Misty Rain of the Old Times

The man in black was horrified. What incredible speed! It was unbelievable. He disappeared so quickly that he was out of sight before the man behind him could even react!
Is this the same eighteen-year-old boy Jiang Yuan mentioned who just luckily entered the Grandmaster realm? If that's the case, how could he possess such abilities?

Originally, he thought it would be an easy job, but he came to stop Chen Xuan from meddling in other people's business. He revealed his aura to make Chen Xuan wary and not dare to act rashly, so that Jiang Yuan's side could proceed smoothly. At most, he would just chat with him and easily get the benefits promised by Jiang Yuan.

When Chen Xuan appeared behind him with such astonishing speed, the man in black suddenly realized that he had probably been tricked by Jiang Yuan.

With such agility and lightness of movement, even if Chen Xuan is only at the initial stage of the Grandmaster realm, who can stop him from going wherever he wants? With that terrifying speed alone, and with someone determined to kill him, there's no way to dodge or shake him off except by fighting back!

Sure enough, there are no easy bargains in the world. What you think is a simple formality to gain actually comes with a hidden price.

But Chen Xuan is really only eighteen years old, and will only be nineteen after the New Year. Jiang Yuan has investigated carefully and confirmed it himself. How could he have such terrifying lightness skill? What kind of genius is he? What kind of superb lightness skill is he?

Damn it, could it be that Jiang Yuan doesn't want to pay the final payment and is trying to scam me? If I manage to escape, I'll definitely settle accounts with Jiang Yuan later. I'll make sure the promised benefits are increased tenfold. The price he offered before wasn't worth taking such a risk at all!

Actually, he was overthinking it. Jiang Yuan really didn't lie to him. According to Jiang Yuan's understanding, Chen Xuan was really only eighteen years old. An eighteen-year-old boy, no matter how talented he is, how powerful can he be after reaching the Grandmaster realm? Everything should be based on reason, right? Otherwise, how are others supposed to live?
However, he happened to encounter Chen Xuan, an unreasonable person. Even Lao Liu, who was just one step away from stepping into the realm of human immortals, said that his talent was unprecedented. He could learn any martial art in a short time and master it in a short time. He could cultivate any martial art to an astonishing level in a short time, but he could only exert the corresponding power due to his own cultivation level.

What limits Chen Xuan's strength has never been his martial arts talent, but his own cultivation and personality. If he had turned evil and used every means to increase his combat power, his strength would have increased at least tenfold!
Jiang Yuan never intended to be completely opposed to Chen Xuan and fight to the death. He just wanted Chen Xuan to stop him from meddling in other people's business so that the coup could proceed smoothly.

Firstly, he didn't want to create a Grandmaster enemy. Even if Chen Xuan was a 'weak' Grandmaster, a complete falling out would not benefit him. Even though he had considered eliminating him because of the little princess, he gave up that idea after adjusting his future strategy.

Furthermore, Chen Xuan and the little princess are already engaged. If something were to happen to him, given Emperor Shangxuan's doting affection for the little princess, this coup would likely drive Emperor Shangxuan to the brink of despair. He would probably only fight to the death rather than compromise, so it would be a losing proposition.

Those who achieve great things consider every aspect carefully; even the slightest oversight can lead to failure.

No one in the world is stupid enough to joke about the future; the so-called risks are actually within the expected range.

When Chen Xuan came up behind him and uttered the first word, the man in black turned around instantly and saw Chen Xuan appear a few feet away with a playful expression. His face was calm and smiling, but the killing intent in his eyes was undisguised.

With extreme vigilance, he quickly said, "Young Master Chen, I have no intention of being your enemy. I only came to advise you to remain neutral. Why go to such lengths?"

As he spoke, his heart pounded and his hair stood on end. Chen Xuan had already pointed his fingers at him like a sword. The simple action, full of flaws, made him feel cold all over, as if he were in the deepest hell. All around him, above and below, was a sharp aura that made him feel deadly, invisible and untraceable.

Chen Xuan was right in front of me, but it was like an illusion, as if I was surrounded by Chen Xuan who was everywhere!
Pointing his finger at him like a sword, Chen Xuan still said mockingly, "As the saying goes, once is enough, twice is enough, but not a third time. I've already given you a chance. Since you won't listen to my advice, then you're not leaving!"

