Guardian

Guardian...

Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng raced forward at breakneck speed, putting a substantial distance between them and their previous resting spot. Five relentless pursuers were hot on their heels. Yet, Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng showed no signs of slowing down, determined to conserve their energy.

A glint of cold determination flickered in the eyes of their pursuers. Their targets were not lagging behind in terms of speed, and considering they had separated from their main group, it would be unwise to continue the chase, especially when encountering groups from other powerful factions.

"Beast King Hall, huh?" At that moment, a figure materialized in front of Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng. They slowed down to find that the newcomer was none other than Ouyang Kuangsheng.

"Ouyang Kuangsheng, this doesn't concern you," said one of the five experts from the Beast King Hall, as they surrounded Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng. They eyed Ouyang Kuangsheng with relief, seeing that he was alone, without his clan members.

However, Ouyang Kuangsheng's self-assured demeanor irked them; he seemed to be there merely to watch.

Ouyang Kuangsheng chuckled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Mmm, just passing by."

The leader of the five from the Beast King Hall's eyes gleamed with sharpness, and his expression grew icy. "Kill the male."

"Understood," the others replied in unison. Two of them advanced toward Qin Wentian, while the remaining two moved to attack Mo Qingcheng.

Qin Wentian's ancient halberd was already in his grasp, his eyes ablaze with a fierce, demonic light. His demeanor shifted from calm to ruthless, and a surge of killing intent emanated from him, causing his robes to flutter ominously.

The two assailants approached Qin Wentian simultaneously. One extended his hands, which transformed into eagle-like claws, conjuring an illusory eagle in the air. A ferocious demon-wind accompanied his attack, threatening to shred Qin Wentian apart. The other cultivator launched an explosive, gigantic palm strike. In their eyes, Qin Wentian was already a dead man.

With a swift motion, Qin Wentian slashed out fiercely with his ancient halberd, aiming to counter the incoming eagle claws with lightning speed. The tremendous energy within his strike made the wind howl as a sharp aura radiated from it.

A piercing sound rang out as Qin Wentian's halberd shattered the sharp eagle claws and pierced through his opponent's entire arm, reaching into his brain. Simultaneously, Qin Wentian raised his left hand and unleashed the Falling Mountain Palms with a thunderous roar, directly colliding with his opponent's gigantic demonic palms. The clash created a swirling vortex with them at its center. It was then that the opposing cultivator realized the coldness in Qin Wentian's eyes and was suddenly overwhelmed by terror.

Taking a step back, Qin Wentian swung his ancient halberd in a horizontal arc, resembling the wing slash of a Vermillion Bird. His opponent felt an overwhelming sharpness closing in. Roaring with anger, he pushed forth with both his palms, attempting to block the attack. However, Qin Wentian unleashed multiple beams of sword light, each taking the form of sharp swords. One by one, the swords pierced through his opponent's head, showing no mercy.

When it came to combat, few cultivators at the 9th level of Arterial Circulation could match Qin Wentian.

After dispatching both foes, Qin Wentian shifted his attention to the leader. His figure blurred as he suddenly disappeared from view. Yet, he didn't head toward the leader but instead moved to protect Mo Qingcheng. Channeling indomitable strength, he thrust his ancient halberd at his attackers' heads.

Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of demonic qi erupted. Qin Wentian turned and saw the previously motionless leader unleashing all three of his Astral Souls. They glowed brilliantly, each formed from Demonic Beast Constellations! The leader advanced slowly toward Qin Wentian, a towering aura of demonic energy enveloping him.

A deafening howl echoed through the air, shaking Qin Wentian's eardrums to their core. It was as though a horde of ferocious beasts were charging toward him, hungry to devour him whole.

"Yuanfu level cultivator," Qin Wentian muttered to himself. In an instant, he realized two things about his opponent: first, this leader was exceptionally formidable even among Yuanfu cultivators, and second, his intent was clear – he aimed to end Qin Wentian's life with a single strike.

The leader was fully aware of his sealed Yuanfu, which was why he chose to unleash such a devastating innate technique, despite the enormous energy it consumed. He preferred a swift kill rather than a protracted battle, especially since he had noticed that Mo Qingcheng was also a Yuanfu cultivator.

