Chapter 100: Undercurrents Stir

The wind and snow over the snowfield gradually subsided, and from the cold pool there suddenly burst forth a beam of overwhelming purple radiance. At the same time, in Thunder Valley, in the Blazing Domain, and in the central region of this world, each emitted an utterly profound and extreme purple luster.

“The Purple Spirit Qi has appeared. Gentlemen, farewell.”

Yin Tiannan watched the sudden change here, a flash of brilliance flickering deep in his eyes. He spoke aloud, then flew straight toward the manifestation of purple radiance in the central region.

“Brother Lin, I leave this Purple Spirit Qi to you. After this secret realm ends, I shall also depart. If you have leisure in the future, you must come pay a visit to my Ji family.”

After cupping his hands in a slight bow toward Lin Hao, Ji Tianya left behind a black token that looked exceedingly mysterious. Then his figure flashed, and he made straight for the Purple Spirit Qi in the Blazing Domain.

“I wonder whether this Purple Spirit Qi can help me break through to the tenth level of Qi Condensation…”

After seeing Ji Tianya leave, Lin Hao looked at the cold pool before him, where a strong purple aura was surging. After a brief moment of contemplation, he stepped forward and entered it without hesitation.

At the same time, in the Windwood Region, a profoundly mysterious golden aura had just appeared when it was immediately enveloped by an extremely powerful force of concealment, leaving not a trace of golden light to leak out. Within it, at the wind eye, Fang Ling sat cross-legged in perfect stillness. From his dantian, faint golden light suddenly radiated, and as endless mysterious power flowed, a current of aura stronger than the perfection of the ninth level of Qi Condensation quietly spread out.

This aura was not Foundation Establishment. It was more like... a domineering force that surpassed the very peak of the Qi Condensation realm.

“It seems there will be no Metal Spirit Qi this time. Earth-vein Foundation Establishment is not bad either.”

High above the Qinghu Secret Realm, the middle-aged man quietly watched Fang Zhan, who stood amid endless purple light in Thunder Valley, and murmured to himself.

“In this old Daoist’s view, it is not that the Metal Spirit Qi failed to appear, but that your Fang Sword Mountain did not dare lay claim to the Windwood Region.”

The white-haired old Daoist beside him chuckled softly and looked at the middle-aged man with interest.

“Since you already sensed the Metal Spirit Qi, why did you not send Yin Tiannan over there?”

The middle-aged man gave a cold laugh and swept the old man a disdainful glance, mocking him.

The three of them said no more, and simply watched the people below in silence...

“Breaking from the eighth to the ninth level of Qi Condensation is not difficult...”

Lin Hao sat cross-legged within the cold pool, submerged in water. As the spiritual power within him revolved ceaselessly, endless heaven-and-earth spiritual energy poured through his pores into his dantian.

Before long, when a cracking sound of something unknown breaking rang out in Lin Hao’s mind, his cultivation abruptly broke through to the ninth level of Qi Condensation. His pores opened, a great deal of impurities was expelled, and his cultivation continued to rise.

The Purple Spirit Qi seemed to be improving Lin Hao’s constitution, and the speed at which he absorbed spiritual energy also clearly increased. Vast amounts of spiritual energy poured into the sea of spiritual power in his dantian, and a sensation of being stretched to the point of rupture followed.

“The tenth level of Qi Condensation seals the spiritual sea... Because it goes against the ways of heaven and earth, it is not tolerated by the world, and heavenly tribulation will descend at that time...”

Recalling the contents recorded on that stone stele, Lin Hao continued circulating his cultivation. The sea of spiritual power within his body gradually settled, yet as more and more spiritual energy poured in, his physical body also seemed to reach a bottleneck. The earlier feeling of being torn apart grew ever stronger.

The Purple Spirit Qi possessed intelligence. Sensing Lin Hao’s bottleneck, it abruptly released an extraordinarily mysterious cool force, as though trying to break through the barrier and reach a new height.

“I’m about to lose control...”

Although Lin Hao was desperately suppressing the Purple Spirit Qi’s force that pushed his realm forward, the condensation of his inner spiritual sea progressed very slowly. By the time half of the spiritual sea had frozen solid, the jade pendant within his body suddenly released a strange power, which surged into the spiritual sea. At that instant, Lin Hao’s cultivation stepped into the tenth level of Qi Condensation.

As a powerful force rose, Lin Hao’s cultivation surged again. In merely a few breaths, a terrifying fluctuation belonging solely to a Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly spread out.

At the same time, throughout the entire Qinghu Secret Realm, several immensely powerful auras rose one after another, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within this realm also became exceedingly dense, as though all of it were being used for the final nourishment...

“It is nearly done. This trial has also tempered Zhan’er’s temperament. I expect that once he returns, he will be even more diligent in his cultivation.”

Above the Qinghu Secret Realm, Fang Jianshan looked down at Fang Zhan in Thunder Valley and murmured to himself.

“In another hour, the teleportation will activate. By then, this journey will come to an end...”

