A group of people, not one or two, came from over there - eight people in total. Among them was one at the Divine Transformation stage, four at the Yuanying stage, and three at the Golden Core stage.
Added to the more than 20 Yuanying stage cultivators originally here, it gave people the illusion that...
Yuanying stage cultivators were everywhere in this world.
In fact, these 20-odd Yuanying stage cultivators were basically all of the Yuanying stage cultivators in the Hengduan Mountains region.
Qin Ran recognized all eight of the newly arrived people, or rather was familiar with them.
The four from Dao Sword Sect were led by Elder Gu Yueming, and behind him were all Supreme Elders. The four from Lingnan Immortal Sect were led by Elder Ning, and behind him were three Lingnan Immortal Sect disciples.
Qin Ran remembered that Dao Sword Sect had more than three Supreme Elders. He wondered if the others had not come, had died, or were busy with other matters.
He also remembered that a total of six Lingnan Immortal Sect disciples had come. Apart from Su Changqing who had died and Bai Ruoxi who had gone missing, there should still be four disciples with Elder Ning... It seemed that disciple was most likely dead.
As these eight people flew over, under the powerful oppressive might of Elder Ning, no one on the scene dared to make a move. All watched them approach.
Elder Ning should have been injured in his battle with Shiji Demon Willow, but now he looked tidy and ruddy, showing no signs of injury at all.
But precisely because of this, Qin Ran determined that the old fellow must be severely injured...
An Elder who had undergone an intense fight, and even a fight above his level, could not possibly emerge unscathed. But he was pretending to be uninjured, which showed that he needed to conceal the severity of his injuries to intimidate the 20 odd Yuanying stage cultivators present.
One must know that the top combat power of the three major sects of the Hengduan Mountains as well as high-level demonic beasts from the demonic beast camp, Lingnan Immortal Sect disciples, and loose cultivators were all gathered here now - six forces in total. Or seven if one were to forcibly include Danfeng and Tushan Youyou.
The situation was extremely chaotic.
If Elder Ning did not put on a show, he might not be able to keep them under control.
"Was it you who did it?" Elder Ning came over and immediately questioned Qin Ran.
While others might not understand, Qin Ran knew with one listen that he was asking about using the Tribulation Pill to make Shiji Demon Willow undergo tribulation prematurely.
He bowed and replied, "I did it, but I also didn't."
Elder Ning laughed, but Qin Ran couldn't feel any mirth from his face. Qin Ran knew that if he couldn't give Elder Ning a reasonable explanation next, he might very well die today.
"Explain," said Elder Ning.
"Elder Ning, I'm just an ordinary Golden Core cultivator without such great abilities," said Qin Ran calmly. "But Su Changqing was no ordinary Golden Core cultivator."
"Oh?" Elder Ning frowned. Su Changqing?
He suddenly had a bad premonition. To force Shiji Demon Willow to undergo tribulation prematurely was a huge matter. Qin Ran really couldn't accomplish it alone, but if Su Changqing was added to the equation, things became reasonable.
But why would Su Changqing do it? He was a core disciple of Lingnan Immortal Sect. And how did he manage to do it? Although his talent was high enough, he was still only at the Golden Core stage after all...
"Brother Su sacrificed himself, performing the spirit splitting divine art in reverse to eliminate all of Shiji Demon Willow's willow catkins. Only then, under his urging, did I trigger the Tribulation Pill." Qin Ran gave him the answer.
The bad premonition came true. Elder Ning's heart plummeted into an abyss as his complexion greatly changed, losing composure. He shouted in disbelief, "Changqing sacrificed himself?!"
The cultivation art Su Changqing practiced was the Scripture of the Way. Su Changqing's goal was not to ascend but to attain the Dao.
Even within a sect like Lingnan Immortal Sect, Su Changqing was uniquely talented and peerless!
If such a talented disciple were to die in a small trial like this, it would be laughable and lamentable.
Elder Ning would definitely be held accountable!
In Lingnan Immortal Sect's eyes, Su Changqing was much more important than some Divine Transformation expert or Shiji Demon Willow's fruits of enlightenment.
If Su Changqing was dead, then Elder Ning would not be far from death either.
"Brother Su was righteous and cared for the world. Unable to bear the masses suffering from the willow catkins, he gave his life for a righteous cause. Such noble character earns my utmost admiration," said Qin Ran.
But Elder Ning could no longer hear Qin Ran's words. He had already fallen into a frenzied state.
His eyes bloodshot, he stared at Qin Ran but said nothing, only raised a palm. The heavens and earth instantly came under oppression as an imprint formed from the momentum of heaven and earth itself slammed towards Qin Ran.
It was the palm strike of a Divine Transformation cultivator!
"Elder Ning!"
Qin Ran had not expected Elder Ning to attack directly.
Suppressed by the powerful momentum, he shouted and attempted to cast Illusory Realm on Elder Ning, but a Divine Transformation cultivator was unlike those at the Yuanying stage. A Divine Transformation cultivator already possessed a Primordial Spirit and was completely unaffected by his Illusory Realm.
