Chapter 319: This Thing Belongs to Me

"Is there any disciple who wishes to take the Nine-Orifice Golden-Forming Fruit left behind by the Patriarch?"

The white-browed old cultivator asked again.

Many Foundation Establishment cultivators looked toward the green-robed youth below the main seat.

For a moment, no one dared to step forward first.

Even though this was the hope of forming a core.

"Senior brother, give it to me."

Jiang Ding stood up, walked in one step onto the dueling platform, and asked the white-browed old cultivator.

"This…"

The white-browed old cultivator hesitated for a moment, then nodded. With a flip of his hand, he produced a golden, gleaming fruit.

It looked as if it were forged entirely of pure gold, the size of a fist, with nine orifices. The moment it appeared, an aura of utmost firmness, utmost yang, utmost righteousness spread out.

Princess Princess Chiyan and Brother Brother Moyu revealed greedy expressions.

This fruit was comparable to the Jin Dan of a human Golden Core cultivator!

Even rarer, it bore none of the Shen Hun He Fa Li Lao Yin unique to a human Golden Core cultivator's inner core, so it could be absorbed completely. Added to that, the meridians of demon beasts were far tougher than those of humans, allowing them to absorb even more medicinal power.

One and a half tenths!

At the very least, it would add one and a half tenths to the chance of becoming a Demon King!

Combined with bloodline and talent, there was even a chance of a fifty percent possibility of becoming a Demon King—far surpassing anyone else.

"Nine-Orifice Golden-Forming Fruit!"

Lei Lei Linghe, Zhou Kun, and other Foundation Establishment cultivators' eyes instantly turned somewhat blood-red, restless with desire.

If they had encountered it in the wild, even Golden Core cultivators would dare to try surrounding and killing one or two for it.

Life and death, the gap between them—all were completely forgotten.

Even the Peacock Demon King and the ruler of Princess Princess Chiyan's kingdom were tempted.

The demon beasts' instincts told them clearly that swallowing this thing would greatly benefit their cultivation.

A single Nine-Orifice Golden-Forming Fruit traced a curved arc through the air.

The gazes of many Foundation Establishment cultivators followed it fixedly, until they watched helplessly as it fell into a palm and was put away.

Their eyes instantly turned crimson.

Killing intent overflowed; the great hall of the sect turned icy cold.

"This thing belongs to me."

Jiang Ding swept his gaze around and said calmly: "Only in my hands can the sect be restored to its greatest glory. Is there anyone who disagrees?"

Wherever his gaze swept,

all the cultivators lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

After a moment of silence,

someone was still unwilling.

After some promises were made, a big-bearded man flew up onto the platform. He was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, cupped his hands, and said: "Little Martial Uncle, this disciple requests your instruction. Please show mercy."

Jiang Ding frowned.

The big-bearded man opposite him broke out in a cold sweat, at a loss for what to do, and deeply regretted it.

"This match…"

"is too childish."

Jiang Ding Zi muttered to himself, somewhat displeased.

A pale-blue sword qi flew from between his fingers, gleaming brightly as it descended toward the early Foundation Establishment cultivator opposite.

"Hundred Birds Art!"

The big-bearded man's scalp exploded with shock. He formed hand seals, and red dots appeared one after another, transforming into a hundred kinds of birds—vivid and lifelike, with deep-red sharp beaks, chirping and crying, as they pounced toward the pale-blue sword qi.

Almost simultaneously, he conjured a Yi Mian Shang Pin magical artifact flame shield around himself, several feet of fierce flame thick enough to melt gold and dissolve iron, shielding his entire body tightly as he stared fixedly ahead.

Whoosh!

The pale-blue sword qi pierced straight through the energy nodes of the Hundred Birds flame spell. The hundred birds instantly collapsed, and a top-grade magical artifact fire pearl was sent flying, its spiritual light utterly dim.

"The conception of the spell is passable."

Jiang Ding commented calmly.

"It's just that you didn't conceal it well enough, and the spell is too weak. You could consider learning a thing or two about formations."

Whoosh!

The pale-blue sword qi did not slow in the slightest. It bypassed the edge of the flame shield, tore through layer upon layer of fierce flame barrier, and stopped at the big-bearded cultivator's brow.

"Many thanks to Little Martial Uncle for showing mercy!"

The big-bearded cultivator cupped his hands in a bow, his back chilled, and hurriedly ran down the dueling platform.

The many Foundation Establishment cultivators watched without blinking, silently putting themselves in his place, and swallowed hard.

No matter how they dodged, the outcome would be death in a single strike—there would be no other possibility.

"Father, it was this very move that slew the Black Leopard."

