Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 130

Volume 5 Chapter 130: The Dust Has Settled (Part 3)

No one could have imagined that Jin Qinghan would break through at this moment.

In fact, during this time, Jin Qinghan was not in a coma. After Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong finished healing him, he awakened.

However, the moment he woke up, he instinctively and involuntarily fell into a strange meditative state, and this meditation lasted for more than ten days.

In fact, Jin Qinghan had already reached the peak of the Real Golden Core Stage. At this moment, he was at the critical point between the Real Golden Core Stage and the Golden Core Stage. If he spent a short time in seclusion, he could very likely break through to the Golden Core Stage. But because Jin Qinghan had been fighting alongside Xu Qingfan for the past few years, he had no time for seclusion, so this breakthrough had been endlessly delayed.

Because of this, Jin Qinghan’s strength had shown signs of instability during this time. Although he usually held the peak of the Real Golden Core Stage, he often demonstrated power far beyond his cultivation level when he was unaware or highly focused.

For example, when he suddenly woke Xu Qingfan by striking, the might of his sword killed more than ten Condensed Core Stage "Beast Madness cultivators." Or, just earlier, when he was fighting Feng Qingtian and pinpointed Feng Qingtian’s exact location, the surrounding details became vividly clear—these were all displays of extraordinary ability.

This extraordinary ability was the strength expected of the Golden Core Stage.

Earlier, Xu Qingfan had reminded Jin Qinghan to remember the state and feeling he had when he displayed his extraordinary ability.

After Jin Qinghan fell into that inexplicable meditative state, every time he had previously demonstrated extraordinary ability, the state and feeling were clearly present in his mind, and even clearer was the scene of his battle with Feng Qingtian.

If this breakthrough was meant to happen naturally but no one knew when it would, then his battle with Feng Qingtian was the spark that triggered his breakthrough.

Fate is indeed strange; Jin Qinghan viewed Feng Qingtian as his greatest rival and enemy, yet every time he made a breakthrough, it was almost always because of Feng Qingtian’s influence.

Perhaps only when he can free himself from this influence will he truly have a chance to defeat Feng Qingtian. The conflict in their cultivation methods is not the main reason, after all, chasing someone’s shadow will never allow him to surpass them.

Nevertheless, Jin Qinghan became the third second-generation disciple of the Righteous Alliance to reach the Golden Core Stage after Bo Guangyan and Hua Xian. Considering that Hua Xian was being trained as a future sect leader by Qingxu and that Bo Guangyan had been cultivating for over two hundred years longer than him, this achievement is truly remarkable.

※※※※

On the other side, after Zhang Yi, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong noticed Jin Qinghan’s strange transformation, their expressions were all different, filled with surprise, joy, or hesitation.

At this time, Jin Qinghan’s body shone with a dazzling golden light, forcing the three women to squint as they watched. The powerful aura he released during his breakthrough made them step back, even Zhang Yi, who had already reached the Golden Core Stage, was no exception.

Only Little Gold seemed unaffected by Jin Qinghan’s aura and bright golden light, remaining in place and quietly observing the change. In its eyes was a thoughtful expression that shouldn’t belong to a beast. However, Dongfang Qingling and the other two were focused on Jin Qinghan who was breaking through and did not notice Little Gold’s odd behavior.

Finally, after a series of changes in Zhang Yi’s expression, he suddenly gritted his teeth and slowly walked toward Jin Qinghan, but a hint of killing intent flickered in his eyes.

But Dongfang Qingling seemed to have noticed Zhang Yi long ago. As soon as Zhang Yi moved, she suddenly stood firmly in front of him, her expression resolute.

Upon seeing Dongfang Qingling and Zhang Yi’s actions, Xu Xiurong was momentarily surprised, but quickly realized what was happening. She hurried to stand beside Dongfang Qingling, looking at Zhang Yi with a watchful gaze.

Zhang Yi was on this journey to retrieve the "World Defying Sword" from Xu Qingfan. Given the importance of the "World Defying Sword," it was clear that Xu Qingfan would not back down. So, Zhang Yi planned to take some people close to Xu Qingfan as hostages to force him to comply. Because of this, he had never harmed Dongfang Qingling, Xu Xiurong, or Jin Qinghan.

However, at this moment, the situation had changed. Zhang Yi had the strength to capture one Real Golden Core Stage cultivator and two Fake Golden Core Stage cultivators, but he was unable to capture one Golden Core Stage and two Fake Golden Core Stage cultivators. In fact, with Jin Qinghan’s power, and working together with Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong, Zhang Yi could only fight to a standstill and could not capture all three to pressure Jin Qinghan.

