sounds, stirring up waves of dust.
As far as the eye could see, a group of gray-robed cultivators was flattening all the buildings in earth city. The residents here had long scattered and were forcefully expelled.
In the air, seven to eight figures floated and stared at the earth city on the ground.
The person in the lead was a youth. He was short and had an ugly appearance, but his entire body emitted a baleful aura. His cultivation was at the mastered Golden Core Realm and was even more profound than Chen Fanzhuo of the Earthly Growth Sect.
They weren’t cultivators from the Bitter Life Mountain Range.
The change in the green wind a few months ago affected the entire desert. It also caused some individual mountains to corrode to varying degrees.
Hence, when the white wind dissipated and the green wind reappeared, many forces had no choice but to migrate. They had to take over a better mountain as soon as possible to avoid the next white wind.
This was a common occurrence. Every time the green wind in the green sand desert changed its color, it would be like this.
As the largest group of mountains in the green sand desert, the Bitter Life Mountain Range naturally became the first choice.
However, the forces in the Bitter Life Mountain Range were mixed and xenophobic. It would be fine if one was alone, but if the forces entered and wanted to develop here, they needed powerful methods.
Hence, during this period of time, killings rose in the Bitter Life Mountain Range and chaotic battles were frequent.
At this moment, what appeared in this earth city was such an external force. They targeted the city at the edge of the Bitter Life Mountain Range and wanted to build this place into the territory of their faction.
Because of this, there was friction with the Earthly Growth Sect here. However, in the end, both sides still chose to stop. After all, to the Earthly Growth Sect, they, who had their own territory, didn’t have to retain control of this earth city.
As a result, this group of outsiders successfully took control of the earth city, and the present leader among them, the dwarf, gazed at the city with a satisfied expression.
“Empty this place in five days.”
The dwarf calmly spoke. However, at that moment, someone beside him swept his gaze across the ruins of Xu Qing’s apothecary. He hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
“Sect Master, Chen Fanzhuo reminded me earlier that everything here can be touched but that Green Spirit Hall can’t be damaged at all…”
The dwarf sneered.
“Chen Fanzhuo is unwilling to lose this city, so he is just giving random warnings.”
“Even if this apothecary really has some background, since it opened among the mortals, how big can it be? Besides, this is our sect’s future territory. Leaving the apothecary here is inconsistent with the overall situation!”
The person beside him nodded. At that moment, a rainbow whistled over from afar. After it got close, it transformed into a figure. It was Chen Fanzhuo. He glanced at the ruined apothecary and his expression was gloomy as he coldly looked at the dwarf.
“Daoist Mu, I told you before not to touch this apothecary!”
The dwarf glanced over and calmly spoke.
“It’s already been touched. What are you going to do?”
At that moment, green sand filled the sky and the wind blew past the earth city, stirring up the dust on the ground and turning the surroundings hazy. Chen Fanzhuo’s expression was as calm as water. He coldly glanced at the dwarf and turned to leave without saying a word, sneering inwardly.
‘This person isn’t far from death.’
At this moment, the dwarf also sneered. He looked at Chen Fanzhuo’s back and killing intent flashed in his eyes.
“A timid little Golden Core cultivator with no background. After I acknowledge Master Black Pupil as my master, you’ll be the first one I eliminate!”
The dwarf was a little excited when he thought of the person he had managed to get close to in the past half a year. He did have a master, but this master had an average cultivation level and liked to act mysteriously, so he still didn’t know the other’s name.
In his memory, every time he saw the other party in the past sixty years, his appearance would be different. This caused him to have many guesses about his master’s identity.
However, he wasn’t very clear about the details. He only knew that the other party was only at the Nascent Soul realm. Compared to Master Black Pupil, his master was inferior.
“I wonder when Master Black Pupil will come; I’ve been pleading for a long time…”
Just as he thought of this, the jade slip in his storage bag suddenly vibrated. The dwarf’s heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly took it out. Very soon, a dignified voice echoed in his mind.
“Daoist Mu, come and see me.”
When Daoist Mu heard this, he was immediately excited. This was the voice of Master Black Pupil. He had finally waited for this moment, and now he didn’t dare to be negligent. He quickly turned around and flew away.
At the same time, outside Qingsha County, dark ripples surged in the sky. The sun hidden in the void was speeding toward the Bitter Life Mountain Range.
Everyone inside was as busy as usual.
Ning Yan wiped the ground, Wu Jianwu massaged, the parrot bossed around, and Li Youfei did odd jobs.
The captain was still fanning.
The difference was that there was Ling’er’s voice and the laughter of the old man.
It seemed like the crown prince had a soft spot for Ling’er, and she became less fearful over time. After transforming, she sat beside the old man, occasionally calling him ‘grandpa’ with a sweet voice, which brought joy to the elderly man’s heart.
“Grandpa, we’re almost at our Green Spirit Hall. When we arrive in a few days, you should stay there too. How about joining mine and Brother Xu Qing’s apothecary?”
Ling’er uttered innocently.
When the heir heard this, he nodded as though he was looking at his little granddaughter. His eyes were filled with doting.
Ling’er reminded him of his granddaughter back then. As the memories of the past surfaced in his mind, the heir’s heart ached.
“So… Grandpa, why don’t you let Brother Xu Qing rest for a while? He still has to refine medicine when we reach the apothecary.” Seeing that she was almost done laying the groundwork, Ling’er hurriedly spoke.
“You little girl.” The heir smiled and looked into the distance.
