Chapter 254

Chapter 254 Finally arrived at Zhongzhou, Qinglong Pass!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In the valley, Xiao Li’s figure flickered around Lu Qing.

Occasionally, he’d slash a claw at him, ripping the air apart, creating gusts of wind blades that lashed out at Lu Qing.

Lu Qing, wielding a Thousand Refined Sword, effortlessly shattered the blades with a flick of his wrist.

Indeed, Lu Qing was sparring with Xiao Li.

To test Xiao Li’s strength, he’d given him free rein without worrying about injury.

But it seemed the little fellow wasn’t letting go enough.

“Xiao Li, you can’t defeat me with just these wind blades. Show me some real skill,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

Whoosh!

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Li suddenly appeared to Lu Qing’s left, waving his claws. Several flashes of cold light stung Lu Qing’s skin, causing a dull pain.

Xiao Li’s claws were about to slash Lu Qing.

At the critical moment, Lu Qing’s longsword slashed a mystical trajectory, arriving first and narrowly blocking Xiao Li’s claws.

With a swish!

Unsurprisingly, Lu Qing’s thousand-refined sword was instantly severed by Xiao Li’s unparalleled claws.

Using this tiny moment of resistance, Lu Qing flexed his agility and retreated nimbly.

However, just as he thought he had escaped Xiao Li’s attack range, Xiao Li’s figure flashed once more, vanishing into thin air.

Reappearing less than a foot in front of him, he gently slashed across his neck, severing a strand of hair before retreating, perching on the branch of a large tree, and ceasing his attack.

“Amazing!”

Lu Qing praised, catching the falling strand of hair.

Xiao Li’s speed was truly astonishing.

Combined with his elusive innate magical powers, even he, without using his trump card, was no match for it.

“Ouch!”

Xiao Li cried softly, his head held high and his chest puffed out, a look of triumph on his face.

“You…” Lu Qing shook his head and laughed. “But Xiao Li, although your speed and claws are impressive, you’re not invincible. There are still some extraordinary skills and methods in this world that can limit you. You mustn’t be too complacent.”

“Ouch?”

Xiao Li looked at Lu Qing in confusion, seemingly unconvinced.

“You don’t believe me? Well, then attack me again.” Lu Qing smiled.

Whoosh!

Xiao Li disappeared again, entering invisible mode, and pounced at Lu Qing.

Lu Qing’s smile remained, but as Xiao Li disappeared, a yellow light flashed around him.

The next moment, a claw appeared in front of him, slashing towards his shoulder.

But as it appeared, it was frozen in mid-air, unable to move forward.

Immediately afterwards, Xiao Li’s figure gradually emerged from the air, frozen in mid-air.

His eyes were filled with shock and confusion.

He seemed puzzled as to how Lu Qing had caught it.

“See?” Lu Qing tapped Xiao Li’s head with a finger. “Although you’re fast, your strength is somewhat lacking, comparable to that of an average Xiantian beginner.

If you were to encounter a truly formidable Xiantian expert, someone like me who possesses unique abilities, or a supremely powerful being like Master who has comprehended the Xiantian realm,

as long as they pre-existingly establish an aura around them, they would still be able to withstand you and even hold you in check.

Your claws, while razor-sharp and capable of slicing through anything, are not powerful enough to easily rip through such an invisible force field.”

Lu Qing removed the magnetic field, and Xiao Li’s body gently descended, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Seeing this, Lu Qing did not disturb him.

Xiao Li, while intelligent, was simple-minded and lacked much combat experience.

This time, he wanted to teach him a lesson, lest his increased strength lead him to become arrogant.

After all, the world was in a state of flux, and who knew what monsters would emerge.

It is still necessary to be vigilant.

Xiao Li lowered his head and thought for a while, then suddenly raised his head and tugged at Lu Qing’s trouser leg.

Lu Qing understood the meaning in his eyes: “Do you want to spar with me in the future and practice your combat skills?”

Xiao Li nodded.

“Okay, actually, Xiao Li, your innate magical power is really powerful. If you can use it well, my magnetic field may not be able to trap you.”

Lu Qing agreed happily, and at the same time encouraged Xiao Li.

However, he was not saying this to coax Xiao Li.

