Fang Han drew his sword.
The body fell to the ground.
Thus, all six Nether Pavilion Deacon perished.
From the Fang Han made his move to the moment all six Deacon were wiped out, only a short while had passed.
The Nether Pavilion disciples had already scattered and fled when the Deacon ordered a retreat.
But can they escape?
Fang Han's gaze swept over the scattered, fleeing shadows, and he moved again.
He did not pursue, but simply raised his right hand and swung the Cloudsplitter Sword in mid-air.
A condensed cyan Sword Qi aura shot out from the sky, arriving first despite being behind, and instantly caught up with the three Nether Pavilion disciples who were fleeing at the front.
"Puff puff puff--!"
Three muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.
Three Nether Pavilion disciples fell to the ground with a thud, each with a deep sword wound on their back.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh--"
Fang Han didn't stop, sweeping forward while brandishing his sword.
With each sword strike, one or more disciples of the Nether Pavilion fell.
The disciples, whose highest cultivation level was only Seventh Rank, were like weeds in front of Fang Han.
In a short while, more than ten disciples of the Nether Pavilion had died under the Sword Qi.
The three Azure Profound Sect Deacon, despite their injuries, joined the pursuit.
Despite their serious injuries, they were still more than capable of dealing with the fleeing Nether Pavilion disciples.
The Azure Profound Sect disciples who had been besieged now came to their senses, grabbed their weapons, and chased after the fleeing enemies.
Screams and pleas for mercy echoed through the forest.
But all they received in response were cold swords.
A short while later, the screams of the last Nether Pavilion disciple came to an abrupt end.
The forest was littered with corpses lying haphazardly.
Blood soaked the woodland, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.
Fang Han sheathed his sword, stood still, and scanned his surroundings.
Six Nether Pavilion Deacon and more than twenty Nether Pavilion disciples were all killed.
None escaped.
The three Azure Profound Sect Deacon were now slumped on the ground, panting heavily.
The middle-aged, beautiful female Deacon's left shoulder wound was still bleeding, her face as pale as paper, but her eyes...
There was gratitude, shock, and a complex mix of emotions that were hard to put into words.
"Fang... True Disciple... Thank you for your help."
"No need for formalities, please treat your injuries first."
Fang Han.
The female Deacon took out a jade bottle from her bosom, poured out two Danyao and put them in her mouth, then took out a strip of cloth and hastily bandaged the wound.
The other two Deacon also took healing Danyao to treat their injuries.
Some of the Azure Profound Sect disciples were treating the wounded, some were collecting the bodies of their companions, and some were staring blankly at Fang Han, their eyes filled with awe.
After a moment, the female Deacon caught her breath, stood up, and bowed deeply to Fang Han.
"My name is Shen Qingzhu. I am deeply grateful to True Disciple for saving my life!"
Her voice was hoarse, but filled with heartfelt gratitude.
The other two Deacon also quickly stood up and bowed in greeting.
"Thank you True Disciple Fang, for saving my life!"
The Azure Profound Sect disciples all answered in unison.
"No need for formalities. I have important matters to attend to and cannot stay any longer. Please be careful from now on."
Fang Han nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
After bidding farewell to the three Deacon and more than ten disciples, Fang Han did not continue on his journey.
The Internal Qi in his body had been greatly depleted during the previous journey and the battle just now, and at this moment, the cyan-gold Internal Qi in his meridians was less than 30%.
If one were to rashly head to Sky Swallow City in this state, and were to encounter Yuan Zhan, the outcome would be far from certain.
He found a secluded mountain hollow surrounded by dense forest, where he was unlikely to be noticed.
He sat cross-legged on a blue stone, took out a jade bottle from his bosom, poured out a Earth Spirit Pill, and put it into his mouth.
Once the Danyao enters the stomach, it transforms into a gentle medicinal power that spreads along the meridians.
Fang Han closed his eyes, and the < Azure Profound Art > slowly began to circulate.
The azure-gold Internal Qi flowed through the meridians, absorbing and refining the pure medicinal power brought by the True Spirit Pill, rapidly replenishing its consumption.
Time passed in silence.
A mountain breeze rustled through the treetops, accompanied by the occasional chirping of birds from afar.
More than an hour later, Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
The Internal Qi within the body has returned to its peak state, with the azure-gold Internal Qi surging continuously in the meridians, even more vibrant and abundant than before.
He stood up and stretched his limbs.
"It's time to go."
Having discerned the direction of Sky Swallow City, Fang Han's figure flickered, and he unleashed the < Windcloud Escape > technique, transforming into a pale blue stream of light and disappearing into the vast mountains and forests.
One day later.
The outline of Sky Swallow City came into view at the edge of the horizon.
The city is situated in a valley between two mountains. Its walls are built of grayish-blue boulders and are about seven or eight zhang high. Although not as majestic as the Prefecture City, they still exude a sense of grandeur.
The city gate was bustling with carriages and people, and the noise could be heard from a great distance.
Fang Han slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the city.
According to the sect's records, Sky Swallow City was originally just an inconspicuous small city with a population of only tens of thousands.
Twenty years ago, a gold mine was discovered in the nearby mountains. When the news spread, various forces sprang into action, and miners, merchants, and martial artists flocked to the site.
In just a few years, this small town expanded more than tenfold, becoming one of the few large cities in Qingyang Prefecture.
Today, the city has a population of over one million. Although it is not as prosperous as the Prefecture City, it far surpasses that of an ordinary county town.
Fang Han did not enter the city.
The Azure Profound Sect's assets in Sky Swallow City were not located in the city itself, but rather in a gold mine thirty miles north of the city.
