Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 565 Heavenly Screen, Bloodstained Sect Ambition; Wind and Thunder Temper Bones, Gratitude and Righteousness Hang (Seeking Rewards and Subscriptions!)

The fierce wind howled, blowing across the broken walls and ruins of Tianping Mountain.

Lu Cheng used the Boundless Blood Sea Flying Sword to kill several demon sons and grandsons at Taiqing Mountain, extracting some of his magical power. He then leaped out of the sword rainbow and fled, hovering in mid-air.

The scene that came into view was far more tragic and shocking than I had anticipated.

This once beautiful and fertile celestial vein is now a place where the earth has cracked and scorched, with most of the mountainside sheared away, exposing the grotesque red rock skeleton. Scalding lava still flows slowly in some cracks, emitting a turbid sulfurous smell and lingering demonic energy.

There are many broken fragments of high-level magic weapons, including eighth and ninth-level ones. Even a low-level cultivator could easily pick up one and use it to change their cultivation path.

The congealed dark purple demonic blood and scattered bloodstains dotted the shattered landscape, telling the story of the earth-shattering battle that had taken place here not long ago.

Long Zhangfeng and his wife followed Lu Cheng around, their escape speed no faster than his.

However, Lu Cheng understood that the actions of Long Zhangfengtu and his wife were already worth the price paid by the Taiqing Sect. After all, it was just helping out; there was no need to risk one's life for the Taiqing Sect.

The three flew away for a long time, constantly making deductions and calculations.

In this region of shattered heaven and earth, a figure, as solid as an iron rock, pierced deeply into the eyes of the three:
Uncle Xuan Zhenzi.

At this moment, the appearance of the once mighty Taiqing Sect Master, who was renowned throughout the Immortal Realm, was terrifying.

His hair was disheveled, and his once elegant, moon-white Taoist robe was torn into tattered strips, soaked in thick, foul blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was his own or that of his enemy.

He was slightly hunched over, clinging to a broken sword, "Zhan Nie," with only his remaining left hand.

The broken sword's blade was embedded in the scorched earth, its body still radiating a faint yet persistent, sharp sword intent, stubbornly cutting through the pervasive demonic aura and the aura of death that permeated the place.

Xuanzhenzi stood there leaning on his sword, his body exuding an indescribable aura of rage and ferocity, yet also carrying a hint of transcendence.

Like ancient gods and demons crawling out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood after a bloody battle, a hybrid of evil spirits and deities.

Xuanzhenzi's body was covered in wounds, many of which were so deep that the bone was visible. Almost none of them were intact. If it were an ordinary cultivator, such internal and external injuries would have already killed him. However, Xuanzhenzi relied solely on a mouthful of pure Taiqing Dao Qi that was beyond the imagination of ordinary people and his sword intent that was used to slay demons and refine monsters to lock in his life force and live until the end of this battle and until the Demon Ancestor of Jiyuan fell.

Behind Xuanzhenzi, on the ground, were four figures whose magical power originated from the same source but whose auras were weak. They were none other than the four Dao Lords: Mingque, Minghe, Mingyan, and Tongzhen.

Previously, Master Xuanzhenzi was the first to catch up on his sword and engage in a fierce battle with the ancient demon Jiyuan. Then, the four Dao Lords Mingque, Minghe, Mingyan, and Tongzhen arrived quickly, and the cultivators joined forces to fight.

Lu Cheng was truly exhausted. He took a short breath and then flew to the scene on his sword. Long Zhang and Feng Tu followed closely beside him. Therefore, by the time the three of them arrived, the battle was already over.

Lu Cheng keenly noticed that after Long Zhangfengtu and his wife realized that the Demon Ancestor Jiyuan had been killed, their extremely tense minds suddenly relaxed.

However, the condition of the four Dao Lords, Ming Que, Ming He, Ming Yan, and Tong Zhen, was not so good:

Mingque Daojun's hair and beard were all white, and his face was as white as gold paper. A terrifying penetrating wound on his chest was still slowly seeping dark golden blood. It was left by the death wrath of the Silent Abyss Demon Ancestor, containing the power of void corrosion, which was extremely difficult to remove.

Minghe Daojun's body was half charred black, clearly having suffered from extremely intense demonic fire. At this moment, he closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, but his aura was unstable.

