At the age of one hundred, I inquired about the Dao, awakening the supreme spiritual root that shatt

Those people were stunned and immediately knelt down on the ground, looking terrified.

"A True Condensation Realm expert... please, senior, spare us!"

"We didn't mean to offend you, senior!"

The burly man at the head threw his battle axe on the ground, almost kowtowing.

"We were unaware that our senior was in seclusion here, and we thought a priceless treasure had been discovered, which is why we rushed here. Please consider us as insignificant ants and let us go!"

The other six late-stage Qi Refining cultivators kneeling beside him were equally terrified and begged for mercy. They were already dumbfounded by the gray-robed man.

Just moments ago they were frantically bombarding the formation, but now they are utterly humbled.

The cultivation world is rife with killing, and in order to survive, they dared not act recklessly, lest they anger the powerful cultivator in front of them.

The crowd was filled with shock and disbelief; the extraordinary phenomena they had witnessed were truly awe-inspiring.

Could this person be at the Great Perfection of the Condensation Realm, and is currently attempting to break through to the Profound Realm?

If that's the case, then the strength of the cultivator before us is far too terrifying!

Ling Xiu's deep eyes flashed with a cold light as he watched the people begging for mercy, and the killing intent in his heart gradually faded.

Qi-refining cultivators posed no threat to him, as Ling Xiu was not a bloodthirsty person to begin with.

"Get out!"

He let out a cold snort, his voice carrying an immense pressure.

"Thank you for sparing my life, senior. Thank you..."

The group hurriedly kowtowed and scrambled to their feet to escape the scene, fearing that if they were even a step too slow, they would be beheaded.

The group of cultivators fled in panic. Ling Xiu looked towards the cave. Now that he had broken through to the Condensation Realm, there was no need for him to stay here any longer.

He planned to pack up quickly and then leave.

But as soon as he turned around, within the range of his powerful divine sense, three figures were seen using extremely fast movement techniques, rushing towards the valley.

"Hmm? That scent is so familiar!"

As expected, three figures approached, and Ling Xiu immediately recognized the arrogant one among them.

The newcomers were two men and one woman. The woman had a cold expression and exuded an arrogant and domineering aura. She was dressed in a light purple dress.

Ling Xiu not only knew this person, but also remembered her deeply. Upon seeing her, his hands involuntarily clenched tightly.

It was Ye Jingyun!

The two men beside her were dressed in the robes of inner disciples of the Qingyun Sect and obeyed her every command; they were clearly her guards.

Ling Xiu's eyes flashed with a cold light; he never expected Ye Jingyun to find this place.

This woman had repeatedly humiliated him back then, and she was the person he hated most.

After so much time has passed, Ye Jingyun has probably long forgotten the old man who humiliated her at the Waste Pill Pavilion back then.

I heard that her personality changed drastically after she failed to break through to the Condensation Realm, but now it seems that the foundation she damaged back then has been mostly healed.

Ye Jingyun had originally taken two male cultivators out for a stroll, but happened to sense the strange phenomenon in the heavens and earth just now, so she followed the trail to get here.

"This place is sure to hold unparalleled treasures. Whoever finds them, I will reward them handsomely!"

The two inner disciples accompanying her were both at the Condensation Realm, presumably arranged by Ye Chunqiu to protect her closely.

Before long, Ye Jingyun and her group arrived at the valley and soon found Ling Xiu at the bottom of the valley.

Although Ling Xiu's face was not clearly visible, one could clearly sense the fluctuations of his True Condensation Realm cultivation.

"Early stage of the True Essence Realm?"

She didn't take the other party seriously at all, and could never have imagined that the person in front of her was the old man she had humiliated back then in the Ruined Pill Pavilion.

"Hey! Who are you? Are you also here because of the strange phenomenon just now? Did you find some treasure? Hand it over to me immediately!"

Ye Jingyun's tone was full of commands, and she had an air of superiority.

"If you don't hand it over, you should understand the consequences. Even if you obtain a great treasure, you must be prepared to die before you can enjoy it!"

She herself was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, but she had no fear whatsoever when facing Ling Xiu, who was at the Condensation Realm—her two guards beside her were also Condensation Realm cultivators, and they were her greatest reliance.

This arrogant and haughty attitude made Ling Xiu feel even colder.

He suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice:

"I did not find the treasure you mentioned. I'm afraid you've misunderstood. The strange phenomenon just now was due to my breakthrough during my seclusion here."

"What? You're in seclusion here? That strange phenomenon was caused by your breakthrough?"

Ye Jingyun chuckled.

