Chapter 224: The Incident Concludes

Chapter 224 -164: The Incident Concludes

“What do we do?” Shen Yunjiao looked at Zhao Zuo, her eyes asking the silent question.

The Blood-clothed Man wore a Taoist Robe the color of blood, its sleeves fluttering gently like flowing threads of blood. Even his hair and eyebrows were blood-red, and he emanated an eerie aura. Time had left no mark on his face, his skin smooth… He looked to be in his forties.

His eyes were deep and sharp, radiating a barely perceptible anger that made Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao instinctively fearful. When he appeared, a crimson hue washed over the surroundings, adding an air of mystery and darkness.

“It should be fine,” Zhao Zuo said in a low voice. He refused to believe a Foundation Establishment expert from the Moyun Sect would just stand by and watch a Demon Path cultivator break the rules by personally attacking juniors.

Sure enough, in the next second, the air suddenly grew frigid. Layers of ice crystals formed on the surrounding wild grass. The evil, dark aura was torn apart by the frost, and a young woman in a cyan Taoist Robe appeared. Her eyes were covered by a light-blue strip of cloth, through which one could faintly glimpse an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes.

She had a voluptuous figure that exuded a mature, feminine beauty, but her full head of long, silver hair stood in stark contrast to her youthful face. Suspended in mid-air, she was the very source of the biting cold.

“Xue Wuxing, you’ve crossed the line,” Han Qingshuang said coolly, holding an ice-blue longsword. The two were evenly matched, both having reached Foundation Establishment Perfection. For various reasons, they had also both lost any chance of advancing further.

“Haha, so it’s Fairy Han in person. I was just wandering through the Yunlan Mountain Range and happened upon an injured and unconscious junior. I was just about to treat her,” Xue Wuxing said with a laugh as he stood up, releasing Chen Xiaorong’s wrist and taking a few steps back.

SWOOSH.

Han Qingshuang quickly moved forward and caught Chen Xiaorong. Grasping her wrist, she assessed her disciple’s condition, a clear trace of anger flashing in her eyes. After a careful examination, she confirmed that Xue Wuxing hadn’t left any hidden traps within Chen Xiaorong’s body.

She cradled Chen Xiaorong in her arms and turned her gaze back to Xue Wuxing.

“It’s time for you to leave. Stay any longer, and you risk dying here.”

“Haha, Fairy Han, your blade may be sharp, but are you enough on your own?” Xue Wuxing said unhurriedly, looking perfectly calm and composed.

“Quick… first, help me pick up the metal fragments of the Sky-Breaking Saber,” Zhao Zuo said softly. They had no right to interfere in the standoff between the Foundation Establishment experts playing out nearby.

‘Although the Spirit Patterns on my Black Flame Saber are heavily damaged, the blade itself is still intact. It can still gain experience points normally, so it won’t affect its upgrades. But the state of the Sky-Breaking Saber… is truly pathetic.’

Shen Yunjiao nodded and crouched down to search for the metal pieces. Some had been blasted into the ground by the impact, so she had to use an Earth Element Magic Skill to draw the fragments out from the soil, gather them, and pick them up by hand.

It took them about thirty seconds to collect all the pieces.

“Let’s get out of here,” Zhao Zuo said softly. ‘There’s no telling how many other Foundation Establishment Powerhouses are hiding around here. If a battle of that magnitude really breaks out, with our level of strength, we could definitely get killed.’

“Okay,” Shen Yunjiao said. “That woman must be Chen Xiaorong’s master. She won’t let anything happen to her.”

The two of them immediately turned to leave. In a few flickering movements, they vanished into the gloomy forest, leaving no trace behind.

“Those two juniors are quite remarkable. One of them seems to have inherited a Cultivation Technique from the Fangcun Demon Palace. The other has a solid foundation and a steady, powerful aura—excellent material for Foundation Establishment,” Xue Wuxing commented faintly, watching their retreating figures.

Han Qingshuang just scoffed.

“Since Fairy Han has no desire to speak further, I’ll take my leave,” Xue Wuxing said.

As long as Golden Core cultivators didn’t interfere, Foundation Establishment Perfection was the peak of combat power in the surrounding nations. He had cultivated for two hundred years; while he might not be able to kill Han Qingshuang, he was confident he could come and go as he pleased within the Yunlan Mountain Range.

“Since you’ve come all this way, senior, there’s no need to leave.”

A tall figure suddenly appeared on a tree branch. Not even Han Qingshuang or Xue Wuxing had sensed his aura. It was as if he had materialized from thin air, yet also as if he had been standing there all along. It was none other than the mysterious Foundation Establishment expert who had been near Zhao Zuo… Li Ge.

He wore a shabby, coarse-cloth tunic, the fabric mottled and faded from wear. On his back, he carried an exquisite mahogany Sword Box. Its surface was carved with ornate patterns that pulsed with a multitude of interweaving energies. Every sword hidden within it was superior to a Magical Treasure.

The Sword Box emitted a faint hum, as if whispering tales of ancient myths.

“You’re Li Ge?” Xue Wuxing asked, his expression strange. He stared at the man’s simple, honest-looking square face, racking his brain before he finally recalled who this person was.

‘Li Ge. Before Chen Xiaorong came along, he was the most talented disciple in the Moyun Sect. Yet he ended up joining the Earth Fire Hall to become a mere Artifact Refiner. He never practiced any Combat Techniques, completely letting his innate talent go to waste.’

“That would be me,” Li Ge said, patting the Sword Box on his back.

“And you think you’re fit to stop me?” Xue Wuxing said confidently. After all, he was at Foundation Establishment Perfection, the strongest existence below the Golden Core realm. Was he supposed to be afraid of a junior more than a hundred years younger than him?

“I’m not here to stop you. I’m here to invite you to your death, Senior!” Li Ge declared, a flicker of anger in his eyes. He knew that the moment he acted, his peaceful, carefree life would be over. But in the end, he just couldn’t hold it in any longer.

‘After all, for ten years… she called me Senior Brother.’

Those were the last words he spoke. The next second, the Sword Box sprang open, and six Flying Swords, each a different color and attribute, shot out. The aura emanating from every single one of them far surpassed that of the Sky-Breaking Saber.

The six swords shot across the sky, as dazzling as meteors streaking through the night. Each sword shone like a star, suffused with the oppressive might of different elemental energies. They let out a piercing whistle as they tore through the air, the sounds ultimately overlapping into a deafening, thunderous roar.

Zhao Zuo and Shen Yunjiao were already nearly ten kilometers away when a colossal boom erupted behind them, like a continuous, dense barrage of thunder. Hearing this, the two quickened their pace once more.

Once they were completely safe, Zhao Zuo stood on a tree branch, gazing at the distant spot where the Foundation Establishment experts were fighting. Regardless of who was clashing with whom, it was absolutely not a battle he could involve himself in.

The serious expression on Zhao Zuo’s face gradually softened into one of relief. He let out a soft sigh as the tension finally left his body and mind.

From the moment he left the Moyun Sect until now, Zhao Zuo hadn’t dared to relax for even a second, constantly executing his plans.

It was as if a great weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders; even his breathing felt lighter.

‘I’ve done everything I possibly could.’

‘This matter… regardless of the outcome, my conscience is clear.’