According to the data, Ye Qiubai has been cultivating for no more than a dozen years.
How could he possibly have grasped Sword Intent?!
Immediately following, the sword aura carrying that Sword Intent slashed precisely toward the trio’s position.
The three men’s expressions changed drastically.
Seeing this, how could they not realize it?
Ye Qiubai had already seen through their formation!
"Shift formation! Shadow Kill Formation!"
The three simultaneously unleashed their hand seals, spitting a mouthful of blood onto them!
Instantly, the fog within the formation dissipated, replaced by countless dark daggers that pierced toward Ye Qiubai’s Sword Intent!
Since the illusion formation was useless, they would use the kill formation to confront him head-on!
However, Shadow Kill was an organization of assassins.
Once they lost the element of stealth, how could they possibly be a match for Ye Qiubai in a frontal battle?
Those countless dark daggers were instantly shattered by the Sword Intent!
The momentum remained undiminished, continuing on to slash at the three men!
The figures in black turned pale, but it was too late to dodge. They could only hold their daggers across their chests.
Rays of spiritual energy appeared before them to block the sharp Sword Intent!
*Crack!*
The sound of shattering rang out incessantly!
That Sword Intent, like a hot knife through butter, tore through the layers of spiritual energy shields!
The Sword Intent struck their bodies, piercing straight through them!
A line of blood gushed instantly from the chests of all three!
A single strike had claimed three lives!
Ye Qiubai flicked his blade, the Dark Demon, and watched the scene with cold eyes, as if he did not care in the least.
On the other side, Qiu Libei watched this scene in terror.
At this moment, he had completely lost the desire to kill Ye Qiubai.
He was now only thinking about how to escape!
However, it felt as if he were locked on by Ye Qiubai’s aura, his legs bound to the ground, unable to move!
The four armored men from the Sunset Dynasty were also struck with astonishment.
After all, in their eyes, Ye Qiubai should have been doomed once trapped in the Mist-Hidden Kill Formation!
But now, not only had Ye Qiubai broken out of the formation, he had also killed three Shadow Kill assassins with a single blow!
However, that was not what concerned them most.
It was that heaven-defying Sword Intent!
One had to know that even in the Northern Domain or the Sunset Dynasty, no one had ever grasped Sword Intent at such a young age!
Anyone capable of grasping Sword Intent was a top-tier Sword Cultivator!
Such a person was someone even the Sunset Dynasty would not dare to offend lightly, but would instead seek to befriend.
Now, Ye Qiubai walked toward the five men step by step.
With every step, the Sword Intent on his body rose!
His eyes were incomparably cold; in his view, these five were already dead men.
His sword shimmered like a snake, the Sword Intent flickering like a forked tongue!
Qiu Libei’s body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Seeing this, the four armored men were also filled with dread, which quickly turned into shame and fury.
A mere "Southern savage" dared to make them feel this way?
That was impossible!
Suddenly, one of them erupted with blood energy, manifesting a giant blood-colored fist that smashed toward Ye Qiubai!
Seeing the fist approaching, Ye Qiubai continued to walk forward without drawing his sword.
But just as the fist was about to strike his body, that surge of Sword Intent erupted from within him!
In an instant, Sword Intent surged everywhere!
The blood-colored fist was torn into shreds!
Then, with a slight step, Ye Qiubai’s body vanished from where he stood!
In a flash, he appeared before the armored man, his sword carried on his back as he extended a finger!
The armored man didn't even have time to react, watching helplessly as Ye Qiubai’s finger landed on the center of his brow!
*Puff!*
A line of blood gushed from the back of the armored man’s head!
A single finger had pierced through his forehead!
"You dare kill us? The Sunset Dynasty will not—"
But before he could finish his sentence, Ye Qiubai slashed out with a backhand strike!
The man’s head went flying!
The remaining two saw the situation turning against them and immediately retreated, preparing to flee!
But Ye Qiubai would not let a tiger return to the mountains.
If the enemy sent one, he would kill one!
Sooner or later, Ye Qiubai would take the initiative and march upon the Sunset Dynasty!
He slashed at the two men with a single blow!
The Sword Intent spanned the sky!
It transformed into a massive strike that landed on their armor!
But the armor provided no protection; it was cut in two as if it were paper!
Every member of the Sunset Dynasty party had been eliminated!
After collecting the storage rings from the four, Ye Qiubai finally looked at Qiu Libei, whose legs were still trembling.
At this moment, Qiu Libei no longer had any of his previous arrogance; his eyes were full of terror.
