Chapter 172: Three Swords to Annihilate a Peak Grand Master

Chapter 172: Three Swords to Annihilate a Peak Grand Master

Outside the valley, Meng Shushu kept his eyes fixed on the valley's movements. When Meng Chong made his move, he was left awe-struck. In such a short time, Meng Chong had become so powerful.

One man against Grand Masters, and not just one, but several!

"Wow! Three Grand Masters, and none of them are a match for Meng Chong. His strength has increased so rapidly. I wonder how he has been cultivating. Could it be because of the elixir?"

Meng Shushu was deeply shaken.

Then, he became excited: "Spirit herbs! I must collect more spirit herbs to exchange for cultivation elixirs. With these elixirs to aid my cultivation, I too can break through to the Grand Master realm quickly!"

Xu Yan and Meng Chong were definitely two pillars of support he had to cling to.

Suddenly, above the valley, the clouds churned and the very air seemed to stir with spiritual energy, as if a mighty force had descended!

A Peak Grand Master!

Meng Shushu's heart skipped a beat. Although Xu Yan was strong, this was a Peak Grand Master, the true pinnacle of existence within the Inner Domain.

Throughout the ages, there was a saying about Peak Grand Masters: "Once one reaches the peak, one can make the heavens and earth change color!"

This showed just how powerful a Peak Grand Master was.

It was said that a Peak Grand Master, with a mere wave of their hand, could stir the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth, turning it into a terrifying might.

"Senior Brother Xu, you must continue to be invincible as always!"

Meng Shushu's heart held a slight worry.

When the White Dharma Protector appeared, his aura was so strong that it seemed to stir the spiritual energy around him. A terrifying power continued to gather, layer upon layer of surging force, rippling out from him.

Meng Chong's heart stirred. This was a Peak Grand Master of the Inner Domain!

One who could, to a certain extent, manipulate the spiritual energy of the surrounding heavens and earth, turning it into a formidable power.

"A Peak Grand Master is nothing more than this!"

Meng Chong gave a cold laugh.

His gaze shifted to the stone wall behind the White Dharma Protector, where each of the rooms contained spirit herbs. Especially the room from which the White Dharma Protector had emerged—a gray herb growing there seemed to be a fifth-grade spirit herb!

"Hmph!"

The White Dharma Protector snorted coldly, lifting his palm. Spiritual energy converged, forming a giant palm that suppressed Meng Chong with a terrifying force.

Meng Chong's body erupted with golden light, and his figure suddenly grew larger, causing the loose clothing he wore to tear from the expansion.

A fierce aura stood proud, and an overbearing knife intent rose into the air. A terrifying blade of light slashed towards the giant palm.

BOOM!

The terrifying blade directly sliced through the giant palm.

The White Dharma Protector's eyes narrowed as he realized that this person's strength was not to be underestimated.

Moreover, the cultivation technique he practiced seemed unusual.

It seemed like he was only at the Grand Master realm, yet his aura was far beyond that of a Grand Master, and he also differed greatly from other Grand Masters.

It was as if he cultivated a completely different martial path!

"Trifling skills!"

The White Dharma Protector snorted coldly, preparing to make another move.

Suddenly, a figure appeared, holding a long sword. A gentle breeze blew, carrying with it a sharp killing intent. Even the might of the Peak Grand Master seemed to be shredded by this appearance.

The White Dharma Protector's expression changed drastically as he turned to look at the boy who had suddenly appeared.

Xu Yan confirmed that there were no other Peak Grand Masters in the valley and that no one had escaped before he revealed himself.

His gaze passed over the White Dharma Protector, falling onto the stone wall.

His heart stirred with excitement. As expected of the man in black, this time he would reap another huge windfall.

As for the White Dharma Protector, a Peak Grand Master, although he could manipulate the spiritual energy around him to a certain extent, turning it into a formidable power, it was too superficial.

Compared to the Unity Realm, where true essence merged with the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, understanding the profound mysteries of heaven and earth, the White Dharma Protector's understanding was far too shallow.

It was as if he had only learned a fraction of the Unity Realm, grasping only the basics without comprehending its true essence.

"This false martial path is indeed too weak. The higher the realm, the wider the gap becomes."

Xu Yan sighed inwardly.

At the Grand Master realm, compared to the Innate realm, although the difference in strength was significant, it was not as vast as the gap he now witnessed. Xu Yan attributed his own extraordinary strength to his exceptional talent and foundation.

Normally, an Innate realm martial artist from the outside world, when compared to a Grand Master realm cultivator from the Inner Domain, would only be at the initial stages of Innate, capable of fighting a mid-stage Grand Master. At the small achievement stage of Innate, they could battle a Grand Master at the great achievement stage.

The gap between them was only that of a small realm in terms of power.

However, when it came to the geniuses of the two worlds, the gap was enormous. For example, the gap between Xu Yan and Xie Lingfeng, both top geniuses, was so vast that it could drive Xie Lingfeng to despair.

At the Unity realm, which was beyond the Innate realm, the gap widened further. Once one entered the Unity realm, they could control the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth, possessing the might of a Peak Grand Master.

