Chapter 23: Stage Mission Unlocks

Song Jiaojiao was dead. Li Qingran wasn’t.

After unraveling this cause and effect, Lu Changtian found it hard to believe.

What level of strength did Li Qingran possess? At best, her body—nurtured by prolonged exposure to Spiritual Qi—allowed her to be a slightly stronger-than-average martial artist.

And Song Jiaojiao? If memory served, she was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.

Killing someone like Li Qingran should have been as effortless as squashing an ant.

Yet, here was the baffling result: Song Jiaojiao was dead.

“Was Song Jiaojiao killed by Li Qingran?” Lu Changtian demanded, glaring at Yang Botao.

“I don’t know.” Terrified, Yang Botao stammered, “I only told her to kill Li Qingran. At first, she didn’t want to, but I promised her a Foundation Establishment Pill. That convinced her. After that, I left to fetch some spirit stones to buy the pill. When I returned to my cave, I found her soul lamp shattered.”

For cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage, this rule was ironclad. The soul lamp housed a fragment of the cultivator’s spirit and a drop of their essence blood. If the main soul perished, the fragment would become rootless and dissipate, causing the lamp to extinguish.

“Brother Changtian, this is very suspicious,” Mu Baishuang chimed in with a fearful expression. “I’ve heard rumors that demonic cultivators have been active in the Cangyun Realm recently. Could it be that Senior Sister was possessed by someone from the demonic sect?” She added with a look of concern, “Even though Senior Sister Li is no longer part of Qingyun Sect, I’d hate to see her harmed by those from the demonic sect.”

Lu Changtian’s expression darkened, his mind churning.

Yang Botao would undoubtedly face punishment. That much was clear.

But the situation with Li Qingran was strange. Whether she lived or died didn’t concern him, but he couldn’t allow her to become a hidden threat to Qingyun Sect. He needed to understand why she had been able to kill Song Jiaojiao—whether it was by sheer coincidence or due to something deeper.

Mu Baishuang, feigning newfound knowledge of Li Qingran’s whereabouts, added, “Brother Changtian, no matter what, Senior Sister Li was once part of Chixiao Peak. If we don’t intervene, what will the other peaks think of us? Regardless of whether she’s responsible, we should bring her back—even as a servant—rather than leaving her to die in Wanqing Mountain.”

Her expression was one of false compassion, her eyes brimming with pity.

“You’re too kind, Junior Sister. Even after all the harm Li Qingran caused you, you still speak up for her. Zhang Hanxiao should’ve ended her back then!” Lu Changtian said through gritted teeth, but he took Mu Baishuang’s words to heart.

If Song Jiaojiao had died accidentally, he would simply send Li Qingran away from Wanqing Mountain, far from Qingyun Sect.

But if Song Jiaojiao had indeed been killed by Li Qingran—whether by some newfound opportunity or possession by a demonic sect—she would become a ticking time bomb. Better to keep her under observation than to let her explode unchecked.

That said, he believed the former was more likely. Aside from possession or defecting to the demonic sect, he couldn’t think of any other way a crippled cultivator could defeat a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator.

His master had once said that only the Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill could restore a shattered dantian.

That ancient divine medicine? No way Li Qingran could’ve gotten her hands on something like that.

“Don’t worry, Junior Sister. I’ll report this to Master and make sure you’re satisfied with the outcome,” Lu Changtian said, stroking Mu Baishuang’s head with a gentle smile. “Song Jiaojiao won’t have died in vain. If Li Qingran didn’t kill her, we’ll bring her back to Chixiao Peak. After all, Chixiao Peak can afford to support one mortal.” Ŕà₦ỐBĘS̩

“You’re the best, Brother Changtian!” Mu Baishuang replied, her smile sweet, though a flicker of cunning shone in her eyes.

Lu Changtian reported the mysterious circumstances of Song Jiaojiao’s death and his suspicions about Li Qingran to the sect.

Qingyun Sect’s Sect Master, Wu Duantian, took the matter seriously. He punished Yang Botao by sentencing him to six months of reflection at Thunderclap Cliff and stripping him of all resource allocations for a month. Additionally, Wu Duantian appointed Lu Changtian to lead a team of Discipline Hall disciples to investigate Wanqing Mountain.

Before their departure, the sect gathered at the Discipline Hall, where Wu Duantian sternly reminded them, “If you encounter anyone from the demonic sect, do not act rashly. Demonic cultivators are cunning, and the strength they show might be a deliberate deception. Lu Changtian, your top priority is to report back using the communication jade slip.”

