Beaten to Death

At the peak of the Duanyun Mountain Range, fierce astral winds howled.

The terrain here was exceptionally high, with clouds often swirling beneath their feet.

Currently, a flat, colossal rock platform at the mountain peak had gathered over ten people.

The leader, naturally, was Liu Yuan.

Beside him stood a burly man with a rugged face.

His aura was deep and condensed, with faint currents of lightning and fire flowing within him—this was his junior brother, and the protagonist of today's event: Qin Sheng.

A body cultivator who had painstakingly trained for hundreds of years, finally touching the threshold of the third level of Tribulation Crossing.

Besides the two brothers, seven or eight powerfully-auraed cultivators sat or stood around them, their cultivation all at late-stage Transformation Realm, or even its peak.

There were also two others whose auras were as profound as an abyss and as vast as the sea; these were the two Tribulation Crossing realm helpers Liu Yuan had secretly contacted: a wizened old Daoist at the second level of Tribulation Crossing, and a beautiful woman at the first level of Tribulation Crossing.

This lineup, placed anywhere in the Central Plains, would be enough to terrify a major power, and even trigger regional upheaval.

Liu Yuan's ability to gather these people was partly due to his connections cultivated over many years and the price he paid.

More importantly, Dao Yi had too many enemies in the Lower Realm, and his actions of hunting ladder-ascenders had long provoked public outrage.

However, he had always been elusive, powerful, and skilled at divination to avoid calamity, so no one dared to provoke him easily, nor could they find a suitable opportunity.

Now, with an "Upper Realm expert" leading the charge, someone willing to act as bait, and a promise of generous spoils, these old monsters, who usually remained in secluded cultivation, were willing to risk gathering here.

Liu Yuan took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over everyone, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, the hour is nigh. I, Liu, will not waste words, but only offer a reminder: Dao Yi is cunning and ruthless. Do not underestimate him because of our numerical advantage. Everything must proceed according to plan."

Before his voice faded, a rift silently tore open in the space before them.

Two figures, one black and one white, calmly stepped out from it.

It was Ning Xian and Fang Xuan.

The fierce astral winds at the mountain peak seemed to pause.

Everyone's gaze instantly focused, especially on Ning Xian.

Her aura was ethereal, as if merged with the surrounding space, yet subtly emanating a heart-stopping sharpness.

And the handsome young man beside her, holding a dark longsword with a calm expression, was excessively young, but his Transformation Realm cultivation was undeniable.

What was even more startling were his calm, unruffled eyes, as if this group of people, who could shake the Central Plains three times over, were no different from roadside grass and stones.

Liu Yuan quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully, "Senior, you have arrived."

Seeing this, the impatience that had arisen in others due to waiting instantly receded by more than half.

To make an old fox like Liu Yuan so respectful, and to open and close space as easily as a doorway... this woman's power was unfathomable!

And that young man, able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with her so composedly, was probably far from a simple Transformation Realm cultivator.

He was most likely a young master-level figure from some ancient reclusive sect, or even from the Upper Realm!

Ning Xian's gaze lightly swept over everyone present, lingering briefly on the two Tribulation Crossing cultivators before moving on.

She said nothing, merely raising her left hand casually, forming sword fingers, and gently slicing through the void before her.

At the same time, her usually clear and cold eyes were tinged with a dark red.

Just being swept by that gaze, the Transformation Realm cultivators present felt their divine souls sting, and the two Tribulation Crossing old monsters also felt a jolt in their hearts, instinctively averting their eyes.

Absolute control, and a cold killing intent that disregarded everything.

"Decide for yourselves," Ning Xian finally spoke, her voice clear and flat.

"When the time comes, I will personally suppress and kill Dao Yi."

With her words, she no longer watched their reactions, stepping into the spatial rift.

Fang Xuan, holding his sword, also calmly stepped into the rift.

The rift then closed, as if it had never appeared.

.......

Several breaths passed before the wizened old Daoist at the second level of Tribulation Crossing slowly exhaled, murmuring, "A lingering immortal... definitely the methods of a lingering immortal, and not an ordinary one at that."

The beautiful woman, still shaken, her charming face slightly pale, giggled, "Dean Liu, you've indeed found an extraordinary backer this time. But this senior's temper..."

Liu Yuan could only give a dry laugh. "A senior's actions are profound and inscrutable. We only need to act according to the plan and fulfill our duty as bait."

He was inwardly apprehensive, but having come this far, there was no turning back.

He could only pray that this "senior" could truly suppress and kill Dao Yi as she claimed.......

.......

