Chapter 254 - Finally Arriving in Zhongzhou, Qinglong Pass!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the valley, Xiao Li's figure flickered around Lu Qing, attacking from all angles. Every now and then, she would swipe at him with her claws, tearing through the air and forming sharp gusts of wind that sliced towards Lu Qing.

Lu Qing, wielding a Thousand Refinement Sword, effortlessly deflected the gusts with subtle wrist movements, shattering them into nothingness.

Indeed, Lu Qing was sparring with Xiao Li. At the same time, he wanted to test the limits of Xiao Li's strength, so he allowed her to attack freely without holding back, knowing he wouldn't be injured.

However, it seemed that the little one wasn't fully unleashing her power just yet.

"Xiao Li, these wind blades alone won't be enough to defeat me. Show me what you've really got!" Lu Qing smiled.

Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Li's figure suddenly appeared to his left. Her claws danced, sending forth a flurry of cold light that made Lu Qing's skin sting as if anticipating the pain of a strike.

Xiao Li's claws were about to make contact with Lu Qing's body.

In this critical moment, Lu Qing's longsword traced a mysterious trajectory, arriving just in time to block Xiao Li's claws by a hair's breadth.

Shwish!

As expected, the Thousand Refinement-grade sword in Lu Qing's hand was instantly cleaved in two by Xiao Li's peerlessly sharp claws.

With this slight obstruction, Lu Qing seized the opportunity to retreat with agile footwork.

However, just as he thought he had escaped Xiao Li's attack range, she vanished from the air once more.

When she reappeared, she was less than a foot away from him, lightly slashing at his neck and severing a strand of his hair before retreating to perch on a thick tree branch, no longer attacking.

"Amazing!"

Lu Qing caught the falling strand of hair and couldn't help but praise her.

Xiao Li's speed was indeed startling. Combined with her innate ability to appear and disappear at will, even he, without utilizing his full power, was no match for her.

"Roar~"

Xiao Li let out a proud roar, holding her head high.

"You..." Lu Qing shook his head and chuckled, "But Xiao Li, even though your speed and claws are formidable, it doesn't make you invincible. There are still some extraordinary techniques and laws in this world that can restrain you. Don't get too complacent and overconfident."

"Roar?"

Xiao Li looked at Lu Qing with confusion, seemingly not convinced by his words.

"Don't believe me? Alright then, come and attack me again." Lu Qing's face broke into a smile.

Whoosh!

Xiao Li disappeared once more, entering her stealth state as she lunged towards Lu Qing.

Lu Qing's smile remained unchanged, but as Xiao Li vanished, a yellow light flickered on his body.

In the next moment, a claw appeared before him, aiming for his shoulder.

However, as soon as it appeared, it was immobilized in mid-air, unable to advance any further.

Immediately after, Xiao Li's figure gradually reappeared, frozen in mid-air.

Her eyes were filled with shock and confusion, as if she couldn't understand how Lu Qing had managed to capture her.

"Do you see it now?" Lu Qing pointed at Xiao Li's head with his finger, "Your speed is indeed very fast, but your strength is somewhat lacking. It's only comparable to the most ordinary Initial Innate Realm cultivator.

If you were to encounter a truly powerful Innate Realm expert, like me, who possesses extraordinary techniques, or like your master, who has comprehended the Innate Realm to an unparalleled level.

As long as they set up an aura domain in advance, they wouldn't fear you and could even restrain you.

Your claws, no matter how sharp and capable of cutting through all things, are not yet strong enough to casually tear through even these invisible force fields."

Lu Qing retracted the Yuan Magnetic Field around him, and Xiao Li's body gently descended, her eyes now filled with a thoughtful expression.

Seeing this, Lu Qing didn't disturb her.

Although Xiao Li possessed high intelligence, her thoughts were pure, and her combat experience was not particularly extensive.

This time, he wanted to teach her a small lesson, so she wouldn't become arrogant just because her strength had increased.

After all, in these changing times, who knew what monstrous talents would appear in the future?

It was necessary to maintain a sense of vigilance.

Xiao Li lowered her head in thought for a while, then suddenly raised her head and tugged at Lu Qing's pants.

Lu Qing understood the meaning in her eyes: "You want to spar with me more often and practice your combat techniques?"

Xiao Li nodded.

"Sure, Xiao Li. Your innate talent is truly remarkable. If you can use it well, my Yuan Magnetic Field might not be able to hold you back."

