It wasn’t just Xu Qing’s medicine shop that collapsed. Many of the mudbrick structures in the city collapsed, sending dust and debris flying out everywhere. A group of cultivators in gray robes were flattening the buildings. The commoners had long since scattered, having been forced to leave.

Seven or eight figures hovered in midair, looking down at the city. In the lead position was a young dwarf with very ugly facial features and a baleful aura. His cultivation base was in the great circle of Gold Core, and was actually a bit higher than Chen Fanzhuo, the sect leader of the local Epactic Soil Sect. 1

These were not cultivators from the Bitter Life Mountains. A few months ago when the green wind changed colors to white and spread out to fill the entire desert, it negatively affected some of the isolated mountain peaks, causing some of them to melt to certain degrees.

After the white wind disappeared, and the green wind returned, there were quite a few organizations that chose to relocate. They wanted to find better mountains that would provide refuge from the white wind, whenever it came around next. This sort of thing happened a lot when the green wind changed colors. Because the Bitter Life Mountains formed the largest mountain range in the Greenhair Badlands, it was naturally a prime destination for such groups.

Of course, the forces in the Bitter Life Mountains were both isolationist and xenophobic. Therefore, any organization that wanted to encroach would need to resort to force. As a result, the Bitter Life Mountains had been full of chaotic warfare recently.

That was exactly what was happening in this mudbrick city. This group of outside cultivators had picked this city on the periphery of the mountains as the location where they wanted to build their new sect headquarters. That resulted in friction with the Epactic Soil Sect. However, in the end, the two sects reached a compromise. After all, losing control of the city didn’t mean that the Epactic Soil Sect would also lose their sect headquarters.

And thus, the outsiders occupied the city. At the moment, their leader, that young dwarf, was looking down and feeling very satisfied.

“It should only take about five days to clear this place out,” he said coolly.

Meanwhile, one of his subordinates looked at the rubble of the Green Spirit Pharmacy. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Sect Leader, don’t forget what Chen Fanzhuo told us. He said that we could do whatever we wanted to the city as a whole, but that we shouldn’t touch the Green Spirit Pharmacy….”

The dwarf laughed coldly. “Chen Fanzhuo didn’t want to lose control of this city, so he was being deliberately mystifying. You actually believed him? I don’t care what amazing person owns that Green Spirit Pharmacy. How amazing could he possibly be if all he did was open a pharmacy in a mortal city like this? This is the future location of my sect’s new headquarters! It would be completely improper to have some random medicine shop here!”

His subordinate nodded. Around that time, a beam of light appeared off in the distance. As it neared, it resolved into Chen Fanzhuo. When he saw the ruins of the Green Spirit Pharmacy, his expression darkened, and he turned to look coldly at the dwarf.

“Sir Tree-Dao, didn’t I tell you not to touch the Green Spirit Pharmacy?”

Sir Tree-Dao looked at him askance. “I already did,” he said coolly. “What are you going to do about it?”

Green sand blew through the city on the wind, making everything very hazy. Chen Fanzhuo’s expression turned even grimmer. Looking coldly at Sir Tree-Dao, he said nothing as he turned and left. Inside, he was thinking, This guy will be dead soon.

Sir Tree-Dao laughed coldly. As he watched Chen Fanzhuo leave, his eyes glittered with killing intent.

A measly Gold Core cultivator with no powerful backers, scared of everything, shivering in his boots. Just wait until I become an apprentice to Guru Blackeyes. He’s the first one I’ll kill!

It had taken a lot of work over the past half-year or so for him to get in the good graces of Guru Blackeyes, and Sir Tree-Dao was very proud of that. He was actually already apprenticed to another Master, but that Master’s cultivation base wasn’t very impressive. What was more, that Master was so secretive that Sir Tree-Dao didn’t even know what he looked like or what his name was. For the past sixty-year-cycle, every time he saw his Master, his appearance was different. As a result, Sir Tree-Dao had long since come to his own conclusions about who his Master really was.

That said, he wasn’t completely sure of all the details. All he knew was that his Master was only in the Nascent Soul level. Therefore, becoming an apprentice to Guru Blackeyes, who was in the Spirit Trove level, would be like upgrading from earth to heaven.

I wonder when Guru Blackeyes is going to show up. I asked for his help quite a while ago….

Even as he was thinking such things, a jade slip in his bag of holding vibrated. Heart lurching, he quickly took it out, whereupon a voice message echoed in his mind.

“Come see me, Sir Tree-Dao.”

Sir Tree-Dao immediately got excited as he realized it was Guru Blackeyes’ voice. Without hesitating for a moment, he turned and flew off.

***

Some distance away from Greensand County, ripples spread through heaven and earth as an invisible sun raced toward the Bitter Life Mountains.

Everyone inside was as busy as usual.

Ning Yan was scrubbing the floor. Wu Jianwu was delivering a massage. The parrot was acting bossy. Li Youfei was doing random chores. The Captain was still fanning away.

The big difference was that the inside of the sun was now filled with Ling’er’s voice and the Heir Apparent’s laughter.

The Heir Apparent really liked Ling’er. Meanwhile, Ling’er wasn’t as afraid as she had been in the past. She was now in human form, seated next to him and chatting with him in her charming and innocent way.

“Grandpa, pretty soon we’ll arrive at me and Big Bro Xu Qing’s Green Spirit Pharmacy. Grandpa, sir, why don’t you stay there? You’ll really like our medicine shop.”

The Heir Apparent nodded, his eyes as warm and loving as if he were talking with his own grandchild. Ling’er reminded him of his granddaughter from years past, memories which he actually found somewhat painful.

