Inside the small cave.
The radiant sword light illuminated the surroundings. An ancient and simple long sword transformed into an ancient divine peak, exuding powerful holy might, akin to a surging tsunami sweeping in all directions. It was condensed from the formidable sword intent—terrifying!
Before the long sword, a majestic and immortal phantom emerged from the void, standing high above the clouds. Its figure was imposing, resembling an Immortal King! The posture, overlooking the ancient and modern, surpassing the ages, and scornful of the heavens, made everything in the world lose its color.
"What the heck!" At the foot of the mountain, Yang Qiu looked up at the sky, wearing a stunned expression.
"Great Luo Sect Master, Ren Qingtu! When did he arrive?"
Yang Qiu was on the verge of going mad. Clearly, he was about to become a Saint, so how come someone else had become a Saint before him? Could it be that…
Glancing again at the formation at the mountaintop, Yang Qiu's face turned red, and a raging fury surged within him. How could he not understand what had happened? Apparently, the last formation was not left by an ancient Saint but intentionally set up by Ren Qingtu to block his path. And he, foolishly, broke the formation!
If he had violently broken through the formation, he might have been able to stop Ren Qingtu from succeeding in his breakthrough. However, at this moment, it was too late. Ren Qingtu had already fully become a Saint!
"Liu Chengxue!!!" Yang Qiu squeezed out two words from his mouth with difficulty.
He wouldn't forget why he came to the Great Wilderness City and how he met the Pavilion Master of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Everything traced back to his disciple. And Liu Chengxue, being Ren Qingtu's disciple, was the key. Perhaps Ren Qingtu had rushed over here, snatching the opportunity to become a Saint, after purchasing information from the senior.
"I Miscalculated!" Yang Qiu's eyes were vacant. Despite numerous calculations, he had overlooked Liu Chengxue's involvement. If, after entering the formation, he had done nothing but secured the most important resources, he might have become a Saint by now. The thought of this made Yang Qiu's heart bleed.
"Ren Qingtu has become a Saint. It's not suitable to stay here for long. If he wakes up and finds traces of me…" Yang Qiu shivered.
The Nine Nether Demon Sect behind him and the Great Luo Sword Sect were mortal enemies. Although the two were evenly matched before, now, it was different. Ren Qingtu had become a Saint, and just a glance from him might severely injure Yang Qiu. Facing Ren Qingtu, there was absolutely no chance of winning!
"I'll buy another opportunity to become a Saint and settle the score for today later!" Yang Qiu roared lowly and swiftly turned around to leave. As Ren Qingtu become a Saint, the situation became extremely precarious.
The news of Ren Qingtu's breakthrough to the Saint realm had attracted the attention of countless cultivators within a radius of millions of miles around the Bai Duan Mountain Range.
The Scarlet Flame Holy Land, not far from the mountain range, was particularly on edge. The Scarlet Flame Holy Lord, dressed in a red robe, with hair, eyebrows, all resembling dancing flames, emitted a scorching aura that distorted the void. With hands behind his back, he gazed towards the direction of the Bai Duan Mountain Range, his eyes filled with solemnity.
"Great Luo Sword Intent!" Scarlet Flame Holy Lord murmured, "Is it Ren Qingtu? Back then, I fought him to a draw, and unexpectedly, he has stepped into the realm of Saint ahead of me!
"However," Scarlet Flame Holy Lord looked at the boundless sword intent and contemplation was visible in his eyes. "A Sect Master breaking through to the Saint realm outside the sect, in the wilderness—there might be something fishy about this!"
It was quite problematic. Any Sect Master breaking through to the Saint realm would meticulously prepare, even within the sect. They would be concerned that the defense wasn't tight enough, fearing interference during the breakthrough. If one was disturbed during the breakthrough, it could lead to the waste of cultivation or, in severe cases, death.
After cultivating for over a thousand years, Ren Qingtu wouldn't be unaware of these matters. Yet, he still chose to break through in the wilderness and successfully entered the realm of Saint. There seemed to be a considerable problem.
"Someone come!" Scarlet Flame Holy Lord said calmly.
"Holy Lord, what are your orders?" A phantom figure drifted from afar, arriving silently in front of Scarlet Flame Holy Lord. The person was shrouded in mist from head to toe, bowing respectfully.
"Go near the Bai Duan Mountain Range and find out what opportunity Ren Qingtu has encountered! Report to me immediately if there is any news!" Scarlet Flame Holy Lord commanded.
"Yes!" The shadow answered and disappeared on the spot.
"An opportunity that allows rapid entry into the Saint realm—I'm quite curious about that too!"
Scarlet Flame Holy Lord gazed into the distance, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation. Among peers, being one step ahead often meant being steps ahead continuously. If one couldn't catch up in a short period, there might be no hope in this lifetime. The gap between geniuses would only widen over time.