novelonline Chapter 1418 A person should keep their word
Chapter 1418 A person should keep their word
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the vast grassland a golden red, and in the huge tribal settlement, animal skin tents were scattered like mushrooms, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.
In the center of the tribe, inside the tallest and most magnificent tent decorated with various animal bones and colorful banners, the pillar of the Golden Radiance Tribe, the most powerful Master Golden Rock, sat cross-legged on a soft animal skin cushion.
He appeared to be around fifty years old, with a rugged face and skin tanned from years of exposure to the sun and wind. He wore a Mulan robe embroidered with gold patterns and exuded spiritual energy fluctuations equivalent to those of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages.
In the eyes of ordinary tribesmen and low-ranking mages, he was like a god, enjoying the most generous offerings and the highest reverence.
However, at this moment, the Golden Rock Master, revered by his people, showed none of his usual majesty and composure. Instead, his brows were furrowed, and his expression was gloomy. In his hand, he tightly gripped a token carved from the bone of some unknown animal, on which the latest military orders were inscribed in Mulan script.
"Using the strength of the entire clan to lead the way... Hmph, that sounds nice!"
Master Jin Yan felt a chill run through him. He had lived for over seven hundred years, far beyond the easily swayed youths of those who let passion and glory cloud their judgment. Judging from the sternly worded military order and the recent movements of the clan's high command, this invasion of Tiannan was far more than just plundering cultivation resources. It was clearly a forced strategic retreat after a series of crushing defeats against the more powerful Turkic tribes of the north! It was a southward migration of the entire clan, a struggle for new territory in Tiannan!
Their Golden Radiance Tribe, as one of the tribes closest to the Tiannan region, was undoubtedly thrust into the forefront, becoming the vanguard in the attack on Tiannan. This meant that Master Jinyan was about to face directly the high-level cultivators of the Tiannan cultivation world, who had also lived for hundreds or thousands of years!
The thought of possibly facing an attack from several Nascent Soul cultivators of the same level, or even worse, encountering those legendary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, sent chills down Master Jinyan's spine. He had cultivated diligently for over seven hundred years to reach his current level of cultivation, not to become cannon fodder for those powerful figures and the first "master" to fall after the war began!
But, to refuse military orders? The thought had barely crossed his mind when he forcibly suppressed it, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
The Mulan clan has lived for generations on the resource-poor Mulan Grassland, where the cultivation environment is far harsher than in Tiannan. Every mage, especially these masters, is barely supported by the entire clan and the expenditure of enormous resources.
To ensure that these painstakingly cultivated forces do not stray from the race, the Mulan leadership has a high-ranking mage personally implant an extremely vicious soul restriction within each mage upon their successful Foundation Establishment.
This restriction is like a sword hanging over one's head; once it detects that a mage intends to disobey military orders or betray their race, it will immediately erupt. At that time, not only will their cultivation be completely destroyed, but their soul will also suffer torment like ten thousand ants gnawing at their heart, ultimately annihilating them in endless pain, without even the chance to enter the cycle of reincarnation.
For this reason, there has never been a precedent of a Grandmaster-level mage betraying the Mulan clan in its history. Obedience might mean death on the battlefield against the Tiannan cultivators; resistance, however, would certainly mean death, and a gruesome one at that.
Just as Master Jinyan was suffering inwardly and his brow was furrowed with worry, a respectful voice transmission came from outside the tent from a mid-level Dharma Master who served him closely:
“Reporting to the Master, there is a mid-level mage in our clan named Shi Chen who claims to have accidentally obtained a piece of ‘red crystal’. He dares not keep it to himself and has come to offer it to the Master, begging for guidance in his cultivation.”
"Red crystal?" Master Jinyan's previously dim eyes suddenly lit up, a hint of barely suppressed excitement flashing across them.
The Mage Mulan is skilled in casting "spiritual spells," which are far more powerful than those of other cultivators of the same level. This may seem mysterious to lower-level cultivators, but in reality, it is more of a last resort.
Because the cultivation resources of the Mulan Grassland, especially the various rare minerals and spiritual materials, are too scarce, it is simply not possible to support the large number of mages to refine magical artifacts and treasures.
However, the advantages of magical artifacts are obvious. They are more powerful, easier to control, and consume less of one's own spiritual energy. As a high-level master, Master Jinyan naturally coveted powerful magical artifacts.
For hundreds of years, he has been secretly collecting materials to refine a powerful magic weapon, but unfortunately, progress has been slow and he is still missing a few key materials, including the "Crimson Crystal Stone" which is hard and contains pure fire elemental power!
"Oh? Who is it? Did he say where he obtained this item?" Master Jinyan suppressed his excitement and asked in a telepathic voice, but his slightly trembling voice still betrayed his unease.
