Chapter 1002: Conflict
The blazing sun scorched the earth, causing the air to heat up as though it was being burned. Breathing in the air would cause one’s trachea to burn.
Hundreds of people lowered their center of gravity as their auras burst forth. They stared fixedly at the light screen, their auras intersecting and surging together. It seemed like a dragon and a tiger were shaking the heavens and stirring up the void. From afar, purple Qi filled the air.
This was inevitable. It could be said that those who could come to the Barren Desert in search of good fortune were all chosen ones, hence their auras were naturally rich.
In fact, there was no lack of Daoist disciples from the various great sects. Each and every one of them had outstanding cultivation bases and were the cream of the crop of their generation.
At this moment, not too far away from the Barren Desert, a man dressed in luxurious clothing was speeding through the desert.
He had a handsome face, and his aura was surging. His sword intent shook the universe.
The man carried a sword case on his back. The color of the sword case was red, and it looked as if countless red runes were jumping about. It was very scarlet and could make one’s heart tremble.
This person was none other than Zang Jian, who was the Ultimate Sword Peak’s Daoist disciple.
All of a sudden, he stopped and shouted coldly behind him, “If you chase after me again, you’ll all die!” As he spoke, the sword case trembled and shook. A sword arc appeared, and a pure sword intent spread out, directly cutting the yellow sand within 33 meters of him into pieces. It was worth noting that the sand was neatly cut.
“Hmph, what high-sounding sentiments. How dare you be so arrogant after stealing the Ji family’s spiritual item! You’re seeking your own death!” An Intermediate Spiritualist yelled coldly.
“Yes, in the Big Ruins, even the foreign races have to retreat when they meet us—the Blood Dragon Clan. You, hmph…” The person who spoke held a long saber, and his eyes were as gloomy as a vulture’s. A scar extended from his forehead to the corner of his mouth, and wisps of black gas spread out from him. He looked terrifying.
“Attack together and kill this despicable person. The Blood Dragon Ji Clan’s dignity can’t be humiliated.”
As his voice faded away, the eyes of the Ji family members turned red. After looking at each other, they could see the determination in each other’s eyes.
“Kill!” Someone roared. Dozens of people rushed out at the same time and pounced on Zang Jian.
Zang Jian glanced at the sky, and his eyes were filled with fear. After looking away, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes. His voice sounded as though it came from hell, “Since you’re courting death, don’t blame me!”
Before he finished, he pointed his right hand toward the sky and uttered in a low voice, “Retrieve the sword!”
Immediately, the red sword case began to shake. With a creak, the lid of the case flipped, and a blood-red sword shot out like a blood light. The sword was small and light, but it carried an intense murderous aura. It was as though it had just been fished out from a blood pool. The moment the longsword flew out, even the space was painted red. 2 small words carved on the hilt of the sword—Shen Tu.
It was the Shen Tu Sword—the sword that guarded the Ultimate Sword Peak.
“There’s no need to bury a sword; a sword needs to be nurtured.” Zang Jian looked like he was making a pilgrimage. He raised his right hand and pressed down.
In an instant, the Shen Tu Sword flew up and down. The red glow on it circulated to the extreme. It drew out countless waves of sword Qi out of thin air and swept out in all directions.
At this moment, the dozens of people felt their bodies turn cold. They did not even have the strength to move their fingers. Their eyes were filled with terror. The waves of sword Qi crashed into their bodies and in the blink of an eye, their heads flew up into the air and fell onto the yellow sand.
A single attack killed dozens of powerhouses. This was the frightening aspect of a Daoist disciple.
It was also at this moment the clouds in the sky began to surge, and a faint red color could be seen. A sharp sound that could pierce through the air rang out from the horizon.
Zang Jian’s pupils contracted slightly, and his eyes were filled with fear. He grabbed at the sky, and the Shen Tu Sword let out a light cry as it flew into his hand. He used his index finger to wipe off the fresh blood on the sword and with a movement, he flew toward the light screen. He thought to himself, ‘I must obtain the spiritual medicine that can extend life, and I’ll kill whoever obstructs me. Even if the sky is in front of me, I’ll slash it with the sword.’.
At the spur of the moment, something odd happened. The clouds in the sky suddenly exploded. The redness instantly became dense. It was incredibly fast and in the blink of an eye, it arrived like a shooting star that broke through the sky. It arrived right in front of Zang Jian.
When the person landed in front of Zang Jian, he was seen to be dressed in red clothes. There was a picture of a Blood Dragon printed on his clothes, and it danced in the wind. His expression was unusually cold, and there was not the slightest bit of emotion. This person was Ji Haoran, the Doaist disciple of the Ji family. His cultivation base that of a top-grade Spiritualist. After devouring Lil’ Man’s bloodline, his bloodline even reached atavism. He claimed that nothing was impossible for him, and he was the person in the Ji family with the most hope of breaking through to become a Venerable One.
Zang Jian adjusted its Qi momentum and held the Shen Tu Sword tightly in his hand. He uttered coldly, “I still have a mission to carry out, and I don’t want to fight with you.” Obviously, he had suffered a loss to the man before this.
“This isn’t up to you. You’ve killed so many people from my clan, so I’ll feel aggrieved if I don’t kill you. If I feel aggrieved, it’ll be difficult to get rid of the feeling and if I can’t do that, there’ll be no end to me seeking the path.” Ji Haoran’s eyes were cold.
Zang Jian held the Shen Tu Sword tightly with his fingers. He gathered his Qi and exhaled. His body merged into the sword. He was so fast that even a Daoist disciple would not be able to catch up to him. He instantly pulled the distance apart.
