Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 223 The Fire Refining Technique of the Departing Palace
Golden flying swords swirled around Tong Qing, thrusting forward.

However, the thick blood energy condensed on its body surface was like a hard armor, blocking all the attacks from the flying swords.

In the distance, Shen Wen'an watched the scene unfold before him, but he wasn't in a hurry.

He was already mentally prepared for the fact that body cultivators have strong defenses.

Tong Qing, who had been propelled into the air by his leap, landed on the ground. No matter how he charged left or right, he was firmly blocked by numerous golden flying swords.

boom!
boom!
Like a trapped beast, Tong Qing kept swinging his fists and feet, each strike powerful and heavy, cracking the ground of the Immortal Martial Platform beneath his feet.

"This guy is incredibly strong..."

"Its defense is also very strong, but its speed is a bit lacking."

In mid-air, Shen Wen'an had gradually figured out Tong Qing's background and, having made up his mind, decided not to waste any more time with him.

Hundreds of golden flying swords suddenly broke free from the entanglement and formed a giant sword in mid-air!
The golden greatsword was covered with azure Tai Xuan sword energy, and its terrifying sharpness locked onto Tong Qing's body, slashing down through the void!
Sensing the danger, Tong Qing's eyes turned slightly red, and his blood energy surged, directly sending the remaining hundred or so flying swords around him flying several feet away. He then raised his armored left arm to meet the descending golden giant sword and try to block it!

boom!
The golden giant sword, formed from a hundred flying swords, slammed into the gauntlet on his left arm. The huge roar and the shockwave shattered the surrounding rocks into fine sand!

Smoke and dust filled the entire Immortal Martial Platform!
"What a terrifying attack!"

"That swordsman's skill in sword control is extremely profound. He can manipulate more than two hundred magic swords so skillfully and can also multitask to launch such an attack!"

"His sword energy was also quite profound, so he actually abandoned his sword cultivation expertise and chose to confront Tong Qing head-on."

"I misjudged him. I've bet all my savings on this kid. If I lose, all my savings of over a hundred years will be gone..."

Seeing the terrifying power of Shen Wen'an's attack, the spectators on the stands outside the Immortal Martial Arena started discussing it again.

The smoke and dust in the field gradually dissipated.

On the Immortal Martial Platform, Tong Qing's towering figure, which was originally ten feet tall, had shrunk by half.

His facial expression was ferocious, and his right knee was bent halfway down, almost kneeling on the ground.

All the energy and blood in his body were now poured into his left arm, while his right hand was also firmly supporting his trembling left arm.

On the other side, Shen Wen'an remained calmly suspended in the void, a faint cyan sword aura flickering in his eyes.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

……

Tong Qing's armor was no ordinary item; it miraculously withstood such an attack.

However, the ground beneath his feet was far less sturdy than the armor he wore.

The pressure on the golden greatsword gradually increased, and the ground of the Immortal Martial Platform beneath Tong Qing's feet emitted a series of cracking sounds as it could not bear the weight.

"drink!"

A loud shout rang out, and even stronger blood and qi burst forth from his body.

Tong Qing's right leg was trembling violently, and he seemed to be showing signs of wanting to stand up.

Upon seeing this, Shen Wen'an frowned slightly, and with a thought, several golden magic swords instantly transformed into streaks of light, slamming into his knees!

Bang!
Bang!
A series of impacts rang out, and Tong Qing's already exhausted body could no longer support him, his right knee suddenly buckling to the ground!
The hard stones on the ground were shattered by his knees, and his left arm, which was supporting the golden greatsword, suddenly sank!
The golden greatsword was already pressing down on his shoulder, making the pain on his face even more intense.

"Admit defeat."

As Shen Wen'an spoke calmly, several flying swords slowly approached his brow.

The sharp blade pierced his skin, and bright red blood gushed from the wound between his eyebrows.

It is obvious that if this were a life-or-death battle, Tong Qing would have already become a corpse.

Hot blood dripped from the tip of his nose. Tong Qing felt a surge of resentment, but he also knew that the other party had already shown mercy.

"I... admit defeat."

Tong Qing uttered these words with extreme reluctance, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

As the champion of the Xue Family Immortal Martial Arts Arena, the appearance fee is based on the number of consecutive wins.

Before facing Shen Wen'an, he had won seven consecutive matches, and his appearance fee had increased from 300 spirit crystals to 500.

This defeat means that all the hard-earned rewards will have to be earned from scratch.

Upon hearing that he had admitted defeat, Shen Wen'an slowly sheathed his magic sword and descended from the sky.

Tong Qing stood up, gave him a complicated look, and said, "The next body cultivator champion will be different from me. Fellow Daoist, be careful."

