Si Long, having poured all his divine intent into the past, was naturally aware of Yu Ci's actions. Through a dazzling blaze of fiery light, Yu Ci's face appeared blurry, as if it had been stripped away by the intense flames. However, Si Long felt that this man's gaze was as sharp as a sword, unaffected by the "Fire Cloud", directly piercing into the depths of his eyes. It was not the look of someone in a hurried panic!
A dreadful feeling surged from the bottom of his heart, making it skip a beat. But it was too late for him to react. The brilliant Red Glow, majestic as a dragon, could not be concealed by the light of the "Fire Cloud". Amidst the booming explosion, the "Fire Cloud" turned the place where Yu Ci had stood into scorched earth. Yu Ci had disappeared, but the sword light of the Pure Yang Talisman Sword tore through the fiery light, coming straight at him.
"Bastard!"
Si Long had never expected Yu Ci to let the Pure Yang Talisman Sword fly out of his hand. Of course, he was even more surprised that this action was not out of desperation, but a long-prepared plan.
The previous "battle" with Lu Ding was just a ruse. Yu Ci was waiting for Si Long to approach!
Midway, the sword light changed, shrouded by a layer of light fog, becoming blurry and seeming to fade in mid-air. Only a faint light flashed and disappeared.
Si Long, after all, was skilled. Seeing the speed of the sword light piercing through the air, he knew he couldn't dodge in time. He twisted his body with all his might, avoiding the vital chest area, and activated his Protective True Qi. He wore a specially made Soft Armor, which, when combined with the firepower of the Great Dazzling Extreme Yang Method, could provide the protective power of three layers of iron armor.
If only he could block this sword...
Before the sword light arrived, the Sword Energy led the way. Si Long suddenly changed color in horror. He couldn't block this sword!
He felt it, within the Sword Energy, a chilling coldness that was completely different from the scorching exterior, and a unique, deep humming. It seemed to be... True Sha?
His Protective True Qi was as good as air, broken by the Sword Energy. The Red Glow flashed again, and the Flame Sword Blade pierced through the Soft Armor like it was cutting through paper, driving straight into his left shoulder.
The Flame Sword Blade tore through muscle and bone, and the intense fire power within it exploded. Si Long couldn't help but scream loudly. In an instant, half of his shoulder was blown to pieces. The Fire Poison attacked his heart, and his scream abruptly stopped. He fell backward, silent.
The situation had changed too quickly. By the time Lu Ding reacted, Si Long was already lying on his back, half of his body blown to pieces. He felt his soul scatter, and his sword almost slipped from his hand. He shouted loudly, but he didn't even know what he was shouting. He only saw the remaining four personal guards, warriors with swords, rushing forward. But within a few breaths, they were all slain by Yu Ci, who was wielding a short sword with a green glow. Then, Yu Ci turned his gaze to him, the green light reappeared!
"Spare..."
Lu Ding never had the chance to finish his plea. His head was already flying off his neck.
Under the influence of the Sword Energy, blood mist sprayed, staining the remaining snow by the creek a bright red. One unlucky soul who hadn't escaped the battle circle was sprayed by the blood mist, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted.
The Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman emanated a brilliant azure light, as pure as water, unstained by a single drop of blood. The splattering blood was repelled before it could touch him, deflected by the Protective Gang Sha. Among all present, Yu Ci was the cleanest.
Yu Ci surveyed his surroundings. The nine members of the White Sun Mansion had been completely annihilated. The seven personal guard warriors and the useless steward were dead beyond doubt. The only one left required further confirmation.
He approached Si Long, bending down to inspect him. It was undeniable that the vitality of the strong and weak differed greatly. Despite having half of his shoulder blown to smithereens and sustaining fatal internal injuries, Si Long was still faintly breathing.
Si Long's eyes remained wide open. Upon seeing Yu Ci approach, he let out a hoarse sound from his throat, his bloodshot eyes fixated on Yu Ci's face.
Yu Ci picked up the Pure Yang Talisman Sword, contemplating whether to grant this man a swift death. Just then, he heard a weak, indistinguishable voice by his ear:
"True Gang and True Evil, Primordial Qi..."
"Indeed. At least you know what caused your death."
With a flick of his wrist, Yu Ci silenced the last vestige of life in Si Long.
Before his death, Si Long finally understood the key to this one-sided battle. Under normal circumstances, two Nature-Connecting Cultivators and seven well-trained personal guard warriors would undoubtedly have the upper hand against Yu Ci. However, two factors led to their defeat.
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The first was the "Primordial Qi" condensed within Yu Ci. A Nature-Connecting Realm cultivator wielding the power of a Golden Elixir cultivator was a rare miracle in this world. Anyone caught off guard by this would be at a loss. Under the onslaught of "Primordial Qi", ordinary Nature-Connecting Cultivators would find it impossible to resist.
The second was Yu Ci's Foggy Sword Divine technique, learned from Ye Bin. The "Primordial Qi" was a capability only Golden Elixir cultivators or above possessed. Using it at the Nature-Connecting stage was like a toddler swinging a heavy hammer—likely to harm oneself if unable to harm others. However, the Foggy Sword Divine technique passed down by Ye Bin was extraordinary, originating from one of the finest sword arts in the Cultivation World. It was purely offensive, perfectly suiting Yu Ci's swordsmanship habits and complementing his Divine Soul Sword Control technique. These factors combined allowed Yu Ci to fully harness—at least for a short period—the power of "Primordial Qi", achieving instantaneous high damage.
