Chapter 6: Establishing Authority by Brutally Killing a Core Formation Cultivator

It was three days later when Ling Qingshu saw Xu Yang again.

Xu Yang returned to Tianlan Sect alone, carrying some spiritual herbs that were currently considered weeds.

Under the strange gazes of the Tianlan Sect disciples, their Ancestor Xu walked into the sect's main hall.

"Ancestor Xu!" Ling Qingshu exclaimed upon seeing Xu Yang. In the past three days, she had scoured all the ancient texts passed down within Tianlan Sect.

She had found scattered mentions of Xu Yang in some of these texts, mostly describing him as being in secluded cultivation, his life or death unknown.

This only further convinced Ling Qingshu that Xu Yang, standing before her, was truly unfathomable.

The oldest of those texts dated back three thousand years.

A Nascent Soul cultivator's lifespan was barely over a thousand years.

To have lived for three thousand years, what else could he be but a Grotto-Heaven cultivator?

Of course, if she had known that Xu Yang was the Tianlan Sect's true founding disciple, an ancient monster who had lived for a hundred thousand years, Ling Qingshu would likely have been completely overwhelmed with fear.

"Ancestor, this is the roster of spiritual items brought back from Yunshan Sect that day, as well as those presented by various sects over the past few days. They are all for your disposal."

Xu Yang did not take the roster. In his eyes, the items listed in it were less important than the few spiritual herbs he held in his hand.

Ling Qingshu, however, interpreted this as the demeanor of a true master, believing those items were simply beneath the Ancestor's notice.

"Tell me, which lineage are you from, and what generation of sect master are you?" Xu Yang asked, naturally taking the tea handed to him by Ling Qingshu as he sat in the main seat.

Upon hearing Xu Yang's question, Ling Qingshu's expression immediately became serious, and she slowly spoke with a solemn face.

"This disciple, Ling Qingshu, was taught by Tian Xiang, the eleventh thousand sixty-fifth generation sect master of Tianlan Sect. I am the eleventh thousand sixty-sixth generation sect master of Tianlan Sect."

The number, eleven thousand sixty-six generations, was also vague in Ling Qingshu's mind.

She couldn't imagine why a sect that could boast thousands of generations would decline to such a state.

In reality, apart from Sect Master Ling Qingshu, no one in Tianlan Sect truly understood that their sect was an ancient lineage with a ten-thousand-year heritage.

Xu Yang then asked many more questions, mostly concerning the current surrounding powers and some hidden secrets.

After all, it had been ten thousand years since he last traveled the world.

As Ling Qingshu broadly answered each question, Xu Yang gained a general understanding of the current world situation.

Had the Ten Great Sacred Lands, once subordinate powers to Tianlan Sect, now become the most powerful forces in the world?

His former friends and juniors had all ascended to become venerated ancestors.

In ten thousand years, the world had truly transformed, like seas turning into mulberry fields; everything had changed.

While Xu Yang and Ling Qingshu were conversing, a commotion erupted outside.

Both of them frowned, having been interrupted.

Ling Qingshu frowned because someone dared to interrupt her while she was providing information to the Ancestor.

Xu Yang, however, frowned for a different reason: after so much time had passed, there had been two incidents of clamor at the entrance of Tianlan Sect's main hall within just a few days.

Ten thousand years ago, if anyone had dared to cause a disturbance at the entrance of Tianlan Sect's main hall, Xu Yang's disciples and grand-disciples — countless generations of them, who loved to emulate him — would likely have meted out the harshest punishment.

Ling Qingshu strode out of the hall to see what was happening, and Xu Yang rose and followed her.

Just as he stepped out of the hall, a voice entered Xu Yang's ears. "Tianlan Sect, nothing special. And they say someone from your sect killed the Yunshan Sect Master, claiming Tianlan Sect will dominate Qizhou again. How ridiculous!"

A burly man stood at the entrance of Tianlan Sect's main hall, and before him lay one of the sect's few Foundation Establishment elders.

"You bunch of weaklings, claiming to have destroyed Yunshan Sect? Bah! You must have just taken advantage of someone else's efforts."

"I hear your Sect Master isn't bad-looking. How about this: let your Sect Master willingly become my cultivation cauldron. If you also hand over all the spiritual items from Yunshan Sect, I'll spare Tianlan Sect today."

Ling Qingshu, having just walked out of the hall, heard these words clearly. She immediately drew a treasured sword and attacked the arrogant man.

The burly man was not startled by Ling Qingshu's sudden attack. A powerful aura burst forth from his body.

A Golden Core cultivator. Ling Qingshu's heart sank as she drew her sword, yet the longsword in her hand showed no sign of retreat. Once the sword was drawn, even if the opponent was Golden Core, Nascent Soul, or an insurmountable foe, she could not give up. This was the first lesson her master had taught her on her first day of learning swordsmanship.

"What a beautiful woman! So you must be the Tianlan Sect Master. Be a good girl and become my cultivation cauldron!"

The Golden Core realm man circulated his spiritual power, unleashing a spell that directly repelled Ling Qingshu's longsword. Then, with a wide grasp, he moved to capture her.

Just as Ling Qingshu was about to fall into the Golden Core man's grasp, another longsword blocked his path.

"Who?" The burly man looked closely; the person who had acted was Xu Yang.

Feeling the Qi Refining realm aura emanating from Xu Yang, the burly man didn't get angry; instead, he laughed. His large eyes glared at Xu Yang as he scoffed.

"Hah, kid! A mere Qi Refining realm cultivator dares to strike at your grandpa? If you kneel and kowtow a hundred times, I'll take you as my disciple. And as for your Sect Master, this woman, I'll give her to you after I'm done with her. How about it? Your grandpa is pretty generous to his disciples, wouldn't you say?"

"I think your mouth needs to be washed."

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Yang's figure vanished from his spot, and a sword qi suddenly appeared on the burly man's chest.

The burly man reeled backward, but a foot-long wound had already appeared on his chest.

"Such a fast sword! Kid, you're asking for death."

Being injured by a Qi Refining realm cultivator, the burly man felt utterly humiliated. Everyone who witnessed this scene today had to die.

With murderous intent blazing in his heart, the burly man directly pulled out a bell.

"Kid, behold your grandpa's magical artifact."

Golden Core realm spiritual power was infused into the bell, and a tremendous sound rang in the ears of all Tianlan Sect disciples present.

All Qi Refining realm disciples of Tianlan Sect instantly felt their internal true qi become chaotic, and the cultivation techniques they normally practiced showed signs of qi deviation.

"Even Golden Core cultivators can't withstand your grandpa's Soul-Confusing Bell, let alone you mere fish of Tianlan Sect!"

Seeing the plight of the Tianlan Sect disciples, the man grinned ferociously and subtly moved his wrist, ready to ring the Soul-Confusing Bell in his hand once more.

Ling Qingshu, with her mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, was currently the highest-cultivated person in Tianlan Sect.