45: Chapter 45 The Attention of a Powerful Being, Dealing with the Demon Orb

This Divine Ability is somewhat rascal-like. If you are weaker than him, you can just wait for death. If you are stronger than him, as long as the difference is not particularly huge, after fighting for a while, you will become equally strong, and you can still wait for death.

The specific upper limit is still unknown, and the Ancestral Master wouldn't actually kill him anyway. At most, he will just beat him up, so it is a good time to test it right now.

"Hum." With a casual hum, a figure emerged, looking like an old Daoist priest. His Face was covered by a Chaos-colored airflow, making his features indistinct.

The Aura emanating from his entire body was similar to that world will, at the Soul Transformation Late Stage. However, his strength was worlds apart; he could definitely poke it to death with a single finger.

Seeing that the power around Ye Qingxuan was getting stronger and stronger, infinitely approaching the Void Return stage, and looking at his appearance, he was still far from his limit. The Ancestral Master dared not continue fighting. The phantom projected by his Divine Thought only had the strength of the Void Return Early Stage. If he were actually killed by this junior, it would be a huge joke.

"Good Divine Ability. Come, let this Old Ancestor see how much capability you, a junior, actually have." As the Ancestral Master raised his hand, endless Sword Qi originating from the same source converged, and a long sword condensed from Sword Qi appeared in his hand.

The Ancestral Master only used the strength of the Soul Transformation Late Stage, but it was already humiliating enough. There was no other way; goodness knows what kind of miraculous stuff this kid ate. If he only used Nascent Soul strength, he probably wouldn't even be able to last a single round.

"Ancestral Master, this Disciple has offended you!" Ye Qingxuan looked at the Ancestral Master's phantom, thinking to himself: 'I cannot be careless. Although the Ancestral Master's phantom only seems to have Soul Transformation strength, it is not something that world will can compare to.'

Holding the cangmang sword horizontally, his Dharmic Form also raised its sword at the same time. The power and Sword Qi absorbed by Heaven and Earth are Round and Square converged completely, and a giant sword hundreds of meters long appeared in front of Ye Qingxuan.

"Heart Sword Seven Styles, Rolling Waves."

Boom! The giant sword rapidly stabbed towards the Ancestral Master's phantom. The Ancestral Master's phantom also raised the long sword in his hand and thrust it forward. The giant sword and the long sword collided, sending shockwaves rolling.

Fortunately, this place was shrouded by a sword array, and the Ancestral Master's power had protected Qingling in advance; otherwise, Ye Qingxuan would not have dared to fight so desperately.

Layer upon layer of power surged continuously towards the Ancestral Master through the giant sword. This was Rolling Waves—imitating the power of tides, surging all power forward endlessly like a tidal wave to see who couldn't hold on first.

Clearly, the Ancestral Master was the first one who couldn't hold on. Although the phantom had the strength of the Void Return stage, the Ancestral Master also cared about his Face. Using only the strength of the Soul Transformation Late Stage was already humiliating enough, and he still had to divide a portion of his power to maintain the sword array and protect Qingling.

The Ancestral Master thought to himself: 'There is no other way. This junior is truly a monster, even more monstrous than Lü Chunyang. I can only use the strength of the Void Return stage. If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have come down.'

"Boom, boom!" An even more powerful force erupted from the Ancestral Master's phantom, instantly shattering Ye Qingxuan's Sword Qi.

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan was about to start gathering momentum again, the Ancestral Master said: "Alright, you junior kid, you still want to fight? You have no respect for the elderly at all. Below the Void Return stage, you are already invincible. This old man's Incarnation cannot hold on much longer."

"Thank you for your guidance, Ancestral Master!" Ye Qingxuan bowed in salute. After all, this was his own Ancestral Master, so he still had to give him some Face.

Looking at Ye Qingxuan, whose Face was not red and whose breath was not short, the Ancestral Master thought to himself: 'This little monster indeed still has spare energy.'

As a dignified Golden Immortal expert, an Incarnation with Void Return strength was almost killed by a Nascent Soul Stage junior. In the future, he would have to cover his Face whenever he saw anyone.

However, he also felt incomparably proud. No matter how monstrous you are, aren't you still this old man's junior?

However, this Ancestral Master did not know that everything happening now was seen by the experts of the Upper Realm.

The moment his Divine Thought descended to the Lower Realm, he was caught red-handed by those experts.

————

In Lingxiao Hall, Emperor Haotian looked at the scenes in the Haotian Mirror and couldn't help laughing out loud.

In Dachitian, the Bajing Palace, Lord Laozi was also looking at the scene of Mount Mao in the Lower Realm—or to be precise, looking at the little cat Xiao Jiu. At this moment, Xiao Jiu was ordering Ximo and Disciple Xiyue to make barbecue for it.

