Chapter 300: Master, Save Me

Xu Qing didn't know if these individuals were connected to the elder he had killed. Their clothing offered no clues; the seven or eight swiftly approaching figures, and the middle-aged man with three Heavenly Palaces radiating immense power, were all completely unfamiliar to him.

However, Xu Qing quickly judged that these individuals were likely not associated with the elder. Instead, they seemed to have been lying in ambush, waiting for him to appear. They had probably waited a long time, only descending once they confirmed there were no protectors accompanying him. To achieve this, they must have accurately tracked his movements, and only members of the alliance could easily investigate his whereabouts. Otherwise, having concealed his presence throughout his journey, even if he had been seen, no one would have known his mission's destination.

"Was this information leaked by the Lingyun Sword Sect?" Xu Qing suddenly retreated.

While his speed could outpace the seven or eight figures grinning as they approached, it was no match for the three Golden Cores with Heavenly Palaces. "Trying to escape!" A chilling voice echoed. The three Golden Cores, moving at a speed Xu Qing couldn't discern, instantly appeared before him, radiating intense murderous intent. In this critical moment, the Purple Heaven Infinite Crown on Xu Qing's head suddenly materialized, forming a protective barrier that instantly transformed into a light shield, blocking the power of the three Heavenly Palaces.

With a boom, blood spilled from Xu Qing's lips. Though he resisted the might of the three Heavenly Palaces, the shock still wounded him. The disparity between them was simply too great. Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and he abruptly retreated, fleeing swiftly into the distance without hesitation. Behind him, the three Golden Cores hovered in place, watching Xu Qing's departing figure coldly. They did not immediately pursue, instead rapidly surveying their surroundings to confirm whether Xu Qing's protectors would appear. As for the others, they chased after him with greedy anticipation.

These pursuers were all cultivators of considerable skill, clearly Golden Core cultivators with Heavenly Palaces: five with one palace and two with two palaces. Each unleashed astonishing speed, surrounding Xu Qing from all directions. As spells rained down, the earth trembled. Sounds echoed everywhere, distorting the void. Energy fluctuations swept through the vicinity, causing mountains to crumble.

Under such a siege, amidst the booming of numerous spells, Xu Qing rapidly formed hand seals, conjuring spells that manifested as sea beasts from swirling mists, roaring as they charged forth. A thunderous roar instantly reverberated through the heavens. Xu Qing himself spurted blood, his eyes filled with intense killing intent. But there were too many enemies, and each was formidable, preventing him from launching an effective counterattack. At this moment, he could only continuously resist while swiftly increasing the distance, retreating persistently, and fleeing frantically, appearing somewhat disheveled. The protective power of the Purple Heaven Infinite Crown also fluctuated violently from enduring too many spells. From a distance, terrifying power permeated the area, the might of Golden Cores was astonishing, and fierce flames surged, forming a net of heaven and earth. Xu Qing's face showed a grim expression. He abruptly unleashed the "Ninefold Roaring Sea" technique, transforming it into wave after wave that crashed outwards.

But at this very moment, a sharp sound ripped through the air from the distant sky—it was the middle-aged man with three Heavenly Palaces. He approached through the air, his aura filled with deterrence, and brilliant light flowed around his body, making him appear divine. Yet, a hint of suspicion flickered in his eyes.

"Are there really no protectors?"

Almost the instant his words left his mouth, Xu Qing suddenly looked up, his eyes wide with ecstasy, and shouted towards the distant sky, "Master! Master, save me!" As his words rang out, everyone's expressions changed drastically. The moment they all looked towards the distance, Xu Qing turned, his cultivation speed exploding to its maximum. He also waved his hand, conjuring a dharma boat to further enhance his speed, even unleashing his divine power, transforming into a long rainbow as he abruptly fled.

"Mere tricks!" The three Golden Cores with Heavenly Palaces sneered, but still did not pursue.

Xu Qing, who was escaping at extreme speed, saw a gigantic hand materialize out of nothingness in the empty space ahead of him, abruptly appearing and striking his dharma boat. With a boom, the dharma boat exploded, but it didn't completely shatter. Under Xu Qing's control, it changed direction, rushing fiercely in another direction. Where the hand had appeared, it now dissipated, transforming into a red-faced old Daoist in a black robe, behind whom were also three Heavenly Palaces. He stood there, also suspiciously perceiving his surroundings, not chasing Xu Qing.

