[There was more than one Foundation Establishment evil cultivator in the imperial palace. Just days ago, you had observed only one.]
[At this moment, you wished to retreat cautiously without being discovered by them.]
[But the newly appeared Foundation Establishment evil cultivator had exceptionally sharp senses.]
[Before you could withdraw, he discovered you.]
[He produced a black banner, and at once, sinister winds surged across the scene. The imperial palace seemed to transform into his domain.]
[You even had to carefully discern your bearings just to tell directions apart.]
[You knew that you absolutely could not retreat now. Otherwise, the time needed to determine your direction would be enough for the enemy to put you to death.]
[Now, there was only one path—kill!]
[With a raise of your hand, nine streaks of sword light flashed in succession, transforming into the nine great Limit-Breaking Sword Techniques you had cultivated in the Qi Refining Realm.]
[Though they were not second-rank spells, as first-rank sword techniques of the Limit-Breaking level, they had given birth to their own Spell Seeds. Each possessed power nearly equal to a mastered second-rank spell.]
[Furthermore, your nine Limit-Breaking Sword Techniques were interconnected. Combined, they rivaled a perfected second-rank spell.]
[On top of that, you had achieved Perfect Foundation Establishment from the deep foundation of Qi Refining Layer 12. Though you were merely at Foundation Establishment Layer 1, the abundance of your spiritual power rivaled that of Foundation Establishment Layer 4.]
[You now possessed peak combat power of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.]
[One sword strike tore apart the defensive spell the Black Sail Evil Cultivator had set up before him.]
[The Black Sail Evil Cultivator was also greatly shocked by your strength. He hurriedly took out another High-grade Magic Tool shaped like a small shield, barely managing to block the attack.]
[At this moment, the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage evil cultivator you had originally intended to kill also attacked. A black-red High-grade Blood Sin Magic Blade flew from his mouth, shooting straight toward you.]
[And with his attack, his aura was fully revealed. He was not at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, but the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.]
[Judging by the stability of his aura, he was not at Foundation Establishment Layer 7 either. He was at least Layer 8, perhaps even Layer 9.]
[The Black Sail Evil Cultivator who had appeared first likewise possessed Foundation Establishment Late Stage strength.]
[Under the joint assault of the two, you seemed to have fallen into a certain deathtrap.]
[But you still had a trump card. Choose your response.]
[1. Use the third-rank Talisman Treasure given to you by your master to break free of the black banner Magic Tool's influence and escape this place.]
[2. Use the Talisman Treasure to kill the Black Sail Evil Cultivator and escape this place.]
[3. Use the Talisman Treasure to kill the other evil cultivator, then fight the Black Sail Evil Cultivator to the death.]
"I choose the third option."
Su Yang said, his gaze sharpening.
[Faced with such a desperate crisis, not only did you not wish to flee, you even wanted to slaughter them all.]
[You activated the third-rank Talisman Treasure. Terrifying power comparable to a Golden Core True Person's full-strength attack erupted. In an instant, the strongest blade-wielding evil cultivator's body was torn into fragments, reduced to dust between heaven and earth. Even the High-grade Blood Sin Magic Blade shattered into countless pieces.]
[The Black Sail Evil Cultivator was visibly startled, and even his movements slowed by a fraction.]
[You seized the opportunity and used Foundation Establishment Strength.]
[Spiritual power equivalent to that of an entire Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator appeared within your body, perfectly merging with your existing spiritual power.]
[In an instant, your spiritual power became richer and stronger than before. In terms of spiritual power alone, you could now rival an ordinary Foundation Establishment Layer 6 cultivator.]
[With your sword techniques added in, you now possessed Foundation Establishment Late Stage combat power.]
[The Black Sail Evil Cultivator was still distracted. His defensive small shield was immediately broken, and a sword pierced through his brow.]
[You won.]
[Afterward, you quickly gathered your spoils and immediately arrived outside the imperial palace.]
