Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 770: Did You Answer?

Gu Qingqing could barely breathe, her small face turning green.

Li Xuan secretly observed Yuwen Yao, a hint of lust in his eyes, which he concealed well, merely placing his hand lightly on the shoulder of Gu Qingqing’s ruqun.

The atmosphere was tense.

The few people from Zhongmiao Sect had smug expressions.

Under a distant tree, Xi Shuyan’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile, her gaze lingering on Yuwen Yao.

Zhou Liu, meanwhile, continued to stare at the insects crawling on the ground, as if the dispute before him was less interesting than the path of an ant.

The atmosphere on the scene was suffocating.

"Caw—!"

Just then, a crow’s cry came.

A crow flew in from somewhere.

Its feathers were as black as ink, and it silently landed on Gu Qingqing’s shoulder, which was trembling slightly from nervousness.

This small creature looked unremarkable and inconspicuous.

It tilted its head, looking at Li Xuan.

"Hm?"

Where did this beast come from?

Li Xuan felt a slight doubt in his heart. He looked closely, only to find that the crow’s bird eyes emitted a sharp golden light.

Zhou Liu in the distance seemed to sense something, withdrawing his gaze from the insects and looking up at the scene.

The next moment, the crow actually pecked fiercely at Li Xuan’s hand, which was resting on Gu Qingqing’s shoulder.

Li Xuan had already noticed it beforehand, so he activated his protective Spiritual Qi.

However, to everyone’s surprise, with that single peck from the crow, Li Xuan’s temporarily formed protective Spiritual Qi was instantly shattered.

Caught off guard, a sharp Qi pierced through Li Xuan’s palm.

He only felt a slight numbness on the back of his hand, like being pricked by a fine needle, followed by intense pain!

"Ah—!"

At the same time, there was a faint sound of wind and thunder in the sky.

Buzz!

One black and one red, two distinct rainbow lights streaked across the sky. The black and white stream of light moved faster, stopping above Wangxian Platform.

The dark red stream of light, however, descended directly, causing the bluestone ground to shake violently.

An invisible surge of Qi erupted, powerfully shattering the Spiritual Pressure that Li Xuan had placed on the Cave Abyss Sect Cultivators.

This Aura was tyrannical; any Cultivator caught in its wake felt their heart clench tightly, and their blood Qi surged.

Everyone looked up in alarm, only to see a valiant figure protecting Yuwen Yao and Gu Qingqing.

His black hair was slightly long, casually tied up, and he wore simple black tight-fitting clothes.

He did not deliberately release his Aura, but his posture carried a hint of Evil Qi, as if he had walked out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

His unruly eyes looked down at Yuwen Yao.

He then looked up at Li Xuan, a faint crimson glow in his eyes.

He let out a heavy snort from his nose.

It was an undisguised expression of anger.

"Let’s do as you say!"

This person was none other than Li Yi!

For someone like him, who had grown up fighting on battlefields, handling this matter was very simple and clear.

Strike first to avoid a hundred blows.

Who knew how many "Zhongmiao Sects" were eyeing these Cave Abyss Sect Disciples, looking to bully and stir up trouble.

At this moment, they absolutely could not show weakness.

At the same time.

The black and white stream of light in the sky slowly dissipated.

From within the light, a tall figure gradually materialized, clearly taking shape.

His face was handsome, his eyes serene.

His slightly opening and closing eyes flowed with a sharp, molten-gold luster, and lotus patterns subtly appeared within them.

His Xuan-colored Daoist robe moved without wind, and behind him, a black and white long box was faintly strapped to his back.

There was no Spiritual Pressure released from his body, yet a clear Aura was undisguised.

Like a towering mountain and a deep abyss, he was restrained and profound, making him even more unsettling than Li Yi’s domineering and flamboyant presence.

Foundation Establishment Realm!

Song Yan slowly descended behind Li Yi, stopping beside Gu Qingqing, not even glancing at Li Xuan.

He merely casually brushed his hand, lightly dusting off non-existent dust from her ruqun’s shoulder sleeve, without saying a word.

"Caw—!"

The crow let out a strange cry and landed on the black and white sword box behind Song Yan, occasionally preening its feathers with its beak.

Gu Qingqing’s face showed a look of surprise.

"Senior Brother Song!"

Song Yan?!

He actually Broke Through to the Foundation Establishment Realm?

For a moment, the entire Wangxian Platform fell silent. The Cultivators who had been pointing fingers at the Cave Abyss Sect were all dumbfounded.

For Cultivators who usually paid attention to news from various sects, Li Yi’s Foundation Establishment was not that surprising.

But Song Yan... how could that be?

During Changping, this person had inexplicably gained some fame through some means, becoming well-known for a time.

But at that time, he had barely reached the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level.

Now, in just a few short years, he had already established his Dao Foundation... It was said that his Aptitude was ordinary, without any outstanding qualities.

At this moment, Li Xuan’s expression was a bit hard to maintain. Not to mention two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, just Li Yi alone was already difficult for him to deal with.

