Not Sure Whether to Praise or Criticize

The secret realm of Jiaxi Town is actually connected to the small stream that winds through the town.

Following the stream and passing through a slightly treacherous section, one would come across a rather large underground pool.

This is the source of Jiaxi Town's stream, and the secret realm lies hidden deep within the pool.

Strictly speaking, Jiaxi Town isn’t exactly a favorable location. For hundreds of miles around, this is the only relatively flat area, surrounded by mountains on all sides or bordered by a sizable river.

The place is somewhat isolated, with few roads leading outward. Leaving requires traversing long stretches of rough paths.

Li Xingtian had a preliminary theory—the villagers of Jiaxi Town might be tomb guardians left behind by a Great Ascension mighty one.

After all, the burial sites of such figures weren’t just deeply concealed; they often had other safeguards—such as appointing watchers.

Otherwise, it would be nearly impossible to explain why the villagers were so devoted to protecting this stream.

Yet, as time passed and landscapes shifted, something must have happened in Jiaxi Town, causing all knowledge of its origins to fade.

Only one ancient tradition remained—the duty to guard the stream.

Xu Linglong took the lead, moving ahead without hesitation.

Li Xingtian followed cautiously behind the demoness.

His master had set up an extensive encirclement, divided into inner and outer layers. The outer layers were positioned outside Jiaxi Town, while the inner ones would tighten only after Xu Linglong entered the secret realm.

The further Xu Linglong ventured, the more layers of the trap would close around her.

The Tianyan Sect had deployed skilled formation masters for this operation, with the weakest being mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivators and no shortage of Unity Realm experts. Their formations amplified their strength tenfold, making escape nearly impossible.

Adding to this, his master and Daoist Yuyang were both part of the ambush.

With such a lineup, they could easily annihilate even some of the lesser sects of the Central Continent. Li Xingtian had no idea how his master had convinced the Haotian Sect to cooperate.

As for this insignificant demoness? She wouldn’t stand a chance.

Back then, he had trusted her completely—only to be met with the chilling indifference in her eyes as she turned against him, a nightmare that still haunted him.

Old grudges and new grievances—today, they would all be settled.

Xu Linglong glanced at Li Xingtian with slight confusion.

"Why are you so quiet today? Walking all this way without a single word—like a block of wood?"

Li Xingtian replied calmly, "We’re merely passing acquaintances. What is there to say?"

"Ugh, I can never get along with you sect-raised cultivators," Xu Linglong huffed in displeasure. "Haven’t you heard the saying—rely on family at home, but friends outside?"

"With that attitude, you’ll suffer sooner or later. Maybe then you’ll remember my well-meaning advice."

Li Xingtian’s expression remained unchanged. "Let’s hope I live long enough to thank you in person."

Xu Linglong shot him a sidelong glance at those words.

Li Xingtian met her gaze calmly, as if asking, What are you looking at?

With a displeased snort, Xu Linglong stopped and turned her attention to the still waters of the pool. Without hesitation, she stepped in.

Moments later, a faint ripple of spiritual energy emanated from the depths.

Li Xingtian paused as well, sensing the fluctuation, his eyes eerily composed.

He glanced westward and gave a slight nod—a signal to prepare the formations—before following her in.

His master and Daoist Yuyang were already waiting inside the secret realm.

Within the secret realm, a gray hue dominated the landscape, dulling nearly everything in sight.

Faintly glowing ritual tracks could still be seen, pulsing weakly as they stretched outward, some even extending upward to the vaulted ceiling.

At the center and around it stood coiled-dragon formation bases.

The place exuded an air of desolation—a land forgotten by the world.

Li Xingtian stepped lightly onto the ground, his gaze settling on Xu Linglong, who stood motionless ahead.

She didn’t turn around, her voice tinged with melancholy.

"Do you know which mighty one rests here?"

"The spiritual energy here is faint, and the barrier was easy to breach. Whoever died has been gone for at least a thousand, if not two thousand years," Li Xingtian replied skeptically. "You know who it is?"

