Refining Ruins Cauldron

If the sword strike that killed Zhao Qingshan could be considered a sneak attack, then how can this Golden Core spirit beast be explained?!

Before us, this disciple of the Longevity Sect, who appears to be only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, is far from being as simple as he seems!

At this moment, everyone's gaze towards Gu Qingyun changed.

There was not a trace of disdain or contempt, only a deep sense of apprehension, and even a hint of fear!

Looking back, especially the people from the Glazed Tile School, they were even thinking of attacking Gu Qingyun!

How is this any different from courting death?

Even Golden Core spirit beasts couldn't withstand Gu Qingyun's sword strikes, how could they possibly withstand them?!

Jiang Chuan, the acting leader of the Glazed Tile School and a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, tightened his grip on his sword.

He appeared to be holding on, but in reality, his palms, which were gripping his sword, were already soaked with cold sweat.

Behind him, many disciples subconsciously took a few steps back.

He was terrified that Gu Qingyun might kill him like a spirit beast at the slightest provocation!

Anyone with eyes can see that the sword strike Gu Qingyun used to kill the Golden Core Spirit Beast was actually the same as the sword move he used to kill Zhao Qingshan, only it was a level more powerful!

Only then did everyone realize that what Gu Qingyun held in his hand was actually a high-grade spirit sword!

No wonder it could unleash such a powerful sword move!

Although they were tempted by the spirit sword, they dared not have any improper thoughts.

Anyone who dares to lay a finger on Gu Qingyun will die.

On the other side, the Blood Blade Sect members also stopped fighting, their expressions quite interesting.

Swords and sabers may differ in their methods, but they ultimately lead to the same goal. Although their techniques may vary, they all share the same fundamental principle.

They were the ones who could best appreciate the power of Gu Qingyun's sword strike just now; from any angle, it was almost perfect.

Its only weakness is Gu Qingyun's cultivation level.

Once you grow stronger, your sword techniques will only become more terrifying!

Especially considering the timing of Gu Qingyun's attack—if it had been a fraction of an hour earlier or a second later, he probably wouldn't have been able to break through that beast's defense!

But Gu Qingyun seized this brief opportunity.

Even Qiu Wentian couldn't do that!

"His sword strike was probably already at the level of an Earth-rank sword technique."

One of the Blood Blade Sect disciples murmured, his tone tinged with jealousy.

"Who says otherwise? Combined with that top-grade spirit sword in his hand, its power is terrifying!"

"If I had those trump cards, I definitely wouldn't be any worse than him!"

Each person offered a comment, a mixture of resentment, envy, and jealousy.

Qiu Wentian was covered in blood and took several healing pills before he could barely catch his breath.

The blunt heavy sword in his hand was already broken and dilapidated. With his Foundation Establishment cultivation, it was already quite remarkable that he had survived for so long against a Golden Core spirit beast.

Qiu Wentian's gaze fell on Gu Qingyun, but he was not interested in the so-called sword techniques and spiritual swords.

His eyes held only a thirst for battle.

"Gu Qingyun, come and fight me!"

With a heavy blade pointed directly at him, Qiu Wentian uttered a startling statement.

The Blood Saber Sect members immediately tried to stop them.

"No! Senior Brother Qiu, even if we were to have a competition, now wouldn't be the time. You're already injured like this..."

"That's right! A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; we should wait until we're back in shape before we start fighting..."

However, Qiu Wentian had made up his mind and wouldn't listen to anyone else.

His gaze clashed with Gu Qingyun's in the air, their fighting spirit intense.

"How about we settle this with a single blow?!"

Qiu Wentian's eyes were firm, as if the injuries on his body did not exist, and his eyes were filled only with the desire to spar.

He truly deserves the title of martial arts fanatic.

Gu Qingyun looked at the other person and fell silent.

Qiu Wentian acts with integrity and honesty; a contest is a contest, and he disdains resorting to underhanded tactics.

He could tell that this guy was pursuing his own unique way of the sword!

