Ning Daoran's gaze remained calm as he met the opponent's cold and bloodthirsty eyes, "What makes you so confident you can kill me?"
"You'll find out whether or not I can kill you once we try, why waste words?"
Li Xiu fully unsheathed the Black Sword, and in an instant, the chilling air within the woods grew even sharper.
"Bang!"
Without hesitation, Ning Daoran sprang forward like a spirit ape, twisting his body and swinging his arms in one seamless motion. The head of the Azure Dragon Spear, weighing at least ten or so pounds, turned into a blur as it struck down ferociously!
With this explosive moment, he exerted almost all his strength, his entire being surging with Blood Qi, fully activating his Body Tempering Technique at the Transformation Realm.
"Sixth Level of Qi Refining?!"
Li Xiu's eyelid twitched violently. Instantly, the force behind his strike increased several folds as he pushed for a decisive blow to suppress his opponent.
A resounding crash!
The instant their attacks collided, ripples spread through the ground below, which was littered with weeds and stones. The force sent dirt and shattered rocks shooting skyward within a confined area, resembling waterfalls being yanked upward.
Li Xiu's Late-stage Blood Qi Realm foundation was exceptionally solid, and Ning Daoran's mastery of the Body Tempering Technique, bolstered by fully maxed-out Talent Points in Strength, pushed the sheer force of his attack to unimaginable heights!
"Bang!"
With a single strike, the difference in power became clear.
Li Xiu's Black Sword sank downward uncontrollably, forcing him to retreat several steps as his Blood Qi churned violently. A sharp, unbearable pain radiated from his right arm.
He had believed that his strike was sufficient to sever the opponent's spear, and his next move would be to cleave off that infuriating head. Yet, he hadn't expected this kid to possess seemingly innate, godlike strength, completely overwhelming him in sheer power.
*A Qi Refining stage cultivator suppressing a Late-stage Blood Qi martial artist in raw strength—this was utterly inconceivable!*
After delivering the first thrust, Ning Daoran felt his whole body ablaze, the Body Tempering Technique within him moving wildly to circulate his Blood Qi. Endless strength surged anew from his arms, and he immediately followed up with another swing aimed directly at Li Xiu's head!
"You little bastard, you—!"
Li Xiu had no time to evade or reposition his sword. In a panic, he could only raise his left arm to block.
With a crisp snapping sound, Li Xiu's entire left arm drooped lifelessly—it had been smashed into pulp by the spear. However, his Blood Qi remained vehemently robust, even as blood spattered across his face. His eyes still gleamed with a savage fierceness.
"Keep hitting, boy! Didn't you eat today?"
*What a monstrous arrest officer of Shanyang County—to still exhibit such ferocity despite losing an arm!*
"Buzz!"
The air hissed with piercing noise; the third thrust arrived.
The spearhead, turned into a blur of movement, came crashing downward. The protective layer of Blood Qi surrounding Li Xiu's body instantly dispersed, followed by a crisp crack from his skull. Blood splattered everywhere, trailing down his face and making him appear even more grotesque.
Ning Daoran stepped forward, pinning Li Xiu to the ground.
The Azure Dragon Spear aimed at his opponent's head—ready to strike again!
*The physical durability of a Late-stage Blood Qi martial artist was truly astounding. Its toughness rivaled even that of a cultivator who had perfected the Body Tempering Technique.*
Ning Daoran delivered three consecutive thrusts, finally smashing Li Xiu's head into unrecognizable fragments.
Hair, bones, and brain matter mixed together on the grass, forming a grotesque mess. By now, Li Xiu's head was smashed to pieces, much like a shattered watermelon.
*There was no doubt—he was dead.*
...
Proficiently looting the corpse, Ning Daoran performed a quick Soul Search before flicking out a ball of fire with the Fireball Technique, reducing Li Xiu's body to a pile of ash.
Driven by mana, the winds scattered the ashes.
"Old Lu, let's go!"
Wasting no time, Ning Daoran promptly called for Big Stupid Deer, who had just surfaced from underground. Without delay, they swiftly left via a mountain trail, ensuring no one would discover them.
