Storm

Since Liu Li dared to do this, she had to have had some measure of confidence. Qin Sang looked on with a solemn gaze. Shi Xue was even more anxious. What cultivator did not choose to attempt a breakthrough while at their peak? For Liu Li to take such a risk was perilous; failure was a minor concern compared to the backlash, which could leave her powerless to stabilize her cultivation, damage her foundation, and inflict irreversible internal injuries. Yet on Liu Li's face, there was not the slightest hesitation or dread, only supreme focus. Across the wilderness, the vegetation had been reduced to charcoal, and the ground was pitted with massive craters, completely stripped of vitality. Only Liu Li sat alone in the midst of it all, contending against the Great Dao and against herself. Her expression shifted erratically. Shi Xue assumed she was enduring the agony of forcing a breakthrough, but only Qin Sang knew she was withstanding the fiercest counterattack from the evil art's brand. Every minute and second dragged on interminably, grating against the nerves. Liu Li's aura rose and fell in pronounced waves, fluctuating with increasing frequency and extreme instability, on the verge of slipping out of control at any second. From outward appearances, it seemed she was headed for a tragic failure. Yet to Qin Sang's eyes, she had maintained a steadfast grip on her mind from start to finish, and the situation was steadily turning for the better! Rumble... Though the tribulation clouds had clearly dispersed and bright daylight filled the sky, a sound like muffled thunder rolled through the void. In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth stirred violently, surging frantically toward the center of the wilderness. Like a rising tide, it converged around Liu Li with astonishing speed. At that moment, her body seemed to turn into a funnel, drawing in the spiritual energy like a great whale swallowing rivers. At the same time, her aura grew stronger and stronger, shattering the bottleneck with irresistible momentum! "She succeeded?" Gazing at the astounding celestial phenomena over the wilderness, Shi Xue found it hard to believe. Her junior sister had truly pulled it off! Qin Sang nodded, unreservedly showing his admiration for Liu Li. "Congratulations! Breaking through beneath the heavenly tribulation is something few besides Liu Li could ever achieve." "The joy is ours to share..." Shi Xue broke into a broad grin, genuinely thrilled for Liu Li. Qin Sang waved his hand to cast out several formation flags, sealing off the wilderness within a grand formation. He turned and said, "Let us head back first so we do not disturb her. Having just broken through, she still needs to stabilize her realm." Shi Xue cast a lingering look back at Liu Li, then followed Qin Sang back toward the Daoist temple. On the way, Qin Sang sized up Shi Xue, a thought crossing his mind. Smiling, he said, "Should Qin congratulate Master Shi in advance?" "It is all thanks to Junior Sister's pointers, which gave me a much deeper comprehension of the Ice Soul Divine Light," Shi Xue said, beaming, yet speaking with great modesty. "It felt like clouds parting to reveal the sun, and my own cultivation benefited from it. Still, whether these insights will allow me to break through remains unknown. I do not possess Junior Sister's immense talent." Hearing this, Qin Sang nodded gently. It seemed Liu Li had already made progress in refining the Ice Soul Divine Light. *** Two years later. Qingyang Island. Gentle waves lapped against the rocky shore, kicking up white spray and filling the air with pleasant splashing sounds. Five figures stood atop a boulder by the water's edge. Qin Sang and Liu Li stood side by side with their backs to the azure sea and blue sky, looking at the three people who had come to see them off: Tan Hao, Jingyu, and Shi Xue. Over the past two years, Liu Li had stabilized her cultivation, and she and Qin Sang had returned to the Beichen Realm to look upon the ruins left behind after the Ziwei Palace ascended. Once they settled all their lingering affairs, they decided to set out. Qin Sang's main task had been arranging things for Qingyang Temple and a few old acquaintances. He himself had no attachments left. Now that Qingyang Temple was on the right track, his duty was fulfilled. Liu Li's situation was even simpler. She had never been deeply entangled with Xuantian Palace to begin with; she had merely obeyed her master's dying wish by returning to the Snow Listening Tower, presenting herself as a cold-faced beauty and having virtually no friends aside from Shi Xue. Her modifications to the Ice Soul Divine Light were more than enough repayment from master and disciple to