The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 21: Breaking Through Nascent Soul Stage | Chapter 398: Up for A Fight

For the moment, unable to figure things out, Xu Ziqing decided not to concern himself with it. After all, these people had come for the lives of the two of them, and the reason behind it wasn’t necessarily that important. It was best to get through this ordeal first.

Just then, the sound of “ku jiu ku jiu” sucking noises echoed in the quiet courtyard, particularly clear.

Everyone caught a whiff of a strong bloody scent, and their expressions turned solemn as they looked toward the source of the sound!

In the corner of the small courtyard, several thick vines were piercing through the abdomen of a Golden Core cultivator, draining his essence, blood, and flesh. He had already been drained of more than half, transforming a once complete person into little more than a skeleton draped in human skin.

Blood flowed profusely, and the blood vines appeared particularly vibrant, but the scene was exceedingly eerie.

Everyone had heard the previous scream, but because they were each controlling the formation, they hadn’t looked closely.

Another reason was that the one who had screamed was not one of their companions.

The Golden Core cultivator being drained was originally the steward of this “elegant room,” assigned by the tavern to serve its esteemed guests.

It was said that there shouldn’t be any disturbances in the tavern. Since this person accepted bribes and allowed these guests to engage in conspiracies, being implicated and losing his life could not be considered innocent.

The Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation stage cultivators present could not help but gasp in shock.

What a vicious demon vine! It was incredibly ruthless!

They became even more wary, and their gazes toward the two brothers turned increasingly hostile.

One person shouted, “As respectable cultivators, how can you resort to such evil means? Are you perhaps spies of the demonic path?”

Another Nascent Soul cultivator said, “We must expose this matter to the world and drive you out of the righteous path!”

Yet another chastised, “Demonic scum must be eradicated by all!”

In just a moment, five men and women seemed to have found a great justification, branding the despicable and shameless schemes of the two brothers as a matter of purging demons and safeguarding the righteous, effectively pushing Xu Ziqing into the ranks of the demonic path.

Hearing this, Xu Ziqing felt a surge of anger.

This was truly too low!

Wei Huan and the Divine Transformation stage cultivator stood together, looking at the two and saying, “Why don’t you two surrender? It will spare you some suffering.”

Xu Ziqing naturally did not wish to respond to him.

Wei Huan smiled again, “Xu Daoist, do you still not realize the predicament? Quickly plead for mercy; otherwise, you will lose your primordial spirit, and even the chance of reincarnation will be lost.” He was quite confident in the Yinhui Worm. Although he had lost one, he believed it was merely due to Yun Lie’s sword intent. He was truly unconcerned about the failure to devour a Golden Core cultivator. Now was the perfect time to cast the spell and incite the Yinhui Worm.

Seeing his expression, Xu Ziqing was suddenly inspired. He decided to turn the situation to his advantage, displaying a look of pain on his face.

Earlier, those few could have launched a joint attack, yet they were so chatty. This indicated their arrogance and that they viewed the two brothers as easy prey. If he acted this way now, perhaps he could gain some insight…

Seeing this, Yun Lie quickly moved closer to him, wrapping his arm around him.

Xu Ziqing grasped Yun Lie’s arm, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead, but a fleeting smile flashed in his eyes.

Yun Lie immediately understood.

The Yinhui Worm had long been trapped within the jade talisman; how could it cause trouble again? It was just a matter of impatience leading to chaos.

Seeing this, Wei Huan was fully convinced. He wore a proud expression and smiled at the people beside him, saying, “Brothers and sisters, I have fulfilled my mission.”

At this point, the Divine Transformation stage cultivator finally spoke with a hint of reserve, “That was quite well done.”

These individuals knew that Yun Lie and Xu Ziqing were dual-cultivation partners, so as long as they subdued Xu Ziqing, they would not regard the sword cultivator Yun Lie with much importance.

Then a woman shrieked, “What talent Cai Shixiong possesses! How dare this mere Earthling from the lower realms threaten him? He deserves to have his primordial spirit devoured piece by piece to ease my resentment!”

Two young men beside her flashed a hint of jealousy in their eyes but quickly chimed in, “Exactly! The Domain Master has issued orders not to act against him within the sect, but now we are outside, and we can seize this opportunity without anyone discovering the truth!”

Xu Ziqing trembled as he nestled against his brother, yet he didn’t shut his ears.

Hearing these words, he suddenly had an epiphany! The trouble these people sought stemmed from a gambling incident five years ago. Many brothers had mentioned it back then, but after a few years, he and his brother hadn’t kept it in mind, so he hadn’t thought of it immediately.

So that’s how it was.

…It wasn’t that surprising after all.

Looking at it now, Wei Huan was likely from the loose cultivator faction and had probably already allied himself with the Huoyuan Mountain Domain, while the others were Cai Tongguang’s fellow disciples. The woman, in particular, seemed to have some feelings for him, so they had all come to take revenge for Cai Tongguang.

It was likely that Wei Huan had indeed befriended Shou Liangcheng, but learned about their identities before the expedition to the ruins. Therefore, he contacted Huoyuan Mountain Domain early on and devised a plan for this auction event. Otherwise, once they returned to the sect, it would be hard to act!

Realizing this, Xu Ziqing stopped feigning and straightened up, his expression slightly solemn. “So, it’s the friends from Huoyuan Mountain Domain. Xu has been disrespectful.”