The mage outside replied, "Reporting to the master, it is indeed a mid-level mage from the clan named Shi Chen. As for the specific origin of the red crystal... he did not specify, only saying that he hoped to present it to the master in person."
Master Jinyan pondered for a moment, realizing that a mid-level mage couldn't cause much trouble for him, so he waved his hand and transmitted his voice, "Well, then bring him in."
"Yes."
Soon, the tent flap was lifted, and a short, weasel-faced, but clever-looking intermediate-level mage walked in cautiously, head bowed. He wore ordinary Mulan mage robes, and his cultivation level was probably around the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
"Junior Shi Chen greets Master Jin Yan!" Upon entering the tent, the monk named Shi Chen immediately bowed deeply, adopting an extremely humble posture.
Master Jinyan's sharp gaze swept over him, but he did not notice anything unusual. Then he slowly spoke, his tone carrying the majesty of a superior: "So it was you who said you had a red crystal to offer to this master? Where is it? Take it out and let this master take a look."
"Please take a look, Master." Upon hearing this, Shi Chen quickly took out an object carefully wrapped in coarse cloth from his bosom. Unwrapping the cloth, he revealed a crystal stone about the size of an infant's fist, as red as blood, crystal clear, with what appeared to be flames flowing inside. It was indeed the Crimson Crystal Stone!
This red crystal was of excellent quality and much larger than Master Jinyan had expected, making it a suitable material for the magic weapon he planned to create! His eyes gleamed with even greater greed.
"Hmm, the quality is acceptable; it's a decent spiritual material." Master Jinyan remained outwardly calm, reached out and grabbed the red crystal stone in mid-air. An invisible force drew it into his palm, and feeling the pure fire spiritual power within, he was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he put it into his storage bag.
His gaze returned to Shi Chen, and his tone softened slightly: "Speak, what reward do you want after offering this treasure? Spirit stones? Cultivation techniques? Or pills?"
Shi Chen did not answer immediately, but looked around warily, his face showing a hesitant expression.
Master Jinyan's heart stirred. Could there be another secret behind the origin of this item? He waved his hand and said to the two trusted guards standing inside the tent, "You two step back and stand guard outside. No one is allowed to approach without my permission."
"Yes, Master." The two guards bowed and accepted the order, then left the tent.
“Now that there are no outsiders, you can speak.” Master Jinyan looked at Shi Chen.
Shi Chen then lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Reporting to Master, to be honest, this piece of red crystal was something I stumbled upon while on patrol some time ago. I accidentally discovered a hidden ancient ruin and obtained it by chance..."
"Ancient ruins?" Upon hearing this, Master Jinyan's breath hitched, and his eyes blazed with even more intense light.
Ancient ruins! For the resource-scarce Mulan mages, this was practically a meteoric rise to power! Many of the powerful magical artifacts that brought fame to their high-ranking masters were said to have been unearthed from ancient ruins. Unfortunately, after countless years of searching, the ancient ruins on the grasslands had been almost completely explored, with few new discoveries in the last century.
He suppressed his excitement and pressed, "Tell me in detail how you discovered that ruin? What's inside?"
Having lived for over seven hundred years, he wasn't completely blinded by the words "ancient ruins." For a mere mid-level mage to obtain a crimson crystal from an ancient ruin protected by divine power and escape unscathed was simply too good a stroke of luck.
Shi Chen seemed to have been prepared, and began to recount in detail: "That day, I was ordered to patrol the edge of the 'Black Wind Gobi' in the northwest. Unexpectedly, I encountered a small sandstorm. To avoid the sandstorm, I inadvertently wandered into a canyon I had never seen before. The entrance to the canyon was concealed by an illusion array, making it extremely difficult to find. I only managed to fall in by sheer luck..."
He described the scene within the canyon: dilapidated ancient buildings, some high-level puppets rendered powerless and immobile, and a core area sealed by a powerful magic array. He claimed that he had found the crimson crystal next to a broken puppet while exploring the outer area. He had attempted to enter the core area but was blocked by the powerful sealing array, unable to budge it even an inch. He could only memorize the location and return to report.
Master Jinyan listened attentively, his doubts lessening somewhat. The Black Wind Gobi Desert was a harsh environment, sparsely populated, so the existence of undiscovered ruins wasn't entirely impossible. Moreover, the description of the outer puppets and the core seal matched the characteristics of typical ancient ruins.
Most importantly, with a great battle imminent, if he could find one or two complete magical artifacts left behind by ancient cultivators, or even more powerful inheritances, in those ruins, it would undoubtedly greatly increase his chances of survival in the brutal battles to come! This temptation was simply too great for him.
