WHOOSH!

The moment the particles entered Luo Qingcheng’s body, an unhealthy flush appeared on her jade-like face. Her aura swelled as if she were an inflating balloon.

"Calm your heart and sink your Qi! Let a hundred rivers converge into the sea!"

Baihua Xiu let out a sharp cry. A stream of True Qi flowed from the palm pressed against the girl’s back, surging into her body.

"Ngh!" Luo Qingcheng knew this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She immediately cast aside all stray thoughts and focused everything on breaking through.

BOOM!

In less than an hour, a series of rumbles echoed from within Luo Qingcheng’s body. She had finally broken through the chains of the Qi Sect Realm and reached the Ultimate Venerable Level. After reaching the Ultimate Venerable Level, the effects of the Primordial Essence Spirit Liquid had not yet faded, allowing her power to continue to climb.

Going from the Early-Stage Armor Realm to the Ultimate Venerable Level had taken Nie Yun a full month, even with his Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill. For Luo Qingcheng to break through in less than half a month, it would be no exaggeration to call her the fastest person ever to advance!

Finally, Luo Qingcheng let out a long breath, her power stabilizing at the Ultimate Venerable Peak.

However, because her comprehension and Soul Level were too low, her strength at this peak was pitifully weak. She was likely even a bit weaker than Mo Yanqing had been, to say nothing of comparing her to Nie Yun.

Even so, an Ultimate Venerable was an Ultimate Venerable—a supreme powerhouse at the peak of the Qi Sea Continent. In the old Divine Wind Empire, it was a level of power sufficient to be granted the title of King or Marquis.

Once Luo Qingcheng finished her advancement, Xiaofong and Hei Yan returned. The two of them had caught several Demon Beasts and gathered a large pile of firewood. They lit a bonfire in the cave, and the fragrant aroma of roasting meat was enough to make anyone’s mouth water.

"We’re heading to Guangming City, and there will definitely be a big fight. I have some Spiritual Medicines and treasures here that can raise your cultivation. Take them and begin the Refinement process."

After they had finished eating and drinking, Nie Yun flipped his hand and took out several jade vials.

The accumulated wealth of the Zi Qiong Mountain Range was terrifyingly vast. In his spare time over the last few days, he had inspected the treasures he’d plundered and stored in his Storage Dantian. A single glance was enough to confirm the sheer number of precious items.

Although there was nothing as good as a Secret Realm Talisman, there was a whole basketful of Elixirs for raising one’s cultivation level!

However, while these Elixirs might be useful to others, they were of little use to Nie Yun. His strength was the result of the Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill, making his True Qi unbelievably dense. To him, swallowing ordinary Elixirs meant for raising one’s cultivation was no different from eating roasted soybeans.

He had originally thought this Treasure Vault would contain many Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, which could be used to power the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse and further increase its strength. In the end, he only found five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones and couldn’t help but shake his head in resignation.

’While five Mid-Grade Spirit Stones are the most precious items in this treasure hoard, it’s not enough for me. Even if I use them all on the Demon Saint Ancient Corpse, I can at most draw out five percent of its combat power. That’s still a long way from one hundred percent!’

"Alright!"

During the past few days of travel, Baihua Xiu and the others had learned what Nie Yun and Xiaofong had done. Finding it amusing that they had cleaned out the entire lair, they couldn’t help but be shocked by the duo’s strength.

The Zi Qiong Mountain Range was filled with layer upon layer of Arrays. Even the old ancestor of the Divine Holy Empire’s Royal Family couldn’t guarantee he would make it out alive. Not only had the two of them survived, but they had also picked the place clean. Such strength was truly terrifying!

After taking the Elixirs, everyone consumed them and began the process of complete Refinement. By the time they finished, it was late at night. Outside the cave, the moon was as bright as if it had been washed, bathing the surroundings in a clear, silvery light.