their lineage. Although cultivating that divine ability remained extremely difficult, disciples of the Snow Listening Tower would at least have hope of mastering it in the future, preventing their branch from sinking to the bottom of the principal lineages. "The road ahead is long and far; there is no need to see us off any further, fellow Daoists!" Qin Sang clasped his hands and offered a carefree smile. Within the Snow Listening Tower, only Shi Xue knew of Liu Li's departure. Shi Xue took Liu Li's hand and urged her with no small amount of worry, "Junior Sister, do take care. If Zhongzhou is truly as prosperous as the descriptions say, top experts and peak powers will certainly not be few. Alas, you are both too impatient; waiting until you broke through to the late stage would have been far safer before embarking on this journey." Jingyu said with a smile, "I have never doubted Fellow Daoist Qin's capabilities, and now with Daoist Liu Li at his side, you two will surely turn danger into fortune! We will guard Fellow Daoist Qin's lineage here and await your triumphant return with good news!" Tan Hao gave a heavy nod. "I will not fail your trust!" Having reached their level of cultivation, they were long accustomed to parting and separation. Without excessive pleasantries, under the watchful gaze of the three, Qin Sang and Liu Li took their leave quietly. Drifting further into the distance, their figures vanished amid the azure waves. Avoiding prying eyes, they quietly slipped out of the Cuiming Islands and sped up, hurtling northeast until they reached the edge of the storm belt due east of the Demon Realm. Indeed, the first step of heading toward Zhongzhou was not heading south, but going east! The two made brief adjustments at the edge of the storm belt to bring themselves to peak condition, then set off immediately. Before departing, Qin Sang and Liu Li turned back and gazed for a long while. It would likely be a very long time before they saw such peaceful and serene scenery again. "Let's go," Qin Sang said softly, looking at Liu Li. Liu Li had kept her eyes fixed on the north, and after taking one last, deep look toward the depths of the heavens, she summoned the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle. The two flashed inside, and the divine shuttle transformed into an azure light, plunging straight into the storm belt. After their departure, rumors spread from Qingyang Temple and the Snow Listening Tower that the couple, Qin Sang and Liu Li, had entered seclusion together on Qingyang Island to comprehend the Great Dao, vowing not to emerge until they broke through to the late Nascent Soul stage. Qin Sang had already dropped hints of this during Qingyang Temple's celebration. Once they were gone, the legend of the Beichen Twin Fiends showed not the slightest sign of fading; on the contrary, the tales grew increasingly outlandish, yet no one ever saw the true faces of the Beichen Twin Fiends again. The battle in the Sacred Ground had far-reaching consequences. For a long time afterward, the North Sea actually experienced an absence of large-scale warfare. Xuantian Palace had suffered greatly from internal strife. Tong Lingyu not only had to prepare for her own attempt at the late Nascent Soul stage, but also had to help heal Luo Yun and stabilize the sect's situation. She had no energy for expansion, sparing at most a portion of her strength to divide up some important islands in the Boundless Sea. With Yin Changsheng dead, the Nine-Headed Great Sage found no one left to restrain him and grew restless. Unfortunately, Great Sage Tianpeng and numerous demon kings had met defeat in the Sacred Ground; no matter how formidable the Nine-Headed Great Sage was, even marshaling all the current strength of the demon race would not suffice to fight out of the Demon Realm and oppose the entire human race. It could only cower within the Demon Realm and remain dormant. As for the demonic path, they had lost not only their top experts, but many demonic inheritances had been buried alongside them beneath the Linglong Pagoda. It would likely be difficult for them to amount to anything for a thousand years. The Boundless Sea had originally been a haven for evil and unorthodox cultivators, but now the tables had turned. Incapable of halting the righteous path's infiltration, those wicked cultivators were frequently hunted down, forced to flee their homes and hide in every corner, eking out a miserable existence. The Myriad Demons Assembly survived, but only in name; it became a grand gathering for the entire North Sea. It was within this environment that Qingyang Temple developed steadily. The ferocious reputation of the Beichen Twin Fiends was still at its height, their