Chapter 283: An Eerie Breakthrough, A Lurking Danger!

Chapter 283: An Eerie Breakthrough, A Lurking Danger!

"Senior Louzhu, are you saying that after I left, someone was spying on us from outside?" Lu Qing asked, slightly startled.

"Indeed," Louzhu replied with a nod. "The aura was exceptionally sinister. Just a slight sense of it was enough to fill me with dread. Whoever it was, they were not only powerful but also extremely cautious and vigilant. As soon as they became aware of my presence, they immediately retreated."

Recalling the aura he had sensed earlier, Louzhu still felt a chill in his heart. It was the most sinister presence he had ever encountered in his long life.

"It seems my earlier premonition was correct. Someone is indeed coveting Hu Gu'niang," Lu Qing mused, his eyes narrowing.

He was grateful that before leaving, he had asked Louzhu to stay and guard the courtyard. Otherwise, Xiao Li alone might not have been able to protect so many people. After all, human hearts were treacherous, and Xiao Li, as a spirit beast, was still too naive and innocent.

Facing cunning enemies who lurked in the shadows and possessed countless tricks up their sleeves, even Xiao Li's formidable strength might not be enough to guarantee victory.

With these thoughts in mind, Lu Qing felt that remaining in the Tianji Tower was indeed the best option. Thus, he set aside his initial reluctance and accepted Louzhu's invitation to stay in the small courtyard.

Not long after, Lin Zhirui returned safely to Tianji Tower and brought news for Lu Qing and the others.

"Lu Xiaolangjun, Chen Laoxiucai, it seems that Xuan Kong Mountain is adamant that the two of you exhibit signs of falling into the demonic path. Although the powerful cultivators present at the time didn't quite believe it, Xuan Kong Mountain is still one of the Four Secret Lands and holds significant influence among the various sects. I fear that some factions may try to curry favor with Xuan Kong Mountain and take this opportunity to cause trouble for you."

Lin Zhirui recounted the events that had transpired after Lu Qing and Chen Laoxiucai's departure, including the revelation of their backgrounds to the powerful cultivators who had been present.

"However, Lu Xiaolangjun, rest assured that I did not disclose the location of Jiuli Village. I merely stated that I met you both during my travels over the years," Lin Zhirui added.

"Do you think the bald donkeys of Xuan Kong Mountain will believe that?" Lu Qing asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter whether they believe it or not," Lin Zhirui responded with a smile. "I have presented my case, and it is up to them to distinguish truth from falsehood. They would not dare attempt to use the Diamond Antimagic Array on me in front of all these cultivators, or else Xuan Kong Mountain will lose all credibility."

There was a hint of sarcasm in Lin Zhirui's tone as he recalled his former admiration for the mysterious Xuan Kong Mountain. Today's events had shattered his illusions, revealing that the so-called mysterious lands were not so different from the external sects in terms of the characters they attracted. There were just as many schemers and opportunists within Xuan Kong Mountain, if not more. Their hypocrisy and domineering behavior were even more pronounced than that of ordinary sects.

As Lu Qing and the others chatted, on the sacred mountain, the monks of Xuan Kong Mountain gathered around the corpse of Hui Xin, their faces filled with grief.

"Elder Xuanming, Hui Xin is dead. Are we just going to let that little brat get away with this?" A young monk, his face twisted with anger and sorrow, spoke up.

He and Hui Xin had been like brothers, having grown up together since childhood. They had both leaped out to stop Lu Qing earlier. Witnessing Hui Xin's death at Lu Qing's hands had filled him with shock, fear, and a sense of relief—shock and fear at Lu Qing's strength, and relief that Lu Qing had chosen to capture Hui Xin instead of him. Otherwise, he might have been the one lying dead on the ground.

However, he couldn't let the elders see his relief, so he took the initiative to question them.

"Of course, we can't let this matter rest," Elder Xuanming replied calmly. "But that young man is too unpredictable. We must first investigate his background and then make detailed plans."

"Elder Xuanming, do you think what that Tianji Tower disciple said earlier was true?" asked another elder.

"Half-true, mostly false," Elder Xuanming said flatly. "The young man's words are not to be trusted."

"How dare he! A mere Tianji Tower disciple dares to lie to us!" Elder Xuan Nu scowled, his face still bearing the marks of the injury Lu Qing had inflicted on him. His aura had recovered, but his energy still seemed slightly weakened. The healing powers of Xuan Kong Mountain's techniques were indeed remarkable.