The man whose aura was incomparably strange had shifting light in his eyes as he deduced matters, and he let out a faint sigh.

“Wudao, are you truly willing to remain a slave in this life?”

The old man beside him looked at the strange man with deep meaning, his eyes full of mockery, and his aged voice slowly drifted out.

“Yin old ghost...”

The strange man called Wudao was just about to say something when the old man’s lips moved slightly, and a transmission of sound entered his soul. After a long while, the strange man said no more. He merely narrowed his eyes, and deep within them a dangerous light faintly flickered...

At the same time, in a place of ice and lake within the Qinghu Secret Realm, the calm, still waters suddenly transformed into a massive waterfall that shot straight into the sky. A figure in white also stood quietly amid the endless void.

Looking closely, it was a youth. His skin was clear and translucent, with a faint divine radiance flowing over it. A detached and otherworldly aura radiated from his entire person, making him seem like an immortal or god. Only, within the youth’s eyes lay a trace of coldness.

This person was none other than Lin Hao.

“It should be that this secret realm has interfered, and heavenly tribulation has not descended here... Even if a Nascent Soul cultivator protects you, so what? The guardian behind you will surely be unable to enter this realm...”

As Lin Hao spread out his divine sense, his gaze locked onto the powerful aura in Thunder Valley. Killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he flew straight toward that place.

Before long, when Lin Hao once again arrived at the Black Mountain area of Thunder Valley, several figures with powerful auras were already waiting in silence. Clearly, amid the explosive rise in spiritual energy, many of Fang Zhan’s followers had also broken through to Foundation Establishment. Fang Zhan himself sat cross-legged behind the crowd, his handsome face calm, as though he had reached a critical juncture in his breakthrough...

“Today, I, Lin, will only kill Fang Zhan. All of you, stand aside!”

Lin Hao looked coldly at the people before him. The dual Foundation Establishment force of his body and cultivation suddenly erupted, pressing fiercely down upon the crowd below.

“This...”

Those people sensed the overwhelming aura radiating from Lin Hao’s body, and terror immediately flashed in their eyes. The terrifying presence coming from Lin Hao was like heavenly might to them. The two sides were not even in the same league.

“Anyone who retreats takes one step closer to death!”

Fang Zhan looked coldly at Lin Hao, his voice devoid of all emotion.

Seeing this, the few people in front of him revealed panic in their eyes. After gritting their teeth, they each surged with spiritual power and, carrying Foundation Establishment force, rushed toward Lin Hao to kill him.

“Get lost!”

Lin Hao let out a cold shout and stepped forward. Vital blood within his body suddenly roiled, and as the power of his thunder bones erupted, he sent a punch crashing toward the charging group.

“Aaah!!”

Though everything seemed slow to describe, it happened in the blink of an eye. A flash of lightning burst forth, and along with a thunderous explosion and several miserable screams, those figures were all sent flying backward, spewing blood.

“Fang Zhan!”

After forcing the crowd back, Lin Hao’s eyes flashed with killing intent, and a summons from the netherworld seemed to issue from his mouth. Taking three steps of the Immortal Spirit technique, his figure suddenly appeared beside Fang Zhan. Endless mad and tyrannical intent roared around him as he threw a demonic punch, instantly closing in.

“Advance!”

Under this intense life-and-death crisis, a cracking sound of something breaking rang out within Fang Zhan. His aura suddenly surged, and his cultivation broke through in an instant. Along with a blaze of scorching white light enveloping his entire body, Fang Zhan’s eyes filled with bloodshot veins. The ruthless light in his gaze spread as he roared again, “Remove your armor!”

In that instant, the searing white light around Fang Zhan seemed to have acquired intelligence. It abruptly formed an extremely powerful curtain of light between the two of them.

Boom!!!

Accompanied by a deafening explosion, brilliant white light flashed between the two. A monstrous storm then swept in all directions. The Foundation Establishment cultivators who had fallen back and dared not intervene were all struck by the storm and spat out blood once more, rolling miserably down from Black Mountain. Lin Hao also stepped back once.

Just as he was about to charge again, Fang Zhan’s voice of fury rang out once more:

“Body cloak!”

As though his words carried binding law, the powerful light that had blocked Lin Hao’s punch abruptly transformed into a pool of white water, writhing toward Lin Hao’s body.

“Not good!”

Feeling the waves of sealing power coming from the white water as it wrapped around him, Lin Hao’s expression changed drastically. A fierce sense of life-and-death danger welled up within him. Instead of retreating, his body advanced further. Madness filled his eyes as he unleashed the three steps of the Immortal Spirit technique together with the demonic punch, closing in instantly and once more killing toward Fang Zhan.

“Nine Severances!!!”

Seeing Lin Hao’s suicidal madness, Fang Zhan was filled with utter terror. As his body rapidly retreated, he coughed out a mouthful of blood and his aura instantly dimmed. Yet the white liquid encircling Lin Hao suddenly radiated an extremely fierce and brutal aura. As terrifying fluctuations spread, it transformed into nine blades of spirit-severing light, as though they could tear apart all things, and slashed violently down at Lin Hao.