*Courtyard No. 77 of the Spiritual Field.*
After reactivating the Small Cloud Mist Array, Ning Daoran finally exhaled with relief, his breathing rapid as he sat down in his chair.
The Soul Search yielded little. Li Xiu's hideout was in the county city, a place occupied by constables and arrest officers, making it not worth the risk to investigate.
Other than that, Li Xiu's memories consisted mainly of acts of corruption, exploitation, and indulgence in debauchery. The only piece of information potentially useful for Ning Daoran concerned the black market at Yellow Dragon Square.
Yellow Dragon Square, constructed and managed by the Chaotic Sect, had a plethora of operators. Aside from the influences of the Chaotic Sect, it also hosted cultivation families and loose cultivators from various parts of Shanyang County.
It was said that around the Yellow Dragon Mountain Range alone, there were dozens of Foundation Establishment families. The major cultivation families were locked in competitive rivalries, clashing openly and covertly over stores and resources, with dark currents flowing beneath the surface.
Fortunately, the colossal presence of the Chaotic Sect kept things relatively stable.
Adjacent to Yellow Dragon Square was a black market where virtually anything—be it legitimate or illicit—could be traded.
For instance, the area surrounding the Square could be rather unsafe, with frequent occurrences of treasure killings. Even though the Chaotic Sect had stationed two Foundation Establishment cultivators to oversee matters, they weren't able to completely prevent such incidents.
Thus, the black market emerged as a necessary venue for disposing of stolen goods obtained through such acts. In the black market, no one would question the origin of the treasures; they only cared about their value for trade.
"Whew…"
Ning Daoran exhaled deeply, *perhaps in the future he could consider disguising himself to sell Second-tier Spirit Rice in the black market.*
After rummaging through the loot, he confirmed that Li Xiu was an utter pauper of a martial artist. Aside from two bottles of Blood Qi elixirs, the man only carried fewer than twenty Spirit Stones. *A Late-stage Blood Qi combatant being so absurdly broke was almost tragic.*
Nevertheless, Li Xiu's death cleared up the trouble with Young Junior Sister Han Bing—a bit of good news.
...
Soul Searching Li Xiu revealed another piece of information: Uncle Lin had indeed been killed by Li Xiu and was buried in a forest patch along the path down the mountain.
However, Ning Daoran decided not to tell Han Bing about this—it would only invite unnecessary suspicion and trouble.
*Let the matter concerning Li Xiu and Uncle Lin dissolve with the wind.*
At that moment, Ning Daoran counted a total of 144 Low-Grade Spirit Stones in his possession…
He frowned, *still not enough. Only after accumulating at least 300 Spirit Stones could he consider purchasing a suitable magic artifact from Yellow Dragon Square.*
*After all, despite being a cultivator, relying solely on the Big Green Dragon spear for fights seemed a bit inappropriate.*
In the cultivation world, treasures were strictly classified based on their effects and power levels, progressing in the hierarchy of magic artifacts, spiritual artifacts, magical treasures, and spiritual treasures.
Among them, Qi Refinement cultivators normally used magic artifacts, Foundation Establishment cultivators preferred spiritual artifacts, and those fortunate enough to become legendary Golden Core Ancestors could wield magical treasures.
Of course, these conventions weren't hard rules. If a Qi Refinement cultivator was exceptionally wealthy, they could use spiritual artifacts or magical treasures. However, the mana consumption of higher-grade items was exorbitant, leading to issues akin to "a pony dragging a large cart."
Using them once or twice would deplete all mana—far from viable in prolonged battles.
Moreover, each tier of treasure was subdivided into four grades.
For example, magic artifacts were categorized as Low Grade, Mid Grade, Top Grade, and Ultimate Grade. Based on the current pricing in the cultivation world, a Low-Grade magic artifact cost at least 150 Spirit Stones, Mid Grade 300 Spirit Stones, Top Grade 500 Spirit Stones.
As for the legendary Ultimate-Grade magic artifacts, they were often divine weapons of Qi Refinement stage consummate cultivators, starting at nearly 1,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
"Sigh…"
Thinking about the prices of these magic artifacts, Ning Daoran couldn't help but let out a sigh. *In the end, he was still far too poor.*
...
