Spirit Realm

At the peak of Herb Mountain.

Qin Lie waited quietly with a heavy expression as the vicious beasts gradually returned after receiving Mang Wang’s orders.

They quietly lay beneath the mountain, no longer roaring crazily like before. They seemed to be awaiting Mang Wang’s next order.

Mang Wang, the leader of the Giant Spirit Race, had turned into a two meter long silver electric snake once more, quietly floating beside Qin Lie..

The Ling Family clansmen were gathered at Ling Town, and the Horned Demon clansmen were scattered around Herb Mountain and surrounded the ferocious beasts.

Some time later, Ku Luo, Ku Lu, Ka Meng, and Duo Luo, the four great elites of the Horned Demon Race, rode their Spirit Hunting Beasts over and landed on Herb Mountain with strange expressions on their faces.

“Qin Lie, did you order the vicious beasts to stop attacking?” Ku Luo frowned and asked.

He had been leading the Horned Demon clansmen, chasing the group of Joyful Union Sect’s Zhao Changsheng. In the middle of doing so, he suddenly realized that the beasts had stopped attacking.

Ku Luo’s realm was impeccable, and his knowledge of the soul was extremely profound. He was able to directly communicate with the ferocious beasts. Only after a bit of questioning did they realize that Qin Lie had asked Mang Wang to stop the Giant Spirit clansmen from further pursuing the martial practitioners of the three forces.

Without the assistance of the enormous beasts, this Horned Demon clan didn’t dare to engage the three forces in an actual, bloody battle by themselves. Therefore, they also stopped their pursuit.

They returned in confusion, thinking to ask Qin Lie about the situation and his perspective on this.

“I am the one who told them to stop hunting.” Qin Lie did not conceal anything. “Something happened and I need to get to the bottom of it. Please wait here for the meantime.”

“What happened?” Ku Lu was shocked.

“We’ll speak later.” Qin Lie frowned.

“Alright, we’ll wait.” Seeing that he wasn’t willing to reveal anything else, Ku Luo did not pressure Qin Lie and instead issued orders to his clansmen.

He was well aware that, without Qin Lie’s assistance, their Horned Demon clan would have been completely slaughtered by the three great forces, and that none of them would have lived to enter the Nether Continent.

They now recognized Qin Lie’s strength, and held his words in high regard as a result.

The Horned Demon clansmen reconvened around Herb Mountain once the Spirit Hunting Beasts had descended.

Time slowly passed.

Eight Extreme Temple’s huge golden chariot was the first to break through the clouds, suspended motionless above Herb Mountain.

Holy Master Li Yi, Gold Robed Envoy Chang Qi, Green Robed Envoy Zhan Tianyi, and others from Eight Extreme Temple were standing in the giant chariot. They stared at Qin Lie with hate.

Qin Lie snorted coldly.

“Mo He was killed by your hand, so Eight Extreme Temple will not let this matter go. This group of beasts may be powerful, but they are not invincible.” Gold Robed Envoy Chang Qi’s tone was calm. “The Copper rank forces on the Scarlet Tide Continent, Heavenly Fate Continent, and Flowing Cloud Continent are all ruled by a single force. Now that our superiors have given their orders, we’d really like to see if these beasts will become our spirit materials upon the arrival of elites from our higher rank forces!”

Mang Wang let out a low roar.

The expression of Gold Robed Envoy Chang Qi, changed slightly when he heard Mang Wang’s roar.

Qin Lie looked at Chang Qi before shaking his head in disdain, saying, “If someone had not begged for your lives, none of you would be able to even think of leaving the Scarlet Tide Continent alive.”

Chang Qi’s expression became cold as he angrily said, “Who do you think you are, brat? Without this group of beasts or the protection of Horned Demon elites, a mere Manifestation Realm martial practitioner like you would not even be considered an ant to me!”

“If I were your age, you would probably be nothing more than bugs I could easily squash underneath my feet!” Qin Lie grinned coldly. “You only have a couple hundred years of cultivation on me!”