Mingyan Daojun sat cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed and a hand seal in place. His body was surrounded by an extremely weak flame that seemed to be about to be extinguished at any moment. He had barely survived and was only kept alive by Tongzhen Daojun's continuous output of pure Dao power, but it was clear that he could not be saved.

Only Tongzhen Daojun appeared to be in slightly better condition, but his pale face and dim eyes indicated the enormous depletion of his magical power and divine sense.

They participated in the final battle to annihilate the Demon Ancestor of the Silent Abyss, but also paid a heavy price.

A wind whistled through the cracks in the broken mountain peaks, as if weeping for this Pyrrhic victory and the heavy price paid by this ancient immortal sect.

"Senior Uncle..." Lu Cheng sheathed his flying sword and landed a few feet away from Xuan Zhenzi, bowing respectfully. His voice was low and weak.

Upon hearing this, after a long while, Daoist Xuanzhenzi slowly raised his head. His face was mostly covered with blood and dust, but his eyes were still terrifyingly sharp, like unsheathed divine blades, piercing through the pervasive dust and murderous aura, and stabbing straight into Lu Cheng's heart.

"Good, as expected of the only cultivator in our sect in ten thousand years to achieve the immortal body of Taoism, participating in the Mahayana battle at the Void Returning Realm, not only did he contribute a lot, but he still has energy left."

"Quiet Void!"

Xuanzhenzi paused here, his gaze sweeping over the desolate landscape, then over his four fellow disciples whose auras were equally weakened, before finally settling on Lu Cheng again.

"After this battle, we old ghosts..." He gasped for breath, a bellows-like sound coming from his chest, clearly indicating that his internal organs were severely injured.

"...All must find a place to seclude themselves and suppress their injuries. At the same time...they must also guard that ancient demon rift. When the heavens and earth shift and the ancient demon aura surges back upward, only Mahayana cultivators can guard it day and night, supplemented by immortal arrays, and hope to completely close it. Only when the rift is completely closed can we rest."

Xuanzhenzi's gaze suddenly turned extremely serious, fixing unequivocally on Lu Cheng's face.

"During these days, you will be in charge of all affairs of Taiqing Mountain and the sect! Remember, you must not let Taiqing's reputation decline."

"Uncle-Master!" Lu Cheng's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and he almost instinctively wanted to refuse.

Taking charge of the sect means controlling the entire operation of the Taiqing Sect. Internally, it requires coordinating resources and personnel among the various peaks; externally, it requires being vigilant against the counterattacks of the remnants of the Demonic Sect; and it also requires facing the immense pressure and unrest in people's hearts brought about by the battle to destroy the Demons.

Although Lu Cheng was not as badly injured as his senior uncle Xuanzhenzi in the battle with the Nightmare Demon Ancestor, he was still injured both internally and externally. The three flowers on his head were cut off, and the five qi in his chest were weak. Although the foundation of the "Mysterious Heaven Divine Art" was preserved, the Giant Spirit Flying Ship was also severely damaged and could not be used again in the short term. His mind and spirit had been impacted by multiple demonic thoughts and were already exhausted.

At this time, Lu Cheng had no interest in taking on heavy responsibilities. He now preferred to return to the mountains to cultivate in seclusion and live a peaceful life for a thousand years.

However, Lu Cheng swallowed the words back down his throat.

He looked at Xuanzhenzi's gray eyes and his crippled body, which was almost entirely sustained by willpower.

For a moment, however, they couldn't refuse.

So, Lu Cheng took a deep breath, suppressing his surging inner energy and complex emotions, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply, performing an extremely solemn Daoist salute:

"Disciple obey!"

Then he raised his head and met Xuanzhenzi's gaze frankly: "But Master Uncle, I am also suffering from severe internal and external injuries, my soul is not yet stable, and the guardian giant spirit dharma image is on the verge of collapse, so I am not capable of doing much for a short time. I am afraid that I am not up to the task of taking over the power and responsibility of the sect and may delay the important affairs of the sect." He frankly stated his predicament without exaggeration or concealment.

On Xuanzhenzi's blood-stained and weary face, the corners of his mouth seemed to curve slightly, as if he were smiling, or as if he was simply aggravating his wounds. This number one sword immortal of the Taiqing Sect looked even more terrifying when he smiled than when he was angry.

Xuanzhenzi did not retract his order; on the contrary, he had already made preparations.

"How difficult is this!"

