Chapter 174: Descending from the Heavens, One Against Ten Thousand
Under the cover of night, a massive and vast city stood upon the boundless wasteland.
This city was Nightbright City of Cangzhou, bearing several hundred years of history.
It had once been an imperial capital of a dynasty.
Even deep into the night, Nightbright City remained brightly lit, the flames within the city outnumbering the stars in the night sky.
At the very center of Nightbright City, a ring of towering walls enclosed a dense forest spanning several li in every direction.
In the darkness of night, those trees resembled demons and monsters.
Deep beneath the earth, there lay another world.
Qi Tianquan, clad in a dragon robe and with hair as white as snow, stepped forward.
Cold air surged across the ground, white bones littered the path, and not a single blade of grass could be seen.
Looking ahead, numerous dim, ghostly lights flickered in the distance, all originating from an ancient, colossal tree.
In the darkness, that ancient giant tree appeared incomparably majestic, as if propping up the heavens themselves.
Before it, Qi Tianquan seemed incomparably small.
This subterranean paradise contained only this tree.
Its countless branches supported the vaulted ceiling above and upheld the entirety of Nightbright City.
It was the ancient god venerated by the Qi Clan!
From its thick branches hung vine after vine, resembling flowing rivers that streamed endlessly.
The eerie glow came from mysterious crystals embedded in the branches, serving as the sole light source of this underground realm.
Crack!
Qi Tianquan crushed a hand bone beneath his foot.
He did not lower his head, nor did his stride change in the slightest.
“The connection between that divine son and me has been severed.”
A hoarse voice sounded, its tone calm and flat.
Upon hearing this, Qi Tianquan’s steps faltered briefly before he continued forward.
He walked all the way beneath the giant tree and looked up.
Following his gaze, one could see that on the trunk, vast as a mountain, there grew an aged human face.
That face bore gentle features.
Even with its eyes closed, it exuded compassion and sorrow.
Qi Tianquan raised his head, looking at the giant tree worshipped by the Qi Clan as an ancient god, and asked, “So what now? Is great calamity about to descend upon the Qi Clan?”
The ancient god replied faintly, “With me here, who would dare bring calamity upon you? If Clear Sky Sect comes knocking, simply bring them here. I will personally resolve this trouble.”
Qi Tianquan frowned and said, “I said it back then—don’t provoke Clear Sky Sect. You refused to listen and insisted I assign Ji Wuye to deal with Clear Sky Sect. If the Qi Clan had seized the world first, we could have simply ignored Clear Sky Sect, supplied you until you recovered your strength. Once you could move freely, destroying Clear Sky Sect would have been effortless. Would that not have been far easier?”
“Ignore Clear Sky Sect? You underestimate the power of immortal cultivation sects. Cultivation is a struggle against the heavens themselves. They will expand rapidly, spreading their reach across the Nine Provinces. What they seek is something beyond the imagination of mortals like you. To obtain this world, one must inevitably bow their head to them. Does your Qi Clan wish to become a puppet emperor?”
The ancient god’s words caused Qi Tianquan’s brow to furrow even tighter.
He truly did not know what immortal cultivation sects were vying for, but he increasingly felt that the ancient god harbored other intentions.
“Back then, with your power, we helped the Imperial Ancestor Emperor seize the world and achieved unparalleled merit. After the Imperial Ancestor Emperor passed away, it was our perfect opportunity. You said the time was not ripe and restrained the Qi Clan, making us watch Zhao Zhi ascend the throne. Later, Zhao Zhi grew tyrannical, driven mad for the Elixir of Immortality. We wanted to become heroes who saved the world, yet you still forbade us. Even after Zhao Zhi died, you did not allow us to move.”
“It was not until two years ago, when someone infiltrated the Qi Clan and slew the divine son, that you could no longer hold back. Only then did you permit us to contend for the world—and even demanded that we pressure Clear Sky Sect.”
“Ancient god, do you truly wish for us to grow strong, or are you afraid of us becoming strong? The appearance of immortal cultivators has clearly frightened you!”
