A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 178 Not Worthy of Attention

The deafening roar was like the creation of the world, shaking the entire city of Qingshui.

The elders and disciples of the six sects were all trembling with fear at the sight of such power...

There was also concern for City Lord Su Wan, who believed that talking to her would likely lead to her doom.

Smoke and dust billowed into the sky from the direction of the city lord's mansion, and thick, black, corrosive aura, carrying fragments of wood and bricks, surged out, only to suddenly freeze in mid-air...

Countless golden rays burst forth from the depths of the smoke and dust, surging towards the reveling sinners like wildfire. The black mist that touched the golden rays instantly emitted a sizzling sound, and the sinners' screams were as shrill as living creatures thrown into boiling oil.

"It's a talisman of guilt!"

Zhou Xuanqing of Xingluo Temple's eyes suddenly lit up, filled with amazement, and he exclaimed with great joy, "City Lord Su Wan, this is... a counterattack trap!"

The five elders all changed color and looked towards the direction of Xuantian Tower in the east of the city.

There, a golden light shot into the sky, supporting the collapsing sky like a pillar supporting the heavens. The three ancient characters "Xuantianlou" could be vaguely seen in the golden light. It was the noisiest pavilion in Qingshui City, crowded with people and anyone could enter.

Who would have thought that the true core of the city-protecting formation was hidden there!

"What a brilliant sleight of hand!"

The silver threads on Ling Xuzi's whisk fluttered, and he said, whether in surprise or admiration, "The key point of the array in the City Lord's Mansion was actually a flaw she deliberately exposed, filled with 'Sin-Locking Talismans.' She anticipated that if there was trouble, the Sin Clan would have to break the array. So she used this as bait to lure them together and wipe them out in one fell swoop with the power of the talismans! Good, good!"

Master Wuyuan chanted a Buddhist prayer, his voice tinged with emotion, and said, "An ordinary city lord would probably have panicked in this crisis. But City Lord Su was able to remain calm and even set up a trap. This courage and this shrewdness... are remarkable."

As expected, from the smoke and dust of the city lord's mansion came the furious roar of the criminals: "You wretch! How dare you bully me!"

Then came even more intense screams, clearly indicating that the criminals who had pounced on the "core" of the city lord's mansion were being strangled by the golden light of the Sin-Locking Talisman.

On the top of Xuantian Tower, Su Wan's lake-blue palace dress was soaked with blood, and stray hairs clung to her sweaty forehead, yet she showed no sign of dishevelment.

She clutched half a broken jade talisman, blood still seeping from her fingertips. To punish a traitor was not without its price…

This is the backlash from forcibly activating the Sin-Locking Talisman.

But the sharpness in her eyes was even greater than the golden light. As she gazed at the tragic scene in the direction of the city lord's mansion, a cold, hard smile curled at the corner of her lips.

That's her style: never relying on luck, never yielding to tyranny.

As early as when she received the news of the Icefield Secret Realm, she had anticipated that the Sin Clan would take the risk and secretly moved the array core from the City Lord's Mansion to the Xuan Tian Tower, and buried the Sin Locking Talisman in the City Lord's Mansion, setting up this "invitation to the trap".

What she wanted was not passive defense, but to let the Sin Clan know that she, the city lord of Qingshui City, was not an easy target.

"Unfortunately... we still couldn't achieve our goal completely."

Su Wan suddenly looked up at the increasingly dense black mist deep within the City Lord's Mansion.

There, a hunched old man slowly walked out, his hand under his gray robe gently raised, and the surrounding golden light melted away like ice and snow meeting the sun.

With each step he took, the golden light of the Sin-Locking Talisman dimmed a little, and even the Xuantian Jade Tablet, which bore the weight of the entire city's protective array in the Xuantian Tower, began to creak under the strain.

"Late stage of the Spirit God realm!!"

Li Qinghong's Seven Star Sword trembled violently, and his voice turned cold as he said, "It's the 'Old Ghost' of the Sin Clan!"