Xuanzhenzi raised his left hand, his five fingers loosely clenched. *Buzz!*

A clear, melodious jade-like sound suddenly rang out, and a condensed, almost tangible, purple-gold light emerged from his palm, quickly coalescing into an ancient and solemn token.

This token, no more than a foot long, is neither gold nor jade, but a strange material, exhibiting a deep, dark black color, yet reflecting a noble purple-gold luster as it moves. On the front of the token, intricate Daoist patterns are engraved using the secret methods of Taiqing, forming a powerful and ancient character "令" (command). On the back is a pattern of a blue dragon encircling the stars, symbolizing the vastness and majestic rule of the Taiqing Daoist lineage.

It is the supreme symbol of authority of the Taiqing Sect—the Taiqing Sect Master's Decree!

Xuanzhenzi flicked his finger, and the token transformed into a stream of purple-gold light, landing steadily in Lu Cheng's hand.

The token felt warm and heavy in his hand. The moment Lu Cheng grasped it, he seemed to hear the deep pulse of the sect's ancestral veins and feel the support of the sect's ten-thousand-year fortune. Boundless majesty and responsibility instantly weighed on his shoulders. At the same time, a pure and mysterious primordial energy surged into his body from the token. Although it could not heal his physical injuries, it greatly soothed the restlessness and pain in his soul, suddenly clearing his previously somewhat dazed mind.

"Holding this decree is as if the Sect Leader were personally present. All cultivators throughout the Taiqing realm must obey with utmost respect. If anyone disobeys, slacks off, or defies, you may act on behalf of the Sect Leader and unleash the might of thunder!" Xuanzhenzi Daoist's voice was filled with a chilling, iron-blooded intensity.

He knew deep down that at this critical moment for the sect, if the power held by the acting leader was not strong enough to suppress the unrest among the sect members during their seclusion and the shortage of resources, it would be very likely to exacerbate the conflicts.

Therefore, the Taoist Xuanzhenzi granted Lu Cheng immense authority.

And that's not all. Xuanzhenzi's gaze was like lightning, piercing through the void as he looked towards the direction of the Taiqing Sect.

"Where is the divine punishment?!" he shouted, his voice hoarse yet carrying immense authority.

Rumble——!
As if in response to the sect leader's command, a deafening roar that seemed to tear the heavens and earth suddenly erupted from the depths of the Taiqing Sect's core forbidden area.

A visible spatial ripple spread violently, instantly dispersing the clouds in that area. The next moment, an unimaginably massive ship slowly emerged from the void!

This spaceship has an ancient cyan-gold color throughout, as if it were cast from ancient divine bronze. Its hull lines are ferocious and domineering, covered with huge and sharp rams and densely packed cannons and rune array nodes, each node containing destructive power enough to shake mountains and move peaks.

The bow of the ship is carved with the head of a strange beast with wide-open, angry eyes and divine thunder in its mouth. It is neither a dragon nor a tiger, and the chilling aura it exudes is even more pure and terrifying than the demonic power of the Silent Abyss Demon Ancestor.

The entire spaceship was surrounded by wisps of chaotic energy and annihilating divine lightning. Even just revealing part of the ship caused the space on Tianping Mountain, thousands of miles away, to slightly distort, and the sounds of wind and thunder to faintly gather!

Heaven punishes me!

The first of the five warships of the Taiqing Sect, it is a powerful weapon that has been hidden for thousands of years and has never been seen in the world. It is the only weapon that has maintained its full strength in the war against demons!
"The 'Heavenly Punishment' airship is at your disposal! Only the successive leaders of the Taiqing Sect can use this ship. I only used it because I have been piloting the Demon Slayer for a long time, and I have not truly taken over the position of Taiqing Sect Leader for thousands of years. Otherwise, this battle would not have been so miserable."

"With this ship in hand, within the Taiqing Sect, it is enough to make up for the loss of your Giant Spirit and suppress the villains! Even if another Demon Ancestor cultivator crosses the heavens to launch a sneak attack, with your ability to pilot this ship, you can hold out for a while until we emerge from seclusion!" The Taiqing Sect's five eighth-tier sect-protecting flying ships, 'Heavenly Punishment', 'Earth Destroyer', 'Demon Slayer', 'Demon Refiner', and 'Giant Spirit', are war magic weapons. If properly refined, they are extremely powerful magic weapons even among Mahayana cultivators. Under normal circumstances, they are almost like a portable cave heaven, which can continuously provide the cultivator in charge with a huge amount of resources.

