Chapter 277

Chapter 277 The old doctor’s crisis, Lu Qing’s rage

“Master, have you achieved a breakthrough?”

Wei Zi’an asked in surprise, sensing the powerful aura emanating from his master.

“Well, I have Brother Lu Qing to thank for this. If it weren’t for his guidance with his energy, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this breakthrough so quickly.”

Ma Gu was equally delighted. He had never imagined he could achieve this breakthrough to the Inner Viscera Realm so quickly.

Lu Qing smiled, “You’ve already accumulated enough experience. I was simply taking advantage of the situation and helping you break through that barrier a little earlier.”

“Doctor Lu Qing, what about me? What about me?”

Wei Zi’an asked expectantly, seeing his master’s breakthrough after just a few moments of Lu Qing’s guidance.

“Your stick technique training has been progressing very well lately…”

Lu Qing provided further guidance to Wei Zi’an, and while he didn’t achieve a breakthrough directly, he nonetheless felt greatly benefited.

Hu Zezhi, who had been watching from the sidelines, saw the significant progress made by both Ma Gu and his disciple under Lu Qing’s guidance. Her

admiration for Lu Qing grew even stronger.

Unfortunately, her leg injury hadn’t fully healed. While she could now walk without any major problems, she couldn’t fight.

Otherwise, she would have liked to ask Lu Qing for some guidance.

For the rest of the day, Ma Gu and Wei Zi’an, having made significant progress, continued their practice in the courtyard.

More than an hour passed, and as the sun began to set, Master and Lin Zhirui still hadn’t returned.

Lu Qing looked toward the Holy Mountain.

“Strange! According to Master Zhirui, contemplating the Holy Pond wouldn’t take long. Why haven’t Master and the others returned yet?”

“Perhaps the old doctor has gained some insights, which is why he’s been late,” Ma Gu said.

“Perhaps…”

Lu Qing nodded, but for some reason, a sense of unease lingered within him.

Sensing this unease, Lu Qing’s heart suddenly trembled, and he became alert.

At his level of cultivation, his spiritual power was already far more formidable than many in the Innate Realm.

Coupled with the blessings of the Spiritual Talisman and the Earth Spirit Pearl, he

naturally had a different sense of perception regarding certain events.

Anything that made him uneasy must have a reason.

“Has Master been in trouble?”

Lu Qing suddenly stood up, his gaze piercing, directed in the direction of the Holy Mountain.

“Brother Lu Qing, what’s wrong?”

Ma Gu asked doubtfully.

“I suspect Master has been in trouble.”

Lu Qing’s expression was solemn, and the feeling of unease within him grew stronger and stronger.

“Has Master been in trouble?” Ma Gu was startled at first, then asked anxiously, “What should we do then?”

Hu Zezhi and Wei Zi’an also looked anxious.

They didn’t doubt Lu Qing’s words, as they had witnessed many of Lu Qing’s miraculous skills along the way.

If he said the old doctor might be in trouble, he must have sensed something.

“I’m going to the Holy Mountain. You all wait here peacefully. Remember, don’t leave the courtyard.

This is the territory of the Tianji Tower. Ordinary people shouldn’t dare to enter without permission.

Don’t you agree, Senior?”

Lu Qing spoke these last words to the outside of the courtyard.

Ma Gu and the others were stunned for a moment, then all turned to look outside.

“Young friend, you are truly remarkable.”

An elderly man with white hair and beard, resembling an immortal, entered the courtyard and gazed at Lu Qing with surprise.

He hadn’t expected that, with his cultivation level, this young man, not even at the Xiantian realm, would reveal his whereabouts.

“Greetings, Senior. I believe you are Lord Zhirui’s master, the owner of Tianji Tower, right?”

Lu Qing bowed to the immortal-looking elder and got straight to the point.

“No need for formalities. You just said you wanted to go to the Holy Mountain?”

The immortal-looking elder didn’t deny.

“Indeed, my master has been away in the Holy Mountain to seek enlightenment and hasn’t returned for a long time. I’m worried, so I want to go and fetch him.

I wonder if you know why he’s been so late?”

Lu Qing stared directly at the immortal-looking elder, his gaze stern.

The Tianji Tower owner hadn’t been seen for the past two days, so his sudden appearance must have a reason.

Under Lu Qing’s intense gaze, even the old man, with his profound cultivation, felt a chill run down his spine.

He was deeply shaken. This was a sign he only experienced when he sensed danger.

The young man before him was perhaps far more formidable than he had imagined.

