Today, if Su Xie cannot be nipped in the bud, he will become an endless disaster!
"With a single sword... I cleave the Heavenly Gate!"
With an indifferent gaze, Su Xie looked like an peerless Sword Immortal overlooking all living beings, fiercely slashing toward the charging elders.
This sword strike!
It was one of Su Xie's ultimate sword techniques. In the past, countless Great Emperors had fallen under this very blade.
Had he executed it at the peak of his power, it could truly have stirred the winds and clouds, cleaving the Heavenly Gate with a single stroke!
*Splittt—*
A piercing sword qi soared into the sky, with overwhelming might obliterating those elders right where they stood!
"Su Xie, you certainly are full of might!"
At that moment, a dashing man in white robes walked over, his expression filled with arrogance.
"It's you, Su Zhantian!"
Su Xie's expression turned cold. The fellow who had arrived was none other than the person who had seized his spiritual veins.
At the same time, Su Zhantian belonged to the First Elder's faction and was a junior whom the First Elder valued greatly.
"Zhantian, you've come at the right time! As long as you kill this little beast, the position of heir to the Su Family patriarch will be yours!"
The First Elder's voice was gloomy, full of absolute trust in Su Zhantian's strength.
Over the years, his faction had spared no resources in supporting Su Zhantian.
And since Su Zhantian had spent years fighting outside for the family, not only was his combat experience rich, but he also possessed heavenly-grade spiritual veins, making his strength a force to be reckoned with, even in the eyes of the First Elder.
Su Zhantian nodded, then cast a look of utter disdain toward Su Xie, mocking him: "Su Xie, your heavenly-grade spiritual veins really are wonderful to use. How about this, I'll give you a chance—don't say I'm bullying you with power. Seven days from now, let's have a duel to the death?"
"Why not kill him right now?"
The First Elder stepped closer to Su Zhantian and asked in a low voice, right by his ear.
Su Zhantian the corner of his mouth curled up as if he had everything under control: "No rush. I haven't fully refined his heavenly-grade spiritual veins yet. Once I master them completely, leave this piece of trash aside—the entire Beiling City will be mine!"
"Hmph, then I'll let them live a few more days!"
Suppressing his anger, the First Elder decided to go along with Su Zhantian's wishes.
"I'm afraid I can't wait that long. I'm going to kill you right now!"
Suddenly, a flash of ferocity crossed Su Xie's eyes. He had always been someone who exacted eye-for-an-eye vengeance; if he could strike earlier, he would never drag things out to the end.
"You!"
Su Zhantian's mouth twitched. He hadn't expected Su Xie to disregard convention like this. Just as he was about to curse him out—
*Boom!*
Su Xie slashed down with a single sword.
This strike was vicious beyond compare, catching Su Zhantian completely off guard. He abruptly raised his palms to counterattack.
"Ahhh!"
The next moment, Su Zhantian let out a miserable shriek as both of his hands were instantly lopped off, blood spraying everywhere.
"You brat, how dare you!"
Seeing Su Xie continue to swing his sword, the First Elder roared in fury and rushed forward to intercept him.
This Su Zhantian was his faction's greatest hope for rising in the Desolate Country; he could not be allowed to perish here!
Chapter 3: My nephew possesses the talent of a peerless genius!
"How dare I? Even if the King of Heaven himself were to descend, he couldn't stop the person I want to kill!"
Ignoring the First Elder's threat, Su Xie countered with a backhanded slash toward Su Zhantian.
All of this happened with the speed of lightning!
It was so fast that no one could see how Su Xie had moved. They only saw a streak of extreme sword qi flash past, and a head went flying into the air!
"Ahhh! You little bastard, today... you will definitely die!"
With his eyes splitting in rage, the First Elder let out an angry roar and instantly pulled a pill from his robe and swallowed it.
"Not good! That's a Strengthening Pill!"
Su Xiaofeng's expression changed drastically.
This Strengthening Pill was a Tier 2 pill capable of boosting one's strength by a whole tier in a short time, though it would leave behind severe sequelae afterward.
