Chapter 63: Never?

An hour later...

Qing was standing in front of the same platform inside his cultivation chamber, his eyes fixed on the new Formation he had just finished drawing. ’This should take me back to the prison realm, since I left a trace of my presence there.’

He recalled the moment when he had spoken with his Master inside that strange realm, remembering how he had deliberately left behind a tiny trace of his own Spiritual Qi before leaving. Although the amount of Spiritual Qi was extremely small, it was enough to serve as an anchor for the Formation he intended to use now.

As long as the Formation could locate that specific trace and establish a connection to its corresponding location, he would be able to return to the prison realm without relying on the Formation he had used previously.

The Formation he had drawn was known as the Spatial Resonance Formation, a Ten-Star Formation capable of tracing and locating the residual Spiritual Qi signatures left behind by its user and teleporting them to the corresponding locations.

’It could lead me to any place where I have left behind my residual Spiritual Qi, but... the difference is that it allows me to select where I want to go.’ That was the unique function that made this Formation particularly useful to him, especially considering the number of places he had already visited.

Since it was a Ten-Star Formation, its structure was considerably more complicated than that of the previous Formations, but Qing had managed to understand and reproduce it through Ultimate Comprehension effortlessly. He had also integrated an Energy Circulation Formation into it so that the surrounding Spiritual Qi could be gathered and accumulated before the teleportation began.

One might wonder why Qing hadn’t simply used the same Formation that had brought him to the prison realm in the first place. The answer was that he understood the difference between the two Formations and didn’t want to take the risk of arriving somewhere he hadn’t intended to visit.

The previous Formation had connected him to a place associated with his Fate, meaning that he couldn’t be certain where it would send him if he activated it again. It might lead him to his mother, Alice, Yue, or someone else whose Fate was connected to his own.

That was precisely why he had chosen to draw the Spatial Resonance Formation instead, as its ability to identify and select a specific destination suited his current purpose much better.

Now after an hour the integrated Energy Circulation Formation had gathered enough Spiritual Qi to activate the teleportation process. Qing finally stepped forward and snapped his fingers, activating the Spatial Barrier Formation he had established around his residence.

The surrounding space immediately responded as the barrier concealed the interior and prevented anyone from spying on him or entering his residence while he was away, ’That bitch will definitely try to spy on me if she detects a Formation of this caliber activating here.’

He wasn’t certain whether Miye had already begun monitoring his activities, but he wasn’t willing to give anyone any way to discover what he was doing currently. After confirming that the barrier was functioning properly, Qing lowered his gaze toward the Spatial Resonance Formation beneath his feet.

’Now, it’s time to meet you, Master.’ Qing snapped his fingers once more, and the Formation beneath him immediately lit up as the accumulated Spiritual Qi began flowing through its intricate patterns. A moment later, he felt his entire being, including his consciousness, being forcefully drawn into a completely white space that seemed to exist beyond his ordinary perception.

Countless threads of energy stretched throughout this space, each one extending toward a different location where he had previously left behind his Spiritual Qi signature. Qing quickly understood that these threads represented the possible destinations available to him, and he immediately began searching for the one connected to the prison realm.

Once he identified the correct thread, he focused his attention on it and selected it without hesitation.

The instant Qing made his choice, the force pulling at his consciousness changed direction, dragging him along the selected thread toward his destination. He didn’t resist the sensation because he had already understood how the Formation worked and knew that struggling against the transfer would serve no purpose.

In the next instant, the surrounding whiteness disappeared, and Qing found himself standing once again inside the prison realm. As before, endless fields of white flowers stretched toward the horizon in every direction, while the pale trees and strange star-filled sky remained exactly as he remembered them.

Qing barely paid attention to the familiar scenery before turning toward the black pedestal at the center of the realm, where the person he had come to meet was still imprisoned.

"Y-You? How are you here again?" Yun Xiya’s voice carried unmistakable disbelief as she stared at Qing with widened eyes. She was still lying across the circular platform of the pedestal, with chains extending from her wrists and ankles to keep her firmly restrained.

Qing didn’t answer as he walked closer until he was standing beside the pedestal and could look directly at her, "I came here using another Formation, but the important thing is that I discovered who the Sect Master really is and what she intends to do."

The moment those words left his mouth, Yun Xiya’s eyes widened further as she tried to understand how he had managed to uncover such information in such a short period. Her pupils trembled slightly as she studied the confidence in his expression, clearly surprised that he had already made progress despite his limited Cultivation.

For a long moment, she remained silent, seemingly weighing her options before slowly lowering her head, "I see, but still, tell me what you know." Her voice had become calmer, although the surprise in her eyes had not completely disappeared, and Qing couldn’t help but release a small sigh before answering her question.

"Her name is Miye. She is planning to take over the entire Upper Realm and ascend to the Immortal Realm, you knew that already, didn’t you, Master?" Yun Xiya nodded slowly, confirming his suspicion without attempting to deny it. "Yes, I knew, but I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t simply trust you based on your words, and you aren’t strong enough to do anything yet."

Qing gritted his teeth slightly at her answer, understanding her reasoning even if he didn’t particularly like hearing it. Nevertheless, the fact that she had already known about Miye’s ambitions meant that there was much more to the matter, and he wanted to uncover the truth before the fake Sect Master could carry out her plans.

Qing suddenly crouched down, bringing his face closer to Yun Xiya’s until they were at nearly the same eye level. The unexpected movement caused her to lift her head, only to realize how close he had come, and a faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks. ’I-I did notice that his physical appearance had changed, b-but his face too?’

She stared at him for a moment, momentarily distracted by the unfamiliar appearance of the young man who had called her his Master. Qing, however, paid little attention to her reaction and continued speaking in a serious tone, "Master, yeah... it’s better that I call you Master, even if the current you don’t know me very well."

He paused briefly before looking straight into her eyes again. "I came here to ask you about the ritual Miye will be performing to sacrifice everyone, but now... I want to know who Miye really is. From your reaction, it seems you knew her quite well."

Yun Xiya returned his gaze without answering immediately, her expression becoming more complicated as she considered his question. Qing didn’t try to force her to speak, nor did he demand that she reveal anything she wanted to keep hidden.

Instead, he continued in a more measured voice, making it clear that he was asking for her cooperation rather than attempting to pressure her into revealing her past.

"I am not trying to force some deep past out of you, as I have no right to do that. But if you—no, if we want to save the Sect and its people while also eradicating the Demons, I need your help, Master." Qing’s expression remained firm as he explained what he wanted, and he didn’t look away even when Yun Xiya continued studying him in silence.

"Even if you don’t believe me after the Oath I took before the Heavens, then... I won’t be able to make you believe me at all. Still, what I want remains unchanged. I want to get you out of here and kill the Demons."

"If you give me information about Miye and her entire plan, we can take measures to stop her before she succeeds."

Qing paused for a moment, and a small smile gradually formed on his lips as he looked at Yun Xiya. "For your information, you really are my Master now, Master. I have joined your Sect after all, hehe." The moment those words reached her ears, Yun Xiya stared at his smile, and a deep blush immediately spread across her face.

’Wh-What? Why is my heart racing? This can’t be!’ She quickly shook her head as though trying to dismiss the strange reaction, but when she turned toward Qing again, she found herself blushing once more. ’...Never?’