Chapter 542

Chapter 542

I Can See Through Everything

"This woman..."

Seeing Qiu Rong get half his face smashed by a single slap from Mo Hongyun, and then fall unconscious—

And seeing Mo Hongyun’s face still filled with icy coldness, as if her anger had yet to subside—

Everyone was stunned.

Especially the Tianji Workshop Master and the others. Their hearts sank.

They realized that this woman must harbor deep resentment toward them now.

If it weren’t for the City Lord’s reluctance to create more bloodshed, their fate might not have been much better.

After knocking Qiu Rong unconscious, Mo Hongyun didn’t stop there.

She lashed out with another burst of magical power. This time, it was even more powerful—shattering Qiu Rong’s skull entirely.

Blood and brain matter splattered. A mid-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator died just like that, without ever regaining consciousness.

This scene sent another jolt through the hearts of the Tianji Workshop Master and his group. They were once again reminded of the terrifying ruthlessness of the woman before them.

As for the Canglan City Lord, not even a flicker of emotion crossed his face.

To him, a mere Golden Core Realm cultivator was insignificant. Besides, that man had it coming. His death didn’t matter in the slightest.

After Mo Hongyun finished the kill, the City Lord spoke: “Vent your anger enough? Then come with your uncle to the City Lord’s Manor.”

“Now that Gongshu Yu is dead, news will soon reach the Gongshu Clan. They’ll probably send someone down from the Upper Realm before long.”

“You need to come with me so I can protect you.”

“Yes, Uncle,” Mo Hongyun replied without resistance. She knew this was not the time to be headstrong.

“But I need to take care of some things first—settle matters at the Treasure Pavilion. I’ll head over once I’m done.”

“That’s fine, but don’t take too long. Though descending from the Upper Realm takes time, I estimate that the Gongshu Clan will send someone within a day at most. You only have half a day to handle the Treasure Pavilion,” the Canglan City Lord warned.

“I understand.”

After giving Mo Hongyun his instructions, the City Lord turned to Lu Qing. “What plans does Fellow Daoist have?”

Everyone turned their gaze to Lu Qing.

This entire disturbance had essentially begun with him, and it was also he who stabilized the situation in the end.

Yet no one knew anything about his origins.

Naturally, everyone wanted to know what Lu Qing would say next.

Especially Mo Hongyun.

She was now completely certain that Lu Qing was the one who could help her break free from the shackles of fate.

So she was extremely concerned about where he would go.

Lu Qing, of course, wasn’t foolish enough to reveal his intentions in front of everyone.

He simply smiled and said, “This junior has some questions I’d like to ask the City Lord. May I accompany you to the City Lord’s Manor for a while?”

“Of course,” the City Lord responded with some delight. “I happen to wish to discuss the Dao with Fellow Daoist as well.”

What followed was much simpler.

Mo Hongyun went to handle affairs at the Treasure Pavilion, while Lu Qing accompanied the Canglan City Lord to the City Lord’s Manor.

In a way, he was also acting as a guard—for the City Lord was not in the best shape.

If someone with malicious intent were to make a move, the City Lord might not be able to fend them off.

As for Xiaoli and Wuxing, Lu Qing had already stored them inside the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag from the very start.

Ever since he reforged the artifact and birthed a new artifact spirit, the internal space had greatly expanded.

It was now comparable to the Li Huo Cauldron and could even house creatures of the Golden Core level.

However, due to the limited spiritual energy within, Xiaoli and the others could only stay inside. Cultivating wasn’t possible.

Therefore, unless it was an emergency, Lu Qing typically wouldn’t store them in the artifact.

Though Canglan City was vast, the distance meant little to cultivators of Lu Qing’s caliber.

Soon, he escorted the Canglan City Lord safely back to the City Lord’s Manor.

“My lord! Are you alright?”

At that moment, an old servant rushed out, looking anxiously at the City Lord, whose body was still covered in wounds.

“I’m fine. How are the guards?”

Waving his hand dismissively, the City Lord asked.

The old servant’s expression dimmed. “Nearly half of the guards were severely injured and rendered unconscious by the backlash of the formation. The rest... their Golden Cores are damaged and they can no longer fight.”

“No one died? That’s good. These are just minor injuries—they’ll recover in time,” the City Lord said without much concern. “Take those people outside and imprison them in Blackstone Dungeon.”