He was not afraid of Ji Haoran. Instead, he wanted to enter the Barren Desert and obtain a spiritual item that could prolong one’s life. In terms of combat power, a sword cultivator’s offensive power was unparalleled in the world. Even if his opponent had a Bloodline Power, he was not afraid. They were both Daoist disciples, after all, so it would be extremely difficult for them to kill each other. Moreover, on Zang Jian’s arm was a sword carved with the blood essence of the Ultimate Sword Peak’s sword master. Once he used it, even a Venerable One would have to temporarily avoid him.
Ji Haoran snorted coldly and chased after him.
He had a cold personality. Killing Zang Jian to take revenge for the dead cultivators of the Ji family was only one of the reasons. More importantly, he wanted to use the blood of a Daoist disciple to attain his path, break through to become a Venerable One, and go beyond that. This was why he chased after Zang Jian relentlessly.
The 2 long arcs turned into light streams and disappeared in an instant.
At this moment, 2 purple lights appeared in Ou Yangming’s spiritual world under the light screen. The lights were not as intense as that of a Venerable One, but they were more energetic. The fluctuations caused his eyelids to twitch, and his heart to tremble. He thought to himself, ‘These are 2 Daoist disciples.’
His eyes narrowed indiscernibly as he muttered, “It’s him—the Ultimate Sword Peak’s Daoist disciple. Zang Jian?”
On the other hand, the other person’s aura made him feel disgusted. After sensing it carefully, his gaze turned cold as he said in a low voice, “The Ji family?” He could sense the aura of Lil’ Man’s Bloodline Power from the man’s body, and he was clear that the person was the Ji family member who had devoured the child’s Bloodline Power.
Before his thoughts were gone, 2 long arcs crossed over.
Ou Yangming’s eyes burned with raging flames, and his Qi was surging unceasingly but as smooth as one.
He took a step in the air and like a bolt of white lightning that tore the space apart, he landed in front of Ji Haoran and shouted in a low voice, “A member of the Ji family deserves to be killed!”
“Get out of the way?” Ji Haoran’s expression was cold. He had killed numerous Advanced Spiritualists.
Ou Yangming’s face was calm as he said proudly, “I’m taking your Atavistic Blood.” At this moment, he seemed insufferably arrogant. After cultivating the Solitary Thought Skill, he had become domineering like a king, and he became more imposing and decisive.
So what if he knew this person was a Daoist disciple from the Ji family?
So what if the person’s combat power was remarkable?
For the sake of Lil’ Man and his perseverance, Ou Yangming had no choice but to fight. There were things that an upright man should and should not do. At this time, he only wanted to fight. He wanted to obtain the Atavistic Blood for Lil’ Man. This was just like how he had forcefully killed Dong Ruyu in front of Dong Chenyu. He did not want to retreat, and he definitely could not.
When his voice reverberated in all directions, the outside of the light screen was dead silent. Only the sound of the winds could be heard.
Many Advanced Spiritualists opened their mouths in disbelief, their faces filled with astonishment.
Ji Haoran’s reputation in the Big Ruins was incredible. No one could stop his brilliance, and he gave off a faint feeling that he could subdue a generation.
Now, an Advanced Spiritualist waved his hand and coldly said that he wanted to take the man’s Atavistic Blood. It was simply wishful thinking.
After the silence, there was an uproar!
“Is… Is that fella crazy? Even if he’s a top-grade Spiritualist, there aren’t many who can block 10 moves from Ji Haoran.” A top-grade Spiritualist stuttered as his face was filled with shock. He had once seen a top-grade Spiritualist being crushed into pieces by Ji Haoran’s palm due to his rude words. Fresh blood splattered on the stone wall. This scene had once become a nightmare to him.
“That’s right. In less than 3 moves, he’ll surely die,” a white-robed young man said after a moment of silence.
Jiang Yingrong and He Jian looked at each other at the same time. They saw the solemn expressions on each other’s faces.
However, among the hundreds of people, the one who was most shocked was Zang Jian. He could not believe that Ou Yangming, whom he did not pay attention to when he returned to the Ultimate Sword Peak, would dare to stand in front of Ji Haoran and block him. Furthermore, the young fellow even said that he would take Ji Haoran’s Atavistic Blood. ‘That man’s a Daoist disciple like me! How could he possibly dare to challenge him?’ Due to Ou Yangming’s actions, the world in his mind began to shake.
There were different looks on the faces of the other cultivators outside the light screen.
The people had looks of ridicule, disdain, scorn, anger, and pity on their faces. All of these expressions fused, and it was as if everything in the world had changed. This was a perfect depiction of how many people would form a world of martial arts, where disputes were bound to happen. Greed, hatred, hatred, love, separation, all sorts of things. How many people could escape and hide from the big net that was interwoven from the heavenly laws?
Ou Yangming noticed those expressions, but he kept a straight face. His eyes as were deep as a sea of stars.
After hearing what he said, even Ji Haoran was stunned for a moment, then a playful look appeared on his face. He faintly smiled and said, “Interesting, interesting! I’ve met many enemies and can fight against many people, but this is my first time meeting someone as arrogant as you. You’re very lucky that I’ll remember you. After you die, I’ll carve your name on the stone tablet on my journey of attaining the path. It’ll make you feel honored.” His voice was calm and indifferent as if he could definitely use Ou Yangming to attain his path.
On the so-called Path Attainment Tablet, among the people that he had killed along his way, only the names of ones that were approved by him would be qualified to be carved on it.
In a way, the cultivators whose names would be carved on the monument had 2 things in common. One was that they were first-rate God-favored ones, and the other was that they were dead souls that were killed by Ji Haoran.
Ou Yangming shook his head and uttered coldly again, “I’m going to take your Atavistic Blood.” As his voice went away, he flipped his wrist and held the Blood Spear Dragon Slayer in his hand.