Qin Wentian felt like his eardrums were on the verge of rupture, and the stampede of demonic beasts bearing down on him exerted immense pressure. His blood surged, and the demonic qi emanating from his body intensified. Stepping forward, he blurred into a shadow and thrust his Fallen Star technique forward. His unstoppable force clashed directly with the leader's formidable innate technique.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. The leader's devastating strikes were like typhoons battering Qin Wentian's body. Yet, his current physicality was akin to that of a demonic beast, endowed with remarkable endurance. Moving as a blurred figure, he continued to advance with his ancient halberd, unfazed by the danger.

Rumbling noises filled the air as the fierce counterforce sent Qin Wentian hurtling backward. The impact was so powerful that it took two massive trees to break his momentum. Groaning, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, saturating the atmosphere with oppressive demonic qi. The leader's body remained still, the ancient halberd having pierced through his throat. He died with wide-open eyes, never anticipating that Qin Wentian, supposedly in imminent peril under the onslaught of his most potent innate technique, would fight back so vigorously.

Mo Qingcheng had also triumphed over her adversaries. She approached Qin Wentian, placed a medicinal pill in his mouth, and watched him swallow it. He reassured her with a smile, "I'm alright."

Despite his smile, Qin Wentian couldn't afford to be complacent. The battle had illuminated the perils of the Refinement Grounds.

"Amazing," Ouyang Kuangsheng remarked, his eyes fixed on Qin Wentian. He admired the elegance of the final strike Qin Wentian unleashed. Ouyang Kuangsheng knew that if he had faced the Yuanfu leader, he might have avoided injury, but his Astral Energy consumption would have been considerably higher than Qin Wentian's. The Refinement Grounds resembled a life-and-death marathon, where minor injuries were acceptable as long as they didn't deplete too much of their Astral Energy reserves.

Qin Wentian fully grasped this rationale, which was why he didn't hesitate to endure injuries if it meant securing his opponent's demise. Plus, he knew that Mo Qingcheng had recovery pills and medicinal pellets in her possession.

He nodded at Ouyang Kuangsheng, signaling the end of their conversation.

"If we weren't here right now, I'd definitely challenge you for a friendly duel, haha," Ouyang Kuangsheng chuckled as he departed, intending to reunite with his party members.

In this treacherous place, even if Ouyang Kuangsheng had great confidence in his abilities, surviving alone at the outset of their journey in the Celestial Lake's Refinement Grounds was far from guaranteed. It was considered "safer" to go solo as they neared the journey's end, after the strength of the other allied forces had diminished. After all, with only seven spots available, and danger lurking everywhere, history had shown that many exceptional talents would fall.

Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng also left the area, as it was littered with corpses. Only after changing locations did they sit down to recuperate.

Qin Wentian handed some Yuan Meteor Stones to Mo Qingcheng. In the Refinement Grounds, Astral Energy could only be replenished by relying on Yuan Meteor Stones.

However, the tranquility was disrupted by the sound of rustling. Qin Wentian swiftly turned towards the source of the noise, his heart racing.

"Hey, it's Brother Qin," Yi Xiang greeted with a smile as he approached. Qin Wentian noticed that Yi Xiang was accompanied by several others, clearly forming an alliance. The leader, dressed in white with a delicate and handsome countenance, was none other than Mu Baifei, the Yan Continent swordsman.

"Wasn't Brother Qin with the Greencloud Pavilion? Why are you injured?" Yi Xiang asked, glancing at Mo Qingcheng.

Although Yi Xiang was naturally friendly, Qin Wentian still harbored some reservations. He nodded and replied, "We encountered an ambush and sustained injuries."

"Without the Greencloud Pavilion, it might be even riskier for Brother Qin and Miss Mo to journey alone. How about this, I'll vouch for you, so why not join our alliance?" Yi Xiang suggested.

Qin Wentian contemplated the offer, exchanging a glance with Mo Qingcheng, before ultimately agreeing. Even if he didn't care for his own safety, he wouldn't recklessly expose Mo Qingcheng to danger due to his own lack of power. Traveling solo while everyone else formed alliances would indeed be a foolhardy decision.

