Spirit Realm Chapter 581-584

Chapter 581: Direct Disciple of Forefather Terminator

Qin Lie’s cultivation continued for a day and a half.

Xiang Xi, Bo Boze, and the other Gold Sun Island martial practitioners initially watched him cultivate from the other fire phoenix in the distance. A short while later, they grew impatient, gave up, and left.

They left Qin Lie’s group alone on that fire phoenix.

In the darkness of night, a lightning bolt struck through the sky. They criss-crossed, heading straight for the center of the eight slabs of Thunderblitz wood.

This was a peerlessly bright spectacle.

The thunder and lightning attracted the attention of numerous martial practitioners of scattered factions that were passing through nearby waters.

However, they quickly received messages detailing the situation. After watching from a distance for a while, they would silently leave.

These waters had always belonged to Gold Sun Island. Every martial practitioner received a message from the Xing brothers. It said that a martial practitioner of Gold Sun Island was attempting to make a breakthrough and warned other people to stay away.

Thus, many inwardly shocked martial practitioners stayed away from that Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix. They only watched from a distance before leaving.

In the cloudy night sky, Xing Yuyuan pointed to an area where lightning crackled and thunder boomed.

“Over there,” he said to Xing Yumiao. “It’s been going on for a day and a half.”

The two brothers weren’t riding their Flowing Gold Fiery Phoenix. They first approached this fire phoenix using a crystalline chariot, then snuck in using the flight granted by their Fragmentation Realm cultivation bases.

Xing Yumiao looked at the blinding pillar of lightning and felt the reverberating thunder. A puzzled expression appeared on his face as he exclaimed, “What potent thunder and lightning energy!”

“I also find it quite strange,” Xing Yuyuan said in a low voice, his brow furrowed. “According to Enforcer Gu, that boy cultivates the orthodox Blood Spirit Art. However, considering the energy coming off of him and the way he used those spirit artifacts to summon thunder and lightning, he’s clearly more skilled in a thunder spirit art.”

“He’s so young… with such a realm and skill with lightning and thunder…” Xing Yumiao thought to himself for a moment, then firmly declared, “This person must also be a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator!”

“What do you mean?” Xing Yuyuan asked, a confused expression surfacing on his face.

“Only a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator could cause such a change in lightning and thunder. Those eight spirit artifacts around him are most likely made from Thunderblitz wood, an extremely valuable, immensely rare kind of thunder-type spirit material! Only Terminator Sect would have such large amounts of Thunderblitz wood!” Xing Yumiao shouted. He took a deep breath, his expression becoming solemn. “This boy is probably a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator. His status in Terminator Sect may be even higher than Chu Li’s!”

“Ah!” Xing Yuyuan exclaimed in astonishment. “But… he clearly cultivates the Blood Spirit as well!”

“I believe that he’s the child of one of Blood Fiend Sect’s core elders. Since Blood Fiend Sect is in a precarious situation, they must’ve sent the boy to Terminator Sect to cultivate. He appears to be extremely talented, and as a result, he probably garnered Forefather Terminator’s favor. Forefather Terminator must have taught him an extremely powerful thunder spirit art!” Xing Yumiao said, confidently clarifying his thoughts. “In all of the Land of Chaos, only Forefather Terminator could have taught such a disciple! Even Chu Li probably hasn’t received his true guidance!”

“B-but… isn’t that unlikely?” Xing Yuyuan grimaced. “If Forefather Terminator indeed took him on as a disciple, wouldn’t he have seen that the boy already cultivated the Blood Spirit Art?”

“So what?” Xing Yumiao asked in return. “Do you really think Forefather Terminator would care about that? That he’d be afraid of the boy’s identity as a survivor of Blood Fiend Sect? Of other people’s gazes? To recruit a disciple with such excellent talent… such an identity would be nothing to Forefather Terminator!”

Xing Yumiao snorted, then continued, “Even if Forefather Terminator publicly proclaimed that his disciple was a survivor of Blood Fiend Sect, what would happen? Would Black Voodoo Cult and the three great families dare to demand that he hand over the boy?”

Xing Yuyuan froze in thought, nodding inwardly and saying, “You’re right, Big Brother. With his temper, Forefather Terminator wouldn’t be afraid of any of that. Even if he knew that this boy cultivates the Blood Spirit Art and is a descendant of Blood Fiend Sect… once he saw the boy’s exceptional understanding of thunder and lightning and took a liking to him, he’d definitely take him as a direct disciple! Forefather Terminator is one of the Land of Chaos’ top experts. He wouldn’t fear Black Voodoo Sect and the three great families.”

“This has become even more difficult.” Xing Yumiao sighed. He could feel a headache coming on as he watched the dazzling pillar of lightning.

Xing Yuyuan furrowed his brow deeply, his face twisting into a grimace. He shook his head and sighed as well.

“This boy… we can’t lay a hand on him,” he said.

“Your plan to use him will have to be adjusted,” Xing Yumiao said, his headache growing stronger. “Forefather Terminator is nothing like the current Blood Fiend Sect. If Xiang Xi kills him… all of us, all of Gold Sun Island would most likely be buried as well.”

He sighed again. “For them to send this boy… Blood Fiend Sect is despicable. We can’t do a thing.”

A thousand years ago, Blood Fiend Sect inspired both respect and fear in every other force. They terrified the Xing Brothers. The current Blood Fiend Sect, however, was nowhere near that powerful.

Forefather Terminator was different.

Terminator Sect had dominated the Heavenly Silence Continent. For a thousand years, Forefather Terminator reigned as one of the most terrifying existences in the Land of Chaos.