'He's just a mid-level mage, he wouldn't dare to deceive me!' Master Jinyan finally made his judgment, greed overriding the last bit of caution.
"Very well! If what you say is true, I will reward you handsomely once I obtain the treasure from the ruins!" Master Jinyan stood up, his face filled with a determined look: "There's no time to lose, take me to those ruins now!"
“Yes! Master, please follow me!” Shi Chen’s face showed a look of “joy”.
Under the cover of darkness, Master Jinyan and Shichen quietly left the Jinhui tribe. In order not to attract the attention of other tribes' sorcerers, Master Jinyan did not use his signature wind-riding chariot, but instead used a teleportation technique, with Shichen leading the way. The two transformed into two inconspicuous streaks of light and sped off in the northwest.
They traveled in silence, their speed incredibly fast. The journey of thousands of miles was covered in just a few hours thanks to the speed of a Nascent Soul cultivator. However, the deeper they ventured, the more desolate the surroundings became, with only Gobi Desert and yellow sand as far as the eye could see. The suppressed doubts in Master Jinyan's heart began to resurface, and a hint of impatience appeared on his face.
"Shi Chen, how much further? Where exactly are those ruins?"
Just as Master Jinyan couldn't help but urge him on, Shi Chen suddenly stopped his escape light, pointed to a desolate and lifeless Gobi desert in front of him under the moonlight, and said with a hint of "excitement" in his voice: "Master, we've arrived! It's right there! Look behind that stone forest, that's the entrance to the canyon!"
Master Jinyan had no doubts. He subconsciously followed the direction Shi Chen was pointing and stared intently. His divine sense surged forward like a tide, trying to find the so-called "illusion array" and "canyon entrance".
However, in the instant his mind was completely drawn to what lay ahead—
A sudden change occurred!
"call out--!"
A sharp, piercing sound suddenly shattered the silence of the night! A golden light, incredibly condensed and moving at breakneck speed, burst forth from the void beside him without warning, like lightning tearing through the night, aimed straight at his temple! The sharpness and destructive aura it contained instantly sent chills down Master Jinyan's spine, making him tremble with fear!
"Not good! An ambush! Who are you?!" Master Jinyan was terrified. In his haste, he didn't have time to use any magic weapons to defend himself. He could only rely on his instincts, frantically circulating his magic power and twisting his body to the side, trying to use the Golden Escape Technique to avoid this fatal blow.
"Hey!"
Although his reaction was incredibly fast, the golden light was simply too swift and cunning! He felt a chill on his left shoulder, followed by a sharp pain. His entire left shoulder, along with a large portion of his chest, had been sliced off by the golden light! Blood gushed out like a fountain!
He appeared disheveled dozens of feet away, his face pale, looking at the spot where Shi Chen had originally been in with shock and anger.
There, the previously short, weasel-faced "Shi Chen" suddenly began to crackle and pop, his body swelling as if inflated! In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a tall, robust, and cold-faced young man! He exuded a terrifying aura, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the mage Mulan. It was none other than Qin Hao, who had infiltrated in disguise!
"Dead men don't need to know so much!" Qin Hao sneered, his eyes as cold as knives. With a thought, the golden light that had just achieved its goal—the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade—draws a strange arc in the air, as if it had a life of its own, and from an unbelievable angle, it silently attacks Master Jinyan's back again!
Master Jinyan had just suffered a severe injury and was still in a daze. In addition, Qin Hao's Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade was under his complete control and its trajectory was unpredictable. He was unable to even organize a decent defense.
"Pfft!"
With a soft sound, the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade pierced through the protective aura hastily erected by Master Jinyan without any hindrance, penetrating directly from his back and exiting through his chest! It brought out a spray of hot blood and shattered internal organs.
Master Jinyan's body stiffened abruptly. He looked down at the huge hole in his chest, his eyes filled with resentment, bitterness, and disbelief.
"You...you despicable cultivator from Tiannan! How dare you ambush...and destroy my physical body...this hatred...one day, I will make you pay for this blood debt!" A tiny Nascent Soul, barely an inch tall and with a face identical to Master Jinyan's, emerged from the top of his head in a panic, letting out a shrill and venomous scream. A flash of spiritual light appeared around him as he prepared to use his Nascent Soul teleportation technique to escape the area.
However, since Qin Hao had already made his move, how could he let him have his way?
"Want to leave? It's too late!"
Qin Hao was prepared. Almost at the same time that Master Jin Yan's nascent soul escaped, an extremely condensed white beam of light, as if traversing space, arrived first and shone with perfect precision on the nascent soul that had just begun to blur!
"what--!"