Without concealing his murderous intent, Chen Xuan truly intended to keep him here forever.

Normally, as the man in black said, he was only there to persuade him to stay out of it, not to fight to the death. It wouldn't have come to this. Chen Xuan thought so at first too. He would have just sent him away at most. He only said a few more words because Chen Xuan wasn't one to waste time talking.

But in just a few words, Chen Xuan changed his mind and decided to keep him here forever.

The reason for this was that in the short time it took to say those few words, Chen Xuan keenly noticed something and thought to himself that this guy was really bold. Instead of hiding, he showed up in front of him. Wasn't this just offering himself up?

There's no need to avoid getting involved in matters of the martial world. I haven't even gone out of my way to find you, and you've already come to me on your own initiative?
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged a few words. In reality, their speaking speed could not keep up with their fighting speed. As they were both at the Grandmaster level, their conversation was more of a spiritual resonance and exchange, which allowed them to 'speak' and express their intentions while fighting.

With his true energy circulating wildly, the man in black quickly retreated, saying, "Young Master Chen, stop! I had no intention of offending you. I'll leave now. Just pretend I was never here. I'll definitely offer you a satisfactory apology later!"

No one who can cultivate to the Grandmaster level is stupid. Chen Xuan's terrifying speed, coupled with the invisible and traceless aura of despair around him, extinguished his will to resist, and he only wanted to live.

If I manage to leave alive, I'll definitely make a scene with Jiang Yuan afterwards. He's caused me so much trouble, and I'll make sure to get double the compensation I owe Chen Xuan from him.

In response, Chen Xuan pointed his fingers forward like a sword, uttering two words softly: "Too late!"

When those two words echoed in the black-clad man's mind, Chen Xuan was still there in his eyes, so close yet so far, seemingly beyond his perception, yet omnipresent.

Ethereal and traceless, like a gentle breeze, omnipresent yet intangible.

The Invisible Sword Finger is one of the many martial arts techniques that Lao Liu gave to Chen Xuan. It combines acupoint striking, grappling, and close-quarters combat, but it is a sword technique that uses the finger instead of a sword. It can be used without any shadow, form, sound, or trace.

With Chen Xuan's current cultivation level, this martial art has reached an incredible level under his terrifying talent. When he uses this martial art, especially when combined with his best lightness skill, the fate of this man in black is already sealed.

The reason he used this martial art is because he is now Chen Xuan, not Huang Xiaochao. Back when he was Gao Jingming's page, he used this martial art when he traveled north to Mo City and passed through Yunwu Mountain. This martial art represents his past identity. Although it doesn't matter, using this martial art is still traceable and doesn't seem abrupt.

"Young Master Chen, you're so aggressive. Aren't you afraid I'll fight you to the death? You should know this is the capital. If we fight without regard for the consequences, do you know how many innocent people will be harmed? What kind of destruction will it cause? Besides, there are people you care about around here!" The man in black retreated quickly and said coldly. It was still a spiritual resonance. With their cultivation level, even the fastest reality couldn't outpace such communication.

Chen Xuan's response was: "You think you're qualified to threaten me?"

As he was speaking, Chen Xuan pointed out a seemingly ordinary yet unpredictable move. The man in black had no chance to dodge and was easily struck in the chest by Chen Xuan. He couldn't even dodge; it was too fast, so fast that he didn't even have a chance to react.

Even when Chen Xuan pointed at him, he turned around to look at Chen Xuan who appeared behind him. After a brief 'exchange', he chose to retreat and escape without hesitation, but in the end, he only managed to retreat less than half a step!
The entire process took less than a thousandth of a blink of an eye, and the man in black's body was frozen in place.

With his master-level cultivation, he reacted quickly, but his body and martial arts skills couldn't keep up with his reaction speed.

When Chen Xuan touched him with his finger, he felt an endless stream of sharp sword energy surging into his body. It was somewhere between existence and non-existence, invisible and intangible, and difficult to catch. It spread to his limbs and bones. With his own cultivation, the violent true essence with the ability to dissolve was simply unable to resist it. It spread along his meridians with devastating force, destroying his own meridians, flesh, bones, vitality, essence and spirit.

