Chapter 343: Capturing the Nascent Soul, the Grand Void Legacy

Chapter 343: Capturing the Nascent Soul, the Grand Void Legacy

At this moment, Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul had a grasp on a storage bag, his small face filled with shock as he flew away, turning back from time to time as if afraid of being pursued.

Despite fleeing for a long time, there were no pursuers, but the look of shock on his face did not fade at all.

Just then, the intuition of a Nascent Soul cultivator made him pause slightly.

At the same time, a streak of pitch-black light pierced through the clouds and attacked!

"Ancient treasure!"

A look of terror flashed across Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul's small face.

He opened his mouth and spat out a beam of white light, directly confronting the ancient treasure dagger.

At the same time, he manipulated the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel to quickly create distance, and the Nascent Soul puppet let out a loud shout.

"Fellow cultivator, let's talk this over!"

"Bang!"

In that instant, the ancient treasure dagger in the air collided with the beam of white light.

Although the white light instantly scattered, the ancient treasure dagger was also blocked and shot forward again.

Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul had already dodged to the side.

Chu Ning's attack had missed, and his figure appeared from within the clouds. He reached out and summoned the ancient treasure dagger back into his hand.

At the same time, he waved his right hand, and five Ice Shadow Sword Talismans transformed into sword beams that rushed towards Qiu Chi Jun.

"Chu Ning!!"

At this moment, Qiu Chi Jun finally saw clearly who was attacking him.

He was both shocked and furious.

He was surprised that Chu Ning dared to take action against him, and even more so that Chu Ning, as a late Golden Core cultivator, could launch such a fierce attack.

Even when compared to ordinary early Nascent Soul cultivators, Chu Ning was not lacking.

If Qiu Chi Jun were in his prime, he wouldn't have feared such an attack.

But now, it really gave him a headache. With his physical body destroyed and only his Nascent Soul remaining, he couldn't exert his true strength.

More crucially, if he continued to be entangled by Chu Ning, and other Nascent Soul cultivators caught up with him...

Then he would have no chance of escape.

Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul dodged while unleashing several huge wind blades to counter Chu Ning's Ice Shadow Sword Talismans.

The wind blades quickly dissipated upon contact with the icy blue sword beams, but they managed to slow down the attack momentarily. Seizing this opportunity, Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul stepped on the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel and dodged once more.

Seeing that Qiu Chi Jun could still cast spells and counter his Ice Shadow Sword Talismans even with just his Nascent Soul remaining, Chu Ning's expression turned more solemn.

These Nascent Soul cultivators were indeed not to be underestimated.

Moreover, the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel that Qiu Chi Jun controlled seemed to have some tricks up its sleeve; its speed was exceptionally fast.

With that thought, Chu Ning opened his mouth and spat out the Five Elements Spirit Sword.

The giant sword transformed into a dazzling light that swiftly slashed towards Qiu Chi Jun.

Realizing that his wind blades were no longer sufficient to block the attack, Qiu Chi Jun pointed towards the ground beneath him, and the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel rose up, finally using his signature treasure to face the threat.

Chu Ning's eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.

Qiu Chi Jun had been using the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel to dodge his attacks earlier, causing him to miss repeatedly. But now, it seemed like a good opportunity.

With a quick incantation, the giant sword that had just reached above Qiu Chi Jun's head instantly split into five.

The five spirit swords descended swiftly, arranging themselves in a peculiar formation that trapped Qiu Chi Jun in the center.

In the next moment, radiant light surged from the five spirit swords, forming a pillar of five-colored light that trapped Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul within a dazzling display.

Qiu Chi Jun's heart jolted with fear, and he reached out to recall his Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel to break the formation.

But to his astonishment, the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel didn't respond to his command at this critical moment.

After being trapped within the Five Elements Sword Formation, Qiu Chi Jun had lost connection with his signature treasure!

"What's going on?!" Qiu Chi Jun's heart raced with panic.

At this moment, Chu Ning saw that Qiu Chi Jun was trapped within the Five Elements Sword Formation, and the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel seemed to have lost control.

Without hesitation, Chu Ning flashed forward and appeared before the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel, promptly storing it into his own storage bag.

Then, with a quick incantation, the Five Elements Sword Formation began to rapidly contract.

