Fairy, return my flying sword to me

Chapter 243 Intimidation

The shockwave from the breakthrough crushed the surrounding withered trees into dust. The Earthly Elemental Array, having completed its mission, gradually dimmed its spiritual patterns after losing its leader, and the earth's energy returned to nature.

He exhaled a breath of stale air from the forest, his eyes flashing with a sword intent that seemed to pierce the air as if it were a tangible substance.

With a wave of his hand, his true energy instantly condensed into a three-foot-long sword beam, without the slightest hesitation.

The black-robed figure swept by his sword light was completely unaffected. The sword light he unleashed after breaking through was like harmless air to him, dissipating before it even touched him.

The other party hovered in the air on a sword, looking at the two little ones on the ground with a probing gaze.

"You've already reached the second level of the Golden Core stage? Your progress is so rapid that you're the first person in the history of the Lower Nine Realms. You truly have extraordinary talent."

The deep, trembling voice produced a dull sound, and there was absolutely no sense of familiarity in its timbre.

Standing in the forest, he also bowed with his sword in hand and asked, "Senior, do you recognize me?"

"Young friend Lin's name is quite well-known now."

"Is that so?" Lin Jian remained noncommittal.

Perhaps he did do something, but his reputation probably only circulated among some people in the Zhengyang Sect, Chunyang Sword Sect, and Baimo Sect.

Loud? Not really.

The other party's demeanor and physique suggest they must be someone you know.

Moreover, they are at least at the Nascent Soul stage... Thinking about it this way, the range that can be locked down becomes even smaller.

"May I ask what brings you here, senior?"

In this desolate wilderness, it's hard to believe that this encounter was purely by chance.

The man in black robes scanned the body in the forest with a probing look. "I'm just a little curious about how fast your cultivation has improved."

"How did you know the speed of my cultivation progress, senior? Have you seen it before?"

"Why bother with past acquaintances? Less than half a year ago, young friend, you were merely a Qi Refining stage disciple on the fringes of the Zheng Yang Sect. Now, in just six months, your cultivation has already reached the second level of the Golden Core stage. To be honest, I am quite curious about the secret behind your success!"

'They're here!' Lin Jian's heart skipped a beat.

Very familiar plot.

The younger generation leveled up too quickly, attracting the attention of an older, stagnant figure who coveted the secret behind their rapid advancement and plotted to kill and steal their treasure.

Is this classic scene finally happening today?
"No!" Lin Jian said righteously.

The man in black robes was taken aback. "Huh?"

Lin Jian's lips curled into a slight smile, "Actually, I was already at the second level of the Golden Core stage half a year ago, but I had to conceal my cultivation level because of a promise I made. Now that the three-year period has ended, this Dragon King is naturally returning! The Great Dragon King has arrived, all of you get out of the way!"

As he spoke, Lin Jian took Chunxue's hand and prepared to leave, unwilling to get entangled with this old man whose cultivation level was neither high nor low.

Chunxue secretly gave a thumbs up, thinking that Lin Jian's show of bravado was very original and she could learn from it in the future.

Unexpectedly, just as the two took a step, a sword aura struck them, carving deep into the ground and creating a chasm.

The wrinkles beneath the black-robed man's shadow trembled slightly. "You little brat, do you think I'm a three-year-old? Believing all sorts of nonsense?"

As he spoke, his gaze shifted, sweeping across the surrounding woods.

Although the remaining array patterns of the Earthly Elemental Array were dim in spiritual power and slightly disordered due to the fading of the array's power, they still retained the overall essence of the array.

Even after the Earthly Elemental Grand Array loses its effectiveness, the spiritual energy concentration in this space still far exceeds that of ordinary places, and it is difficult to dissipate for a while.

Given the unusual concentration combined with the residual array patterns, it would be difficult for the black-robed man, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, not to guess what Lin Jian had done here.

"Severing the earth's vein energy for one's own cultivation, young friend Lin, what great courage and skill you possess! Although I cannot discern what kind of formation this is, such a formation is absolutely impossible to find anywhere else in our Lower Nine Realms except for the Holy Lands. May I ask where you obtained this formation, young friend?"

"..." Lin Jian was about to speak when he was interrupted by the other party.

"Young friend, are you still going to say you found it? You can find the recipe for the Spirit Root Creation Pill, you can find the recipe for the Great Yin Yang Pill, and now you can even find the formation for severing the earth's veins to gather spirits. I wonder what kind of treasure land it is that possesses so many treasures?"

"The Great Yin-Yang Pill?" Lin Jian narrowed his eyes, roughly pinpointing the source of the pill.

