Breakthrough, Slaying Yue Shan! (Two Chapters Combined)

The lingering force of the sword rainbow did not fade, carving into the mountain wall behind it and leaving behind a long, narrow sword scar of unfathomable depth.

Luo Heng stood with his sword in hand, breathing lightly as he looked at Yue Shan's corpse, a thoughtful expression on his face.

This battle had been far easier than he had imagined. After the fight, even including the Primal Energy consumed by the Great Devouring Art, he had only used nearly seventy percent of his Primal Energy. It was truly absurd.

Moreover, he had gained greatly from this battle.

At the instant he slew Yue Shan and brought this life-or-death battle across realms to an end, Sword Intent roared within his Niwan Palace. His understanding of the Sword Dao deepened another level, his Lesser Sword Intent became completely stable, and he even took a small step toward greater mastery.

With Late Heaven Yuan Realm cultivation, he had slain a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm opponent against the odds, while attaining Lesser Sword Intent!

If such a feat spread, it would be enough to shake the entire Great Flame Dynasty!

One had to know that even Creation Realm experts might not comprehend Martial Dao True Intent! Yet Luo Heng had comprehended the most formidable Sword Dao True Intent. His talent was simply terrifying.

The entire area fell silent.

Everyone froze like statues, blankly watching the headless corpse slowly fall and the blue-robed youth standing there with his sword.

A breeze swept past, carrying the heavy stench of blood.

Xia Wanjin was the first to recover. He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart as he looked at Luo Heng with an extremely complicated gaze.

Amazement, appreciation, wariness, and even... reverence.

He asked himself whether he could defeat Yue Shan in a life-or-death battle, and the answer was uncertain! Though they were in the same realm, it was obvious that Yue Shan possessed stronger offensive power!

Yet this youth already possessed combat power beyond that of an ordinary Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm expert! It was truly heaven-defying!

Xuan Su's beautiful eyes shimmered repeatedly as waves surged through her heart.

Xia Zhilan was completely petrified. Her mind was blank, and she was utterly dumbfounded. She was clearly one or two years older than him, so why was he already this powerful??

The surviving members of the Blood Wolf Gang looked at the corpses of their gang leader and Young Master as though they had lost their souls. Some collapsed limply to the ground, while others turned and fled.

Luo Heng slowly sheathed his sword. His gaze swept over Yue Ling, who lay trembling on the ground, before shifting to Xia Wanjin.

"President Xia, I'll leave the rest to you," Luo Heng said calmly.

Xia Wanjin immediately understood. He said in a deep voice to the Merchant Guild experts behind him, "Clean up the scene. Leave none of the Blood Wolf Gang alive!"

Eradicating weeds by the roots was an iron law of the cultivation world. They had forged a deadly enmity today, so naturally they could not let the tiger return to the mountains.

The Myriad Gold Merchant Guild members immediately sprang into action, hunting down the fleeing remnants of the Blood Wolf Gang.

Yue Ling let out a scream of despair, but it was swiftly ended by a flash of sword light.

The Blood Wolf Gang's remaining forces were quickly wiped out. On the blood-soaked mountain platform, only the people of the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, Luo Heng, and the referee remained.

Xia Wanjin took a deep breath, suppressing the shock still churning in his heart. He walked up to Luo Heng, solemnly clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"I, the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, will never forget the favor Nephew Luo has done us today!"

His eyes held unconcealed gratitude and reverence.

Luo Heng shook his head and said evenly, "President Xia, you flatter me. We merely took what we each needed."

Xia Wanjin straightened and said seriously, "Nephew Luo, by slaying Yue Shan and his son, you have rid Flame City of a great scourge! According to our previous agreement, thirty percent of the Dan Xian Pool's essence belongs to you. However, what you contributed today far exceeded our agreement. I will make the decision here: you may have forty percent of the Dan Xian Pool's essence! Furthermore..."

He paused, determination flashing through his eyes before he continued, "The Blood Wolf Gang will soon be destroyed. The industries and territories it leaves behind will be split equally between the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild and you! You need not manage them personally. You only need lend your name, and all profits will be delivered to you on schedule. Consider it the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild forming a good bond with you!"

The Myriad Gold Merchant Guild members were all startled by these words.

The Blood Wolf Gang was one of Flame City's four greatest powers. How immense were its assets? Half of its profits would be an astronomical sum! And Luo Heng merely had to lend his name without worrying about management. Such generous terms were simply staggering!

