Chapter 536: Miao Quan

The East Sea.

Li Qinghong returned from Zhulu Sea, riding the water currents. She emerged from the water near the coast and flew for several more days, until the sky gradually became lively.

Li Qinghong had only flown a few miles using her thunder-riding technique when she felt spiritual energy fluctuating all around her, making the spiritual qi very unstable. Looking up, she saw streams of magical light flowing in every direction, indicating a bustling scene.

“It’s actually gotten this bad…”

Li Qinghong could only dim her light and lower her speed, flying a bit higher as she headed west. Along the way, she witnessed many battles. There were immortal cultivators fighting, their brilliance dazzling, and Buddhist cultivators clashing with demonic cultivators, leaving a chaotic mess. She even recognized figures from familiar sects.

As she flew over an island, the sea beneath her was crimson. She then encountered a man in black robes approaching on the wind, a severed head held in his hand.

Li Qinghong immediately sensed trouble and quickly altered her escape light, veering off course. To her surprise, the man in black frowned at her and then flew closer on a gust of magical wind.

“Hmm?” A strong warning surged in Li Qinghong’s heart. She glanced at the man, whose attire appeared to be from the Grand Xiukui Temple, a mix of black and gray, adorned with numerous runes.

The two exchanged glances. The man seemed to have confirmed something and flew directly towards her. Unable to avoid him, Li Qinghong cupped her hands and asked, “May I ask, Senior, what is your purpose?”

The man, who had just killed someone and still held a severed head, spoke in a polite and gentle tone, “Are you Qinghong?”

“Senior, you are…?” Li Qinghong was certain she had never met this person and grew very confused. The man simply said, “I am Lin Chensheng. I have seen your portrait, and I have some acquaintance with your second uncle.”

The Grand Xiukui Temple didn’t have a terrible reputation. Li Qinghong was skeptical but listened as the man continued, “Don’t go any further ahead. Take a slight detour. The Grand Xiukui Temple is currently attacking the Chijiao Island Market up ahead. If you accidentally enter, you might get hurt…”

After saying this, he put away the head he was holding. Without waiting for Li Qinghong’s reply or concern for whether she believed him, he bid farewell and flew away on the wind.

She pondered for a moment, recalling that her second uncle, Li Xuanfeng, seemed to have mentioned that name before. She changed direction and flew while concealing her aura. After a short while, she noticed an increasing number of demonic cultivators.

The East Sea was dragon territory, not like the infamous South Sea known for its prevalent demonic cultivators. The major powers there followed the Golden Core Dao, now considered immortal cultivators. Normally, one wouldn’t see so many demonic cultivators.

However, the current scene was truly one of rolling demonic clouds. After flying for a few breaths, Li Qinghong suddenly saw thunder rumbling ahead, with several streaks of lightning intertwining in the clouds, emitting violent roars.

‘It’s truly devolved into chaos! I avoided one area only to run into another!’

“Miao Quan! You… you have such audacity!” A clear, melodious female voice drifted over. Li Qinghong was about to avoid the area but paused, drawn by the voice. A sense of familiarity arose in her heart. She thought, “It seems to be someone I know…”

She glanced over and saw a female cultivator standing in the clouds, with graceful eyebrows and bright eyes. A realization struck her: “So it’s her…”

Indeed, a muffled sound echoed from the clouds, and as the lightning dispersed, a male voice said, “Fellow Daoist Yanqing… I don’t seek your life; I only desire that Mystical Thunder Sky Stone… I merely wish for a way to exchange it from your hands. Please, Fairy, just name your price…”

This was Shen Yanqing, whom Li Qinghong had met when she visited the Purple Smoke Sect. Shen Yanqing also cultivated thunder magic. This female cultivator came from a prominent background, not only born into a Purple Mansion immortal clan but also a direct disciple of the Purple Smoke Sect. At that time, she had been very polite to Li Qinghong.

Her expression now was, naturally, far from the polite and gentle demeanor she had shown Li Qinghong. It was icy as she replied, “Mystical Thunder Sky Stone? What Mystical Thunder Sky Stone…? I’ve only heard of such a valuable item; how could I possibly possess such a treasure?”

The man slowly revealed himself: a muscular, bare-chested individual with a wild demeanor, holding an axe. His tone was still somewhat polite as he said, “Fairy Shen, you jest. Given your family background and lineage, that Mystical Thunder Sky Stone must surely be in your possession.”

‘Mystical Thunder Sky Stone…’ As the thunder roared, Li Qinghong sighed softly. Since she had passed through this area, she likely couldn’t avoid involvement. She wondered if the people in the air had noticed her, remaining silent.

Shen Yanqing, however, grew colder and simply said, “Fellow Daoist Miao, please make way.”