But as the face of the Zhongmiao Sect, he still maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

"Heh, do as I say?"

Li Xuan sneered, "Cave Abyss Sect is truly upright and honorable, saying one thing and doing another... If that’s truly the case, why not go on stage and fight? Why act below the stage?!"

The person who answered him was Li Yi.

"Using Foundation Establishment Cultivation to pressure my sect’s Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, shouldn’t that be considered the Zhongmiao Sect breaking the rules first?"

"You..." Li Xuan was momentarily speechless.

"This Junior Sister of mine is quite timid, Fellow Daoist Li, speak fewer grand words, lest she trembles."

Song Yan’s tone was neither warm nor cold: "Cave Abyss Sect and Zhongmiao Sect are closely related, let’s not hurt our harmony."

"Is that so?" Li Xuan’s face was grim, his words full of sarcasm.

"I think she’s quite bold. Just now, she even asked me what kind of things the Zhongmiao Sect Disciples are."

Hearing this, Gu Qingqing’s originally relieved expression stiffened slightly, and a feeling of regret emerged in her heart.

The Cave Abyss Sect was already not very well-regarded in the Chu Kingdom Cultivation World. If, because of her momentary indignation, her Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters were put in the wrong... what should she do?

She had originally only taken Senior Sister Yuwen’s spectator spot, and coming here had instead held back her Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters. It was truly inappropriate.

Her thoughts were a mess, Gu Qingqing’s small face was flushed, and she was thinking about how to apologize and how to resolve the situation, but the more she thought, the more wronged she felt, unable to speak.

"Is that what you asked?"

Song Yan’s gentle inquiry came from beside her ear. Gu Qingqing, overly nervous, shivered, and her guilt deepened.

But she was willing to take responsibility. She still nodded, humming a reply, her voice as faint as a mosquito.

Li Xuan’s sneer grew more unrestrained. He flicked his hand, his expression arrogant.

At this moment, he wanted an explanation from the Cave Abyss Sect.

Song Yan nodded gently, then looked at Li Xuan.

"So, did you answer...?"

"Hm?"

Li Xuan frowned, not understanding what this person meant.

Song Yan’s expression was calm, as if he was just saying something insignificant.

"This Junior Sister of mine asked you a question. What exactly are you Zhongmiao Sect people?"

Song Yan’s Aura finally stopped concealing itself, his pair of golden eyes looking down at him.

"Are you... deaf?"

In Li Xuan’s eyes, countless Sword Qi surged forth at this moment.

Panic seized his heart. Even the restrained attack just now was already a breach of rules.

How could this person dare to act recklessly at a grand event like the Dragon Pool Gathering!

Song Yan merely raised his hand, and Sword Qi gathered, forming a black and white sword shadow below his palm, which then slashed towards Li Xuan.

This sword strike was unremarkable, so slow that Li Xuan thought the other party was playing around.

But suddenly, he felt an immense oppressive force, as if the heavens and earth were overturning, bearing down on him.

A sense of insignificance, like facing a vast flood, permeated his heart.

Li Xuan disregarded everything else. He quickly made hand seals, and several defensive Spiritual Artifacts were conjured one by one to protect his body.

His entire body’s Spiritual Power surged, and he also conjured a small axe, preparing to counterattack.

However, just at this moment.

A faint sound, like a drop of water, reached his ear.

In his field of vision, Song Yan watched him calmly, his body devoid of Spiritual Power, and that immense oppressive force seemed to have never existed.

Where was that sword shadow?

It was gone... No, did it really exist?

For a moment, an extremely absurd feeling arose in Li Xuan’s heart.

He had just... seemed to have dreamt something... What exactly was going on?!

Shao Sichao, hidden in the crowd, glanced at Song Yan thoughtfully.

Li Yi was very close to the two of them, and his absolute intuition for battle made him catch a hint of something interesting.

This Junior Brother Song Yan, having reached the Foundation Establishment Realm during his years of travels, catching up to himself, what would his true strength be like?

He was truly eager to spar with him.

However, in the eyes of the Cultivators on Wangxian Platform, it appeared that Li Xuan of the Zhongmiao Sect, for some unknown reason, suddenly began to conjure various Spiritual Artifacts, then looked blank, making it unclear what he was doing.

Watching his actions, Zhou Liu, who had been sitting under the tree, frowned slightly, feeling very displeased.

Although he had been instructed by the Elder of his sect to take care of these Zhongmiao Sect Disciples.

But look at these people.

Their lack of strength was one thing, but they were also arrogant and incompetent, utterly useless.

"Utter fools."

However, this was, after all, an exchange meeting hosted by their Profound Origin Sect, and he would not tolerate these few people making a commotion right under his nose.

He stood up, looking at the two groups of Cultivators, his tone unfriendly.

"If you truly wish to fight, then go on stage and compete. Otherwise, be quiet and do not disrupt the order of the exchange meeting."