Lu Qing readily agreed and encouraged Xiao Li wholeheartedly.

However, he wasn't just flattering her. Xiao Li's innate talent truly had infinite potential to be unlocked.

Chapter: The Journey to Zhongzhou

"Surely, this involves a spatial talent. In Lu Qing's understanding, anything related to space is never simple."

"Roar~"

Hearing Lu Qing's encouragement, Xiao Li, who had just suffered a minor setback, felt much better. She immediately jumped onto his shoulder.

"Alright, let's head back. Ma Ye should have breakfast ready by now. After we eat, we still need to set off on our journey."

As Lu Qing made his way back to the carriage with Xiao Li, his mind contemplated the recent events.

After sparring with Xiao Li, he now had a better understanding of her current strength.

Following her advancement to the Innate Spirit Beast level, Xiao Li's abilities had greatly improved.

Both her speed and the sharpness of her claws had increased significantly.

However, the most remarkable change was the transformation of her innate talent, which had become incredibly mysterious. When she used it, ordinary Innate Realm cultivators wouldn't even be able to sense her movements.

Only someone like Lu Qing, who had refined a divine soul talisman and possessed an extraordinary treasure like the Earth Spirit Pearl to protect his soul, could barely sense the spatial fluctuations caused by Xiao Li's movements.

Otherwise, even a peak Innate Realm expert at the perfection stage might not be able to see through Xiao Li's supernatural ability.

It could be said that as long as Xiao Li learned to use her innate talent properly, she would become the most fearsome assassin in the world.

Even a peak Innate Realm expert at the perfection stage might not be able to dodge her sneak attack if they hadn't comprehended the Innate Realm to create an Innate Domain.

Therefore, in the coming days, Lu Qing would have to put in some effort to help Xiao Li learn how to utilize her innate talent effectively.

As Lu Qing and Xiao Li returned to the woods, they found that Ma Gu had just finished preparing breakfast, and Xiao Yan had also finished practicing her breathing technique and was concluding her training.

After breakfast, everyone packed up and set off again.

Now, they were in a strange large state called Hongzhou.

As long as they crossed one more state, they would officially enter Zhongzhou.

According to the map they had and the speed of their carriage, they estimated that it would take at most three more days to reach the edge of Zhongzhou.

With Xiao Li awake, everyone's worries were alleviated, and they could now focus all their attention on the journey.

Along the way, they rarely interacted with other people.

Even when it came to lodging, they chose to stay in the wilderness instead of entering any cities or towns, likely due to the uniqueness of their carriage.

However, even so, they were traveling on the official road, and they couldn't avoid encountering other travelers.

When they did, Ma Gu would often crack his horsewhip, causing a surge of green qi to speed up the carriage, quickly leaving the others behind.

Those who witnessed this were left stunned and speechless.

Thus, a legend of the Wind Chariot began to spread in the places Lu Qing and his companions had passed through.

Of course, Lu Qing and his group were unaware of the rumors spreading behind them.

One day, as they continued their journey, they finally came to a halt, transfixed by the sight before them.

In the distance, a majestic and continuous mountain range soared into the clouds, resembling a giant dragon lying on the earth.

Waterfalls hung from the mountains, cascading downwards in a spectacular display.

"Master, is that Zhongzhou?"

Wei Zian asked in awe as he gazed at the gigantic, winding mountain range before them, his mouth agape.

"How would I know? I've never been to Zhongzhou myself."

Ma Gu was equally astonished, murmuring in response.

He had simply been following the directions on the map, driving the carriage along the official road.

He never expected to encounter such a breathtaking scene.

"I think we're right. This should be the border of Zhongzhou."

The old doctor exhaled softly and spoke quietly.

In his youth, he had once dreamed of traveling to Zhongzhou to explore and make a name for himself.

However, due to various reasons, he never got the chance to fulfill that dream.

Now, in his old age, he found himself finally stepping into Zhongzhou.

Lu Qing stared at the massive mountain range before them, his heart stirred.

This mountain range was even more awe-inspiring than the Ten Thousand Great Mountains behind Jiu Li Village.

Standing here, Lu Qing could feel that the spiritual energy in the surrounding heaven and earth was much denser than in the previous states they had traveled through.

"As expected of the most prosperous and blessed land in the world. We haven't even officially entered Zhongzhou yet, and the spiritual energy here is already almost twice as dense as before.

I dare not imagine how lush the spiritual energy must be in the core areas of Zhongzhou."

