Chapter 278: Temptation

"I have Moon God Spring Water; a single drop can bring a cultivator back from death."

"If Jiang Yu's minor injuries are healed, it can also save a year or two of arduous cultivation," the old shopkeeper coaxed.

Jiang Tu cut in with a voice, "Will the old Dragon King give it away for free?"

"Of course not. I have a small favor and want Jiang Yu to help," the old shopkeeper said, not being a benevolent child.

Jiang Yu stopped Jiang Tu from speaking. She considered and said, "Old shopkeeper, compared with the demon kings, my cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment; I'm afraid I can't help much?"

"No cultivation needed, just lend me your Destiny Sword."

Even though I obtained a whole sprout of Purple Gold Bamboo Thunder from you, it's still not very safe.

Your Destiny Sword, with Thunder Bamboo as its core, might have a special effect.

"Of course, this king will not shortchange you; after the matter is settled, how about I give you a dragon horn?" the old shopkeeper had his own calculations.

Jiang Yu: "Can I refuse?"

The old shopkeeper chuckled, "What do you say?"

"Then why are you still asking for any effort?" Jiang Tu sent him a side‑eye from a distance.

At that moment, the old shopkeeper stood at the cave entrance, looking straight ahead, "If you're not satisfied, wait until you become a Huashen, then come find this king to vent your anger."

"Ha, if you successfully ascend, the young king won't see you for ten thousand years, right?" Jiang Tu thought for a moment and encouraged Jiang Yu: "You should work hard, aim for a hundred‑year Nascent Soul, and ascend to Huashen soon."

"I'll try my best. Old shopkeeper, can you give an extra drop of Moon God Spring Water? Jiang Tu is also injured." Jiang Yu opened the array gate and left the cave; it was a compensated help, the more benefits the better.

The old shopkeeper's smiling face instantly turned black; the day's treasure wasn't seawater, so he tossed a small white porcelain bottle, "You two share it."

After speaking, he turned his back and left, not wanting to see their greedy gazes any longer.

The two Jiangs quickly closed the array gate, returned to the stone chamber, entered the Dragon Pearl, and upon opening the porcelain bottle, under the moonstone, they saw a single drop of amber‑yellow liquid, like a dewdrop, shimmering.

"There's no distinct fragrance; is this Moon God Spring Water? Could it be a variant of Imperial Flow Elixir?"

"Or perhaps it's simply Imperial Flow Elixir." Jiang Tu expressed doubt and took it to Dragon Soul for analysis.

"It is Moon God Spring Water, also condensed from the essence of sun and moon; its appearance being ordinary is normal."

"Imperial Flow Elixir is a bit whiter." Dragon Soul was knowledgeable.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yu used fingertip spiritual energy to turn it into threads, splitting the drop; she fed half to Jiang Tu and swallowed the other half herself.

Then a surge of heat rushed straight to her dantian, briefly spreading to all limbs and bones; she felt enveloped by warm spiritual energy, a drowsy sensation. She bit her tongue, quickly sat down to circulate her method and refine it.

Jiang Tu, also dizzy, lay down beside her and fell asleep, soon letting out soft snores.

Dragon Soul was quite jealous of the two; encountering a decent Huashen demon cultivator, it envied Jiang Tu even more, and truly regarded Jiang Yu as a life‑and‑death companion.

When Jiang Yu entered meditation, she immersed her whole being in cultivation; her organs quickly healed under the spring water's nourishment, and her Golden Core became even more radiant.

At this moment, the failed Nan Su also swiftly, with the aid of the elixir spirit stone, entered a cultivation state, strengthening himself as much as possible.

However, the sun had just risen above the sea surface, and Jiang Yu had completely refined the Moon God Spring Water. She glanced at the peacefully sleeping Jiang Tu but did not wake him.

Instead, guided by Dragon Soul, she quickly slipped underground to seek the light‑crouching Nan Su hidden in the earth cavity.

The latter was still cultivating; although Jiang Yu had not yet triggered the array, he still felt a chill and opened his eyes.

Before he could stand, Jiang Yu had already thrown a box of Thunder Balls onto the array light; boom boom boom, the tiny earth cavity instantly collapsed.

Nan Su's formation only cracked slightly, but he knew he couldn't stay to be passively hit, so he activated Blood Vine to swiftly ascend to the surface.

