This aura came from beyond the heavens, as if it had crossed endless void and the river of time—ancient, vast, and carrying an unmistakable will.
"This is… the Heavenly Dao of this world?"
Zhu Chen frowned.
He knew it was time for him to leave.
But before that—
there was still one matter he needed to settle.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Yao, take me to the Qingyang Sect."
Zhu Chen turned to Yuan Yao, his tone firm and unquestionable.
Yuan Yao was startled.
"Senior… what do you mean? I don't understand…"
Zhu Chen said calmly, "Don't you have a deep grudge against the Qingyang Sect? Now that you belong to my side, I will naturally stand up for you."
"Ah?"
"What 'ah'? I don't have much time. Lead the way."
"Yes, Senior."
Seeing that Zhu Chen was serious, Yuan Yao clenched her teeth, no longer hesitating, and decisively pointed out the direction of the Qingyang Sect.
Zhu Chen glanced toward the indicated direction. His wings suddenly flapped violently as he pulled Yuan Yao into his arms, transforming into a streak of light that shot across the horizon.
…
The distance from the sea where the Void Heaven Palace was located to the Qingyang Sect was not short.
Even at full speed, an ordinary Core Formation cultivator would need at least half a month to arrive.
But relying on the Flowing Light Technique of the Vermilion Bird Treasure Technique, Zhu Chen forcibly shortened the journey to just two and a half days.
On the third day—
he and Yuan Yao appeared above the Qingyang Sect.
The Qingyang Sect was overseen by a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and held a certain reputation within the Chaotic Star Sea.
But Zhu Chen did not care in the slightest.
After confirming the location with Yuan Yao, he immediately activated the Eight Divine Ring Cave Heavens, manifesting a massive Vermilion Bird that blotted out the sky and slammed directly into the sect's mountain-protecting formation.
Boom—!
The moment the Vermilion Bird struck the formation,
the entire Qingyang Sect trembled violently.
Countless pavilions, halls, and towers collapsed instantly, as if the end of the world had arrived.
With a deafening explosion, the grand formation—capable of resisting even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—was shattered into countless fragments of spirit crystal.
The Vermilion Bird manifestation dispersed.
But the scattered flaming feathers transformed into countless fireballs, falling like meteorites and instantly engulfing the entire mountain range of the Qingyang Sect.
"How dare you! Who dares to destroy my sect?!"
"Do you not know this is territory under the Reverse Star Alliance?!"
At that moment, an enraged roar echoed from within the sect.
The Qingyang Sect's patriarch emerged from seclusion, leading several Core Formation disciples as he attempted to intercept the intruder.
Zhu Chen swept his gaze over them indifferently, then gently pressed his palm downward.
"Purifying Fire Burns the Sky.
Fire Rain Descends upon the Earth—
Burn Away… All Impurity!"
In an instant, the sea of fireballs crashed down with overwhelming force.
Wherever the fire rain passed, everything was reduced to nothingness.
The Qingyang Sect patriarch struggled to resist, but was ultimately burned to ashes by the Vermilion Bird Divine Fire.
The Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators fared even worse.
Anyone touched by the fire rain—regardless of cultivation—was instantly incinerated without exception.
"To annihilate an entire sect ruled by a Nascent Soul cultivator in the blink of an eye…
Is this the power of a Deity Transformation expert?"
Yuan Yao stood completely stunned as she watched the Qingyang Sect vanish beneath the raging flames.
Although she had been shocked when Zhu Chen killed the Star Palace elder in the Void Heaven Palace, what she witnessed now was on an entirely different level.
Killing a Nascent Soul cultivator was one thing.
Erasing an entire sect ruled by one was another matter entirely.
Moreover, that Star Palace elder had only been at the early Nascent Soul stage.
The Qingyang Sect patriarch had been at the mid-stage!
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Yao, take these items to the Miaoyin Sect and give them to Zi Ling."
With a wave of his hand, Zhu Chen gathered all the cultivation resources of the Qingyang Sect into several storage bags and handed them to Yuan Yao.
The forces within the Chaotic Star Sea were complicated—Star Palace in front, Reverse Star Alliance behind. Zi Ling alone would struggle to support the Miaoyin Sect.
Zhu Chen could not stay here for long, so this was all he could do before leaving.
As for Yuan Yao, she was loyal, righteous, and possessed good cultivation talent. With her assisting Zi Ling, Zhu Chen could feel more at ease.
This was the true reason he had chosen to annihilate the Qingyang Sect before departing.
First, to seize resources for Zi Ling.