A Son Sees His Father Still Lives, Sharpens His Blade and Hacks at Him

Xu Pingfeng was met with flashes of blades and Sword-Ray, tearing his body apart.

Xu Pingfeng then appeared on the other side, standing with his hands behind his back, calm and collected, and chuckled lightly:

"You're as stubborn as ever. You're clearly terrified of your father, but you insist on acting arrogant and unruly so you can show him you've grown up?"

Xu Qi'an sneered:

"Your psychological tactics are very effective; I'm starting to get angry."

Xu Pingfeng smiled, disdaining to engage in a verbal argument, and said:

"Fine, I've given you the chance. Since you're so stubborn, I won't force you."

He always maintained this calm and composed demeanor, as if he had everything under control.

It seems that Xu Yinluo, whom the Great Feng court fears and the martial arts world reveres, is nothing in his eyes.

Of course, Xu Pingfeng's confidence was well-founded.

Despite failing to reclaim the fortune in the capital last time, and losing their first public confrontation with the eldest son.

But actually, recovering the dragon's energy was only one part of his plan; his other plan was to kill Joan of Arc and shatter the dragon's energy!

It went very smoothly.

He never leaves empty-handed.

The more Xu Pingfeng acted this way, the angrier Xu Qi'an became.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs, but Xu Pingfeng's purpose in giving birth to his eldest son was merely to make him a vessel to carry the nation's destiny.

If it weren't for his mother's strong maternal love that saved him, Xu Qi'an would have long been used and discarded as a tool.

Even so, Xu Pingfeng still did not let "him" go, and on the grounds of the tax silver case, he exiled him to the frontier, where he was sent to collect goods en route.

For this purpose, he was willing to abandon even his own brother's family; he was utterly heartless and cold-blooded, which was frightening.

Brute!

Now, seeing his cultivation level improve day by day, he condescendingly plays the family card, as if it were a strong person bestowing charity upon the weak.

Xu Qi'an knew that even now, Xu Pingfeng had never truly valued him.

"Don't think too highly of yourself. In the eyes of true peak experts, those blessed with good fortune are only troublesome because killing them will bring backlash. In fact, which first-rank expert doesn't possess unique destiny?"

Xu Pingfeng said calmly, "The backlash from luck is particularly severe for Warlock, but if a top expert from another system kills you, they will at most pay a certain price."

He said no more, disappeared by teleportation, and reappeared standing on the head of the Vajra Dharma Image.

Xu Qi'an did not stop him; like Nalan Tianlu, he was in a semi-crippled state.

However, with the healing power of the Pharmacist, he can recover his initial fighting strength in no more than 15 minutes.

He still has one trump card up his sleeve.

The battle had ceased, and the old man stood proudly in the air, facing off against the Vajra Dharma Image from afar.

The two were vastly different, but the old scoundrel's imposing manner was in no way inferior to that of the Vajra Dharma Image; such was the usual arrogance of a martial artist.

Kouyang Prefecture!

"You've been in seclusion for four hundred years, have you ever considered that the day you emerge from seclusion will be your death day!"

Xu Pingfeng spoke calmly, yet his voice resounded through the sky, clearly reaching the ears of Cao Qingyang and the soldiers in the distant military town.

The old scoundrel scrutinized Xu Pingfeng and responded loudly:

"You're the chief disciple of the supervisor?"

He learned roughly about the grudges between the supervisor and the eldest disciple from Xu Qi'an. Of course, Xu Qi'an concealed the fact that the "unfilial son" was his biological father.

There's no reason for hiding it; it's just that I don't want to talk about it.

Xu Pingfeng did not respond. A clear light shone beneath his feet, and arrays were created, covering the Vajra Dharma Image.

A teleportation array covered his feet, an enhancement array covered his body, and the Five Elements Grand Array merged into the Vajra Dharma Form's body, replacing the five internal organs.

