Chapter 83: Even Within the Nascent Core Realm, There Are Differences

"Ah?"

Hong Lei paused, noticing that the group on the mountain showed no change in expression.

So after these days of besieging the mountain, the demon hunters had already dug up every secret of this sword knight?

Even Zhang Hengzhou had admitted his identity as a demon.

Then... why hasn't anyone moved yet?

This time, not to mention Shen Yi, even he felt confused, and could only look questioningly at the old general in the front.

Chen Qiankun didn't even raise an eyebrow, facing Zhang Hengzhou's hatred calmly, and said slowly: "Actually, this general once hesitated too, wondering if there truly were demons sincerely wishing to integrate into the mortal world. But after thinking it over, in your hundred-plus years, you've changed women—five hundred if not three hundred."

"They admired my knightly fame and came of their own accord." Zhang Hengzhou panted heavily, his wounds showing signs of splitting open.

"This general didn't mean that."

Chen Qiankun waved his hand and sighed: "I just suddenly remembered that every time they conceived your child, they were snatched away by demons; nine out of ten vanished without a trace. The few rescued became the foundation of your romantic knightly fame, yet quietly died within a few short years. As mortals carrying dragon-demon offspring, when they saw the thing they gave birth to, wouldn't they feel some desolation?"

"When they were about to give birth, demons would come to snatch them; when they were hungry, demons would attack and kill villagers. Every time, so punctual, spanning hundreds or even thousands of li."

"What sin did the demons of Outside Qingzhou commit to meet your family of knights?"

"How many children must my people of Linjiang Commandery bear in a year to support a venerable knight like you?"

In a voice slightly cold, the figure clad in black-glossed dark armor slowly rose.

The old man gripped the massive iron halberd, looking over indifferently: "I, Chen Qiankun, a mere criminal, what He Deheneng do I have to dare give you a chance?"

Under that cold gaze.

Zhang Hengzhou's features tensed, and he stepped back heavily several paces.

Until a pair of somewhat weathered hands supported his shoulders.

He turned back, breathing heavily: "Master."

The sect master, wearing a flowing-cloud green robe with disheveled hair, seemed to have not slept in a long time. His face was weathered, yet he gently patted his shoulder: "I know you feel wronged. If he won't give you a chance, your master will."

At these words.

The sword cultivators kneeling silently on both sides of the great altar, amidst their despondent expressions, suddenly added a thread of despair.

Anger appeared in the eyes of the many Zhen Mo Si Captains; immediately, an impulsive deputy general stepped forward and shouted harshly: "We gave you so much time, yet you remain so confused. He is a demon! What chance are you going to give him?!"

Qingfeng Sect Master ignored them, stood in front of his disciple, and then looked at Chen Qiankun.

"Brother Chen."

He suddenly smiled, his expression nostalgic, with a hint of pleading, gesturing with his hand: "When I first picked him up, he was only this big."

Another deputy general sneered: "When he grew to be this big, his age was older than your grandfather!"

Qingfeng Sect Master still acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to stare at Chen Qiankun, muttering rapidly: "Brother Chen, you know I was born incomplete. Qingfeng Gate is the Qingfeng Gate of the Zhang lineage; it cannot end with me... When I picked him up from the river, I named him Hengzhou, taught him swordsmanship, urged him to eat, and secretly protected him while he killed demons..."

It seemed he still had many, many things to say.

"But he is a dragon." Chen Qiankun said lightly.

"But I have raised him to be like this! I even prepared the Sword Pool for his tempering! I prepared the position of Sect Master for him!"

"It was that low woman who went to the front to give birth that turned him into a dragon!"

Qingfeng Sect Master's weathered face instantly became grotesque, his voice hoarse!

Seeing Chen Qiankun's expression remain utterly calm, he suddenly turned around. In his disheveled state, he instantly transformed from a great sect master into a raging madman.

"Qingfeng disciples, form the formation! Form the formation!!"

On the great altar, whether elders, officials, or disciples, all averted their gazes.

"..."

Seeing this, Qingfeng Sect Master seemed to have expected it all along. He let out a manic laugh and took out a sword pill the size of an infant's fist from his robes.

He removed his hand.

The sword pill actually emitted a shimmering glow, hovering in mid-air.

"I said, this is the Qingfeng Gate of the Zhang lineage."

The refined blood dripped into the Sword Pool; they were not worshipping Qingfeng Gate, but the Zhang lineage!

Under everyone's gaze, he suddenly knelt, then fiercely struck his head against the ground with a loud thud, shouting: "Summon the Ancestral Sword! Impose punishment!"

As the clean white stone bricks cracked under the force of his forehead—

The pill called the Ancestral Sword instantly emitted a humming sound.

What trembled along with it were the swords at every disciple's waist. Besides the change in the swords, an unusual flush surged onto their cheeks.

The Sect Master knelt and bowed his head again.

