Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

 Sword qi filled the air! That of a realm completely different from Qi Condensation! Each ray of sword qi painted a half-meter-deep trench inside the livyatan’s mouth! In the blink of an eye, the inside of the beast’s mouth was drenched with blood!

This was the might of Foundation Establishment! Qi used to attack enemies! The pairing of physique arts was unneeded!

Thousandedge’s hair and beard were long. His originally kind-looking face had early become that of a devil’s! Containing sword qi, a qi vortex blasted his clothing and caused it to flutter in the wind. At this moment, the veins on his arms were all exposed. Following the sudden withdrawal of both his hands, hundreds of sword lights unexpectedly swirled to form a tremendous sword formation that was fifty to sixty meters in range. They illuminated the entire space down to the finest hair, everything in view! In harmony, all of them aimed towards Wei Zhongxian and thrust forth!

“Senior!” Quan Ningyue couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

She didn’t know why, but unexpectedly, Wei Zhongxian was at Foundation Establishment and moreover seemed to obey Xu Yangyi. Nonetheless, now was their only chance to survive!

At this time, Thousandedge’s gaze widened. With great sleight of hand, he produced an incredibly small and fine silver bell. The bell lightly swayed.

Jingle…

 An incomparably profound noise reverberated in the air. Soon… hundreds of blue electric arcs leapt forward from Thousandedge’s hands! He seemed to become a lightning god, surging thunder and lightning towards all living beings without the slightest fear of consequences!

Crackle snap fzzt!

 In a matter of moments, lightning bolts overtook the sword formation. The large sword formation shockingly became a lightning formation in little time! It brought forth a boundless heavenly might and pierced downwards at Wei Zhongxian!

Bang bang bang!

 Sword qi yet to arrive, the ground was already marked with countless pieces of rubble. The sword qi’s power was fully revealed! Yet now, there wasn’t one bolt, but ten! A hundred bolts! Infinite bolts!

“I command you… TO DIE!!!” Thousandedge’s angered howl echoed, and the silver bell swung again. On the brink of crisis, the lightning had even become pure-white in color! 

Boom boom boom!

 Following his shout, the entire sword formation blossomed with pure-white radiance a meter all around Wei Zhongxian! The untold number of sword formations were like countless rain showers. In this moment, following clanging noises that were like large and small pearls falling upon a jade platter, qi flowers blossomed in the air! They dyed the entire region into a pure-white heavenly palace! A perfect likeness of the Earth’s protective force field that aliens attacked in science-fiction novels!

“This…” Thousandedge’s faith was in this surefire move. Like a clay ox entering the sea, his hopes of return were dashed, and his eyes saucered in disbelief. He shouted gutturally, and two rays of spiritual light shot out from his eyes. They punctured this region of almost a hundred meters of qi and detonated against the barrier!

[1]

He couldn’t accept this!

The Pure Yang Worships Sword Painting… was a supreme-grade magik artifact that he’d obtained! It was copied and manufactured from some real magik treasure! How was it possible that the bulk of its power couldn’t get closer?! He was even one boundary greater than this opponent!

And yet, he couldn’t see anything. Just as his divine ability had launched, a dazzling golden light had focused him and sparked, causing him to yell and shut his eyes in panic!

“WITNESS MY MOVE!!!” 

Nothing was visible in Thousandedge’s eyes. Quick to act, his spiritual sense was released! At the same time, all his magik artifacts at hand droned and erupted! They completely shielded him!

Against his expectations, the world-shattering blow didn’t come. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes, dripping with cold sweat, yet he shockingly discovered… Wei Zhongxian was right where he always was and respectfully looking at him.

Wei Zhongxian hadn’t attacked… Why hadn’t he attacked?

“Honored Celestial,” Wei Zhongxian chuckled. “Do you have any other divine abilities?”

At this time, a wooden machine qilin appeared in front of Thousandedge and wrapped around him, revolving. It was a full ten meters long and completely encircled him. However, the qilin held an open picture scroll box in its mouth. On its back, a blade and ancient bracelet was set. At the top of its head, there was a black box tightly sealed with a red seal.

Thousandedge grimly stared at the other, his face choked with a deep-red blush. He’d taken strict precautions to defend himself, yet the other hadn’t made a move! Was this opponent… looking down on him?

The other’s realm—initial Foundation Establishment—was lower than his own… How could this foe’s cultivation be at such a level of power?! 