Even Illusory Demon Sect, the force that Gold Sun Island served, would have to think long and hard about fighting Terminator Sect.

The Xing brothers found themselves in quite a predicament.

At the same time, the other Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix that had left earlier that day slowly returned.

From a distance, Xiang Xi, Bo Boze, Xu Changsheng, Xu Jiadong, and dozens of island envoys watched the dazzling river of lightning pierce through the night. They stared at the silhouette sitting in the center of the eight slabs of Thunderblitz wood.

After more than a day, the four enforcers returned with their men under the cover of night to find that the disturbance had become even more stunning than before. That the furious thunder and lightning from earlier… had been tamed.

“This…” Bo Boze inhaled sharply, shouting in terror, “Th-the thunder and lightning have been tamed! This skill… this is clearly a skill that only Forefather Terminator has!”

The moment he said this, the faces of the other three enforcers went pale.

“How did it come to this?” Xu Changsheng asked dejectedly. “How did it come to this!?”

Xiang Xi wore an extremely grave expression.

“I think… I think that boy is from Terminator Sect! He must be a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator!” Bo Boze shook his head, a grimace on his face. He reached the same conclusion that Xing Yumiao had, bitterness filling his face.

Xiang Xi clenched his hands into fists. Cracking noises came from his bones, expressing the rage and displeasure he felt.

“Even if he truly is a member of the Xing Family… I think we need to reconsider our plan.” Xu Changsheng said, clearly feeling the urge to withdraw. “Who cares if we exterminate the Xing Family? Who can escape the furious retaliation of Forefather Terminator?”

As soon as they realized that Qin Lie could be connected to Forefather Terminator, the rebels that wanted to overthrow the Xing Family started to consider the possible consequences.

“If we exterminate the Xing Family, Gold Sun Island would still be a vassal force of Illusory Demon Sect. We wouldn’t have much of a problem there. If we do, we’ll just leave Illusory Demon Sect. Even joining Black Voodoo Cult would be fine. Illusory Demon Sect wouldn’t take action on behalf of the Xing Family because they don’t have close ties to them.” The fourth enforcer, Xu Jiadong, also grew worried. “Looking at the boy’s control over lightning and thunder, he has clearly received the secret skill of Forefather Terminator and is his closest, most favored disciple. If we kill him and enrage Forefather Terminator… don’t even think about it!”

“You’re usually clever, Brother Bo,” Xiang Xi said, an ugly expression on his face. “Do you have any ideas?”

Bo Boze’s eyes moved back and forth in thought.

“First, we need to learn the true connection between the boy and the Xing Family,” he said. “It would then be best to figure out if he is in contact with Terminator Sect. If they don’t know he’s here, they won’t know that he died here.”

“Multiple random martial practitioners saw him cultivating as they passed by.” Xiang Xi furrowed his brow. “These people have long since disappeared.”

“So if he dies, Terminator Sect will be able to trace it back to us.” Bo Boze sighed.

“He isn’t a member of the Xing Family!” Xiang Xi exclaimed.

Bo Boze went still. “What?”

“A thousand years ago, the three great families killed almost every member of the Xing Family,” Xiang Xi said in a low voice. “Xing Shan, the seventh master of the Xing Family, died right then and there!”

His three fellow enforcers looked at him in shock and disbelief.

“Chief enforcer… are you sure?” Bo Boze asked, inwardly alarmed. He finally realized that Xiang Xi was still hiding things from him. “Where did you learn that?”

“I… have secretly been in contact with the three great families.” Xiang Xi had no choice but to tell them the truth. “The people reinforcing our attack on the Xing brothers… include members of the three great families.”

Bo Boze and the others looked at him strangely.

None of them thought that Xiang Xi could be so ruthless. He knew that, of all the people in the Heavenly Calamity Continent, the Xing brothers hated the three great families the most. Yet he still communicated with them in secret.

What kind of great grudge was this?

Some of them even started to feel disdain for Xiang Xi.

“The three great families promised that, once this matter has been concluded, Gold Sun Island will receive great rewards!” Xiang Xi gritted his teeth. “I guarantee that everyone will get a share!”

Xiang Xi originally wanted to take all of the spirit materials and spirit stones that the three great families had promised. Now he had no other alternative but to say he’d share them with the others.

When Xiang Xi said this, the eyes of everyone who had begun feeling disdain for him suddenly lit up. They smiled, nodded, and voiced their respect.

“As expected… chief enforcer is very wise. This subordinate admires you!”

“We should be calling him island master!”

“Yes, haha! Island master! Island master!”

“Since the boy isn’t a member of the Xing Family, that makes everything much easier.” Bo Boze smiled softly. “If he’s impersonating a member of the Xing Family, he definitely has a goal in being here. We’ll find out what he wants and give it to him. Since we can’t find him, we’ll pull him over to our side. That shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

“Pull him to our side?” An idea gradually formed in Xiang Xi’s mind.

“Since he’s an imposter, he definitely hasn’t come to Gold Sun Island to oppose us. In fact… he may even be an enemy of the Xing Family.” Bo Boze’s mind moved quickly as he snickered and said, “If that’s the case, our chances of success are now much higher. Maybe… just maybe… we’ll be able to form a relationship with Forefather Terminator through him.

After he completed his analysis, everyone grew excited. His words made sense to them.

“I will completely defer to Brother Bo in this matter. I believe you will make us proud!” Xiang Xi patted Bo Boze on the shoulder and solemnly said, “Let’s find out what the boy likes. As long as we know that… we’ll use it to pull him to our side!”

