Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

See this scene.

Cheng Mo secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The best outcome would naturally be to capture a key criminal at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm without bloodshed.

Without further hesitation, he flipped his right hand, and a crystal-clear jade talisman with countless silver threads flowing inside appeared in his palm.

The moment the jade talisman appeared, ripples appeared in the surrounding space—

It is a top-tier "sealing jade talisman" specifically designed to seal the nascent souls of high-level cultivators!
"go."

Cheng Mo gave a soft shout, and the jade talisman transformed into a gentle silver light, slowly flying towards Luo Changkong, who stood with his head bowed.

The silver light was not fast, but it carried an irresistible sealing power.

Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang...

The silver light drew closer and closer, almost touching Luo Changkong's brow.

Everyone thought the outcome was already decided.

Just as the silver light was less than a foot away from Luo Changkong's brow—

Luo Changkong, who had been keeping his head down as if he had resigned himself to his fate, suddenly raised his head!
His face no longer held any trace of dejection or resignation; instead, it bore the mark of hysterical madness and a ferocious grin.
His eyes were bloodshot, as if burning with flames from hell.
"You want to judge me?!"
Ban me?!
Hahaha...Wishful thinking!
"Having lived a life of unparalleled power, how could I possibly tolerate such humiliation from you lowly wretch?!"

The spiritual energy that had subsided around him surged and boiled wildly at an alarming rate, completely disregarding the capacity of his meridians to withstand it!
Countless spiderweb-like bloodstains instantly appeared on the skin's surface, and fine blood mist and uncontrolled spiritual light sprayed out from every pore on the body!
A destructive wave, filled with violence and death, spread outwards from his body!
Cheng Mo's pupils suddenly contracted, and he roared sharply, his voice shaking the surrounding area:

"not good!
He's going to self-destruct his nascent soul!!
All units, defend!

Almost at the same moment he spoke...

The six Nascent Soul stage monsters around him changed their expressions drastically and, without hesitation, pushed their prepared defensive measures to the limit!
In an instant, giant shields of spiritual energy stacked up, protective light barriers lit up layer upon layer, and defensive magic treasures hummed and expanded, firmly protecting themselves and their companions behind them!
Cheng Mo was at the forefront, stepping forward and rapidly forming hand seals.
The sealing jade talisman that flew out suddenly shone with silver light, attempting to forcefully suppress it.

At the same time, an ancient tortoise shell phantom appeared around him, completely enveloping him in a thick, earthy yellow light.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye!
Luo Changkong's maniacal laughter still echoed above the ruins!

"Give it to me, explode!"

In an instant, he transformed into a terrifying energy source that rapidly expanded and shone with a blinding light!

The destructive shockwave caused the invisible array of light that was sealing off the surroundings to tremble violently, emitting a hum that could not bear the strain!

next moment.

A blinding white light, ten or even a hundred times more intense than when the palace was destroyed...
The ultimate destructive power, mixed with the life-long cultivation of a Nascent Soul cultivator, erupted with a deafening roar!

The jade talisman that was about to approach Luo Changkong seemed to be ignited like gunpowder, unleashing a shocking power.

boom!
The first resounding boom echoed from deep within the headquarters of the Monks' Guild.

Like a sleeping ancient god roaring.

Followed by.

The second and third booming sounds followed in quick succession.

Each cry grew more urgent and more violent than the last.
It was as if even the air itself was trembling and shattering in fear!
Boom boom! !
The earth and the sky trembled simultaneously.

The power that erupted in that instant was like a falling star shattering in a tiny space.

The "Mysterious Thunder Locking Spirit Array," which covers an area of ​​a thousand feet in radius and is woven from ancient runes, is a powerful formation.
The impenetrable walls of copper and iron, powerful enough to trap and kill Nascent Soul cultivators, were torn apart, twisted, and shattered like a fragile piece of glass by the destructive energy erupting from within!
A jagged gap suddenly opened, and chaotic and violent spiritual pressure swept outward like a hurricane, tearing the remaining light barrier of the formation into countless fireflies.

The light that pierces the long night!

Almost at the same instant—

At the top of the towering, mountain-like palace at the headquarters of the Cultivator Association, an indescribable, blazing pillar of light shot into the sky!

It is not ordinary light.

At first, it resembled molten platinum; after reaching its peak, it suddenly burst forth, its brightness surpassing that of the midday sun.
It was as if hundreds of thunderbolts were compressed into a single point and then released.

It easily pierced through the thick, leaden clouds that shrouded Chongyi Immortal City year-round.

A terrifying sphere of light that kept expanding and radiating light.

The entire immortal city, from the most bustling central market to the most secluded corners, was illuminated as bright as day at this moment, revealing every detail.

