Hearing this, Wei Dazongguan finally accepted the items. “In that case, this old servant will respectfully comply.”
“All right. I’ll head back to the village now. I hope that the next time we meet, you will have already stepped into the Precelestial Realm.”
With that, Lu Qing soared into the air, transforming into a streak of light heading towards Jiuli Village.
Wei Dazongguan watched the radiant streak vanish into the horizon. Shaken yet determined, he clutched the jade talisman and bottle tightly. He knew his hope of reaching the Precelestial Realm rested within them.
Atop the tavern, Yan Canghai, who had witnessed Lu Qing’s transformation into a streak of light and his departure, was equally astonished. It took him a long time to recover his composure, his expression resolute.
He understood that he had to convince his clan to accept Lu Qing’s terms. Otherwise, the death of Yan Tianhua was a minor issue compared to the calamity that could befall the entire Yan Clan if Lu Qing were provoked.
The county city wasn’t far from Jiuli Village. At the speed of a galloping horse, the journey took half a day. However, with Lu Qing’s incredible flight speed, he arrived in just a few dozen breaths, landing back at his home.
“Ah Qing has returned again, hasn’t he?”
He only stirred briefly before continuing his cultivation. With Lu Qing’s current strength, there was no one in the world who could pose a threat to him. Thus, Doctor Chen didn’t feel the need to inquire further.
Recently, with the resources Lu Qing had provided, his own cultivation had been advancing by leaps and bounds. He estimated that it wouldn’t be long before he achieved Peak Foundation Establishment. Once he perfected this realm, reaching the Golden Core Realm would be within sight.
The memory of two Golden Core Realm invaders from beyond the heavens still stung. His inadequate strength had forced him to watch helplessly as his disciple fought for their lives. This deeply motivated him to become stronger.
Although those two invaders had been defeated, the looming threat of Xuankong Mountain remained. Doctor Chen wouldn’t allow himself to grow complacent.
Little did he know, in the short time that Lu Qing had been away, he had already eradicated Xuankong Mountain. The greatest enemy standing against them had been completely annihilated.
Back at home, Lu Qing entered his meditation chamber and focused his mind, immersing his consciousness into the Li Huo Cauldron.
“Young master,” Yan greeted him immediately.
“How are those people doing?” Lu Qing asked.
“They’re terrified,” Yan replied with a grin. “Especially that so-called Seventh Prince. He’s nearly wet himself.”
Lu Qing waved his hand, projecting the situation of the prince and his guards into view. Inside a Spatial Prison, the Seventh Prince of Yan Kingdom and his bodyguards were anxiously scanning their surroundings. However, no matter how they probed, they found nothing.
The Spatial Prison’s intricate seals were beyond their comprehension. With their abilities, uncovering its mysteries was simply impossible.
“What kind of cursed place is this?!” the Seventh Prince wailed...
After another round of fruitless searching, the young man in ornate robes could no longer suppress the panic in his heart and began shouting.
“Seventh Prince, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve been trapped inside that ancient cauldron artifact by that young man,” one of the guards said.
“Of course, I’m aware of that! What I want to know now is how we can leave this damned place!” the young man roared.
“That will be difficult,” the guard explained. “We’ve only heard our grandmaster mention artifacts briefly. Beyond that, we know very little. But since that young man could activate such an artifact, his cultivation must be beyond what we can fathom. He’s likely one of those legendary cultivators who tread the Path of Cultivation.”
The Seventh Prince’s face contorted as he exclaimed, “But I’ve never even seen that person before! How could I have provoked him?”
He was certain he had never encountered Lu Qing before, yet here he was, dragged into this cursed place without so much as an explanation. Having been pampered and privileged since childhood, he had never endured such humiliation. Panic and frustration surged within him, making his heart burn with bitterness.
“Isn’t it obvious?” another guard muttered under his breath. “Earlier, you plotted to seize the Wei Family’s treasure. That young man arrived and declared that the treasure was in his possession. Isn’t it clear what went wrong?”
Seeing the Seventh Prince still too disoriented or panicked to process what was happening, the guards exchanged uneasy glances. They had accompanied him for a long time, faithfully carrying out the orders of their grandmaster to protect him. By now, they had a decent understanding of his personality and methods.
To be honest, they couldn’t entirely understand why their grandmaster had chosen to support the Seventh Prince’s claim to the throne. In their eyes, the prince was far from an ideal ruler. While quick-witted, his cleverness often bordered on cunning. Furthermore, his selfish, lascivious, and petty nature made him unfit to possess the qualities of a great king.
But complaints aside, the grandmaster’s orders were absolute. They had no choice but to prioritize the prince’s safety above all else.
Thus, the guards began to console him.
“Seventh Prince, there’s no need to panic. Since that young man captured us, it’s likely he doesn’t intend to harm us immediately. If he truly wished to kill us, someone of his abilities could have done so with ease.”
The Seventh Prince fell silent. What unsettled him most was precisely this: the feeling that his life and death were completely under another’s control. Born into the royal family, he had enjoyed a life where his whims dictated others’ fates. Never had he experienced such degradation.
Even though he realized that the young man was likely someone he could not afford to provoke, a smoldering anger ignited in his chest. The injustice of it all filled him with unending hatred.
“Have you tried contacting Tian Lao? If Tian Lao knows our predicament, his divine abilities could surely rescue us,” the prince asked abruptly.
He knew these Precelestial Realm guards carried mysterious treasures capable of transmitting messages over vast distances, making it possible to reach Tian Lao under ordinary circumstances.
“We tried as soon as we were captured,” one guard explained. “Unfortunately, this place is extraordinarily peculiar. It seems to block all forms of communication. The Transmission Jade Tokens we carry can’t establish any connection with the grandmaster.”
“Damn it!” The young man’s irritation intensified upon hearing this. His eyes swept over the surrounding void, and the growing panic in his heart was impossible to suppress. If this went on much longer, he feared he might lose his sanity entirely.
Outside the Spatial Prison, Lu Qing observed the increasingly panicked expressions of the Seventh Prince and shook his head.
He had initially thought this person might be a shrewd and resilient figure. To his surprise, the so-called prince was nothing but a paper tiger, unable to endure even a bit of pressure. It seemed the man’s cultivation at the Internal Organs Realm was merely the result of copious resources, with his temperament nowhere near the level such a stage required.
Noticing the young man’s condition deteriorating, Lu Qing waved his hand, dispelling the prison.
Inside, just as the young man was about to break down entirely, light suddenly burst forth in front of him, dispelling the endless darkness. Two figures appeared before his eyes.