Chapter 279: Wei Tianxiong Lowers His Head
A blazing radiance burst across heaven and earth, causing Shen Yue and Bai Ning’er to shut their eyes instinctively. It reminded them of that night in Cangzhou State Capital when they had fought evil ghosts—on that night, too, a brilliant light had illuminated the darkness.
They could not see the battle between Li Qingqiu and Wei Tianxiong clearly, but they could sense Li Qingqiu’s sword momentum.
Incomparably powerful!
To what extent must one cultivate to unleash such a sword strike?
When the dazzling light finally faded, Shen Yue and the other regained their sight and looked up. Only Li Qingqiu’s figure remained in the sky.
The boundless thunderclouds had been pierced through with a massive hole. Sunlight streamed down through the opening, falling upon Li Qingqiu.
It was as though he wore a robe of rosy clouds, making him appear resplendent beyond measure.
Shen Yue looked at Li Qingqiu’s back and felt ashamed of himself.
Perhaps in this lifetime, he would never surpass Li Qingqiu.
Yet he did not feel dejected. Instead, he felt somewhat fortunate.
Before meeting Li Qingqiu, he had never relied on anyone.
The old him would have considered such reliance a humiliation. Now, however, he felt relaxed. Having someone to depend on was quite good—at the very least, the pressure was not so great.
Li Qingqiu vanished from the high sky and reappeared in a chaotic forest below.
Wei Tianxiong lay in a dirt pit, surrounded by bloodstains. His black robe was torn to shreds, and he looked as though he were on the brink of death.
Li Qingqiu raised his hand and flung three needles. These three needles were not aimed at Wei Tianxiong, but at Yan Daozong, who lay unconscious in the distance.
Wei Tianxiong struggled to open his eyes. Looking at Li Qingqiu, his expression was filled with bitterness.
He, a dignified Elder of the Divine Origin Sect, had actually been defeated…
And defeated by a Spirit Perception Realm cultivator.
If Li Qingqiu had relied on schemes and tricks, it would have been one thing. But Li Qingqiu had defeated him openly and aboveboard.
“After several hundred years, I have ended up like this…” Wei Tianxiong laughed at himself. The movement aggravated his injuries, and he began coughing violently, blood spilling from his mouth.
Li Qingqiu did not immediately strike. He did not intend to kill Wei Tianxiong.
Given Wei Tianxiong’s abilities, killing Shen Yue and the other two would have been effortless. He would not have delayed for so long.
When Li Qingqiu had appeared behind Shen Yue, Wei Tianxiong had deliberately slowed his attack, as though giving him a chance to rescue Shen Yue.
Li Qingqiu looked down at him and asked, “You laid hands on my people. Tell me—how should I deal with you?”
Wei Tianxiong stared at Li Qingqiu, his eyes filled with anger.
He had endured in silence for hundreds of years. To die just like this—he was unwilling.
But to bow his head to a junior of the Spirit Perception Realm would be even more unbearable than death.
Seeing his expression, Li Qingqiu immediately took out the Soul Refining Banner, preparing to finish him.
The moment the banner appeared, dense ghostly energy surged forth in torrents, causing Wei Tianxiong’s face to change drastically.
“The Soul Refining Banner—how is it in your hands?” Wei Tianxiong demanded.
Li Qingqiu narrowed his eyes. “You recognize it?”
Through clenched teeth, Wei Tianxiong replied, “It is one of the three great banners of our Divine Origin Sect. It was my senior brother’s magic implement!”
Li Qingqiu said calmly, “I obtained it from an enemy. After searching his soul, I learned that he had acquired it by chance. He must have visited the cave dwelling your senior brother left behind. As for your senior brother, he never even met him.”
Wei Tianxiong gave a bitter smile. “My senior brother died long ago. Before his death, he left his inheritance elsewhere. I did not know where. If that is the case, then you may also be considered a successor of our Divine Origin Sect.”
“You truly are interesting.”
Li Qingqiu had not expected such shamelessness—turning him into one of his own people, even a junior at that.
Wei Tianxiong looked at him and asked, “Let me ask you one thing. Are you a cultivator of the Nine Provinces, or do you come from the Heavenly Nether Sea?”
Li Qingqiu answered, “From the Nine Provinces. I have never gone out to sea.”
He was not afraid of Wei Tianxiong plotting against him. He already had his own plan and simply followed Wei Tianxiong’s line of thought.
Upon hearing this, Wei Tianxiong stared at him for several breaths before saying, “I believe you. If you were from the Heavenly Nether Sea, you would not dare reveal the Soul Refining Banner so casually.”
So intimidating?
Li Qingqiu was inwardly startled. It seemed he could not use the Soul Refining Banner recklessly in the future—at the very least, not in public.
