Chapter 134: The Earth-Shattering Conspiracy

Ge Qian smiled faintly and said, “Brother Liu, no need to be so modest. We both come from humble beginnings and should look out for each other. With your talent, I imagine you have already mastered the ‘Whirlwind Great Shift,’ haven’t you?”

Liu Qian returned a grateful smile and said, “Benefactor, please don’t call me Brother Liu anymore. We are about the same age, so may I boldly call you big brother?”

“That’s even better—I gain a good little sister. Don’t be so formal; just call me Ge Qian. ‘Benefactor’ sounds awkward and distant. Friends should treat each other sincerely, that’s what matters most,” Ge Qian said earnestly.

Liu Qian nodded in agreement, then turned to Liu Jie and said, “Keep watch outside and make sure no one from the Beast Taming Sect discovers the connection between Brother Ge and me. We mustn’t jeopardize the grand plan.”

Liu Jie agreed and disappeared from the room, taking a seat by the window outside. He ordered a pot of spirit tea and quietly scanned the area below with his spiritual sense.

Liu Qian moved to pour tea for Ge Qian, but he stopped her, saying, “We must be cautious here on the Beast Taming Sect’s turf.”

Liu Qian smiled gently and replied, “Brother Ge, the ‘Whirlwind Great Shift’ you gave me—I have dismantled, reassembled, studied, and deeply comprehended it. Combining it with my knowledge of array formations, I have created an improved version called the ‘Composite Whirlwind Great Shift.’ My brother and I can perform it simultaneously, merging our forces. Its power doubles in both speed and distance compared to the original.”

Ge Qian’s eyes lit up in admiration. Liu Qian truly was a prodigy in array formations. With such a technique and combined with the strength of the Six Paths King, they might defy the heavens themselves. “Excellent! Sister Liu, you are indeed a genius of formations. Just for this, you deserve my utmost respect. How many people can perform this technique at once?”

Liu Qian blushed slightly, as if intoxicated by the praise, looking both endearing and lovable. She whispered, “Not at all. Based on my estimations and current capabilities, I believe one thousand is the upper limit.”

One thousand. Ge Qian inhaled sharply. To him, even ten was considered a limit. One thousand meant that, if wielded properly, they could save a thousand lives. Now that he had entered the system of the Heavenly Star Sect, he was destined to dedicate himself fully to the sect, enduring hardships and always putting it first.

Overcome with joy, Ge Qian grasped Liu Qian’s hand tightly and said, “On behalf of the one thousand disciples of the Heavenly Star Sect, I thank you, Sister Liu. You are truly my savior.”

Liu Qian’s face flushed, spreading from her cheeks to her neck, her palms sweaty, and her heart pounding wildly. She said, “We’re family—there’s no need for formalities.”

She almost blurted out, “I’m your person.”

Ge Qian felt he had been somewhat unrestrained and loosened his grip, saying, “Sister Liu, you must also protect yourself. Don’t act rashly. I often use ‘Fate Bound for Three Lifetimes’ to communicate with you.”

Liu Qian shyly withdrew her hand and said, “I have more to tell you. The mastermind behind the Beast Taming Sect is the Lich King of Ten Thousand Demons Mountain. He intends to build altars at various strongholds across the entire Black Tortoise Continent. These are cross-dimensional teleportation arrays that allow him to monitor the entire continent and instantly strike any target with his magic. His ambition is unimaginable.”

Ge Qian’s mind raced. If the Lich King sought to control the continent, there was no need for such complicated schemes—he could simply conquer territory step by step. There must be a tremendous conspiracy at play.

He pictured the entire Black Tortoise Continent covered with altars and recalled the altar in the Red Fiend Desert, where all the demon cultivators were sacrificed, their essences absorbed to bolster the Lich King’s magical power.

A chill ran down his spine. If the entire continent were sacrificed, the Lich King’s magic would be powerful enough to shatter the void and pierce the barriers between the Mortal Realm and the Spirit Realm.

Ge Qian nodded solemnly, confirming the Lich King’s transgressive conspiracy: to sacrifice all living beings on the continent in order to breach the passage between the Mortal and Spirit Realms and ascend to immortality.

“I understand now. The Lich King’s scheme is to sacrifice the continent’s living souls to break through the Mortal and Spirit Realms’ boundary. Such an atrocity, abhorrent to both gods and men, committed for his selfish desires. For ourselves and all living beings, I cannot stand idly by. We must find a way to thwart his plot.”

Liu Qian gasped, eyes filled with anger and fear. “The Lich King is truly despicable. Such vile acts… but we are only small Foundation Establishment cultivators. How can we possibly stop him? It’s like an egg striking a rock.”

Ge Qian’s eyes darted around quickly. “A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant nest. Then let us be the ants—strike him with a hidden attack, undermining his efforts at the root.”

Liu Qian looked somewhat puzzled. “The chief in charge of constructing the altars, Grand Cultivator Li Qing, admires my array formation talent greatly and wants to take me as his disciple. What should I do?”

“From the very beginning, Liu Xixi had her eyes on your talents. She went to great lengths to rescue you from the Heavenly Confucian Sect. You are already caught in the web of this conspiracy. No matter where you go, you cannot escape the clutches of the Demon Cultivation stage. I think you should use their plans against them. Play along, bide your time, then strike hard, letting them reap the consequences of their own actions. Work diligently to gain their trust and improve your strength. When they build the altars, put your heart into it. Collect the aura of each altar; I will use ‘Fate Bound for Three Lifetimes’ to gather them. In the end, I will make the Lich King suffer from his own altars, causing his downfall. Then I will take you all to a place beyond his reach,” Ge Qian explained.

Liu Qian exhaled deeply. “Brother Ge, whether it’s a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair, your little sister will face it with you. Even if it’s hell itself, I would leap without hesitation.”

Ge Qian’s eyes gleamed sharply. “Someone’s coming. I have to leave now.”

Liu Qian grabbed Ge Qian’s robe, threw herself into his arms, and slipped a jade slip into his clothes. She pressed a deep kiss upon his face. Though it lasted only a moment, it felt like a hundred years had passed.

Ge Qian was profoundly moved but had no time to savor this warm moment. He formed hand seals and cast ‘Hidden Passage,’ vanishing from the room without a trace, leaving it empty and silent.

A satisfied smile crept across Liu Qian’s lips as she sat back on the orchidwood chair and lifted her teacup. Her beautiful eyes fixed on the tea as if Ge Qian were swimming within the cup.

At that moment, the door silently opened. A tall, slender woman entered, her beauty stunning. Her skin was dark, and she wore only a beast-skin vest on her upper body, a knee-length leather skirt below, long leather boots accentuating her wild allure.

Her eyes glowed blood red, and she was at the early stage of Condensation Core cultivation. Her fierce spiritual sense swept the room repeatedly as she said, “It makes no sense. I clearly sensed a familiar aura here, but now it’s gone.”

Liu Qian hurried to her feet. “Elder Liu, why have you come? Please, have a seat. The spirit tea here tastes truly excellent. The familiar aura—isn’t it me? You rescued me from the small dojo; you are my benefactor. Of course you would recognize my aura.”

The visitor was none other than Liu Xixi. In truth, she had long reached the Condensation Core stage. The one who entered the small dojo was merely her puppet clone, infused with a fragment of her primordial spirit. She knew everything that happened inside as if it were her own.