This time around, Xu Qing activated the power of rules and flew quickly in the area he was guarding, searching for suitable criminals. At the same time, he took out a jade slip to screen the name list.
What he was looking for were all cultivators who were at the perfected Nascent Soul Realm when they were captured. Such criminals were only a step away from the heavenly tribulation.
Very soon, Xu Qing locked onto four of them. As he performed a series of hand seals, he borrowed the power of rules to search. Not long later, he found a cultivator from the Winged Race.
This criminal was hiding in a cave underground and meditating.
At the next instant, as the cave he lived in rumbled, the ground collapsed and a huge gap exploded. Amidst the rumbling, the expression of the Winged Race prisoner changed.
Although his reaction was fast, it was useless under absolute strength.
A huge force descended from the sky and directly pulled him into the air.
It didn't allow him to refuse or struggle at all.
Due to the weakening by the power of rules, Xu Qing could crush all criminals here.
In an instant, the Nascent Soul of the Winged Race, who was all-powerful outside and could kill Xu Qing with a single hand, was grabbed by the neck by Xu Qing.
Although he felt aggrieved, the Winged Race cultivator still spoke carefully with a fawning expression.
Xu Qing didn't speak. His gaze was cold. After taking a closer look, he threw the Winged Race member to the side. After that, he took out a few medicinal pills and threw them over.
These pills contained dense spirit energy and were good pills in the outside world. Here, they were even more precious. When the Winged Race prisoner saw them, he was stunned. However, what appeared in his eyes wasn't joy but hesitation.
He was very clear that there must be a reason for this abnormality. Hence, he looked at Xu Qing nervously.
"Do you want to eat them yourself, or do you want me to cripple you and stuff them in?" Xu Qing calmly asked.
Viciousness rose in the heart of the Winged Race prisoner, but he forcefully suppressed it. He knew the consequences of not complying, so he gritted his teeth and picked up the medicinal pills, swallowing them all.
However, he was careful and controlled the speed of the absorption.
Xu Qing frowned and directly slapped down. The Winged Race cultivator let out a mournful cry. His body almost collapsed and he was on the verge of death.
However, it was only because his body was weak. As the pills fused into his body, the spirit qi in his body quickly recovered. After Xu Qing checked, he felt that it wasn't enough and opened his mouth again, throwing down a few more pills.
As these pills fused into his body, an energy fluctuation near to breaking through spread out from the Winged Race cultivator.
When he was captured, he was already at the limit of the Nascent Soul realm. After so many years, he had already reached the level of breaking through. However, to advance to the Spirit Repository, he needed the Heavenly Dao. He clearly didn't have it, so he would definitely fail to break through.
However… regardless of whether it was a failure or not, it wouldn't affect the activation of the rules of heaven and earth here, forming the saber of heavenly tribulation.
This fluctuation instantly shocked the Winged Race cultivator. He knew what Xu Qing was trying to do and was about to speak, but it was too late. The sky instantly surged with clouds and tribulation clouds filled the air.
The Winged Race cultivator let out a sharp cry and suddenly jumped up, speeding into the distance. He also kept attacking himself, wanting to suppress his cultivation base and dissipate the heavenly tribulation.
However, after a few attacks, his entire body trembled and stopped. He revealed a fanatical and exaggerated expression but there was horror in his eyes.
His body seemed to be controlled as he forcefully turned around and knelt down in front of Xu Qing.
"Master… I'm willing… to… die!"
The incoherence in his words meant that the shadow's control over him was unstable. At this moment, the Winged Race member struggled even more intensely. His expression changed and his fanatical expression quickly dissipated. His expression became distorted and he was about to break free.
Thunder rumbled in the sky. The Dao Slaying Heavenly Saber formed by countless lightning suddenly landed on the Winged Race.
The moment it landed, the shadow left. The Winged Race cultivator, who had returned to normal, had no chance of dodging. He let out mournful cries and was slashed down by the heavenly saber.
A rumbling sound echoed in all directions.
Xu Qing sat cross-legged in his original location and didn't care about the Winged Race prisoner who was on the verge of death after his Dao foundation was cut off. He lifted his head and looked at the heavenly saber, comprehending again.
300 breaths of time passed in a flash.
As the tribulation clouds slowly dissipated and the heavenly saber also disappeared, Xu Qing's eyes revealed contemplation.
After a while, he stood up and walked toward another area to search for another suitable specimen.
Just like that, several days passed.
As Xu Qing attempted to comprehend Dao Slaying Saber again and again, it was time to meet Ning Yan.
On this day, at dusk, the sky was filled with orange light that formed a gorgeous light. It flowed on the ground like water and landed on the roof and plaza of the Sword Holding Palace's records office.
There were many Sword Holders lined up there.
They were all reserve candidates from the various provinces.
Some of them had anxious expressions and were waiting bitterly. Ning Yan was one of them.
From time to time, he would look into the distance. His heart was uneasy and he was worried about gains and losses. He had been waiting for half a day already.
Behind the table, there was a middle-aged Sword Holder with a solemn expression. This person was in the Golden Core realm and there was a faint flash of lightning in his eyes. Clearly, he was from the Primordial Lightning Lineage and his energy fluctuations were extraordinary.
At that moment, he lifted his head and looked at the seven to eight reserve candidates who were frequently looking into the distance.
"Most of the reserve candidate recommendation records have been completed. You're the only ones left."
"Have you guys found anyone from your same province to recommend you?"
These seven to eight substitutes all had bitter expressions. Some explained, while others remained silent.
Ning Yan hurriedly nodded and bowed to the middle-aged Sword Holder.
"Please wait a little longer. My recommender promised me that he would come."