Phased Battle Order Opening
The Mystery of Li Qingran’s Survival
Song Jiaojiao was dead.
But Li Qingran was alive.
This fact alone made Lu Changtian frown in disbelief.
How was this possible?
Li Qingran, with her dantian destroyed and spiritual roots severed, was barely stronger than an ordinary martial artist due to her past cultivation.
But Song Jiaojiao?
A cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refining!
Killing Li Qingran should have been as easy as stepping on an ant.
Yet, the result—
Song Jiaojiao was dead.
Li Qingran lived.
Lu Changtian turned his sharp gaze toward Yang Botao.
“Did Li Qingran kill Song Jiaojiao?”
Yang Botao visibly flinched.
“I… I don’t know!”
His voice trembled as he explained, “I only told her to kill Li Qingran! At first, she refused, but when I offered a Foundation Establishment Pill, she changed her mind. After she left, I went to gather spirit stones for the trade. But when I came back—”
He swallowed hard.
“Her soul lamp was extinguished.“
Silence.
A soul lamp only goes out when its owner dies.
This was an absolute truth for any cultivator below the Nascent Soul stage.
No exceptions.
Li Qingran… could she have really done it?
A ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, slain by a crippled mortal?
Impossible.
Unless…
Something far more sinister was at play.
The Perfectly Timed Suggestion
As Lu Changtian pondered, Mu Baishuang suddenly spoke up.
“Senior Brother Changtian,” she said, her expression tinged with worry.
“I’ve heard that the Demon Sect has been stirring trouble in Cangyun Realm lately.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Is it possible that Senior Sister was… possessed by a demonic cultivator?”
Lu Changtian’s eyes darkened.
That would explain everything.
If a demon cultivator took over Li Qingran’s body, then she might have gained some unnatural power.
If that was the case…
Then allowing her to roam freely could be a huge danger to Qingyun Sect.
Mu Baishuang sighed.
“Regardless of what happened,” she continued, “Senior Sister was once one of us. Even if she’s lost her cultivation, we can’t just abandon her to die alone in Wanqing Mountain.”
Her eyes softened.
“It would be better to bring her back. Even if she can’t cultivate, she could still help with sect chores rather than struggle for survival outside.”
Lu Changtian clenched his fists.
“Junior Sister, you’re too kind-hearted.”
He gritted his teeth.
“Li Qingran hurt you so much, yet you still speak up for her.“
He turned away, a storm of thoughts raging in his mind.
If Li Qingran truly had nothing to do with Song Jiaojiao’s death, then forcing her further away from the sect would be the best solution.
But if she did kill Song Jiaojiao…
Then it didn’t matter what opportunity she got—whether it was a mysterious benefactor or a Demonic Sect infiltration.
She had to be dealt with.
Either way, keeping her close was the safest option.
Finally, he made his decision.
“Don’t worry, Junior Sister.“
“I’ll report this to Master Qingxuan and get to the bottom of it.”
Mu Baishuang smiled sweetly.
Her eyes, however, gleamed with cunning satisfaction.
The Investigation Begins
Upon hearing Lu Changtian’s report, the Sect Master Wu Duantian immediately took action.
- Yang Botao was sentenced to face the wall at Thunder Cliff for six months.
- His monthly resources were revoked.
- Lu Changtian was ordered to lead a team from the Law Enforcement Hall to investigate Wanqing Mountain.
Before departure, Wu Duantian issued a final warning.
“If you encounter demonic cultivators, do not engage them immediately.”
His voice was heavy.
“Report back using a sound transmission jade slip.“
Lu Changtian bowed.
“Yes, Sect Master.”
Next, he turned to Taoist Qingxuan, his master.
The old cultivator stroked his beard, his expression unreadable.
“You have always been level-headed, Lu Changtian,” he said.
“Go. Find the truth.”
The Sky Shatters
Just as Lu Changtian unsheathed his sword to depart—
BOOM!
The sky split open with an earth-shaking explosion.
Dark thunderclouds rolled in, turning the bright day into an apocalyptic night.
Blood-red lightning crackled in the heavens.
A terrifying will descended upon Cangyun Realm.
Lu Changtian’s mind buzzed violently—
The pressure was so immense that he stumbled, nearly falling from his sword.
The entire sect was in an uproar.
“What’s happening?! Another heavenly deduction?!”
Even Wu Duantian looked deeply alarmed.
A deduction of heavenly secrets was no small matter.
Only powerful monks with specialized divination techniques could attempt it—
And even then, it was a massive toll on one’s lifespan and destiny.
Most cultivators would only attempt such a thing once in their lives.
Who was doing it twice in two days?!
Wu Duantian’s face was grim.
“This realm… is becoming more and more dangerous.”
Meanwhile, in the Hotel…
Chen Huaian, dressed in pajamas, sat on his bed, lazily tapping at his phone.
He had discovered the Heavenly Deduction function earlier—
And was now using it to mess around.
“Deducing heavenly secrets, huh?” he muttered.
“Let’s see if this is AI or a real person.”
He typed:
“When does 1 + 1 equal 3?”
[Deduction Failed. One plus one equals two. Please change your question.]
Chen Huaian grinned.
“Alright, let’s try this…”
“Ten birds are on a tree. You shoot one. How many are left?”
[Deduction Result: The dead bird is on the ground. The others have flown away. Answer: 0.]
His smirk widened.
“Hah! I bet there’s a real person running this.”
He cracked his knuckles and typed again:
“Can you give me an internal tester account?”
“I’ll write detailed reports for you every day, no cheating necessary! Also, I’ve mastered golden needle acupuncture, so if you ever need a limb regrown, I got you!”
The moment he hit send—
The game window closed abruptly.
Chen Huaian: “…”
“Tsk, you’re no fun.”
Then he tried something serious:
“How do you restore spiritual roots?”
This time—
[Deduction Complete!]
[Spiritual roots cannot be repaired. However, they can be artificially implanted!]
[Recharge 12,888¥ to open the Cultivation Battle Order! Receive a 10,000x rebate!]
[Special rewards available at Qi Refining, Foundation Building, and Perfected Foundation Building stages!]
[Reach Great Perfection in Foundation Building to obtain Supreme Spirit Roots!]
Chen Huaian: “…”
He gripped his phone tightly.
Then, through gritted teeth—
“I will fight your DAMN pay-to-win system!“