He bypassed the city wall and continued along an official road leading into the mountains.
Along both sides of the official road, horse-drawn carts carrying ore could be seen coming and going from time to time. The axles creaked, and the horses pulling the carts were panting heavily, clearly indicating that they were carrying a heavy load.
The coachman, upon seeing Fang Han dressed in a green robe, glanced briefly at the long sword at his waist before quickly averting his gaze, not daring to look any longer.
About half an hour later, a vast mine appeared ahead.
The mine was built against the mountain, surrounded by a simple wall made of thick wooden fences. Inside the fences were dozens of wooden houses and several simple sheds.
Deep inside, the entrances of several mine shafts gaped open in the darkness, with miners pushing mine carts going in and out from time to time.
At the entrance to the mine stands a simple wooden gatehouse with a wooden plaque bearing the four characters " Azure Profound Mine ".
On either side of the gatehouse stood two young men dressed in the robes of the Azure Profound Sect, weapons at their waists, their eyes scanning the passersby warily.
Fang Han stepped forward.
"Halt! This is Azure Profound Sect property; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to approach!"
A gatekeeper disciple, seeing someone approaching, immediately shouted to stop them, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.
Fang Han looked up and his gaze fell on him.
The disciple was slightly taken aback when he saw Fang Han and then noticed the Dark Cyan longsword at his waist.
Immediately, the wary look on his face transformed into surprise and awe.
"Fang... Fang Han?!"
It's me.
Fang Han nodded slightly.
"The sect sent me to support Elder Wu Zheng."
" The Elder is recuperating in the Quiet Room. I'll take my senior brother there right away!"
The disciple quickly bowed and stepped aside to make way, leading the way.
Fang Han followed him into the mine.
Inside the mine, many disciples dressed in the Azure Profound Sect attire were busy at work.
Upon seeing Fang Han, they were initially taken aback, then bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with awe.
Fang Han nodded slightly in response, continuing on his way.
After passing through several rows of wooden houses, we arrived at a relatively isolated wooden house deep inside the mine.
The wooden hut was small, with its doors and windows tightly shut. Two disciples stood guard outside the door, their expressions solemn.
" Fang Han Brother Fang Han has come to provide support on the orders of the sect and requests to see Elder Wu Zheng."
The disciple leading the way spoke to the two disciples on duty.
The two disciples on duty exchanged a glance, and one of them quickly bowed and said:
"Senior Brother Fang, please wait a moment, I'll go and inform them right away."
After saying that, he turned around and walked to the door of the wooden house, and gently knocked on the door.
The cabin was dimly lit, with only a small window letting in a bit of light.
A pale-faced middle-aged man sat cross-legged on a simple wooden couch, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing fluctuating.
He was wearing the robes of Elder of the Azure Profound Sect, with dark bloodstains visible on his collar, indicating that his injuries were serious.
This man was none other than Wu Zheng, the Azure Profound Sect Elder stationed at the Sky Swallow City gold mine.
Within his body, the < Mystic Ice Scripture > slowly circulated, working in conjunction with the medicinal power of the Jade Dew Pellet to gradually repair the damaged meridians and internal organs.
In his battle with Yuan Zhan, he fought with all his might, but ultimately could not overcome the opponent's superior cultivation and was severely injured and forced to retreat.
"Cough cough..."
Wu Zheng coughed twice, his brows furrowed.
Although Yuan Zhan has retreated, given his style of doing things, he will surely make a comeback.
Without several days of recuperation, he will find it difficult to regain his fighting strength due to his injuries.
If Yuan Zhan attacks again during this period...
Just as he was pondering this, a soft knock came at the door, followed by the voice of the disciple on duty:
" Elder, the sect's reinforcements have arrived."
Wu Zheng opened his eyes, and a look of relief flashed in his eyes, which were slightly dim due to his injuries.
He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, ending this round of energy cultivation.
"It's good that you're here."
He muttered to himself, propped himself up on the wooden couch, straightened his slightly disheveled robes, and walked towards the door.
He was preparing to hand over the duties to the Elder sent by the sect. After the handover, he could focus on recovering from his injuries and no longer have to worry about the safety of the mine.
The wooden door creaked open.
Wu Zheng stepped out, his gaze naturally passing over the disciples guarding the door and landing on the person who had just arrived not far away.
Then, he paused slightly.
The newcomer wore a green robe, had a long sword at his waist, and looked unusually young, clearly only in his early twenties.
It wasn't one of the senior Elder as expected, but rather—
" True Disciple Fang Han greets Elder Wu."
Fang Han stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful greeting, and spoke in a steady voice.
Wu Zheng's gaze lingered on Fang Han for a moment, a faint hint of disappointment flashing deep in his eyes before disappearing.
He nodded slightly in return.
"Master True Disciple, thank you for your trouble."
His voice was flat, revealing no emotion, but beneath the politeness lay a hint of disappointment.
Fang Han's expression remained unchanged.
He could sense Wu Zheng's disappointment, the kind of disappointment that comes after high expectations, only to find that the person who came was not the one he had anticipated. Anyone would feel that way.
He was not surprised by this.
A Nether Pavilion Elder, a Third Grade Late Stage expert, was watching closely, ready to attack again at any moment. Wu Zheng was filled with hope that the sect could send a senior Elder of comparable strength to oversee the situation.
The one who arrived was a True Disciple disciple who had only Beginner stage for a little over two years. Although he ranked sixth on the Prodigy Ranking and was considered top among the younger generation, he was still just a member of the younger generation.
Disappointment is normal.