“We don’t need to find out what he likes.” Bo Boze flashed a suspicious smile. “The boy is young, but he has three wives. Isn’t it apparent?”

“Beauty?” Xiang Xi exclaimed in realization.

“It’s painfully obvious, right?”

“I see…”

Chapter 582: Significant Change In Attitude

As Qin Lie stopped channeling Heavenly Thunder Eradication, the lightning coursing through the eight slabs of Thunderblitz wood gradually faded and the roiling noise in the clouds calmed.

When morning arrived, the first ray of sunlight streaming down through the sky, Qin Lie opened his eyes.

He put the slabs of Thunderblitz wood away, and the furious thunder and lightning that had rampaged for almost two days finally subsided.

Wreckages of wooden, pagoda-shaped buildings and dozens of charred corpses littered the back of the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix. It was an awful sight.

Song Tingyu and the rest of Qin Lie’s companions had been hiding within their pagoda-shaped building. Only after the terrifying waves of thunder stopped did they finally emerge from their hiding spots.

At the same time, Qin Lie descended from the roof of the building and went down into its third floor.

The others quickly gathered around him, gazing at him accusingly.

Qin Lie spread his arms helplessly. “I didn’t think I’d make such a huge commotion.”

As he spoke, electricity sparked from his flesh, giving him a strange appearance.

“The chaos you caused made Xiang Xi and the others furious.” Du Xiangyang grimaced. “I actually started to worry about whether we’d live through that.”

“You’ve caused a great deal of trouble this time,” Song Tingyu said, pointing to the wreckages of the other wooden buildings. “By my count, the lightning that gathered while you were cultivating destroyed at least a third of the wooden buildings, killed thirty five people, and left more than a dozen heavily wounded. Even if Xiang Xi really does have a good temper, he couldn’t possibly tolerate this.”

“Your cultivation session left this Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix in shambles,” Xue Moyan added.

“Unintentional.” Qin Lie wore a relatively calm expression.

He used his mind consciousness to look at the world within him.

Weak strands of lightning filled his Soul Lake where his True Soul resided. The lightning was inextricably mixed with his soul energy, thoughts, and consciousness.

Stage three of Heavenly Thunder Eradication, Thunder Lightning Soul Refinement, made his Soul Lake and True Soul undergo a wondrous change.

He attempted to use his thunder and lightning energy to channel Heavenly Thunder Eradication…

…and a burning ball of lightning slowly formed between his hands like a tiny blinding sun.

Strong energy fluctuations radiated from this ball of lightning, furious and potent. Its electricity was stunning, the power of thunder and lightning within it peerlessly vast!

A thread of Qin Lie’s soul consciousness suddenly entered it.

“Boom!”

The moment Qin Lie entered the world within that thunder and lightning, he strangely felt as if he were drowning in it.

At the same time, he discovered that he seemed to have merged with this ball of lightning.

This was an unimaginable experience!

As far as he could tell, he seemed to be deep inside of the lightning ball, possessing a new body made of thunder and lightning energy.

Electricity sparked from Qin Lie’s eyes as he tried using his soul consciousness to control the ball of lightning and have it silently float beside him.

Song Tingyu and the others stared at him in shock.

Qin Lie then formed a second ball of lightning and gathered his soul consciousness within it.

The wondrous feeling of being in control of a third body rose within him.

Qin Lie’s eyes were unusually bright. He ordered this ball of lightning to float beside him as well and then formed a third…

Fist-sized balls of lightning that resembled tiny suns took shape one after another.

Five minutes later, nine balls of lightning floated around Qin Lie. Each one released intense sparks of lightning and radiated powerful reverberations of thunder.

A twister of thought suddenly flashed through Qin Lie’s mind.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh…!”

Nine miniature electric suns revolved around Qin Lie, whirling furiously as they released waves of thunder and lightning energy that grew stronger and stronger.

Within the living room of the wooden building’s third floor, Song Tingyu and the others grew alarmed and just stared at him, following his every move.

Qin Lie stood in front of them motionlessly, his eyes half-closed. He had a faint smile on his face.

The nine balls of lightning he created, however, seemed to be alive. They spun constantly, flying around as if they were intelligent.

“Spirit Energy Animation?” Du Xiangyang exclaimed in a hoarse voice, licking his lips nervously. He wore a strange expression.

“That’s impossible!” Luo Chen shouted grimly, shaking his head.

Legends told of the strongest individuals at the peak of the martial way, people capable of releasing spirit energy and using it to manifest new life when fighting enemies. That spirit energy possessed great intelligence and had countless shapes and forms.

When that spirit energy touched the air, the water, and everything else in the world, they would become completely new beings.

That was Spirit Energy Animation.

It was just a legend.

“This isn’t Spirit Power Animation.” Qin Lie smiled and explained, “I just put nine wisps of my soul consciousness into these balls of lightning. I’m splitting my concentration nine ways to control them.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “This is a new experience though. I currently feel as if… I have ten bodies overall. Other than my actual body, I now have lightning bodies. It’s an extraordinary experience.”

Everyone was shocked.

“It seems that, after your distracting cultivation, you’ve made a new breakthrough in your comprehension of thunder and lightning energy,” Gao Yu said calmly.

“I’ve understood some things.” Qin Lie smiled. He absorbed the thunder and lighting energy from the lightning balls and dispersed them, then returned his wisps of soul consciousness to his Soul Lake.

“Xiang Xi won’t let this matter rest,” Xue Moyan suddenly said.

Her words made everyone’s face turn grim.

