Within the transparent arena, ten thousand people across Yilu Province looked up at Li Qing.
Yet he did not spare a single glance at the cultivators below.
Instead, with a flick of his finger, he regained command of the tens of thousands of sword arts ahead that had lost their quarry.
Then he looked up toward the sky above. "I have a sword, and invite the Heavenly Venerable to view it!"
His ringing voice carried far and wide from high in the sky, leaving the cultivators of Yilu Province looking at one another in horror.
"What is he doing?"
"Audacious! How dare he speak so insolently to Lord Heavenly Venerable!"
"Stop him quickly!"
...
Alarmed cries rose and fell in waves as the cultivators came to their senses, but it was already too late!
Behind Li Qing, the phantom of a black sword abruptly manifested.
The instant it appeared, those tens of thousands of sword arts seemed to receive some violent stimulus.
The sword lights swelled several times over in unison.
The glare was so blinding that the cultivators below could scarcely keep their eyes open.
Wan Zailai, who had been defeated and stood dejected at a loss, also lifted his head at this moment.
Seeing that the technique belonging to him could be elevated even further to such a degree, a spark of hope suddenly flared in Wan Zailai's dim eyes.
Li Qing, however, paid no heed to the reactions of the cultivators below.
With a hearty laugh, his form merged as one with the black sword phantom.
Cluster by cluster, surrounded by tens of thousands of sword arts, he tore through the sky like a sovereign of swords leading a vast host of troops.
He thrust straight up toward the firmament!
The transparent circular arena held for merely an instant before shattering inch by inch beneath this earth-shattering strike.
The countless sword lights lost none of their momentum, as if they would split the entire sky in two.
Amidst the collision between sword and sky, the sword lights burst like fireworks and scattered in all directions, illuminating the heavens in a riot of colors.
Only the black sword into which Li Qing had transformed remained resolute and unwavering.
In the end, it flew into a wondrous spectacle of an immortal sect that abruptly manifested in the sky.
Within that fleeting rift, many distinct silhouettes could be faintly seen, all gazing together at the black sword that had barged into their midst.
Different expressions rested on their faces.
...
"Sigh, this kid is truly pitiful. So young, yet..."
"What a waste of such good looks."
"Who told him to overestimate himself and stubbornly cling to Senior Sister Zhao? Not long ago, Senior Sister Zhao stepped into the Foundation Establishment stage, and her promotion to core disciple is just around the corner. Yet this kid hasn't even succeeded in Qi Condensation..."
"Truly a toad wishing to eat swan meat!"
"Uh, but I heard that he actually turned down Senior Sister Zhao's goodwill multiple times and suggested they see less of each other from now on. It was Senior Sister Zhao who wouldn't let it go, coming to find him on her own initiative every time..."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The discussion by his ears woke Li Qing.
Seeing Li Qing stir awake, the people around him fell silent and left the room one after another.
They left him alone to come to his senses.
His mind was a murky blur, and only after quite a while did Li Qing grasp his present situation.
He had originally been an inhabitant of Changfeng Village at Mount Daqing.
Half a year ago, Changfeng Village was drenched in blood by a band of mountain bandits. Only he and Zhao Ruoxi from the village had gone out to play, thereby escaping the calamity.
Seeing towering flames rising from the village, they had rushed back in haste.
Unexpectedly, they ran head-on into the retreating bandits.
Every single bandit was captivated by Zhao Ruoxi's beauty and sought to abduct her. Fortunately, an immortal master from the Dadao Sect descended from the sky at that moment and slew all the villains.
Afterward, taking pity on the two, he brought them back to the Dadao Sect's mountain gate.
Mere mortals fortunate enough to step onto the immortal path—it could be called a blessing in disguise.
Yet Li Qing's karmic fortune was evidently not profound enough, or at least a world apart compared to Zhao Ruoxi's.
In half a year, she had already successfully established her foundation.
She had been accepted as a disciple by Soul Formation Immortal Lord Zhang Wangshuang of the Yuehua Lineage.
Meanwhile, he, Li Qing, still lingered in the Qi Condensation stage.
The disparity was nothing short of vast.
Had it only been that, it would have been bearable.
What Li Qing found hardest to accept was...
Feeling the immense pain radiating from his lower body, Li Qing's heart turned to ash.
All of this was because a fair face brought misfortune!
Qin Shou of the Lianshan Lineage had fallen in love with Zhao Ruoxi at first sight. Disregarding the gap in cultivation and status between them, Qin Shou launched a fierce pursuit after her.
Yet falling flowers yearn for love while running water flows indifferent; Zhao Ruoxi did not show him the slightest warmth.
Her heart had long since been pledged to Li Qing.
Not only did she visit Li Qing in the outer sect whenever she had free time, but she also secretly brought him many pills, including an incomparably precious Foundation Establishment Pill!
This Foundation Establishment Pill was no ordinary grade either. Knowing Li Qing's poor aptitude, Zhao Ruoxi had specially begged her master for a Purple Rhyme Dao Refining Pill. Not only could it minimize the side effects of forcibly breaking through with pills, but it could also slightly improve the user's cultivation aptitude.
Truly a divine medicine that defied heaven to alter fate!
That day, after sending Zhao Ruoxi off, Li Qing had looked at the divine pill in his bosom, overjoyed.
Who could have guessed that extreme joy would turn to sorrow?
His excessive closeness with Zhao Ruoxi incurred Qin Shou's displeasure.
Qin Shou sent men straight to his door to teach Li Qing a brutal lesson. And those men were truly ruthless, directly destroying Li Qing's manhood. Afterward, they ransacked the place and snatched away the Purple Rhyme Dao Refining Pill as well.
