Chapter 209 - 207: Wretched Rabble, Pathetically Weak

Chapter 209: Chapter 207: Wretched Rabble, Pathetically Weak

At over thirty years of age, Zhu Zhaoxiong’s strength wasn’t particularly impressive; he was only at the Condensing Truth Realm Middle Stage.

Although Zhu Zhaoxiong would later step into the Primordial Pill Realm, his rise to prominence wouldn’t be due to his own combat prowess, but rather the might of the Sword Worship Alliance.

However, at this moment, he was still quite confident in his ability to deal with Qin Suguang, who was wavering and looked like he couldn’t hold on much longer.

But who could have known that when his sword light descended, the Protective Buddha Light—which seemed like it could be shattered with a single strike—would remain incomparably firm, refusing to break no matter what he did.

Zhu Zhaoxiong’s expression turned grim. True Qi erupted from his body as he unleashed a continuous barrage of Sword Qi with various Attributes, forcing Qin Suguang to retreat step by step.

The other Martial Artists didn’t remain idle either, but no matter what they tried, they couldn’t completely defeat Qin Suguang.

This was despite his face being pale, blood trickling from his mouth, and his aura having weakened to an extreme degree.

"For an Ancient Sword Dao Secret Technique like the Mixed Element Sword Scripture to fall into the hands of your Sword Worship Manor is truly a case of casting pearls before swine. Are you and your father even worthy of cultivating such a Secret Technique and Method?"

Zhu Zhaoxiong’s expression changed drastically.

’How could this person possibly know about the Mixed Element Sword Scripture that he and his father cultivate?’

His father had accidentally obtained this Cultivation Technique in an ancient ruin, and no one else knew about it.

Within the entire Sword Worship Manor, only he and his father practiced it. Not even his father’s few personal disciples were aware of it.

Zhu Zhaoxiong looked toward the source of the voice and saw that Chen Yuan had already opened his eyes. His pupils, however, were a stark, bloody red.

Moreover, having just fused with the Seven Kills Stele, the immense and overwhelming killing intent radiating from Chen Yuan was so palpable it seemed almost corporeal, swirling around him.

Previously, Chen Yuan’s Cultivation had stabilized at the Condensing Truth Realm Middle Stage. After fusing with the second Seven Kills Stele, he had directly stepped into the Condensing Truth Realm Late Stage.

And this sudden surge wouldn’t cause any instability in his Realm.

The power of the Seven Kills Stele was constantly battering Chen Yuan’s physical body; a single misstep could cause it to crumble and shatter.

How could a power boost that came at such a great cost possibly result in an unstable Realm?

Zhu Zhaoxiong’s face was ashen, and a look of terror was on the faces of everyone present.

They had dared to attack Gu Lichuan and Qin Suguang, but facing Chen Yuan, they were terrified.

Inside the Heaven Returning Pavilion, the three of them had joined forces to kill the Primordial Pill Grandmaster Wu Daoquan. Within the Blood Killing Realm, Chen Yuan had routed the Red Lotus Sect and killed Murong Li with a single arrow. Not even the Murong Family’s Star Shifting could stop Chen Yuan.

And now, the Red Lotus Saintess, who had orchestrated everything, had also died at his hands. After a series of major battles, a chill would subconsciously rise from the depths of their hearts whenever they faced Chen Yuan, and they didn’t dare to confront him head-on.

They had dared to make a move earlier because Chen Yuan was still fusing with the Seven Kills Stele and his condition was unstable.

But now that Chen Yuan had successfully completed the fusion, everyone subconsciously halted their attacks. The more cowardly among them had even begun to flee.

Zhu Zhaoxiong wanted to say something, but in the next instant, a flash of crimson light flared, and Chen Yuan’s figure appeared right in front of him!

Horrified, Zhu Zhaoxiong frantically brandished his Long Sword, unleashing various forms of Sword Momentum.

But Chen Yuan merely extended a hand. The incredibly dense blood-red light instantly shredded all of his Sword Momentum, and the Long Sword in his hand was crushed by Chen Yuan’s grip as if it were a mere toy!