The white beam of light shone directly on Master Jinyan's nascent soul, and the spiritual light around his body dimmed instantly. It was as if he was firmly imprisoned by invisible shackles, fixed in mid-air, and could no longer move an inch!
“No… impossible… how could you…” The nascent soul’s small face was filled with extreme fear and despair. It could not understand how the other party could calculate the route of its nascent soul’s teleportation so precisely!
Qin Hao didn't bother to waste words with him. With a flicker of his figure, he appeared in front of the frozen nascent soul. A large hand covered in a faint golden light reached out and easily grasped the struggling and wailing nascent soul in his palm, as if catching a chick.
Immediately, he flicked his fingertips, and several profound restrictive runes entered the nascent soul's body, completely sealing its last bit of resistance, turning it into something like a dead object.
After doing all this, Qin Hao did not hesitate at all. He directly used the Soul Searching Secret Technique recorded in the Profound Yin Scripture. His powerful divine sense, like a sharp blade, forcibly invaded the fragile soul of Master Jin Yan's nascent soul and began to roughly search through his memories.
In an instant, Master Jinyan's nascent soul emitted a silent, painful scream originating from the depths of his soul, his small body trembling violently and his face contorted.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Hao slowly opened his eyes and casually destroyed the Nascent Soul of Master Jinyan, whose eyes had become dull and whose soul power was almost dissipated, turning it into pure spiritual energy that dissipated into the world.
His brow furrowed slightly as he muttered to himself, "This Master Jinyan's knowledge is also limited... It seems that the Mulan people's operation this time is kept extremely secret. Even a master from a vanguard tribe like him knows very little about the specific attack time, the core of the troop deployment, and whether there are any other backup plans... He only knows that he must assemble as soon as possible and obey the unified command of the Divine Master."
In this way, the value of Master Jinyan's nascent soul is greatly reduced.
Without further hesitation, Qin Hao's figure blurred, his bones creaked slightly, and his facial muscles began to twitch and change. In just a few breaths, he had become exactly like Master Jin Yan from before, even mimicking his aura and spiritual energy fluctuations perfectly.
"It seems that to obtain conclusive evidence of the secret collusion between the Yinluo Sect and the Mulan people, I will have to use this identity for a while longer," Qin Hao murmured, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
He flipped his hand and took out the Yin-Yang Jade, infusing it with a wisp of magic power. Several tiny points of light immediately appeared on the jade pendant. One of the red dots was moving at an extremely fast speed in a certain direction on the grassland.
"Han Li and his group are quite quick... Perfect, we can use the identity of 'Master Jin Yan' to keep up with them without alerting the Mulan people's large-scale search."
Of course, besides gaining an identity cover and a small amount of intelligence, the biggest gain from killing Master Jinyan was finding the cultivation manuals and collections of Mulan's "spiritual arts" that Master Jinyan mainly practiced in his storage bag.
After a cursory glance, Qin Hao couldn't help but marvel at how the Mulan clan, despite their extreme scarcity of resources, had managed to develop this "spiritual technique"—which directly mobilizes the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—to an extreme degree.
Not only can low-level mages cast spells almost instantly, but the spiritual spells released by high-level mages are far more powerful, varied, and sophisticated than the spells commonly mastered by cultivators in Tiannan.
"However, this means that if we want to learn from the principles of 'spiritual arts' and seal its unique way of circulating and bursting spiritual energy into a more powerful talisman, the requirements for the materials used to hold the talisman will also be significantly increased..."
Qin Hao stroked his chin thoughtfully. Fortunately, he had hunted many high-level demonic beasts in the Chaotic Star Sea, collecting a vast amount of animal hides, blood, demon cores, and other materials. He was well-off and could afford such expenses for the time being.
"AI, how long would it take to integrate the 'spiritual arts' system into talisman-making and optimize a feasible talisman-making plan?"
[AI: Command received. Establishing analysis task... Preliminary scan of 'Spiritual Techniques' database... Data complexity is high, containing a unique energy structure model... Deduction requires establishing a new talisman energy circuit simulation... It is estimated that at least thirty calendar days of repeated simulations and optimization deductions will be needed to arrive at a preliminary feasible solution...]
"Thirty days... that's not too long."
Qin Hao nodded, not in a hurry. He waved his hand and released Master Jin Yan's signature wind-riding chariot, pulled by two ferocious wind-elemental demonic beasts. He leisurely sat down and began to drive the vehicle at a leisurely pace, chasing after the direction Han Li and his group were moving on the Yin-Yang Jade. He wasn't in a rush to catch up immediately; maintaining a reasonable distance and observing the situation would suffice.