Qi Tianquan’s voice rang loudly.
Though he addressed it with ‘you’ at every turn, there was not the slightest respect in his words.
He had grown weary of the ancient god’s deception.
He admitted that the Qi Clan had risen from the brink of death and returned to prosperity through the ancient god, but he no longer wished to be led by the nose.
From the moment he gained awareness, the Qi Clan had been nourishing the ancient god, feeding it countless people.
Yet its appetite was like a bottomless pit—no matter how much it was fed, it was never enough.
He suspected that even if all under heaven were fed to the ancient god, it would still not be satisfied.
Listening to Qi Tianquan’s rebuke, the ancient god slowly opened its eyes.
Its pupils were pale white, devoid of any trace of emotion.
Meeting the ancient god’s gaze made Qi Tianquan feel an overwhelming pressure, causing him to lower his head subconsciously.
“Qi Tianquan, have you forgotten your identity? You are not the legitimate eldest son. Who was it that helped you become who you are today?” The ancient god’s voice turned icy.
Qi Tianquan clenched his teeth and said, “There are rumors spreading that the Qi Clan is raising a demonic tree. The lords of the realm are already preparing to join forces to crusade against us. In the eyes of the people, the Qi Clan is steadily becoming an evil force. This is not the outcome I want. I hope the next objective can shift from Clear Sky Sect to the other lords. I need your power to uproot those lords completely.”
No matter how strong the Qi Clan was, it could not possibly withstand all the lords of the realm joining hands.
In his view, the lords were the Qi Clan’s greatest threat at present.
As for Clear Sky Sect, they prided themselves as a righteous sect.
As long as the Qi Clan did not take action against them, he believed Clear Sky Sect would not trouble them.
“What, the Qi Clan cannot even deal with mortals, yet you still wish to rule the world?” The ancient god mocked, its words piercing Qi Tianquan’s heart like blades.
Qi Tianquan was just about to speak—
Rumble—
The ceiling above began to tremble violently.
Countless grains of sand and shattered stone fragments rained down, interrupting Qi Tianquan’s thoughts
The ancient god lifted its gaze, its voice following soon after, “So fast. What a Clear Sky Sect!”
Its tone was chilling, barely concealing its fury.
Clear Sky Sect?
Qi Tianquan’s expression changed slightly.
He could not understand how Clear Sky Sect had found this place.
How much time had even passed since the ancient god dispatched the divine son southward?
…
Above Nightbright City, Little Eight flapped its wings and circled in the air.
Li Qingqiu, Shen Yue, and Mo Jiuhong stood upon the eagle’s back, overlooking the city below.
Under their gaze, within the dim night, four silver-white giant tigers rampaged through the city, charging about wildly.
Each stood three zhang tall at the shoulder, unstoppable in momentum.
Wherever they passed, buildings collapsed, and the screams of the city’s commoners rang out one after another.
“Mountain Lord Divine Incantation… to condense four Mountain Lords at once.”
Shen Yue raised an eyebrow, inwardly alarmed.
He realized that Li Qingqiu’s vital energy was astonishingly vast.
Previously, he had thought Li Qingqiu merely possessed a higher realm, but now that no longer seemed certain.
Mo Jiuhong looked at the four Mountain Lords and was likewise shocked.
He saw many Qi Clan martial artists rushing over, yet they could not withstand the Mountain Lords’ claws.
Some were even trampled to death alive.
Smack!
Li Qingqiu slapped Mo Jiuhong on the back, startling him into a shiver.
“You should go down now. Don’t forget what I instructed you.”
Li Qingqiu reminded him.
Hearing this, Mo Jiuhong hurriedly nodded, then leapt downward, disappearing into the vast night.
Shen Yue spoke, “I thought you would sneak in. I didn’t expect you to make such a grand display.”
Li Qingqiu replied, “You’re right. Killing too many people isn’t good either. Stirring up some commotion allows those who wish to live to escape early—it can be considered returning from the wrong path. Those who insist on staying will face nothing but nightmares.”
