Song Jiaojiao is dead, but Li Qingran isn’t.
After understanding this causal relationship, Lu Changtian found it even more unbelievable.
What was Li Qingran’s strength? Her body, nurtured by the constant spiritual energy, was merely that of a powerful martial artist.
And Song Jiaojiao? If he remembered correctly, she was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement stage.
With such strength, killing Li Qingran should have been as simple as crushing an ant.
Yet, the outcome was that Song Jiaojiao died?!
“Is Li Qingran the one who killed Song Jiaojiao?” Lu Changtian stared at Yang Botao.
“I don’t know,” Yang Botao said, trembling with fear. “I just asked her to kill Li Qingran. At first, she didn’t want to, so I promised her a Foundation Establishment pill. She went then. After that, I went to retrieve spirit stones to buy the Foundation Establishment pill. When I returned to my cave, Song Jiaojiao’s soul lamp was shattered.”
“When a person dies, their soul lamp extinguishes.”
At least for cultivators below the Core Formation stage, these words were an ironclad rule.
A soul lamp housed a portion of a cultivator’s soul and a drop of essence blood.
If the main soul perished, the living soul would naturally dissipate like a rootless floating weed, dispersing the drop of essence blood into the world.
“Brother Changtian, this matter is quite suspicious. I heard that the demon sect has been active in the Cangyun Realm recently. Could it be that Senior Sister was possessed by a member of the demon sect?” Mu Baishuang showed a fearful expression. “Although Senior Sister Qingran is no longer part of our Bluecloud Sect, I still don’t wish for her to be killed by someone from the demon sect.”
Lu Changtian’s face darkened as he pondered.
Yang Botao would certainly be punished, there was no way around it.
Li Qingran’s situation was indeed strange. He didn’t care about Li Qingran’s survival, but Li Qingran absolutely could not become a hidden danger to the Bluecloud Sect. Why did Li Qingran manage to kill Song Jiaojiao? Was it a coincidence or was there another reason, which must be clarified.
Just as he was thinking, he heard Mu Baishuang say, “Brother Changtian, Senior Sister Qingran was once part of our Chixiao Peak. We can’t just ignore her. Otherwise, what will the other peaks think of us? Whether or not Senior Sister Qingran is responsible, we should bring her back to Chixiao Peak. Even if she just does chores, it’s better than dying in the Wanshan Mountains.”
She pretended to just learn about Li Qingran’s whereabouts, her eyes filled with compassion.
“It’s good that you’re kind-hearted, Little Sister. Even though Li Qingran hurt you, you still speak up for her. Back then, Zhang Hanxiao should have taken care of her directly!”
Lu Changtian gritted his teeth, but he took Mu Baishuang’s words to heart.
If Song Jiaojiao died by accident, then they should send Li Qingran away from the Wanshan Mountains, as far from the Bluecloud Sect as possible.
If Song Jiaojiao was truly killed by Li Qingran, regardless of whether Li Qingran obtained some opportunity or was possessed by the demon sect, she was a ticking time bomb. It was better to keep her under close watch to avoid any unexpected explosions.
However, he thought the former scenario was more likely. Besides being possessed by or joining the demon sect, he couldn’t think of any other method for a person without a spirit root or dantian to kill a ninth-level Qi Refinement stage cultivator.
The master said that only the Primordial Replenishing Heaven Pill could restore the dantian.
That was an ancient divine medicine. It was impossible for Li Qingran to get such a divine pill, right?
“Don’t worry, Little Sister. I will report this to Master. No matter what, I will give you a satisfactory answer.” Lu Changtian patted Mu Baishuang’s head, showing a gentle smile. “Song Jiaojiao cannot die in vain. If Li Qingran is not the killer, bringing her back to Chixiao Peak wouldn’t be a problem. A mere mortal can still be supported by Chixiao Peak.”
“Mmm, Brother Changtian, you’re the best~”
Mu Baishuang’s eyes curved into a smile, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes.
…
Lu Changtian reported to the sect the mysterious death of Song Jiaojiao and his suspicions about Li Qingran.
The sect leader, Wu Duantian, took this matter very seriously. He first punished Yang Botao by making him face the wall for half a year on the Thunder Cliff and stripping him of all resource quotas for a month. Then, he appointed Lu Changtian as the team leader, leading a group of law enforcement disciples to investigate the situation in the Wanshan Mountains.
Before leaving, everyone gathered at the law enforcement hall. Sect Leader Wu Duantian reminded them again and again, “If you encounter members of the demon sect, do not act rashly. Demon cultivators are cunning; the strength they show might just be what they want you to see. Lu Changtian, your most important task is to report to the sect using a communication jade slip!”