But as Xu Qing changed direction again, the void fluctuated once more, and a massive face suddenly emerged. This face was hairless, its eyes bloodshot, and it opened its mouth, full of ferocity and savagery, biting fiercely at Xu Qing's dharma boat. A roar echoed, and Xu Qing's dharma boat exploded again. Heartbroken, Xu Qing could only quickly put it away. Gritting his teeth, he changed direction once more and charged out again.

But another enemy figure appeared, materializing as a tall, rugged middle-aged man who blocked his path. With a sinister grin, three Heavenly Palaces manifested behind him, suppressing him fiercely. Xu Qing's body trembled violently, spurting blood, and the protection provided by the Infinite Crown outside his body fluctuated even more intensely. Unable to evade, the first middle-aged man with three Heavenly Palaces also arrived. Now, there were four Golden Core cultivators with three Heavenly Palaces surrounding Xu Qing. At the same time, dozens of rogue cultivators also flew out from the ground, all of whom had been lying in ambush around the country of Siyou.

Gazing at these individuals, Xu Qing's expression darkened. He suddenly pulled out a chaotic teleportation talisman and crushed it. In an instant, teleportation power erupted, and Xu Qing's figure vanished from the spot. With his disappearance, the surrounding Golden Core cultivators surprisingly made no attempt to investigate or pursue. At the same time, all the greed and murderous intent that had previously been on their faces dissipated in that instant. More astonishingly, as their expressions faded, their figures also slowly blurred. After a moment, they one by one seemed to be erased, vanishing from their original positions.

The land became peaceful. Half an hour later, a rock on the ground suddenly twisted, transforming into a pockmarked old man in a green Daoist robe. This elder carefully surveyed his surroundings, a profound light in his eyes. "Although it was an illusion, every strike earlier was real. Judging by Xu Qing's reaction, did he really have no protectors?" "But without protectors, how could he dare to venture out so brazenly?" "However, recalling his departure, he did indeed conceal himself. If I hadn't known his exact destination, it would have been very difficult to pinpoint him." Deep in thought, the elder's body flickered, and he vanished without a trace.

Meanwhile, in a wilderness some distance away, Xu Qing's figure teleported out. The moment he appeared, he spat out a mouthful of blood and quickly took out a jade slip to send a message to his sect. But just as he pulled out the jade slip, the ground suddenly caved in, forming a terrifying gaping maw that fiercely swallowed towards him. Xu Qing's expression changed. As he rapidly ascended, a booming sound came from the ground. The enormous maw was clearly the mouth of a giant, which now stood up, a thousand feet tall, and raised its massive hand to grab Xu Qing.

Xu Qing rapidly retreated, but in the blink of an eye, the void behind him rippled. The pockmarked old man in green robes stepped out, and with a wave of his hand, five Heavenly Palaces suddenly materialized behind him, directly forming a suppressive force that slammed into Xu Qing. Xu Qing's body trembled, blood gushing out. Amidst the violent vibrations of his external protection, he quickly took out another chaotic teleportation talisman, just about to crush it. But the next instant, a calm voice came from behind him.

"Seal!"

As this single word was uttered, a massive golden formation suddenly appeared in the sky above, pressing down fiercely upon the earth. Xu Qing's teleportation failed. His body was suppressed by this immense force, unable to ascend, and he was forced to fall downwards. His face pale, he suddenly looked up and saw a child sitting on the golden formation. This child, clad in red robes, sat cross-legged. Five astonishing Heavenly Palaces floated above his head, causing the formation to continuously descend towards the ground. This also made Xu Qing's entire body creak under the suppression, and the Infinite Crown's protection also dented. His body continued to fall until, with a boom, Xu Qing landed on the ground. The next moment, countless black hairs suddenly rose from the ground around him, rapidly coiling around him. A corrosive force erupted, beginning to erode his Infinite Crown's protection.

"It seems there really are no protectors."

"You were overly cautious. What if there were protectors? We are merely clones here. At worst, we lose these clones. Is there anything to fear?" "Regardless, whether this mission was set or not, we are determined to complete it. Even if the Seven Blood Eyes are indeed trying to lure us out, we are prepared." As Xu Qing's protection was rapidly corroded, the child, the green-robed elder, and the thousand-foot giant spoke one after another from the sky. They then each formed hand seals, and immediately a vast, surging power erupted from their bodies, forming an annihilative force that slammed down towards Xu Qing. Seeing the imminent danger, a voice filled with displeasure echoed in all directions.

"How dull! So few people came, and they're all just clones. This is quite uninteresting!"

