Although the sword strike came from a mere Qi Gathering cultivator, the precision exhibited behind the strike and the intricate technique fueling it was enough to break through a Spiritual Pillar Foundation Establishment cultivator’s defense. There was no hint of doubt in the youth’s eyes as his sword came closer to striking Tianyi’s forehead, who was still unresponsive to the sudden attack.
But when the youth’s sword was a hair's breadth away from striking true, a sudden pressure descended, freezing the movements of all Qi Gathering Realm cultivators and some weaker Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.
The youth’s expression changed as astonishment flashed across his face as he found a slender hand gripping his sword in a claw-like grip. “You! You were already in the Foundation Establishment Realm!?”
Tianyi did not respond as he struck out with his free hand. His hand formed a claw with golden qi covering it like a golden dragon's clawed hand superimposing over his hand. The youth felt his body stiffen at Tianyi's counterattack. Although it was also due to the difference in realms, but the youth was someone who had experienced battle far above his current realm. He could clearly feel an underlying tyrannical intent in the claw, forcing his body to be voluntarily be struck.
Thankfully his will was strong, and he immediately broke out of that mindset and, with a loud roar, abandoned his sword and ran away. He tore a talisman, and a white light surrounded him and carried far away in an instant.
Tianyi, who had struck out and struck nothing, was left dazed at the sudden retreat of his assassin. “This...isn’t he a bit too decisive?”
Elder Peng had already released his spiritual sense in an attempt to capture the assassin, his eyes flashing with rage. Suppose a disciple of the Buzhou Immortal Sect were to be killed under his watch. Nevermind him; even the entire sect might be destroyed under Buzhou Immortal Sect’s wrath. If they were to luckily survive, their lives would become miserable until their death. But unfortunately, whatever treasure the youth used, it had already escaped the full range of Elder Peng’s spiritual sense, and thus he could only give up.
Elder Peng then looked at Tianyi with a complicated expression. Should he say that he underestimated the disciples of the Buzhou Immortal Sect? This was a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator at the age of ten!
Ten!
No matter how outstanding the disciples of the Buzhou Immortal Sect were, those that reached such a realm at age ten could be said to be as rare of qilin horns and phoenix feathers, rare even to the whole Huang Realm. Not only Elder Peng but the Fleeting Mist Sect disciples were even more shocked as they ignored the assassin and openly stared at Tianyi. Not because of his peerless appearance nor because of his status as a disciple of the Buzhou Immortal Sect but rather shock with hints of fear for his Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation base.
Even Lanyue was in a sort of daze. Perhaps she hadn't realized it, but in her heart, she harbored a tiny bit of pride because she had a higher cultivation than Tianyi. Despite Tianyi being younger, she rationalized it as him having more resources as a disciple of the Buzhou Immortal Sect. But this tiny bit of pride was shattered when she was pressured by Tianyi’s Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation base.
Tianyi retracted his hand and held both hands behind him like a little lord. His cultivation was no longer concealed, but he did retract it so that unless one deliberately sought to know, no one would notice unless the person was at least a Foundation Establishment or Core Formation Realm cultivator.
“Elder Peng, we should quickly leave. The commotion has already gotten quite big.” Tianyi said as he surveyed the numerous Qi Gathering Realm cultivators who looked like their eyes would pop out of their sockets. Elder Peng returned to his senses and quickly nodded. He led Tianyi and the Fleeting Mist Sect disciples out of the city and aboard the crane mount. Wasting no time, Elder Peng ordered the mount to fly back towards Fleeting Mist Sect.
“...Little Brother Tianyi,” Pan Lanyue finally couldn’t help it and call out to Tianyi, who was looking ahead and not speaking since the event.
“Hmmm? Yes, Big Sister?” Tianyi turned his head and gave the same smile as before.
Lanyue heaved a sigh of relief, but her heart still felt apprehensive in front of Tianyi’s newly revealed cultivation and a little lost, but she quickly buried those feelings. “You seem to be deep in thought?”
Tianyi looked at Lanyue before finally speaking. “Big Sister, don’t you find that assassin very familiar? I feel like I’ve seen him before.”
Lanyue blinked as she recalled the youth’s face and immediately was struck by a deep sense of familiarity. “But that isn’t possible. I’m sure this is the first time I’ve seen him. But Little Brother Tianyi also has seen him, but he has only been at the Fleeting Mist Sect since coming here. For both Little Brother Tianyi and I to feel familiar, is it someone from the Fleeting Mist Sect?” Lanyue muttered under her breath, but even so, Tianyi could still make out her words.