Ye Qiubai looked at him coldly.
He heard Qiu Libei say, "Ye... Ye Qiubai, I didn't really do anything. Could you please spare me for the sake of the Qiu family?"
Seeing Ye Qiubai unmoved, Qiu Libei continued to plead with a trembling voice, "I definitely won't bother you again! And I'll do whatever you want me to do—I'll be your servant, anything!"
Finished, he even knelt on the ground and began to kowtow to Ye Qiubai repeatedly!
Seeing this, Ye Qiubai said nothing and instead kicked a rock!
The rock shattered, and the fragments pierced Qiu Libei’s body, including his dantian!
Qiu Libei screamed in agony.
His internal energy began to dissipate rapidly; his dantian had been destroyed, and all his cultivation was gone. He had become a cripple!
Feeling the state of his body, Qiu Libei wailed, "Kill me! Just kill me!"
Ye Qiubai did not reply and turned to leave.
He feared that killing such a person would dirty his sword.
With one day left before the end of the Blood Prison trial, Ye Qiubai ran into Hongying.
"Senior Brother, did you take care of those people from the Sunset Dynasty?"
Ye Qiubai smiled and said, "That’s right, they’ve been taken care of."
Hongying nodded. She wasn't surprised that he could deal with them.
After all, he was the Master’s disciple.
It would have been disappointing if he hadn't been able to do it.
Ye Qiubai asked, "Junior Sister, have you finished your business?"
Hongying nodded. "As soon as my strength returns to its peak, I will wage war again, though I may need your help then, Senior Brother."
"Fine, just let me know if you need anything."
As fellow disciples of the same Master and his own Junior Sister, Ye Qiubai would certainly not refuse.
Chapter 32: One Day, I Will Hold My Sword and Level the Sunset!
Ye Qiubai’s talent for the sword was terrifying!
Even Hongying could not fathom his constitution.
Given time, his future talent would be unstoppable, and he would surely become a Sword Saint!
This was also why Hongying felt Ye Qiubai would be able to assist her.
In this remaining day, Ye Qiubai and Hongying wandered casually through the Blood Prison secret realm.
As for the various legacies they encountered along the way, neither felt any interest.
Ye Qiubai had already obtained the Nine Swords of the Heavenly Demon as a transitional technique, and he possessed the Primal Sword Scripture, a manual that did not belong to the mortal world.
As an ancient Great Emperor, Hongying’s foundation was countless times better than these legacies, so she naturally looked down upon them.
Not to mention that anything their Master, Lu Changsheng, might casually produce would likely be better than these legacies...
On the road, they encountered Huo Qingming, Lin Ce, and the others.
Lin Ce had minor injuries, while Huo Qingming’s wounds were somewhat serious; his face was deathly pale, and he was being supported by Lin Ce.
Xin Hongyi’s face was also somewhat pale.
Only Zhong Wu, carrying his little bookshelf, wore a smile on his face. Clearly, he hadn't been injured, and his aura was even a fraction stronger than before!
When Lin Ce saw Hongying, he immediately abandoned Huo Qingming and ran to her side to shower her with concern!
Hongying, however, ignored him, feeling a bit of a headache.
Huo Qingming watched this with a darkened face, feeling quite helpless.
"This guy puts romance before friendship..."
Xin Hongyi looked at Ye Qiubai and asked, "How was your harvest this time?"
Ye Qiubai nodded with a smile, "Not bad."
"Shall we spar when we get out?"
"Anytime."
Zhong Wu watched this exchange and smiled without a word.
Until the day ended.
The Blood Prison secret realm was about to vanish.
Ye Qiubai, Hongying, and the others arrived at the exit and left the prison.
When the Confucian Academy Elder and the Sword Hall Elder saw Ye Qiubai emerge safely, they breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to ask about the results.
But the General, witnessing this, wore a look of shock.
Ye Qiubai wasn't dead?
And his four men, along with the Shadow Kill assassins, hadn't come out?
Could it be...
Thinking of this, the General’s expression turned ugly. He walked forward, and the pressure of a Peak Water Overflowing Realm expert descended directly upon Ye Qiubai!
"What have you done? Where are my subordinates and those men in black?"
Seeing this, the Sword Hall Elder stepped forward. A streak of sword aura appeared in the air, standing before Ye Qiubai and blocking all of that pressure!
At the same time, streaks of sword aura shot directly toward the General!
The General snorted and threw a punch, the force of which was terrifying!
The sword aura shattered, and the punch imprint dissipated!
