Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

Above the imperial city of Qingzhou, the lingering power of the Chaos Divine Thunder had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the strange aura of scorched earth and the annihilation of laws.

The once magnificent mansions of the Zhao and Li families are now reduced to ruins, with charred beams and broken spirit stones silently telling the story of their former glory's end.

The stench of blood within the city was largely swept away by the fierce winds, replaced by a deathly stillness after the catastrophe, and a faint light, filled with awe and anticipation, rekindled in the eyes of countless ordinary people.

Yu Changsheng stood suspended in the void, his aura of the Refining Void Realm already concealed, yet he appeared even more profound and imposing, as if he himself had become the cornerstone of this new order of heaven and earth.

Wang Cheng and Chen Xueqing stood to his left and right, respectively. The aura of the peak of the Nascent Soul stage emanating from them was stable yet contained a sharp edge. Having experienced the life-and-death trials of the Ancient Ruins of the Burial God and the thunderous methods of the Imperial City's purge, the last trace of immaturity had faded from their brows, leaving only a rock-solid determination.

"The Huangpu clan and its henchmen have been eliminated, and the affiliated families have been executed. Although the parasites have been cleared out, Qingzhou is in dire need of reconstruction."

Yu Changsheng's voice was calm, yet it clearly reached the ears of everyone below who could still hear him, like a divine decree.

His gaze swept over the numerous small families, independent cultivators, and commoners below, who were filled with both fear and anticipation.

"Qingzhou needs new forces to protect and rebuild it."

Instead of consolidating all power in his own hands, he decided to support emerging local forces.

With Chen Xueqing's keen perception of life and Wang Cheng's initial assessment of the people's character and strength, several forces that were able to maintain their bottom line and make a difference under the high pressure of the Huangpu clan were selected.

One is Mo Heng, the owner of "Hundred Crafts Workshop," who is famous for refining and repairing magical artifacts. Although his cultivation level is only at the late Nascent Soul stage, his artifact refining skills are superb, and he is upright and honest, with an excellent reputation among cultivators and commoners at the bottom level.

The other is Lin Wanqing, the owner of "Qingmu Manor," which controls the largest spiritual plant garden and medicinal herb trade in northern Qingzhou. She is at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm and is skilled in wood-based magic and spiritual plant cultivation. When the manor was previously tainted by the foul aura, she did her best to protect the spiritual fields within the manor and the nearby villages.

Another one is Shi Poshan, the temporary leader of the "Qingyun Alliance" composed of independent cultivators. He is in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, has a generous and forthright personality, and possesses considerable combat strength. He once organized effective resistance against some evil servants of aristocratic families.

Yu Changsheng summoned the three of them to his presence.

He didn't say much, but flicked his finger, and three points of light containing the original mark of chaotic source power and a wisp of the Return to Nothingness sword intent entered the brows of the three people respectively.

"Buzz!"

Mo Heng, Lin Wanqing, and Shi Poshan were all shaken as a massive flow of information and pure primordial power surged into their sea of ​​consciousness.

This mark is not only a recognition, but also contains some of Yu Changsheng's insights into the Dao of Chaos and Return to Nothingness, which is enough to help them break through bottlenecks in the future. More importantly, this mark is connected with Yu Changsheng's mind and can serve as a hub for communication and positioning at critical moments. At the same time, it is also an invisible constraint on their loyalty - if they have any disloyal thoughts, the backlash of the mark can be fatal.

"The new order in Qingzhou will be established through your joint efforts."

Yu Changsheng succinctly stated, “Mo Heng will oversee all crafts and artifacts, restoring production and crafting weapons to protect the city and its inhabitants; Lin Wanqing will oversee spiritual plants and medicine, restoring people's livelihoods and cultivating spiritual herbs to resist filth; Shi Poshan will integrate the scattered cultivators and the original city guards to form the ‘Qingzhou Guard,’ eliminating the remnants and maintaining order. Resources will be obtained from confiscated goods and will be distributed under the supervision of Wang Cheng and Chen Xueqing.”