Because of this, in order for the plan to continue, since Jin Qinghan’s breakthrough could not be stopped, Zhang Yi developed the intent to kill Jin Qinghan.

Looking at Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong standing in front of him, a flicker of disdain crossed Zhang Yi’s icy face. She did not move but her eyes flashed with silver light. In an instant, Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong felt a sharp pain in their heads, as if their Divine Sense had been severed. The Spirit Qi that had gathered inside them vanished, and they fell to the ground, losing their ability to resist.

Zhang Yi, without even glancing at the fallen Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong at her feet, stepped towards Jin Qinghan, who was in the midst of breaking through.

As she walked forward, a sharp blade silently appeared in Zhang Yi’s hand, shining with a hazy glow under the morning sunlight.

When a cultivator breaks through, their Divine Sense reaches a level of connection with the heavens or even achieves Unity of Sky and Earth. However, Zhang Yi was unable to use the "Art of Annihilation" for a direct attack.

Fortunately, for Zhang Yi, using a sharp blade to slit Jin Qinghan’s throat or tearing apart Jin Qinghan’s Divine Sense with the "Art of Annihilation" would have the same effect, and the first option might even take less effort.

As Zhang Yi stepped into a circle of golden light surrounding Jin Qinghan, his steps light and his eyes filled with killing intent, Dongfang Qingling felt a rush of panic and found herself powerless to stop him. She shouted loudly, "You absolutely cannot kill Martial Brother Jin! If you kill Martial Brother Jin, Senior Brother Xu will never forgive you and won’t give you that thing. Once you kill Martial Brother Jin, it means you are completely breaking away from Senior Brother Xu, and even threatening me and Martial Sister Xu will have no effect."

At Dongfang Qingling’s shout, Zhang Yi’s footsteps paused.

Seeing that Zhang Yi’s killing intent seemed to waver, Dongfang Qingling felt a spark of hope and said, "Besides, with the three of us trying to clear the cave, we don’t know how long it will take. Who knows what might happen if Senior Brother Xu gets stuck in there? But if Martial Brother Jin helps us with his gold-type methods, we could move countless times faster."

As Dongfang Qingling spoke, Zhang Yi’s footsteps finally came to a complete stop.

Slowly turning around, Zhang Yi gazed quietly at Dongfang Qingling, his eyes deep and unreadable, while Dongfang Qingling calmly met his gaze.

Their eyes locked for a full fifteen minutes; Dongfang Qingling hoped Zhang Yi would abandon his murderous intent while Zhang Yi considered the pros and cons of acting. Meanwhile, Xu Xiurong stood nearby, filled with anxiety.

In the tense atmosphere, no one noticed that although Jin Qinghan still exuded powerful energy, the dazzling golden light surrounding him was gradually fading.

After fifteen minutes, Zhang Yi seemed to have finished his thoughts and slowly said, "I still prefer to hold the situation in my hands. Although killing Jin Qinghan would completely anger Xu Qingfan, I have my own ways to make him speak."

As Zhang Yi spoke, Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong looked shocked, but it seemed not because of Zhang Yi’s intent to kill Jin Qinghan; in their astonishment, there was still a hint of relief.

Zhang Yi was taken aback, turned around, and found Jin Qinghan, who had been quietly floating in the air, now standing proudly in front of her. He radiated a powerful aura, clearly having reached the Golden Core Stage. A glowing golden sword appeared in his hand, pointing directly at Zhang Yi’s throat, his gaze icy.

"So, you want to kill me? And force Senior Brother Xu?"

His voice was freezing, as if the air around them had frozen.

Perhaps it was because the opportunity to break through his realm had been delayed for too long, causing a sudden burst of power, or maybe after practicing some Buddhist cultivation methods, Jin Qinghan experienced a moment of enlightenment during his breakthrough. What should have taken several days to achieve was completed in just over a moment for Jin Qinghan, which was truly incredible.

When Zhang Yi saw that Jin Qinghan had broken through to the Golden Core Stage, her eyes flashed with shock, just like Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong, but she remained composed and showed no concern for the golden sword pressed against her neck. She just looked deeply at Jin Qinghan, as if trying to see through him.

Then, in Zhang Yi’s eyes, a silver light flashed.

"Be careful!"