“Rest assured, Sect Master. I will act with caution,” Lu Changtian said, bowing respectfully. He then turned to seek instructions from Qingxuan Daoist, the Peak Master of Chixiao Peak.

Qingxuan Daoist stroked his beard, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve always been prudent in your actions. I have nothing more to say. Go forth.”

Hearing this, Lu Changtian drew his sword with a flourish, his suave gesture sending many female disciples swooning.

As the team prepared to take flight, a sudden clap of thunder roared through the sky.

Boom!

The once-clear heavens above Cangyun Realm darkened as blood-red lightning flashed within the thick, ominous clouds.

A terrifying aura swept across the land, suffused with an overwhelming pressure.

Lu Changtian’s mind went blank as the pressure struck, causing him to topple off his sword mid-step.

The disciples of Qingyun Sect looked up at the sky, their faces pale with fear. Even Sect Master Wu Duantian and the peak elders wore grave expressions.

“What’s been going on these past few days? Why does someone attempt heavenly divination every afternoon?”

Heavenly divination was a last resort for powerful cultivators facing insurmountable challenges. However, not just anyone could perform such divination—it required both mastery of a specific technique and immense cultivation. Furthermore, it was highly taxing, depleting the cultivator’s vitality and potentially damaging their fate and fortune.

Normally, even a single divination per year would be considered excessive.

But one per day? That was unheard of.

Could it be related to the divine pill that appeared in Wanqing Mountain yesterday?

“This realm is becoming harder to fathom,” Wu Duantian muttered, sighing heavily.

For all their power, even Nascent Soul cultivators were mere ants beneath the tides of destiny.

If those capable of daily heavenly divination were struggling to find answers, how could lesser cultivators hope to survive the dangers ahead?

“Lu Changtian, to be safe, take the Discipline Hall disciples and travel on foot,” Wu Duantian ordered, turning his gaze away from the darkened sky. “If there are demonic cultivators lurking, they won’t act recklessly amidst such divine scrutiny. Whether you arrive sooner or later, it won’t make much difference. Keep a low profile.”

“Yes, Sect Master,” Lu Changtian replied grimly, clenching his fists as he glanced at the foreboding sky.

One day, I will also become one of those mighty figures.

For now, the slightest disturbance in the heavens rendered weaker cultivators too afraid to even fly on their swords.

“Are you some kind of AI?”

At his bathroom door, Chen Huai’an, now dressed in his pajamas, furiously tapped on his phone.

【Heavenly Divination in Progress… Divination Failed. Please try a different question.】

“When does one plus one equal three?”

【Divination in Progress… One plus one equals two. Please try a different question.】

“There are ten birds on a tree. You shoot one. How many are left?”

【Divination in Progres… One is dead on the ground. None remain on the tree. Try… a… different… question.】

“Haha, this is fun.”

“But there’s definitely a GM behind this,” Chen Huai’an mused, rubbing his chin.

If the AI couldn’t answer riddles that would stump most programs, then there must be a real person pulling the strings.

In that case…

“Can I get a developer’s account? I’ll write detailed reports for you daily and won’t complain about spending money anymore. Oh, by the way, I’ve mastered acupuncture now. It’s unbelievable, like learning kung fu through tai chi exercises. My skills are practically miraculous. If you ever need someone to reattach a limb, I’ll do it for free.”

As soon as he sent the message, the game window closed automatically.

“Tch, stubborn,” Chen Huai’an muttered.

When the developers eventually came begging for his help, they better not regret it.

“How to restore a Spiritual Root,” he typed, opening the divination again.

Li Qingran was still absorbing the Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill. As an ancient divine medicine, it would take time to fully integrate its effects.

Chen Huai’an had nothing better to do, so he decided to bother the divination system again.

Li Qingran had two major issues: her dantian and her spiritual root.

While the dantian problem was solved, the spiritual root still lacked a solution.

【Heavenly Divination Complete!】

【Spiritual roots cannot be repaired but can be artificially implanted! The cultivation stage mission has captured a sliver of heavenly fate for you. For just 12,888¥, enjoy a tenfold rebate! Achieve great rewards at each milestone: Qi Refinement Perfection, Foundation Establishment Mid-stage, Late-stage, and Perfection. Reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection will grant a superior mystical spiritual root!】

【Activate the “Mid Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment Perfection” stage mission?】

Chen Huai’an: “…”

“Screw your mission!”

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