Miao Quan, however, stared intently, thoughts stirring within him: ‘The Purple Smoke Sect’s True Lord is about to break through and definitely won’t have time to monitor this. Xiuyue is sealed off, and True Lord Yuming can barely protect herself… This is truly an excellent opportunity…’

‘I won’t kill her… I’ll just force her to hand over that spiritual item. Once I have it, even if True Lord Yuming has objections… my own elders can stop her… If I miss this chance, I’ll never have another opportunity for the Mystical Thunder Sky Stone!’

He was silent for a moment, then raised the long axe in his hand and said softly, “I’ve heard there are several thunder cultivators within the sea… all following the Dao of controlling thunder and lightning, but I’ve never had the chance to spar with any of them. It’s rare to encounter a fellow Daoist here; why don’t we have a friendly match and gain some experience?”

His words immediately caused Shen Yanqing’s expression to change slightly, even prompting a cold laugh. “You, a renowned cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage, almost at Purple Mansion… wish to spar with me, a junior at the early Foundation Establishment stage?”

Miao Quan didn’t waste words with her. He silently raised his thunder axe, gathering white lightning, and Shen Yanqing likewise conjured thunder to strike.

“Boom!”

Miao Quan’s axe shattered Shen Yanqing’s thunder magic. Feeling a considerable force through his hand, he secretly nodded. “This Shen family member does have some skill; she’s not like an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.”

As he gathered white electrical light, a silver spear burst through the clouds, accompanied by intense purple light. It flew horizontally and decisively positioned itself in front of him.

The clouds briefly parted, revealing a female cultivator in jade armor. Her almond-shaped eyes held a calm expression as she softly said, “Fellow Daoist wishes to contend with thunder cultivators within the sea… it just so happens that I am here; let us spar together.”

Miao Quan’s face instantly darkened. While he had been polite to Shen Yanqing, a direct descendant of the Shen family, he didn’t know who this new person was. He said coldly, “Fellow Daoist, you are meddling… Are you not afraid of death and the destruction of your clan!”

His voice was frigid. Behind Li Qinghong, Shen Yanqing was pleasantly surprised. She paused slightly, then exclaimed, “Sister!”

Li Qinghong had been observing for a long time. Her intervention was not merely impulsive; she had experienced much and had already grown suspicious. ‘Is it truly just a clash between thunder cultivators that I coincidentally stumbled upon? That’s quite odd… Shen Yanqing and I are acquaintances, and she has two Purple Mansion cultivators backing her. If these people are fighting, there might already be signs of Purple Mansion experts having made a move.’

‘Putting aside whether it’s worth intervening… if I were to retreat like this, I would likely offend the Purple Smoke Sect and the Shen family. There’s no other path.’

While they were talking, Li Qinghong had already made her decision. She gripped her long spear, which silently glowed with purple light, and rode the thunder, approaching at extreme speed. In an instant, she intercepted the man.

Shen Yanqing, behind her, was quite clever, simply calling her ‘Sister.’ This single word startled Miao Quan, who stared blankly for a moment.

After all, Li Qinghong was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. If someone with that cultivation level were a direct descendant of an immortal clan, their strength would be comparable to Miao Quan’s, certainly not someone easily subdued, especially with Shen Yanqing also present.

Miao Quan’s expression fluctuated for a moment. He scrutinized Li Qinghong from head to toe, then suddenly sneered, “Do you think I’m so easily fooled? Her armor isn’t even at the Foundation Establishment level; how could she be a Shen family member?”

Li Qinghong wasn’t surprised. She simply pointed her spear diagonally, her eyes burning with fierce fighting intent, and softly said, “Please…”

Miao Quan’s face was grim. He raised his axe high, emanating white lightning, and snarled, “You have a death wish!”

He lunged forward. The gathered, shimmering lightning instantly coalesced before him, rippling along his axe blade. The white light, extremely dazzling and solid, suggested his cultivation was not of the Heavenly Lightning sect.

Li Qinghong thrust her spear. Her spearplay, now gradually reaching a state of perfection, derived from the Xiao family’s ‘Folding Feather Spear’ and the Fei family’s ‘Wandering Dragon Returning Shadow.’ In the air, a swarm of faint purple sparrow-like shadows erupted, rushing towards him.

The two types of lightning converged, generating continuous, loud explosions in the air that churned the waves and dissipated the clouds. Miao Quan pulled his axe back, only a thin layer of white light remaining on its blade.

‘Only slightly superior?’ He was secretly astonished but showed no change in expression. With a flick of his wrist, he used the lingering momentum to summon thunder, which descended. A vast, dense expanse of white electrical light spread out, simultaneously attacking both women.

Li Qinghong withdrew her spear, elegantly twirling it to create a ripple of purple light, blocking his axe. Shen Yanqing, standing nearby, paled slightly. She then saw Miao Quan suddenly erupt, the white electricity in his hand several times stronger than before, its might immense.