This matter had originally been instigated by Cai Tongguang, and now, with all these events unfolding, especially as these few individuals persistently labeled him as demonic, they were indeed irreconcilable enemies. There was no need for him to be polite with them anymore.

Seeing his expression return to normal, as if the earlier pain had vanished in an instant, Wei Huan couldn’t help but be surprised. “You…”

Xu Ziqing’s thoughts turned, and a hint of cunning appeared. He spread his palm to reveal the jade talisman that imprisoned the Yinhui Worm: “Wei Daoist, are you looking for this?” As he spoke, he gently tossed the talisman toward his brother.

Yun Lie’s eyes flashed with black-golden light, and in an instant, a sword beam sliced through, reducing both the jade talisman and the Yinhui Worm within it to ashes.

After this action, the members of Huoyuan Mountain Domain, who had just been satisfied, suddenly changed their expressions, and then all erupted with fury, realizing they had been played by these two juniors!

In the next moment, their murderous intent surged, and without further discussion, they immediately pounced from different directions!

Suddenly, several beams of treasure light flared up, exuding immense pressure and creating a terrifying momentum, akin to monstrous waves! Many magical techniques were unleashed, each more vicious than the last, aimed at swiftly eliminating the two!

A strong sense of oppression filled the air, as if the entire space was shackled, making it difficult for Xu Ziqing to circulate his true essence in his dantian.

Under such duress, Xu Ziqing felt a crushing pain in his heart, nearly choking, with a dry heat in his throat, as if he couldn’t even speak.

He naturally understood that this pressure was due to several higher-ranked individuals acting together, which made it unbearable. However, he couldn’t just wait to perish. Seizing the moment he still had some mobility, he quickly shook his hand and threw out several seeds, reciting the spell.

In the blink of an eye, more demon vines wrapped around him, forming a web-like barrier that intertwined and shattered the incoming pressure!

Before long, Xu Ziqing had gained a moment to catch his breath.

The ancient demon vines were not afraid of differences in realms. If any of these people were Spirit Severing or in the Great Ascension stage, Xu Ziqing might not even be able to summon the vines. But at this moment, he was extremely vigilant, so as soon as he could no longer bear it, he summoned a large number of the vines, directly rooting them into the earth outside his body… This not only saved him considerable effort but also significantly increased his defensive strength.

Now, surrounded by hundreds of demon vines, Xu Ziqing stood at the center, his fair skin contrasting with the blood-red vines, giving him an appearance that seemed almost sinister and otherworldly.

Yun Lie stood beside him, still gripping his natal treasure sword.

This sword’s power far surpassed many other treasures; it was meticulously crafted from the essence of Geng Metal and nurtured by Yun Lie’s blood and efforts over the years. Now it was connected to him spiritually, extending like an arm, able to contain a vast amount of his true essence, divine powers, and sword intent. Additionally, with a spirit serving as its sword spirit, it was yet to awaken, further enhancing its innate spirituality.

With a sudden movement, he intercepted three Nascent Soul cultivators and one Divine Transformation stage cultivator, allowing only the woman of Nascent Soul to pass and join his junior brother.

Though surrounded by these four assailants, he remained unafraid, a sense of battle intent slowly rising in his heart—ever since refining his sword soul, he had rarely encountered life-and-death crises. His lack of combat experience meant he had yet to successfully refine it.

Now, it seemed, was a perfect opportunity.

Yun Lie breathed steadily, turning his wrist slightly, and a chilling sword light burst forth!

With a sharp sound, the air split, and the wind whistled as it quickly approached a young Nascent Soul cultivator!

The young Nascent Soul cultivator’s expression turned to one of terror; he immediately retreated several meters, but he couldn’t match the speed of the deadly light. As he saw it nearing his abdomen, he gritted his teeth, turning his body to let his left shoulder and arm be severed in one stroke! In just one encounter, the outcome was this dire!

Seeing this, Wei Huan suddenly felt a pang of regret. He initially intended to curry favor with these prestigious disciples, hoping to be accepted into the Huoyuan Mountain Domain. But having deceived them first, this fierce and terrifying sword cultivator would likely harbor even greater resentment against him. He couldn’t help but fear that he might be the next to be killed if he wasn’t careful…

But at this moment, worrying about his own life was futile; fortunately, there was still a Divine Transformation stage cultivator present.

He thought to himself that even if Yun Lie were powerful, a Nascent Soul against a Divine Transformation stage cultivator would be hard to win! He shouldn’t be this fearful…

However, in the next moment, before Wei Huan could dismiss his chaotic thoughts, another beam of deadly light was already closing in!

He was shocked: This is bad!

Immediately, he employed every method at his disposal, yet still found himself pursued by the deadly light!

The chilling sensation that seemed to resonate from his bones was utterly terrifying, as the icy sword intent sliced through his skin, almost shredding his face to pieces.

Such a terrifying edge, such horrifying sword intent!

And the overwhelming sense of danger…

Wei Huan had never felt death so close, as if the next moment would be his last!

Despair was creeping in—

At that moment, a massive palm struck out at the deadly light, shattering it into fragments, while another giant hand swiftly grasped Wei Huan, pulling him away from the danger.

Once his racing heart settled, he realized it was the Divine Transformation stage cultivator who had saved him.

Yet, that same Divine Transformation stage cultivator now wore an exceptionally grave expression.

He stood firm, no longer looking down on Yun Lie in the slightest.

At the same time, the woman who had been attacking Xu Ziqing soared over and pointed, causing a pair of flying swords to erupt like two turbulent waves, rolling unpredictably.

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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