https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-333-Hidden-Soul-Pavilion-s-Demise-Looting-Operation-Part-2-/12965214/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-334-The-Death-of-Li-Huafa-and-the-Truth-Behind-Qiu-Yongqin-s-Revenge-Part-2-/12965222/
Chapter 334: The Death of Li Huafa, and the Truth Behind Qiu Yongqin's Revenge (Part 1)
Chapter 334: The Death of Li Huafa, and the Truth Behind Qiu Yongqin's Revenge (Part 1)
"I hope to have more Immortal Gold, the more the better."
"It would be best if I could cultivate Barrett to the level of an Imperial Armament, then I'd be able to threaten those at the Ninth Stage."
There was no doubt that Barrett was a divine artifact.
Moreover, it was a growth-type divine artifact.
But the problem was that if a growth-type divine artifact couldn't keep up with the cultivator's progress, it would become useless.
So...
When it was time to cultivate, one must cultivate.
Back then, Gatling Bodhisattva relied on his Soul Artifact, a growth-type divine artifact named Gatling, to challenge multiple peak experts single-handedly and even take down a large number of them.
Those scenes still lingered in Lin Fan's mind.
Therefore...
Naturally, he also wanted to cultivate Barrett to that level.
"Speaking of which, every time I enter someone else's treasury, it's like opening a mystery box."
Lin Fan muttered, glancing at Ji Haoyue.
The Moonlight Sect's treasury was indeed quite 'disappointing'.
Of course, since he already knew the outcome, it wasn't much of a mystery box for him.
"What are you looking at me for?!"
Ji Haoyue felt her scalp tingle under Lin Fan's gaze and couldn't help but glare, "Do you think I wanted this? It's all because of that beast, Tang Wu!"
"Once this matter is settled, after I calm the turmoil in the Moonlight Sect, I will personally set out to find Tang Wu. I'll break his legs, drag him back, and torture him to death on the Pillar of Shame!"
Ji Haoyue was furious.
It was too humiliating.
Being annexed was one thing, but for such a large sect like the Moonlight Sect to be so impoverished, with an empty treasury that even made rats want to cry, was just too much.
At this moment, being looked down upon by Lin Fan...
Her hatred towards Tang Wu naturally intensified.
She cursed furiously in her heart.
...
"A Qiu!"
In a secret realm deep within the ocean, Tang Wu suddenly sneezed.
This left him puzzled.
"With my current cultivation..."
"Could I still catch a cold?"
He frowned.
"Hmph!"
"Why bother with all that?"
"With only two tests left, once I, the Divine King, pass them, I will reclaim everything I lost!"
"Xiao Ling'er, Lu Ming, Long Ao Tian, Ji Haoyue, Shi Qi..."
"I, the Divine King, will make you all pay!"
"...
...
The treasury doors slowly opened.
The mystery box gradually revealed itself.
Then...
Lin Fan's eyebrows furrowed, and his expression immediately sank.
Ji Haoyue also knitted her brows.
"There are quite a few items, but high-value ones..."
"You poor thing!"
Lin Fan cursed outright.
There was Immortal Gold, but only three pieces, each about the size of a fist. Even if they were all put together, it wouldn't be enough to forge an Imperial Armament.
Feeding Barrett...
Growth was certain, but to reach the level of an Imperial Armament, it was far from sufficient.
Fortunately, there were plenty of Essence Stones.
All in all, there were over a hundred million high-grade Essence Stones.
Unfortunately...
The Moonlight Sect didn't need money at the moment.
Lin Fan didn't need it either; he only needed Immortal Gold.
Immortal Gold was priceless and rarely available for sale, which was a real headache.
"Forget it, there are still quite a few items. We can sell what we can and use the proceeds to help the sect recover faster. There's no such thing as a perfect world."
Lin Fan shook his head, "By the way, bring back the Shadow Soul Temple's techniques and secret scrolls. Didn't Ya Ya always want to cultivate demonic arts?"
"Let's see if there's any special reaction."
"...
...
As Lin Fan rummaged through the treasury, Qiu Yongqin waved the Soul Banner in his hand, driving the 'newly-arrived remnant souls' of the Shadow Soul Temple into the banner.
Medicine Witch and the others were busy with their tasks.
They were dismantling the Shadow Soul Temple.
