The Voidbreaker Skiff and a Shattered Sect

“Quickly, let’s test the Voidbreaker Skiff’s speed.”

As soon as they exited Qibao Hall, Chi Qiu eagerly turned to Su Hanxing, urging him repeatedly.

“No need to rush, no need to rush,” Su Hanxing said with a smile, raising a hand. A flash of silver light followed, and the Voidbreaker Skiff instantly appeared beside them.

“Do you really like this Voidbreaker Skiff so much, Little Chi?” Su Hanxing asked, observing her impish hop into the skiff. Such an uninhibited Chi Qiu was a rare sight indeed, prompting his curious question.

“Men’s affections, as they say, are for status, beauties, and mounts,” Chi Qiu replied. “As a cultivator, this flying magical artifact is akin to a mount. Seeing such a magnificent vessel, even if it’s not mine, one can’t help but adore it.”

Chi Qiu, now aboard the Voidbreaker Skiff, reached out to gently caress its hull. The profound affection in her eyes was impossible to conceal.

“Since Little Chi likes this Voidbreaker Skiff so much, how about I gift it to you?” Su Hanxing said with a generous smile, following her onto the skiff.

“One cannot accept such a valuable gift without earning it,” Chi Qiu replied, shaking her head. She did not take Su Hanxing’s words seriously.

Chi Qiu’s response was precisely what Su Hanxing had expected. He did not press the matter further, simply nodding before stating, “Then, let us depart now.”

Chi Qiu nodded, her gaze sweeping across their surroundings. The Voidbreaker Skiff was sparsely furnished, containing only a small cabin less than two zhang long and nine chi high. Beyond this, there was nothing else.

“This Voidbreaker Skiff is indeed a bit small…” Su Hanxing chuckled awkwardly, seeing the cabin he would have to bend to enter.

“It’s fine,” Chi Qiu said, shaking her head. She retrieved a meditation cushion from her storage artifact, casually placed it on the floor, and settled into a cross-legged position.

Su Hanxing let out a soft laugh. He then manipulated the Voidbreaker Skiff, causing it to slowly ascend into the sky and set off in the direction of Huangzhou.

Su Hanxing pointed a finger at the upper right corner of the map, explaining to Chi Qiu.

“I’ve already confirmed it,” he said. “Qingyuan Sect is within it, though on this map, it’s labeled as ‘Qingyuan’.”

“I recall my mother mentioning this,” Chi Qiu said, nodding. Following the direction of Su Hanxing’s finger, she quickly located Qingyuan’s position.

“Is this a… rift valley?” Chi Qiu asked, her gaze fixed on Qingyuan’s terrain before she looked up.

“Precisely,” Su Hanxing affirmed. “According to the intelligence provided by Qibao Hall, Qingyuan Sect was originally built atop a towering mountain. However, after an earthquake, the mountain collapsed and the earth fractured, causing the sect gate to fall into this great rift along with the ruined peak.”

He retrieved a jade slip and handed it to Chi Qiu.

“A sect gate falling into a rift valley? Such an unusual occurrence!” Chi Qiu exclaimed, raising an eyebrow. She took the jade slip and began to read the information contained within.

“This happened about sixty or seventy years ago,” Su Hanxing said with a nod. “Since the information comes from Qibao Hall, it’s highly unlikely to be false.”

Chi Qiu resumed her reading of the jade slip.

‘Within Qingyuan Sect, there were two cultivators at the Dharma Manifestation Realm and above. One was the Sect Master, Qingyun, who possessed Dharma Manifestation Realm Earth-tier strength. Their whereabouts are currently unknown, presumed to be deceased…’

“So, the destruction of Qingyuan Sect wasn’t widely publicized?” Chi Qiu asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she read this.

“Based on the intelligence provided by Qibao Hall, very few people should be aware of this matter,” Su Hanxing confirmed.

Chi Qiu fell into thought, then continued to peruse the information within the jade slip.

‘The second was Qingyuan Sect’s Grand Elder, Jin Yu, who possessed Dharma Manifestation Realm Human-tier strength. Their whereabouts are also unknown, presumed to be deceased.’

“Dharma Manifestation Realm Human-tier, Earth-tier—what exactly are these?” Chi Qiu asked, looking up with a hint of confusion.