The Qi Clan had never truly been in his eyes.
As long as the ancient god was destroyed, the Qi Clan would not be able to stir up any waves.
Nor did he have the ability to slaughter everyone in the city, as Nightbright City was simply too vast.
Moreover, his intuition told him that once he fought the ancient god, the ancient god would kill the city’s people faster than he could.
“All right, we should go down as well.”
After saying this, Li Qingqiu leapt down toward the city.
Shen Yue followed closely behind.
Their blue robes billowed violently as roaring winds swept past their ears.
The two landed upon a rooftop, and Li Qingqiu immediately charged toward the inner city.
Shen Yue remained where he was, watching the four Mountain Lords run toward him.
He took a deep breath.
He was not afraid—just displeased.
He did not want to kill too many people, yet Li Qingqiu insisted he do so.
According to the plan, once the battle began in the city, he would be responsible for drawing in the Qi Clan’s martial artists while Li Qingqiu went to find the ancient god.
He had not wanted to agree at first, but one sentence from Li Qingqiu swayed him: “Don’t you want to face ten thousand alone? The Qi Clan is full of experts. If you can sweep through the Qi Clan by yourself, the name of Sword God will shake the world once more!”
He did not like killing.
But when faced with an opportunity to display divine prowess, it was indeed difficult to refuse.
“May you all not disappoint me.”
Shen Yue murmured to himself.
Threads of sword energy overflowed from his eye sockets, causing his white hair to flutter as the pressure emanating from his body surged dramatically.
On the other side.
Li Qingqiu moved at extreme speed, like a sharp arrow weaving swiftly across rooftop after rooftop.
He soon arrived before the inner city wall.
He leapt upward, stepping upon the wall as if walking on level ground, and reached the top.
From there, he gazed at the dense forest ahead.
He suddenly opened his mouth.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged rapidly toward his lips.
He then spat forward, and vast, raging flames swept out like a tidal wave of fire, crossing a distance of twenty zhang and crashing into the forest, the blaze spreading rapidly.
The raging inferno was immense, as if he had spewed forth a sea of fire.
The spectacle was breathtaking, leaving the soldiers guarding the distant city walls staring in utter disbelief.
Five Elements Mystic Heart Flame!
This was a legacy reward Li Qingqiu had obtained in the past.
He had only barely mastered it and was far from proficient.
The reason it displayed such terrifying power was mainly due to the sheer abundance of his vital energy.
At that very moment!
Countless leaves shot out from the sea of flames, like a rain of arrows aimed at Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu drew the Tianhong Sword and swung rapidly.
Relying solely on sword techniques, he blocked wave after wave of leaves.
Some were cleaved apart, others deflected and embedded into the city wall, razor-sharp like blades.
Rumble—
The ground began to quake.
The forest ahead collapsed, and the vast sea of flames sank along with it.
Li Qingqiu immediately leapt forward, plunging into the firestorm and falling together with countless trees toward the underground abyss.
Through the memories of the White-Haired Boy, Li Qingqiu already knew the location of the ancient god.
The forest sealed off by the inner wall was far from simple—it was also a part of the ancient god itself.
Li Qingqiu had deliberately provoked it.
All the way down, Li Qingqiu landed steadily upon the ground of the subterranean paradise.
Burning trees and soil continuously fell from all directions, as if the world itself were collapsing.
And standing behind Li Qingqiu was a man—the head of the Qi Clan, Qi Tianquan.
When Qi Tianquan saw Li Qingqiu descend from the heavens, he was utterly shocked.
He had not expected Clear Sky Sect to send only one person.
How was that possible?
Could it be that this man intended to face the ancient god alone?
Who exactly was he?
Qi Tianquan stared fixedly at Li Qingqiu’s back.
Before the ancient god, Li Qingqiu was as insignificant as an ant.
From Qi Tianquan’s perspective, Li Qingqiu could be buried at any moment by falling trees and earth.
He could not imagine how Li Qingqiu intended to oppose the ancient god.