Slaying a Grandmaster

"Are you the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes?"

Watching the Grandmaster of the Condensing Gang Realm hovering in the air above the street not far from the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion, Bi Changsheng unexpectedly felt none of the urgency he had moments ago. Unlike before, when the enemy had been hidden and he had been exposed, he now had ample time to respond no matter what the other side did.

"You've got quite some nerve, daring to kill my people right in front of me."

Yang Chaoxing's confident strike had not only been blocked by Bi Changsheng, but Bi Changsheng had also proceeded to kill his subordinates one after another right before his eyes. Yang Chaoxing was unable to save face, and his heart seethed with fury.

"Hand over the Crimson Blood Pill formula."

"Then submit to me and obediently become my dog. I can spare your life."

Although Bi Changsheng had only blocked a casual strike just now, the difference between the Condensing Gang Realm and the True Qi Realm was enormous. Thus, Yang Chaoxing had developed a desire to recruit such talent. Suppressing his anger, he spoke to Bi Changsheng.

"You think you're worthy?"

Hearing Yang Chaoxing's words, Bi Changsheng already knew his identity and understood that he had come for the Crimson Blood Pill formula. He let out a cold snort, no longer interested in talking.

"Since you're courting death, I'll grant your wish."

Seeing Bi Changsheng reject him so arrogantly, Yang Chaoxing stopped suppressing his anger and struck without hesitation.

Gang Qi erupted from Yang Chaoxing's entire body. Like a massive, vigorous pine tree, it came crashing down toward Bi Changsheng. This was Dan Cao Hall's sect-protecting ultimate art, the Green Pine Vigorous Skill. Yang Chaoxing had gone all out from the very start, seeking to kill Bi Changsheng with a single move.

In truth, the Green Pine Vigorous Skill, like the Evergreen Skill Bi Changsheng had obtained from Cen Xiuqi's inheritance, was not a technique adept at combat. However, with the absolute suppression of realms, Yang Chaoxing believed victory was already in his grasp.

The instant Yang Chaoxing attacked, Bi Changsheng had already judged that even relying solely on his own strength, he could withstand him. But Yang Chaoxing had dared to attack the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion, so Bi Changsheng was determined to make him pay—and pay a devastating price.

Thus, Bi Changsheng first circulated Jade Burn to the limit his current body could endure, directly burning one hundred and fifty years of his lifespan. A tremendous force immediately surfaced within him. With that force bolstering him, the True Qi in Bi Changsheng's body continuously grew denser and more refined.

Although Bi Changsheng had not broken through to the Condensing Gang Realm, the degree of refinement in his True Qi was already no weaker than the Gang Qi of someone in the Condensing Gang Realm.

Then, an aura of slaughter that seemed capable of wiping out all living beings spread from Bi Changsheng. At the same time, his mind began to empty. A will to abandon everything, even himself, in order to exterminate all under heaven began to emerge in his mind.

Bi Changsheng, having fallen into a selfless state, unconsciously swung the Qingfeng Sword in his hand.

Self-Sacrificing Sword!

The instant Bi Changsheng swung that sword, another one hundred and fifty years of his lifespan was extracted from his body.

As the Self-Sacrificing Sword was unleashed, the force generated by Jade Burn's burning of his lifespan surged into it wildly.

In the end, a hundred-zhang Sword Qi erupted from Bi Changsheng's hand and cleaved toward Yang Chaoxing.

Although that tall, vigorous pine could withstand wind and rain, before the hundred-zhang Sword Qi that sought to slaughter all living beings, it was split in two on the spot.

"No!"

Watching the hundred-zhang Sword Qi cleave toward him, Yang Chaoxing—the Grandmaster whose name Bi Changsheng had not even remembered—had time only to let out an unwilling howl before dying beneath that mighty Sword Qi.

After killing Yang Chaoxing, the hundred-zhang Sword Qi still did not stop. It pierced straight through nearly half of Gold-Sprinkled Street, leaving a sword scar a thousand meters long across the road. Fortunately, the people on that side of Gold-Sprinkled Street had sensed that something was wrong and hidden themselves far away, avoiding accidental injury.

The buildings on both sides of the street, however, had no way to escape. Beneath the aftershock of the hundred-zhang Sword Qi, they were reduced to ruins covering the ground.

Everyone who witnessed this was deeply shaken by the scene before them. Today, they had not only seen a Grandmaster of the Condensing Gang Realm—a sight many might never see even once in their lives—but had also watched that Grandmaster die right before their eyes.

What was more, the person who had killed this Grandmaster of the Condensing Gang Realm was merely a martial artist of the True Qi Realm. Everyone felt that "shocked" was far from enough to describe their emotions.

Sneaking glances at Bi Changsheng, who stood at the beginning of the thousand-meter sword scar with murderous intent radiating from him, they felt a jumble of emotions.

