Unfettered Retribution: Slaughtering My Way through the World

Chapter 168: Chapter 131: A Thousand Mountains Bear Snow, I Bear a Sword

After leaping down, Wang Qinglian couldn’t hide the shock on her face as she looked in every direction.

But she quickly caught up to Chen Xuan again.

She watched as Chen Xuan hauled a severely wounded elder up from the ground and, following the man’s directions, headed toward the Celestial Sword Sect’s Scripture Pavilion.

A short while later, Chen Xuan smashed his way into the Scripture Pavilion and began to search inside.

Row after row of bookshelves stood filled with all kinds of books.

Three entire floors.

The collection of Cultivation Techniques was nearly all-encompassing.

Chen Xuan went straight to the third floor to start his search.

There was no need to even look at the first two floors; they were all for cultivators below the True Qi Realm.

Only the third floor contained Cultivation Techniques involving True Qi.

Geng Metal Sword Qi Skill!

Flowing Cloud Sword Heart Method!

Frost True Qi Tome!

...

But as he picked up and flipped through one manual after another, Chen Xuan was disappointed.

They were all common Heart Methods.

Not a single one led to the True Essence Realm.

’Don’t tell me a great, thousand-year-old sect like the Celestial Sword Sect doesn’t even have a Heart Method for the True Essence Realm?’

Chen Xuan wondered.

"No, they definitely have one."

Shaking her head, Wang Qinglian replied from the side, "Even my Wang Clan has one, so how could they not? It’s just that True Essence Realm Heart Methods are exceptionally rare and are usually passed down by word of mouth. No one can learn it except for the Sect Leader."

"So you’re saying I killed Ling Wanjian too soon?"

Chen Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"...Yes."

Wang Qinglian nodded helplessly.

"Fine."

Chen Xuan didn’t dwell on it.

He was dead, and that was that.

’Worst case, I’ll just go ask Old Deng for one later.’

"Come on, let’s go check out your treasury!"

Chen Xuan once again hauled up the Celestial Sword Sect elder from the ground.

’As for these manuals, they’re useless to me. I’ll leave them all for Wang Qinglian as a favor.’

’Out of gratitude, she should look after the Twelve Alliances for me.’

’That way, I won’t have to worry about them in the future.’

At this moment, the entire Celestial Sword Sect was in utter chaos.

Countless disciples were fleeing for their lives in terror.

The great, thousand-year-old sect that had once dominated Celestial Essence Province, looking down on the world from its lofty perch, was now like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

However, there were still a few die-hard disciples.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

A series of clear, deafening bell tolls rang out, echoing throughout the entire Celestial Sword Sect.

Chen Xuan froze for a second before bursting out of the treasury.

’Another expert?’

He shot off toward the source of the tolling bell.

Wang Qinglian, also startled, immediately gave chase.

Soon, Chen Xuan landed like a meteorite atop a tall bell tower.

The disciple who had been frantically ringing the bell turned deathly pale. The large wooden mallet in his hands clattered to the floor as he stared in terror. "You... you can kill me! Even if you do, the Celestial Sword Sect will never surrender..."

"Good. You’re not a spineless coward."

Chen Xuan nodded, asking calmly, "Can you tell me who you’re ringing that bell for?"

"You... you’re a dead man! You’re definitely dead!"

The disciple shouted in anguish and fury, "The Celestial Sword Sect still has a Supreme Elder in seclusion! Your death is certain!"

"A Supreme Elder?"

Chen Xuan’s eyes lit up.

’An unexpected bonus?’

As if in response to the disciple’s shouts.

「In the rear mountains.」

The moment the tolling ceased.

BOOM!

An astonishing burst of Sword Qi erupted from a pavilion, rocketing into the heavens, powerful and unfathomable as it split the clouds.

It was, astonishingly, also at the True Qi Ninth Layer.

"The Celestial Sword Sect still has a living Supreme Elder?"

Wang Qinglian’s eyes narrowed. She landed on the bell tower beside him, her gaze sweeping into the distance.

"A thousand mountains bear the snow; I bear my sword,"

"On the lone peak’s summit, I pay the years no mind."

"The day my three-foot blade is drawn,"

"Is the day I dare remake the world!"

A deep, ancient, and domineering roar erupted from the pavilion. A powerful aura billowed out and, with a CRACK, the roof of the pavilion instantly exploded.

A tall, burly, green-robed elder shot out from the pavilion, sword in hand, his entire body wreathed in a thick, dense layer of Sword Qi.

His eyes seemed to flash with countless points of Sword Qi. A terrifying, peerless aura capable of suppressing the world erupted from him, surging outward in every direction.

"Who dares touch my Celestial Sword Sect?"

His furious roar rang out.

Countless strands of Sword Qi erupted from his body.

The next moment, however, a deep, scalp-numbing boom echoed through the area.

The elder had barely finished speaking and had no time to react. A figure, blazing with terrifying heat, was already upon him, smashing a fist into his face.

CRACK!

PTUI!

The elder spat a torrent of blood as his robes burst apart and the bones throughout his body shattered. All his Sword Qi and True Qi defenses were useless. The immense force sent him flying backward several hundred meters, smashing through countless trees.

"Stop your fucking posturing!"

Chen Xuan’s voice was cold as he started walking forward again.

’Who does this True Qi Ninth Layer mutt think he’s barking at?’