After saying this, he left the Immortal Martial Platform dejectedly.

……

Yunshui City.

Shen Wenxing had already taken the boy named Xu Zhan as his disciple, as instructed by his father, Shen Yuan.

After some instruction, he unexpectedly discovered that the boy had quite a talent for physical cultivation.

His vital energy is extremely refined; with proper nurturing, he might just achieve great things.

On a flat cliff outside the manor in the back mountain, Shen Wenxing stood with his hands behind his back.

Not far in front of him, Xu Zhan, shirtless, was holding a huge rock with his bare hands, gritting his teeth and persevering.

"Don't try to resist with your existing Qi and blood. Instead, carefully feel and try to discover new Qi and blood from the acupoints in your body."

"We body cultivators possess unimaginable power within every inch of our flesh and blood."

“Each acupoint is a great treasure. To achieve something in the path of body cultivation, one needs to constantly explore one’s own potential and stimulate the treasures within the acupoints.”

But seeing his body trembling, as if he was about to give up, Shen Wenxing's voice rang in his ear.

Upon hearing this, Xu Zhan seemed to understand something. The qi and blood power that had just spread from his body slowly withdrew. Under the pressure of the boulder, he began to try to find the "secret treasure" that his master had mentioned.

Gradually, he seemed to forget the boulder he was holding, and his consciousness entered a strange state.

In this state, it seemed as if it could feel the breathing and beating of every cell in its body.

Just as he was becoming so engrossed in this strange feeling that he couldn't extricate himself, a ball of extremely yin and cold yin energy suddenly emerged in his mind!

The next moment, a huge black and gray city appeared before Xu Zhan's eyes again!
This time, the giant city seems to be much clearer.

Xu Zhan vaguely saw figures moving around in the giant city, and a rushing river flowing slowly around it...

Ok?
Not far from the cliff, Shen Wenxing, standing with his hands behind his back, was pleased with his disciple's good comprehension. He had only given him a few pointers, and the disciple had already found a way to unlock his own secrets.

But then he suddenly noticed a subtle change in Xu Zhan's aura.

An eerie, chilling aura emanated from his body, giving people an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

"Xu Zhan?"

With a furrowed brow and a moment's thought, Shen Wenxing immediately spoke.

However, Xu Zhan did not give any response at this time.

The extremely yin and cold aura within its body grew stronger and stronger, and the temperature of the surrounding air showed obvious signs of dropping.

Seeing this, Shen Wenxing realized something was wrong. He immediately flashed and smashed the boulder that was held above his head with a single punch!

A large amount of gravel flew everywhere, and before the gravel hit the ground, a thin layer of frost suddenly appeared on its surface!

As the boulder shattered, the temperature in the surrounding air dropped even lower, and large amounts of water droplets slowly condensed on the surfaces of some vegetation and rocks, giving rise to a pale, chilly aura.

Shen Wenxing looked at everything before him with a solemn expression. After hesitating for a long time, he slowly stepped forward, wanting to wake Xu Zhan.

"Uncle, be careful!"

Just then, a streak of light flew over from the manor at the foot of the mountain.

Before the person even arrived, the voice had already reached his ears.

Shen Wenxing stopped in his tracks, only to see Shen Li, dressed in a long white dress, riding the wind and landing in front of him. Her eyes, like a deep pool, were fixed on Xu Zhan.

"Li'er, what's wrong with him...?"

Shen Wenxing asked in a deep voice.

The strange changes that occurred in Xu Zhan were difficult for him to understand.

Shen Li slowly withdrew her gaze, then shook her head slightly and said, "Li'er doesn't know, but it seems that her soul has undergone some kind of change, and a power is reviving."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wenxing's expression turned solemn.

As the two remained silent, two more figures flew in from the manor below.

It was Shen Chongming and Shen Yuan.

Upon seeing the two, Shen Wenxing hurriedly went to greet them, bowing slightly to Shen Yuan and saying, "Father."

Shen Yuan nodded, his gaze fixed on Xu Zhan, who was shrouded in an aura of yin energy.

"What's wrong with this little guy?"

Shen Wenxing shook his head and said, "My son was teaching him the method of opening his own secrets through body cultivation when his aura suddenly changed."

"Does Dad think his current condition might be related to something at the bottom of the Laishui River?"

Shen Yuan didn't speak, but glanced at Xu Zhan with a deep look before slowly walking up to him.

"Grandpa, be careful. I can sense an extremely terrifying power within him."

Shen Li spoke up to remind her.

Shen Yuan nodded slightly, then slowly raised his hand.

A mysterious power of the Great Evolution appeared in his palm and slowly touched Xu Zhan's body.

boom!
In an instant, Shen Yuan suddenly realized that part of his divine consciousness had been pulled into the river of time!