“I know a little bit about Xiang Xi,” Xue Moyan said, voicing her thoughts. “He’s arrogant, savage, extremely impulsive, and possesses a straightforward temper. You pretending to be a member of the Xing Family is probably what made him refrain from trying to kill you. He most likely left in a hurry to talk to the Xing brothers. Once he gets their permission… he will definitely return to accuse you of killing his subordinates on purpose. He’ll capture us alive and pursue this matter to the very end.”

Xue Moyan wasn’t aware of the fighting between Xiang Xi and the Xing brothers, so she naturally made predictions based on what she did know. She thought that Xiang Xi had tolerated Qin Lie out of respect for the Xing brothers.

“If I were him, I definitely wouldn’t be able to endure.” Du Xiangyang nodded in agreement with Xue Moyan’s speculation. “Xiang Xi is Gold Sun Island’s chief enforcer, but the Xing brothers are still the true power behind Gold Sun Island. Xing Yuyuan personally arranged for you, Xing Lie, to stay on Xiang Xi’s Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix. Xiang Xi definitely wouldn’t dare to attack you on his own.”

“I don’t know what the Xing brothers will do.” Song Tingyu felt a headache coming on.

“They’ll obviously want to hand us over to Xiang Xi and his cronies,” Luo Chen said gravely.

All of them thought that Xiang Xi would no longer tolerate their actions once he returned and that he’d capture them alive.

“Maybe Xiang Xi left to find the Xing brothers and get justice,” Xue Moyan said. “When he turns, maybe the Xing brothers will be with him.”

Everyone felt that was probably the case and nodded in agreement.

“What are you going to do, Qin Lie?” Du Xiangyang frowned.

“If Gold Sun Island sends forces to capture me just to have me answer for killing their men…” Qin Lie said softly.

“I’ll fight back.”

“Then let’s prepare to fight,” Xue Moyan declared with a grave expression.

All seven people present grew tense and were convinced that nothing good would occur when Xiang Xi and the others returned.

An hour later, the other Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix flew through the air, returning as expected. It carried the four Gold Sun Island enforcers, Xiang Xi, Bo Boze, Xu Changsheng, Xu Jiadong, and their island envoys.

“Get ready!” Qin Lie cried. He prepared to summon the Blood Progenitor’s body at any moment.

Gao Yu closed his eyes and used his soul to connect with the body of the Evil God, anticipating the moment the situation turned sour.

Qin Lie’s group of seven nervously watched Xiang Xi and his men approach.

Soon enough, a small crystalline chariot slowly ferried them to the fire phoenix.

Just as Qin Lie and the others were about to attack, Xiang Xi suddenly roared with clear, friendly laughter.

“My apologies!” he shouted. “Since you caused such a commotion, my young friend, we had to temporarily leave the area. We also had to follow the island master’s orders and search for the remains of ancient elites. Of course, we ultimately left to avoid disrupting your concentration as you cultivated. Hahaha, please don’t take offense.”

Instead of bringing up the deceased scattered across the fire phoenix, Xiang Xi simply laughed. He didn’t seem intent on capturing Qin Lie and the others.

He appeared to be asking for forgiveness.

This made Qin Lie and the others pause. They had no idea what Xiang Xi was thinking or what his goal was.

The seven of them exchanged looks. They didn’t dare to let their guard down.

“Haha, you must have come from Terminator Sect, right?” Xiang Xi asked warmly, stepping onto the fire phoenix and walking over. “It’s our fault we didn’t realize it from the start. As a result, we’ve offended everyonething.”

He thought that all of them were disciples from Terminator Sect adventuring to gain experience.

Chapter 583: Mutual Understanding

Xiang Xi’s enthusiasm somewhat surprised Qin Lie. He secretly suspected that the enforcer had an ulterior motive in feigning niceties.

Qin Lie didn’t dare let his guard down. He was ready to become hostile and go on the offensive the moment things went awry.

“Rumor has it that the forefather has already stepped into the late stage of the Imperishable Realm and is preparing to ascend to the Void Realm,” Xiang Xi said with a smile. “I wonder if that’s true?”

“Which forefather are you talking about?” Qin Lie asked, a gleam in his eyes. He slowly began to understand what was going on.

“Hahah! I’m talking about your respected teacher, Forefather Terminator, of course!” Xiang Xi exclaimed confidently.

Qin Lie rubbed his chin, a smile forming on his face. “How did you know?”

“I’m not blind.” Xiang Xi flashed a toothy grin. He somehow managed to force the two sinister scars on his face to look like kindly lines. “Who else in all of the Land of Chaos could’ve taught a genius like you except Forefather Terminator? Considering how impressive your skill in that thunder spirit art is, anyone could’ve figured it out. We don’t need to waste time guessing at the obvious.”

Upon hearing Xiang Xi’s explanation, the tension inside of Qin Lie completely dissipated. He subconsciously smiled calmly at Luo Chen and Gao Yu, gesturing with his eyes to indicate that they could relax as well.

Forefather Terminator was famous throughout the Land of Chaos. Since he was one of the most terrifying existences throughout the land, Terminator Sect’s might was publically acknowledged as well. Considering how big of a commotion that Qin Lie caused by cultivating Heavenly Thunder Eradication during these past two days was, it made sense for Xiang Xi and his men to misidentify who he was.

As soon as he figured out the reason behind the significant change in Xiang Xi’s attitude, Qin Lie smiled softly and took a Terminator Profound Bomb out of his spatial ring, sending a spark electricity into it from his fingertip.

A shocking amount of violent thunder and lightning energy immediately radiated from the Terminator Profound Bomb like an aura.

Astonishment filled the faces of Xiang Xi and his men.

