Chapter 155: "A master of the blade will perish beneath the sword."

Chapter 155: "A master of the blade will perish beneath the sword."

"These people here."

The direct disciple of Yuanzong glanced at Chen Qiu and his group, then laughed heartily, "Some wandering geniuses I met on the road. They're planning to go to the Su Family with me in a few days to attend the Quzhou gathering of geniuses, and also to take a look at the Su Family's heritage."

"Oh."

The woman nodded and didn't speak further. She walked onto the flying boat and stood on the deck, while the bald monk behind her, wearing a monk's robe, looked at Chen Qiu and his group, bowed slightly with his palms together, and said, "Amitabha" before following the woman onto the deck.

"I forgot to ask your name." The direct disciple of Yuanzong turned to face Chen Qiu and smiled, "My name is Qi Mei. How should I address you, fellow cultivator?"

"Ren Zhi."

"Ren Zhi?" Qi Mei, the direct disciple of Yuanzong, tilted her head towards Chen Qiu and nodded thoughtfully, "A good name."

He had never heard of this person before and had no idea where he came from. He seemed quite young in terms of cultivation age, yet he had reached the peak of the Golden Core stage, which was an exceptional achievement for someone of his age, even if he wasn't a genius.

If he could be recruited into Yuanzong, it wouldn't be bad.

Wanderers were good; he liked them because they were easy to manipulate.

"Fellow cultivator Ren, would you like to board the boat first?"

"Sure."

On the deck of the flying boat.

Chen Qiu's expression was calm as he leaned on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, gazing into the distance at the rapidly passing scenery. He couldn't help but sigh lightly; the speed of this flying boat was even a bit faster than his full flight speed.

And this wasn't even its full power. If it were to be fully activated, without considering the boat's wear and tear and with a large amount of medium-grade Spirit Stones thrown in, its speed could even rival that of a Nascent Soul cultivator proficient in Body Techniques.

700 medium-grade Spirit Stones.

Just 700 medium-grade Spirit Stones could buy something that could be used for travel and as a life-saving measure in critical moments.

Currently, his entire net worth, excluding low-grade Spirit Stones, was only 300 medium-grade Spirit Stones, which made him feel poor compared to these geniuses.

However,

Being poor was also good.

At this moment—

Qi Mei had already walked to his side, her arm resting on the edge of the flying boat as she gazed down at the land below, shrouded in clouds and mist, and said meaningfully, "In Quzhou, every region has its owner."

"Unclaimed regions are often forbidden areas."

"And the region beneath our feet is all owned by Yuanzong. It's a territory that Yuanzong has established over hundreds of years."

"In Quzhou, for a genius to truly grow, they often need the full support of their sect and family. Not to mention, the flying boat beneath my feet, worth 700 medium-grade Spirit Stones, can be used for both travel and escape. If you're a wandering cultivator and want to own such a boat, how many years would it take to save up the Spirit Stones?"

"Even if you manage to save up in a few decades, what then?"

"Do you think you'll only need a flying boat on your cultivation path? Cultivation requires Spirit Stones, treasures require Spirit Stones, techniques require Spirit Stones, breakthroughs require Spirit Stones, talismans require Spirit Stones, life-saving measures require Spirit Stones, and even eating and drinking require Spirit Stones."

"As a wandering cultivator, where will you find so many Spirit Stones?"

"I consider us to have some fate after meeting today. Coincidentally, Yuanzong is currently recruiting disciples. Do you have any thoughts on joining Yuanzong? With your young age and cultivation at the peak of the Golden Core stage, the sect will surely support you once you join."

"If you make a great contribution, you might even be able to help you form a Fourth Rank Nascent Soul!"

Qi Mei's eyes flashed with enticement as she tilted her head towards Chen Qiu, her voice drawn out, "A Fourth Rank Nascent Soul requires a Spirit Transformation body as the material for Incarnation Formation. As a wandering cultivator, without the heritage of a sect or family, you'll never have the chance to come into contact with a Spirit Transformation body in this lifetime."

"What do you say?"

Chen Qiu's expression remained calm as if he hadn't heard, but after a moment, he spoke softly, "How long will it take to reach the Su Family?"

