Unfettered Retribution: Slaughtering My Way through the World

Chapter 167: Chapter 130: Annihilating Ling Wanjian! Another Breakthrough

The numbness in his palm receded like a tide, replaced by a surge of even more ferocious, seething power.

Chen Xuan glanced down. On the palm that had just clashed with his opponent’s strike, only a few white marks had appeared, and even those vanished in the blink of an eye.

A flash of realization crossed his eyes.

"Good. Again!"

He looked at Ling Wanjian opposite him and started walking forward.

[Ling Wanjian is filled with utter shock. Retribution is exceptional. Retribution points +30000!]

A line of text materialized.

Chen Xuan ignored it. His pace quickened, his body erupting in blinding, blazing flames until, as if teleporting, he vanished in an instant.

Rage flared in Ling Wanjian’s eyes as he precisely tracked Chen Xuan’s lightning-fast form. A Body Technique like this might fool others, but before his eyes, there was nowhere to hide.

"Silent Extinction Swordsmanship! Triple power!"

He roared, lunging forward and vanishing in the same instant.

BOOM!

BANG BANG BANG BANG...

The two figures clashed in an instant, their movements impossibly fast.

The average disciples couldn’t follow their movements at all.

It was as if both had vanished completely.

All that remained were deep, deafening booms echoing continuously throughout the area.

The faces of the disciples turned deathly pale with terror. They scrambled back, watching everything unfold in absolute fear.

’This is too terrifying!’

The events of this day were beyond anything they could have ever imagined.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged countless blows.

On the surface, Chen Xuan had the upper hand, with Ling Wanjian on the defensive. However, Ling Wanjian’s resilience was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Every time Chen Xuan moved to finish him, Ling Wanjian would erupt with a burst of powerful energy just in time, neutralizing the lethal attack.

Chen Xuan hadn’t come here to spar.

He needed to crush his opponent with absolute dominance; only then would he earn the most retribution points.

’Fighting back and forth like this just gives him hope...’

At this thought, Chen Xuan’s gaze hardened.

’Good, I’ll try this then!’

As Ling Wanjian lunged with another sword strike, Chen Xuan unexpectedly spread his arms wide, making no move to dodge or evade. He simply let Ling Wanjian charge, sword in hand, straight for his chest.

"What?!"

Ling Wanjian’s heart pounded, and his pupils contracted sharply!

’Does he have a death wish? Is it a trap? Is he trying to bait me?’

In a flash, countless thoughts raced through his mind, but the "opportunity" before him—a once-in-a-lifetime chance—was too tempting to resist.

’The heart is the nexus of a Martial Artist’s qi and blood—the most vital of all weak points. Pierce it, and no matter how strong your body or how abundant your True Qi, death is certain!’

"I don’t care what your scheme is! Die!"

A cold glint shot from Ling Wanjian’s eyes. Far from pulling back, he frantically poured the last of his liquid True Essence into the blade, regardless of the cost. The sword’s speed increased yet again, and the light of the blade became twice as condensed!

’I’ll use absolute speed and power to run him through and kill him before he can spring whatever "trap" he has planned!’

PFFT—!!!

The sickening thud of blade piercing flesh echoed clearly in everyone’s ears.

The longsword in his hand met no resistance, plunging like lightning through the muscles of Chen Xuan’s chest until it was buried to the hilt.

The tip even jutted out from his back, glinting with a cold light!

A torrent of scalding blood erupted from the wounds in his front and back, instantly drenching Chen Xuan’s black robes in crimson.

"I did it!!!"

A savage, almost distorted smile of pure ecstasy spread across Ling Wanjian’s face!

’I got him!’

’The arrogant, ignorant little bastard finally overplayed his hand!’

"Chen Xuan, trying to catch a blade with your bare hands is impossible!"

Ling Wanjian let out a savage sneer.

But his sneer quickly vanished, replaced by terror as he began to struggle violently.

A hand as hot as a branding iron had, at some unknown moment, clamped firmly around his throat!

