Above the clouds, the cold wind howled fiercely. Everyone fell into a heavy - hearted silence.
After Hong Chaoyang had cried her fill, she tilted her head back and stared at the sky beyond the sky. From time to time, silent tears streamed down her face, but at least she was no longer on the verge of a complete breakdown.
Xue Ling hung his head. He couldn't even maintain his sitting - meditation posture. With his eyes closed, no one knew what was going through his mind.
Shen Qing was in a complete turmoil. She used the sound - transmitting jade pendant to send messages to Ling Zhou and You Lang, but there was no response.
At this moment, they were like rootless duckweeds, having no idea where to go.
They were still one day's journey away from the Qingyun Sword Sect. During this period, Shen Qing tried to make Wu Wang fly lower, but they were spotted by the winged demons that had transformed into beasts and were chased all the way.
Even this short period was enough for them to see the situation on the ground clearly, and it was shocking.
The Nine Desolate Continent, once filled with spiritual energy and lush spiritual plants, was now in a complete mess. The sounds of battle mingled with screams echoed across the continent. The scarred land had turned the once - fairy - like Nine Desolate Continent into a hell.
Hong Chaoyang had cried all her tears out. She was now more than half convinced that something had happened to the Qingyun Sword Sect. At this moment, she sat there blankly like a puppet, hugging her knees, her eyes numb and expressionless.
After a torturous day, Wu Wang brought them to the sky above the Qingyun Sword Sect.
Taking advantage of the moment when the winged demon beasts were not paying attention, Wu Wang landed with Shen Qing and the others on the mountain peak of the Qingyun Sword Sect.
As soon as they landed, Wu Wang couldn't maintain his form any longer and turned back into a sword. He returned to Shen Qing's spiritual sea to recuperate.
The three of them stood in front of what should have been the mountain gate of the Qingyun Sword Sect and fell silent.
Hong Chaoyang looked at the flat ground in front of her and collapsed to the ground, crying silently.
Shen Qing took stiff steps forward, her chest heaving as she gasped slightly.
Just as the cultivator had said, the mountain peaks of the Qingyun Sword Sect had turned into a charred flat ground, and there was still a smell of burning in the air.
The Qingyun Sword Sect... was no more.
The Qingyun Sword Sect that Shen Qing had once resented and loved had completely disappeared.
Hong Chaoyang cried so hard that she gasped for breath and then fainted.
Xue Ling quickly put down Li Xian and rushed forward to catch Hong Chaoyang. His hands tightly grasped her shoulders, his heart filled with grief.
Since something had happened to the Qingyun Sword Sect, the other sects probably wouldn't fare much better.
The Fayin Temple... What about his master, Bu Yan? He didn't dare to think about it.
Shen Qing felt a sudden dizziness. She looked around, but there was nowhere to vent her grief.
The cold wind picked up the charred fragments of the spiritual plants and carried them away. Shen Qing looked at the charred blackness, her mind filled with memories of her time in the Qingyun Sword Sect.
The training ground, the medicine hall, the reception room... Memories came flooding in.
Finally, Shen Qing gritted her teeth and thought, "Han Ze... he really deserves to die!"
Shen Qing stood up and walked up to Xue Ling and Hong Chaoyang. She entrusted Li Xian to Xue Ling.
Xue Ling looked stunned. "Where are you going? In this situation, if we don't stick together, we'll surely be devoured by the demon beasts sooner or later."
Shen Qing's face darkened, and she said coldly, "I'm going to the Main God's Temple to find Han Ze."
Xue Ling's eyes widened. "Are you crazy?!"
Shen Qing looked at Li Xian longingly and said, "Someone has to stop him."
"No! It's not possible!"
Xue Ling put down Hong Chaoyang and blocked Shen Qing's way. "Even if you're Han Ze's sister, do you think a crazy person who could do such a thing won't kill you?
"Moreover, if you go alone, you'll probably be torn apart by those demons before you even get to Han Ze. Even with your Nascent Soul - Consolidation cultivation, you can't resist the endless hordes of demons."
