Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 263 Success

Metal Sha.

"The Zhengyi sect's members are well-suited to the practice of condensing metal and evil energy."

Among all kinds of evil energies, the Golden Evil is of a high rank, being extremely strong and sharp.

Although it cannot compare to the Black Dragon Xuanming Sha, it complements the pure Yang energy of the Zhengyi Sect and is a good match.

The purity of the golden aura emanating from Zhang Jingxu was clearly not something condensed from ordinary mineral veins.

It is estimated that extremely rare natural materials were used, or some special opportunity was involved.

Chen Mo frowned slightly. It seemed that the waters of these righteous sects were quite deep.

Seeing that the two below had already started to fight, he quietly raised the kite a few more feet higher, while protecting his entire body with his magic power.

Although they are not very close now, the aftershocks of a duel between cultivators at the Condensation Realm are not to be trifled with.

On the open ground, Zhang Jingxu's aura had reached its peak, and he transformed into a pale golden light, rushing straight towards the man in black robes.

He drew an arc with the whisk in his hand, and the silver hairs at the end shot out, each hair carrying golden killing intent, making a sharp and piercing sound as if ten thousand arrows were being fired at once.

The Soul-Seizing Demon dared not be negligent. He formed a hand seal, and the Soul-Sweeping Bell, which was suspended above his head, suddenly trembled.

"Thump!"

The bell tolled deep and thunderous, and rings of black sound waves condensed into a visible barrier, enveloping him like an inverted bowl.

The silver light shone on the black sound barrier, producing a dense hissing sound.

Where the metal and the yin energies collide, sparks and black mist explode simultaneously.

Most of the silver hairs were deflected or dissolved by the barrier, but a few pierced through, grazing the black-robed man's shoulders and arms, and blasting a fist-sized crater in the ground behind him.

He groaned and looked down at his left arm.

A shallow blood groove had already seeped out black blood, and the edges of the wound gleamed with a faint golden light.

The residual corrosive power of the Golden Fiend was constantly scorching his flesh.

The old demon gritted his teeth, covered his wound with his right hand, and a surge of black mist emerged, barely suppressing the golden light.

Zhang Jingxu gave him no chance to catch his breath.

His first strike with the whisk failed, but he had already pulled a purple talisman from his waist with his left hand and tossed it into the air.

The runes on the talisman shimmered with golden light, dazzlingly bright in the night sky.

"By the Supreme Decree, the Five Thunder Orthodox Law shall vanquish evil!"

The talisman exploded in mid-air, transforming into a thick, crimson-gold bolt of lightning that struck straight down at the man in black robes.

The lightning and Zhang Jingxu's golden aura were of the same origin, and its power was increased several times over. The sound of it tearing through the air made Chen Mo's eardrums hurt.

The old demon's expression changed drastically; he no longer dared to take the hit head-on.

He slammed both hands down on the Soul-Sweeping Bell, and the bell began to spin rapidly with a "hum." The distorted faces on the surface of the bell opened their mouths and spewed out thick black mist, which quickly condensed into a heavy black cloud shield above the black-robed man's head.

"boom!"

Crimson-gold lightning struck the black cloud shield with a deafening roar.

The entire ancestral hall was trembling slightly, and the tiles on the eaves were falling down with a clatter.

The black cloud shield was shattered into pieces, but the power of the lightning was also exhausted, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating into the night sky.

The old demon was forced back several steps by the aftershock, a trickle of black blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He raised his hand to wipe his mouth, and looked at Zhang Jingxu, who was standing opposite him with an imposing aura, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"Geng Metal Tribulation Thunder! What a Zhengyi Sect!"

"But how many more lightning spells of that power can you unleash?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the old demon bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the Soul-Sweeping Bell above his head.

The bell absorbed the essence blood, and the distorted human face on the bell suddenly came to life.

They emerged from the clock face, transforming into pale, ghostly faces that swirled and danced around the man in black robes, emitting sharp, piercing howls.

With each rotation of those ghostly faces, the black mist surrounding the man in the black robe thickened.

The temperature in the air dropped by more than ten degrees, and even the dark red light of the moon became cold and gloomy.

The two people, one with a round face and the other with small eyes, who were squatting on the steps of the ancestral hall, couldn't help but shiver.

Zhang Jingxu frowned slightly, held the whisk horizontally in front of him, and activated the Golden Fiend skill with all his might.

The pale golden light around him was a few degrees brighter than before, barely blocking the chilling aura that was hitting him.

Chen Mo could see clearly from his vantage point that the man in black robes had used some secret technique, and his aura was indeed much stronger than before.

Although Zhang Jingxu's golden light remained sharp, it showed signs of shrinking under the pressure of the black mist.

His gaze shifted from the two men to the lightning-struck piece of wood left at the base of the ancestral hall's outer wall.

During their first exchange of blows, the shockwaves sent the log flying several feet away, where it now lies quietly amidst a clump of withered mugwort.

"There's hope."

Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat, but it wasn't the right time yet.

The two had just begun their battle, and their auras were still very strong. If I went down there, I would definitely be discovered.

