Silence reigned in the medicinal shop in Earth City.
The sapling shook a few times and realized that no one was paying attention to it. So, it curiously poked out its branches and peeked at the back room.
After waiting for a while, it realized that there was still no sound. It carefully pulled out its roots from the soil, as if it had finally found a chance to escape.
However, just as its roots were completely uprooted and it jumped out of the flower pot, preparing to leave quietly, a murderous aura instantly spread out from the beam.
The fish bone that the King Kong Sect's old ancestor had fused with appeared in front of the sapling, the bone tip pointing at its body.
The sapling shuddered and slowly crawled back into the flower pot. It put its roots back in the way it had been pulled out, then continued to shake as if it was trying to please the old ancestor.
The fish bone circled around it a few times, then returned to the beam in a flash.
"If I let this little thing escape, the malefic star will definitely vent his anger on me." The King Kong Sect's old ancestor sneered in his heart, then looked at the back room.
Because of the concealment, he couldn't sense the specifics. But with the vague connection between him and Xu Qing, he could vaguely sense that Xu Qing's aura was no longer in the back room.
And that was indeed the case.
There was no one in the back room. It wasn't consciousness that entered the crack in the mirror, but Xu Qing and Ling 'er's bodies.
This was also the magical part of the Inverse Moon Palace.
But the journey to this magical place didn't give Xu Qing a good feeling.
He felt that he had entered a narrow place that was full of pressure. Light shone all around him, turning into a wall of light that enveloped him.
This wall of light was curved and formed a circle. It was extremely hard, but at the same time, it also bound Xu Qing's body tightly. He couldn't move, as if he was stuck there.
The more he struggled, the stronger the binding became. It was as if he couldn't move forward, and could only retreat.
Xu Qing frowned. He didn't expect to appear in such a damned place after entering the crack.
"Could this be the third test?"
Xu Qing was deep in thought. He had studied the mirror some time ago and felt that there were three tests. He had figured out the details of the first two, but he didn't know anything about the third.
So, after pondering, Xu Qing tried to spread his consciousness. The process wasn't easy. The pressure from all directions didn't just bind his body, it also bound his senses.
Especially since the wall of light around him was so powerful that his consciousness couldn't penetrate it. But fortunately, it was still relatively smooth, so he tried to spread his consciousness forward bit by bit.
Finally, after continuous efforts, he gradually sensed where he was.
"A pipe?"
Xu Qing was stunned. With the help of his Divine Sense, he realized that he was in a long and thin tunnel.
As for where it ended, it was beyond the range of his Divine Sense, and was impossible to investigate. However, he could vaguely sense the vast ripples emanating from it, which led him to the Defiant Moon Palace.
"Interesting. It seems that this is indeed the third test. If you are unable to follow this path, you will not be qualified to enter the Inverse Moon Hall."
Xu Qing's eyes shone brightly. He had wanted to join the Rebellious Moon Hall in the beginning because Duanmu Zang had said that the people of the Rebellious Moon Hall had studied curses for generations. They had a deep understanding of curses.
Hence, Xu Qing planned to head there and obtain some information regarding the curse. After all, the research of a single person would ultimately be inferior to the research and analysis of a group of people over countless years.
This would be of great help to Xu Qing in mastering the curse, saving him a lot of time.
And now, other than needing information about the curse, he was also curious about the Inverse Moon Palace itself.
"No wonder Eldest Senior Brother wants to join."
Xu Qing's eyes were filled with determination. His Cultivation base surged, and his fleshly body expanded. Borrowing the power of his God-Spirit body, he began to suppress the surrounding area.
Rumbling sounds echoed out, and Xu Qing's body trembled. The walls of light around him were simply too tough. Despite using all of his power, he couldn't push them apart much. His body only expanded to about half a meter tall.
He had reached his limit.
The intense pressure on his body and soul caused Xu Qing's heart to fill with rage. He quickly retracted his body, causing it to shrink from half a meter tall to normal.
The walls around him shrank back rapidly, but there was still a gap between them.
Taking advantage of that gap, Xu Qing lifted his right hand and rotated his Cultivation base. With the exception of the Violet Moon, all of his Nascent Souls erupted with power as he punched out.