[You have severely wounded a Supreme Elder. Satisfaction is exceptional. +15,000 retribution points!]

Wang Qinglian’s eyes went wide, and she whipped her head around to look beside her.

When did he...

When did he leave?

’I didn’t even notice.’

The disciple, who had just collapsed on the ground with a martyr’s resolve, now stared wide-eyed in utter horror into the distance.

From their high vantage point on the tower, they had a clear view of the scene unfolding below.

He had been ecstatic to see the Supreme Elder emerge, believing the man could save the day and slay this mad demon.

But he never imagined that the very next moment, he would see the Supreme Elder take a fist to the face and get sent flying, vomiting blood like a rag doll.

’How is this possible?’

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Supreme Elder Xiao Yunhe coughed up blood, utterly dumbfounded.

That single punch had not only knocked out his teeth but had also shattered the bones in his face—his cheekbones, his jaw—leaving his features a bloody, pulpy mess.

He still couldn’t process it.

’What the fuck just happened?’

’What the hell was that blur?’

"You... Who are you?"

Xiao Yunhe scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of blood, shock, and fury.

But the next moment.

His pupils contracted in terror once more.

A brilliant, terrifying streak of light was hurtling toward him at an unimaginable speed.

This time, he finally saw it clearly!

He could finally react.

In that instant, faced with a mortal crisis, he reacted without a second thought, desperately throwing up every bit of True Qi and every Swordsmanship technique he knew to defend himself.

CRACK!

CLANG!

With a violent crash, his True Qi shattered, his Sword Qi dissipated, and the sword was torn from his grasp, sent flying high into the air.

He was utterly terrified, scared out of his wits.

BAM!

The peerless fist slammed directly into his chest.

This blow was even more violent than the last, completely caving in and shattering his chest. Blood spewed from his mouth as if it cost nothing, and his body was once again sent flying.

But this time, just as he began to fly back, Chen Xuan grabbed him by the face and began dragging him back toward the bell tower like a dead dog.

Up on the bell tower, the disciple who had rung the bell was now utterly hopeless. He was terrified, his face ashen, and he looked as if he’d stopped breathing. Cold sweat poured down his back like rain.

’It’s over.’

THUD!

Chen Xuan vaulted back onto the tower and tossed the elder’s body in front of the disciple. "Is this the Supreme Elder you were talking about?" he asked calmly.

The disciple’s face was a mask of despair, tears streaming from his eyes. He was having a complete mental breakdown.

"Cough, cough..."

Xiao Yunhe coughed up more blood. He struggled to open his eyes and glared at the disciple, so filled with aggrieved frustration that he wanted to strangle the boy.

’You motherfucker! You rang the bell and called me out of seclusion just so I could get myself killed?’

’How could I possibly be a match for a monster like this?’

’He didn’t even know I was here.’

’It’s all your fault, you bastard! You’re the one who lured me out to die!’

"Keep ringing. Let’s see how many more surprises the Celestial Sword Sect has for me,"

Chen Xuan continued in his placid tone.

"If you don’t, I’ll slice you to pieces, inch by inch."

His eyes grew cold as he stared at the disciple.

’Didn’t you want to be a martyr?’

’Fine, I’ll give you what you want!’

"You..."

The disciple was terrified. He struggled to his feet, grabbed the mallet, and began striking the bronze bell once more.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG....

The clear, melodious tolling of the bell echoed endlessly throughout the Celestial Sword Sect...

But no one else appeared.

Chen Xuan was greatly disappointed.

"I thought you lot from the Celestial Sword Sect all had some spirit, some backbone. Looks like I thought too highly of you."

Chen Xuan said lightly.

THUD!

The bell-ringing disciple immediately dropped to his knees, his face ashen with terror. He began to kowtow frantically. "Spare me! I beg you, spare me! I shouldn’t have looked for trouble! I was wrong! I’ll leave right now, just please, spare my life..."

[Detected a disciple at the Gang Energy First Layer suffering a mental collapse. +6,000 retribution points!]

"If you had maintained that backbone you showed earlier, I might have spared you. But you didn’t. What a pity."

Chen Xuan’s tone was placid.

PSHFFT!

A wave of True Qi swept past, and blood flew through the air.

A corpse went flying.

"And you! That was a nice entrance poem. I’m borrowing it!"

Chen Xuan looked at the Supreme Elder on the ground, who was more exhaling than inhaling. Taking ’pity’ on him, he waved a hand and put the man out of his misery.

[You have killed a Supreme Elder. +12,000 retribution points!]

Two lines of text appeared one after another.

Chen Xuan let out a breath, exceptionally satisfied.

"Let’s go. On to the next one!"

He called out to Wang Qinglian.

’I’ll let the Wang Clan search the Celestial Sword Sect at their leisure later.’

’Right now, I need to hurry to the Mixed Element Sect.’

’What if the Mixed Element Sect’s Sect Leader gets word of this and runs away?’

’That would be a huge loss!’

"You’re going after another one?"

Wang Qinglian asked hurriedly.

"Of course. Can’t let them get away first."

A glint appeared in Chen Xuan’s eyes.

Even as he spoke, his figure was already streaking away into the distance.

Wang Qinglian took a sharp breath and quickly followed.

Meanwhile, the Sect Leader of the Mixed Element Sect, Zhou Tianxing, was still completely unaware of what was happening.

He was still waiting for a signal from the Sect Leader of the Celestial Sword Sect.