Chapter 69: Golden Feather (Dedicated to the Lonely Alliance Leader Tao)
Chapter 69: Golden Feather (Dedicated to the Lonely Alliance Leader Tao)
"Die!"
Fang Xing had no intention of showing mercy to such a person.
With his left hand, he drew out the Ink-Pattern Sword, and countless cold lights, like shooting stars, converged into a single point, sending the White Jade Sword flying once more.
Then, like a vengeful spirit, the Tiger Demon Blade slashed down on the White Jade Shield.
Crack!
The White Jade Shield let out a mournful cry as it shattered into countless specks of light.
The spiritual glow on Luo Hong's robe instantly extinguished, and an abnormal flush appeared on his face.
"Are you planning to kill us both?"
He tore open a first-grade, high-quality 'Vajra Talisman', enveloping himself in a thick layer of golden light as his figure rapidly retreated.
In Luo Hong's hand, another talisman appeared.
Just the aura it exuded was beyond that of a first-grade, high-quality talisman.
"A second-grade talisman?"
Fang Xing sensed a hint of danger and halted his pursuit.
A second-grade talisman represented the striking power of a Qi Refining cultivator! Ordinary Qi Condensation early to mid-stage cultivators wouldn't even have enough spiritual power to activate it.
However, a Qi Condensation late-stage cultivator could still activate it, but they would risk injuring themselves in the process.
"Indeed, it's a second-grade—Divine Flame Thunder Talisman!"
Luo Hong held up his trump card for survival, "You must know that the Divine Flame and Thunder is an extraordinary Foundation Establishment spell... Flame and Thunder are renowned for their destructive power, and the Divine Flame and Thunder is the cream of the crop. If you don't want to perish with me, then back off..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a laser beam struck the Adamantine Talisman, breaking through the defense in an instant and hitting Luo Hong's head.
Bang!
His headless corpse fell backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
The second-grade 'Inferno Thunder Symbol' lost its spiritual power infusion, and its radiant light dimmed, falling to the ground next to the corpse.
Not only that, but the Xuan Yin Bell and the Jade Spring Sword in mid-air also lost their master's spiritual power support, retracting all their spiritual light and falling to the ground.
"If I hadn't wanted to practice my martial arts and find you guys for a real battle... Who would have kept playing with you until now? Taste my Wei Mingliu's sword!"
Fang Xing sheathed the laser gun, coldly harrumphed, and began collecting the spoils of war.
A moment later.
His figure flashed, and like a dark cloud, he moved far away from the battlefield.
After a long while, several shadows crept out of the darkness, their eyes wide with shock as they took in the scene of the numerous corpses lying on the ground, "Are these... people from the Heaven's Underworld Gang? They're all dead!"
"Even their leader, Luo Hong, is dead? This man is a genuine dangerous character. He survived the Secret Realm and returned with bountiful gains. To think he would meet his end here?"
"Who exactly is that person?"
Before long, the shadows retreated, and the remaining major forces in Qinglin City came to know that a mysterious and powerful expert had emerged in the city, annihilating the Heaven's Underworld Gang. They unanimously agreed that this person was an extremely formidable opponent who must not be provoked...
...
Superior Cave Abode.
Underground Chamber.
"That was an intense battle!"
Fang Xing removed the Nano Protective Suit, and the suit, which had accompanied him for a long time, curled into a ball of silver-white metal, feeling much lighter than before.
"Enduring so many attacks has damaged the machine, even though it can self-repair. Still, the reserve of nano-components is insufficient..."
He sighed and casually tossed the Nano Suit aside.
This type of protective suit was quite popular on the Eagle Star, and he could easily buy a new one if it was damaged.
In addition, he had sustained some minor injuries, but they were nothing serious.
The losses were minimal, but the gains were tremendous!
The spiritual stones and magical artifacts on the underlings could almost be ignored, as the bulk of the treasure came from Luo Hong!
This made Fang Xing sigh with emotion; wealth indeed accumulated in a pyramid-like fashion.
Although Luo Hong didn't have a storage bag, he carried a small purse containing only middle-grade spirit stones! A rough count revealed ten of them!
That was a thousand lower-grade spirit stones, not to mention the upper-grade magical artifact-level flying sword—Jade Spring, an ancient-looking bell, a spirit serpent hairpin, and a second-grade talisman—the Blazing Fire Divine Thunder Talisman!
"I've long heard that Thunder spells have the most formidable destructive power among all techniques... But I still can't use them."
Fang Xing lamented, then closed his eyes, recalling the battle that had just taken place.
It must be said that warriors must engage in frequent real battles to achieve rapid progress!
He felt that his Ghost God Blade and Extreme Emotion Sword had improved, and he also had some new ideas about the subsequent development of the Dragon Elephant Skill.
In addition, his body now carried a bit more demonic energy and aura.
'For a warrior, aura is also very important... If one can accumulate an invincible momentum, whether it's breaking through bottlenecks or cultivating, the progress will be astonishingly fast!'
'Is it my destiny in this world to spread the martial path, become a Martial Ancestor-like figure, teach countless disciples, crush the path of immortality, and usher in a new martial era?'
Fang Xing's thoughts began to wander.
However, if he could truly accomplish this feat, he would undoubtedly amass an incomparable aura and courage!
'To conquer the world with my fist?'
'I'm just a small fry right now. Founding a new path and challenging the path of immortality might be too much for me...'
'I'll just pretend to be a body cultivator for now...'
In reality, other cultivators could tell the difference between a body cultivator and a warrior at a glance, and Fang Xing had no idea how to disguise himself effectively.
But he didn't need to disguise himself! Just like Luo Hong, cultivators could only recognize things within their cognitive range.
