Stellar Transformations

B11C2: Doubts

Flowers are all over the ground. Nobody knows how long they have not been stepped on. These flowers of various colors are very beautiful, but at the moment, 2 young men are standing in the middle of this boundless clump of flowers. One of them is dressed in a deep blue gown and there is blood on the corners of his mouth.

The man in front of him is wearing an eye-catching golden robe and is looking at him with a cold smile.

"Master, when I heard them talk to each other just now, I even thought there was a big gap between them. But now … it turns out one is at the late Jindan stage while the other is at the early Yuanying stage. The power gap isn't big at all." The ink qilin clicks his tongue a couple of times and says in a totally unconcerned manner.

Extreme-ice lion Shi Xin says smilingly: "You didn't think carefully, Inky. If there was really a big power gap between the 2 of them, why would that golden-robed man called Wang Yuan have still been unable to snatch the top-grade ore for so long?"

"You're right." The ink qilin suddenly understands.

Qin Yu, Hou Fei and Hei Yu however are focusing their attention on the conversation between that Li Xin and Wang Yuan.

Li Xin's eyes are full of fortitude.

"Right, my Lianhua School is small, not even ranked within the top 1000 Xiuxian schools. It's as small as you can get. Your Qingxu Temple is a big school, the no. 1 Xiuxian school. When we were still in the countryside, you were more gifted than me and I had very little talent."

Li Xin's words contain hints of resentment. It seems he is recalling what happened at the time.

"I ran to so many schools but none of them wanted me. In the end only the Lianhua School accepted me! But you were taken in by the Qingxu Temple. You had lots of talent, a good school and good techniques to practice whereas I had little talent, a poor school and poor techniques to practice, but look at you, now you're just a bit ahead of me. I've already reached the peak of the late Jindan stage too. I'm just a step away from the Yuanying stage."

Li Xin looks coldly at Wang Yuan: "I really don't know if you've been practicing diligently during these years or not. You've wasted your time plotting, robbing and killing people, right?"

"You …"

Wang Yuan points at Li Xin furiously but he is too angry to say anything more.

He is exceptionally talented. The Qingxu Temple has only so many disciples while there are so many mortals. The fact that he was able to become a disciple of the Qingxu Temple testifies to his talent. However, after so many years, he is just a bit ahead of Li Xin, who has very little talent and belongs to a weak school.

"Continue running if you've got skill. Why did you stop running?" Wang Yuan says mockingly all of a sudden.

"I won't run anymore." Li Xin says smilingly. "If I continued running, perhaps I'd use up my energy. At that time, wouldn't I be captured easily by you? Now … I still have enough power to put up a fight against you and even to explode myself!" His eyes suddenly blaze.

Wang Yuan's face slightly changes color.

He is only a level above Li Xin so if Li Xin self-destructs at the most crucial moment, he will probably lose his life too. After all, the yuanying of a Yuanying-stage disciple still cannot leave their body.

After watching all of this from afar, Qin Yu has a good opinion of Li Xin.

In his view, talent and techniques are important to the path of practice, but … mentalities are also very important.

Li Xin has experienced all kinds of hardships so his mentality has already become exceptionally doughty. In contrast, it has all been smooth sailing for Wang Yuan so his mentality is not up to much. No wonder he is only a bit ahead of Li Xin.

……

"Li Xin."

A voice rises very suddenly. Both Li Xin and Wang Yuan, who are in deadlock, get a shock inside. They cannot help looking towards the place where the voice comes from and see … a black-robed cold man fly down from the sky.

Wang Yuan's heart skips a beat: "Expert! His aura is even stronger than master's."

Wang Yuan's master has merely reached the late Dongxu stage so naturally there is a massive gap between him and Qin Yu.

"Li Xin, I want to ask you something." Qin Yu looks at Li Xin and says.

The latter is delighted inside. He certainly can tell that this man is far more powerful than him and Wang Yuan so he bows and says at once: "Senior, I am being hunted down by this thief. He is attempting to take my top-grade ore by force. When this thief is still standing here, it is really very difficult for me to calm down and answer your questions."

Qin Yu only looks at Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan racks his brains and says: "I am a disciple of the Qingxu Temple. A few days ago, I was lucky enough to obtain a chunk of top-grade ore. Who could have thought it would be snatched by this brat on the way? Senior, I hope you can redress the balance for me. I shall forever be grateful to you for that."

Wang Yuan takes a bite at Li Xin in return, but he simply does not know that just now Qin Yu heard everything from a distance.

"You're so shameless." Li Xin says coldly.

Wang Yuan, however, says sternly: "Li Xin, this top-grade ore was extracted by me personally, wasn't it? But you even want to frame me. I really have never seen anyone so shameless as you. You even want to call white black …"

"Noisy!"

Qin Yu makes a wave of his hand. A golden beam of energy from the Solar Core immediately enfolds Wang Yuan's body, reducing it to nothingness.

