Chapter 33 - Arc 2: The Linyuan Small Secret Realm | Chapter 33: Killing With Sword Qi

Translator: Lynn

Xu Ziqian stepped back in response, but he didn’t retract the cloud handkerchief. Instead, he continued compressing it with his spiritual energy, aiming to sever the green leaves and capture Xu Ziqing alive.

After driving away Xu Ziqing, Tian Liang reached into his storage bag and retrieved a porcelain bottle. Biting off the stopper, he swallowed a pill from inside. Instantly, his complexion changed, veins popped on his forehead, and his face flushed red. His aura surged dramatically.

The crowd couldn’t help but notice the sudden increase in pressure. Xu Ziqian was initially delighted but soon became defensive. They were evenly matched in terms of cultivation level, which was not a concern. However, with Tian Liang’s sudden cultivation breakthrough, he posed a threat. Realizing this, Xu Ziqian gradually reduced the eight points of spiritual power she had been using to four or five points.

The Zhenshan Cauldron floating above Tian Liang’s head became ten times heavier, bending and straining the green wood that Xu Ziqing had released, pushing it to its limits.

… It’s so heavy!

Xu Ziqing felt as if he was being pushed to his limits. His mouth and nose burned, as if blood were about to come out. His vision blurred, and his mind struggled to think clearly.

The immense power of the magic weapon had finally started affecting Xu Ziqing’s senses. If he didn’t come up with a solution, he would end up broken and defeated.

In a desperate situation, Xu Zitang took a deep breath to regain composure. Although she was badly injured and unable to a.s.sist directly, she continued to circulate her spiritual energy, attempting to restore her strength. Fortunately, the remarkably pure Ethereal Wood Qi proved effective, and after several cycles, her severe injuries were already half healed. However, to make further progress, she would need the a.s.sistance of an alchemist who could thoroughly study the Hundred Damage Pill and completely cure the poison, eliminating any lingering threats.

Xu Ziqing struggled increasingly as he desperately searched for a solution within the primary and secondary woods integrated into his dantian, hoping to find a way to overcome the situation. However, the overwhelming pressure from the Zhenshan Cauldron made it almost impossible to spare a single trace of his focus, let alone devise a thoughtful plan. Gradually, his eyes became swollen, a metallic taste rose in his throat, and his skin cracked under the immense pressure…

Suddenly, although the cloud handkerchief above his head remained formidable, its threat diminished slightly. Xu Ziqing’s mind stirred, and he forced himself to endure the pain, raising his hand to unleash a green rope.

This action cost him 90% of his spiritual energy, but it created an opening in the cloud of handkerchiefs, allowing Xu Ziqing to escape with his remaining spiritual energy, leaping onto a nearby straw. He didn’t have enough time to rescue Xu Zitang and could only shout, “Take cover!” before collapsing several feet away, gasping for breath.

At that moment, the Zhenshan Cauldron crashed down, creating a deafening noise as it struck the ground. The impact caused the area to crack, with sand and rocks scattering, forming a ma.s.sive crater. Xu Zitang, who had been at the mercy of the Cauldron, didn’t have to endure much. Heeding Xu Ziqing’s warning, she quickly utilized her strength to escape.

As the two reunited, Xu Zitang reached out to lend a hand to Xu Ziqing and asked, “Are you alright?”

Taking a deep breath, Xu Ziqing replied, “I’m fine.” He quickly regained his spiritual power after speaking.

Meanwhile, the cloud handkerchief shattered and Xu Ziqing retrieved it, grasping it in his hand. Furious at the failure of the Zhenshan Cauldron, Tian Liang swiftly raised his fan and transformed it into a long sword. The blade was not ordinary; it was as thin as a saw and emitted a noxious odor, as if freezing veins and rotten air would infiltrate the body.

Though Xu Ziqing had escaped the Zhenshan Cauldron, he was not afraid of this poisonous blade. His body was so abundant in wood energy that the poison had far less effect on him than on others. He opened his mouth and expelled a green qi, with several gra.s.ses stems intertwining to form a net measuring half a foot square. It intercepted the long sword and enveloped it. In an instant, the black light of the long sword made contact with the net, turning it black, but the black light was gradually consumed and worn away inch by inch.

Veins bulged on Tian Liang’s neck as he opened his mouth and spewed a blazing fire, which collided with the long sword. The sword suddenly grew several times larger, with swirling red heat burning the net clean in an instant.

Xu Ziqing hurled seven or eight nets to block the attacks, but they were all demolished by the sword’s destructive force. Despite giving his all, the seventh level of Qi refinement couldn’t compare to the eighth level, and he would surely lose if he continued like this. With no time to think, he stepped on the gra.s.s once again, intending to disappear when the situation turned unfavorable.

Tian Liang held a grudge against Xu Ziqing for disturbing him, focusing his attacks on him.

Xu Ziqian didn’t forget about Xu Zitang. After putting away the cloud handkerchief, she tossed out a green talisman as a precaution in case Xu Zitang turned the tables.

