Chapter 1046: Regret of the Daoist Leader

The Sanqingshan Sect Leader had long lost his previous ethereal, immortal demeanor. His two most capable elders had been forcibly slain by a junior right under his nose, their souls even captured alive. What utter humiliation!

"Insolent junior!" His eyes blazed with fury, unleashing a terrifying surge of killing intent. "Release their souls! Otherwise, I will drench your Tianji Pavilion in blood!"

As he roared, he flicked the horsetail whisk in his hand towards Jiang Fan once more. This time, no Golden Buddha could possibly block the attack.

Jiang Fan's eyes glinted coldly. While still dragging Xuanye, he raised a hand, summoning a sword caddy that floated before him. "Old scoundrel!" he sneered. "You won't be leaving either!"

With a palm strike, he opened the sword caddy. Inside, the nine-colored luminous sword, which had been nurtured within, was revealed. After six or seven days of cultivation, it was noticeably more substantial than before. The sword's aura it emanated was utterly terrifying.

"Go!" Jiang Fan pointed a finger. The nine-colored sword light vibrated, then shot out of the caddy, soaring towards the whisk's countless threads. The moment it appeared, it unleashed a terrifying sword aura. All the whisk's threads within three *zhang* of the nine-colored sword light melted away.

The Sanqingshan Sect Leader's furious expression morphed into one of shock. "Jiang Wuya's sword intent? Who exactly are you?" At this moment, he was utterly stunned. Abbot Puguang's Golden Buddha, Jiang Wuya's sword intent, the Sacred Flame Sect's fiery divine ability... What was going on with this person?

Staring at the incredibly dangerous nine-colored sword light, how could he possibly still care about Daoist Xuanye's soul? He frantically swung his whisk, attempting to entangle the nine-colored sword light. But how many in this world could truly withstand Jiang Wuya's sword intent?

With a resounding *bang*, the mid-grade spirit artifact whisk that had accompanied him for decades shattered on the spot. The nine-colored sword light's momentum remained undiminished as it shot towards the Sanqingshan Sect Leader's heart.

The Sanqingshan Sect Leader's expression grew exceedingly solemn. He immediately raised a hand, summoning forth a pitch-black alchemy cauldron that appeared between his palms. Numerous inscriptions were carved into the cauldron's surface. As the Sanqingshan Sect Leader activated it, the black cauldron instantly began to spin, and countless inscriptions flew from it, forming a shimmering barrier of light before him.

The nine-colored sword light plunged into it as if entering quicksand, losing its sharp edge. Then, the Sanqingshan Sect Leader's gaze sharpened. Gripping the black cauldron, he slammed it fiercely into the nine-colored sword light. The nine-colored sword light immediately dissipated by more than half. Only a faint, almost invisible sword shadow flew back.

Just then, Jiang Fan successfully seized Xuanye's soul and cast it into the Soul Crystal. Witnessing this, he decisively recalled the faint sword shadow to continue nurturing it. His heart sank slightly. As expected of a sect leader, his methods were incredibly formidable. Jiang Wuya's sword intent could effortlessly slay an eight-aperture Nascent Soul, and even a nine-aperture Nascent Soul would be hard-pressed to contend with it. Yet, it had been blocked by the Sanqingshan Sect Leader using that peculiar black cauldron.

The Sanqingshan Sect Leader gazed at the shattered pieces of his whisk strewn across the ground, his heart aching with immeasurable pain. Even massacring everyone in Tianji Pavilion and tearing Jiang Fan into a thousand pieces wouldn't compensate for today's losses! His aged eyes glared furiously at Jiang Fan. "You forced me to unleash Sanqingshan's most treasured artifact; now you shall die!"

He slammed his palm onto the black cauldron. The inscriptions on its surface glowed once more, coalescing into a long spear. It exuded an intensely chilling power capable of obliterating all souls! "Even I couldn't block this strike. You, stand no chance! Die!"

This was a secret art designed to attack souls. Unless one possessed a nine-aperture Nascent Soul, they could not withstand this spear. Jiang Fan's soul was merely a four-aperture Nascent Soul; under this spear, there could only be one outcome: utter annihilation!

