Who would have thought that this peach blossom tree could also heal injuries!
Just as everyone was marveling, they suddenly noticed that the ancient peach blossom tree was visibly shrinking before their eyes. In a matter of moments, it went from being a robust, majestic tree to something much more slender and delicate.
Seeing this, the hearts of everyone around tightened with worry. Could this tree, which had accompanied them for so many days, be on the verge of disappearing?
Fortunately, it didn't continue shrinking. After thinning down by a circle, it stopped.
Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, their previously anxious hearts finally calming down.
As for the incessant cursing of the Nascent Soul cultivator outside, they all decided to ignore it. Now that everyone was safe, he could curse all he wanted.
Mo Yuanjiao and Mo Que, who had just awakened from unconsciousness, relaxed as they realized they had safely returned to the sect. The tension that had gripped them moments before finally eased.
General Mo got up from the ground and noticed a ridiculously large wild chicken staring at him. The next moment, he felt a tremendous force pull him toward the mountain path covered in peach blossoms, and then he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, Wei Hai, seeing that he had cursed for so long without anyone paying attention to him, grew even more furious. He raised his hand, preparing to unleash his fury on the village below.
But before he could act, a surge of spiritual power flew from behind him, striking his right hand just as he was about to cast a spell.
"Who dares? Show yourself!" Wei Hai was nearly driven to madness. Today had been nothing but trouble!
Everything had gone so smoothly when he attacked the Shangyang Sect before. Apart from spending some time breaking through their protective formation, there hadn't been a single hitch.
He turned to see an old man standing at the village entrance, looking up at him. The elder's voice was calm and steady as he spoke:
"I ask this fellow cultivator to show mercy. This is the homeland of my Pusi Kingdom's citizens; it should not be destroyed at will."
Realizing that this was an unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivator, Wei Hai thought for a moment and quickly guessed the old man's identity.
"Could it be that I stand before the Old Ancestor of the royal Li family, Li Zhanying?"
Wei Hai knew of all the Nascent Soul cultivators within the Pusi Kingdom, and the only one he hadn't met was this reclusive Li Zhanying. Given what the elder had just said, Wei Hai surmised it must be him.
Li Zhanying wasn't surprised that Wei Hai had deduced his identity so quickly. He simply nodded and said:
"I did not expect that after years in seclusion, a fellow cultivator could still guess who I am so easily. I ask that you show my Li family some face and spare our people's homeland."
Upon hearing this, Wei Hai withdrew his hand and said:
"Since it's you, I'll give you face and won't destroy this place. But if you interfere with my feud with this new sect, I won't be so polite!"
Despite his words, Wei Hai was merely testing the waters, trying to gauge if Li Zhanying had come to aid the new sect. Although Wei Hai didn't think much of the Li family's reclusive Old Ancestor, who spent his time holed up in the royal palace, he knew that if Li Zhanying did decide to fight him with all his strength, it would significantly weaken him, even if Wei Hai was confident he could win.
Moreover, Wei Hai was already injured. Although he hadn't shown it, the lightning tribulation and the ice dragon had inflicted significant damage.
Thinking about the lightning tribulation, Wei Hai suddenly looked up at the sky. He noticed that the tribulation had ended without his realizing it, and the dark clouds had already dispersed.
Below, Li Zhanying nodded slightly and said:
"Rest assured, fellow cultivator. My Li family never interferes in disputes between cultivators or sects, as long as our country's citizens are not harmed." The Li family's alliances with sects were purely to protect their nation in the mortal world. From the founding of Pusi Kingdom, they had established the rule that they would not meddle in any conflicts between cultivators or sects, focusing solely on safeguarding their land and people.
Having received this assurance, Wei Hai turned back, resuming his intermittent bombardment of Lingxian Sect's protective formation while continuing to curse, drawing on his centuries of experience in vulgarity.
But when he once again hurled a massive fireball at Lingxian Sect's barrier, taunting, "Turtle bastards hiding in your shell! Come out and let Grandpa teach you a lesson!" a wooden sword suddenly shot through the air, piercing straight into the fireball!
The moment the sword tip touched the fireball, it made a sound like metal striking metal, and then the fireball exploded into countless fiery fragments, spreading across the sky above Lingxian Sect.
And then, Wei Hai heard a cold, youthful voice from across the distance:
"Who's the turtle bastard now?"
In the next moment, Wei Hai and Li Zhanying both saw a tall, handsome young man dressed in white emerge from the sea of flames.
The peach wood sword that had shattered the fireball flew back into Lin Xiao's hand. Expressionless, he looked at Wei Hai in the sky, his sword flicking with a sharp intent.
Seeing that this young man appeared no older than fifteen or sixteen, Wei Hai snorted coldly.
"You little—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Lin Xiao raised his sword and slashed toward him with all his might!
The third form of the Cloudsword Technique!
Mountains and Rivers Crumble into the Clouds!
In an instant, it seemed as if all the spiritual energy in this world was drawn toward Lin Xiao's sword, flowing into it and then unleashed in a mighty sweep. The sword energy surged forward, surrounded by swirling clouds.
Wei Hai watched as an enormous wave of sword energy rushed toward him, and before he could react, it struck him with incredible force!
The sword energy slammed into him, sending him flying a thousand meters through the air.
Though the sword energy was massive, it didn't cause severe damage. Wei Hai managed to stabilize himself in midair, and despite the pain coursing through his body, he quickly swallowed a healing pill, his gaze turning serious as he looked at the impossibly young figure before him.
Could this youth be the one who had been breaking through in the new sect?
Wei Hai couldn't discern the young man's cultivation level, just as he hadn't been able to with the others before.
He wondered if this sect's techniques could conceal cultivation or if they possessed treasures that did so.
Feeling the overwhelming strength of the young man's spiritual power, Wei Hai couldn't determine whether this person was at the Golden Core stage or Nascent Soul.
If he was at the Golden Core stage, his spiritual power was far too domineering. Even Wei Hai, almost at the middle stage of Nascent Soul, found it difficult to handle, unlike any Golden Core cultivator he had faced before.
But if this young man was at the Nascent Soul stage, that would be too outrageous...
Wei Hai looked again at the youth's face, so young that it still bore traces of innocence.
If that were the case, this youth could not possibly be as young as he appeared!
He must have used a Youth Preserving Pill like I did!
And he must have used it at a very young age!