Dongfang Qingling finally snapped out of her surprise at how quickly Jin Qinghan had reached the Golden Core Stage and suddenly remembered Zhang Yi’s abilities, shouting a warning.

Unfortunately, it is already too late.

In a flash of silver in Zhang Yi’s eyes, Jin Qinghan felt a sharp pain in his mind, and his body trembled slightly. Taking this opportunity, Zhang Yi quickly moved and escaped the attack range of Jin Qinghan’s golden sword.

In the next moment, Zhang Yi appeared behind Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong, who were sitting on the ground, holding a short blade in each hand that glowed softly, pressing them against the necks of Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong.

"What do you think? Let’s make a deal. These two saved your life before; you wouldn’t just let them die, would you?"

Zhang Yi looked at Jin Qinghan and said coldly.

A flash of killing intent appeared in Jin Qinghan’s eyes, and he slowly replied, "No."

While speaking, Jin Qinghan made a move that no one expected.

Jin Qinghan slowly put away his golden sword, then drew his hands across his chest, creating two wounds that began to bleed, soaking his already charred clothes, and blood dripped onto the ground continuously.

"What are you doing?"

Seeing Jin Qinghan suddenly harm himself, Zhang Yi and the others were shocked and did not understand why Jin Qinghan would hurt himself. However, this self-harm did not threaten Zhang Yi. Because of their shock, Zhang Yi did not harm Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong, only asking coldly.

Jin Qinghan did not answer but stared at her coldly. Zhang Yi suddenly realized that Jin Qinghan’s gaze was strikingly similar to Feng Qingtian’s from before, causing a chill in his heart.

In shock at Jin Qinghan’s actions, Zhang Yi did not notice that the blood from Jin Qinghan’s wounds, after dripping to the ground, did not fade or sink into the earth. Instead, it slowly gathered and flowed toward her, as if it had some kind of spirit.

"Answer my question."

Feeling inexplicably nervous, Zhang Yi tightened her grip, pressing the sharp blade forward, leaving two faint cuts on the necks of Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong. Xu Xiurong could not help but gasp.

Jin Qinghan remained silent, while his blood slowly gathered at Zhang Yi’s feet, unknowingly turning into a golden color.

Just as Zhang Yi was about to use another method to threaten Jin Qinghan, the golden blood beneath her suddenly surged quickly, transforming into two golden short blades, sharply striking at the two blades she had used to threaten Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong.

This was the skill Jin Qinghan had not used for a long time—Blooded Spirit Weapon!

With a "clang," in the unexpected moment, the two short blades in Zhang Yi’s hands were knocked away by Jin Qinghan’s Blooded Spirit Weapon. At that instant, Jin Qinghan moved without hesitation, rushing toward Zhang Yi, closing the distance in an instant.

Just as Jin Qinghan rushed in front of Zhang Yi, he was already protected by a golden armor, with the "Eight Evil Consciousness King" behind him, three heads and six arms, looking very impressive.

"You’re looking for trouble!"

Zhang Yi felt like she was being made fun of; a flash of anger crossed her eyes, and then a silver light sparkled in her gaze as she prepared to unleash the Art of Annihilation to attack Jin Qinghan.

However, the "Eight Evil Consciousness King" behind Jin Qinghan waved its various Buddhist tools, and the sounds of wooden fish and golden bells rang out nonstop. Zhang Yi was shocked to find that her preparation time to cast "Art of Annihilation" was delayed by more than ten times, and its power was greatly reduced.

At the same time, Jin Qinghan’s golden giant sword and the two remaining Blooded Spirit Weapons attacked Zhang Yi, seemingly driven by her earlier killing intent and threats; Jin Qinghan was also intent on killing, attacking fiercely without holding back.

"Hmm!"

"Hmph!"

Two muffled grunts sounded. Zhang Yi’s speed to dodge surprised Jin Qinghan, but she was still struck by Jin Qinghan’s golden sword, leaving a long cut on her right arm. Zhang Yi also did not expect the "Eight Evil Consciousness King" to be so mysterious, but the "Art of Annihilation" was finally unleashed, causing a sharp pain in Jin Qinghan’s heart and mind.

Then, a duel between magical powers unfolded, dazzling all onlookers. Jin Qinghan’s magic was mysterious, his attacks sharp and intricate. Zhang Yi was incredibly fast, her movements erratic, and her "Art of Annihilation" was silent and hard to defend against, leaving Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong breathless.