In an instant, the First Elder's eyes turned crimson, his aura growing increasingly violent as he stepped straight into the Xiantian Realm in a single bound!
"All of you, go die!"
With a ferocious expression, as though he had lost his mind, the First Elder locked onto Su Xie and the others and charged in to slaughter them.
"Taking drugs? Nothing more than a cheap, underhanded trick!"
Snorting with contempt, Su Xie took a half-step back and gave a slight flick of his finger.
A blood-red formation that never faded was instantly summoned, violently crashing down to shroud the First Elder within it!
"This is actually a Tier 3 formation?"
"Impossible! It's already rare enough for him to be a sword cultivator, how can he also know array formations?!"
The crowd stared in gaping astonishment, completely dumbfounded at the sight.
Seeing this, Su Xiaofeng couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief, smiling with heartfelt gratification: "I never expected my nephew Su Xie to possess the talent of a peerless genius!"
One had to know that there were three kinds of people in this world who must never be provoked: sword cultivators, alchemists, and array masters!
And Su Xie occupied two of those roles at once—he could be considered a dual cultivator of the sword and formations!
Never mind that his heavenly-grade spiritual veins had been stolen; even without those veins, this nephew of his was still a phoenix among men, a one-in-a-ten-thousand genius!
What's more, this was a Tier 3 formation; the might it erupted with was enough to rival a powerhouse of the Xiantian Realm!
"Why! Why are you also an array master?!"
Inside the Blood Slaughter Formation, the veins on the First Elder's forehead bulged as he frantically hammered against the surrounding formation barrier.
Yet no matter what methods he used, it was all entirely in vain.
"Old bastard, you're all hollow show! Time for you to hit the road early!"
Su Xie let out a cold snort. How could power obtained through forcible stimulation like the First Elder's compare to his own solid strength?
*Rumble rumble rumble!*
As Su Xie raised his hand and pressed down toward the void, the Blood Slaughter Formation erupted with terrifying might, rapidly sweeping across the entire area!
"No!"
With a final miserable scream, the First Elder was smashed into a pulp of flesh and blood by the radiant, sky-piercing formation!
"We surrender!"
Seeing this scene, the elders belonging to the First Elder's faction looked at Su Xie in stark terror, trembling all over as they begged for mercy.
"Too late!"
With a frigid gaze, Su Xie did not hold back. He urged the Blood Slaughter Formation once again, continuously reaping the lives of those opportunistic fence-sitters.
When it came to traitors, his policy was simple: unfaithful once, untrustworthy for life!
"Ahhh! Su Xie, you beast, you won't die a good death!"
Driven to a panic with nowhere to run, these traitors were slaughtered relentlessly.
In just a few breaths, every single one of them was executed!
"Big Uncle, Sister Yu, are you alright?"
Putting away the formation, Su Xie quickly stepped forward to check on the condition of Su Xiaofeng and his daughter.
"Xie'er, well done."
Su Xiaofeng did not probe too deeply into the fortuitous encounters Su Xie had experienced.
"Big Uncle, please keep my strength a secret."
Su Xie cast a cautious glance at the remaining members of the Su Family.
"Rest assured, these people are all loyal partisans of my faction."
Su Xiaofeng drew a deep breath and let out a bitter laugh.
Right now, his once-magnificent Su Family had suffered heavy casualties, and there was no guarantee that others weren't lurking in the shadows, eyeing them like tigers eyeing their prey.
In the entire Beiling City!
Aside from their Su Family, there were three other major factions: the Jiang Family, the Xu Family, and the Mo Family!
For years, the four families had been locked in endless conflict, competing fiercely over gold mines!
It was inevitable that they might take advantage of this moment to kick the Su Family while they were down.
Seeming to read Su Xiaofeng's worries, Su Xie said solemnly, "Big Uncle, don't worry. With me here, those fellows won't be able to throw our Su Family into chaos!"
"Good. The men of the Su Family should be just like this."
