Such a bold claim...
Could this man be from some great sect?
Only then did Venerable Red Dragon notice that Han Xuanji was covered in a dazzling array of colors, all of them high-grade Law Treasures protecting him. He looked nothing like a penniless Rogue Cultivator.
But if he came from a great sect, why had he come to this remote wilderness to make his breakthrough?
Before Venerable Red Dragon could speak, one of the Spirit Transformation cultivators behind him could not help saying:
"The three of us aren't enough? Fellow Daoist, you're truly arrogant. Let me properly test your skills!"
"Let's see what you're really made of."
Hearing this,
Han Xuanji did not back down. He had already begun secretly circulating his spiritual power.
He kept a low profile; he wasn't a coward.
It was time to test the results of all those years he had spent lying low.
The next moment,
Han Xuanji did not hesitate. He did not know exactly how strong these people were, so he immediately used the first killing move of his strongest attack, the Flying Immortal Sword Instruction.
Flying Immortal from Beyond the Heavens.
In an instant,
An indescribable sword cry seemed to come from beyond the nine heavens, yet also seemed to tremble in the depths of everyone's souls!
Boom!
The surrounding space hummed in unison, spatial ripples spreading like a tide. Terrifying sword intent filled a hundred-mile radius, erupting in a pillar of light that reached the sky and stirred the mountains and forests for a thousand miles.
Then a figure appeared, a longsword in hand, his presence vast as the sun and moon.
With one stroke of the sword, the earth rumbled and the mountains were cleaved apart.
"What powerful sword intent..."
Venerable Red Dragon's eyes widened.
"Just who are you?"
Venerable Red Dragon also cultivated the Sword Dao, and his sword intent had already reached the stage of great accomplishment. Han Xuanji's mastery of the Sword Dao was undoubtedly more than a level above his own, and he had never imagined he would run into such a formidable opponent.
Before Venerable Red Dragon could come to their aid, the two Spirit Transformation Devil Cultivators behind him were killed in an instant.
The terrifying sword intent shattered their minds, while the Sword Qi, capable of destroying anything in its path, reduced their bodies to blood mist in an instant.
Too strong!
Venerable Red Dragon was, after all, a veteran Mid Spirit Transformation cultivator. Although Han Xuanji had struck with incredible speed, he still managed to summon his life-bound flying sword and forcibly block the terrifying Sword Qi, but the blood seeping from his mouth showed that he had not done so easily.
"Fellow Daoist, if you kill me, you'll offend our Heavenly Devil Cult!"
Venerable Red Dragon roared:
"Our cult leader is already close to the Tribulation Transcendence Realm!"
"What the hell does that have to do with me?"
Han Xuanji was no fool. He would never let a tiger return to the mountains.
In any case, as a disciple of the Divine Profound Sect, he was already a sworn enemy of the Heavenly Devil Cult. After killing this fellow, he could go right back to lying low in the Divine Profound Sect.
Since the Heavenly Devil Cult's leader was so impressive, let him come to the Divine Profound Sect if he had the guts!
He refused to believe that a sect as large as the Divine Profound Sect had no way to deal with someone at the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
"Swords, come!"
With a thought from Han Xuanji, powerful flying swords appeared one after another behind him. These were all Spirit Transformation-level flying swords he had obtained from signing in. Now that he had broken through to Spirit Transformation and his Divine Sense had transformed, controlling them came even more naturally.
Countless streaks of Sword Qi crisscrossed, forming a terrifying killing formation that left Venerable Red Dragon with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.
"How is this possible..."
Venerable Red Dragon was dumbstruck by the sight. Every flying sword radiated immense power. They were obviously all Spirit Transformation Realm Law Treasures, and not one was inferior to his Red Dragon Sword!
"Just what kind of mighty figure are you?!"
Even the Heavenly Devil Cult's first holy son did not have this many treasures!
Naturally, Han Xuanji did not answer his question. He merely uttered a single word:
"Die!"
The next moment,
Wind and thunder howled, and heaven and earth shook!
Sword Qi surged like the torrent of a great river, crushing the Heavenly Devil Cult protector to death. Before his Primordial Spirit could escape, the powerful sword intent had already wiped it out.
That was what made sword cultivators so powerful. When it came to offense, they were among the very best!
This was also because Han Xuanji's Sword Dao cultivation had reached an extremely high level. Combined with his powerful flying swords, it was not difficult for him to kill a Mid Spirit Transformation expert like this, even though he had only just entered Spirit Transformation!
Seeing this,
Han Xuanji finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Safe now."
To be honest, he had not been sure of his own combat strength before, which was why he had gone all out from the start.