"You're only eighteen years old. No matter how talented you are, your age is what it is. How could you have such strength?" the man in black said incredulously, his eyes under the veil filled with shock.

Chen Xuan's invisible sword finger technique combined grappling, acupressure, and close-quarters combat. When he struck Chen Xuan's body with a single finger, it was so fast that Chen Xuan didn't even have time to react before it was over. He didn't even have time to use any of his techniques or cultivation methods.

Having decided to take action, how could Chen Xuan give him a chance to retaliate and harm the innocent? If a Grandmaster-level expert were to unleash his power without restraint, it's unlikely anyone within a ten-mile radius would survive. Therefore, a swift and decisive victory is the best option.

Withdrawing his hand, Chen Xuan sensed the man's life force rapidly dissipating, with no chance of survival. Only then did he say, "If age and strength were linked, everyone could just compare ages. What's the point of cultivation then?"

He wasn't one to talk big in battle; with life and death already decided, he said a few more words, adding, "Before we get close, I still have some leeway; you still have a chance to live. But after I subdue you and confirm some things, there's absolutely no way I'll let you stay alive."

"So that's how it is," the man in black murmured, a flash of understanding in his eyes. His tone was bitter and regretful. Why did he have to do this? He could have just developed in secret. Why did he have to provoke him? It seems that his mind has been silently affected. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to be swayed by Jiang Yuan's few words.

It's too late to regret it now.

"It feels so good to crush newbies! I love crushing newbies!" Chen Xuan thought to himself with immense satisfaction.

How could he not be angry? A grandmaster-level expert was killed in the blink of an eye, without even being able to react and take others down with him, let alone damage the fragile bricks and tiles around him.

It's certainly satisfying to beat up weaker opponents, but Chen Xuan doesn't like being beaten like a weakling, so he still needs to work on improving his combat power every day.

Despite his seemingly idle lifestyle, his cultivation has never slacked off.

Actually, there were some things he didn't say. If it were three years ago, when he had just stepped into the Grandmaster realm, this black-clad man who had reached the Grandmaster realm through unorthodox methods might have posed some threat to him. The two of them could have fought back and forth in a very exciting way. Even two years ago, he was able to escape from his own hands. A year ago, he still had the opportunity to take some people down with him. But now, he doesn't even have the chance to fight back!
Yes, this man in black didn't achieve his cultivation level through legitimate means. He might be strong, but it's been too short a time, and his foundation is unstable. To put it bluntly, he's a shoddy Grandmaster. He can only crush the weak with his cultivation, but he won't be able to handle opponents of similar level with decent talent and strength. Grandmasters are those who forge their own paths, establish their own sects, and become teachers of ten thousand. Reaching this level through external forces, aside from combat power, doesn't deserve the title of Grandmaster at all.

Take this man in black for example. He didn't even have the right to resist in front of Chen Xuan, and he could be dealt with without even having to take it seriously.

There are only a handful of grandmasters in the world, and their every move is of great importance and watched by countless people. This guy dared to come to the capital of Jing Kingdom without reporting it, which already says something. He is undoubtedly a self-taught individual.

But he was, after all, a cultivator of that level with powerful vitality. Even though his life force was cut off by Chen Xuan's finger, Chen Xuan did not want to destroy any of the surrounding plants, trees, bricks, or tiles, and did not even want his new home to be stained with blood. That's why he did not crush his body immediately, so his body remained intact and his consciousness was still intact.

So he got the illusion that even if he died, he could still take a piece of Chen Xuan's flesh, and he said with a crazy look in his eyes: "Since you won't let me live, then you won't have an easy time either. And you dare to get so close to me, I even have a chance to turn the tables!"

As he spoke, he no longer paid attention to the terrifying sword energy within his body that he could not resist. The terrifying aura erupted unrestrainedly, and his whole body seemed to be about to ignite with blood-red flames, like a surging blood wave about to rush in all directions.

Ordinary people are not at a high level and cannot feel it at all. In fact, in Chen Xuan's perception, it really felt like a sea of ​​blood about to sweep out.

At the same time, a long sword hummed behind him, and a dark red long sword flew out and slashed at Chen Xuan, who was right next to him. The evil aura seemed to turn the world into a sea of ​​blood and devour it.