……
Half a month later, Qin Hao was driving his Wind Chariot at a leisurely pace across the boundless grassland. Suddenly, his divine sense stirred, and he sensed a spiritual energy fluctuation belonging to Master Mulan rapidly approaching from his side and rear.
He frowned and deliberately slowed down the speed of the windmill.
Soon, another slightly different but equally luxurious Yufeng carriage caught up and drove alongside Qin Hao's vehicle.
Inside the car were two Mulan Masters with sharp features and impressive auras. Judging from their spiritual energy fluctuations, they were both at the peak of the early Nascent Soul stage.
Following the etiquette of a meeting between Mulanfashi, the two exchanged information about their identities and recent movements via telepathy.
After exchanging words, Qin Hao chuckled to himself.
It turned out that when Han Li, Nanlonghou and his group were searching for the cave of Cangkun Shangren on the grassland, although they were careful enough, they still inevitably caused some disturbance. In particular, the spiritual energy fluctuations caused when they broke the outer restrictions attracted the attention of a small Mulan tribe, who reported it to the authorities.
Mulan's higher-ups suspected this was an elite spy squad dispatched by the Tiannan cultivation world to gather intelligence, so they ordered several high masters in the vicinity to join forces to track and eliminate them. These two high masters were precisely those ordered to pursue them.
Qin Hao immediately feigned righteous indignation and shared hatred, angrily saying, "Hmph! Tiannan cultivators, how dare you! You actually dare to venture deep into the heart of my Holy Clan! Fellow Daoists, count me in, we will definitely capture and kill these petty villains and uphold the prestige of my Holy Clan!"
The two masters were naturally delighted to have "Master Jinyan" join them and quickly expressed their welcome.
So the pursuit team turned into two Wind Chariots, following the subtle traces left by Han Li and the others.
After several days of pursuit, Qin Hao's team, in a flanking maneuver, cooperated with another group of pursuing mages and successfully cornered a lone cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage on a relatively open meadow.
When the cultivator from Tiannan saw two menacing wind-riding chariots approaching, each emanating the powerful aura of three Nascent Soul level mages, he was terrified. He dared not linger and desperately used his escape technique to flee in what he thought was a safe direction.
Qin Hao and the other two Mulan masters pretended to unleash various powerful "spiritual techniques," bombarding the cultivator like raindrops. They caused the cultivator's protective magic treasures to flash wildly, leaving him in a sorry state, but they were always just a little short of capturing him.
In the midst of their chase, they unknowingly ran right into Han Li, the Marquis of Nanlong, and their main force!
Not far ahead, the Marquis of Nanlong, Han Li, the old man surnamed Yun, the cultivator surnamed You, and seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators, including the brothers Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng, gathered together. The two sides suddenly encountered each other, and the atmosphere instantly became tense, with a battle about to break out!
On Qin Hao's side, the other two Mulan masters, seeing that the enemy had a large number of people and that their cultivation levels were not weak, with Nanlonghou being a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, couldn't help but show solemnity and hesitation on their faces. They secretly began to exchange ideas on whether to wait for more reinforcements.
Just when the atmosphere was extremely tense, the two Mulan masters seemed to have received some message. Their expressions changed drastically, and they looked at each other. They unanimously restrained their surging spiritual power and adopted a defensive posture, no longer as eager to try as before.
Seeing this, Qin Hao feigned displeasure and asked telepathically, "Two masters, you were about to surround this group of Tiannan bandits, why did you suddenly retreat?"
One of the masters, with a dark complexion, replied in a heavy tone, “Master Jinyan, please calm down! We just received a message from Master Mu. He… while pursuing another group of cultivators from Tiannan, his physical body was unfortunately destroyed by them. Only his nascent soul managed to escape!”
Another master added with lingering fear, "Yes, Master Jinyan! Master Mu's supernatural powers are close to those of a Grand Master, and he is the strongest among us! Even he was no match for him and instead suffered a fatal attack, which shows that there must be some tough opponents among these Tiannan cultivators. If we rush forward rashly, we may not only fail to gain any advantage but also follow in Master Mu's footsteps! It would be better to hold our ground here and wait for reinforcements from other masters or even divine masters!"
Qin Hao understood that Master Mu had likely encountered Han Li and been tricked by him using some ruthless means. He feigned a worried expression, saying, "What the two masters say is certainly reasonable. However, if we sit here and let them lose track of these thieves, what will we say if the higher-ups, the Divine Master and the Holy Maiden, blame us? In my opinion, it would be better if we split up and expand the search area. Firstly, we can continue tracking them, and secondly, even if we ultimately fail to capture them, we can at least have the excuse of 'searching diligently.' What do you think?"
