26: Chapter 26 Tracking

Over the next month, she began to carry out her missions earnestly.

She didn't go deep, only staying on the periphery to deal with those low-to-mid first-tier demon wolves.

Her combat experience was lacking to begin with, so she used these demon wolves for practice.

After more than a month, she had slain dozens of demon wolves and collected enough mission Materials.

The entire process was unremarkable, with nothing out of the ordinary.

Lin Feier and Sun Hao, who were secretly tracking her, were yawning incessantly.

"What the hell? I thought she had some impressive tricks, but she's just here killing some low-grade beasts?" Lin Feier muttered from her hiding spot in a distant tree, her face full of impatience.

"Don't be in a hurry, Junior Sister. Perhaps... she's waiting for an opportunity?" Sun Hao was also somewhat disappointed.

"Wait for what?! I think she's just a useless hack who's all talk! That last fortuitous encounter must have been pure dumb luck!" Lin Feier cursed, her patience exhausted. "I'm tired of wasting time here. Senior Brother Sun, I'll leave this to you. Keep a close eye on her and send me a message immediately if anything unusual happens. Once it's done, you'll be well-rewarded!"

"Rest assured, Junior Sister Feier," Sun Hao guaranteed, patting his chest.

With that, Lin Feier returned to the Sect first.

She felt that Su Yunling had no secrets at all and that she had simply been overthinking things.

Sun Hao, however, continued to stay in hiding.

On the fifth day after Lin Feier's departure, Su Yunling finally finished her "mission."

Instead of returning to the Sect, she turned and entered the nearest immortal cultivation county town to the Black Wind Mountain Range.

In the largest inn in the city, she rented a High Grade cultivation room equipped with a protective formation for a one-month term.

After entering the cultivation room and activating all the Formations, Su Yunling finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

She could finally begin to Cultivate without any reservations.

She sat cross-legged, calmed her mind, and then took out a jade bottle, pouring out a top-grade qi gathering pill that shimmered with treasure light.

The pill melted the moment it entered her mouth, and a majestic yet gentle medicinal power instantly dispersed through her body.

This power was ten times purer than the spiritual power she obtained through her own breathing and cultivation.

She hurriedly operated the Tiangang Sect's basic Mind-Cultivation Technique, guiding the medicinal power to surge through her Meridians.

Qi Refining sixth layer, middle stage...

Qi Refining sixth layer, late stage...

In just ten days, she refined five pills. Her cultivation advanced rapidly, directly breaking through the Bottleneck and steadily stepping into the Qi Refining Seventh Layer!

She didn't stop.

For the next half month, she went almost without sleep, circulating and tempering the medicinal power within her body over and over again until every inch of her Meridians was filled with pure spiritual power.

It wasn't until the glow of the cultivation room's Formation automatically dimmed that Su Yunling slowly opened her eyes.

Her eyes shone with divine light, and her aura was as deep and heavy as an abyss.

Qi Refining Seventh Layer peak!

In just one month, she had jumped more than an entire major stage.

She didn't even have to worry about an unstable Realm; this was the absorption speed brought by a High-Grade Spiritual Root, which was far superior to Su Chengyuan's Low-grade Spiritual Root.

Such speed, if word got out, would be enough to shock the entire Tiangang Sect.

She walked out of the inn, prepared to return to the Sect.

In a teahouse not far from the inn, Sun Hao, who had been monitoring the place, put down his teacup, his eyes filled with shock.

He could no longer see through Su Yunling's cultivation!

How was this possible? Just over two months ago, she was only at the Qi Refining sixth layer early stage, and he had clearly outmatched her.

Two months later, he actually couldn't sense the depth of her power at all?

This meant the other party's cultivation had already surpassed his!

After the shock came endless greed.

A secret! This Su Yunling must have a massive secret!

He suppressed his excitement and quietly followed her.

He had made up his mind; being outside the Sect, this was a god-given opportunity.

As long as he killed her and took her Storage Pouch, the secret would be his! He could also return and claim credit from Lin Feier.

Sun Hao believed that since he had cultivated in the Sect for a long time and had rich combat experience, while Su Yunling had only been in the Sect for three years, she couldn't have mastered any profound Spells.