The old man's voice was like sandpaper that had been polished for ten years, carrying a chilling coldness that made one's teeth ache. He looked in the direction of Xuantian Tower and said indifferently, "Little girl, you've got some skills. Unfortunately, you've messed with the wrong person."

He condensed a ball of black energy in his palm, within which countless souls surged—the remnant souls of cultivators devoured by the Sin Clan. He glanced at the white jade tablet of the Xuan Tian Tower and said, "I'll dismantle this array's core."

The black energy burst forth from his hand, surging towards Xuantian Tower like an ink-stained tide.

The jade tablet let out a mournful cry, cracking open with spiderweb-like patterns, and the last wisp of light from the city's protective array vanished with a "pop".

Su Wan coughed up a mouthful of blood, but she gripped the jade talisman fragment tightly, her eyes unwavering: "Want to break my formation? First, ask the Sin-Locking Talisman in my hand if it agrees!"

She suddenly threw the jade talisman fragments into the air, and the fragments exploded into a shower of golden rain, which actually condensed into a temporary talisman wall in front of the old man.

The old man was momentarily stopped, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before he snorted angrily, "You're courting death!"

However, Su Wan no longer lingered in the fight. She grabbed two surviving Xuan Tian Guan disciples, and with a light leap, she raced westward through the afterglow of the golden rain, shouting, "To the Five Elements Sect! The Five Elements Sect has sent word: Outer sect members can avoid this!"

Her voice was clear and bright, penetrating the sounds of battle and spreading throughout the streets and alleys.

'

As Lei Qian watched Su Wan's departing figure in despair, he suddenly felt that the wound under his ribs didn't hurt so much anymore.

He had always thought Su Wan was just a woman who relied on the legacy of the Xuantian Pavilion. Only today did he realize that the city lord of Qingshui City was far more ruthless and cunning than he, an elder of the Xuanlei Sword Sect.

Qing Sha looked in the direction Su Wan had fled and wanted to give chase, but the old man stopped him: "No need. Clear this place first, find the Ice Dragon, and then crush the Five Elements Sect. Before the experts from the six sects arrive, we should finish this quickly."

The old man gazed at the ruins of Xuantian Tower, a cold glint flashing in his dark eyes.

Under the sky to the west of the city, Su Wan's figure was getting further and further away. Her blood-stained lake-blue palace dress, in the dark and misty Qingshui City, was like a light that refused to be extinguished.

Even he had to admit that Su Wan was indeed formidable.

……

Outside the Five Elements Sect's mountain gate, the earthen-yellow light curtain of the sect's protective array shone with a deep, somber light, enveloping the continuous mountain gate within it.

Nearly a thousand cultivators who had escaped from Qingshui City crowded outside the light screen. Among them were independent cultivators, disciples of small sects, and some small and medium-sized families with their families.

The cries and arguments mingled together, like a pot of boiling porridge.

Su Wan, clutching her still bleeding left rib, stepped onto the stone steps in front of the mountain gate, her tattered palace dress treading on the ground.

As soon as she steadied herself, she coldly addressed Wang Kui, the outer sect steward of the Five Elements Sect, who had come to greet her: "Activate the 'Three Questions Recognition.' Anyone entering the formation must possess a sect token, a family seal, and be jointly guaranteed by at least three individuals with established backgrounds. None of them can be missing. Criminal clans are adept at hiding; not a single one can be allowed in!"

The outer gate steward was taken aback. This "three-question recognition" was the strictest entry rule in Qingshui City and was rarely used under normal circumstances.

But seeing Su Wan's bloodshot yet sharp eyes, he dared not ask any more questions and said, "City Lord Su, Elder Tian invites you and the other elders to come inside directly. She and the sect leader are waiting at Greenwood Peak!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wan couldn't help but laugh, even though the atmosphere was extremely tense. "Your Majesty... Alright, I know this place well. Please look around carefully."

