Chapter 203 - 201: Refusing a Toast, Only to Drink a Forfeit

Chapter 203: Chapter 201: Refusing a Toast, Only to Drink a Forfeit

Master Dust Crossing’s intentions were good.

He hoped that future Martial Artists, after obtaining the legacy Cultivation Technique he left behind, would give up the Seven Kills Stele Fragment, or even seal it away.

However, in Chen Yuan’s view, no matter which era the Martial Artists came from, it was most likely they would take the Cultivation Technique and also refuse to let go of the Seven Kills Stele Fragment.

Chen Yuan’s eyes were set on the long saber in the Blood Slaughter Venerable’s hand.

Even though five thousand years had passed, the long saber still emanated an incredibly shocking killing aura. Its presence was far stronger than the Celestial Blade’s; it had to be a Celestial Soldier at the very least.

But just as Chen Yuan was about to walk toward the Blood Slaughter Venerable’s corpse, Lu Wenhao, a Steward from the Lu Family of Celestial Water City, suddenly blocked his path.

Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

Lu Wenhao was in his early forties, tall and thin with a mustache, and possessed a Cultivation at the Condensing Truth Realm Late Stage.

Hearing this, Lu Wenhao said with a greasy smile, "Is Inspector Chen thinking of taking the treasures from the Blood Slaughter Venerable?

But with so many fellow members of the Jianghu present, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to try and take it all for yourself without asking for everyone’s opinion?"

Before Chen Yuan could speak, Gu Lichuan sneered, "Bah! Who are you to talk?

If Brother Chen and I hadn’t stepped in, you’d all still be trapped in that Array by the Red Lotus Sect!"

Murong Li shook his head. "Master Gu, you’re mistaken. It’s not like we asked you to save us. Besides, your friend Qin Suguang was also trapped in the Array at the time.

You weren’t saving us; you were saving Qin Suguang."

Although it was true that Chen Yuan and Gu Lichuan had saved them, this debt of life was not worth repaying by giving up the treasures before them.

Even the other Martial Artists, whose strength was inferior to Murong Li and the others, felt the same. No one was willing to back down.

Even though they knew they couldn’t possibly win a real scramble against Murong Li’s group, they were still unwilling to withdraw.

Xing Yi of the Vajra Prajna Temple placed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist mantra.

"Amitabha. This humble monk thanks Donor Chen and Donor Gu for saving our lives.

If you two donors wish to take any of the other items, this humble monk will have no objections whatsoever.

However, everything on Master Dust Crossing’s person must be brought back to the Vajra Prajna Temple by this humble monk.

This is because Master Dust Crossing has a profound connection with my Vajra Prajna Temple.

When Master Dust Crossing was young, he traveled through Qin Province and once gave guidance to a Little Novice Monk. That Little Novice Monk was the founder of my Vajra Prajna Temple.

After Master Dust Crossing passed away, the founder of our temple even built a cenotaph for him within the temple grounds, paying respects day and night. I believe Lord Qin Suguang is aware of this matter.

Therefore, everything related to Master Dust Crossing, I must bring back to the Vajra Prajna Temple. I hope you all can understand."

Chen Yuan looked at Qin Suguang, who nodded and said, "There is indeed an Arhat Hall in the Vajra Prajna Temple, a place for worshipping a Golden Body Arhat. It should be that same Master Dust Crossing."

Chen Yuan looked at the crowd with a half-smile. "Your Vajra Prajna Temple speaks up to take Master Dust Crossing’s remains, while the people from the Celestial Water City’s Lu Family and the Murong Family are unwilling to let me take the other things.

So, does this mean all my effort to save you was just me being presumptuous?"

Lu Wenhao and Murong Li wanted to say something more, but in the next moment, Chen Yuan’s expression turned grim.

"You shameless bastards! A moment ago, you were no match for the Red Lotus Sect and were being suppressed to death, and now you dare to fight me for treasure? Do you really think I’m some kind-hearted person?

I saved your lives. Since none of you want to live anymore, then you can all just die!"

The moment his words fell, the Celestial Blade in Chen Yuan’s hand was already unsheathed.

