The night was very dark with autumn winds billowing.

There was slight coolness as Jiang He flew in the skies…

How breezy it was.

Nonetheless, he withdrew his spirit and flew 150 kilometers away, hiding behind a dark cloud… After all, Lin Tianzheng had already said that the True Habitant of Nine Dragons was out to do him in, so how was he supposed to sit and wait?

Waiting to be attacked was not his style.

Taking the initiative to attack is only right.

Moreover, this spot was a necessary path toward Lingzhou City and it was wildlands beneath, which made it most fitting for one to set an ambush and kill…

“Ahem.”

“Ambush and kill is a little excessive, since a dead person means a full-blown death grudge against the Penglai Immortal Sect. It is not my intention to make enemies, since all I intend to do is to subjugate that True Habitant of Nine Dragons or whatnot, and demand some mystic treasure and soul items from the Penglai Immortal Sect.”

Above the dark clouds…

Jiang He stretched lazily and was about to take out some purple-gold sunflower seeds to relieve his boredom when suddenly, his eyes moved and he turned towards the distant horizon.

He could see a streak of green radiance streaking through the night sky.

But upon a closer look, the radiance proved not to actually be real light but was instead a flying boat.

That tiny boat flew through the night sky—a sight only observable in xianxia novels.

“Is this world setting completing s.h.i.+fting toward high fantasy and xianxia now?”

Jiang He sighed discreetly to himself, but it was not as if that was unacceptable. The Revival of Qi had begun after he transmigrated here and a development to high fantasy and xianxia was normal. Indeed, many urban romance novels eventually progressed to those settings too.

Meanwhile, the green light continued moving rapidly, covering over half a dozen kilometers in an instant. As such, Jiang He quietly counted the flight speed of the green light and the timing of when he should attack before stealthily throwing a Doom Shroom at them.

“Who is it?”

An angry bark echoed out of thin air.

One must say that the True Habitant of Nine Dragons was truly cautious, and was using divine mind to observe an area fifty meters around him at any given moment. That was how he immediately noticed the Doom Shroom once it was within fifty meters of himself.

Jiang He's angling was very precise, and basically was a direct head-on collision…

Nonetheless, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons narrowed his eyes when he saw the pitch-black object darting towards him. He had no idea what it was, but an alarming sensation arose in his mind, and he promptly steered his flying boat to another direction to evade the Doom Shroom.

Jiang He was at a loss for words.

On the other hand, the lurking drawback of the Doom Shroom was immediately revealed.

That stuff needed to collide on something to explode.

“Get out here!”

After evading the Doom Shroom ambush, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons did not continue onward. Instead, foot on the flying raft, he paused mid-air, his divine mind sweeping out and promptly noticing Jiang He who hiding beneath the dark clouds. Killing intent overflowing in his eyes, he glared towards Jiang He coldly.

Waving his hand and pointing, Jiang He's Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array burst out, unable to hold back a complaint…

Were everyone from those secluded immortal sects all demons?

Overflowing with killing intent at a moment's notice.

It really is better to keep that stuff held back, since you have yet to actually see who your opponent was. Are you really afraid that it is someone stronger than yourself, and while you had a chance to survive at first, you'd only ended up cut down because you preferred to bare your killing intent?

Ooom!

The True Habitant of Nine Dragons attacked then, his mystic energy surging and materializing into the silhouettes of nine dragons soaring around himself, parrying Jiang He's Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array. His eyes narrowing slightly, he exclaimed in surprise, “The Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array? Could you be a fellow sage of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect? Even so, the Penglai Immortal Sect had no discord with your fellows.h.i.+p, why would you attack… eh?”

That was when a resounding rumble echoed from the distance—it was the Doom Shroom that had missed the True Habitant of Nine Dragons, merely exploding after dropping to the ground.

The ma.s.sive explosion kicked up a mushroom cloud into the night sky, its searing heat wave billowing upon the True Habitant of Nine Dragons' clothes and leaving it flapping loudly.

And amidst the resounding explosion, Jiang He stepped out from behind the dark cloud, frowning as he asked, “Why are you so sure I'm from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, True Habitant of Nine Dragons?”

Withdrawing his searching gaze to fix his eyes upon Jiang He, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons smiled coldly. “Still not revealing your true face even though things have already come to this, fellow sage? Did you really think no one could tell that you are from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect just because you changed your appearance?”

“Who wouldn't know that the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array is a forbidden technique of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect?”

Jiang He was speechless at that.

It was no wonder that Zhong what's-his-name from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect mouthed the name 'Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array'. So his sect had such a sword array technique too?

What a coincidence!

Indeed, the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms and the Dragon Elephant Prajna are another matter entirely since he created those thanks to inspiration from wuxia novels, which is why a 'coincidence' with the Tantra Sect and Elder Guo is absolutely normal. On the other hand, how the h.e.l.l did the Ten Thousand Swords Sect possessed the exact same sword array as one that I randomly came up with? How is this considered not bullying?

Nonetheless, the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array took shaped once more as Jiang He waved his hand, striking towards the True Habitant of Nine Dragons.