This punch contained the power of the Hexing Poison, the Ghost Emperor Mountain, the Heavenly Dao, the Bottle of Time, the Golden Crow, and his Life Lamp. It transformed into a tempest that rumbled forward.
Cracking sounds could be heard as Xu Qing charged forward, moving several dozen meters forward. Once again, the restrictive force enveloped him. Gritting his teeth, he used the same method as before to continue onward.
An indeterminable amount of time passed. Rumbling sounds could be heard as Xu Qing forced his way forward. Although each step was difficult, in the end, he was able to move forward about three hundred meters.
By the time he reached this point, he was completely exhausted. After sensing the distance, Xu Qing sighed and decided to leave. He returned to the medicine shop, where he rested and entered the mirror again.
The area he had just opened up didn't disappear with Xu Qing's return. He gritted his teeth, eyes filled with determination, and continued onward.
It was in this way that the days passed.
Ling 'er didn't need to follow him every time. With her mark, Xu Qing could go on his own. Therefore, Ling' er reopened the medicine shop.
Occasionally, though, she would look back at the shop behind her to check on Big Brother Xu Qing's progress.
"This Defiant Moon Palace is so hard," she thought. "Even with Big Brother Xu Qing's abilities, he still hasn't entered." Ling 'er sighed inwardly. Similar sighs rose up in Xu Qing's heart.
Half a month later, the rumbling grew more intense. Xu Qing, who had opened up a path to Inverse Moon Palace that was nearly nine thousand meters long, once again returned to the medicine shop. When he appeared, he sat down cross-legged, panting. His eyes were bloodshot.
"I only opened up about thirty percent," he thought. "There's still about seventy thousand meters to go.
"Anyone who can enter the Defiant Moon Palace must be a consummate expert. At the very least, they must be in the Spirit Repository realm."
Awe rose up in Xu Qing's heart, and his anticipation of the organization grew. He had the feeling that anyone who could pass the third test and open up the path to the Defiant Moon Palace was no ordinary person.
"I can do it too!"
Xu Qing's expression was one of determination. After resting for a moment, he stepped back into the mirror and continued to open it up.
This repeated process gave Xu Qing experience. His fleshly body grew even stronger under the constant pressure. After expanding, the size of the mirror increased from half a meter to three meters.
As a result, his speed increased significantly. Another half a month passed, and he succeeded in opening up the path to twenty-five thousand meters.
He stood there, looking back at the path he had taken. It was incredibly difficult. Then he looked up and sensed what was happening six thousand meters away. His reverence for the people of the Defiant Moon Palace grew.
"Another six thousand meters. I hope that's the Defiant Moon Palace!"
Off in the distance, the path that Xu Qing had opened up really did lead to the Defiant Moon Palace.
The Defiant Moon Palace was a separate dimension, shockingly vast. Within it was an enormous mountain of indescribable size.
Hundreds of thousands of ancient temples were built on top of the mountain. Although there was some distance between them, they were still densely packed together.
Each temple was filled with an ancient aura, as if the river of time had been flowing for an indeterminate period of time.
Some of the temples glittered with light, others were pitch black. As for the temples that glowed with light, they seemed to be filled with statues that emanated brilliant colors.
Occasionally, statues would emerge from the temples and fly through the air, heading toward other temples.
They were often surrounded by gentle light, and emanated a holy aura. They were all different, and from a distance, they looked like thousands upon thousands of Godly Devils.
At the base of the mountain were the most numerous temples. Half of them were dark, while the other half shone brightly.
There was one particular temple that stood in the middle of all the other temples that shone with brilliant light.
Originally, it looked completely ordinary. However, during the month that had passed, it had attracted the attention of the statues in the other temples.
That was because it was simply too noisy.
As Xu Qing continued to open up the path, massive rumbling sounds could be heard coming from within the ordinary-looking temple. The sounds continued to echo out.
"It's coming again!"
Suddenly, four or five statues emerged from the surrounding temples, glaring angrily at the temple from which the rumbling sounds were coming.
"Dammit, this guy just won't stop. What the hell is he doing!?"