Seeing that everyone’s strength had increased once more, Nie Yun finally felt at ease. He stepped out of the cave, walking under the moonlight.

The valley was exceptionally quiet. The wind rustled through the leaves with a soft SHUSH, and the occasional cry of an ape or an eagle only served to accentuate the deep stillness of the night.

Walking on the thick layer of leaves in the valley, Nie Yun looked up at the starry sky and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

’My current strength is considered quite decent on the Qi Sea Continent, but it’s nothing compared to my peak in my previous life. Back then, my parents and siblings all died, and I never had the chance to fulfill my duties as a son or brother. I never thought that in this life, my parents would be alive, and I would still end up being an unfilial son!’

’I hope Father and the others are all alright. If anything happens to them, I’ll wipe out my enemy in one fell swoop, even if they’re the largest Sect on the Floating Heaven Continent. I absolutely will not show any mercy!’

Gazing at the bright moon in the sky, Nie Yun swore a silent oath in his heart.

’Although the killing intent from my past life has faded a lot since my rebirth, if anyone dares to provoke me, I won’t hesitate to annihilate them completely, no matter who they are! I wouldn’t even spare a supreme powerhouse from the Floating Heaven Continent!’

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Just as Nie Yun was immersed in self-recrimination, the sound of soft footsteps came from behind him. He turned his head to see Baihua Xiu walking gently toward him.

Baihua Xiu was still dressed in a white robe, which appeared whiter than snow under the moonlight. She looked like a noble and holy fairy from the Moon Palace.

"What is it? Something on your mind?"

Seeing the young man standing alone and silent under the moonlight, Baihua Xiu asked softly.

"Heh, it’s nothing. You’re up so late. Don’t tell me you have something on your mind too?"

Nie Yun didn’t want to talk about his own affairs, so he changed the subject.

"We’ll be arriving in Guangming City tomorrow. I can’t sleep," Baihua Xiu said, her long eyelashes fluttering as she shook her head helplessly.

"Judging by the way you’ve been leading us, you must be very familiar with Guangming City. Were you from there?" Nie Yun asked, a little puzzled.

Baihua Xiu had been leading the way the entire time. It seemed she was very familiar with Guangming City. ’Could she really be from there? How else would she know it so well!’

"Yes. I grew up in Guangming City. Mu Shengxue and I were fellow disciples."

Gazing at the bright moon, her white robes fluttering in the breeze, Baihua Xiu seemed to drift into her memories. "I was a disciple of the Qianqing Sect in Guangming City," she said slowly. "I ran away because of a marriage arrangement."

"The Qianqing Sect? You fled a marriage?"

"The Qianqing Sect is the largest Sect in the entire Divine Holy Empire. Everyone thinks the Divine Holy Empire has only one Secret Realm Powerhouse, but they don’t know the truth. The Sect Leader of Qianqing Sect—my master—is also a Secret Realm Powerhouse. In fact, he broke through to the Secret Realm over eighty years ago, so his strength is likely even greater now." A look of resignation appeared on Baihua Xiu’s face. "Back then, I had cultivated to the Ultimate Venerable level, and my talent was considered the best in the entire Sect. During a trial, I met the current His Majesty the Emperor of the Divine Holy Empire. He was very attentive toward me and even had his ancestor ask the Qianqing Sect for my hand in marriage."

"My master agreed and insisted that I marry him. But at the time, I was completely devoted to my Cultivation and would rather die than submit. So, I secretly left the Sect and fled to the Divine Wind Empire. Because I had betrayed the Sect, I was hunted down and seriously injured. In the end, it was only because my master still cherished our bond that he spared my life. I spent decades recovering from my injuries, and my Cultivation didn’t advance an inch. Otherwise, how could my current strength possibly be lower than Mu Shengxue’s?"

At this, Baihua Xiu sighed.

"You were also forced into a marriage? Then why did you want Luo Qingcheng to marry Zhao Xingpu?" Nie Yun was bewildered. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)