Chapter 121: The Mighty Tiger Sect

Ge Qian nodded and said, “Fellow cultivator, enduring humiliation and hardship, clinging to life only to exact vengeance upon your enemies—I truly admire your resolve. Moreover, you have saved both our lives. As long as I can be of help, I will never refuse.”

The sinister spirit continued, “I ask you to journey to the Kingdom of Fushun. Seek out Master Qi Yun of the Feng Wu Sect, who is the mentor of Chi Yue. There, you will find her. Deliver this half of the jade pendant to him, and tell him that I, Chi Li, have betrayed the one I left behind and have repaid my debt with my life. I hope she can forgive me. This pendant is the token of our bond.”

“I have a token hidden in my storage pouch that conceals a great secret. You must keep it safe—it is my reward to you.”

With that, Chi Li’s spirit dissipated. The jade pendant slipped from his grasp, but Ge Qian caught it and stowed it away in his storage pouch.

Cradling Ye Yu in his arms, Ge Qian said, “We should leave. This place of conflict is no place to linger. Let Chi Xuan rage on in his anger.”

With a thought, countless sinister winds erupted from the ground, spinning rapidly, about to vanish into the void.

Suddenly, a gaunt elder in the late Foundation Establishment stage appeared before them. He murmured, “Such a clever teleportation technique—no external aids, and a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator can perform it. Impressive indeed.”

Raising his hand, he pressed down. The fierce winds abruptly ceased and shattered. The violent backlash forced Ge Qian to spit blood as he fell from the sky.

Alarmed, Ge Qian clutched Ye Yu tightly. Behind him, a pair of ethereal wings inscribed with runes flashed with thunderlight, unfurling as he gradually descended to the ground.

He did not flee, knowing escape was impossible before the elder. With a solemn expression, he said, “Esteemed elder, your divine abilities are vast. Why trouble a junior at the Foundation Establishment stage? Such conduct hardly befits your stature.”

The elder laughed heartily. “From the start, I sensed your exceptional nature—you knew I am no ordinary cultivator. To be frank, I am a mid-Practitioner of Spirit Refinement, hailing from the White Tiger Continent. I do not mean to trouble you; I have come to claim your beloved. This is a grand destiny—I intend to take her as my disciple, for she possesses the rare Heavenly Calamity Demon Body. This physique is perfect for cultivating my sect’s signature art, the White Tiger True Steel. In a thousand years, our Wei Hu Sect will have another Spirit Refinement cultivator, enough to dominate the White Tiger Continent. Are you willing?”

Ye Yu frowned upon hearing this. It was indeed a momentous fate. Being accepted as a disciple by a Spirit Refinement cultivator is the dream of every cultivator.

Had this been before, she would have accepted without hesitation. But after enduring such trials and sharing life and death with Ge Qian, a deep attachment had grown within her.

Moreover, Ge Qian’s constant care and their frequent mistaken appearance as lovers had stirred a small joy in her heart.

Respectfully, she said, “Thank you for your kindness, venerable elder. As I hail from the Xuanwu Continent, I am reluctant to leave my homeland for another. I hope you will grant me some time to consider.”

The elder’s thin face darkened slightly. Looking at Ge Qian, he said, “There is no time for consideration. I have urgent matters on the Xuanwu Continent. If you agree, come with me. If not, I will kill this boy first, and you will still come with me. The Wei Hu Sect cannot afford to lose a talent like you.”

With that, a crushing pressure slammed Ge Qian into the ground, rendering him immobile. He felt as if burdened by a towering mountain, utterly powerless to resist. If the elder intensified his pressure even slightly, death would be certain.

He bitterly smiled to himself. Weak as he was, he would always be bullied wherever he went. His life was not his own; the stronger could take it at will.

He silently vowed to become stronger, to trample those who sought to oppress him beneath his feet.

The elder was Qiao Qian, the Grand Elder of the Wei Hu Sect, holding great authority. Among the sect’s four Spirit Refinement cultivators, he ranked second.

Years ago, the sect’s supreme ancestor, Gai Jiu Xiao, had reached the peak of late Spirit Refinement but could not progress further. The path to ascension had collapsed, making it impossible to advance to the Void Transformation stage.

Desperate, he combined his spirit with the legendary Heaven-reaching Spirit Weapon, the Tiger Might Spear, to break space and ascend directly to the Spiritual Realm.

However, the spatial force proved too violent. The spear shattered into three parts: the shaft fell to the Wei Hu Sect, the tip to the Red Fiend Desert on the Xuanwu Continent, and the spearhead to the Chaos Ancient Land.

Without the spear and the supreme ancestor, the Wei Hu Sect’s strength sharply declined, threatening its position as the top sect on the White Tiger Continent.

The sect’s four Spirit Refinement cultivators devised a grand plan to restore the spear and revive the sect’s former glory, incorporating rare talents and treasures, all exceedingly rare. After centuries of refinement, the spear’s shaft was finally repaired.

Once the tip was retrieved and rejoined with the shaft, and the spearhead summoned from the Chaos Ancient Land, the task would be complete.

The Tiger Might Spear would reappear, its might shaking the four directions and eight wildernesses.

Thus, Qiao Qian disguised himself as a Foundation Establishment cultivator to enter the Red Fiend Desert to retrieve the spear tip. Unexpectedly, he encountered a rare Heavenly Calamity Demon Body, which thrilled him. He was determined to bring her back by any means.

Seeing Ge Qian crushed beneath the elder’s pressure, Ye Yu’s heart was torn. She cried out, “Elder, please release Ge Qian. I will go with you.”

Qiao Qian smiled faintly, withdrawing his pressure. “This method may be old, but it never fails. Very well, come with me. I will not mistreat your beloved. Here is the Seven Orifices Pill, an exclusive elixir of the Wei Hu Sect. Taking it greatly increases the chance of forming a Core.”

He tossed it over.

Ge Qian stood, straightened his clothes, and caught the pill. It was thumb-sized, emitting a sharp scent. Its spiritual power revealed it to be of the highest quality.

Turning it over, he said, “Thank you for your gift, elder. However, I will not take this pill. It is for Ye Yu’s younger brother. I only hope you will nurture Ye Yu well. If you harbor other intentions, once I reach the Spirit Refinement stage, I will crush the Wei Hu Sect beneath my feet.”

Qiao Qian was clearly taken aback but then laughed heartily. “Interesting. You are the first I have met who dares speak to me this way. Bold indeed—ambitious to reach Spirit Refinement before even forming a Core. I like that. Very well, I will protect you and take the spear tip. We must depart soon, as the continental rules restrict me from using my full power here.”

“When the teleportation array is fully restored, I will take you away. But not now. When Ye Yu advances to Spirit Refinement, I will return to see what level you have reached.”

He opened his palm, revealing a dark, sinister spirit core pulsating with malevolent energy. Embedded within was a jet-black eye, eerie beyond description.

It was Chi Xuan, who had escaped. His spirit roared wildly, “I don’t care who you are. Release me at once, or the Lich King will not spare you. Truth be told, I was sent here to monitor the Red Fiend monster. Understand?”

Qiao Qian ignored him, summoning a blaze of sinister flame to envelop the core, beginning his ritual.

With a dreadful scream, Chi Xuan’s spirit dissolved into a wisp of blue smoke, utterly dead. Yet from within erupted a terrifying pressure.

A formidable human face appeared, saying, “Who dares to refine my pawn? This Heavenly Calamity Demon Eye is the Lich King’s treasure. Be wise and leave, or I will turn you into a demon ghost.”

Qiao Qian paid no heed, releasing a small black firebird the size of a fist. It danced around the face, swiftly burning it to ashes.