Chapter 391: One Sword Drawn, Jin Dan Dead

Two streams of escape light, barely maintaining basic invisibility, shot wildly toward the border between Chu State and Yue State.

Only this way.

Returning to the war-torn Northern Plain would be even more dangerous.

As for other places, beyond the Northern Plain, this patch of Cultivation World is nothing but a desolate, spiritless desert—spending all your lifespan might still fail to find another Xiu Xian Di Gao Jie.

Neither Huaxuedian nor Xiang Qiyu Sect is easy to deal with.

"This time, the brothers are out of luck."

Huang Bao cursed bitterly: "The Master Tushan sword cultivators are too hateful. That third-rank top-grade spiritual vein is large enough to accommodate multiple Jin Dan Late Stage cultivators, and he can't even use it all—why won't he share even a little?"

"Wait. As the warfare in the Northern Plain grows more frequent, more cultivators will come. I refuse to believe he can keep monopolizing this spiritual vein forever."

"We'll settle it then."

The bearded elder's eyes flashed with cold light.

Huang Bao was one thing—he was the one who directly struck, and now he'd already forged such a mortal enemy; if he wasn't eliminated, someday an unseen sword might fly out and sever his head.

The two streams of escape light suddenly halted.

They revealed their forms, faces grim as they stared ahead.

"How did you find us?"

In the void, a plain-faced youth gazed at them calmly, his Jin Dan Chu Qi aura as if he'd been waiting long.

"Law and Body Dual Cultivation, Jin Dan Zhong Qi—impressive."

Jiang Ding nodded at Huang Bao.

This was his first time seeing this Jin Dan cultivator; under his sword intent scan, he immediately realized the intel on Jia-25 was wrong—the man had concealed his cultivation.

"Greetings, Master Tushan Daoist."

Huang Bao's heart tightened, forcing a thin smile: "My brother and I were merely joking with your disciple. We're willing to compensate him two million low-grade spiritual stones—what do you say, Daoist?"

"I know you're a sword intent sword cultivator, capable of fighting above your level, but among cultivators, harmony is always best."

"We're both from the Northern Plain—we should watch over each other."

Having been exposed, he no longer concealed himself, unleashing the pressure of a Jin Dan Zhong Qi cultivator—stepping back, yet subtly threatening.

The bearded elder stared ahead with solemn expression.

"Two million spiritual stones?"

Jiang Ding chuckled bitterly.

"Daoist, you're deluded. You don't understand the situation—you two are mine, body and soul. Two million spiritual stones won't even cover it."

The magnetic patterns on his third eye flickered, spreading concentric rings of magnetic field energy arrays shaped like dashed lines.

A brilliant blue sword emerged within them,

Boom!

She vanished in the sonic boom, terrifying destruction intent spreading in all directions, locking tightly onto the two Jin Dans' soul cores—no escape, up or down.

"Arrogant!"

Huang Bao flew into a rage, shedding his pretense; a flash of spiritual light appeared in his hand, revealing a golden-gleaming great knife. He flicked his wrist, torrents of brilliant golden blade qi surged forth, forming a dense array of blades that slashed forward.

His body trembled with cracking joints, muscles bulging, fangs protruding, golden fur rising over his skin—he transformed into a golden ape, ten feet tall.

"You're merely a Jin Dan Chu Qi cultivator. You've been given face and still refuse it—you seek your own death!"

"Die!"

Huang Bao roared, raising the golden great knife high, leaping hundreds of zhang forward, his murderous aura raging wildly.

Law and Body Dual Cultivation!

Compared to ordinary human cultivators, his body was no longer weak—it was his strength, granting massive advantages in defense and close combat.

Unlike ordinary cultivators who fight at a distance with treasures, they preferred closing in, tearing opponents apart with brute force and spells.

"I won't die."

Jiang Ding shook his head.

In a breath, the blue sword descended, carrying brilliant destruction intent.

Beneath the blue blade, the layered golden blade qi array shattered and vanished completely, leaving no effect—the swordlight blazed, destruction intent spreading, slicing straight into the golden knife held by the ape.

Ding!

The golden knife met the blue sword.

"Impossible!"

Huang Bao's eyes widened like bronze bells, filled with horror.

Crack!

The blade of the Zhong Pin Fa treasure, the Golden-Cleave Knife, split open with a visible crack the moment of contact—nearly reaching the knife's center.

Simultaneously, a terrifying force surged from the blade-sword clash, making his throat sweet, his bones and sinews weak—he recoiled backward like a ball, spewing a great gout of blood midair.

"You're Law and Body Dual Cultivation?"

Jiang Ding commented: "That's the choice of mediocrities. Law already encompasses offense, defense, and mobility—why waste effort learning beast hide and muscle?"

"Swallow!"

At the same moment, the bearded elder gasped, swept his sleeve, unfurling the Luo Tian Sleeve, which suddenly expanded to dozens of zhang wide, swallowing rolling dust and ground within a radius of several li.

A massive tearing force formed, acting entirely on the plain-faced sword cultivator far away, making his body sway slightly.

Hum!

The Taiqing Sword's blue light vibrated, slicing out a massive, dozens-zhang-wide sword qi—destruction, soul-severing—shearing through the immense pull on his body.

It could no longer have any effect.

"Your technique is called Luo Tian Sleeve?"

Jiang Ding's piercing gaze shifted toward that direction.

"Danger!"

The bearded elder's scalp prickled, his soul trembling; he unleashed a small emerald knife that shot forward.

Shh!

A brilliant blue flying sword arrived in an instant, slashing into the emerald knife.

Crack!

As blade met blade, a terrifying sound rang out—the emerald knife's spiritual light flickered wildly, then shattered into two pieces of Qing Qing Daoren, its light extinguished, flung downward.

"Condense!"

The bearded elder's face turned pale, his magic power churning; fear deepened as his vast sleeves shrank violently, becoming a black, bowl-sized void blocking his front.

Boom!

The Taiqing Flying Sword plunged into the void, paused briefly; before the bearded elder could exhale, the blue swordlight flared again, forcibly piercing through the sleeves and striking toward his skull.

"No!"

The bearded elder screamed, bit his tongue, and his body split into dozens of lifelike illusions, fleeing wildly backward—speed nearly matching a Jin Dan Late Stage cultivator.

Shh!

The Taiqing Flying Sword pierced through the head of one illusion, spraying brain matter; the sword aura spread rapidly along the neck, instantly destroying the Jin Dan and soul.

A lifeless corpse fell downward.

One sword—Jin Dan dead!

Jiang Ding silently sighed within.

Though merely a Jin Dan Chu Qi cultivator, at least he had fulfilled his original goal.

"Aaa!!"

"You—"

Forced back hundreds of meters, the Golden Ape Gong Fa's savage instinct surged; Huang Bao's golden fur ignited with Xiong Xiong flames—he was about to roar and fight to the death, but when he saw this, his heart trembled.

Cold water seemed poured over his entire body.

The rage rooted in his Gong Fa and bloodline—the fury that required constant ingestion of Jingxin Pills to suppress—vanished instantly, unable to gather again no matter how hard he tried.

"Die? What?"

After his sigh, Jiang Ding turned to the Golden Ape, every hair on its body standing rigid.

"Die…"

On Huang Bao's monkey face, a human-like terror appeared; he dared not utter another word, gripped his golden knife tightly, burned his blood, and fled desperately toward Huaxuedian.

(End of Chapter)