Chapter 552: Begging for Mercy

A terrifying, world-shattering wave of energy swept out! The canyon trembled violently, and the sky clouds shattered. Ancient layers of ice exploded simultaneously.

Amidst an immense, unparalleled heavenly might, a thousand-zhang phantom ancient sword, bathed in spiritual light, stood pointing towards the sky. It seemed poised to pierce through the firmament, severing the sun, moon, and stars.

As Jiang Fan swung his arm downwards with immense force, the thousand-zhang phantom ancient sword descended with devastating power!

This single sword strike cast its cold light for ten thousand miles, and its sword energy stirred the Nine Provinces! The dim canyon instantly became as bright as day.

Fang Taiji looked up, crying out in terror, "No, don't do this! I was just momentarily confused, Jiang Fan, quickly retract it. I am a Grand Elder of the Nine Sects, we are on the same side!"

Jiang Fan exploded with rage. "To hell with you!"

Boom, boom, boom, boom— The thousand-zhang colossal phantom descended with a thunderous roar, slicing directly down upon Fang Taiji.

Fang Taiji was utterly terrified. He pulled out an astonishingly defensive jade shield, capable of blocking a full-strength blow from a Core Formation Ninth Level cultivator. It had previously helped him avert numerous crises.

However, before the descending sword phantom, the jade shield was like something molded from clay. It offered no resistance whatsoever, instantly shattering into dust.

Immediately after, it mercilessly engulfed Fang Taiji. "No!" Fang Taiji roared in agony, exerting every ounce of his being, unleashing all his physical strength. He futilely attempted to block the sword phantom. But in the end, it was all in vain.

Boom, boom, boom, boom— The massive sword struck the ground, creating a seemingly endless chasm that engulfed Fang Taiji and the ice layer within a thousand-zhang radius. The impact melted the ice, releasing a vast amount of steam.

Yet, Fang Taiji was not dead! A faint golden light subtly shimmered within him, clearly a sign that he had touched the very edge of the Golden Body realm. With this, he had managed to preserve his life. However, only a fraction of his life remained.

His entire body was a bloody mess, with no intact skin. Muscles on his chest, abdomen, arms, and thighs had exploded, revealing stark bone. His right leg was mangled, everything below the knee gone. A patch of his scalp had been sliced off, blood flowed incessantly, drenching his face. His aura was incredibly weak.

Despite this, he still displayed a tenacious will to survive. He struggled to crawl out of the chasm, then ran towards the depths of the canyon, hoarsely crying for help as he went: "Consort Yunxia, save me!"

Jiang Fan's eyes turned icy cold! Still not dead! He leaped forward, executing his movement technique, scaling the ice wall as if walking on air. With a flick of his wrist, the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain appeared in his palm. He hurled it with force, and it transformed into a mountain, descending with a thunderous roar.

Fang Taiji struggled to lift his arms, attempting to resist. In his prime, he could have sent it flying with a single punch. But now, the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain instantly crushed his arms, and half of his body was pinned beneath it. No matter how he struggled, he couldn't free himself nor budge the Five Magnetic Origin Mountain.

Then, with a ripping sound, Jiang Fan flashed into existence before him.

Fang Taiji's pupils contracted sharply. "Jiang Fan, give me a chance to redeem myself," he pleaded. "With my strength, I can still make significant contributions to humanity."

Jiang Fan's expression was as cold as frost. His voice was low: "What did Elder Zhao Wuji want to tell me before he died?"

Fang Taiji's gaze darted away. He dared not respond. Crack— It wasn't until Jiang Fan lifted his foot and brutally stomped on his right palm, crushing it. Jiang Fan's face contorted into a furious expression, like a man-eating lion, as he roared, "Speak!!"

Only then did Fang Taiji hesitate and say: "He said... 'There are no cowards on Mount Xiaoyao of Qingyun Sect.' 'If you don't come, it's your loss.'"

Jiang Fan froze. That day, when he joined the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, the elders from various peaks had not thought highly of him. It was only thanks to Zhao Wuji and Wen Hongyao, who didn't give up on him and publicly vied for him, that the dignity of a young man from humble origins was salvaged. He had thought the matter was long past. He hadn't expected that not being able to take Jiang Fan as a disciple had become Zhao Wuji's dying regret.