[You began killing every Qi Refining evil cultivator you encountered, shaking your voice with spiritual power as you slaughtered them and spread the news that the Foundation Establishment evil cultivators were dead.]
[Upon hearing this, the Qi Refining evil cultivators panicked and scattered in disarray.]
[The surviving cultivators of the Eastern Neighbor Kingdom heard the news and immediately rose up in resistance.]
[Before long, the Qi Refining evil cultivators in the capital were completely exterminated.]
[You then spent nearly another month helping the Eastern Neighbor Kingdom eliminate the evil cultivators elsewhere before finally departing.]
[At this point, fewer than five months had passed since you left the sect. According to sect rules, you still had four years and seven months before you could return.]
[You began traveling everywhere.]
[This was the central plains region of Qixia Island. Humanity's influence here was at its zenith. Apart from those raised in captivity, wild demon beasts were almost nowhere to be seen.]
[All extraordinary lifeforms, other than humans, were still humans!]
[Nearly five years passed swiftly. During this time, you had played the role of an old grandfather granting fortunate opportunities to youths. You had also swept through places that concealed filth and harbored corruption like a high-spirited young wandering hero. You had even walked through mortal county towns, where your extraordinary bearing drew the adoration of young maidens and married women alike.]
[Your state of mind improved. You felt that your Clear Sword Heart seemed to have become even more transparent.]
[At the age of fifty, you returned to the Tianjian Sect and immediately went back to your residence. When you emerged again, your cultivation had already broken through to Foundation Establishment Layer 3.]
[Seeing this, Gu Changfeng knew that you had truly traveled and gained experience, rather than doing as some True Disciples did—finding a place rich in spiritual energy to cultivate after completing their mission, then returning to the sect once five years had passed.]
[You began cultivating second-rank spells. This time, they were not all sword techniques. Three of them were body-tempering arts that strengthened the body's origin.]
[Foundation Establishment was unlike Qi Refining, which had Layers 10, 11, and 12. To achieve a high-quality Golden Core, one could only continuously strengthen one's foundation and origin.]
[At the age of fifty-two, many of your second-rank sword techniques had reached the beginner stage, but your origin body-tempering spells were progressing slowly. You encountered several difficult problems and were preparing to seek Gu Changfeng's guidance.]
[Suddenly, the sky darkened.]
[Outside the simulation, a scene slowly unfolded before Su Yang.]
"Why has another scene appeared? Is it affecting something important to me again?"
Su Yang stared fixedly at the unfolding scene.
[He saw a small black dot appear in the sky, then rapidly grow larger, expanding without bounds as though it had blanketed the entire heavens.]
[Then it fell.]
[The scope of the scene suddenly expanded again.]
[The small black dot gradually revealed its full form. It was the bottom of a curved Pillar Reaching Heaven, descending downward.]
[Its point of impact was precisely the half of Qijian Lake centered around Tianjian Island.]
"Where did this demon come from, to dare offend my Tianjian Sect?!"
[In the scene, a white-haired old man let out a roar that shook the heavens. He flew up from Sun Sword Peak, holding the blazing sun atop the peak in his hands as he hurled it upward.]
[Terrifying energy erupted. The blazing sun was extinguished in an instant, yet it could not shake the Pillar Reaching Heaven in the slightest.]
[On the other three mountain peaks, terrifying experts comparable to the old man also appeared, unleashing all manner of methods no less powerful than the eruption of the blazing sun.]
[Yet all proved futile.]
[They wanted to leave.]
[But they could not leave.]
[They could only watch helplessly as the Pillar Reaching Heaven descended.]
[Because at the instant the Pillar Reaching Heaven fell, this entire stretch of space was suppressed.]
"Rumble!!!"
[A tremendous crash rang out from the scene.]
[The Pillar Reaching Heaven still fell, but it soon rose again and vanished.]
[At this moment, Tianjian Island and the Tianjian Sect within the scene had completely vanished, leaving only surging lake water madly pouring back into the center.]
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