Chapter 272: The Mighty Mi Cangyuan

"No more than two hours!"

"Please, Elder, grant your permission!"

"If you grant it, this humble Taoist will be eternally grateful and repay you handsomely!"

After seeing the Nascent Soul cultivator, Mi Cangyuan lowered his posture drastically.

Yet the green-robed female Nascent Soul shook her head and coldly laughed: "No. I've already been more than lenient by not punishing you for attacking the City Lord's guard just now!"

"Leave quickly, or I'll act myself!"

"No!" Mi Cangyuan shook his head: "Elder, the Soul Fusion technique has already begun. If forcibly interrupted, it will be a catastrophic disaster for my wife—everything will be lost!"

"I beg you once more, Elder, to grant permission!"

Mi Cangyuan also spat.

He only knew that swallowing this Tianxiang Pill would allow the soul to fuse with the body—how could he have known it would summon these gusts of dark wind?

Had he known, he would never have done this in Hongshi City.

But there was no choice!

The process had already started; if forcibly interrupted, Su Yin would die without doubt.

Yet the green-robed woman shook her head again: "No… I give you three breaths. If you don't leave, I'll destroy this array myself!"

She pointed down at He Pingsheng's small house.

Mi Cangyuan's expression changed instantly: "That soul-fusing person is my very life—if you act, I will fight you to the death!"

"You?" the woman sneered. "You?"

"Though you're at the twelfth layer of Golden Core, you're still far from Nascent Soul!"

"Not necessarily!" Mi Cangyuan radiated boundless confidence: "Though I'm still far from Nascent Soul, right now, defeating your mere Nascent Soul First Layer is no challenge!"

"Hahaha…"

The Nascent Soul woman laughed heartily at Mi Cangyuan's words: "A joke! A joke! This is the funniest thing I've heard since I began my cultivation!"

Mi Cangyuan's face remained expressionless: "Elder, you're new to the City Lord's household, aren't you?"

"I am Mi Cangyuan!"

"Have you ever heard of my name?"

The woman said: "Mi Cangyuan? Mi Canggou? Never heard of it!"

"Since you're Golden Core, I'll let you strike first!"

"After one move, whether you live or die is up to fate!"

The woman flicked her hands, and her wide sleeves retracted.

Mi Cangyuan said: "Very well… Then, Elder, please instruct me!"

Hum…

As soon as he finished speaking, Mi Cangyuan vanished from his original spot.

When he reappeared, he was suddenly before the woman—and without any magic treasure, he simply reached out and slapped his palm toward the female Nascent Soul.

Mi Cangyuan's teleportation had indeed shocked the female cultivator.

Yet she remained calm, swiftly extending her hand and striking with a pure white jade palm.

The two palms collided with a loud thud.

The female Nascent Soul had expected this single palm strike to easily crush the tiny Golden Core.

But the outcome was unexpected.

A powerful surge of energy erupted from the point of impact, rippling outward in all directions.

Within this energy storm, Mi Cangyuan stood utterly unmoved, but the female Nascent Soul was blasted a hundred zhang away.

A hundred zhang distant, the woman looked utterly disheveled.

"How is this possible?" she roared from midair.

Then she waved her hand and pulled out a sword.

"I advise you not to use a magic treasure," Mi Cangyuan said calmly. "Once you do, you'll die."

"And killing you is not my intention."

Mi Cangyuan spoke lightly, yet with absolute confidence.

At that moment, countless onlookers felt the same certainty—as if the woman truly would die the moment she moved.

"Step back!" came a distant, aged voice: "You're no match for him!"

"Hahaha… the famed Mi Cangyuan!"

"I haven't heard your name in ages!"

Before seeing the speaker, they heard his voice.

Countless people looked up, scanning the surroundings.

After a long while, the air trembled, and an old man appeared.

The old man was gaunt and stood motionless in midair.

"Disciple Mi Cangyuan, pays respects to Elder Murong!" Mi Cangyuan bowed deeply again.

"City Lord!"

"City Lord!"

"Hail the City Lord!"

Countless people bowed to the old man.

The female Nascent Soul said: "City Lord, this man is arrogant and unreasonable—"

The City Lord waved his hand, signaling her to stop.

She fell silent.

"Mi Cangyuan, long time no see!" Elder Murong looked at Mi Cangyuan. "Two hundred years ago, we fought to a draw."

"I never expected that after two centuries, you're still at Golden Core?"

"What, no Breakthrough Pill?"

"If you lack a Breakthrough Pill, I can give you one!" Elder Murong fixed his gaze on Mi Cangyuan.

Mi Cangyuan replied calmly: "I promised my consort I'd break through together with her."

"Otherwise, I could have entered Nascent Soul a century ago!"

At these words, everyone was stunned!

To wait for a living corpse, he'd forgo Nascent Soul?

"Now, my consort's awakening is within reach!" Mi Cangyuan said. "Please, Elder Murong, grant me two hours!"

"A trivial matter!" Murong said. "But tell me—if I were to strike now, what are your chances of victory?"

The old man's gaze pierced the hundred-zhang void, fixed on Mi Cangyuan.

Mi Cangyuan paused slightly, then said: "I can slay Nascent Soul First Layer cultivators. I can barely fight Nascent Soul Second Layer elders and escape unharmed."

"Elder Murong, you're Nascent Soul Seventh Layer—I cannot defeat you, nor can I flee."

"Oh?" Elder Murong chuckled. "Hahaha… If I were to kill you today, do you have any way to survive?"

On the surface, Murong smiled amiably, with no sign of malice.

But whether he truly harbored intent to kill—only he knew.

Mi Cangyuan didn't care. He waved his hand, pinching a pill between his index and middle fingers.

The pill was a deep green, marked with three intricate patterns.

Top grade!

Elder Murong was slightly startled: "Breakthrough Pill? Top-grade Breakthrough Pill?"

"Correct!" Mi Cangyuan said. "If you move to kill me, I'll swallow this pill instantly—unless heaven itself blocks my breakthrough, you won't survive!"

Elder Murong's eyes flickered several times, then said: "Indeed. Go ahead."

"Two hours."

With that, Murong turned and vanished instantly.

The rest of the City Lord's people also departed one by one.

Once everyone had left, Mi Cangyuan returned to He Pingsheng's small house to watch over Su Yin.

Outside, the cultivators began whispering among themselves.

"Who is this guy? So powerful?"

"Mi Cangyuan? Why have I never heard that name before?"

"More importantly, how can he teleport?"

"Teleportation isn't a technique exclusive to Nascent Soul cultivators, is it?"