Chapter 74: The Final Encounter
[You enter the secret realm and meet Elder Su and the mysterious young master. With a wave of your hand, you kill Elder Su and engage in a fierce battle with the mysterious young master.]
[After ten minutes of battle, you injure the mysterious young master. He activates a secret treasure in an attempt to kill you. You are injured but sustain lighter injuries than him. Startled, he uses a quasi-immortal jade boat to flee the secret realm.]
[As soon as the mysterious young master exits the secret realm, he encounters the formation you had already set up. The formation activates instantly, severely injuring him. You charge into the formation and engage in another fierce battle with him.]
[The mysterious young master, critically injured, is no match for you. He fights back desperately and manages to severely wound you before dying.]
[You kill the mysterious young master and obtain the complete Divine Demon Nine Transformations Technique from his storage bag, along with various other divine ability manuals.]
[You return to the Su family's ancestral land. The news that you exterminated the Xu family, which had a Divine Transformation cultivator, spreads throughout the Tiannan Region. Your reputation soars, and you are hailed as Heavenly Lord Li!]
[Six months later, you successfully pass through the mysterious land and arrive at the Nanli Dynasty.]
[You join the formation sect, White Cloud Sect, and diligently study the art of formations.]
[At age 530, the demon invasion occurs. You had previously set up a grand formation in the White Cloud Sect, killing tens of thousands of demons. However, you are noticed by a Void Refinement demonic powerhouse and are slain!]
"Choose option two!"
In addition to the complete Divine Demon Nine Transformations Technique, the memories of dozens of other cultivation techniques flooded his mind!
"I've already exterminated the Xu family, yet Elder Su and that mysterious young master still dared to stay in the secret realm. They truly looked down on me!"
Li Changsheng smiled faintly.
He understood the thoughts of Elder Su and the mysterious young master. Even though he had demonstrated the power to destroy the Xu family, they still didn't take him seriously. In their eyes, Li Changsheng was still someone they could manipulate at will.
"This is actually good. It gives me time to prepare."
Li Changsheng smiled and murmured:
"First, I'll return to Misty Valley and finish crafting these killing formations, then I'll head to the Vajra Sect's secret realm!"
[...]
Just as Li Changsheng was returning to Misty Valley, in the Vajra Sect's secret realm—
Elder Su's expression changed as he watched the soul token of the Xu family's ancestor shatter in the cave.
Although the Xu family was merely a pawn they had casually placed, the task of monitoring Li Changsheng had been entrusted to them. If the Xu family was exposed, could it affect their future plans?
Their plan was to make the external powers believe that Li Changsheng was the sole successor of the Vajra Sect. Once Li Changsheng died, the grudges between the Vajra Sect and the external sects would dissipate.
If Li Changsheng discovered their plan, he would have to find a replacement in the coming years.
Previously, they had found a replacement, but that person had uncovered their plan, forcing him to eliminate the substitute.
"It's better to inform the young master first."
With that thought, Elder Su's figure flickered, and he appeared by the spirit pool at the center of the secret realm.
The mysterious young master in luxurious robes was still seated by the spirit spring, cultivating.
Noticing Elder Su's arrival, the young master slightly opened his eyes and said indifferently:
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me unless it's necessary?"
"Young master," Elder Su immediately bowed and said, "The Xu family ancestor's soul lamp has extinguished. I fear something has happened!"
"The Xu family?" The young master frowned slightly but soon relaxed. "The Xu family knew nothing about the Vajra Sect's existence. They only knew that I was mysterious and had no way to contact me."
"Even if they've been exterminated, it won't affect us."
"Based on the information the Xu family sent, Li Changsheng's Divine Demon Nine Transformations Technique is likely nearing the peak of the third transformation. He'll probably come to you for the subsequent techniques soon."
"When that happens, just pass on the first six transformations to him."
