Chapter 536

The power of the black light was terrifying beyond compare. Even the formation of the Treasure Pavilion could not fully withstand it.

Instantly, countless cultivators in Canglan City sensed the disturbance.

“What was that?”

“It’s coming from the direction of the Treasure Pavilion!”

“What happened at the Treasure Pavilion?”

“What a frightening aura!”

“This feeling... it’s like the aura of a demonic cultivator. Could it be that a demon has infiltrated Canglan City?”

...

While countless cultivators were still reeling in shock, over at Tianji Workshop, the Workshop Master and his people were beaming with joy.

“It’s done! Young Master Yu, the mole within the Treasure Pavilion successfully unlocked and detonated the formation disk!”

“Excellent. Let’s head over there now. I want to see what kind of person this Mo Clan woman really is.”

The elegantly dressed young man gave a slight nod.

Then, step by step, he ascended into the sky and leisurely made his way toward the Treasure Pavilion.

Although Canglan City was covered by a flight-prohibiting formation, that restriction seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever.

The two elderly figures following closely behind the young master radiated a mysterious aura.

They too rose into the air, trailing behind him.

In contrast, the Tianji Workshop Master and his subordinates were still bound by the city's formations. Unable to fly, they had no choice but to race across the ground toward the Treasure Pavilion.

Other than the Tianji Workshop, many other factions within the city were also rushing toward the source of the disturbance.

Even within the majestic City Lord’s Manor at the city’s center, a presence as deep and vast as an ocean slowly began to stir.

“It’s actually demonic energy!!”

While chaos brewed outside, the interior of the Treasure Pavilion was in complete disarray.

Especially Master Qiu, who had been closest to the eruption of the demonic energy, was now visibly panic-stricken.

Only now, as the contents of the formation disk exploded forth, did he fully understand what he had unleashed.

His heart was filled with terror—he now knew he had fallen into Tianji Workshop’s trap.

Having personally released this force within the city, he would surely be held accountable once the dust settled.

Golden Core cultivators could process thoughts with incredible speed. In a mere instant, Master Qiu made his decision.

With a burst of motion, he shot backward, heading straight out of the Treasure Pavilion.

He had to escape the city while chaos reigned.

Once outside Canglan City, with his strength at the mid-stage of the Golden Core Realm, he could find refuge anywhere in the vast world.

At that moment, all he cared about was saving his own skin. His disciples and concubines were long forgotten, never once crossing his mind.

As he retreated, Master Qiu’s eyes fell on a stunned guard.

His expression darkened instantly. With a flick of his mind, he hurled a shuttle-shaped artifact toward the guard.

This guard was the only one who had seen him unlock the formation disk. As long as he killed him, he could later deny everything with impunity!

“Not good!”

Momentarily paralyzed by the sudden burst of demonic energy, the guard snapped out of it the moment he felt the killing intent pierce his heart.

Then, he saw it—an artifact imbued with terrifying power streaking toward him like a meteor.

He had no time to think. Pouring all his strength into the sword in his hand, he raised it to block.

Boom!

Two Golden Core-level forces clashed with explosive power.

A torrent of magical force swept across the area.

Had the Treasure Pavilion not been protected by powerful formations, that single clash could have leveled everything nearby.

Even so, many of the weaker structures protected by only basic formations still crumbled under the shockwave.

Amid the violent collision, a figure was sent flying, crashing hard into a half-collapsed wall.

Wounded from head to toe, his aura diminished sharply—he had sustained serious injuries.

“As expected... a mid-stage Golden Core is simply too strong. I’m just a mere cultivator at the first transformation, second rank. I can’t possibly compete.”

The guard's face was pale with defeat. He knew he stood no chance against Master Qiu.

Yet the fact that a casual strike from the latter could inflict such severe wounds still filled him with fear.

“You’re still alive?”

Master Qiu frowned with displeasure as he saw the guard still breathing after his attack.

Though he hadn’t fought in years, the artifact he had refined should have been powerful enough to obliterate a low-ranked Golden Core cultivator in one blow.

Irritated, Master Qiu’s killing intent intensified.

Though he was fleeing, he still formed a hand seal. The shuttle-shaped artifact spun in midair and once again shot toward the wounded guard.

“It’s over!”

This time, the guard had no strength left to resist.

He could only watch in despair as the artifact closed in.

But just as he thought death was imminent...

A faint voice reached his ears: “Stop.”