Brother Brother Moyu said hatefully: "This must be a strand of Innate Sword Qi he has been nurturing for who knows how many years. It breaks through everything, and he is far stronger than any human Foundation Establishment cultivator I have encountered before, no matter which realm within Foundation Establishment."

"We must find an opportunity to swallow this sword qi and destroy his Dao foundation."

The Peacock Demon King's gaze was deep and dark; he did not answer his words.

"Yuan'er, this is the kind of human heaven's-chosen cultivator I once told you about."

The ruler of Princess Princess Chiyan's kingdom said to his daughter, Princess Princess Chiyan: "For our demon race, below Golden Core, before humans have refined their own Ben Ming Fa Bao, fighting those of the same realm often gives us a great advantage, and short-term kills are even possible—but that does not include certain heaven's-chosen cultivators among the countless human cultivators."

"Not only are they strong within the same realm, but what is even more terrifying is that their possibility of advancing to the next realm is far higher than that of other human cultivators, and their growth period is far shorter than that of our demon beasts."

"Once such a person is discovered, it is best to crush and slay them with realm superiority; if realm pressure is not possible, then surround and kill them with dozens of times the number of people."

"Of course, it would be best if we could employ our fox clan's innate demonic arts to capture them."

She added.

"Your daughter understands."

Princess Chi Yuan watched the youth on the dueling platform with burning eyes.

The easy defeat of the big-bearded cultivator did not make the many Foundation Establishment cultivators below the arena feel any urge to retreat.

Instead, their eyes lit up.

"Little Martial Uncle, this disciple is Liu Dayou, still…"

Another swarthy, thin Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator stepped onto the dueling platform and said respectfully.

Whoosh!

A pale-blue sword qi descended.

Before he could finish speaking, it landed on his body, shattering the shield that had just barely appeared; a tremendous force swept in, slamming him into the ground amid a cloud of dust.

"…please instruct me for a moment."

The swarthy, thin cultivator's face flushed red; he slunk away in disgrace and hid among the crowd.

Before there was even a moment's rest, another person leapt up—a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator—who cupped his fist: "Little Martial Uncle, this disciple…"

Whoosh!

The pale-blue sword qi descended, slicing through a supreme-grade Bai Yu ruyi defensive magic treasure he had preemptively expanded and the figure within; the shield exploded and shattered, the treasure's spiritual light dimmed as it fell, and the person collapsed onto the ground.

Clang!

A single sword cry rang out on all sides, stiffening the steps of another Foundation Establishment cultivator who was about to step onto the platform, bringing him to a halt.

"A wheel-fight is not unacceptable either."

Jiang Ding said calmly: "However, it wastes too much time, which I do not like."

"Everyone, please watch this sword of mine."

He flicked a finger; magic power surged into it—one pale-blue sword qi, then a second, a third… rapidly multiplying, intertwining and weaving, with mysterious array patterns faintly flashing through them.

In an instant,

a deep-blue sword lotus took shape between his fingers, with twenty-seven lotus petals in total, edges razor-sharp, spinning ceaselessly, a faint mist spreading around it.

Twenty-seven—this was precisely the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators qualified to compete for the Nine-Orifice Golden Core Fruit.

"This is…"

The many Foundation Establishment cultivators below the dueling platform felt their divine souls tremble, sharing a common premonition.

A cold gaze locked onto them!

Including Zhou Zhou Kunlong and other Foundation Establishment peak cultivators, warned by the omen, they activated the full-body Shen De Fa; one after another, shields, ruyi, round mirrors, and other magic treasures flashed with spiritual light, enlarging before them.

"Go!"

Jiang Ding casually pointed.

Whoosh!

The sword lotus spun ceaselessly, transforming into a deep-blue streak of light that fell among the crowd; multiple flying swords, flying needles, fireballs, and other spells and magic treasures tried to intercept, but all were pierced through, their spiritual light collapsing.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

The spinning sword lotus paused; twenty-seven terrifying pale-blue sword qi shot out in all directions, extraordinarily agile, each locking onto an opponent as they flew forth.

Boom!

Rumble!

The sounds of spells exploding, magic treasures falling, bodies slamming into the ground, and screams all mingled into a chaotic mess, yet it all happened in a single instant.

A moment later,

the dust dispersed, and the place returned to calm once more, with only the sound of breathing remaining.

General Brother Brother Moyu and Princess Chi Yuan felt a chill in their hearts.

Foundation Establishment cultivators lay all over the ground, unable to rise, their magic treasures' spiritual light dim as they lay to one side; only Thunder Spirit Crane and Zhou Zhou Kunlong, the two Foundation Establishment peak cultivators, stood in place with utterly disheveled faces.

(End of this chapter)