First Battle

Jiang Chen's eyes flickered, and his heart jolted.

Just now, he had vaguely seen a fox shadow.

Yet it merely resembled the Nine-Tailed Fox shadow cast upon the cave dwelling wall that night.

This woman's aura was not exactly the same either, like a lifelike imitation. Only someone who had had deep dealings with the original could spot the difference at a glance.

Jiang Chen realized that someone had set their sights on him!

Strange... He had clearly been very careful.

Moreover, he had replayed the plot recordings of the two fused realities over and over. Aside from the first time, when a few Tranquil Heart Peak disciples had seen his contact with Liu Ruyan, no suspicious person had taken notice of him.

Jiang Chen stared fixedly at the figure on the branch.

Within those moonlit eyes, he vaguely saw a trace of nearly imperceptible demonic energy.

Jiang Chen understood.

This person must have been rather close to Liu Ruyan to discover him in secret. Perhaps they were a spy from the Demon Sect assigned to monitor Liu Ruyan.

Besides that, there was another possibility...

Without a word, Jiang Chen turned and left.

With a whoosh, a sword shot toward him!

Jiang Chen had long expected the enemy to strike from behind. Relying on the high-grade Hedgehog Armor protecting him, he shifted aside at the sound of the sword's cry and raised a hand to seize the flying sword.

He carefully sensed the spiritual pressure imbued in the flying sword... Fortunately, it was only Qi Refining Ninth Layer!

He relaxed slightly.

Protected by the high-grade Hedgehog Armor Liu Ruyan had given him, and having cultivated the Demi-Immortal's Book along with formidable Basic Spirit Control, Jiang Chen felt that he could fight.

Even if he could not win, making a bigger commotion would draw Azure Mist Sect disciples, deacons, or Liu Ruyan... If she had truly come seeking an opportunity, there was no reason for her to let him go for nothing.

The instant Jiang Chen gripped the flying sword, the demonic energy contained within it slowly seeped out like black mist, winding around his right hand.

This person really was a Demon Sect spy...

Jiang Chen immediately activated the Abyss within his sea of qi, spreading its siphoning force through his spiritual veins to his right palm and forcibly devouring the Qi Refining Ninth Layer demonic energy.

After swallowing the demonic energy within the sword, Jiang Chen immediately poured his own spiritual power into it, claiming it as his own in an instant. With a thought, he placed it inside his Storage Ring.

Though it was his first time seizing a treasure, his movements flowed in one smooth breath, practiced beyond belief!

From the treetop came a man's voice:

"You really do have a problem."

Immediately afterward, the man drew his sword and released Sword Qi.

"Whirlwind Sword Aura, bind!"

In an instant, spiraling Sword Qi swept toward Jiang Chen from all directions.

The Sword Qi carried fallen leaves from the forest, forming a howling tornado of sword pressure.

It trapped Jiang Chen completely!

"A man pretending to be a woman?"

Jiang Chen had no time to fuss over gender. He hurriedly drew his sword to meet the enemy.

Come to think of it, this was actually his first battle since he began cultivating.

This simulator was truly outrageous. Such a life-and-death crisis did not even count as a main storyline, so it gave him no chance to simulate it.

Could a mighty transmigrator like him actually be some minor supporting character?

Fortunately, the opponent's first choice was not to kill him, but to capture him.

Battles between Qi Refining cultivators were generally decided through sword techniques and spirit control. Spells were rarely used.

That was because when Qi Refining cultivators cast spells, forming hand seals or chanting took too long, their range was short, and their power was weak. They were fine for crushing mortals, but against fellow Qi Refining cultivators, sword techniques and spirit control were faster and more lethal.

So-called Sword Qi was actually a gaseous form of mixed spirit control.

Facing binding-type Sword Qi, Jiang Chen drew his sword, imbued its edge with spirit power, and shattered it with a single strike!

A sharp cry rang out.

Slash—

A gash abruptly appeared along the side of the tornado Sword Qi.

Jiang Chen seized the chance to leap free, racing down the mountain.

The enemy reacted quickly and rapidly caught up.

With a twisting leap, he brought another sword down toward Jiang Chen's head!

