Chapter 299: Old Ancestor Achieves Merit

"An item?" Xu Qing pondered. At that moment, the shadow continued to emit clear fluctuations.

"Master... wait... merit..."

This time, the Vajra Sect Patriarch didn't need to translate; Xu Qing could roughly understand the shadow's intention. It was telling him to wait, as it could accomplish this task and earn merit. Xu Qing nodded.

"Master, Little Shadow is still young. I think it would be better if I went along to observe," the Vajra Sect Patriarch quickly transmitted to Xu Qing, feeling a strong sense of urgency to earn merit himself as he saw the shadow's eagerness.

Xu Qing agreed. The next moment, his shadow vanished into the ground, and the black iron skewer where the Vajra Sect Patriarch resided flew out on its own, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Xu Qing sat cross-legged on the rooftop, waiting silently. Ding Xue blinked; she couldn't see the shadow, and the black iron skewer's speed was comparable to a 'two-fire' cultivation stage, so it was imperceptible to her. However, seeing Xu Qing sit down, she obediently sat beside him, took out a box of pastries, and placed it next to him.

"Brother Xu Qing, these are pastries I made myself. I'm not sure how they taste. I plan to practice more before making them for my aunt, uncle, and grandfather to try. Could you taste them first and give me some pointers?" As Ding Xue spoke, she skillfully handed him a bundle of spirit tickets. Xu Qing remained silent, his senses spreading outwards. Although he couldn't locate his master, he felt it was highly probable his master was observing him. So, instead of asking for spirit stones, he picked up a pastry and took a bite.

"Passable."

Ding Xue was quite happy. She sat there, looking around, and spoke softly. "Brother Xu Qing, when are we going to catch that strange entity? The records say the time for its killing spree is almost here..."

"We're already catching it," Xu Qing calmly replied, looking into the distance. Inside the city, the Vajra Sect Patriarch had initially followed the shadow, but the shadow clearly disliked him and quickly hid itself.

"Little brat shadow, do you really think this patriarch is trying to piggyback on your merits? This time, I'll show you my true capabilities!" the Vajra Sect Patriarch snorted coldly in his heart. Changing direction, he instantly transformed into human form, his clothes altering. He now looked no different from the local citizens and disappeared into the crowd.

Time passed, minute by minute. The shadow spread extremely fast, finding one strange entity after another. It would pounce and devour them in an instant. However, for every strange entity killed in the city, another would appear, seemingly out of thin air and with no discernible pattern, as if they could never be fully eliminated. Yet, the benefit of this was evident: by the time dusk arrived, the death incidents that were supposed to occur that day had not happened.

As moonlight descended, the number of strange entities appearing increased rapidly, as if they wouldn't cease until they completed their daily killings. Eventually, even Xu Qing, sitting on the rooftop, showed a hint of solemnity in his eyes.

He observed the small nation under the night sky, clearly feeling the rapidly rising chilling aura within it. The shadow was incredibly busy, constantly devouring the numerous strange entities that emerged. "My interference has caused this strangeness to evolve..." Xu Qing murmured. Beside him, Ding Xue also sensed the unsettling atmosphere and grew nervous. At that moment, a black light arrived instantly, hovering before Xu Qing, transforming into the black iron skewer.

A wisp of spiritual sense swiftly entered Xu Qing's mind from within it. "Master, I've found the source. Little Shadow, after all, is young and only knows how to violently eliminate things. However, it doesn't realize that these constantly appearing subordinate strange entities become more agitated the more they are provoked. To truly eradicate them, one must ultimately find the source."

"The source is usually very secretive, and clues don't typically appear recently. They are often hidden in minor incidents from much earlier times. Therefore, I assumed a human form in this small nation, changing my identity multiple times to investigate if anything unusual had occurred here over the past few years. I finally discovered that two years ago, a highly skilled physician came to this nation. A peculiar aspect of his practice was that he would give his patients small mirrors for them to place by their bedsides."

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed upon hearing this. "How long was that physician here, and how many households placed these mirrors?"

"To answer, Master, I've investigated all of this thoroughly. The physician practiced in this small nation for three months before leaving. At that time, our Seven Blood Eyes sect had not yet joined the alliance, so the disciples stationed here were unaware of this matter."

"I also visited several households where these small mirrors were hung. Interestingly, if a regular cultivator were to examine these mirrors, they would likely find it difficult to discern anything unusual – though, of course, the Master is an exception."

"Having been influenced by the Master for many years, I naturally possess insight and discovered a trace of an artifact spirit within them."

Xu Qing glanced at the Vajra Sect Patriarch. "I understand, so I followed this trace and searched further. I finally found a mirror hanging under the eaves of an influential family's residence in this small nation, which should be the main source."

"If my judgment is correct, that physician must be an evil cultivator who used this method to foster the mirror. Such a treasure wouldn't be placed far from him, so this evil cultivator must be hiding not far outside this small nation, allowing him to constantly observe and retrieve his fostered treasure."

Xu Qing was about to speak when he heard: "I understand, so I went out again to find a suitable location. I finally discovered a small mountain, which is the best place to observe this small nation. There are hidden cultivation fluctuations within the mountain, indicating a cultivator inside, likely in some kind of slumber due to their cultivation technique. I didn't want to alert them, so I didn't go in to investigate."

Though the Vajra Sect Patriarch made no explicit boasts, his thoroughness and meticulousness in all his actions impressed Xu Qing. At the same time, seeing the rampant strange entities in the small nation and the shadow's increasingly frantic efforts to devour them, Xu Qing realized how comprehensive the patriarch's approach was.