"Indeed, Elder Xuanming, why didn't you capture that Tianji Tower disciple just now?"

"With our means, forcing that master and disciple pair to reveal their origins isn't a difficult task at all!" exclaimed another monk loudly.

No one doubted Xuanming's words, as they were aware of his cultivation of a divine soul secret art that could easily discern the truth from others' statements.

"This matter must not be taken lightly. Today, we used the Diamond Anti-Magic Array to subdue and enlighten that elder, which was already a reckless move. If we arbitrarily capture a true disciple of Tianji Tower, not only will Tianji Tower never let it go, but the other three secret lands may also not stand idly by," one of the monks said.

"Moreover, Tianji Tower has a connection with the Sacred Mountain. It's hard to say whether or not the three saintly beings will intervene."

Upon hearing this, the other monks fell silent. They could afford to disregard the attitudes of the other three secret lands, as there was an agreement among them not to interfere in each other's affairs. However, the three saintly beings were a different matter; their influence was too great to ignore.

Here, at the Sacred Mountain, the strength of the three saintly beings was virtually unmatched. Even if the leaders of the other secret lands were to arrive in person, they might not be able to defeat them. It was only due to some agreement that the saintly beings refrained from taking action against the secret lands.

"However, what you said is not wrong. Our Xuan Kong Mountain's dignity must not be infringed upon. That young man killed Hui Xin, and we must hold him accountable. Otherwise, if word gets out, where will our Xuan Kong Mountain's prestige stand?"

"Elder Xuanming, what should we do then?"

"Let the people from Wujian Tower handle it," Xuanming suggested after a moment's thought. "We've sheltered them for so long; it's time for them to accumulate some merit."

"Wujian Tower?" A monk exclaimed in surprise. "Elder Xuanming, the people from Wujian Tower are all lunatics. What if they go on a killing spree in the Sacred City...?"

The key concern was the strength of that group of lunatics, coupled with their exceptional assassination skills. Even they had to be cautious to avoid falling victim to their schemes.

"So be it," Xuanming said indifferently. "It will be their doing, and it will have nothing to do with our Xuan Kong Mountain."

...

That night, Lu Qing sat cross-legged on his bed, pondering the events of the day.

The schemes of Xuan Kong Mountain did not catch him off guard. He had expected them to smear their opponents as evil cultivators, placing themselves on a moral high ground to justify their actions.

These so-called righteous and prestigious sects often employed such tactics.

However, despite his disdain for their methods, Lu Qing acknowledged the unfavorable situation they were currently in.

The more righteous a sect appeared, the more underhanded their schemes tended to be. It was easy to dodge an attack from the front, but hard to guard against a stealthy strike.

Who knew what underhanded tactics those bald donkeys from Xuan Kong Mountain would use against them?

Thus, even though he was unafraid, Lu Qing still felt a sense of impending danger in their current situation.

With Xuan Kong Mountain as a formidable and deceitful enemy, and a mysterious, unpredictable presence lurking in the shadows, their circumstances were far from ideal.

Furthermore, after displaying his strength at the Sacred Mountain, it was hard to tell if there were other forces that now viewed him and his companions with hostility.

Adding to this, the sense of an impending opportunity—a feeling that had been growing stronger within him—further intensified his awareness of the looming crisis.

"The sense of danger arises from my insufficient strength."

Lu Qing carefully analyzed the subtle sensation in his soul that hinted at impending danger. His mind became increasingly clear and focused.

"As long as my strength is powerful enough, all schemes and conspiracies will be like dust in the wind, easily swept away."

"Perhaps, it's time for me to break through."

An epiphany suddenly occurred to Lu Qing.

All along, he had wanted to follow his intuition and suppress his cultivation, waiting for the opportune moment when the chance encounter would present itself before breaking through to the Innate Realm.

However, the strong sense of crisis made him realize that in a place like the Sacred City and Sacred Mountain, filled with powerful cultivators and deep political undercurrents, his current strength was inadequate to control the situation and protect those around him.

Things were fine for now, but when the much-anticipated opportunity truly presented itself, the chaos in the Sacred City and Sacred Mountain would likely intensify tenfold. Anything could happen at that point.