The force of the tightening fingers was terrifying beyond imagination, as if he were crushing not a neck of flesh and blood, but a dry twig about to be snapped.

Ling Wanjian’s eyes widened in terror as he stared at the eerily calm face just inches from his own.

On Chen Xuan’s face, there wasn’t the slightest trace of agony or despair from his fatal wound. Instead... there was an almost playful, mocking sneer.

’How is this possible?!’

’His heart has been pierced, invaded by my Sword Qi! How can he still have any strength?! How could he possibly launch such a swift and precise counterattack?!’

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Chen Xuan’s voice was steady, even tinged with a hint of nonchalance.

He raised his other hand, gripped the hilt of the sword piercing his chest, and slowly, inch by inch, pulled the longsword out from his heart.

The blade grated against flesh and bone, making a sound that set one’s teeth on edge. Scalding blood ran down the fuller of the blade and dripped to the ground with a SIZZLE.

But the bizarre thing was, as the sword was withdrawn, the horrific through-and-through wound began to squirm and heal at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The gushing blood seemed to be drawn back by an unseen force, flowing back into his body.

In just a few breaths, aside from the hole and bloodstains on his clothing, the fatal piercing wound on Chen Xuan’s chest had... vanished without a trace. His skin was perfectly intact, without even a scar.

Ling Wanjian’s eyes bulged in utter terror.

All the other disciples and elders in the square were utterly aghast.

It was as if they were witnessing the most impossible event imaginable.

"You... You’re a member of an Evil Cult..."

Ling Wanjian let out a terrified and muffled cry.

CRACK!

Chen Xuan snapped his neck on the spot, the blood vessels within bursting from the force.

At the same time, a surge of True Qi invaded his brain, cooking his entire brainstem.

THUD!

With a casual toss, Ling Wanjian’s corpse was thrown to the ground like a broken doll.

[You have killed Ling Wanjian. Retribution points +10000!]

[All disciples and elders of the Celestial Sword Sect have had their morale shattered for a second time. Retribution points +40000!]

Two consecutive lines of text appeared.

"..."

Chen Xuan let out a light breath.

’The Innate Tyrant Body truly lives up to its name!’

’As long as my head isn’t cut off, even the most severe injuries can heal in an instant.’

"A demon! He’s a demon!"

"Run!"

"This has nothing to do with me! I just joined the Celestial Sword Sect!"

"Me too..."

The crowd was terrified, scrambling over each other in a desperate attempt to flee.

And just then—

Outside the Celestial Sword Sect’s main gate, an indigo stream of light finally tore through the sky at astonishing speed. With a single leap, it vaulted over the mountain gate and landed directly on a rooftop.

Wang Qinglian had arrived.

She was wreathed in surging, indigo True Qi. Her pretty face was slightly pale from her rapid journey, and her breathing was a little unsteady.

When she took in the scene within the sect gates—the square that looked as if it had been bombarded by meteors, littered with debris and smoldering fires—and saw the familiar black-robed figure standing amidst the chaos, she froze as if struck by lightning.

Her pupils contracted violently, her eyes filled with utter shock and... a flicker of excitement she herself didn’t even notice.

’He really...

...fought his way in all by himself?

And from the looks of it...’

Wang Qinglian’s gaze shifted with difficulty toward the grisly corpses in the square, finally landing on one with a twisted neck and wide, unseeing eyes that spoke of a death filled with disbelief...

’Ling Wanjian???’

In that instant, her breath caught in her throat.

’Ling Wanjian was killed?

How is that possible?

How long has it been since Chen Xuan charged in?

Besides, Ling Wanjian was at Half-Step True Essence!’

No words could describe the shock Wang Qinglian felt at that moment...

Her gaze was locked onto the imposing figure in the black robe. Her heart pounded, and a strange, overwhelming emotion surged through her, making her legs tremble slightly...

A curious, tingling sensation spread throughout her entire body...

...

At that moment.