As this spirit-sealing force surged, the spiritual energy in Lin Hao’s body suddenly stalled. Taking advantage of that instant of hesitation, Fang Zhan had already fled far away.

“So hard to kill...”

Feeling the overwhelmingly intense sense of life-and-death crisis rising in his heart, Lin Hao’s face became extremely dark. Just as those nine spirit-severing blades were about to tear apart his body, his expression had turned so gloomy it seemed water would drip from it.

Yet at this very moment, the whole world suddenly trembled. An utterly strange force swept past in an instant, and under that sweep, Lin Hao’s body vanished at once.

Not only Lin Hao disappeared. Almost everyone within the realm vanished the instant that force swept by.

Only in the Windwood Region did a graceful woman remain, seated quietly in cross-legged meditation. As faint golden light flickered around her and a power stronger than Foundation Establishment quietly brewed within her, above the Qinghu Secret Realm a vast, sea-like Qinghu Lake also suddenly released an incomparably brilliant blue radiance. Amid the spread of three terrifying auras over the lake’s sky, they abruptly vanished in different directions.

“I’ll go capture Lin Hao. You pursue Zhao Min. If there are others who have broken through to Foundation Establishment, capture them as well.”

The instant Zhong Ming, seated on the ground, sensed the disturbance here, a flash of brilliance lit his eyes. He quickly sent a transmission to Jian Ru, and after casually glancing at Zhao Guangyuan, he suddenly departed.

“Brother Wang Yun, I have my master’s orders. Farewell.”

Jian Ru bowed to Wang Yun beside him, then flew off in another direction.

Wang Yun looked at the two of them with some surprise. After a brief moment of thought, he took out a white token from his robes, sent his divine sense into it to find the positions of the Xianluo Sect disciples, and then his figure flickered as he also left.

“If you dare deceive me, I shall skin you alive in an instant...”

Zhao Guangyuan did not search for the sect disciples as Wang Yun had. Instead, a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes as he looked in the direction Zhong Ming had gone, muttered to himself, and followed after him...

...

“Uncle-master, let me kill him! If this man does not die, I cannot rest easy!”

In a stretch of wilderness, a handsome but somewhat disheveled youth, his eyes bloodshot, shouted toward a middle-aged man ahead of him. The hatred in his gaze made it seem as though he had suffered some immense humiliation.

“Enough!”

Fang Jianshan looked at the disheveled figure before him, and a trace of disappointment flashed deep in his eyes. After a cold shout, his aura surged around him, and he slowly said, “Keep this matter in your heart. In the future, never underestimate anyone. The vastness of heaven and earth is not something either you or I can fully fathom. Remember, there is always another mountain beyond the mountain, and another person beyond the person. With such arrogance, you will never amount to much.”

“Master...”

Fang Zhan seemed to want to say more, but Fang Jianshan swept his wide sleeve, and Fang Zhan was instantly shifted far away, disappearing in a flash.

At the same time, by another riverbank, a figure in black Daoist robes stood quietly. Though his expression was calm, when he looked at the middle-aged man before him, whose aura was strange, a barely perceptible trace of killing intent flashed deep in his eyes.

“Wudao, have you truly resolved to betray my Ji family?”

Ji Tianya looked calmly at the man before him, the aura within his body faintly stirring as he slowly spoke.

“I have followed Young Master for several years, yet I have never learned a single formation. Could Young Master be deceiving me because I know nothing?”

Wudao’s expression turned somewhat gloomy as he coldly looked at the man before him. His hoarse voice slowly came out.

“To repent for a thousand years was the oath you once swore. What you are doing now is truly quite interesting.”

After saying this coldly, Ji Tianya fell silent. Several streaks of light suddenly spread from beneath his feet in all directions, and an extreme force of sealing expanded as it heavily enveloped the man before him.

...

“Uncle-master, why are we here?”

High above the endless void, two figures, one old and one young, stood silently. The old man wore an expression of utter indolence, while the youth was handsome in appearance, yet gave off a gloomy impression. His gaze was as deep as a abyss, making him seem extremely calculating.

It was the youth who spoke. Beside him, the old man chuckled softly, looking toward a place where tribulation clouds were gathering, and slowly said, “Your body strength is your weakness. This old man has found you a fine set of bones. Later, I will use the meridian-changing and marrow-replacing method to transplant them into you.”

“Oh? In that case, Tiannan thanks Uncle-master!”

Hearing this, Yin Tiannan’s eyes lit up with joy. After respectfully bowing to the old man, he said no more. The old man also began secretly to calculate matters...

...

“Disciples of great clans truly cannot be spoken to as ordinary people... Is the heavenly tribulation about to arrive...”

In a stretch of hills and wilderness, Lin Hao looked at the endless dark clouds rapidly gathering overhead, and a grave expression appeared in his eyes.