Furthermore, even if her cultivation had improved, it couldn't have improved by much. Combined with her recent Breakthrough, her Realm would surely be unstable and superficial.

Su Yunling walked along the small path back to the Sect, her expression calm, but a warning had already risen in her heart.

The moment she stepped out of the inn, she had sensed a malicious gaze—it was that Sun Hao, who had been following her for over two months.

She remained unfazed, deliberately choosing a remote path with few pedestrians.

In a deserted dense forest, she stopped her pace.

"Friend, aren't you tired after following me for so long?" She turned around and looked coldly behind her.

Seeing he was discovered, Sun Hao no longer hid and stepped out from behind a tree with a sneer. "Junior Sister Su, quite the impressive methods. In just two short months, your cultivation has progressed so much that even I, your Senior Brother, cannot see through you. Why don't you share the secret you're carrying with me?"

"Just you?" A trace of disdain flashed in Su Yunling's eyes.

"You're looking for death!" Infuriated by her gaze, Sun Hao stopped talking and sacrificed a Medium Grade Magical Artifact Flying Sword, which turned into a streak of light and pierced straight toward Su Yunling's heart.

He wanted to end the fight quickly!

However, Su Yunling only gave a cold snort, neither dodging nor evading.

The moment the Flying Sword was about to strike her body, a protective talisman on her person was instantly activated, forming a light screen that steadily blocked the blow.

At the same time, she raised her jade-like hand, and dozens of ice thorns gleaming with a cold light appeared out of thin air, blanketing the area as they surged toward Sun Hao.

It was exactly the Profound Ice Thorns that Su Chengyuan had bought back then and given to her!

Sun Hao was pale with fright; he hadn't expected Su Yunling's reaction to be so fast, and her Spell was even cast instantaneously.

He hurriedly recalled his Flying Sword and set up a spiritual power shield in front of him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The ice thorns slammed into the shield, producing a series of muffled thuds. The shield's light flickered wildly, on the verge of collapsing.

What shocked him even more was that a bone-chilling coldness actually penetrated the shield and invaded his Meridians, causing his spiritual power circulation to become sluggish.

"How is this possible?!" He was terrified. The other party's spiritual power, in terms of both purity and power, was far superior to his!

Su Yunling gave him no chance to catch his breath and pointed a finger.

A condensed golden finger-light shot through the air, carrying an invincible sharpness, and instantly pierced through his nearly shattered shield.

Sharp Gold Finger!

"Pfft!"

The golden light passed through Sun Hao's shoulder, bringing with it a spray of blood.

"Ah!" Sun Hao screamed and fell to the ground, his face filled with fear and disbelief.

He had lost, and he had lost miserably.

"Don't... don't kill me!" he pleaded in terror. "It's Lin Feier! Junior Sister Lin Feier made me do it! I was only following orders!"

Su Yunling walked up to him, her gaze icy.

Lin Feier...

Her heart tightened; it really was that woman.

But now was not the time to think about Lin Feier.

"In your next life, hope for a better rebirth."

She gave him no further chances; a Sharp Gold Finger precisely pierced the center of his forehead.

After dealing with the body and all traces, Su Yunling stood in place and remained silent for a long time.

She finally understood the true meaning of her father's words: "If the opponent harbors killing intent, then pull them up by the roots."

The path of immortal cultivation allows for no soft-heartedness.

She took a deep breath, suppressed all her emotions in the depths of her heart, and turned to set foot on the road back to the Sect.

One month later, Qingyang Town.

Su Chengyuan returned to his small courtyard, travel-worn and weary.

Compared to when he left, he appeared leaner and more capable, with a restrained gaze and a steady temperament in every movement.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, he saw Su Cheng sitting cross-legged under that old locust tree, surrounded by Spiritual Qi, clearly at a critical moment in his cultivation.

Su Chengyuan did not disturb him, only waiting quietly to the side.

Half an hour later, Su Cheng slowly finished his exercise and opened his eyes.

When he saw his father's figure, a heartfelt smile appeared on his face.

"Father, you're back."

"I'm back."