Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 18

Volume 6 Chapter 18: A Thousand Miles Away (Part 2)

The newcomer had a blank expression, as if devoid of any human emotion. Although he had no imposing presence, Xu Qingfan was certain that this person was an expert he did not recognize.

A Condensed Core Stage cultivator, whether at the early or late stage, whether one or ten, would have no power to resist against such a master. Xu Qingfan thought that if the black-clad man were not after the "sacred object" and trying to turn the Southern Wasteland demon beasts behind him into zombies, he would not find it so "easy" to stand against the "Cloud of Death."

"Senior, may I ask why you suddenly attacked us? Also, what exactly is the ‘sacred object’ you mentioned? If I know, I will not hide anything."

Since he needed to buy time, Xu Qingfan, even though he knew the newcomer was an evil cultivator, spoke with the utmost respect and politeness.

Behind Xu Qingfan, the nine people were all activating the "Sky Escaping Talisman." They could not move or speak, only looking at the man in black and the countless beast-like zombies behind him with terrified faces.

When Xu Qingfan asked his question, the man in black still had a stiff expression, as if he were a lifeless zombie. However, a hint of thought flickered in his eyes, as if he was considering how to answer Xu Qingfan’s question. After a moment, he suddenly pointed at Little Black, which was flying and spinning above Xu Qingfan’s head, and said quietly, "That thing that helps it evolve?"

The man in black was referring to the deathly skull. Xu Qingfan’s heart trembled, and he quickly thought about the gains and losses. The skull was currently in Xu Qingfan’s sleeve. Although it could help Little Black evolve quickly, it could not be used openly. Even if he gave it to the man in black, Xu Qingfan would not lose much.

But Xu Qingfan needed to know some things.

"Respectfully reporting, senior, I do know the whereabouts of the item you mentioned. However, before I tell you where it is, I must confirm one thing: what will you do if you learn of the ‘sacred object’s’ location? Will you let us go?"

For Xu Qingfan, that emerald green skull was precious and magical, but if it could exchange for his life, it was worth it.

However, Xu Qingfan did not expect that after hearing his words, the black-clothed master would respond without any politeness, "If you return the ‘sacred object’ to me, I can guarantee that your death will not be too painful."

Xu Qingfan’s eyes narrowed, his body gradually tensed up, and the respectful and humble expression on his face vanished, replaced by strong vigilance, "We are just a few small cultivators passing through the Southern Wasteland, with no grievances against you. How could you not let us go? Are you not afraid that we will fight you to the death? Even if we die, you still won’t get the ‘sacred object’?"

The man in black, whose face resembled that of a zombie, showed for the first time a hint of human emotion. His lips curled slightly, as if he was smiling, with a hint of mockery and anger in that smile.

"Do you have no grudges or hatred? Not to mention that many years ago you killed my great-grandson Little Thirteen. Throughout these years, I endured humiliation while trying to find you, unable to return for years. Doesn’t this count as hatred?"

The person who came was Zhong Ling, the master of the Zhong family, who had been chasing Xu Qingfan for years but had failed due to various coincidences. Little Thirteen, mentioned by him, was Number Two, whom Xu Qingfan killed back then.

Over the years, Zhong Ling did not dare to return because he could not retrieve the sacred object and remained outside "Ronghua Mountain." During this time, the ancestor of the Zhong family summoned him several times, but he did not dare to go back, knowing what facing the angry ancestor would mean.

"A waste who can’t even deal with a Condensed Core Stage cultivator," was the ancestor of the Zhong family’s opinion of Zhong Ling. Because of this, Zhong Ling’s authority as family master was completely lost, and even the outer disciples of the Zhong family looked down on him. The scorn from the Zhong family’s disciples who summoned him recently made Zhong Ling feel both shame and anger, but he did not dare to show any anger toward the ancestor of the Zhong family. Instead, he directed all his anger toward Xu Qingfan, which was the reason he said Xu Qingfan made him suffer humiliation.

It is certain that even if Zhong Ling were to retrieve the sacred object and present it to the ancestor of the Zhong family, he would still face criticism and possibly lose his position as family master.

This time, Zhong Ling originally thought that Xu Qingfan was fighting against the Southern Wasteland demon beasts alongside the Righteous Alliance’s main force. Therefore, he secretly followed the cultivators from the Righteous Alliance. He was worried and scared since neither Immortal Zizhen nor Li Fulu were foes he could handle. After cautiously searching for a long time, he discovered that Xu Qingfan was not there. Reluctantly, he used a secret method again to find Xu Qingfan’s whereabouts. In fear of any further mishaps, he hurriedly made his way to the Southern Wasteland. Finally, after nearly ten years of pursuit, he saw Xu Qingfan’s true form for the first time. The hardships he faced during this time were too many to share with others.

But Xu Qingfan did not know any of this. He could vaguely guess who Little Thirteen was, but he could never imagine how he had caused a master to suffer so much humiliation.

