Chapter 101: Incense Burner

Jiang Yu smelled the scent of tracking powder on him, paid no heed to his words, and while controlling the flying sword to attack, she also used a finger seal to command the two flying darts that he hadn't brushed away to intercept.

But this person was indeed in the Late Foundation Establishment stage, knowing Jiang Yu could not be easily subdued, he immediately leapt off the flying sword, switching from defense to offense.

His defensive magic shield stood before him, and his offensive implement was also a sword; with a flash of a technique, it tangled with Jiang Yu's Spiritual Sword in midair.

Jiang Yu's flying darts failed to pierce his body‑guarding spiritual light shield; when her Spiritual Sword was entangled, she simply abandoned the darts and focused on directing the Spiritual Sword to slash.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Amidst sparks flying, the Late Foundation Establishment practitioner felt the heft of Jiang Yu's magical force, and several times his own sword was suppressed.

That wouldn't do; as his eyes narrowed slightly, he slapped the bag of his spirit beast at his waist, releasing a Fourth-Grade Red Line Snake that lunged at Jiang Yu.

"How dare you, thief!" Inside the formation gate, although Jiang Tu knew Jiang Yu already had a Spiritual Bracelet, a body‑guarding spiritual light shield, and inner armor.

But it was in disarray, fearing the little companion would be successfully ambushed by the poisonous snake, ignoring the previously arranged covert defensive ambush.

It roared, causing the Fourth-Grade Red Line Snake that had flown into the air to be shaken down to the ground, and it spat spiritual fire that instantly burned it to ash.

It also casually split off half the fire, melting that cultivator's shield.

The Late Foundation Establishment practitioner opposite, upon seeing the Seventh-Grade Beast, immediately could not care about his spirit beast or shield; his first thought was to flee.

So he vaulted into the air, retrieving his sword, and simultaneously hurled several Fire Bomb Talismans toward Jiang Yu.

Often before retreating, a barrage of artillery roars to mislead the enemy.

Jiang Yu, already anticipating his flight as he rose, raised her spiritual power and, at full speed, activated the Seven-Star Step to intercept.

She also aimed for a sure hit, flinging a dozen‑plus Fireball Talismans without hesitation.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Late Foundation Establishment practitioner who had just raised his sword was instantly blown onto the ground, his body‑guarding spiritual light shield cracking with a snap.

He spat a mouthful of blood, and as he tried to vanish into the ground, a Great Net swooshed over him; no matter how fast he rolled, the Forbidden Spirit Net trapped him solidly, rendering his spiritual power useless.

At this moment, two Mid Foundation Establishment practitioners who sensed the commotion arrived; seeing their comrade captured alive, they hesitated a breath before turning and scattering in different directions.

Unfortunately, whether Jiang Tu or Jiang Yu, their evasion speed was superior, and within a few breaths they blocked the path.

Not to mention Jiang Tu, who with a single glance trapped one with a Water Net and struck; on Jiang Yu's side, to finish quickly, another Fireball Talisman rained down.

The Late Foundation Establishment practitioner couldn't withstand it, and the Mid one, distracted while fleeing, was instantly dropped to the ground.

Jiang Yu's flying sword whizzed toward him, and before he could get up, it pierced his pipa bone and lodged him to the ground.

Unexpectedly, as she moved closer to apply a Stasis Talisman, the opponent swiftly released a Sword Talisman.

Jiang Yu was intimately familiar with the Jie Dan Sword Talisman; she instinctively tried to evade, but even the superb flying sword, no matter how fast or defended, was swept by the sword aura and she fell with a thud.

The Mid Foundation Establishment practitioner seized the moment, slashing a Hundred-Mile Escape Talisman to flee.

But Jiang Yu wouldn't take that loss; as his evasion light just rose, she thought quickly and caused the spiritual sword still lodged in him to self‑explode.

Unfortunately, the man let out a wail and still vanished, while Jiang Yu couldn't get up, a buzzing sound filling her ears.

"Jiang Yu?" Jiang Tu swooped in to pull her up; fortunately Jiang Yu quickly brushed off the mud and sprang up cleanly.

The defensive bracelet on her wrist shattered again.