It wasn’t that he hadn’t seen geniuses before… but such an impenetrable and resilient body could contend with the ancient cultivators of legend! How was such a cultivator connected to a little bastard like Xu Yangyi?! Wei Zhongxian had taken a firm stance to help the other!

[2]

“Grandpa Wei…” Xu Yangyi had already popped open a pill-elixir and drank it, licking his lips. As if he was looking at a dead man, he gazed at Thousandedge. “Don’t drag this on.”

Thousandedge didn’t offer so much as a sneer at these words. He… had long since acknowledged Xu Yangyi’s strength. The ability to mobilize a Foundation Establishment cultivator, this too was the other’s strength!

Regardless of how Xu Yangyi managed to bring this character into play, Thousandedge only knew that if he didn’t break out now… there was a real chance that he would meet his demise here today!

He licked his lips and waved his hand with extreme solemnity. In a flash, the box atop the wooden qilin’s head appeared in his hand. With incredible gingerness, he opened it. All of a sudden, a dense heart-shaking hum echoed. A red cloud rushed out and spiraled around Thousandedge! 

“These are… Soul Devourer Insects?!” Xu Yangyi and Wei Zhongxian hadn’t reacted, but Quan Ningyue bounced on her heels and gasped. She looked at the cloud with terrible graveness. “S-Senior, be careful… be careful!”

“What about it?” Xu Yangyi asked lowly.

Quan Ningyue glanced at Xu Yangyi. In her heart, she held peerless admiration. Who could continue to hold such composure after becoming a cripple? Unexcited by billowing waves? No, it could be said that this matter wasn’t easy to take to heart! Xu Yangyi seemed to have suffered an injury, but it was merely his qi sea that had been wounded.

“This insect… isn’t an ancient cultivation remnant, but a kind of spirit insect that the CSIB and Heavens Law synthesized through genetic technology. It’s also a familiar… The insect’s head is just the size of a hair, but it can devour qi! Once it snares a cultivator, it’ll absorb all the qi inside the cultivator’s body! It’ll keep going until the target dies!” She reined back her mind and immediately explained.

Not waiting for Quan Ningyue to finish speaking, Thousandedge’s hand pointed and a red cloud flew straight at Wei Zhongxian.

“The Pure Yang Worships Sword Painting was of no use against you. I want to see if you fear this insect… No… Gasp…” 

His final remark was a sharp exhale. This was because Wei Zhongxian hadn’t moved at all! He was still standing in his original spot, allowing the insects to swarm him! 

Thousandedge’s heart went ice-cold! Without a hint of joy his face, he’d paid an enormous sum to gain the Soul Devourer Insects! And yet, Wei Zhongxian’s failure to dodge was the manifestation of his total confidence! Just like the Pure Yang Worships Sword Painting from moments ago… the eunuch felt that there was no reason to avoid these insects!

Buuuzzz….

 In Thousandedge’s shivering eyes, all the Soul Devourer Insects flew away in less than two minutes! As for Wei Zhongxian… he was still completely unharmed, and standing where he was! 

“What… What kind of fucking monster is this?!” The grinding of Thousandedge’s teeth rang out. This time, without any hesitation, he turned tail and fled!

Escape! He had to escape! This was too strange! His number of battle magiks absolutely weren’t few. On the contrary, he’d killed his way step by step to the branch master’s position, yet he’d never once encountered such a strange cultivator!

Was this person even human?!

“What are you running for?” Xu Yangyi glared at Thousandedge’s back as the latter fled out from the livyatan’s mouth in a rush. He laughed coldly, “Since Fellow Daoist has already made three moves, how about trying one of ours?”

“Grandpa Wei.” He nodded at Wei Zhongxian.

Wei Zhongxian chuckled, “Be at ease, Master. He will not escape.”

From behind, gentle laughter was heard. Thousandedge was wet with cold sweat. Not sparing a moment’s delay, he flew away even faster! But in the next second, he was stricken dumb, and a floored expression made its way on his face!

This was because… a snowflake had fallen on his face. His hand slightly trembled, feeling the snow incredulously. Indeed, it was a snowflake, pure-white snow. It was just that this snowflake had appeared inside the livyatan’s mouth!

“No… Impossible… This is impossible!” In a frenzy, he turned his head, his eyes reddened. “A worldly anomaly… not even a Core Formation divine ability can bring forth a world anomaly!”

