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Chapter 133 Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi (3rd update, please vote)

Xia Dong called Pei Hongling, and the two disguised themselves and quietly left the Eagle Wolf Guard's residence, heading to a nearby underground cultivation market.

Pei Hongling comes from a family of cultivators and is an elite inner disciple of the Qixia Immortal Sect. Having been exposed to cultivation since childhood, her vision and knowledge far surpass those of Xia Dong, who is a "self-taught" cultivator.

Xia Dong brought her along not only to avoid the limelight and relax, but also to learn from her and fill in the gaps in his knowledge of the cultivation world.

The Immortal Cultivation Market is hidden in a deep valley outside the county town, its array formations obscuring the view of ordinary people.

Upon entering the market, one is immediately greeted by the bustling noise and various spiritual energy fluctuations mixed with strange scents.

Shopping is probably in the nature of many women, and even Pei Hongling, who is now under a death curse and has to obey Xia Dong's orders, seems to be no exception.

As soon as she stepped onto this long street filled with dazzling goods, her previously suppressed emotions unconsciously brightened with a touch of vibrant energy.

Especially in the cultivation world of Nanyue Province, because it is adjacent to the Ten Thousand Mountains and the heart of the Southern Frontier, the items displayed in the markets have a very distinct regional character.

On the stall, there were unknown poisonous herbs emitting an eerie glow, Gu worms from the Southern Frontier sealed in transparent glass jars devouring each other, and even some grotesque beast bones and witchcraft artifacts with a wild and savage aura—these strange items, which could never be seen in Tianshui Province, truly broadened Xia Dong's horizons.

At each distinctive stall, Pei Hongling would naturally assume the role of "expert." Using her divine sense to transmit her thoughts, she would calmly explain to Xia Dong the specific year of the materials and the methods for distinguishing their authenticity.

Her background as a woman from a prominent family was on full display at this moment. With a few casual words, she helped Xia Dong avoid several traps set by merchants who tried to pass off inferior goods as superior ones.

While browsing around, Xia Dong discovered an extremely interesting business opportunity.

In this remote border region, although the southern border is abundant with poisonous creatures and strange stones, those orthodox and peaceful items from the Xuanmen sect, such as authentic talismans for warding off evil and talismans for calming the mind, as well as healing pills that can strengthen the body and nourish the vital energy, have become very popular due to their scarcity.

The price was much higher than that of Tianshui Province, and there was even a shortage of available goods.

And summer and winter have no shortage of these things.

He was quick-witted and immediately took Pei Hongling to several of the largest merchant houses, where he sold off some of the basic talismans and pills he had refined in his spare time.

Subsequently, he used the large sum of spirit stones he obtained to purchase a large quantity of rare medicinal herbs unique to Nanyue Province and rare ores for making puppets at extremely low prices.

With this trip, Xia Dong not only didn't deplete his spirit stones, but he even made a considerable profit.

Walking along the forest path away from the market, Pei Hongling's tense nerves completely relaxed.

Looking at Xia Dong's bulging storage bag, she said cheerfully, "Back in the sect, we used to throw away handfuls of spirit stones when we went to the market. Today, following you, this is the first time I've ever seen someone actually make money while shopping at the market."

Upon hearing this, Xia Dong turned to look at her and nodded slightly.

His expression also revealed a sense of ease and relaxation.

Although he didn't stumble upon any incredible bargain in the market like in novels and biographies, this half-day of leisure greatly relieved his tense nerves.

Not only did it broaden my horizons and increase my knowledge, but it also helped me accumulate some supplies for future cultivation. The whole process was very enjoyable.

In high spirits, the two quickly walked out of the area covered by the array in the market.

However, just as they stepped out of the valley and prepared to ride the wind back to the county town,

Suddenly, at the far end of the sky, a terrifying wave that made people feel extremely uneasy erupted without warning!

Xia Dong's smile froze instantly, and she abruptly raised her head.

In the direction of the sword cultivator's secret realm, the originally hazy sky seemed to be instantly torn apart by an invisible, colossal sword.

A crack appeared. A terrifying spiritual pressure, capable of sending chills down one's spine and causing blood to surge even from hundreds of miles away, poured down like a tsunami from the heavens, disrupting the spiritual energy of the region.

"What happened?!"

Such power far exceeds the scope of the Foundation Establishment stage.

Without any hesitation, he grabbed Pei Hongling's wrist, his Xuan Yin magic power surging, and he pushed the "Wind Control Technique" to its limit. The two transformed into a streak of light, speeding towards the county garrison of the Eagle Wolf Guard without looking back.

Above the Sword Cultivation Secret Realm, the originally hazy, miasma-filled sky was suddenly torn apart by two overwhelming and terrifying pressures.

Two figures, like gods, stood in mid-air.

The man on the left, clad in a magnificent blood-red robe, possessed a handsome face yet exuded a chilling, eerie charm. He was none other than Ximen Yu, the mid-grade Golden Core Realm Vice Leader of the Wusheng Sect.

