https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-363-Merit-Robe-Taking-the-Initiative/13688646/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-365-Waist-Cut-Golden-Light-Buddha-Shadow-Please-Vote-for-Me-/13688648/
Chapter 364: Xi Zhou Lingshan – Infiltration, Sudden Bloodshed
"This Xi Zhou has changed significantly. Xuan Kong Shan truly has grand ambitions," Lu Qing murmured, gazing at the distant mountain range.
He stood before a modest hill on the outskirts of a small city in Xi Zhou. Midway up the slope, construction was in full swing—temples being built, Buddha statues carved with painstaking detail. Below, commoners knelt and prostrated themselves one step at a time, their faces etched with deep devotion as they ascended toward the sacred peak.
Lu Qing had seen such scenes countless times along his journey. Though he had never visited Xi Zhou before, he had long known of its tradition of Buddhism. Yet, this level of fervor was far beyond anything he’d expected.
"If this continues," Lu Qing mused, "it won’t be long before Xuan Kong Shan completely dominates Xi Zhou."
He understood the power of faith. With time, Xuan Kong Shan’s influence would grow so deep, so entrenched, that the entire region would be theirs—impenetrable, unshakable. And once that was secured, their next move would surely be against him.
"These bald-headed monks," he scoffed, "still cling to the same old tricks after tens of thousands of years."
Yan’s voice echoed beside him. "In the Ancient Cultivation Era, this Xi Zhou was a stronghold of Buddhist sects. Who would’ve thought Xuan Kong Shan would rise to sole dominance this time?"
"Not necessarily," Lu Qing replied calmly. "Xuan Kong Shan may want to reclaim Xi Zhou—but can they actually do it?"
With that, he turned and left, continuing onward. The masons working on the temple were mere laborers—no threat. He had no interest in them. His target lay further ahead.
After leaving the town, Lu Qing activated Ling Fu, becoming a wisp of clear wind slicing through the forest. This time, he did not wander. He headed straight west toward the heart of Xi Zhou.
Now that he knew Xuan Kong Shan’s true intentions, there was no point in wasted effort. It was time to strike at the root.
With Ling Fu amplifying his speed, Lu Qing moved beyond the realm of Xian Tian Jing. Within half a day, he reached the western edge of Xi Zhou.
Before him stretched an endless chain of mountains, their peaks piercing the sky. The most striking was a towering, majestic peak, standing alone across the vast plain. Clouds clung only to its mid-slopes, veiling its summit in mist.
"Lingshan Mountains," Lu Qing thought, taking in the sight. "I should’ve realized this was the entrance to Xuan Kong Shan’s Secret Realm."
Though not as vast or sacred as Zhong Zhou’s Sheng Shan, the Lingshan Mountains were, aside from Sheng Shan, the only other range of such monumental scale that Lu Qing had ever seen. Even the Ten Million Great Mountain beyond Jiu Li Village paled in comparison.
"I’ve been here before," Yan’s form materialized beside him, his gaze fixed on the mist-wrapped peaks. "In the Ancient Cultivation Era, this was the ancestral seat of the Buddhist sects. Back then, the Lingshan Mountains were even more awe-inspiring—so holy, so formidable. Any cultivator passing by was forbidden to fly. To do so was an act of defiance against the Buddha."
"So these monks have been arrogant since ancient times," Lu Qing chuckled. "No wonder they’re still so corrupt. The root is rotten—how could anything good grow from it?"
"Xiao Li, let’s go," Lu Qing said.
A ripple pulsed within the Shen Hun Fu Lu in his brow cavity. Instantly, his aura began to vanish, fading into near-invisibility. His form blurred, then dissolved entirely.
Xiao Li required no such effort. With a single leap, it vanished into the Space layer, hidden deeper than even Lu Qing.
Spirit Soul Concealment Art. Invisibility Talisman.
Watching Lu Qing employ these two techniques to erase his presence entirely, Yan felt a wave of awe.
Lu Qing knew far more than he’d ever imagined.
