Chapter 212 - 210: Hero

The man was outside the Array and not controlling it, so no one noticed his death.

Silently, Chen Qingyang retracted the Conscious Fish. 'I have to act now,' he thought, 'before they get suspicious and change their strategy.'

「It was now late at night.」

The Star and Moon gave no light. The world was shrouded in darkness, with only currents of dark red air churning in the valley. Vaguely, one could see white Soul Banners flapping in the wind, making the atmosphere all the more eerie.

Chen Qingyang stabilized his Cultivation and observed the two Demon Sect patrol teams from the shadows. He studied their movements, calculated the distance between them, and then lay in wait on their inevitable path.

The valley was deep and overgrown with lush vegetation. Standing beneath it and looking up, one could see a canopy of vines and branches that blotted out the sky.

He stood in the darkness, hands clasped behind his back. Dressed in Vermilion and Purple Attire, he exuded a noble air. Beneath the vast sky, three figures were rapidly approaching.

This was a spot he had carefully selected—a path the patrolling Demon Sect Disciples had to take. Every half-quarter-hour, this trio would pass by his position, with another group of four trailing them at the same interval.

These Demon Sect Disciples were strictly following Senior Brother Liang's strategy, patrolling back and forth without rest.

Even if they couldn't find Chen Qingyang, they could keep him blockaded outside, allowing the five senior brothers inside the valley to hasten their Refinement of the nine members of the Tai Xu Sect and complete their scheme.

The Demon Sect group—two men and one woman—were not young. One was in his sixties, another perhaps in his forties. Their appearances varied; one wore opulent clothes, another a long, black robe. The Conscious Fish trailed them quietly.

Chen Qingyang mentally calculated the distance. As the figures drew closer, he decisively unleashed the Conscious Fish.

On the horizon, a violent flame erupted from thin air. It took the shape of a dragon with a koi swimming within the fire before coalescing into a sharp arrow that shot straight toward the female cultivator.

The flames roared, accompanied by an incessant CRACKLING. Although the woman was on high alert, the attack was too sudden, its power far beyond her imagination.

"Ah…!" she screamed, instantly engulfed by the inferno.

"Sister!"

The other two men turned pale with shock. A wave of dark green Qi erupted from one, while a Profound Light rose from the other. Their auras flared as they brandished their Magical Artifacts, one on the left and one on the right, and charged straight for the Conscious Fish.

But the Conscious Fish was as quick to retreat as it was to attack. In an instant, it had fled several dozen yards away. Without a second thought, the two Demon Sect Cultivators gave chase.

SNAP!

At the same moment, the grass and trees on the slope below rustled. Amidst a spreading rosy glow, a figure shot out like a cannonball.

The newcomer held a three-foot-long sword. The blade, wreathed in a radiant霞光, pulsed with a five-colored light. It was peerlessly sharp!

The Sword Qi sent ripples of light through the air, as if tearing space itself as it aimed for the female cultivator, who was not yet dead.

Being from the Demon Sect, the woman was a veteran of countless battles. She hastily summoned a Magical Artifact to defend herself, throwing out a Wooden Shield. The shield expanded in the wind to a size of three zhang, a grim white light flowing across its surface as it positioned itself before her.

The way of the Sword Dao is inherently unstoppable!

Chen Qingyang achieved Unity of Man and Sword, carving a path with his blade. With a great shout, he unleashed the full power of his Five Elements Sword. The Wooden Shield shattered into four or five pieces with a series of sharp CRACKS.

The Sword Momentum continued, undiminished, straight toward the woman.

"Save me!"

Her shriek seemed to tear through the sky.

But the sound stopped abruptly. The Five Elements Sword pierced her chest. The agony twisted her face as she clutched at the wound, her hands gripping so tightly they seemed to deform. "You…"

She finally saw the face before her—young and cold.

Then, her vision went black. The world and everything in it ceased to exist for her. Her very flesh was shredded by the Sword Qi as she fell from the sky.

"Sister! Sister!"

Frantic, the two men gave up on attacking the Conscious Fish and turned, charging murderously toward Chen Qingyang.

One wielded a Flying Sword, the other an Axe and Halberd, both radiating a grim Demon Qi. They activated their Cultivation Techniques, and their Magical Artifacts swelled to over ten zhang in the sky, kicking up a gale as they chopped down viciously.

Before the assault even arrived, Chen Qingyang could clearly feel the chilling Qi Mechanism.

His expression was cold. He neither retreated nor dodged. With the Qianxue Sword on his back and the Five Elements Sword in his hand, he fiercely swung out, unleashing the Sword Qi described in the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual. A rosy glow once again lit up the sky as he slashed out with both hands.

This strike gathered the Power of the Five Elements, its Sword Momentum magnificent and vast.

With a deafening RUMBLE, the three Qi Mechanisms collided. A violent shockwave spread in all directions, snapping countless trees and plants below. Chen Qingyang remained standing proudly in mid-air, while his two opponents were each forced back two steps.

'So strong!'

The two exchanged a glance, both already thinking of retreat. They planned to regroup with their four comrades and surround him.

But in their moment of hesitation, a brilliant fire bloomed like a flower. A True Dragon Illusion materialized within the flames and exploded right beside them.

A blast of Fire Energy shot through the air, striking one of them. The man knew this was bad and hastily activated a Magical Artifact within his body to suppress it. But the flames were extraordinarily fierce and still raged through him, inflicting heavy injuries in an instant.

