CHAPTER 370: CHAPTER 339: CREATURES FROM BEYOND THE DOMAIN!

"Practice the Dharma Gate I have passed on to you diligently, in hopes that one day you may stand by my side..."

The words of Daoist Qingya before his departure echoed in Qi Xiu’s mind.

The Observing Qi Skill, a secret technique granted by the mysterious Daoist Qingya.

Throughout his journey, this secret technique could be said to have played a tremendous role. It not only helped him escape death many times, but its Divine Marvel, the ability to discern the world’s energy flows, also allowed him to repeatedly find vital opportunities in hopeless situations.

Moreover, if this secret technique is cultivated to the utmost, it seems to possess the capability to foresee the future.

This was evident when he crossed the Blood-Dye Tribulation years ago.

Daoist Qingya’s method of affecting matters at the Golden Flower Maternal Sect Main Altar across decades was indeed beyond human capability.

Especially after that incident, he had also indirectly inquired about it from his master, Daoist Yunxiong, and Sect Master Dongfang Qing.

The answer he received was that peering into the future was an extremely dangerous practice.

Such Dharma Gates are not only exceedingly rare but also inevitably lead to severe karmic backlash once used.

At the same time, the future has no set course; even the slightest change can result in countless alterations.

The more one tries to meddle with the future, the more likely it is to result in the opposite outcome.

Yet, under such challenging preconditions, Daoist Qingya managed to not only accurately foresee the future but also intervene in future events.

Peering into the future carries too heavy a karmic burden; it’s not something I can attempt as a mere Blood-Stained Realm practitioner. The future is infinite, but the past is set. Can the Sixth Realm Observing Qi Skill achieve this?

As his proficiency in the Observing Qi Skill increased, a glimmer of enlightenment began to rise in his heart. Qi Xiu’s eyes grew more intensely purple, as if a purple sun was slowly rising within them.

In these eyes, the river of time flowed ceaselessly, with every moment captured and every piece of history remembered.

Countless scenes and images swiftly switched within them, as if ancient scrolls were being unfolded one by one, revealing each piece of forgotten memory.

There was the majesty of shattered mountains and rivers, the tranquility of gentle clouds and breeze, the sorrow of suffering beings, and also the hope of all things coming back to life.

These scenes were dreamlike yet so real they took one’s breath away; they were echoes of the past and omens of the future.

He stood there, seemingly transcending the boundaries of time and space, becoming a witness, a recorder.

His gaze harbored endless stories, with each flicker of purple brilliance containing millennia of wisdom and power.

No appearance of Extreme Breakthrough. Has this secret technique not reached its limit yet...?

Quieting the purple radiance in his eyes, Qi Xiu glanced at the proficiency level of the Observing Qi Skill, noting that the suffix had not yet shown Extreme Breakthrough.

Clearly, the Sixth Realm was still not the end of this secret technique.

It seems this secret technique is even more ancient and profound than I imagined, no less than Dharma Gates like the Hidden Thunder Heavy Pupil or Universe in the Sleeve.

Having successfully advanced to the Sixth Realm Observing Qi Skill, Qi Xiu exhaled a deep breath of turbid air.

The Sixth Realm’s Observing Qi Skill not only made his ability to inspect energy flows sharper and more robust but also, as he had anticipated, granted him the ability to glimpse into the past.

Though this Divine Marvel did not invoke the same great backlash as foreseeing the future would, it still bore a significant burden when used.

Waving his sleeve, he took out the ice-encased corpse of Douhu. With a focused gaze, Qi Xiu gradually unfolded the Observing Qi Skill. A special vision of black and white interweaving completely enveloped him. In the next instant, under Qi Xiu’s gaze, Douhu’s body began to gradually reverse in time.

The scene rewound: one day, five days, ten days... until time reverted to a little over a month ago. The deceased Douhu was carefully trimming yellowed and withered leaves from the Spirit Rice with a scissor-like Magic Artifact. But while he was diligently at work, the Universe Space beside him suddenly cracked open. Over ten Jiunie exerted their combined strength to open a passage, from which a shadowy figure stepped out at a leisurely pace.

It was an old man with a white beard, using a wooden staff, with a forehead that bulged high, resembling a large peach. He was dressed in an extremely bright peach-pink robe—looking just like a prosperous elderly man from a wealthy family.

After the white-haired old man appeared, he chuckled, muttered something under his breath, and reached out to pluck the Spirit Rice.

But this action naturally met with resistance from Douhu nearby.

Perhaps thinking that outsiders were mostly harmless like the Jiunie, Douhu shouted, trying to drive the white-haired old man away.

The patrolling Yellow Turban Strongmen, hearing the commotion, also came hurtling over. But at that moment, the benevolent-looking white-haired old man lifted his staff and struck down heavily.

THUD—

Invisible ripples spread instantly. Douhu, who was reaching out to stop him, fell to the ground dead, while the arriving Yellow Turban Strongmen were instantly turned back into soybeans.

At the same time, a deafeningly loud Thunder sound rushed from afar.

Looking up slightly, the white-haired old man, surrounded by a host of Jiunie, retreated into the passage. Not long after they disappeared, Qi Xiu, riding the lightning, arrived at the rice field, now left with only Douhu’s corpse and scattered soybeans on the ground.

The flickering scene before Qi Xiu’s eyes slowly dissipated. His brows knitted into a "Chuan" character as he gazed at Douhu’s corpse before him.

