150: the truth

At the other end of the Arena Stage, Jiang Hao, the Holy Son of Tianji Pavilion, had long been standing there. His expression was cold and stern, and he was surrounded by the faint pressure of a Golden Core Cultivator.

Of the three Holy Sons of Heavenly Secret Pavilion, one had previously been blasted off the stage by a Dao Seeking Sect Cultivator in a single move, causing Heavenly Secret Pavilion to lose all face; another had been killed on the spot by the Saintess of the Profound Moon Holy Land. Now, Heavenly Secret Pavilion desperately needed a match to reclaim their reputation.

Jiang Hao stared at the somewhat dark-skinned man before him. By some coincidence, he had actually run into someone from the Dao Seeking Sect again.

“Li Pingan, is it? Your Dao Seeking Sect defeated a Holy Son of my Heavenly Secret Pavilion in one move earlier. In today's match, my Heavenly Secret Pavilion will return the favor in kind, letting you know the power of our Heavenly Secret Pavilion!”

The moment he finished speaking, the Spiritual Qi around Jiang Hao surged violently, rippling outward like progressive waves. His Golden Core First Layer cultivation base was released without reservation.

Immediately following that, his hands quickly formed hand seals as he let out a low shout:

“Heavenly God Seal · Sky Render!”

In an instant, a massive phantom of a golden seal appeared above Jiang Hao's head. Intricate patterns were carved onto the seal, emitting a solemn aura that made it difficult for others to look directly at it.

As Jiang Hao thrust his hands forward, the golden seal smashed toward Li Pingan with the sound of whistling wind. The power of this strike was so strong that even an ordinary Golden Core Third Layer Cultivator would have to temporarily avoid its edge, not daring to take it head-on.

Boom!

A deafening sound rang out, followed by a slight vibration beneath their feet. If not for the protection of the Formation, this strike likely would have smashed the Arena Stage to pieces.

A massive cloud of dust filled the stage. A smug smile curled on the lips of the somewhat pale Jiang Hao.

To decide the victory in one strike, this Heavenly God Seal had nearly drained more than half of his Spiritual Qi.

But in the next second!

The smile on Jiang Hao's face suddenly froze. He saw a slightly thin figure, like a ghost, leave a faint afterimage where he stood. As if in a trance, the figure crossed several yards and instantly appeared before him.

Before Jiang Hao could react, a burning, sharp pain shot through his abdomen. The pain was as intense as burning lava, causing him to instantly lose all strength.

Jiang Hao's pupils dilated sharply. His body fell backward uncontrollably, drawing an arc in the air before crashing heavily onto the ground outside the Arena Stage.

Faced with such a result, the surrounding Cultivators seemed to find it unremarkable, and no great commotion broke out.

“I thought this Holy Son could hold out for ten moves, but I didn't expect him to go down in one move too.”

“It's fine, he did well enough. We can't ask too much of the three Holy Sons of Heavenly Secret Pavilion... oh, two Holy Sons. If he had run into Sue from the Profound Moon Holy Land, he'd be dead by now.”

“Boring. I just want to see Dao Seeking Sect go up against Profound Moon Holy Land now.”

“Every one of you talks as if you're bigger than the heavens, even looking down on a Holy Son of Tianji Pavilion. If you're so capable, why didn't you enter the competition yourselves? Even if others lose on the stage, they might still be able to go to the Profound Realm. Do you have that kind of ability?”

Li Pingan jumped down from the stage and walked toward Mu Wanqing and the others.

Mu Wanqing stood with her hands on her hips, her beautiful almond eyes glaring as she scolded, “Junior Brother, I specifically reminded you. That time with Spirit Immortal, the difference in Realms was too large, so it was a lucky win.”

“But look at you. You clearly had strength to spare, yet you didn't know to drag it out for a few more moves. When Revered Master goes to drink with Senior Fang next time, aren't you making things awkward for him?”

Li Pingan scratched his head in frustration. “It's my fault. When I saw how powerful that move he used was, I couldn't hold back!”