It was that Xiao Li’s innate magical power did have unlimited potential to be tapped.

After all, this was a natural magical power involving space. In Lu Qing’s cognition, anything related to space was not simple.

“Ah~”

Hearing Lu Qing’s encouragement, Xiao Li, who had just suffered a little blow, felt much better and immediately jumped onto his shoulders.

“Okay, let’s go back. Master Ma should have breakfast ready. After we finish, we have to set off again.”

Lu Qing pondered as he led Xiao Li to the carriage. After

sparring with Xiao Li, he had a good idea of Xiao Li’s current strength.

After ascending to the Xiantian level, Xiao Li’s strength had greatly increased.

Both his speed and the sharpness of his claws had been greatly enhanced.

The transformation of his innate magical power was particularly profound. After unleashing it, ordinary Xiantian realm masters would be completely unaware of Xiao Li’s movements.

Only those like him, who had condensed a soul talisman, possessed extremely strong soul sensing abilities, and possessed a rare treasure like the Earth Spirit Pearl to protect their souls, could barely sense the spatial fluctuations caused by Xiao Li’s movements.

Otherwise, even a master of the Xiantian realm would be unable to discern Xiao Li’s magical power.

It could be said that if Xiao Li could harness his innate magical power wisely, he would become the most formidable assassin in the world.

Even a peak Xiantian realm master without comprehending the Xiantian domain might not be able to evade Xiao Li’s sneak attacks.

Therefore, he would have to devote considerable effort in the coming days to helping Xiao Li master the use of his innate magical power.

When Lu Qing brought Xiao Li back to the woods, Ma Gu had just finished preparing breakfast, and Xiao Yan had just finished practicing breathing techniques and was finishing up.

After breakfast, everyone packed up and set out again.

They were now in a vast, unfamiliar province called Hongzhou.

With just one more province to cross, they would officially enter Zhongzhou.

Based on the maps Lu Qing and his companions had and the speed of their carriage, they estimated they would reach the edge of Zhongzhou in three days at most.

After Xiao Li’s awakening, everyone’s worries vanished, and they focused on their journey.

Along the way, they had virtually no contact with anyone else.

Because of the carriage’s uniqueness, they even chose to stay in the wilderness, avoiding cities or towns.

Even so, since they were traveling on the official road, encountering other pedestrians was inevitable.

When encountering such situations, Ma Gu would often crack his whip, and a turquoise current would spur the carriage to accelerate even faster, allowing it to pass in an instant.

This scene left everyone stunned.

As a result, the legend of the wind-controlling divine chariot began to spread throughout the areas Lu Qing and his companions passed through.

Lu Qing and his companions were naturally unaware of what was unfolding behind them.

One day, after a long journey, they finally stopped and gazed at the scene ahead, stunned.

In the distance, a towering, continuous mountain range, soaring into the clouds like a giant dragon, crouched above the earth.

Waterfalls cascaded down from the peaks, creating a truly magnificent spectacle.

“Master, is that Zhongzhou?”

Wei Zi’an asked, his mouth gaping in astonishment as he gazed at the vast, winding mountain range ahead.

“How would I know? I’ve never been to Zhongzhou,”

Ma Gu muttered, equally astonished.

He had simply followed the map’s directions, driving his carriage along the official road.

Who could have imagined encountering such a breathtaking scene?

“It must be right. This must be the border of Zhongzhou,”

the old doctor said softly, sighing with relief.

In his youth, he had dreamed of traveling and exploring Zhongzhou.

However, for various reasons, he never realized this wish.

Unexpectedly, in his old age, he would find himself in Zhongzhou.

Lu Qing gazed at the vast mountain range ahead, awestruck.

This range was far more imposing than the Hundred Thousand Mountains behind Jiuli Village.

Standing here, Lu Qing could sense the spiritual energy within the surrounding heaven and earth, far richer than in the great continents they had previously passed through.

“As expected of this most prosperous and blessed land in the world, with its most outstanding people and blessed lands! Even before we’ve officially entered Zhongzhou, the spiritual energy has almost doubled in intensity just by approaching.

I can’t imagine how intense the spiritual energy must be in the heart of Zhongzhou.”

