"Sizzle—"
Two long streaks of light, one azure and one violet, tore across the blue sky. Brilliant sword light shot toward Jiang Ming.
The sword qi was like frost, spitting out three meters of icy radiance. The piercing hum of the swords buzzed relentlessly, shaking hearts and souls.
The first to attack were two Life Spring cultivators, both sword users. But using swords against Jiang Ming was like showing off an axe before a master carpenter. With a lift of his hand, their two sharp Dharma swords were disrupted by his Sword Flight Technique and instantly slipped from their control.
The next moment.
The sword light drew inward and vanished in a flash.
In the distance, two figures hidden atop a mountain peak still wore expressions of disbelief. Their own Dharma swords had pierced through their brows before they even had time to bring out other artifacts to protect themselves.
Even when Jiang Ming had only been at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, killing them would have been as easy as slaughtering chickens.
"Congratulations, Host, for killing two Life Spring cultivators. You have received a random reward: one Azure Wood Heart."
Jiang Ming had killed the two merely as an afterthought. With a grasp of his left hand, the Azure Feather Crane and Nannan rapidly shrank and landed in his palm. "Nannan, don't be afraid. Once your brother drives away the bad people, we'll continue on our journey."
As soon as he finished speaking, his sleeves fluttered. His entire body seemed to transform into a blazing sun, its light shining in all directions.
A Divine Pattern at his brow blazed with crimson radiance, transforming into a golden divine wheel that appeared behind his head.
Those who had come to assassinate him were instantly frozen in place by the golden light. When Jiang Ming drew near, they turned to ashes one after another, purified and vaporized by the searing divine radiance emanating from him.
Only a few artifacts remained on the ground, along with worthless scraps of metal Jiang Ming could not be bothered to collect.
"Congratulations, Host, for killing eleven Life Spring cultivators. You have received a one-star reward: one hundred catties of Pure Source." "It has been placed in the Host's Sea of Bitterness." "Congratulations, Host, for killing four Life Spring cultivators. You have received a one-and-a-half-star reward: one Purple Copper Gourd, a treasure artifact refined in the Four Extremes Secret Realm." "It has been placed in the Host's Sea of Bitterness."
Eh!
A Purple Copper Gourd?
Jiang Ming reached out with his right hand and took all the spoils, mainly the weapons. These bandit cultivators were all paupers. What good things could they possibly have on them?
Even if they obtained spirit herbs or Source, they would immediately find a place to refine them and turn them into their own cultivation.
Someone like Elder Han was a diligent old ox, and he was also an elder of a small Cave-Heaven Paradise.
Only because he needed to prolong his life had he accumulated so many spirit herbs. In the original plot, all of them had gone to that brat Ye Fan.
Forget it. Everyone took what they needed.
After Elder Han's friends died, the rewards should be quite good.
There were still people watching from afar. They seemed to be elders from the Treasure Gathering Pavilion. Seeing Jiang Ming kill bandit cultivators as easily as crushing ants, they became even more convinced that he was a Buddhist son who had come from the Western Desert to gain experience.
Taixuan Sect!
It was located amid countless immortal mountains.
It was one of the ancient great sects of the Southern Region in the Eastern Wasteland. Like the Qixia Sect, it was one of the top powers in the Southern Region.
Taixuan Sect possessed one hundred and eight main peaks, as well as three thousand smaller affiliated peaks.
The one hundred and eight main peaks represented one hundred and eight supreme inheritances. Each one was a top-tier inheritance collected long ago by an Ancient Great Ability. Mastering even one of them would let a cultivator thrive in the cultivation world, and every inheritance was a foundation of Taixuan Sect's enduring prosperity.
Though time had passed, some inheritances had declined or even fallen into ruin because they had not found suitable successors.
Yet other inheritances continued to produce rising heirs, allowing Taixuan Sect to remain prosperous through countless cycles of Samsara, changing dynasties, and the passage of time. It had always stood firm.
Jiang Ming sat on the Azure Feather Crane's back with Nannan in his arms. From far away, he could already see the astonishing grandeur of Taixuan Sect.