Although, with the help of the Sixth Realm Observing Qi Skill, I saw the culprit who killed Douhu and the Yellow Turban Strongmen, the doubts in my heart have only grown. With a casual knock, he killed a dozen of my Initiate Realm Yellow Turban Strongmen so nonchalantly. And he can even command creatures like the Jiunie. Who exactly is this white-haired old man? Blatantly intruding into the Shenxiao Sect Gate, is he brimming with confidence, or is it a case of ignorance breeding fearlessness?

A series of questions caused a sense of frustration to knot in Qi Xiu’s heart.

I must find a way to capture that old man...

Upon learning of the mysterious white-haired elder’s existence, Qi Xiu’s eyes shifted slightly.

The entire Spirit Rice Valley is now full of Yellow Turban Strongmen. It’s been over a month, and the white-haired elder hasn’t reappeared; it seems he doesn’t dare to brazenly force his way in. In that case, the setup can’t be too grand. With the signal fires linking the cities, this old man probably wouldn’t dare to come.

Lost in thought, Qi Xiu gathered his sleeves and walked out of the thatched hut. He gazed at the Yellow Turban Strongmen patrolling with swords across the vast fields, a plan slowly forming in his mind.

「 」

In the profound darkness of the night, a vast expanse of Spirit Rice fields shimmered under the moonlight, like a golden ocean.

On the edge of this field, a dozen snow-white, three-tailed creatures resembling rats, the Jiunie, were busily scurrying about. Their teeth gleamed with a strange light, as if inlaid with stars, silently gnawing a human-sized hole into the Universe Space.

Within this pitch-dark passageway, a figure slowly emerged.

It was an old man with white, silver-like hair fluttering in the night breeze, holding a plain wooden staff, the tip of which subtly emitted a faint aura of Divine Marvel.

The old man’s forehead was high and bulging, as if it harbored endless wisdom and power. He wore a bright red robe, the intricate patterns on it glinting with mysterious light under the moonshine, contrasting sharply with the dark night, making him especially conspicuous.

Although the white-haired elder’s pace was slow, each step was firm and powerful, as if he were stepping on the rhythms of heaven and earth. His deep gaze seemed to pierce the fog of the Universe Space, insightfully understanding the essence of all things.

His appearance instantly quieted the surrounding Jiunie, as if they were showing reverence to this elder who emerged from the darkness.

The moment the white-haired elder appeared, countless tiny white insects hidden beneath the rice leaves suddenly turned around in unison. Pairs of tiny insect eyes looked towards this mysterious old man.

In the courtyard in front of the thatched house in the middle of the rice field, Qi Xiu, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation, slowly opened his eyes.

After waiting for more than three months, you’ve finally come.

BANG—

Having already locked onto the location, Qi Xiu didn’t delay a moment this time. Riding a Lei Mang too fast for the naked eye to see, he instantly reached the white-haired elder’s position.

SIZZLE—

Sparks from the Lei Mang crisscrossed. Amidst countless golden lights, thousands of Suppressing Talismans spanned the entire sky, and a massive Suppression Talisman Seal Skill directly suppressed the entire area.

"Old man, what brings you here in the dead of night?" Qi Xiu asked.

Standing on the Lei Mang high above, Qi Xiu gathered his sleeves and looked down at the white-haired elder before him. His tone was neutral, yet his Divine Luster Inward Concealment eyes exuded an inexplicable coldness.

Somewhat surprised, the white-haired elder eyed the gold-illuminated Suppression Talisman Seal Skill beside him, then glanced up at Qi Xiu who had called out. He smiled faintly before slowly opening his mouth.

HUM—

The void vibrated instantaneously as if responding to some mysterious power. Silently, vibrant peach trees, full of life force, sprouted from nothingness.

These peach trees grew at an astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they formed a lush forest, deeply rooted and leafy, brimming with endless vitality.

Every leaf shone a brilliant green, as if it had condensed the essence of the entire world.

The branches swayed gently, like the graceful dance of a ballerina, and on those branches, fist-sized peaches quietly emerged.

They were crystal clear and translucent, as if carved from smooth jade, each one radiating an enticing luster.

Tiny fuzz covered the surface of the peaches, soft and delicate, with a faint pink hue, resembling the skin of a newborn baby, so tender that one dared not touch, fearing to mar that purity.

The delicate fragrance of these peaches was refined and intoxicating, as if containing the sweet mellowness of ages, tempting one’s heart with longing.

Their captivating color and delicate fuzz made one’s mouth water, as if just one bite could allow one to taste the sweetness and freshness of the entire universe.

This suddenly manifested peach forest was like an Immortal Realm sprung from the earth, utterly mesmerizing.

However, Qi Xiu’s expression darkened abruptly upon seeing this. Within this peach forest, he sensed a familiar aura—one that had also appeared in Ten Thousand Caves Mountain.

An aura from Outside the Domain! This white-haired elder is a being from Outside the Domain!

A solemn look in his eyes, Qi Xiu instantly activated the Suppression Talisman Seal Skill to capture the white-haired elder.

Anything connected to Outside the Domain inevitably has significant implications. This white-haired elder is clearly no ordinary being from Outside the Domain. He has suddenly appeared within the Shenxiao Sect and is even trying to steal Spirit Rice. For this reason alone, I must capture him and get clear answers.