Chapter 223: Heavenly Blade Slash, The Saint Is In Trouble
The next instant, taking advantage of the moment when the Tian Xuan Saint was momentarily distracted, the Heart-Piercing Nail that Chen Shun’an had already released, hidden in the pervasive mist, burst forth.
Chen Shun’an gathered his intent at the glabella Niwan Acupoint, summoning a Nascent Spirit incarnation, leaped forward, clearly unarmed and without any strength fluctuations.
Yet he raised his hand and slashed!
Although Chen Shun’an still could not yet achieve the level of Nascent Spirit leaving the body, his intent could already perform a Heavenly Blade Slash—lightly confusing the Divine Soul, or heavily leaving the flesh and blood fresh as ever, but turning the true spirit and soul inside into withered dust.
Leaving only an empty shell.
Before Slaying the Six Thieves and True Intent Perfection, Chen Shun’an could only keep his intent from leaving his body, managing only to slash himself once.
But after summoning the Nascent Spirit and having it sit at the Niwan.
He discovered he could drive the Nascent Spirit, following the qi in the darkness, to perform a Heavenly Blade Slash on the opponent’s Divine Soul—or rather, their intent.
Chen Shun’an thus named it 【Heavenly Blade Slash】!
Thus, in the Tian Xuan Saint’s field of vision, all she saw was blinding blade light everywhere, majestic and domineering, too intense to look at directly. But if she madly urged her magic power and focused her spiritual sense, she could vaguely see behind the blade light a massive Nascent Spirit sitting cross-legged, world-obscuring, identical to Chen Shun’an’s current appearance, merely glancing indifferently at her.
“This is bad.”
The Tian Xuan Saint merely cried out once, her Divine Soul shaken, spurting several mouthfuls of essence blood, her figure softly collapsing, life or death unknown.
【Willow Treasure Ten Thousand Toad Tendons】 slipped from her hand, rolling onto the snowfield, its pale cyan glow gradually dimming.
Chen Shun’an flashed forward like a shadow, grabbing the Tian Xuan Saint with one hand and scooping up the 【Willow Treasure Ten Thousand Toad Tendons】 with the other, his movements clean, swift, practiced, and seasoned.
Then, Chen Shun’an’s gaze sharpened, staring deeply at a certain figure behind the Pixiu at the Martial Arts Hall entrance.
Then he withdrew his gaze, his figure abruptly vanishing.
Leaving only the collapsed tall building, debris everywhere, and a crowd of martial artists staring in stunned silence.
……
The snow mist had not yet dispersed, the entire street deathly silent, so quiet that even a needle dropping to the ground could be clearly heard.
“What just happened?”
Someone whispered furtively from the back of the crowd, their eyes full of fear and bewilderment.
How did a perfectly fine tall building inexplicably collapse?
It seemed like someone was fighting in the smoke?
But in the blink of an eye, all sounds vanished.
“So, are we still fighting?”
A Water Carrier gripped his weapon in his hand, dazedly glancing at the Pounding House Gang Member who had rolled to his side and was now standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
Red Fifth Master, Zhang Wei, and Zhang Xiangling’s figures instantly appeared.
All standing together at the ruins of the tall building, in front of the ground mark where someone seemed to have been forcibly embedded into the earth.
Then, the three of their gazes all focused on the ground, that pool of crystal-clear amber-like substance emanating a rich aura of life, still carrying a lofty and profound meaning…
Blood.
Immortal blood spilled, life or death unknown.
Red Fifth Master blinked, his originally somewhat dark cheeks suddenly flushing with excitement, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he hoarsely uttered a coarse curse laced with slang and dialect,
“Fuck your mother…”
Only Red Fifth Master himself knew that despite his arrogant and brash appearance, sniping the Tian Xuan Saint single-handedly for months.
The bitterness involved was known only to him.
At this moment, he suddenly felt a sense of relief, like raising his eyebrows and venting all the pent-up frustration in his heart.
Moreover, besides this pool of immortal blood, the scene still held a faint, unique aura.
Not magic power, but a grand and lofty flavor, purest and most yang, like mountains ringing with fine waves, snow surging to the heavens.
Even a fleeting glimpse after a long time inevitably stirred a sense of inferiority like a frog at the bottom of a well fortunate enough to glimpse the sky, feeling minuscule and awestruck.
Zhang Wei wiped one eye with his hand, pressing back the 【Qi Ginseng Seed】 that he had finally activated, his tone somewhat hoarse as he slowly said,
“It’s a Nascent Spirit… True Intent Perfection, slaying immortals with martial arts.”
He had been adjusting his state, preparing for a bloody battle with the Tian Xuan Saint.
But in the blink of an eye, the Saint was gone!
“Wuqing County actually has such a figure? No wonder my Zhang Family and even the Four Great Daoist Academies have always paid special attention to Wuqing County. Could this place be blessed with fortune, spiritually rich and talented, producing a Martial Dao Heavenly Pride every ten-plus years?”
Zhang Wei was somewhat shocked deep down.
Moreover, True Intent Perfection—his Zhang Family had several, and he had even interacted with many.
But none had ever given him such a feeling…
Nearly a Martial Dao Grandmaster!
And at this moment, even Zhang Xiangling, who was always carefree and obsessed with martial arts, couldn’t help but fall silent and dazed. In the face of this Nascent Spirit intent, she felt no desire to challenge at all.
True Intent Perfection was just one step from Martial Dao Grandmaster.
At this realm, the Six Thieves were all slain, the Nascent Spirit awakened, even possessing some divine and profound abilities.
Slaying Immortals was the proof.
The smoke gradually dispersed, revealing clear outlines amid the rubble.
