The six puppets swiftly surrounded the Soul Transformation cultivator. Countless demonic vines spread in every direction, forming a thick curtain of blood-red growth and exuding an overwhelming vicious aura.
The Soul Transformation expert had initially held the advantage. Now the entire situation had reversed, and his prospects had become dire.
Xu Ziqing did not order the puppets or vines to attack. Something about his senior brother had caught his attention.
Upon closer inspection, Yun Lie’s face remained perfectly calm, his aura profoundly concentrated. Every sweep of his sword seemed to contain boundless truths, bringing endless pressure.
Wherever his sword pointed, killing intent surged like rivers and seas. When released, it was unyielding and forceful, sharp and cold beyond measure.
At that moment, Yun Lie felt neither fear nor delight, neither sorrow nor joy. He resembled an ice statue without blood or flesh, immersed in an extraordinarily mysterious state.
The Soul Transformation cultivator’s expression grew colder, killing intent blazing in his eyes.
He knew he was now at a disadvantage, but he still possessed several hidden methods. He believed that if he found the right opportunity, he could escape unharmed.
So he forced himself to grow calmer.
He had survived innumerable dangers to reach Soul Transformation. He understood that panic would only make matters worse.
Only by remaining calm, relentlessly calm, could he find a chance to escape.
He had already realized that he could not kill these two men. Never in his life had he imagined being driven to this point by one Golden Core and one Nascent Soul cultivator!
Once he escaped, he would gather capable people and eliminate them.
Otherwise, they would become mortal threats in the future!
The Soul Transformation cultivator fought more steadily as he made this decision. He sought not victory but the avoidance of mistakes, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth with every movement while conserving much of his true essence.
His conservative fighting style made it difficult to seize an opening.
Yet even fighting cautiously, he remained a Soul Transformation expert and provided Yun Lie with immense pressure and insight.
Yun Lie swung his sword faster and faster. His opponent was forced to increase his strength from fifty percent to seventy, then eighty, even ninety percent!
Suddenly, a succession of faint explosive sounds came from within Yun Lie, and his entire aura changed dramatically.
Layers of sword qi surged and rolled. The sword intent projected from his life-bound sword suddenly expanded and contracted, shifting between tangible and intangible forms. Piercing light erupted, scoring deep furrows into the ground.
Then the sword intent expanded almost without limit before abruptly contracting with a thunderous boom!
After the deafening blast, it grew incomparably condensed, thinner than a thread yet seemingly unbreakable.
Under the constant pressure of the Soul Transformation cultivator, Yun Lie had finally merged his primordial spirit and sword intent completely!
He had now achieved the first refinement of his sword soul!
An icy sharpness spread outward, sending chills into the hearts of all who sensed it.
But the sharp aura no longer scattered uncontrollably as before. Instead, it was concentrated precisely within that slender line of light and answered his will perfectly.
Xu Ziqing immediately understood that his senior brother had broken through!
His heart filled with joy. With a thought, he quietly withdrew two Nascent Soul puppets and replaced them with two Soul Transformation puppets.
The movement was so swift that the Soul Transformation cultivator, preoccupied by Yun Lie’s change in aura, failed to notice.
With the first refinement completed, Yun Lie’s power had advanced again. The Soul Transformation cultivator he had used to temper his sword no longer served that purpose.
Now Yun Lie’s only intention was to kill him.
Xu Ziqing sent a private transmission. “Senior Brother, I’ll have the puppets assist you!”
He did not doubt Yun Lie’s abilities. But Fire Origin Mountain Domain had gone too far. Their enemies had attempted to kill them, and they could not allow these attackers to escape and return with more people.
It was better to ensure the matter ended here.
The Soul Transformation cultivator’s state of mind was firm, and he continued fighting without losing control.
He cultivated an extraordinarily mysterious method, allowing him to call forth all manner of powerful spells and divine abilities with ease.
Yun Lie’s newly refined sword intent was indeed extraordinary and added greatly to the pressure. But killing a Soul Transformation expert would not be that simple.
The man watched for a chance to flee.
Then he felt several new forces attacking him from all directions. Six human-shaped figures were surrounding and striking at him together!
From directly ahead, a slender black-gold line swept toward him, tracing a long path through the air. It made scarcely a sound, yet inspired terror.
He had just repelled the heavy blows of several Nascent Soul puppets when he discovered that two of the others possessed auras no weaker than his own.
Fury rose in him. Where had these juniors obtained so many helpers? Did Wuling Mountain Domain possess such resources that even two youngsters carried so many powerful protective treasures?
It was unbelievable!
Xu Ziqing’s expression remained grave. Through their bond, he carefully instructed Rong Jin to divide into innumerable tendrils and block every exit.
The vines might not be able to pierce the Soul Transformation expert’s defensive treasure-light, but obstructing his flight should be possible.
It was an extra precaution. Although Xu Ziqing knew the puppets and his senior brother ought to be enough to prevent the man’s escape, he wanted another barrier.
The longer the Soul Transformation expert fought, the more alarmed he became. It was as though Yun Lie were an enormous whale swallowing water, constantly absorbing combat experience and growing stronger.
In just a short while, Yun Lie’s sword intent had become still more proficient. The sight filled his opponent with dread!