“Please rest assured, Senior, I will definitely not act rashly,” Lu Changtian bowed to Wu Duantian and turned to consult Qingxuan Daoist, the leader of Chixiao Peak.
Qingxuan Daoist stroked his beard, squinting his eyes. “You’ve always been steady in your actions. I won’t say much more. Go ahead.”
Upon hearing this, Lu Changtian drew his flying sword from his waist, his cool and handsome movements once again captivating many female disciples.
Just as he was about to fly off with the law enforcement disciples, a thunderous sound suddenly echoed in the sky.
Boom!
The sky over the Cangyun Realm changed abruptly.
The previously clear blue sky was now shrouded in dark clouds, with blood-red lightning flickering within the clouds.
A terrifying aura swept across with a divine consciousness.
Lu Changtian’s mind went blank, and he fell forward as soon as he stepped onto his flying sword.
Bluecloud Sect cultivators looked up at the sky, hearts filled with anxiety. Sect Leader Wu Duantian and the elders of various peaks also had solemn expressions.
“What’s going on these days? There’s a great power divining the heavenly will every day after noon?”
Divining the heavenly will was usually a measure taken by great cultivators when they faced insurmountable problems and couldn’t find any solutions. And not everyone could divine the heavenly will; only great cultivators practicing corresponding techniques could use the heavenly will to gain a slight advantage. This practice consumed a lot of a cultivator’s primordial energy and could even damage their destiny and fortune.
To divine the heavenly will once was already considered a significant expenditure.
To divine the heavenly will every day—what was that about?
There was also news of a divine pill appearing in the Wanshan Mountains yesterday. Were these two events related?
“The Cangyun Realm is becoming harder and harder to understand.”
Wu Duantian muttered to himself, sighing deeply.
Transformation Stage cultivators seemed impressive, but they were merely insignificant ants in the grand scheme of the universe.
Even the great powers who divined the heavenly will daily couldn’t find a solution.
How could small cultivators like them face the treacherous future?
“Lu Changtian, for safety’s sake, take the law enforcement disciples and walk over there.”
Wu Duantian withdrew his gaze from the gloomy sky and instructed Lu Changtian, “Since a great power is divining the heavenly will, I’m sure even true members of the demon sect won’t dare to move around recklessly. It doesn’t matter if you go early or late. Just keep a low profile.”
“Yes.” Lu Changtian nodded, his face grim.
He glanced at the dim sky.
Clenching his fists.
One day, he too would become one of those people.
Just the thought of divining the heavenly will made weaklings panic and unable to fly on their swords!
…
…
“Are you a human AI?”
At the bathroom door, Chen Huaian, already dressed in pajamas, was furiously tapping on his phone.
[Divining the heavenly will… Divination failed. Please try another question.]
“One plus one equals three?”
[Divining the… One plus one equals two. Please try another question.]
“There were ten birds on a tree. If you shoot one, how many are left?”
[Divining… One bird falls to the ground, none left on the tree. Try another question!]
“Hehe, that’s fun~”
“But, there must be a game master behind this,” Chen Huaian pondered while rubbing his chin.
Questions that usually stumped artificial intelligence couldn’t stump this <Divining the Heavenly Will>. Therefore, there must be a real person behind it.
If so…
“Can you give me an internal code? I promise to experience the game thoroughly and write reports every day. Don’t keep taking my money. I’ve learned acupuncture, and you might not believe it, but it’s like learning kung fu from Tai Chi. Now, I can perform miracles. If you ever need limbs fixed, I’ll do it for free.”
Chen Huaian typed each word carefully, clicked send, and the divination game box automatically closed.
“Tsk, stubborn,” Chen Huaian pouted.
If so, they shouldn’t regret coming to him, Chen the Master, when they needed limbs fixed.
“How to restore a spirit root?” He reopened the divine will divination, asking a normal question this time.
Li Qingran was still digesting the Primordial Replenishing Heaven Pill, an ancient divine medicine that clearly couldn’t be fully absorbed in a short time. So, he started tormenting the divine will divination again.
Li Qingran had two major issues: the dantian and the spirit root.
Currently, there was no good solution for the spirit root.
[Divination complete!]
[The spirit root cannot be repaired, but it can be artificially implanted! Your cultivation order has captured a glimmer of the heavenly will. Charge 12,888 yuan to obtain a ten-thousandfold return! Achieve the peak of Qi Refinement, early Foundation Establishment, mid-Foundation Establishment, late Foundation Establishment, and peak Foundation Establishment for super prizes! Reach peak Foundation Establishment to obtain a top-quality mysterious spirit root!]
[Do you want to activate the cultivation order from mid-Qi Refinement to peak Foundation Establishment?]
Chen Huaian: “…”
“I’ll fight your dam!”
…