The legacy of the Divine Seal Sect and the Lihuo Sect had given him mastery in the Script Dao—on par with his physical cultivation. But what truly stunned Yan was Lu Qing’s caution.
He had not only altered his appearance and masked his soul essence with transformation arts, but now he was concealing his aura and using an Invisibility Talisman—going to extremes to remain undetected.
Utterly meticulous. Almost obsessive.
For the first time, Yan felt pity for Xuan Kong Shan.
To face a foe so powerful, so cunning, and whose cultivation talent was nothing short of legendary—especially when that foe was aided by a Nighttime Spirit Fox with spatial abilities—was a fate worse than death.
Just imagining the outcome, Yan shivered.
With his presence hidden, Lu Qing led Xiao Li forward, creeping silently toward the Lingshan Mountains.
The journey was smooth. Xuan Kong Shan had only recently emerged. With their focus on subduing the various sects across Xi Zhou and absorbing them into their fold, they hadn’t yet begun serious construction on the Lingshan Mountains. No Protective Sect Arrays had been erected. There was no way they could detect Lu Qing’s approach.
As they neared the towering peak, the roar of voices rose from the mountain above. More construction—temples, statues—was underway, even more massive than what he’d seen elsewhere.
From afar, Lu Qing spotted a group of martial artists, each possessing the strength of a Xian Tian Jing cultivator, chiseling a colossal Buddha statue into a cliff face nearly a hundred zhang high. The Buddha’s head alone stood over ten zhang tall—monumental in scale.
Lu Qing’s eyes narrowed. He signaled Xiao Li, and the two moved stealthily closer.
Soon, they reached the base of the cliff. There, several red-robed monks—plump, bald-headed, and imposing—stood before the cliff, their gazes fixed on the work.
Lu Qing sensed their auras. The weakest among them was already at the early stage of Xian Tian Jing. One of them, the leader, radiated a smooth, harmonious energy—nearly blending with the surroundings.
A Xian Tian Jing Wan Man.
This was the first time Lu Qing had encountered such a cultivator in person—excluding the Third Holy Lord from Zhong Zhou Sheng Cheng, who had used a Puppet Body and thus didn’t count.
The red-robed leader exuded not just raw power, but another subtle, distinct energy signature.
Lu Qing activated his Abilities.
In an instant, a dense golden light flared from the monk’s body. Floating beside him, several words appeared:
【Xuan Yi: Great Elder of Xuan Kong Shan】
【Cultivation: Body-Method Dual Cultivation, Xian Tian Jing Wan Man】
【Possesses a Unique Buddhist Sect Treasure, offensive and defensive—extremely formidable】
Lu Qing turned his gaze to the others. Unsurprisingly, they were all senior elders of Xuan Kong Shan.
He wasn’t surprised. As Yan had explained, the Four Secret Places had hidden within their Secret Realm for tens of thousands of years. But even so, they were merely clinging to life. Their realm, though sealed, still relied on the main world—vulnerable to its laws. Thus, no truly powerful beings could emerge.
At best, they could reach Zhu Ji Qi’s peak. No one could achieve the Golden Core realm.
For Zhu Ji Qi to form a Golden Core, one must endure the Heavenly Tribulation—the Four Nines Trial. This was an unbreakable law of cultivation.
But within a Secret Realm, Heavenly Tribulation could not form. Therefore, Golden Core cultivators were impossible.
Knowing this secret, Lu Qing had dared to come alone to Xi Zhou.
With his Spirit Artifact, he could survive even against Zhu Ji Qi-level opponents—surely, he could escape.
"Great Elder, Chan Xin has sent word. The Iron Sword Sect in the south has submitted. They now recognize Xuan Kong Shan as their master," one monk announced.
"Excellent," Xuan Yi nodded with satisfaction. "With the Iron Sword Sect’s surrender, Xi Zhou is once again fully under our control."
"Hmph! If not for the immense cost of opening the Secret Realm during Qi depletion, we wouldn’t have been forced to endure this mess. If we could move freely, Xi Zhou would never have fallen into such filth!"