"We obey the decree of Venerable Changsheng!" The three were extremely excited and bowed to accept the order.

They knew that this was not just a power, but also a heavy responsibility, a new life dependent on the wings of the Void Refinement Supreme before them.

Yu Changsheng raised his hand, and the Guixu Sword emitted a soft hum, a hazy gray sword light shooting towards the central square of the imperial city. The earth trembled, and an ancient stone tablet formed from chaotic source power and hard metal remnants rose from the ground, towering into the clouds.

One side of the monument is engraved with the names and summaries of the crimes of the main culprits, including Huangpu Hongxuan, Fengyin, the Zhao family, and the Li family, while the other side is blank.

"This is the 'Merit and Demerit Stele'. The names of the guilty have been engraved and will be condemned for eternity. The names of those who have contributed to the future of Qingzhou will also be engraved on it and will be revered by all people."

Yu Changsheng's voice carried an undeniable power: "Qingzhou no longer needs a human emperor; what it needs are guardians and builders."

Under the intimidating power of Yu Changsheng's Void Refinement Realm aura and with the strong assistance of Wang Cheng and Chen Xueqing, the establishment of the new order was unexpectedly rapid.

The vast resources confiscated were allocated openly and transparently, with priority given to repairing damaged urban infrastructure, providing relief to civilians who had been exploited by powerful families and harmed by previous turmoil, and arming the newly formed "Qingzhou Guard".

Mo Heng's workshops are burning day and night, repairing and improving the core of the original defensive formation of the imperial city, and beginning to try to create new magical artifacts by combining the characteristics of the metal remnants of the Burial God Ruins.

Lin Wanqing's Qingmu Manor became the center for cultivating spiritual herbs and treating the wounded. She even tried to use the faint aura emitted by the "tender buds of the ancient tree of life" to cultivate special spiritual plants with the ability to purify filth.

The Qingzhou Guard of Shipo Mountain carried out a brutal crackdown, rooting out local thugs who took advantage of the chaos to loot and a few die-hard members of aristocratic families who tried to hide their identities and resist stubbornly. They dealt with them swiftly and decisively, quickly stabilizing the situation.

Qingzhou seems to be emerging from the ruins with new life, and the first glimmer of hope is appearing.

However, the embers of evil will not be willing to be extinguished so easily.

On the outskirts of the imperial city, deep beneath the Li family's villa, which had long been reduced to ruins by chaotic divine lightning, a faint trace of life remained in an extremely secluded chamber built of rare materials that could isolate divine sense.

That was Li Xiao, an inconspicuous member of a collateral branch of the Li family. His cultivation level was only at the late Golden Core stage. Because his maternal family was skilled in setting up concealment formations, he was fortunate enough to escape Yu Changsheng's devastating lightning punishment by relying on this secret room and an ancestral treasure that could briefly simulate the aura of death.

He witnessed the downfall of his family's elite, and the deep-seated hatred and extreme fear tormented him day and night. He knew that with his meager cultivation, seeking revenge was nothing short of a pipe dream.

He huddled in the darkness, like a wounded viper licking its wounds, brewing venom. He remembered an emergency communication method secretly recorded by his family—using an extremely ancient and hidden interdimensional communication array to request help from a sect called "Xuanming Sect" far away in Zhongzhou!

The Li family ancestor once saved a severely injured outer sect deacon of the Xuanming Sect who had ended up here by chance, and was given this array plate as a gift. It was said that if the Li family were to suffer a catastrophic disaster, this plate could be activated, and the Xuanming Sect might lend a helping hand out of consideration for their past relationship.

This array plate had always been regarded by the Li family as their last trump card, never used, and almost forgotten in a corner of the storeroom. During the Great Purge, Li Xiao inexplicably took it with him.

"Yu Changsheng... Wang Cheng... Chen Xueqing... You destroyed my family and severed my foundation... This enmity is irreconcilable!" Li Xiao's eyes flashed with venomous resentment as he trembled as he took out the black jade disc covered in cracks and ancient runes. He knew that activating this kind of interdimensional communication would consume a huge amount of energy and essence, and might even cost him his life.