Chen Xuan, however, paid her no mind. He was looking at his status panel, ready to allocate his points.

’This was one of his virtues.

Points were meant to be spent immediately.

Hoarding them was for morons!’

’Retribution points, upgrade the Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill!’

Chen Xuan thought silently.

[Ding! You have consumed 70,000 retribution points to continue evolving the Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill. The True Qi within you surges like a tempestuous sea, rapidly compressing. You can clearly feel your True Qi reaching a new bottleneck as the once-gaseous energy begins to transform into a mysterious liquid.]

[Without hesitation, you consumed another 80,000 retribution points. The True Qi compresses even faster. You clearly perceive that within your body, streams of liquid, magma-like True Qi are beginning to appear, gradually replacing your previous energy. Simultaneously, your life essence begins to rapidly condense...]

[Congratulations, Host! You have reached the True Qi Ninth Layer! This realm is also known to the world as the Half-Step True Essence Realm!]

[Your Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill has reached completion! Derived Ability: Molten Armor!]

BOOM!

An incredibly powerful and savage energy erupted from within Chen Xuan’s body.

Droplets of liquefied, scorching True Qi unleashed waves of ever more violent and domineering power, like a dormant volcano finally breaking through its constraints.

This potent liquid energy swiftly spread through his limbs and torso, coalescing into a beautiful, arcane suit of molten armor that instantly covered his entire body.

Menacing, crimson magma swirled across the armor’s surface, its edges spitting sparks. It radiated a suffocating heat and pressure that made the very air around him crackle.

A short distance away, Wang Qinglian stared, dumbfounded, her pupils constricting.

"Half-Step True Essence?"

’How is that possible?

Chen Xuan... reached the Half-Step True Essence Realm?’

Her body went limp, and she collapsed onto the rooftop. Her eyes burned with feverish intensity as she watched the figure below, panting softly...

Chen Xuan, however, merely frowned as he felt the potent energy within him.

He looked at his status panel again.

Name: Chen Xuan

Heart Method: Molten Fire Forging Gold Skill (Complete · Molten Armor)

Martial Arts: Thunder-Fire Vajra Skill [(Complete) Three Thousand Thunder Rolls, Inner Scorching Sun, Mountain-Splitting Quake, Soul-Severing Palm], Shattering Star Finger (Seventh Layer), Flame Heaven-Burning Palm (Seventh Layer)

Cultivation: True Qi Ninth Layer

Talents: Innate Divine Strength, Copper Skin and Iron Bones, Indestructible Fist Intent (Level 1), Lightning Dharma King (Level 1), Innate Tyrant Body (A new talent unlocks with each level of fame. Current Fame: Renowned in the Region)

Retribution Points: 88,000 (Can be used to evolve Martial Arts)

...

’So the True Qi Ninth Layer is just another name for the Half-Step True Essence Realm. Once you reach this level, your True Qi automatically liquefies...’

Chen Xuan mused to himself.

’In other words, that whole "Half-Step True Essence" concept Wang Qinglian was so impressed by was just something I pulled out of thin air.’

’Once you reach the right realm, you don’t even have to train for it; your life essence condenses automatically.’

’And to reach the true True Essence Realm, there’s only one path: absorbing the Yuan of Heaven and Earth.’

’But that raises the question.

How do I absorb and refine the Yuan of Heaven and Earth?’

He pondered this, slowly retracting the scorching, majestic armor back into his body...

’Whatever.

First, I’ll search the Celestial Sword Sect.

See if they have a True Essence Realm Cultivation Technique.

If not, I’ll just have to go find that Old Deng from the Martial Alliance and see what loot he drops.’

"What are you gawking at? Get down here and search the Celestial Sword Sect!"

Chen Xuan turned to look at Wang Qinglian on the rooftop, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

’What is this woman doing?’

"Ah?"

Wang Qinglian finally snapped out of it, her face instantly flushing crimson. She pushed herself to her feet with some difficulty and leaped down.