Lu Qing felt a sense of relief.

He was glad that his master had the foresight to make the decision to come to Zhongzhou.

"Otherwise, how could he have imagined the spiritual energy of Zhongzhou to be so dense without experiencing it himself?"

"In comparison, the spiritual energy of the several large states they had passed through before could be considered meager."

"Nurtured by such dense spiritual energy, unimaginable peerless geniuses and all sorts of heavenly treasures will surely emerge."

"The peerless warriors within its domains will undoubtedly progress by leaps and bounds in their cultivation."

"If they hadn't come this time and delayed further, they would have completely fallen behind the world's recovery pace, becoming frogs at the bottom of a well, oblivious to the outside world."

The group stood on the road, gazing at the distant majestic mountain range, savoring its grandeur and essence.

Eventually, Lu Qing was the first to snap out of his awe.

"Master, now that we've seen this gigantic mountain range, according to the map, we should have arrived at Qinglong Pass. If we continue forward, we'll reach Qinglong City."

The map Lu Qing and his group possessed was given to them by Wei Shanhai.

In his younger years, Wei Shanhai had traveled and adventured across the land, including a visit to Zhongzhou, naturally acquiring the corresponding maps during his journeys.

However, Lu Qing never expected that one of the entrances to Zhongzhou marked on the map, Qinglong Pass, would be so majestic and awe-inspiring.

"Then let's continue on our way. The sooner we reach Qinglong City, the better." The old doctor nodded.

Thus, the group boarded the carriage once more and set off.

As the saying goes, "The mountains look close, but the journey takes half a day." The towering mountain range before them, though appearing deceptively close, was actually a hundred li away from Lu Qing and his companions.

Even with the engraved formation on the carriage, it took a full half an hour before they could vaguely see the base of the mountain range.

At the same time, they also caught sight of the massive city nestled at the foot of the mountains.

"That should be Qinglong City. Ma Ye, slow down a bit."

Lu Qing instructed as he caught sight of the city.

Simultaneously, he willed his ability, halting the operation of the formation on the carriage.

The formation on the carriage was something he had inscribed himself, and although he had set it to self-activate, he could easily control it with a mere thought.

This formation-inscribed carriage was indeed extraordinary and unique.

As Qinglong City served as one of the entrances to Zhongzhou, it was expected to be a gathering place for hidden dragons and crouching tigers, inhabited by numerous powerful experts.

Before they had a clear understanding of the situation within, it was best to maintain a low profile.

After deactivating the formation, the carriage immediately felt heavier, and the two horses pulling it became restless, snorting loudly a few times.

Fortunately, Ma Gu had already slowed down, so the horses only showed initial signs of agitation before calming down and trotting forward gently.

Boom! Boom! ...

As they approached Qinglong City, the group heard faint rumbling sounds.

Lu Qing lifted the carriage curtain, and a rush of fresh, moist air washed over them.

It was the sound of the waterfalls they had seen earlier, hanging from the ancient dragon-like mountain range, crashing down.

"There's also a surging river winding beneath that giant dragon-like mountain range."

Lu Qing's heart stirred as he heard the sound of the water, and he couldn't help but speculate.

He peered through the carriage window, gazing at the approaching Qinglong City, and the divine soul power within his brow chakra began to stir slightly.

He could sense several powerful auras within the city.

Among them were a few auras that were no weaker than the two grand elders of Liuyun Sect.

As for whether there were even more formidable existences, he had no way of knowing.

Once a warrior reached a certain level of cultivation in the Innate Realm, they could conceal their aura.

For example, his master, after attaining an understanding of the Innate Realm, could perfectly suppress his aura.

Even Lu Qing, with his divine soul perception, would find it challenging to detect the innate essence within his master.

Given the grandeur of Qinglong City, it was hard to guarantee that there weren't similar powerhouses residing within.

The carriage continued its slow approach, and soon, they arrived at Qinglong City.

"Is this Qinglong City?"

Lu Qing and the others disembarked from the carriage.

Looking up at the three majestic characters carved above the grand city gate, a formidable and domineering aura washed over them.

Lu Qing's heart skipped a beat.

He could tell that the person who had inscribed those three characters was an extraordinary master.

At the very least, they were far more powerful than any warrior he had ever encountered.

Perhaps even his current master would pale in comparison.

Driven by curiosity, Lu Qing activated his ability and focused on the three characters.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end