However, the old man was, after all, the head of a sect, and his Qi cultivation skills were profound.

Though shaken, his face betrayed no sign.

“Your guess is correct, my friend. I just received a message from Zhirui that your master is indeed encountering some trouble on the Holy Mountain.”

“What trouble?”

Lu Qing’s gaze brightened upon hearing this, a hint of coldness glimmering in his eyes.

This only intensified the chill behind the old man’s gaze.

He was deeply shaken. Just how terrifying was this young man before him? He could actually threaten even someone at the peak of the Xiantian realm.

“Zhirui said in the message that your master had completed his contemplation in the Holy Pond and was about to leave the mountain.

However, on the way down, he encountered the high monks from Xuankong Mountain. They saw that your master was endowed with the light of merit and virtue, so they stopped him.”

“Xuankong Mountain, one of the four great secret places?” Lu Qing was stunned.

“Yes.”

“Why did the people from Xuankong Mountain stop my master?”

“Your master possesses the Light of Merit, a protective aura rarely found even in Xuankong Mountain. The high monks of Xuankong Mountain saw this and, curious, stopped your master, hoping to discuss the Dao with him.

Don’t worry, young friend. The high monks of Xuankong Mountain are known for their compassion and will certainly not trouble your master.”

“If they’re so compassionate, why are they stopping my master from leaving the mountain?” Lu Qing said coldly. “Perhaps they’re taking advantage of my master’s kindness and saying no?”

The sage-like old man paused, unsure how to explain.

Honestly, he found it a little strange why the people from Xuankong Mountain would stop the old doctor from leaving the mountain.

While the Light of Merit was rare, it was not unheard of among the high monks of Xuankong Mountain to cultivate it. It didn’t seem worth the trouble.

At this moment, the clothes of the immortal old man trembled slightly. He took out a jade token from his bosom and examined it with his mind.

Then his body shook, and his expression gradually became solemn.

“Senior, is it that Lord Zhirui has sent a message again?”

Lu Qing recognized that the jade token in the old man’s hand was quite similar to the one that Lin Zhirui had given to his master.

“It is indeed Zhirui.”

The immortal old man nodded slowly, and the expression on his face did not ease at all.

“What did Lord Zhirui say?”

Lu Qing saw the old man’s expression and had a bad premonition in his heart.

“Zhirui said that the high monks of Xuankong Mountain want your master to join Xuankong Mountain, but your master is unwilling. They are now trapping your master with a formation and want to force him to convert.”

“What?!”

Lu Qing’s fury could no longer be contained upon hearing this, and a terrifying cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The aura emanating from him made the sage-like elder’s heart suddenly tremble.

He sensed a deeply dangerous aura from Lu Qing, a terrifying signal that threatened his life.

“Brother Lu Qing, what are you waiting for? Let’s go and rescue Old Doctor Chen immediately!”

Ma Gu, standing nearby, was equally furious.

Although he didn’t know what salvation meant, he had clearly heard that those so-called high monks had trapped the old doctor with a formation.

“Yes, Doctor Lu Qing, we’ll attack the Holy Mountain!” Wei Zi’an also grasped the iron rod in his hand.

However, their words only sobered Lu Qing’s mind.

“No, I’ll take care of this matter. You just wait here for news.”

“But…”

“No buts!” Lu Qing waved his hand, silencing Ma Gu’s words. “The suppressive force of the Holy Mountain is beyond your ability to withstand. Rashly ascending would be too much for your bodies.”

Ma Gu and Wei Zi’an paused.

They recalled the scene they had witnessed earlier, of Bai Bufan and the others climbing the Heavenly Ladder.

Even a martial arts master like Bai Bufan couldn’t climb very high on the Holy Mountain. If the two of them tried, they wouldn’t even be able to reach the mountainside.

The thought filled them with resentment, deeply resenting their own weakness, unable to offer any assistance in such a critical situation.

“Don’t worry, I will bring Master back safely.”

Lu Qing, noticing the resentment on their faces, offered solace.

“Young friend, are you sure you want to go to the Holy Mountain?” the sage-like elder asked.

“As a disciple, I cannot sit idly by while my master is in trouble,” Lu Qing said calmly. “But, Senior, I have a favor to ask.”

“Go ahead, young friend.”

“This Miss Hu, you should be able to see the aura of calamity in her brow.

I wonder when that calamity will manifest.

While I’m away, please keep an eye on her, to prevent anyone from taking advantage.”

Lu Qing glanced at the note that had appeared on the old man’s body, knowing that he was someone he could trust for the time being.

