“Who exactly is that fiend?!”
At this moment, Elder Jinchong’s appearance was utterly miserable. His face was as pale as paper, and almost none of the bones in his body remained intact. His body was covered in blood mixed with dirt, creating a grimy mess. Gone was any trace of the Golden Core Realm cultivator’s former vigor and grandeur.
Even as he stared at the direction where Lu Qing had disappeared, the terror in Elder Jinchong’s eyes lingered, refusing to dissipate.
The might of that Spiritual Power Hand was utterly terrifying! It descended like the heavens themselves, obliterating everything in its path with unparalleled dominance.
Recalling it now, Elder Jinchong still couldn’t stop his body from trembling. He found it incomprehensible—why, when the world had only recently begun its Spiritual Revival, would such an overwhelming figure appear?
Could that fiend also be an outsider?
But if he were from beyond this world, why harbor such deep enmity toward Xuankong Mountain, going so far as to hunt them to extinction?
Elder Jinchong couldn’t fathom the reason, but he understood one thing: he had to report this matter to the Abbot immediately.
Thinking of Elder Chixin and the others, a hint of sorrow flashed in Elder Jinchong’s eyes. The fiend’s demonic techniques were far too horrifying. Under such immense might, there was no chance Elder Chixin or the others could have survived.
If not for his Golden Core Realm cultivation and the last-minute self-destruction of his Life-bound Artifact, the Golden Bell, coupled with his use of a Feigned Death Secret Technique to deceive the fiend’s perception, he too would have perished.
Straining to prop himself up, Elder Jinchong activated the dim, almost shattered Golden Core of Spiritual Power within him. Forcing out a sliver of spiritual power, he began absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy to heal his injuries.
His wounds were grave and required immediate recovery. Otherwise, not only would opening the hidden realm be impossible, but even his cultivation level could regress.
Moreover, he had to act quickly. With Elder Chixin and the others dead, their Soul Tablets extinguished, chaos must already be erupting within the monastery. If he didn’t return soon, the consequences would be disastrous.
Driven by an overwhelming sense of urgency, Elder Jinchong focused his mind as never before, continuously drawing in spiritual energy from the surroundings to heal himself.
The recovery abilities of a Golden Core Realm cultivator were indeed formidable. After half an hour of treatment, Elder Jinchong felt his injuries had stabilized considerably. The near-shattered Golden Core of Spiritual Power had also regained some stability, allowing him to use a fraction of his power.
Feeling barely capable of moving, Elder Jinchong dared not delay further. Summoning his power, he lifted into the air and flew toward a specific location.
Eventually, he arrived at a natural gateway formed by two converging peaks. The area exuded an ancient, profound aura, with both spiritual energy and earthly energy faintly converging here. ȑ𝘼ɴǒ₿ЁṤ
Hovering before the gateway, Elder Jinchong formed intricate Hand Seals with both hands while simultaneously channeling his spiritual power to resonate with the space within the gateway.
As the Hand Seals continued to flow, spatial ripples began to emerge in the middle of the gateway. Slowly, a swirling spatial vortex appeared, gradually stabilizing.
When the spatial vortex fully formed, Elder Jinchong wiped the sweat from his face. Already heavily injured, the effort of opening the Hidden Realm’s entrance had drained much of his recently recovered spiritual power.
But it was finally open.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Elder Jinchong prepared to step into the spatial vortex. However, just as his body moved, he froze. A powerful suppressive force enveloped him, rendering him immobile.
“So, this is the entrance to Xuankong Mountain’s Hidden Realm. It isn’t as well-hidden as one might expect.”
A voice sounded from behind, causing Elder Jinchong’s eyes to widen in shock. He recognized it immediately—it was the voice of that fiend!
Before he could react, he felt a hand press onto his head. An indescribably potent spiritual power surged into his body, splitting into two streams that sealed his Qi Sea, Golden Core of Spiritual Power, and even the Brow Acupoint.
Elder Jinchong’s spiritual power and soul force were completely locked, leaving him utterly powerless.
A figure appeared beside him—it was none other than Lu Qing.
Seeing the disbelief in Elder Jinchong’s eyes, Lu Qing smiled faintly. “Old bald donkey, did you really think I didn’t notice you feigning death beneath the rocks? I merely let you live a bit longer to find the entrance to your Xuankong Mountain’s Hidden Realm.”
Elder Jinchong’s eyes widened further in terror as he suddenly realized Lu Qing’s true intent.
Seeing the horror in Elder Jinchong’s expression, Lu Qing nodded. “That’s right, you guessed correctly. I will completely annihilate Xuankong Mountain and erase it from this world.”
Ignoring Elder Jinchong’s furious glare, Lu Qing carried him by the head and turned his attention to the Hidden Realm’s entrance. After a brief scan with his Spiritual Powers, confirming no immediate danger, Lu Qing stepped into the spatial vortex with Elder Jinchong in tow.
As the scenery around them shifted and brightened, Lu Qing’s divine sense immediately expanded outward. He found himself standing on a massive jade-paved platform, surrounded by rolling clouds that seemed within arm’s reach. Below was a vast expanse of land.
He stood atop a colossal floating mountain. “Could the name Xuankong Mountain originate from this?” he mused.
“Jinchong Taishang Elder, w-what happened to you?”
A trembling voice broke the silence. Turning, Lu Qing saw two middle-aged monks staring at him and the subdued Elder Jinchong in fear.
Unfortunately, their question was doomed to go unanswered. Elder Jinchong’s Qi Sea, Golden Core, and even his meridians were all sealed, rendering him incapable of speech or even soul transmission. He could only flash them a desperate look, trying to warn them.
The monks couldn’t interpret his gaze but quickly deduced the situation. The figure holding Elder Jinchong bore the distinctive Ghost-Face Mask that was now infamous across Xuankong Mountain.
One monk reacted swiftly, dashing toward a massive ancient bell nearby. Channeling his blood energy, he delivered a heavy punch to the bell’s striker.
The resounding toll echoed across the entire Xuankong Mountain Hidden Realm in an instant.
Watching this unfold, Elder Jinchong closed his eyes in despair.