“To be frank, I am Wei Tianxiong, Elder of the Divine Origin Sect. Our Divine Origin Sect offended the overlord of the Heavenly Nether Sea and was exterminated. My senior brother and I fled to the Nine Provinces. We intended to search for the Supreme Sword Sect’s sect-defending treasure, but were hunted by cultivators of Ziyang Island. My senior brother died before my eyes. Before I perished, I hid within the sealed grounds of the Supreme Sword Sect, feigning death and escaping calamity. Only today, when your people triggered the mechanism, was I finally revived.”
Wei Tianxiong spoke simply, yet Li Qingqiu quickly understood his past.
At the same time, Li Qingqiu understood that this man did not want to die.
Good.
Li Qingqiu had no grudge against Wei Tianxiong; there was no need for needless slaughter.
Of course, all of this was premised on the fact that Wei Tianxiong had not killed Shen Yue and the others. Otherwise, Li Qingqiu would not have bothered with such conversation.
Looking at him, Li Qingqiu asked, “In that case, do you need a place to go?”
Wei Tianxiong’s heart leapt with joy. In truth, he was gambling—gambling that Li Qingqiu was truly a native immortal cultivator of the Nine Provinces.
If Li Qingqiu had established an Immortal Cultivation Sect in the Nine Provinces, he would certainly be wary of overseas sects.
To found a sect in barren land was no ordinary feat. Li Qingqiu had even mastered Divine Arts; his temperament must be proud. He would surely not submit to other sects.
Of course, Wei Tianxiong believed there must be an expert behind Li Qingqiu—otherwise he could not be so outstanding.
Regardless of whether someone stood behind Li Qingqiu, as long as he had no ties to the Heavenly Nether Sea, that was enough.
Wei Tianxiong did not want to die here. In his heart, revenge mattered above all. What was pride compared to that?
“If you are willing to take me in, that would be for the best. I will repay you in the future,” Wei Tianxiong said in a deep voice.
Li Qingqiu remained expressionless. “Your cultivation surpasses mine. How can I trust you? Once you recover from your injuries, I may not be able to stop you.”
Wei Tianxiong was startled.
Could it be that Li Qingqiu truly had no Sunlight Realm cultivator behind him?
He suddenly found himself in a difficult position.
Shen Yue descended from the sky and landed beside Li Qingqiu. “You want to accept him?”
Li Qingqiu often turned enemies into allies—Shen Yue himself had once been an opponent—so he guessed Li Qingqiu’s thoughts.
Li Qingqiu stared at Wei Tianxiong. “This time is different. He is too strong. I am afraid I cannot subdue him.”
Those words made Wei Tianxiong’s heart skip a beat. He immediately sensed killing intent.
Killing intent from Li Qingqiu!
Gritting his teeth, Wei Tianxiong said, “As long as you can prove you have no connection to the Heavenly Nether Sea, I have a way to make you trust me!”
Li Qingqiu shook his head. “I know nothing of the Heavenly Nether Sea. If you doubt me, I cannot prove otherwise. Since neither of us can trust the other, then let us not need to.”
Whoosh—
The Soul Refining Banner flared with ghostly energy. One ghost after another emerged from the banner, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged toward Wei Tianxiong, as though ready to drag him inside.
Wei Tianxiong’s face grew even uglier. He realized he had no standing to judge Li Qingqiu. It was he who needed to earn Li Qingqiu’s trust.
He immediately raised his hand. In his palm appeared a dark-yellow jade talisman. “This is a Life-Control Talisman. If I extract a portion of my soul and infuse it into this talisman, you will hold my life and death in your hands.”
Li Qingqiu looked at the jade talisman and asked, “Is your Divine Origin Sect a demonic path sect?”
“Bullshit! Our Divine Origin Sect is righteous! It’s just that even within the righteous path, some study unorthodox methods!” Wei Tianxiong snapped angrily.
Shen Yue glanced at the Soul Refining Banner in Li Qingqiu’s hand and silently agreed.
The righteous path was not necessarily absolutely righteous.
Li Qingqiu could be considered a good man, even worthy of benevolence and righteousness—but some of his methods belonged to the demonic path.
Hearing this, Li Qingqiu fell silent, seemingly hesitating whether to trust Wei Tianxiong. That hesitation placed Wei Tianxiong in torment.
Having one’s life held in another’s hands was an unbearable feeling.
Once, Wei Tianxiong had been so proud. He had never imagined he would fall to such a day.
For the great vengeance of the Divine Origin Sect, he had no choice.
He turned his humiliation into hatred toward his enemies.
Li Qingqiu looked at him and asked, “In that case, are you willing to join our Clear Sky Sect?”
“Willing—wait, what did you say?”
Wei Tianxiong answered reflexively, then widened his eyes.