"It's been a month. If he wants to go in, he should hurry up. Why is he constantly attacking the light of guidance? What exactly is he thinking?"
"He's nuts!"
"There must be something seriously wrong with his head!"
As the rumbling sounds grew louder and louder, more statues emerged from the nearby temples. All of them looked over helplessly.
"I've never seen anything like this before. To people like us, we can just walk through the passageway in the blink of an eye. Why is he attacking it like this?"
"Is he trying to show off his battle prowess?"
"But what's there to show off? The Defiant Moon Palace has been without a master for many years, and its spirit automaton is in deep slumber. It only provides the most basic of abilities. In order to keep it running, the light of guidance is based on the cultivation base of the examinee. It's perfect for the examinee to be guided up without any problems."
"This guy can just walk up. Why is he attacking it as he walks? It looks like he's having a hard time!"
Amidst the discussions, the rumbling sounds continued, and grew louder and louder.
The nearby statues frowned, but there was nothing they could do. Before the temple was opened, they weren't allowed to enter. Therefore, they could only choose to return, and not listen to the annoying rumbling sounds.
Thankfully, the rumbling sounds didn't last for too long. After four hours, the rumbling sounds quieted down.
Xu Qing was tired.
Panting heavily, he looked at the remaining three thousand meters and chose to return.
The instant he appeared in the back room of the medicine shop, his eyes filled with determination.
"Three or four days at most. I'll definitely be able to blast it open!"
When he thought about how he could finally pass the third test, Xu Qing sighed emotionally. It had been too difficult.
"After I go in, I'll have to be even more cautious and vigilant. The people inside … are not to be trifled with."
Xu Qing's expression was serious. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. Before he did, he spread out his divine sense and scanned the area outside the medicine shop.
There were some people waiting in line.
As the reputation of the medicine shop spread throughout Earthen City, business was getting better and better. That was especially true of the faction of the middle-aged Cultivator who had bought the antidote pills. Because they had successfully resolved the crisis, they treated Xu Qing with even more respect.
Because of their intimidation, many smaller factions didn't dare to provoke the medicine shop. With their protection, the business of medicinal pills was very smooth. Hundreds of white pills could be sold every day.
Thankfully, Xu Qing had quite a bit of stock, and would occasionally concoct pills.
As for medicinal plants, in addition to the ones he had accumulated over the years, he also purchased them from outside.
Although he didn't buy much, the middle-aged Cultivator, Chen Fanzhuo, would occasionally come by. Every time he did, he would be very polite and respectful, and would deliver a lot of medicinal plants.
Sometimes, when Xu Qing wasn't around, Chen Fanzhuo would come and deliver the medicinal plants, knowing that it wasn't appropriate to disturb him. Thus, he would salute Ling 'er and then leave.
Such propriety made it difficult for others to feel ill will. At this moment, Chen Fanzhuo's figure appeared at the entrance again. He didn't rely on his status and cultivation base to ignore the people waiting in line outside. Instead, he waited off to the side.
It wasn't until he had some free time that he entered the medicine shop.
"Uncle Chen." Ling 'er looked up and saw the middle-aged Cultivator. She smiled and greeted him.
"Miss Ling 'er, is the Grandmaster still concocting pills?"
Chen Fanzhuo asked politely. He took out a bag filled with medicinal plants and placed it behind the counter. Then, he glanced at the back room.
Ling 'er was about to speak when she sensed something. The back room's curtain lifted and Xu Qing walked out.
"Greetings, Grandmaster." Chen Fanzhuo's expression was solemn as he clasped hands and bowed.
Xu Qing nodded. His gaze swept over Chen Fanzhuo, and his heart trembled.
Last time, Chen Fanzhuo's body had contained poison. According to the antidote pill he had given him, the poison should have dissipated by now. But now, it seemed that not only was there some remaining poison, there was even a new one.
After a moment of thought, Xu Qing pulled out a white pill and handed it over.
"Put it in your mouth and circulate your Cultivation base in the opposite direction. Let it slowly dissolve."
Chen Fanzhuo stared in shock. From Xu Qing's words, he could tell that something was off. After a moment of hesitation, he took the pill and placed it in his mouth. Then, he began to circulate his Cultivation base according to Xu Qing's instructions.
