Burial Furnace

Then--

boom!

A terrifying sword light suddenly exploded, as if a volcano that had been accumulating for thousands of years had finally erupted.

The sword light was so dazzling that it was impossible to open one's eyes, like a blazing sun suddenly descending upon the world.

The sword light surged thousands of feet high, soaring into the sky and illuminating the entire street, even turning the clouds in the sky a golden hue.

Within the sword light lay a destructive power, as if even heaven and earth would be cleaved apart by this sword.

The intense killing intent sent a chill down everyone's spine, as if a cold knife were pressed against their throat.

The cultivators with lower cultivation levels felt their legs go weak and could barely stand.

Several Qi Refining stage cultivators even sat down on the ground, their faces ashen and their bodies trembling.

Wolf's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints.

He sensed a deadly danger.

It was a warning sign from the depths of his soul, an intuition honed through countless life-or-death battles.

Every cell in his body was screaming at him—Get out of the way! Get out of the way now!

But he couldn't escape it.

That sword strike was too fast.

It was so fast that he only had time to think "Oh no!" before the sword arrived.

As expected of someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage, he managed to raise his sword at the last moment to block the path of the sword light with the blade.

But it didn't work.

His low-grade spirit sword broke in two.

It was like a withered branch being broken.

The broken blade flew out, spun a few times in the air, reflecting the blinding sunlight, and then landed on the ground with a clatter, bounced twice, and came to a stop.

Then he was cut in two.

Specifically, it's a diagonal separation from the shoulders to the thighs.

The cut is as smooth as a mirror, as if it were tofu cut with the sharpest blade.

The blood gushed out after a full breath, appearing particularly glaring in the morning sunlight.

Wolf Walker's upper body slid down, his face still bearing the expression from when he was blocking the attack—his wide eyes were filled with disbelief, and his mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something.

Then, he fell to the ground with a thud, his lower body remaining upright for a moment before collapsing with a crash.

He didn't even have time to scream before he became a corpse.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

Some people stared wide-eyed, unable to close their mouths for a long time; others rubbed their eyes, thinking they had seen wrong.

Some people even forgot to breathe until their faces turned red from holding their breath, then they gasped for air, their gasps sounding exceptionally clear in the silence.

The air was thick with the stench of blood, mixed with the scent of morning dew and earth, creating a strange aroma.

The sunlight shone on the bloodstains, giving them an eerie red glow that reflected on everyone's faces, making their expressions look somewhat distorted.

Duan Tian sheathed his sword with unhurried movements.

He felt a strange weakness coming from deep within his body, as if he had lost something important.

The feeling was strange; it wasn't pain or fatigue, but rather an emptiness, as if something in my life had been forcibly stripped away.

He knew he had lost a month of his life.

But it doesn't matter, I have a lifespan of over two hundred years.

As long as one quickly advances to the Golden Core stage, one's lifespan will increase dramatically.

Then a surge of ecstasy welled up in his heart.

Senior Zhang Yuan is amazing.

The first technique of the Heaven and Earth Life Reduction method he taught was truly terrifying, allowing him to defeat a powerful enemy two minor realms above his own.

From now on, which Foundation Establishment cultivator would dare to be arrogant in front of him?

You all better behave yourselves.

Otherwise, Grandpa will kill you with one sword.

"Heh, I gave you a chance to live, but you didn't seize it. Now it's too late to regret it."

Duan Tian sneered, his voice full of smugness and disdain.

He casually began to touch the corpse.

Remove the magical armor from the other party's body—it's already broken in two, but it's still worth some money.

He took the other person's storage bag, weighed it in his hand, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He picked up the broken sword from the ground and put it into his storage bag.

Then he took out a body bag and skillfully put the body inside.

This is clearly not the first time they've done something like this.

He carried the heavy object in one hand and walked calmly toward the crematorium.

The morning light shone on him, casting a long shadow behind him.

He held his head high and walked with a composed gait; he looked both handsome and dashing.

"My God, that sword strike was terrifying. It's probably invincible among those in the same realm."

"Duan Tiancai is already invincible in the early Foundation Establishment stage? This guy is a monster, isn't he?"

"That sword strike just now was strange. Could it be that he had some kind of fortuitous encounter in the Xuanhuang Ruins?"

"It must be a stroke of luck! Otherwise, how could he be so powerful? Didn't you see the power of his sword strike? It's simply not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could pull off!"

The crowd then snapped out of their shock and began to discuss the matter, filled with doubt and confusion.

Various speculations circulated among the crowd, but no one could guess the truth.

"Not bad."

Zhang Yuan also secretly sighed in admiration.

The power of that sword strike truly exceeded his expectations.

The power boost gained by sacrificing a month of lifespan was enough to allow someone in the early Foundation Establishment stage to instantly kill someone in the late Foundation Establishment stage. If this were used in a critical moment, it could definitely turn the tide of battle.

From now on, I will have two powerful sword techniques:

The Heaven-Deceiving Sword, the first move to shorten the lifespan of heaven and earth.

Duan Tian walked up to Zhang Yuan, his face still flushed with excitement, and his eyes and brows brimming with undisguised pride.

He grinned and said, "Senior, look, it was all over with a single sword strike. This first move of the Heaven and Earth Life-Shortening Technique is truly amazing!"

Zhang Yuan nodded and led him to the cremation hall.

Duan Tian threw the body bag inside.

Dark golden flames rose up, and in a moment, the corpse turned into a pile of ashes.

A wisp of primordial power surged into Zhang Yuan's body, as warm and gentle as a spring, increasing his lifespan by approximately eight months.

Duan Tian took out a mid-grade spirit stone and handed it to Zhang Yuan.

Then, rubbing his hands together somewhat embarrassedly, he said, "Senior, I was too impulsive just now and couldn't help but seek revenge. But don't worry, I knew what I was doing. I only used up one month of my lifespan, so it won't have much of an impact."

Are you sure the impact will be minimal?

"What you mean, senpai, is..."

How old are you this year?

"One hundred and thirty-seven years old."

"The lifespan of someone in the Foundation Establishment stage is 250 to 300 years. You are already 137 years old. How many years do you have left?"

Duan Tian's expression changed slightly.

Of course he knew how many years were left.

More than a hundred years.

It sounds like a lot, but a cultivator's seclusion can last for several years or even decades, more than a hundred years. It seems long, but in reality, it is short.

If he cannot break through to the Golden Core stage before his lifespan runs out, then what awaits him is a handful of yellow earth.

The first move of the Heaven and Earth Life Reduction Technique consumes one month of one's lifespan each time it is used.

Although a month is not much, it can be quite alarming if used frequently.

But fortune and misfortune can change in an instant. Who can guarantee that they will never encounter a desperate situation that requires them to use this technique repeatedly?

"Senior's words of advice are well-deserved." Duan Tian suppressed his smugness and said seriously, "I will remember this and will never use this move lightly unless it is a matter of life and death."