Li Xin's heart leaps.

He never thought that Wang Yuan would die in this way after reaching the Yuanying stage.

"Senior, please feel free to ask me about whatever you like. I will tell you everything I know without reserve." Li Xin bows and says very respectfully.

Qin Yu suddenly says: "Listen, some time ago, the Yinyue Palace and the Qingxu Temple started to muster loose practitioners from every place and let large numbers of loose practitioners gather in their territories. What has happened since then? I seemed to hear you mention the deaths of several hundred loose immortals, what has happened actually?"

"Senior, you should have just come back from overseas, right?" Li Xin says smilingly: "For some reason, the side of loose devils and the side of loose immortals unexpectedly began to gather in the Yinyue Palace and the Qingxu Temple, but afterwards … these 2 schools began to kill each other."

Qin Yu frowns.

"In the beginning, only common disciples died. As time passed, loose immortals started to die too. A lot of 1st tribulation, 2nd tribulation and 3rd tribulation loose immortals have been killed, and even quite a few loose immortals from the 4th tribulation up have been killed as well. Not only the Qingxu Temple's loose immortals, even many loose devils of the Yinyue Palace have also been killed." Li Xi suddenly frowns.

"However, the deaths of these loose immortals were very strange. Some just disappeared into thin air while some died while fighting loose devils. Anyway … it looks like a great many of them died because both sides have started to test each other out."

"Test each other out?" Qin Yu asks another question.

Li Xin explains: "This is very simple. Why have the Yinyue Palace and the Qingxu Temple gathered so many loose devils and loose immortals? Could it be so that they can waste time stuffing themselves with food and drink? They are certainly going to attack and fight each other. Now they are merely testing the water."

"Humph, only several hundred have died, but the Yinyue Palace and the Qingxu Temple each have mustered over 10,000 loose practitioners. Do several hundred really mean anything?" Li Xin says with a cold laugh. "I think blood is going to flow in rivers on this Teng Long continent soon."

Qin Yu nods his head.

"Do you have a map of the Teng Long continent? Give me one." He says coldly.

Li Xin looks at the senior before him while wondering in his mind why he does not even have a map. But he says nothing at all and respectfully hands a jade slip over to Qin Yu. Right after receiving it, Qin Yu makes a sweep of his holy sense and finds out clearly the main features of the Teng Long continent.

"Very good." He turns his hand over, taking out a metallic chunk of top-grade ore. "Consider this your reward."

After throwing this top-grade ore to Li Xin, he immediately vanishes into thin air in front of Li Xin with a movement of his body. Actually, he gives Li Xin a chunk of top-grade ore because he has a very good opinion of him. Now that Qin Yu has ores from the immortal world, a chunk of top-grade ore does not mean anything to him at all.

"Top-grade ore!" Li Xin feels a wave of delight while looking at the ore he just received. When he looks up again, Qin Yu has already disappeared.

……

Qin Yu, Hou Fei, Hei Yu, the 3 extreme-ice lion brothers and the ink qilin are flying in midair.

"Big brother, I reckon that Jindan-stage brat was right. The side of loose immortals and the side of loose devils should be testing each other. To them, the several hundred loose practitioners that have been killed basically count for nothing." Hou Fei says.

Qin Yu slowly nods.

"It doesn't look like they're testing each other. I've always had that kind of feeling." He says uncertainly.

Right afterwards, he tosses his head, saying with a smile: "Since I can't make sense of it, I'll just stop thinking."

"No need to think too much, big brother. Let's go on a killing spree. Anyway, don't we have the Qingyu Immortal Mansion? After the killings, we'll immediately hide into the mansion. When the search for us outside has eased off, we'll go on another killing spree. This is going to be awesome, isn't it?" Hou Fei's eyes glitter.

Hei Yu does not say anything but his eyes also glitter.

"Master, that's not a good idea." Shi Xin says.

"Damn you! Why isn't it a good idea? Not even 12th tribulation loose immortals can break this Qingyu Immortal Mansion. What's there to be afraid of?" Hou Fei says angrily.

"Fei Fei," Qin Yu stops him. "You can continue, Shi Xin."

Shi Xin says with a nod: "Master, in my opinion, the side of loose immortals and the side of loose devils each have lost several hundred troops so they are already like water and fire … They must have even set all kinds of traps at their headquarters for the enemies who will come to kill them. If we go there, it's highly probable that we'll fall into their traps."

Qin Yu nods in agreement.

He has also thought of this. Now the Qingxu Temple and the Yinyue Palace must be heavily guarded and all kinds of traps must have even been laid.

"All kinds of traps? You're an idiot, Shi Xin. Of course I know that there are traps, but just think about it, no matter how formidable they are, what can they do to my big brother's Qingyu Immortal Mansion?" Hou Fei appears to be somewhat impatient. What he wants the most is a killing spree.

Qin Yu ponders for a while.