In response, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons promptly invoked a dark cloud and clashed against Jiang He.

“Which Elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect are you?!” he cried furiously.

Novice Yuan Spirit?

That cultivation tier must have been feigned to. After all, the mastery over the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array shown by the person before him was actually outcla.s.sing him—how could a novice Yuan Spirit achieve such a thing?

Be that as it may, Jiang He totally ignored whatever the True Habitant of Nine Dragons said and escalated his a.s.sault. Noting that things were dire, he promptly took out a jade charm with a turn of his hand and breathed into it. As mystic energy was blown onto the jade charm, the three-inch object instantly transformed into a puppet iron-armored war beast that lunged towards Jiang He.

At the same time, the Nine Dragons G.o.d Fire Shroud shot out from between Jiang He's brow and extended, covering the war beast in its entirely at once. However, as the war beast kept cras.h.i.+ng about inside the Nine Dragons G.o.d Fire Shroud, Jiang He had to release the True Samadhi Flames inside the Shroud to burn the war beast alive.

“An

The True Habitant of Nine Dragons was stunned at that.

Even so, his raging cry was continuous—the general gist being an accusation of the immoral Ten Thousand Swords Sect, as well as threatening to lead the entire Penglai Sect to their doorstep for a 'visit'.

“The True Habitant of Nine Dragons really isn't that weak in a fight.”

Jiang He sighed discreetly.

Being a full-fledged Yuan Spirit, it meant that True Habitant of Nine Dragons was equal in strength to Bodo the Sky Demon general. Jiang He therefore proved unable to subjugate him immediately by just relying on the Nine Dragons G.o.d Fire Shroud as well as the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array…

Still, he did not dare to cast the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses, afraid that he would directly kill the True Habitant of Nine Dragons with a single strike… how was he supposed to 'borrow' mystic treasures or soul items if he was killed?

“Sky Demon Bell!”

“Rise!”

At a single thought, a pitch-black bell took flight out from between Jiang He's brow. As it unfurled, its 'Might of Truth' manifesting and seizing the True Habitant of Nine Dragons within.

“Awesome!”

Jiang He was delighted.

The Sky Demon Bell was truly useful, as to be expected from a mediocre-grade sage item.

Summoning it back to himself, Jiang He's figure turned into a flash as he returned to Jinyintan Village.

Meanwhile, at his yard…

Zhong Yue had already regained consciousness.

He was being rather hysterical however, and the first reaction he had upon seeing Jiang He was seemingly to put his life on the line and bellowing furiously, “How dare you steal the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array, a technique of our Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Jiang He?!”

Jiang He looked up calmly at Zhong Yue then, who shuddered and stumbled several steps backward, appearing rather reverent then.

Once he remembered how Jiang He had beat him with a single strike and with the Ice and Fire Duality Sword Array at that, Zhong Yue felt an unbearable sensation inwardly. Finding his words, he was about to attack Jiang He verbally once more…

But froze out of the blue.

After all, Jiang He was gently shaking the Sky Demon Bell several times, after of which the True Habitant of Nine Dragons dropped out.

And once freed, the True Habitant of Nine Dragons blew his beard off his face and glared, barking angrily, “How dare you Ten Thousand Swords Sect restrain me? Are you really not afraid that we, the Penglai Sect, would wage war upon you?”

Confusion showing on his face, Zhong Yue stiffly swallowed the words he was about to spit at Jiang He—he was acquainted with the True Habitant of Nine Dragons, and understood what happened to him from what he was saying, and therefore quickly said, “Elder Nine Dragons, please don't misunderstand—he's no disciple of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. In fact, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect has been on good terms with the Penglai Sect for generations… why would we attack you?”

“You…”

“Aren't you Zhong Yue, son of Zhong Zhentian, the vice chieftain of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect?”

The True Habitant of Nine Dragons had a twitch in his expressions just then, before turning towards Elder Mo of the Taixu Sect and exclaiming in surprise, “Elder Mo, you're here too?”

“What is this place?”

“Could you two have been captured here by that mysterious person?”

Jiang He was dumbfounded.

What the heck does 'mysterious person' even mean…

You journey over thousands of miles here to Lingzhou City to seek me out without even knowing what I look like?

Still, watching as the trio were starting to converse, Jiang He coolly spoke, saying, “Fellow sages, I'll skip the introductions since everyone here are acquainted. Now let us proceed to the main topic of reimburs.e.m.e.nt.”

Reimburs.e.m.e.nt?

The trio appeared puzzled and unsure as to what Jiang He meant, although Zhong Yue soon seemed to realized something. Smiling faintly and rather generously, he said, “I won't blame you for attacking me, Mister Jiang. Cultivators value strength, and since you are already Yuan Spirit-tier, attempting to recruiting you as a disciple is certainly inappropriate.”

“So, reimburs.e.m.e.nt is unnecessary. You just have to apologize to the True Habitant of Nine Dragons and myself.”

Jiang He was speechless.

He promptly invoked the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses, veins of Sword Qi bearing down upon Zhong Yue's head as he growled fiercely, “Brat. I'm giving you one chance to correct yourself.”