Qin Lie chuckled and put the Terminator Profound Bomb back into his spatial ring. Then he turned to Du Xiangyang and the others and said, “I guess our identities have been exposed.”

“This is all your fault, you know,” Du Xiangyang answered carefully, taking the opportunity to glare at Qin Lie.

Xiang Xi, Bo Boze, and the other enforces exchanged glances. By that point, they were completely sure of who everyone in Qin Lie’s group was.

All of them knew about the might of the Terminator Profound Bombs and how the core disciples of Terminator Sect would carry a few of them as a life-saving measures while adventuring.

What else would the metallic sphere that Qin Lie showed them, the one that radiated a terrifying, thunderous aura, be if not a Terminator Profound Bomb?

Upon connecting the appearance of that Terminator Profound Bomb to the huge commotion that Qin Lie caused while cultivating Heavenly Thunder Eradication, Xiang Xi became certain that Qin Lie’s group belonged to Terminator Sect.

A moment of hesitation later, Xiang Xi delicately revealed the doubt in his heart.

The group of Gold Sun Island martial practitioners became serious as they nervously watched Qin Lie’s group.

All of these people were trying to rebel against the Xing Family and seize power and authority within Gold Sun Island for themselves. They were afraid that, upon learning this, Qin Lie would use this information to help the Xing brothers.

If that were the case, they would have to readjust their plans to include Terminator Sect as a threat.

“I believe you’ve already received the news,” Qin Lie said in a low voice. “The Graveyard of Gods has collapsed and some remains of ancient elites escaped destruction, scattering across the sea at the center of every continent.”

Xiang Xi’s men nodded in confirmation, solemn expressions on their faces.

“Illusory Demon Sect ordered us to search for the remains of ancient elites,” Xiang Xi said. “Are you…?”

“Correct!” Qin Lie exclaimed. “That’s why we’re here.”

“Why here?” Xiang Xi asked, suddenly growing excited. “Could it be? Could the remains be somewhere in our Gold Sun Island’s region of the sea? Do you have some kind of information about this?”

“We dare not say for sure, but…. the possibility is huge,” Qin Lie said, a mysterious look on his face.

Xiang Xi wasn’t the only person getting excited. Even Bo Boze and the others had secretly grown excited at the news, their eyes alight.

They assumed that Qin Lie and his group were here because they obtained trustworthy information about remains of ancient elites being somewhere in the region of the sea that Gold Sun Island controlled.

Furthermore, judging by his skill in his thunder spirit art, Qin Lie was obviously Forefather Terminator’s most beloved disciple.

If the information they obtained wasn’t solid, these people definitely wouldn’t have come all the way to the Heavenly Calamity Continent searching for the remains of ancient elites… right?

The remains of ancient elites were the main topic of recent discussions for every force in the Land of Chaos. Nobody knew how many forces were doing everything they could to find them, hoping to use them to vastly improve themselves.

One such force that tried to use the remains of ancient elites to change their fortune, hoping to become a Silver rank force in the future, was the Pan Family.

To that end, they were willing to kill even Xue Moyan, Luo Chen, and Du Xiangyang to prevent the information from being leaked.

“You’re not a member of the Xing Family, are you, my friend?” Xiang Xi’s smile widened with joy.

His demeanor indifferent, Qin Lie said, “Surnames don’t matter. I only care about achieving my goals.”

Xiang Xi glanced at Bo Boze.

Bo Boze understood his meaning, walked over while smiling and said, “The wooden buildings on this fire phoenix are a bit too damaged to carry on this discussion. Shall we… move to a new location? We may be able to assist all of you in searching for the remains of ancient elites.”

“Sure.” Qin Lie nodded. He also wanted to know what in Spirit Realm these fellows were up to.

Song Tingyu and the others had relaxed by this time. They knew that Xiang Xi’s men wouldn’t dare to raise a hand against Qin Lie now that they had mistaken him for a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator.

“Let us leave senior brother to discuss things with them,” she suddenly said. “There is no need for us to… go.”

She was currently at the peak of the Netherpassage Realm and could break through at any moment. She didn’t want to waste her energy on chatting.

She also knew that Xie Jingxuan, Luo Chen, and Gao Yu weren’t interested in this kind of thing.

As expected, Xie Jingxuan, Luo Chen, and Gao Yu all nodded in agreement. They didn’t wish to come interact with Xiang Xi’s group more than necessary.

Xue Moyan and Du Xiangyang wanted to participate in the discussion, but since Song Tingyu had already spoken for all of them, they had to give up on the idea.

—All of them agreed that they would obey senior brother’s decision.

This was exactly what Bo Boze had hoped for, which was why he hadn’t tried to invite all of them out of courtesy. He exchanged looks with Xiang Xi, and the four enforcers brought Qin Lie to a five-story pagoda on Xu Changsheng’s Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix.

Considering how impressive Qin Lie’s skill in his thunder spirit art was, they saw him as Forefather Terminator’s direct disciple—the true treasure.

Judging by the auras of the rest of the group, they clearly didn’t cultivate thunder spirit arts. They believed that Luo Chen, Du Xiangyang, and Gao Yu were just Qin Lie’s subordinates. Insignificant people.

As for Song Tingyu, Xie Jingxuan, and Xue Moyan, they had already declared themselves as Qin Lie’s women when they arrived. Since Xiang Xi and the others had another arrangement in mind, having the three women participate in this meaning would’ve been a bit inconvenient.

They were naturally glad to see Qin Lie’s six companions depart.

Inside of a wide hall on the fifth floor of the wooden pagoda-shaped building, one laden with soft carpet, Xiang Xi directed Qin Lie to a seat. Once he did, he suddenly clapped his hands.