Then, to his shock, the powerful shuttle artifact froze in place—barely three feet from him.

No matter how it trembled or twisted, it could no longer move forward.

“What?!”

Stunned, the guard turned to look toward Master Qiu.

And then he saw something even more astonishing.

Master Qiu, who had been fleeing just moments before, was now frozen in place, his face twisted in terror.

A faint yellow light had enveloped his entire body, sealing him completely. He could not move a single inch.

“Can someone please tell me... what just happened?”

A figure slowly approached, gazing at the black light of demonic energy spiraling into the sky. His expression was grave.

“Chief Lu!”

When the guard saw Lu Qing’s figure, he was overjoyed.

He immediately called out, “It was Master Qiu! I saw him with my own eyes manipulating a black formation disk. Right after it shattered, that demonic light burst forth!”

Master Qiu’s eyes filled with shock and fury upon hearing this.

He knew that even if he managed to kill the guard now, it would be useless.

What terrified him even more was that despite being at the sixth transformation of the Golden Core Realm, he had been completely sealed by some unknown force.

No matter how he surged the power within his core, he could not break free.

“Him? That brat? Impossible! He’s just a third transformation Golden Core! How could he possess such power?!”

Master Qiu could clearly sense that the suppressive force originated from Lu Qing.

And precisely because of this, he found it all the more unbelievable.

A mere Golden Core third transformation cultivator could actually suppress a master like him—someone who had reached the sixth transformation!

“Was it you who caused all this commotion?”

Lu Qing turned to face Master Qiu, who was now frozen under his seal.

From appearance alone, he could tell this man was of vile character.

Still, he hadn’t expected the man to dare stir up such chaos within the Treasure Pavilion itself.

Just moments ago, Lu Qing had been in his cultivation cave, fully absorbed in crafting talismans.

He had originally intended to leave behind a bit of support for the Pavilion Master before his departure.

But all of a sudden, he sensed a trace of danger from outside.

When he opened his cave’s defensive formation and emerged, he saw the guard on the verge of being killed—and instinctively saved him.

Never had he expected that the chaos before him was all the doing of Master Qiu.

Lu Qing gazed up at the pillar of black light swirling skyward.

He recognized it at a glance.

After all, his own Li Huo Cauldron housed a being that cultivated this very kind of energy—

Demonic energy.

A power wielded by demonic cultivators.

Moreover, this demonic energy was incredibly pure and powerful.

Its source couldn’t be from an ordinary demonic being.

At the very least, it had to be something at or beyond the Nascent Soul Realm.

“So it’s come to this... I suppose I should have left earlier when I first felt my Dao heart begin to waver. Now, I fear it won’t be easy to depart...”

Given Master Qiu’s cowardly and self-serving nature, he would never have dared to act alone.

There was undoubtedly someone behind him.

And since that person dared make such a move, they must have been fully prepared.

This surge of demonic energy, though menacing, was ultimately inert—it posed no immediate threat.

What concerned Lu Qing was what might follow next.

This was clearly not going to end so simply.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, Lu Qing activated his spiritual sense.

Moments later, several powerful figures appeared suddenly.

It was the Pavilion Master of the Treasure Pavilion and his entourage.

“Demonic energy?! And... Master Qiu?!”

The Pavilion Master and the others were stunned at the sight of the black light soaring into the sky.

Their shock only deepened when they saw Master Qiu sealed in place.

“Fellow Daoist Lu, what happened here?” the Pavilion Master asked at once.

“I’m not entirely sure myself. However, this guard here seems to know something about it.”

With a flick of his fingers, Lu Qing sent a talisman flying toward the injured guard.

In the blink of an eye, the guard’s wounds began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His weak aura grew steadily stronger.

Almost instantly, he was back on his feet. Bowing deeply to Lu Qing, he said with heartfelt gratitude, “Many thanks to Chief Lu for saving my life!”

Lu Qing waved a hand dismissively. “No need for pleasantries. Just explain what you saw to the Pavilion Master.”

“Yes, Pavilion Master. Earlier, I sensed an unusual fluctuation of magical power and came to investigate.

I saw Master Qiu channeling a black formation disk. After it shattered, that demonic light burst forth.

Then Master Qiu tried to flee, and I had no choice but to risk everything to stop him...”

Faced with the stern gazes of the Pavilion Master and the others, the guard dared not be careless and quickly recounted the events.

Naturally, during his retelling, he did embellish his own role just a little.