Yet upon further thought, it was entirely reasonable.

The strength and potential Luo Heng had displayed today were enough to make any faction desperately recruit him. At merely sixteen years old, he was already in the Late Heaven Yuan Realm, had attained Lesser Sword Intent, and had slain a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm opponent against the odds! The future achievements of such a monstrous genius were simply immeasurable!

Forging a deep bond with him was far more important than those dead assets.

A trace of surprise flashed through Luo Heng's eyes at those words, and he then nodded.

Xia Wanjin truly deserved to be a formidable figure who had established himself in Flame City for many years. His courage and foresight were indeed extraordinary.

"Since President Xia is so generous, this junior will humbly accept," Luo Heng said without refusing. This would greatly benefit both him and the Luo Family in the future.

He had long intended to bring the Luo Family to develop in Flame City. With the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild and the Symbol Master Association as two great allies looking after them, things would go much more smoothly.

"Ha ha, good! Nephew Luo is straightforward!" Xia Wanjin laughed heartily, a great weight lifting from his heart. Being able to befriend such a genius was worth any price.

He turned and instructed Xuan Su, "Xuan Su, lead people to clean this place and seal off all news. At least until Nephew Luo finishes absorbing the Dan Xian Pool's essence, news of Yue Shan's death must not leak out! Zhilan, Liu Yi, Xia Shi, the three of you should prepare yourselves and enter the pool with Nephew Luo."

"Yes!" Xuan Su, Xia Zhilan, and the others hurriedly responded.

The way Xia Zhilan looked at Luo Heng had changed from her initial shock and disbelief to utter admiration and reverence.

Liu Yi and another Merchant Guild expert named Xia Shi also wore expressions of deep respect.

Before long, the platform had been cleaned, and the corpses of the Blood Wolf Gang members were properly dealt with.

Xia Wanjin personally led the way, taking Luo Heng and the other three around the mountain to the edge of a pool.

"The Dan Xian Pool is inside." Xia Wanjin pointed toward the entrance and told the four of them, "This pool is not large, but it is extremely deep. Its depths are also filled with intense cold energy, so do not go too deep lest something go wrong. Remember, act within your limits. Safety comes first."

"I understand," Luo Heng said with a nod.

The pool water was clear, yet it presented a bizarre sight. One half of it bubbled with scorching heat, while the other was bone-chillingly cold.

The two were clearly distinct, yet they slowly merged at the center of the surface, forming a strange cycle of yin and yang.

Pure Yin and Yang Energies filled the entire cave. With every breath, they could feel their Primal Energy and Spiritual Power faintly increasing.

"So this is the Dan Xian Pool!" Xia Zhilan exclaimed, her beautiful eyes shining.

Liu Yi and Xia Shi also revealed excited expressions.

Luo Heng swept his gaze across the water as his Spiritual Power quietly entered it, sensing the depth of the pool and the energy contained within.

Sure enough, just as Xia Wanjin had said, the pool was deep. The farther down one went, the heavier the cold energy became, while the Yin and Yang Energies grew increasingly pure and violent.

"Let's begin. Time is of the essence," Luo Heng said as he stepped into the pool first.

The water instantly enveloped his body. Half of it was scorching and half was freezing, and two completely different energies surged into his body through his pores, bringing a strange tempering sensation.

He did not immediately dive deeper. Instead, he sat cross-legged near the surface.

Great Devouring Art quietly began to circulate!

The black vortex within his dantian slowly spun, unleashing a terrifying suction force that crazily devoured the essence of the surrounding pool water!

The Yin and Yang Energies that normally required slow absorption and refinement now poured wildly into Luo Heng's body like rivers flowing into the sea. They were rapidly refined and purified by the Great Devouring Art, then merged into his Yuan Core Phantom and every part of his body.

His aura steadily rose at a visible pace.

Seeing this, Xia Zhilan, Liu Yi, and Xia Shi hurriedly chose positions of their own and began circulating their cultivation arts to absorb the energy.

However, compared to Luo Heng's absorption speed, theirs was like the difference between a stream and a great river.

In only half an hour, Luo Heng sensed that he had absorbed nearly half the essence at the pool's surface. The agreed-upon forty percent had already been reached.

Time to go down.