Chen Qingyang was slightly surprised. 'The woman died so easily,' he thought, 'but this one had a protective Magical Artifact. I couldn't kill him in one blow.'

Before the two Demon Sect Cultivators could regain their composure, they saw Chen Qingyang charging again out of the darkness, his glowing sword held high. His eyes held a murderous glint that was bone-chilling.

"Brother, block this for me!"

Before the severely injured man could finish his sentence, he turned to flee. But his comrade didn't block the attack as he'd hoped. Instead, he ran even faster.

The two could already see four figures rushing toward them—their sect members.

"Brother, save me!"

He reached out a curled hand, his cry nearly silent, for an invisible Sword Qi had already pierced his back.

In an instant, his True Qi collapsed as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He slowly turned his head, and the last thing he saw was Chen Qingyang's cold face.

"I don't want to die…"

His eyes were filled with terror.

He didn't know that Chen Qingyang was merely waiting for the Sword Qi to erupt a second time, to grant him a less painful death by annihilating his body and Divine Soul together.

'I've stolen 3,245 Immortal Seedlings this time,' Chen Qingyang thought. 'I'm one step closer to Breaking Realm.'

Looking ahead, the five Demon Sect members had gathered and were all heading his way.

'I should use strategy, not brute force.'

Chen Qingyang once again had the Conscious Fish shoot out flames. The fire was dazzling in the darkness as man and soul split up, one heading east and one west, to lead their pursuers away.

Seeing this, the remaining five had no choice but to split their forces. Two went straight for Chen Qingyang, and two pursued the Conscious Fish.

The Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword was extraordinarily powerful, well worth the great price he had paid to obtain it. Chen Qingyang's confidence grew with every clash.

He maintained a steady pace, not too fast and not too slow, with the two cultivators in hot pursuit. As they closed the distance, one of them, an old man, brandished a Soul Banner. A grim Ghost Head materialized from it and lunged, trying to devour Chen Qingyang.

Chen Qingyang immediately recognized it. 'This is a Netherworld Peak Cultivation Technique.' The Ghost Head was formed of pure Nether Qi, and the technique was highly sophisticated.

Just as the Ghost Head was about to reach him, an aquamarine Incense Burner suddenly materialized in the air. Radiating a green-blue light, it easily knocked the Ghost Head back. ℯℯ𝑙.

"Hmph! A fine Magical Treasure indeed! Do you dare state your name?!"

The bell-like voice echoed through the mountains, reaching Chen Qingyang's ears. He ignored it and continued to race forward.

"I don't care where you're from. Today, that Magical Treasure will be mine."

As the old man's words fell, he picked up his pace again.

Since he was the one chasing and Chen Qingyang was the one fleeing, the old man gradually grew arrogant and began to underestimate his opponent.

He saw Chen Qingyang's speed decrease. When they were only a dozen or so yards apart, the old man once again produced a white Soul Banner. A surge of ghastly green Nether Qi billowed out and swept toward his target.

A dark green wave seemed to rise in the sky, and the air turned frigid as it perfectly enveloped Chen Qingyang.

"Brat, think you can escape?"

The words had barely left his lips when Chen Qingyang, still shrouded by the mist, suddenly erupted with a rosy glow. It was the Five Elements Sword again, now turning its edge back toward the old man to strike.

Though arrogant, the old man was an experienced fighter. He didn't dare take the blow head-on. He waved his Soul Banner and summoned two bell-shaped Magical Artifacts, wrapping them in the dark green Qi.

CLANG!

The longsword struck the Magical Artifacts. It pushed forward but failed to break them. The old man barely managed to block the attack, but his qi and blood roiled, and he couldn't stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.

The difference in their strength was clear after a single exchange.

The Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual was named "Danxia" because its Sword Techniques flowed like rosy dawn light. The swordsmanship's greatest feature was its self-perpetuating Sword Momentum, like a cascading waterfall, its Qi Mechanism continuous and difficult to sever.

Confident in his abundant True Essence, Chen Qingyang pressed his attack. His Sword Momentum was like overlapping curtains of water, each wave higher than the last. The old man could only parry weakly with his Soul Banner. After just four or five moves, he was already at a disadvantage.

The unified Five Elements Qi was profoundly mysterious, not only extremely difficult to counter but also incredibly tenacious.

Chen Qingyang found an opening. He formed a hand seal, and his longsword shot out, piercing straight through the old man's chest. He was about to execute a follow-up attack when another Magical Artifact flew in from the side, striking the Five Elements Sword with a BOOM.

The Five Elements Sword instantly shifted from solid to illusory, dissolving into Five Elements Qi that flowed back into Chen Qingyang's palm from all directions. He himself was completely unharmed.

The old man's eyes were murky and bloodshot. His long beard, stained with specks of blood, hung to his chest. He pointed a finger at Chen Qingyang. "How rare. When did the Tai Xu Sect produce a prodigy like you!"

At that moment, the Demon Sect Disciple who had just knocked away the Five Elements Sword arrived at the old man's side.

This man held a Bronze Great Seal, about a foot square, which circled around him while emitting a pale Celestial Spirit Qi. His Cultivation was in no way inferior to the old man's.

Chen Qingyang stood with his hands behind his back. The Inner Nourishing Five Elements Sword had extended to the length of a zhang and now shone brilliantly above his head.

He gave a cold laugh. "A prodigy? It's rare to hear you people call me that."

Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, the Conscious Fish, wreathed in fire, continued to lead the other two Demon Sect Cultivators onward at high speed.