Seeing that Chen Qiu didn't respond, Qi Mei's expression gradually darkened, and she said coldly, "It will take half a day's effort. We'll arrive by nightfall."

"Since we have some fate, I don't want things to get too tense between us. But I hope that as a wandering cultivator, when facing a sect's direct disciple, you'll show the respect you should. I can treat you as a brother, but that doesn't mean you can stand on equal footing with me."

Chen Qiu didn't speak further, his expression distant as he looked into the distance.

He understood.

He had thought that a Spirit Transformation body was hard to come by, but now it seemed that sects and families with a long heritage should have one as part of their legacy, to be used by their most outstanding disciples to form high-rank Nascent Souls.

In that case, the difficulty of forming a Twelfth Rank Nascent Soul would be far less than he had imagined.

Seeing that Chen Qiu wasn't responding, Qi Mei suddenly laughed and patted Chen Qiu's shoulder, "I was just joking with you. I didn't scare you, did I?"

"Alright, you can relax here for a while. I'll go down and play with your junior sister—the girl from earlier. She's the young mistress of the Liu Family in Dayuan City. The Liu Family's ancestors were once outer sect disciples of Dayuan Sect, but after giving up on cultivation, they left the sect and started a new life in Dayuan City. They've done quite well over the years, and many shops in Dayuan City belong to the Liu Family."

"That girl is Liu Mei, the current young mistress of the Liu Family. Her cultivation has already reached the Seventh Stage of the Golden Core, which is quite impressive."

"You might have a chance to get to know her."

"Who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise."

Qi Mei winked at Chen Qiu and finished her sentence with a smile, then reached out to pat Chen Qiu's shoulder again, "By the way, brother, look over there—"

But she only got halfway through her sentence.

A Palm Heart Sword had appeared in Qi Mei's palm, and she thrust it towards Chen Qiu's neck. Immediately, her Divine Sense surged out, transforming into a needle-like beam that fiercely pierced Chen Qiu's Sea of Divine Sense.

It wasn't over yet!

A dazzling golden aura shot out from Qi Mei's body, directly towards Chen Qiu's back heart!

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, and Qi Mei's sudden attack caught Chen Qiu completely off guard, leaving him no time to react!

Three consecutive deadly moves unleashed with full force!

Without activating his Defensive Essence Energy, Chen Qiu, at close range, was almost certainly doomed to withstand Qi Mei's three lethal attacks. Both were of the same cultivation level, and Qi Mei unleashed her killing intent without holding back, leaving no room for Chen Qiu to react.

Three deadly moves.

This person didn't intend to spare anyone.

However...

"Clang!"

Chen Qiu's Heavenly Clue Umbrella suddenly opened, blocking the Palm Heart Sword in his hand. At the same time, the Golden Core he shot towards Chen Qiu's back was also intercepted by another Golden Core.

The two Golden Cores collided fiercely.

Chen Qiu's Golden Core showed no signs of damage, while the other one was now covered in cracks and on the verge of shattering.

"So, you want to kill me just because I didn't join your sect?"

"Are you that domineering?"

On the deck, Chen Qiu calmly held the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, turning his head to look at Qi Mei, who was standing in shock. With a slight smile, he said, "I..."

Qi Mei's pupils were filled with disbelief as he felt the nearly damaged Golden Core that had been retracted into his body. How was this possible! He was the contemporary Heaven's Pride, heavily supported by Yuanzong Sect. When he broke through the Golden Core Formation Realm, he had even forged a Seventh Rank Golden Core!

A Seventh Rank Golden Core!

In the entire Quzhou, only Li Shi'er from Dao Sword Sect possessed an Eighth Rank Golden Core. Aside from him, no one's Golden Core rank surpassed Qi Mei's, making his rank almost the highest in Quzhou.

But why did his Golden Core nearly shatter after a mere collision with Chen Qiu's?

He was now using all his might to suppress his Golden Core from shattering with his spiritual energy. He had to quickly consume medicinal pills to heal his injuries; if his Golden Core shattered, he would die. In other words, he was already on the brink of death!