Shen Qing closed her eyes and thought of Bai Li.
Bai Li had said that she was the only one in these worlds who could stop Han Ze. Han Ze had received half of the Dragon Clan's inheritance and had been cultivating for tens of thousands of years. His cultivation was unfathomably deep.
Even a great power on the verge of ascension might not be able to defeat Han Ze.
Although Xue Ling was right, she had to give it a try.
Shen Qing made up her mind. "Han Ze has had many chances to kill me, but he didn't. There must be something he wants from me. I don't want to watch the people I care about die anymore."
Shen Qing turned her head, and her gaze towards Li Xian was filled with a tenderness that even she didn't notice.
Xue Ling still thought this was a bad idea and stubbornly blocked in front of Shen Qing. "No matter what you say, you can't go alone. At least... you have to wait until Li Xian wakes up before you leave!"
Shen Qing knew that Xue Ling mentioning Li Xian was just an excuse to make her stay.
As the two were at a stand - off, Shen Qing's sound - transmitting jade pendant flashed.
Shen Qing was stunned. She took out the sound - transmitting jade pendant from her storage bag.
A glimmer of hope lit up in Xue Ling's eyes. He stepped forward to Shen Qing's side. "Quick, see who it is."
Shen Qing's hands trembled slightly as she opened the sound - transmitting jade pendant. Qing Qing's panicked voice came through. "Shen Qing! Don't come back to the Nine Desolate Continent! You'll die!"
The background noise of this voice was filled with screams and explosions, which sent chills down one's spine.
The last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the two of them was instantly extinguished.
The Qingmu Sect... something had happened to it too...
Shen Qing forcefully threw the sound - transmitting jade pendant to the ground and said in a trembling voice, "Now, are you still going to stop me?"
Xue Ling fell silent.
He didn't want Shen Qing to go to her death, but he also didn't know what to do next.
"Anyway... you can't go alone."
"If you insist on going, then let me go with you!"
As Xue Ling said this, he felt that this was a feasible idea.
In the mortal world, Hong Chaoyang had said that he was cold - hearted and didn't truly consider them as friends. After experiencing all these things, Xue Ling knew his own character flaws and slowly began to accept Shen Qing and the others, showing his true self.
Since he couldn't stop Shen Qing from going to her death, then he would go with her. It could be considered as a show of loyalty!
But when he looked up, Xue Ling met Shen Qing's eyes, which looked at him as if he were a fool.
Xue Ling:?
Shen Qing: I'm going to my death even with my Nascent Soul - Consolidation cultivation. You? With your Soul - Formation cultivation? Forget it...
Xue Ling: ……
The two were at a stalemate. Then, Xue Ling was sharp - eyed and saw that the sound - transmitting jade pendant that Shen Qing had thrown on the ground was flashing again. He immediately stepped forward and opened Shen Qing's sound - transmitting jade pendant.
"Come to the Five - Element Dao Sect immediately!"
It was just a simple sentence, which left Xue Ling completely confused.
But as soon as Shen Qing heard the voice, she immediately frowned.
It was Nan Zhijin's voice.
Nan Zhijin was from the Main God's Temple...
Should she trust him?
"Trust him this once..."
Just as she was hesitating, Li Xian's weak voice came. Shen Qing and Xue Ling both turned their heads in surprise and looked at Li Xian.
"You're awake!"
Shen Qing ran to Li Xian's side, and tears rolled down one by one.
Li Xian forced a smile and tried to raise his hand to wipe away Shen Qing's tears, but halfway through, his hand dropped weakly.
Shen Qing quickly grabbed Li Xian's hand and pressed her cheek against his palm. "I'm sorry... It's all my fault. You..."
"Don't say that. It's... all my own choice."
Li Xian coughed twice, his face pale. "Shen Qing, go to the Five - Element Dao Sect... Master... will surely not let the Main God's Temple act like this... I also believe that the people of the Qingyun Sword Sect won't fall so easily..."