However, after this battle to exterminate the demons, the three ships, Mie Di, Tu Mo, and Ju Ling, were all severely damaged. Ju Ling was taken over by Lu Cheng, Tu Mo by Xuan Zhenzi, and Mie Di by Ming Que Daojun. Only Tian Zhu and Lian Yao remained hidden.

The Heavenly Punishment is a warship that only the successive leaders of the Taiqing Sect can wield. It is the only one of the five eighth-tier flying ships that has the potential to be promoted to the ninth tier.

Xuanzhenzi Daoist had only just advanced to the Mahayana stage a thousand years ago. Before that advancement, there was no difference between the Heavenly Punishment and the Demon Slaughtering Flying Ship to him. Since his realm had just been advanced and was not yet stable, Xuanzhenzi would certainly not abandon the Demon Slaughtering Flying Ship, which had been refined for ten thousand years, in order to choose the Heavenly Punishment Flying Ship, which was only slightly more powerful.

The Demon Refining Flying Ship is used to suppress a certain sect's forbidden area and cannot be mobilized.

Without the aid of these warships, the Taiqing Sect might not have won this war against the demons; at the very least, many more people would have died, and the cost would have been much higher.

With the Heavenly Punishment Flying Ship assisting him, Lu Cheng had no reason to refuse.

He could only bow respectfully once more: "Disciple obeys!"

A barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashed in Xuanzhenzi's eyes. Then, his tone abruptly shifted, becoming icy and chilling, carrying an unquestionable air:

"One more thing."

"Junior Brother Xuan Tingzi... failed to break through to the Mahayana realm back then, his mind was shaken, and his realm was unstable... This was because his personal disciple, Zhang Renzheng... used a secret method to send a message about the sect's troubles!"

"Jingxu, please deal with him for me."

Lu Cheng pondered for a moment, then bowed and said:
"Grandmaster Mingque, Grandmaster Minghe, Grandmaster Tongzhen, please escort Master Uncle and Grandmaster Mingyan back to the mountain gate to heal their injuries as soon as possible."

"This place is filled with malevolent energy, not a place for quiet recuperation. I will take full responsibility for the sect's future affairs."

Mingque Daojun touched the wound on his chest. Although the internal injury was not light, he looked at this Void Returning disciple who had repeatedly performed great feats in the sect leader's words and could even face the Heart Nightmare Demon Ancestor alone. He nodded slightly, and a trace of praise and expectation flashed in his eyes.

Daoist Mingque exchanged a silent glance with Minghe and Tongzhen. The three of them activated a secret technique together, and a gentle yet resilient white light enveloped Xuanzhenzi and the nearly exhausted Mingyan. It transformed into a stream of light, silently tearing apart the still-unsettled spatial ripples, and vanished from everyone's sight in an instant.

……

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

As the morning bell pierced the mist and haze of Mount Taiqing, its lingering sound echoing long afterward, Lu Cheng had already unfurled the entire scroll of "Taiqing Earth Vein Spiritual Pivot Geomantic Map" in front of the Yunlu Hall.

After the battle to destroy the demon, Mount Taiqing was riddled with holes and in dire need of reconstruction.

What's even more frightening is the unrest among the people within the mountain gate.

Eight Mahayana cultivators, in a single battle, slayed a horde of demons. The dramatic turn of events in this battle, and the release of pent-up frustrations, prompted many Taiqing Sect disciples, who had harbored hatred and anger for millennia, to even call for a declaration of war against the eight human sects, demanding that they at least pay the price.

I understand your feelings, but you should never do something so foolish.

The relationship between sects is inherently one of exchange of interests and mutual calculation. Even the so-called "shared interests" are based on the premise that one's own sect's fundamental interests cannot be compromised.

This time, the eight major sects of the human race were in the wrong and had lost their moral compass. However, if they were in the same position, the Taiqing Sect might not have refrained from doing the same thing.

Now, the sudden emergence of six Mahayana cultivators in the Taiqing Sect has already aroused great fear among these sects. Lu Cheng does not want to have another battle to destroy the Dao after the battle to exterminate the demons.

Therefore, they announced the continued closure of the mountain and mobilized the sect's manpower to find those fools within the sect and throw them into the underground spiritual veins to mine.