Five women with wonderful figures draped in thin clothing, all of whom looked either innocent or seductive, rushed Qin Lie out of nowhere. They wore sultry smiles, carried trays of fruit in their uncovered arms, and shook their assets to try and appeal to Qin Lie.

“Please enjoy some tea, young master.”

“Come and eat some fruit, young master.”

“How about some dimsum, young master?”

The five beautiful girls surrounded him from every direction and presented him with all kinds of drinks and delicacies. They also massaged his legs, shoulders, and head, instantly immersing Qin Lie in a sea of worldly pleasures.

The spectacle initially caught Qin Lie off guard. However, he quickly calmed down and relaxed, allowing these enchanting women to service him.

All five women had different figures and dispositions, but all could be considered quite attractive. Their white legs and delicate breasts they hid beneath the thin fabric of their clothing were extremely tempting.

Qin Lie had recently learned about the true wonders of a woman from Song Tingyu. That meant that his self-control in the face of women was currently at its weakest.

As a result, when the five beautiful women flooded him, looking as if they would follow his every command, his did lose some control over himself.

However, these women drastically paled in comparison to the likes of Song Tingyu, Xue Moyan and Xie Jingxuan. To be honest, they were a little beneath Qin Lie’s current standards.

“Tell me what you wish to speak of.” Qin Lie said nonchalantly.

The four enforcers glanced at each other, inwardly puzzled by how unclouded Qin Lie’s eyes were. He obviously didn’t feel any lust for the women around him.

When Song Tingyu, Xie Jingxuan, and Xue Moyan faced outsiders, the always disguised themselves to look like ordinary women.

They figured that if Qin Lie would take such plain women as wives, he either had an unusually strong appetite or… he didn’t have many chances to venture out into the world—that Forefather Terminator restricted his movements so much that he could only seek out his junior sisters for companionship.

The ended up assuming that the five women they sent to service Qin Lie would definitely succeed in drawing out the pervert inside of him and force him to reveal his true character.

—But things didn’t go the way they planned.

After pondering for a moment, Xiang Xi suddenly spoke up.

“What do you think of the Xing brothers, my young friend?” he asked tentatively.

“Eh. They’re okay,” Qin Lie answered ambiguously.

“What… what is your relationship with the Xing brothers?” Xiang Xi asked again.

“Until ten days ago, I had nothing to do with the Xing Family,” Qin Lie said with a smile. “Now, however, I’m called Xing Lie…”

Xiang Xi understood what he meant and chuckled. He nodded and said, “I understand, haha. Well, about the search for the remains of ancient elites. Actually, we can help you with that. The only thing that we request of you is…”

“Request?” Qin Lie narrowed his eyes.

“We request that you ignore anything that may happen later on,” Xiang Xi said solemnly.

“Our only goal here is to find the remains of ancient elites. We aren’t interested in anything else,” Qin Lie firmly declared his stance. “The internal affairs of Gold Sun Island is none of our concern.”

“Haha, that’s good… that’s very good!” Xiang Xi sighed in relief and hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. As long as you are in Gold Sun Island, anything in our possession will be yours if you wish for it! We have absolutely no problem with helping you search for the remains of ancient elites. Even if you point us in a rough direction, I’ll immediately send my men to take a look. If we really do find anything, we can arrange for ships to help you transport them in secret. We… can even hide this information from Illusory Demon Sect!”

“You’re too considerate, Enforcer Xiang!” Qin Lie laughed loudly. “Hehe, I am quite fond of your behavior!”

“You don’t seem to be satisfied with these five women, do you? That’s fine. Once we reach Gold Sun Island, I’ll definitely arrange for even better women to please you!” Xiang Xi began making promises.

“Hmm… then I’ll have to give my thanks to you in advance, Enforcer Xiang.” Qin Lie nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed as though both parties had come to a mutual understanding.

Chapter 584: Inside Job

Within a freezing hidden room built out of ice jade crystals, a giant blood cocoon hung in midair. Numerous blood vessels and muscle tissue ran from the walls of that vast room to that cocoon, holding it aloft and making it resemble a heart.

Wisps of spirit energy and blood energy constantly flowed through the blood vessels and into the blood cocoon, maintaining Mo Lingye’s life force.

Xue Li’s soul quietly floated beside the blood cocoon like a ball of sanguine flame.

A dozen or so martial practitioners in long, red robes also stood within the hidden room. All of them sighed softly as they watched Xue Li’s soul.

One of them looked extremely similar to Mo Bei, the young man that Qin Lie and Xue Li had met at the Blood Cloud Mountain Range.

This was none other than Mo Bei’s father, Mo Jun.

“Sect master…” Mo Jun called out softly.

“I haven’t been Blood Fiend Sect’s sect master for a long, long time.” Xue Li shook his head.

“…Big Brother Xue,” Mo Jun said. “The madam is currently in a precarious position. If her life force can’t be replenished with the Spring of Life, she might not be able to hold out for more than three years.”

He sighed deeply. “This is all our fault. We’ve been useless for the past thousand years, only living as if we were encumbered by chains, not bothering to try and revive Blood Fiend Sect. If we were the Blood Fiend Sect of a thousand years ago, we would’ve gotten something as cheap as the Spring of Life a long time ago. Look at how powerless we are now!”

The rest of the Blood Fiend Sect elders within the room bowed their heads in shame.

It had been over a thousand years, but none of them, none of the members of Blood Fiend Sect that had escaped from the Blood Cloud Mountain Range, were able to rebuild the sect.