Beside him stood an old barbarian witch, his body covered in pale animal bones and his skin tattooed with strange totems. This was Gu Luo, a renowned expert in the Witchcraft and Ghost Path, at the Witch Core stage (comparable to the Golden Core realm).

Two powerful experts at the Golden Core level gathered together, and their incredibly strong divine senses swept down without any restraint.

The Eagle Wolf Guards responsible for guarding the secret realm below, as well as the many evil demons and heretics hiding in the shadows who coveted the secret realm, all trembled in fear under this terrifying spiritual pressure.

The power of the Golden Core was like divine might to these low-level cultivators and martial artists.

Southern Xinjiang is a remote and desolate place, and very few Golden Core experts from the imperial court are willing to set foot there.

Moreover, this sword cultivation secret realm is about to be abandoned, and the spiritual energy inside is unsuitable for cultivation from beginning to end, so it has little value for high-level cultivators.

Currently, because the Eagle Wolf Guards, who are being supported by various parties, have tacitly "remained inactive" halfway through the journey, the secret realm's defensive formation has not received enough manpower to support it, resulting in a significant reduction in its power and numerous vulnerabilities.

Ximen Yu and Gu Luo seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, preparing to force their way in and explore the secret realm of sword cultivators, to see if any ancient powerful beings' legacies or rare treasures remained.

"A mere remnant army dares to block my path?"

Ximen Yu sneered, and with a flick of his sleeve, a blood-red rainbow crashed down like a bolt of lightning.

The Eagle Wolf Guard experts below, who were struggling to hold on, didn't even have the right to stop them. With a loud "boom," the defensive array set up by the imperial court shattered like glass.

The two Golden Core experts moved with the ease of entering an empty space, taking a single step directly into the entrance of the secret realm.

However, the moment they stepped into the secret realm...

A sudden change has occurred!

Without any warning, an unparalleled sword aura that stretched across the heavens and earth burst forth from the void at the deepest part of the secret realm!

This sword energy was pure white, without any fancy magical light or shadow, only pure and extremely "sharp".

The moment it appeared, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a hundred miles seemed to be instantly drained away, turning into an appendage of this sword energy's sharpness.

The sky was as fragile as a sheet of paper in the face of this sword energy.

The blinding sword light made the world lose its color. The terrifying killing intent, as majestic as the power of heaven, seemed to have crossed the endless river of time, and with the supreme true meaning of cutting through everything, it descended with a roar.

"Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi!"

Ximen Yu, the vice leader of the Wusheng Sect who was used to seeing all kinds of storms, was now utterly horrified.

His voice was filled with barely concealed fear. This was one of the three peerless sword energies of the once mighty Shangqing Shenxiao Dao, a super sect that dominated the Middle Ages!

The two Golden Core experts never dreamed that this secret realm, which had existed for countless years, would still retain such terrifying and unreasonable peerless sword energy!

This was completely beyond their expectations and understanding!

The Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi seemed to possess sentience; the moment it appeared, its sharp aura, capable of tearing apart the soul, locked onto Ximen Yu and Gu Luo, who had intruded into the secret realm.

There's no way to avoid it, no way to escape it!

At the critical moment of life and death, Ximen Yu recklessly burned the essence of his mid-grade golden core and frantically activated all the magical power within his body.

He opened his mouth and suddenly released a leaf, summoning his natal magic weapon, the "Blissful Blood Bone Shield," which had been nurtured for a hundred years and was shrouded in twelve blood-red halos.

The powerful Wudan expert Gu Luo beside him also had his eyes wide open in fury. The totems on his body writhed like living things, and a white bone demon god phantom that was a hundred feet tall rose up behind him, protecting him tightly at the core.

The next instant, the Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi fell like divine punishment.

A terrifying roar erupted from the heavens and earth, almost deafening everyone.

Faced with the absolute sharpness of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Qi, Ximen Yu's prized natal magic weapon could only withstand less than half a breath before letting out a mournful cry of unbearable strain and shattering into dust on the spot.

The violent aftershocks of the sword energy struck Ximen Yu without reservation.

The high-ranking mid-grade Golden Core deputy sect leader coughed up a mouthful of blood, his entire body falling like a kite with a broken string.

It was cleaved out of the secret realm, leaving a shocking trail of blood in mid-air.

The fate of the powerful Wudan expert Gu Luo beside him was no better. The hundred-foot-tall white bone demon god phantom behind him was cleaved in two by a single sword strike, and a deep, bone-revealing sword wound was carved into his chest by the sword energy. He was covered in blood and crashed onto the desolate mountain outside the secret realm.

Both were severely injured and their energy was extremely low. Taking advantage of the moment when the sword energy dissipated, they frantically fled this dangerous place using the Blood Escape Technique, not daring to look back.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Those Eagle Wolf Guards who witnessed this scene, as well as the evil heretics who were hiding in the shadows of the Hundred Thousand Mountains and were originally restless, all held their breath in terror, their bodies soaked in cold sweat.

Even a Golden Core expert was nearly killed when a remnant sword aura in this secret realm shattered his magical artifacts. If these lackeys dared to go in, they probably wouldn't even be left with ashes.

