Chapter 213 - 211: Front Line

"Haha!" The old man roared with laughter.

Apparently, with another powerful ally at his side, he believed taking down Chen Qingyang would be no trouble at all.

"I always thought everyone in the Tai Xu Sect was a coward who clung desperately to life. For you to dare face us all alone, you've earned the title of a great talent!"

'So this is the Demon Sect's stereotype of the Daoist Sects,' Chen Qingyang thought. 'But in my opinion, every last member of the Demon Sect is just as cowardly.'

After cultivating for so long and being used to a life of superiority, they knew the sweet taste of life. Everyone was afraid to die.

Once a member of the Tai Xu Sect became an Inner Sect Disciple, they lived a life of freedom and ease. And while the Demon Sect had a reputation for cruelty, their Inner Sect Disciples weren't so deprived that they couldn't enjoy life's pleasures either.

"I'd say your own courage is rather commendable!"

Hearing the mockery in Chen Qingyang's voice, the old man laughed heartily. "I admit your skills are a cut above mine. But now, with so many of my martial brothers here, there's no way you're leaving with your life."

Chen Qingyang opened his right hand, his sword hovering above the palm. "Whether you can take my life or not... we'll see after we fight!"

'Fighting two on one... It's not impossible.'

Of the two opponents, the old man had the higher Cultivation, but he was already severely injured. The other one had the element of surprise on his side, but Chen Qingyang was certain he was no match for him.

As he spoke, he took an elixir from his robes and popped it into his mouth. It was a Tier Four Qihuang Replenishing Truth Pill he had meticulously refined himself. The True Essence in his body began to recover at a startling speed. He also channeled all the Immortal Seedlings he'd just acquired into his Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual.

A tempest seemed to roar through his body, his Cultivation instantly rising once more.

Without another word, he raised his sword and charged forward.

"Junior Brother Qingyun, don't you dare underestimate him!"

The old man cried out in alarm. Besides his Bronze Seal, the man named Qingyun summoned another Magical Artifact. Its mysterious white light was intermingled with the miasmas of Blood Fiend and Nether Qi. The two artifacts shot toward Chen Qingyang, their potent auras almost whipping up a dark cloud in the night and a fierce wind through the forest.

"Face my sword!"

He roared.

The Five Elements Sword instantly swelled to over ten times its size. It towered in the sky for a moment before cleaving straight down.

After a single exchange, the Demon Sect Disciple was forced back, while Chen Qingyang stood his ground, proud and unyielding.

"Junior Brother, something's wrong."

The old man, watching from the sidelines, saw it at once—his opponent's Cultivation had risen again. His earlier confidence vanished, replaced by a sense of foreboding.

He brandished the Soul Banner again, sending out waves of dark green light. Then, he spat a mouthful of Essence Blood onto it. The banner, like a living creature, devoured the blood, its aura surging by three- to five-fold.

The two of them were a whirlwind of unending techniques, circling Chen Qingyang. One moment they used Magic Techniques, the next Magical Artifacts, then Talismans.

Chen Qingyang merely swung his sword in an impenetrable defense, his Sword Qi regenerating endlessly as he weathered their assault, searching for an opening.

Suddenly, his Sword Qi erupted. He first drove one of them back, then instantly turned on the old man.

'The old man was the one with the higher Cultivation and the backbone of their little group. If I kill him first, the other one is nothing to worry about.'

But to his surprise, even at this stage, the old man still had a trump card. He threw something from his robes at incredible speed. By the time it reached Chen Qingyang, it had expanded to blot out the sky, a brilliant, shining gold. Written on it in fresh blood were the two words "By Order," along with the characters for "Divine Earth Palace of Infinite Extent."

'Another Talisman!'

'This was the same kind of thing that had hindered my attacks earlier.'

For some reason, the sight of it sent a chill through him. His body felt as if it were being filled with a foul stench, making his head spin with extreme nausea.

'What a sinister technique! If that thing hits me, I'll be severely injured at the very least.'

Not daring to hesitate, he threw out the Jade Peach Incense Burner. A dense cloud of Wood Spirit Qi erupted from it, instantly blocking the Talisman. The relief Chen Qingyang felt was immense.

His Sword Momentum didn't falter as he pressed his advantage, wanting to finish the old man in one fell swoop. 'He can't possibly have any more tricks up his sleeve, can he?'

But just then, the Demon Sect's Qingyun struck again from the side. If Chen Qingyang retreated now, he would lose this perfect chance to kill the old man.

So he ignored him completely and threw out another Magical Treasure—the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl.

It blazed with brilliant flames and emitted the roar of a dragon. Remembering that several of his junior brothers had died to this very treasure, Qingyun didn't dare to test its power. He had no choice but to use his full strength to block it.

Seeing he had no escape, the old man's hands flew into a series of seals. He once again summoned his Protective Gang Qi and planted his Soul Banner before him, preparing to tank the blow head-on.

"Die!"

Chen Qingyang snorted, and his Sword Qi intensified in an instant.

His Cultivation had soared because he had rapidly absorbed the Immortal Seedlings he'd obtained after severely wounding them earlier.

"No..."

The old man's eyes bulged, and the corners of his mouth trembled uncontrollably. As the Five Elements Sword descended, a wound exploded open, splitting him from his left shoulder to his right hip. His body was torn in two.

His Divine Soul attempted to flee, but it was caught in the sword's light and instantly shredded to pieces.