Lu Qing felt a surge of relief.

Fortunately, his master had foreseen this and decided to come to Zhongzhou.

Otherwise, without experiencing it firsthand, he would never have imagined the spiritual energy in Zhongzhou to be so rich.

In comparison, the spiritual energy in the several great continents they had previously passed through was practically barren.

Nourished by such a rich spiritual energy, unimaginable geniuses and countless rare treasures would surely emerge.

The top warriors within this realm would surely see their cultivation progress by leaps and bounds.

If they hadn’t come this time, in the coming days, they might have completely lost track of the world’s recovery, becoming mere frogs in a well.

The group stood on the road, gazing at the towering mountains in the distance, savoring their grandeur and artistic conception.

Ultimately, Lu Qing was the quickest to recover.

“Master, now that we’ve spotted this massive mountain range, according to the map, we should have reached Qinglong Pass. If we continue further, we’ll reach Qinglong City.”

The map in Lu Qing’s hands had been given to them by Wei Shanhai.

In his youth, Wei Shanhai had traveled extensively, including Zhongzhou, and naturally possessed a map of the region.

However, Lu Qing hadn’t anticipated the imposing and towering Qinglong Pass, one of the gateways to Zhongzhou, marked on the map.

“Then let’s continue on, and reach Qinglong City as soon as possible,” the old doctor nodded.

They re-boarded the carriage and set off.

As the saying goes, “A horse will die if it’s only seen when it’s near a mountain.” The towering Qinglong Pass mountain range ahead seemed not far away, but in reality, it was still a hundred miles away from Lu Qing and his companions   . Even

with the speed of the carriage engraved with a magic array, it took a full half hour before the base of the mountain range   could be vaguely seen. At the same time, the massive city beneath the mountain could be seen. “That must be Qinglong City, Master Ma, slow down,”   Lu Qing said after seeing the city.   Simultaneously, with a thought, he temporarily stopped the array on the carriage.   The array   was engraved by him personally, and although he had set it to activate automatically, he could control it with a thought.   The arrayed carriage was strange and extraordinary.   As a gateway to Zhongzhou, Qinglong City must be home to many hidden talents and experts.   While they were still unsure of the situation inside, they should remain low-key.   After the array was stopped, the carriage suddenly felt much heavier, and both horses, feeling a little uncomfortable, snorted repeatedly.   Fortunately, Magu had already slowed down, so they were only a little agitated at first, and then quieted down, trotting forward at a slow pace.   Boom, boom…   As they were several miles from Qinglong City, Lu Qing and his companions heard a faint rumbling sound.   Pulling back the carriage curtains, a fresh, moist vapor washed over them.   It was the sound of the waterfall they had seen from afar, cascading down the mountain range that resembled an ancient dragon.   ”At the foot of this dragon mountain range, there’s actually a mighty river winding its way.”   Lu Qing, hearing the sound of water, had a vague suspicion in his mind.   He gazed through the carriage window at the approaching Qinglong City, and the spiritual power in his brow acupoint surged slightly.   He could sense powerful auras within Qinglong City.   Several of these auras were even as powerful as those of the two Grand Elders of the Liuyun Sect.   As for whether there were even more powerful beings, he had no idea.   A Xiantian Realm expert, after reaching a certain level of cultivation, could conceal their aura.   Just like the master, after comprehending the innate realm, he can perfectly restrain his aura.

Even Lu Qing, relying solely on his spiritual perception, would find it difficult to detect the innate meaning of his master.

This Qinglong City is so majestic, even more imposing than the provincial capitals he has seen. It is hard to guarantee whether there are similar powerful people in charge.

The carriage moved slowly, and soon, it finally arrived in front of Qinglong City.

“Is this Qinglong City?”

Lu Qing and others got off the carriage.

Looking at the three large stone characters written in a flamboyant style above the tall city gate, a mighty and domineering aura came over them.

Lu Qing’s heart trembled slightly.

He could see that the person who had carved these three characters was an extremely skilled master.

At least, he was much stronger than any warrior he had ever seen.

I’m afraid that even the current master would be much inferior to him.

Out of curiosity, he couldn’t help but activate his supernatural power and look at the three characters.

(End of this chapter)