Wearing a dark expression, Chang Qi was about to continue speaking when he realized that a crystalline chariot had suddenly arrived.

It stopped right beside the giant golden chariot.

Joyful Union Sect’s Vice Sect Master Zhao Changsheng and the remaining Revered Ones showed up with pitiful appearances. Their grim faces glanced at Qin Lie, then at Ku Luo at the others, and said nothing.

They had just been frantically escaping from the giant beasts and the Horned Demon Race. If the crystalline war chariot hadn’t been lightning fast, they probably would have suffered huge losses.

Joyful Union Sect was truly scared now.

A little more time had passed by the time Profound Heaven Alliance’s crimson tent arrived alongside a blue, crystalline chariot.

Ruan Zhantian, with his silver hair, stalwart body, and white garb, appeared in front of the chariot. The moment he appeared, Zhao Changsheng and the rest of the Joyful Union Sect martial practitioners yelled respectfully, “Greetings, Sect Master!”

Ruan Zhantian nodded and strolled through the air to arrive at Herb Mountain’s peak. He landed beside Qin Lie.

At this moment, the crimson tent of Profound Heaven Alliance, two crystalline chariots, and a giant golden chariot were floating above Herb Mountain.

The most powerful elites of the three forces all fell silent as they stared quietly from below.

They were staring at Ruan Zhantian.

Mang Wang suddenly coiled around Qin Lie, loop after loop like a rope of lightning.

The overwhelming power of lightning instantly filled Qin Lie’s entire body, granting him a huge amount of confidence.

The Horned Demon elites, Ku Luo, Ku Lu, Ka Meng, and Duo Luo, were suspicious that Ruan Zhantian might suddenly attack Qin Lie, and all of them also surrounded him.

They sensed a terrifying aura from Ruan Zhantian. The aura made Ku Luo to feel as if he was facing his mortal enemy.

“This man is in the late stage of the Fragmentation Realm, with one foot already in the Nirvana Realm. He’s probably the most powerful martial practitioner in the surrounding continents.” Xue Li turned into a bloody wisp and sat on Qin Lie’s shoulder. After Ruan Zhantian landed, he immediately spoke up and warned Qin Lie.

“Are you Qin Lie?” Ruan Zhantian was ten meters away from Qin Lie, and he noticed that Mang Wang, Ku Luo, and the others were all protective of him. Therefore, he did not take another step and smiled calmly, saying, “I am here at the behest of Heavenly Sword Mountain’s Li Mu. He asked me to meet with you immediately.”

A silver token suddenly appeared in Ruan Zhantian’s hand as he spoke. The token was triangular in shape. The front of the token was inscribed with a mountain range covered in blades, whereas the back of the token was inscribed with the words “Heavenly Sword Mountain.”

Ruan Zhantian turned the token around multiple times so that Qin Lie could see both sides clearly.

“Heavenly Sword Mountain!” Xue Li suddenly exclaimed.

“You know of Heavenly Sword Mountain?” Qin Lie did not look at Ruan Zhantian, but at Xue Li on his shoulder instead.

“Toss the token over.” Xue Li exclaimed, frowning at Ruan Zhantian.

Ruan Zhantian smiled calmly and tossed the token in his hand over without the slightest hesitation.

Ku Luo and the others were prepared for danger.

“It’s fine,” Xue Li said indifferently. He opened his mouth and spat out a bloody light that wrapped around the silvery white token.

The wisp of sanguine threads wrapped around the silvery white token like blood. The mountain range covered in blades on the token was drenched with a blood red color.

“Zzzt zzt zzzt!”

Suddenly, sword auras of unparalleled sharpness emanated from the depicted mountain range. It was as if the blades on it glowed with light.

Xue Li’s blood, which was on the token, was cut to shreds by the sword beams. It turned into a bloody mist and faded away.