A moment later, the pill in his mouth had completely dissolved. As the poison spread throughout his body, Xu Qing suddenly said, "Cultivate your Cultivation base.
"Gather your cultivation base into your right index finger. Extract a drop of blood and drip it onto the leaf."
Xu Qing pulled out a yellow medicinal plant and placed it off to the side. Without any hesitation, Chen Fanzhuo pricked his finger, causing a drop of black blood to seep out of the wound.
An unpleasant odor spread out, causing Chen Fanzhuo's face to fall. He had assumed that the poison had been neutralized, but now, it was obvious that it was still there.
Not daring to be careless, he quickly smeared the drop of blood onto the yellow medicinal plant Xu Qing had given him.
The instant the drop of blood touched the medicinal plant, it emitted a sizzling sound, and a green smoke rose up. It wriggled in the air, and a faint howl could be heard echoing out into the soul.
Chen Fanzhuo's pupils constricted, and he waved his hand in a defensive posture, as if he didn't want the strange green smoke to contaminate the medicine shop.
Although the gesture was a bit fake, it showed that he had the proper attitude.
Xu Qing looked at him for a moment, then pulled out a transparent medicinal pill bottle. After shaking it a bit, he opened it. The green smoke seemed to be strongly attracted to the aura emanating from the bottle.
A moment later, the green smoke shot toward the medicinal pill bottle in Xu Qing's hand. In the blink of an eye, it fused into the bottle. Xu Qing popped the cork off the bottle and examined it closely.
The green smoke in the pill bottle kept wriggling and condensing in this narrow space. Finally, it turned into a green centipede.
It looked very ferocious, and upon closer inspection, it was possible to see that it was made up of countless smaller centipedes.
"Grandmaster, this is …." Chen Fanzhuo was shocked. Thinking that a drop of his blood could contain such a strange thing, he shuddered.
"This is the soul of a centipede, a special medicinal plant that is not very common. Its toxicity is ordinary, and it is used to track and lock onto targets, providing a location for the user. However, when combined with other methods, it can be refined into a poisonous gu."
Xu Qing was delighted. He hadn't expected to find such a precious item recorded in Grandmaster Bai's medicine encyclopedia here.
"You've been targeted. Based on the agitation of the centipede's soul, the person who has targeted you shouldn't be far from here."
As Xu Qing spoke, the green centipede in the bottle suddenly became irritable and slammed into the bottle.
The bottle shook violently, but it couldn't escape from Xu Qing's hand.
"Oh?
The person who has targeted you is approaching. "
Xu Qing said calmly.
Chen Fanzhuo's expression changed. He bowed solemnly to Xu Qing, then turned and walked toward the door.
He knew that the Grandmaster of this medicine shop had no obligation to help him resolve the danger he was in. The fact that he had detoxified the poison and informed him of the situation was already benevolent and righteous.
If he didn't know what was good for him and forcibly dragged the Grandmaster into his personal vendetta, that would be against his principles.
Having reached this point in his train of thought, he hurried to the door and pushed it open. Just as he was about to step out, Xu Qing's voice echoed out behind him.
"He's here."
As soon as Xu Qing's words rang out, the sky above Earthen City surged with wind and clouds. Large clouds of fog roiled in the sky, and the faint sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling could be heard.
The sound was incomparably terrifying. When the residents heard it, their hearts trembled, and they quickly closed their doors. Even those who were outside immediately found empty houses to hide in.
In the blink of an eye, the entire city was empty.
The black fog in the sky began to converge toward the city, finally forming into a figure on the street.
As the figure grew clearer, its appearance was also revealed.
It was an old man wearing a loose robe. His Nascent Soul Cultivation base fluctuated, and his white hair fluttered in the wind. His eyes were cold and sinister, and the corners of his mouth curled up in a mocking smile.
As for the edges of his robe, they were somewhat misted by the wind.
All of this made the old man look extremely bizarre.
"You dare to steal from me? Are you tired of living, you punk?"
This old man was none other than the one-eyed Cultivator who had provoked Xu Qing. Ever since the conflict had broken out between him and Xu Qing, he had been on tenterhooks and filled with panic.