The five-colored radiance transformed into sword beams that continuously assaulted Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul.

At this moment, Qiu Chi Jun was utterly shocked by the means that Chu Ning had displayed.

He couldn't believe that a late Golden Core cultivator like Chu Ning possessed such an endless array of abilities.

However, instead of becoming angry, Qiu Chi Jun quickly calmed down and spoke, "Fellow cultivator Chu, the people from Chang Kong Temple and Huan Ling Sect are both looking for you.

If you continue to attack me, aren't you afraid they will find you? With your concealment abilities, if you stop now, even Nascent Soul cultivators won't be able to detect you."

"Qiu Chi Jun, don't you think you're saying this a bit too late? And how could the Chang Kong Temple and Huan Ling Sect be looking for me, a mere Golden Core cultivator?" Chu Ning remained unmoved, continuing to manipulate the Five Elements Sword Formation to attack his opponent's Nascent Soul.

He could clearly see that within the sword formation, Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul was already feeling the pressure.

Naturally, he wouldn't give his opponent any chance to catch their breath.

"I'm not lying to you!" Qiu Chi Jun shouted.

"The people from Chang Kong Temple have had their eyes on you for a long time. Don't you wonder why I attacked you before entering the inner temple? It was because Lu Xue Dao transmitted a message to me as soon as I entered, asking me to test you and find out how much you know about this Grand Void Abyss.

He even promised to give me a chance to obtain a treasure."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning's heart stirred. He had indeed been curious about why Qiu Chi Jun had chatted with him before suddenly attacking him just as they were about to enter the inner temple.

But that still didn't add up.

Chu Ning quickly transmitted his voice towards the spirit beast pouch, asking, "Senior Turtle, did you hear their transmitted conversation at that time?"

"No, there were restrictions at the entrance of the inner temple. If they transmitted their voices, I couldn't hear them."

Hearing the giant turtle's response, Chu Ning was somewhat inclined to believe Qiu Chi Jun's words.

Qiu Chi Jun continued to shout, "I was also confused at the time and thought that you must know a lot about this Grand Void Abyss, so I just wanted to test you casually.

Hearing the hint of concession in Chu Ning's words, Qiu Chi Jun heaved a sigh of relief and quickly replied, "The Sect Master of Huan Ling Sect and the Great Elder of Wan Shou Zong have been waiting, but their juniors haven't come out. Since only you and the two of them were in the last palace, they suspect that you might have something to do with their disappearance, and they're currently searching for you."

Chu Ning's eyebrows furrowed slightly. The instincts of these two individuals were indeed very sharp.

The Chang Kong Temple, Huan Ling Sect, and Wan Shou Zong, the top powers of the three landmasses in the Northern Cold Region, were all looking for him.

It seemed that he really couldn't stay any longer. Even the slightest trace of his presence could lead to disastrous consequences.

With that thought in mind, Chu Ning asked again, "One last question. What's the situation at the valley entrance, and why did you flee inside? Are there any other exits in this valley?"

"There's a chaotic battle going on at the valley entrance right now," Qiu Chi Jun replied without hesitation. "The divine platform in the Grand Void Temple shattered, and everyone suspects that the Grand Void Temple's town sect treasure, the Grand Void Mirror, has made its appearance. The Chang Kong Temple and the Huan Ling Sect have split into two factions, and naturally, us solitary cultivators became their primary targets. I was intercepted by Lu Xue Dao, who joined forces with other cultivators to attack me, destroying my physical body. If I hadn't been prepared and forcibly escaped with my Nascent Soul, I would've perished by now."

Qiu Chi Jun's voice was filled with resentment, followed by a cold laugh. "However, it was only a matter of time before they turned on each other. The Chang Kong Temple isn't far from here. The reason only one of the three palace masters appeared is probably because the other two are nearby in the Snow Mist Valley. Once they receive Lu Xue Dao's signal, they will definitely come. As for the Huan Ling Sect, they might also have some tricks up their sleeves. Nascent Soul cultivators from both sides should be on their way here."

Chu Ning's eyebrows knitted slightly upon hearing this. If what Qiu Chi Jun said was true, it seemed that leaving through the valley entrance would indeed be difficult. Perhaps he would have to remain hidden in the Snow Mist Valley for a while longer. But he wondered if there were any other dangers lurking within.

