Chapter 266

Chapter 266: Xu Ming, Die! (4000 words)

None of the guests had any idea what was happening.

When they finally realized, the surrounding cultivators from Heavenly Profound Gate were already drawing their weapons and charging at them.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

Near Xu Ming, a Heavenly Profound Gate official pulled out a massive axe and swung it down toward Xu Ming.

But before Xu Ming could even stand up, the official was reduced to a bloody mist by Wu’s punch.

Other cultivators who were about to attack Xu Ming froze in place, completely intimidated by Wu.

But just as they hesitated, a streak of Sword Qi slashed through their throats, sending blood flying everywhere.

Before these cultivators could react, they collapsed onto the ground, their blood quickly staining the earth beneath them red.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Is this really how you want to fight?” Xu Ming brushed his hands and stood up with a smile.

“What’s wrong with fighting?”

Wu tore her long skirt, which originally reached her ankles, into a short skirt, revealing her snow-white legs and knees.

“Are you sure you won’t expose yourself?”

Amidst life-and-death situations, Xu Ming seemed concerned about irrelevant issues.

Wu gave Xu Ming an exasperated look. “I’m wearing a treasure underskirt!”

“Then let’s go together.”

Xu Ming drew the Nine Heavens Cloud Lightning Sword and charged towards Xia He, but neither Xu Ming nor Wu could get close to him.

Many cultivators surrounded Xia He, ensuring he wouldn’t be harmed even slightly.

So when Xu Ming rushed forward, several officials attacked him but were all cut down by a single slash of Xu Ming’s sword.

The Sword Qi swirling around Xu Ming shredded one cultivator after another into pieces.

Xu Ming glanced at Wu, worried if she was okay, but he soon realized his concerns were unnecessary.

Wu, now at the Golden Core Realm, had significantly increased her strength.

Martial artists are divided into three major realms—body refinement, energy refinement, spirit refinement.

The Golden Core Realm is the first stage within the spirit refinement stages, equivalent to the Nascent Soul Stage for cultivators.

The most notable feature of the Golden Core Realm is invulnerability, where one’s body becomes as tough as steel and can withstand various attacks.

Although Wu’s body still appeared soft like that of an ordinary woman, no one could break her Golden Body.

Especially in close-range chaotic battles, Wu often took out opponents with a single punch.

Even Nascent Soul Stage cultivators standing before Wu would lose half their lives with a single punch from her.

And Nascent Soul Stage cultivators are those capable of founding sects. Even though Heavenly Profound Gate is one of the five great sects, how many Nascent Soul Stage cultivators could they possibly have?

From this point on, Wu had firmly entered the top tier of combatants in the cultivation world.

Xu Ming and Wu coordinated seamlessly.

While Xu Ming handled distant magical techniques, he protected Wu during close-range battles.

These cultivators, once Wu got within ten steps of them, were almost certain to die.

Their coordination was so perfect that both couldn’t help but recall their childhood.

Back then, while on missions at the Blood Floating Pagoda, they experienced life and death together much like today.

On the other side, Wang Xuan and Qingwan also charged towards Xia He.

Facing former sect mates, Wang Xuan, holding a dust whisk, casually waved it, erasing her opponent entirely without any mercy.

“Wang Xuan Elder, from today onward, Heavenly Profound Gate will cease to exist. Why don’t you join us? Together we’ll ascend the Great Dao!”

The master of the Sword Peak held his longsword, blocking Wang Xuan’s path.

Wang Xuan looked calmly at the Sword Peak master. “I always thought you wouldn’t side with Xia He. What benefit has he given you?”

The Sword Peak master shook his head. “What benefit could compare to ascending the Great Dao?”

In Li Yi’s eyes, there flashed deep melancholy. “I’ve wasted too much time at the Jade Pudding Realm. In this lifetime, even if I can’t reach the Ascension Realm, I still wish to enter the Xiānrén Realm to see the view from the mountain peak. This is what cultivators seek throughout their lives.”

Wang Xuan shook her head, pity evident in her gaze. “You’re wrong. Our founding ancestor once said that what cultivators truly seek is to verify their own Dao, to validate their hearts.