One man, one sword, moving mountains and seas, crushing all.

Gu Qingyun has always admired this kind of person.

Looking across the entire cultivation world, how many people can achieve such purity as him?!

However, Gu Qingyun did not agree. He said, "With the Daoist Spirit Fruit before me, the biggest obstacle has been removed. If I fight you now, do I look like an idiot?"

The words left everyone slightly bewildered.

The logic is sound, but when Gu Qingyun says it, it just sounds different.

Qiu Wentian wasn't particularly interested in the so-called spiritual fruits or opportunities. His purpose in entering the Taiyi Secret Realm was simply to find an equally matched opponent.

He turned around, glanced at the menacing crowd around him, and then nodded.

"Alright, once this matter is settled, I'll come find you myself!"

"I hope you won't be a coward then!"

Gu Qingyun did not agree.

Whether he'll be available then is another matter, but fighting Qiu Wentian for nothing is a waste of effort and a losing proposition, something he's never been interested in.

Too lazy to pay any more attention to Qiu Wentian, he took another Rejuvenation Pill and recovered some of his spiritual power.

With a wave of his hand, Gu Qingyun put the entire corpse of the spirit beast into his treasure bag.

This is a spirit beast at the early stage of the Golden Core realm; its entire body is a treasure.

Even if you don't need it yourself, you can still earn a lot of spirit stones by auctioning it off.

Fortunately, the bag has enough space, otherwise we would have had to make some choices.

All around, people watched as Gu Qingyun collected the body, but no one dared to step forward to stop him.

Although this Golden Core spirit beast was attacked by the combined forces of the three sects, the final fatal sword strike was indeed delivered by Gu Qingyun.

More importantly, that sword strike just now left a deep impression on everyone, so who would dare to be the first to step forward?

Who knows, the next sword might fall on my head!

Even Golden Core spirit beasts couldn't stop them, let alone Foundation Establishment cultivators.

On the other hand, the disciples of the Longevity Sect were all in high spirits.

This time they really made a name for themselves; one person's success brought pride to the entire Changsheng Sect.

"As expected of a disciple personally chosen by the sect leader, truly extraordinary!"

Li Wei laughed heartily; he was a straightforward person and couldn't keep anything to himself.

"Senior brother, you flatter me. Without senior sister's cooperation, I could not have killed that beast so easily."

Gu Qingyun clasped his hands in a fist salute and smiled in agreement.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Xu Qingran.

With a wave of his right hand, he took out a number of scales and beast bones from his treasure bag, all of which had been removed from the Golden Core spirit beast.

No amount of words can compare to the tangible benefits of war.

Xu Qingran never expected that Gu Qingyun would actually share the spirit beast's corpse with her.

These scales alone could be crafted into a protective armor, not to mention the animal bones can be used in medicine to refine fourth-grade pills, which are quite valuable.

Originally, Xu Qingran only used Gu Qingyun as a shield, but she never expected to be saved by the latter and even share these treasures.

She felt a little embarrassed for a moment, her pretty face flushed slightly, wanting to stop but not daring to.

"Senior sister, don't be so polite with me, please accept this."

Gu Qingyun saw through the other party's thoughts and couldn't help but smile.

Having said all that, it would be somewhat pretentious to refuse now.

"Thank you, Junior Brother Qingyun. I will remember this."

Xu Qingran bowed slightly and put the items back into her treasure bag.

Recalling everything that had happened along the way, Gu Qingyun's timely rescue, and the honesty in this scene, a different kind of emotion seemed to appear in Xu Qingran's beautiful phoenix eyes.

However, Gu Qingyun did not notice any of this, as his attention was focused on the towering tree deep in the mud.

The eight spiritual fruits glowed intertwined, flickering as if they were breathing.

At this moment, everyone followed his gaze and looked toward the Dao Yun Tree with burning eyes.

At the same time, the atmosphere in the entire venue changed.

The group, who had been united just moments before, now changed their expressions and looked warily to both sides...