Thinking of Su Xie's current strength, Su Xiaofeng patted his shoulder, nodded, and muttered in deep thought.
After moving out of the sight of the crowd, Su Xie found a secluded little courtyard and immediately formed hand seals with both hands.
*Roar—*
A dragon's roar had just begun to echo before it abruptly stopped.
"Hmm?"
Su Xie frowned slightly and let out a bitter laugh.
He had just remembered that his Frenzied Dragon Body had been shattered back when he was fighting those traitors under Emperor Xuan.
The Frenzied Dragon Body was a supreme dharma body from his past life.
After being shattered, it split into five parts: the left hand bone, the right hand bone, the left leg bone, the right leg bone, and the torso bone!
Each part was comparable to a super precious bone, crushing even a Supreme Bone!
And each bone contained a great divine ability for Su Xie to wield.
Once all five bones were gathered, he would recondense the Frenzied Dragon Dharma Body. Coupled with the *Devouring Heaven Formula*, he could transform into a frenzied dragon, single-handedly dominating through the ages and devouring all enemies!
Finding even a single one of these bones would be enough for him to look down upon the entire Desolate Country with pride!
"This body is still too weak. Raising my strength first is the absolute truth."
Muttering to himself, Su Xie temporarily set aside the matter of searching for the Frenzied Dragon Bones and left the Su Family.
...
Xuan Pavilion.
The sole auction house in Beiling City.
Su Xie tossed a money pouch in his hand. Inside was the meager savings he had accumulated over the years, which was utterly negligible if he wanted to enter the venue and purchase treasures.
Soon, Su Xie arrived at the marketplace, buying a cauldron and some medicinal herbs with the intention of refining pills in exchange for wealth.
Inside a secluded alleyway, a ragged old beggar lay on the ground, completely drunk, blocking Su Xie's path.
"A sword cultivator?"
With how sharp Su Xie's eyes were, he saw through the old beggar's depth with a single glance.
This seemingly unremarkable old panhandler turned out to be an veteran sword cultivator—and one with considerable attainment in the sword dao at that.
However, Su Xie had no desire to stir up trouble; he stepped right past the old beggar and walked deeper into the alley.
Finding an empty spot, Su Xie summoned his cauldron and began refining pills.
Instantly, a strange medicinal fragrance gradually drifted through the entire alley.
In his half-asleep state, the old beggar twitched his nose slightly, a brilliant flash crossing his eyes.
"This is Qi Gathering Pill?"
The old beggar unhooked a tattered gourd from his waist, took a hearty gulp of cloudy wine to himself, then looked toward the direction Su Xie had walked off to and chuckled, "To think that a tiny Beiling City would produce such a youthful talent. At such an age, he has actually reached the level of a Tier 3 alchemist. The younger generation truly commands respect."
Seeing Su Xie emerge, the old beggar said nothing further, instead taking another sip from his wine gourd.
"Fire Spirit Wine?"
Catching the rich aroma of the wine, Su Xie was slightly surprised, his gaze instantly lighting up.
He hadn't expected the old beggar to possess such a treasure. If he could drink a few mouthfuls of it, perhaps his cultivation could break through several minor realms in one go.
"Old sir, fine wine."
Su Xie halted his steps, cupping his fists toward the old beggar with a smile.
The old beggar looked up at Su Xie, seeming to sink into some memory. His expression gradually dimmed as he sighed with heavy melancholy: "Indeed. There's nothing truly good under the heavens, save for the wine."
"The wine doesn't intoxicate people; people intoxicate themselves. Old sir, you must be a man with a story, but your wine is truly something else."
Su Xie glanced at the wine gourd in the old beggar's hand and smiled again.
"Brat, if you want to sponge a drink, just say so."
The old beggar rolled his eyes at him, though his fondness grew a fraction. He then hesitated and said, "However, this wine of mine is extremely potent; ordinary people can't touch even a single drop. A brat of your shallow strength shouldn't be greedy—a mere sip will benefit you immensely..."