Some bolder Water Carriers and Pounding House Gang Members slowly stepped forward.
Both sides’ gazes still wary, hands on sword hilts, yet without the will to fight.
Approaching that pool of immortal blood.
A strange fragrance drilled into their noses, flowing through their throats to their limbs and bones, making their whole bodies relaxed and comfortable, even dulling the pain of wounds.
“Gurgle gurgle…”
Hunger growls rose one after another, breaking the silence like thunder.
Many Water Carriers and Pounding House Gang Members swallowed, greedily eyeing that pool of immortal blood.
How could an immortal’s blood smell so good?
I want to drink it so bad, just one sip, even just a lick.
No no, that would invite heavenly punishment, an insult to the deity!
And in the crowd, Old Bai, who had tuberculosis, stared dazedly at the pool of blood on the ground.
Suddenly, he erupted with unprecedented strength, pushing aside the blocking figures, even ignoring the pressure from Red Fifth Master and the other two True Intent Masters, pouncing to the pool of immortal blood.
He first carefully licked a bit, and an unprecedented sweetness exploded on his tongue tip.
A warm current like a flood bursting a dam exploded from his stomach, also shattering his reason.
He immediately prostrated on the ground, greedily sucking with big gulps.
Drinking an immortal’s blood with a mortal body.
“Mine mine, that’s mine!”
“I want to drink too!”
“Lick my ass, who has a steamed bun? Dip it and eat!”
In this instant, whether Pounding House gang members, Water Station Water Carriers, or the masked martial artists who came to help, they all seemed to forget their faction differences—mere moments ago they were fighting to the death.
All immediately reddened their eyes, shoving forward.
“This…”
Zhang Xiangling watched the bizarre chaos before her, unable to hold back.
“Let’s go.”
Zhang Wei pulled Zhang Xiangling, his gaze somewhat horrified at this group of martial artists who seemed to have lost their reason.
Red Fifth Master also silently said nothing more, merely glancing at Bai Manlou, Xiao Qingchou, and others hiding in alleys and on eaves, nodding silently to signal everyone to leave.
At this point, it seemed the blood flowing on the ground was not an immortal’s.
But a life-saving miraculous pill.
No different from those pills refined from monster or beast flesh, blood, and bones.
……
“Saint, where did the Saint go? What are we to do now?”
Guan Sheng crawled out disheveled from a pile of broken bricks, covered in dust and dirt, his brocade robe torn in several places, revealing blistered white flesh underneath.
He was about to curse a few times when he suddenly saw the rioting crowd nearby and instinctively lowered his voice, not daring to approach.
His face twisted, even ferocious, like a gambler deep in Bao Ju who had gone all-in only to find the entire game and the house vanished.
“Brother Guan, don’t worry.”
Huang Xing nearby was shoving aside broken bricks pinning his leg, his fingertips dusty, his face perfectly showing just the right amount of anxiety as he said gravely,
“With the Saint’s strength, nothing could have gone wrong. Perhaps she just temporarily withdrew or relocated… How about this: you lead a group of gang members to search for the Saint, and I’ll stay to clean up this mess, lest those vicious Water Station folk take advantage.”
“Ah? How could I…”
Guan Sheng was stunned, his face suddenly much brighter, his eyebrows subtly rising, even putting on a false show of humility.
“No matter, we all belong to the Pounding House, our fates intertwined… I only hope that when Brother Guan rises steadily one day, promoted by the Saint, you won’t forget Huang.”
Huang Xing patted the dust off himself, his tone sincere.
“Hahaha, Brother Huang, what are you saying? Of course, of course!”
Guan Sheng couldn’t help but laugh triumphantly, but his eyes caught the approaching government runners and Martial Arts Hall soldiers in the distance, and his laughter abruptly stopped, his face instantly tensing.
He merely cupped his hands to Huang Xing, then quickly issued a covert order, leading a batch of Pounding House Gang Members away swiftly.
After Guan Sheng left.
The anxiety on Huang Xing’s face instantly faded, and he patted the dust off himself, straightened his disheveled hair, and strolled out leisurely.
He smiled obsequiously, bowed repeatedly, both helping to rein in the chaotic Pounding House Gang Members and doling out silver to bribe the on-site runners.
Handling both sides perfectly, leaving no room for criticism.
Huang Xing didn’t know what had happened to the Saint.
But he knew at this critical juncture, if he acted like Guan Sheng—currying favor upward, scrambling for credit, hopping about everywhere—he was likely to get into trouble.
Huang Xing only wanted to be the Pounding House Landlord.
As for who led him, or whether the one leading him lived or died, it didn’t matter.
His own survival was what mattered.
……
At the Martial Arts Hall entrance, the snow mist had not yet dispersed.
Zhang Xuling silently emerged from behind the Pixiu statue.
Dressed in a Daoist robe, his face calm and unruffled, he merely glanced faintly at the direction Chen Shun’an had left, saying nothing.
Government runners and constables, along with Martial Arts Hall reserve soldiers, had arrived upon hearing the news, wielding blades and sticks to disperse the chaotic crowd and stop the frenzied ones robbing the immortal blood.
But in this short time, not to mention the immortal blood—the ground itself had been licked clean by the Water Carriers, Pounding House Gang Members, and others.
Then they cupped hands to each other and dispersed.
And the runners, constables, and soldiers had heavy pouches at their waists, well taken care of by Huang Xing.
Thus, they had no intention of making arrests, merely standing silently by, letting these people leave.
Tacit understanding~
Zhang Xiangling turned back to the Martial Arts Hall and, seeing Zhang Xuling, her eyes lit up. She hurried forward, her tone unable to hide her excitement,
“Master Zhang!”
