Chapter 220: Scramble

220. Chapter 220 "Scramble" Xiao Zhangqing

"Come out!"

"Even if you sprout wings today, you still can't escape!"

"If you're sensible, obediently hand over the Condensing True Pill; perhaps there's still a chance to live. If you don't know any better, today you're definitely doomed!"

Hundreds of li after leaving Panlong Immortal City, Xiao Zhangqing was caught up; several streaks of evading light took human form and surrounded his flying boat.

This is still the result of these pursuers 'going easy'.

They 'deliberately' let Xiao Zhangqing flee first, then after he got farther from Panlong Immortal City, they prepared to strike.

If he were too close to Panlong Immortal City, the clash would be too conspicuous, drawing the city's enforcement squad to intervene, which would be troublesome.

Although among these pursuers are some with great influence in Panlong Immortal City—people who can even grant the Seven Star Sword Sect's enforcement squad a few favors, bending the law—if they can avoid alerting the squad, that's best.

After all, this matter isn't exactly glorious.

Moreover, letting Xiao Zhangqing 'escape' this far without spotting who he met or any reinforcements eased the pursuers' lingering unease.

He's a big, fat fish with no danger—ripe for the taking!

"You're three parties, right?"

Xiao Zhangqing stepped out of the flying boat obediently, scanned the surroundings, and said, "I only have one Condensing True Pill. Who should I give it to? Or you three can duel first; whoever wins, I'll give it to them."

"Heh…"

A voluptuous female cultivator of the Fake Core realm, Fake Core True Person, sneered, "Pretty clever, trying to make us fight each other so you can slip away? Unfortunately, such petty scheming is useless to us! Hand over the Condensing True Pill immediately; how the Pill is divided we'll decide ourselves, not your concern!"

Even so, the woman's glances toward the other two were full of worry and unease.

The other two are genuine Core Formation cultivators.

Although all are at the early Core Formation stage, they are among the top few of that stage.

She, however, is only a Fake Core True Person, far weaker in strength than the two.

Nevertheless, her background isn't ordinary; she has powerful backing and abundant resources.

By strength she has no right to snatch the Condensing True Pill among the three, but she can obtain it through post‑battle persuasion and negotiation.

Buzz! Sword qi surged into the clouds; a stern, expressionless sword cultivator, looking like a gentleman, brandished a jet‑black magic sword at Xiao Zhangqing and barked, "Hand over the Condensing True Pill, or die!"

"Someone from the Seven Star Sword Sect?"

Xiao Zhangqing asked with interest.

"Kid, Yu Mo Real Person may not be a sword cultivator from the Seven Star Sword Sect, but among the hundreds of thousands of Scattered Cultivators in Panlong Immortal City, he is undisputedly the number‑one sword‑path master! Show some sense."

Answering Xiao Zhangqing was an elderly man in gray robes, with yellow beard and hair, towering and rugged, exuding impressive aura.

"So it's Yu Mo Real Person, my apologies, my apologies." Xiao Zhangqing realized.

He had lived in Panlong Immortal City for two months, so the name was already familiar to him.

Yu Mo Real Person, though originally a Scattered Cultivator, is said to have inherited a legacy from a Nascent Soul True Lord of millennia past; his sword‑path cultivation and talent would rank among the elite even in the Seven Star Sword Sect.

He is not only the top sword‑path master among Panlong Immortal City's scattered cultivators, but also ranks within the top ten among all Scattered Cultivators in the Da Yu Cultivation World.

The reason is simple.

Although Yu Mo Real Person has not yet broken through to Mid Core Formation, his record of crushing Mid Core Formation real persons is impressive! "Then you must be the Xie Family Patriarch?"

Xiao Zhangqing looked again at the towering yellow‑haired elder and voiced his guess.

The Xie Family is a renowned cultivation clan in the north‑west of the Da Yu Cultivation World; in terms of lineage length, the Seven Star Sword Sect is but a fledgling compared to them, with a heritage of thousands of years.

However, rumors say the Xie Family was once annihilated after a demon lord emerged from within them many years ago; once exposed, they were attacked en masse, nearly wiped out, their disciples scattered and hidden.

Later, a prodigious talent rose among the Xie descendants, dominating the Core Formation realm and re‑uniting the family.

Nevertheless, even after their resurgence, the Xie Family failed to learn from the demon‑lord disaster, and their reputation remains poor.

The current Xie Family Patriarch is named Xie Yun, notable for his towering build and yellow beard and hair.

"Kid, you've got some eye for talent…"

The Xie Family Patriarch let out a coarse, booming laugh, then in an instant swung a massive hand without warning, a towering, condensed Core Formation magical energy forming a huge formation that surged toward Xiao Zhangqing.

He didn't care whether Xiao Zhangqing could withstand the strike.

He only needed to seize Xiao Zhangqing immediately and pull him to his side.

Whether Xiao Zhangqing lives or dies didn't matter; a corpse would do, since they only wanted the Condensing True Pill.