*Gulp, gulp~*
Before the old beggar could finish speaking, Su Xie had already snatched his wine gourd and began drinking it down in large, heroic gulps.
"You... you..."
Seeing Su Xie act so recklessly, the old beggar bristled with anger, his beard trembling as he grew furious.
What was inside that gourd of his was top-tier spirit wine!
It contained vast, surging spiritual energy; even he had to pause and recover for a moment after taking a single gulp.
With the way this brat was drinking it, he'd be lucky if he didn't explode from the sheer pressure!
Chapter 4: The mysterious old beggar
"Good wine, truly good wine!"
The moment the Fire Spirit Wine slid down his throat, Su Xie rapidly circulated the *Devouring Heaven Formula*, directly and madly devouring the impending surge of vast spiritual energy.
For a moment, Su Xie felt a warm sensation all over his body, an indescribable comfort washing over him.
*Hum!*
Just as Su Xie felt he was about to break through, he abruptly forced the surge back down and suppressed it.
"How is this possible?!"
Seeing Su Xie safe, sound, and completely at ease, the old beggar's eyes widened to the size of copper bells, a look of bizarre astonishment crossing his face.
*Gulp~*
Seeing Su Xie continue to drink heavily, the old beggar panicked, scolding him angrily: "Brat, don't be greedy! You can't handle that wine, leave some for me!"
"Stingy."
Su Xie gave a slight hiccup and shook the empty tattered gourd in his hand.
Taking back the gourd, the old beggar stared at Su Xie as if looking at a monster: "Good lad, you really didn't leave a single drop. Tell me, just how did you pull that off?"
"Guess."
Brushing away the wine stains from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, Su Xie picked up a tree branch and said, "Rest assured, I won't drink this wine for free. I'll pay you back for it now."
"Wine money?"
The corner of the old beggar's mouth curled upward with a look of undisguised contempt.
This was top-tier Fire Spirit Wine. Not a single jar of it could be found in all of Beiling City, and even throughout the entire Desolate Country, it was an item worth a fortune yet completely unavailable.
How could any ordinary mortal trinket compare to it?
Yet, the next moment.
Su Xie brandished the branch and swept it horizontally across the ground, kicking up a gust of wind!
Like flowing water and drifting clouds, his movements caused string after string of vigorous, strange characters to emerge upon the earth.
When the dust filling the sky finally settled—
The old beggar merely glanced at those characters, and his expression changed drastically, filled with profound shock: "Th-this is actually the legendary Sword Nurturing Art?"
"How is it?"
Tossing the branch aside, Su Xie slowly retreated backward. If the old beggar made any abnormal moves, he would bolt at the first possible second.
After all, human hearts are unpredictable, and with his current strength, he was no match for the old beggar.
"Good! Excellent! Truly, heaven does not wish to destroy me!"
Ignoring Su Xie's cautious little maneuvers, the old beggar stood rooted to the spot, staring infatuatedly at those strange characters with boundless euphoria.
With this Sword Nurturing Art, it wouldn't be long before he returned to the peak of the sword dao!
And his past hatreds could all be avenged together!
"Kid, where did you acquire this Sword Nurturing Art?"
"No, why is there only half a scroll? Where is the remaining half?"
Driven by agitation, the old beggar looked eagerly at Su Xie.
"Old sir, you talk too much. You only need to know that your wine money is worth precisely this half-scroll of the Sword Nurturing Art."
Seeing the old beggar take the bait, Su Xie let out an inward breath of relief and said calmly.
The old beggar frowned slightly: "By the sound of it, you're looking to negotiate with me?"
"You're just a junior in the Houtian Realm. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you and seize your treasures?"
The old beggar's tone shifted abruptly, his gaze flashing with cold light.
Su Xie was completely unfazed: "Old sir is welcome to try. The latter half of the Sword Nurturing Art has long since been branded in my mind, unless old sir can dig up another copy of it somewhere within the Desolate Country inside a month."
"Otherwise, old sir's life is in grave danger."
Su Xie said expressionlessly, having already seen clean through the old beggar's current predicament.
