Chapter 68: Convinced in Heart and Mouth

Duan Lang's heart surged with excitement and exhilaration; he circulated his movement technique and sped to the martial arena, kneeling before the majestic statue upon it:

"Lord, have you returned?"

In the distance, Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng also circulated their lightness skills and arrived swiftly; seeing Duan Lang kneeling and worshipping a statue resembling Jiang Xuan, the two were filled with shock and doubt.

"It must be the Lord who has returned; this Sword Intent is unparalleled in the world, its sharpness incomparable — besides the Lord, there is no one in all under heaven with such Sword Dao cultivation."

Duan Lang looked in all directions, hoping to discover Jiang Xuan's silhouette.

"Duan Lang, you are not bad; you have not disappointed me. Nie Feng, Bu Jingyun, since the two of you have no heart for the position of World Society Helmsman, you may assist Duan Lang in the future."

A leisurely voice rang in their ears; the three were invigorated, kowtowing to the statue, not rising for a long time.

"Duan Lang (Nie Feng, Bu Jingyun) bids farewell to the Lord!"

……

Zhe Tian Jie, Northern Domain.

Void ripples fluctuated; Jiang Xuan appeared in Zhe Tian Jie clad in a blue robe; the earth beneath his feet remained the same brown desolation unchanged for ten thousand years.

Returning to old grounds, yet with a different state of mind; the current Jiang Xuan, though he had lost the Quasi-Emperor Forbidden Weapon — that great killing weapon — his cultivation was worlds apart from before; as long as a Half-Step Great Power did not act, he feared no one.

Walking on the bleak and lonely land, Jiang Xuan pondered the road ahead; now that all Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures had been completely refined, to raise his cultivation he must have massive resources; this blood-soaked chaotic land of the Northern Domain was quite good — there would surely be many "fated people" willing to generously open their purses.

Jiang Xuan erected a "weak" divine radiance and flew at low altitude, hurrying along; before long he encountered a wave of Wandering Bandits.

The strongest among this wave of Wandering Bandits was merely at the Other Shore realm; seeing a green youth walking alone in the Northern Domain, they were overjoyed.

"Haha, brothers, a fat sheep."

"A mere boy, alone — he deserves to make us brothers rich."

"Probably some sect's disciple; slaughter him!"

Dozens of Wandering Bandits accelerated their divine radiance; in no time they surrounded Jiang Xuan, revealing cruel, bloodthirsty smiles. Before they could have any reaction, dozens of lightning snakes manifested from the Void, descending upon the bandits' heads; the terrifying lightning directly blasted these bandits until not even ash remained.

"Other Shore great bandits, terrifying as this — comparable to Four Extremes Seizing Emperor Soldiers."

Jiang Xuan once again recognized the art style of Donghuang's Northern Domain; it truly carried the fine tradition of pushing through Zhe Tian Jie all the way by brute force to the extreme.

Opening his mouth, he swallowed; several Spiritual Artifact weapons and dozens of jin of Source all entered his mouth, refined in an instant; as for weapons not yet at the Spiritual Artifact grade, to the current him they held no value whatsoever.

"Killing and arson bring a golden belt; building bridges and paving roads leave no bones! This way is still the best — resources come so satisfyingly!"

Jiang Xuan recalled the days in Lingxu Dongtian, where ordinary disciples could only receive one bottle of Hundred Herb Liquid every three months; to obtain extra Hundred Herb Liquid, one had to execute sect tasks, such as sect guard duty, or picking Spirit Medicine — yet hundreds or thousands of bottles of Hundred Herb Liquid could not compare to the Life Essence Qi contained in a single jin of Source.

The Wandering Bandits here have low cultivation but substantial wealth — truly excellent Yuan Ren.

Jiang Xuan continued forward, hoping to encounter more fated people.

Soon, Jiang Xuan encountered another wave of Wandering Bandits; this wave actually had several at the Dao Palace layer; Jiang Xuan rejoiced in his heart, and his divine radiance bloomed.

This wave of bandits was somewhat more professional than the previous one; they didn't waste so much nonsense — upon discovering Jiang Xuan's divine radiance they immediately charged to kill, various divine abilities and Magic Treasures streaming like a seven-colored long rainbow blasting straight over.

"This is what you call professional."