Lu Cheng was originally a sword-wielding elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, so he was quite adept at doing these things.

In the battle to destroy the demons at Mount Taiqing, the three great demon ancestors, Jiyuan, Tianming, and Xinyan, were all eliminated, and the ancient demon rift was also suppressed and sealed by Master Xuanzhenzi, Master Ancestor, and others.

However, even if the biggest problem is solved, there are still countless affairs to be handled within the sect.

Master Xuanqing had also suffered a great loss of mental energy in the previous battle and had gone into seclusion to heal his injuries. It would be difficult for him to recover for at least a thousand years. All these matters fell on Lu Cheng's shoulders.

"It is possible to demand some benefits, especially from the Yuqing and Shangqing sects. If we don't get these benefits, it will be difficult to work together in the future."

Allies can be had, and even trusted, but cannot be relied upon. One must always be the main body, and no one can be completely trusted except oneself. If one does not understand this point in sect relations, one will always be an outsider.

The more benefits the other six human sects are willing to offer, the closer they can become. As for those sects unwilling to offer benefits, our sect must stand on the moral high ground. Morality is still very useful when the two sides are evenly matched.

On the long, ink-black scroll with its golden cloud patterns, fine, hair-like veins flow like the Milky Way, yet in some places they appear stained with ink, dark and tangled.

Lu Cheng hovered his fingertip over the fracture at the eastern foot of Mount Taiyue, where a wisp of gray mist was condensing from the map: this was the demonic turbidity emanating from a place where spiritual energy was depleted.

The demonic forces attacked the mountain, resulting in countless deaths and injuries among the demonic cultivators. Many members of the Taiqing Sect also perished. In addition, some demonic treasures were lost, polluting the spiritual veins and causing numerous troubles.

Just as Lu Cheng was pondering, a gentle breeze blew by his side, carrying with it a delicate aroma of tea.

Xiao Yuhong held a jade cup in her delicate hands. The clear liquid was blue and green, with a few specks of sand floating inside.

"This is the 'Cleansing and Returning to Origin Tea' made by Master Yuding with Heavenly River Divine Sand mixed with Three Lights Divine Water. It has a unique effect on suppressing demonic energy in the meridians." The female Taoist priest's voice was cold, yet it revealed an undeniable concern.

Lu Cheng turned his head to take the cup, and before drinking it, he said, "Today we need to send an additional team of disciples to patrol the rift in Kuyun Ravine. Where the array foundation is unstable and people's hearts are restless, demonic thoughts are most likely to breed."

Before the words were finished, a figure in white robes swiftly arrived. Yun Ling'er's temples were slightly sweaty, and she was holding a large handful of jade slips in her arms. The shimmering light of the jade slips almost overwhelmed her petite figure.
"My lord! These are the newly submitted account books from Danxia Peak, detailing the monthly borrowing of spirit stones from each peak! Also, the elder in charge of the Hundred Herbs Garden reported that a patch of Seven-Aperture Jade Heart Orchids inexplicably withered yesterday at the bottom of the back valley, causing great alarm among the guarding disciples..."

She piled the jade slips up in one corner of the long table, creating a mountain-like mound.

Miao Chuyun, who was standing to the side, moved slightly and silently took half a step forward. The cuffs of his wide blue Taoist robe brushed over the top of the pile of jade slips. As if guided by an invisible hand, the jade slips were steadily sorted and suspended three feet in the air in front of Lu Cheng, with various colors of precious light flowing around them.

Miao Chuyun would read through all these miscellaneous tasks first, and then try her best to handle them. Only those matters that she herself hesitated about would be set aside and left for her master to decide in the end.

Lu Cheng does his thing, and she does hers.

Several hours later, Miao Chuyun stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, his voice steady: "Master, there are 371 volumes of documents concerning the amount of spirit stones and the borrowing of funds from various peaks, 109 volumes of records of unusual spiritual plants and investigations using talismans, and 73 volumes of miscellaneous personnel matters from the Hall of Affairs..."

Lu Cheng's gaze swept over the image of a withered Seven-Aperture Jade Heart Orchid. The leaves were scorched and curled, with dark red veins running through them like blood vessels. This was not a natural disaster, but clearly a sign of the earth's resentment silently backfiring. However, the Taiqing Sect's sacred mountains and lands were filled with auspicious energy; how could such a problem occur?
It must be the calamity caused by the remnant treasure of the demonic cultivator.