At the same time, he drew out a palm strike with the demonic spiritual pressure of Qi Refining Ninth Layer, concealing it behind him as he prepared to ambush Jiang Chen.

With his Five-Element Endowment, Jiang Chen could sense all demon, monster, and spirit forces. His divine sense was exceptionally sharp, and he saw through the enemy's palm force in advance.

That sword strike was extremely fast, and the enemy had flipped down from above the mountain, occupying advantageous terrain.

If he dodged carelessly, he would easily take a pursuing palm strike.

With that in mind, Jiang Chen immediately imbued his sword with metal spiritual power, reinforcing its blunt side, and swept aside the thrusting sword with one strike.

Then, the opponent's pursuing palm came down.

Jiang Chen had anticipated it. Without retreating in the slightest, he met it with his own palm.

Bang—

The opponent's palm force was stronger by a notch, but fortunately, the Hedgehog Armor dispersed it.

However, the Demonic Flame bursting from the opponent's palm was completely devoured by the Abyss vortex that appeared in Jiang Chen's palm.

Normally, demonic energy was a toxic, corruptive form of spiritual energy. It could dismantle and destroy ordinary spiritual power.

Yet the Demonic Flame was instead devoured by Jiang Chen.

Fearing damage to his own demonic spirit, the opponent flipped up onto the treetop in a leap. He stepped upon leaves like the wind, light as though weightless, and stared straight at Jiang Chen.

"Who exactly are you? What is your relationship with Senior Sister Liu? Why can you devour demonic energy?"

Only then did Jiang Chen take a careful look.

This was a plain-looking young man with a steady aura... Could he be one of Senior Sister Liu's admirers?

"I'm Senior Sister Liu's friend!"

Jiang Chen answered decisively, without the slightest hint of ambiguous intimacy in his tone.

"Then I can spare you even less!"

Knowing of Jiang Chen's ability to devour demonic spirits, the man hesitated not at all and struck with his sword.

This time, he did not use demonic spirit power. Instead, he spread the spiritual pressure of Qi Refining Ninth Layer, forcibly pinning Jiang Chen down.

Then he imbued his sword with Qi Refining Ninth Layer spiritual power and stabbed it at Jiang Chen's neck!

Pinned by the spiritual pressure, Jiang Chen could neither evade nor even swing his sword, while his neck was not protected by the Hedgehog Armor.

After all, the spiritual power of Qi Refining, Third Layer was far inferior to Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

Under such crushing pressure, Jiang Chen could not even display his delicate fine control.

Facing the swiftly descending blade, he could only toss away his own spirit sword and forcefully raise a hand to grasp the blade.

Blood from his palm trickled down the sword's edge.

His metal spiritual power merged into his blood and slowly seeped into the sword, making it ring and hum...

The opponent had another move prepared, following through with a palm strike.

This time, there was no Demonic Flame in his palm, only spiritual pressure that Jiang Chen could not swiftly devour.

Fortunately, Jiang Chen had prepared for it. He suddenly twisted demon, monster, and spirit power together in a spiraling interlocking fashion, unleashing his strongest Flicked Spirit Pellet—

Bang!

The spirit pellet instantly pierced through the descending palm, then through the forehead behind it.

The bloody, ruptured hand slapped down, but most of its force had already dispersed.

Jiang Chen's flicked middle finger extended, piercing straight through the palm, while his remaining curled fingers braced against the palm force.

The opponent had been struck in the head and was nearly dead.

Jiang Chen took advantage of the moment to execute an over-the-shoulder throw, smashing him heavily into the ground.

He then seized the man's spirit sword and followed up with a killing blow, thrusting it into his dantian and ending him completely.

He took the man's Storage Ring, dug up earth with his sword, and buried the body right where it lay.

Only then did Jiang Chen wipe away the thin sweat on his forehead, shocked by his own calmness and cold-bloodedness.

He could even clearly sense his adrenaline receding...

Of course, that also had something to do with his guess that a certain woman was present.

"Come out. Without your guidance, this man could never have noticed me."

A gust of cold wind swept past, and the forest was silent as a grave.