The two masters agreed. While holding their ground and waiting for reinforcements was safe, it would easily give others ammunition to criticize them. Splitting up to search separately, allowing for both offense and defense, was indeed a more prudent choice.
"Yes, Master Jinyan is very thoughtful. We will follow your advice, fellow Daoist!"
"Okay, then let's split up and stay in touch!"
After they finished speaking, the two drove their wind-riding chariots and sped off in two directions completely different from the escape route of Han Li and his group, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
Qin Hao watched them leave, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips. He then drove his Wind Chariot at a leisurely pace, keeping a safe distance behind Han Li and his group.
Three days later, Qin Hao took out the Yin-Yang Jade again and found that the red dot on it had finally stopped moving at high speed and stopped in a certain place on the grassland, no longer changing.
"Finally arrived." Qin Hao smiled faintly, put away the Wind Chariot, and his figure blended into the wind, silently stealthily heading in that direction.
……
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the cave of Master Cangkun.
After much difficulty, Marquis Nanlong and his party finally located the exact location of the cave and, after some probing, entered it. Han Li, relying on his superb skills in formations, used the ingenious method of "using formations to break formations," and after expending considerable effort, finally succeeded in breaking the outermost restriction of the cave—the Supreme Mystery Divine Restriction!
Filled with excitement and greed, the group passed through the broken barrier of light and entered the cave. After traversing several corridors, they arrived at a magnificent palace called "Jade Pavilion," which was considered to be the most important treasure trove of the Azure Heaven Master.
However, just as everyone was preparing to divide the treasure, the fragile alliance instantly shattered! The old man surnamed Yun suddenly launched an attack, severely injuring Marquis Nanlong! In order to protect himself, Marquis Nanlong hurriedly threw a seemingly most important jade box to Han Li, who was not far away, in an attempt to divert the trouble.
In an instant, chaos erupted in front of the Jade Pavilion, with the light of various magical treasures and the spiritual energy of spells clashing wildly, accompanied by roars and shouts.
Marquis Nanlong, Han Li, the old man surnamed Yun, the cultivator surnamed You, Wang Tiangu, Wang Tiansheng and others fought together, both to seize the treasure and to settle old grudges.
Just as everyone was engrossed in the fierce battle, their attention completely drawn to each other and the flying treasures, a strange figure appeared silently at the edge of the battle, at the entrance of the Jade Pavilion, like a ghost.
This man, dressed as a Mulan Buddhist, with a rugged face, was none other than Qin Hao, who was disguised as Master Jinyan!
"It's you?! The mage who was chasing us just now!" The cultivator surnamed You, who was locked in combat with Wang Tiangu, spotted Qin Hao first and exclaimed in surprise, his face showing doubt and uncertainty. He couldn't understand how this Mage Mulan had found this place, and how he had passed through that layer of Tai Miao Divine Restriction outside.
Qin Hao's gaze swept across the chaotic battle, lingering for a moment on the brothers Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng, a cold smile playing on his lips. A soft crackling sound emanated from his bones, his facial muscles rippled like water, and his tall frame subtly adjusted.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, in just a breath or two, he transformed from the appearance of Master Mulan back into his original handsome yet sharp-looking face.
"Is...is it you?!"
"Zhang Tie?! It's you?!"
Two screams filled with horror and disbelief rang out almost simultaneously, emanating from the brothers Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng of the Ghost Spirit Sect! They never imagined that they would see this malevolent star, whom they hated to the bone and feared like a tiger, again in this place and in this way!
Severely injured and panting against a stone pillar, Marquis Nanlong was stunned for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up with wild joy, as if he had grasped a lifeline. He hurriedly shouted to Qin Hao, "Fellow Daoist Zhang! You must have a deep-seated hatred for these Wang brothers! Why don't we join forces and wipe them out together first, and then discuss the distribution of the treasures? I, Nanlong, swear by my inner demons that Fellow Daoist Zhang will have priority in choosing the treasures we obtain!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Tiangu and Wang Tiansheng were terrified, their faces turning deathly pale. Could Zhang Tie, who could fight Wei Wuyai to a standstill, along with the Marquis of Nanlong and his men, possibly survive?
However, before their fear could fully take hold, Qin Hao let out a disdainful sneer, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the Marquis of Nanlong, and he said arrogantly:
"Join forces? Zhang has never been comfortable joining forces with strangers."
He paused, looking at the Wang brothers, Tiangu and Tiansheng, as if they were ants, his tone calm yet carrying unparalleled domineering confidence:
"Besides, these two worthless scoundrels are as easy for me to crush as I would crush two bugs. Why would I need to join forces with others?"
"Zhang Tie! You've gone too far!" Wang Tiangu trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot, roaring through gritted teeth. As an elder of the Ghost Spirit Sect, who had dominated Tiannan for hundreds of years, how could he have ever suffered such humiliation?