But he had been completely consumed by hatred.

"Xuanming Sect... the lofty and powerful sect of Zhongzhou... haven't you always coveted certain ancient mines in Qingzhou and the legend of the 'Ancient Ruins of the Burial of Gods'? I'll give you the entire Qingzhou, along with information about that 'treasure'! I only ask that you... crush those few bastards!"

Li Xiao, as if possessed, bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of his heart's blood onto the array plate. At the same time, he embedded the last few top-grade spirit stones secretly stored by the Li family into the grooves of the array plate.

He used the last of his divine soul power to frantically pour the information about the upheaval in Qingzhou, the destruction of the Huangpu clan, the massacre of aristocratic families, and the rise of Yu Changsheng as a "demon." In his description, Yu Changsheng was an unparalleled demon who stole Qingzhou, cultivated evil arts, colluded with filth, and most importantly, he frantically poured the information about Yu Changsheng obtaining a great opportunity from the Burial God Ruins and taking control of Qingzhou into the array plate.

"Buzz—Click!"

A blinding black light erupted, instantly emptying the entire secret chamber. Li Xiao's body visibly withered away, his soul emitting a silent, agonizing scream before finally turning to ashes. The black jade disc, having exhausted all its energy, also shattered completely.

A faint yet incredibly condensed divine thought, carrying Li Xiao's final venomous curse and meticulously crafted intelligence, disregarded the vast spatial distance, followed the coordinates in the darkness, and broke through the void, its target being—the Central Continent, the Xuanming Sect!
In the depths of the Foreign Affairs Hall of the Xuanming Sect in Zhongzhou.

The place was dark and deep, with phosphorescent stones embedded in the walls that emitted a ghastly green light, and a chilling, deathly atmosphere permeated the air.

A massive altar, constructed from stark white bones and black jade, was covered with complex and eerie runes.

Most of the soul lamps responsible for monitoring the sect's secret communications with the outside world were burning with a faint, eerie blue flame.

Suddenly, at the center of the altar, a soul lamp that had been extinguished for many years, with the words "Qingzhou Li Clan" engraved on its base, suddenly emitted a last, eerie, pale green spark with a "poof." At the same time, a faint yet exceptionally clear stream of information shot out from it, transforming into a twisted black rune that hovered before the elder on duty—an old man with a withered face, sunken eyes like a skeleton, and a chilling aura, who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

The withered elder, named "Yin Gu," flicked his cloudy eyes and touched the black rune with his dry finger. The information Li Xiao had transmitted at the cost of his life instantly flooded into his mind.

"Huh? Qingzhou... the Li family... wiped out?"

Elder Yin Gu's voice was like sandpaper rubbing, devoid of any emotion.

But when he read the information containing keywords such as "Yu Changsheng", "Refining Void Realm", "Opportunity in the Ancient Ruins of the Burial Gods", "Chaotic Divine Patterns", "Returning to the Ruins Sword", and "Controlling Qingzhou", the two points of eerie green soul fire in his deep-set eyes suddenly flickered!
A chilling, greedy aura, mixed with disbelief and fury, suddenly erupted from his withered body!
"The Void Refinement Realm? How could a Void Refinement Realm be born in a desolate place like Qingzhou, where spiritual energy is scarce and rules are incomplete? The Ancient Ruins of the Burial of Gods... the legendary place where gods fell... Chaotic Divine Patterns... the Returning Ruins Sword... possibly the inheritance of an ancient god?!"

Elder Yin Gu's withered fingers trembled slightly, not from fear, but from extreme excitement and greed!

"Very well! What a fine remnant of the Li family! I'll accept this 'generous gift'!"

He abruptly stood up, his withered figure sending a chill down his spine. The news was too shocking; it was no trivial matter. He had to report it immediately!