Only after the fight did Han Xuanji discover that his Sword Dao cultivation had unknowingly made another breakthrough.
Perhaps it was because he had released years of pent-up restraint, but his Sword Dao cultivation had directly reached the stage of Sword Intent Profound Understanding.
"Sure enough, I really did need to let loose."
Han Xuanji murmured.
After lying low for so many years, it was about time he got to show off.
Immediately afterward, Han Xuanji did not linger. He took his spoils and hurried away.
The battle had caused an enormous commotion and already attracted quite a few people.
Han Xuanji used Heaven-Treading Step to leave quickly, then employed the Myriad Phenomena Instruction to conceal his presence. In the end, he returned to Lingxiu Peak without mishap and entered a cave abode.
For the sake of cultivation, Han Xuanji had moved out of the menial disciples' courtyard long ago.
This cave abode sat atop a lower-grade Spirit Vein on Lingxiu Peak. With sect contribution points, it could be rented at a discount for several decades. The price was not high, and even a Late Qi Refinement menial disciple like him could easily afford it.
Han Xuanji was still shaken. After all, this was his first time doing something like that.
He had just made a breakthrough at the time, and the feeling that he was invincible under heaven had gone to his head.
Now that he thought back on it,
He had been impulsive!
Still, Han Xuanji did not regret it.
Killing Spirit Transformation cultivators with a single sword strike had been unimaginably exhilarating.
No wonder some people liked going around challenging others. Fighting could be pretty satisfying at times.
But Han Xuanji also knew that it was precisely because he had lain low and grown stronger beforehand that he could now enjoy fighting.
"These Spirit Transformation cultivators really were rich."
Han Xuanji took out the three men's storage Law Treasures and examined them.
The Spirit Stones and medicinal pills alone amounted to a staggering sum.
After checking everything, he destroyed some Devil Dao Cultivation Methods and Law Artifacts. He did not think much of them anyway, and it was better to destroy them to avoid being tracked.
After this fight,
Han Xuanji had gained some understanding of his own strength.
Even if he lacked combat experience, his foundation, mastery of the Sword Dao, divine weapons, and Law Treasures were genuinely a cut above the rest. None of it was an illusion.
Many cultivators might have rich combat experience, but in terms of equipment, Law Techniques, and mastery of the Sword Dao, they fell far short of him.
In the face of absolute strength, so-called combat experience was not all that important.
Of course, it was still best to fight opponents at a lower realm. When challenging someone above his level, he also worried that he might not be strong enough.
I still need to keep my head down. At the very least, I should reach the Tribulation Transcendence Realm first.
Han Xuanji thought to himself.
He had not grown arrogant just because he had killed three Spirit Transformation cultivators. Judging by that man's words, the Heavenly Devil Cult probably had no shortage of Spirit Transformation cultivators, and the deaths of these few might instead enrage the cult.
Fortunately, the Heavenly Devil Cult's leader was still in seclusion, so the situation probably would not worsen in the short term.
He had to reach the Tribulation Transcendence Realm before the Heavenly Devil Cult's leader broke through to it.
A few days later,
Han Xuanji discovered that news really did travel fast in the world of immortal cultivation.
Many people in the menial disciples' courtyard group chat on the jade tokens were unusually active.
Quite a few were discussing how a mysterious sword cultivator had killed Spirit Transformation Devil Cultivators.
"This Sword Dao Venerable's strength is truly terrifying. I can't imagine how profound his mastery of the Sword Dao must be."
"I heard that although this Sword Dao Venerable has only just entered Spirit Transformation, his mastery of the Sword Dao is exceptionally profound. Even if he encountered a Late Spirit Transformation expert, he might not lose."
"He fought three alone and slew three Spirit Transformation Devil Cultivators. It truly makes my heart surge! I wonder which senior it was."
"Now that the Spirit Transformation Devil Cultivators the Heavenly Devil Cult stationed in Eastern Cang Province are dead, the senior brothers of the Devil Extermination Hall have seized the opportunity to wipe out numerous devil sect strongholds."
Only then did Han Xuanji learn that the people he had killed were the experts the Heavenly Devil Cult had stationed in Eastern Cang Province.
With their deaths, the many Devil Cultivators were like dragons without a head. Under the Divine Profound Sect's assault, they soon scattered.
That had effectively broken the Heavenly Devil Cult's first wave of attacks.
But although three Spirit Transformation cultivators had died, it was actually no serious loss to the Heavenly Devil Cult.
Those three Spirit Transformation cultivators were, at most, the vanguard.
The Heavenly Devil Cult also acted swiftly, sending out many spies to investigate the sword cultivator's true identity. In many underground markets, it even offered a hefty reward for clues to his identity.