"Can't you just die peacefully? This whole death thing is nothing but the barking of a dog in despair. Do you think you're a three-year-old with some newbie buff that makes you so hard to kill?" Chen Xuan said, pursing his lips.

At the same time, Chen Xuan raised his hand and grabbed the blood-red longsword that was slashing down. After he got his hands on it, the violent and eerie aura was confined to a small area and did not have the slightest impact on the surrounding bricks and tiles.

"I knew it! Where in the world are there so many grandmasters? If someone truly walks their own path and reaches this level, I would sense it even if we were separated by thousands of miles. I would even offer my congratulations from afar. Only a coward like you, hiding your true self and practicing crooked methods, only knows how to pile on combat power. Your spiritual realm is flawed. You are not a true grandmaster. You couldn't even trigger any celestial phenomena. It's pathetic. Since you took the initiative to come out, let's just consider it a good deed."

As he spoke, Chen Xuan, under the incredulous gaze of the man in black, gently trembled the hand that was gripping the blood-red longsword. He clearly felt the terrifying, invisible sword energy surge into the blood-red longsword, and then the longsword hummed and trembled, becoming covered with cracks, and eventually turning into fragments.

Immediately afterward, Chen Xuan flipped his wrist, and a small gray-brown cauldron appeared in his palm. In the blink of an eye, it expanded to the size of a water vat. The fragments were thrown into it, and they instantly melted under the brown flames.

At that moment, it seemed as if the long sword was crying out in despair, and similar cries could be faintly heard from all directions.

"This broken blade still wants to resist, but it only possesses a sliver of sentience. It dares to act so arrogantly in front of me? I don't even need martial will to suppress it; violence can easily destroy it."

This was the last sound the man in black heard in this world. With his life force extinguished, he flipped Chen Xuan's hand, and the large gray-brown cauldron fell towards him. In his senses, the cauldron seemed to fill the universe and swallow him up, and he fell into an endless gray sea of ​​fire, his consciousness sinking into eternal darkness.

The black-clad man, possessing considerable combat power at the Grandmaster level, was wiped out along with the evil sword. From beginning to end, no one cared about the other party's name, appearance, or age.

The grandmaster-level expert who could have stirred up the world perished almost silently, without making a ripple.

Just as the other party said at the beginning, if he had only come to block the way, Chen Xuan would not have killed him on the spot. After all, Chen Xuan was not a murderer. But in the short time it took to say those few words, Chen Xuan sensed the aura of the evil blade on his body. Wasn't this just offering himself up?

This guy is clearly the mastermind behind spreading the evil blade. It's not surprising that he has the cultivation of a grandmaster. Chen Xuan, who doesn't actively interfere in the affairs of the martial world, wouldn't have bothered to find him if the other party was hiding and causing trouble. But since he took the initiative to come to him, there's no need to be polite.

With a wave of his hand, the cauldron formed by the Seven Revolutions Blazing Sun Palm disappeared, along with the Mother Blade and the man in black; they didn't even leave behind ashes.

As if they didn't exist in the world, after their traces were erased, Chen Xuan thought to himself that the martial world should be able to have some peace and quiet for a while, right? The mother blade and the mastermind behind it were both eliminated here, and the remaining child blades would soon self-destruct. Even if they went crazy in the end, the people of the martial world could handle it on their own.

It's a long story, but from the moment Chen Xuan decided to take action until the end, it took less than two breaths. The process also included a lot of mental communication between them. To others, it was just a fleeting moment, and they didn't even have time to react before it was over.

Not a single blade of grass, tree, brick, or tile was damaged. A grandmaster-level expert fell at Chen Xuan's hands, yet no innocent people were harmed.

The mere faction possessed the combat strength of a Grandmaster, far inferior to Wei Wuyai, was insufficient to make Chen Xuan take them seriously, and the spread of his martial will caused a wide-ranging impact.

Afterwards, Chen Xuan appeared beside the little princess and calmly smiled as if nothing had happened, saying, "Let's go, Qian Ning. Since you're worried about your father-in-law, let's go see him."

She only felt Chen Xuan leave for a moment, and before she could react to what had happened, Chen Xuan reappeared. She subconsciously asked, "Brother Xuan, are you alright? Where is that person?"