Luo Heng opened his eyes and transmitted his voice to Xia Zhilan and the other two. "Absorb peacefully here. I'll go down and take a look."

With that, his body sank, diving toward the depths like a fish.

The farther down he went, the darker it became, and the water temperature grew increasingly extreme. Scorching heat and piercing cold struck him in turns. Ordinary Heaven Yuan Realm martial artists would likely find it difficult to endure.

However, Luo Heng's body had undergone the dual tempering of Mysterious Nether Water and Jie Kong Yan. With Lesser Sword Intent protecting him as well, this posed no great problem to him.

The depths of the Dan Xian Pool did not descend straight down. Instead, they contained many winding passages, where rushing currents surged and water roared.

Luo Heng spread out his Spiritual Power like an underwater radar, swiftly sweeping through each passage.

The Analysis ability of the Myriad Law Seal allowed him to clearly sense which passage contained purer and denser Yin and Yang Energies.

Before long, he locked onto the deepest passage, the one with the strongest energy fluctuations, and shot into it like an arrow.

After traveling through the passage for roughly the time it took to burn an incense stick, the current ahead suddenly became calm, and the pressure seemed to vanish as well.

Splash!

Luo Heng felt his body lighten, as though he had passed through an invisible barrier. The surrounding water vanished in an instant, and his feet landed on the slightly damp ground of a cave.

It was a small natural cave, and its only exit was the waterway through which he had entered.

Strangely, an invisible barrier seemed to stand at the cave entrance, completely keeping the pool water outside.

At the center of the cave floated a ball of light the size of a human head, radiating a deep blue glow.

Within the light ball, a shadow resembling a giant azure serpent slowly swam. It emitted powerful Spiritual Power fluctuations and a faint pressure.

"The Demon Spirit of an Azure Water Serpent..." Luo Heng's gaze sharpened.

This Demon Spirit clearly possessed little intelligence, but it had been a Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm Demon Beast in life. The energy contained within its Demon Spirit was exceptionally vast, and it also contained pure water-attributed energy.

Behind the Demon Spirit's light ball, three smooth, round beads about the size of longan fruit floated quietly, each divided into perfect black and white halves.

Their surfaces were smooth as mirrors. Yin and Yang Energies seemed to slowly circulate and merge within them, releasing a yin-yang aura more than ten times purer and denser than that of the pool outside!

Yin Yang Pearls!

The true essence of the Dan Xian Pool! Absorbing the outer pool water for years might not equal a single Yin Yang Pearl!

Joy flashed through Luo Heng's eyes.

The greatest objective of this trip was now in his hands!

He first looked toward the Azure Water Serpent's Demon Spirit. The Demon Spirit seemed to sense the intruder as well. The deep blue light ball trembled slightly, the serpent shadow within becoming restless as it released warning fluctuations of Spiritual Power.

"A Great Perfection of the Core Formation Realm Demon Spirit. Though it is only a remnant spirit, its strength cannot be underestimated," Luo Heng judged inwardly as he sensed the pressure radiating from it.

However, he had just gone through a battle with Yue Shan. Though he had expended quite a bit, he had already recovered eighty percent of his Primal Energy through the Great Devouring Art. Combined with Lesser Sword Intent and the Spiritual Power of a Three-Mark Rune Master, taking down this remnant spirit with little intelligence would not be difficult.

More importantly, he did not necessarily need to fight it head-on.

Within his Niwan Palace, the Myriad Law Seal shone.

Formation of Life: Second Layer—Life-Generating Azure Waves!

A gentle yet highly penetrating Spiritual Power fluctuation quietly spread like rippling water, instantly enveloping the deep blue light ball.

The Azure Water Serpent's Demon Spirit was originally water-attributed, so it had extremely low resistance to a water-attributed spiritual secret art focused on purification like Life-Generating Azure Waves.

The serpent shadow inside the light ball abruptly slowed. The ferocity in its eyes was gradually replaced by confusion, and its violent Spiritual Power fluctuations also calmed.

Seizing the opportunity, Luo Heng flashed to the side of the light ball. He extended his right hand, and a black vortex formed by the Great Devouring Art emerged in his palm. A powerful suction force erupted, directly pulling the entire deep blue light ball into his palm and suppressing it within his dantian.

The Demon Spirit struggled a few times before falling completely silent, firmly imprisoned by the power of the Great Devouring Art.