Of course, perhaps the difficulty of breaking through to the Unity realm was greater than that of breaking through to the Grand Master realm, but that was unknown.

Xu Yan looked at the White Dharma Protector indifferently and said, "A Peak Grand Master, and yet you still hide in the shadows. Aren't you ashamed? You're so afraid that you won't even reveal the name of your sect. Are you a sewer rat?"

Facing Xu Yan's ridicule, the White Dharma Protector remained silent.

His eyes were grave, and the aura around him continued to strengthen. A curved blade appeared in his hand.

The spiritual energy around him seemed to transform into countless curved blades, swirling and encircling him. The heavens and earth changed color, and a mighty pressure filled the valley, causing the air above to seem stagnant.

Danger!

The White Dharma Protector felt a strong sense of crisis from the young boy before him.

Xu Yan coldly smiled, "Today, I shall slay you, a Peak Grand Master, as easily as I would a sewer rat!"

The gentle breeze turned into sword intent, and the landscape appeared, with a golden dragon coiling within.

"Junior Brother, leave those three to you!"

Xu Yan turned to the other three men in black.

"Senior Brother, rest assured. I'll take care of them!"

Meng Chong let out a sinister laugh, completely ignoring the White Dharma Protector as he charged towards the other three.

After using the martial secret technique, the Grand Master at the great achievement stage had weakened significantly. Killing him would be as easy as cutting through butter.

As for the other two, it would be equally effortless.

The White Dharma Protector's expression changed slightly, but he dared not move an inch. He treated Xu Yan as a formidable foe, not daring to be careless.

The sense of crisis grew stronger, and the scent of death seemed to fill his chest.

This was a feeling he had never experienced since becoming a Peak Grand Master.

"Escape!"

The White Dharma Protector said in a low voice.

"Can you escape?"

Meng Chong let out a cold laugh, and his blade of light bloomed, slicing through the sky and blocking the escape route of the three who were trying to flee.

With one strike, he had sealed their fate.

"Three swords! If I can't kill you with three swords, I'll spare your life!"

Xu Yan's body surged with sword intent, and a strand of sword light blossomed. The landscape transformed, and it seemed as if the valley above had become a world of its own.

"Arrogant!"

The White Dharma Protector snorted coldly.

Did he think he could kill him with just three swords?

Even Sword Cliff's Xie Tianheng wouldn't be able to do that!

Moreover, how could he, a Peak Grand Master, not be able to escape?

BOOM!

The White Dharma Protector went all out, displaying the might of a Peak Grand Master to the extreme.

Xu Yan's sword slashed out!

ROAR!

The landscape and the dragon within it let out a sonorous cry!

Then, the second sword slashed out, the landscape transforming into myriad forms, with the dragon leaping within, turning the sword into one that could destroy the world.

With three sword strikes, the overwhelming might that stirred the heavenly and earthly spiritual energy had already been buried within the landscape.

White Dharma Protector's eyes widened in disbelief as his body disintegrated into pieces, turning into dust that scattered in the air.

A Peak Grand Master had fallen!

On the other side, of the three Grand Masters who had tried to escape, Meng Chong had already slain two. The last one, a Grand Master at the great achievement stage, died with astonishment in his eyes as he witnessed the boy slaying the White Dharma Protector with just three swords.

To kill a Peak Grand Master with three swords—what a terrifying display of strength! Even more frightening was his age.

He didn't even look twenty!

*Pu!* His body disintegrated under the blade's light, turning into dust.

In his last moments, he felt no regret, for a Peak Grand Master like the White Dharma Protector had met his end by the same sword.

How could he, a lesser being, feel aggrieved?

With this, the valley was devoid of any black-robed figures.

This place was not their main base, but with a Peak Grand Master and three other Grand Masters stationed here, it was clear how important this location was to them.

"Senior Brother, is that a fifth-grade spirit herb?" Meng Chong asked excitedly, his eyes fixed on one of the rooms in the stone wall.

"Very likely," Xu Yan replied, equally thrilled.

The two didn't rush inside but waited for Meng Shushu, who was more familiar with spirit herbs, to join them.

Soon, Meng Shushu arrived, his entire being brimming with excitement.

"Senior Brother Xu, as always, you are invincible! A Peak Grand Master, defeated so easily."

Xu Yan led the way into the room that had belonged to the White Dharma Protector.

Upon entering the secret chamber, the first thing that caught their eyes was a grayish small plant growing from a crevice in the stone.

"It's a fifth-grade spirit herb!" Meng Shushu exclaimed in excitement.

"What kind of spirit herb is this?" Xu Yan asked curiously.

For some reason, as he drew closer to the gray herb, he felt a sense of calming serenity wash over him.

Meng Shushu cautiously approached the herb, studying it intently. After a while, he furrowed his brows and said, "I don't know."

"You're our expert on spirit herbs, and you don't know?" Meng Chong asked in surprise.