"A mere early-stage True Condensation cultivator dares to lie and claim that his breakthrough could trigger such an earth-shattering phenomenon? You're treating me like a fool, you're practically courting death!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she looked coldly at the two male cultivators beside her.

"My two senior brothers, please lend a hand. Whoever kills this man first will be richly rewarded by my grandfather!"

The two inner sect guards locked their gazes on Ling Xiu, a cold glint flashing in their eyes, and attacked simultaneously.

brush!

A chilling light shot out from the sky as the flying sword was unleashed. The power of the low-grade Xuan-level magic weapon exploded, and the sharp sword light tore through the void, piercing straight for Ling Xiu's heart.

The other person simultaneously unleashed a palm strike, the powerful force of which, like a tidal wave, pressed down on him with intense killing intent.

The two attacked simultaneously, their moves fierce and ruthless, leaving Ling Xiu no room for explanation.

Ling Xiu let out a cold snort and summoned the Thunderclap Sword. Since the opponent had already gone all out to kill, he no longer needed to hold back.

clang!

The two swords clashed, sparks flying, their clear, resonant cries echoing through the air.

The Thunderclap Sword was surrounded by lightning and spiritual light. Although it was a top-grade spiritual sword, its grade was still only that of a spiritual weapon. Compared to the opponent's low-grade Xuan-level magic weapon, the difference in material was huge.

In addition, Ling Xiu had just broken through to the Condensation Realm and was still unfamiliar with the circulation of true essence. After a single collision, a fine crack appeared on the sword.

The immense force surged into his body, causing his blood and qi to churn, and he involuntarily staggered back several steps.

"Flying Swallow Step!"

Before he could catch his breath, Ling Xiu swiftly dodged another cultivator's killing move, using his exquisite movement technique to evade the fatal attack.

"Hmph, a mere top-grade spirit sword dares to contend with my Xuan-rank magic weapon? How utterly laughable!"

The swordsman scoffed coldly, his attack undiminished, and he flew forward again to kill.

brush!brush!brush!

The sword light flashed continuously, and the killing aura permeated the surrounding area. The speed was so fast that it was difficult for the naked eye to catch it.

Ling Xiu continued to retreat using his movement technique, while simultaneously channeling all his true essence into the Thunderclap Sword, unleashing his natal sword technique.

"Azure Thunder Mystic Slash!"

This sword technique draws upon the power of thunderclouds from all four seas, its sword cry reverberating through the soul, instantly transforming into a sky-covering sword net, barely managing to withstand the opponent's continuous and fierce sword attacks.

"Don't underestimate me. The two of you alone won't be able to take my life so easily!"

Ling Xiu had just broken through, and his true essence foundation was not yet stable. He had not yet mastered the cultivation techniques that came with the Condensation Realm, so he was unfamiliar with fighting against opponents of the same level, which is why he was temporarily at a disadvantage.

However, the strength of his true energy surpassed that of the two men, and was even greater.

Right now, he can only rely on the Flying Swallow Step and his powerful divine sense to constantly shift his body and dodge the attacks from both sides.

He can calmly evade attacks in the short term, but the longer the fight goes on, the more skilled he will become.

Ye Jingyun gave an impatient snort.

"What are you two dawdling for? Kill him now!"

She urged him on from the side, her smugness growing ever stronger.

In her eyes, he was just a lucky rogue cultivator who had just broken through to the True Condensation Realm, and was not worth mentioning at all.

How can a rogue cultivator with no roots or support be worthy of contending with disciples of an immortal sect? They are utterly vulnerable!

During the brief moments of dodging, Ling Xiu considered using talismans to counterattack several times, but then thought that this life-or-death battle would be a good opportunity to hone his combat experience.

At the same time, he keenly noticed that although the male cultivator wielding the sword was fierce in every move, his flaws were quite obvious.

After each round of fierce attacks, large gaps would appear in his defenses. He would not defend at all, but would only focus on attacking, eager to kill himself and please Ye Jingyun.

"Since you're so eager for quick success and so focused on pleasing this woman, and yet you look down on me like this, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

"Vajra Talisman!"

Ling Xiu dodged the sharp sword again, followed closely by another cultivator's powerful palm print.

Just as the palm strike was about to land on him!

Ling Xiu suddenly stopped, standing frozen in place as if in a daze.

When the palm struck his back solidly, the Vajra Spirit Talisman, which had already been activated, instantly unleashed a massive amount of recoil force.

The talisman greatly enhanced its own defense, and the violent backlash sent the cultivator flying backward.