Chapter 72

Shang City became increasingly chaotic, with almost every part of the city filled with ferocious-looking loose cultivators, as well as some cultivators pretending to be loose cultivators.

Now, throughout the city's streets and wards, aside from the nine-story Treasure Pavilion which suffered no attack, everywhere various formation lights flickered unpredictably.

The guard force of Shang City, after losing the leadership of a Foundation Establishment great cultivator, could not resist the many Qi Refining cultivators, and could only shrink into a single street to defend.

Jin Garden, this place was even more of a disaster zone.

More and more cultivators gathered here; the Little Vajra Formation, which could originally last the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, now only managed to hold for a third of that time before teetering on collapse.

Inside the formation, Tie Lanshan, who had always kept a calm expression, couldn't help but change his face as he looked at the at least two hundred Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivators outside, his scalp tingling involuntarily.

Especially the first hundred cultivators, the anger on their faces could no longer be contained.

Even Master Liaoru's face showed some unnaturalness; his originally kind and benevolent expression now bore a hint of bitterness.

Wu Yue lowered his gaze to the defensive talisman in his hand, feeling somewhat uneasy, wondering whether this talisman could block a strike from these cultivators.

Ouyang Hua hesitated whether to take out his stockpile.

The shield of the Little Vajra Formation had already shown a slight crack, very likely to shatter in the next second.

Just then, the heaven and earth spiritual energy around suddenly boiled over; at first no one paid attention, but after a breath, everyone finally sensed something was wrong, they all stopped and looked around in astonishment.

The change in heaven and earth spiritual energy happened quickly; after another breath it was completely boiling.

Immediately afterward, all the heaven and earth spiritual energy near the Cautious Garden was gathered to this place.

Then it all rushed into the underground of the Cautious Garden!

Someone suddenly woke up and exclaimed:

"Someone is breaking through to Qi Condensation Great Perfection!"

"Who is it?"

Everyone simultaneously thought of one person: Lan Ming, the formation master.

Everyone's gaze turned toward the underground, but unfortunately, layers of formations obscured it, so they couldn't see the situation inside the underground chamber.

Everyone was stunned!

Seven days, only seven days' time, and they had already finished switching cultivation methods—that was a top-tier technique, the number one wood-element Qingdi Changsheng Gong!

How could the switch succeed so quickly!

At this point, someone couldn't help but say: "Seven days! Seven days to finish switching cultivation methods and even break through! Could Lan Ming possibly have some hidden wood-element physique?"

Qiu Hongye's face showed shock and anger: "How could it be? Someone's affinity with the Qingdi Changsheng Gong is that high!"

We can't wait any longer; once Lan Ming breaks through, he can escape, and then our chances of obtaining the Qingdi Changsheng Gong will plummet.

Thus, he immediately shouted in a low voice: "Everyone! There's no time left—break this formation with a single strike, or else once Lan Ming breaks through, they'll be able to flee!"

Qiu Hongye's words reminded the cultivators present; their originally surprised gazes suddenly shifted, and each of them had their protective spiritual light flickering over their bodies.

When that voice sounded, Tie Lanshan secretly thought it was bad, immediately retreated, and came to Master Liaoru's side.

At the same time, twenty-five defensive talismans ignited instantly.

"Enter the garden!"

Master Liaoru nodded with a solemn expression, a red light flashed on his body, and he brought Tie Lanshan and two others into the Cautious Garden.

Then the three tacitly split up at the same time, found corners, and hid themselves.

Almost as soon as they had found their positions, a strike containing the power of over two hundred Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivators descended from the heavens!

A torrent of magical treasures surged forward, covering sky and earth; its terrifying momentum directly crushed the last Little Vajra Formation, then, with the force of tearing apart rotten wood, it slammed into the first-rank grand formation of the Cautious Garden.

Although the Cautious Garden's grand formation was only first-rank, it was linked to a third-rank formation, so in terms of power it still retained some of the might of a second-rank formation.

Unfortunately, under the attack of over two hundred Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivators,

Creak! Creak!

The formation barely lasted a breath before shattering again!

Boom… boom… boom!

The entire Hundred Arts Garden trembled; the sound was so great that even the cultivators of the whole market city halted their attacks for a moment.

All the buildings on the ground of the Cautious Garden were directly destroyed; in an instant smoke and dust filled the sky, and before the floating dust could disperse, cultivators immediately unleashed spiritual power in a sweep, clearing the Cautious Garden's dust completely.

Under that powerful strike just now, the entire ground of the Cautious Garden sank three cun, forming a huge shallow pit; however, this shallow pit contained big and small, deep and shallow little pits, looking extremely ugly!

"Where is the underground chamber?"