Another red-robed monk sneered.
"Brother, do not anger," Xuan Yi soothed. "It is precisely because mortals are stubborn and blind that we must guide them. This is also our own cultivation path."
"Great Elder Xuan Yi," another monk asked, "now that Xi Zhou has returned to our fold, what of the other matter—the one you mentioned?"
"You mean the demon who killed our brother Xuan Ming?" Lu Qing’s heart thudded.
"Indeed. Great Elder, do you believe the intelligence brought back by Wu Jian Lou is reliable?"
"Wu Jian Lou would not dare deceive us. Their survival depends on our mercy. Even if they wished to betray us, they lack the strength. Besides, when Wu Jian Lou reported, my Hui Xin did not detect any falsehood in his words."
Xuan Yi paused, then spoke slowly.
"So you believe the report is true? That Wu Jian Lou has located the demon’s hidden cultivation site?"
"Most likely."
"Who would’ve thought such a demon would come from Cang Zhou—a backwater province. No surprise. The farthest reaches always breed filth."
"Great Elder, the Master and the Tai Shang Elder have ordered us to capture this demon and convert him to our cause. When shall we depart?"
"Patience," Xuan Yi replied. "This demon is a Qi Yun cultivator who has passed the Heavenly Tribulation. His strength may rival ours. To capture him alive requires careful planning. We will wait until the Lingshan construction is complete and the protective array is set. Then we’ll act."
Hidden in the shadows, Lu Qing’s mind raced.
So the assassin from Wu Jian Lou—who had escaped from the Wei Family Residence beneath Master Fei Jian’s protection—had returned safely to Xuan Kong Shan’s Mi Jing and reported everything.
He felt a surge of relief. He’d come early. If he had waited, once Xuan Kong Shan had stabilized their control over Xi Zhou and fortified the mountain with arrays, his chance to sneak in would vanish.
Then, he’d be forced to fight on their terms—no chance to strike first.
And he couldn’t afford to lose. Not only for himself—but for the villagers of Jiu Li Village, and for the Wei Family.
The thought ignited a cold, burning fury in his heart.
From the conversation, he now knew: Xuan Kong Shan still held powerful cultivators hidden within their Secret Realm. The so-called Master, the Tai Shang Elder—these were likely cultivators above Zhu Ji Qi.
But here, on the mountain, the strongest were clearly these red-robed monks.
Especially Xuan Yi—the Great Elder. He was undoubtedly the leader of Xuan Kong Shan’s current resurgence.
Kill him, and chaos would follow.
With murder in his heart, Lu Qing’s gaze remained icy.
He sent a mental command to Xiao Li, then quietly drew his War Blade from the Qiankun Yiqi Dai.
Moving like a shadow, he inched closer to the monks.
Just as he neared, ten zhang away, Xuan Yi suddenly stiffened, his eyes darting toward Lu Qing’s position.
Lu Qing’s heart sank. His cover was blown.
No time to hesitate.
He unleashed his full presence—unleashing a terrifying, overwhelming aura. A blinding sword beam erupted from his body, slicing forward with deadly intent!
"What is this?!"
The red-robed monks—Xian Tian-level cultivators—felt the sudden surge of power. They were stunned. How could someone have approached so close without being detected?
But worse was the sword beam.
Pure, razor-sharp, and radiating soul-chilling power. Even the mere sensation sent chills through their bodies, hair standing on end.
"Get out of the way!"
In an instant, they reacted.
Some tried to dodge with martial arts. Others summoned their Body-Protecting Qi Shields. One drew a short staff to intercept the slash.
Only Xuan Yi, the most perceptive, realized the danger immediately. He roared a warning—but it was too late.
The sword beam, honed by years of cultivation, struck with impossible speed.
It swept through the monks’ bodies—then cut into the cliff behind them.
A deep, bottomless gash split the rock. The impact echoed through the mountains.
Blood sprayed from several wounds.
End of Chapter
(End of Chapter)
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