Jiang Xuan's gaze held appreciation; he opened his mouth and exhaled — a fierce wind rose. This wind was not the southeast, northwest wind; not the harmonious, metal, autumn wind; nor the flower, willow, pine, bamboo wind — it was like the Bei Wind of the Three Calamities, blowing in through the Fontanelle into the Six Bowels, passing the Dantian, piercing the Nine Apertures; instantly all bandits' flesh and bones melted, dissipating like wind and sand.

After his comprehension of the Eight Trigrams Furnace's profundities advanced a step further, Jiang Xuan can now freely wield the natural power of heaven and earth — like the previous Zhoulu Liu Xu Gong, but with power greater by thousands of times.

Gaining over a thousand jin of Source again, along with numerous Spiritual Artifact Magic Treasures, Jiang Xuan's mood was excellent; he secretly marveled at the Northern Domain's "abundance." Last time he came to the Northern Domain his target was clear — straight for the Li Huo Divine Furnace — and he overlooked these human-shaped resources.

"Qingxia Sect, Xuanyue Cave, Luoxia Sect, Seven Stars Pavilion……"

Jiang Xuan's complexion gradually sank; after killing and soul-searching this group of bandits, he unexpectedly discovered — from the bandit leader's memory he learned that in this Northern Domain many sects support bandits to plunder everywhere; the bandit leader knew of over a dozen minor sects.

Most of the resources these bandits plundered were offered up to these minor sects, and behind these minor sects stood even larger sects.

"Although I long knew there were sects backing them, I never imagined it so utterly cruel…… the cruel and realistic world essence — yet it suits me quite well."

……

An oasis in the Northern Domain, backed by mountains and facing water.

Qingxia Sect is situated here; here spring water tinkles, all manner of strange flowers and exotic grasses thrive beside the spring — truly a fairyland atmosphere.

Jiang Xuan stepped from the Void; behind him an Eight Trigrams Furnace Divine Ability grew against the wind, becoming the size of a small mountain; countless profound runes flickered, endless heaven-and-earth ultimate principles gestating within.

This is the concretization of the Eight Trigrams Furnace Magic Treasure within his body; as his thoughts circulated, the divine ability arose naturally.

With a new understanding of the Eight Trigrams Furnace, Jiang Xuan increasingly felt his former divine ability Heaven and Earth Furnace was too superficial; the Eight Trigrams Furnace is already the invincible path — why need he further comprehend Heaven and Earth Furnace?

The Eight Trigrams Furnace continued to grow; its terrifying momentum enveloped the entire Qingxia Sect. The whole Qingxia radius was far more than a hundred li; the Eight Trigrams Furnace, like a vast mountain peak, pressed straight down, towering into the clouds; one could clearly see countless symbols on the furnace body glowing.

This was an extremely shocking scene; everyone of Qingxia Sect — Gate Master, Elders, disciples…… all — cold sweat streamed down, hearts and spirits trembling in fear, flesh bodies and souls all quaking.

"Unknown how Qingxia Sect offended Senior; please Senior reveal yourself and instruct — we juniors can then apologize; why must Senior be so utterly ruthless?"

The Supreme Elder in closed-door cultivation was also shocked by this terrifying momentum into trembling; he knelt toward the sky and roared wildly.

"No grievance in days past, no enmity in recent days!" An indifferent voice transmitted from the Tianqiong.

Exhaling a long breath, Qingxia Sect's Supreme Elder's tense heart secretly relaxed; his heart instantly understood — this was someone coming to demand wealth; that was easy to handle — he immediately replied:

"Please Senior enter the gate for a talk; we juniors have prepared tea and water; Qingxia Sect has some modest wealth — Senior may freely take as you wish."

"Not bad, sensible, knowing when to advance and retreat; since it is so, killing you all — presumably you would be convinced in heart and mouth." The words just fell; from the Nine Heavens above, like heavenly thunder shaking, ten thousand myriad rays of light erupted; the Eight Trigrams Furnace completely enveloped and sealed this region, its momentum soaring to the heavens.

"Senior, we are willing to offer up all our possessions — even the entire Qingxia Sect can be handed over with cupped hands, acknowledging Senior as master — only begging Senior to spare our lives."

"Senior's realm is high and profound; if Senior insists on taking our lives, the entire Qingxia Sect naturally has no power to resist — merely, in our hearts we are unconvinced!"

Qingxia Sect's Supreme Elder and Gate Master continuously kowtowed, their gazes revealing endless terror; all disciples were even more frightened by the peerless ferocious might of the Eight Trigrams Furnace above the Tianqiong until their hearts and spirits nearly cracked open.

"Heh!"

(Chapter End)