"Fifth-grade spirit herbs are almost non-existent in the Inner Domain. Our family records only contain limited information, so it's not surprising that I don't recognize it," Meng Shushu explained, shaking his head.

"Quick, harvest it! Since it's a fifth-grade spirit herb, it must have extraordinary effects, especially with a Peak Grand Master guarding it. It must possess exceptional powers," Xu Yan said.

They could bring it back and let Su Lingxiu identify its effects.

"Leave it to me," Meng Shushu said enthusiastically as he began to carefully dig out the gray herb.

Meanwhile, Xu Yan and Meng Chong started searching the chamber, particularly for any belongings of the White Dharma Protector.

The chamber was simple, with a stone bed carved near the spirit herb. On it lay several envelopes and a bag, arranged in a slightly messy manner.

Xu Yan picked up the bag and found pills, two seventh-grade spirit herbs, and a pouch containing spirit tickets.

"He's quite poor for a Peak Grand Master," Xu Yan commented, feeling a bit disappointed.

The spirit tickets amounted to just over a hundred thousand spirit crystals, which seemed like a lot but didn't match the status of a Peak Grand Master.

Moreover, there was no storage bag to be found.

"This is the first time I've killed a Peak Grand Master, and I didn't find a storage bag. It seems they truly are rare," Xu Yan remarked.

"Senior Brother Xu, a Peak Grand Master is an exceptional existence, and they receive special treatment from Tianbao Pavilion. They can purchase things on credit or even acquire what they need directly, so they usually don't carry a lot of spirit tickets with them," Meng Shushu explained as he continued to dig out the spirit herb.

"I see," Xu Yan said, understanding.

Meng Chong was examining the envelopes, hoping to find clues about the black-robed figures' affiliation. However, to his disappointment, the letters didn't mention their sect, and some of the content was written in code, making it difficult to understand fully.

One of the letters, though, mentioned the killing of a Grand Master and the ongoing search for Su Lingxiu, with no progress so far.

It seemed that the White Dharma Protector held a core position within the black-robed figures' organization, which wasn't surprising given his status as a Peak Grand Master.

"Done!" Meng Shushu finally extracted the spirit herb and carefully sealed it with a herb-preserving foil.

The three then moved on to the other chambers.

In each room, they found a gray herb, two of which were seventh-grade and one sixth-grade. They also discovered more spirit tickets and other valuables, amounting to a greater sum than what they had found with the Peak Grand Master.

"They were cultivating these spirit herbs!" Meng Shushu said in a low voice.

Xu Yan nodded in agreement.

After searching all the chambers, Xu Yan raised his hand and slashed out with his sword, cutting away a layer of the stone wall. However, no other secret rooms were found.

Surveying the valley, Xu Yan remarked, "This place is indeed a treasure trove. Heavenly and earthly spiritual energy converge here, especially around the stone walls, where the spiritual energy lingers. No wonder spirit herbs grow here."

The surroundings of the valley were also abundant with spirit herbs, mostly ninth-grade with a few eighth-grade ones. All of them had been harvested.

After collecting everything of value, Xu Yan fell into contemplation. "Should we stay here for a few days and kill anyone who comes?"

Meng Shushu, however, shook his head. "Senior Brother Xu, with a Peak Grand Master stationed here, the black-robed figures wouldn't frequently visit. Most of the time, they rely on carrier pigeons to communicate. Now that the pigeon is gone, and their connection is cut off, it might take them days or even longer to realize something is wrong. There's no need for us to stay."

Xu Yan nodded in agreement. It was time to deal with the Fire Demon Venerable on Canglan Island, who had been causing a ruckus.

"In that case, let's go," Xu Yan said, and the three of them left the valley.

"Senior Brother, are we going to Canglan Island to kill the Demon Venerable?" Meng Chong asked eagerly.

Xu Yan smiled and said, "There's no rush. He wants me to come to challenge him, so I can't just show up empty-handed. I am going to fight him, but he needs to pay the price for it. I, Xu Yan, may be going to kill him, but he must first offer me a substantial fee."

"Makes sense!" Meng Chong nodded.

"Send a message to the Fire Demon Venerable. If he wants me to face him in battle, he needs to prepare a million spirit crystals as a fee, along with all his possessions. Once I kill him, it will be easier to collect what's owed," Xu Yan said with a cheerful smile.

How could they refuse when someone offered to pay them to be killed?

The Fire Demon Venerable was a generous man, offering both money and his life. Such an opportunity was rare, and they should cherish it.

Meng Shushu's lips twitched, and in his heart, he mourned for the Fire Demon Venerable. Why did he have to provoke Xu Yan? Now, he had to pay a million spirit crystals if he wanted Xu Yan to accept his challenge.

Would the Fire Demon Venerable agree to Xu Yan's conditions?

He most certainly would!

If Xu Yan refused to fight, the Demon Venerable had no other option. Since he wanted Xu Yan dead, he wouldn't hesitate to pay the price.

"I wonder how many Grand Masters are waiting for me on Canglan Island," Xu Yan said with a brilliant smile, unconcerned about the dangers that lay ahead.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end