At that moment, as Chu Ning looked at the suddenly silent Qiu Chi Jun, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he asked again, "I think you didn't quite answer my previous question. Why did you flee into the valley? Is there another way out?"

"Fellow Daoist Chu, I already answered you," Qiu Chi Jun said helplessly, his Nascent Soul's small face filled with dismay. "With countless Nascent Soul cultivators gathered outside, I dared not escape in that direction, so I ran into the valley."

"Oh? Is that so?" Chu Ning asked indifferently.

In the next moment, he pointed his finger at the Five Elements Sword Array, and countless sword beams shot out from the multicolored light pillar.

Qiu Chi Jun was prepared, but he was still caught off guard by Chu Ning's sudden attack. His Nascent Soul frantically cast spells to defend, but he was still pierced by a sword beam.

The Nascent Soul withered slightly, and as it saw the sword beams shooting out from the multicolored light pillar once more, it cried out in alarm, "Fellow Daoist Chu, stop! I'll talk! There really is another passage in this Snow Mist Valley that leads out of the valley..."

Half a day later, Chu Ning's figure appeared in a mountain forest on the east side of the Snow Mist Valley. Beside him flew a wilted Nascent Soul—Qiu Chi Jun.

Although Qiu Chi Jun seemed cooperative and revealed a secret that Chu Ning had never known, Chu Ning did not easily let him off the hook. He had used the Five Elements Sword Array to torture Qiu Chi Jun, draining most of his vitality, before imposing a restriction on his Nascent Soul.

Only then did Chu Ning allow Qiu Chi Jun to lead the way to this deep mountain.

With Chu Ning's late Golden Core cultivation, it would have been somewhat difficult to impose a restriction on Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul. However, with Qiu Chi Jun's current damaged state and his willingness to cooperate, along with Chu Ning's restriction technique inherited from the Jiuhua Sect, the task was made easier.

"Is this the place?" Chu Ning asked, looking at the pool of water in the deep mountain with a doubtful expression.

Qiu Chi Jun, under the control of another, could only reluctantly nod and explain, "Yes, according to the ancient map of the Grand Void Abyss that I obtained before, the Snow Mist Valley and the Grand Void Abyss used to be connected. The Grand Void Sect intentionally left a hidden spatial passage here, leading directly to the Boundless Sea."

Chu Ning's eyes swept over the Nascent Soul's gloomy face and said, "You'd better not lie to me. You've seen my methods. Otherwise..."

Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul wore a bitter smile as he heard this. "Fellow Daoist Chu, at this point, how dare I?"

After he finished speaking, Qiu Chi Jun looked deeply at Chu Ning and said, "We all underestimated you, Fellow Daoist Chu. With your means, among the countless Nascent Soul cultivators who entered the Grand Void Abyss before, only those at the mid-Nascent Soul stage and above could truly suppress you."

Hearing Qiu Chi Jun's regretful words, Chu Ning remained expressionless and did not respond. Instead, he dove into the pool while communicating with the giant turtle in his spirit beast pouch through divine sense.

"Senior Turtle, do you think what he said is credible?" Chu Ning asked.

"There's a certain degree of credibility," the giant turtle replied.

The turtle paused briefly before continuing.

"However, the passage I discovered was already on the verge of collapse. It crumbled soon after I entered, preventing me from returning. I had intended to wait there until the Grand Void Abyss opened again, but then you came along and captured me."

Chu Ning breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. While he couldn't be entirely sure of the turtle's words, he decided to trust it for now.

However, he was surprised that Qiu Chi Jun had managed to obtain such an ancient map. When Chu Ning voiced this doubt, Qiu Chi Jun hesitated for a moment before replying, perhaps to further assure Chu Ning of his honesty.

"My sect actually descends from one of the branches of the Grand Void Sect. Over the years, much of our heritage has been lost, and I obtained this map by chance from one of our predecessors."

Chu Ning nodded, having arrived at the bottom of the pool, where he noticed a bright, white spot.

"Could this be the place?" he wondered aloud.

He could faintly sense the fluctuations of spatial power emanating from the white light.

