Translator: CinderTL
"Die!"
Xu Sanyan's great halberd parried an incoming longsword, and with a swift turn, he plunged into the crowd.
Man and halberd became instruments of slaughter. With each swing of the halberd, blood splattered, accompanied by piercing screams.
Clutching the misty fruit in one hand, Xu Sanyan divided his attention between protecting it and engaging in combat, yet his movements remained unaffected.
The halberd swung like a scythe through tall grass, each strike reaping a fresh life.
"Ah!"
A man raised his sword to block, only to be cleaved in two, sword and all. Crimson blood sprayed across the ground, staining the earth beneath.
Jiang Yan gripped his longsword tightly, sweat slicking his palms and making the hilt slippery.
He watched helplessly as a family elder's chest was ripped open, his foul-smelling entrails spilling out to stain his robes crimson. The elder, still alive, writhed on the ground, his agonizing screams piercing the air.
Jiang Yan knew the man was beyond saving. Even an immortal elixir would be useless against such grievous wounds.
Suddenly, regret washed over him. Perhaps he shouldn't have been swayed by Fang Qingge and blindly joined this venture.
Treasures were tempting, but one had to recognize their limits. Blindly following others only made one cannon fodder.
The situation had deteriorated beyond repair; regret came too late.
Fang Qingge gasped for breath, his eyes wide with shock. In just a few days since their last encounter, Xu Sanyan had already reached such a terrifying level!
Their first clash in the drum tower ended in a draw.
During their second confrontation over the jade slip, Xu Sanyan effortlessly escaped despite being surrounded by four opponents.
Now, in their third encounter, the gap between them had become glaringly obvious.
Yet less than a month had passed between their first and third clashes.
"Scatter!" Fang Qingge roared, and the crowd instantly dispersed, leaving Xu Sanyan standing alone in the center, drenched in blood. His contemptuous expression radiated wild arrogance as he casually flicked his great halberd, sending droplets of blood cascading from its razor-sharp blade.
The hazy gray fruit remained cradled in his palm.
At his feet, the still-living wailed in agony, surrounded by countless severed limbs and scattered body parts, making him resemble a Ghost God risen from hell!
The scene sent shockwaves through everyone present.
Fang Qingge took a deep breath. In just fifteen minutes, a third of the hundred-plus combatants had perished. The survivors, their eyes wide with terror, showed no desire to continue fighting.
"I've lost. You may leave."
Fang Qingge looked dejected, unable to bear the sight of his Junior Brothers and Sisters, who had once revered him, dying so tragically.
"Why must you force me to this? I've never sought conflict, yet you insist on pushing me."
Xu Sanyan casually untied his belt, shrugged his shoulders, and let his blood-soaked robes fall away, revealing his bare, muscular torso.
Tu Wanshan narrowed his eyes and lowered his head slightly, his thoughts hidden.
Xiang Tan smacked her lips, staring blankly as Xu Sanyan strode through the crowd. Everyone instinctively parted to make way for him, no one daring to obstruct his path.
Qin Manyang gazed at his powerful physique, silently swallowing hard. The shock in her heart was no less than Fang Qingge's.
She had been the first to meet Xu Sanyan.
Back on Desolate Sheep Mountain, he had been merely at Foundation Establishment Perfection, while she had already reached the Initial Stage of Dao Seeking.
The second time they met, he had become the contemporary holy son, his cultivation level having successfully broken through to Dao Seeking.
Now, less than two years later, she remained at the Initial Stage of Dao Seeking, while Xu Sanyan had ascended to a realm she could only look up to.
Just two years...
It felt like two centuries had passed.
Nearby, Elder Ren and the others bowed respectfully, not daring to look directly.
Xiang Tan quickly reacted, pulling out a robe to drape over Xu Sanyan's shoulders. She then followed closely behind him, her chest puffed out with pride, making the robe billow even more.
Standing nearby, Wei Xunzhi watched Xu Sanyan's malevolent qi surge, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
To be born in the same era as such a figure—is it fortune or misfortune?
Fortune, because she could witness the splendor of this heavenly pride, the brilliance of his innate talent. By comparison, she could grasp the vastness of the world and the insignificance of her own existence.
Misfortune, because Xu Sanyan's dazzling brilliance overshadowed her own, leaving her invisble in his fiery radiance.
Wei Xunzhi sighed, her former arrogance completely gone. The tales of her birth—when a hundred insects supposedly bowed in homage—and her achievements—Qi Refinement at seven, celestial being at twenty—now seemed utterly laughable.
Xu Sanyan, oblivious to their thoughts, strode away with the fruit in one hand, Qin Manyang and the others trailing behind.
Tu Wanshan pondered briefly before following suit.
Fang Qingge tilted his head back and sighed deeply. "Ah, lost the Madam and the troops too..."
This battle had definitively established Xu Sanyan as the foremost figure of the younger generation, leaving no one who could rival him.
Clang!
Suddenly, the sound of a copper gong rang out again, and another person vanished, triggering a fresh wave of panic.
Fang Qingge's heart leaped in his chest. That damned thing is still here?
After such a long silence, he'd assumed it had left.
But I haven't provoked it! Why is it still clinging to me?
Filled with frustration, Fang Qingge waved his hand. "Let's go."
With that, he led his group toward the direction Jingyi had taken. Wei Xunzhi glanced back at the remaining members before deciding to follow.
Luo Qingwei, who shared a close bond with Fang Qingge, naturally stayed by his side.
Jiang Yan, however, stood rooted to the spot, lost in thought. After a moment, he made his decision: he wanted no further part in this. Content to simply survive until the secret realm opened, he led his group away in the opposite direction.
As everyone dispersed, the area fell into complete silence, leaving only the unburied corpses behind.
After a long interval, the faint outline of a pavilion materialized beside the jade tree. Gradually solidifying, it finally took physical form and settled gently onto the ground.
Bright lamplight streamed from within the pavilion.
Creak—
The wooden door creaked open a crack, revealing a young woman standing quietly in the doorway. A pale purple robe draped loosely over her shoulders, exuding an air of languid ease.
Her bare feet, exquisitely shaped, arched in a perfect curve, their pink soles remained spotless despite being exposed.
Ten toes, painted with crimson nail polish, occasionally twitched, accentuating their playful sensuality.
The young woman casually gathered her disheveled hair into a natural ponytail, standing motionless inside the threshold, not daring to step out of the attic.
She blinked her beautiful eyes and tilted her head, gazing at the treetop where the fruit had once hung, now utterly bare.
"Sigh..."
"Even the most meticulously crafted plans are bound to have flaws after tens of thousands of years."
The young woman sighed inwardly. This was the seventh fruit lost in nearly ten thousand years.
As the fruits dwindled, she could clearly feel the oppressive weight of the heavens growing heavier.
"Living..."
A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes. What difference was there between living like this and being dead?
For tens of thousands of years, she had been trapped within this secret realm, not even daring to step out of the attic, yet the heavenly tribulation still refused to leave her in peace.
Sometimes, she envied Yuan Anping. At least he had dared to risk his life for freedom. Though he ultimately lost, his courage deserved her admiration.
"Freedom..."
"Cage..."
The young woman recalled Yuan Anping's words.
(End of the Chapter)
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