Immediately, someone spat out a mouthful of blood.

"..."

Shen Yi stood in the distance; this scene before his eyes somewhat exceeded his understanding.

"Hold them down!"

Hong Lei let out a fierce roar. The disciples they had escorted, originally as gentle as sheep, now under some strange torment, could not help but reach for the sword hilts at their waists.

The Captains rushed forward and restrained them in advance.

And on the great altar, countless unsheathing sounds continued without interruption; only by gripping the sword hilts could they slightly alleviate the "Ancestral Master's" punishment.

Sharp long swords one by one slowly pointed toward the people of Zhen Mo Si.

In front of the main hall, the group of elders sitting cross-legged closed their eyes unwillingly, their mighty qi gathering toward the front.

"Damn it, even if you were worried about demons slipping away mixed in, you shouldn't have sent them up the mountain. What exactly is Old Master Chen thinking?"

Even Hong Lei, at this moment, could not help but voice his doubt.

Qingfeng Sect Master had such means; the other side could not have been unaware.

The qi of thousands of disciples gathered, forming the Ten Thousand Swords Demon-Slaying Formation, among which were Qingfeng Sect Master and two other venerable Nascent Core Realm elders.

Wisps of invisible sword intent swiftly enveloped Chen Qiankun, glinting with a dangerous cold light.

"With this grand array, giving Brother Chen half a month's time shouldn't be too much to ask."

Qingfeng's Sect Master lay prostrate on the ground, no longer raging. He slowly turned his head and said despondently, "You must have somewhere to hide yourself. Go."

Zhang Hengzhou's face lit up with wild joy. He cast one last glance at the youth with the black blade hanging at his waist in the distance, then flipped into the air without the slightest hesitation!

"..."

Shen Yi seized the wrist of a young disciple. The disciple's face was full of despair, uncontrollably gripping his sword and thrusting forward — the consequences of laying hands on a Captain of the Zhen Mo Si were something they understood better than anyone.

Yet Shen Yi's attention was not on him.

He raised his eyes to fix on the fleeing figure in the sky, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

His guess had been correct — this Blackback Blackback Jiaolong demon truly could sense his existence.

And now, the other was about to escape.

Just then, Chen Qiankun, who was enveloped by the vast sword-light, slowly closed his eyes.

Under the Sect Master's horrified gaze,

the heavy iron halberd in his hand seemed to be caught by an unseen figure.

The man stayed where he was, but the weapon suddenly shot forth.

Sweeping with boundless might, in that invisible grip it seemed to carry the force of heaven-splitting and earth-cleaving, slashing viciously toward Zhang Hengzhou's retreating back!

"Ao—"

Amid the piercing dragon's cry, the entire great altar turned a murky, gloomy hue. Above the great hall of Qingfeng Mountain, a vicious Blackback Blackback Jiaolong nearly a hundred zhang long blotted out the sky. Its dark, sleek body thrashed desperately, the sharp horn on its forehead gleaming more keenly than any divine weapon.

Yet in only an instant—

the halberd came down, demonic blood sprayed across the sky, and half the Blackback Blackback Jiaolong's body crashed down from the heavens.

That ferocious vicious Blackback Blackback Jiaolong now had only half a body left. Demonic blood mingled with entrails fell like dew and rain as it fled in panic and terror toward the distance, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

As the halberd returned to his hand, Chen Qiankun opened his eyes again, still wearing that calm expression. He looked down indifferently at the Sect Master on the ground: "Half a month is too long. I'll give you the time of one incense stick to dictate your last words."

"You... you've broken through a realm?"

"Halfway, perhaps."

Chen Qiankun gazed quietly at the sword pellet in the air: "Senior, you've kept this general waiting a long time."

Sitting so long, his very bones had grown stiff.

"Don't!"

Seeing him showing signs of closing his eyes again, Qingfeng's Sect Master let out a shriek and reached out to snatch the sword pellet. But to his surprise, the ancestral sword moved faster than he did, trembling and humming as it darted into his arms.

In an instant, the longswords in the hands of the thousands of Qingfeng disciples all returned to normal, and the vast sword-light dissipated in the span of a breath.

"I told you all, what's there to panic about? Would Old General Chen harm you?"

Hong Lei released the disciple in his grasp and shoved him away in exasperation.

"Tch! Guarding the mountain was to keep the demons from escaping; trapping the Blackback Blackback Jiaolong was to draw out the ancestral sword. The old man had long guessed Qingfeng's Sect Master would seek revenge. Rather than wait for him to scheme in secret, better to cut things clean in one go — and that Blackback Blackback Jiaolong demon shouldn't think about escaping either..."

Hong Lei turned around excitedly, wanting to show off to Shen Yi that he too had once served under the old man.

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly froze.

Where's the person?

This chapter doesn't involve the protagonist much; it's mainly to describe the specific realm branches coming up next.





(End of this chapter)