Neither side had gained the upper hand!
The Sword Hall Elder stood where he was, his eyes stern and imposing!
He said in a deep voice, "This is not your Sunset Dynasty! I suggest you keep a low profile, your Excellency."
The General’s expression was grim. "Low profile? Ye Qiubai killed my men. I have only one condition: hand him over to me! We will let this matter pass!"
"And if we refuse?"
"Then one day, the Asura Iron Cavalry of the Sunset Dynasty will level your Cangdao Academy!"
The Confucian Academy Elder chuckled lightly. "Then we shall wait for your arrival."
Ye Qiubai added, "One day, I will go to the Sunset Dynasty."
The General’s eyes narrowed, then he laughed, "A mere boy, quite full of himself!"
Having said this much, the General naturally knew that his men and the three Shadow Killers had already been killed by the Ye Qiubai before him.
Yet, he still couldn't believe that this was the work of Ye Qiubai alone. He suspected he must have had help, perhaps from the Cangdao Academy!
"I will return to report this to the Emperor." The General gave Ye Qiubai a deep look. "The Asura Iron Cavalry will not keep you waiting long. I hope you can withstand it."
With that, the General vanished on the spot.
While the Confucian Academy Elder and the Sword Hall Elder could have worked together to hold the General back, they wouldn't strike at this moment.
If they killed a high-ranking official of the other side here, the Sunset Dynasty would have no reservations and could use it as a pretext to launch an all-out attack on the Southern Domain!
The consequences would be unimaginable!
Thus, they could only watch helplessly as he left.
Just then, someone from the Qiu family looked at Ye Qiubai with bloodshot eyes and asked, "Ye Qiubai, why did you cripple Qiu Libei!"
Ye Qiubai looked at them indifferently. "He wanted to kill me, so I crippled him. Isn't that normal?"
"Besides, I will pay a visit to the Qiu family sooner or later."
The Qiu family elder wanted to flare up, but seeing the hostile gaze of the Sword Hall Elder, he was forced to suppress his anger.
After all, in front of the Cangdao Academy, the Qiu family wasn't significant enough.
"Let's go!"
The Qiu family party carried the catatonic Qiu Libei and left in frustration.
The Confucian Academy Elder looked at everyone and saw that they had all made gains and suffered no losses, only various degrees of injuries. He smiled with relief. "Well done. Return to the Academy. There will be rewards waiting for you."
After all, the Cangdao Academy had likely gained the most from the Blood Prison secret realm.
This was a point of pride for the Academy, and the authorities would naturally bestow rewards.
Huo Qingming and the others looked delighted.
Ye Qiubai, Hongying, Xin Hongyi, and Zhong Wu remained expressionless.
The Cangdao Academy group left on their mounts.
...
At this moment, above the Blood Prison secret realm, the area was sealed by a barrier, preventing anyone from seeing what was happening inside.
Even a powerhouse like Qin Tiannan could likely not break this barrier!
At this moment, in the sky covered by dark clouds with countless lightning dragons moving through them, a giant face appeared.
It stared with a solemn expression at the man wearing a white fox mask below.
The man held a sword, one hand behind his back, standing in mid-air as his robe fluttered in the wind!
"Who exactly are you?"
The face in the sky asked in a deep voice, "With your strength, you should not exist in this realm!"
The man chuckled and said, "I'm wearing a mask precisely because I don't want people to recognize me. Could you please stop asking such brainless questions?"
"..."
The face let out a long breath—a breath that even carried traces of lightning!
He said in a deep voice, "Then why are you obstructing me?"
The man said, "Then why are you targeting my disciples?"
The man was none other than Lu Changsheng!
The face roared, "The Empress of Cloud Phoenix disregarded the variables of reincarnation and forcibly practiced the Nine-Turn Reincarnation. Now that she has succeeded and wishes to conquer the heavens to re-establish the Heavenly Dao, this is a grave taboo!"
Lu Changsheng nodded. "So that’s it. But so what? Hasn't the Heavenly Dao here already collapsed? It wouldn't be bad to re-establish one, unless..."
At this point, Lu Changsheng’s eyes were deep as he pointed out: "You don't want Hongying to establish the Heavenly Dao, but rather, you want to do it yourselves?"
The face hesitated for a moment, then took a long breath. All the lightning dragons in the clouds poured out!
They intended to destroy Lu Changsheng!
Chapter 33: The Willow Tree: It Seems You Can't See Yourself Clearly...
Countless lightning dragons poked their heads out of the dark clouds, looking down at Lu Changsheng!
