Cultivation Breakthrough

Zhang Tieniu and Tian Hu were formidable. Fang Chen dared not be careless. Gritting his teeth, he raised the Floating Immortal Sword to block their cleavers.

Clang! Clang!

The cleavers struck the Floating Immortal Sword. The tremendous force knocked it back into Fang Chen's chest.

Fang Chen spat another mouthful of blood. Bright red droplets splashed onto the Floating Immortal Sword.

Buzz... buzz...

The Floating Immortal Sword shuddered violently. Unprecedented, scorching energy surged from its hilt into his body. His muscles swelled slightly, his eyes turned bloodred, and he felt as though his body was about to explode.

Just then, Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu swung their blades at him again.

"Die!"

Fang Chen gritted his teeth and roared, then swung the Floating Immortal Sword with all his might.

Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew. The Floating Immortal Sword severed the cleavers in Tian Hu's and Zhang Tieniu's hands.

Their expressions changed drastically, and they retreated at once.

Bloodlust filled Fang Chen's eyes. He pushed off the ground and rushed forward, slashing at Tian Hu.

Fang Chen was like a maddened beast. Tian Hu went pale with shock and tried to block with his broken blade.

Clang!

The Floating Immortal Sword struck the broken blade and cleaved straight through it, then sliced into Tian Hu's wrist, severing his hand.

Blood sprayed. Tian Hu's hand fell to the ground alongside the broken blade.

"Ah... my hand!"

Tian Hu's face turned deathly pale. He screamed and collapsed.

"Die!"

Fang Chen swung his sword again.

A flash of sword light slit Tian Hu's throat. Blood gushed like a spring, his eyes bulged, and his body fell to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

Buzz... buzz...

The Floating Immortal Sword shook violently, as if fired up by a shot of adrenaline. A vast surge of energy flowed through the hilt into Fang Chen, invigorating him.

Zhang Tieniu's expression changed drastically. He turned to flee. Fang Chen was far too terrifying now.

"Trying to run?"

Fang Chen's gaze sharpened. He pushed off hard, his body shooting toward Zhang Tieniu and whipping up a fierce Wind Origin in his wake.

Whoosh!

Bamboo leaves swirled up in the Wind Origin. Fang Chen reached Zhang Tieniu from behind and slashed him with his sword.

Slash!

The Floating Immortal Sword carved a horrific wound across Zhang Tieniu's back, and bright red blood spurted out.

"Ah..."

Zhang Tieniu collapsed, screaming as though his heart were being torn apart.

He looked at Fang Chen and said, "Stop! Don't kill me! My elder brother is an Outer Sect Disciple. If you dare kill me, he'll never let you off!"

"An Outer Sect Disciple?"

Fang Chen froze. He was only a menial worker. For an Outer Sect Disciple to kill him would be as easy as turning a hand.

But if he spared Zhang Tieniu, the secret of the Floating Immortal Sword might be exposed.

Besides, even if he let Zhang Tieniu go now, the man would never let him off.

Either way, I'm dead. I'll kill him first!

Fang Chen's gaze turned sharp. He swung the Floating Immortal Sword, drawing it across Zhang Tieniu's neck.

Slash!

Bright red blood burst forth. Zhang Tieniu's eyes widened, and he clutched his throat as he struggled on the ground.

Just then, the Floating Immortal Sword shook violently, and an unprecedented surge of domineering energy poured into Fang Chen.

Boom!

Fang Chen's body jolted. He felt as though something inside him had broken open, and a powerful aura spread outward.

Spiritual energy from all around rushed toward him and forced its way into his pores.

Fang Chen felt as though needles were stabbing every pore. The pain was unbearable.

"Ah..."

Fang Chen could not hold back a scream. He withdrew the Floating Immortal Sword and rolled on the ground.

"What's happening?"

Nearly everyone cutting bamboo on Thousand Bamboo Ridge sensed the powerful aura.

The menial workers nearby felt the disturbance and hurried over.

When they arrived, the sight before them left them stunned.

Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu lay in pools of blood, while Fang Chen rolled on the ground, screaming. Spiritual energy continued to gather around him.

"What on earth happened here?"

The menial workers stared at the scene, eyes wide with disbelief.

Some went over to Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu. After checking them, they found that both were dead.

Wu Qingfeng soon arrived as well. He looked shocked to see people lying in pools of blood.

A menial worker from Thousand Bamboo Ridge spotted Wu Qingfeng and hurried up to him. "Steward Wu, you're finally here! Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu are both dead!"

"What? Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu are dead?"

Wu Qingfeng froze, then walked over to the two men in the blood. They really were Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu.

Just then, Cao Bin arrived with his men.

Their attention was immediately drawn to Fang Chen, who lay on the ground screaming.

"Look, everyone! It's Brother Hu and Zhang Tieniu!"

A menial worker from Dragon Tiger Mountain pointed at Tian Hu's and Zhang Tieniu's bodies and cried out.

Everyone followed his finger and saw Zhang Tieniu and Tian Hu.

Cao Bin rushed over and found that they were both dead.

"Who did this?" Cao Bin rose and roared at Wu Qingfeng.

Tian Hu and Zhang Tieniu were Dragon Tiger Mountain's most outstanding menial workers. Zhang Tieniu in particular had a Three-Attribute Mixed Spiritual Root and stood a good chance of breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm someday.

If Zhang Tieniu broke through to the Qi Refining Realm, Cao Bin would receive an enormous reward.

Yet only a few hours had passed, and not only Zhang Tieniu but Tian Hu was dead as well.

Wu Qingfeng looked at Cao Bin. "I only just got here myself. I don't know what happened!"

Just then, Fang Chen's body jolted. Something inside him seemed to shatter, and a powerful aura erupted from within him.

Whoosh!

Spiritual energy rushed toward him from all sides, forming a faint layer of white light around his body.

"Th-that's Body Protection Spiritual Light!"

Everyone cried out at the sight.

The layer of white light around Fang Chen was called Body Protection Spiritual Light, a glow unique to cultivators breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm.

"Fang Chen... Fang Chen broke through!"

"He's reached the Qi Refining Realm!"

The menial workers of Thousand Bamboo Ridge could not help cheering.

"How is that possible?"

"That good-for-nothing doesn't even have a spiritual root. How could he break through?"

The menial workers from Dragon Tiger Mountain stared, eyes bulging with disbelief.

Fang Chen was still rolling on the ground in agony, screaming again and again.

Wu Qingfeng recovered his senses and hurried over to Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, circulate your art, quickly!"

At Wu Qingfeng's words, Fang Chen endured the pain and sat cross-legged on the ground, preparing to circulate the Glazed Qi Refining Art.

The Glazed Qi Refining Art was the qi-refining method the original Fang Chen had received when he first arrived at the Glazed Sword Sect.

Fang Chen silently recited the formula and began circulating the art.

Even more spiritual energy surged into his body. Once inside, it flowed along his meridians toward his dantian.

The next moment, Fang Chen felt his consciousness enter a murky gray space.