Chapter 240: The Formation Broken! Xue Hun Fan! Old Doctor's Killing Intent!

"Chen Ye truly is a Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe— and there are two of them over there!"

Standing atop a tree in the woods several li away from Liu Yun Town, the Round Fat Middle-aged Man stared in shock at the sight of Old Doctor effortlessly unleashing vast waves of Sword Qi. His heart pounded.

He finally understood— all this time, the enigmatic Old Doctor had been hiding his true identity. He wasn’t just a master of martial arts; he was a true Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe, far beyond anything the Round Fat Middle-aged Man had ever imagined.

"Chen Ye and Lu Xiao Langjun seem to be trying to break through that strange light barrier… I wonder if they’ll succeed?"

Though too far to hear their words, the Round Fat Middle-aged Man now grasped why Lu Qing had refused to let him join earlier. This was a battle of Xian Tian Jing level— far too dangerous for someone like him, a mere Nei Fu Jing.

Not even a Wu Dao Zong Shi would stand a chance. They’d be slaughtered instantly.

"But just what level is Lu Xiao Langjun at?" The man mused, baffled. "He hasn’t used Xian Tian Qi— so he’s not yet a Xian Tian Jing. Yet when did a Hou Tian Jing warrior ever stand toe-to-toe with a Xian Tian Jing?"

A deeper mystery wrapped around Lu Qing. The more he thought about it, the more elusive the young man became.

Meanwhile, inside the formation, the Black Robe Figure was suffering.

He never expected that a mere boy— still wet behind the ears— would know so much about formations. Worse, the boy had destroyed two of the formation’s key nodes in a single strike.

This was beyond anything he’d anticipated.

"Brother, why have two of the formation nodes been destroyed? What happened?"

A voice echoed in his mind just as he felt the strain.

"Brother, disaster! There’s someone here who understands formations. They’re working together to break the barrier. I can’t hold them off alone!"

The Black Robe Figure replied urgently.

"Can’t hold them off? Then you must hold! The damage to the nodes has disrupted my progress— I now need a full quarter-hour to complete the ritual. If you want me to track down the killer of your grandson, you must repair the Xue Hun Fan. Hold on— just a little longer!"

The voice faded.

"Brother!" The Black Robe Figure called out, but there was no reply.

His master was clearly in crisis too.

"Easy for you to say!" The Black Robe Figure groaned inwardly. "But how am I supposed to stop them? That old man’s Sword Qi is terrifying— every time he strikes, I have to pour all my strength into the formation to defend myself. But then, the other barriers weaken… I can’t stop that boy’s arrows!"

It was a no-win situation. He had no way out.

All he could hope for was that Old Doctor couldn’t sustain that relentless Jian Qi Chao Xi forever.

Holding his breath, he gritted his teeth and endured.

But he hadn’t counted on Old Doctor’s true energy— it was deeper, more vast than he could fathom.

Wave after wave of Sword Qi surged toward the Hui Se Guang Mu. Each strike destroyed another node.

Before long, nine nodes were shattered.

The light barrier dimmed, trembling like a dying flame.

"Master, senior," Lu Qing said, drawing another long arrow. "This is the final blow. There were eighteen nodes total—nine destroyed already. Break one more, and the formation collapses."

Old Doctor and the Sword-Wielding Man saw the weakening barrier. Without hesitation, they channeled their Sword Qi forward once more.

"No!" The Black Robe Figure realized the inevitable.

Acting fast, he waved the formation flag, gathering the last of the formation’s power into the shield before him— then kicked off the ground, retreating into the town at lightning speed.

Boom!

As he fled, Sword Qi collided with the light barrier.

In that split second, Lu Qing fired— and the tenth node shattered.

With the final node gone, the already weakened Hui Se Guang Mu could no longer hold. The remnants of Sword Qi tore through it, dissolving it into nothingness.

But the Black Robe Figure had already vanished into the town.

"Did we really break it?" The Sword-Wielding Man exclaimed in delight.

Crack, crack, crack…

As the barrier vanished, Lu Qing didn’t stop.

Fingers flying, he unleashed eight more arrows in rapid succession— each one destroying a remaining node.

Only when all eighteen were gone did he finally halt.

Though the Abilities Probe had indicated that destroying just nine nodes would suffice to break the Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen, he wasn’t taking any chances.

He had more than enough Qian Lian Level arrows.

For two years, while mostly training in the village, he’d occasionally visited the County Town. Especially after acquiring his Treasure Bow, he’d spent weeks at Zhu Xin Fang, crafting over a thousand Qian Lian Level arrows— so many that he’d nearly emptied their stock of refined iron.

"All formation nodes destroyed!"

The Black Robe Figure, fleeing through the streets, felt the tremor through the formation flag.

The entire Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen was shattered.

"Who are these two— this old man and the boy? The old one’s Xian Tian Qi is monstrous— his cultivation is unfathomable. And the boy… he knows everything about the formation. He even knows there were eighteen nodes. How is that possible?"

The Black Robe Figure’s heart ached with fury and disbelief.

Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen had been the result of decades of research— forged by him and his brother during their youth, discovered in a mysterious cave. They’d scoured the land, sacrificing countless disciples and hoarding rare materials to build it.

And now, after all that effort, one formation had been destroyed in a single assault.

But the real mystery?

How could someone— especially a boy— know the formation’s secrets?

Terror and confusion warred within him.

He darted toward the inn— the only place he could still hope to survive.

Old Doctor’s power was overwhelming. He’d been wounded by a single Sword Qi strike, and though the formation had helped heal him, he wasn’t fully recovered.

Only by combining forces with his brother could he hope to stand against the old man.

