“May the Immortal Venerable please give guidance!”

The voice was not only clear and pleasant but also carried a deep sense of emotion, sounding both respectful and sincere, making one naturally fond of it.

However, the Immortal Venerable Shaozhen had lived for countless years and could easily see through the little tricks of this girl.

Yet, that was precisely the point: Qin Ruqing had never intended to conceal anything.

It was as if she were saying, “I know that someone of your stature cannot be deceived by such tricks, so I might as well be straightforward. Whether good or bad, it’s up to you to judge! Whatever the outcome, I will accept it!”

This approach was acceptable, being exactly the right kind of clever.

An Immortal Venerable like Shaozhen would indeed appreciate a younger generation who was perceptive and clever.

But everything was based on one premise—what you present must truly catch my eye.

With just a fleeting glimpse, she had learned a powerful technique from the gaps in history and had managed to master it to a decent level, showing some divine charm.

She even had the courage to use it in front of this mighty being and asked for guidance.

Shaozhen admitted that Qin Ruqing’s strategic move was indeed well done.

Now, even without the command of the Dao Sovereign, she had developed an interest in this girl herself.

“It seems you are quite confident. You claim to have learned only one in ten thousand of the divine charm and still dare to use it in front of me. Aren’t you afraid that I might be dissatisfied and take it out on you?”

Qin Ruqing replied crisply, “If the Immortal Venerable is angered, it is the fault of the junior. It is indeed the junior’s lack of skill.

The Immortal Venerable may impose punishment as you see fit. However, after the punishment, the junior still hopes for your guidance.

After all, the fleeting glimpse I saw that day allowed me only to imitate it roughly, and I have no clue on how to improve this technique.”

By the end, she sighed and shook her head, clearly showing her helplessness.

Shaozhen smiled.

Qin Ruqing’s frustration was precisely in line with the subtlety of the technique.

This was Shaozhen’s proud creation.

Qin Ruqing’s attention to it was exactly what pleased her.

She could no longer hold back and was eager to offer guidance.

Shao Zhen said with composure, “This technique is called the Storm Cloud Thunder Technique. It is a technique I realized from the power of wind and thunder when I was bound by the Thunder Fire Contract.”

“Your grasp of the wind and thunder rules is not very refined, but the fact that you could imitate this technique to such an extent shows a high level of comprehension,” Shao Zhen admitted, genuinely pleased and unable to restrain her praise for Qin Ruqing.

Qin Ruqing, sharp-eyed as ever, quickly took the opportunity to ask about her doubts:

“Thank you, Immortal Venerable, for the praise! However, when I use this technique, even though my hand seals and sequences are correct, I always feel that the explosion is insufficient. It is rather embarrassing that, despite being the most explosive attribute, my use of the lightning attribute is even weaker than the fire attribute.”

Qin Ruqing was not just using this technique as a display; she had genuinely studied and wanted to learn.

The questions she asked were spot on.

Shaozhen nodded in satisfaction, clearly finding Qin Ruqing’s questions to be of high quality, and her tone softened.

“You’re correct; lightning is indeed the most explosive attribute, especially with added speed. The issue with your insufficient explosion lies in the hand seals. Since you are using the Wind Thunder Technique, which emphasizes speed and destruction, your hand seals must align with this principle and become faster and faster. Your previous attempt was slow in starting and lacked strength in the final seal.”

With just a few simple sentences, Shao Zhen pinpointed Qin Ruqing’s problem accurately.

Qin Ruqing’s eyes lit up, immediately feeling as if she had been enlightened.

She silently practiced in her mind, making adjustments to the Storm Cloud Thunder Technique right in front of the Immortal Venerable.

After the adjustments, the technique released caused the entire space to tremble, creating noticeable ripples like waves crashing against rocks, which slowly dissipated after a long time.

Immortal Venerable Shaozhen looked at Qin Ruqing with unmistakable surprise.

The girl’s comprehension was even better than she had anticipated, as if her Dao was inherently in harmony with Shaozhen’s.

Shaozhen couldn’t help but say, “Do you know that the Wind and Thunder Technique integrates my lifetime’s Dao insights? According to the rules, it should only be taught to my personal disciples.”

Personal disciples… was she hinting at taking her as a disciple?

Qin Ruqing remained silent.

She wasn’t unwilling—how could she be unwilling to have such a cool ancient immortal as her teacher?

She was only concerned about one thing: It was said… just said, mind you, that she was the current sole heir of the Dao Ancestor.

Logically, she should inherit only the Dao Ancestor’s legacy.

If she became Immortal Venerable Shaozhen’s disciple, wouldn’t it be seen as a betrayal to the Dao Ancestor?

Before Qin Ruqing could respond, Shaozhen shook her head and sighed:

“Forget it. If Dao Sovereign personally called me to guide you, your future is probably not with me.”

Even though the existence of the ancient Qinglian Dao Ancestor wasn’t explicitly stated, Immortal Venerables of a certain level still had a subtle sense of it.

