Chapter 237: Pursuit of the Refining God Celestial

Chapter 237: Pursuit of the Refining God Celestial

Du Yuying stared out the window from inside the Great Wilderness Martial Arts Academy, her mind seemingly occupied by thoughts of someone.

Cui'er entered the room and asked, "Miss, if we go to the Spirit Domain, does that mean we won't be able to see Young Master Xu anymore?"

Du Yuying turned and glanced at her, replying softly, "That won't be the case."

"Then, Miss, when will you and Young Master Xu be together?" Cui'er asked, her face filled with anticipation.

A faint blush appeared on Du Yuying's delicate face. If her mistress were to be with Young Master Xu, she would be able to serve them both.

Du Yuying heaved a sigh, expressing her uncertainty, "I don't know."

She contemplated whether she should pay a visit to Canglan Island to deepen her relationship with Xu's mother.

...

In the Spirit Domain, within Yuzhou's Mang Mountain, a figure moved with incredible speed, flashing like a bolt of heavenly thunder as it flew out from the mountain and vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Following closely behind was another figure, no less swift, whose spiritual aura was unconcealed and awe-inspiring, shaking the heavens and the earth.

A Refining God Celestial!

Xu Yan marveled at the unpredictability of life. He had killed Dai Yingying, yet Wen Yong had taken the blame, and the Dai family had not sought out the true culprit—him.

But he never could have imagined that he would still end up entangled with the Dai family!

No, it was the Dai family who had entangled themselves with him.

Having absorbed the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi and accumulated sufficient foundation, Xu Yan smoothly broke through to the Divine Intent Realm and underwent a transformation, evolving into a Mountain River Divine Body. His strength had taken a massive leap forward.

With his entry into the Divine Intent Realm, he had taken the first step towards spiritual enlightenment in the martial path.

The power of a Refining God Celestial lay in their spirit, and under the coverage of their spiritual power, all creatures, no matter how small, were within their grasp.

Divine Intent was like the spiritual power of a Refining God Celestial, and under its influence, everything was laid bare, leaving no secrets.

Since the Earth Spirit Jade Marrow grounds had a strand of Earth Spirit Dragon Qi, and Yu Xiaolong was unsure if it was the one he had discovered, Xu Yan decided to collect the remaining Earth Spirit Jade Marrow after consolidating his breakthrough. He intended to search for the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi that Yu Xiaolong had sensed.

If he could find another strand of Earth Spirit Dragon Qi and bring it back to the Inner Realm, it would be more than enough for Meng Chong and Su Lingxiu to accumulate a solid foundation and undergo their own transformations after breaking through.

As for the pursuit by the Yu Shen Zong and Su family, Xu Yan paid them no mind. With his breakthrough to the Divine Intent Realm, his confidence had soared. Even a Great Celestial cultivator would fall to his sword.

Even if he faced a Refining God Celestial, he could hold his ground and, if need be, easily escape.

Guided by Yu Xiaolong, Xu Yan traversed Mang Mountain in search of the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi. However, instead of finding the dragon qi, they encountered a Great Celestial elder of the Dai family.

Wen Yong had taken the blame for Dai Yingying's death, and Xu Yan, unknown to be the true perpetrator, paid the elder no heed.

However, when the Dai family elder realized that Xu Yan was the one being hunted by the Yu Shen Zong and the Su family, he hatched a plan to capture Xu Yan and hand him over to those two forces in exchange for their assistance in apprehending the fugitive Wen Yong.

Xu Yan couldn't help but sigh at the irony of his fate, forever intertwined with the Dai family as enemies.

Since the elder was being unreasonable and intended to capture him for the Yu Shen Zong and Su family, Xu Yan saw no reason to hold back. Having just broken through to the Divine Intent Realm, he decided to test his newfound power against this Great Celestial cultivator of the Dai family.

With a single sword strike, he unleashed the power of mountains and rivers, and the Xun Wind Sword Intent howled like a tempest, instantly assaulting the elder's spiritual consciousness.

Xu Yan's sword intent had also undergone a transformation following his breakthrough, becoming even more formidable.

The Dai family elder's expression turned to horror as he felt his consciousness sink into darkness, as if crushed by a mountain, and he sensed an irresistible force akin to heavenly mandate.

He roared in fury, unleashing the might of a Great Celestial cultivator to resist the oppressive force, only to feel a violent gale sweeping through his spiritual consciousness.

A tearing sensation ripped through his consciousness, causing excruciating pain, and in that moment, he felt as if he had lost all sense of self, his physical body slipping from his control. By the time he regained a semblance of clarity, the sword light had already engulfed him.

With a single sword strike, Xu Yan had slain the Dai family's Great Celestial cultivator and gained a clearer understanding of his own strength.

Divine Intent could suppress Lesser Celestials, but it couldn't completely overpower Great Celestials. However, it could hinder their spiritual consciousness, preventing them from fully unleashing their strength.

Based on this assessment, Xu Yan surmised that his current Divine Intent was slightly weaker than the spiritual power of a Refining God Celestial and might not be able to withstand their full might.

Nonetheless, he believed that with his Xun Wind Sword Intent, he could clash with the spiritual power of a Refining God Celestial.