Behind him, as far as his eyes could see, the inside of the livyatan’s mouth… had already become swathed in ice and snow! Below, a sheet of ice quickly spread forth! Above… a great blizzard actually filled the interior of the livyatan’s mouth!

Wei Zhongxian sneered as he looked at Thousandedge. His hands were devoid of any spiritual force fluctuations, yet his next few words were like the pronouncement of a death sentence.

“Heavenly Opening… Second Erosion…”

Pale, thin, and withered, his hands were like chicken claws. They suddenly clenched together, and a cracking noise similar to a bullet striking bulletproof glass strangely echoed in the air.

“Devour… Blood!”

Since earlier, Thousandedge was astonished. He was simply without the thought to flee.

Impossible… This was too outrageous… What was this divine ability? Not even the ancestors dared to say that their divine abilities leading to Core Formation would produce a worldly anomaly. This foe’s move… The initial stage of Foundation Establishment! The other party was merely initial Foundation Establishment! How could this be?!

How could such a mighty figure… not have a brilliant reputation? What the hell had this lowly mongrel Xu paid to get the other to slavishly act on his behalf?!

Medicinal pills?!

Nonetheless, he simply didn’t have the time to think of anything else. In the next second, his pupils constricted without warning, and his mouth wordlessly stretched wide open. It was to the extent that his entire face had become outlandishly deformed. Both of his hands frantically clutched at his heart! Without warning, he crashed downwards!

Devour Blood… drew out all blood! Once a person’s blood disappeared… the heart would stop beating! The advent of this lone move had killed him in a second!

“You…” Thousandedge’s voice carried a kind of hoarseness akin to a grinding metal sheet. “Who… the hell… are you…?”

“Make your way to the netherworld, you will gain a rough understanding,” Wei Zhongxian chuckled. His eyes flickered with the desire for cruel murder. His hand gently clenched. “Third…”

“Fellow Daoist Wei.” Xu Yangyi’s calm voice was heard from behind. 

Wei Zhongxian immediately switched over to a smile, his hand waving softly. Like a rag puppet, Thousandedge flew over, his throat delivered into Wei Zhongxian’s hand. He then dragged over Thousandedge, smiling. “What is Master’s command?”

Like he was looking at a corpse, Xu Yangyi studied Thousandedge. It had been three years. On this day, this moment, the feud between the two had finally come to an end. He didn’t even have to take action himself. Such an event was beyond Thousandedge’s expectations, as well. The branch master had spared no effort to find them yet was met with such a downfall.

“Can he still move?” Xu Yangyi asked indifferently. He seemed not to have heard Thousandedge’s words.

“Be at ease, Master.” Wei Zhongxian deeply bowed. “If he can move, I will break my own hand.”

Master?! 

Thousandedge’s vision blackened. He’d almost lost consciousness! A little Qi Condensation mongrel… actually had such a terrible cultivator at his side… Furthermore… it wasn’t due to employment nor enticement… but a relationship of master and servant!

This unknown cultivator cried out the word “master” with incomparable delight! Without a shred of reluctance! At the crook of his mouth, he wore a terribly bitter smile. None of this… made any damn sense…

“Good…” Xu Yangyi’s eyes glimmered with an unknown meaning, and he lifted his chin. Wei Zhongxian bowed deferentially, his hand doing the same. Branch Master of the Mingshui Province Featherwood Guard, the ordinarily no-nonsense Senior Thousandedge, slid on the floor like a dog. 

A shadow emerged in front of Thousandedge. Serene, Xu Yangyi looked down on Thousandedge. Thousandedge gazed forward, only seeing Xu Yangyi’s military boots.

“Little bastard…” Wei Zhongxian eased up on his divine ability for a few seconds. Thousandedge’s heart knotted in complexity, and he shuddered as he opened his mouth, “I… regret not killing you back then…”

“Otherwise… how would you have been able to last to this day…?”

1. “Clay ox entering the sea” Is a phrase from a text known as 

The Transmission of the Lamp

 by Shi Daoyuan during the Song dynasty. It is a figure of speech to describe something that does not return, since a clay ox cannot walk back out of the sea.

2. “Impenetrable” The actual Chinese here is “salt and oil do not go in (油鹽不進), generally meaning that the person is very stubborn/obstinate.

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