“Then go to the treasury and fetch some pills for the guards. Help them recover as soon as possible.”

“Yes, my lord.”

After the old servant left, the Canglan City Lord noticed Lu Qing’s surprised expression.

He chuckled bitterly and explained, “I must’ve embarrassed myself. The guards in my manor aren’t much. I had them manage the grand formation to support me in battle.”

“I didn’t expect a single backlash to cripple them all.”

“Otherwise, how could those clowns from the Tianji Workshop have run rampant earlier?”

Lu Qing understood now.

He had been wondering why, as the ruler of Canglan City, the City Lord had stood alone during the fight.

Even after he was injured, no reinforcements had come from the City Lord’s Manor.

Turns out, during the battle against those three Nascent Soul cultivators from the Gongshu Clan, the backlash from the formation had incapacitated all the guards.

“A pity I didn’t bring any elites with me when I descended to the Xiao Cang Realm.”

“The guards in my manor are ones I personally trained after taking over the city.”

“If I’d brought the Nangong Clan’s elite guards, the grand formation they could set up wouldn’t have been broken so easily!”

The Canglan City Lord sighed with regret.

Back then, he had taken the post in the Xiao Cang Realm intending to live out his remaining days.

At the time, he was facing an imminent Nascent Soul Tribulation, and had no confidence in overcoming it.

Add to that some disgraceful matters within the clan that left him disheartened—

So he had taken the position here for some peace and quiet.

As a result, he hadn’t brought much manpower with him—only a few loyal Golden Core followers.

If he had brought the clan’s elite that day, today’s battle might have ended quite differently.

Of course, the City Lord didn’t go into much detail. He only mentioned it briefly to Lu Qing.

After chatting for a while, the City Lord’s vitality seemed to recover a little.

At that moment, he took a jade box from his storage artifact. Upon opening it, a purple pill shrouded in medicinal mist was revealed inside.

The scent spread instantly, and even just inhaling it made Lu Qing feel invigorated. His spiritual power circulated more smoothly.

He immediately realized that this was an extremely high-grade pill.

The Canglan City Lord looked at the pill in his hand with a trace of pain in his eyes.

He had originally saved this for his next Nascent Soul Tribulation...

But his injuries were too severe. If he relied solely on natural healing, it would take decades to fully recover.

The Gongshu Clan could descend at any time—he simply didn’t have the luxury of waiting. He had no choice but to consume this treasured pill.

After a moment of heartache, the Canglan City Lord’s gaze turned resolute. He swallowed the pill and began circulating his energy to absorb its effects.

Soon, the pallor in his face faded, and a healthy flush returned to his cheeks.

The wounds on his body began to heal at a visible rate.

Within a quarter of an hour, all external injuries had disappeared.

The Canglan City Lord opened his eyes. His gaze was clear and energetic—no trace of his earlier frailty remained.

“Has the City Lord’s injury fully healed?”

Lu Qing was silently amazed.

What kind of pill could work such miracles in so short a time?

The change was too dramatic.

Unfortunately, the City Lord had consumed it too quickly, leaving Lu Qing no chance to use his abilities to analyze the pill.

“Hardly,” the City Lord waved his hand. “Only the external wounds are gone. The damage to my Divine Soul is far more troublesome. It’ll take more time to fully recover.”

“But it doesn’t matter. By tomorrow, I should have most of my strength back.”

“That’s great to hear. With the City Lord recovered, we’ll all have a bit more confidence,” Lu Qing said with a smile.

“You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. I’ve merely cultivated longer than most, and that’s all.”

“But you—now you’re a different story. I must admit, I was greatly astonished.”

“Gongshu Yu may have had his flaws, but he was still one of the core Dao heirs of the Gongshu Clan.”

“He survived the Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation and formed a flawless Superior Golden Core.”

“He cultivated the Gongshu Clan’s deeply profound technique, the Imperial Heart Scripture, and had already reached the Eighth Transformation of the Golden Core Realm.”

“Even if he wasn’t the strongest of the younger generation, he was certainly among the elite in the Golden Core Realm.”

“Yet you defeated him so easily. He couldn’t even put up a fight from start to finish.”

“To me, Fellow Daoist, your strength is far more mysterious and unfathomable. Might I ask—who is your master, and which Great World are you from?”