Ji Chu Tong was examining the records of the Shadow Soul Temple, trying to understand why her clan had met its demise.
Everyone was busy.
Lin Fan estimated that this raid would bring in at least two to three hundred million high-grade Essence Stones.
Additionally, there were all sorts of miscellaneous materials, treasures, equipment, and other items, totaling over a billion in value.
Plus, there was a million-level Soul Banner, various techniques, and arts from the Shadow Soul Temple.
Overall, the gains were quite impressive.
...
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it all!"
"Moonlight Sect..."
"Die."
"I want you all to go to hell!"
Outside the Shadow Soul Temple, in a desolate mountain hollow, Li Huafa flew swiftly, his speed surpassing that of ordinary Eighth Stage cultivators.
Earlier, he had been recovering from his injuries and was unaware of what had transpired.
It wasn't until the Shadow Soul Temple's protective array was breached and the Moonlight Sect invaded that he realized, to his shock, that the once-mighty Shadow Soul Temple had reached its final moments.
They were at their wit's end!
He was astounded, incredulous, and couldn't believe it.
But this was the reality.
In an instant, he made his decision.
Escape! He must escape! He couldn't afford to be buried with the Shadow Soul Temple!
As long as he could escape and survive, there was still hope.
Such a grudge couldn't be forgotten, and if he didn't avenge it... he wouldn't be able to rest in peace, he dared not die!
After enduring countless hardships and sacrificing many fellow disciples, he managed to escape.
But his heart was filled with even greater fury.
At the same time, he felt lost.
"Why?"
"Why did we fail?"
"Time and again..."
"I've already sold everything I have!"
"For revenge, for power, I even sold my body and soul, enduring all kinds of torment to finally attain my current strength."
"But why...
"What's so great about Xiao Ling'er?"
"What she has experienced is nothing compared to me."
"Her pain, the hardships she's endured, are not even a fraction of mine."
"She had it easy, with good teachers, a powerful sect, and..."
"Why should I, who have endured so much suffering, still fall short of her?"
"Could it be..."
"Am I destined to never achieve my revenge in this lifetime?"
Li Huafa hesitated, feeling lost and confused.
He didn't understand.
Why, despite enduring so much hardship, was he still inferior to Xiao Ling'er?
Was his suffering... all for nothing?
"I'm curious too."
Just as Li Huafa was about to escape in his confusion, a figure suddenly appeared before him.
Xiao Ling'er!
She stood there, blocking his path.
Li Huafa's expression changed, and he turned to flee.
But...
One after another, figures resembling Xiao Ling'er appeared, quickly blocking all his escape routes.
Li Huafa's heart sank as he halted and turned to face Xiao Ling'er, secretly preparing a backup plan...
"Curious about what?" He began stalling for time, continuing the conversation from where Xiao Ling'er had left off.
Xiao Ling'er stared at him, not rushing to attack, her lips parting slightly: "I'm curious, who told you that enduring more suffering guarantees greater strength?"
Li Huafa, who had expected Xiao Ling'er to question his identity and their grudge, and was already wearing a cold smile, was taken aback by her words.
"You..."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Weren't you the one muttering this to yourself?" Xiao Ling'er said calmly. "The hardships you've endured, the trials you've faced, are far greater than mine, yet your strength falls far short of mine."
"Who said that the one who endures more suffering should be stronger?"
"..." Those words left Li Huafa momentarily dazed.
Indeed, who had told him that enduring more suffering should make him stronger?
It seemed...
No one had told him that!
For a moment, he hesitated.
But Xiao Ling'er continued, "Your argument, your thinking, is flawed. Enduring more suffering only proves your ability to endure, nothing more."
"It has no direct correlation with your strength."
Li Huafa vaguely felt there was truth in her words, but he refused to acknowledge it. Or perhaps, at any time, he was unwilling and unable to agree with Xiao Ling'er.
"Hmph!"
He scoffed, "Is that so?"
"You, who have never known suffering, who have had it easy since childhood, who are a peerless genius with a smooth path—how could you possibly understand the helplessness of us ordinary people?"
"For you, perhaps enduring hardships is indeed unnecessary."
"But I... I can only rely on enduring hardships to achieve my current strength!"
Deep down, Li Huafa's heart was already wavering.
But he couldn't admit it!!!
If he did...
