Chapter 180 - 115: What a Joke, a Huajin Slaying an Embracing Pill?

Zhang Su didn’t take anything.

After plundering the martial arts manuals from the Martial Arts Pavilion, Zhang Su departed.

As he pushed the door open, a blast of night air hit him, thick with the stench of blood.

The grounds of Hidden Sword Manor were covered in corpses.

Corpse after corpse lay upon the bluestone ground.

Zhang Su kept his promise and did not continue to hunt down the people of Hidden Sword Manor.

In the corners of Hidden Sword Manor, faint figures could be seen trembling.

They stared intently at Zhang Su, not daring to make a sound.

Zhang Su did not look at them.

He strode away from Hidden Sword Manor.

Behind him, a wave of suppressed sobs rose from within Hidden Sword Manor.

Zhang Su paid it no mind, his figure quickly melting into the night and vanishing.

...

Five days later, Zhang Su returned to the Guiyuan Sect.

The Mountain Gate of the Guiyuan Sect was just as he remembered.

A tall stone archway stood at the foot of the mountain, inscribed with two large, powerful characters: Guiyuan.

People bustled to and fro on the mountain path—many Outer Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples, as well as a few Stewards, passed through the Mountain Gate.

Seeing Zhang Su’s return, several Inner Sect Disciples who knew him greeted him one after another.

"Senior Brother Zhang, you’re back?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, how was your trip down the mountain? Fruitful?"

"Senior Brother Zhang, it looks like you’ve changed your sword?"

Zhang Su responded to each of them but didn’t say much.

From the time he left the mountain to his return, only half a month had passed in total.

But in that short half-month, Zhang Su’s gains had been immense.

Not only had he obtained the Sword Nurturing Skill, which could "nurture" Divine Intent, but he now had a tangible method for condensing his Martial Dao True Intent.

On top of that, there was the unexpected surprise of obtaining the Infinite Sword Scripture’s Bursting Sword Form.

The moment he returned to his courtyard, Zhang Su shut the gate, entered his room, and sat cross-legged on his bed.

He took the Secret Manual for the Bursting Sword Form from his robes and looked through it once more.

Then, he closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into his mind.

Zhang Su immediately checked the information on the Infinite Sword Scripture’s Bursting Sword Form.

"Infinite Sword Scripture Bursting Sword Form: Compatibility 100% (Entry-Level)"

The Compatibility for the Infinite Sword Scripture’s Bursting Sword Form was actually zero, just like the Extreme Sword Form.

Zhang Su had used ten Compatibility Value points to forcibly raise its Compatibility to 100%.

During the five days of travel, Zhang Su hadn’t had time to study the Bursting Sword Form, so he had only barely reached the entry-level.

Now that he was back at the Mountain Gate, he could finally study it properly.

Zhang Su ran through the Cultivation method for the Bursting Sword Form in his mind, comparing it to the Extreme Sword Form.

’The Extreme Sword Form can instantly drain all my Inner Strength to execute a Fast Sword strike of ultimate speed,’ he thought.

’The Bursting Sword Form can also instantly drain my Inner Strength, but it unleashes a single, terrifyingly powerful strike. It focuses on explosive power, a strength far surpassing the Twelve Layers Tower Killing Sword.’

The Twelve Layers Tower Killing Sword was an Unparalleled Swordsmanship technique he had previously cultivated in the Guiyuan Sect, and its power was already immense.

But compared to the Bursting Sword Form, it was still lacking.

Zhang Su compared the Extreme Sword Form and the Bursting Sword Form.

One focused on speed.

The other focused on explosive power.

The Extreme Sword Form was so fast that it left no time for opponents to react.

The Bursting Sword Form was so fierce that it was unstoppable.

Each had its own merits and was useful in different situations.

Unfortunately, Zhang Su couldn’t yet merge the two.

He could only execute one of the forms at a time.

Zhang Su knew the reason why.

His Inner Strength was insufficient to support both sword forms.

Both the Extreme Sword Form and the Bursting Sword Form would instantly drain all the Inner Strength in his body.

If he wanted to execute both forms consecutively, it was simply impossible with his current Cultivation.

The Infinite Sword Scripture was originally only usable by those in the Innate Realm.

Being able to use it below the Innate Realm was already a sign of immense talent; he couldn’t ask for more.

’My current priority is still my Cultivation,’ he resolved. ’I need to merge the six into one and break through to Pill Force as soon as possible!’

’Then there’s the Divine Intent of the Light and Shadow Killing Sword. With the Sword Nurturing Skill, how long will it take for the embryonic Divine Intent to become true Divine Intent?’

He had already nurtured the embryonic Divine Intent for the Light and Shadow Killing Sword, but it was still too weak to be considered true Divine Intent.

He needed to continue nourishing it with the Sword Nurturing Skill and let it grow slowly.

Once it grew to a certain point, it would become true Divine Intent.

At that point, Zhang Su would possess three types of Divine Intent.

By merging three types of Divine Intent, his progress in comprehending Martial Dao True Intent would advance again.

Zhang Su was well aware that Cultivation was fundamental, but Divine Intent was also crucial at the moment.

Both required time.

Now that he was back at the Mountain Gate, he had time to cultivate, and he intended to do so in seclusion.

And so, Zhang Su remained in his courtyard, dedicating himself to quiet cultivation.

During the day, he cultivated his Inner Strength, attempting to merge the six into one and break through to Pill Force.

