Chapter 4573 — Cultivation Knows No Years

"Me? Anywhere else, I'd at most absorb the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth and make it my own—but here there's another way: I can use the Five Elements killing qi above to temper my body. The results are far better that way. However..." Wei Zhao shook his head with a touch of regret.

"However what?" the Five-Bane Dragon asked, puzzled.

"To make use of the Five Elements killing qi, I have to stand up on the high platform to cultivate. But up there I can only reach the lowest, weakest layer of that qi—which doesn't do much for me anymore. If I could move a little closer to the middle layer and touch that stronger killing qi, the results ought to be far better. It's just a pity that if I have the spiritual bird carry me up, I have no way to protect it while I cultivate." Wei Zhao shook his head helplessly.

"That's easy! Your spiritual bird can't withstand the Five Elements killing qi, but I can. So what if I just carry you up there to cultivate?" The Five-Bane Dragon laughed heartily at the suggestion.

"Right!" Wei Zhao's eyes lit up at once. He had forgotten that this creature could fly too, and what was more, the Five Elements killing qi posed no threat to it—it was the killing qi that had to fear it. If the Five-Bane Dragon was willing to help, so much the better. Still, Wei Zhao hesitated. "But won't that delay your own cultivation?"

"Cultivation, my ass! I told you, for me sleeping is cultivating. I've just slept a whole year and more—I've got to wake up and stretch my legs a bit." The Five-Bane Dragon curled its lip.

That said, the Five-Bane Dragon used some divine ability or other, and before Wei Zhao could protest he was sucked onto its broad back. Then it leapt up into the Five-Venom Swamp overhead and hovered a little above the lowest layer, letting Wei Zhao cultivate there.

Just as Wei Zhao had expected, the Five Elements killing qi here was not only stronger but greater in quantity, and it immediately brought him back to the state he had known at the very start of his cultivation. Almost every moment, delighted changes were taking place within his body, and his progress once again advanced a thousand li a day, filling Wei Zhao with excitement.

In cultivation there is no telling the passage of years. In the blink of an eye another three months had gone by—and by now the deadline for returning to North Island to report had been thoroughly exceeded.

North Island, Azure Cloud Pavilion. Wei Zhao's dwelling.

Though neither Wei Zhao nor Huang Xiaotao was there, the courtyard was anything but cold and quiet—it was, if anything, a hubbub of voices. Lu Bianren, Ku Zhongle, Xiao Che, Qiao Hongcai, and Li Zhengming were all seated in a circle, and apart from Shangguan Lan'er, the junior martial sister of special status, the entire Wei Zhao faction had turned out, a full gathering of the clan.

Never mind that Wei Zhao had joined the Tri-Layer Pavilion not long ago and seemed never to have deliberately built up a power base—the people gathered around him had by now become a force not to be taken lightly.

Lu Bianren needed no explaining: he was a figure of long standing in the Azure Cloud Pavilion. Ku Zhongle had long since become one of the three pavilion masters of the Welcome Pavilion, with Xiao Che as his assistant, so that the Azure Cloud Pavilion's newcomers were entirely in their two hands—the moment anyone joined the pavilion, they were naturally branded as belonging to Wei Zhao's faction. And with their outstanding strength and foundations, Li Zhengming and Qiao Hongcai had gradually broken new ground among the Azure Cloud Pavilion's outer disciples and were now firmly established.

Wei Zhao's faction was thriving now, and every so often the group would gather in Wei Zhao's courtyard on a regular basis, looking out for one another and strengthening their ties.

Yet in stark contrast to this flourishing state, the people seated in the circle now all wore furrowed brows. For a long while no one spoke, and the atmosphere was exceedingly gloomy.

"I say, why hasn't Boss Wei Zhao come back yet? Could he have run into some trouble over there?" Qiao Hongcai was finally the first to break the silence, the anxiety plain on his face. Ordinarily, with his hot-blooded nature, no matter how great the matter he would not have been like this—but this concerned Wei Zhao, and it was not only him; everyone present could hardly conceal their worry.

"That's right. It's been over half a year since you parted ways with Junior Brother Lin, Senior Brother Lu. Even if he was hunting down the demonic cultivator Wu Baoliang, the matter should have come to light and been settled by now. How could there be not a word of news? With Junior Brother Lin's strength, surely he wouldn't be no match for Wu Baoliang?" the long-suffering senior brother chimed in, his brow knitted with worry.

"Even if he were no match, with Boss Wei Zhao's ability he'd have no trouble protecting himself. He's not the sort to charge in and throw his life away knowing he can't win!" Xiao Che declared with certainty, his absolute confidence in Wei Zhao unshaken. He refused to believe that Wei Zhao could die at the hands of a demonic cultivator like Wu Baoliang.

"With Boss Wei Zhao's strength, a single Wu Baoliang shouldn't be cause for concern. What worries me is that he's a stranger in those parts. If hunting Wu Baoliang dragged him into other disputes, or even got him burned in the process, then it's hard to say." Li Zhengming's voice was low.

"On that point you can all set your minds at ease. The demonic cultivator Wu Baoliang has already died at Junior Brother Lin's hands—that's common knowledge throughout the South Continent sea region." Lu Bianren comforted them.

"Is that true?" Everyone perked up at once, their burning gazes all turning to Lu Bianren.

"Absolutely true. A while back I asked Pavilion Master Yu to use the Tri-Layer Pavilion's internal channels to have someone look into the South Continent sea region. They had held a grand gathering of the South Continent Escort Bureau there, and it was at that very assembly that Junior Brother Lin publicly struck Wu Baoliang dead. Of that there is no doubt. It's only..." Lu Bianren trailed off, seemingly reluctant to go on.

"Only what? Senior Brother Lu, out with it!" Before they could even breathe a sigh of relief, everyone's hearts clenched and they pressed him anxiously.

"Kill the small one, and out comes the old one. They say that the very next day after Wu Baoliang was killed, Wu Baoliang's master, the West Mountain Old Sect, suddenly descended upon the assembly and named Junior Brother Lin as the one he would kill to avenge his disciple. And that's an Earth-Opening stage demonic cultivation overlord!" Lu Bianren's face was grim.

"Earth-Opening stage?" The long-suffering senior brother and the others all looked blank at this. Earth-Opening stage—they had not even heard of the Profound Ascension stage. Strength determined one's horizons, and after all, they were only Foundation Establishment cultivators at present.

"Above the Nascent Soul stage is the Profound Ascension stage, and above the Profound Ascension stage is the Earth-Opening stage. An existence of that caliber can dominate an entire region with no suspense at all. If such a one were placed in our North Island Azure Cloud Pavilion, even if not the foremost figure, they'd be about as close as it gets..." Lu Bianren sighed and enlightened the group.

Hiss! Everyone drew a sharp breath in unison, exchanging looks of dread. However confident they might be in Wei Zhao's strength, if his opponent was such a terrifying existence, how could Wei Zhao possibly escape? The gulf in strength between them was far too vast—there was not the slightest glimpse of any chance he could get away! (Dear reader friends, happy Dragon Boat Festival!) (To be continued..) R527