114: Chapter 114: Recognized?

"This is the true foundation of the Xuanbing Secret Realm." Li Qing couldn't help but exclaim.

Compared to the scattered Spirit Medicine on the periphery, this was truly a paradise for Spirit Medicine.

The frequency of mysterious ice flowers appearing here was more than ten times higher than outside.

In the crevices of the ice cliffs by the roadside, one could see stalks of pure white mysterious ice flowers, their petals glistening with crystal-clear dew, growing openly.

On some small mounds half-covered by snow, one could dig up clusters of three or five growing together.

But this treasure clearly wasn't for just anyone to take.

Just as Li Qing walked to a relatively flat Ice Platform, he felt several clear perceptions.

There were at least seven or eight groups of people here, all staring at a few clusters of mysterious ice flowers growing together.

He quietly concealed his figure, hiding behind a giant ice sculpture, and poked half his head out to observe.

Looking out, standing at the very front was a group of Disciples wearing uniform yellow Daoist robes, with bronze tokens hanging from their waists.

Judging by the patterns on the tokens, they were from the Houtu Sect, one of Ten Great Sects.

They stood in a row, holding heavy earth-attribute Magical Artifacts, their eyes coldly fixed on the patch of mysterious ice flowers in front of them. If anyone dared to take a step closer, they would immediately receive a cold killing intent.

Beside them were a group of Green Wood Sect Disciples wearing green robes with lotus patterns embroidered on their cuffs.

They weren't as aggressive, but each person held a Spell seal in their hands, manipulating the surrounding wind and snow to form invisible barriers. If anyone dared to sneak in to pick a flower, they would immediately be pierced through the shoulder by a wood blade.

There were also those from the Golden Light Sect, each holding a Flying Sword, their eyes sharper than knives, specifically watching the lone Loose Cultivators, making people feel uneasy.

As for the Disciples representing Families and Loose Cultivators? They were pitifully few.

Occasionally, one or two could be seen huddled in a corner, eyes vigilantly scanning their surroundings. If they made even the slightest movement, they would immediately be targeted by the large Sect groups, scaring them into quickly shrinking back.

Li Qing thought to himself: It seems this core area is the domain of Ten Great Sects. Loose Cultivators and Family Disciples are just here to pick up scraps.

As he was watching, he suddenly felt a gaze full of pressure lock directly onto the ice sculpture where he was hiding.

It came from the Houtu Sect's group.

A burly man with a fierce face suddenly turned his head, his gaze like a torch staring at the direction of the ice sculpture. Immediately after, a feminine-looking young man beside him also looked over.

This young man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing heavy earth-yellow battle armor, with the Houtu Sect emblem embroidered on his chest.

He stared at the ice sculpture for a few seconds, suddenly his pupils constricted, and a ferocious sneer appeared on his face.

"It's him!"

The young man's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly spread across the surrounding dozens of meters.

"That Loose Cultivator who killed Deacon Han Pei, the Sect's wanted criminal—Li Qing!"

Once these words were spoken, the previously quiet Ice Platform instantly exploded into chaos.

Disciples from the various major Sects turned their heads to look in the direction of the ice sculpture, their eyes filled with surprise and excitement.

Others might not know Li Qing's name, but for the Houtu Sect, it was famous.

At Qi Refining Stage 7, he had killed the Qi Refining Perfection Deacon Han Pei.

Although he had used some methods, it had truly shocked many Houtu Sect Disciples.

The group of Houtu Sect Disciples instantly became restless; a wanted criminal appearing in the Xuanbing Secret Realm was truly surprising.

The burly man stepped forward first, stomping his mountain-opening axe onto the snow. With a "boom," the surrounding snow instantly shook off, revealing the hard ice surface.

He roared at the ice sculpture:

"Li Qing! You wanted criminal actually dare to appear here?"

Li Qing's heart sank slightly.

He hadn't expected to be so unlucky as to be recognized by the Houtu Sect as soon as he entered the core area.

It was his own fault for forgetting to disguise himself.

It seemed the Houtu Sect had truly engraved his portrait and features into their bones.

However, Li Qing didn't panic.

He slowly walked out from behind the ice sculpture, brushed the snow off his body, his face without a trace of panic, instead revealing a faint smile.

"The people of the Houtu Sect have good memories."

Li Qing's voice was calm.

"However, just by relying on you people, you want to catch me? I'm afraid that's not enough."

The Houtu Sect youth was so angry at his attitude that his face turned iron-blue. He waved his Flying Sword, and an earth-yellow aura blasted towards the ice surface at Li Qing's feet:

"Stubborn! Shatter!"

"Boom!"

A huge noise exploded, and the ice surface instantly shattered into countless fragments, flying everywhere.

But Li Qing's figure, at the moment the fragments flew, disappeared from his original spot like a ghost.

"Where is he?!"

The burly man widened his eyes, looking around, but couldn't find a trace of Li Qing anywhere.

Just then, a cold voice sounded behind the youth:

"Right here."

The youth turned around abruptly, just in time to meet Li Qing's eyes filled with lightning.

Li Qing had already teleported behind him, raised his hand, and swung. The Golden Blade Slash, carrying a whistling wind, slashed directly at the youth's back neck!

"Careful!"

The burly man roared, his mountain-opening axe sweeping across, forcefully blocking the Golden Blade Slash.

"Clang!"

The Golden Blade Slash was deflected by the mountain-opening axe, sparking a string of fire.

The youth was also scared, Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, lunging forward to dodge the fatal blow, and turned back to glare viciously at Li Qing:

"Such fast speed! Your cultivation..."

The youth shouted in shock. When he killed Deacon Han Pei, wasn't he at Qi Refining Stage 7? How, after more than three years, was Li Qing already at Qi Refining Perfection?

And his spiritual power depth was even stronger than his own?

"Surprised?"

Li Qing sneered, the Earth Spirit Shield under his feet instantly activated, and he rushed up like a cannonball.

"Go ask the King of Hell."

A great battle instantly erupted.

Li Qing was alone, facing seven or eight elite Disciples of the Houtu Sect, and not only did he not retreat, but he took the initiative to attack.

He first used the Golden Blade Slash to split the burly man's mountain-opening axe, and immediately after, the Soul-Devouring Needle shot out silently, aiming straight for the glabella of a Houtu Sect Disciple who was preparing to cast an earth-attribute Spell.

That Disciple didn't even have time to scream before his Divine Soul was completely destroyed, and he fell into the snow, lifeless.

"Despicable! Using underhanded methods!"

The Houtu Sect youth yelled in anger, and his Flying Sword began a frantic bombardment towards Li Qing.

The Disciples of other Sects watching were stunned.

They had originally thought Li Qing was a sheep entering a tiger's den, doomed to die.

But they didn't expect the situation to be completely reversed.

This wasn't the Houtu Sect's territory, and Li Qing was going all out this time.

He activated Talismans in his hand as if they were free, fighting seven people at once, not only not falling into a disadvantage but actually suppressing the Houtu Sect people.

"Is this Li Qing's strength too terrifying?"

"Qi Refining Perfection? This combat power is simply a Prodigy!"

"Run! Don't get caught in the crossfire!"

Disciples from various major Sects retreated one after another, fearing they would be drawn into the battle.