Terror filled Zhu Zhaoxiong’s face. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, Chen Yuan slapped out, and his head was directly blown apart by the force of the blow!

At this, the minds of the remaining Martial Artists instantly shattered, and they began to flee in a frenzy.

Lu Wenhao, who had been the most enthusiastic instigator earlier, was also the fastest to run. He even burned his Qi Blood, fleeing as if his life depended on it.

In the Qin Province Jianghu, Zhu Zhaoxiong was considered an outstanding figure, his fame and status far surpassing Zuo Feiyu’s in Ning Province.

Yet before Chen Yuan, his head was blown apart with a single slap as if he were slaughtering a chicken or a dog. What was there left to fight?

Chen Yuan sneered. He swung the Blood Sea Listening Tide horizontally, and powered by the ultimate Blood Fiend from the newly fused Seven Kills Stele, the slash descended with the overwhelming might of a surging Sea of Blood.

Those who ran fast had a sliver of hope for survival; those who were slow were directly sliced in two by Chen Yuan’s attack!

These guys had tried to take advantage of his weakness while he was fusing with the Seven Kills Stele. How could Chen Yuan possibly let them leave so easily?

’If you choose to be my enemy, you must be prepared to pay the price!’

After that one slash, Chen Yuan had killed at least half of the Martial Artists present. However, he didn’t pursue the faster ones who had escaped.

Although his power had skyrocketed and his Realm was stable after fusing with the Seven Kills Stele, his physical body had suffered serious damage from withstanding the impact of the Blood Fiend and needed time to recuperate.

Furthermore, Qin Suguang and Gu Lichuan had just fought many opponents by themselves. Their own stamina was greatly depleted, and they were in no condition to fight anymore.

"Brother Qin, Brother Gu, are you two alright?"

Gu Lichuan’s face was a bit pale, but he still grinned and said, "Don’t worry, my stamina is top-notch. I can take it. If we kept dragging it out, I could’ve finished off a few more."

Qin Suguang was even more exhausted. He collapsed onto the ground, but he also smiled. "It’s no big deal. After a couple of days’ rest, I’ll be good as new."

Chen Yuan walked over to Zhu Zhaoxiong’s corpse, found a Qiankun Bag on it, and tossed it to Gu Lichuan.

"This is the Mixed Element Sword Scripture, the Secret Technique that the father and son of the Sword Worship Manor’s Zhu Family truly cultivate. Brother Gu, you should be able to use it."

The Mixed Element Sword Scripture wasn’t on a Spiritual Jade, but was a paper book.

This Secret Technique was complex and profound. Zhu Zhaoxiong hadn’t even reached the entry-level, so he carried the manual with him at all times, ready to study and research it whenever he could.

Gu Lichuan was slightly taken aback. He flipped through the Mixed Element Sword Scripture, then sighed. "Sword Worship Manor is quite famous among the Sword Cultivators of the Jianghu. A faction that openly shares its Swordsmanship Secret Techniques is one of a kind.

"When I first came to Qin Province, I was even planning to visit Sword Worship Manor after all this was over. Although I can’t use their Swordsmanship, I thought I could at least share some of my Sword Dao experience.

"Who would have thought that after meeting this Zhu Zhaoxiong, I’d realize he’s no good either.

"At the time, I thought maybe it was just Zhu Zhaoxiong who was a scoundrel. His father, Zhu Xinwu, openly shared their Swordsmanship Secret Techniques, so I figured he must be a selfless Jianghu senior.

"Who could have imagined that this father and son were so calculating? They claimed to be openly sharing their Secret Techniques, but in reality, they were collecting a vast amount of Swordsmanship to feed the Mixed Element Sword Scripture."

Gu Lichuan hailed from Liang Province, a place with a savage martial culture where etiquette had collapsed. Everyone there respected only strength, and the fighting among them was exceptionally brutal.

Because of this, Gu Lichuan had harbored a fantasy about the Central Plains Martial Arts since he was young, believing its atmosphere would surely be better.

Who would have thought that after coming to the Central Plains Martial Arts, he would discover everyone was the same damn way.