He then pointed to Hou Haikun behind him and said, "You and Wei Changfeng are acquainted. Although you belong to two different sects now, you can work together. Be sure to identify the personnel as soon as possible and put them into the great formation."

Hou Haikun wanted to say that the sect leader had ordered that there was no need to worry about spies and that letting them in would be fine.

However, since City Lord Su Wan was willing to take on some responsibility, he was not afraid of being busy, so he began to call on his old friends and examine each other.

His gaze swept across the faces of the six factions...

They paused briefly at the face of a bald, fat man, exchanged a glance, and instantly understood each other.

They are the same kind of people.

……

Although Su Wan was a woman, she had a great spirit.

Taking the lead, they climbed the steps.

A turquoise light curtain rippled in front of her, like rice paper moistened by morning dew, silently parting to create a path.

The wind on Greenwood Peak carried the refreshing essence of wood elemental energy, mixed with the fragrance of newly ripened rice from the spiritual fields, making it much quieter than the hustle and bustle of the outer sect.

Tian Ru was already waiting under the stone pavilion in the outer square of Qingmu Peak, with Li Weizhou standing beside her.

Upon seeing everyone enter, Tian Ru stepped forward and first inquired about Su Wan's injuries.

Su Wan said she was fine and apologized, "You've all closed the mountain, and I'm really sorry to bother you like this."

Tian Ru scolded, "Why are you telling me this?" Then she said to Ling Xuzi and the other elders, "My husband is in seclusion and cannot go out. Now he is Zhou, the sect leader of the Five Elements Sect, and he can make all the decisions. However, he has only recently come up from the lower realm. If he is treated poorly, please forgive him, as you are all seniors."

Ling Xuzi and the others had already scrutinized Li Weizhou countless times, but they still couldn't hide their shock upon hearing Tian Ru's words.

Unexpectedly, a lower-level cultivator who had only been there for a year actually became the head of the Five Elements Sect.

Many disciples of the six sects subconsciously looked around. Had they really acquired such a vast fortune just like that?

Is there really such a good thing in the world?

Li Weizhou stood beside Tian Ru, his moon-white Taoist robe perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle. He stood upright, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

After Tian Ru finished her introduction, he smiled and said, "Lord Su, esteemed elders, you have come a long way and must be tired."

The voice was not loud, and the ending tone had a clear and melodious quality unique to Qingmu Peak, but it had little warmth, like jade that had been soaked in a mountain stream, looking warm and smooth, but feeling slightly cool to the touch.

Just as Su Wan was about to speak, he turned and led her to the stone pavilion: "Master's wife has prepared some freshly picked Yunwu tea. Let's rest in the pavilion for a while."

His footsteps were light and slow, the hem of his Taoist robe sweeping across the bluestone slabs, not even stirring up a speck of dust in the wind.

He didn't ask about the tragic state of Qingshui City, didn't mention the bloodstains on Su Wan's ribs, and didn't even glance at Lei Qianjue's bleeding wound. It was as if these people in front of him hadn't escaped from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, but were just ordinary visitors.

Tian Ru couldn't help but say to Su Wan, "Let's take a look at your injury first..."

Su Wan shook her head and said, "It's alright. There's no time for slow recovery right now. Nothing serious will happen for the time being." After saying that, she looked at Li Weizhou, just like the others.

Too young...

He was slender and lacked both the aura of spiritual power emanating from a Spirit Origin Realm cultivator and the unfathomable composure of the other six sect leaders.

Even its aura was as faint as the thin mist of Mount Aoki.

If Tian Ru hadn't personally confirmed that he was the sect leader, anyone would have assumed he was some newly initiated inner disciple.

Lei Qianjue subconsciously extended his divine sense to scan the area, but his fingertips paused slightly.

The spiritual energy fluctuations sensed were extremely faint, even somewhat awkward and sluggish, clearly indicating a cultivation level of only the ninth level of the Spiritual Movement Realm.

This level of skill is considered among the best of the disciples in the Xuanlei Sword Sect.