Wouldn't all the suffering he had endured, the pain he had experienced as if traversing the eighteen layers of hell countless times, become a laughingstock?
"Wrong again."
Xiao Ling'er shook her head lightly and sighed.
"Who told you I haven't suffered?"
"What hardships have you endured?!"
Li Huafa's expression turned hideous: "You have exceptional talent, achieved fame at a young age, with the Herb Emperor as your teacher and the Moon Holding Sect's Sect Master as your master. Even your background is impressive, as you're from the esteemed Xiao family!"
"What hardships have you endured?!"
"The greatest hardship you've faced is probably drinking strong tea, isn't it?!"
Xiao Ling'er: "..."
She fell silent, then sighed softly.
"I don't know who you are."
"I don't know why you hold such a grudge against me, but I assume you have your reasons."
"But..."
"You say I have exceptional talent and achieved fame at a young age, but why don't you mention my mid-journey 'fall' and my cultivation regressing to that of a useless person, mocked by countless others?"
"You speak of my prestigious background, being from the Xiao family, but why don't you mention that I'm from an insignificant branch, even forced by the main branch, almost becoming a concubine in my own family?"
"Why don't you mention that, to defy fate, I implicated my parents, leading to their tragic deaths?"
"You say my teacher is the Herb Emperor and my master is the Moon Holding Sect's Sect Master, both renowned and formidable, but why don't you mention that when I left home, I was merely at the first cultivation stage?"
"A 'useless' first-stage cultivator, crossing billions of miles from the Northern Region to the Southwestern Region, facing countless dangers along the way, how did I manage to survive by hiding and running?"
"My master is indeed formidable and treated me well, but do you know that when I joined the Moon Holding Sect, it was a third-rate, insignificant sect with only seven disciples?"
"You say the Moon Holding Sect is powerful, but do you know how many life-and-death crises we've faced over the years? Any one of these crises, if not handled carefully, could have led to the Moon Holding Sect's complete annihilation!"
"You say I'm a peerless genius with exceptional strength."
"But how could you know that, to cultivate the Great Sun Incineration and enhance my strength, I've faced death countless times?"
"I, Xiao Ling'er, have come this far."
"I've had help from noble people, but it's also due to my own efforts, which I can't deny."
"But I don't consider that suffering."
"Aside from my parents' deaths, everything else, in my eyes, is the most beautiful memory on my path."
Xiao Ling'er looked directly at Li Huafa, her eyes calm yet unwavering.
"I won't wallow in self-pity or give up. There are countless stronger people than me, but I never think about why I've endured so much suffering yet still fall short of them."
"Nor do I doubt myself!"
Li Huafa's face turned red...
Embarrassment?
Perhaps, but more so, anger!
Preaching?
How dare you lecture me, Xiao Ling'er?
I don't need your preaching.
This is utterly unreasonable!
Who are you to do so?
He roared, "You are you, and I am I. You have your path, and I have mine!"
"And my path is to destroy you and the Moon Holding Sect, to let every member of the sect die before your very eyes!"
"Don't even think of using sweet words to change my mind."
"I... will never change!"
Xiao Ling'er: "..."
She sighed helplessly, "When did I ever say I wanted you to change?"
"Don't have too many misunderstandings."
"I just want to say that I truly don't know you."
"And I'm certain I've never met you before."
"Hehehe." Li Huofa coldly laughed, "Yes, you've never met me, but the deep grudge between us, I will never forget."
"Wait for me!"
"One day..."
Li Huofa's figure quietly disappeared, his trump card already prepared, and he began to 'escape'.
However.
Xiao Ling'er merely sighed softly.
"Although I don't know who you are or the reason for your hatred, you've repeatedly targeted me and the Moon Holding Sect. I can't let you off the hook."
"So..."
"I can only ask you to die."
Vibrant waves of energy burst forth.
Li Huofa, who had been gradually fading and dissipating, suddenly trembled and became clear again.
"How is this possible?!"
Li Huofa was shocked, unable to understand why his trump card had failed.
That was...
"A Random Teleportation Talisman."
"A valuable item."
Xiao Ling'er calmly said, "Unfortunately, from the moment you started stalling, I sensed something. Among the Unusual Flames I possess, there's one called the 'Crystal Flame'."
"It once constructed a crystal world of its own."