Although he didn't know how to launch a divine sense attack, he was at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, and his full-power divine sense attack had caught Chen Qiu off guard. Why, then, did his divine sense attack seem to sink into the ocean without any reaction from Chen Qiu?

Furthermore, what rank was this umbrella-like divine artifact?

How could it effortlessly block his Palm Heart Sword without a scratch?

His Palm Heart Sword technique was no ordinary skill; it was an Ultimate Core Formation Divine Technique. Although it wasn't the most powerful among Ultimate Core Formation Divine Techniques, it had a unique advantage—when activated, it didn't leak any spiritual energy fluctuations.

It was perfect for sneak attacks.

How did Chen Qiu react to such a stealthy move?

After three consecutive deadly sneak attacks, all were effortlessly blocked. Although both were at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, the difference in their skills was evident.

This person was not to be trifled with.

"I..."

However, now wasn't the time for contemplation. Fear flashed in Qi Mei's eyes as he fully activated his defensive essence energy and hurriedly retreated, his body enveloped by three rotating golden auras. "Fellow Daoist Ren, please don't misunderstand," he said hoarsely, looking at Chen Qiu.

"I didn't intend to kill you. I just wanted to test your strength. It was a misunderstanding. I'm a direct disciple of Yuanzong Sect, and they've invested a lot in me. If I die, you won't escape unharmed either."

"The Yuanzong Sect Leader is a powerful cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. I hope you'll consider this carefully."

As Qi Mei spoke, he quickly crushed his disciple token, sending a distress signal to his sect. They were still within Yuanzong's territory, and it wouldn't take more than a few breaths for a Nascent Soul cultivator from the sect to arrive, ensuring his survival.

His eyes fixed on Chen Qiu, his mind already imagining how he would avenge this once the sect elders arrived.

This person's extraordinary abilities indicated an extraordinary background. If I don't kill him, my life will be in danger!

This was the biggest difference between a wanderer and a direct disciple.

He had backing.

Who can you, a wanderer, call for help?

All he needed to do now was stall for a little longer.

"Interesting," Chen Qiu said with a slight smile, turning to Qi Mei. "Then, would you like to test my skills as well?"

Just as he was about to make his move...

The Liu Family's young mistress, unnoticed, had boarded the deck. She stood in front of Qi Mei with her arms wide open, her face calm as she looked at Chen Qiu. "You can't kill him," she said. "If you kill him here, I won't be spared either."

"He's a direct disciple of Yuanzong Sect. They've invested a lot in him. If he dies, all of Yuanzong's efforts over the years will be in vain."

"You won't survive either."

"I advise you to flee now. In ten breaths, a Nascent Soul elder from Yuanzong will arrive, and you won't be able to escape."

"If you want to kill Qi Mei, you'll have to step over me first and kill me too."

Immediately after,

The bald monk in the monk's robe approached the young mistress, palms pressed together in a slight bow. His expression remained calm as he said, "Amitabha. This fellow cultivator's killing intent is too heavy, a taboo in the path of cultivation."

"Cultivation is for longevity, not slaughter."

"I, a humble monk, possess ten thousand units of virtue, blessed by the heavens. Whoever kills me will bear the heavenly retribution brought by my virtue."

"You can't kill me."

"If you want to kill the young mistress, you must kill me first."

". . ."

Fat Long, crouched in the corner of the deck, was already munching on a slice of watermelon, his expression peculiar as he observed the group. It was the first time he had seen someone so eager to die.

He, of course, was aware of Brother Qiu's plan.

After all, Brother Qiu had intentionally left the scholar in Dayuan City before boarding the flying boat.

But according to Brother Qiu's plan, he should have flown further before making his move. Qi Mei was indeed in a hurry.

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu opened his divine sense and tilted his head, sensing a Nascent Soul cultivator with a terrifying aura rushing towards him from a hundred li away. Only then did he grasp the Twelfth Rank Golden Core that had been floating outside his body.

He then threw it to the ground.

Closing the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, he gripped the handle, aiming the umbrella's tip at the Twelfth Rank Golden Core on the ground for a moment before turning to Qi Mei and the other two, who were standing in a line. Slowly, he swung the umbrella upwards.