Lanyue then looked up to look at Tianyi’s face and immediately froze. Tianyi raised an eyebrow at Lanyue’s strange action. The time increased, and even Tianyi began to rub his face wondering if something was on it. Finally, Lanyue spoke. “Little Brother Tianyi, I feel aside from your eyes, once you grow a few years older, you’ll look very much like that youth.”
Tianyi froze as his mind overlaid the youth’s feature over his own reflection in his mind. Indeed the similarities were striking. Aside from Tianyi’s eyes, which he inherited from his mother, all his other features should have come from his other parent. The natural conclusion was that he inherited his sperm doner’s look. “Could that youth be my half brother or something?”
Tianyi was struck by those ridiculous thoughts, and it couldn’t have been his true elder brother because he knew his mother’s personality well. “Still, that sense of familiarity isn't just from having similar features.”
“Is it because of the fragment? No, the fragment may be the reason why he noticed me, but he shouldn’t have gone so far as to try to assassinate me in front of a Core Formation Realm cultivator, and his words contained deep hatred. He seemed to even know who I was.”
Lanyue didn’t continue to speak as she saw Tianyi sink even deeper in his thoughts and just concentrated on the journey back along with her fellow disciples. Although the white crane’s speed was quite fast, something, or rather someone, came and stopped them.
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“Fellow daoists, please wait a moment.”
Seeing the green-robed Nascent Soul Realm cultivator that had appeared in front of them, Elder Peng cupped his hands and said. “Greeting senior, I am an elder of the Fleeting Mist Sect. What business might you have with us?”
The green-robed man smiled, but Elder Peng could only curse at that smile as he opened up his mouth. “My younger brother is approaching his Nascent Soul Tribulation soon. I was hoping fellow daoist can sell the herb in your possession. I’ll buy it at market price.”
Elder Peng inwardly cursed at the shamelessness of the cultivator in front of him. Market price? The Violet Cloud Fern was so rare that the end price was always several times more than the market price. This was practically daylight robbery! “Apologies, but this one has come out on a mission for the Fleeting Cloud Sect to retrieve this spiritual herb.”
The green-robed man continued to smile as if he had expected it. “Your little sect doesn’t need such an herb. It won’t amount to much to those without talent anyways. It’s much better to be in my hands. Since you don’t like soft methods, I can only use hard methods!”
Seeing the Nascent Soul cultivator change face so fast, Elder Peng immediately cast a spell and ordered the white crane to fly away, the crane’s speed had increased immensely, but a chuckle could be heard behind them.
“The one aspect I'm not afraid of is competing in speed.”
The Nascent Soul realm cultivator was covered in a black wind, and his speed drastically increased and as if it was teleportation, appearing in front of the white crane and blocking the escape route.
“Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou!”
The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator chuckled with sinister undertones. “I was originally going to leave after taking the Violet Cloud Fern, but it seems you have quite a beauty there.”
Tianyi subconsciously turned his eyes towards Lanyue, not just Tianyi but the rest of the disciples as well. Flower Picker, what was a flower picker? It was just a euphemism for a serial rapist. Tianyi began to move forward, his hand holding onto the jade pendant on his waist, but the Nascent Soul realm cultivator’s next words made him freeze.
“This lord hasn’t seen such a boy with such good looks, especially those eyes. Hehehehhe... if you follow this lord, this lord will definitely not mistreat you.”
Tianyi stood petrified as the rest of the people who had looked at Lanyue in pity all turned towards Tianyi.
Heavens! It wasn’t Pan Lanyue that pervert was planning on deflowering, but my chrysanthemum!
“Hmpf, open your blind eyes! This little friend is a disciple of the Buzhou Immortal Sect! Lay a hand on him, and you won’t have a good end!”
But Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou remained undisturbed. “Don’t make a fool of this lord, so what if he is a Buzhou Immortal Sect disciple? To be sent here means he committed something wrong, and even if he hadn't, who would know if all of you died? No one will know.”
“Hey, pervert.”
Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou scrunched his brows as he heard the pleasant voice, but the words were anything but.
“Hmpf, little beauty. It seems this lord will have to educate you when I take you back.”
Tianyi rolled his eyes as he inserted spiritual qi into the purple jade pendant that was now held in his hand. Immediately a formation that spanned kilometers appeared and formed an image of nine mountains and nine seas.
Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou immediately sensed danger and moved to escape. As cultivators of the devilish path that offended many people, one of the largest reasons he had survived was because he retreated at the slightest hint of danger. Unfortunately, he had kicked the steel board known as Tianyi.
No, not a steel board, but a board made of divine metal.
“W-who! Who are you!”
Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou managed to force those words out of his mouth, but it felt like he had used up all of his strength in his lifetime, unable to utter another word. The boy before him was clearly in the Foundation Establishment Realm, but how could he have such a powerful formation!?
Although Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou couldn’t recognize the formation, he could see that the formation separated itself from the world, meaning it has reached the level of “Formation Equivalent to a World” level. Only the most outstanding Nascent Soul Realm cultivators could set up a formation at this level with this range so quickly. But the person who activated was clearly that boy.
Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou cursed his luck. He already has second thoughts once he heard Buzhou Immortal Sect, but he didn't want to appear weak. Besides, If he killed all the witnesses, then no one would know. But once the boy activated the formation, he knew he was in trouble. A little Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator shouldn't be capable of having an Artifact such as this.
Tianyi smiled as he walked off the white crane, each step in the air like walking on flat land. “This one’s mother is an Immortal. That should be enough, right?”
Tianyi hid his mouth behind a fan as he laughed, but his eyes were incredibly frosty as they looked at the Nascent Soul realm cultivator before him.
Evin Wind Flower Picker Zhou felt his scalp tingle in fright as he saw those eyes, but as soon as he heard Tianyi’s words, he felt rage consuming him. He was a proud Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. When had he ever been threatened by a small Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator?
He began to circulate the qi within him, but to his horror, he found himself unable to muster even a minuscule amount of qi. It was like he had become a mortal. Fear and rage overtook him as he glared furiously at Tianyi, his eyes seemingly able to swallow Tianyi whole. Even his spiritual sense was locked within his body, unable to make a peep.
But Tianyi didn’t bat an eyelash. “It’s a pity that the assassin escaped too fast before I could unleash this formation.” He said with regret, but it didn’t last long as he took out several talismans and spread them out in his hand like playing cards.
Tianyi mockingly waved the talismans in front of the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator’s enraged eyes. He used the first one, and a white wind buffeted Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou’s body, shredding his robes, a defensive Artifact at the Nascent Soul Realm.
Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou inwardly roared in rage as he watched his defensive treasure become rags under the effect of the talisman. Finally, fear overtook his rage as he began to realize that he might really die under a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. But no matter how much he struggled, his body was locked and unable to move, unable to even beg for his life.
The next attack wasn’t from the talisman but Tianyi as he neared the Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou and unsheathed the sword and unleashed several sword strikes that only left white marks on the skin. Tianyi nodded. “As expected, even if he is completely trapped, my power alone is unable to pierce through his body.”
But Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou was unable to be happy at Tianyi’s failed attempt as the only movable parts of his body, his eyes, trailed after Tianyi as he sheathed his sword. Tianyi aimed the talismans in his left hand at Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou. “My first kill in this life, for it to be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator is not bad.”
And with that, an all-consuming flame engulfed Evil Wind Flower Picker Zhou. Without his defensive Artifact, he was quickly consumed until nothing was left. Tianyi sucked in his breath as he realized that he had burned away the spatial pouch and all that was in it. Tianyi slapped his forehead in regret, but he quickly recovered and returned to the white crane. Because he had not attained the spatial pouch, he didn’t feel bad losing it. It would’ve been worse had he gotten the spatial pouch but then destroyed it.
Never having attained, never having lost.
Elder Peng, who was finally able to move once more now that the formation was dispersed, looked at Tianyi and carefully asked, “Little Friend Tianyi, did your formation and talismans come from your father?”
Tianyi shook his head. “Not my father, but my mother.”
“This time, it's this one’s fault for causing Little Friend Tianyi to use your valuable talisman. One that can destroy a Nascent Soul Realm Artifact is sure hard to come by. When we return, I’ll ask the Sect Master to compensation for Little Friend Tianyi.” Elder Peng said.
Tianyi nodded. “I better not tell him I have a lot more.” Tianyi held his chin as his eyes became slits. “Although this is the first time I killed someone, I don't have a shred of guilt. Is it because that asshole deserved to be killed, or that the shock hasn't settled? Or maybe I'm just coldblooded... but, smashing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to death with wealth as a Foundation Establishment cultivator... it feels pretty good!”