"Your Random Teleportation Talisman..."
"Here, it's useless."
Vibrant waves of energy surged.
The surroundings transformed.
Where was the mountain hollow from before?
It was clearly a world filled with crystal flames!
A completely different and unfamiliar world!
"This?!"
"You!!!"
Li Huofa's face paled, covered in cold sweat and despair.
He knew he couldn't escape.
If it came to a fight...
There was a chance of victory...
But...
Surrendering without a fight...
Impossible!
"Kill!!!"
Li Huofa roared, going all out like a moth to the flame, gathering his strength to unleash his secret technique as he charged towards Xiao Ling'er.
"Going all out, are you?"
Xiao Ling'er retaliated, and although their cultivation realms weren't far apart, the disparity in strength was evident.
She sensed his mindset, and with a single word, it was as if she had pierced his heart: "Actually, you know that with your power and strength, you can't take revenge. So, you want to die, don't you?"
"Die and be forgotten, and all this so-called hatred will be like passing clouds."
"Do you... want to be free?"
"Nonsense!"
"You're talking nonsense!"
Li Huofa roared, his expression ferocious like a beast, as he launched a frenzied attack.
But his various offensives, the secret techniques he had cultivated with all his might over the years, even those he considered his trump cards, seemed so... ordinary before Xiao Ling'er.
He couldn't defeat Xiao Ling'er, nor could he gain even the slightest advantage.
Instead, Xiao Ling'er easily countered his moves, forcing him to retreat.
"Die!"
"You die!"
"Why won't you die?"
"You die for me!"
Li Huofa's roars intensified, but his heart had already fallen into chaos, and his attacks became increasingly disorganized.
Xiao Ling'er's expression remained calm, without a hint of hesitation or mercy: "Never mind, if you don't want to talk, I won't ask. I'll send you on your way and help you find freedom."
She immediately changed her moves, delivering a fatal blow.
Facing Li Huofa, she didn't even need to use her series of ultimate moves like the Nine Transformations of the Immortal Fire or Great Sun Incineration.
With just the Ethereal Sword Technique and the Thousand Flame Void-Crushing Sword, she suppressed him.
And with the Ten Heavens Burial Sword, she destroyed his vitality and scattered his divine soul!
"..."
Li Huofa fell silent.
The hatred on his face hadn't faded, but his ferocious expression gradually softened.
He opened his mouth, trembling.
But he couldn't bring himself to utter his final words.
Xiao Ling'er took a step forward and stood quietly by his side.
"Do you have any last words?"
"..."
Li Huofa's eyes, gradually turning gray, slowly turned towards her, and with a trembling voice, he said, "Black... Blackwater City Lord's son, Li Xuanxian, today, I fight to the death for revenge."
"My death... is not... not because of the battle, but because of me, I..."
His final breath was finally released.
Li Huofa - Li Xuanxian, died, his soul extinguished.
After hearing this, Xiao Ling'er's feelings became inexplicably complicated.
Finally learning Li Xuanxian's identity, she couldn't help but feel dizzy.
"Blackwater City, the son of the city lord, Li Xuanxian?"
"..."
Blackwater City was her hometown!
The Xiao family branch she belonged to had lived in Blackwater City for generations. The city wasn't particularly powerful.
The last time she returned was on the anniversary of her parents' death. After cleaning up the Xiao family branch, she left and never returned.
During this entire process, she had no interaction with the city lord's mansion or Li Xuanxian.
Until the three-year agreement, Xiao Ling'er had once returned, only to find Blackwater City in ruins, even turned into a lake.
She didn't know what had happened and only learned after asking around that Blackwater City had been destroyed by the main branch of the Xiao family.
The reason...
Even those people couldn't explain it clearly, only saying that it seemed to be because the Xiao family's branch was destroyed, and yet no one in Blackwater City came to their aid or stopped it. With the Xiao family's branch gone, the people of Blackwater City didn't deserve to live.
As a result, the Xiao family's main branch arrived and annihilated Blackwater City with a single strike.
This outcome...
This reason left Xiao Ling'er speechless.
She also felt a bit indignant.
She had once felt sorry for Blackwater City, but that was all.
Self-blame?
Perhaps for a fleeting moment, but it was just that, a fleeting moment.
On the path of cultivation, everyone experiences too much.
(End of Chapter)
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