"Careless, that Late Foundation Establishment guy was all talk, but this Mid Foundation Establishment one actually has something."

"You shouldn't have tried to capture him alive. Hmph, you were fooled by a Great Enlightenment Temple disciple's words."

"Makes sense, won't happen again," Jiang Yu scanned the two captured Foundation practitioners, about to send a message to Guo Jue, when a chill suddenly rose behind her.

She reacted instantly, lunging at Jiang Tu, rolling on the spot to narrowly dodge a flying needle.

"Bastard!" Jiang Yu fumed, having made mistake after mistake tonight; she cannot afford a third.

"Throw those two into the formation and find Guo Jue," she sprang up, tossing the Message Jade, and rode her sword to chase the attacker.

The assailant, however, was only an Early Foundation Establishment practitioner, not among those Jiang Tu had previously detected.

Because Jiang Yu caught up to him, she discovered he was a female cultivator.

This time she showed no mercy, hurling a Spiritual Talisman fiercely, and also activating the award‑winning World‑Flipping Seal.

With a bang, the fallen female cultivator was smashed, blood covering her head and face, half her body driven into the earth.

The reason she wasn't killed outright was Jiang Tu's command: "Don't kill them; their identity jade badges truly belong to the Great Enlightenment Temple."

Before approaching the female cultivator this time, Jiang Yu first used Golden Spiritual Power to turn silk and bind her tightly, saying, "Looks like one Forbidden Spirit Net isn't enough; we'll buy a few more later and add some Binding Immortal Ropes."

The low‑grade artifacts and loot she couldn't use were entrusted to Guan Xuner for handling, including a low‑grade Binding Immortal Rope.

She sealed the female cultivator's dantian, dragged her into the formation, and collected the seven flying darts Jiang Tu had retrieved.

The child who had just awakened opened his eyes wide, looked at her, then at the other two trapped and immobile, and asked, "Did you really come to save us, and not drain our blood every day?"

"Yes. Can you tell me about your hometown? How were you captured?"

"How many of them were there, and how many children have they captured?" Jiang Yu asked several questions in a row.

All three were in the Foundation stage; she wasn't certain whether she could employ the Soul‑Searching Technique, as generally only a higher realm can search a lower one.

The child had only cultivated for a year and had seen death; he knew cooperating would benefit him, and said, "I'm from Yue Country; there are many of them, recruiting disciples all over with the county magistrate's escort, claiming they are disciples of the four major sects of the cultivation world."

"At first, more than twenty people were with me; after cultivation, more than half have already died."

"Look, this is the identity jade badge we found."

"I didn't contact Guo Jue just now; these scumbags are dead, and also those four Refined Qi," Jiang Tu tossed to Jiang Yu.

"The remaining few had already fled." Jiang Yu, holding the jade badge, pondered briefly, a crimson spiritual light flashing in her hand, pressed her sword tip against the forehead of the Late Foundation Establishment inside the Great Net.

"Tell me, why did you take the children's heart blood?"

"Without the senior brothers and sisters of the Great Enlightenment Temple, I would never…" The Late Foundation Establishment thought she was still fearful, but before she finished, her sword tip suddenly shifted.

With a splat, it pierced through the side of his heart and chest.

"You really think I wouldn't dare? Count to three; if you don't speak, I'll make your life worse than death," she said, pulling a jet‑black cauldron from her storage bag.

"This is a Soul‑Refining Furnace; it can extract a spirit soul, used twice daily at dawn and dusk, with yin fire scorching the cultivator's spirit soul.

"You want to try?" This, however, she had gotten from a cultivator she exterminated in Dongzhou; most other items were cheap second‑hand goods from the western market.

Only this item, Xuantang Xingjun let (me) keep; of course, it is not a soul‑refining furnace but a Buddhist incense burner.

During the late stage of Foundation Establishment he suddenly widened his eyes and said, "Are you a demonic cultivator? No, you are a Dao cultivator."

Jiang Yu saw that he was deliberately stalling, pinched the technique with both hands, and quietly employed the divine‑sense secret art from the Stellar Technique.

And Jiang Tu coordinated, causing the jet‑black incense burner to instantly fly to the man's forehead; his spirit ached and he immediately shouted, "I said, I said."