Chapter 29: Instant Kill Zhao Long

"I did it. What of it?" Xu Yang stated.

"Old Ancestor, how did you manage that?" Ling Qingshu asked, puzzled.

Xu Yang smiled faintly. "My things naturally obey my command."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yang entered Mount Juebing with the other Golden Core cultivators.

Ling Qingshu nodded, seemingly understanding yet not, and followed Xu Yang.

Mount Juebing's interior was not spacious. The hall was round, with a diameter of no more than twenty meters, making it extremely crowded with dozens of people inside.

In the center of the hall was a raised platform, which was concave, forming a small pool. The water undulated, occasionally splashing blue waves.

A translucent blue crystal sphere floated on the water's surface. Intricate patterns adorned its exterior, with streaks of green light swirling across it.

A wholly purple treasured sword stood upright within the crystal sphere. From time to time, a soul-stirring peal of thunder would rumble and pierce through the sword!

This was none other than the Fangtian Sword, the core of the formation!

The crystal shell encasing the Fangtian Sword was an ice crystal ball!

The ice crystal ball served as a container to seal spirit swords, preserving them unchanged for ten thousand years.

"What a pity that these ice crystal balls are single-use," Zhao Long lamented. "Otherwise, their value would be immeasurable."

The speaker was Zhao Long. He walked to the ice crystal ball, reaching out to caress it, his voice trembling with excitement.

The Fangtian Sword was the ancient sect's most treasured artifact. After ten thousand years, it showed no signs of weakening, remaining as potent as it once was.

All eyes converged on the Fangtian Sword, filled with various emotions: desire, envy, and cunning.

"Thank you all for your great assistance. We will uphold our promise; once we retrieve the Fangtian Sword, we will withdraw," Zhao Long said, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.

Nine late-stage Golden Core cultivators stood guard beside him, their immense aura radiating outwards, deterring any ill-intentioned individuals. Some who had contemplated making a move to snatch it immediately abandoned the idea.

Seeing the reactions of the crowd, Zhao Long turned back and said with a smile, "Ten thousand years ago, the Heavenly Wind Sect stood here, reigning supreme in the world. Even the weakest disciples of the Heavenly Wind Sect were at the Cavern Heaven realm.

"As the ruins of the Heavenly Wind Sect, treasures are abundant. If you search diligently and are fortunate enough, you will certainly find spirit treasures here!"

Upon hearing Zhao Long's words, the other Golden Core cultivators felt their regret over not being able to obtain the Fangtian Sword diminish slightly. Indeed, this was the relic of an ancient sect; there must be many good things. Even if they couldn't obtain the Fangtian Sword, any other fortunate encounter could easily change their destiny.

"Alright, we of the Spirit Treasure Auction House will take our leave now. We shall meet again," Zhao Long said. He then shattered the ice crystal ball and retrieved the Fangtian Sword.

Cupping his hands, he prepared to depart.

Suddenly, a faint voice resonated, and the Fangtian Sword flew from Zhao Long's hand, arcing gracefully before landing in Xu Yang's grasp.

"Can you take what's mine?" Xu Yang said indifferently, caressing the Fangtian Sword in his hand.

Because it had been preserved in the ice crystal ball, the Fangtian Sword appeared exactly as it did when it was first placed inside.

With the sword inexplicably gone from his hand, Zhao Long was enraged!

"Damn it, it's you again! You, a mere Qi Condensation cultivator, dare to try and snatch my treasure!?"

Zhao Long was utterly furious, his entire body radiating killing intent. If the previous two incidents were mere provocations, insignificant enough to tolerate, he could have endured them. But this time, Xu Yang had crossed his bottom line! The Fangtian Sword was his ultimate goal; he could not afford to lose it! If he failed to acquire the Fangtian Sword, he wouldn't even need to return. Therefore, even if a Nascent Soul old monster tried to seize it, he would fight to the death, staking everything! Moreover, it was just a small Qi Condensation cultivator attempting the theft.

"Give me the item, or you die!" Zhao Long said coldly, his killing intent chilling.

Xu Yang let out a sneer, finding it amusing. "When did the Fangtian Sword become yours? It has always been mine!"

Zhao Long felt that Xu Yang had gone mad; otherwise, he wouldn't utter such words. A mere Qi Condensation nobody daring to snatch his most prized treasure was simply courting death.

"Go die!" Zhao Long, no longer able to endure, abruptly drew his sword and thrust it towards Xu Yang.

Purple spiritual energy gathered at the sword tip as it thrust forward, accompanied by a thunderous roar. The surrounding air vibrated with a dull hum, causing people nearby to bleed from their noses and mouths from the shockwave. They were at the far edge, and Zhao Long's target was not them; they merely endured the lingering power. One could imagine the immense pressure Xu Yang was under.

Fang Yan's face paled in alarm. The sword strike was incredibly fast; he had no time to react. He turned his head away, unable to bear witnessing Xu Yang bleeding profusely on the spot.

"What did you just say?" Xu Yang lifted his head, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.

*Boom.*

Xu Yang threw a punch, a simple, seemingly light strike. Yet, this single punch caused Zhao Long's body to stiffen, unable to move an inch. In that instant, Zhao Long felt the helplessness of a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"Sigh, I originally didn't want to kill you," Xu Yang sighed.

The next second, Xu Yang's fist erupted with the force of a towering peak, directly colliding with Zhao Long's sword. Under Xu Yang's fist, Zhao Long's sword instantly shattered into dust, scattering through the air. Zhao Long's protective true energy was also mercilessly shattered, and with a dull thud, the punch landed directly on Zhao Long's body.

The next second, Zhao Long vanished. Only the pungent smell of blood permeated the air. Everyone saw that the air seemed to redden slightly. With one punch, Xu Yang had instantly vaporized Zhao Long.

"Zhao Long is dead?"

Everyone fell silent, as if frozen in fear! They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.

"Gulp..." Someone swallowed, breaking the eerie silence.

Everyone stiffly turned their heads, gazing at Xu Yang, who wore a calm expression. What had they just seen? A Qi Condensation cultivator had instantly killed Zhao Long, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator who was already close to the half-step Nascent Soul realm? If this news were to spread, the entire cultivation world would likely go mad.

Countless pairs of eyes converged on Xu Yang, trying to discern his true cultivation level. No Nascent Soul, no Golden Core, no Foundation Establishment... This was a pure Qi Condensation stage, for heaven's sake! Then, their worldviews collapsed.

Fang Yan stared blankly at Xu Yang. After a long pause, he finally blurted out, "So you're this strong! You really scared me."

"By the way, somehow today's events feel familiar, like I've heard of them somewhere before." Fang Yan racked his brains, and after a moment, he suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "I remember! You're that Old Ancestor from the Heavenly Azure Sect, aren't you!"

Upon hearing Fang Yan's words, the surrounding onlookers also recalled it: a female Golden Core cultivator and a male Qi Condensation cultivator who swept across Qizhou. Didn't this combination perfectly match the person standing before them?

"What exactly is your cultivation level? You're so powerful; a late-stage Golden Core cultivator couldn't even last half a move against you..."

Thinking of this, Fang Yan was speechless. Just moments ago, he had been constantly wondering how to protect Xu Yang's life.