In the battle, Zhang Yi felt a bit of regret. It was a pity that the six powerful cultivators she had controlled with the "Puppet Technique" had all died previously. If they had been there, Jin Qinghan would have already been defeated. At the same time, Jin Qinghan regretted that if he had some time to understand the different aspects of the Golden Core Stage, the battle wouldn’t have been so standoffish.

This battle lasted from morning until dusk. Neither Zhang Yi nor Jin Qinghan could get the upper hand, and both ended up wounded and exhausted.

Finally, with Dongfang Qingling’s suggestion, the two stopped fighting. After all, the urgent matter was to dig into the cave to save Xu Qingfan. A fight like Zhang Yi and Jin Qinghan’s would only lead to mutual destruction.

Thus, with their own concerns and regrets, Zhang Yi and Jin Qinghan ceased fighting. They remained on guard, sitting far apart from each other, meditating to heal their injuries.

Two days later, both had fully recovered, and after Jin Qinghan, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong discussed what each side was lacking, they learned that Xu Qingfan was buried in a cave. They were very worried and immediately began to work on clearing the collapsed cave.

Jin Qinghan practiced gold-type techniques, with the highest attacking power among the five elements. His attacks were extremely sharp. Even though he was alone, his speed in clearing the cave was several times faster than the three of them—Zhang Yi, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong—when they worked together.

While Jin Qinghan was trying to clear the cave, Zhang Yi watched coldly from a distance, neither helping nor launching a sneak attack. It was unclear what her intentions were, and Jin Qinghan and the others could only remain cautious and on guard.

Even so, Jin Qinghan worked hard to clear the cave, making progress of twenty to thirty meters each day. However, the cave was extremely winding and often, after digging for a long time, he would suddenly realize he had gone the wrong way. So, while his progress was much better compared to when Zhang Yi and the others were working, it was still slow.

And so, a month passed…

On this day, Jin Qinghan was still trying to clear the cave with the help of Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong. They had already dug nearly two hundred meters into the cave, and all three of them were covered in dust. Rather than calling him a cultivator, it was more convincing to call him a quarry worker.

Jin Qinghan’s fingers moved quickly, and beams of golden light rushed toward the blocked stones in front of him, sending dust flying everywhere.

Suddenly, Jin Qinghan paused, his eyes wide with surprise and joy.

At the same time, Zhang Yi seemed to notice something as he quickly leaped over to Jin Qinghan, Dongfang Qingling, and Xu Xiurong.

Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong were puzzled for a moment but finally realized something was wrong.

In front of them, behind the huge blocking stone, a powerful aura suddenly burst forth, and a strange energy clearly entered their hearts, sometimes vibrant with life, and other times eerily silent. This contrast made them feel very uneasy.

Although the energies felt different, everyone was very familiar with this sensation, especially Jin Qinghan, as they had just experienced it a month ago.

This was the scene when a Real Golden Core Stage cultivator breaks through to the Golden Core Stage.

Could it be that in this collapsed cave, just beyond the stone in front of them, someone had broken through from the Real Golden Core Stage to the Golden Core Stage?

Inside the collapsed cave, the cultivation level is the peak of the Real Golden Core Stage. Could it be Xu Qingfan that meets all these conditions?!

"It’s Senior Brother Xu!"

Among the crowd, Jin Qinghan was the most familiar with Xu Qingfan’s cultivation methods. After closing his eyes and sensing for a moment, he quietly said to Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong, his voice slightly excited while casting a cautious glance at Zhang Yi, as if warning her not to have any other thoughts.

Zhang Yi merely stood quietly not far away, seemingly having no intention of launching a surprise attack.

Thus, deep in the cave, everyone quietly waited for the moment when Xu Qingfan would break through and emerge from the stone.

Compared to Jin Qinghan, who needed just over a minute to break through to the Golden Core Stage, Xu Qingfan spent a much longer time, taking exactly one month and three days.

After thirty-three days.

"Boom…"

With a loud bang, the crimson giant rock in front of everyone suddenly exploded.

In a whirlwind of dust and debris, four figures appeared before the crowd.

After a while, as the dust settled, the faces of the four finally came into view for everyone.

These four figures were none other than Xu Qingfan, Xu Qingfan’s clone Xu Ying, Xu Zhiyuan, and the still dazed Bo Guangyan.

However, upon seeing Xu Qingfan, the crowd had not yet had time to feel joy, but instead was genuinely surprised by Xu Qingfan’s appearance, their faces filled with disbelief.