"Although the Divine Demon Nine Transformations Technique is a celestial technique, the first six transformations were already leaked when the Vajra Sect was destroyed. Several factions have records of them, so they're not a secret."
"But the last three transformations must never be divulged!"
Hearing this, Elder Su felt relieved.
Even if Li Changsheng reached the peak of the third transformation, he would only be on par with a peak Divine Transformation cultivator. In their eyes, he was still someone they could crush with ease.
[...]
Half a day later.
Li Changsheng returned to Misty Valley and directly entered the pavilion. The materials he needed for crafting the killing formations were transported from various locations.
A month later.
Seven ancient formation disks lay before Li Changsheng. Each disk was inscribed with seventh-tier killing formations capable of slaying Mahayana cultivators. Among them, the Yin-Yang Seven Kill Formation and the Five Elements Killing Formation were especially noteworthy. These formations were derived from the eighth-tier Yin-Yang Five Elements Formation, one of the most powerful eighth-tier killing formations, capable of slaying peak Mahayana cultivators.
Although the Yin-Yang Seven Kill Formation and the Five Elements Killing Formation were only seventh-tier when separated, they were still among the most formidable seventh-tier formations. Even a peak Mahayana cultivator would be doomed if they weren't careful within these formations.
"It's still not enough."
Li Changsheng murmured, "In the simulation, under these killing formations, the mysterious young master's desperate counterattack still severely injured me. While I don't mind getting hurt, it's still a bit risky…"
"Fortunately, I obtained some seventh-tier formation inheritance from the mysterious young master in the last simulation. I'll craft a few more formations as a precaution."
With that, Li Changsheng got busy again.
Ten more days passed, and Li Changsheng had three more formation disks, all seventh-tier killing formations.
"Everything is ready. It's time to meet them!"
Li Changsheng stood up and, with Ximen Xue in tow, sped toward Blackwind Mountain.
Blackwind Mountain wasn't far from Misty Valley. Li Changsheng, riding his sword with Ximen Xue, arrived in just an hour.
"Master, there's not even a spiritual vein here. Why have we come?"
Ximen Xue was puzzled.
She knew her master had spent over a month preparing for this trip.
But now, this place seemed utterly ordinary—just a large mountain with not even a single spiritual beast in sight. What was the purpose of coming here?
"The Divine Demon Nine Transformations Technique we practice originated from this place."
Li Changsheng sighed softly and said, "I've come to settle a karmic debt before I leave."
Li Changsheng reflected inwardly. When he first met Elder Su, he truly treated him as an elder. He never expected that Elder Su had only brought him into the secret realm because he had mastered the Golden Body Technique, intending to use him as a scapegoat for the mysterious young master.
Since Elder Su had ill intentions from the start, Li Changsheng felt no guilt about killing him!
Li Changsheng's sword flight was extremely fast.
In just a few breaths, he arrived at the entrance to the secret realm. He discreetly placed the ten formation disks nearby, his movements so subtle that even Ximen Xue, standing behind him, didn't notice.
"Elder Su, Li Changsheng has arrived!"
Li Changsheng didn't explain anything to Ximen Xue. Instead, he directly shouted toward the entrance of the secret realm.
When he had come to Blackwind Mountain, he hadn't concealed his presence. He was sure that Elder Su would have detected him by now.
Boom!
Space rippled, and a spatial door materialized out of thin air.
"Come in!"
Elder Su's voice echoed from within the secret realm.
Ximen Xue's eyes flickered with surprise. She hadn't expected that a secret realm could be hidden in such an unremarkable place.
As Li Changsheng's disciple, she had gained a fair understanding of the cultivation world over the years.
Even a family like the Su family didn't possess a secret realm, yet one was hidden here in this ordinary mountain range.
Li Changsheng led Ximen Xue through the spatial door and into the secret realm.
Elder Su was already waiting not far from the entrance.
Li Changsheng's eyes sparkled with a smile.
"Elder Su, it's been a long time!"