"Absurd! Xie Old Ghost, you're not worthy of fighting me for this!"

Yu Mo Real Person immediately unsheathed his magic sword, prepared for the Xie Family Patriarch's move; his magical energy summoned countless black sword qi, vast as a black dragon, intercepting the patriarch's attack. Their magical forces clashed in the air with a deafening explosion. The voluptuous female cultivator had claimed there would be no internal strife and that distribution would be discussed after securing the Condensing True Pill.

But in practice, internal conflict erupted instantly and inevitably.

After all, whoever grabs the Condensing True Pill first gains the most say and can act freely.

Yu Mo Real Person truly lives up to his reputation as the top sword cultivator in the Da Yu Cultivation World aside from the Seven Star Sword Sect; even though his magical energy is only at early Core Formation, his sword‑qi techniques are extraordinarily subtle, his conversion of magical energy baffling, producing power beyond the limits of early Core Formation.

The Xie Family Patriarch, though also famed, was completely suppressed by Yu Mo Real Person; under the attack he could barely defend.

Just as Yu Mo Real Person thought victory was assured and prepared to divert a strand of sword qi to slay Xiao Zhangqing while also snatching the Condensing True Pill, the Xie Family Patriarch suddenly sneered and roared, his magical aura soaring, directly breaking through the limits of early Core Formation and reaching the Mid Core Formation realm!

"Mid Core Formation? Xie Old Ghost, you're hiding deep!"

"Even if it's Mid Core Formation, you still won't take the Condensing True Pill from me today!"

Yu Mo Real Person said coldly, though a hint of caution appeared on his face.

He indeed boasts a proud record of defeating Mid Core Formation cultivators.

But he knows clearly that that victory involved a lucky factor, and that Mid Core Formation opponent was truly weak.

If the Mid Core Formation cultivator were a bit stronger, he would find it hard to contend.

And this Xie Old Ghost is a treacherous, ruthless fellow, unlikely to be an easy target.

Yu Mo Real Person dared not divert his attention to 'take' the Condensing True Pill, instead he poured all his power into the magic sword, entangling with Xie Old Ghost.

Xie Old Ghost's signature Magic Treasure resembled a massive blade and a giant ruler, emitting blue radiance; each strike seemed infused with mountain force, trembling space itself, completely blocking and shattering Yu Mo Real Person's sword rainbow.

But that was all; Old Ghost Xie did not directly overturn the situation by crushing Master Yu Mo.

It simply became a matter of hard‑to‑let‑go, hard‑to‑separate.

"Old Ghost Xie… that's all there is?"

After a moment of worry, Master Yu Mo regained confidence; although Xie Laogui concealed his cultivation, his strength was not heavily hidden, so who would win remained unknown.

The seductive woman watching beside them was also astonished.

She never expected to witness such a dragon‑tiger clash today.

Xie Laogui was hiding his cultivation, perhaps having broken through to the mid‑stage Core Formation; even rarer was seeing Master Yu Mo act, revealing why this Scattered Cultivator is praised for a sword‑path talent that surpasses many geniuses of the Seven Star Sword Sect.

"Both of their powers are so unfathomably deep, my chances of impressing them must be greatly reduced."

"Could I, while they duel, quietly pick the peaches?"

The seductive female cultivator calculated in her mind.

Though limited by a false‑Core Formation level and lacking strength, her evasion technique was quite advanced, enough to dominate in the early Core Formation stage.

If she could snatch the 'peach' and abduct Xiao Zhangqing, perhaps she would have a chance to escape successfully.

Yet in the end she still dared not take the risk.

If she angered the two and they turned their fire upon her, she would be in danger.

Only if both unleashed true fire and were mutually destroyed would she have a chance to reap the fisherman's profit.

……

"Truly the top sword‑path master among Scattered Cultivators, Master Yu Mo's skill is amazing!"

Xie Laogui wielded his Magic Treasure, radiating blazing light, and once again shattered sword aura, yet could not harm Master Yu Mo in the slightest; he remained unannoyed, but underwent a massive change again.

This time it was not his magical aura that surged, but his already massive physique suddenly grew a segment taller, and his whole body emitted crack, crack sounds like thunder!

After using his personal Magic Treasure to shatter the sword aura, he abandoned defense, lunged straight at Xiao Zhangqing, intending to seize him.

By doing so, he would be the first to be distracted, and Master Yu Mo's myriad sword auras could very likely bring about his utter destruction!

"This is…"

Master Yu Mo's expression changed dramatically, as if he understood something.

Yet there was no other way; while diverting most of the sword aura to counter the gigantic Magic Treasure, strands of sword aura slashed toward Xie Laogui's back.

"No pain, no itch!"

Xie Laogui laughed heartily, swung his fist fiercely, and the terrifying bodily force produced a sonic boom that shattered all the incoming sword aura.

This person not only broke through to the mid‑stage Core Formation, but also possessed body cultivation!

Moreover, he is a third‑tier body cultivator! (End of chapter)