"Y-you... how did you know?"
Hearing this, the old beggar was exceptionally startled, finding himself increasingly unable to see through the young man before him.
Right now, not only was his sword heart shattered, but his strength had also plummeted drastically. Without the support of the Sword Nurturing Art, he feared it was just as Su Xie had said: within a month, he ran the real risk of perishing at any moment!
With that thought, the old beggar sighed: "Kid, state your conditions."
"I want old sir to protect me here in Beiling City for one month. A month from now, the latter half of the Sword Nurturing Art will naturally be handed over to old sir."
Su Xie cut straight to the point. Although the old beggar's sword heart was shattered, his remaining strength was still not something to be taken lightly.
Waving his hand impatiently, the old beggar said, "Seven days at most. I'm used to being idle and loathe being tied down."
"You have no choice."
Su Xie smiled faintly.
Staring at Su Xie, the old beggar put on senior airs: "Kid, do you know who stands before you? In this Desolate Country, how many people would give anything for the chance to hire me to protect them for seven days?"
"Are you proud of yourself? As a sword cultivator, your sword heart was shattered by someone, and you still have the face to sit here feeling pleased with yourself?"
Seeing the old beggar put on airs, Su Xie didn't indulge him, puncturing his pretense with a single sentence.
One had to know that a sword cultivator's sword heart is extremely difficult to shake on one's own, unless this old beggar had previously encountered an existence whose sword dao far surpassed his own.
The sword strike dealt by that person had terrified him out of his wits and ruined his state of mind.
Sword cultivators are forever proud and arrogant.
Some even lose their edge completely after witnessing a peerless sword strike, rendering them unable to ever lift a sword again.
Hearing this, the old beggar started, his body freezing stiffly in place.
After a brief moment of silence, he looked at Su Xie with a decadent expression and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Little friend's words are entirely correct. I was getting carried away."
"This is my voice-transmission talisman, little friend. Within a month, you can use it to summon me whenever you wish. Any trouble below the Spirit Gathering Realm—I'll handle it."
Old Man Ning drew a deep breath: "When the time comes, I trust little friend will keep your promise."
Su Xie nodded.
Taking the voice-transmission talisman, Old Man Ning flicked his sleeve and sent him flying right out of the alley.
Not long after Su Xie left—
Two figures softly descended onto a rooftop within the alley: an old man and a young woman.
Old Man Ning paid them no mind, merely sitting cross-legged on the ground to quietly comprehend that scroll of the Sword Nurturing Art.
"Recently, enemy troops have attacked Tianzhan Pass, and among them are powerful experts holding the fort. We earnestly request Senior to make a move; afterwards, the royal family of the Desolate Country will surely offer heavy rewards."
The silver-armored woman leading the pair leaped down from the rooftop and cupped her fists toward Old Man Ning with utmost respect.
Turning a deaf ear, Old Man Ning remained completely immersed in the profound mysteries of the Sword Nurturing Art.
The silver-armored woman knitted her slender brows. She hadn't expected this old man to put on such grand airs, but thinking of the other party's former glory, she ultimately lowered her pride and pleaded once more: "Senior need not even strike himself; he only needs to go to Tianzhan Pass to hold the fort for seven days and deter those petty villains, until the powerhouses of our Desolate Country's royal family arrive."
"The two of you, please return. The person you are searching for is not here. All that remains is a drunken old man who broke his sword, renounced worldly affairs, and retired from the mortal world."
Old Man Ning said with a trace of vicissitudes, then flicked his sleeve, politely escorting the two of them out.
"Even this person has stopped caring about worldly affairs?"
Outside the alley, the white-robed old man behind the silver-armored woman turned dim in expression, looking thoroughly desolate.
Back in the day, how astonishingly brilliant that person had been! How peerless under heaven!
Today, the retirement of such an existence was undoubtedly a massive loss for the Desolate Country.
Chapter 5: The majesty of a sword cultivator—how can it be casually trampled?
Seeing Old Man Ning retire from the world...