Wang Tiansheng was even more like a madman, with old and new grudges surging into his heart. He roared hoarsely, "The hatred for killing my son is irreconcilable! Zhang Tie, you little thief! Today you are here to avenge my Chan'er and pay for her blood debt! Prepare to die!"
The two brothers knew that things were unlikely to end well today, and begging for mercy was useless. Their only chance was to fight to the death! They looked at each other and saw determination and madness in each other's eyes.
"Ghost Banner, emerge!"
"A hundred ghosts parade in the night, devouring souls and stealing spirits!"
Wang Tiansheng made the first move, summoning a giant black banner filled with eerie energy and entwined with countless illusory figures of pain and wailing—the sect's secret treasure, the Ghost Spirit Banner! The banner trembled, and countless ferocious ghostly figures surged out like a tide, carrying a bone-chilling wind and soul-capturing demonic sounds, overwhelming Qin Hao!
At the same time, he formed hand seals, and thick black energy emanated from his body, transforming into twisted ghostly shadows that attacked from the side.
Wang Tiangu was not to be outdone. He summoned a white bone flying sword, its blade flashing with a ghastly green phosphorescent flame and carrying a deadly poison that corroded the soul. He silently stabbed towards Qin Hao's back.
At the same time, he opened his mouth and spat out a ball of blood essence, which transformed into a huge blood-red ghost claw, emitting a nauseating bloody smell, and slashed down!
The two brothers cooperated perfectly, one using orthodox and the other unorthodox, one using the light and the other the dark, and instantly unleashed their strongest attack. The howling of ghosts filled the entire Jade Pavilion, and the eerie wind seemed to turn the place into a ghostly realm!
Faced with this fierce attack that would have made ordinary mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators flustered and even killed on the spot, Qin Hao didn't even bother to lift his eyelids.
"Even a grain of rice can shine?"
He didn't even use the Sky-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade; he simply took a step forward!
"Om-!"
A savage, domineering, and terrifying aura, seemingly from ancient times, suddenly awakened within him! Brilliant, dark golden light emanated from his body, instantly transforming him into a war god cast in gold! Beneath his skin, even more complex and ancient runes flowed, and his muscles bulged slightly, exuding an explosive sense of power!
The Heaven-Supporting Demonic Art, at full power!
He actually intended to withstand all of the opponent's attacks with his bare body!
The enormous ghostly shadow formed by the Ghost Banner was shattered by a single punch.
"boom!"
The poisoned bone flying sword pierced Qin Hao's back!
"clang--!"
A deafening roar, like the thunder of a great bell, exploded! Sparks flew everywhere!
The white bone flying sword seemed to have pierced the hardest divine iron in the world. Not only did it fail to penetrate even an inch, but the tip of the sword was instead chipped open by a tremendous force! The sword flashed with spiritual light, let out a mournful cry, and flew back! Wang Tiangu's mind was connected to the sword. He felt a tyrannical force coming from the flying sword, shaking his blood and causing his internal organs to shift!
Finally, the enormous, blood-red demonic claw slammed down on Qin Hao's head!
Qin Hao didn't even look up. He simply raised his right hand, which was covered in dark gold light, spread his fingers, and gently lifted it upwards!
"puff!"
The crimson ghost claw, imbued with Wang Tiangu's essence and immense magical power, shattered like a fragile soap bubble the moment it made contact with Qin Hao's palm, dissipating into a cloud of blood mist!
"How is this possible?!" The Wang brothers stared in disbelief, their eyes filled with boundless fear and despair! Their all-out attack hadn't even broken through the opponent's defenses? What kind of monster was this?!
Qin Hao, however, never paused his steps from beginning to end. After taking all the attacks head-on, he appeared in front of Wang Tiansheng as if by teleportation!
"First."
The chilling voice was like the pronouncement of death. Qin Hao clenched his right fist, employing no fancy techniques, just a simple straight punch aimed at Wang Tiansheng's chest! Where the fist passed, the air was compressed, creating a piercing sonic boom!
Wang Tiansheng was terrified and frantically activated the Ghost Spirit Banner to block in front of him. At the same time, a jet-black bone armor shield appeared on his body!
"Boom!!!"
The fist arrives!
The Ghost Banner was pierced and torn apart as easily as paper! The high-quality bone armor shield couldn't even stop it for a moment before it exploded into countless fragments!
The fist continued its momentum, landing solidly on Wang Tiansheng's chest!
"Pfft——!"
There were no screams, only a dull, eerie sound as flesh and bones were instantly crushed and vaporized!