Advancing in realms is merely a byproduct of this process.

Moreover, do you think following Xia He will lead you to the Xiānrén Realm?

The Great Dao is something one must walk oneself. How can you rely on others? This is our sect’s ancestral teaching. Every disciple entering Heavenly Profound Gate sees these words inscribed on the first stone they encounter.”

“Hahaha,” Li Yi laughed loudly. “If there were hope, why would we depend on others? Or does Wang Xuan Elder have a way for me to reach the Xiānrén Realm? Oh, right, you have a disciple who is an excellent candidate for dual cultivation. How about handing over your disciple to me?”

“Pitiful.”

Wang Xuan waved her dust whisk, transforming clouds in the sky into the Four Divine Beasts, which surged toward Li Yi.

“The Four Divine Celestial Phenomenon!” Li Yi looked up at the approaching divine beasts. “It’s rumored that Wang Xuan Elder used this technique to kill a demon king in the Southern Realm. I’d love to experience it myself.”

Li Yi slashed his sword, cutting the cloud-formed divine beasts into pieces, but they reformed immediately.

The Vermilion Bird let out a cry and spewed Vermilion Bird True Flames.

Li Yi broke through with his sword, aiming to stab Wang Xuan’s chest in an instant.

But the White Tiger clawed down, slamming Li Yi downward and shattering a mountain peak.

Then, ten cultivators flew up, encircling Wang Xuan.

Instead of engaging in battle, these ten cultivators formed a magic array, trapping Wang Xuan inside.

Wang Xuan chanted another spell.

A river of time appeared beneath her feet, attempting to pull those trapping her into the river.

But these ten cultivators revealed ten black jade pieces, emitting black light.

These lights intertwined rapidly, forming a cage within a breath’s time, imprisoning Wang Xuan inside, unable to escape.

“Master!”

Qingwan shouted and tried to rescue her master.

Of course, Qingwan caught everyone’s attention.

Who in Heavenly Profound Gate didn’t know that Qingwan was an excellent candidate for dual cultivation? Not to mention, she was also exceptionally beautiful, ranking in the top ten of the Red Beauty List! Cultivators are human beings too; they aren’t immune to beauty or free of desires.

In fact, as their realms increase, most cultivators’ desires grow stronger. They simply shift their desires from ordinary people and worldly riches to Immortal Maidens and rare treasures.

During such turmoil, Qingwan was like the best trophy! However, just as these people attempted to seize her, ten cultivators directly guarded Qingwan.

Meanwhile, under the Xuantian Tree, the guardian spirit of Heavenly Profound Gate had stopped shouting.

The guardian spirit knelt down, head bowed, with disheveled hair.

Centered around the guardian spirit, the soil grew darker and continued spreading outward. The springs across the plain turned pitch black, murky like ink.

“Xia He! What exactly are you planning?”

“Xia He! Do you not fear being hunted down by the great sects?”

“Xia He! Have you gone mad?!”

One by one, congratulatory guests fell into pools of blood.

They couldn’t comprehend why Xia He was doing this or why he chose this path. “Mad?” Xia He turned around, looking at everyone with a cold laugh. “I’m not mad. On the contrary, I am very clear-headed. You should consider yourselves honored to become the nourishment for my breakthrough into the Ascension Realm!”

“Xia He! You insane maniac!”

Elders leading various sects rushed forward together.

But facing them, Xia He wasn’t the least bit anxious.

Xia He consumed the original heart of the Heavenly Profound Gate guardian spirit.

Massive fortune filled Xia He’s body.

With a wave of his sleeves, all the cultivators rushing towards Xia He exploded into blood mist.

Boom! With a tremendous sound.

The entire Heavenly Profound Gate trembled continuously.

The fortune of Heavenly Profound Gate transformed into threads, continuously flowing into Xia He’s body.

The entire Heavenly Profound Gate array activated.

However, this activation wasn’t for defending against external enemies but for killing sect members.

Yin-Yang symbols emerged around Heavenly Profound Gate, piercing through the bodies of countless disciples.