Qiu Shengnan, clutching her wound, limped over. Her face filled with sorrow. "Jiang Fan... Elder Zhao wasn't afraid to die," she said. "But he was afraid of you dying. He was afraid of Qingyun Sect losing you."

Jiang Fan's chest felt filled with seawater, bitter and heavy. Qiu Shengnan's gaze fell upon Fang Taiji's pleading, aged face. Boundless hatred made her incandescent with rage. "It's all because of this beast!" she spat. "To save his own life, he betrayed your presence, forcing Elder Zhao to sacrifice himself. He only did it to buy us a little time, to warn you to run."

The hatred in Jiang Fan's eyes erupted like a flood. He stomped heavily, crushing Fang Taiji's chest. "Fang Taiji!" he roared. "Do you deserve to be a Grand Elder of the Nine Sects? Do you even deserve to be human?"

Cough, cough— Fang Taiji coughed up a clump of bloody flesh. Knowing he had no hope of survival, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes turning fierce. "I merely wanted to survive!" he rasped. "What did I do wrong?"

Jiang Fan stomped his foot on Fang Taiji's head, pressing half his face tightly against the biting cold ice surface, and roared: "Then what did the elders you killed do wrong?"

Hahaha! Fang Taiji burst out laughing. Even with his mouth held down, his sinister grin was unobstructed: "Their only mistake was being too weak! Weakness is a cardinal sin! Your Uncle-Master Zhao Wuji, I killed him as easily as crushing an ant. It's laughable that he still tried to hold me back before he died. What a pathetic worm!"

Jiang Fan was beside himself with rage. Images of Zhao Wuji's tragic state flashed in his mind. Overwhelming hatred consumed his consciousness. Fortunately, Qiu Shengnan quickly warned him: "Jiang Fan, don't fall for it. He's deliberately provoking you, trying to make you live the rest of your life in pain and regret, and undermine your martial arts heart. This old beast, even facing death, is still so malicious!" She moved as if to stomp on his neck, intending to finish him off for good.

Jiang Fan calmed down. He stopped her, saying grimly, "Letting him die like this would be too easy for him!"

Fang Taiji grinned sinisterly. "You think you can torment me? If I wanted to die, I could reverse my meridians and self-destruct at any moment!"

Jiang Fan said nothing more. Nor did he torture Fang Taiji with cruelty. Instead, he slowly drew a purple sword. He dangled it before Fang Taiji, asking coldly, "Do you recognize this sword?"

Fang Taiji stared intently, his aged eyes widening. "The Purple Sword?"

Jiang Fan offered a cold smile. "That's right, it's the Purple Sword. And it's the very Purple Sword that your Titan Sect has been desperately searching for – the one that killed Tie Bubai."

"It was you!!" Fang Taiji roared in fury.

Tie Bubai was his most cherished disciple, the one into whom he had poured all his affection. They were like father and son. The reason the Titan Sect had spared no effort, still tirelessly searching for the Purple Sword after half a year, was partly due to his constant urging.

Jiang Fan's smile deepened. "That's right, I killed him. It was with this very sword that I cleaved him in two. And your Titan Sect, in Sunset City, at Border Mountain, and you yourself at the canyon entrance – you suspected me three times. What a pity, you were so close to avenging your disciple."

Hearing Jiang Fan clearly describe even the details of Tie Bubai's death, Fang Taiji was absolutely certain. Jiang Fan was the killer! What enraged him even more was that he could have avenged his disciple right there at the canyon entrance!

"You little beast!!" Fang Taiji roared, spitting blood, "You'll die a terrible death!"

Unexpectedly, Jiang Fan smirked. "That curse doesn't seem very effective, does it? Weren't you curious how I cultivated my body refinement technique? Now I'll tell you the answer: it's your Titan Sect's 'Iron Blood True Scripture'. I acquired it after killing a Titan Sect disciple named Xu Ganglie."

What? The 'Iron Blood True Scripture,' which no one in the Titan Sect had managed to master, had actually been cultivated by Jiang Fan, turning him into an enemy of the Titan Sect? And he had killed a Titan Sect disciple even earlier?

"Jiang Fan! You deserve to die!!" Fang Taiji gasped in fury.

Jiang Fan shrugged. "Oh, I almost forgot something. What was the name of that elder who guarded your Titan Sect's sacred ground? Fan something?"