The surrounding light and shadow shifted, and terrifying figures stood on both banks of the river of time. Their domineering aura was enough to make people tremble with fear even if they just passed by in a hurry!
His divine sense seemed to see the former Yangnao land amidst those bizarre and colorful lights and shadows.

Celestial palaces stand in rows, and the earth is vast and desolate.

Countless figures exuding a powerful aura soared through the sky, some riding the wind, others standing on magical artifacts, and still others riding some terrifying flying beasts.

As the river of time continued to flow backward, in a fleeting glimpse, he seemed to see a figure with its back to him, sitting cross-legged in the heavens, its every move unleashing vast swirling patterns of light and energy.

Those patterns of light quickly merged into the mountains, rivers, deserts, and Gobi below.

Its divine sense wanted to manipulate the river of time to stop, so it could see the person's true face.

But he discovered that the rapidly flowing river of time was beyond his control, and he could only watch as the person's figure receded rapidly until it disappeared completely.

The scenes in the light and shadow on both sides of the strait changed rapidly once again, as if the Yangnao land had experienced a long period of desolation and ruin.

Ultimately, his consciousness, swept along by the river of time, seemed to rush into another era.

Everything in the surrounding light and shadow seemed very unfamiliar, and the aura it exuded was even more ancient and desolate.

In his hasty glance around, Shen Yuan was suddenly met with a terrifying gaze!

It was an old man sitting on the edge of an unknown river, fishing.

The old man had no aura, but it seemed to sense the presence of his divine consciousness. The moment he slowly raised his head, his two eyes seemed to traverse endless time and space, looking directly at Shen Yuan's true form.

"Strange, it's just a weak ant..."

As the old man's intermittent voice reached Shen Yuan, his consciousness was already being swept away by the river of time and flowed forward.

The ancient atmosphere grows stronger, and the light and shadow on both sides of the river of time become increasingly blurred.

At first, he could see some mountains and rivers, and strange beasts and birds.

Gradually, the surrounding light and shadow began to flicker violently, and various auras that instilled fear from the depths of one's soul appeared in the light and shadow along with earth-shattering commotions.

Even in the moment of Shen Yuan's astonishment, he suddenly discovered a pair of terrifying giant hands appearing in the River of Time, reaching out to grab the place where his divine sense was!

As the large hand slowly clenched, the surrounding space and time gradually dissipated, and the river of time before them was stirred with enormous ripples.

Before his divine consciousness was completely extinguished, Shen Yuan caught a glimpse of the owner of the giant hand standing above a colossal city.

Around it lay numerous terrifying figures, including giant beasts tens of thousands of feet long that had lost their heads.

There are also powerful beings whose surroundings are filled with destructive lightning, and whose very death, even if they are dead, can easily shatter space with the aura that emanates from their bodies.

puff!
On the cliff, Shen Yuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

When he opened his eyes, they were filled with deep horror.

"grandfather!"

"father!"

Shen Li and the other two were quite frightened by this sudden situation and quickly surrounded him, supporting his body.

"Dad, are you okay?"

Shen Wenxing asked with concern.

Shen Li and Shen Chongming also looked at him with worried expressions.

Shen Yuan raised his hand to wipe the bloodstains from the corner of his mouth, and shook his head with a smile.

It was only a small part of his divine consciousness that was lost, not a serious injury. He would be fine after a period of recuperation.

After taking a short breath to suppress the surging blood and qi within his body, he looked at Xu Zhan again.

He didn't know what secret Xu Zhan was hiding.

But judging from the strange situation just now, this little guy named Xu Zhan is very likely to be the reincarnation of some terrifying being.

It's just that their innate wisdom hasn't been awakened yet.

Thinking of this, his expression became somewhat complicated.

Such people are a double-edged sword.

If used properly, it would be a tremendous opportunity for the Shen family.

However, if it gets out of control, it will inevitably bring annihilation to the Shen family.

It seems that if we want to keep it for our own use, we have to do something...

“You should all step back a little.”

After careful consideration, Shen Yuan spoke with a solemn expression.

The three were puzzled, but they still obediently took a few steps back.

After a moment's thought, Shen Yuan resolutely raised his hand.

A red and white vortex suddenly appeared in his palm, and in the blink of an eye, it grew to the size of a person.

With a slight thought, Shen Yuan immediately pushed the vortex toward Xu Zhan, who was standing there dumbfounded.

A moment later, wisps of gray spiritual energy were suddenly drawn out of Xu Zhan's body.

After leaving Xu Zhan's body, these gray spiritual energies struggled violently, trying to escape the vortex's suction range, but they failed.