The pill formula had only been handed over to the alchemy elders of the Pure Yang Sword Sect a few days before he came here to cultivate, and now someone has come chasing after him so quickly because of this pill formula.

It's hard to believe that this person has no connection to their Pure Yang Sword Sect.

The moment he had a guess in his mind, Lin Jian directly asked, "Senior is from the Pure Yang Sword Sect? How come I didn't know that such a large sect as the Pure Yang Sword Sect would have people like you who like to pry into other people's fortunes?"

"The Pure Yang Sword Sect?" The man in black robes sneered. "These so-called prestigious sects have all been infiltrated like sieves without them even realizing it. What secrets can they keep? I never hide my identity. Considering your merit in presenting the treasure, I can let you join my Human Alliance and lead a region. The territory of the Four Sects Alliance, where the Pure Yang Sect is located, will be your responsibility from now on. What do you say?"

"The Humanitarian Alliance?" Lin Jian frowned slightly. "Is our Supreme Elder of the Zhengyang Sect also one of your seniors?"

"I can become your person someday."

Those who are unwilling to work for the future of humanity will inevitably be unable to resist power.

With a mere Golden Core stage cultivation level, he was able to control some Nascent Soul stage monsters and even secretly grasp the lifeline of four medium-sized sects. This is an achievement that many cultivators would find difficult to attain even after a lifetime of hard work.

The Humanitarian Alliance has always been unconventional in recruiting talent, regardless of procedural justice, as long as it benefits the overall situation.

"...As long as you're willing to hand over all the treasures you've 'found'!"

Unexpectedly, Lin Jian refused without even thinking, saying, "I refuse!"

"Oh? Why?" the black-robed man asked in a low voice, "Even the Supreme Elder of your Zheng Yang Sect voluntarily joined our Humanity Alliance, and he has had contact with you. You should know that our Humanity Alliance is not like the Demon Worship Sect that people say is utterly evil. Everything we do is for the future of humanity. Moreover, we will now bestow upon you endless power, so why do you still refuse?"

"A refusal is a refusal. I don't like how you're doing things."

"So you like the actions of those so-called righteous sects? Your four sects are fighting openly and secretly for resources. Although the chaos in Yunmeng Marsh was partly due to the instigation of our Human Alliance, without their own actions, even if we wanted to frame them, it would be difficult to gain much traction."

"I didn't say I liked them either."

"That……"

"I have my own path."

Chunxue doesn't trust anyone and has never considered seeking help from any force since she fell into misfortune.

So he doesn't trust anyone.

He wanted to see the truth of this world from a position of absolute freedom.

"As for offering treasures... you may take these pill formulas and formations if you need them." The mainstream of the Human Alliance is also to fight against the Heavenly Demon, and the Demon Worshiping faction is their last line of defense.

If these things that can enhance the overall strength of the human race can be rolled out through their channels, greatly improving the human race's strength, they might even have a better chance of winning against the Heavenly Demons.

Lin Jian didn't know why the people of the Upper Nine Realms were unwilling to do these simplest things.

They may have their own bigger picture to consider, but Lin Jian doesn't want to consider theirs.

Moreover, just like when she exposed the Spirit Root Creation Pill, Chunxue had her reasons for releasing these things herself.

I'll accompany her whatever she wants to do!

If there is anyone in this world who truly cares wholeheartedly for the sake of the entire human race, then there is no one else but Chunxue.

Even though she talks about opening up, Chunxue is always happy whenever she saves the lives of the people in her community.

She usually seems carefree and even hops around like a happy little rabbit.

But if we look beyond this appearance, we can often glimpse the deep-seated depression and pessimism within her.

She didn't know why she was so upset, so I should help her regain her spirits.

Perhaps the savior that humanity truly needs today is an immortal whose realm is even higher than that of a terrestrial deity.

"..." The black-robed man stared at Lin Jian's face for a long time, then suddenly smiled broadly. "Young friend Lin, you're so generous now, who knows if you're hiding something even better. How about this, you tell me in detail where you got these good things from, and after I verify them, I'll set you free. What do you say?"

Lin Jian sighed helplessly, "I already told you I found it."

The man in black robes gleamed coldly in his eyes. "I don't believe it."

"So there's nothing to talk about?"

"Young friend, have you thought this through? You can't take your possessions with you when you die. I know what you've picked up isn't some inanimate object like pill formulas or array diagrams; these items from the Nine Realms are rare even in the Upper Realm. The Spirit Root Creation Pill was one thing, but the Great Yin-Yang Pill was something not even widely available in the Upper Realm… Since I've come this far, I'll be frank with you—hand over the person behind you, and I'll spare your life!"