Having seen her fair share of things, Xu Zitang noticed the talisman coming but couldn’t dodge it due to her injury. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she raised her hand, summoning a fiery red screen that swiftly rose in the wind and extended. The green talisman exploded on the screen, but it failed to harm it even in the slightest. The sound was absorbed, not a single noise escaping.

Witnessing this, Xu Ziqian widened her almond-shaped eyes. “The Five Dragons Etched Fire Screen! How dare the family head give it to you!”

Xu Zitang laughed coldly. “You attacked me, rendering me unable to use my spiritual power. Don’t underestimate me now!” Even with only half of her power remaining, it was still enough to make Xu Ziqian suffer.

Xu Ziqian clenched her teeth in secret and cast an angry glance at Xu Ziqing. If it weren’t for this man, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a disadvantaged position. However, it was too late for regrets. She had already committed herself to this course of action, and there was no turning back. She didn’t care about letting Tian Liang humiliate Xu Zitang; she knew she had to kill her in order to survive.

Therefore, she no longer concealed it and drew out a flying sword. It was as long as a willow, green as jade, and a medium-grade peak magic weapon that would later become her life-saving treasure. The thought of using it pained Xu Ziqian, so she bit her finger and smeared her blood on the sword.

Suddenly, a misty water vapor surrounded the sword, greatly enhancing its aura of aqueous essence. The mingling of the woman’s pure Yin blood energy added a taint, a potent way to corrupt magic treasures. However, this method also meant sacrificing the object being contaminated, causing Xu Ziqian distress. It was a pity that this technique was too formidable for a medium-grade magic weapon, and the cloud handkerchief was unsuitable for such a purpose, or else she wouldn’t have abandoned it.

A fishy odor emanated from the object, and the misty water vapor took on a b.l.o.o.d.y tinge, resembling a slithering serpent as it approached from the air. As it neared, the radiance of the Five Dragons Fire Etching Screen dimmed twice, retreating in fear like an archenemy.

Xu Ziqian’s face turned pale as she lost blood, but a smug expression appeared on her face. She believed that this object’s ability to defile magic treasures would render Xu Zitang defenseless, regardless of how many powerful magic weapons she possessed for self-protection.

Observing Xu Ziqian resorting to such tactics, Xu Zitang laughed coldly. It was indeed a formidable move, but it couldn’t help her.

Seeing that Xu Ziqing was unable to continue, Xu Zitang wasted no time and grabbed a jade talisman, striking it with her hand and shouting, “Ha!”

The jade talisman exploded, unleashing a sword qi from within. The sword qi was so powerful that it resembled an invisible sword, carrying the force of wind and thunder.

The sword qi was incredibly swift, reaching Xu Ziqian in an instant. She felt a chilling sensation starting from her feet, sweeping through her entire body, and she was caught by the sword energy, unable to resist.

Letting out a scream, she was impaled through the skull by the sword energy, her eyes wide open.

In a critical situation, Xu Ziqing saw the long sword hurtling toward his face. Just as he was about to employ a wooden evasion technique, he heard Xu Zitang shout, “Young Master, dodge!”

With a flash of his body, Xu Ziqing disappeared from sight.

In an instant, another sword qi surged forward, akin to a cold storm and icy rain, shattering the long knife and maintaining its relentless momentum, piercing through Tian Liang’s heart.

Tian Liang was filled with shock. Despite the boost from the medicine and his greatly improved cultivation, he was as defenseless as a helpless child in the face of this sword qi!

He attempted to curse, but his voice failed him. In a panic, he wielded the Zhenshan Cauldron once again, managing to block momentarily, but the sword light still struck him, severing one of his arms! Before Tian Liang could even cry out in agony, another sword light swooped in, leaving him unable to make the slightest movement!

The entire sequence unfolded in less than a breath, and with three sword lights, the two opponents who had previously held the upper hand lay lifeless.

As Xu Zitang unleashed the three sword qi, she had been under immense tension, but now, as the tension lifted, she collapsed to the ground, panting lightly.

Five years ago, Xu Zitang had witnessed Xu Zitang swatting away a powerful attack from a Foundation Establishment cultivator with her sword. He had also witnessed her battle against a demon b.u.t.terfly, displaying astonishing power. This three sword qi belonged to Xu Zitang.

How could he allow Xu Zitang to travel alone without being adequately prepared?

The truth was that Xu Zitang not only possessed the Five Dragons Fire Etching Screen, an exceptional defensive device, but she also had five jade talismans in her possession. Each talisman contained a sword qi that Xu Zitang had unleashed with all her might, enabling her to catch a Foundation Establishment cultivator off guard if she were to release it. With such close protection, if Xu Zitang hadn’t placed trust in Xu Ziqian, nothing would have befallen her during her journey into the secret realm.

After the intense battle and the slaying of two individuals, only two out of the initial five sword qi remained.

 <>

Support me on ko-fi for faster releases ^^