Chapter 403: Interception

Death God Island.

Clang!

A sword's cry erupted!

Dozens of crimson threads emerged, radiating a terrifying force capable of incinerating and slicing through anything—even fourth-rank spiritual treasures and fifth-rank soul-artifacts.

This was the rule-force of fire!

After condensing the Rule Core, Fang Xing could now manifest partial rule-force, and by modifying the "Eighteen Spears of Blazing Fire" into a sword art, he manifested these crimson threads.

At this moment, the crimson threads coalesced into a fire phoenix, its tail feathers splitting into nine streams, blazing like roaring flames, its plumage magnificent and noble, emitting a long, piercing cry.

Li!

Where the fire phoenix passed, the void shattered outright, revealing chaotic void currents and silver-white storms.

The void currents spread over dozens of miles, leaving a crimson trail across the sky.

Only after a long while did the void heal and erase it…

"This fire sword art is finally complete."

"If I'd done this alone, I could never have reached this level—but I stand on the shoulders of those who came before…"

"What should I call it? Fire Dragon Sword Art? Too flattering to the Fire Dragon True Lord… Fire Phoenix Sword Art? Fire Phoenix Sword Song?"

"Regardless, even without a matching cultivation technique, this sword art alone—by rank alone—must be at least sixth-rank."

Fang Xing slowly retracted his rusted iron sword.

Though he was only at the early stage of Nascent Soul, his combat power was astonishing.

He would dare face even a Cultivation Void expert.

"A swordsman's combat power lies in his cultivation realm, the quality of his flying sword, and his sword art… Each improvement lifts the whole."

"The sword art is done. Time to harvest fifth-rank inner cores."

The Nascent Soul Sect and Wuji Palace held many fifth-rank pill formulas; the most suitable were those centered on fifth-rank beast cores.

Fang Xing flicked his sleeve and shot out of Death God Island as a streak of sword-light.

On his person, he carried the "Wuji Demon Palace," a sixth-rank void treasure.

Though this demonic artifact had a rebellious mind, using it in the cultivation world posed little risk.

Moreover, fifth-rank beast beasts at the Nascent Soul stage were treasures all over—those ancient wild beasts were colossal in size.

Fang Xing no longer wished to be the Eighteen-Sack Elder of the Beggar Sect; the vast interior of the Wuji Demon Palace was perfect for storage.

Just as he flew out of Death God Island…

Outside the Death God Island formation, upon a reef…

A peculiar automaton suddenly blinked its eyes.

It had been silently lurking, nearly fused with the reef—even Fang Xing had not noticed it.

But the moment Fang Xing exited Death God Island, a hidden message was instantly sent to some place in the mortal realm.

…

On a vast island, in a mortal kingdom.

On a bustling street, an old beggar grinned at a little girl ahead: "Little miss… I see your spiritual aura surging straight to your crown—your future is bright, but your face bears peach blossoms; you'll surely face a romantic calamity…"

He rolled his eyes and pointed to the nearby beggar boy: "For your kindness in giving me three steamed buns, I'll guide you to a bright path… this beggar boy is your future husband. Marry him, and you'll live carefree, with a chance at immortality."

The little girl's eyes welled with tears.

She felt like she'd met a child-snatcher.

She didn't like the stinking, filthy beggar boy beside her at all.

"Nannan! Nannan!"

At that moment, a fat man in the attire of a wealthy squire rushed up, panting, flanked by several thugs. Seeing the beggar, he flew into a rage: "You cursed wretch! My daughter took pity on you and gave you buns—and now you're trying to kidnap her? Beat him senseless, you brutes!"

"Yes!"

The thugs, fierce and menacing, advanced with grins—only to be knocked down one by one by the old beggar.

"Don't come any closer!"

The fat man clutched his daughter, tears streaming down his face.

The old beggar's eyes held a sly smile: "Daring to offend the Beggar Lord? You deserve to lose all your wealth, your wife, your children…"

Just as he was about to speak further, a mechanical puppet bird flew in, its eyes brimming with uncanny sentience.

"Hm? He's left the island? Only the Mingkun Venerable?"

The old beggar murmured, a flash of spiritual light—his form vanished instantly.

Only the father and daughter, the beggar boy, and the sprawled thugs remained, staring at each other in stunned silence: "Was that… a god? A demon?"

…

High above the nine heavens, the Gangfeng howled fiercely.

The Beggar Lord ascended a dazzling, multicolored aura, its speed nearing the realm's absolute limit.

"On Death God Island, the only one I fear is the Body Cultivation Heavenly Sovereign… This Mingkun Venerable is merely early Nascent Soul—perfect to capture and interrogate for the location of the Immortal Mansion's treasures… or even trade with Fang Yun, since he's a highly valued disciple who's already broken through to Nascent Soul."

Though the Beggar Lord deeply feared Fang Yun, the True Lord, he regarded the Mingkun Venerable, a mere early Nascent Soul, as insignificant.

This was the confidence of a Nascent Soul Heavenly Sovereign!

Moreover, that mysterious Fang Yun True Lord was likely no higher than a Heavenly Sovereign himself.

If he had broken into Cultivation Void, he'd have been expelled by heaven and earth long ago, forced to ascend. If both were late Nascent Soul, how could their power differ greatly?