The guard exaggerated his injuries, claiming they were the result of desperately trying to stop Master Qiu.

After listening to his report, the Treasure Pavilion Master and the others immediately turned to Master Qiu.

“Qiu Rong, is what Guard Zhao said true?”

The Pavilion Master questioned coldly.

At this point, she didn’t even have time to ask how Qiu Rong had ended up being sealed in place.

Yet Master Qiu remained silent, his face ashen and grim.

The Pavilion Master’s expression frosted over.

Shrewd as she was, she instantly grasped the truth.

It was obvious—Qiu Rong had been acting under someone’s orders to unleash the demonic energy within the Treasure Pavilion.

“Feigning ignorance, are you? Speak! Who ordered you to do this? Do you realize that hiding demonic artifacts is a grave offense?!”

One of the Vice Pavilion Masters shouted angrily.

But Master Qiu still refused to say a word, clearly determined to remain silent to the end.

The Vice Pavilion Master, incensed, stepped forward, ready to take action—

Just then, Lu Qing’s expression shifted. He looked up toward the sky.

The Pavilion Master and the others also sensed something unusual. They too raised their heads.

And then, their hearts trembled in unison.

Above them, at some unknown point in time, three figures had appeared, floating silently in the air.

At the forefront stood a luxuriously dressed young man clad in a mysterious robe, his expression calm yet sardonic as he looked down on them.

“Void flight?! Impossible—doesn’t Canglan City forbid aerial movement?”

One of the Vice Pavilion Masters blurted out.

The Pavilion Master said nothing, but her expression turned grave.

The moment she laid eyes on the young nobleman in the sky, alarm bells rang in her heart.

From deep within her bloodline, a hidden divine ability began sending warning after warning.

She knew—this man was unimaginably dangerous.

“One Golden Core cultivator at the eighth transformation... and two newly advanced Nascent Soul Realm experts.

A direct descendant of the Gongshu Clan, one of the Thirty-Six Great Clans of the Tianyuan Great World—Gongshu Yu?”

Lu Qing, having secretly activated his special ability, drew in a quiet breath as the identities of the figures floated into his view.

He understood now—this situation had truly taken a turn for the worse.

The trio above were not only extraordinary in cultivation, but their background and purpose were just as alarming.

The information even confirmed that Qiu Rong’s actions were carried out under their command.

It was clear—their true target was none other than the Treasure Pavilion.

“Greed truly is the original sin... I really should have left this morning,” Lu Qing sighed inwardly once again.

“Honored guests, your presence here at our Treasure Pavilion is most unexpected. May I ask what business brings you here?”

The Pavilion Master bowed respectfully and asked aloud.

At her words, the noble young man’s eyes gleamed faintly as he fixed his gaze on her.

In an instant, she felt a chill rise from the depths of her soul—as if her every secret had been laid bare under his eyes.

“So that’s it... A Profound Yin Jade Body, and bloodline abilities too. No wonder that old monster from the Hehuan Sect has taken such a liking to you.”

The light faded from Gongshu Yu’s eyes, and he nodded slightly, a trace of surprise flashing across his face.

His words, however, struck the Pavilion Master like a thunderclap. Her expression shattered into disbelief.

“How do you know about that—”

She stopped herself mid-sentence, but the shock on her face was impossible to hide.

Clearly, the young man had struck a deep nerve and revealed a closely guarded secret.

“Still, it matters not that the old monster from the Hehuan Sect has taken an interest in you.

Even if you are a true disciple of the Hehuan Sect, harboring a demon is a capital crime.

Now, will you surrender willingly?

Or would you prefer that I take you down myself?

If I do, then don’t blame me for any casualties that occur.”

Gongshu Yu clasped his hands behind his back, his tone calm and indifferent.

Harboring a demon?

The Pavilion Master’s eyes narrowed. She immediately understood their true aim.

Her heart sank.

She replied firmly, “Young master, there must be some misunderstanding. That demonic light appeared suddenly—we of the Treasure Pavilion are just as baffled.

For you to so hastily declare our guilt seems rather... hasty, don’t you think?”

“Hasty or not, that’s not for you to decide. I know what I need to know.

It seems you won’t surrender peacefully. Very well—I’ll take care of it myself.”

Gongshu Yu’s tone remained serene, as if he’d already expected her denial.

As his gaze sharpened—

A crushing pressure, like the weight of the heavens collapsing, descended upon the Pavilion Master and her companions!