These disciples exploded into blood mist, which then transformed into black lines, continuously condensing above the Xuantian Tree.

Not even the fallen guests were spared.

Their bodies were swallowed by black water, eventually merging into the black soil.

From the Three Stone Peak, beams of red light shot out, similarly converging into the blood sphere above the Xuantian Tree.

Inside the Three Stone Peak’s hollow prison, Xu Chang and others frowned deeply.

Cold sweat poured from their foreheads as their blood energy and spiritual power were forcefully drained by the array.

“One incense stick of time…”

Xu Chang and others closed their eyes.

Xu Ming only had one incense stick of time. After one incense stick, they would surely die.

Not just themselves.

After one incense stick, Xia He might very well reach the Ascension Realm. At that time, anyone trying to resist Xia He wouldn’t survive!

Most people in Hundred Springs Plain had realized what Xia He intended to do.

Xia He was using the deaths of Heavenly Profound Gate disciples and visiting guests as nutrients to help him reach the Ascension Realm! Despair overwhelmed most people.

Just from observing Hundred Springs Plain, nearly half of the hall masters, peak masters, elders, and officials had betrayed and joined Xia He.

The other half were either injured or killed outright before they could react.

Needless to say, the elder-level cultivators celebrating Heavenly Profound Gate were generally at the Nascent Soul Stage.

Upper-tier cultivators were extraordinary beings. Even the four sacred lands wouldn’t bother sending upper-tier cultivators to celebrate others.

Thus, Xia He’s realm was the highest present. The only other Xiānrén Realm cultivator, Wang Xuan, was trapped and unable to escape.

Most people already saw their impending doom.

Just as despair gripped the majority of cultivators,

A streak of sword light flashed before their eyes.

The sharp sword qi mingled in the air, as if a single deep breath would send it slicing through their organs.

Everyone focused their gaze.

A young man wielded a longsword, charging forward fearlessly.

“Looking for death!”

Xia He sneered coldly, reaching out to grab Xu Ming.

A massive dharma image appeared before Xu Ming, seemingly ready to crush him into powder! Xu Ming swung his sword, using the grass character incantation to shatter the giant hand image.

But the enormous spiritual wave sent Xu Ming flying back. Xu Ming plunged his sword into the ground, and the Nine Heavens Cloud Lightning Sword carved a twenty-meter crack into the earth.

“Pfft!” Xu Ming spat out a mouthful of blood.

“This young man is indeed impressive,” Xia He praised.

Xia He hadn’t seen such talent in a long time.

“Father, please allow this man to be dealt with by your son. I wish to kill him with my own hands!”

Seeing Xu Ming wounded, Xia Donghua’s breathing quickened.

Xia Donghua hated Xu Ming to the extreme.

All previous humiliations must be repaid with his life! Otherwise, his Daoist heart would be unstable!

Not to mention, Xu Ming was currently second on the Azurecloud List.

If Xia Donghua killed Xu Ming, regardless of the method, as long as Xu Ming died by his hand, Xia Donghua would become the second-ranked cultivator! Hatred and fame had driven Xia Donghua to act without hesitation! “Go ahead, be careful.” Xia He nodded, not stopping his son.

Xia He understood that Xu Ming had practically become a Heart Demon for his son.

He must let Xia Donghua personally resolve this Heart Demon.

Otherwise, when Xia Donghua faced the Dragon Gate Realm tribulation to enter the Golden Core Realm, he might perish due to this Heart Demon.

“Yes!”

With his father’s permission, Xia Donghua wielded his sword and charged straight at Xu Ming! If he couldn’t defeat Xu Ming before, could he now?!

Today, Xia Donghua would ensure Xu Ming had no grave left!

“Xu Ming! Die!”

Xia Donghua chanted a spell, transforming into an ink dragon, merging man and sword as one, thrusting toward Xu Ming’s heart.

To everyone, it was already remarkable that Xu Ming managed to block Xia He’s earlier attack.

Now, heavily wounded, facing this full-force strike, everyone believed Xu Ming was doomed.

But as the sword approached, Xu Ming’s lips curled into a faint smile.

As if…

He had been waiting for this very strike.