By using the Primordial Qi to drive the Foggy Sword Divine, the instantaneous damage Yu Ci displayed had, to some extent, already surpassed the scope of the Nature-Connecting Realm. The ferocity of his attacks was all too clear to the nine corpses strewn about. Unfortunately, they were destined never to speak of it.
Yu Ci took a deep breath of the cold wind tinged with the scent of blood. He closed his eyes, his muscles aching from the exertion of battle slowly recovering. To the onlookers, he seemed to have won effortlessly. But this ease was based on seizing the initiative from the very beginning, turning every opportunity into an overwhelming advantage, pushing through like a torrent until he achieved total victory. Such a sensation was intoxicating, regardless of when it was experienced!
There were many who witnessed the battle, and given the current situation in Sky Rift Valley, it was impossible to keep it a secret. Yu Ci never intended to hide it.
His message to White Sun Mansion was clear: If you displease me, I will make you suffer!
There was no need to consider the disparity in strength. Some things should not be justified by the "gap".
In a few days, this message would reach White Sun Mansion and Master Jin's ears. Yu Ci was curious about Jin Huan's expression when he received another metaphorical slap in the face.
It would probably be more spectacular than the time at Still Heart Temple.
He laughed heartily, leaving under the fearful and respectful gazes of the herb gatherers, quickly disappearing into the night.
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As Yu Ci had predicted, there were virtually no secrets in the vicinity of Sky Rift Valley at this time. He had swiftly and decisively killed nine people from White Sun Mansion in the first half of the night, and by the second half, the news had grown wings and flown in all directions.
No matter how fast the news traveled, there was still a matter of distance. By the time the news reached the Thousands Spirits Sect base hundreds of miles away, the person in charge, Cheng Rong, had reacted and, after a delay caused by Little Shi's insistence on accompanying him, it was already the next morning when he arrived at the scene.
The winter sun crossed the mountains, shining in the center of the valley where a small stream trickled by, unaffected by the battle of the previous night. However, the sight of several bodies strewn haphazardly immediately lowered the mood of the valley, causing the young girl on the Blood Eagle to gasp in shock.
Cheng Rong gave a wry smile, patted the girl's head, and jumped down from the Blood Eagle. His subordinates naturally took over, taking care of Miss Nine's delicate body.
This scene was also witnessed by the people in the valley. Some laughed, some were annoyed, and some completely ignored it.
"Three years have passed in a blink of an eye, and Miss Shi has become more and more likable."
The one who made this comment was a female cultivator in her forties standing by the stream. She was no longer young, but still had a certain charm. Her round face was often filled with smiles, making her look very friendly. She was the first to greet Cheng Rong, but her words made him wryly smile again:
"With such talent, anyone would be envious. Why don't you suggest to Sect Leader Shi that Miss Shi join our sect? I'm sure the Master would be delighted."
Cheng Rong, familiar with the woman's temperament, did not respond to her suggestion. Instead, he said, "Master Ming, you came early?"
"Not really, Manager Huang and the others arrived earlier, even Monk Zheng Yan came before me."
Cheng Rong grunted, looking around. He saw dozens of figures scattered across the valley. The ones on the perimeter were the personal guards of White Sun Mansion, their faces stern and serious. In the middle of the nine corpses, pacing back and forth with his head bowed, was "Manager Huang" mentioned by Master Ming. His name was Huang Tai, one of the influential stewards of White Sun Mansion. Among the fourteen stewards, he ranked in the top five. His cultivation level was similar to Cheng Rong's, both at the Nature-Connecting Middle Stage, with their spirits condensed into Yin.
Moreover, the one meticulously examining the corpse was none other than Monk Zheng Yan. As the chief disciple under the tutelage of Master Yi Xin of the Pure Water Sect, his status was second only to Master Ming among the group.
Master Ming, always smiling, was known by her full name, Ming Lan. She held the esteemed position of the "Dharma Transmission Immortal Master," the highest rank in the Xuan Yin Sect. Within the sect, the title of "Master" was revered. This "Master" was addressed without the use of their given or family names, regardless of their relation to others. It was equivalent to titles such as Mansion Master, Clan Leader, or Sect Master. Beneath the Masters were the Dharma Transmitters and Patronuses. Among them, the universally acknowledged Dharma Transmission Immortal Masters had a closer relationship with the Masters and held a higher status.
As the chief "Dharma Transmission Immortal Master," Master Ming was indeed superior to all, second only to one. At times, she could even exercise the sect's authority on behalf of the Master, a level of power that surpassed that of Cheng Rong and other figures like Tu Du of White Sun Mansion, and Hu Dan of Thousands Spirits Sect, who were Golden Elixir Stage masters.
Compared to the latter two, Master Ming's cultivation level was slightly inferior. However, she had reached the Nature-Connecting Upper Stage, and her spirit could leave her body to wander freely. The unique doctrine of the Xuan Yin Sect allowed her to borrow the "divine power" of the "God Lord," also known as the Xuan Yin Immortal, to temporarily enhance her cultivation level. In a real battle, Cheng Rong admitted that even if there were three of him, they would still be no match for her.
Therefore, Cheng Rong dared not underestimate her. He exchanged a few pleasantries with this charming woman before moving on to the main topic, "Has Master Ming finished her examination?"
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