The buildings, streets, and even the astonished faces of pedestrians all cast a vivid and colorful shadow.

The fairy city stagnated, and all eyes looked at it.

this moment.

Time seemed to be frozen by that light.

Within the immortal city, whether one is engaged in arduous cultivation in a secluded chamber,

Small repairmen haggling at their stalls
The rogue monks who talked loudly and freely in the tavern
He was still an elder teaching younger generations in a quiet room...

The movements of countless cultivators all stopped at once.

The sounds of conversation, hawking, and philosophical discussions

Even the sound of the wind,

Under that extreme light and pressure, a brief vacuum appeared.

next moment,
Instinct drove thousands of gazes, filled with astonishment, shock, bewilderment, and fear, to turn in unison towards the source of the light—

Above the headquarters of the Monks' Guild.

The deathly silence lasted only a moment.

Immediately,

A tidal wave of discussion suddenly erupted from every corner, quickly merging into a buzzing sound.

"Oh my God! What is that?"

"The Cultivator's Association...is bombed?"

"A senior martial artist is engaged in a battle? What an impressive display of power!"

"Look! The light barrier of the city's protective formation is fluctuating!"

On the street corner, an old man in a plain robe whispers.

At the corner of an old street paved with bluestone slabs, an old man in a faded white robe stroked his beard, his brows furrowed like deep trenches, gazing up at the dazzling light that was still rolling high in the sky.

His cultivation level was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but the years had endowed him with sufficient caution and insight.

Beside him, a younger cultivator in blue robes leaned closer, his expression equally grave, and whispered:
"Senior, look at this commotion..."

The old man in the plain robe shook his head, his voice extremely low, as if afraid the light would hear him:

"To be so reckless, detonating it directly at the heart of the association..."

Could it be that internal strife, or even... infighting, has arisen within this newly established cultivators' association?

Upon hearing this, the young man in blue robes seemed to realize something, and thoughtfully replied:

"Very likely!"
Ordinary cultivators, let alone taking action at the association headquarters, would be extremely careful even if they were just going in to do something, holding their breath and being extra cautious, for fear of offending the stewards there.
Who dares, who can cause such a cataclysmic disturbance?

Unless... the people inside started fighting amongst themselves!

The two looked at each other and saw deep worry in each other's eyes.

The cultivator association governs the cultivation order in a region. If it is unstable, it will be a bad omen for all the cultivators who depend on the immortal city for survival.

at the same time!

In the most elegant and expensive "Tingchaoxuan" on the top floor of the city center, there is a private room overlooking half of the city.

The sandalwood incense wafts gently, and the spirit tea exudes its fragrance.

A middle-aged cultivator dressed in a black brocade robe and with a gaunt face was holding a jade slip, seemingly looking up something.

When the first roar came, his fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

As the pillar of light pierced the sky, he suddenly looked up, his gaze like lightning, piercing through the glass window carved with protective arrays, and locking onto the distant sky where the light, a mixture of destruction and brilliance, existed.

The spiritual pressure emanating from his body clearly belonged to the Golden Core realm!
However, this Golden Core cultivator, who was usually seen as aloof and superior by lower-level cultivators, now had an incredulous look of shock in his eyes.

There was even a hint of... horror.

What he saw was far more than what the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators downstairs had seen—

The radiance contained not only violent magical power, but also fragments of a resolute, all-annihilating Daoist essence collapsing!
That's a forbidden fluctuation that only occurs when a high-level cultivator burns away all their life's cultivation before they die!
"not good!"

The man in the black robe, now clad in golden light, gasped softly, and the jade slip in his hand slammed onto the table with a "thud."

"Disaster is coming!"
This is... a Nascent Soul cultivator self-destructing!

Upon hearing this, another elderly man with white hair, who had been sitting comfortably sipping tea in the private room, slowly put down the "Bi Ning Chun" teacup that was shimmering with a faint glow.

He was also a Golden Core cultivator, but his aura was more profound and lingering.

The white-haired old man first glanced unhurriedly at the light outside the window that illuminated half the sky.

He even narrowed his eyes slightly, as if savoring the complex energy rhythm contained within, before turning back to look at his old friend in black robes, who was now somewhat restless, and spoke calmly:

"Fellow Daoist, do not be impatient."

He picked up his teacup, took another sip, and then slowly finished the sentence:

"Isn't it just a battle between Nascent Soul cultivators?"
Judging from this commotion, perhaps a senior is testing the power of a newly acquired magical artifact.
Or perhaps... it's a purge?

"you--!"

The man in the black robe, now a golden-robed immortal, suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if recognizing this old friend of hundreds of years for the first time; his voice even rose a few decibels.
Are you crazy?!

