Chapter 68: Luring the Snake Out of Its Hole, Blood Lou Makes a Move

Squelch! A beam of sword Qi tore through Wang Ming's defense, leaving a bone-deep wound on his left ribs.

"Elder! Attack quickly! This boy is a Prodigy! He must not be left alive!"

Wang Ming hurriedly summoned a blood shield and roared anxiously toward the sky.

Taking advantage of his weakness to strike a fatal blow, a flash of white light flickered.

White Rainbow Pierces the Sun! Void Sever! Soul Sever! Annihilation! Annihilation!

At a speed invisible to the naked eye, the terrifying sword Qi instantly pierced through Wang Ming's blood shield.

Under Zhou Chen's dense offensive, Wang Ming's Core Formation Realm Protective Aura was broken through like tofu, and a bloody hole appeared in his chest.

If it weren't for the many eyes watching, preventing him from using various means like the Golden Emperor Glazed Flame, Wang Ming would have likely kicked the bucket long ago.

Wang Ming's death happened in the blink of an eye.

Boom!

The sky suddenly cracked open, and a giant palm of dark green Spiritual Qi descended from the heavens, locking onto Zhou Chen with overwhelming power.

Even though the Undying Golden Body Art had reached the third level, Zhou Chen felt his bones creaking; this was the terrifying suppression of a Nascent Soul Cultivator!

Facing a Nascent Soul Cultivator, the gap was still too large!

Zhou Chen's expression remained unchanged, but he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Presumptuous!"

A furious shout resounded through the clouds, and Liu Qingtian's figure instantly blocked the way in front of Zhou Chen.

He pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly tapped toward the giant palm in the air.

Squelch! The dark green giant palm disintegrated inch by inch, vanishing into thin air instantly.

"Sect Master!"

The other Wenxian Sect Disciples shouted excitedly, their joy at surviving the disaster beyond words.

"Elder Li Kun, you ungrateful traitor, since you dared to come, then stay here!"

Liu Qingtian's gaze was cold, locking onto Li Kun in the void.

Li Kun was scared out of his wits. Having lurked in the Wenxian Sect for many years, he understood Liu Qingtian's strength too well and didn't dare to face him head-on.

Heavenly Demon Disintegration!

Li Kun's blood-light flared brilliantly, and his whole body turned into a streak of blood-colored light, attempting to escape.

"Humph! You think you can leave in front of me?"

Liu Qingtian snorted coldly. Space seemed to freeze, and Li Kun's speed instantly slowed down.

"Qingtian Seal!"

Liu Qingtian flipped his right palm, and a green handprint traversed space, ignoring Li Kun's defense and striking directly at the top of his head.

"Sect Leader Blood Lou, save me!" Li Kun shrieked in despair.

"Liu Qingtian! How dare you!"

Blood Lou's voice came from the depths of the void, and a dark red finger-light tore through space, heading straight for the point between Liu Qingtian's eyebrows.

Liu Qingtian's expression was stern as his left hand formed a seal, and a phantom of the word 'Suppress' emerged.

The speed of the dark red finger-light slowed abruptly, its sharpness continuously weakened.

Bang!

Li Kun was completely crushed by the Qingtian Seal, his flesh exploding like fireworks, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Sizzle!

The dark red finger-light struck Liu Qingtian's Divine Thought barrier and completely dissipated.

"Liu—Qing—tian!"

Blood Lou roared in rage, his voice shaking the void.

"This enmity is irreconcilable! On the day of the Ten Thousand Sects Arena Battle, I will make your Wenxian Sect Disciples pay—in blood!"

The sky returned to tranquility. On the ruins of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, the Wenxian Sect Disciples who had survived looked at Liu Qingtian with eyes full of awe.

"You did very well in today's matter."

Liu Qingtian looked at Zhou Chen, his voice softening slightly.

"Cultivate well and prepare properly for the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition."

Zhou Chen nodded and said, "This Disciple understands! Thank you, Master, for saving me!"

Liu Qingtian nodded and instructed the Law Enforcement Elder.

"Clean up this place. Any surviving Blood Demon Sect spies are to be taken to the Demon Suppression Valley. You will interrogate them personally!"

Liu Qingtian turned and left, with Zhou Chen following closely behind.

With Zhou Chen winning the Core Disciple trial and the Blood Demon Sect suffering a crushing defeat at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Zhou Chen's name had unknowingly risen to fame among the younger generation of the entire Wenxian Sect.

Back at the main Peak, Liu Qingtian didn't say much, merely gesturing for Zhou Chen to sit down.