lingering prestige enduring. Qingyang Temple clearly enjoyed a close relationship with Xuantian Palace. Though the Beichen Twin Fiends never showed their faces, Qingyang Temple did not lack Nascent Souls: Tan Hao was visible on the surface, and Jingyu, unable to reveal himself publicly, was widely rumored to be an enigmatic expert. In its early days, no one dared look down upon Qingyang Temple. Whenever its disciples traveled abroad and were recognized as members of Qingyang Temple, they were invariably treated with immense courtesy. Only much later, when the Beichen Twin Fiends had thoroughly faded from the world without ever making a public appearance, did people gradually stop believing the legends, and some began to question the Beichen Twin Fiends. Perhaps they had died in their cave dwelling from the backlash of a secret technique, and people had merely been putting on a charade all these years. Or perhaps they had been grievously injured and perished long ago—if they had truly suppressed so many demonic and monstrous powerhouses, how could they have escaped without paying any price? ... By that time, Qingyang Temple had grown powerful and no longer feared rumors. None of this, however, had anything to do with Qin Sang and Liu Li, who had already traveled far from home. They had no way of predicting how the situation in the North Sea would evolve; at present, they were fully focused on withstanding the onslaught of the storm without distraction. Darkness swallowed the sky and earth. The gale was like chaotic ink splashed from the heavens, recklessly smearing across this domain, shattering all calm and bringing forth a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse. Amidst the turbulent gale, a speck of azure light darted and shifted, streaking rapidly through the void. The light was not bright; compared to the overwhelming storm, it was as dim as a dying candle, making one worry it could be snuffed out by the gale at any moment. Qin Sang, his incarnation, and Liu Li were crowded inside the space within the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle, suppressing the shuttle's presence as much as possible to avoid drawing unknown dangers. At this moment, Liu Li was steering the shuttle. Qin Sang looked out sideways, his gaze profound. He was no stranger to the storm belt, but this time was different. When he first entered the North Sea, though his expenditure had been immense, he had known with certainty that as long as he pressed forward, he would cross the storm belt and reach the North Sea. On this journey, the road ahead was uncertain. They had to make a vast detour, hopping through ancient shelters one by one before they could reach Zhongzhou. Qin Sang estimated that even if everything went smoothly, the journey would be measured in years. Moreover, the storm belt was fraught with peril; any slight mishap could cost them their lives. Upon reaching each shelter, they would have to exercise utmost caution to verify the road ahead. The time consumed would multiply. The first shelter lay due east. On the sea chart, it was depicted as a tree—a tree beneath the surface of the sea. Based on the distance, with Liu Li and the incarnation steering the shuttle in succession without consuming pills or absorbing spirit stones, they should be able to reach the vicinity of that tree before the incarnation was exhausted. Qin Sang's primary body possessed the greatest strength. Unless absolutely necessary, he needed to preserve his primary body's combat readiness as much as possible to deal with unexpected emergencies. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! One grey tempest after another grazed past the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle at extreme speeds. The storms were capricious. Holding the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros horn in one hand, Liu Li skillfully steered the shuttle to evade them, sometimes vaulting high, sometimes swerving unpredictably, slipping through every gap like dancing on the edge of a blade. Had this been a low-tier cultivator, to say nothing of piloting the shuttle, the constant danger and nonstop mental strain would likely have caused them to break down before long. They pushed deeper into the storm belt. Even while shielded inside the shuttle, Qin Sang felt an ever-increasing oppression—and this was not yet the most terrifying aspect of the storm. Qin Sang let out a gentle breath, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and produced a demonic banner in his palm. Sinking into meditation, he channeled the fire lotus in his purple palace, quietly refining the demonic fire and cultivating Fire Sows Golden Lotus. Sitting cross-legged beside Qin Sang, his external incarnation was likewise cultivating a secret technique. Liu Li had kept her promise and passed the Ice Soul Divine Light to him. After weighing his options, Qin Sang had ultimately decided to let his incarnation attempt the Ice Soul Divine Light first. Though exceptionally difficult, once mastered, the formless and intangible Ice Soul Divine Light could assist the primary body in restricting opponents, producing miraculous results. It was more suitable for the external incarnation than the Luoyou Divine Restriction or the Xuantian One Qi Great Capturing Hand. Aside from that, Qin Sang's spirit insects were also striving hard. