At the age of one hundred, I inquired about the Dao, awakening the supreme spiritual root that shatt

Before the four could turn and flee, Ling Xiu stomped his foot hard on the ground, causing the bluestone beneath his feet to tremble slightly. His figure transformed into a blurry afterimage, closing in on them in an instant like a ghost.

Those seemingly cloudy and aged eyes swept over the four robbers, their depths unwavering, only revealing a chilling, bone-deep coldness.

"You've decided to kill me, and you still want to leave?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ling Xiu's left hand suddenly tightened into a claw, and a piercing whistling sound suddenly rang out as the iron claw went straight for the face of the tall, thin robber at the front.

Click!

A sickening cracking sound echoed through the streets as Ling Xiu suddenly exerted force with his five fingers, forcefully pressing the man's skull inward and crushing it.

The tall, thin robber couldn't even utter a scream before his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, dying instantly.

The remaining three were instantly terrified, their hair standing on end, and they turned and ran as fast as they could.

"Flying Swallow Step!"

Ling Xiu let out a low shout, activating his innate movement technique to its fullest extent. His figure was as light as flowing clouds and flying catkins, instantly rushing across three zhang, firmly blocking the path in front of the three people, completely sealing off all escape routes.

One of the robbers was so terrified that his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees, repeatedly banging his forehead against the ground, causing drops of blood to seep out onto the bluestone.

"Immortal, have mercy! I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. Please, have mercy and spare my life!"

Ling Xiu's eyes remained icy, showing no emotion whatsoever, and a rolling wave of crimson fire instantly rose from his palm.

"Fiery Palm!"

The scorching flames crashed down, clinging tightly to the man's limbs and torso. The fire devoured his flesh, and heart-wrenching screams echoed continuously.

The Flying Swallow Step combined with the Fiery Palm was more than enough to deal with this group of bandits whose cultivation was only at the second level of Qi Refining.

The remaining two robbers were already trembling violently with fear, their feet rooted to the spot, not daring to move an inch.

"Now, it's your turn."

A cold light flashed in Ling Xiu's palm, and a sharp green sword appeared out of thin air, its fierce light tearing through the air.

With two short, muffled thuds, two heads rolled to the ground, warm blood gushing out and soaking the bluestone beneath their feet.

Ling Xiu flicked his finger lightly, shaking off the blood droplets remaining on the sword blade. He then casually put the longsword into the Qiankun Xuan Gourd and stepped over the four cold corpses on the ground without expression.

He bent down and searched the men's bodies, taking out five bulging storage bags filled with spirit stones and pills they had obtained by robbing cultivators.

Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, Ling Xiu remained unmoved.

"In your next life, be law-abiding and don't do evil again, lest you run into me again."

He was never a bloodthirsty person; he was simply eliminating a scourge for the people.

He had long known from casual conversations among the cultivators passing by the market and from private reminders from shopkeepers that these four were habitual criminals who had been entrenched on the street corner for many years, killing and robbing people on the road and having taken the lives of several cultivators. Their actions in intercepting and killing them today were truly deserved.

Ling Xiu composed himself, a silent warning rising within him.

The marketplace is a melting pot of all sorts of people, fraught with danger. Today, I was able to easily defeat my opponent due to their low cultivation level; if I were to encounter a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, I would be the one to perish.

To travel safely and worry-free, one must quickly go into seclusion to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining and acquire sufficient strength to protect oneself.

Having made up his mind, Ling Xiu flashed away and quickly left the crime scene.

As dusk settled and twilight enveloped the world, Ling Xiu made his way back and successfully returned to the wooden house in the abandoned treasure pavilion.

Upon entering the house, he immediately set up a simple soundproof barrier and took out and counted all the pills he had purchased during the day and the five cloth bags he had taken from the robbers.

After careful calculation, he found a total of 157 low-grade spirit pills, enough for him to cultivate in seclusion for half a year.

Without the slightest hesitation, Ling Xiu took out the Qiankun Xuan Gourd and put all the spiritual pills into the gourd for tempering.

The next day, as dawn broke, the spiritual light inside the gourd slowly receded, and all 157 low-grade spiritual pills transformed into top-grade spiritual pills.

Ling Xiu was overjoyed and put all the remaining low-grade spirit stones on his body into the Xuan Gourd for purification. In an instant, hundreds of low-grade spirit stones were condensed into a whole bag of mid-grade spirit stones.

With abundant cultivation resources, Ling Xiu did not rush into seclusion for meditation.

With Elder Ye Chunqiu of the Spirit Sea Realm backing her up, Ye Jingyun is like a sharp blade hanging over her head, a threat that is difficult to eliminate. For now, seeking refuge with Yun Ziling, using her status as a true disciple for protection, is the safest course of action.

After quickly tidying up his worn-out clothes, Ling Xiu set off again, asking for directions along the way, heading straight for Qingyu Mountain, the inner sect of the Qingyun Sect.

Qingyu Mountain is the exclusive residence of the sect's true disciples, with strict rules, and outer disciples are strictly prohibited from setting foot there without authorization.