Having arrived here, the Azure Feather Crane naturally found its way back to its nest and gave a joyful cry.
The Azure Feather Crane's dwelling was quite nice. The lake water was clear, birdcalls echoed through the ravines, and the secluded mountains were covered in green grass. It was exceptionally peaceful.
"Go on!"
Jiang Ming set Nannan on his shoulder and walked through the clouds toward the foot of Taixuan Sect's mountain.
As he walked, golden ripples naturally flowed beneath his feet, as though a golden great path had appeared there.
This was a short-lived showy effect created using the spatial power contained within Buddhland in the Palm.
Having come to Taixuan Sect, if you were the timid sort of cultivator who lacked confidence, Hua Yunfei would not meet you. What was more, many people on this mountain might secretly turn into bandit cultivators and attack you once you left.
"Amitabha Buddha. This humble monk is Sanzang, here to visit Hua Yunfei of Star Peak."
Jiang Ming spoke, his voice long and resonant like morning bells and evening drums, echoing through the heavens and rippling around the area.
Hua Yunfei!
He was said to be a genius rarely seen in Taixuan Sect for five thousand years. Gentle and skilled at making friends, he counted many outstanding young talents from the surrounding great powers among his friends.
Many people were already accustomed to such things. Hua Yunfei had many friends, and visitors often came to see him.
However, today's pair was somewhat strange.
One was a bald monk, and the other was a little girl.
Many people on Star Peak wanted to befriend Hua Yunfei. Before long, a graceful female cultivator in a silver dress flew out. "You two, Taixuan Sect does not permit outsiders to fly about freely. Please descend to the stone steps, and I will lead you to see Senior Brother Hua."
"Of course, of course. This humble monk has been discourteous."
Jiang Ming's smile was brighter than spring sunlight. He had not come here to fight.
The female cultivator of Star Peak was briefly dazed and could not help feeling surprised. What a handsome monk. When he smiled, it felt as though one were bathing in a spring breeze.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they walked along the stone steps. Mountain walls shrouded in thin mist stood on either side, green trees entwined with vines, and clear springs flowed over the rocks.
Spirit beasts occasionally appeared. A Five-Colored Deer drank from a mountain spring while watching the passing group with intelligent eyes. Water gurgled over pebbles with a crisp splash, like the cheerful laughter of a young girl. It passed through pine woods and wound around ancient trees, startling the golden carp in the stream.
"I am Li Jiaqi, a disciple of Star Peak. Senior Brother Hua has recently been preparing to enter seclusion."
"If you had come one day later, he might already have entered seclusion."
The Star Peak female cultivator had a graceful figure and soft features. Although her temperament was somewhat lacking, her beauty alone would have made her a major celebrity in her previous life on Earth.
"Sorry for the trouble, benefactress, for guiding us. This humble monk's Dharma name is Sanzang. I came from the Western Lands Desert and traveled to the Eastern Wasteland to seek an emperor and scriptures."
"Passing by this treasured temple, I saw that this place was rich in talented people and spiritual energy. I also heard that Hua Yunfei enjoyed making friends, so I came especially to pay him a visit. This is Xiao Nannan, my younger sister."
Jiang Ming smiled while holding a flower between his fingers, looking solemn and dignified. He did not look down on the female cultivator, and he seriously explained his origins. At the very least, this was truly his identity now. If anyone doubted it, they could go ask the Fighting Saint Buddha at Mount Sumeru in the Western Desert.
The female cultivator of Star Peak was greatly surprised. Naturally, she had heard of the Western Desert. Its distance could not possibly be described with merely ten thousand li.
But Jiang Ming's bearing did not resemble that of an ordinary person. In that case, it made sense.
They moved quickly, and as they drifted onward, the stone steps beneath their feet seemed to shrink. Before long, they arrived at Star Peak's mountainside.
Along the way, many Star Peak disciples came out to take a look. Even disciples from other distant peaks turned to watch them.
After all, bald cultivators rarely appeared in Taixuan Sect.