The City Lord had finally asked the question he’d been holding back.

“Forgive me, but my master’s orders are strict. I am forbidden to reveal his name while traveling.”

“So I cannot speak of my lineage. I ask for your understanding, City Lord.”

Lu Qing’s voice was calm, but he gave nothing away.

“Then your master must be an extraordinary figure indeed. To teach a disciple like you, he must be no ordinary cultivator.”

The City Lord wasn’t displeased by Lu Qing’s reply. On the contrary, it only confirmed his suspicion—Lu Qing’s background must be immensely powerful. Perhaps his master was a Nascent Soul cultivator of terrifying might.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have imposed such secrecy.

“If my master heard such praise from you, he would surely be delighted,” Lu Qing responded with a smile.

“Oh no, you mustn’t joke like that,” the City Lord said hurriedly, waving his hands. “If your master heard that a mere minor Nascent Soul like me dared to speak of him, who knows how he’d react?”

“Even as a member of the Nangong Clan, I’ve no desire to offend such a formidable existence.”

He quickly changed the topic. “By the way, Fellow Daoist Lu—you said earlier you had something to ask me. What was it?”

“Indeed.” Lu Qing’s expression turned serious. “This junior originally intended to train in the Tianyuan Great World. But after today’s events, I wonder if that’s still possible.”

“You want to enter the Tianyuan Great World for training?”

The City Lord was momentarily stunned.

He hadn’t expected that to be Lu Qing’s question.

“Correct. The only reason I’ve stayed in the Xiao Cang Realm is because I lacked the spirit stones needed to enter the Upper Realm.”

“Now that I’ve gathered enough stones, conflict has erupted with the Gongshu Clan.”

“So I wish to ask, in my current situation, can I still enter the Upper Realm?”

“And if not, how can I leave the Xiao Cang Realm?”

Lu Qing knew that using the teleportation array in Starry Sky City would allow one to leave the Xiao Cang Realm.

But he wasn’t sure if the powerful Nascent Soul cultivator guarding that place would let him pass—

Especially if that person had ties to the Gongshu Clan.

However, the City Lord didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he asked, “You wish to enter the Tianyuan Great World—then you must know the procedure, yes?”

“I do,” Lu Qing nodded. “To enter, one must go to Tianxin City, in the center of the Xiao Cang Realm, and use the Boundary-Breaking Teleportation Array.”

“But the cost is high—one hundred mid-grade spirit stones per use.”

“High cost?” the City Lord laughed. “That’s just a price set for outsiders like you.”

“True, the array consumes significant energy each time it activates. But there’s no way it actually costs that many stones.”

“If it did, even the top forces in the Upper Realm couldn’t afford it.”

“In truth, the teleportation from Tianxin City only requires a single mid-grade spirit stone.”

“The Xiao Cang Realm isn’t far from the Tianyuan Great World. The array’s energy consumption is modest.”

“I understand,” Lu Qing said. “But I had no alternative, so I followed the rules.”

Lu Qing, of course, had long known that the energy cost was far less.

Especially after he comprehended the secrets of the array in Starry Sky City—he understood it thoroughly.

Tianxin City only charged that much to exploit foreign cultivators like him.

But what could he do?

The Tianyuan Great World was immensely powerful.

Its world membrane was unimaginably tough, capable of blocking spatial travel.

Even ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t break through.

His Void Flying Boat was helpless before it.

So, cultivators like him, even though they begrudged the price, had no choice but to pay it for the opportunities inside the Tianyuan Great World.

“Ordinary outsiders can’t avoid this issue,” the City Lord said, smiling. “But you, Fellow Daoist Lu—you are not ‘ordinary.’”

“What do you mean by that, City Lord?” Lu Qing asked, slightly surprised.

But the City Lord still didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he asked another question: “Fellow Daoist Lu, tell me—how much do you think it costs for cultivators like us, who

originate

from the Upper Realm, to use those teleportation arrays?”

“I… I don’t know,” Lu Qing admitted. “But I assume not much.”

Even so, the City Lord’s answer caught him off guard.

“Not a single spirit stone,” the City Lord said. “For those of us from the Thirty-Six Great Clans, we don’t even need to go through Tianxin City. We have other means of traveling between the Xiao Cang Realm and the Tianyuan Great World.”