In Qingweitian, the Yuxu Palace, Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi looked at Ye Qingxuan with some surprise. "To think that a Nascent Soul junior, with a Golden Immortal's Incarnation at the Soul Transformation strength, couldn't even be taken down. Moreover, he actually comes from the Ancestral Star!"

In Yuyutian, the Biyou Palace, Heavenly Venerable Lingbao looked at Ye Qingxuan and nodded in satisfaction, as this was His orthodoxy. "A junior from the Ancestral Star? I wonder how far this junior can grow?"

In Jinxiutian, the Nüwa Palace, Goddess Nuwa was also somewhat surprised. "An Acquired Human Race member can have such ability? Coming from the Ancestral Star? Then this Palace will help you out." Saying this, she pointed with her hand, and a jade bottle was thrown out.

In Huoyun Palace, the Hall of the Human Sovereigns, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors looked at Ye Qingxuan and nodded in satisfaction.

Human Sovereign Fuxi said: "Such a young junior, if placed in the same environment, we might not necessarily be his match."

Human Sovereign Shennong also agreed: "Being able to not fall behind under the Soul Transformation strength of a Golden Immortal's Incarnation with Nascent Soul strength, and still having spare energy—not bad, not bad!"

Human Sovereign Xuanyuan had a different opinion: "No, if the fight continues, I'm afraid that junior would be able to kill him, even if he uses the strength of the Void Return stage."

Emperor Zhuanxu saw something different. "His background is very ordinary, but his own Luck is very strange."

"He comes from the Ancestral Star! He carries the blessing of the Ancestral Star on his body," Human Sovereign Fuxi said.

"Ancestral Star?! I see! Then should we help him out?" Emperor Ku said.

"No need, the Holy Mother has already given. We just need to watch." In Fuxi's eyes, the Innate Bagua circulated.

"However, that National Destiny Space? Was it created by the Heavenly Court?" Emperor Dayu happened to notice the National Destiny Space.

"Hmm, as long as the Human Race is fine, there is no need to pay attention to it." Human Sovereign Fuxi made the conclusion, and the other Human Sovereigns did not refute. As long as the Human Race was safe, who cared about the rest.

————

"Do not blame me, Ancestral Master; this Disciple spoke indiscreetly earlier." Ye Qingxuan could also tell that the Ancestral Master hadn't used lethal force.

Although he also held back, they were not mortal enemies after all; he couldn't possibly use a Purple Thunder Talisman to strike his own Ancestral Master, right? That would be far too filial.

"You smelly brat are quite formidable! I didn't expect that our Shangqing Sect would actually give birth to such a unique freak of talent like you, even surpassing Lü Chunyang back in the day!"

Although the Ancestral Master's Face was still obscured by the Chaos airflow and his full appearance could not be seen, nor was it known which Ancestral Master he was, from the emotions revealed in his words, one could clearly feel the deep sigh contained within.

"Junior Brother, are you alright? Let me take a look." Watching the two who had finished fighting, Qingling flew up and pounced forward, randomly groping Ye Qingxuan's body. Seeing that she was about to touch his vital parts, Ye Qingxuan quickly grabbed her hand.

"Senior Sister, I'm fine. The Ancestral Master showed mercy." Ye Qingxuan was being groped to the point of irritation. He hurriedly interrupted her, otherwise he would make a huge spectacle of himself in front of the Ancestral Master.

Qingling also blushed heavily. Although she couldn't see the Ancestral Master's expression, she could always feel a meaningful gaze.

"Alright, alright, you young people nowadays. Lass, cherish the person before your eyes." The Ancestral Master was about to leave after saying this, but Ye Qingxuan hurriedly pulled him back, as he still had questions to ask.

"Please stay your steps, Ancestral Master; this Disciple has something to inquire about."

"This old man knows what you want to ask. When you achieve Immortal Ascension, you will naturally know." The Ancestral Master naturally knew that Ye Qingxuan wanted to ask about the National Destiny Space, and flatly refused.

"Um, Ancestral Master, could you please not watch us anymore..." Ye Qingxuan stammered a bit.

The Ancestral Master was an old, worldly-wise monster; how could he not know what that meant?

"Shoo, shoo, shoo! Do you think this old man cares to watch? If it weren't for the fact that when this old man was roaming the Great Void, I happened to hear you brat cursing me, do you think I wanted to come out?!"

Qingling's Face was beet red, and she kept pinching Ye Qingxuan's waist. Unfortunately, our Daoist Ye had a body even more like a Body Cultivator than actual Body Cultivators. Let alone pinching, even if you hacked him with a knife, he wouldn't even blink an eye.

"Ancestral Master, there is one more matter!"

"Hmm? Speak then. This old man will tell you whatever can be said." The Ancestral Master was somewhat surprised.