Jiang Yu slipped out a step ahead of him, and a sword came down directly, employing a close‑quarters combat style rarely used at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Nan Su's rapid counter rang "ding ding ding"; in less than a breath, the two had already exchanged several slashes.

"Jiang Yu, you pursue relentlessly; have you considered whether you can leave this island alive?"

Answering him was Jiang Yu's even faster, fiercer sword; buoyed by the lingering force of the spring water, each strike was many times stronger than before.

The clashing swords disturbed people's dreams, and the demon kings rushed out of their abodes to watch the battle.

She saw Jiang Yu's sword slash down; the higher‑level Nan Su, together with his sword, was shocked back several zhang.

Seeing this, Nan Su couldn't match her strength, so he leapt into the air and launched seven thin blades at her.

The blades, imbued with chilling evil qi, rushed forward to pierce before her.

Jiang Yu shifted her spiritual energy, unleashed the Thunder Fire Sword in her hand; the blade, bearing thunder‑electric fire tongues, slashed horizontally in the air, "crack crack" several times, and five thin blade fragments fell to the ground.

Two other fragments were flicked by Nan Su with a finger, shooting down toward Jiang Yu's knee, while his Crimson Blood Sword also surged forward.

But Jiang Yu did not meet the attack this time; instead, she altered her footwork, moving with an almost ghostly speed to flash behind Nan Su.

She also flung a sword talisman, but Nan Su reacted extremely quickly, turning around and also producing a sword talisman of the same rank.

Boom boom boom

The demon kings voiced their opinions:

"Both of them dodged far away and also destroyed a small hillock."

"Fortunately they're not Nascent Soul sword cultivators in the front line; otherwise the island's sharp peaks wouldn't be enough to cut."

"We must not let them cause more trouble on the floating island."

"Rush to the old Dragon King's secret formation."

"You dare?"

The demon kings: you watch me, I watch you; we're all talkers who never practice.

But contrary to their expectations, Nan Su, aiming to exhaust Jiang Yu's sword talismans, deliberately exposed his back to her and flew toward the island's core.

Jiang Yu persisted in the chase, but only swung her sword in pursuit, not using another sword talisman.

"No sword talismans left?" Dragon Soul was uncertain.

"I've spent too many; only three remain." Jiang Yu, despite having many merit points, wouldn't receive all of the Grand Void Sect's Nascent Soul sword talismans; some were still purchased by her through Xia Shijie at other sect shops.

When Nan Su realized Jiang Yu wasn't falling for it, he instantly turned and produced three Heavenly Thunder Children.

Boom boom boom

In a flash of white light, he himself was swept by a gust into a gray mist; in the distance, lightning flashed, "Purple Gold Thunder Bamboo?"

Remembering who possesses this item, Nan Su suddenly sensed trouble, tried to leave quickly, and Jiang Yu, with a dusty, ash‑gray face, chased from behind.

He raised his hand and produced a Nascent Soul Sword Qi Talisman; Nan Su was startled and dodged, but the sword qi lifted him, striking the Purple Thunder Bamboo just right.

The swaying lightning struck him mercilessly; for a moment his spiritual power was blocked, so he could only draw several defensive artifacts and activate his protection.

At that moment, Jiang Yu flew again, a Thunder‑Fire Sword flashing like thunder and lightning, thrust toward him; Nan Su, blocked by this lightning, failed to dodge cleanly, and the sword pierced his right chest.

Jiang Yu then hurled another sword talisman, coordinating with the Thunder Bamboo and Thunder Sword; the three‑way assault shattered all of Nan Su's defenses, leaving his body and head separated.

How could he be content? His Primordial Spirit fled in a flash, but Jiang Yu's Minor Five Thunder Technique bombarded him into the Thunder Bamboo, and in an instant his spirit and soul were both extinguished.

Strangely, when Jiang Yu released the Minor Five Thunder Technique, it unexpectedly summoned a bolt of lightning from the sky.

In an instant, the sky above the floating island flashed with continuous lightning and thunder, intertwining with the Purple‑Gold Thunder Bamboo.

The old shopkeeper appeared, sweeping away Nan Su's corpse; with both palms he struck the Thunder Bamboo, unleashing Thunder‑Electric Bamboo, and said, "You continue as well."

Crack, Boom

The sky instantly filled with a dense electric net; Jiang Yu only saw a flash of white light, and something exploded…