As more and more gray spiritual energy was being drawn out, Shen Yuan could clearly feel a terrifying aura rushing towards Xu Zhan's body from the void, traversing the endless river of time and space!
"Li'er, think of a way to cut off all traces of this little guy's presence!"

Shen Yuan spoke in a deep voice.

Shen Li frowned slightly, then pulled out a mini scarecrow from her bosom!

A ghostly light flashed, and it scratched Xu Zhan's wrist with its fingernail, soaking the scarecrow with his blood.

Holding up the scarecrow stained with Xu Zhan's blood, Shen Li's right index finger glowed faintly.

Strange talismanic inscriptions were carved onto the scarecrow, and gradually, the scarecrow began to exude the same aura as Xu Zhan.

If not seen with the naked eye, one would not be able to tell from divine sense that this thing with the same aura as Xu Zhan was just a scarecrow.

Just as Shen Li finished inscribing the last talisman inscription, he suddenly felt an extremely terrifying aura!

In the blink of an eye, she threw the scarecrow into the void!
boom!
The scarecrow, which carried the exact same aura as Xu Zhan, was instantly obliterated by an invisible, terrifying force as soon as it was thrown into the air!
Not even a speck of ash remained!

Bang!
Bang!
Upon witnessing this scene, Shen Wenxing and his son Shen Chongming, who were in the distance, were horrified, and their hearts pounded twice.

At this moment, Shen Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She could sense that if she had been even a fraction slower, she would have been instantly annihilated by that terrifying power.

In front of Xu Zhan, Shen Yuan had already withdrawn the red and white vortex.

The moment his consciousness sank into his sea of ​​consciousness, he suddenly discovered that a blurry, illusory seal had appeared on the white jade tortoise shell in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The seal was entirely black, emanating an aura of extreme yin and coldness similar to that emanating from Xu Zhan.

However, the illusory image of the seal was too blurry. Shen Yuan studied it for a long time but could not make out what kind of strange beast was carved on it.

When his consciousness returned to his body, Xu Zhan had already woken up.

He looked bewildered and somewhat reserved as he stared at Shen Wenxing and the others in front of him.

Shen Yuan walked up to him with his hands behind his back, stared at him for a moment, and said, "Little guy, do you really not remember anything?"

Xu Zhan shook his head slightly and cupped his hands, saying, "I dare not hide it from you, Ancestor. I just feel like there's something extra in my head, but I don't know what it is."

"Also... it seems my subordinate has made a breakthrough."

His original cultivation level was the peak of the first stage of body cultivation.

After experiencing the bizarre changes just now, he has now advanced by an entire major realm, reaching the peak of the second realm.

The peak of the second stage of body cultivation is equivalent to the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining.

In other words, Xu Zhan suddenly became a pillar among the many cultivators of the Shen family.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan pondered for a moment, then gently patted his shoulder and said, "Alright, don't overthink it. Just focus on cultivating with your master."

"Yes!" Xu Zhan replied respectfully.

"Li'er, let's go."

Calling Shen Li, Shen Yuan slowly walked towards the manor at the foot of the mountain.

……

On the Immortal Martial Platform, Shen Wen'an held his sword, gazing at the fourth opponent who had just appeared before him.

This is also a fourth-realm body cultivator.

However, unlike Tong Qing before, the fourth-realm body cultivator in front of him was a skinny old man who was only six feet tall, shorter than a normal person.

If it weren't for the faint aura of blood and qi emanating from his body, it would be hard to associate his appearance with that of a body cultivator.

Shen Wen'an gazed at him quietly, the words of Tong Qing before his defeat echoing in his ears.

According to Tong Qing, this old man was a body cultivator completely different from him, and he needed to be extra careful.

"I am Zhao Yutian, a cultivator of the Fourth Realm."

After the short, thin old man approached within thirty feet, he slightly bowed and announced his name.

Shen Wen'an looked him over and was about to return the greeting when he suddenly realized that Zhao Yutian's figure had disappeared!
Um! ?

He was secretly alarmed, and his divine sense instantly spread out!
Just as he was wondering how Zhao Yutian had disappeared, he suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis coming from above!

Clang!
He instinctively swung the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand!
A crisp metallic clanging sound rang out, but when Shen Wen'an looked up, he couldn't find Zhao Yutian.

Disappeared again?

How come this guy appears and disappears so mysteriously?
For a physical cultivator, who is not a cultivator of the immortal path, to be able to conceal their aura and become invisible, there is only one possibility.

Speed! This Zhao Yutian is probably extremely skilled at speed.

No wonder Tong Qing said that Zhao Yutian was completely different from him.