Xu Linglong walked forward, her hand reaching out to touch the central coiled-dragon formation base. Her voice was wistful.

"Buried here is the Cloud Radiance True Monarch—one of the greatest Great Ascension cultivators of her time."

"A legend of the past, now reduced to dust. Everything fades like a fleeting dream."

"The tales of reincarnation and rebirth seem nothing more than the desperate hopes of the dying."

"Two thousand six hundred years have passed. If rebirth were truly possible, this place wouldn’t be so lifeless."

Li Xingtian’s tone was indifferent.

"Personally, I think the concept of reincarnation is excellent. It should be regarded as universal truth, something everyone believes in."

Xu Linglong looked back, intrigued. "Oh? How so, Fellow Daoist Li?"

He answered matter-of-factly,

"If they didn’t believe in it, we’d have nothing to dig up. The more believers there are, the more treasures we can plunder."

Xu Linglong was momentarily speechless at his blunt pragmatism.

This man showed no curiosity about her nature, no desire for her peerless beauty—only greed for the simplest of things: spirit stones and valuables.

With a cold expression, she channeled spiritual energy into the coiled-dragon formation base.

"Get ready. We’re entering the real tomb. Plenty for you to dig up."

Under her infusion of energy, the formation base began to glow brilliantly. The coiled dragon seemed to come alive, letting out an ancient roar as the other formation bases lit up in response. A spatial fluctuation rippled through the air.

Xu Linglong remained composed. With someone like him, it was best to prove her worth first.

The sensation of spatial compression and fragmentation washed over her, but she easily resisted it with a slight wave of her hand.

The next moment, light flooded their surroundings.

Li Xingtian’s eyes focused ahead.

Four massive mountains stood in the positions of the Four Symbols, each emitting a thick surge of spiritual energy that converged toward the center, lifting an ancient dark iron coffin into the air.

Chains descended from the sky, binding the coffin tightly.

The moment Xu Linglong stepped inside, her calm demeanor sharpened into vigilance. A pure black dagger appeared in her grip as she scanned the area with unrestrained spiritual sense.

"Well, well. Quite alert, aren’t we? And your cultivation isn’t weak either—impressive that you noticed."

A teasing voice echoed from the distant coffin.

A man in white robes, his face hidden behind a monkey mask, observed Xu Linglong with amusement.

"Beautiful indeed. An unexpected delight."

Li Xingtian stayed silent, though his expression darkened slightly.

The words weren’t directed at him, yet they stung all the same.

His master’s remarks could be cutting.

Xu Linglong, her spiritual sense fully extended, noticed Li Xingtian’s shift in expression but assumed it was due to the looming threat.

Her gaze locked onto Chu Xingchen as she demanded coldly,

"Who are you?"

Behind his back, a slender embroidery needle materialized between Chu Xingchen’s fingers.

"Me? You’re at my gravesite, yet you ask who I am?"

Xu Linglong scoffed. "Playing the ghost, are we?"

Before her words fully faded, a terrifying pressure surged forth, accompanied by a flash of azure light.

Xu Linglong raised her black dagger, her spiritual energy swirling around her—at least at the Unity Realm level—and slashed toward the incoming azure streak.

Boom!

In the brief moment of their clash,

Xu Linglong's figure transformed into a streak of rainbow light, crashing violently into a nearby mountain peak. The terrifying force of the impact flattened the peak entirely.

Chu Xingchen raised his hand, sending that wisp of azure energy streaking toward Xu Linglong once more, while sneering:

"Was a casual strike really so hard to withstand?"

Xu Linglong's black blade twisted into a dark current, coiling around the azure energy. Through her divine sense, she noticed Li Xingtian's figure had already fled far into the distance.

For a moment, Xu Linglong wasn't sure whether to curse Li Xingtian for abandoning his ally so quickly,

or praise him for being considerate—not needing to be told to run before making his escape.