Behind him, Qin Suguang and Gu Lichuan didn’t hesitate either, drawing their own saber and sword simultaneously.

Without Brother Chen’s intervention, this group would have been severely injured even if they had managed to break through the Red Lotus Sect’s Array.

And now, after Brother Chen helped them break the Array and kill the Red Lotus Sect members, they actually dared to try and snatch his things? How utterly shameless!

Chen Yuan immediately charged toward Lu Wenhao in the front, bringing his blade down. The Celestial Blade surged with an upside-down Blood River, its might immeasurably vast.

Lu Wenhao hailed from the Direct Lineage of the Celestial Water City’s Lu Family. As a Steward with real power, his inherited Cultivation Technique was by no means weak.

The Lu Family’s Sea-Overturning and Dragon-Slaying Scripture was grand and majestic. Facing Chen Yuan’s strike, Lu Wenhao unsheathed a deep blue Long Sword. With a single thrust, a powerful Sword Qi erupted, forming three-layered waves that surged ferociously toward Chen Yuan.

But under Chen Yuan’s Blood Refining Divine Saber, the triple waves were torn to shreds by his single strike. An immense force crashed into him, and Lu Wenhao’s expression changed abruptly as he was forced to retreat several steps in a row.

Chen Yuan, however, pursued relentlessly, a monstrous Demon Flame surging forward to continuously scorch the True Qi around Lu Wenhao’s body.

Meanwhile, Qin Suguang had already engaged Xing Yi of the Vajra Prajna Temple. Both cultivated Buddhist Cultivation Techniques, and with Xing Yi also practicing a branch of Vajra Zen, their Attack Against Attack exchange created a shockingly powerful spectacle.

Those two had already started fighting, but Murong Li had no desire to pick Gu Lichuan as his opponent.

Gu Lichuan’s three simultaneous sword strikes were astonishingly powerful. His attainments in the Sword Dao were even greater than some Martial Arts Grandmasters at the Primordial Pill Realm.

The Murong Family’s Cultivation Techniques, however, were in an awkward position. They dabbled in fists, palms, and Sword Pointing, but none of their skills were considered top-tier in the Jianghu.

The true trump card that allowed the Murong Family to be ranked on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings was precisely their Divine Artifact, Star Shifting.

One could say that among all the Divine Artifact Demon Soldiers in the current Jianghu, Star Shifting was the easiest Divine Artifact from which to create a Divine Artifact Incarnation, and also the easiest to activate.

As long as one had Ancient Jade, a Divine Artifact Incarnation could be created. As long as one had the Murong Family’s bloodline, it could be activated.

Compared to the Divine Artifact Incarnations of other factions, which required all sorts of rare materials and a host of harsh conditions to create, the Murong Family’s Star Shifting was far too simple.

Therefore, without using a Divine Artifact Incarnation, Murong Li was absolutely no match for Gu Lichuan.

And if he did use the Divine Artifact Incarnation, he could only guarantee that he had a trump card to avoid defeat; he had no confidence in actually finishing Gu Lichuan.

They hadn’t even found their way out of this Blood Killing Realm yet. Murong Li didn’t want to use his Star Shifting Divine Artifact Incarnation just like that.

So, seeing Gu Lichuan charge at him, Murong Li retreated hastily and shouted fiercely at the other Martial Artists, "Stop Gu Lichuan! Otherwise, if they defeat us, you won’t get so much as a drop of soup from what the Blood Slaughter Venerable and Master Dust Crossing left behind!"

The Martial Artists present were all driven by greed.

If Chen Yuan’s group won, they naturally wouldn’t get anything good.

But the problem was, even if Murong Li’s group won, they wouldn’t be given a chance for a sip of the soup either.

However, most of these Martial Artists were from small and medium-sized factions in Qin Province. For them, the items left behind by the Blood Slaughter Venerable and Master Dust Crossing were treasures that could change their destinies.

Even though they knew their chances were slim, they were still unwilling to withdraw just like that. Blinded by greed, they would, of course, help the weaker side.