"After the Spiritual Qi of Blue Star dissipated, some Seniors in the cultivation world left Blue Star to look for new cultivation grounds, and have now lost contact. Does the Ancestral Master know the whereabouts of those Seniors?"

Ye Qingxuan asked the question he had always wanted to know. Where did those Body Integration Stage Cultivators go? Surely they couldn't have gotten lost in the starry sky, could they?

"They are doing very well, and you might see them soon."

The Ancestral Master waved his hand, and his body turned into a wisp of light and disappeared, leaving behind a ring in his original place.

With a wave of Ye Qingxuan's hand, the ring flew into his palm. "What does this mean? Is this a gift left behind by the Ancestral Master?"

"A High Grade Immortal Artifact? It can even store living things, and moreover..." Ye Qingxuan took out three straw men from inside.

"What is this?" Looking at the straw figure, Qingling was somewhat curious.

"This is a death-substituting Puppet. It can substitute for death once when receiving a fatal attack." Ye Qingxuan explained briefly.

"Then you should keep it. You will need it in the National Destiny Space." Hearing this, Qingling realized this was a life-saving item, and Ye Qingxuan needed it more than she did.

"Senior Sister, I already have one. Let me give you one too. Having you carry one will also put my mind at ease considerably." As Ye Qingxuan spoke, he took out one and handed it to Qingling.

Qingling repeatedly waved her hands, saying she didn't want it. She wouldn't be able to use it on Blue Star yet, and since the National Destiny Space was fraught with danger, Ye Qingxuan needed it more.

Seeing the resolute look on Senior Sister Qingling's Face, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but lean in and kiss her again.

After a long while, their lips parted. He gently stroked her soft hair while Qingling blushed and patted his chest. In the end, she still accepted a death-substituting Puppet.

Ye Qingxuan tapped a finger between Qingling's eyebrows, transmitting the Heaven and Earth are Round and Square Divine Ability to her.

"What is this? That move you used just now? Heaven and Earth are Round and Square, what a marvelous Divine Ability. Junior Brother, act as my Protector, I want to comprehend it." Saying this, Qingling sat cross-legged on the spot and began to comprehend the Divine Ability.

As for Ye Qingxuan, he quietly gazed at Qingling before him, as if time had stopped. He slowly sat down, sitting opposite Qingling, and his gaze never left her exquisitely beautiful Face, as if he wanted to deeply brand this moment into the bottom of his heart.

Ye Qingxuan kept asking himself in his heart: "What on earth have I been doing all these years? Why did I ignore her existence to this extent?"

Recalling the gazes of Master and Senior Brothers—looks that treated him like a fool and sighed at his lack of improvement—he suddenly understood: everyone had seen through all of this long ago, and only he was foolishly unaware.

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help blushing, feeling secretly annoyed and regretful. The feeling of being treated like a fool made him feel utterly ashamed. However, at this very moment, he could no longer suppress the surging emotions for Qingling in his heart.

I do not know how much time had passed before Qingling finally slowly opened her eyes. When she first saw Ye Qingxuan staring fixedly at her without blinking, she couldn't help but smile brilliantly. Seeing Ye Qingxuan's silly and dazed appearance was truly endearing, causing Qingling to uncontrollably lunge forward and proactively offer a deep kiss...

...

Ye Qingxuan gently waved his finger, putting the sword array back into his body. Then, he gently pulled Qingling—whose lips were slightly swollen and red, and whose complexion was as blushing and moving as the sunset glow—out of the courtyard.

Who could know how long this couple had kissed? It was as if the entire world only possessed the intense, fiery love and lingering affection between the two of them.

Just as the two of them were about to pour their hearts out to each other——

Suddenly, a heaven-shaking loud bang of "bang" rang out.

Ye Qingxuan's heart skipped a beat, and he used his Divine Sense to probe outward to perceive the situation. But when he saw clearly what had happened, his expression instantly turned pitch black.

He felt secretly annoyed in his heart: "After all, I still couldn't completely guard against it!" Qingling, who was by his side, couldn't help laughing so hard that she doubled over, almost bending all the way down.

As it turned out, the back kitchen was already in utter Chaos at this moment, presenting a scene of utter pandemonium everywhere.

I saw a Daoist in the back kitchen holding a huge iron wok spatula, aggressively chasing two pitch-black figures and a cat similarly covered in soot as they ran wildly.

Not every Disciple in the Shangqing Sect was at the Foundation Establishment Stage to become a Cultivator who didn't eat human fireworks. Those who had not yet achieved Bigu still needed to eat daily to maintain their bodily functions.

However, a perfectly fine kitchen had been blown up beyond recognition. Naturally, the chef was furious and hopping mad!

As for the two culprits, they were Disciple Xiyue and Ximo;

As for that little 'black cat', there was no doubt that it was Xiao Jiu.