Seeing the confusion in Xu Qingfan’s eyes, Zhong Ling felt even angrier. Before Xu Qingfan could ask, Zhong Ling spoke first, his tone icy, "It doesn’t matter. After I kill you, I can still find out where the ‘sacred object’ is through your soul. What a pity that you and your companions could have died more comfortably."

Although Zhong Ling’s expression returned to its previous indifference, anyone could hear the hatred in his voice.

As he spoke, Zhong Ling raised his hand and waved slightly. The beast-like zombies behind him let out silent roars and quickly charged towards Xu Qingfan and the others. At the same time, the black Cloud of Death reappeared around Xu Qingfan, starting to rapidly corrode the defenses of the "Five Spirit Bell."

With Zhong Ling’s strength, he could have easily killed Xu Qingfan and the others with just a little more effort and the power of the Cloud of Death. However, he hated Xu Qingfan deeply and wanted him to suffer and feel fear before he died. So, he only used the Cloud of Death to corrode Xu Qingfan’s defenses, letting the zombie demon beasts attack him.

Seeing Zhong Ling suddenly attack, Xu Qingfan smiled bitterly inside. He had hoped to buy time until the other nine could activate their "Sky Escaping Talisman," but unexpectedly, this dark-clothed master suddenly became very angry and launched an attack.

With no other choice, Xu Qingfan had to give up on delaying and pushed his strength to the limit to confront Zhong Ling.

Although Zhong Ling was only using a small portion of his strength, he still had a crushing advantage over Xu Qingfan.

The attacking demon beasts seemed endless. Though they had turned into zombies, their strength increased greatly. They maintained their speed while their power grew, causing the protective shield formed by the "Five Spirit Bell" to ring loudly with each hit. Countless demon beasts combined their strength; even though Xu Qingfan was far stronger, he did not dare to withstand their attacks directly. Previously, Xu Qingfan could have dodged and avoided their strikes, but now he had to protect Jin Qinghan and the others who were activating the "Sky Escaping Talisman" behind him, leaving him to endure the pain.

Even more terrifying was the black Cloud of Death. Its corrosive power was incredibly strong and endless. Despite the "Five Spirit Bell’s" defense being powerful, it couldn’t last much longer. After all, high-level artifacts are just tools used by Condensed Core Stage cultivators.

"This cannot go on."

Three-quarters of the incense stick’s time had passed, but Xu Qingfan’s "Five Spirit Bell" was already close to its limit. With no choice left, Xu Qingfan gritted his teeth and made a very risky decision.

Xu Qingfan raised his right hand and took out something from his sleeve. Then, he rushed out of the protection circle of the "Five Spirit Bell" and charged into the Cloud of Death, heading straight for the demon beast zombies within.

Seeing Xu Qingfan foolishly charge into the thick aura of death as a mere mortal, Zhong Ling couldn’t help but show a look of pity. To him, Xu Qingfan was clearly seeking death, and he regretted that he had not had the chance to torment him before he died.

However, tormenting a soul is just the same.

Zhong Ling began to form hand signs, already prepared to capture Xu Qingfan’s soul.

But just then, something unexpected happened to Zhong Ling.

Suddenly, in the deep and heavy Cloud of Death, a light of pure white mixed with gold appeared. This light was full of sacred majesty. The aura of death quickly dissipated when it encountered this light, just like ice melting in the sun. The demon beast zombies around Xu Qingfan couldn’t withstand the sacred and majestic light; before they could struggle, they turned into black smoke and vanished.

Upon closer inspection, Zhong Ling realized that the light was emanating from Xu Qingfan’s hand.

The item in Xu Qingfan’s hand was the relic of Master Jiuhuan, which contained all the Power of the Holy Spirit from the "Holy Spirit Stone." The energy within it was the nemesis of the aura of death and zombies.

Although Zhong Ling used only about one-tenth of his strength to unleash this Cloud of Death, Xu Qingfan’s relic surprisingly gained the upper hand in their clash. Even Xu Qingfan found it hard to believe.

However, with the presence of this precious relic, Xu Qingfan felt much safer, and a glimmer of hope began to rise in his heart, even though he had prepared himself for the worst.

With Xu Qingfan’s surprising move, the pressure on the "Five Spirit Bell" suddenly decreased.

Zhong Ling snorted coldly, just as he was about to increase the power of the Cloud of Death attack, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, the people inside the "Five Spirit Bell," including Jin Qinghan, began to radiate colorful light that was dazzling and hard to look at. After a moment, the light faded, and when looking again, Jin Qinghan and the others had disappeared.

"Sky Escaping Talisman! I can’t believe such a thing still exists in the cultivation world!"

Zhong Ling was furious, knowing he had been tricked but feeling helpless. No one knew where Jin Qinghan and the others had gone under the effect of the "Sky Escaping Talisman." All his anger turned towards Xu Qingfan.

Zhong Ling made up his mind not to hold back anymore.

But just as Zhong Ling gathered the dark energy within him, another unexpected event occurred!