Compared to the other two, Tong Qing excelled in defense and possessed immense strength, resembling a giant, ferocious beast covered in thick scales.

Zhao Yutian, on the other hand, is clearly more skilled in speed and surprise attacks, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

However, Shen Wen'an felt that he was easier to deal with than Tong Qing.

After all, no matter how fast a body cultivator is, they can't outrun a sword cultivator's divine sense.

Zhao Yutian seized the initiative by taking advantage of the moment when I returned the greeting, which was ultimately a rather shameless act.

Having blocked his fatal blow, Shen Wen'an's mind stirred slightly, and a three-inch magic sword instantly appeared in front of him.

The magic sword did not immediately go into action after it appeared.

Shen Wen'an held up the sword energy shield and waited quietly for Zhao Yutian to make his next move.

Ripples spread through the surrounding air, and blurry afterimages disappeared in various corners of the Immortal Martial Platform.

Zhao Yutian's speed was so fast that it seemed he could appear in several different locations at the same time.

This is something that other cultivators would probably have been struggling with for a long time.

After all, even the magical attacks of immortal cultivators need a clear target.

With Zhao Yutian's speed, unless a cultivator of the Immortal Path uses a wide-range, indiscriminate spell to bombard him, they probably wouldn't even be able to touch the hem of his clothes.

Shen Wen'an actually had many ways to quickly deal with the restless Zhao Yutian.

However, he suddenly realized that the reason this person was so fast must be because he had cultivated some kind of movement technique.

He learned the "Tide Sword Technique" and "Earth Guardian Sword Skill" from Chu Yuanfeng and others back then. Both belonged to the inheritance of Qingluo Sword Pavilion. He dared not pass them on to his family members in private, for fear of displeasing Qingluo Sword Pavilion.

But the person in front of me is different.

If a member of the clan can comprehend even a tiny bit of movement techniques during a fight, it would be enough to provide another path for them to improve their strength.

He even stopped conserving his sword energy for the sake of this movement technique.

As for the last immortal cultivator who had reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm, even though he had consumed 90% of his sword energy, he was absolutely confident that he could defeat his opponent.

A sword-element protective shield formed around his body, and his divine sense was released to its fullest extent.

With the blessing of the Wisdom Sword, he could clearly see Zhao Yutian's movements.

Feel the way his body moves.

Shen Wen'an stared intently at Zhao Yutian's every move, imprinting them all in his mind and replaying them over and over again.

On Zhao Yutian's side, although he was moving at high speed using his movement techniques, he could always feel a faint divine sense locking onto him.

He dared not slacken in the slightest, and could only keep using his secret technique to maintain rapid movement while looking for an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.

“A cultivator’s spiritual energy shield consumes a great deal of spiritual energy.”

"I don't believe that this kid can maintain his spiritual power after going through three battles."

Zhao Yutian thought to himself, staring intently at the sword energy shield around Shen Wen'an's body.

He had already decided that as soon as he saw any signs of Shen Wen'an's sword energy shield weakening, he would immediately strike with lightning speed!
The two sides remained deadlocked, while outside the Immortal Martial Arena, those cultivators who had bet on Shen Wen'an to lose were secretly overjoyed.

In their view, there was still one champion who had reached the Perfected Stage of Fetal Breathing among the five champions who had not yet taken the stage.

If Shen Wen'an were to expend a large amount of his sword energy in a fight against the fourth champion, he would have little power to resist when the fifth champion took the stage.

Many onlookers were secretly praying and cheering for Zhao Yutian, hoping that he could exhaust the sword energy in Shen Wen'an's body and, ideally, defeat Shen Yuan directly.

"No, it should be like this..."

On the Immortal Martial Platform, within Shen Wen'an's sea of ​​consciousness, a figure was rapidly changing shape and pace.

However, he has never been able to achieve the same consistency as Zhao Yutian in the outside world.

I went through the deductions and corrections again and again, and before I knew how much time had passed, a sense of danger suddenly crept into my mind.

Shen Wen'an immediately stopped his deduction, and his natal flying sword, which was suspended in front of his chest, suddenly flew out!

Clang!
The three-inch Dragon-Slaying Sword seemed to be piercing the void, but it directly forced out Zhao Yutian's figure.

Zhao Yutian, who had been forced to retreat after a single blow, showed a hint of surprise on his face!
How did he know I was going to attack from this direction?!

Unwilling to give up, Zhao Yutian tried again.

However, Shen Wen'an had already deduced most of the secret techniques of movement that he was so proud of.

He had no idea that, with Shen Wen'an's powerful spiritual sense, every move he made, every step he took, was under Shen's control.

"Never mind, that's about enough."