"Boom!" Accompanied by a loud crash, a giant hand descended from the clouds in the sky, heading straight to grab the three little fellows.

"Oh my lord! It hurts!"

"Daoist, let go of this meow quickly!!"

"Junior Martial Uncle, spare my life! I won't dare do it again!"

That giant hand was like an iron clamp, tightly gripping them. With a casual flick like throwing trash, it tossed these three little demon pills toward the main hall.

At this moment, the Daoist in charge of the kitchen saw the three little brutes being treated so roughly.

He couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief inwardly: "It seemed that Uncle-Master Qingxuan had made a move."

Thus, he turned around and returned to the kitchen to continue getting busy, thinking in his heart that perhaps he could still make a dinner.

But judging from the current situation, the hope was probably not high...

Meanwhile, Master Yuanxin inside the main hall also heard the commotion coming from outside.

He didn't even need to think much to guess that it must be those restless demon pills making trouble again, but just as he was about to get up to go check.

He saw three figures thrown into the main hall, crashing down before his eyes in an extremely disheveled posture.

Facing these three crying and howling demon pills before him, Master Yuanxin felt the veins on his forehead throbbing violently, and a nameless fire instantly surged into his heart.

You must know that this kind of scene had not happened for the first time. Every time it was because these few lawless little fellows caused trouble everywhere that such a big commotion was kicked up.

A streak of cyan light flashed outside the door, and immediately afterward, Ye Qingxuan and Qingling appeared before everyone.

They held each other's hands tightly, as if they would never separate.

When those three demon pills noticed Ye Qingxuan's appearance, they immediately fell silent, unable to move as if they had been hit by a body-immobilization curse.

Meanwhile, Master Yuanxin on the side revealed an expression of relief, like seeing a straw to clutch at for life, but soon this expression was replaced by a teasing smile—because he caught sight of the tightly clasped hands of Ye Qingxuan and Qingling!

"The two of you nowadays don't avoid others even when they are present?" Master Yuanxin teased with great interest.

"Master, nowadays who in the entire Maoshan Sect is unclear about things between us?" Ye Qingxuan raised their intertwined hands and responded.

Qingling had a look of following her partner's lead. Cultivation, cultivation, what one cultivates is precisely truth; since it was already public, why bother deceiving oneself and others?

Besides, as Disciples of the Daoist sect, what was wrong with following one's heart? What if they encountered a Heart Demon again?

"Alright, alright, restrain yourselves in front of the Ancestral Master. How do you say we should deal with these three troublemakers?"

Master Yuanxin looked at the two's indifferent appearance, shook his head without a word, and then looked toward the three demon pills.

'Ancestral Master? The Ancestral Master just had a fight with Ye Qingxuan, hmm? Could he be considered beaten into submission?' Qingling thought to herself, but it was hard to say it aloud. What if the Ancestral Master got so angry that he came down to the Lower Realm to fight another match?

At this moment, the Ancestral Master in the Upper Realm was being mocked by his colleagues. A dignified Golden Immortal expert, an Incarnation with Soul Transformation strength, couldn't beat a junior in the Nascent Soul Stage; he probably wouldn't dare go out for a while.

"Speak, the three of you. What is going on?" Ye Qingxuan couldn't be bothered to calculate and asked directly.

"Meow, Daoist, you and P... Sister Qingling were eating mouths, and no one made roast meat for this cat, so this cat asked Ximo and Disciple Xiyue to help. Who knew their culinary skills were so bad..."

Xiao Jiu looked at Ye Qingxuan's dangerous gaze and hurriedly changed its words, almost blurting out a fat bipedal beast. But the more it spoke, the softer its voice became; after all, the kitchen had been blown up.

"Junior Martial Uncle, actually, it's just..." Ximo organized his words.

"Disciple Xiyue, you speak!" Ye Qingxuan looked at Ximo's rolling eyes and directly had Disciple Xiyue speak.

"It's just that charcoal grilling is slow, and Xiao Jiu kept urging, so Ximo used a raging fire talisman..." Disciple Xiyue didn't dare to speak further either.

Xiao Jiu also lowered its head and muttered softly, "Who asked him to grill so slowly."

"Qingxuan, handle this as you see fit." Master Yuanxin held back a smile and turned to leave.

Qingling looked at Xiao Jiu with a speechless expression. It had already reached Golden Core Perfection, so how could it still be such a glutton?

Ye Qingxuan waved his hand to Seal the cultivation of the two. "You two, go to the kitchen to help. After finishing the cooking, go find Lin Lei. For the next three months, follow Lin Lei in your cultivation."

After saying that, ignoring the desperate gazes of the two, he looked at the kitten. "As for you, from now on you will follow me. You are not allowed to go to the kitchen again!"