Chapter 1010: Purifying the Forbidden Area

All the past events flashed before Xu Qing's eyes, and finally, those memories gradually blurred, like spreading ink.

They stained everything, coalescing into Li Zimei's distorted face, more vividly etched than ever on that tree.

It was incredibly clear!

Consequently, the malevolent intent became even more intense!

Recalling Li Zimei's letter, a chill flickered in Xu Qing's eyes as he looked toward the location of the Taishi Immortal Sect.

He discerned the reason.

Li Zimei had cultivated a special technique, and her soul was in distress.

It was continuously ravaged by a malevolent aura, leaving it riddled with holes.

This assault had clearly not occurred overnight.

This might have been the 'enlightenment ritual' Li Zimei mentioned earlier.

Under this relentless assault, the pain Li Zimei endured twisted her personality and affected her mind.

Over the years, this pain gradually enveloped her, transforming her from a timid person into one consumed by madness and murderous intent.

If Li Zimei's soul were ultimately torn apart and ceased to exist, perhaps this ritual would have succeeded.

What would have returned would no longer be Li Zimei, but a monster with ultimate murderous intent.

However, an unforeseen event clearly occurred during this process, causing Li Zimei to escape and leading to her entanglement with the Taishi Immortals.

“This must be what the Taishi Immortal Sect referred to as 'entering the demonic state' in the Sword Bearer's confidential documents.”

The coldness in Xu Qing's eyes intensified.

He had already deduced that the so-called malevolent aura was, in fact, a soul.

An ancient and cruel soul!

The so-called 'assault' was actually a form of modification and soul possession.

It was to transform Li Zimei into a suitable host body, allowing this ancient soul to perfectly take possession.

This was also why Li Zimei was enveloped by the large tree at the center of the Lingyin Forbidden Zone… because this modified host body was also highly suitable for the choice of the Lingyin Forbidden Zone's Master.

“Parasitizing this suitable body to escape the forbidden zone…”

Xu Qing murmured to himself.

As for whether this was a coincidence… Xu Qing didn't dwell on it at the moment; the Sword Bearer Department of Yinghuang Province would naturally investigate it later.

And Qingqiu was also within the tree!

Completely engulfed, the blood aura emanating from her became sustenance for the Lingyin Forbidden Zone's Master's parasitic process.

This, in essence, was also the law of cultivation for all beings.

The strong prey on the weak!

It was true for Fuxie in the past, true for the Taishi Immortal Sect, and true for the Master of the Forbidden Zone.

The weak, regardless of their varied destinies, would endure similar experiences.

Xu Qing fell silent.

With his current strength, he couldn't alter the fundamental laws of cultivation, but he could prevent such things from happening to those he cared about.

With that, Xu Qing lifted his foot and began to walk deeper into the Lingyin Forbidden Zone.

With every step he took, the forbidden zone trembled. The aberrant substance here could corrupt all things, yet it had no effect on Xu Qing.

For at that moment, Xu Qing's body also emanated a divine aura, forming his own aberrant substance that rapidly spread in all directions.

The two aberrant substances instantly collided invisibly, causing the entire forbidden zone to tremble violently. Countless trees swayed, and mountains rumbled.

The sounds grew louder all at once!

The moment these sounds erupted, Xu Qing immediately took control, transforming them into his divine perception and his weapon. They rose from all areas within the forbidden zone, hurtling toward the central great tree with sound-based destructive power!

It was as if a heaven-shaking storm had erupted!

The sound waves, which should have been formless, became tangible in that instant, approaching the central great tree with an overwhelming force, seemingly poised to sweep everything away!

But at that very moment, Li Zimei's head suddenly lifted. With a contorted expression, she opened her mouth and let out an incredibly piercing, mournful shriek!

Upon its release, the sharp sound shattered metal and split stone!

Heaven and earth rumbled, and all directions swayed!

The sounds within the forbidden zone, which Xu Qing had controlled, actually showed signs of breaking free at this moment!

This was the Lingyin Forbidden Zone; its name, 'Spirit Sound,' to some extent represented the abilities of the Forbidden Zone's Master. Although far from reaching the level of a deity, as the Master of the Forbidden Zone, with the advantage of its identity, its counterattack was still swift and fierce!

Now, the piercing sound spread throughout heaven and earth, shaking Xu Qing's control, and then transformed into sound-based destructive power, striking toward Xu Qing!

Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged. He raised his right hand, gripped the void in front of him, then clenched his five fingers into a fist!

It was as if he had crushed nothingness and snatched everything away!

In an instant, the wavering sound authority became as unyielding as a majestic mountain, unshakable even by heavenly winds.

Not only that, even the murderous intent formed by the piercing sound emanating from Li Zimei's mouth was crushed by Xu Qing at that moment!

Sound Seizure!

Heaven and earth fell silent.

Then, Xu Qing's palm opened and he waved it toward the forbidden zone!

In the next instant, the power of sound authority was completely unleashed!

Innumerable sounds shattered the brief silence, erupting fully within the Lingyin Forbidden Zone like the first rays of dawn tearing through the night!

The sound of flowing water shattered corrupted riverbeds, the rustling of leaves caused wicked branches to self-destruct, the roars of strange beasts, and the sounds of all things within the forbidden zone now transformed into destructive force!

A tremendous booming sound surged!

Countless trees disintegrated and exploded, and strange beasts died agonizing deaths!