“There’s no mistake. This is a token of Heavenly Sword Mountain.” Xue Li nodded, and the silver token turned into of sword beam once more, returning to Ruan Zhantian’s hand.

“Heavenly Sword Mountain is a Silver force on the Heavenly Wither Continent. The Scarlet Tide Continent, Flowing Continent, Heavenly Fate Continent, and the surrounding tens of thousands of miles are all under Heavenly Sword Mountain’s control. Profound Heaven Alliance, Eight Extreme Temple, and Joyful Union Sect are vassal forces of the Heavenly Wither Continent.” It was only then that Xue Li explained to Qin Lie, “Coincidentally, Heavenly Wither Continent is one of the five great continents of the Land of Chaos. Heavenly Sword Mountain is one of the two Silver rank forces in Heavenly Wither Continent.

“Senior… you know of Heavenly Sword Mountain?” Ruan Zhantian’s expression turned into one of caution.

“I know it, but I am not too familiar with it. Heavenly Sword Mountain is a force that was formed during the most recent millennium. I have no connections with them,” Xue Li said indifferently.

Ruan Zhantian let out an obvious sigh of relief.

“You claim that Uncle Li is looking for me?” Qin Lie exclaimed heavily.

Ruan Zhantian nodded with a smile. With one hand gripping the token, a dark green soul light flowed from his eyebrows and entered the token.

The token began to float above his hand.

Under the gaze of the crowd, bolts of harsh sword beams shot from the front of the triangular token—from the picture of the mountain range filled with blades.

The unfathomably sharp sword beams seemed as though they could cut through bodies and souls of everyone present.

Even Mang Wang’s eyes became grim, obviously feeling kind of anxious. Like Ku Luo, the rest of the Horned Demon elites were on edge as they watched the sword beam slowly condense into something.

Tiny sword beams of gold, silver, white, blue, and all sorts of other colors, resembling starfire or phosphorous light, began to slowly gather together into Li Mu’s appearance.

This was the projection of the soul in midair!

Above the token, Li Mu seemed to be deep within ephemeral clouds as he held a flagon in one hand. He was accompanied by the Icestone Snow Wolf King, which was crouching beside him. He seemed to be speaking with someone on an island.

As if suddenly detecting activity in the area, specifically the transmission of the token, he turned his attention toward them.

His eyes instantly focused onto Qin Lie, and he chuckled. “Kid, you’ve created quite a stir over there, haven’t you? So, have you awakened all of the vicious beasts beneath the Arctic Mountain Range?”

“Uncle Li!” Qin Lie exclaimed softly but with excitement.

“Haha, I knew that something big must have happened over there from the moment that the frost barrier broke, so I promptly asked Ruan Zhantian to rush over immediately.” Li Mu smiled coldly.

“Uncle Li, I had no choice but to break the seal on the Giant Spirit Race. Otherwise, I would’ve been destroyed by Profound Heaven Alliance and Eight Extreme Temple without even a trace of my bones remaining,” Qin Lie hurriedly explained.

“Don’t worry. I gave you the Eye of Frost because I was going to ask for your help to break their seal from the very beginning,” Li Mu said without a care in the world, smiling cheerfully. “You did very well. I hadn’t expected their seal to be broken so quickly. Hah, I once promised someone that I would one day unseal the ferocious beasts of the Giant Spirit Race. I gave you the Eye of Frost in the hopes that you would someday accomplish this for me. You did not betray my expectations, so there is no need for you to look so anxious.”

The moment he said that, Qin Lie immediately felt at ease and inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

All this time, Qin Lie had been scared that he had betrayed Li Mu’s trust and that what he’d done would put Li Mu into a difficult position.

Now that Li Mu personally admitted that everything Qin Lie had done was within his expectations, Qin Lie immediately relaxed.

The top elites of Eight Extreme Temple, Profound Heaven Alliance, and Joyful Union Sect all wore shocked expressions on their faces as they watched Li Mu’s soul projection and listened to his continuous praise.