After countless simulations, Shen Wen'an felt that this movement technique was almost perfect. With a little practice and some simple modifications, even if it couldn't reach the bizarre level of Zhao Yutian, it shouldn't be much weaker.

Thinking of this, he suddenly withdrew his sword energy shield.

Seeing this, Zhao Yutian, who was moving at high speed, assumed that the sword energy in his body had been exhausted and immediately launched an attack.

Wow!

A clear sound of waves rang out, and Zhao Yutian, who was bursting with speed, suddenly found a curtain of water appearing in front of him!
Immediately afterwards, the water curtain swept over us, covering everything.

Bang!
His body was hit by a wave of water, and he was immediately knocked off balance.

Before he could dodge, another wave of water crashed down right after him!

Bang!
puff!
Caught off guard, Zhao Yutian was struck by the terrifying force of the water curtain, causing his blood and qi to surge and spit out a large amount of blood.

Wow!

The waves rise again!

A look of horror appeared on Zhao Yutian's face!
"I surrender!"

Seeing the wave crashing down with even greater force than the previous one, he quickly shouted in terror!

Although he was a body cultivator, he was far inferior to Tong Qing in terms of physical defense.

Tong Qing was able to withstand more than a dozen waves from the Tide Sword Technique, and even broke the Tide Sword Technique directly.

He was injured after only taking two hits.

Zhao Yutian understood that if the third wave crashed down, even if he didn't die, he would likely be seriously injured.

Unfortunately, Shen Wen'an still remembered that before their fight, this old man had launched a sneak attack while he was returning the greeting, so he naturally wanted to teach him a lesson.

boom!
The third wave slammed into Zhao Yutian, sending him flying dozens of feet away. While in mid-air, he coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

His body slammed heavily to the ground, and Zhao Yutian struggled several times before slowly getting up.

His horrified gaze, tinged with resentment, swept over Shen Wen'an.

Shen Wen'an didn't care about this, and simply said calmly, "Sorry, fellow Daoist, you were a little slow in admitting defeat."

"I couldn't stop myself in a moment."

Zhao Yutian snorted coldly and left the Immortal Martial Platform in a disheveled state.

The cultivators in the surrounding stands all became solemn upon seeing this scene.

Four champions have already been defeated.

At this moment, Shen Wen'an's aura was clearly weakening, but no one dared to guarantee that the last champion would be able to defeat him easily.

If they were to successfully pass the challenge, probably 80% of the cultivators present would lose everything.

Some cultivators who were lucky enough to have chosen Shen Wen'an as the likely winner were now visibly excited.

With odds of 1 to 3, if Shen Wen'an really wins, they'll make a fortune.

Some of them have already started fantasizing about buying rare and precious materials, elixirs, and magical artifacts once they obtain the spirit crystals, in order to improve their strength.

The Xue family, on the other hand, wasn't too worried.

First of all, Shen Wen'an did not choose the Hunyuan Spirit Fruit as a reward, but instead chose two inconspicuous items in the market.

The two items were worth no more than five hundred spirit crystals. Even if he passed the challenge, five hundred spirit crystals would be nothing to the Xue family.

More importantly, the Primordial Spirit Fruit is still there, so they can continue to use it as a gimmick to attract other challengers.

According to the off-market betting situation, 80% of the cultivators do not have a high opinion of Shen Wen'an. Even if the remaining 20% ​​win, the odds are 3 to 1, so the Xue family will not lose money.

After Zhao Yutian left the arena in a sorry state, the last champion stepped into the Immortal Martial Arena.

The person was dressed in a black cloak and wore a strange mask. If it weren't for the graceful figure that could be seen as they moved, it would be impossible to tell whether they were male or female.

"let's start."

The female cultivator arrived at the center of the Immortal Martial Platform. Without even the most basic courtesy, she simply said, "Let's begin," and pure fire-attribute spiritual power immediately surged from her body.

Black robe, eerie mask, fire-attribute spiritual power.

The combination of these three images naturally stirred up some unpleasant memories in Shen Wen'an's mind.

He was too lazy to waste words with this person.

Bring your index and middle fingers together and gently touch your brow.

The next moment, a flash of milky white light appeared and instantly flew towards the female cultivator!
Upon seeing this, a fiery red light shield suddenly appeared on the female cultivator's body, attempting to block Shen Wen'an's attack.

Unfortunately, the fiery red light shield was no match for the Sword Bone Technique Sword.

The female cultivator, whose body was shrouded in a cloak, suddenly froze, and the spiritual energy shield around her body slowly dissipated.

Shen Wen'an sheathed his sword, turned around, and walked towards the edge of the Immortal Martial Platform without looking back.

"What happened to these two?"

"Did that little guy admit defeat?"

"This is weird, are we still going to fight or not?"