In fact, they didn’t even dare to reveal themselves to the outside world because of Black Voodoo Cult’s and the three great families’ relentless ongoing hunt. They could only hide in the shadows.

“None of you are at fault.” Xue Li’s bloody eyes shone with pain. “If anyone deserves blame… it would be me! I was the one who wasn’t careful enough. I gave Jiang Zhuzhe the opportunity to capture me and wound me greatly!”

Everyone else hung their heads in sorrow.

All of a sudden, Xue Li’s eyes burned with hope.

“Has there been any news from the Graveyard of Gods?” he asked. “Qin Lie is in the Graveyard of Gods with… her. I heard that the Spring of Life could be in there. They may yet succeed!”

Xue Li had placed all of his hopes on Qin Lie and his daughter. He hoped that they’d be able to obtain the Spring of Life from the Graveyard of Gods, enough of it to help both Xue Moyan and Mo Lingye escape their predicament.

“We haven’t received any news.” Mo Jun forced himself to answer. “I’ve only heard… that the Graveyard of Gods completely collapsed and almost all of the Trial participants perished. Only the remains of ancient elites, which are unfathomably tough, were able to endure the shock waves of the spatial collapse and escape.”

“That can’t be,” Xue Li said and began to constantly reassure himself. “Qin Lie won’t die. He won’t! He’ll definitely escape the Graveyard of Gods with Xue Moyan! That kid is extraordinary. He can do it!”

Mo Jun and the others looked at him, their eyes filled with sympathy, and sighed inwardly.

All of them pitied Xue Li’s family.

Xue Li had been imprisoned for a thousand years, but even after he managed to escape from his confinement, Jiang Zhuzhe refined his body and half of his soul. In addition to that, his daughter was born with an extremely short lifespan. His wife was in a coma and her soul consciousness was now so weak that she couldn’t communicate with the world outside of the blood cocoon. Her life was like a candle flame on the verge of being extinguished by the wind. It could go out at any moment.

The tragedy that befell this family was as heartbreaking as one could imagine.

Mo Jun and the others didn’t think that Qin Lie, a person they’d never heard of before, a person that Xue Li had high hopes for, could change this family’s fate.

All of them assumed that Xue Li simply didn’t wish to accept the fact that his daughter had died in the Graveyard of Gods.

“I know you don’t believe it, but I do!” Xue Li exclaimed softly. “I’ve known Qin Lie for a long time. I understand him. He isn’t normal, and he holds many secrets I cannot begin to fathom. He’ll definitely exit the Graveyard of Gods with Moyan and bring new hope to Blood Fiend Sect!”

Mo Jun and the others shook their heads and exchanged bitter smiles.

They simply couldn’t believe his words from the bottom of their hearts.

They no longer thought that Blood Fiend Sect had a future.

They believed that it was their destiny to hide in the shadows, living as if burdened by chains.

Day changed to evening, and the Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix of the Xing brothers hovered above the five ships of Gold Sun Island. Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan descended to the deck of the Wavebreaker as Xing Shengnan, Xing Yao, several other Xing Family clansmen, and Gold Sun Island martial practitioners came out to greet them.

“Big brother. Second brother. Where is Xing Lie?” Xing Shengnan asked the moment she saw them. “Why have we not seen the fire phoenix of the enforcers yet?”

“We will be arriving at the Setting Sun Islands in two days,” Xing Yao said, clearly more concerned about something else. “Xiang Xi, the three enforcers with him, and their islands envoys have always managed those islands. Shouldn’t we be more vigilant?”

Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan glanced at each other, bitter expressions on their faces.

Ever since they confirmed that Qin Lie was Forefather Terminator’s direct disciple, both brothers had been wracked with headaches. They weren’t able to come up with a plan capable of dealing with Qin Lie.

“It’s fine,” Xing Yuyuan said with a smile. “Today’s the day we’ll be speaking with them. They should be arriving soon enough.”

According to the spies he had planted in the midst of Xiang Xi’s men, Xing Yuyuan knew that Qin Lie’s group of seven was fine. He also knew that Xiang Xi and his men didn’t dare to act recklessly after discovering Qin Lie’s other identity.

Xing Yuyuan was even more aware of the fact that Xiang Xi and Qin Lie seemed to be getting along quite well. In fact, they now appeared to be rather close to one another.

This made the Xing brothers grow increasingly worried.

If Xiang Xi’s men successfully pull Qin Lie to their side, how were they supposed to treat him, a Blood Fiend Sect disciple that had the support of Forefather Terminator?

This matter left the two brothers at a loss.

“They are here!” Guo Yanzheng exclaimed softly.

The moment he did, a bright, beautiful Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix and the same type of flying spirit artifact that looked as though it had weathered a storm flew over at the same time.

Then a small crystalline war chariot rumbled from a distance, descending through the air and approaching the ships.

The chariot carried Xiang Xi, Bo Boze, and Qin Lie, all of whom were standing shoulder to shoulder.

Xiang Xi and Qin Lie chatted with each other cheerfully. They looked incredibly close to each other, as if they’d been friends for countless years.

The members of the Xing Family on the deck exchanged glances, their expressions becoming grim.

“How utterly shameless!” Xing Yao yelled harshly. “He’s just as bad as the rest of them!”

Astonishment filled Xing Shengnan’s face.

“When did little brother become such good friends with chief enforcer?” she asked with a frown.

She had no idea that Xiang Xi and the others had long since been planning a rebellion, but she did know that the relationship between them and her brothers wasn’t nearly as amicable as it seemed. She herself disliked Xiang Xi from the bottom of her heart, so when she saw that Qin Lie had become friendly with Xiang Xi, she immediately assumed that he had been fooled.