The moment the voice spoke, Grandmaster Seventh's figure emerged from the void before Xu Qing. He flicked his sleeve, and the hair surrounding Xu Qing instantly turned to ash. Then, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over the thousand-foot giant. The giant's expression changed, and his body rumbled instantly, collapsing into countless pieces without the slightest resistance. Grandmaster Seventh then looked at the pockmarked old man in green robes. The elder's entire body trembled violently, and in a blink of an eye, under Grandmaster Seventh's gaze, he turned to ash. As for the child, his eyes widened. After Grandmaster Seventh's gaze swept over him, his body exploded with a boom, directly turning into a shower of blood. Everything shattered and annihilated under Grandmaster Seventh's gaze.

Xu Qing's expression was no longer grim but returned to normal, and his injuries instantly recovered. As he looked up at the sky, Grandmaster Seventh's voice reached his ears: "However, it's understandable. After all, no one is foolish. But even if it's just a clone, does that mean they can act with impunity?"

Grandmaster Seventh spoke indifferently, raising his right hand and grabbing. Instantly, in the place where the thousand-foot giant had collapsed, the void twisted, and time seemed to flow backward. Countless pieces of flesh flew up, re-forming into the giant's figure. Its eyes now showed terror and disbelief.

"You…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Grandmaster Seventh raised his hand and chopped! With this chop, a sound like snapping threads echoed. The next moment, a faint, ethereal thread appeared above the thousand-foot giant's head. This thread instantly broke, then continued to break, extending into the void as if tracing back to its origin. Finally, amidst the thousand-foot giant's disbelief and intense horror, a piercing scream came from the void. The next moment, the thousand-foot giant's body withered, spurting blood, and letting out a horrifying, agonizing shriek. His body collapsed again, disintegrating into countless pieces. However, this time, along with his vanishing form, his true body and soul, hidden somewhere unknown, were also taken by Grandmaster Seventh using a secret technique, leaving nothing behind.

This scene made Xu Qing's eyes widen. He wondered what kind of cultivation the true body of a five-Heavenly Palace clone would possess, likely a Nascent Soul with a certain probability. As Xu Qing's mind reeled, Grandmaster Seventh waved his hand towards the spot where the pockmarked old man in green robes had vanished, and the same scene recurred. The re-formed old man in green robes' face changed drastically, and he shrieked.

"Grandmaster Seventh, spare my life, I..." Before he could finish, Grandmaster Seventh waved his hand again. Amidst earth-shattering chaos, Xu Qing gasped. He looked at the dissipating soul and cautiously asked, "Master, could you give me some souls to suppress my dharma apertures?"

"A hunter must hunt for himself. I am not responsible for giving you the prey; I am only responsible for giving you weapons and abilities," Grandmaster Seventh said indifferently. He squeezed his raised hand, and immediately threads appeared above the green-robed elder's head, breaking inch by inch into the void. Finally, a scream of bitter disbelief echoed, and his true body and clone collapsed together, taken by Grandmaster Seventh.

Having completed these actions, Grandmaster Seventh flicked his sleeve. Where the child had turned into a shower of blood, the blood flowed backward, and the child's figure reappeared. His expression was filled with extreme terror. "How can a Spirit Repository possess such power? To be able to trace back to the true body... What is your cultivation level?!" As he spoke, he abruptly retreated, waving his hands as countless formation lights flashed, fleeing in an instant. Grandmaster Seventh waved his hand, and immediately, the child's true body, hidden in an unknown location, directly collapsed and shattered. This clone also rapidly dissipated, about to be entirely taken by Grandmaster Seventh.

Beside him, Xu Qing watched as this last one was about to disappear. He suddenly recalled what the captain had said about his master's soft-heartedness in the Immortal Pond. So, imitating the captain, he spoke with a wronged tone, "Master, my dharma boat exploded twice, and I used two chaotic teleportation talismans." Grandmaster Seventh gave Xu Qing a half-smile and nodded. "If that's the case, I suppose I should replenish them for you." As he spoke, he changed his raised hand from a wave to a grab. Instantly, the child's mostly dissipated clone trembled violently, and a wisp of remnant soul was extracted from within. Grandmaster Seventh grabbed it in his hand and squeezed fiercely. This remnant soul astonishingly transformed into fifty-nine portions of soul power, which he then slapped onto Xu Qing's body. Xu Qing's entire body trembled. Each of these fifty-nine portions of soul power was comparable to the soul of a Golden Core with one Heavenly Palace. They now scattered into his dozens of dharma apertures, causing the fire within them to instantly become even more intense.