That old demon Meng probably died from carelessness or some devastating secret treasure…

The Beggar Lord believed he possessed superior resources—treasures, techniques, secret arts—far surpassing the late Meng Old Demon.

Even so, he still avoided direct confrontation with Fang Yun True Lord.

But with his lifespan nearing its end and ascension his only hope, and Cultivation Void beyond reach, seeking the Immortal Mansion's treasures was his best path.

…

Over the sea, a streak of sword-light flashed and vanished.

Even without full speed, Fang Xing's aura was astonishing.

"In the Hanhai Cultivation Realm, humans dominate. But in the Da Huang Cultivation Realm, human frontier zones are rare—most of it is beast paradise, and among those ancient wild beasts, many are fifth-rank…"

"Pity. Why doesn't Hanhai have more fifth-rank beasts to meet my blade?"

As Fang Xing pondered, the sky ahead suddenly changed!

Whoosh!

Within a thousand li, dark clouds gathered, lightning cracked, thunder roared.

From the clouds, a monstrous head suddenly shot out.

It was mountain-sized, its bulging eyes blazing with light, fixed unblinkingly on Fang Xing.

"A fifth-rank variant flying beast?"

Fang Xing didn't fear—he rejoiced: "A lucky start… You dare block my path, beast? Give me your life!"

He struck instantly!

A flash of sword-light!

The world turned utterly white!

The peerless sword art of "One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Methods," combined with his Nascent Soul power and multiple cultivation legacies, made the heavens seem to hold only one thread—fine as a hair, tinged with crimson.

The flame-infused sword thread sliced through the clouds, lightning, and the beast's defensive aura as if they were paper.

Then came the feathers, flesh, tendons, bones…

Whoosh!

The fifth-rank flying beast was cleanly split in two by a single stroke.

Amidst a rain of blood, the two halves of the corpse tumbled from the clouds like two mountains.

A fist-sized inner core, panicked, shot off as a streak of light, fleeing.

But the next instant, a black demonic palace appeared, countless demonic lights blazing skyward, freezing the space—then gently retracted.

The inner core and the beast's corpse were sealed and absorbed into the Wuji Demon Palace.

"Fifth-rank inner core—a fine treasure… Huh?"

Fang Xing's spiritual sense swept over it—and saw, on the beast's talons, a brass ring, covered in countless runes forming a complete circle.

"Beast Taming Ring? A fifth-rank Beast Taming Ring? Extremely rare… Does Hanhai even have such treasures?"

"No—this bird had an owner."

Fang Xing spread his spiritual sense and saw a streak of light approaching from behind, within it a furious figure.

The figure wore tattered, garishly colored rags, with sly, rat-like eyes—like an old beggar from the mortal world.

The Beggar Lord saw his spiritual pet cut down in one strike—his heart went hollow.

He had spent immense effort raising this "variant Thunder Peng" to fifth-rank middle grade; he cherished it deeply.

This time, he'd been careless—facing a mere early Nascent Soul cultivator, he'd planned to hide his identity and ordered the Thunder Peng to strike first.

He never imagined one sword would end its life!

'Even a late Nascent Soul sword sovereign couldn't slay a fifth-rank middle-grade beast with one strike!'

The Beggar Lord's fury faded quickly—he was now caught between advance and retreat.

At that moment, Fang Xing's voice echoed: "Esteemed fellow, you're unfamiliar to me. I accidentally slew your bird—I deeply apologize…"

'Why does this man speak so strangely?'

The Beggar Lord didn't understand the joke, but he sensed Fang Xing's malice—and suspected the Body Cultivation Heavenly Sovereign was nearby!

He forced a smile: "Ignorance is no crime..."

Just as the Divine Beggar Heavenly Sovereign was about to speak further, Fang Xing drew his sword and slashed: "Hah! You laugh so cheerfully after I killed your bird—you're clearly hiding ill intent, not a good man! Take this sword!"

A cultivation expert at the early stage of Transformation encountered an attack from the Heavenly Sovereign's spiritual pet; anyone with sense knew combat was inevitable.

Fang Xing didn't bother asking where this late-stage Transformation expert had sprung from; since he was certain the man harbored malice, he could simply extract his soul after subduing him.

"Excellent sword technique!"

The Divine Beggar Heavenly Sovereign's heart burned with rage; he extended his five fingers, and five colored mystic lights—red, white, yellow, green, and black—flashed, as five divine pillars surged skyward.

Each pillar radiated brilliant hues, its surface carved with coiling dragons, lifelike in every detail.

At that moment, as runes flickered and sank into the eyes of the five coiling dragons, the dragons came alive, each letting out a long roar.

Their power even surpassed that of the earlier exotic thunder phoenix!

This was the Divine Beggar Heavenly Sovereign's famed treasure—the Five Dragon Pillars—not only forged from extraordinarily rare materials, but also infused with the essences of five fifth-rank dragon spirits, now serving as the artifact's sentient core!

It was a treasured heirloom of the Radiant Sun Palace, ranked among the sixth-grade artifacts!

In the void, layers of five-colored light screens appeared, blocking the sword qi.

Whoosh!

Before the dragon spirits within the screens could unleash their power, the Infinite Demon Palace emitted ten thousand zhang of demonic radiance and slammed into them...

Update later

(End of Chapter)