Chapter 529: Sword Intent Pursues Across a Thousand Miles

Ji Qun Zhong Heavy Cannon Bombardment Killing Cultivators Main Text Volume Chapter 561: Sword Intent Pursues Across a Thousand Miles — More than two thousand kilometers from the Disciple Peak.

This place is called Weapon-Smelting Mountain.

It was where cultivators of the former Luoxu Sect refined treasures. Waves of scorching heat seared the sky, encircling the mountain ridge. Thirty-six rivers of boiling lava flowed downward, occasionally dotted with rare heavenly materials and earthly treasures unseen in the outside world, with fourth-tier items appearing from time to time.

Such a treasure land visible at a glance naturally would not be unclaimed.

In fact, around this place, at least several dozen battles had erupted. Over a hundred Jin Dan cultivators capable of founding sects in a region had once fought here, and great numbers of Jin Dan cultivators perished like weeds.

In the end, peace returned.

Occasionally, Jin Dan cultivators who set foot here would see the mountain full of heavenly materials and earthly treasures, first overcome with wild joy, unable to believe it, then their faces would suddenly change, and they would flee at the slightest sign of trouble, not daring to linger for a moment.

The reason for all this,

was simply that atop Weapon-Smelting Mountain, an ancient, simple banner a hundred zhang tall stood at the peak, its baleful aura and military qi sweeping clean a radius of several dozen li, silencing all living things.

This banner had a blue base, with two large characters embroidered on it in gold thread.

Blood Cloud!

Blood Nan Yunqi!

This was a top-grade dharma treasure renowned throughout the Northern Plains, legendarily passed down from the ancient top-grade Modaoda Sect, the Blood River Gate. It was the strongest supreme treasure inherited by that sect. Later generations unearthed the remnant banner from ruins, then collected and added numerous heavenly materials and earthly treasures, and with heaven-defying luck, refined it into a Ben Ming Fa treasure.

The moment this treasure emerged into the world, a Jin Dan Lei Gao Jie accompanied its birth.

After its emergence, when the blood banner unfurled, it mattered not whether you were Jin Dan Zhong Qi or late-stage, family direct lineage or branch line — in an instant flesh and blood dissolved, divine souls were ground to nothing, and even Nascent Soul cultivators did not dare treat it lightly.

Nascent Soul cultivators had personally pursued and attacked several times, yet still failed to seize it.

Correct,

the master of the Blood Nan Yunqi was known to all, familiar to everyone — none other than the illustrious great hero of the Northern Plains, Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun, whose reputation was that of righteousness soaring above the clouds!

Righteousness soaring above the clouds!

In the Northern Plains, a place where people reach for the knife at every turn, merely having a sense of righteousness is not enough to earn the reputation of righteousness soaring above the clouds.

What one holds must be hard, one's strikes must be vicious and ruthless. One must kill people until they are terrified, until they dare not be enemies, and only then bestow benevolence and righteousness upon them.

Only thus can one earn the reputation of righteousness.

Otherwise, one is merely a fool, an idiot spoken of by others — outwardly respectful and admiring, while secretly scheming endlessly against you.

This order cannot be reversed.

The Blood Nan Yunqi stood atop the peak, fluttering in the wind, its dense baleful aura shrouding a radius of several dozen li, marking out its territory.

Anyone who tries to force their way in will surely learn where the reputation of righteousness soaring above the clouds comes from.

Deceiving them with propriety is impossible — those who have attempted it have long since become bleached bones.

Upon the peak,

beneath the hundred-zhang-tall Blood Nan Yunqi,

a youth over nine chi tall, with prominent features, heroic and imposing, sat with eyes closed in quiet cultivation. Infinite Blood Cloud baleful qi was inhaled and exhaled between breaths, drawn in through his mouth and nose, then expelled, as the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth rose and fell.

All around, several dozen Jin Dan cultivators came and went, searching various places, exploring for secret treasures, scooping heavenly materials and earthly treasures from the thirty-six lava rivers.

Though their appearances, ages, cultivations, Gong Fa, and backgrounds all differed, they moved in perfect order, cooperating seamlessly with one another.

From time to time they would glance up at the peak, their eyes filled with reverence.

Crack!

Suddenly, a crisp sound of something breaking rang out clearly.

"Second Brother?"

The heroic youth meditating beneath the Blood Nan Yunqi suddenly opened his eyes, his expression shaken.

With a flip of his hand, a sixth-grade blood-colored lotus platform appeared in his palm.

He fixed his gaze upon it.