The devastating loss suffered by the two powerful heretics was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing everyone's greed for the sword cultivator's secret realm.

Those secretly watching eyes were now filled with deep awe and fear; no one dared to harbor any improper thoughts about this extremely dangerous secret place.

Outside the Sword Cultivation Secret Realm, as Ximen Yu, the vice leader of the Wusheng Sect, and Gu Luo, a powerful Wudan cultivator from the Wugui Dao, fled in disarray, the peerless sword energy that had torn through the sky slowly reversed and disappeared once again into the depths of the secret realm.

However, the lingering sharpness in the air still made all living beings within a hundred miles tremble with fear.

On the summit of a solitary peak, dozens of miles from the entrance to the secret realm, miasma churned and retreated eerily.

Two figures clad in jet-black robes and wearing faceless masks stood silently in the raging wind. They emanated no magical power, as if they were one with the world around them. But if a high-ranking official from the capital were here, he would surely break out in a cold sweat—these were the "Wuchang Messengers" from the Tongxuan Division, the most mysterious and violent institution of the Great You Dynasty, who were specifically responsible for carrying out killings.

"Finally, I've managed to draw out and release this troublesome sword energy."

The black-clad envoy on the left gazed at the crumbling spatial rift at the entrance to the secret realm, his voice cold and deep, "The essence of this secret realm has been completely exhausted and cannot be maintained for much longer. Send down the message: according to the original plan, summon the Eagle Wolf Guards from all over the land to enter the secret realm and test their sword intent."

The black-clad envoy on the right nodded slightly: "Yes. This sword intent, inherited from the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao, is incomparably domineering, yet it has a strict rule that only those below the Foundation Establishment stage or the True Martial Intent realm can inherit it. Otherwise, how could these little fellows possibly have the chance to compete for this heaven-defying opportunity?"

"Opportunity? You have to be alive to seize it." The black-clad envoy on the left sneered. "Over the years, how many promising talents have we secretly sent into the Tongxuan Division? And what has been the result? Most of them have suffered mental breakdowns and become mentally impaired under the impact of that terrifying sword intent; those who are lucky enough to survive have damaged their Dao hearts and can hardly make any progress in their cultivation from then on."

He paused, his tone becoming grave: "Now, this secret realm is on the verge of collapse; this is the last chance. I wonder if we can pull out a true dragon from this great net and inherit this sword intent. If we can't inherit it, that core immortal site once controlled by the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao will probably never be able to be opened."

"Whatever, this is none of our business. The higher-ups have their own considerations." The black-clad envoy on the right waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

"Yes, that's true." The envoy on the left gazed into the distance, seemingly looking towards the distant capital. "Anyway, as long as His Majesty and the Chief Minister's plan succeeds and they attain the legendary Netherworld Fruit, our Great Nether Dynasty will have a chance to break free from the suppression of the three holy lands. At that time, we will no longer have to rely on the Penglai Dao Sect and the like for survival."

Mentioning the Penglai Dao Sect, the black-clad envoy on the right's eyes flickered slightly, a hint of apprehension in his voice. "Indeed. But I heard rumors the other day that the Penglai Dao Sect has taken in a once-in-a-millennium innate Dao Body. With such a heaven-defying prodigy emerging, the Penglai Dao Sect will likely continue to prosper for many more years. We're under considerable pressure."

"That's not necessarily true." The envoy on the left scoffed dismissively. "The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is depleted now; it's no longer the ancient era. This environment is completely unsuitable for the cultivation of 'Innate Dao Bodies' and 'Ancient Sacred Bodies' capable of achieving physical sainthood. Although these two physiques are powerful, each breakthrough requires absorbing a massive amount of heaven and earth's creation. In this era of Dharma decline, they won't go far; they're destined to be trapped and die halfway through."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Let's not waste time on such idle talk." The envoy on the right steered the conversation back on track, his gaze sweeping down over the ten...

The heavy miasma of Wan Dashan Mountain... "This time, those evil heretics' ambush was used as a whetstone by us. My underlings were ambushed on the way and are now watching."

He sneered, "This is also the first screening we've set up. Let's see who has the guts to come to this sword cultivator's secret realm and take a gamble. If you don't even have the courage to face death, even if you enter the secret realm, you definitely won't be able to withstand the cleansing of the Shangqing Shenxiao Dao sword intent."

"Indeed, the Eagle Wolf Guards have enjoyed too much comfort for years; it's time for a thorough overhaul." The left envoy echoed in a deep voice, his killing intent palpable. "Anyone who uses this as an excuse to retreat in fear of the enemy and stagnates will have their performance evaluation downgraded by one grade next year. Those who should be dismissed will be dismissed, and those who should be exiled will be exiled! Do they really think the court's spirit stones are free? If they continue to rot like this, when the Styx Blood Clan invades again, these good-for-nothings will be utterly incapable of forming any fighting force!"

Two black-clad envoys from the Tongxuan Division settled the fates of many low-ranking Eagle Wolf Guards with just a few words on the lonely peak.

Then, the two figures rippled like water and silently disappeared into the miasma, as if they had never existed.

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