With a thought, a shadow in the grass throbbed unusually, hooked onto the lightning-struck wood, and slowly dragged it into the depths of the grass.

The exchange of fire in the center of the open field continued.

Zhang Jingxu gritted his teeth and unleashed another golden rain of swords, dozens of light swords raining down on the old demon.

The old demon urged the Soul-Shattering Bell, and rings of black sound waves spread out, shattering the lightsabers one by one.

Gold and black exploded in the air, and countless points of light scattered like meteor showers.

As soon as Zhang Jingxu unleashed his sword rain, his right hand reached into his sleeve and produced a purple talisman.

This talisman is a darker color than the previous one, and the edges of the talisman paper have a faint golden tinge, making it clear at a glance that it is a rare and valuable item.

"By imperial decree, Geng metal destroys falsehoods and vanquishes evil! Vanquishes evil!"

He chanted an incantation, bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of blood onto the talisman.

The talisman ignited with golden flames, transforming in the air into a three-foot-long golden light sword, its tip emitting dazzling electric sparks.

The old demon's expression changed drastically; he recognized this move.

This is the "Gengjin Powang Sword" of the Zhengyi Sect.

It is a weapon specifically designed to suppress evil spirits and ghosts. When used by a cultivator at the Condensation Realm, its power is enough to severely injure an opponent of the same level.

Moreover, Zhang Jingxu's golden aura is extremely pure, and the destructive power of this sword strike has probably reached the level of the late stage of the condensed aura stage.

"Let's give it our all!"

The old demon dared not hold back any longer and slapped the Soul-Sweeping Bell in front of him with both hands in succession.

With each of the seven strikes, the bell tolled more mournfully.

After the seven blows, the bell tolled into a piercing shriek.

Seven jet-black wisps of smoke shot out from the bell, intertwining and swirling in mid-air, twisting into a hideous black snake phantom.

The giant snake opened its massive jaws and lunged at the golden lightsaber.

"break!"

Zhang Jingxu roared and his golden light sword slashed down fiercely.

The sword light collided with the black snake phantom, but instead of the expected earth-shattering roar, there was only a muffled hum.

Golden and black light intertwined wildly, and a ball of light several meters in diameter appeared in the center of the open space.

The blinding light forced Chen Mo, who was watching the battle from mid-air, to squint.

"Now."

He was not surprised but delighted.

Because the shadow puppet below had already dragged the lightning-struck wood into the sewer at the street corner.

Intense fluctuations of vital energy spread in all directions.

The courtyard wall of the ancestral hall collapsed with a loud crash, and the rubble was swept up by the shockwave.

The round-faced fat man squatting on the steps was hit on the forehead by a piece of broken tile, and he grimaced in pain.

The two scrambled and crawled to hide behind a stone pillar in the main hall of the ancestral temple.

The stalemate lasted only three breaths.

The golden lightsaber ultimately prevailed; the lightning patterns on its blade suddenly shone brightly, cleaving the black snake phantom in two.

The sword light pierced through the thick black mist and struck the Soul-Slaying Bell directly.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing pierced the night sky, and the Soul-Shaking Bell trembled violently.

The distorted ghost faces on Zhong's body suddenly turned ferocious and painful, and at the same time let out a shrill scream.

The old demon was sent flying backward by the shock, his back crashing into a dead tree as thick as a bowl at the edge of the open space, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The light on the Soul-Sweeping Bell dimmed considerably, and the ghostly faces that had emerged from the bell's surface shrank back. Several fine cracks even appeared on the surface of the bell.

"How is that possible..."

""

The old demon struggled to his feet, looking down at the Soul-Slaying Bell in his hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Although his bell wasn't some kind of heaven-reaching treasure, it was still forged from the cold iron of the Nine Netherworlds.

After it was forged, it was refined with blood essence for more than twenty years and thirty-six fierce ghosts were gathered as weapon spirits. Ordinary Qi Condensation cultivators simply could not break through its defenses.

However, Zhang Jingxu's sword actually cracked the bell.

The power of this sword strike is something that an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator could never unleash.

The old demon suddenly looked up, staring intently at Zhang Jingxu opposite him, his pupils shrinking sharply.

Zhang Jingxu's face was ashen, and his hand holding the whisk was trembling slightly.

The golden light surrounding him had dimmed to almost nothing, and he felt as if all his energy had been drained away.

He suddenly realized and said bitterly, "So that's how it is. You forcibly burned the source of your evil energy, pushing the power of this sword to the peak of the condensed evil energy."

"Damn it, we have no grudge against each other, is it really necessary to fight like this?"

"If you want that lightning-struck wood, I'll give it to you."

Burning the source of malevolent energy is the last desperate measure of a cultivator in the Condensation of Malevolent Energy realm.

Once the source is damaged, at best one's cultivation will regress, and at worst one's realm will fall, making it impossible to advance any further for the rest of one's life.

If the burning is excessive and the source is depleted, the cultivator will become a cripple on the spot.

Zhang Jingxu gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice still steady: "As I said before, tonight's purpose is not to seize treasures, but simply to slay demons."

"I'll kill your grandma's legs..."