Ling’er, seeing that she had laid it on thick enough, finally said, “And so… grandpa, maybe you should let Big Bro Xu Qing rest a bit. Once we get to the Green Spirit Pharmacy, he’s going to have to start concocting a lot of medicine.”

“Silly girl,” the Heir Apparent said, chuckling. Turning, he looked at Xu Qing, who was seated cross-legged some distance away, trembling, with sweat pouring down his face. 𝘪𝑎.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Above his head floated three tiny suns. One was a door frame, one was a ring, and the other was a sphere. The three suns emanated intense heat that shone down on Xu Qing and the over one hundred desiccated corpses surrounding him. They were none other than the cultivators from the Red Moon Cathedral. They included dozens of godslaves, three godservants, and a godherald.

It was only the godherald that was trembling as if in struggle. His eyes would occasionally open, and he would look around blankly. His face was a mask of pain.

Because of the suns shining down, the red moon power within them was being slowly extracted, turning into thin blood-colored threads that flowed toward Xu Qing and entered his eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and pores. He was currently in a session of cultivation.

After leaving the Whitecloud Mountains, the Heir Apparent had instructed him to do this, and had even set up the cathedral cultivators in a spell formation around Xu Qing. Apparently, the suns were purifying their red moon power and making it easier for Xu Qing to absorb. As a result, his violet moon nascent soul was getting stronger. It wasn’t just his violet moon nascent soul. Heavenfiend clones were rising up from the corpses around him as their heavenfate was extracted. The result was that all of Xu Qing’s nascent souls were growing. Xu Qing was receiving an unprecedented level of replenishment!

That said, there was a thin line between replenishment and poisoning. For Xu Qing to devour so much nascent soul heavenfate and red moon power in such a short time caused him to feel like his sea of consciousness was expanding dramatically. It also brought with it a sensation of searing pain that left him soaked with sweat and his facial expression fierce.

That was why Ling’er was so concerned.

“Silly girl. Your Big Bro Xu Qing has immense potential, but hasn’t experienced enough tempering. It seems likely that his Master hasn’t spent much time with him, and can only give him occasional advice and pointers.

“Truth be told, considering your Big Bro Xu Qing’s latent power, he needs high-level tempering. Given the unswerving determination that stems from deep in his bones, he’s suited for that type of thing. Right now, he’s just getting started.”

The Heir Apparent waved his hand in Xu Qing’s direction, causing the three suns to erupt with more light and heat than before.

Xu Qing’s body sank down a bit, and cracking sounds rang out from within him. His skin seemed like it was on fire, to the point where he hardly looked human. Meanwhile, the corpses around him started exploding one by one. Starting with the godslaves, all of the red moon power within them rushed out.

As Xu Qing devoured that power, his cultivation base improved rapidly. Three days later, as they entered the Greenhair Badlands, the godservants were all dead, and only the godherald remained alive. Blood oozed out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, and he howled in defiance.

At the same time, powerful fluctuations swept out from Xu Qing. His thirteen nascent souls had now been forced into the great circle of the two-tribulation level. The third heavenfate tribulation would come soon.

Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu looked on, jumpy with fear as they worried the Heir Apparent might do something similar to them. Clearly, they were overthinking things. As far as the Heir Apparent was concerned, the only person who qualified to receive his instruction and tempering was Xu Qing.

“You barely scraped by. Provoking heavenfate tribulation with a cultivation base so low will bring a tribulation that most ordinary cultivators would find formidable. But for you, it wouldn’t be enough to bring out your latent potential. I can help make up for the difference. Are you willing to try, Xu Qing?”

Xu Qing looked up at the Heir Apparent. “Yeah!”

The Heir Apparent’s eyes gleamed with admiration. Walking up to Xu Qing, he flicked his sleeve, pulling Xu Qing away from the suns. And then, to everyone’s astonishment, the Heir Apparent and Xu Qing disappeared and materialized out in the Greenhair Badlands.

As the green wind screamed, the Heir Apparent pushed down with his left hand. The desert rumbled, and sand swirled as a massive pit opened up. Without any hesitation, the Heir Apparent threw Xu Qing into the pit. The moment he landed at the bottom, the Heir Apparent spoke in a voice that boomed like heavenly thunder.

“Let the soil become the body. Temper the soul to be golden. Heaven shall fill with heavenfate tribulation. Bring dao lightning that can destroy the world!”

His voice caused the shifting sands to rumble loudly as they covered Xu Qing. Then, the Heir Apparent pushed down viciously with his right hand, causing the land to press down onto Xu Qing, as if to merge with him.

His divine sense was also connected to the sandy soil. It was almost as if the Heir Apparent was forcing Xu Qing to become part of the desert, and then use that new ‘body’ to provoke the third heavenfate tribulation. As a result, in the eyes of the heavenly dao, Xu Qing was in the unprecedented great circle of the second tribulation. As a result, he would be summoning the most terrifying lightning imaginable.

“Xu Qing, your Master is extraordinary, but he treats you too softly. He created techniques for you and put the primary focus on avoiding crises, reduced risks, and eliminating threats. That method doesn’t directly face challenges, and refrains from using overwhelming power. That method might leave you feeling safe and comfortable…. It’s both correct and incorrect!

“We cultivators need to put our lives on the line. We don’t trust heaven. We don’t trust fate. We don’t allow anything to get in our way. No living being can suppress our hearts. Not even gods can make us bend the knee! If you want to do that, you can’t avoid or reduce danger. You need to find destined opportunities in the face of a deadly crisis. That’s how you develop an indomitable spirit!

“You are obviously an extraordinary piece of metal! And how can you forge metal with something mild and gentle? Sit down and summon the heavenfate tribulation!”

1. Chen Fanzhuo was introduced by name in chapter 582.2, and appeared subsequently in chapters 583.2 and 584. ☜

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