The golden staff burst forth with dazzling light, its weight seemingly capable of crushing the void.

Black, viscous luster flowed like water across the golden sword; white fragments of light scattered and clung to the golden dagger; blazing flames rose from the golden ring; blue vines grew from the outer shell of the golden pagoda; and the golden bell rippled with a thick, earthy yellow halo.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky, hitting the vajra pestle directly and causing an arc of electricity to leap from the tip of the cone.

Formations are the most core ability of Warlock.

It uses formations to manipulate the power of heaven and earth, and has a wide range of applications; it can be used for primary offense or secondary offense.

Xu Pingfeng's move involved using an array as an aid to enhance the various attributes of the Vajra Dharma Form.

In the blink of an eye, the aura of the Vajra Dharma Image surged, reaching a new level and becoming a true first-grade combat force.

After setting up these formations, Xu Pingfeng's clone's aura weakened to an extreme degree, and it could dissipate at any moment.

But Xu Pingfeng was still not satisfied. He took out a string of bracelets from his pocket. The bracelets were decorated with animal teeth, five-colored stones, copper pieces and other items, full of exotic style.

Bathed in the radiant light of the Pharmacist's image, Xu Qi'an sensed a familiar aura emanating from the bracelet.

The aura of the Heavenly Gu.

Did Xu Pingfeng's clone manage to sneak into Jianzhou by using "shifting stars and changing constellations" to deceive the supervisor? He wondered to himself.

At this moment, he saw Xu Pingfeng release his grip, letting the bracelet fall and "merge" into the Vajra Dharma Image.

He was trying to make Xu Qi'an feel uneasy, having already guessed Xu Pingfeng's thoughts.

After handing over the bracelet, a clear light rose beneath Xu Pingfeng's feet and disappeared. He returned to the Wind-Riding Boat, stood on the ship's side, and looked down with his hands behind his back.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Vajra Dharma Image, whose height rivals that of a mountain, turned halfway around, abandoned the old scoundrel, and brandished various weapons as it charged towards Xu Qi'an.

This was a disaster; the earth shook violently, and the tremors could be felt for miles around.

Target: Xu Qi'an!

Whether it's Xu Pingfeng or the Buddhist School, their primary target will always be Xu Qi'an.

No wonder he said he was giving me one last chance. Xu Qi'an shouted urgently:

"Senior, run!"

This shout was directed at the old monk Taling.

Do you even need to tell me? The pagoda, riding on golden light, fled, its golden tail flames enveloping Xu Qi'an.

A clear light rose from the soles of Vajra's feet, and its towering, enormous body suddenly vanished.

Xu Qi'an suddenly felt a large shadow cover him. He turned his head and saw that the golden body with twenty-four arms and the power of the five elements had appeared behind him at some point.

When!

The ring-shaped sword, adorned with white shards of light, struck the tower, sending blazing white and bright gold fragments scattering in all directions, creating ripples like bursting fireworks.

The force of the violent explosion worsened his still-recovering body; his eardrums ruptured instantly, and he briefly lost consciousness in the aftershocks.

At this moment, the only thought in Xu Qi'an's mind was:

Fortunately, I left Mu Nanzhi outside and didn't put her inside the pagoda.

Knowing that this battle involved extraordinary beings and Xu Pingfeng, he took the precaution of transferring Mu Nanzhi and Chai Xing'er out of the Floating Pagoda in advance.

Otherwise, with just this one blow, the Flower Goddess's reincarnation would have to be reincarnated.

The pagoda flew out like a meteorite, tumbling and carrying Xu Qi'an with it.

With a series of rapid thuds, the Vajra Dharma Image charged after the attack, unleashing a barrage of weapons including swords, clubs, and pestles.

Buzz!

Seemingly sensing a tremendous threat, the Pagoda finally broke its rule of "not attacking Buddhist School monks." The pagoda trembled, and a powerful force surged forth like a tidal wave.