"The person is already dead, what's the point of fighting?"

A powerful individual, using their divine sense to penetrate the formation of the Immortal Martial Platform, discovered that the mysterious female cultivator's aura had dissipated and her spiritual energy had vanished, leaving them horrified.

They never expected that Shen Wen'an would still have a trump card up his sleeve after four consecutive rounds of intense competition!

Even more unexpectedly, this trump card instantly killed a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage!
What was that fleeting white light?
Is it a ritual implement, a talisman, or some kind of supernatural power?
A deep sense of doubt arose in the hearts of all the cultivators in the stands.

But after their initial confusion, they suddenly discovered a reality.

Shen Wen'an passed the challenge; they lost!

All the spirit crystals I've painstakingly accumulated over the years have been lost in one fell swoop!

"I refuse to accept this! That kid definitely violated the rules of the Immortal Martial Arena and used a power that wasn't his!"

"Yes, definitely. Otherwise, how could a cultivator at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm still possess the power to instantly kill a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm after a series of battles?!"

"Shadow! There must be a shady story!"

"Elders of the Xue family, we demand an explanation!"

……

Immediately, the cultivators who were unwilling to lose all their wealth began to clamor, suspecting that Shen Wen'an had used some means that did not belong to his own power to kill the female cultivator instantly.

The elders of the Xue family at the Nascent Soul stage exchanged bewildered glances.

To be honest, if Shen Wen'an had gone through a fierce battle and finally killed the fifth champion, they wouldn't have thought much of it.

But right now, this method of killing is too bizarre!
That was a cultivator at the Perfected Nascent Soul stage, and a champion carefully selected by the Xue family. Even among cultivators at the Perfected Nascent Soul stage, he was considered quite formidable.

He was killed so easily; we really need to give a proper explanation to the many cultivators present.

If this leads people to suspect that there's something fishy going on at the Xue family's Immortal Martial Arts Arena, it could affect their future business.

"Go quickly and invite the ancestor over."

An elderly man from the Xue family, who was guarding outside the Immortal Martial Platform's grand formation, secretly glanced at Huang Lingshan, who was smiling, and quickly turned to give instructions to another middle-aged man beside him.

The man dared not delay and quickly rode the wind away from the Immortal Martial Platform.

Shen Wen'an arrived in front of the formation and frowned slightly when he saw that the other party did not open the formation to let him out.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive me, but my Xue family needs... needs to conduct an investigation."

"Give an explanation to all the fellow Daoists present."

The old man cautiously cupped his hands and spoke.

Shen Wen'an frowned upon hearing this.

He hadn't expected this to attract so much criticism.

Huang Lingshan then slowly walked up to her.

Upon seeing this, the elder from the Xue family looked somewhat nervous and quickly cupped his hands, saying, "Please forgive me, Senior Sword Immortal, this..."

Huang Lingshan ignored him, but glanced at Shen Wen'an with interest and said, "I thought you wouldn't use this move."

Shen Wen'an glanced back at the female cultivator's corpse.

He had no intention of killing anyone; he only wanted to wait until the fifth champion stepped onto the stage, then use his Wisdom Sword to injure the opponent's soul, thus making him back down.

The strange thing is that this female cultivator's attire is too similar to those madmen of the Fire Sect, and she also possesses a fire-attribute spiritual root.

"Don't worry, it's okay."

As Huang Lingshan spoke slowly, a streak of light arrived from afar.

He was an elderly man with long eyebrows and white hair and beard, dressed in a wide brown brocade robe.

After landing a short distance away, the old man smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "Fellow Daoist Lingshan, how have you been?"

Huang Lingshan smiled and nodded in return, then said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Xue, do you not trust me?"

Upon hearing this, the Xue family patriarch was taken aback. He glanced at Shen Wen'an inside the Immortal Martial Platform, then turned around and scolded, "Why haven't you opened the formation yet and released this young friend?"

Upon hearing this, the old man from the Xue family who was guarding outside the formation quickly cupped his hands and opened the formation.

Shen Wen'an stepped out of the formation and bowed slightly to the Xue family patriarch, saying, "Greetings, senior."

The Xue family patriarch nodded, and then a flash of light appeared in his hand as he took out an exquisite wooden box.

The wooden box contained the prizes that Shen Wen'an and Huang Lingshan had chosen at Wushan Market.

"Ancestor..."

The old man from the Xue family who was guarding the Immortal Martial Platform wanted to say something upon seeing this.

However, the old ancestor of the Xue family, who was at the Golden Core stage, scolded him, "Foolish!"

"Fellow Daoist Ling Shan, as a sword immortal, would you tarnish your reputation for a mere few hundred spirit crystals!?"