How could such a person have taken charge of what was once the number one sect in the Northern Spiritual Domain?

What a nonsense!
The silver threads on Ling Xuzi's whisk trembled slightly, and he was somewhat speechless.

Should we place our hopes on this person?

Even if he can control the Five Elements Grand Array, he only has this much cultivation.

Li Qinghong's Seven Star Sword hummed slightly, as if questioning this absurd reality.

He glanced at the disciples beside him and saw that the young disciples were whispering among themselves, their eyes full of contempt, and he couldn't help but frown.

Su Wan's gaze lingered on Li Weizhou's eyes for a moment longer.

His eyes remained calm, so calm that they didn't seem like those of a young man who was only at the ninth level of the Spirit Realm.

Facing the scrutiny of the six elders, he showed neither unease nor any deliberate attempt to reveal anything, remaining as calm as if he were looking at the ears of rice in a spiritual field. Deep within his eyes, there seemed to be a composure beyond his years, like a bluestone slab washed by morning dew, appearing clean but actually worn extremely hard.

"A sect leader in the Spirit Transformation stage..."

One of the younger disciples, whether unable to hold back or doing it on purpose, let out a soft cry, only to be silenced after being glared at by an elder beside him.

But that soft cry was like a pebble thrown into everyone's hearts, rippling outwards in waves.

Li Weizhou seemed oblivious to the undercurrents around him, simply gesturing for the stone pavilion to enter, his voice still calm: "The tea is getting cold."

The wind swept through the spiritual fields of Qingmu Peak, carrying the fragrance of spiritual rice to everyone's noses.

No one spoke again, but the gazes directed at Li Weizhou held a new, inexplicable curiosity.

This new leader of the Five Elements Sect is really not like a leader at all.

The Cloud Mist Tea in the Stone Pavilion was still steaming when Lei Qianjue suddenly raised his hand, and the Thunderclap Sword was drawn half an inch from its sheath with a "whoosh." Purple-gold lightning crackled on the blade, reflecting a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Sect Leader Li."

His voice was still domineering and arrogant. Although he addressed himself as the sect leader, he showed no respect for the leaders of the seven sects. Perhaps because he was of high seniority, he turned his face and said, "We won't drink the tea. We came here today not to rest, but to see Sect Leader Tao."

Li Weizhou held the teacup without pausing or raising his eyes, and simply said, "The reason why the Five Elements Sect has closed its mountain is because my master has gone into seclusion to comprehend the Great Dao, and has reached a critical moment. Even if the world were to collapse, no outside guests would be seen."

He put down his teacup, his voice still steady, yet with an added layer of detachment. He looked up at Lei Qianjue and said, word by word, "Did you hear me clearly?"

"The world is collapsing?"

Lei Qianjue slammed his sword on the stone table, the blade vibrating and humming as he roared, "Qingshui City has fallen! The old ghost of the Sin Clan harbors a monstrous conspiracy, and has even colluded with the Demon Clan, raising Ice Dragons to wreak havoc on the world. Isn't this the collapse of heaven and earth?"

He abruptly stood up and took a step forward, his imposing aura radiating: "Sect Leader Li is young and not a member of our Spirit Realm, so he hasn't witnessed the devastation caused by the Sinful Race. They are not demons; they don't steal spiritual veins or magical treasures. They only devour human flesh and blood, absorb spiritual essence, and erode souls! The earth veins they have tainted will not grow a single spiritual herb for a hundred years. The cultivators they have touched will not even have a chance to reincarnate! What else could possibly cause such a cataclysmic upheaval?"

Ling Xuzi flicked his whisk, the silver threads brushing against Lei Qianjue's sword blade, suppressing the restless lightning somewhat. His tone, however, was colder than the blade, as he said calmly, "Elder Lei spoke too hastily, but he is not wrong. The old ghost of the Sin Clan is at the late stage of the Spirit God realm, holding the remnant souls of thousands of cultivators in his hands. Moreover, their scheme this time is far-reaching. If they succeed, the entire Northern Spirit Region will become a land of sin, and the Five Elements Sect will have no chance of escaping it."