At night, he practiced the Sword Nurturing Skill, nourishing the embryonic Divine Intent of his Light and Shadow Killing Sword.

In his spare time, he would flip through the Secret Manuals he had brought back from Hidden Sword Manor, training the Martial Arts with high Compatibility to the Perfection realm to accumulate Compatibility Value.

His days were full and peaceful.

...

A month went by in a flash.

A group of people arrived before the Mountain Gate of the Guiyuan Sect.

The group consisted of about ten people, led by a white-haired old man in a green robe. A Jade Pendant hung from his waist, and he had an extraordinary air about him.

Behind the old man were seven or eight young men and women, all dressed in identical moon-white robes embroidered with the pattern of a Medicine Cauldron.

This was the symbol of Medicine Valley.

With Postnatal Realm masters at the forefront of their retinue, the group entered the Guiyuan Sect under the pretext of a friendly exchange and visit.

The Guiyuan Sect Steward in charge of receiving them did not dare to be neglectful and quickly led them to the main hall.

However, the people from Medicine Valley had not truly come for an exchange, but to demand an explanation from the Guiyuan Sect.

「Inside the Guiyuan Sect’s main hall.」

The Ten Great Martial Vein Masters were all gathered.

Sect Leader Meng Shouzhen sat in the center, flanked on his left and right by the ten Martial Vein Masters.

Along the sides of the hall stood several Inner Sect Stewards and Elders.

Elder Zhou Jing of Medicine Valley sat in the guest’s seat, his expression displeased.

"Elder Zhou, are you saying that my Guiyuan Sect’s Inner Sect Disciple, Zhang Su, slaughtered Hidden Sword Manor, and that even the Embracing Pill Martial Artist Ouyang Yin died at his hands?"

A strange look appeared on Sect Leader Meng Shouzhen’s face.

Elder Zhou Jing of Medicine Valley had come aggressively demanding an explanation.

And it was actually about Zhang Su?

But this was simply too absurd.

Ouyang Yin was an Embracing Pill Martial Artist!

Since when could a Huajin martial artist defy the ranks and kill an Embracing Pill Martial Artist?

Although some top geniuses claimed to be comparable to the Pill Force realm... a Huajin Martial Artist who could truly defy the ranks and kill someone in the Pill Force realm had almost never appeared.

Meng Shouzhen had been in charge of the Guiyuan Sect for decades and had seen countless geniuses.

But he had never seen an instance of a Huajin practitioner slaying someone at Pill Force.

Although Zhang Su’s talent was considerable, he would never believe that Zhang Su could slay an Embracing Pill master while still in the Huajin realm.

The Ten Great Martial Vein Masters in the hall also laughed.

They knew of Ouyang Yin from Hidden Sword Manor; he was a Martial Artist at the Peak of Pill Force.

While Zhang Su might have been able to kill Dugu Jian of the Five Elements Sect, to think he could defy the ranks and kill Ouyang Yin, who was at the Peak of Pill Force, was overestimating him far too much.

"What, does Sect Leader Meng think I’m making trouble for no reason?"

Zhou Jing said coldly.

His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, his eyes betraying a hint of displeasure.

"Elder Zhou, please calm down. We can simply summon Zhang Su and ask him, can’t we?"

Meng Shouzhen waved his hand.

"Someone, summon Zhang Su."

"Yes, Sect Leader."

An Inner Sect Steward quickly left the hall to find Zhang Su.

The hall fell silent.

Zhou Jing picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression still sour.

Meng Shouzhen smiled, trying to smooth things over.

"Elder Zhou, while Zhang Su’s combat prowess is indeed astonishing, do you really think it’s possible for him to slay Ouyang Yin, who was at the Peak of Pill Force?"

Qu Zhengliu, the Master of Bamboo Sword Peak, also spoke up. "It’s most likely a distorted rumor. Someone must have gotten it wrong."

The Master of Thousand Mechanism Peak, Tuoba Cangshu, nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Not even the Five Elements Sect’s Celestial Pride, Shi Buyi, or the Celestial Pride of your own esteemed sect, could defy the realms and kill a Pill Force master while at the Huajin stage, could they?"

One after another, they all voiced their opinion that the matter was highly improbable.

It wasn’t that they didn’t believe in Zhang Su, but the gap between the Huajin and Pill Force realms was simply too vast.

The Ten Great Martial Vein Masters knew Elder Zhou Jing of Medicine Valley, and some even had a decent relationship with him.

Medicine Valley was a Sect that specialized in Alchemy, and it maintained good relations with both the Five Elements Sect and the Guiyuan Sect.

Medicine Valley excelled at refining Elixirs, the Five Elements Sect specialized in combat, and the Guiyuan Sect fell somewhere in between.

The three sects had coexisted in the Jianghu for many years. Although there was competition, they generally maintained a relationship of rivalry without open conflict.

Zhou Jing’s expression softened slightly, and he shook his head. "To be honest, I don’t really believe it either. But many people at Hidden Sword Manor saw Zhang Su. I have no choice but to believe them."

His voice carried a hint of helplessness.

When news of Hidden Sword Manor’s slaughter reached Medicine Valley, his first reaction was also disbelief.

But the news came from multiple sources, and the survivors of Hidden Sword Manor had personally described the situation.

He had no choice but to believe it.

No one said anything further.

Zhang Su defying his realm to slay an Embracing Pill master?

What a joke.

Not even the Sect’s Celestial Prides possessed such heaven-defying combat strength.

Once Zhang Su arrived at the hall, the truth would naturally come to light.