The dense white electricity, like countless earthworms, clung to his spirit axe and crept up his arm. It was clear that this was no easy opponent; his previous display had been a mere feint, and now he was truly fighting.

But Shen Yanqing was, after all, only at the early Foundation Establishment stage, so Li Qinghong had to thrust her spear forward to block this axe.

“Boom!”

A thunderclap erupted from flat ground. White light descended from the sky, plunging into the sea, where it churned up steam and countless dead fish, bellies exposed.

Li Qinghong stumbled twice amidst the steam, a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Her long spear continuously hummed with excitement in the thunder.

“Do you know the gap between us? Get out of my way, quickly!” Miao Quan, unaware of her true strength, merely wanted her to retreat. He continued to unleash thunder from his hand, a smile appearing on his face, which then quickly froze in doubt. “How is it that her… aura seems to have grown stronger…”

He saw that the long spear in Li Qinghong’s hand became more formidable with each swing. Purple lightning and spear shadows continuously emerged, striking his axe blade like a furious gale, one after another.

Miao Quan felt she was courting death. Two streaks of white light illuminated his elbows, and surging white lightning covered his wrists and forearms, connecting with the lightning on his magical artifact, emitting bursts of white light.

He fought two against one, his spirit axe swinging faster and faster, the white lightning roaring. Li Qinghong could still fight while retreating, deflecting his residual attacks, but Shen Yanqing was starting to struggle.

Miao Quan became even more ruthless. He clenched his hand in the air, forming a bundle of boiling white lightning. With his other hand, he formed a spell seal, shifting from gripping to releasing, and aimed his palm at the two women, a flash of white electricity leaping forth.

Almost simultaneously, the purple thunder-patterned mysterious bottle at Li Qinghong’s waist pulsed, spewing forth purple and white lightning of various hues, which crashed violently against the incoming attack.

Miao Quan’s spell level was clearly very high, surprisingly on par with the thunder Li Qinghong had refined for so long using various natural spiritual thunders. Miao Quan was first surprised, then his expression turned into a cold sneer.

His hand seals became faster and faster, and the white lightning grew fiercer. Beside them, Shen Yanqing quickly pulled a small mirror from her bosom, which emitted a soft yellow glow as she lightly shone it towards the white lightning.

“Boom!”

The spell momentarily faltered. Miao Quan’s expression changed, and though his hand seals shifted repeatedly, he could no longer sustain it. He could only watch as it dissipated into a sky full of white light and vanished.

Just as anger surfaced on his face, Li Qinghong suddenly raised her head, two streaks of purple light appearing in her eyes. Her voice was slightly hoarse, yet her demeanor remained agile and light. “Senior… take this strike from me as well.”

Li Qinghong’s lips subtly parted, and she exhaled a tiny white light. This soft, light white glow pulsed, instantly growing to the size of a fist. Immediately, streaks of purple lightning patterns appeared in the air.

The white light flickered in the air, then shot forward with extreme speed. A look of horror suddenly appeared on Miao Quan’s face, his heart skipping a beat. He secretly gasped, “The Cloud-Mooring Thunder Control Dao?”

“Boom!”

He only had time to conjure a bronze shield. In an instant, boulders on an island several miles away tumbled down. The white seawater first receded, then rapidly surged up, intertwined with dense purple and white lightning that rained down.

It was precisely the Mystical Thunder from Li Qinghong’s Thunder Pool!

Li Qinghong’s more than ten years of cultivation overseas had not been in vain. She was no longer who she used to be. Back then, at only the early Foundation Establishment stage, this Mystical Thunder alone had impressed Zhang Yun of the Golden Feather Sect.

Now, she was at the late Foundation Establishment stage. Her cultivation, knowledge, magical power, and spiritual sense were far beyond what they once were. With this single Mystical Thunder, it was as if even the heavens trembled and light descended.

It wasn’t until the white halo dissipated that Miao Quan reappeared, his face grim. He seemed largely unharmed, with only a corner of his sash scorched black, a hint of frustrated anger on his face.

His body was now covered in white lightning, fierce and dazzling, like an armor. Miao Quan stepped forward, his hands already glowing intensely with white lightning, and lunged directly for the long spear in Li Qinghong’s hand.

How could Li Qinghong allow him to succeed so easily? She twirled her spear, thrusting and cleaving, causing another series of thunderous explosions that pushed him back several inches.

Miao Quan grasped at empty air, feeling as though he had struck an iron plate. On closer inspection, the silver spear in Li Qinghong’s hand looked exceptionally familiar. He paused, concentrating to identify it for a moment, then gasped, “Du Ruo?”

As soon as he spoke, Li Qinghong was also slightly stunned. Shen Yanqing, behind her, likewise froze, and both looked at the spear in her hand.