Not far from the disciples' position, atop the peak of a steep rock cliff, the Great Elder stood upright. The hem of his robe fluttered wildly in the highland wind. His gaze pierced through the mist, fixed straight toward the valley where Zilong resided."Mr. Qin possesses a spiritual perception that transcends the limits of his current cultivation," the Great Elder said softly, more to himself.He turned back, looking at the law enforcement disciples guarding around him. "Remember my instructions. No one dares approach that valley. If an anomaly occurs, handle it only from the outer perimeter. Do not let a single small disturbance ruin his cultivation process.""Understood, Great Elder!" they answered in unison.The Great Elder cast his gaze back toward the valley. The image of the youth who a few nights ago sat casually while finishing a bowl of rice, then lightly tossed out the claim that his concoction was an Emperor-Tier Pill, flashed back into his head.The old man's facial line

Qin Zilong’s footsteps halted among the dense, ancient trees. The night wind blew coldly, slipping between the branches, yet the youth’s attention was not captivated at all by the sound of the rustling leaves.That fluctuation was still there.Faint. Distant. Yet, far too regular to be merely called the rhythmic pulse of a normal natural phenomenon.Zilong narrowed his eyes, his dark pupils scanning the darkness. "Interesting," he muttered thinly.He raised his right hand and touched the surface of the old tree trunk beside him. At that exact moment, his spiritual consciousness seeped out, darting through layers of soil, hard rocks, winding roots, and narrow gaps between cliff walls in the distance.There was no human aura. Nor were there any signs of high-tier Demonic Beasts.However, the deeper his perception plunged into the earth, the clearer he felt that strange pulse.Pulse... Pause. Pulse... Pause.The rhythm was so constant, as if something was alive and breathing in the belly

The creature attacked blindly once again. This time, Zilong had no intention of entertaining its crude game any longer. He took the initiative to step forward.One step. Two steps.On the third step, his body’s silhouette flickered and vanished from sight.Whoosh!He appeared a split second later right before the guardian’s chest. His right fist had been enveloped by a dense storm of Purple Qi."Begone."Boom!That fist struck squarely against the creature’s chest cavity. White cracks instantly spread throughout its skeletal framework. The guardian creature froze stiffly.ThenCrack!Its entire body shattered into pieces, breaking into fragments of black energy that evaporated into the air.Zilong pulled back his hand, dusting off the remaining debris on his robe sleeve. He shifted his gaze back toward the altar. Those nine black iron chains were still vibrating violently due to the lingering shockwave of power just now."Interesting," Zilong praised briefly. He began stepping closer

Zilong was stunned for a split second. Those fragments of memories were not his own, but rather the inheritance of the Sword Immortal's comprehension deeply engraved within his soul. The urgent situation at hand forced him to awaken that technique.The Demonic Beast roared and lunged again.Zilong spun his body, reaching out a hand into empty air.Whoosh!A rusted black sword instantly appeared in his grasp. The weapon's appearance looked pathetic; its surface was covered in crusts of red rust, and its blade was dull like scrap metal thrown away in the corner of a warehouse.However, the moment Zilong's fingers wrapped around the sword hilt.Boom!The blade vibrated violently. All the stored Purple Qi inside Zilong's body was suddenly and greedily sucked into the sword.Zilong's facial expression changed drastically. "What kind of power is this?"In an instant, his right arm went numb. The black sword felt alive, devouring his energy without limit. Zilong tightened his grip with his r

The roars of dozens of Demon Beasts shook the Spirit Mist Forest, shattering the dense silence of the night. The white mist hanging low among the trees churned violently, swept aside by waves of ferocious aura drawing ever closer. Enormous shadows moved behind that white curtain, creeping toward the hidden valley where Qin Zilong stood alone.Zilong gripped the rusted black sword tightly in his right hand, his knuckles turning white. His breath still came in ragged gasps, forcing oxygen into lungs that felt scorched. Fresh blood trickled thinly from the corner of his mouth, while his right arm trembled violently—the lingering aftermath of a tremendous energy clash he had not yet fully mastered. Yet beneath the crushing fatigue, his eyes remained as calm as a still lake.He glanced briefly at the ancient stone door behind his back.The iron chains that had bound that door for thousands of years now lay broken and scattered across the ground. The ancient symbols on its surface still glo