"Don't fret, with the connection we've made, leave this to me," Yi Xiang confidently proclaimed. He dashed towards Mu Baifei, engaging in a conversation before signaling for Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng to join him.

Qin Wentian and Mo Qingcheng approached the group. There were a total of 18 individuals in this alliance, a fairly substantial number. However, Qin Wentian understood that this was just the beginning of the trials within the Refinement Grounds. For now, joining a strong alliance meant safety. But as the journey neared its end, these alliances would inevitably crumble as participants turned on each other.

Three of them, including Mu Baifei, were Swallow Swordsmen. They carried ancient swords strapped to their backs and exuded an air of pride, refusing even to acknowledge Qin Wentian. To them, those who joined their alliance had little value. The alliance existed solely out of convenience, and the others tolerated their haughtiness. After all, the Swallow Swordsmen were famous figures in the Nine Continents.

Traveling with such a formidable alliance, they encountered few dangers along the way, although they occasionally stumbled upon the corpses of other cultivators scattered throughout the Refinement Grounds.

After two days, they emerged from the Forest of Hallucination. Upon exiting, multiple paths lay ahead, separated by towering mountain peaks.

"Who will be our scouts?" one of the Swallow Swordsmen by Mu Baifei's side inquired. His tone was aloof and distant, as if he considered himself superior to the rest.

"Brother Qin, would you be willing to help?" Yi Xiang smiled at Qin Wentian.

Qin Wentian stared at Yi Xiang, his eyes narrowing briefly before returning to normal.

"Don't worry, Brother Qin, these two will accompany you. If there's an ambush, we'll rush to your aid immediately." Yi Xiang pointed to two others by his side, who frowned in response.

"Alright," Qin Wentian agreed.

"I'll go with you," Mo Qingcheng stepped forward, positioning herself next to Qin Wentian.

"Oh, we don't need so many people for scouting," Yi Xiang chuckled. Qin Wentian glanced back at him, his expression cool, and then took Mo Qingcheng's hand, striding forward without concern for those behind him.

Qin Wentian had no desire to linger in this alliance any longer. Seeing this, Yi Xiang's eyes narrowed, a sinister and cold glint flickering within them.

"Yi Xiang, what exactly are you up to?" the female cultivator said irritably. She had traveled alongside him on their way here and had witnessed Mo Qingcheng's true appearance earlier. Given Yi Xiang's decision to send Qin Wentian ahead as a scout while retaining Mo Qingcheng, it was hard for people not to jump to conclusions.

..........

Inside the Celestial Lake Palace, in a serene hall, an enchanting woman sat on a jade throne. Her clear eyes held a trace of coldness, and her demeanor exuded the regality of a queen.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed straight ahead, where numerous screens were arranged, each displaying different scenes unfolding within the Refinement Grounds.

Standing beside the captivating queen were two figures. One was the Palace Mistress of the Celestial Lake Palace, and the other was an ethereal beauty with an ice-cold aura that seemed otherworldly. Her presence bore a resemblance to the captivating queen sitting on the jade throne.

At this moment, the bewitching queen's icy gaze was fixed upon Qin Wentian. This young man, Qin Wentian, was said to hail from Chu.

In the past, during the Azure Emperor's disappearance, the Azure Emperor Palace faced an imminent crisis. Countless covetous eyes were trained on the palace, and its members were closely scrutinized. However, none of the overlords from other transcendent powers discovered what they were seeking.

Only recently had the constant surveillance ceased, following the spread of a rumor. It claimed that before the Azure Emperor's passing, he had journeyed to a place called Chu.

A sly smile tugged at the corners of the queen's lips. Did those naive individuals think they could unearth what the Azure Emperor had left behind? Even if they found the secret map, what good would it do them? There was still the formidable guardian, a woman standing watch, defending the ultimate secret!

"Will a new Emperor emerge from the Azure Emperor Palace?" the queen mused. Beside her, the Palace Mistress involuntarily shuddered. Yet the ethereal beauty remained unaffected, her expression unchanging, as if her aloof and detached demeanor were a constant.