"Qin Shou..."
Gradually awakening from his memories, a glimmer of boundless hatred flashed through Li Qing's eyes.
Soon, however, the agony radiating from his lower body dragged him back to reality.
Summoning his courage, Li Qing tremblingly reached down toward his lower half.
His hand clutched empty air.
A chill instantly gripped Li Qing's heart.
"My manhood is gone, and the hope of breaking through to the Qi Condensation stage is gone too."
"What meaning is there left in living..."
Li Qing's eyes were filled with despair.
Right at this moment, a figure pushed open the door and stepped in.
Without looking up, Li Qing knew who it was simply from that familiar bodily fragrance.
"Ruoxi..."
Halfway through the name, Li Qing suddenly recalled the warning the villains had left when perpetrating the act. The stinging pain in his lower body had not abated.
Li Qing could not help shivering, and changed his words: "Senior Sister Zhao..."
Seeing Li Qing in such a state, a flicker of heartache passed through Zhao Ruoxi's eyes.
Then her expression darkened, filled with chilling murderous intent.
"Where are you hurt..." she asked softly.
Li Qing shuddered once more, instinctively shielding his groin.
Zhao Ruoxi understood in an instant, her face turning pale.
With a sweep of her divine sense, her delicate fists clenched tight. A towering surge of killing intent welled in her eyes.
Having his mutilation laid completely bare before her, Li Qing wished for nothing more than to die on the spot.
Yet out of overwhelming shame, he could do nothing but tremble all over.
Watching Li Qing shivering like a frail chick, Zhao Ruoxi felt even greater tenderness and pity.
"It's all right, it's all right."
Comforting him, she drew Li Qing into her embrace.
"It is merely bodily damage. Once your cultivation becomes profound in the future, you may be able to reshape your physical form..."
"Senior Sister, although my cultivation is not equal to yours, I still know the basic principles of cultivation. I have not even reached Foundation Establishment, yet my body is already maimed. This is an innate flaw..."
"I'm afraid that even in the Soul Formation stage, trying to mend it would be no easy matter. What's more, with my aptitude, where would I ever find hope of reaching Soul Formation..."
The more Li Qing spoke, the more desperate he became, until he broke down in tears.
Ultimately, beneath the dual blows to body and spirit, he fell into a deep slumber in Senior Sister Zhao's embrace.
Looking at Li Qing with tears all over his face, Zhao Ruoxi's eyes were initially filled with heartache.
However, as she gently used her finger to wipe away the tear stains on Li Qing's face and looked upon his handsome features with brows slightly furrowed in slumber, she became somewhat dazed.
Then, the expression on Zhao Ruoxi's face turned rather strange.
Gently laying Li Qing down, she pulled up the quilt for him.
Zhao Ruoxi seemed to be making a difficult choice. Her expression was conflicted as she paced back and forth across the room.
After who knew how long, she finally made up her mind.
She planted a soft kiss on Li Qing's cheek, then left the room.
When Li Qing woke from his stupor once again, he did not get up immediately.
Instead, his eyes were blank, staring at the ceiling, his mind empty.
"Living like this is truly meaningless. It would be better to just die."
Just as he was contemplating in his mind how he might end his life, Zhao Ruoxi walked in again.
She brought with her a heavy stench of blood.
Thud!
She tossed five human heads strung together before Li Qing. "The culprits from that day—I have killed them all!"
"Of course, I know they were merely acting on orders."
"The one who directed them from behind the scenes was Qin Shou of the Lianshan Lineage."
Hearing that name, a faint glimmer lit up in Li Qing's dull, gray eyes.
"Yet I cannot touch him right now. Not only is Qin Shou's cultivation stronger than mine, but the backing behind him is also something I cannot shake for the time being."
"But I promise you, one day, I will repay the pain Qin Shou inflicted upon you a thousandfold," Zhao Ruoxi said softly, her tone resolute.
Li Qing merely nodded slightly, offering no reply.
"By the way, I specially found a cultivation technique for you."
Seeing Li Qing's listless demeanor, Senior Sister Zhao finally retrieved a jade slip and handed it over.
"A cultivation technique?"
Li Qing was somewhat resistant at first, reluctant to reach out and take it.
However, upon hearing Zhao Ruoxi say that this technique was exceptionally suited to him, Li Qing hesitated for a moment before accepting it and reading.
"Scripture of Inverse Order?"
Li Qing was somewhat dispirited at the start, but upon reading the line in the technique that said, 'To practice this art, one must first castrate oneself,' his entire body jolted.
He snapped his head up to look at Zhao Ruoxi.
Zhao Ruoxi explained softly, "This is a cultivation technique buried deep within the secret pavilion of the Dadao Sect. Its origins are unknown, and because the prerequisite for cultivating it is far too harsh, practically no one has touched it over the years."
"I searched through almost the entire secret pavilion before finding this technique that suits you best."
As if hope had been ignited, Li Qing eagerly read through the subsequent contents of the jade slip.
"Heaven and Earth are limitless, the cosmos has order, and Yin and Yang have their Dao."
"Such is the principle of nature."
"Yet confounding Yin and Yang can also seize good fortune and step into True Immortality!"
...
The opening general outline alone deeply captivated Li Qing's mind.
Forgetting everything around him, he became completely immersed in this marvelous technique.
'One can enter the realm of True Immortality...'
'If that is so, even castration is no great matter.'
After roughly skimming through it once, Li Qing could not help thinking so.
Chapter 917