"Who dares destroy my formation?"

Before he reached the inn, a furious, storm-like aura erupted from within.

A voice roared with rage.

"Brother!"

The Black Robe Figure burst into the inn— and froze.

The entire place was a graveyard.

Half the people lay dead— their bodies reduced to dry, shriveled husks. The others were barely alive, their skin withered, faces pale, bodies hollow— as if they’d aged ten years in a single night.

Worst of all, among the corpses, he recognized members of his own Liu Yun Zong.

"Grandfather! You’re hurt!" Mo Zhen cried, seeing the bloodstains and unhealed wounds on the Black Robe Figure.

A Xian Tian Jing— wounded so badly? What had happened outside the town?

The formation had blocked all knowledge from the inside.

Only the Hook-nosed Elder knew what had transpired.

"Another Xian Tian Jing!"

Among the survivors, the Silver Moon Sect Master gasped.

He was in tatters— his life force nearly drained by the Hook-nosed Elder’s dark ritual.

Having been focused on resisting the soul-sucking technique, he hadn’t sensed the outside battle.

Now, seeing the Black Robe Figure’s aura, his hope died.

One Hook-nosed Elder had nearly broken them. Now another Xian Tian Jing— and he called the other brother.

Were they truly doomed?

Where are you, Master? The Silver Moon Sect Master’s face was ashen.

"Brother, what in the name of the heavens were you doing? I was this close to fusing the blood essence and soul into the Xue Hun Fan! And you let the formation be destroyed?"

The Hook-nosed Elder’s voice was icy.

"Brother, it’s not my fault! The enemy is too strong. And they… they know the formation. They destroyed every node with terrifying precision. I couldn’t stop them!"

The Black Robe Figure pleaded.

"How is this possible?" The Hook-nosed Elder’s eyes widened. "The Xue Rou Lian Hun Zhen was crafted over decades— only we understand it. How could someone else crack it so easily?"

"I don’t know!" The Black Robe Figure admitted, trembling. "And the one who broke it… it was a boy. I’ve never seen him before."

"Wait— they’ve entered the town!" the Black Robe Figure added. "There’s an old man inside, with power beyond comprehension. Even with the formation protecting me, he wounded me with one sword strike. Should we retreat?"

"Retreat? Fool!" The Hook-nosed Elder sneered. "They destroyed my life’s work? I’ll show them the price of defiance!"

"Perfect. My Xue Hun Fan still needs a Xian Tian Jing soul to complete it. Let’s use them as offerings!"

"Brother, can the Xue Hun Fan be activated?" The Black Robe Figure’s eyes lit up.

"Though the formation is broken, it’s regained enough power. And with Qi restored, it’s time the world saw the true might of this Shang Gu Bao Fa!"

"Then we have nothing to fear!"

Hearing that, the Black Robe Figure’s confidence returned.

He’d been there when they found the cave. He knew what the Xue Hun Fan could do.

Even Old Doctor wouldn’t survive it.

"Come. I’ve sensed their location. Let’s go meet them."

The Hook-nosed Elder turned, stepping toward the door.

"Tai Shang Elder… Grandfather… what should we do with these people?" Mo Zhen asked, hurrying after them.

The surviving Silver Moon Sect Master and others froze.

They’d just heard the two Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe speak— and now, hope stirred again.

Could help really be coming?

But now, that flicker was about to be crushed.

"Leave them for now. Their life force still has value. You watch them— they’re too weak to cause trouble."

The Hook-nosed Elder glanced at them, his gaze cold— like a man looking at livestock, not people.

"Yes, Tai Shang Elder." Mo Zhen hesitated, but obeyed.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Liu Yun Zong, Lu Qing and the others stood in silence, staring at the bloodstained ground.

Every crimson smear told of a life lost.

But they sensed many still lived— hidden in houses, sheltered from the Hei Qi’s poison.

Though the dark energy could rot flesh and bone, it had no effect on stone or wood.

Many townsfolk had survived by hiding in homes.

"These Mo Hu brothers are monsters," Sword-Wielding Man growled. "So many townspeople are related to their disciples— and they still slaughtered them without mercy. They’re nothing short of demons!"

He didn’t like Liu Yun Zong, but he’d never imagined such cruelty.

"Master… someone’s coming." Lu Qing spoke softly.

"Hmm." Old Doctor nodded— his face colder than ice.

Lu Qing knew. His Master was truly enraged.

The brutality of Liu Yun Zong had awakened the killing intent buried deep within the kind-hearted old man.

"Hahahaha!"

Sword-Wielding Man opened his mouth to ask— but then heard laughter from ahead.

Two figures appeared atop a rooftop, their presence radiating overwhelming power.

No one else could be it.

The Mo Hu brothers.

Sword-Wielding Man stared at Lu Qing in disbelief.

He, a Xian Tian Jing Qiang Zhe, couldn’t sense them— yet Lu Qing had.

Even more shocking? He couldn’t fathom Lu Qing’s cultivation level.

Could this boy… be stronger than him?

The thought was absurd— yet it took root in his mind.

"You two," Old Doctor looked up, eyes sharp. "Are you the Tai Shang Elder of Liu Yun Zong?"

"Yes," the Hook-nosed Elder sneered. "Old man— you destroyed my formation. Do you know what crime you’ve committed?"

"Good," Old Doctor said calmly. "I didn’t mistake you."

The Hook-nosed Elder blinked— then, in a flash, two blinding Sword Qi slashes tore through the air— aimed straight at him and his brother.

The blades cut with such fury, such lethal precision—

For an instant, the Hook-nosed Elder felt death itself whisper in his ear.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end