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had advanced not long ago and was still far from the late Fourth Metamorphosis. The Fire Jade Centipede had failed its attempt at the Fourth Metamorphosis. This time, Qin Sang had commissioned others to refine a large quantity of Fire Smelting Pills, enough to last the journey, hoping the massive influx of pills would help it break through its bottleneck. After devouring the frogfish's poison sac, the fat silkworm had gone quiet, no longer begging for food, and remained in a deep slumber. Qin Sang did not know whether the fat silkworm could undergo another transformation; he could only pray it would not cause trouble while inside the storm belt. Even if a spirit insect tribulation was relatively weak, having one occur in a place like this would be a massive headache. As for the Mute Girl, Qin Sang still had no good solution for her. He had already completely inscribed the bone curse taught by Bai onto her body. The effect was remarkable. Her soul was stable, her aura steady, her small face rosy, and she showed no signs of aging. It was as though she were merely asleep, yet she showed no signs of awakening either. Qin Sang could only place his hopes on the fat silkworm advancing to the Fourth Metamorphosis, which might perhaps bring a new turn of events for the Mute Girl. *** Rumble... The roar of the tempests drowned out the sound of the Ten Directions Earth-Cleaving Divine Shuttle as it sped along. Day and night were indistinguishable within the storm belt. After hurtling forward for an unknown length of time, the end remained out of sight. Even though the shuttle's consumption was relatively low, Liu Li had already expended seventy to eighty percent of her true essence, and a hint of fatigue showed beneath her focused expression. Her eyes flickered. Seizing a moment when the storm was less violent, she woke Qin Sang's external incarnation. The incarnation stirred, murmured a polite word of gratitude for her hard work, and immediately took over the Moon-Gazing Rhinoceros horn and control of the shuttle. Liu Li nodded, closed her eyes tightly, and raced against time to recover. However, the heaven-and-earth origin qi inside the storm belt was too chaotic, nowhere near as stable as in a shelter, making natural recovery inefficient. In a place like this, one still had to rely on spirit pills and spirit stones. Both she and Qin Sang had prepared ample supplies of both. Things turned out slightly different from Qin Sang's initial estimation. It was not until the external incarnation was utterly spent and Qin Sang took over, flying for another stretch, that they finally reached the location marked on the sea chart. The scenery inside the storm belt was monotony itself, and this place was no exception. Qin Sang glanced down at the churning waters below while discreetly casting an incantation to sense their surroundings. Moments later, a flash of joy crossed his face, and he suddenly steered the shuttle down in a rapid dive. The sea was no sanctuary; chaotic forces ran rampant everywhere. Evading the turbulent undercurrents, Qin Sang maintained a clear destination. Before they had flown far, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was the first to spot a slender silhouette. Just as depicted on the chart, it was a tree. Its trunk was slender and stood unmoving amid the turbulence, growing upward from the seabed to an unknown depth, rising straight until swelling into a canopy at the very top. It was not a tree of the land, but rather resembled coral. The canopy was about the size of a room—utterly minuscule in the boundless ocean. Moreover, the entire coral tree was grey, giving off no peculiar fluctuations, making it completely invisible from the ocean surface. Qin Sang marveled at the sight, truly wondering how the predecessor who drew the sea chart had managed to discover this place. He swept his gaze across their surroundings, and upon confirming there was no danger nearby, steered the shuttle straight toward one of the branches. Meeting no resistance, they landed lightly upon it.