Elder Ning snorted coldly again. Qin Ran's eyes took damage and blood mixed with tears flowed freely as he was sent flying backwards.
The other Yuanying stage cultivators were forced back by the oppressive heaven and earth momentum, quickly making way and opening up a path for the gigantic palm imprint that rushed solely towards Qin Ran.
Li Shiyin sent out a sword qi that was backlashed by the great momentum, injuring herself directly.
"Dreamlike Waters!"
With his eyes closed, Qin Ran called out that unique protective barrier at the fastest speed possible.
"Fleeting Mirage!"
Countless clones also exploded out from his body to stand guard before him.
"Like a Dream, Like an Illusion!"
This was the speed at which Qin Ran could unleash his mystic arts. Faced with the palm strike of a Divine Transformation cultivator, he was able to activate four different mystic arts in an instant as the critical moment arrived, completely transforming his body's nature to become like water.
But what was the disparity between Golden Core stage and Divine Transformation stage?
Heaven and earth, clouds and mud.
It was an uncrossable ravine!
Qin Ran's strongest protective barrier shattered with a single touch from the gigantic palm. The few dozen clones with strength close to his actual body also rapidly disintegrated.
That palm imprint condensed from the momentum of heaven and earth met almost no obstruction as it heavily struck Qin Ran's body.
Qin Ran shattered with a cry!
"Master!" Li Shiyin shrieked in fright and grief as she cried out, rushing towards Qin Ran.
But Long Qiqi grabbed her sleeve and shouted, "Don't be rash!"
Li Shiyin tore her sleeve with a strong tug and continued flying towards Qin Ran.
"Shiyin, stop!" Qin Ran's voice suddenly rang out, and Li Shiyin finally stopped.
Over at Qin Ran's side, his shattered body arduously reformed until he barely resumed Qin Ran's appearance. His complexion pale, he told Li Shiyin, "I'm fine."
He even smiled reassuringly at Li Shiyin before shouting to the Yuanying stage cultivators watching the show nearby, "Don't you want fruits of enlightenment? Elder Ning has countless fruits over there, take as much as you want!"
Some of the Yuanying cultivators were moved by his words but none dared make a move. Who didn't know about the fruits of enlightenment by Elder Ning's side? But one still had to be able to beat him!
Qin Ran continued shouting, "He couldn't even kill me with a blow. What are you guys still waiting for?!"
That seemed to make sense. A Divine Transformation cultivator attacking a Golden Core cultivator - if he couldn't take him out in one move, the Divine Transformation cultivator must have some issues!
The brainless demonic beasts instantly could no longer hold back, and beasts bellowed as they charged towards Elder Ning.
"Beasts dare!" Elder Ning was furious. Dividing his consciousness, he conjured more than a hundred meter tall clones to battle the demonic beasts.
However, his injuries were indeed severe and his focus unstable. He was easily approached by the Cyan Cloud Bear. With one slap from the bear's paw, Elder Ning's main body was directly sent flying several hundred meters away.
"If you don't make a move now, the fruits will belong to the demonic beasts!" Qin Ran shouted loudly again.
Seeing Elder Ning actually get struck and sent flying by the Cyan Cloud Bear, the Yuanying cultivators finally realized his injuries truly were severe. Hearing Qin Ran's words, some anxiety grew in their hearts.
Then they saw the Boundless Sword Sect cultivators take the lead, swords raised as they charged straight for Elder Ning.
"Whoever blocks them for me will be rewarded with fruits of enlightenment..." Elder Ning spit out blood as he spoke from under the slap of the bear paw.
And there were cultivators who went to intercept those from Boundless Sword Sect...
Those who wanted to kill Elder Ning for the fruits and those who wanted to protect him for the fruits already had grudges to settle. In this moment, nearly ten Yuanying stage cultivators on scene broke out into chaotic battle!
White clouds in the sky were shredded. Mountain rocks on the ground were razed flat. It was utterly chaotic as attacks blotted out the skies and covered the earth! The mere aftershocks were enough to easily obliterate ordinary Golden Core cultivators.
And at the border of this chaotic battlefield, Qin Ran was held in Li Shiyin's arms.
Countless cracks continuously crept across his body, making him seem a forcefully pieced together shattered porcelain vessel that could fall apart again at any time.
Blood gushed from him ceaselessly. His wounds wouldn't heal no matter what, dyeing him and Li Shiyin red.
That was the aftermath of a strike from the Divine Transformation stage. How could he withstand it?
"Go first!" Qin Ran's mouth was full of blood, but he still said to Li Shiyin and the others, "Go!"
Li Shiyin cried her eyes out and hugged him as he got up, but she was so distraught that she didn't know which way to go.
"Go!" Tushan Youyou flew over languidly and grabbed Li Shiyin and Qin Ran, one in each arm, flying far away.
"Chasing the Wind, follow quickly!" Long Qiqi quickly jumped onto Chasing the Wind's back and said to him.
Without Long Qiqi's urging, his own father had been abducted. Chasing the Wind naturally put out his utmost effort, whipping up a gale as he raced to catch up with Tushan Youyou.