In the distance, Xu Qing sat cross-legged and meditated. His body was trembling and his forehead was covered in sweat.
Above his head, three small suns were hovering at this moment—one was a door frame, one was a circular ring, and the last one was a sphere.
The three suns emitted scorching power, descending upon Xu Qing. Astonishingly, there were a hundred dried-up corpses scattered around the ground, the remains of the Red Moon Shrine’s cultivators.
Among them were dozens of divine slaves, three divine servants, and a divine envoy.
The divine envoy was trembling at this moment. He wanted to struggle but it was useless. His eyes were sometimes clear and sometimes confused, and his face was filled with pain.
Under the envelopment of the three suns, the power of the Red Moon on their bodies was dried out, transforming into blood-red threads that headed straight for Xu Qing in the middle.
It continued to enter his seven orifices and the pores on his body.
Xu Qing was cultivating.
This was the heir’s request after they left White Cloud Mountain Range. He arranged all the temple cultivators he captured around Xu Qing according to some kind of array formation.
The power of the Red Moon in their bodies seemed to have been purified by the suns. This made Xu Qing’s digestion even smoother, and the Purple Moon Nascent Soul in his body was rapidly growing.
It wasn’t just the Purple Moon Nascent Soul. As heavenly devil bodies rose from the dried corpses on the ground, their heavenly mandates were also absorbed. All his nascent souls were rapidly growing.
To Xu Qing, this was an unprecedented nourishment!
However, there was only a fine line between replenishment and poison. To Xu Qing, the expansion of his sea of consciousness by devouring so many heavenly mandates and the power of the Red Moon in a short period of time was extremely intense.
The tearing pain caused his expression to be sinister and sweat drenched his entire body.
This was also the reason why Ling’er’s heart ached.
“Lass, your Brother Xu Qing’s potential is great but the degree of tempering isn’t enough. His master shouldn’t have accompanied him for a long time, so he can only guide the way at critical moments.”
“However, in reality, with such a foundation, what your Brother Xu Qing has to do now is to polish it to the extreme.”
“He has extreme determination and is suitable for this.”
“And this is only the beginning.”
The heir spoke hoarsely. He lifted his right hand and waved it at Xu Qing. Immediately, the three suns above Xu Qing’s head erupted once again.
Xu Qing’s body sank and cracking sounds rang out from his body. Even his skin was burning and he didn’t look human anymore. At the same time, the dried corpses in the surroundings exploded one after another. The power of the Red Moon in the dozens of divine slaves was completely extracted.
Xu Qing’s cultivation continued to increase explosively amidst the devouring and absorption. Three days later, when they entered the green sand desert, the divine servants beside Xu Qing died. The divine envoy also bled from his seven orifices and let out an unwilling wail.
At the same time, waves of powerful fluctuations erupted from Xu Qing’s body. The 13 nascent souls in his body were all forcefully raised to the mastered second tribulation realm at this instant.
The third tribulation was about to arrive.
This scene caused Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu’s hearts to skip a beat. They were afraid that the heir would deal with them the same way, but it was obvious that they were thinking too much.
In the heir’s eyes, the only person qualified for him to guide and polish was Xu Qing.
“It’s barely enough. However, with this little cultivation base, you triggered a tribulation. The might of the tribulation that is arriving is powerful for ordinary people but to you, it’s not enough to stimulate your potential.”
“I’ll add some spices for you! Xu Qing, are you willing?”
Xu Qing lifted his head and looked at the heir.
“Yes!”
A look of admiration appeared in the heir’s eyes. He stood up and walked in front of Xu Qing. With a swing of his sleeve, he brought Xu Qing away from the sun. Under everyone’s shock, the heir appeared on the sand of the green sand desert.
As the sandy wind whistled, the prince pressed his left hand on the ground. Immediately, the desert rumbled and quicksand spun, suddenly forming a huge deep pit.
Without any hesitation, the heir immediately threw Xu Qing into the deep pit. Almost at the instant Xu Qing’s body landed at the bottom of the deep pit, the heir’s voice echoed vastly like heavenly lightning.
“Using the earth to manifest a Dao body, refining the soul into spirit metal, deceiving the Heavenly Dao tribulation, and descending the World Annihilating Dao Lightning!”
As soon as the heir’s voice rang out, the quicksand in the surroundings rumbled, drowning Xu Qing. As the prince lifted his right hand and pressed down fiercely on the ground, the entire ground pressed against Xu Qing’s body, as though it had fused into one with him.
His divine consciousness was also guided and fused with the sand.
This method gave off the feeling that Xu Qing had transformed into the desert. If he used such a body to trigger the third tribulation, then in terms of the judgment of the laws of the Heavenly Dao, Xu Qing would be an unprecedented mastered second tribulation Nascent Soul.
That meant an even more terrifying lightning would descend.
“Xu Qing, your master is indeed extraordinary but he dotes on you too much. The cultivation arts he created for you are all based on avoiding disasters, reducing risks, and resolving dangers. There is no way to face them head-on or suppress everything domineeringly.”
“This method can indeed allow you to be safe… but it’s both right and wrong!”
“We cultivators have to use our lives to shoulder everything. We don’t believe in the heavens, and we go against our fate. Nothing can stop us, nothing can bury our hearts, and even the gods can’t make us bend our backs!
“This can’t be done by hiding and reducing the risk. You need to obtain extreme opportunities between life and death time and time again to nurture your peerless aura!”
“You’re clearly an extraordinary piece of metal. How can you be tempered gently?!”
“Sit cross-legged immediately and summon the tribulation!”
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