Foundation Establishment Battle

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Several deafening explosions suddenly rang out in the air.

The three attacking Rogue cultivators instantly exploded into three blazing torches in midair.

Their screams immediately echoed across the skies above Luohe Market Town.

Scarface Man and the other Rogue cultivator, who were fleeing, felt their hearts and guts shatter in terror.

They had never imagined, even in their wildest dreams, that this Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Ji Family would be so terrifying.

With the slightest gesture, he had effortlessly killed six of their companions.

As they felt the flames rapidly closing in from behind, the fear in Scarface Man's and the other Rogue cultivator's hearts rose to its peak.

Scarface Man suddenly cried out for help, "S-Senior, save us!"

Screech! Screech!

The moment his words fell, two streaks of Sword light suddenly appeared in midair.

The Sword light collided head-on with the two streams of fire Ji Haoyuan had sent down.

In an instant, another violent explosion erupted in the sky.

They had truly saved Scarface Man and the other man.

"Hmm..."

Ji Haoyuan's eyes narrowed at once.

He looked toward a patch of empty air ahead.

There,

at some unknown moment, an elderly man wearing a mask and with slightly graying hair had appeared.

He stood atop a Flying sword glowing with blue light.

The same powerful Spiritual pressure unique to a Foundation Establishment cultivator radiated from his body.

As he looked at Ji Haoyuan, the pair of eyes exposed beyond his mask revealed a faint trace of wariness.

"Fellow Daoist, what happened just now was purely a misunderstanding.

How about you and I each take our people and leave, letting the matter rest here?"

Hearing the Masked old man speak, Ji Haoyuan's eyes narrowed again.

He had not expected there truly to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator on the other side.

Yet precisely because of that, Ji Haoyuan found the situation even more suspicious.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, there was simply no need for him to lead people in doing something like this.

Unless his purpose was far more than a mere test...

At that thought, the Crimson Flame Pattern Spear beneath Ji Haoyuan trembled.

Circles of crimson ripples spread through the air.

He said coldly, "I don't think so."

The Masked old man's gaze shifted.

But Ji Haoyuan continued, "You led people to breach my Ji Family's market town, killed my Ji Family clansmen, and damaged my Ji Family's reputation.

If we let this matter end here, wouldn't that be telling the world that any stray cat or dog could come to the Ji Family and run wild from now on?"

As Ji Haoyuan's words fell, the emotions of the Ji Family clansmen below could not help but surge.

How long had it been?

Ever since their Old Ancestor, Ji Bochang, had entered seclusion and ceased to appear,

their Ji Family had remained one of Nanning Prefecture's three great Foundation Establishment Families.

But they had long since lost that former confidence and resolve.

Especially when facing the other two of the three great Foundation Establishment Families, they had lacked the courage to stand hard against them.

But now...

Facing the Masked old man, also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, their elder who had successfully reached Foundation Establishment at the age of one hundred displayed an unprecedented strength.

It left an enormous impression on these younger generations.

And, without them even realizing it, reignited their confidence as descendants of a long-established Foundation Establishment Family.

"What do you intend, then?"

The Masked old man's eyes narrowed slightly as well.

A fierce glint faintly surfaced deep within his pupils.

"Very simple."

Ji Haoyuan seemed wholly unaware of the change in the other man.

He took a step forward.

Without any warning,

the Crimson Flame Pattern Spear beneath him abruptly transformed into a crimson streak of light.

Puff! Puff!

Scarface Man and the other Rogue cultivator, standing not far from the Masked old man, immediately widened their eyes.

They stared blankly at the gaping holes that had suddenly appeared in their chests, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

He... he actually...

As the two corpses crashed heavily to the ground, the Masked old man's gaze instantly turned vicious.

"You're courting death!"

Whoosh!

An incomparably dazzling streak of Sword light suddenly lit up the sky.

With a thunderous boom, what met it was a streak of Spear light wrapped in layer upon layer of blazing flames.

Ji Haoyuan did not hesitate in the slightest, choosing the most ferocious approach from the start.

He intended to keep his opponent here!

At that moment, a Great War between Foundation Establishment cultivators erupted.

Sword light and Spear light collided again and again.

Terrifying shockwaves shook the land in every direction.

Such a tremendous commotion naturally could not escape the notice of others in Nanning Prefecture.

On a mountain peak wreathed in dense Spiritual Energy,

two middle-aged men dressed in Zhang Family attire were playing a game of chess.

Yet before long, both their gazes turned toward Luohe Market Town in the distance.

One of them said, "Brother, it seems the rumor that the Ji Family has produced a new Foundation Establishment cultivator is true after all.

Should we..."

Before he could finish, he made a slicing-down gesture.

Across from him, the middle-aged man with a long strand of beard beneath his chin flickered his eyes.

But in the end, he shook his head and said,

"No need. Even if the Ji Family has produced a second Foundation Establishment cultivator, he must have only advanced recently.

We can use that man to test the depth of his foundation. There's no need to drag ourselves into this mess as well."

At the same time,

within the Liu Family, one of Nanning Prefecture's three great Foundation Establishment Families,

a beautiful middle-aged woman of around forty also gazed in the direction of Luohe Market Town and murmured to herself.

"Reaching Foundation Establishment at the age of one hundred... he truly has given all of us a tremendous 'surprise.'

I just wonder how much strength someone like you actually possesses."

Ji Haoyuan knew nothing of the covert attention of the others.

In fact,

even if he had known, he would not have cared.

After all, one of his most important reasons for coming this time was to reveal his existence to all of Nanning Prefecture.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions burst through the air once more.

The Masked old man's figure retreated again and again.

The blood and qi within his body churned uncontrollably.

He was actually at a disadvantage.

How was that possible?

Disbelief filled the Masked old man's eyes.

Although he was already advanced in years, he had reached Foundation Establishment a full sixty years ago.

By all reason, whether in magical power or combat experience, his opponent should have been far inferior to him.

Yet the reality was...

Though he did not wish to admit it, after fighting to this point, the Masked old man had realized that he was likely no match for Ji Haoyuan before him.

At that thought, the Masked old man immediately developed the urge to retreat.

However, Ji Haoyuan seemed to have seen through his intentions, and the attacks in his hands became increasingly fierce.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three incomparably blazing streaks of Spear light suddenly erupted from the Crimson Flame Pattern Spear.

Each streak of Spear light carried incomparable magical power and blazing flames, sealing off every possible route of retreat for the Masked old man from three directions.