Then they dove toward him!
The thunder roared!
It was like a cataclysmic disaster!
Lu Changsheng faced the diving lightning dragons!
Lightning struck all around him, but it could not penetrate his spiritual energy defense.
Within a ten-mile radius of Lu Changsheng, it was like a pure land outside the world; no lightning could strike within it!
And at this moment, the lightning dragons had reached the domain of Lu Changsheng’s spiritual energy barrier!
*Boom!*
The lightning dragons poured themselves frantically onto the barrier!
But on the barrier, they could only cause ripple after ripple.
They couldn't advance even a single inch!
Lu Changsheng pointed his finger, and a bolt of energy pierced directly through the lightning dragons!
The dragons turned into specks of lightning and dissipated in an instant!
The face in the sky narrowed its eyes and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist, surely you must also be trapped in this universe? If you stop obstructing us, we will send you away from this universe."
Lu Changsheng countered, "Why would I want to leave?"
At the Cangdao Academy, he could slack off, and someone cooked for him.
In the Grass Cottage, there was no backstabbing.
There was absolutely no life pressure here, okay?
So why would he leave here to go somewhere else and suffer?
Was he stupid?
The face clearly had not expected Lu Changsheng’s answer and said viciously, "Fellow Daoist, if you don't listen to advice, then when we descend another day, even you might not be able to stop us!"
*Uh...*
With the other side putting it that way, Lu Changsheng couldn't help but feel a little insecure. Could he beat them when the time came?
However, to keep his slacking lifestyle from being ruined, Lu Changsheng had to feign relaxation. "Then remember to bring more people next time."
*Hm.*
Saying that should bluff them, right?
The face gave Lu Changsheng a deep look, as if to burn his image into its memory.
"I have noted your words, Fellow Daoist. When we step foot here again, we will surely bring more powerhouses to satisfy you."
With that, the face vanished instantly from the world.
The barrier disappeared along with it!
Leaving Lu Changsheng behind with a dazed expression.
Did he... overplay his hand?
No, no, what if they really bring a bunch of people and he can't win?
He had to go back and prepare!
With that, Lu Changsheng vanished from the spot.
Before long, he was back at the Grass Cottage.
He paced back and forth on the cliff, muttering, "The formations are there, and my cultivation can't be raised in an instant. What else can I prepare?"
The willow tree nearby heard these words and couldn't help but voice its curiosity.
"What happened?"
Seeing this, Lu Changsheng told the whole story.
Hearing it, the willow tree let out a sound of helplessness.
"Aren't you being too cautious?"
Lu Changsheng shook his head. "Too cautious? I'm afraid my cultivation isn't high enough to win! After all, I have no idea what level I've reached!"
For decades, he had been checking in, and his cultivation rewards were calculated by the year.
Who the hell knew what realm he had reached!
The willow tree was speechless.
Even she couldn't fully fathom Lu Changsheng’s realm.
And if even she couldn't fully fathom it, how could anyone in this universe possibly threaten Lu Changsheng?
Not to mention, there was also the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Array here.
That was one of the ten great kill formations of antiquity!
And not from the ancient period of this low-latitude universe, but from a much higher level of existence!
Watching Lu Changsheng still worrying about it, the willow tree decided not to say anything more...
The Little Bird nearby watched this scene and felt speechless as well.
...
When Ye Qiubai and Hongying returned to the Grass Cottage, ready to pay their respects to Lu Changsheng, they saw their Master pacing on the cliff, muttering to himself.
"Should I run away?"
"No, that would mean moving, and I doubt any other place is as comfortable as this."
"Uh... Master, what happened?"
Ye Qiubai stepped forward and scratched his head. "What could be troubling you so much, Master?"
Hongying also looked at Lu Changsheng with full curiosity.
She was very eager to know what could stump someone as unfathomable as Lu Changsheng.
Seeing that the two had arrived, Lu Changsheng was delighted. He quickly pushed them, saying, "Hurry, hurry! You two, go cultivate immediately!"
One was a Hunyuan Sword Body.
The other was a Reincarnation Saint Body.
And both had the potential to become Emperors!
If he couldn't figure out how to cultivate, couldn't he just let his two disciples cultivate until they became Great Emperors?
Wouldn't he be able to go back to slacking off then?
Thinking of this, Lu Changsheng added, "Don't come out until you reach the Great Emperor realm!"
Ye Qiubai: "..."
Hongying also helplessly stroked her forehead.
Their Master seemed to have absolutely no idea how powerful he really was!