CHAPTER 64: TWO WEEKS TO DOOMSDAY

The silence within Holy Spirit Hall deepened. Though none spoke immediately, flickers of divine sense flitted through the room.

They were all trying to gauge the truth behind Mie Lin’s words.

But inwardly...

Every single one of them felt a chill.

Li Fang.

The name alone was enough to make even seasoned sect masters furrow their brows.

Even now, many still remembered that cold shadow that once haunted the cultivation world.

He was not a man of grand declarations or public appearances. He was a blade in the dark.

It was said that decades ago, he once infiltrated a heavily guarded righteous fortress atop a spiritual mountain and assassinated a Half-Step Heavenly Tribulation Realm elder—leaving no trace behind, save for a headless corpse and a jade talisman shattered into dust.

Even the righteous path didn’t speak of it openly. But behind closed doors, his name was listed in the upper ranks of the Celestial Kill List.

It was said that even the two giants of the Righteous Alliance—Heavenly Fortune Sect and Azure Dragon Sect—had issued standing orders for their disciples: if ever encountered, flee rather than fight.

Li Fang, once known as the "Shadow Blade of the Nine Hells." Among assassins of the Evil Dao, he was considered without peer.

There was another rumor: that many years ago, he engaged in a duel with the former Sect Master of the Crimson Lotus Cult. That battle lasted half a day and half a night, shattering an entire valley.

The outcome?

A draw.

That alone had been enough to shake the Evil Dao. At the time, he had only been a peak-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

Now...

Now, Mie Lin claimed he had stepped into the Half-Step Heavenly Tribulation Realm?

The implications were dire.

But even so—

Han Yu’s brows furrowed. "It’s easy to speak of hidden experts. But so far, all we’ve heard are your words, Elder Mie. No one here has seen Sect Master Li Fang."

Across the table, Yao Qing let out a light snort. "Even if he’s alive... so what?" She swirled her soul tea lazily. "Do you really think he can stand against our Sect Master again?"

Han Yu nodded slightly. "The battle with the righteous sects years ago was no small matter. He was strong, yes—but not invincible."

Yao Qing’s lips curled faintly. "If you ask me, that was probably the original Nascent Soul. The one that’s been hiding all this time might just be the second one... probably weaker."

"That sounds more likely," Wu Tong muttered. "Even if he’s alive, he can’t be nearly as strong as before."

A few others gave small nods. The atmosphere was shifting again—tilting back toward skepticism.

Just then, laughter rang out—clear and soft, but with a strange edge that made everyone pause.

A ripple of white spiritual light shimmered at the entrance of the hall. A figure stepped into view.

She wore tight-fitting white robes patterned with flowing bone symbols. Her silver hair fell loose down her back, and a faint frost mist coiled around her feet.

The expressions of the elders at the table stiffened slightly.

Gu Rong.

Mie Lin’s gaze sharpened. She slowly stood and bowed her head by a fraction. "...Elder Gu."

Gu Rong smiled faintly. "Mie Lin, it seems your cultivation really has improved. That pressure just now... it surprised even me."

She walked forward casually, stopping a few steps from the table. Though her smile remained, the Half-Step Heavenly Tribulation aura around her coiled tightly, like a drawn bowstring.

As one of the Bone Forging Sect’s most powerful experts—and the one stationed in Evil Dragon City itself—Gu Rong’s presence here wasn’t unexpected. But her timing could not be ignored.

She looked around at the seated elders. "What’s this? Why so gloomy? Did someone die?"

Her gaze turned back to Mie Lin.

"So... Li Fang’s name is being tossed around again." Gu Rong tilted her head slightly, a glint of disdain flickering in her eyes. "Still alive, is he? And now you say he’s even stronger?"

Mie Lin’s expression didn’t change. "That’s correct."

Gu Rong chuckled. "Then why don’t we see him? If he’s truly stepped into the Half-Step Realm..."

She glanced around the room, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Surely you don’t expect the entire Evil Alliance to accept your word as truth without proof, do you?"

A few chuckles rippled through the crowd, though none dared speak aloud.

Gu Rong’s smile lingered for a heartbeat... then slowly faded.

A flicker of disdain passed through her eyes.

Without any warning, her expression turned cold.

With a slight shift of her sleeve, a terrifying pressure burst forth from her body like a tidal wave. Her cultivation base—a Half-Step Heavenly Tribulation Realm—was fully unleashed in that instant, descending upon the hall like a falling mountain.

The oppressive aura surged directly toward Mie Lin, locking onto her with unrelenting intensity. It was clear Gu Rong intended not simply to demonstrate her power, but to thoroughly humiliate her before the gathered sects.

Mie Lin’s face turned pale in an instant. Her meridians trembled, and her breathing faltered under the crushing weight. She understood immediately—this wasn’t a test, but a warning.

A cold glint flashed through her eyes. She clenched her teeth, and in the next moment, the aura around her body began to transform.

A low hum filled the air as scorching heat radiated outward in all directions. The temperature in the hall rose sharply, and a phantom image began to form behind her—a grand black sun, dark and resplendent, suspended high in the void.

The spiritual pressure pouring from her body climbed rapidly, and in mere breaths, it reached a level that could match Gu Rong’s oppressive might.

The expressions of the surrounding elders and cultivators shifted dramatically.

"What an overwhelming presence!"

"She’s only at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm... How is this possible?"

"What kind of technique is this? Since when did the Shadowclaw Sect possess such a fearsome cultivation method?"

Shock rippled through the gathered crowd like waves.

Gu Rong’s eyes narrowed slightly. Her expression turned grim. She could clearly sense it now—the power exuding from Mie Lin was by no means inferior to her own. Though it had not yet reached the threshold of Heavenly Tribulation, it bore a mysterious and ancient force, one she could not easily ignore.

But then, as though something amused her, Gu Rong’s lips curved into a faint smile. She gently retracted her aura, allowing the crushing pressure to dissipate instantly.

"You’ve hidden yourself well. This technique... I’ve never seen it before. Did your sect come upon some long-lost inheritance?"

Mie Lin, her aura slowly stabilizing, said nothing. Her gaze remained calm, unreadable.

Gu Rong didn’t press further. After a moment’s pause, she glanced at her coldly.

"Two weeks from now, at the Evil Gathering—if Li Fang does not appear—the Shadowclaw Sect will be demoted to a mere first-rate sect. You would do well to prepare."