But he was surprised at how easily he had found the location of the spatial passage, and his expression reflected this surprise.

Noticing Chu Ning's reaction, Qiu Chi Jun quickly explained, "Fellow Daoist Chu, you must think that this place is too easily found. It's mainly because I have this ancient map and followed the instructions within.

Otherwise, with the terrain of Snow Mist Valley changing periodically, even if someone knew of this place, they wouldn't be able to locate it easily.

Moreover, the spiritual energy around this pool is sparse, devoid of spirit beasts or valuable spirit herbs. Most cultivators who enter this area wouldn't bother to explore this pool."

Chu Ning found this explanation reasonable and was about to step into the spatial passage when Qiu Chi Jun suddenly spoke up, a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, wait."

Chu Ning turned, a puzzled look on his face as he regarded Qiu Chi Jun.

"This spatial passage is often temporarily opened and isn't very stable. The fact that it has endured for so many years indicates that it's relatively stable.

However, this type of passage, without the intricate arrangements of a teleportation formation, has even more unstable spatial power during teleportation."

Qiu Chi Jun let out a bitter laugh as he continued, "Fellow Daoist has extraordinary abilities, so you have nothing to fear from the spatial power.

But my physical body has been destroyed, and I dare not enter the passage directly with just my Nascent Soul. May I trouble you to return the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel to me for protection?"

"Fellow Daoist Qiu, you're not planning to run away as soon as we leave here, are you?" Chu Ning asked, shaking his head.

"Your Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel is quite extraordinary. If you were to suddenly fly away in the Boundless Sea, I might not be able to catch up. I don't trust you!"

As he spoke, Chu Ning was thinking that what Qiu Chi Jun said made sense. He couldn't give him back the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel, but he had to ensure his safety. After all, they didn't know what awaited them on the other side of the passage, and he couldn't afford for Qiu Chi Jun to meet with an accident now.

As Chu Ning hesitated, the giant turtle's voice sounded in his mind.

"Little one, let him come with you out of the passage. I'll help him withstand the spatial power."

Chu Ning's heart lightened at the turtle's offer. He turned to Qiu Chi Jun and said, "I have a secret technique that can help you withstand the spatial power.

But don't try anything funny."

As he spoke, Chu Ning reached out and grabbed Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul.

Qiu Chi Jun's small face, on his Nascent Soul, twitched slightly, and he seemed to want to back away.

But after a moment's hesitation, he sighed and remained still.

Chu Ning seized his Nascent Soul and stepped into the white light.

At the same time, a brilliant ray of light descended upon Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul.

His Nascent Soul wore a look of surprise, for with his perception, he couldn't sense how the ray of light had enveloped him.

At that moment, the spatial power took effect on Chu Ning.

In a flash of white light, the two of them disappeared.

"The pulling force of the spatial power in this type of passage is indeed stronger than that of a teleportation formation," Chu Ning mused to himself as he found himself in the depths of another body of water.

He turned to look at Qiu Chi Jun and noticed that, despite the giant turtle's assistance, he seemed even more weakened.

Chu Ning released his grip, intending to ask him a few more questions.

But before he could speak, Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul suddenly darted forward, rushing toward the surface of the water.

His speed was astonishing, no slower than when he had used the Eight Trigrams Flying Wheel earlier.

"This guy actually had another trick up his sleeve?" Chu Ning exclaimed inwardly, his eyes widening in surprise at Qiu Chi Jun's hidden capability.

However, his reaction was swift, and his figure flashed as he pursued Qiu Chi Jun toward the surface.

"Qiu Chi Jun? So it was you, you sly fox, who knew about this passage," a voice called out as they broke through the surface.

In the next instant, a piercingly sharp azure light shot toward Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul.

"Fanzexian!" Qiu Chi Jun's Nascent Soul managed to let out a terrified cry.

Before he could say more, the azure light pierced through him, instantly reducing him to nothingness.

Only the storage bag he had been clutching tightly fell into Chu Ning's outstretched hand, as he had been right behind Qiu Chi Jun.

However, Chu Ning's expression was not one of elation but of grave seriousness.

Fanzexian, one of the three Grand Elders of the Chang Kong Temple, was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, just like Lu Xue Dao.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end