Li Yi did not answer him but turned his head to look at Song Yan.

Song Yan raised a hand: "You’re the boss, you call the shots."

For the Cave Abyss Sect Cultivators attending this meeting, since the leading Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator was absent, Li Yi, being in the first position, was naturally the one in charge.

Li Yi turned his head back, looking at Li Xuan with disinterest: "Want to pick a fight?"

The other party, still shaken by Song Yan’s strange methods, knew that in his current state, he was certainly no match for Li Yi.

"Heh, this is an exchange and sparring session hosted by Fellow Daoist of Profound Origin Sect. It’s better to leave it for the younger generation of the Nine Pulses to spar and discuss the Dao."

"We’ll compete again when the Nine Pulses Grand Competition arrives."

Li Xuan, along with the other two from Zhongmiao Sect, flicked his sleeves and left.

The Cave Abyss Sect Cultivators all came forward, gathering around Song Yan and Li Yi.

"I didn’t expect you to reach Foundation Establishment so quickly..."

Yuwen Yao, on the side, let out a hearty laugh, as if the recent unpleasantness had long been forgotten: "I should call you Senior Brother Song now."

In the Cultivation World, knowledge comes first, and strength is respected.

It was quite normal for Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters to suddenly become Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, or even Elders, in a blink of an eye.

"Just luck," Song Yan said with a faint smile.

It wasn’t luck, just a polite remark.

"Senior Brother Li Yi and I both had some delays, but we happened to meet outside the valley and reported to Elder Xu together."

Li Yi and Yuwen Yao seemed to be more familiar with each other. After a few words, they were already putting their arms around each other’s shoulders, laughing foolishly and carefree.

Gu Qingqing’s mood was joyful: "Hehehe... Senior Brother Song, you were so magnificent!"

"You’re not bad either, already at the Late Stage of Qi Refining."

Song Yan nodded: "It seems you haven’t been just sightseeing every day."

Gu Qingqing puffed out her small chest: "Of course not."

"Oh, by the way, have all the Cultivators participating in this Grand Competition arrived?" Li Yi suddenly remembered something and asked.

Yuwen Yao thought for a moment before replying: "Everyone has arrived, except for Junior Sister Xiang Zhaoling."

"This Junior Sister, during her travels down the mountain, seems to be returning to Southern Xinjiang, so it will take her a bit longer."

"Southern Xinjiang, huh..."

Li Yi nodded.

Song Yan recalled the map from the World in the Box. If one were to ask which other region was closest to the Border Region, it was undoubtedly Southern Xinjiang.

One only needed to cross a Great Heaven Mountain to reach the northern part of Southern Xinjiang.

Therefore, among the few countries near the Great Heaven Mountain in the Border Region, people from Southern Xinjiang, though few, were not entirely absent.

The few of them chatted as they left the place.

Xiao Ju, as Song Yan’s Disciple, had already reported to Xu Ziqing about Song Yan’s establishment of his Dao Foundation. So, Dragon Pool Mountain had specially arranged an Immortal Cave at White Egret Cliff for him.

This was a privilege only for Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators.

Li Yi’s and Song Yan’s Immortal Caves were next to each other, so the two walked together. The other Cultivators had their own things to do, and they parted ways at the edge of Wangxian Platform.

A farce thus ended with a result that surprised everyone.

Besides Li Yi, the Cave Abyss Sect actually had another new generation Disciple who had reached Foundation Establishment.

Soon, this news spread like wildfire.

A name that had been dormant for many years appeared in the sights of many Cultivators.

Song Yan.

Many people had actually heard of him a few years ago, but now, they probably needed to revisit his name.

"Song Yan has reached Foundation Establishment? I need to go back and report to the Elders..."

Several Disciples of the Qin Family were also present, and one of them hurriedly left.

As one of the four great families, among the ten spots this time, the Yan Family occupied four, the Qin Family three, and the Zhao Family three.

The Wan Family of Chen Prefecture in West Chu had none at all, only a pitiful few spectator spots.

A generation of Cultivation families was on the verge of collapse.

At the edge of Wangxian Platform, unnoticed by anyone, an ordinary-looking Loose Cultivator sat bored under a tree.

"He actually reached Foundation Establishment?"

He murmured, watching Song Yan’s retreating figure.

"Counting from Changping... how many years? One, two, three... three or four years, I suppose."

"From the Qi Refining Stage Seventh Level to establishing his Dao Foundation, it only took three or four years."

Such a Genius was not far off from his own Disciple, who possessed a great treasure, wasn’t he?

"Did I actually want to kill him?"

"Yang Wenxuan, oh Yang Wenxuan, should I call you an old stubborn fool, or a complete idiot...?"

However, such a person growing up would certainly be disadvantageous to himself.

Getting rid of him early would naturally be best.

Whether it was the Demon Ruins or the Righteous Path, only when the future situation became more chaotic could he extract resources and benefits from it, step by step reaching the Peak.

"...Eh?"

Speaking of which... where did his Disciple run off to again?