He stared at Li Weizhou and said in a deep voice, "We are not here to ask the Five Elements Sect for help, but to remind you."

Li Qinghong's Seven Star Sword Box suddenly clicked softly, and a sword light shot out, circling the pavilion and condensing the aura of the old ghost of the Sin Clan into a phantom. The phantom was wrapped in dark blue silk, and held the soul of a cultivator in its hand, which was the tragic scene when Qingshui City was breached.

Su Wan stared at the illusory figure, her fingers gripping the hem of her dress tightly beneath her lake-blue palace gown.

However, Li Weizhou remained unmoved, saying softly, "It was indeed tragic. How could the Five Elements Sect not know the meaning of 'tragic'? Back in the Demon Cave, the Five Elements Sect used the power of the entire sect to suppress the demonic calamity. Of the three hundred true disciples, only seventeen survived, securing a century of peace for the Northern Spiritual Region. Even our sect's founding ancestor suppressed the five great demon lords single-handedly. He passed away alone, bringing a thousand years of peace to the Northern Spiritual Region. How could the Five Elements Sect not know of this crisis?"

"Sect Leader Li."

Zhou Xuanqing suddenly spoke, his voice exceptionally clear, saying, "I know that Sect Leader Tao has something important to attend to, but Senior Tao is the only remaining peak Spirit God among the seven sects within a radius of ten thousand miles. Apart from him, no one can suppress the great calamity of the Sin Clan. I hope Sect Leader Li will prioritize the overall situation."

Tian Ru's face turned embarrassed. She knew that if her husband was indeed still powerful and in seclusion trying to break through to the Immortal Realm, he would definitely step forward now.

Otherwise, it would be morally difficult to argue.

However, Li Weizhou smiled faintly and said calmly, "The greater good is paramount, so we should protect my master's secluded cultivation. The first thing you all should do is immediately send a message back to your sect and ask a master to come and exterminate the criminal clan. In addition, I know that some people believe that the Five Elements Sect's repeated encounters with demonic calamities and heavy casualties in the past were due to bad luck. But I still want to make it clear to you all that my Five Elements Sect has already sacrificed too much for the greater good. No one has the right to criticize my sect."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the six sect elders all turned ugly.

Lei Qianjue's anger burned even more fiercely. He was already holding his breath because of Li Weizhou's disrespectful attitude as the "Ninefold Spiritual Sect Master". Now, hearing the other party's words retorting and even bringing up the old skills of the Five Elements Sect, and even warning them, he could no longer restrain himself.

"Shuzi is arrogant!"

He slammed his hand on the stone table, and the Thunderclap Sword sprang up with a "hum," with purple-gold lightning exploding along the blade, actually condensing into a lightning net half a zhang wide in the pavilion!
The rice leaves in the nearby spiritual field were whipped into a frenzy by this force, and even the green light screen trembled slightly.

"I only show you some courtesy because I respect Sect Leader Tao as the Sect Leader of the Five Elements Sect!"

Lei Qianjue gripped the hilt of his sword, glared at Li Weizhou, and said sternly, "What do you know about the 'calamity of the Sin Clan' if you're just a brat from the lower realm? If it really drags on to the point of no return, even if we fill the gaps between the Sin Clan's teeth with your head, it won't be enough!"

He took another step forward, the edge of the lightning net almost brushing against Li Weizhou's Daoist robe, and said in a deep voice, "Today I will teach you on behalf of Senior Tao that in the Spirit Realm, you can't become a sect leader just by talking! If you anger me, even if Tao Xixing comes out of seclusion, he will have to give me an explanation!"

The disciples from different sects had different expressions, but the vast majority of them were gloating.

I just wanted to see what the fuss was about.

The bald, fat man, also from the Xuanlei Sword Sect, sighed upon seeing Li Weizhou's expression.

Even if Lei Qianjue really teaches this kid a lesson today, he'll still be incredibly awesome...

