CHAPTER 448 (2)

“That day, you all saw it—the sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect arrived riding the wind.”

His terrifying presence suppressed an entire city.

“Although our palace master is powerful, I’m not sure they can withstand that.”

The burly man’s companion analyzed the situation.

This companion, whose aura was also formidable, was a cultivator at the Mid Precelestial Realm.

Hearing this, the patrons at their table fell into silence. Their thoughts turned to the day when the Everlasting Regret Sect’s sect master delivered his challenge, radiating an aura so overwhelming that, as cultivators of the Precelestial Realm, all they could feel was a profound sense of dread, leaving them no room for other thoughts beyond fear.

After a while, someone voiced their confusion. “Don’t you think it’s odd? The Everlasting Regret Sect is merely a minor sect. How could their sect master be this strong? It’s only been a short time since the world’s spiritual energy was revived, and yet he’s already overcome the Thunder Tribulation to achieve the Golden Core Realm. Even the sacred lords of the Sacred Mountain only transcended their Thunder Tribulations a little over a year ago.”

“Who knows? Maybe the sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect obtained some treasure but kept it hidden, biding his time until the world’s spiritual revival gave him the opportunity to refine it and rise to the top,” someone speculated.

“Now that you mention it, I did hear rumors a few days ago. Over two years ago, during the third reverberation of the Heavenly Dao Sounds, streams of fateful light radiated out from Zhongzhou, scattering across the provinces. One of these lights supposedly landed in the Everlasting Regret Mountain Range. Many people searched for it at the time but found nothing. Do you think that light ended up in the hands of the Everlasting Regret Sect’s sect master?”

“Who could say? Are you daring enough to ask the Everlasting Regret Sect’s sect master directly?”

The group fell silent again, then collectively shook their heads.

Who would be foolish enough to question a Golden Core Realm cultivator about his treasures? That was a sure way to court death.

...

After skipping over this topic, someone posed another question. “But what grudge does the Everlasting Regret Sect’s sect master hold against the Cold Water Palace to issue such a high-profile challenge? Could it really be as he claimed—that the Cold Water Palace has a vendetta against him involving the murder of his wife and child? That seems impossible. The Four Great Secret Realms are immensely powerful. If such a grudge existed, how could the Everlasting Regret Sect have survived until now?”

“It’s hard to say. The sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect is now a Golden Core Realm expert. He has no reason to lie. Besides, the Cold Water Palace did not refute his claim at the time, which seems like an implicit acknowledgment.”

“If that’s true, today’s Cold Water City will be quite the spectacle. One of the Four Great Secret Realms, openly challenged before the world. If they lose, the myth of the Four Great Secret Realms will crumble.”

Some people in the group wore expressions of schadenfreude, clearly enjoying the thought of stirring the pot.

“Is there really a Golden Core Realm cultivator challenging the Cold Water Palace?”

Lu Qing listened in on the group’s conversation and finally understood why so many powerful figures had gathered in the city. It was all because a Golden Core Realm cultivator intended to openly challenge the Cold Water Palace today. Most of these strong individuals had likely come to watch the spectacle. After all, for tens of thousands of years, the Four Great Secret Realms had held an unrivaled status in the world. The mere fact that someone dared to challenge them was enough to attract attention from countless cultivators.

Lu Qing had been too preoccupied traveling and enjoying the sights with Xiao Yan to hear about any of this earlier.

“Still, for the sect master of a minor sect to ascend to the Golden Core Realm in such a short time—it seems almost too miraculous, even if he did obtain some Heavenly Demon Energy.”

Lu Qing’s thoughts turned contemplative.

The fateful light that the group had mentioned, he was naturally familiar with. It was likely the Heavenly Demon Energy that emerged during the third reverberation of the Heavenly Dao Sounds in Zhongzhou. While most of this energy had been seized by experts lingering in the Sacred City, some fragments had escaped to the surrounding provinces and fallen into the hands of others.

Even so, to ascend to the Golden Core Realm in just a few years was extraordinary.

Before the revival of spiritual energy, cultivation in most places was limited to the Peak Precelestial Realm at best, apart from places like the Four Great Secret Realms or Sacred Mountain. If not for this limit, Senior Li Weitian wouldn’t have risked everything in a desperate bid to break through, ultimately meeting his end in frustration.

Thus, logic dictated that the sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect must have gone from the Precelestial Realm to the Golden Core Realm in just two or three years. Such cultivation speed was terrifying.

Even Lu Qing’s master, despite refining Heavenly Demon Energy himself, had only reached the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm and had yet to find an opportunity for a breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

For the sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect to achieve such rapid advancement was truly a marvel.

Lu Qing felt a growing curiosity toward this mysterious figure.

With this intrigue in mind, he returned to his meal. The delicacies of Cold Water City were indeed delightful, especially the roasted meat—a true specialty. Thinly sliced and well-marinated, the meat sizzled tantalizingly as it grilled. When paired with the restaurant’s unique spice mix, it was irresistibly savory. Even Xiao Yan, her mouth glistening with grease, couldn’t get enough. Xiao Li, who usually preferred fish, also ate quite a bit. Wuxing was even more outrageous, devouring one piece of meat after another, forcing Lu Qing to repeatedly order more just to keep up.

Fortunately, they had booked a private room. Otherwise, the spectacle of Xiao Li and Wuxing’s feasting might have drawn considerable attention. Though exotic pets were not uncommon among the city’s elite, few matched Xiao Li and Wuxing’s extraordinary presence.

As Lu Qing ate and listened, he gleaned more details about the upcoming challenge. For instance, the sect master of the Everlasting Regret Sect had issued the challenge seven days ago, setting today as the battle date. Because the notice was short, most of the experts present were from nearby provinces. Had the notice been longer, the number of spectators would likely have multiplied.

Lu Qing also learned some history about the Everlasting Regret Sect’s sect master. Decades ago, before founding the sect, he was rumored to have had a beautiful wife, whose beauty was said to surpass even those listed among the “Ten Great Beauties.” However, she and her child had vanished mysteriously, allegedly dying in childbirth. Stricken with grief, the future sect master’s hair turned white overnight. After more than a decade of silence, he established the Everlasting Regret Sect, and many years had since passed.

But now, it seemed there had been more to the story of his wife and child’s deaths than met the eye.

As Lu Qing continued listening to the conversations next door, the lively chatter about the martial world’s latest gossip blended seamlessly with the delicious meal, creating a leisurely atmosphere.

Then, without warning, his expression shifted.

In the next moment, a thunderous voice rang out across the entire city:

“Vile wench, I have come. Are you ready to die?”