“These are subdivisions within the Dharma Manifestation Realm,” Su Hanxing explained, shaking his head. “There are three tiers in total, named after the ‘Three Powers’: Heaven-tier, Earth-tier, and Human-tier. It is said that beyond the Dharma Manifestation Realm, every step is a significant hurdle, and this holds true even for these minor tiers. The power gap between these three minor tiers is immense, and each advancement requires arduous cultivation over long years.”

“So, when you told me that Elder Ming of the Tianyan Sect was stronger than your master, Elder Su He, was it because they were in different minor tiers?” Chi Qiu asked. She instantly recalled the two elders she had encountered just before leaving the Yinglong Tomb.

“That’s right,” Su Hanxing confirmed. “My master’s realm is at the Dharma Manifestation Realm Earth-tier, while Elder Ming was already at the Heaven-tier when he joined. Naturally, his strength surpasses my master’s.”

“I see…” Chi Qiu murmured, a sudden understanding dawning upon her.

“At our current speed, we should reach that rift valley in about two months,” Su Hanxing stated. He maintained the skiff at a speed that allowed him to sustain his true qi output for an extended period.

“You’re working hard, Su Hanxing,” Chi Qiu said. “If you ever feel tired, remember to call me to take over.”

From her storage artifact, she retrieved some spirit tea, intending to brew a pot for them to enjoy during their journey. This spirit tea had been a gift from Manager Liu of Qibao Hall.

“Then, when I grow weary, I’ll trouble you, Little Chi,” Su Hanxing said with a slight smile. Chi Qiu nodded and quietly continued to brew the tea.

“Little Chi, we’ve reached the border of Cenzhou,” Su Hanxing called softly, entering the small cabin on the Voidbreaker Skiff. “Once we cross this mountain range, we’ll be leaving Cenzhou.”

Inside the cabin, there was only a soft bed, a zhang long and five chi wide. Chi Qiu was currently lying on the bed, deeply asleep. It had taken nearly twenty days to travel from the Imperial City to the border.

Seven days prior, Su Hanxing had finally reached the limit of his true qi depletion, and Chi Qiu had taken over for him. After taking control of the Voidbreaker Skiff, Chi Qiu had confidently told Su Hanxing that she would pilot the skiff beyond the Cenzhou border before needing to switch.

Alas, she had ultimately overestimated herself. The Tianyan Method cultivated by Su Hanxing was a top-tier method among all Heaven-tier cultivation arts. Therefore, his true qi quality, reserves, and recovery speed were all far superior to Chi Qiu’s, who cultivated the Moon Gaze Treasure Canon. After six days of piloting the Voidbreaker Skiff, Chi Qiu’s true qi was depleted. She could only reluctantly give up control, allowing Su Hanxing to take over while she returned to the cabin to fall into a deep sleep.

“Are we out of Cenzhou?” Although Su Hanxing’s call was soft, Chi Qiu still woke up.

“Indeed. Would you like to come out and see?” Su Hanxing asked gently.

Chi Qiu sat up, her eyes still heavy with sleep, and with stumbling steps, got out of bed. “Then let’s take a look,” she said.

As they stepped out of the cabin, they saw a towering range of snow-capped mountains stretching endlessly before the Voidbreaker Skiff.

“This mountain range… the spiritual energy is astounding,” Chi Qiu murmured, the biting cold wind striking her face and instantly clearing her mind. As she looked down and carefully sensed the environment, she discovered an incredibly rich spiritual energy within, making it an excellent place for cultivation.

“This mountain range has a peculiar terrain that allows it to accumulate spiritual energy, which is why it’s overrun with demonic beasts, forming a natural barrier,” Su Hanxing explained. He extended a hand, and several streaks of starlight slowly emerged.

“Why are you performing the Tianyan Art here?” Chi Qiu asked, startled.

“This isn’t the Tianyan Art; this is my treasure-hunting technique,” Su Hanxing replied with a smile. The starlight in his hand slowly transformed, its blue-white hue gradually shifting to gold. Then, the starlight trembled, morphing into a massive map. On this map, several golden lights flickered, drawing immediate attention.

“As expected, there are many good things in this mountain range.” Su Hanxing’s expression changed, his voice full of satisfaction.