"Consider this a merit for you!" Xu Qing transmitted mentally.

The Vajra Sect Patriarch instantly became excited; even the black iron skewer trembled. For some time, he hadn't dared to speak, as Little Shadow's unique abilities had allowed it to shine, surpassing him and becoming the Master's new favorite. He worried that any misspoken word might lead him to be sacrificed as cannon fodder by the Demon Xu. Now, with this merit, he felt somewhat more at ease.

"Lead the way," Xu Qing transmitted. The black iron skewer, containing the Vajra Sect Patriarch, immediately hummed and shot forward.

Xu Qing leaped to follow. Beside him, Ding Xue, though unaware of what was happening, perceived the solemnity in Xu Qing's expression. She quickly put away her pastry box and followed behind him like a small maidservant.

Soon, Xu Qing arrived at the influential family's residence in the small nation. His perception spread, and finding no cultivation fluctuations, he didn't disturb anyone. Instead, he headed directly for the mirror. Upon approaching, he immediately saw its peculiarity. There was no unusual material on it, but when the wind caused it to sway and turn, the moment it faced Xu Qing, a sharp stinging pain shot through his eyes. However, the next instant, his Life Lamp ignited within him, and the protective Hua Gai barrier spread, restoring his vision.

Xu Qing was moved; for someone of his current combat power and physical strength to feel such a stinging pain indicated the extraordinary nature of this small mirror. He raised his right hand and suddenly grabbed. But the next moment, the small mirror violently struggled, instantly breaking free from Xu Qing's grasp and shooting straight towards the sky.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, Xu Qing appeared in mid-air. Within him, four Life Flames and two Life Lamps blazed, and his Emperor-tier cultivation technique suddenly unleashed. His seven-fire combat power, astonishingly potent, merged into his palm. He pressed down abruptly towards the fleeing small mirror. Faced with such might, the small mirror trembled instantly. Unable to resist, it was seized by Xu Qing. His spiritual sense surged in, directly sealing it. At the same time, the hundreds of mirrors placed by bedsides in households throughout the small nation shattered simultaneously.

Concurrently, the frequently appearing strange entities within the city trembled and then vanished into thin air.

At the same instant, on the summit of the short mountain outside the small nation, a long rainbow suddenly shot out from a hidden cave dwelling. Within the rainbow was a white-haired old man with a ferocious face, layers of peeling skin visible on his exposed flesh, as if he were shedding his skin. He clearly hadn't finished shedding his skin, but his cultivation of the first Golden Core Palace still radiated powerfully. He looked towards the small nation and let out a low growl.

"You brat! How dare you ruin my plans!"

His voice, like thunder, echoed in all directions, shaking the entire small nation. At that moment, Xu Qing's figure appeared.

With a cold gaze, Xu Qing shot out, heading directly for the mountain where the old man was. His speed caused the Golden Core old man, a cultivator of the First Heavenly Palace, to change expression. Just as his heart leaped, Xu Qing was already before him. Their clash was instantaneous, shaking the earth and mountains, altering the wind and clouds. A roaring sound reverberated through the heavens. The next moment... the old man's body trembled, a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out, and his body was sent flying backward by an immense force, crashing into the small mountain.

As the small mountain collapsed and rubble fell away, the old man's face revealed shock and disbelief. "Such combat power..."

Xu Qing remained calm, his eyes cold. He knew he couldn't match a Golden Core cultivator with two Heavenly Palaces, but easily suppressed one with a single Heavenly Palace using his seven-fire combat power. The old man clearly realized this now. Without hesitation, he spat out blood and rapidly retreated, even unleashing a forbidden technique to transform into a blood shadow, dramatically increasing his speed.

But behind Xu Qing, the Golden Crow manifested. As the Golden Crow roared, and the old man's pupils contracted, Xu Qing moved even faster, instantly giving chase.

"You're Xu Qing of the Eight Sects Alliance!"

The old man's scalp tingled as he recognized Xu Qing by the Golden Crow. It was too late to dodge. In an instant, Xu Qing caught up and unleashed a punch directly at the old man's front, which was blocked by a Heavenly Palace. However, in that very instant, the Heavenly Palace collapsed and shattered, revealing the withered Golden Core inside, which the Golden Crow instantly devoured with a roar.

The old man let out a horrifying shriek, spitting out torrents of blood. Xu Qing's right hand, imbued with dense Fiend Fire, pressed down on the crown of the old man's head. With a downward suppression, the Fiend Fire instantly enveloped his entire body. His screams shook the heavens!

There was already a vast disparity between rogue cultivators and sect cultivators, not to mention this old man had only cultivated three Life Flames before advancing to the Golden Core stage. From foundations to aptitude to cultivation techniques, the gap between him and Xu Qing was like a chasm. As the Fiend Fire spread, a wisp of soul was extracted and continuously merged into Xu Qing's body. This person would be the first soul Xu Qing suppressed within his cultivation aperture.

However, just as Xu Qing was extracting the soul, his expression suddenly changed. The surrounding sky instantly rumbled with thunder, and within the clouds, seven or eight figures, each filled with greed, rapidly approached Xu Qing. Furthermore, a vast figure appeared between heaven and earth, with three Heavenly Palaces shining with astonishing brilliance behind him, their light giving his face a hint of sacredness.

"Xu Qing, we've finally waited for you to leave the Eight Sects Alliance."