This is not just about "seeking justice" for a vassal family; it concerns the earth-shattering secrets of the Ancient Ruins of the Burial Gods, the treasure suspected to be the inheritance of an ancient god, and even more so, a Void Refining Realm cultivator who has risen in the lower realm and controls a province!
This means enormous changes, unimaginable opportunities, and a potential threat that cannot be ignored for any major sect in Zhongzhou!

"Ring the Soul Gathering Bell! Urgent report to the Sect Master and all Inner Sect Elders! A cataclysmic event has occurred in Qingzhou. Someone is suspected of stealing the treasures of the Ancient Ruins, wreaking havoc on the state, and challenging the majesty of the Central Plains Xuanming Sect! Their actions are outrageous to both gods and men, and cannot be tolerated by Heaven and Earth!"

Elder Yin Gu's icy, chilling voice instantly echoed throughout the entire Foreign Affairs Hall, carrying a deliberately exaggerated air of anger and greed.

In an instant, the piercing and shrill sound of the bell, which seemed to tear the soul apart, echoed throughout the continuous Yin Mountains of the Xuanming Sect!
Countless powerful auras were awakened from the secluded cultivation area, and streams of divine thoughts, some sinister, some domineering, and some mysterious, intertwined and swept across the sect, eventually converging on the Foreign Affairs Hall.

The long-calm Central Plains Sect was suddenly engulfed in a raging storm because of this "fire" ignited by the remnants of Qingzhou who had burned their lives away!

The aftershocks of the Soul Gathering Bell rippled like invisible waves, echoing for a long time in the cold and desolate mountains of the Xuanming Sect in Zhongzhou.

The piercing sound not only alarmed the sect's higher-ups, but also stirred up countless undercurrents beneath the seemingly calm surface, like a stone thrown into a deep pool.

Elder Yin Gu's withered figure had vanished from the spot, carrying the black rune that contained earth-shattering news, and transformed into a ghostly shadow, rushing straight towards the sect's core forbidden area—the Netherworld Palace.

Deep within the Netherworld Palace, instead of being resplendent in gold and jade, it was constructed of an unknown black crystal. Light was strangely distorted and swallowed up, with only a few large "Nether Moon Stones" embedded in the ceiling emitting a dim, eerie glow that barely illuminated the area below.

There were no seats in the hall, only the skeletons of nine enormous ancient beasts of different shapes and ferocious appearances serving as the base. The Xuanming Sect Master "Mingyu" and seven inner sect elders with profound and abyssal auras were already sitting cross-legged on them.

Their figures flickered in and out of the eerie light, their auras sometimes like the chilling ice of the deepest hell, sometimes like the soul-devouring winds, weaving together to create a terrifying, suffocating force field. The arrival of Elder Yin Bone caused this force field to ripple slightly.

Without any further pleasantries, Elder Yin Gu flicked his finger, and the black rune was projected directly into the void in the center of the crowd. The information that Li Xiao had conveyed with his life, including his embellished and slanderous "testimony" and his description of the "opportunity," was presented to all the giants without reservation.

Dead silence.

The air inside the hall seemed to have solidified into ancient ice. But beneath this deathly silence, nine terrifying divine thoughts, like sleeping beasts awakening, were frantically colliding, communicating, and deducing.

"Refining Void Realm... in Qingzhou?" A voice rang out, hoarse like sand rubbing against bones. It came from an elder shrouded in a gray cloak. He was the Third Elder of the Inner Sect, "Soul Silent".

The voice was filled with an unbelievable sense of absurdity.

All cultivators in Zhongzhou know that the spiritual energy there is scarce and the rules of heaven and earth are incomplete. Breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is extremely difficult, let alone the Void Refinement stage! It's practically a myth!
"The Ancient Ruins of the Burial of Gods... Chaotic Divine Patterns... The Sword of Return to the Ruins... Suspected inheritance of an ancient god..."

Another voice interface, deep and magnetic, yet carrying a deep-seated greed, came from the Second Elder "Blood Darkness," whose skeletal base faintly glowed with blood.

"Yin Gu, is the source reliable? Could that remnant of the Li family have lost their mind, or been affected by someone's illusion magic?" (End of Chapter)