"It's alright, I'm fine. I've already dealt with that person," Chen Xuan said with a smile. There was no need for her to know about the fighting and killing; she just needed to be happy and carefree.

The little princess, intelligent and quick-witted, was certainly not stupid. She knew things weren't so simple and understood that Chen Xuan didn't want her to worry. Since he was alright, she decided to pretend nothing had happened. She nodded and said, "Yes, Brother Xuan, let's go see Father."

Just as he was about to take her to the palace, Chen Xuan turned back and said, "Roujia, you're all fine at home. It might be a bit chaotic outside. Steward Hua, Commander Xia, please take care of things here. Qianning and I will be right back."

"Yes, sir."

"Young master, please be careful..."

Then Chen Xuan took the little princess and rushed towards the palace. He concealed his aura so that ordinary people could not detect him. On the way, he subconsciously looked up and scanned his surroundings, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

At this moment, the seven floating islands that were originally suspended above the capital city hummed slightly. They emitted golden light and adjusted their positions, like seven golden stars shining brightly, even more dazzling than the sun in the sky.

As the seven floating islands shone brightly and adjusted, the entire capital city trembled slightly. Under the operation of the formation, the seven floating islands clearly formed a whole with the entire capital city, which spanned hundreds of square kilometers!
In a few breaths, the seven floating islands were adjusted and, like large golden stars, extended rays of golden light and connected together. It was not the Big Dipper constellation that Chen Xuan remembered, but the largest one was in the center, and the other six were scattered in six directions.

Immediately afterwards, the seven floating islands, radiating golden light, intertwined to form a vast and complex array that obscured the sky, with intricate lines and runes moving about, resembling a golden canopy.

Especially the floating island at the very center, which seemed to be drawing power from all directions, was dazzling to the extreme. A huge pillar of light burst forth, seemingly penetrating the void and connecting to the heavens above, while below, it enveloped the imperial palace.

Witnessing all this, Chen Xuan was deeply impressed by the power and mystery of the formation. He had only scratched the surface of the art of formations, but he still couldn't understand the details and operating rules of this grand formation in the capital.

"This doesn't seem like an attack aimed at a specific individual, but rather it's forming the entire capital city, spanning hundreds of square kilometers, into a single entity, drawing power to protect the palace. If this power were concentrated for an attack, it would be enough to kill a Grandmaster like Wei Wuyai. However, if used for protection, it's equivalent to a Grandmaster continuously releasing power to protect the palace. Within that area, any power is dispersed to every corner of the capital city under the operation of the array. Unless it exceeds the array's capacity, no one can damage a single brick or tile of the palace within the protection range of the pillar of light!"

As his thoughts raced, Chen Xuan was once again struck by the profound and extensive nature of the Dao of Formations.

Then he quickly pondered in his mind that if the power of the formation was not for protection but for killing, and it was aimed at him, he should be able to withstand it with his current cultivation level, provided that there was no additional power targeting him, otherwise it would be dangerous.

Therefore, the capital city's grand formation possesses the power to suppress and kill grandmasters, but it would be difficult to suppress even great grandmasters. Other means would be needed to complement it, provided that the power of this grand formation is limited to this.

Looking towards the palace, the entire palace was bathed in golden light under the golden pillar, its surface covered with complex patterns and runes, giving it an indestructible feel.

But at this moment, fog was rapidly rising around the palace, and the thick fog appeared out of nowhere, obscuring the sun and resembling rolling golden clouds under the golden pillar of light.

Chen Xuan understood that it was the mist array he had given to An Yi that had been activated, covering the entire palace with a radius of ten miles. Under the influence of the array, even a grandmaster who did not understand the operation of the mist array would not be able to perceive more than ten feet within it!
Jiang Yuan and his men had already stormed into the palace and were trapped in the fog. Chen Xuan knew they were doomed. Even without a grandmaster's intervention, with their perception range limited, they were like headless flies when separated. The Dark Dragon Guards alone could take advantage of the fog formation to launch a sneak attack and wear down Jiang Yuan!

Before the great formation completely sealed off the palace and before the fog completely obscured it, Chen Xuan led the little princess into the palace.

As the pillars of light cast by the grand formation of the capital city completely enveloped the palace, and the surging fog obscured the view, the palace and the capital city seemed like two different worlds… (End of this chapter)