The flower bud Xu Xu unfolded, revealing a glowing blood-colored lotus seed, the size of a thumb. It had been perfectly round and flawless, but now a crack appeared at its center, slowly widening.

"Second Brother is dead?"

"Who did it? Blazing Lie Yang Jianzi? Six Paths Holy Son?"

Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun muttered to himself, killing intent blossoming bit by bit, and said in anguish: "Had I known it would be like this, I should have gone myself. Otherwise, how could Second Brother have fallen into such peril?"

"This is all my fault!"

"I should die!"

He cursed angrily and slapped himself across the face.

This blood lotus seed was something he and his brother had obtained together in a chance encounter back when they were impoverished in their early years. It was a sect-supreme treasure painstakingly refined by the ancient Blood River Gate. Fused with heart's blood and refined through sacrificial rites for a hundred years, as long as they were no more than ten thousand li apart, it could revive its bearer once — a heaven-defying supreme treasure, of which there were only two in existence.

Back then, the two brothers had each taken one.

They had weathered hundreds of years of storms together.

They had even encountered Nascent Soul pursuits, countless brushes with death, been hunted by Nascent Soul cultivators several times, and pulled through every time — the blood lotus seed had never once been used.

Yet now, unexpectedly, in this small place, in nothing more than an ordinary investigation, they had faced a death crisis and perished here.

"General, as long as Second Brother is still alive, that's what matters."

Several generals were cultivating nearby. Hearing this, they gathered around, and upon hearing Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun speak thus, their hearts were moved.

This was not merely an act.

A mere loose cultivator, with no family or heritage, and facing danger every day — among the Eighteen Riders, people perished from time to time, and descendants stepped up to fill their places, without complaint or regret.

Jin Dan cultivators were all shrewd, cunning beings — why would they act this way?

Was it not because Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun always charged at the forefront of every battle, rushing toward wherever the danger lay, bearing the heaviest burden himself, drawing the most peril to himself, treating his brothers with complete honesty, and pursuing the great Dao of Nascent Soul together — dying without regret?

"Blazing Lie Yang Jianzi? Six Paths Holy Son?"

The blood lotus seed in his hand kept cracking open, and Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun fell into thought, his eyes full of doubt.

As for others, he was six parts sincere and four parts acting, gathering the strength of loose cultivators to accomplish great deeds, each taking what they needed.

But this brother who had walked alongside him since childhood was genuinely considering it in earnest.

On this trip to the Falling Luo Xu Zong, only those two could pose a danger to his second brother.

Yet the Six Paths Holy Son was clearly being hunted by the Blazing Lie Yang Jianzi, the two of them locked in fierce combat, a great distance from the Disciple Peak.

He had confirmed this early on, and because the matter of the Weapon-Smelting Mountain was of great importance, requiring him to personally oversee the assault on the mountain, he had sent his second brother out.

Besides, his second brother had once escaped from a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Although the Nascent Soul ancestor's main attention at the time had been on himself, escaping from the Six Paths Holy Son should have been absolutely certain, right?

The doubt in Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun's eyes grew ever thicker. He simply stopped thinking about it, cupped the Blood Lotus Seed in both hands, and slowly channeled magic power into it, helping it break out of its shell.

Crack…

Crack…

The sound of the lotus shell breaking was unceasing. Soon, after a few breaths, it split open completely, revealing a person within.

The figure was the size of a thumb, naked, with a complete mouth, nose, eyes, limbs, and torso. Its features were handsome, its skin a translucent pale, the muscle fibers within faintly visible.

"Second brother!"

Dong Xue Dong Xue Liuyun's heart eased, and he called out softly: "Who did you run into? Was it a Nascent Soul ancestor? Do we need to flee now?"

Between brothers, there was no need for beating around the bush or embarrassment.

"Big brother."

Dong Xue Shou Ren Mo Li Tu's voice was incomparably weak. He said resentfully: "It was Master Tushan… Master Tushan…"

Suddenly, his brow felt cool.

Li Tu's words broke off. He subconsciously touched his brow; the touch was icy, and drops of fresh blood fell from his fingertips.

"No, impossible…"

His lips trembled, his face deathly pale, as he realized something.

A streak of an azure-blue sword mark.

At some unknown moment, it had appeared between Li Tu's brows.

An aura of spirit-shattering and law-annihilation emerged, spreading at an unhurried pace like a spiderweb toward his eyeballs, mouth, nose, brain, and other places.

"Big brother, save me!"

"Save me quickly!"

"He's coming!"