Just then, a woman came rushing over as reinforcement. Chen Qingyang was startled for a moment, but relaxed when he saw she was only at the Essence Condensation Third Realm.

It seemed the two who had been chasing his Conscious Fish had noticed the great commotion here and sent one of their own to investigate.

Chen Qingyang swallowed another Huangqi Replenishing Truth Elixir. Utterly fearless, he activated his Sword Control and charged again.

But unexpectedly, upon seeing the situation, the woman didn't even hesitate. She turned and fled into the sky without a backward glance, showing none of the courage of the other two.

The Demon Sect's Qingyun had just managed to fend off the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl. Before he could even recover, he witnessed this scene. The situation had reversed in an instant. One can only imagine his horror.

Before he could react, another sword descended, leaving not even a trace of his Divine Soul behind.

His battle lust surging, Chen Qingyang turned and shot after the woman in an instant. Her Cultivation was clearly far beneath his, and he caught up to her in moments. Just outside the valley, the Separation Huo Dragon Pearl fell from the sky, smashing down with immense force.

Though the woman resisted with all her strength, she couldn't withstand the blow and was slammed heavily into the ground. Chen Qingyang was right behind her. By the time she scrambled up from the mud, his sword was pointed at her throat.

"I... You..." Seeing that his sword didn't move to strike, the woman stammered, "You're... you're not going to kill me..."

Looking at her now, though her clothes were expensive and revealing, she was an absolute mess. Caked in mud from head to toe, any trace of her former flirtatious charm was gone, leaving nothing of her dazzling beauty.

"Whether you live or die isn't up to me. It's up to you."

She was a smart one. She immediately asked, "What is it you want from me, Senior Brother? I'll tell you anything I know. All I ask is that you let me live this worthless life of mine."

Chen Qingyang had seen the Demon Sect's tricks many times before. He pressed on, "You're being very cooperative. How do I know you're not just trying to trick me?"

At his words, the woman fell to her knees. "That's not it, Senior Brother. I've been watching you. You're ruthless and decisive, and your methods are systematic. A person like you can't be fooled by someone like me. I know I'll probably die even if I answer your questions, but if I cooperate, I might just have a sliver of a chance to live."

'She really is clever,' Chen Qingyang thought. 'She's completely figured out my style, and she knows she's in a life-or-death situation.'

"Then answer my question. Your group came into the Yong Kingdom with such a grand entrance. What exactly is your objective?"

But now, the woman hesitated. She stared at Chen Qingyang for a long moment without speaking.

"Speak!"

His sharp command startled her into speaking. "Senior Brother, it's not that I won't tell you. It's just... you're going to kill me anyway. What difference does it make whether I talk or not?"

Chen Qingyang replied, "And what makes you so sure I won't let you go?"

"If, after what I said, you had replied with something along the lines of 'cooperate and I won't kill you,' then you might have actually been thinking of sparing me. But you went straight to asking your question. Isn't your killing intent obvious enough?"

Chen Qingyang sheathed his sword. He clasped his hands behind his back, turning so only his back faced the woman. "There were seventeen of you in the Yong Kingdom. The one with the surname Guo who went to steal the Yin Grass is already dead at my hands. That leaves the sixteen of you here."

"Aside from those five, the rest are at the Essence Condensation Third Realm or below. Your Senior Brother Liang, the one with the highest Cultivation, is at the Essence Condensation Six Realms. The Array you set up is called the Six Paths Blood Refinement. You need to understand something: there is nothing I don't know."

Hearing this, the woman didn't show the fear he expected. Instead, her expression grew calm. "Are you trying to tell me that I'm not that important, Senior Brother? That if I don't earn your pity, you'll kill me anyway?"

Chen Qingyang nodded. "You're wrong about one thing. It's not about pity. It's about you proving you're valuable enough for me to let you go."

The woman stared blankly for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't see any sincere intention from you to spare me, Senior Brother. You might as well just kill me!"

Whether she was playing hard to get or truly meant it, her expression was utterly resolute.

Chen Qingyang said, "Then I'll grant you your wish."

As he spoke, the Five Elements Sword began to condense in his hand once more.

The woman's composure finally broke, her face showing pure astonishment. "No, no! Since you were sent by a Daoist Sect to save them, you must want to know our objective! I'll talk..."

But to her utter shock, Chen Qingyang couldn't be bothered to listen. With a single strike of his sword, he cut her down.

'Who cares what their purpose was? I've gotten the Immortal Seedlings and averted the crisis in the Yong Kingdom. Next, I'll go to Nine True Mountain to see Lu Qingyu and settle things with my Master.'

'Some things were for Xuanwei Master to worry about. Why should I get personally involved? I have plenty of my own business to attend to.'

[Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual: (23976/24000)]

[Available Immortal Seedlings: 3812]

Having now killed four people at the Essence Condensation Third Realm, the third stage of his Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual was nearing Perfection. With so many Immortal Seedlings to spare, Chen Qingyang could now break through to the next realm with but a single thought.

However, based on his past breakthroughs, he knew that the higher his Cultivation, the longer it took for the Qi Mechanism in his body to evolve. His Conscious Fish was still keeping that last enemy occupied, so he didn't have time to spare. He had no choice but to continue his pursuit, rushing toward the horizon.

The wind was gentle, the clouds were sparse, and the moon hung high in the sky.

In that quiet moment, the world itself seemed to have grown a little clearer.

Though it takes long to describe, it all happened in a flash. In the span of just half an hour, he had killed all five of them.