In his mind, however, he continued to telepathically communicate with Xiao Li, who was in the room with Xiao Yan during her nap.

The sage-like elder glanced at Hu Zezhi’s brows and nodded. “Rest assured, young friend. I will remain in this courtyard until you return.”

“Then I would like to thank you very much, Senior.”

Lu Qing bowed solemnly to the elder and, in a flash, was already out of the courtyard.

“Master Ma, please keep an eye on Xiao Yan for me. Once she wakes up, don’t let her run around.”

With these final words, Lu Qing’s figure vanished.

His speed was so swift that even the sage-like elder was startled.

“Who exactly is this young Master Lu?”

The elder was filled with doubt and uncertainty. He

had never before been so unpredictable about a young man.

He had a premonition that Lu Qing’s visit to the Holy Mountain would cause a great stir.

Leaving the Tianji Tower, Lu Qing immediately deployed his skills, hurrying towards the Holy Mountain.

To speed up, he even directly activated the magic talisman in the acupoint between his eyebrows.

A faint yellow light flashed on his skin, and Lu Qing’s speed immediately increased dramatically.

He was like a wisp of green smoke, approaching the Holy Mountain at an incredible speed.

His speed was so fast that the warriors on the road could only sense a figure passing by.

By the time they were horrified and wanted to see the figure more clearly, Lu Qing had already disappeared.

Soon, Lu Qing had arrived in the northern part of the city, in front of the ladder.

At this time, there were still many people gathered at the foot of the ladder, and cheers broke out from time to time.

In fact, their number was much greater than when Bai Bufan and others competed that day.

It turned out that there were warriors competing on the ladder.

“Well, Fairy Li is truly worthy of being a true disciple of the Guiyuan Sect. Not only is her beauty unparalleled, ranking her on the Beauty List, but her martial arts skills are also incredibly advanced.

She’s already reached level 160, on par with Bai Bufan and the others from the past two days!”

“Saint Zhao is also quite impressive, only one level behind Fairy Li. She might even catch up soon.”

“The little princess of the Long family, on the other hand, is a bit behind, three or four levels behind.”

“I didn’t expect to have the privilege of witnessing three fairies on the Beauty List competing on the same stage. It’s truly a life well spent.”

“It’s a shame that they’re all wearing veils, preventing us from seeing their stunning beauty.”

“Not being able to see their faces isn’t a big deal. Just being able to admire their graceful figures is enough to give me nothing to regret!”

…

As they approached the Heavenly Staircase, Lu Qing heard a flurry of discussion.

He had just realized that the contestants atop the Heavenly Staircase were actually several graceful female warriors.

Judging from the surrounding chatter, it seemed to be about that peerless beauty from some beauty list.

Under normal circumstances, Lu Qing might have paused to observe the excitement.

But at this moment, concerned for his master’s safety, he had no time for such thoughts.

He swiftly shifted, dodging the crowd, and when he reached the ladder, he leaped high, ascending dozens of steps in a single bound.

Then he tapped his foot, and his body quickly jumped up again, and he went up dozens of stairs at once.

In this way, Lu Qing tapped his foot continuously, and his body was like green smoke, and each time, he crossed dozens of stairs.

In just a few steps, he was already next to those graceful female warriors.

But he did not stop at all, and continued to tap his foot, passing a few people and jumping over their heads.

And at an extremely fast speed, he rushed to the top of the ladder, and finally disappeared into the clouds, disappearing from everyone’s sight.

This sudden change caught everyone off guard.

It was not until Lu Qing’s figure disappeared in the clouds that people reacted.

Then, the crowd suddenly exploded.

“No way, what did I just see? Did someone rush up the ladder?”

“You’re not mistaken, someone did rush up!”

“But that speed was too fast, could it be that the mysterious power on the ladder disappeared?”

“Disappeared? Didn’t you see Fairy Li and the others still gasping for breath up there?”

“Who on earth is that? He can actually walk on the ladder as if it were flat ground!”

“More than walking on flat ground, it was like he was flying. That speed was much faster than the young man in brocade clothes who climbed to the 200th step two days ago!”

“Not only was his speed more than ten times faster, but the height he climbed was also much higher. Didn’t you see that he disappeared in the clouds? There must be at least 300 steps there, right?”

“Who on earth is this? Even a master of the Xiantian realm couldn’t have climbed to the 300th step so easily, right?”

…

For a moment, the people below the ladder were in an uproar. Everyone was completely shocked by the scene of Lu Qing rushing down the ladder just now.

(End of this chapter)