"Done." Luo Heng nodded in satisfaction. The Demon Spirit's energy was pure. Whether he refined and absorbed it himself or left it for Xiao Diao to restore his soul, it would be a good choice.

Thinking of Xiao Diao's help during this period, he decided to give the Demon Spirit to Xiao Diao as repayment for the favor.

After storing away the Demon Spirit, Luo Heng's gaze fell upon the three Yin Yang Pearls.

With a beckoning motion, the three beads lightly flew into his palm.

They felt warm and smooth to the touch, yet contained two completely opposing energies—scorching heat and bone-chilling cold—that were perfectly fused together.

"Good stuff," Luo Heng praised.

After thinking briefly, he already had a plan for dividing them.

One would be left for Lin Dong. Dongzi's cultivation art also required the harmony of yin and yang, and this Yin Yang Pearl would greatly benefit him when he attempted to break through to the Core Formation Realm.

Though he was only in the Earthen Yuan Stage now, he could keep it for later.

One could be given to Zi Yue. Her cultivation art also seemed inclined toward yin and required Yang Essence Qi for balance, making this Yin Yang Pearl perfectly suitable. Moreover, she had taken great care of both Lin Dong and him at the Symbol Master Association.

The final one would naturally be for himself. This Yin Yang Pearl would make his Primal Energy purer, strengthen his foundation further, and might even accelerate the solidification of his Yuan Core Phantom.

As for Qing Tan... her Slaying Demon Physique only required pure yin attributes. The Yin Yang Pearls might instead negatively affect her, so they were not an option.

After carefully storing the three Yin Yang Pearls, Luo Heng looked around the cave once more. Once he confirmed that there was nothing else to be found, he moved through the barrier at the cave entrance and submerged himself in the pool again.

His return was swift. Before long, he had returned to the surface of the pool.

Xia Zhilan and the other two were still cultivating with their eyes closed. Their auras had grown much stronger than before, showing that they had gained considerably.

Luo Heng did not disturb them. Instead, he quietly sat cross-legged nearby and began refining the pool essence he had absorbed, consolidating the cultivation he had just broken through to.

About another hour later, Xia Zhilan and the other two woke one after another, all wearing delighted expressions.

"Young Master Luo, you're back!" Xia Zhilan hurriedly said when she saw Luo Heng, her tone even more respectful than before.

"Yes. There was nothing unusual below, only heavier cold energy. I took a look around before coming back up," Luo Heng said casually, naturally not mentioning the Yin Yang Pearls.

Xia Zhilan did not suspect anything and smiled. "This Dan Xian Pool truly is miraculous. I feel that my cultivation has improved greatly, and I'm now closer to the Middle Heaven Yuan Realm."

Liu Yi and Xia Shi also nodded in agreement, saying they had gained tremendously.

"Since everyone has absorbed about enough, let's head out. We should not keep President Xia waiting too long," Luo Heng said as he stood.

The four left the Dan Xian Pool and returned to the platform outside.

When Xia Wanjin saw them emerge, especially after sensing that Luo Heng's aura had become even more deep and steady, a trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes. He asked, "How was it?"

"I gained greatly. Thank you, President Xia," Luo Heng said with clasped hands.

"You are too polite, Nephew Luo. This is what you deserve." Xia Wanjin smiled and waved his hand, then said seriously, "I have already sent people to secretly monitor the Blood Wolf Gang headquarters. Once we confirm that news of Yue Shan and his son's deaths has not returned there, we will immediately strike and take over their assets with thunderous force! I will personally send your share to the Symbol Master Association."

"Thank you for the trouble, President Xia." Luo Heng nodded.

"Also, if you intend to move your family to Flame City, the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild is willing to offer its full support. Residences, shops, manpower—we can arrange all of it," Xia Wanjin offered proactively.

"Then I must thank President Xia once again," Luo Heng said. Xia Wanjin had indeed considered everything thoroughly.

After discussing a few more details, Luo Heng took his leave and returned to the Symbol Master Association.

This trip to the Dan Xian Pool had not only greatly increased his strength and allowed him to stabilize Lesser Sword Intent, but had also given him treasures such as the Yin Yang Pearls and the Demon Spirit.

Next, he would focus on preparing for the Tower Battle and... bringing the Luo Family onto the stage that was Flame City.

After that, he might have to go out and train again. He just did not know where he would go.

Ling Qingzhu