Wang Tiansheng's entire upper body vanished under that punch! It turned into a cloud of blood and flesh! Only his legs remained standing for a moment before he collapsed to the ground.
A panicked nascent soul had just escaped when it was struck by a golden finger gust of wind that Qin Hao casually flicked out, and was completely annihilated without even uttering a sound.
"Third Brother!!!" Wang Tiangu's eyes were bloodshot as he let out a heart-wrenching roar, but more than anything, it was fear from the depths of his soul! He turned to run away. Revenge and treasures were no longer important; he just wanted to live!
However, how could Qin Hao possibly let him go?
His figure flashed again, catching up like a ghost.
"the second."
The same simple punch landed on Wang Tiangu's back.
In desperation, Wang Tiangu summoned all his defensive magic treasures and even burned his life essence to unleash the Blood Escape Technique!
Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, everything is in vain.
"Oh!"
With another muffled thud, Wang Tiangu followed in his brother's footsteps, his physical body shattered by a single punch, and his nascent soul, which had just escaped, was caught in Qin Hao's hand and casually destroyed.
From the moment Qin Hao made his move to the moment the Wang brothers both perished and their souls were scattered, the entire process took only three or four breaths!
Fast! Ruthless! Both fast and ruthless!
Inside the Jade Pavilion, a deathly silence fell over the moment.
Marquis Nanlong, the old man surnamed Yun, the cultivator surnamed You, and Han Li, who had just stopped fighting, were all dumbfounded, their spines turning cold! They knew Qin Hao was strong, but they hadn't expected him to be this strong! Two Nascent Soul stage cultivators were like clay chickens and earthenware dogs in front of him, utterly vulnerable! What terrifying physical strength was this?!
Qin Hao casually flicked away the non-existent bloodstains from his fist, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the few traces left by Wang Tiansheng and Wang Tiangu on the ground, as if he had crushed two ants.
"Wang Tiansheng, I told you, I will kill you the next time we meet."
"As for Wang Tiangu, it's better for the whole family to be together, so that Wang Chan won't be too lonely underground."
The old man surnamed Yun and the cultivator surnamed You were already terrified! Seeing Qin Hao's gaze sweep over them, as if they were being stared at by a prehistoric beast, they instinctively gathered together, linked their magical power, and assumed a defensive stance, trying to join forces to fight against this terrifying being.
The cultivator surnamed You even tried to win over Han Li: "Fellow Daoist Han! This man is extremely ruthless and his strength is unfathomable! If we don't join forces, we'll probably all die here today! Why don't we put aside our prejudices and fight together? Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope!"
Upon seeing this, the heavily injured Marquis of Nanlong was so enraged that he cursed, "Fools! You bunch of fools! Han Li has a close relationship with this man; they're clearly in cahoots! How could he possibly be on your side?!"
He gave a bitter laugh, his face filled with despair: "If you hadn't ambushed and seriously injured me before, the few of us working together might have had a chance... Now that I'm severely injured, with less than one-tenth of my magic power remaining, facing this person, there's only death ahead! You... good luck!"
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao stopped talking nonsense, exchanged a glance with Han Li, and nodded slightly.
A complex look flashed in Han Li's eyes, but his actions were decisive. The Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword was instantly unfurled, and countless Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Swords shot towards the old man surnamed Yun and the others like a torrential rain!
Qin Hao, on the other hand, charged straight into the enemy's hastily assembled defensive formation, like a tiger among sheep!
With the Heaven-Supporting Demon Art activated, he completely ignored the magical treasures and spells attacking his body. His fists, palms, fingers, elbows—every part of his body—became the most terrifying killing weapon!
"boom!"
"Crack!"
"Pfft!"
Accompanied by continuous roars, the sounds of bones shattering and flesh exploding, and a brief, shrill scream before death.
In just a dozen breaths, the old man surnamed Yun, the cultivator surnamed You, and several other Nascent Soul cultivators, along with their severely injured Nascent Souls, were all slaughtered by Qin Hao and Han Li in a joint effort! The entire Jade Pavilion was filled with a nauseating stench of blood.
Finally, Qin Hao's gaze fell on the Marquis of Nanlong, who was leaning against a stone pillar with a deathly pale face.
As Nanlong Hou watched Qin Hao approach step by step, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to beg for mercy or say something.
But Qin Hao didn't give him any chance at all.
A golden light flashed.
The Marquis of Nanlong's head flew high into the air, his face still bearing traces of resentment and regret. His nascent soul had just escaped when it was also shredded to pieces by the Void-Splitting Armor-Piercing Blade that followed closely behind.
Thus, all the outside cultivators who entered the cave of the Azure Kun Immortal, except for Qin Hao and Han Li, have perished. (End of Chapter)