Cleaning off the filth from the Azure Dragon Spear and his clothes, Ning Daoran changed into a fresh outfit and took Big Stupid Deer to weed the Spirit Field before evening fell.
"Senior Brother Ning,"
Nearby in Courtyard No. 78, a young girl straightened up and wiped the sweat off her forehead, smiling as she greeted him.
Ning Daoran responded with a smile.
Not long after, the two sat chatting by the ridge of the field, accompanied by the deer.
"Young Junior Sister, has Uncle Lin returned? I haven't seen him in days, and I'm starting to miss him."
"No…"
Upon hearing Ning Daoran mention Uncle Lin, Han Bing's expression turned slightly unnatural. She seemed to have already guessed Uncle Lin's fate.
*Gone for so many days, coupled with Li Xiu frequently causing trouble in the mountains, the outcome was self-evident.*
*And yet, what could she do? As an early-stage Qi Refinement Outer Disciple, there was no one in the sect who would advocate for her.*
*After all, the Chaotic Sect was merely considered a "Second-class Sect," nowhere near comparable to the renowned First-class Sects or the Ten Great Immortal Sects of Xia Country.*
As a Second-class Sect, its rules weren't as rigorously enforced.
The Chaotic Sect consisted of about 4,000 members, including 3,000 servant disciples, over 1,200 Outer Disciples, and a mere 33 Foundation Establishment cultivators across the sect.
*They couldn't possibly keep track of everything, and many Outer Elders and Deacons were simply late-stage Qi Refinement practitioners.*
"Senior Brother…"
Han Bing suddenly appeared to notice something and hesitated to speak.
"What's the matter, Young Junior Sister?"
"It's… it's nothing…"
Han Bing bit her lip and managed a smile, "I truly envy you, having Senior Brother Lu's company."
"Moo~~~"
Big Stupid Deer immediately let out a cheerful cry, its tail wagging so fast it became a blur.
It was overjoyed—Han Bing had just referred to it as "Senior Brother Lu." No question about it, from this moment forward, Junior Sister Han Bing had earned its full approval!
As the sun set, they each returned to their residences.
In her dilapidated shelter, Han Bing sat quietly, suspicion flickering in her gaze. *She had an inexplicable feeling that Senior Brother Ning had just undergone a life-or-death battle.*
Yet, Han Bing had no concrete knowledge of what had transpired.
*Could it be tied to Li Xiu? Impossible…* *
*The tales of martial artists in Jianghu highlight their formidable physicality. For a cultivator of the same level to get close to a martial artist was often a death sentence. Maybe it was just her imagination.*
Days passed without sight of Li Xiu.
Han Bing's heart became more uncertain.
...
Late one night, as Ning Daoran snored loudly in his chamber 20 fathoms underground.
Suddenly, a golden sword light ascended into the sky from Courtyard No. 78, bursting into a cascade of star-like droplets.
The next morning, Ning Daoran awoke bright and early. Carrying a hoe alongside Big Stupid Deer, he began tending the fields through weeding and fertilizing.
Soon after, both Ning Daoran and the deer noticed that several Chaotic Sect disciples had gathered in front of Han Bing's courtyard, including some wearing the distinctive white garb of Inner Sect disciples!
"What's going on with Young Junior Sister Han?"
"You're not aware yet, Fellow Daoist Ning?"
Short-skirted and curvaceous, Zhong Yan smiled warmly, "I heard that last night, Han Bing, that little lass, awakened her innate Sword Heart Clarity. It's an extraordinary blessing—it immediately caught the sect leadership's attention!"
"Sword Heart Clarity…"
Ning Daoran froze momentarily. *This was a pinnacle state for sword cultivators, and if his memory served him correctly, Han Bing was of Ninth Grade Four Spirit Roots, one of which included the Metal Spirit Root.*
That Metal Spirit Root's sensitivity to Spiritual Energy bordered on Eighth Grade standards—this meant she now had all the qualifications to become a sword cultivator!
"See, I knew it…"
He chuckled faintly, "A young lady like Young Junior Sister, how could she possibly live the way we do, face to the soil, back to the sky? One look at her and it's clear farming is not her destiny."
The sultry woman puffed out her ample chest and glared at him indignantly. *So, what—you're saying I deserve to be stuck farming?*