And just at that moment—

"Ant, stop!!!"

A roar filled with the power of heaven and earth shot out from dozens of miles away, followed closely by the Yuanzong Nascent Soul Elder with an extremely terrifying cultivation base!

"Elder, save me!"

Hearing the voice, Qi Mei's eyes instantly burst with excitement, as if she had survived a calamity, and she shouted ecstatically. Then, she turned to Chen Qiu, who was in a hysterical state, and said, "Kid, you're dead!"

The young lady of the Liu family also showed a hint of a smile in her eyes. This could be considered a deed well done. After all, she had risked her life to protect Qi Mei, and she wondered what kind of reward the Yuanzong Sect would bestow upon the Liu family.

"Amitabha."

The little monk standing at the front spoke again, then muttered, "A good knife will die by the sword. Patron, your fate has come."

"Don't be hasty."

Chen Qiu completely ignored the Nascent Soul Elder shooting towards him from dozens of miles away. He took a deep breath, gripped the umbrella handle, and swung the Heavenly Clue Umbrella in mid-air, almost spinning it in a full circle, before slamming it down on the Twelfth Rank Golden Core on the ground.

In an instant!

This Twelfth Rank Golden Core shot towards the little monk at a speed that was difficult to capture with the naked eye!

In just the blink of an eye, countless blood mists and shredded flesh exploded in the air, and the Twelfth Rank Golden Core, completely unharmed, pierced through the blood mists without a trace of bloodstain. It circled in the air and returned to Chen Qiu's side, spinning around him like a satellite.

As for Qi Mei and the other two!

Their defensive essence energy and life-saving treasures were shattered almost instantly by the Twelfth Rank Golden Core, not even giving them a chance to escape through their Golden Core. The three of them, along with their Golden Cores, turned into blood mists on the spot.

"One shot, three kills."

Chen Qiu, leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, stood in his original position and smiled at the blood-filled sky.

Fat Long, who was squatting on the ground nearby and enjoying the show, also looked up at Chen Qiu and gave him a thumbs up.

"Ya!"

Just then—

An extremely terrifying aura, less than a few miles away, was approaching them. A baby about three feet tall, enveloped in spirit energy, with a face filled with Buddhist anger, was shooting towards them.

This was a unique ability of Nascent Soul cultivators—Nascent Soul Projection!

Its speed was even faster than its physical body, and it possessed seventy percent of its master's strength. It couldn't use spirit energy, but it was extremely useful for suppressing cultivators with lower cultivation bases.

At this moment,

Chen Qiu's divine sense also sensed the owner of this detached Nascent Soul entering his perception range. Apparently, the Yuanzong Nascent Soul Elder was worried about being too late, so he sent his Nascent Soul ahead to suppress Chen Qiu.

"Damn it! Ant, die!!"

Realizing that he was a step too late, this detached Nascent Soul immediately exuded a terrifying aura and charged straight towards Chen Qiu!

This was a Nascent Soul strike!

There was no spell, no spirit energy, just pure realm suppression! Just as Chen Qiu had used the Twelfth Rank Golden Core to shatter Qi Mei and the others, this was pure Golden Core suppression.

"A Second Rank Nascent Soul."

Chen Qiu noticed the two heavenly patterns on the Nascent Soul's head and suddenly wanted to test which was more powerful—his Twelfth Rank Golden Core or the Second Rank Nascent Soul. Without entering his pocket world, he swung the Heavenly Clue Umbrella again and slammed it onto the Twelfth Rank Golden Core spinning around him.

The next moment!

The Twelfth Rank Golden Core, carrying a formidable aura, shot towards the Nascent Soul that was approaching with terrifying pressure!

This was a new attack method he had invented.

He channeled the purest spirit energy to the tip of the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, then swung it with full force onto the Twelfth Rank Golden Core, giving it an incredible boost. This was much faster than controlling the Golden Core with his divine sense.

Most importantly, his Golden Core was sturdy enough to withstand such a blow.

If it were someone else's Golden Core, it would have shattered with that strike.