At the foot of the mountain, deep within the dense forest.

Space rippled slightly, and the figures of Ning Xian and Fang Xuan emerged.

Ning Xian took out a small jade flask and two cups again, pouring a cup of clear, fragrant spirit wine and handing one to Fang Xuan.

She herself held the other cup, sitting on an ancient tree, gazing leisurely towards the mist-shrouded mountain peak.

Fang Xuan took the wine cup, took a sip, and found the taste pleasant.

He mimicked Ning Xian, relaxing his body and sitting beside her.

"Senior Sister, will we be discovered here?"

"No," Ning Xian sipped her wine.

She paused, then added, "We'll go up after they're all beaten to death by Dao Yi."

"Pfft—cough, cough!" Fang Xuan nearly choked on his wine.

He didn't know why, but hearing his senior sister say, "after they're beaten to death," in such a clear and flat tone always made him struggle to suppress a laugh.

Such a sin, such a sin.......

.......

On the mountain peak, the atmosphere grew solemn as time passed.

Qin Sheng had adjusted to his optimal state, faint lightning and a rumble of vital energy emanating from his body.

He looked up at the sky.

Today, with a mysterious lingering immortal senior protecting him and many fellow cultivators providing support, he, Qin Sheng, would surely ascend the Heavenly Ladder!

"The hour has come," Liu Yuan announced in a deep voice.

Qin Sheng roared, no longer suppressing his cultivation. His third level of Tribulation Crossing aura fully erupted, soaring skyward.

In an instant, the weather changed.

The originally clear sky was swiftly covered by rolling dark clouds. Within the clouds, silver lightning serpents darted wildly, making the entire Duanyun Mountain Range tremble slightly.

Vast heavenly might enveloped the four directions.

"It's starting," at the foot of the mountain, Ning Xian put down her wine cup, her gaze fixed on the mountain peak.

Fang Xuan also curbed his smile, watching intently.

This was his first time witnessing the ascent of the Heavenly Ladder, and he couldn't help but feel curious.

Qin Sheng stood in mid-air, facing the sky full of thunderclouds, not only unafraid but letting out a long howl that shook the nine heavens:

"Today, I, Qin Sheng, shall surely tread upon the heavens! Hahaha!"

Before his laughter subsided, the first silver heavenly lightning bolt tore through the clouds and struck down with destructive force.

"Rumble!!!"

Qin Sheng was struck directly from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the colossal rock at the mountain peak, sending dust flying.

Once the dust settled slightly, he was seen clambering up, covered in dirt, shaking his somewhat dazed head, and spitting out a puff of black smoke.

The other spectators on the mountain peak were all fully focused now.

The wizened old Daoist stroked his beard, his sinister gaze sweeping the surrounding void, and whispered, "Stay alert, that old dog Dao Yi is best at ambushing. Don't let him exploit any openings."

The beautiful woman chuckled charmingly, "Don't worry, Daoist. With so many of us today, and that senior secretly backing us up, that old dog will surely not return. Humph, once that old dog Dao Yi is dead, his Tianji Pavilion's treasures, and all the valuables he's accumulated, will be divided properly."

"That's true," another Transformation Realm peak sect elder interjected, a glint of greed in his eyes.

"They should be allocated according to contribution; no one should try to take more! My sect's artifact forging lacks a few rare spiritual materials, and the Tianji Pavilion's vault must surely have them."

"I only want the Tianji Pavilion's ancestral treasure, the Heavenly Mechanism Disk!" Someone immediately made a demand.

"Nonsense! The Heavenly Mechanism Disk is a supreme divination treasure; how can you covet it? I think it's fairest to divide it according to cultivation. I'm at the second level of Tribulation Crossing, so I'll naturally contribute the most and should receive a larger share!"

"Being strong in cultivation makes you special? Without our restraint, could you handle Dao Yi alone?"

Arguments gradually arose. Although their voices were lowered, against the backdrop of increasingly dense thunder, they still seemed somewhat noisy.

Only Liu Yuan stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze fixed on Qin Sheng, who was enduring the third heavenly lightning strike, his body charred black.

He frowned deeply, saying nothing.

Listening to the increasingly absurd arguments behind him, a chill went through his heart, and he even felt like laughing.

A bunch of fools...

Do they really think a lingering immortal is that easy to kill? Do they really think Senior Ning is here for charity, to help them divide treasures?

They had no idea that in the eyes of a true lingering immortal, they might not even count as pawns.

Arguing over spoils now? When Dao Yi truly appears and reveals the true methods of a lingering immortal, they'll understand what despair is.

They won't even know how they died later....