Chapter 135: Fighting for Foundation Establishment

"Hahahahaha…"

After hearing Cheng Siyu's words, the old man suddenly burst into loud laughter, staring without restraint at He Pingsheng and said: "This is the funniest joke I've heard in my one hundred and sixty years of life!"

What?

He Pingsheng's heart jolted.

Cheng Siyu's brows furrowed.

She said: "You… you're not Qi Refining?"

In the cultivation world, each realm has its own lifespan.

Qi Refining disciples, like ordinary mortals, can typically live to about a hundred years if they avoid karmic calamities.

Ninety or even one hundred and ten years is normal.

Foundation Establishment disciples, however, have double the lifespan of Qi Refining cultivators.

That's two hundred years.

This man claimed to have lived over one hundred and sixty years—he clearly wasn't a Qi Refining disciple.

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense flared open in an instant, sweeping over the old man.

As his spiritual sense scanned, the old man still appeared to be at Qi Refining Level Twelve.

What's going on?

Boom…

Just as He Pingsheng's spiritual sense probed, the old man's aura suddenly erupted.

Only then did he reveal his true cultivation—indeed, he was Foundation Establishment.

And a Foundation Establishment Level Two.

"You two aren't getting away!" Hou Muling stood with her hands behind her back, smirking at Cheng Siyu: "Sister Cheng, I actually have a good impression of you—I didn't want to ambush you!"

"But… heh heh…"

"Who else but my sister-in-law could be worried?"

"My brother is indecisive; she fears he might rekindle things with you, so she ordered us to kill you here today!"

Cheng Siyu gritted her teeth, snarling: "Fine, fine… let me ask you—does your brother know about this?"

Hou Muling said: "Though it may hurt you, I'll speak plainly—my brother knows."

"He's not the mastermind, but he didn't stop us!"

In an instant, He Pingsheng understood everything.

Brilliant scheme.

Truly brilliant.

Using the excuse of heading to the Black Frontier, luring the target to a remote place to kill them.

Then, after the murder, claim all these people perished in the Black Frontier.

That way, even Grand Void Gate would have no proof to accuse them.

What a brilliant scheme.

"Hahahahaha… Hahahahaha…" Cheng Siyu laughed hysterically: "Good… good… you good-for-nothing Hou Muxian!"

"Don't let me ever cross paths with you again!"

But He Pingsheng whispered: "Senior Sister… I'll hold him off for a while… you run!"

As he spoke, He Pingsheng struck first!

Boom…

He summoned a large banner, instantly flooding it with his wood spiritual power.

Then, a colossal dragon woven from lightning roared forth, slamming into the old man.

"Run fast…"

As he spoke, He Pingsheng activated his paper crane and shot off atop it.

Cheng Siyu also mounted her paper crane and fled.

Hate all you want—but when it counts, you run.

But the old man didn't seem in a hurry.

He stroked his beard, smiling: "Fine treasure… mine now…"

"Sister, I'll chase this boy—you take the girl!"

Whoosh…

The next instant, the old man stepped forward and landed squarely on a flying sword, pursuing He Pingsheng.

His speed was several times faster than He Pingsheng's.

The woman, too, rode her flying sword toward Cheng Siyu.

He Pingsheng's heart sank—he thought: This is bad.

I thought there was only one Foundation Establishment old man—how is this woman also Foundation Establishment?

"Heh heh… boy, you didn't have to die!" The old man drew closer, still not rushing to strike, sneering: "Too bad—you got mixed up in this mess."

"No choice—you must die!"

"Go!"

The old man waved his hand, and a fireball coalesced in his palm.

It was small—only the size of an egg.

Yet the fireball glowed golden, then shot toward He Pingsheng like a missile.

"Bad!"

He Pingsheng instantly activated his Golden Body Shield!

Then he casually launched a fire crow.

Boom…

The fire crow collided with the fireball and exploded.

But one fire crow couldn't stop the fireball.

The fireball struck He Pingsheng directly, knocking him off his paper crane.

Good news: His fire crow and one layer of Golden Body Shield absorbed the old man's attack.

Bad news: He was plummeting rapidly toward the ground.

Cultivators are stronger than ordinary people, so even as he fell, He Pingsheng could use his magic power to slightly slow his descent.

Then he summoned another paper crane!

This time he didn't dare fly high—he lowered the crane's altitude, and within a few breaths, it dove into the forest.

He Pingsheng rolled off the crane and landed on the ground.

Instantly, he didn't pause—he pulled a talisman from his storage pouch.

Second-rank talisman: 【Golden Body Talisman】.

Once activated, it formed an outer energy membrane capable of withstanding three full-force strikes from a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Changping the Old Daoist was only Foundation Establishment Level Two—surely it could hold up dozens of hits?

The question was: How long would it take to activate the talisman?

Because Changping the Old Daoist was already guiding his flying sword down calmly into the trees below.

"Open!"

He Pingsheng poured his spiritual sense and magic power into the talisman.

One breath!

Two breaths!

Three breaths.

Finally, just as Changping arrived, He Pingsheng spent three full breaths to activate the talisman.

Instantly, a golden spherical energy shield surrounded his body.

"Interesting—you've got a second-rank talisman?" The old man stroked his beard. "Heh heh… useless. This shield can't replenish energy. Even if I can't break it right away, a few more strikes will shatter it!"

"You've got quite a few fine things!"

"I'm truly looking forward to them!"

The old man stroked his beard, then waved his hand and pulled out a flying sword.

This sword wasn't ordinary—it was a mid-grade spirit weapon.

"Open!" Changping the Old Daoist roared, thrusting his sword toward He Pingsheng's energy shield.

Yet!

After the strike, the shield held firm as a mountain.

"Heh heh…" He Pingsheng chuckled inwardly, relieved.

As long as it doesn't break.

While the old man hammered at his shield, He Pingsheng waved his hand and pulled out another talisman.

Second-rank talisman: 【Mountain-Moving Talisman】.

It was an enhanced version of the Rock-Falling Talisman.

He hadn't even begun to activate it when a flash of golden light appeared above him—another beam descended.

It was the woman.

"Little sister?" Master Changping said in surprise. "Resolved it?"

"Hehe…" The woman laughed. "Just a Qi Refining disciple—how hard could it be to deal with?"

"One sword, and he was dead!"

He Pingsheng's heart jolted: Had Sister Cheng already died?