A shattered Golden Core meant death.

This was no joke; anyone with a sound mind wouldn't dare to play around with their Golden Core.

But Chen Qiu did.

"Boom!!!"

The Twelfth Rank Golden Core shot out and, in just the blink of an eye, pierced through the Nascent Soul in front of him. Although his divine sense could sense that it was slightly more difficult than before, it wasn't much harder. To the naked eye, it was almost imperceptible.

This Nascent Soul, which had just carried a terrifying cultivation base, was pierced through the heart in just an instant.

"What... what's going on?"

The detached Nascent Soul felt its vitality rapidly fading and looked down at its pierced chest in disbelief. Then, this three-foot-tall baby quickly shrank and condensed into a "Nascent Soul Pill," which fell to the ground.

Two cloud patterns were engraved on the pill.

This indicated that it was a Second Rank Nascent Soul.

Just then—

The Nascent Soul Elder finally arrived. He was an old man with a full beard and a gloomy expression as he looked at the Nascent Soul Pill on the deck, formed from his own Nascent Soul. Nascent Soul Projection was a unique ability of Nascent Soul cultivators.

Logically, since he was a First Rank Nascent Soul cultivator, his projected Nascent Soul should have easily suppressed a cultivator at the peak of Golden Core Perfection.

Moreover,

Why was his Nascent Soul shattered by a Golden Core?

Nascent Souls completely dominated Golden Cores, unless the Golden Core's rank was high enough. Otherwise, it was impossible to cross a major cultivation boundary and shatter his Nascent Soul.

But that was all!

His physical body had arrived, and unlike the Nascent Soul, it could use spirit energy. No matter how talented a Golden Core cultivator was, they would still be crushed by a Nascent Soul. As long as he put the Nascent Soul Pill back into his body, his strength would only decrease slightly, not too much!

If a Nascent Soul cultivator's projected Nascent Soul encountered an accident and couldn't return,

Then,

They would be basically crippled.

The cultivator wouldn't die, but without their Nascent Soul, they couldn't advance their cultivation any further, and their strength would significantly decrease.

Just like now—

Without his Nascent Soul, although he was still at the First Rank Nascent Soul stage, his strength had decreased significantly compared to usual. However, it was still more than enough to suppress a Golden Core cultivator!

"Die!"

In a flash of thought, the Yuanzong Nascent Soul Elder, hovering in mid-air, exuded furious spirit energy. Substantial spirit liquid instantly enveloped the entire sky, and each drop of spirit liquid transformed into an ice needle.

In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of ice needles condensed in the air and shot towards Chen Qiu, who was on the deck of the flying boat below!

Each of these ice needles could severely injure or even kill an ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivator. The gap between a Nascent Soul and a Golden Core was extremely exaggerated, and it wasn't something that talent alone could make up for. Throughout history, there have been rare cases of early-stage Golden Cores killing late-stage Golden Cores, but it was almost unheard of for a late-stage Golden Core to kill an early-stage Nascent Soul.

"Hmm?"

Chen Qiu, who had already picked up the Nascent Soul Pill and was about to leave, suddenly looked up and felt the tens of thousands of ice needles shooting towards him from above. He frowned slightly.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but these ice needles seemed a bit weak.

The might they carried was even weaker than that of the sword puppet from the Great Xia Kingdom. It gave him the feeling that he could kill this Nascent Soul.

Chen Qiu, who had already prepared to leave, simply recalled Fat Dragon into his Pocket World and decided to test it out. He stood alone on the deck, holding up the Heavenly Clue Umbrella to withstand the attack.

"Boom!!!"

The tens of thousands of ice needles exploded on the deck, and the originally exquisite flying boat instantly became riddled with holes, looking old and dilapidated. The ice debris splattered in the air, forming a thick fog.

Immediately after—

In the center of the fog, dense and powerful Spirit Qi gushed out from Chen Qiu's body, dispersing the mist and revealing Chen Qiu standing unharmed in his original position.

Up in the sky, dark clouds had gathered, and a typhoon raged.