In order to avoid him, Xu Qing had no choice but to go into hiding. Only when the wind had died down did he cautiously emerge. How could he ever have imagined that one of his Immortal's Caves would be burglarized?
After examining the traces, he was able to determine that the burglar's Cultivation base was at the Gold Core stage. Rage burned in his heart.
Furthermore, he had a habit of poisoning people, which was why he had followed the trail to this place.
Now that he had the ability to sense the poison, he was able to confirm that Chen Fanzhuo was the culprit. His eyes filled with coldness, and he was just about to step forward.
However … Chen Fanzhuo was currently standing in front of Xu Qing's medicinal shop.
Out of the corner of his eye, the old man glanced at Chen Fan Zhuo and instinctively glanced at the scene in the medicine shop behind him.
That was when he saw an ugly girl inside, as well as an expressionless young man.
As soon as he saw the young man, the old man's pupils constricted, and he stopped in place. His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and waves of shock battered his heart.
"Th-th-this …."
"It's him!
I can't believe he's here!! "
The old man was panting, and his mind felt as if it were being struck by a million lightning bolts. Although he wasn't scared out of his wits, he wasn't in much better shape.
The truth was that his fear of Xu Qing had reached the pinnacle. Every time he thought about the terrifying battle prowess Xu Qing had unleashed that day, fear still lingered in his heart.
That was especially true considering that Xu Qing was an old freak, whose Cultivation base was definitely higher than that. Furthermore, Xu Qing's keen senses were another reason for the old man's fear.
Add in the fact that his poison was ineffective, and all of that caused a sensation of deadly crisis to erupt within him.
Most importantly of all, he was here in his true form!
Chen Fanzhuo was just as terrified as the old man. Not too long ago, he had paid a hefty price to steal an Immortal's cave.
From the look of it, the Immortal's cave had been abandoned for a very long time, and contained quite a few valuable items. After grabbing the items, he had begun to tremble with fear. However, after observing for a while, he realized that no one had come to investigate.
Therefore, he had relaxed a bit, and then realized that he had been poisoned. That was why he had come to the medicine shop.
When Xu Qing had told him that they were being tracked down, he had a very bad feeling about it.
Now that he was looking at the person in question with his own eyes, the fluctuations of his Nascent Soul caused him to sink into a state of extreme terror. He even lost the ability to flee. He could only stand there under the immense pressure, trembling and swaying as he forced himself to speak.
"Senior, please calm down. I was wrong …. All of the items are still here …."
However, his words were of no use. The old man who had struck fear into his heart was just as terrified as before, and didn't dare to move.
The theft of the Immortal's cave was a small matter that the old man didn't care about at all.
All he could think about was how to survive.
From a distance, it was a very bizarre scene. Chen Fanzhuo stared at the old man in terror, and the old man stared fearfully ahead. Neither of them dared to take a single step forward.
For a moment, the entire scene was silent.
The old man didn't say anything, causing Chen Fanzhuo's fear to grow even more intense. Xu Qing didn't say anything, causing the old man's fear to surge like an ocean.
In this moment of deadly crisis, the old man's mind spun rapidly as he began to analyze the situation.
"This is a medicine shop. That ugly girl is the source of the aroma. Based on her clothes, she's obviously a waitress. This is a medicine shop run by the old freak!
"That Gold Core thief is so terrified. That means he's not one of the old freak's people. Most likely, he doesn't know the level of the old freak's Cultivation base.
"The old freak definitely doesn't want to reveal himself. If that's the case, why is he hiding here?
"Because he has some mysterious plan in place!
"My appearance and performance might have indirectly revealed the old freak's Cultivation base, which would affect his mysterious plan. If that happens, he'll definitely vent his anger on me.
"If I turn around and run, the same thing will happen to me!
"I can't beat him in a fight, and I can't run away …."
The old man's heart was torn to the extreme, and he was stuck between a rock and a hard place. His eyes were bright red.
As Chen Fan Zhuo's heart trembled, the old man gritted his teeth and took a step forward. His expression changed from one of solemnity to one of ecstasy, and he let out a loud cry of excitement.
"Benefactor, you're here too?"
Chen Fanzhuo stared in shock.