Ye Hao stopped his cultivation and acted as a peacemaker, saying, “Senior Sister, you can't really blame Senior Brother for this. That Holy Son from Heavenly Secret Pavilion started with an Earth-rank Divine Ability. Given the momentum of that move earlier, I reckon even an ordinary Golden Core Third Layer Cultivator couldn't have withstood it.”

“Since the opponent went all out, it's understandable that Senior Brother didn't hold back his hand.”

Mu Wanqing's round, oval face relaxed, but she still urged, “If you encounter Cultivators from Heavenly Secret Pavilion later, you must show some courtesy.”

“Understood, Senior Sister!”

...On the high platform!

Chen Xuan hadn't watched Li Pingan's earlier battle. He leaned back in his carved wooden chair, his fingertips carelessly tracing the patterns on his white jade wine cup, his gaze falling on Qi Yue, who stood quietly beside him.

Only when the last word left her mouth did Chen Xuan slowly raise his eyes, a flash of realization passing through them.

It turned out she had misplaced her trust in a 'wolf in sheep's clothing,' which led to her death and the dissipation of her Dao.

Years ago, two sisters depended on each other at the foot of Green Brow Mountain.

One was born with a High Grade Spiritual Root and was chosen by a Cultivator to be taken up the mountain to Cultivate; the other didn't even have the lowest quality Spiritual Root and could only remain in the Mortal world.

From then on, the paths of immortal and Mortal diverged!

The Elder sister entered secluded meditation for three months and broke through to the Golden Core in one go. When she emerged, heaven and earth celebrated, and spiritual resonance surrounded her, but the news from the mountain foot was that her younger sister had passed away peacefully of old age.

She was only just over sixty when she left. It was said that before she died, she was still clutching a wooden hairpin from their childhood, hoping to see the sister she hadn't seen for many years one last time.

The Elder sister always thought that if her cultivation were higher, she might be able to find a Heaven-Defying Medicinal Pill to change fate, but she forgot that a Mortal's life is but a few brief decades.

She hadn't spent more time by her closest kin's side.

It was after that, disheartened, that she met Secluded Moon in the Profound Moon Holy Land.

The curve of that girl's eyes and the dimples at the corners of her mouth when she smiled were seventy percent similar to the younger sister in her memory. Even though she knew the dead were gone, Qi Yue couldn't help but pour all her guilt and affection onto Secluded Moon.

Medicinal Pills were sent on time every month, the Cultivation Techniques chosen were the most suitable for her, and divine abilities were given without reservation. As for Spirit Stones and Magical Artifacts, they were countless.

Secluded Moon originally had a Low Grade Spiritual Root, making her cultivation sluggish. Qi Yue exhausted a century of savings and used her own spiritual power as a guide to finally push her into the Nascent Soul Realm.

But the person she treated as a younger sister repaid her with a fatal blow.

During one secluded meditation, when her mind was fully immersed in the bottleneck of a Breakthrough and she was completely defenseless, she was ambushed by this 'good sister.' Using a sixth-grade elixir and an earth-rank magic treasure, she gave Qi Yue a hard lesson.

The moment her life force dissipated, Qi Yue remembered a Divided Soul technique she had luckily practiced in her early years. A wisp of her remnant soul struggled to break free and hid inside a jade necklace.

Before her consciousness faded, the necklace was found by a female Cultivator from the Netherworld Holy Land. When she woke up again, she had already come to wander the Eastern Region.

After hearing this, Qin Tianxing commented: “It seems that whether in the Profound Realm or this Lesser Exquisite Grotto-Heaven, the story of 'repaying kindness with enmity' is always common.”

He glanced at his foster father and asked tentatively, “Brother Chen, do you need me to send someone to the Profound Moon Holy Land?”

Hearing this, Wang Er stood up with a 'whoosh.'

Qi Yue spoke up: “I thank the Sect Master for his kindness, but in the end, it was my own poor judgment. The Sect Master of Profound Moon Palace and the various Elders have all taken good care of me; they should not be caught up in this.”

Chen Xuan did not speak, his gaze once again scanning the pink figure below.

He understood what was going on now!