Lin Jian didn't even look at him, but silently summoned a black sword from his storage ring.

The third senior brother's sword was destroyed in the Sword Ruins Secret Realm, and now he can only rely on these endless good brothers in the forest.

Lin Jian's slender sword fingers traced across the blade of the 50-yuan good brother's sword, and his mind gradually sank into the sword pellet. "Good brother, you know I like you."

The black-robed man's face darkened further beneath his gloomy expression. "You intend to fight me to the death for an outsider?!"

"After I die, you may be able to find it in my memories."

As Lin Jian spoke, he hurriedly sent a telepathic message to Chun Xue, "Waiting online, urgent! How do I block memories?"

Chunxue was so angry she laughed. "You haven't even studied it, yet you dare to speak so arrogantly?"

"Isn't this an opportunity we haven't had the chance to use before?"

“We won’t need it anymore.” Chunxue had just replied when she turned around and found that her body had been sent far away by a surge of true energy in the forest.

The telepathic communication lasted only a moment, and the man in black robes was already thoroughly enraged by Lin Jian's attitude.

"Fine! Since you're asking for death, I'll grant your wish!"

With a thunderous roar, a giant golden sword fell from above.

Lin Jian's mind stirred, and he instantly mobilized all his true energy.

Having prepared in advance, he had already planned his Qi circulation route. The moment the opponent's golden giant sword came down, he transformed into a sword light, becoming one with the sword!

Qi penetrates Changhong!

This is the most powerful sword technique that Lin Jian currently possesses.

Moreover, having fully mastered sword intent, Lin Jian can now imbue every move with the power of sword intent. Although he still cannot unleash sword intent without limit, it is not a problem for each move to unleash sword intent within three to five consecutive moves.

The sword energy and sword intent erupted simultaneously, and the true energy emanating from the sword pellet was far more sharp and powerful than that of an ordinary golden core.

At the same time, the aftereffects of the Earthly Elemental Array had not completely dissipated. Under the call of the true power that shared the same origin as the spiritual energy gathered by the array, the seven-colored spiritual energy also followed the burst of true energy in the forest.

The earth's veins, which should have been depleted, suddenly burst forth with seven beams of colorful light from the ground, and this earth energy wrapped around the sword-like formation in the forest like chains.

In an instant, the sword light that had transformed from the forest rose from the ground, and amidst a swirling array of seven-colored brilliance, it shot straight toward the golden giant sword that was falling from the sky.

The two swords clashed, and the space fell into a deathly silence.

The eve of the devastating collision was a state of extreme stillness.

Then, an unimaginable blinding light burst forth where the two swords clashed.

The deafening shockwave spread out instantly, and the surrounding forests, which had been gradually withering due to the earth's ley lines, were all snapped by the shockwave, turning into withered branches and leaves that flew everywhere.

Faced with a casual strike from a Nascent Soul stage monster, even though the opponent's sword light did not yet carry sword intent, the two only managed to clash to a draw.

However, such a result is still an unimaginable achievement for a cultivator who has only just entered the second level of the Golden Core stage.

The man in black robes found the result hard to believe and let out a soft "Eh."

Unexpectedly, Lin Jian, whose momentum had been completely destroyed by the sword strike, became even more courageous after the setback. He summoned a new iron sword in mid-air, swung it around, and once again shot straight into the sky.

But after that soaring sword light, Lin Jian subtly raised his hand and cast several talismans... as well as many fragments of flying swords.

Sword Formation - White Tiger Roaring to the Sky Formation!

The convenient magic array talisman he learned from Sun Qinghan was used for the first time, and it was only after Lin Jian advanced to the Golden Core stage that he was able to set up the magic array with greater ease.

Unlike when he was in the Foundation Establishment stage, Lin Jian, now in the Golden Core stage, can activate the magic array at an unimaginable speed.

The golden elixir state, where qi and intention are in harmony, caused the magic array to unfold suddenly as the talisman fell.

The ancient seal script character for "kill" was drawn out of thin air, and the phantom image of a white tiger appeared in an instant.

Countless micro-blades raged wildly within the formation, while the white tiger's phantom pupils emitted a terrifying divine light.

The formation unfolded incredibly quickly, but it was still somewhat slow for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Even the most arrogant cultivator wouldn't stand idly by in the middle of someone else's attack and let them hit him. Although the White Tiger Roaring Sky Formation has high continuous damage, it first requires keeping someone inside and constantly tormenting them.

His protective aura flared up, and he was about to rush straight towards the golden barrier at the edge of the magic array...

(End of this chapter)