Chapter 86: Foundation Establishment vs. Transformation?

The Green-Eyed Ancestor had been dutifully guarding outside the Youming Sect, not typically inclined to come here. Normally, he wouldn’t. But after his fellow sect members left, boredom led him to examine a teleportation talisman.

Upon closer inspection, he recognized its aura—belonging to Qingxia Fairy, a Transformation-stage cultivator from the Wanfa Immortal Sect, with whom he’d clashed several times. The thought of her irked him. A mere early Transformation cultivator, she’d escaped his peak mid-Transformation strength repeatedly, relying on an endless array of unique talismans and unheard-of custom tools—neither like Taixuan Creation Sect’s mechanisms nor traditional treasures.

The Green-Eyed Ancestor coveted those items, but Wanfa Immortal Sect’s treasures rarely circulated outside. His brow quirked, sensing something intriguing. Teleportation talismans were a Wanfa specialty, and a Transformation-grade spatial talisman was rare.

For Qingxia Fairy to sell a barely functional one to this girl, their bond had to be close. Recalling gathered intelligence, he knew Qingxia Fairy had no family, only one disciple—a rare Talisman Spirit Root genius, beautiful and upright. It had to be her.

In other words, as Qingxia Fairy’s prized disciple, she likely carried more treasures. Unable to attend the sect leader’s grand event, he’d been frustrated. Now, a chance to seize treasures? He couldn’t let it slip. So, he rushed to the pit, stumbling upon this scene.

The ordinary captives and low-tier cultivators, oblivious to his power, kept fighting. But those above Foundation Establishment, sensing his aura, gasped in terror. “Why… why is the Green-Eyed Ancestor here? Who drew him in?!” “It’s over, all over! Decades of preparation, and it ends here…”

Cheng Qingning shrank back, hearing the murmurs. “Enough. This farce ends now. Beasts should act like beasts—how dare you have your own ideas?” The Green-Eyed Ancestor wouldn’t tolerate disruption at this critical moment.

Before his words settled, a suffocating pressure swept the space like a tidal wave. Buzz… The air trembled, the ground groaned. In the nearest pits, hundreds of cultivators collapsed like ants under an invisible hand, bones creaking, some spitting blood, unable to struggle.

What dozens of Golden Core demonic cultivators couldn’t control, the Green-Eyed Ancestor subdued effortlessly. Cheng Qingning’s eyes flickered with despair, her body trembling, teeth grinding until her gums bled, unnoticed. “How… there shouldn’t be a Transformation-stage demon here now…” Why?!

Decades of planning, countless sleepless nights, every detail calculated a thousand times for a near-perfect escape. Why this twist? The plan was to exit through a secluded, treacherous passage with fewer demonic cultivators, offering a slim chance of survival.

But against a Transformation-stage demon who could raze a city with a thought, hope vanished. Gong Chen, with his Nascent Soul cultivation, barely stood, but resistance was a pipe dream. Others fared worse.

Ding Miaotong, a body cultivator from Cangxuan Martial Sect beside him, buckled under the pressure, kneeling on one knee. “Cheng Qingning, you little wretch, if you hadn’t flashed that teleportation talisman, I wouldn’t have come!” The Green-Eyed Ancestor’s gaze locked on Cheng Qingning, strolling through the air with hands behind his back, exuding confidence.

“To repay your kindness, I won’t attack. Hand over your treasures.” Each step rippled the air, intensifying the pressure, crushing Cheng Qingning’s resolve.

Despair permeated the air, the captives like livestock awaiting slaughter, their rebellion stilled. Cheng Qingning struggled to look around, hearing countless eyes on her—filled with resentment, confusion, and rage. “Why didn’t you die sooner?! If you had, you wouldn’t have come and drawn a Transformation-stage demon!” “We had no grudge, but at the critical moment, you ruined everything! Everything!”

Their words, hissed through gritted teeth, laid bare their hatred. Indeed, trapped here, surviving on slop, enduring years to decades, they’d finally glimpsed hope. Now, because of one mistake, it was gone. Who wouldn’t lose it? Knowing the cause, they vented their fury on her.

The Green-Eyed Ancestor, amused, eased his pressure slightly, letting them speak. Gong Chen’s weathered, sunken eyes stared at her, resigned yet relieved, sighing inwardly. Man plans, heaven decides. Who’d have thought decades of scheming would collapse over one mistake? Sigh… It shouldn’t be like this.

Cheng Qingning, driven by justice, only wanted to save everyone. Why had she doomed them instead? Overwhelmed by curses and guilt, she couldn’t stand. Collapsing, she dared not meet their eyes, fearing their despair and anger.

“Enough with your squawking! Blaming a woman—what skill is that?!” Chu Huaizhou’s amplified voice cut through, echoing across the pit.

Eyes shifted from Gong Chen to the figure behind him. “Who are you? Think we’re only blaming her, not you?!” “A Foundation Establishment punk, spouting nonsense! If you’re so great, kill this guy!”