Translator: CinderTL
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The death of dozens of people is no small matter anywhere.
Especially in a significant and strategic location like the Qingluan Resort, where the deceased are prominent figures usually standing at the upper echelons of Xuanzhou.
Gasps and shouts filled the Qingluan Resort.
As the slaughter continued, countless influential individuals, dignitaries, and wealthy guests residing in the resort frantically fled towards the outside, causing utter chaos throughout the entire resort.
Similarly, to ensure the privacy of the resort's guests, and due to the resort's extraordinary armed forces, agencies like the Security Bureau and City Guard were not close to the resort.
By the time local officials arrived, an hour had already passed.
However...
When these dignitaries learned that among the board members of the Qingluan Resort, aside from two who happened to be out on business, the remaining seven had all died on the scene, including two body-refining cultivators, and even...
The suspected victim, Master Qing from the Summit Tower, had also fallen to these assailants, their expressions changed simultaneously.
They didn't even dare to enter the Qingluan Resort, each one hastily reporting the news to the local garrison and the cultivator networks behind those board members.
Only cultivators can kill cultivators.
When it comes to cultivators, local authorities no longer dared to intervene.
Whether it was the director of the Security Bureau or the council members who rushed over upon hearing the news, they all felt a sense of unease.
Knowing that the Qingluan Resort had its own armed forces, if something were to happen, it would be a major incident. Why were they so eager to come over?
To make an appearance in front of Master Qing and the board members?
Now, if they were to get caught up in a conflict between cultivator factions, given the ruthless nature of those wielding powerful forces, they could end up dead if held accountable.
This state of anxiety lasted for more than two hours until the garrison personnel finally arrived.
Not only from the Guangzhou Garrison, but also from the Xuanzhou Garrison.
After all, some board members of the Qingluan Resort had connections to the Xuanzhou capital, so it was reasonable to request cultivators from the Xuanzhou Garrison to investigate the situation.
The investigation lasted a day, and soon, the conclusion was presented to the garrison commander Zhou Lie and the cultivator Zhang Shuheng from the capital's garrison.
...
"An Innate martial artist named Li Chunjun borrowed Zhang Qing's formation to infuse his vital energy, becoming a body-refining cultivator, and then went on a killing spree at the resort?"
Zhang Shuheng glanced over: "This Innate martial artist has exceptional talent and a deep foundation. Even as an Innate, he could take on many opponents. Becoming a body-refining cultivator, he might leap to become a strong figure among them. The other body-refining cultivators at the resort, living in comfort, would be far less capable, making it reasonable for them to die at his hands."
He turned his gaze to Zhou Lie: "What do you think, Commander Zhou?"
"Reasonable?"
Zhou Lie's expression was impassive: "What about Zhang Qing? Even if Li Chunjun became a second-level body-refining cultivator, how could he possibly deal with Zhang Qing, a third-level Qi Refining cultivator?"
"Ah, Zhang Qing."
Zhang Shuheng pondered his words for a moment before saying: "Recently, there have been many rumors about Zhang Qing, claiming he has encountered some issues in his cultivation."
"Mm?"
Zhou Lie's gaze fell on him: "Is Zhang Qing crippled?"
"That's how the rumors go," Zhang Shuheng replied.
"So, the murderer is indeed that body-refining cultivator named Li Chunjun?"
"Yes."
Zhang Shuheng nodded: "If possible, Commander Zhou, could you submit a request to the garrison for the use of the Mirror of All Beings? To reveal the murderer's actions?"
"Aren't you going?"
"I am merely a guarding cultivator from the state garrison, my status cannot compare to that of Commander Zhou. If I apply, it might take ten days or half a month to process."
Zhang Shuheng said.
"Ten days or half a month, we can wait.", Zhou Lie replied.
This matter seemed strange from every angle.
A martial artist who had only recently reached the Innate level, just because he had undergone vital energy infusion to become a cultivator, could kill nearly all the high-ranking members of the Qingluan Resort?
Including Zhang Qing, a fellow Qi Refining cultivator?
There must be something wrong.
As an ordinary spirit root cultivator, he had achieved the Qi Refining stage and become the garrison commander of Guangzhou through caution and prudence.
As for the death of a sister...
She was already dead; he couldn't just dive into the fray for revenge without knowing the situation, becoming a tool for others.
"Zhang Qing is backed by Zhao Taiyi, right? Shouldn't we report this to Brother Zhao?"
Zhou Lie looked at Zhang Shuheng.
"Of course."
Zhang Shuheng paused slightly, then smiled: "Brother Zhao has always placed great importance on Zhang Qing."
"If Brother Zhao is willing to push for it, the application for the use of the Mirror of All Beings should be approved quickly."
"Then it depends on Brother Zhao's attitude."
The two exchanged calmly, showing no concern for the dozens of lives lost.
Instead, they were more interested in whether there was some key hidden behind the deaths of the high-ranking members of the Qingluan Resort and Summit Tower.
After all...
From the information gathered so far, the occurrence of this incident seemed too unreasonable.
...
Zhou Lie and Zhang Shuheng stayed for a day before leaving.
Less than a week after their departure.
A beam of sword light pierced through the air, riding the night, appearing above Qingluan Peak.
He sensed carefully.
Soon, his gaze shifted, landing on the mountain where the secret base of Zhang Qing, the master of Summit Tower, was located.
Without any visible movement, a sword light like a great sun spread across the sky, instantly radiating boundless brilliance.
The dazzling light spread freely, illuminating the entire area above Qingluan Mountain.
Before the personnel left behind at the Qingluan Resort and Summit Tower could comprehend what was happening, that sword light, shining like a great sun, had already descended with a thunderous crash.
A meteor fell!
The massive mountain that Summit Tower relied on seemed to be exposed to the blazing sun, like ice and snow under intense heat, or like soy milk before a divine weapon, instantly split apart by this sword light.
"Boom!"
A deafening roar mixed with shockwaves that spread for hundreds of miles erupted continuously from the point where the sword light struck.
Countless tons of rock, in the violent rumbling, were lifted and torn apart, then turned to ash under the high temperature.
Fortunately, due to the upheaval at the Qingluan Resort and Summit Tower, almost no one remained; otherwise, not to mention facing this sword, even the aftermath of its descent would have been enough to grind everyone nearby to dust and turn them to ashes.
In the brilliant light, a massive sword scar, spanning over ten miles, appeared on the ground.
This peak of Qingluan Mountain was directly torn apart by a single sword strike, exposing Zhang Qing's secret base hidden within the mountain, which had been burned by fierce flames.
The figure's expression darkened.
Yet, he still reached out with a hand, condensing countless ashes, while his black pupils seemed to transform into two black suns, observing each ash particle one by one.
After a long while, he sighed, releasing his hand, and the ashes scattered with the wind.
Whoosh!
The sword light swept.
His figure vanished into the night sky.
Leaving behind what appeared to have been ravaged by a natural disaster, with no trace of its original form remaining of Summit Tower and the Qingluan Resort.
(End of the Chapter)
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