As soon as Ling Xiu reached the foot of the mountain gate, he was stopped by two inner disciples on duty. Helpless, he could only stand quietly in the open space outside the mountain and wait.

The sun was high in the sky, and the heat was unbearable; two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from the sky, and a stunningly beautiful figure dressed in a pure white fairy dress flew through the air on a flying sword. Her skirt fluttered in the wind, and her figure was ethereal and otherworldly.

Yun Ziling's beauty surpassed that of the entire inner sect. She was surrounded by spiritual energy, and her temperament was aloof and otherworldly. When she landed, she was completely untouched by worldly concerns.

The two disciples on duty quickly bowed and greeted her respectfully, "Greetings, Senior Sister Yun!"

Yun Ziling nodded slightly and was about to step into the mountain when she inadvertently caught sight of Ling Xiu, who had been waiting for a long time. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Junior Brother Ling Xiu? You should be on duty at the Ruined Treasure Pavilion. What brings you to Qingyu Mountain today?"

Ling Xiu quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and clasped his hands in a gesture of extreme humility.

"Senior sister, I have come here today with a matter of life and death that I need your help with."

He deliberately glanced sideways at the disciples on duty on both sides, then lowered his voice: "There are too many people around here, could you please speak to me privately, Senior Sister?"

Seeing his serious expression, which didn't seem like a casual joke, Yun Ziling nodded gently in agreement.

"Come with me."

After saying that, she led Ling Xiu along the winding pebble mountain path, until they arrived at a secluded pavilion in the mountains where no one was around.

"Sit down and tell me. What is it that you're so concerned about?"

Ling Xiu sat down as instructed, unwrapped the coarse cloth bundle he carried, and took out a silver bracelet that emanated a faint spiritual energy. The round bead in the center of the bracelet had a restrained glow and seemed ordinary, but it contained a wealth of spiritual energy.

"Senior sister, I found this item by chance in the pile of discarded magical artifacts in the Ruined Treasure Pavilion. In gratitude for your kindness in the past, I have come here today to present this item to you."

As Ling Xiu spoke, he subtly observed Yun Ziling's changing expression.

Yun Ziling initially thought it was just an ordinary low-level magic weapon. She smiled and reached out her slender hand to take the bracelet, carefully stroking and examining it for a moment.

next moment!

Her clear, watery eyes suddenly contracted sharply, her heart churning with shock, her face filled with uncontrollable astonishment!

The bracelet was icy cold to the touch, and the inside of the round bead contained a stellar Dao rhythm that was difficult for ordinary people to detect. The vast and boundless power of the stars lay dormant within, perfectly contained, making it far superior to ordinary magical artifacts!

"This...this treasure, did you really find it in the pile of discarded magical artifacts? Do you know exactly what it is?"

Yun Ziling's voice unconsciously carried a hint of solemnity.

"After consulting the sect's ancient text, 'The Void Origin Technique,' this disciple recognizes that this round bead is called the Mysterious Soul Bead."

Yun Ziling nodded solemnly, her gaze fixed intently on the bracelet.

"This is not just an ordinary Profound Soul Pearl; it contains the complete Dao essence of stars and is called the Star Profound Soul Pearl, a top-tier ancient treasure. How could such a rare treasure be lost in the junkyard of the Waste Treasure Pavilion?"

Ling Xiu had prepared a complete explanation in his mind, and his expression was calm, without the slightest panic or attempt to conceal anything.

"Senior sister, the other day Senior Sister Ye Jingyun came to the Waste Treasure Pavilion specifically to ask me to search for the same silver bracelet. I searched through all the junk piles and only found this one."

"At first, I didn't know the value of this treasure. Only after consulting the classics did I realize its extraordinary worth. If I were to hand it over directly to the sect, I would inevitably get caught up in the inner sect disciples' disputes; if I returned it to Ye Jingyun, she would surely hold a grudge and make things difficult for me in the future. After much thought, the safest course of action is to give it to my senior sister."

His words were sincere and earnest, and his logic was flawless.

How intelligent and insightful Zi Ling is!

She scrutinized the hundred-year-old outer disciple before her, who possessed only the peak cultivation of the first level of Qi Refining. Despite his humble status, his composure was extraordinary, and he showed no sign of timidity in the face of adversity.

The whole thing is full of suspicious points.

Ling Xiu clearly knew that the Starry Sky Profound Soul Pearl was of inestimable value, but he pretended to be ignorant. Instead of returning it to its owner Ye Jingyun or handing it over to the sect, he delivered it to himself.

How could it be just about repaying a debt of gratitude?

Either he's using the offer of treasure to actively seek her protection, or he wants to use her to counterbalance Ye Jingyun, who bullies him at every turn.

After a brief moment of thought, Yun Ziling's gaze suddenly sharpened as she looked directly at Ling Xiu, piercing through his thoughts with a single sentence.

"What a meticulous strategist Ling Xiu is! I think you're playing dumb. This treasure is extremely valuable. You didn't return it to Ye Jingyun, nor did you hand it over to the sect. Instead, you sent it to me. What are you planning to do?"