The prowess of a Refining God Celestial did not lie solely in their spiritual power.

"Below a Refining God Celestial, I am invincible!" Xu Yan exhaled, having gained a clear understanding of his strength within the Spirit Domain.

"I wonder how strong the geniuses of the Superlative Spirit Sect in the Spirit Domain are," he mused. "Within the same realm, I am confident in my ability to suppress them. But if they are a whole major realm above me, would I still be able to defeat the geniuses of the Superlative Spirit Sect?"

Xu Yan's curiosity was piqued.

In that moment, he yearned to cross swords with a genius of the Superlative Spirit Sect.

Of course, the Superlative Spirit Sect stood aloof and above the rest, and their geniuses were no exception. It was unlikely that they would ever set foot in Yuzhou.

After killing the Dai family's Great Celestial cultivator, Xu Yan continued his search for the Earth Spirit Dragon Qi.

However, he soon encountered another Great Celestial cultivator from the Dai family—none other than Dai Yingying's father and the current head of the Dai family, Dai Yipin, a late-stage Great Celestial cultivator!

When Dai Yipin made his move, Xu Yan realized that the Dai family was well-versed in bringing about their own demise.

Since that was the case, he would grant their wish!

And so, he slew Dai Yipin.

Although Dai Yipin was significantly stronger than the previous elder, Xu Yan needed only three to five sword strikes to eradicate him completely, leaving behind not even a trace of ash.

After killing Dai Yipin, Xu Yan encountered an elder from the Yu Shen Zong and a clan elder from the Su family, both of whom had come to capture him. Naturally, he killed them as well.

In the end, Dai Sheng, the Refining God Celestial of the Dai family, learned of his son's death and went mad with rage. Soon, news of Xu Yan killing Dai Yipin spread.

Facing a Refining God Celestial, Xu Yan was fearless. He clashed with Dai Sheng a few times and, realizing he was no match, immediately fled.

Dai Sheng pursued him like a madman.

Yu Xiaolong, coiled around Xu Yan's wrist, regretted following Xu Yan at that moment.

How long had it been? And already, a Refining God Celestial was on their tails!

"There's a city over there. Let's hide in the city," Yu Xiaolong hastily suggested.

He knew that Xu Yan possessed an extraordinary stealth technique, and hiding in the city would make it difficult even for a Refining God Celestial to find them.

Xu Yan let out a cold laugh. "Since I entered the martial world, I've never been pursued like this. Dai Sheng, is it? I'll make sure to kill you sooner or later!"

Glancing back at the pursuing Dai Sheng, Xu Yan completely disregarded the city's rule against flying and entered directly, moving at a breakneck speed. By the time the Great Celestial cultivator presiding over the city reacted, Xu Yan had already vanished without a trace.

Boom!

A formidable divine might descended upon the city, causing the cultivators within to feel as if a mountain were pressing down on them.

They looked up in astonishment.

A Refining God Celestial!

The sudden appearance of a Refining God Celestial sent shockwaves through the city, and everyone's faces turned grim as they dared not even breathe.

The city lord thought of the figure who had entered the city earlier.

That person was too fast. He had flashed by in an instant and disappeared into the crowd.

The Celestial cultivators within the City Guard hadn't even had time to react.

Dai Sheng circled the city, his divine soul power carefully searching, but he was unable to find any trace of Xu Yan. His gaze grew increasingly cold.

His most beloved granddaughter, Dai Yingying, who had held the hope of leading the Dai family to greater heights, had been killed. Now, his son was also dead. At this moment, Dai Sheng was filled with murderous intent.

"Everyone in the city, get out one by one. Clear out the city. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without exception!"

Dai Sheng spoke in a cold voice.

The pressure of his divine soul shook the surroundings, causing the cultivators in the city to turn pale with fear.

The city lord's expression changed several times. He realized that Dai Sheng was about to lose his mind with rage. If he didn't comply, Dai Sheng might kill him in his fury.

After all, he wasn't a core member of the aristocratic family, and Dai Sheng was a Refining God Celestial. As long as he offered some compensation afterward, this matter would be swept under the rug.

The power backing him wouldn't go to war with a Refining God Celestial just for a small city lord like him.

"Everyone, leave the city in an orderly manner!"

The city lord immediately gave the order.

The cultivators in the city had long wanted to escape. The oppressive pressure was too terrifying, making it hard for them to breathe.

Under the City Guard's maintenance of order, the cultivators left the city one by one.

Dai Sheng's divine soul power covered the city gate, and every departing cultivator was subject to his scrutiny.

Xu Yan had already changed his clothes and altered his aura to resemble that of a Spirit Domain cultivator. At this moment, he frowned slightly. If he were to change his appearance with true essence at such close range, he feared it would be difficult to escape Dai Sheng's search.

And if he didn't change his appearance, he wasn't sure if he could hide from Dai Sheng while mingling with the crowd.

If he were discovered, he could only rely on his speed to escape.

"What should we do?"

Yu Xiaolong's face was filled with worry.

"Don't worry. At worst, I'll just flee directly. With my speed, he won't be able to catch up!"