Before the old demon could finish his curse, a crimson light suddenly flew in from the distant horizon.

The beam of light was incredibly fast, leaving a long trail of flame beneath the red moon.

Before the person even arrived, the overwhelming power of their blood and qi had already swept over them.

"Who dares to fight in the city!"

The sound was like a booming bell, making the entire ruined ancestral hall tremble.

Zhang Jingxu's expression changed drastically as she looked up at the crimson light.

The Soul-Seizing Demon was even more shocked. He had been involved in the unorthodox path for many years and was very familiar with the aura of the Suppressing Eccentric Division.

The sheer power of this energy is something no ordinary member could possess; the newcomer must be at least a suppressor of evil.

The trouble is big.

The Zhenyi Division is ostensibly in charge of all heresies and evil spirits inside and outside the city, as well as the fighting between martial arts practitioners in the Jianghu. It has extremely high authority.

If a cultivator at or above the Condensation Realm makes a move in the city and is caught, they will be detained pending trial at best, and killed on the spot at worst.

Unless you have an extremely powerful background or very strong connections, don't expect to escape unscathed.

The reason Old Demon has dared to operate in the area all these years is because of his slippery nature.

He never took action within the city; after each action, he would immediately flee far away, never leaving a trace.

But tonight, Zhang Jingxu held them back, and the fight has dragged on until now, when they were finally cornered by Zhen Yisi.

"Damn it..."

""

The old demon gritted his teeth and cursed. He was about to grab the lightning-struck wood and use Blood Escape to escape when he suddenly froze when he caught a glimpse of the base of the wall out of the corner of his eye.

There was nothing in that corner.

The lightning-struck wood had vanished without a trace.

His eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

"Where's my lightning-struck wood?!"

The old demon roared hoarsely, his voice distorted.

Zhang Jingxu was also taken aback for a moment, her gaze sweeping over the corner of the wall, her brows furrowing slightly.

He remembered that the piece of wood, after being thrown by the blast wave, did indeed land in that spot.

But now it's completely empty.

"Senior brother, what happened to that lightning-struck wood?"

The round-faced fat man was dumbfounded. He subconsciously pushed aside the mugwort and searched through the surrounding broken tiles, but found nothing.

"Who! Who took it!"

The old demon's voice was almost a roar, and his bloodshot eyes frantically scanned his surroundings.

Although the Soul-Sweeping Bell was damaged, his senses were still intact, and there was no trace of a fourth person within a hundred feet.

wrong.

He suddenly realized something and looked down, staring intently at the ground.

There was a faint drag mark in the grass, pointing towards the corner of the wall on the other side of the ancestral hall.

At the corner of the wall is a storm drain cover.

The old demon rushed to the manhole cover in three quick steps and yanked it open, releasing a stench of sewer decay.

The area below the well was pitch black, with only the faint sound of flowing water.

The aura of the lightning-struck wood ended here.

Someone stole the log right under his nose using some covert means.

"puff."

The old demon was already seriously injured, and now, consumed by rage, he spat out a mouthful of black blood onto the edge of the well.

"Who is it! I will tear you to pieces, rip your soul from your body, and condemn you to eternal damnation!"

Zhang Jingxu watched this scene with a complicated expression, seemingly lost in thought.

He recalled that during the battle, there seemed to be a moment when the shadow of the bushes in the corner flickered slightly.

At the time, he thought it was the aftereffect of an old spell and didn't pay much attention to it.

Looking back now...

There are people watching the game.

Moreover, it was hidden so well that even he didn't notice it.

Who is this person?

When did you arrive?

How could they manage to steal the item so quietly right under the noses of two cultivators at the Condensation Realm?

Just then, the crimson light descended upon the ancestral hall.

The newcomer withdrew the light, revealing his figure: a middle-aged man in a black uniform.

He had a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a short mustache.

His aura was as steady as a mountain, and a faint crimson-gold light flowed around him.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the dilapidated eaves of the ancestral hall, surveying the mess below.

"Zhang Jingxu of the Zhengyi Sect."

"The Soul-Stealing Demon."

"You two are fighting like this on my Ganzhou territory. Do you think the Zhenyi Division is just a decoration?"

Zhang Jingxu bowed respectfully and said calmly, "Please forgive me, Envoy Zhou Zhenxie. I had no choice but to take action here after pursuing this demon all the way here."

That Zhou Zhenxie Shi glanced at him and said, "Rules are rules. Private duels between cultivators are strictly prohibited in the city. You have to give the Zhenxie Division an explanation for what happened tonight."

The Soul-Seizing Demon had calmed down a bit by now. The people from the Suppressing Strange Division had arrived, and if he didn't leave now, he really wouldn't be able to leave.

Although the lightning-struck wood was lost, life is more important.

Without saying a word, he blurred into a wisp of black smoke and tried to escape in the opposite direction.

"Trying to leave?"

Zhou Zhenxie didn't even look at him, he just casually raised his hand and waved it.

A crimson-gold palm print slammed down from mid-air, swatting the black smoke down like swatting a fly.

The old demon crashed heavily to the ground and spat out another mouthful of blood.

"I haven't finished speaking, why are you in such a hurry?"