That old guy is quite cunning.

They knew that if Shen Wen'an were truly investigated this time, it would mean they didn't trust Huang Lingshan, which would not only be a loss of face but also detrimental to the cooperation between the Xue family and Qingluo Sword Pavilion.

But things have escalated to this point, and we need to give an explanation to everyone present.

That's how he deliberately scolded his clansmen loudly.

The implication is that the person was brought here by the Sword Immortal Ling Shan, and as a dignified sword immortal, she would never do such disreputable things.

Even if it is later discovered that Shen Wen'an really violated the rules of the Immortal Martial Platform, it will be the Ling Shan Sword Immortal who loses face, and it will have nothing to do with the Xue family.

Upon hearing this, Huang Lingshan chuckled and said, "Fellow Daoist Xue, there's no need to put on an act."

"If you're worried, you can investigate thoroughly."

Upon hearing this, the Xue family patriarch waved his hand with a smile, saying, "No need, no need, I trust the Sword Immortal Ling Shan."

As he spoke, he rode the wind to the sky above the Immortal Martial Platform and shouted in a deep voice:

"I, Xue Kun, hereby jointly guarantee with Sword Immortal Ling Shan that Young Friend Shen did absolutely not violate any rules of the Immortal Martial Platform."

"Everyone, you may leave now."

His voice was clearly transmitted to the ears of all the monks present.

Even if the many cultivators present were unwilling and had doubts, they had no choice but to leave the Immortal Martial Platform with the guarantee of two Golden Core experts.

Xue Kun descended from the air and bowed to Huang Lingshan again, saying, "Fellow Daoist Lingshan, now that this matter is settled, would you like to come to my residence for a cup of tea?"

Huang Lingshan handed the wooden box to Shen Wen'an, then took the spirit crystal from the Xue family, and shook her head slightly, saying, "Let's skip the tea. I'm going to take my junior brother on a good tour of Danzhou."

"Fellow Daoist Xue, farewell."

The two of them flew away from the Immortal Martial Platform.

"Senior sister, what exactly is this iron plaque?"

In the void, Shen Wen'an had already wiped away the mud on the bronze piece. Seeing that the inscription on it was indeed the same as the bronze fragments he had obtained before, he was secretly delighted.

However, he had studied the item that Huang Lingshan had chosen as a prize repeatedly for a while, but he still couldn't see anything special about it.

Huang Lingshan glanced at the metal plaque in his hand and slowly said, "Several months ago, I received a secret message."

"Someone salvaged a tinderbox from the Shenhuokeng ruins in northern Danzhou."

"In the struggle for the Fire Floss Treasure Box, many cultivators engaged in a fierce battle, and the cultivator who ultimately obtained the treasure box is suspected to have gone to Wushan Market."

Upon hearing this, Shen Wen'an asked with some curiosity, "What is the Divine Fire Pit ruins that Senior Sister mentioned?"

Huang Lingshan explained, "Back when Danzhou was still under the rule of the Immortal Dynasty, the Divine Fire Pit was where the Immortal Dynasty's weapon refiners smelted and forged magical artifacts for the Immortal Dynasty's cultivators."

"There are many embryonic ancient magical artifacts in the ruins, as well as many fully formed ancient magical artifacts."

"These magical artifacts, whether in their embryonic or fully formed form, are placed in a treasure box crafted by fire foxes by the weapon refiners and submerged in magma to absorb the essence of metal and fire, thereby enhancing the quality of the magical artifacts."

"Therefore, whenever a Fire Floss Treasure Box is salvaged from the Divine Fire Pit ruins, it will inevitably cause a bloodbath."

Shen Wen'an suddenly realized, and then repeatedly examined the dark metal block in his hand.

"Is this the embryo of an ancient magical artifact?"

"It doesn't seem like it either..."

In his view, the object in his hand was just an ordinary piece of metal, and he couldn't see anything about it that resembled a magical artifact.

"The methods of ancient weapon refiners are very unique; don't be fooled by appearances." After a faint smile, Huang Lingshan immediately conjured a golden flame in her hand.

"Put that thing on top."

Shen Wen'an did as instructed, placing the dark metal block on the golden alchemical fire to heat it.

A moment later, a wisp of dark golden energy suddenly emerged from the dark metal block.

As the flames burned, the dark golden energy shifted and changed on the black metal block, eventually forming several strange characters.

The scene before him struck Shen Wen'an as quite peculiar.

Before she could even decipher the dark gold characters, Huang Lingshan withdrew her alchemical fire.

"The Refining Technique of the Fire of the Departing Palace..."

"Your Shen family has gotten a great deal."

He looked at Shen Wen'an with a strange expression, a hint of joy in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)