"How dare you!"
Mo Yuchen didn't even hesitate. The moment the voice thundered through the air, he grabbed his spoils of battle and slapped an escape talisman onto his body, bolting for his life. He didn't need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to.
But outrunning a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator? That was wishful thinking. An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him, forcing his body to the ground. He trembled, unable to move even a finger.
A refined-looking man descended from the sky and landed in front of him. His gaze was cold and brimming with killing intent, his expression twisted in fury.
"Do you think you can run after killing our Foundation Establishment seed?"
The man was none other than Feng Taishan, an ancestor of the Feng Family.
Raising his hand, spiritual energy surged as he prepared to end Mo Yuchen's life.
"Die!"
But before the blow could land, a crimson flash sliced through the air and intercepted the strike. Dust billowed, obscuring the scene.
As it settled, a tall red blade, nearly five feet in length, stood planted into the earth, trembling with latent power. A calm voice rang out across the battlefield.
"Old Feng, aren't you ashamed of yourself, attacking a junior with a cultivation level far beneath your own?"
A figure in a dark blue robe appeared mid-air. The red blade trembled once more and soared toward the newcomer, who caught it with a single hand.
Crimson Blade True Cultivator, Wu Sheng.
"Wu Sheng, don't block me!" Feng Taishan roared. "He killed one of our clan's most promising juniors! He must die!"
"Nonsense!" Wu Sheng snapped, his tone sharp and provocative. "This is a battlefield. Lives are meant to be lost. How can you be mad at someone who just slain their enemy on the battlefield. Or... is it simply because of who he killed that you're throwing a tantrum?"
"You...! Don't think I'm afraid of you!" Feng Taishan growled, backing up slightly.
Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes and cast a subtle glance toward Mo Yuchen.
Run!
Mo Yuchen nodded and sprinted with all his might, not daring to look back.
"Who gave you permission to run!" Feng Taishan yelled and shot toward Mo Yuchen, but the Crimson Blade once again intercepted his path.
Your opponent is me now," Wu Sheng said, gripping the sword tightly. "This time, you won't escape so easily."
"Do you think I came unprepared?" Feng Taishan snarled. "Today, I'll reclaim my pride!"
He pulled out a bracelet inlaid with six beads, muttered a mantra under his breath, and activated it. The crimson blade lunged forward again, but a golden light flared around Feng Taishan, blocking it.
The six beads detached from the bracelet and shot toward Wu Sheng like streaking comets.
Wu Sheng's eyes narrowed. He retrieved his blade and struck out, repelling several beads mid air. But a few managed to strike his body, only to bounce off and return to Feng Taishan.
"A Second Rank Defensive Robe!" Feng Taishan exclaimed, stunned.
Defensive-type artifacts were already rare, but a defensive robe was even more precious and hard to obtain here in the Cloud Market.
Feng Taishan stared at Wu Sheng, now more cautious. Even if one appeared on the market, its price would be astronomical. How had Wu Sheng come to possess one?
Grimacing, he drew a talisman from his sleeve and activated it. Instantly, countless wind blades materialized in the air, whirling with terrifying speed and velocity toward Wu Sheng.
Second Rank Talisman, Hundred Blade Wind Talisman.
Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes. Even he couldn't block this many with his blade alone. He take out a talisman and he activated a talisman with a tap on his chest. A golden shield of light formed just in time to meet the incoming blades.
Golden Light Shield Talisman.
A shimmering golden barrier emerged just in time, blocking the cascade of wind blades.
"Another Second Rank Talisman?!" Feng Taishan's voice trembled.
"What, you thought you were the only one who came prepared?" Wu Sheng sneered.
Wu Sheng grasped his Crimson Blade with both hands. A deep red light surged, spirit energy condensing along its edge. Feng Taishan's expression changed instantly, he pulled out a blue-scaled shield and braced himself.
"Slash!"
The blazing red arc cut through the sky and slammed into the shield.
BOOM!!!
The sound echoed for dozens of kilometers, shaking the trees and hills nearby. Feng Taishan was blasted back hundreds of meters. His shield's glow dimmed drastically, a visible crack splitting across its surface. Blood trickled from his mouth as he stabilized himself, face pale.
He looked stunned, clearly injured
"You… you've brokenthrough to the 4th layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm." he gasped.
Wu Sheng smiled.
"Oh? You noticed. Sharp eyes, old Feng."
The moment the attack had been unleashed, Wu Sheng's spiritual aura had surged, it was no longer something he could hide.
"If I didn't have that strength, would I have dared to face both of you?" His voice was laced with subtle menace.
A shadow flickered in Feng Taishan's eyes.
"What? Cat got your tongue? Now that I've shown my true cultivation, you're too scared to come out?" Wu Sheng mocked, eyes glancing toward an unremarkable patch of land nearby.
A moment later, a figure floated into the open, hovering a few meters behind Feng Taishan. Clad in a pristine white robe, his demeanor refined yet dangerous, the man smiled faintly.
Mu Renlong True Cultivator, Mu Family Ancestor.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, forgive my delay. I meant no disrespect," he said calmly.
"Mu Renlong," Wu Sheng spat the name. "Drop the act. Do you think I didn't notice your pathetic attempt to sneak up on me?"
The man's smile vanished. His face grew cold, and killing intent radiated from his body.
"Ha... You caught me."
Earlier, when Feng Taishan had called him to the mines, they'd agreed to attack only after Wu Sheng appeared. With Mu Renlong at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, they'd hoped to crush him with their combined strength.
But the hot-headed fool had charged ahead the moment his clan's prodigy was slain.
Mu Renlong had stayed back, reevaluating the plan as soon as Wu Sheng arrived. He'd hidden himself, waiting for the right moment to strike when Wu Sheng's attention was elsewhere.
Mu Renlong changed his plan on the spot. He decided to lay low and wait for an opening to strike, only to witness Wu Sheng unleash power beyond his expectations, enough to put even him on alert.
The moment Wu Sheng unleashed his slash, Mu Renlong's plan fell apart. He immediately withdrew and concealed himself. He had tried to stay hidden, unfortunately Wu Sheng had seen through him anyway.
.....
I'm sorry to say that my frequency of uploading chapters is decreasing. Now i need to attend class at my university. When I start, it's still in holiday. But I will try to upload at least one chapter every day.
Special thanks to my readers and fans especially 'Doaists2k4Se' , 'DoaistLZZAn4', 'Margarito_Jaimes', 'thabet_Hsuo' nad 'Nazraf'. If not for you guys maybe I'm already give up this novel. Thank you 😊