The Hehuan Sect Was Squeezed Dry for Ten Thousand Years, but It Became a Sacred Ground?

Chapter 10: Senior Brother Broke It! Boom!

The massive gate of the Demon-Locking Prison slowly opened with a deafening rumble.

The group of people outside, who had been growing restless after the sun and moon’s simultaneous appearance faded, suddenly perked up. All eyes turned to the figure stepping out—a figure clad in white, with a black silk ribbon covering her eyes.

Except for Liu Ruyan, everyone else was visibly stunned.

Why was Nangong Ling inside the prison?

Could it be that the *celestial phenomenon earlier wasn’t caused by some priceless treasure after all?

[*positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy.].

As she noticed the crowd gathered outside, Nangong Ling froze in place, momentarily at a loss. She had no idea that her awakening of innate powers had triggered such a grand celestial phenomenon.

Spotting a familiar figure, Nangong Ling quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply. “Master.”

Liu Ruyan, a mighty cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, only needed a single glance to detect the changes in Nangong Ling’s cultivation level.

Her surprise was followed by satisfaction as she nodded approvingly. “Golden Core stage. Not bad. Sending you into the Demon-Locking Prison wasn’t a waste of effort.”

Her words immediately provided an explanation to the onlookers.

So, there wasn’t some celestial treasure appearing—this was simply Nangong Ling cultivating inside and stirring up some commotion.

Disappointed, most people began to disperse.

However, one woman—a curvaceous beauty with purple hair—lingered, lost in thought.

This was Xu Qingtian, the Grand Elder of the Azure Lotus Sect and Liu Ruyan’s younger sister. She was one of the few who truly understood the inner workings of the sect, yet she knew next to nothing about the Demon-Locking Prison.

Xu Qingtian vividly remembered the day she joined the sect as a child. Her natural talent had surpassed Liu Ruyan’s, earning her the position of the sect master’s personal disciple.

But their master had passed away shortly after, leaving little time for her cultivation to progress. As a result, Liu Ruyan ascended to the position of sect master.

Strangely, just a few years after taking over, Liu Ruyan’s cultivation began to skyrocket.

Now, while Xu Qingtian was still stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage, Liu Ruyan had already stepped into the Nascent Soul stage—a gap that seemed insurmountable.

How could this sudden surge in power not involve some secret opportunity?

Reflecting on today’s celestial phenomenon, Xu Qingtian began to piece things together. Over the past century, Liu Ruyan had often visited the Demon-Locking Prison before major breakthroughs.

Why had the prison, originally a forbidden zone, been established in the first place?

Back then, her questions had been brushed aside by her senior sister.

Her eyes gleamed with suspicion. There was definitely something extraordinary about that place.

***

Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan and Nangong Ling exchanged no unnecessary words as master and disciple. With perfect understanding, they soared toward the sect’s main hall.

Upon arrival, Nangong Ling bowed respectfully with her hands clasped. “Master, I have succeeded in breaking through to the Golden Core stage!”

With no outsiders present, Liu Ruyan immediately addressed the question on her mind. “I recall you were only at the eighth level of the Foundation Establishment stage before this. Even with… assistance, how did you break through to the fourth level of the Golden Core stage in such a short time?”

Not even a single night had passed. How was such rapid progress possible?

Just how much of his vital energy had Ning Chen given her?

Liu Ruyan’s expression subtly soured.

Unaware of her master’s wandering thoughts, Nangong Ling earnestly explained the awakening of her innate divine power.

“What? Innate divine power?!” Liu Ruyan was utterly shocked.

The simultaneous appearance of the sun and moon earlier had been caused by Nangong Ling’s divine power awakening?

Having cultivated to her current stage, Liu Ruyan naturally understood the significance of divine powers.

From the Nascent Soul stage onward, cultivators could comprehend laws of the universe, and these laws could give rise to acquired divine powers.

However, innate divine powers were far superior—so rare that they were often regarded as unattainable. If awakened, they would typically surpass most acquired divine powers by a significant margin.

Such powers carried overwhelming might, allowing cultivators to dominate peers at the same level and easily fight across stages.

Liu Ruyan hadn’t expected her disciple to possess such a talent. Even more surprising was that Ning Chen’s vital energy had reactivated and successfully awakened an innate divine power that had previously failed to emerge.

Did that mean all the vital energy she had absorbed over the past century was essentially wasted?

“Master? Are you alright?” Nangong Ling’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.

“I’m fine,” Liu Ruyan quickly masked her frustration and curiosity. “Show me your divine power.”

“Yes, Master.”

Nangong Ling slowly removed the black silk ribbon, revealing a pair of eyes where the sun and moon danced within, radiating divine brilliance.

Meeting her disciple’s gaze, Liu Ruyan felt an inexplicable pressure.

It wasn’t that Nangong Ling, having just broken through to the Golden Core stage, could actually harm her Nascent Soul-level master. Rather, it was the oppressive aura innate to top-tier divine powers.

With no corresponding divine power or physique to counter it, Liu Ruyan would inevitably face suppression.

Simply meeting Nangong Ling’s gaze was enough to weaken her opponents’ strength, while those with lower cultivation might find themselves paralyzed before even engaging in battle.

“This is the Sun-Moon Divine Eye,” Nangong Ling explained. “I can sense immense power within these eyes, but my current cultivation is far from sufficient to unleash even a fraction of their potential. I’ll need time to figure out how to use them effectively.”

“That’s fine,” Liu Ruyan said with a satisfied smile. “With this breakthrough, participating in next year’s grand competition should be no issue for you. The Azure Lotus Sect will soon rise to greater heights!”

“Yes, Master,” Nangong Ling replied. However, remembering Ning Chen’s parting advice, she hesitated before softly adding, “But my body is still too weak to fully bear the Sun-Moon Divine Eye’s power. For now, I can only use it as a trump card.”

Liu Ruyan waved her concern away. “That’s more than enough.”

After all, this was a top-tier innate divine power—something unparalleled at the Golden Core stage. Even without using it, the benefits of its awakening alone, combined with her disciple’s swordsmanship, would be formidable.

But just as the conversation ended, Liu Ruyan suddenly felt something was off.

Why was Nangong Ling speaking so much today?

After a brief pause, realization struck her, and she blurted out, “You’ve lost your Emotionless Sword Heart?”

Nangong Ling’s cheeks flushed bright red as she stammered, “I-It was… broken by Senior Brother.”