That's a Nascent Soul True Monarch!
When they clashed, even the slightest aftershock was enough to injure our Golden Core souls. If we were hit head-on, our physical bodies would instantly turn to dust!
If you're unlucky enough to get caught up in the fringes of the battle, you'll be annihilated, body and soul!

Are you telling me now, "Isn't that it?"

He spoke more and more urgently, his words flowing rapidly like a string of pearls:
"Once the war escalates completely, and two or even more Nascent Soul cultivators start fighting in this city, it's uncertain whether the city's protective formation can withstand it!"
At that time, the earth's veins will crack, buildings will collapse, and the entire Chongyi Immortal City may be reduced to ruins!

"Why not seize this opportunity before the full-scale war breaks out, find a way out of the city, and get away from this dangerous place?!"

As he spoke, a faint spiritual light emanated from his body.

It was clear that he genuinely intended to flee immediately.

Hearing his old friend's anxious words, the white-haired old man remained calm and composed.

He gently turned the jade teacup in his hand, watching the tender leaves floating in the clear tea soup, and even a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Old friend, oh old friend," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Your fiery and impulsive nature hasn't changed at all in the last few centuries."

At the slightest disturbance, like a startled rabbit in the forest, it only thinks of running away.

"What do you mean by 'like a startled rabbit'!"

The man in the black robe, Jin Dan, almost slammed his fist on the table, his face flushing slightly.

"I call this being cautious and meticulous! Taking things one step at a time!"
"If it weren't for this caution, do you think I, with my mere three spiritual roots, could possibly sit side-by-side with you, a prodigy with the extraordinary 'wind spiritual root,' in this Golden Core private room, sipping tea and discussing the Dao?"

Although these words were self-deprecating, they also revealed the truth.

On the path of cultivation, talent is certainly important, but temperament, opportunities, and prudence often determine how far a cultivator can go.

Upon hearing this, the white-haired old man's smile faded slightly, he nodded, and said seriously:

"Hmm... that's not untrue."

Your caution has indeed helped you escape danger on many occasions.

He acknowledged the value of this "wisdom of survival".

Seeing that his old friend seemed to have taken his words to heart, the man in the black robe and golden core stood up abruptly without hesitation:

"If that's the case, why bother with all the fuss?"
Are you leaving or not?

If you don't leave, I'll have to go first!

This is no ordinary battle; delay could lead to unforeseen changes!

His tone was resolute, and his eyes kept glancing towards the door. If it weren't for their centuries-old friendship, he would have already vanished in a flash.

"Don't be impatient."

The white-haired old man finally put down his teacup, raised his hand in a gesture of gesturing for his old friend to sit down.

Seeing the other person's anxious and restless state, he knew he couldn't tease him any longer. He chuckled and revealed the key point:
"Think about it calmly, where did the Nascent Soul senior make his move?"

"Naturally, it's the headquarters of the Cultivator Association!"

The man in the black robe, now a golden-clad cultivator, answered instinctively, then his brows furrowed even more deeply.

"so what?
The headquarters' defensive formation has been breached!

"That's right, it's at the Cultivator's Association."

The white-haired old man's gaze deepened, and he slowly said...
"And where is this place?"

"...Chongyi Immortal City, one of the large immortal cities, is known as the 'Unfallen Wall'."

The man in the black robe murmured, as if he had grasped something.

"Exactly."

The white-haired old man's voice was steady and carried a convincing power.
"You only see the intensity of the battle, but you forget the city's profound history."

Chongyi Immortal City is one of the important cities in the eastern part of our human race's territory, and it is always guarded by at least three Nascent Soul stage cultivators!

The cultivators' association branch in this immortal city...

Which key department's head isn't a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator capable of suppressing an entire region?

He paused, then pointed out the window to the scene that, while terrifying, had not yet spread further.

Instead, the radiance was subtly confined by some invisible force to a certain range above the association headquarters:
"Sense it more carefully."

Although the power of the self-destruction was terrifying, did it actually affect a single brick or tile of the outer city?
Did it trigger a full-scale counterattack from the city's defensive formation?
No. What does that mean?

Upon hearing this, the man in the black robe, who was in the Golden Core stage, trembled and immediately focused his mind to sense it.

As expected, the destructive energy fluctuations, though chilling, seemed to be firmly sealed, suppressed, and eliminated by several larger and more subtle forces within the limited area above and below the Cultivator Association headquarters.

Although the spiritual energy in other parts of the Immortal City was chaotic, the buildings were stable and the formations were functioning normally.

"This shows," the white-haired old man provided the answer for him.

"The Nascent Soul seniors who are stationed in the Immortal City have already made their move."

"..." (End of this chapter)