"Zhou Chen, do you know why today's events happened?"

His gaze was deep, and his tone was calm yet carried authority.

Zhou Chen pondered for a moment and said slowly, "The Blood Demon Sect is eyeing the new generation of our Wenxian Sect. Sending Zhao Gang and Wang Ming to assassinate me this time was clearly to test my strength, and perhaps even to take the opportunity to eliminate me and nip a potential threat in the bud."

Liu Qingtian nodded slightly.

"Correct. The Blood Demon Sect has been making frequent moves in recent years, having long coveted our Wenxian Sect. As a standout of the Sect's younger generation, you naturally became a thorn in their side."

He paused, his tone turning cold. "However, they underestimated your strength and also underestimated the foundation of our Wenxian Sect. Their infiltration is deep; it's a pity that in previous years, many Genius Disciples were lost at their hands."

Speaking of this, Liu Qingtian sighed slightly.

"Zhou Chen, you must grow up quickly. I don't know how long I can protect you."

Zhou Chen's heart jolted, and he said solemnly.

"Rest assured, Master. This Disciple will certainly go all out and not fail the Sect's expectations."

Liu Qingtian showed a gratified smile.

"Very good. Your performance today is enough to make the Blood Demon Sect wary. However, with the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition approaching, the Blood Demon Sect will never let things rest. In the coming days, you must be even more cautious."

Zhou Chen responded solemnly, "This Disciple understands."

"Go then, Cultivate well and prepare for the upcoming competition," Liu Qingtian waved his hand.

Zhou Chen bowed and turned to leave the main Peak.

Returning to his Immortal Cave, while no one was around, Zhou Chen entered the Guiyi Secret Realm, sat cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing to recover.

In today's battle, although Zhou Chen had resisted the fifth-level Core Formation Wang Ming, the consumption of Spiritual Qi in his body was immense, and his Meridians had suffered some shock.

Rapidly circulating the Tai Chu Chaos Sutra, black and white runes flowed within his body, and his Spiritual Qi slowly recovered.

At the same time, the scenes of today's battle played back repeatedly in Zhou Chen's mind as he summarized the lessons learned.

"Li Kun's Nascent Soul strike—if it hadn't been for my cheap Master Liu Qingtian acting in time, I'm afraid things would have ended badly."

Zhou Chen was secretly vigilant.

"The strength of a Nascent Soul powerhouse is indeed far beyond imagination. In the coming days, I must improve my strength as quickly as possible to remain invincible in the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition. After all, the Wenxian Sect is only one of several major Sects in the Southern Region, and there is no shortage of brilliant talents."

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, it was night.

Zhou Chen slowly opened his eyes; the Spiritual Qi in his body had long since fully recovered.

"Next, it's time to go to the Scripture Pavilion to check for information on the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition."

Zhou Chen got up, walked out of the Immortal Cave, and headed toward the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, the lights were brightly lit.

As a Core Disciple, Zhou Chen naturally faced no obstacles.

Zhou Chen stood before a bookshelf, flipping through materials regarding the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition.

Core Disciples could not only enjoy the Sect's best resources but also obtain the latest intelligence from various forces.

"The Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition is the Peak showdown for the younger generation of the major Sects in the Southern Region. Held once every ten years, the participants are all Core Disciples of their respective Sects, possessing extraordinary strength."

Zhou Chen carefully read every piece of information, gradually gaining a clearer understanding of the Ten Thousand Sects Grand Competition.

"In this competition, both the Righteous and Demonic Paths can participate. From the Righteous Path, top Sects like the Wenxian Sect, Qingshan Sect, Huangfeng Valley, Tianlong Temple, and Emei Grotto will all send their strongest Disciples. Demonic Path Sects are also numerous, including the Yellow Springs Sect, Blood Drinking Sect, Yinshan Sect, Heartless Valley, and Blood Demon Sect. Especially the Yellow Springs Sect; their Disciples' methods are sinister and must be approached with extreme caution."

"Huangfeng Valley is low-key and mysterious with extraordinary strength; neither the Righteous nor Demonic Paths dare to provoke them lightly, as every time they act, they destroy the opposing force's Sect. Tianlong Temple cannot be underestimated, as it is suspected that a Buddha Child has been born with extraordinary strength. Qingshan Sect's Sword Wuxin, with his Clear Sword Heart, has already broken through to the seventh level of Core Formation, possessing terrifying strength. The Blood Demon Sect's Blood Son, Blood Wuhen, fought a ninth-level Core Formation Cultivator without being defeated…"