Jiang Fan, too, felt an overwhelming dread. His soul trembled uncontrollably, filled with profound unease. In this critical moment, Jiang Fan gritted his teeth and brought out his ultimate trump card: a killing artifact! The Underworld artifact, the Hook of Judgment Brush! Even the spectral form of the Blood Marquis of Ancient Chaos couldn't withstand the fully inscribed 'Death' character!

Now, the Hook of Judgment Brush had significantly less ink, so the 'Death' character it produced might not be as potent as before. Yet, it remained an irresistible killing artifact! With a flick of his wrist, the Hook of Judgment Brush swiftly drained Jiang Fan's Nascent Soul power. Next, it absorbed his Void Flow Thunder Energy. Fortunately, he had successfully broken through to a three-aperture Nascent Soul, making him far stronger than when he underwent his tribulation. Thus, he retained his physical strength and Void Flow Fire Energy. He wouldn't be left in a helpless state, awaiting death after a single use, as he had been previously.

The character "Death" rapidly took shape. As Jiang Fan pushed it forward with the brush, the "Death" character instantly flew forth, expanding as it moved, like an ever-growing colossal net. It left no escape.

The Sanqingshan Sect Leader's heart gave a violent lurch, and his pupils constricted. "What is this?" This single character for "Death" sent shivers down his spine. It also made him experience the fear of death once more, a fear he hadn't felt since becoming the Sanqingshan Sect Leader. In that instant, he felt a pang of regret. He shouldn't have escalated matters to this extent, all for a mere elixir formula. His opponent was too strange; every divine ability and magical treasure he displayed filled the sect leader with intense unease. They even threatened his very life.

But now, it was too late for regrets! Both sides were locked in a fight to the death. If he lived, it would spell the end of Tianji Pavilion; if Jiang Fan lived, it would be his demise. With this thought, his eyes brimmed with murderous intent. "Kill!"

The runic spear, forged from inscriptions, instantly pierced through the void, thrusting towards Jiang Fan. The 'Death' character blocked its path. Despite the 'Death' character's undeniable power, it was actually held at bay by the spear, unable to advance further. However, as the 'Death' character continued to spread, the inscribed spear could no longer resist its corrosive effect. It decayed inch by agonizing inch. Soon, the spear crumbled entirely.

"What?" The Sanqingshan Sect Leader was utterly astonished. "What in the world was this thing? It could even corrupt a soul attack comparable to that of a nine-aperture Nascent Soul?"

Staring at the colossal net that had become a rapidly descending canopy, enveloping everything, the Sanqingshan Sect Leader's face drained of all color in horror. He hastily clutched the black cauldron and retreated at lightning speed. Yet, the 'Death' character grew ever faster and larger. There was nowhere for the Sanqingshan Sect Leader to flee, neither in the heavens nor on earth.

Finally, just as it was about to overtake him, the Sanqingshan Sect Leader, gripped by fear and panic, seized the black cauldron and slammed it fiercely into the 'Death' character's canopy. The canopy paused for a moment. But it ruthlessly passed through the Sanqingshan Sect Leader's body nonetheless. An invisible wisp of deathly intent surged into his limbs and bones, penetrating his very soul. His skin began to blacken, and his soul started to decay. The icy grip of death stiffened his entire body, as if he were a drowning man trapped in a frozen river.

"No! No!" He frantically pulled out a handful of vitality-rich elixirs and stuffed them into his mouth. This influx of vitality slowed the decay, but did not halt it. Even after he consumed every last elixir brimming with vitality, his body continued to rot. His skin had already blackened and peeled away, revealing a horrifying, bloody mess of flesh and gore. His meridians and flesh were rapidly turning black. His eyes, too, rapidly decayed, on the verge of bursting. Black blood and putrid pus oozed from his ears, nose, and mouth. He no longer resembled a Taoist priest. He was, unmistakably, a grotesque blood corpse.

He roared in agony, yet remained powerless to halt his own decay. He was consumed by anxiety and overwhelming terror. At this juncture of life and death, he gritted his teeth. He retrieved an ancient jade box, secured by several layers of seals. Inside, there was a single grain of sand.