Chen Qiu, standing on the deck, tilted his umbrella and looked up at the Nascent Soul in the air, who carried a terrifying aura. He smiled lightly, "Senior, you seem much weaker than I imagined."

"You—"

"You don't even seem as strong as a puppet."

The next moment, a thunderball, within which tens of thousands of miniature thunder dragons could be vaguely seen, suddenly appeared in mid-air and shot towards the Nascent Soul in the sky!

The Yuanzong Elder reacted instantly and almost immediately activated his defensive treasure.

A golden aura enveloped him.

When the thunderball hit the golden light—

"Boom!!!"

A deafening explosion reverberated through the heavens and earth, and amidst the typhoon, countless thunder dragons exploded in mid-air, momentarily illuminating the entire world with their bright flashes. Countless purple-blue lightning arcs flickered continuously in the sky.

Immediately after!

A body that had been completely blackened by electricity fell straight down from the sky, slamming heavily onto the deck.

The Yuanzong Elder, who had been severely injured by the attack, looked pitiful. His entire body and clothing were charred, and smoke and the scent of cooked meat rose from his body. Both of his eyeballs had been cooked, and they hung limply to the side.

Half of his nose was missing.

His mouth was completely torn open, exposing all his teeth. Fresh blood slowly flowed out from the wound.

The Yuanzong Elder, on the verge of death, whispered in a raspy, mosquito-like voice, "Self-detonate Nascent Soul..."

"Self-detonate..."

"Don't self-detonate."

Chen Qiu, playing with the Second Rank Nascent Soul Pill in his hand, crouched beside the Yuanzong Elder under the Heavenly Clue Umbrella in the midst of the typhoon and rain. He said softly, "You're getting senile. Don't you remember that your Nascent Soul is already gone?"

"Where's your Elder Token? I'll help you crush it so you can send a distress signal to your sect, and they can come to avenge you."

"Otherwise, when you die, I won't be able to open your Spirit Artifact."

Perhaps Chen Qiu's words reminded the Yuanzong Elder, who was about to pass away. The Elder, who had already taken his last breath, somehow mustered the strength to take out an Elder Token from his Spirit Artifact and crushed it with all his might.

However, his injuries were too severe.

The Elder Token, which he could easily crush with a little force on normal days, couldn't even be shattered now that his Spirit Qi was completely depleted.

"Sigh."

Chen Qiu sighed and took the Elder Token, crushing it before looking down at the Nascent Soul on the deck, "There, that's better. Honestly, you're really weak, and I'm not just saying that to mock you."

"You've turned this perfectly good flying boat into a mess of holes. The repair costs will be huge, and it's giving me a headache."

He was genuinely puzzled.

Why was this Yuanzong Elder so weak? Although he was only at the first layer of the Nascent Soul stage, the weakest among Nascent Souls, he was still a Nascent Soul. How could he be weaker than the sword puppet from the Great Xia Kingdom?

The attack strength of the sword puppet from the Great Xia Kingdom was something Chen Qiu could clearly sense, and he knew he had to retreat into his Pocket World to avoid it. Even if he used the Heavenly Clue Umbrella to withstand the attack, he would still be blown dozens of zhang away, and his body would be in excruciating pain, as if hit by a heavy truck, and he might even sustain internal injuries.

But he had just withstood the Yuanzong Elder's attack with the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, and not only did he not suffer any internal injuries, but he also didn't feel any pain in his body. He had an entry that would teleport him if he got injured.

Since he hadn't moved an inch on the deck, it meant he hadn't been hurt at all.

He was genuinely weak.

He was not on the same level as the Nascent Soul sword puppet, neither in terms of attack nor defense.

It had taken Chen Qiu more than an hour to completely destroy that sword puppet, but this Yuanzong Elder was already half-dead after just one use of the Lightning Summoning Technique.

Although the loss of his Nascent Soul had significantly reduced his strength, Chen Qiu still felt that the strength of the Nascent Soul sword puppet was clearly not that of a first-layer Nascent Soul. Damn, he felt like he had been deceived; he had always thought that all Nascent Souls were at least as strong as that sword puppet.

Now it seemed that the sword puppet should be considered a mid-stage Nascent Soul.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end