Li Weizhou stood beneath the lightning net, his moon-white Daoist robe tinged purple by the lightning, yet his back remained ramrod straight. He neither retreated nor showed anger, but simply looked up at Lei Qianjue, his eyes as calm as a frozen lake, and asked, "Elder Lei, are you truly going to make a move?"

"So what if I take action?"

Lei Qianjue raised his hand to his chest, purple lightning dancing on his hand, and said, "As an elder of the Seven Sects, am I not allowed to teach you a lesson? I want to see if the sect leader taught by Tao Xixing is just spouting nonsense!"

"Lei Qianjue!"

A sharp shout suddenly rang out, and Tian Ru took a step forward. Her pale yellow Taoist robe fluttered without wind, and the wood element spiritual power surged out like a tide, actually forcibly pushing back the lightning net by half an inch.

She stood in front of Li Weizhou, her anger even greater than Lei Qianjue's lightning: "Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are to teach a lesson?!"

Lei Qianjue was taken aback by the shout, and his hand, which was raised in front of him, loosened slightly.

He forgot that the seemingly gentle woman in front of him was a tough fighter who had fought her way out of the Demon Cave battle. Although her cultivation was not as high as theirs, she was by no means someone he could scold at will.

Don't forget, she is also Tao Xixing's wife and the daughter of the previous Five Elements Sect Master.

"Elder Tian, ​​I..."

"What are you?"

Tian Ru interrupted him, her voice as cold as ice, and said angrily, "Wei Zhou is the sect leader of the Five Elements Sect. How dare you, an elder from an outer sect, lecture him? Is he wrong? Where were your Xuan Lei Sword Sect members when the three hundred disciples of the Five Elements Sect were buried in the Demon Cave during the battle? Now you have the nerve to come to my Five Elements Sect and act wildly, talking about the greater good?"

Ling Xuzi quickly stepped forward and pulled Lei Qianjue back, placing his whisk on Lei's wrist, and said, "Elder Lei, please calm down. Elder Tian is right... We lost our composure in our haste."

Master Wuyuan also put his palms together and said, "Amitabha, it is all for the safety of the Northern Spirit Realm, why get angry?"

Lei Qianjue's face turned pale and then red, and his hands loosened and tightened again.

Su Wan also said, "Everyone knows the situation of the Five Elements Sect, so why force them? If Sect Leader Tao were to suffer an accident, the Five Elements Sect might cease to exist. Besides, Elder Tian has already opened the sect to allow us to come and take refuge, hasn't he? That's the Five Elements Sect's achievement. If Elder Lei feels that hiding inside is useless, he might as well go out or return to the sect to ask for reinforcements. I advise everyone to remain calm. I have already sent an urgent message back to the Xuan Tian Pavilion to inform the Pavilion Master of today's events. You have all sent letters to your sects as well, so reinforcements should arrive within three to five days."

Even she didn't take Li Weizhou seriously and didn't mention him at all.

The stone pavilion was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Lei Qianjue slowly lowered his sword, the purple lightning on the tip of the blade gradually extinguishing. In the end, he didn't utter another word.

If he goes out now, even if he immediately flees towards the sect, he will surely die.

Zhao Qingyao of the Moon Evolution Sect said softly, "But that old ghost of the Sin Clan has the cultivation of the late stage of the Spirit God Realm. The Sin Clan's cultivation method focuses on attacking and suppressing evil energy. Although their lifespan is usually half that of normal cultivators, their killing power is much stronger than that of cultivators of the same realm. If the Five Elements Grand Formation is not presided over by Sect Leader Tao, can it last for three to five days?"

The expressions on everyone's faces grew increasingly grim, especially those disciples standing outside the stone pavilion, who wished they could immediately go and call Tao Xixing out on Li Weizhou's behalf.

Su Wan also looked at Tian Ru, wanting a more accurate answer.

To her surprise, Tian Ru looked at Li Weizhou...

……

(End of this chapter)