One cultivator dropped straight to the ground, looking at the Cautious Garden already blown to rubble by them, released his spiritual sense directly, and quickly scanned the surroundings!

The Cautious Garden is not large; almost after two breaths, over thirty cultivators simultaneously discovered the entrance to the underground cultivation chamber.

Whoosh!

A green light-and-shadow, as swift as an arrow leaving the bow, shot ahead of all the cultivators and entered the underground chamber!

"Damn it! Dare to go in before me!"

"Courting death!"

Many cultivators with bad tempers exploded with rage, all rushing forward!

But just one second before they reached the underground chamber's door, the door suddenly emitted a streak of azure light, followed by a second, third, and fourth; in the blink of an eye, the entire ruined grounds of the Cautious Garden were covered by a layer of azure light.

Everyone was somewhat at a loss due to this change, and at that moment someone said doubtfully:

"Why did the cultivator who just went in make no sound at all?"

Upon hearing this, all the cultivators were startled; even the cautious ones retreated three or four zhang!

Whoosh!

A flash of azure sword light suddenly shot out from the underground cultivation chamber, so fast that only a fleeting azure glint could be seen.

Pfft!

The cultivator closest to the underground chamber was directly pierced through the body by the azure sword light, and the protective spiritual light on his body quickly faded.

Whoosh! whoosh! whoosh!

The green sword light was as fast as lightning; in the blink of an eye, another three great perfection cultivators were pierced through the body.

All of this happened too quickly, such that four cultivators fell to the ground, and only then did the cultivators present react.

"What is this?" a cultivator exclaimed angrily and shouted.

"Scatter!" a cultivator warned!

"It looks like a sword light!" a cultivator stationed far away, with sharp eyes, loudly warned.

Unfortunately, even the warning was useless; that sword light was too swift and also too fierce, in just three breaths ten great perfection Qi Refining cultivators had their protective spiritual light pierced through, and their bodies were stabbed front to back.

From the appearance of the green sword light to the falling of fourteen cultivators, it took only four breaths.

And just then, the incessantly slaughtering green sword light came to a stop.

In the ruins of Cautious Garden, a three‑foot green blade hovered silently; not long ago it had still surrounded Cautious Garden with an impenetrable barrier of many great perfection Qi Refining cultivators, but now it had already retreated beyond a hundred zhang.

Only fourteen corpses lay fallen on the ground!

Near Cautious Garden, a silence fell; nearly two hundred cultivators, either frightened or solemn, stared at the three‑foot green blade hovering in Cautious Garden.

Just now, that unstoppable, lethal strike of terrifying slaughter left them with lingering fear.

The protective spiritual light of great perfection Qi Refining cultivators, before it, was as flimsy as paper—one poke and it broke.

In the shadows, Qiu Hongye's face was pale with fright; just now he had almost rushed in, but in the end his guards pulled him back a bit.

Otherwise, the one lying on the ground now would be him; he turned back, smiled at his guards, was about to say something, when suddenly he heard a sound of footsteps.

He immediately swallowed the words on his lips, quickly turned his head, and solemnly looked toward the basement entrance.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

A footstep sound slowly rang out!

As the footsteps gradually approached the ground, a blue‑clad figure appeared at the basement entrance.

A cultivator who knew Lan Ming exclaimed:

"Lan Ming, the artifact refiner!"

Lan Ming! A genius artifact refiner! The owner of the Qingdi Changsheng Gong technique!

Everyone's gazes turned toward the basement entrance!

After two breaths, an ordinary‑looking young cultivator walked out of the basement.

As the youth stepped out, a chilling killing intent suddenly spread, and the three‑foot green blade that had been hovering silently also trembled and hummed on its own with the spreading killing intent.

The killing intent between heaven and earth suddenly surged!

Pat!

Wang Ping, gripping the sword hilt, revealed for the first time in his life a heaven‑rending anger and killing intent!

His icy gaze, like ten‑thousand‑year‑old profound ice, fixed on the foremost cultivator, without a word.

At this moment, he did not want to speak; he only wanted to vent his earlier anger and fright through slaughter!

Kill! Kill! Kill!

The azure‑bladed sword in his hand instantly left his grip, and in the blink of an eye it was before the foremost cultivator!

The cultivator, who had been prepared, flung out a deep‑yellow flying dagger, which also shot at great speed toward the green sword light.

Crack!

The yellow flying dagger snapped in two, the green sword's momentum undiminished; in an instant, the azure‑bladed sword pierced through the cultivator's body and emerged.

"How… how… possible! That was a top‑grade magical artifact, the Breaking‑Gale Flying Dagger!"

That cultivator stared with furious eyes, full of unwillingness, and collapsed.