“You have your own destiny, and we do have a connection. This technique will be considered a gift to you, completing our karmic bond. I hope you will cherish and develop this technique and treat the Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire well in the future,” Shaozhen said earnestly.

“I will strictly follow Immortal Venerable’s will!” Qin Ruqing said solemnly, performing a respectful bow.

Although she wasn’t formally accepting her as a teacher, this gesture was her way of showing respect and acknowledging Shaozhen as her mentor in her heart.

Shaozhen’s gaze softened considerably as she looked at Qin Ruqing.

“Practice this technique a few more times, and I will provide detailed guidance…”

---

Meanwhile, Fifth Lingyu, who had also been captured by the light beam, had white skin and handsome features, but his cheeks were marred by blood-streaked scratches.

If these were ordinary wounds, they could be healed with spells or ointments—there were plenty of healing techniques in the Fifth Family.

However, Qin Ruqing had added fire and metal attribute rules to the wounds, causing continuous bleeding and making them difficult to heal.

Even with Fifth Lingyu’s methods, he could only leave them as they were for now.

The presence of the wounds made Fifth Lingyu unconsciously reach up to wipe them, and his hand was soon covered in fresh blood.

He curled the corner of his lips in a mocking grin.

Fifth Lingyu wasn’t surprised by Qin Ruqing’s harsh “treatment.”

He scanned his surroundings warily and said, “Since the senior brought me here, why haven’t they shown themselves yet?”

Compared to Qin Ruqing’s show of obedience, Fifth Lingyu was more reckless.

The space around him fluctuated, and what responded to him was an overwhelming killing intent that swept in.

The killing intent felt like a giant hand descending from the sky, pressing heavily down on Fifth Lingyu.

His knee buckled under the immense pressure but he managed to support himself.

The wounds on his cheeks, which were almost coagulated, began bleeding afresh due to the intense pressure.

Veins stood out on his neck and hands.

Even though he summoned a golden ring for defense, he could barely resist.

Finally, under the crushing pressure, Fifth Lingyu dropped to one knee.

He grunted in pain and heard a voice as cold as a snow mountain’s ice spring:

“Quite a tough nut, aren’t you!”

Fifth Lingyu looked toward the source of the voice and saw a slender figure.

The figure’s face was unclear, but he remembered the eyes, which sparkled with countless sword lights.

It was as if just one glance could split mountains and sever peaks.

Fifth Lingyu felt a sharp pain in his eyes, his eyelids moistening and blood trickling from the corners.

His eyes were suffering from a backlash.

Yue Ming saw Fifth Lingyu’s bloodied face, first stunned for a moment, then laughed.

Noticing the direct gaze from Fifth Lingyu and the backlash he was suffering, he leisurely began to speak:

“That little girl who fought with you earlier was far more likable than you.”

Yue Ming’s tone carried some emotion.

The old man Fu Sheng appeared serious but was actually quite scheming; he went off to play with the Dao Ancestor’s successor, leaving the remaining mess for her.

Thinking of this made Yue Ming feel unjust, and coupled with the fact that this young immortal entered with such arrogance, he couldn’t help but teach him a lesson.

After saying this, Yue Ming saw Fifth Lingyu’s dire state.

The disfigurement of his face seemed to have vented her anger, so she finally withdrew her killing intent.

With the pressure lifted, Fifth Lingyu suddenly felt relaxed, swaying slightly, and had to support himself with his fingers on the ground.

Yue Ming clapped and smiled, “The design of your face is quite fitting, exactly to my liking!”

Fifth Lingyu took a breath, no longer daring to look Yue Ming in the eye, and spoke with relative calmness:

“Are you the Dao Sovereign Yue Ming?”

Yue Ming responded with a casual “Oh,” “You really do know quite a bit. In this end of the dharma era, with ancient inheritances declining and the Immortal Tomb sealed for so long, how did you come to know my title?”

Fifth Lingyu did not possess the sweet-talking skills of Qin Ruqing, nor could he speak with such flair.

He simply stated:

“The junior obtained a handwritten letter from a direct disciple of the Dao Sovereign, which revealed many ancient secrets.”

“A direct disciple of the Daoist Sovereign?”

Yue Ming raised an eyebrow, his gaze becoming quite intriguing.

To mention the Dao Sovereign’s disciples, Fu Sheng was the most famous one.

This young immortal had actually found the letter from Fu Sheng’s fellow disciples?

“Do you know the name of this esteemed person?” Yue Ming asked.

Fifth Lingyu lowered his head, “The powerful figure wrote in his hand letter that he is known as the Wise Ming Immortal Sovereign.”

Yue Ming’s red lips curled up, and he leisurely remarked, “Ah, it’s that Wise Ming fellow. Didn’t he carve out a part of the Void and create a small floating realm, hiding inside and wandering around, too afraid to meet anyone?”

Fifth Lingyu fell silent.