"It seems that nothing in this world can be truly perfect. Sometimes, striving too hard for perfection can lead to regret. If my stubbornness ends up causing harm to Xiao Yan and Master, then what's the point of pursuing that so-called perfection?"

"All sorts of thoughts arose in Lu Qing's mind, calming his spirit and making it even more serene.

At this moment, he understood his true heart and what he wanted to protect the most.

As soon as he gained enlightenment, Lu Qing was divinely inspired and no longer suppressed his cultivation. With a thought, the Qi orifice in his lower abdomen opened.

At the same time, the heaven and earth's primal qi began to fluctuate violently.

'Hmm? Primal qi fluctuations! The source is in Aqing's room. Is Aqing about to step into the Innate Realm at this moment?'

As soon as Lu Qing's Qi orifice opened and drew in the external primal qi, the old doctor in the adjacent room instantly sensed it.

This feeling was too familiar to him; it was the sign of a cultivator reaching the peak of the Acquired Realm and about to step into the Innate Realm.

The old doctor was startled and immediately disappeared from the room.

However, by the time he reached Lu Qing's room, the primal qi fluctuations had suddenly disappeared.

"Aqing..."

Just as the old doctor was about to transmit his voice, he heard Lu Qing's voice in his mind.

"Master, it's nothing. I just had a sudden realization during my cultivation. There's no need to worry.

By the way, the commotion earlier might have alerted Zhirui. Please help me deal with him."

Upon hearing this, the old doctor understood that Lu Qing had likely reached a critical point in his cultivation and was temporarily unable to come out.

Coincidentally, at that moment, he also heard Lin Zhirui's voice from outside the courtyard: "Elder Chen, I just sensed a slight fluctuation of primal qi..."

Inside the room, Lu Qing heard his master go out to greet Lin Zhirui and felt relieved.

However, soon after, a myriad of questions arose in his mind.

"Why can't I enter the Innate Realm?"

Lu Qing sensed his internal state and found that his Qi orifice in his dantian had opened, and he had even refined a strand of true qi within it.

Strangely, he still felt like he was in the Acquired Realm.

He had not truly entered the Innate Realm, nor had he experienced the same phenomenon as his master, where the heavenly laws shook and white mist of primal qi appeared to help refine his body into an Innate one.

What was even more peculiar was that he could continuously draw in primal qi and refine it for his own use, turning it into true qi.

However, simply drawing in primal qi without refining an Innate body did not truly qualify as the Innate Realm.

"What is this?"

Lu Qing was a bit dumbfounded and couldn't understand why such a situation had occurred.

All along, he had felt that stepping into the Innate Realm was just a matter of a single thought.

Now that he wanted to break through, he realized it was a big blunder, and he felt a bit embarrassed.

However, Lu Qing was no ordinary person.

Soon, he calmed down and activated his ability's cultivation state, carefully sensing and deducing his internal condition.

After a while, as he continued to deduce, an epiphany arose in Lu Qing's mind.

"So that's how it is. It seems that my accumulation has become too profound. Once I truly step into the Innate Realm, my power will be extraordinarily strong.

The heavenly laws have just changed recently, and spiritual energy has only recovered for a short time. The heavenly laws have not yet evolved to a truly mature stage and lack the power to nurture an anomaly like me."

After using his ability to deduce his situation, Lu Qing finally understood what was happening.

It turned out that by constantly breaking his limits and strengthening himself, his accumulation in the Acquired Realm had become too profound.

With his current foundation, if he were to break through to the Innate Realm, his power would be earth-shattering and extraordinarily strong.

However, the heavenly laws had just undergone a change, and spiritual energy had only recently recovered. As a result, the heavenly laws had not yet evolved to a truly mature stage and lacked the power to nurture an anomaly like him.

Hence, Lu Qing found himself in this awkward state.

Even though he had drawn in primal qi and refined it into true qi, his cultivation realm still remained in the Acquired Realm.

"What is this?"

Lu Qing was a bit bewildered and couldn't quite grasp what was happening.

The only consolation was that although he had not officially entered the Innate Realm, the refinement of true qi had further enhanced his strength.

At the very least, with the true qi and the knowledge from the heritage in his mind, he now had a wider range of techniques at his disposal.

"I wonder when the heavenly laws will evolve to maturity."

Lu Qing pondered silently.

Just then, his expression changed slightly as he sensed several covert auras sneaking into Tianji Tower and heading toward their small courtyard.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end