Having never encountered such a powerful warrior, they would simply assume Fang Xing was a body cultivator, and an extremely skilled one at that, capable of concealing his aura.
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.
Fang Xing was quite content with his new living arrangements. After all, the Superior Cave Abode was brimming with spiritual energy, and even without practicing, one could still strengthen their body and prolong their lifespan.
Occasionally, he would venture out to spar with beasts or cultivators, returning with beast meat for food. When his supply of pills ran out, he could always purchase more from the market.
As for safety concerns?
Most nights, he returned to Hasty Hawk Star for a good night's sleep. Each slumber was especially sweet and refreshing.
The mundane problems of the market's cultivators, such as the impending scarcity of daily necessities, were unlikely to affect him.
One day...
Fang Xing stood topless, applying a layer of ointment to his body.
The ointment emitted a subtle fragrance and felt fiery on his skin—it was the 'Whale Elephant Ointment'!
"I've used up half a box of the Whale Elephant Ointment that Teacher Xia Long provided, and even though I've been conservative with it, it's all gone now..."
Fang Xing struck a boxing pose, and his entire body shone like a golden arhat.
"As expected of the Dragon Elephant Skill, the top-ranked defensive art among A-grade techniques..."
Through his previous battles, he had come to deeply appreciate the advantages of body cultivation techniques and was now determined to further develop his prowess.
"If I want to make rapid progress, Whale Elephant Ointment is indispensable. It's not ideal to keep buying it on the black market of Hasty Hawk Star, especially since I've been spreading the word about cultivation items. Who knows, the Preventative Bureau might be keeping a close eye on that market lately..."
"Perhaps I should look for an alternative here...
"I can try those Elixir pills suitable for body cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage. After all, I have spirit stones to spare... Even if I run out in the future, I can always sell that ancient bell and flying sword..."
After running through the Dragon Elephant Skill's mental formula, Fang Xing sat cross-legged with his five senses facing the sky, quietly channeling and tempering his internal energy within his five viscera and six bowels.
With the assistance of the 'Supplementary Qi Pills', his internal energy was virtually inexhaustible, and the speed at which he refined his five viscera was astonishing.
Once he finished his cultivation session, he glanced at his attribute panel:
Name: Fang Xing
Age: 17
Occupation: Warrior
Third Realm: Uncut Jade (Viscera: 21/100)
Army Body Boxing, 12 Forms: 55/200 (Mastery)
Grand Dragon Stance: 7/400 (Grandmaster)
Crouching Tiger Stance: 79/200 (Mastery)
Ghost God Blade: 45/100 (Skilled)
Extreme Emotion Sword: 22/100 (Skilled)
Dragon Elephant Skill: 8/100 (Initiate)
Gate of the Multiverse (Charging)
...
"As expected, slaughtering others is the fastest way to improve in martial arts..."
"Additionally, refining my viscera with internal energy is remarkably swift. At this rate, I should be able to refine all five viscera in about three months and then begin cultivating my six bowels..."
"In other words... I should be able to attempt the breakthrough to the fourth realm in half a year?"
"Around the time of the Hundred Stars Joint Exam? If I can make the breakthrough before the exam, I'll definitely make a stunning impression..."
Teacher Xia Long hoped that his students would achieve good rankings in the Hundred Stars Joint Exam, perhaps even placing within the top 50,000 or even the top 10,000. That would be considered an excellent result.
However, Fang Xing felt that with some effort, breaking into the top 1,000 shouldn't be a problem.
If he were lucky enough to reach the Brave Realm, he might even be able to vie for a spot in the top 10.
"And that's without me revealing all my abilities during the exam. Otherwise, I'd be aiming for the top three at the very least."
"After all, when I take the college entrance exam, I'll be competing with geniuses from all over the universe for spots in the top-notch universities... As for this little Hundred Stars Joint Exam..."
Fang Xing was feeling rather proud of himself when suddenly, a fierce and ominous cry echoed from the distant horizon!
Screeee!
The terrifying sound waves swept through the market area like a hurricane, causing the hearts of all cultivators to skip a beat.
The sound approached with alarming speed; it seemed to be far away just a moment ago, but in the blink of an eye, it was directly above the market!
A colossal shadow akin to the sun blotting out the sky descended.
Fang Xing looked up and saw a golden-feathered vulture-like beast. Its wingspan stretched for dozens of meters, and its feathers, resembling golden castings, shimmered with flowing light, forming a natural defense.
'My Blood Forging Artifact might not even be able to break through this bird's defenses...'
Fang Xing retreated into the underground chamber and monitored the situation through the surveillance system, ready to return to Hasty Hawk Star at a moment's notice.
Boom! Boom!
The massive beast landed in the market, its enormous claws pressing down and reducing countless ruins to powder!
Its hideous vulture-like head was incredibly agile as it darted into an underground chamber and snatched a cultivator to devour.
Whether it was spells or artifacts, they were all like paper before the beast's beak.
Fang Xing could sense the vast difference in their life levels.
"A second-stage beast?"
Several pitiful cries of beasts rang out in the distance as the golden-feathered vulture showed no discrimination, pressing down with its massive claws to swallow a bovine-headed serpent whole.
To this beast, both beasts and human cultivators in the market were nothing more than food.
'If a second-stage beast is this powerful, what about a third-stage grand beast?'
'I've been far too arrogant in the past. The road ahead of me... is still long!'
Fang Xing silently observed the surveillance feed, and when the beast showed signs of approaching his location, he immediately chose to activate the Gate of the Multiverse.
Three seconds later, a flash of silver light signaled the disappearance of the young man...
(End of Chapter)
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