Originally, Bi Changsheng's strength at the late True Qi Realm had already been an unattainable existence in their eyes. After witnessing all this, Bi Changsheng had become even more mysterious and powerful to them, so much so that they no longer dared look him in the eye.

Looking at the thousand-meter sword scar before him, Bi Changsheng felt somewhat helpless as well. After pushing his strength to the limit, he had no way to control it precisely and could only unleash everything at once.

First, Bi Changsheng picked up the Storage Bag hanging from Yang Chaoxing's waist and put it away. Then he glanced toward a concealed corner on the right. After that, he turned and headed for the busiest section of Gold-Sprinkled Street. Although he had already slain the troublemakers who had come to cause trouble, they still had accomplices left, and Bi Changsheng did not intend to spare a single one.

Bi Changsheng's destination was the Ningyun Prefecture branch of Dan Cao Hall, located in the prosperous section of Gold-Sprinkled Street.

The reason he had just looked toward that corner was that, when he killed Yang Chaoxing, he had noticed someone apparently observing him from the shadows. But after sensing that the person bore no ill will, he had ignored him.

After Bi Changsheng left, a figure emerged from that corner. It was an old man with a body covered in muscle—clearly Fang Yaoyang, the Supreme Elder of the Divine Fist Sect.

"He actually noticed me."

"So this is that boy's master. What a monster!"

Watching Bi Changsheng's departing figure, Fang Yaoyang sighed inwardly.

That sword from Ximen Xue just now had even made him feel threatened. One had to know that he was an unparalleled martial artist at the late Condensing Gang Realm, while Ximen Xue was only at the late True Qi Realm.

The reason Fang Yaoyang had appeared here was that, after learning Bi Changsheng had matters to attend to and would be leaving for a while, he had taken the opportunity to visit Liu Zhengqing frequently and make his presence felt. He hoped to raise his standing in Liu Zhengqing's heart and get Liu Zhengqing to accept him as his master.

Today, he had happened to run into the incident at the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion when he arrived. Knowing that the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion was protected by an expert like Ximen Xue, he had not rushed to act. He had merely kept watch over Liu Zhengqing at all times. If something truly went wrong, he naturally would not stand by and watch anything happen to Liu Zhengqing, his prospective disciple.

He simply had not expected the people of the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion to remain silent until they acted—and when they did, their move would split the heavens and shatter the earth.

Ximen Xue had directly displayed overwhelming strength, killing a Grandmaster of the Condensing Gang Realm right before him.

Moreover, when Fang Yaoyang had watched Ximen Xue just now, an absurd thought had flashed through his mind.

"It couldn't be that boy. If it were him, wouldn't all these years of cultivation have been wasted on a dog?"

Having ruled out the correct answer, Fang Yaoyang shook his head mockingly and cast that absurd thought from his mind before setting off back to the Divine Fist Sect.

After what the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion had gone through today, Fang Yaoyang had no intention of disturbing Liu Zhengqing and the others again.

On the other side, after arriving at Dan Cao Hall, Bi Changsheng charged straight in without a word. No one in Dan Cao Hall could stop him now, and one after another, they became dead souls beneath his sword.

"So you're saying that the incident at the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion was planned by you and Yang Chaoxing from start to finish?"

Bi Changsheng pointed his sword at An Hexuan, the last survivor of Dan Cao Hall in Ningyun City and its representative in Ningyun Prefecture, as he spoke.

"That's right. The entire thing was planned by me and the Second Hall Master. It has nothing to do with anyone else in Dan Cao Hall."

An Hexuan had originally been waiting in Dan Cao Hall for Yang Chaoxing to return in triumph. He had never expected to receive Bi Changsheng, this god of slaughter, instead. An Hexuan had always held deep feelings for Dan Cao Hall, so after realizing that the situation could no longer be reversed, he had taken the initiative to tell Bi Changsheng everything, hoping to prevent Dan Cao Hall from provoking such a terrifying enemy.

After learning the whole story, Bi Changsheng swung the sword in his hand. Not a single living soul remained in Dan Cao Hall in Ningyun City.

After looting the place, Bi Changsheng walked out of Dan Cao Hall and once again circulated Jade Burn, burning fifty years of his lifespan. He leaped into the air and slashed down at Dan Cao Hall, sending out a Sword Qi more than ten zhang long.

Under that Sword Qi, the Ningyun City branch of Dan Cao Hall vanished completely, leaving behind only a crater and ruins covering the ground.

"Within ten days, if Dan Cao Hall does not give my Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion a satisfactory explanation, I, Ximen Xue, will certainly present Dan Cao Hall with a grand gift."

Bi Changsheng's figure had already disappeared, leaving only his voice echoing across nearly half of Ningyun City.