She thought about finding an opportunity to warn Qin Lie so Xiang Xi couldn’t continue fooling him.

Enforcers Guo Yanzhen and Qi Jing, as well as many other martial practitioners on the ship, were trusted servants of the Xing Family. All of them knew about the relationship between the Xing Family and Xiang Xi’s side.

In light of this, their faces twisted into ugly expressions the moment they saw Qin Lie and Xiang Xi standing side by side and laughing loudly together.

Words couldn’t even begin to describe the frowns on the faces of Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan.

The brothers mistakenly thought that Qin Lie was a direct disciple of Forefather Terminator. When they saw Xiang Xi being so friendly with Qin Lie, they immediately assumed the worst—

—that Xiang Xi and Qin Lie were on the same side!

The Xing brothers immediately believed that the situation had become several times more complicated than before. Dealing with Xiang Xi was no longer a simple matter.

When the crystalline war chariot approached the ship, Xiang Xi immediately laughed loudly and struck the Xing brothers with a low blow.

“Hahaha, I see! Someone of my temperament truly has many things in common with Xing Lie,” he shouted. “Many thanks, first and second island masters! Thank you for sending Xing Lie to my side. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have had the chance to get to know a young genius who understands me. Hahaha!”

The faces of the Xing brothers became even uglier than before.

Qin Lie inwardly sneered as he stood atop the crystalline war chariot and looked down on Xing Yumiao and Xing Yuyuan.

He knew exactly what the Xing brothers had been planning when they sent his group to Xiang Xi’s Flowing Gold Fire Phoenix.

They had hoped to use Xiang Xi as an instrument of murder to get rid of him. This way, Qin Lie wouldn’t be around to hurt Xing Shengnan, and they’d be able to easily justify their actions if Blood Fiend Sect came looking for answers.

Xiang Xi took the initiative to ask, “Would you like to speak with your clansmen, Brother Xing Lie?”

“There’s no need for that. I wouldn’t have anything important to say to them anyway.” Qin Lie shook his head then looked at Xing Shengnan from afar. As seriously and sincerely as he could, he said, “You don’t have to worry about me, big sister. I’m fine.”

When he saw Xing Shengnan open her mouth to speak, Qin Lie cut her off, saying, “We can talk once we return to Gold Sun Island. I’ll explain everything then.”

Xing Yumiao, on the other hand, spoke with a heavy voice.

“Come down here, little brother!” he called out. “There’s something we need to discuss!”

Since the current situation required it, even though the title was false, this was the first time he referred to Qin Lie as little brother.

Xing Yumiao finally gave Qin Lie the attention that he deserved.

A few days ago, he had simply stood outside of Qin Lie’s door and couldn’t be bothered to enter his room. He even went as far as threatening Qin Lie, warning him to disappear before they reached Gold Sun Island or be killed without question!

He hadn’t given Qin Lie any chance to explain himself!

Xing Yumiao did that because he believed that the current Blood Fiend Sect couldn’t get him to truly submit. He no longer held Blood Fiend Sect in high regard.

In much the same way, he believed that Qin Lie didn’t deserve his respect.

Yet… things were different now.

Qin Lie now had Forefather Terminator and Terminator Sect looming behind him like a terrifying shadow. Xing Yumiao had no choice to reconsider his opinion of Qin Lie.

Qin Lie stared at Xing Yumiao, an almost imperceptible sneer playing at the corner of his lips. He thought that having a powerful backer and a mighty force was more important than anything else.

Even now, he understood that Xing Yumiao didn’t care about him at all. What he cared about was the non-existent Forefather Terminator behind him.

“We’ll talk once we return to Gold Sun Island. I’m just here to see big sister,” Qin Lie answered with a casual smile. He didn’t refer to Xing Yumiao as his big brother. Then he turned to Xiang Xi and said, “I’m tired. Let’s go back.”

“First island master. Second island master. Third island master. Cultivating for the past two days has left Xing Lie tired, so… we’ll be leaving for now,” Xiang Xi said as if mediating the conversation and chuckled. He then quietly ordered his men to leave without bothering to have the crystalline war ship land on the deck of the ship.

Xiang Xi had obviously grown bolder after becoming certain that Qin Lie was Forefather Terminator’s direct disciple. This was why he dared to openly defy Xing Yumiao even though they had yet to properly end the conversation.

Every Xing Family clansman wore an ashen expression.

Everyone could clearly see that Qin Lie had gone against Xing Yumiao’s instructions. He obviously didn’t think of himself as a Xing Family clansman or consider Xing Yumiao his big brother.

Other than Xing Shengnan, whom he showed real concern for and actually deferred to her as her little brother, he treated everyone else with indifference that might as well have been arrogance!

None of the Xing Family clansmen could understand or tolerate his behavior.

Where in Spirit Realm did he get the nerve to behave in such a way?

“This kid’s gone crazy, hasn’t he? His surname is Xing! Why is he at Xiang Xi’s side?”

“What a blind fool. He had no idea where he belongs!”

“I think he’s even more arrogant than Xiang Xi! How dare he not listen even to the first island master! How utterly shameless!”

The Xing Family clansmen and the other martial practitioners who cared about the Xing Family scolded Qin Lie with righteous indignation.

All of them thought that Xing Yumiao would immediately punish him.

However, surprisingly enough, Xing Yumiao neither spoke up nor attacked Qin Lie in any way. He simply wore an ugly expression on his face and maintained his silence.

Only Xing Yuyuan understood why his big brother didn’t act.

Xing Yumiao had to tolerate Qin Lie’s insolence because he believed that Forefather Terminator loomed behind him.