So, after exchanging glances, those men immediately moved to intercept Gu Lichuan, while Murong Li seized the opportunity to attack Chen Yuan from behind.

He unleashed his Dragon City Swordsmanship, its momentum like a rainbow as it aimed straight for Chen Yuan’s back.

Chen Yuan spun around and slashed with his saber. The might of the Blood Fiend tore through heaven and earth, its tyrannical Demon Flame shattering Murong Li’s Sword Momentum in an instant.

Murong Li had seen Chen Yuan fight before, and though he knew then that Chen Yuan’s power was astonishing, seeing was one thing. Only by truly facing him as an opponent could he feel this intensely powerful pressure.

However, his attack did give Lu Wenhao a brief moment to catch his breath.

Chen Yuan sneered, the Demon Flame around him flaring as he charged at Murong Li again.

He was going after the weakest link, and Murong Li was an even softer target than Lu Wenhao.

The Murong Family’s Cultivation Techniques and various Martial Arts Secret Techniques weren’t actually weak—they were all Celestial Level—but they seemed rather mediocre when compared to others on the Jianghu Wind and Cloud Rankings.

Without using Star Shifting, Murong Li was far weaker than Lu Wenhao.

Under the fierce assault, Murong Li was in a precarious situation after just a few moves, which made him feel quite regretful.

’A moment ago, I didn’t dare face Gu Lichuan one-on-one, so I ran over to help Lu Wenhao gang up on Chen Yuan. But I can’t even withstand a few moves. I would have been better off fighting Gu Lichuan!’

"Lu Wenhao! Are you still holding back?! If you don’t use your trump card, none of us will get even the scraps!"

Lu Wenhao cursed him for being useless under his breath. He formed a Seal Technique, which transformed into a Sword Pointing gesture that he swiped across his long sword. Instantly, a bloody light shot toward the sky.

The deep blue True Qi intertwined with the bloody light. Lu Wenhao swung his sword down, and the ringing of the blade sounded like the roar of a Flood Dragon.

Heavenly Extinction Dragon Slayer Sword!

Chen Yuan spun around abruptly. Boundless Blood Fiend coalesced as his Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand came crashing down. The powerful Killing Tribulation Power instantly annihilated the sword light.

The Heavenly Extinction Dragon Slayer Sword of the Celestial Water City’s Lu Family could slay a Flood Dragon in the sea, but it could not slay Chen Yuan.

Murong Li saw Chen Yuan use the Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand once again, and he still felt a sense of familiarity with this power.

Just then, the Martial Artists surrounding Gu Lichuan were being routed, and he had already cut down two of them.

At that moment, a Martial Artist skilled in Lightweight Skill had a sudden flash of inspiration.

Seeing that both sides were locked in a fierce battle, he silently slipped away from the fray. Finding the right moment, his figure transformed into a streak of green light and shot straight toward the Blood Slaughter Venerable!

"How dare you!"

"You’re courting death!"

Lu Wenhao and the others’ expressions changed instantly as they roared in anger.

They were here fighting for their lives against Chen Yuan’s group; how could they let this useless trash reap the rewards?

But because the Martial Artist was skilled in Lightweight Skill, his speed was extremely fast. In a flash, he was already in front of the Blood Slaughter Venerable.

However, just as he approached the Blood Slaughter Venerable, a towering and violent killing intent erupted instantly.

The killing intent was so immense it was like a pillar of red light shooting into the clouds. It instantly blasted the Martial Artist away, causing him to spurt mouthfuls of blood.

The Blood Slaughter Venerable’s body also disintegrated into dust within that bloody, murderous light, leaving only two things behind.

A long saber with a heaven-piercing killing intent, and a blood-red object that looked like a piece of rubble.

When Murong Li saw that object, his mind suddenly went blank.

’The appearance of this thing... why is it so similar to the description of the Seven Kills Stele I saw in the underground altar in Lianshan City?’

’Not the appearance, but its Strength Attribute. It’s exactly the same.’

’Connecting this to the Blood Killing Realm and the Blood Slaughter Venerable... the so-called Sacred Artifact of the Blood Killing Realm... it must be the Seven Kills Stele!’