From the sky, one could see destructive power rising from the edge of the forbidden zone, spreading fiercely like a massive hand engulfing the entire area!

At this moment, it swept toward the central great tree with an unstoppable momentum, crushing everything in its path!

It made direct contact.

The central great tree shuddered violently, unable to withstand the force, and was torn apart, splintering into countless pieces.

Amidst the dust and debris, the figures of Li Zimei and Qingqiu appeared within. However, they did not fall with the collapsing tree but eerily floated in mid-air!

A mysterious force seemed to be controlling them.

Behind the two women, a three-foot-tall wooden puppet wobbled out of the dust.

The puppet was tattered all over, and a decayed, broken flute hung around its neck.

One eye on its face was missing, while the other was wide open, revealing confusion, as if its inherent sentience was in a muddled state.

Yet, a strong divine fluctuation surged within its body!

Moreover, the moment it appeared, the desolate forbidden zone seemed to regain vitality. The surviving strange beasts and oddities involuntarily prostrated themselves toward the puppet!

However, the puppet's attention was not on the forbidden zone; it was entirely focused on Xu Qing. The confusion and turbidity in its eye rippled, as if it was struggling greatly to maintain even a flicker of sentience, and it let out a low growl!

“Go away.”

Xu Qing ignored it and continued to approach.

Seeing this, confusion and madness surged in the puppet's eye once more. Immediately, Li Zimei, under its control, suddenly moved, charging directly toward Xu Qing!

A powerful murderous intent erupted from Li Zimei, causing the weather to change, raising chilling winds in all directions. Wherever she passed, it affected perception and distorted vision!

That was the Slaughter Intent!

Qingqiu, too, immediately opened her eyes. They held a dazed expression, as if she had just awakened from a deep sleep.

Then, a crimson light burst forth from her, dyeing the surroundings crimson like a blood purgatory!

A strange laugh emerged from Qingqiu's mouth!

“Hee hee hee!”

As this unsettling laughter echoed, Qingqiu's eyes remained dazed as she looked at Xu Qing!

“You… are very familiar…”

As she spoke, threads of blood from the dead aberrant beasts in the forbidden zone rapidly converged from all directions!

Xu Qing gazed at Qingqiu.

He knew that this strangeness appearing on Li Zimei and Qingqiu was called an 'intent realm'.

Li Zimei's intent realm was dominated by Slaughter.

As for Qingqiu, it was the Taishi Blood Intent Realm.

His master had once said that this was a forbidden secret technique of the Taishi Immortal Sect, incredibly difficult even for a minor accomplishment.

It was said that those who successfully comprehended this Blood Intent Realm would develop two or more personalities.

And with each additional personality, a color would disappear from their perception of the world. Only when eleven personalities emerged, leaving only crimson in their sight, would it be considered a great accomplishment.

However, to this day, no one in the history of the Taishi Immortal Sect had successfully developed all eleven personalities; all had gone mad and died during the process!

“Intent realms were a direction of research for the Sword-Wielding Palace during the era of the Xuanyou Ancient Emperor, with the goal of finding an ability that could make even deities bow down… but ultimately, it failed!”

Xu Qing recalled the words the Crown Prince had spoken when teaching him cultivation back in the Sacrificial Moon Great Domain.

Deep in thought, facing Li Zimei and Qingqiu who were charging forward, Xu Qing's steps did not falter. His right eye merely glowed with primordial power, and a single Dao mark emerged.

As this mark appeared, the Qian God trembled!

That was… the Authority of Erasure.

With this eye of authority, Xu Qing looked at Li Zimei and Qingqiu again and immediately saw countless threads connecting the two women to the puppet!

And seeing them meant they could be erased!

Xu Qing's right eyelid drooped, and the act of closing his eye was like snipping something.

In the next instant, Li Zimei and Qingqiu, who had been charging, paused, their bodies trembling.

The threads on their bodies, invisible to ordinary means, all snapped at the moment Xu Qing closed his eye.

The moment they were erased, the eyes of both women, which had been open, simultaneously closed, and their bodies fell to the ground, motionless!

The intent realms they had emanated also rapidly dissipated!

A shriek even more mournful than before intensely burst from the puppet, whose threads had been erased. At that moment, fueled by anger and malice, its body abruptly shot up, heading straight for Xu Qing!

Combining with its own mournful intent, it transformed into a translucent sonic spear, thrusting fiercely toward Xu Qing's heart.

Xu Qing did not dodge, allowing the sonic spear to strike.

The moment it made contact, it was as if it had struck an indestructible mountain. The sonic spear visibly disintegrated and collapsed!

In an instant, it was utterly destroyed!

Moreover, a backlash emanated, affecting the puppet. The Master of the Lingyin Forbidden Zone recoiled, and several cracks appeared on its body!

The instinctive fear of death, stemming from life itself, at this moment overwhelmed its confused sentience. It was about to accelerate its retreat, to flee this place!

But it was too late!

Xu Qing took a step forward. Within his Sea of Consciousness, a great sun converged, manifesting externally as his entire body instantly blazing with brilliant light, radiating countless beams of light and heat, transforming him into a vast sun!

Rising from the Lingyin Forbidden Zone!

At this moment, twilight was fading and night was descending, but in an instant, night reversed, and the sky brightened once more.

The dark forbidden zone was also pierced by the light, and the rivers filled with aberrant substance appeared clear!

All things seemed to be purified.