Thinking of this, Lu Cheng lightly touched the illusory image with his fingertip, condensing a tiny Taiqing talisman and imprinting it into the image before saying:
"Ling'er, send a trusted disciple with my talisman to Luohong Ravine to check with the guarding disciple." Yun Ling'er responded crisply, and disappeared into the azure mist with a flash of red light.

Lu Cheng did not avoid employing relatives, or rather, he did so intentionally. His two Daoist partners were the sisters Xiao Yuhong and Xiao Yuxue; his concubines were Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, and Lin Qinghan; and his disciples were Miao Chuyun, Youming Daoist, and Zhang Zhaodi.

In addition, there were Duan Tianyan, Wan Shuang'er, Yan Xiao, Chu Yibai, and others. Lu Cheng made full use of them to assist him in handling many matters of the sect, and as a result, he was able to do things in a very orderly and well-organized manner.

Working in a sect like the Taiqing Sect is itself a form of training. As the number one sect in the Daoist world of the Earth Immortals, the Taiqing Sect lives up to its name. Interacting with these cultivators over time will inevitably lead to gains. At least for Xue Yuzhen, Yun Ling'er, Yan Xiao, Chu Yibai, and others, it has been quite rewarding.

Several days later, Duan Tianyan, the Sword-wielding Elder of the Hall of Deacons, strode onto Yunlu Plain. His crimson Daoist robe was stained with several dark brown marks, and his aura was slightly heavy. He first bowed and said:
"Reporting to the Sect Leader, the Fenglei Cliff Reception Platform has been set up and the array core is under the personal control of Elder Chu of Tian Shu Peak, ensuring there are no flaws."

“Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother Duan,” Lu Cheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the mountains to the low-hanging thunderclouds. “Entangled by worldly ties and bound by karma, we must come to an end today.”

Deep in the Taiqing Mountains, the fierce wind howls like knives.

A massive, solitary peak, resembling an inverted sword, rises abruptly from the ground, piercing straight into the Heavenly Gang Layer, which is perpetually shrouded in thunderclouds. This is the Wind and Thunder Cliff.

The altar, made of black jade, clings to the bottom of the cliff, with thick iron chains wrapped around it, reaching straight to the clouds. Hundreds of cultivators dressed in gray-white prison uniforms stand with their heads bowed before the cliff. The one in the lead is emaciated, his Daoist robe washed white; he is none other than Zhang Renzheng, a former powerful true disciple of the Taiqing Sect.

He stared at the menacing lightning strike marks on the dark cliff face, his face showing no sorrow, only numbness from prolonged torment, his knuckles clenched until they were white.

A clear, sharp sword light slashed down from the sky, and Lu Cheng's figure appeared on the high steps in the center of the altar, stepping on shattered lightning. Looking down at the people below, he couldn't help but sigh softly.

It turns out that a thousand years ago, in the desolate world, when Xuan Tingzi broke through to the Mahayana realm, he received a secret message from his disciple Zhang Renzheng, informing him of a change in the sect, which greatly disturbed his mind. Otherwise, the Taiqing Sect would not have had six Mahayana cultivators, but rather seven.

If the Taiqing Sect had seven Mahayana cultivators, perhaps the Taiqing Sect wouldn't have had to pay such a heavy price in the battle to destroy the demons.

Fenglei Cliff is a secret realm controlled by the Taiqing Sect for ten thousand years, with a harsh environment and strange minerals.

However, being inside the Wind and Thunder Cliff, one has to endure the daily torment of the fierce winds drawn down from the heavens by the Taiqing Formation and the occasional bombardment of heavenly lightning.

It is an unbearable torture for ordinary cultivators, but for cultivators, it can temper their mind and body, and there are great benefits to endure it.

This was Lu Cheng's plan for Zhang Renzheng's lineage. He considered that Xuanzhenzi could not forgive such a dull disciple, but he could not bear to see his junior brother's true disciple sink into eternal damnation. Therefore, he decided to hone the Zhang family lineage for a thousand years, so that they could break free from the tribulation after a thousand years. If they had the will and perseverance to achieve the Dao, it would not be difficult for them to become the backbone of the sect again.

"Enter the cliff."

With a command from above, hundreds of cultivators dressed in gray prison uniforms were driven into the Wind and Thunder Cliff, where they would toil every day to atone for their sins for a thousand years.

(End of this chapter)