"Alright, let it be this way. First, all of you will go into the Qingyu Immortal Mansion to rest for the moment. I'll pretend to be a normal Xiuzhenist and head for the Qingxu Temple to spy on it alone. Don't worry, Fei Fei. After scouting it out, I'll definitely let you go on a killing spree to your heart's content."

Hou Fei and the others immediately disappear into thin air. They have entered the Qingyu Immortal Mansion.

As soon as Qin Yu thinks about his nearly exterminated Qin clan and the lovely ladies-in-waiting and loyal guards of Prince Yu's Mansion, who are all already dead, he cannot help feeling killing intent surging inside him.

"Wu Kongxue, Ming Liang, you caused that disaster and now you'll reap what you sowed."

He flies straight towards the Qingxu Temple like a beam of light.

……

The Teng Long continent is enormous. It is still in summer in the northern part of the continent but the southern part of the continent is already in winter.

Mount Qingxu is at a distant place.

At the moment, the world here is a vast expanse of whiteness. Snow is falling heavily from all over the sky like goose feathers. Qin Yu is a black dot amid the countless snowflakes in the sky. When he comes near Mount Qingxu, his flying speed begins to slow down.

Suddenly, his attention is attracted by a dot of firelight down below.

"That old man is an expert." He feels that this white-haired old man is not simple.

At the foot of Mount Qingxu, there is a bonfire under a densely-leafed large tree with a robust young man and a white-haired old man by its side.

"Grandpa, take this." That robust young man gives the white-haired old man a roast thigh. "This is a white deer I hunted just now so the meat is still fresh."

The white-haired ruddy old man receives the deer meat smilingly and takes a bite eagerly: "Um, it tastes very good. Little brother, you live at the foot of Mount Qingxu so you should be a disciple of the Qingxu Temple, right? But why is your power level so low? You haven't even reached the Jindan stage."

That robust young man says with a forced smile: "How can I be qualified to join the Qingxu Temple? I was able to reach the Xiantian level only thanks to an incomplete practice technique left behind by my father. Besides, I'm already too old to be accepted by any schools."

The white-haired old man nods and looks at the robust young man in approval.

"Little brother, your mentality is very good. I already ate a deer leg of yours so I have no choice but to help you. Take this authority card. Later you can go straight to the Ziyang School, let its members see this card and tell them that you want to become a disciple of the Ziyang School. You'll definitely be accepted."

The robust young man is delighted at once. He certainly can tell that the white-haired old man before him is very likely a senior member of the Ziyang School.

"Um, this authority card can only let you join the Ziyang School. Seeing that you're so happy, today I'll give you a holy weapon that I used in the past." The white-haired old man says with a smile. At the same time, a light flashes in his hand.

This old man is no ordinary person. He is Reverend Chi Yan of the Ziyang School, a 10th tribulation loose practitioner of the same generation as Reverend Chi Yang. There is basically no need to say much about how high his status is.

"Oh, someone is coming?" The white-haired old man glances at Qin Yu. In the sky, Qin Yu's heart cannot help leaping.

However, right at this moment --

An indistinct beam of light appears all of a sudden.

Poof!

A hand pierces through Reverend Chi Yan's stomach. Seeing that blood-red hand transfix the senior in front of him through his stomach, the robust young man is scared stiff. That blood-covered hand is holding a yuanying, which is Reverend Chi Yan's yuanying.

"Wu Hei, you dare to kill me?" Reverend Chi Yan's yuanying bursts out.

The assailant is none other than Wu Hei. Holding Reverend Chi Yan's yuanying in his hand, he says with a laugh: "Nonsense, there's nobody I don't dare to kill. A 10th tribulation loose immortal's yuanying should be very nutritious." After saying so, he throws the yuanying into his mouth and eats it directly, creating a couple of cracks in the process. All of this makes the robust young man's eyes pop out of his head.

Wu Hei takes a disdainful look at Qin Yu in the distance: "Middle Dujie stage, too weak." After that, he even says with loud laughs: "The gutless Qingxu Temple, today I've already eaten a 10th tribulation loose immortal's yuanying. Next time, it's going to be 11th tribulation, ha-ha…" He then flies away like a beam of light with a movement of his body.

Wu Hei is really arrogant. Even though he has more than enough power to teleport, he is only flying in a normal way instead of using teleportation. Obviously he wants to give the enemy a chance to chase him.

"Wu Hei, don't even think you can escape!"

A furious voice roars on Mount Qingxu. A crimson beam of light then shoots down. The snow on Mount Qingxu is completely melted wherever it goes. Watching everything from the horizon, Qin Yu frowns: "What's going on? Why has the situation been developing differently from how I expect it to? It shouldn't be like this. Wu Kongxue and Ming Liang should know the secret of the Heaven-Sundering Diagrams so they won't act so silly. But what's going on with this Wu Hei?"

End of b11c2.