It was just that the Martial Artists of Liang Province were simple and crude—they’d rob you on sight and fight if they weren’t happy. Very direct.

The Central Plains Martial World, on the other hand, was full of schemers and backstabbers. Before robbing you, they’d give you a grand-sounding reason to justify their actions.

Originally, Gu Lichuan had a very good impression of Sword Worship Manor, but he never expected them to be just another bunch of petty schemers.

Chen Yuan shook his head. "Of course there are selfless and highly respected seniors in the Jianghu.

"Master Dust Crossing, who stepped forward to gather the heroes of Qin Province to destroy the Blood Killing Realm, was one such virtuous figure in the Jianghu.

"Those Jianghu People who knew the immense danger but still chose to follow Master Dust Crossing into peril could also be called heroes.

"But there certainly aren’t many people like that, especially in times like these.

"Zhu Xinwu and his son are far too petty. When I said the Mixed Element Sword Scripture was a pearl cast before swine in their hands, I wasn’t just cursing them—it’s a fact.

"The Mixed Element Sword Scripture needs to be fed a large amount of Swordsmanship, but it requires high-end Swordsmanship, not a pile of trashy Profound Level or even Yellow Level techniques.

"If I were them, even changing my name and infiltrating some Major Sect of the Sword Dao to secretly learn their Swordsmanship would be more effective than their method."

The Mixed Element Sword Scripture is a supreme Sword Dao Secret Technique, but Zhu Xinwu and his son were not pure Swordsmen.

The two of them were quite resourceful and had some acting skills, which was how they managed to gain fame in the Qin Province Jianghu.

When chaos engulfs the world in the future, Zhu Zhaoxiong would have even become a regional hegemon.

But they lacked that certain obsession with the Martial Dao, with the Sword Dao itself, so they were destined never to reach the pinnacle of the Sword Dao.

Gu Lichuan, however, was the exact opposite. He was a genius of the Sword Dao, resolute and obsessed with its path. Later in his life, he would even carry Twelve Swords, making him a perfect fit for a Secret Technique like the Mixed Element Sword Scripture.

After resting for a moment, the three of them immediately prepared to leave the Blood Killing Realm.

The core of the Blood Killing Realm’s power was the Seven Kills Stele Fragment. After Chen Yuan fused with it, the incredibly powerful suction at the entrance vanished.

The very space of the Blood Killing Realm began to destabilize, and it would likely collapse before long.

So, the three immediately climbed out of the entrance and first returned to the Six Gates Government Office in Jieyang Prefecture to rest and recover.

Qin Suguang and Gu Lichuan were merely exhausted. After returning and resting for three days, they both recovered to their peak condition.

Afterward, Gu Lichuan was the first to take his leave. He was traveling through the Central Plains Martial Arts, and now that he was in Qin Province, he planned to visit a friend there.

Two days later, Qin Suguang also had to depart. He was preparing to make a trip to the Qin Province Six Gates headquarters to report the news.

The Red Lotus Sect had reappeared, and now there was definitive proof. This matter naturally had to be reported to the Qin Province Six Gates headquarters, and from there, reported up to the Court.

At the same time, Qin Suguang had also performed a great service this time.

Even if the Chief Constable of the Qin Province Six Gates, Lei Yuanhong, disliked Qin Suguang, a merit of this magnitude could not be suppressed.

With both of them gone, Chen Yuan stayed at the Jieyang Prefecture Six Gates for another seven days.

Chen Yuan spent these seven days primarily cultivating the Three Generations of Bright King’s Demon-Suppressing Spell and the Gouli Blood Flame Divine Seal.

In truth, Chen Yuan could have waited to cultivate these two Secret Techniques until after he returned to Ning Province and was settled.

However, the news that he had obtained the Divine Artifact Seven Kills Stele Fragment had likely already spread. Moreover, he had killed so many people in the Blood Killing Realm.

Those with grudges might come seeking revenge, and even those without might ignore the Zhenwu Hall and covet the Divine Artifact Fragment he possessed.

Therefore, it was safer for Chen Yuan to first gain a basic mastery of these two powerful Secret Techniques and improve his combat strength.