Xu Yan remained calm and confident.

"Get out of the way! Move, don't block the path!"

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. A chubby young man, followed by several attendants, pushed through the cultivators arrogantly and strode toward the city gate.

"Scram! Get out of Young Master's way. Don't you know who you're dealing with?"

As Shen Haizhou made his way through, he shoved aside the cultivators preparing to leave the city, creating chaos.

"You damn brat, what are you staring at? Are you tired of living?"

Halfway through, Shen Haizhou turned back and punched and kicked the cultivators behind him.

The cultivators in the city were furious, their faces turning red with anger. But when they saw the emblem on Shen Haizhou's clothes, they immediately became timid.

The Shen family!

Xu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and quietly blended into the crowd, squeezing in with the group of cultivators who were jostled by Shen Haizhou.

He wasn't sure if it was intentional, but Shen Haizhou's attendants were wearing clothes of the same color as his, and some of them were clearly loose cultivators, not truly his attendants.

Shen Haizhou barged through the crowd with his attendants, and as he did so, his entourage grew in number. More cultivators squeezed in alongside his group, creating even more chaos.

"I think that should be enough, right?"

Shen Haizhou's eyes darted around, then he strode toward the city gate with a swagger, surrounded by a group of cultivators. He cursed and shouted arrogantly, creating chaos as he made his way out.

"Get lost! Who do you think you are, blocking Young Master's path?"

Shen Haizhou grabbed a loose cultivator and threw him toward the city gate, turning the previously orderly line into chaos.

Dai Sheng's gaze shifted, and his divine soul power stirred, as if he were about to erupt in fury.

However, Shen Haizhou remained unfazed. He straightened his chest, revealing the emblem on his clothes, and said loudly, "My father is Shen Wang, Senior Dai. What do you intend to do?"

Dai Sheng's face turned black with anger!

"Get out of here quickly, or don't blame me for teaching you a lesson!"

Shen Haizhou grabbed one of his attendants and threw him out, seemingly venting his anger. "Did you hear what Senior Dai said? Get out quickly!"

One by one, his attendants were grabbed and thrown out, causing further chaos among the loose cultivators.

"Shen Haizhou!"

Dai Sheng roared in anger.

Shen Haizhou shrunk his neck but straightened his back and said, "My father is Shen Wang, and my grandfather is Shen Tai!"

Damn! Dai Sheng's mental state was starting to crumble. This guy was such a pain.

However, he really didn't dare to do anything to Shen Haizhou. Shen Wang was the patriarch of the Shen family, a Refining God Celestial, and his cultivation was even slightly stronger than Dai Sheng's.

As for Shen Tai, he was also a Refining God Celestial of the Shen family, and his cultivation was even more formidable. Moreover, he was known for doting on his grandchildren!

Shen Haizhou continued to curse and shout as he made his way out of the city, grabbing his attendants and throwing them out. "Haven't you heard Senior Dai telling us to scram? Get out faster!"

Xu Yan blended in with Shen Haizhou's attendants, and he couldn't help but suspect that Shen Haizhou was doing this deliberately to create an opportunity for him to escape the city.

A hand reached out and grabbed him.

As soon as it touched Xu Yan's clothes, his body flew horizontally out of the city, as if he had been flung away.

Shen Haizhou continued to curse and throw his attendants out, and soon, he was outside the city.

Dai Sheng's divine soul power continued to search, even scanning the attendants that Shen Haizhou had thrown out.

However, when Xu Yan flew out horizontally, his face was turned downward, avoiding Dai Sheng's gaze. And with the help of the Concealment Art, his aura was mixed with that of the other attendants.

Dai Sheng's divine soul power failed to detect anything, and Xu Yan successfully escaped the city. After leaving, he quickly fled, changing his clothes as he did so.

Having successfully evaded Dai Sheng's search, Xu Yan began his journey back to Zhenguo.

Now that he had broken through and accumulated resources like the Earth Spirit Jade Marrow, it was time to return to the Inner Realm.

However, being pursued by Dai Sheng all this way had left him feeling displeased. He couldn't swallow this insult.

After some contemplation, he decided to find Shen Haizhou, the chubby young man, and inquire about the location of the Dai family's headquarters. Then, while Dai Sheng was away, he would destroy the Dai family!

Shen Haizhou left the city in a cursing frenzy, his heart thrilled at having established a connection with that extraordinary brother, a true dragon destined for greatness.

Sooner or later, that brother would soar to incredible heights, becoming an unstoppable force.

A day later...

"Brother Shen, we meet again."

Xu Yan appeared before Shen Haizhou.

"Brother, it's been a while!"

Shen Haizhou didn't mention the incident in the city.

"I am Xu Yan, the Sword God. I have come to inquire about something."

Xu Yan cupped his fists in greeting.

"As long as it's something I, Shen Haizhou, know, I will definitely answer truthfully!"

Shen Haizhou patted his chest confidently.

"Where is the main base of the Dai family? Are there any strong cultivators besides Dai Sheng? Are there any other Refining God Celestials?"

Xu Yan asked directly.

Shen Haizhou was stunned. What did this mean? Was this brother planning to destroy the Dai family's headquarters?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end