After many more exchanges, the Soul Transformation cultivator’s true essence began to run low. The sustained use of such power was finally taking its toll.
The shadow of death descended over him.
If he did not leave now, he would die!
He unleashed a long howl and erupted with every last measure of his strength!
A vast surge of power shook heaven and earth. It crashed down like an enormous tidal wave!
Yun Lie retreated several zhang. At the same time, the two Soul Transformation puppets darted forward from opposite directions and bore the brunt of the attack!
Although they divided its force between them, a strong remnant continued rushing onward.
Yun Lie cut downward with a straight arm. A black-gold line split the sky and struck the Soul Transformation cultivator directly above his head!
With a clear ringing sound, the man’s protective treasure-light broke.
A second sword stroke followed, then a third. Each was quicker and sharper than the last!
Countless sword lights descended. The Nascent Soul puppets continued interfering, and the Soul Transformation cultivator struggled to resist them all.
Eventually his movements became confused.
Seizing that opening, the two Soul Transformation puppets unleashed their greatest strength from front and rear!
Two muffled thuds rang out.
The puppets struck from front and rear. One pierced his dantian, the other drove its arm through his back and into his heart.
Several forces erupted together. Even the Soul Transformation cultivator’s sturdy body began to crack.
Blood flowed from all seven orifices of his face.
His life force began to fade.
Xu Ziqing sighed softly. “Rong Jin!”
The demonic vine, which had been holding itself back with difficulty, rejoiced. Hundreds of thick vines became slender as threads and surged toward the wounded cultivator, surrounding him completely.
The leaf-buds plunged into the cultivator’s body.
Soon, deep-red blood was drawn through those buds and absorbed by the demonic vine.
With so many vines feeding together, it did not take long.
Soon the cultivator’s body had shriveled until only skin over bone remained.
But just as the vines became satisfied, two balls of light burst out from the fallen body.
Xu Ziqing’s expression changed. “Careful! His Nascent Soul and primordial spirit!”
Yun Lie stepped forward and blocked the lights with his sword.
Pointing with two fingers, he wove several streams of sword intent into a net, imprisoning the larger ball.
Xu Ziqing could see a tiny infant within it, with distinct eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Its expression was panicked as it repeatedly collided with the net.
Escape was impossible. Each collision dimmed its light, leaving it more dispirited and desperate.
The other ball could not escape either. With another gesture, Yun Lie released sword intent that shredded it into fragments.
The Nascent Soul trembled violently. Its spirit seemed to wither, becoming even more despondent.
It had no further chance to struggle. Yun Lie closed his five fingers, and the sword-intent net contracted, destroying the Nascent Soul cleanly.
Only then did Xu Ziqing truly relax.
Rong Jin could not digest the Nascent Soul or primordial spirit of a Soul Transformation cultivator. Fortunately Yun Lie’s sword soul had become sharp enough to eliminate this lingering danger.
The battle had been genuinely perilous despite their puppets’ assistance, and Xu Ziqing was exhausted by it.
Yun Lie put away his sword. He had gained greatly from this battle, and his sword soul’s first refinement was complete. From now on he could continue tempering it, striving to reach all nine refinements.
Xu Ziqing recalled the demonic vines. Rong Jin had fed on several Nascent Soul cultivators and drained a Soul Transformation expert, absorbing a quantity of blood essence unlike anything before. It would surely grow stronger, whether by developing more vines or increasing its toughness and power. Both would be immensely helpful to Xu Ziqing.
Before the two men lay only several bodies and the remains of a courtyard wrecked by battle.
Xu Ziqing collected the cultivators’ storage bracelets and examined them briefly. They contained abundant resources. The Nascent Soul cultivators carried many medicinal pills, including life-saving medicines, and quite a few precious natural treasures. Their wealth in spirit stones was measured in spiritual veins: each possessed at least one first-grade spiritual vein, as well as several second- and third-grade veins. The Soul Transformation cultivator was wealthier still. His resources were of higher grade, and he even carried several supreme-grade spirit stones.
In the past, Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie had seldom taken the possessions of people they killed. But the Qianyuan Great World required them to think differently.
Wuling Mountain Domain was weak. To continue cultivating, they needed resources of their own. Although they had become fairly wealthy, cultivation at higher realms could demand fantastically expensive treasures that were difficult to obtain even with sufficient spirit stones. Their present holdings were far from inexhaustible.
They also could not think only of themselves. Without a strong sect to support them, they would become like duckweed adrift on an endless sea.
Their enemies had brought this fate upon themselves. There was no reason to be overly scrupulous. Otherwise, all those resources would simply fall into the restaurant owner’s hands.
Xu Ziqing brought the bracelets over, and he and Yun Lie selected the medicinal pills and treasures they could use. They put aside the spiritual veins and supreme-grade spirit stones as well. The other resources they intended to offer their sect, whether for their senior brothers to use or to store for future needs.
Once they had finished, neither lingered. They left calmly.
There had already been a formation around the private courtyard to prevent guests from being disturbed. Ironically, it kept the sounds of their battle from reaching outsiders.
Even when the two flew away from Gu Hua City, no one had discovered what had happened.