Suppress all surrounding enemies.

At the same time, another illusory image of a Dharma body materialized at the top of the tower, draped in a kasaya, with blurred features and a radiant light symbolizing wisdom behind its head.

The halo symbolizing wisdom reverses.

The Vajra Dharma Image's frantic pace faltered under the suppression of the pagoda, and as the wisdom halo reversed, the Vajra Dharma Image became bewildered, as if it had lost its wisdom and did not know what to do next.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Floating Pagoda escaped with Xu Qi'an; this level of counterattack was the limit of what the pagoda spirit could achieve.

It is not good at fighting.

Two seconds later, the Vajra Dharma Image regained its senses, and clear light rose beneath its feet as it attempted to use a teleportation Law Technique to pursue the enemy.

Whoosh! Clang!

The old scoundrel transformed himself into a knife, aiming for the back of Vajra's head amidst the whooshing sound of air being cut, but it was blocked by the golden bell that had blocked it in advance.

The outer shell of the bell, with its earthy yellow sheen flowing slowly, resembles a viscous, heavy liquid.

The old scoundrel's strike failed to shake the golden bell.

The Vajra Dharma Image spun around and swung its sword, unleashing an arc of sword light, with the faint sound of ocean waves echoing in mid-air.

Puff!

The old scoundrel's head flew off with a thud; he had been beheaded by a single sword strike, and the martial artist's premonition of danger had served no purpose.

Shifting stars and changing constellations!

Upon seeing this scene, Xu Qi'an knew he had not guessed wrong.

Xu Pingfeng lent the Heavenly Gu Law Artifact to Du Nan Jingang in order to suppress the martial artist's premonition of danger.

"Senior, come here!"

Xu Qi'an roared.

The old scoundrel's head and body retreated violently, moving closer to the pagoda. During this process, the old monk of the pagoda spirit once again manifested the "Great Wisdom Dharma Form," with the halo reversing, reducing the intelligence of the Vajra Dharma Form.

This prevented him from pursuing the old scoundrel.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Qi'an opened his palm, aimed at the old scoundrel, and grabbed him forcefully, as if he had snatched something from his body.

He also applied this buff to the old scoundrel by shifting stars and changing constellations.

"You've blocked my presence?"

The old man examined himself and immediately noticed something amiss.

"Senior, please hold him off for half an hour. After that, I will kill him."

Xu Qi'an said in a deep voice.

"Are you confident?" The old man frowned.

Before Xu Qi'an could answer, he laughed heartily:

"Alright, half a quarter of an hour it is. I'll take care of it for you."

As they spoke, the Vajra Dharma Image appeared silently behind them via teleportation.

Riding the wind-powered boat, Ji Xuan ignored the battle below, took out a small bronze cauldron, and tilted it mouth-down.

A dozen or so figures were thrown out of the cauldron, including men and women, martial arts practitioners, scholars, and commoners in plain clothes.

These people are unconscious.

Ji Xuan pressed down lightly with his palm, and with a "poof" sound, blood mist exploded from the chests of more than a dozen dragon energy hosts, and they died instantly.

One after another, golden dragon phantoms detached from their hosts, soaring through the clouds in an attempt to escape.

However, they were all trapped within the barrier formed by the formation, and no matter how they tried to break free, they could not escape the Wind-Riding Boat.

"Seventh Brother?"

Upon seeing this, Xu Yuanshuang was stunned for a moment, then asked in bewilderment, "Why did you kill the host of the dragon energy?"

Once the dragon energy leaves its host, it becomes difficult for Warlock to capture it again. To trap the dragon energy like this, the father had to personally intervene.

Even a father can only trap them; he cannot gather and subdue them.

Unless they have fragments of the Earth Book.

Ji Xuan glanced at Xu Pingfeng's retreating figure. Seeing that he neither stopped him nor spoke, he smiled and said:

"Sister, this is the Imperial Advisor's second plan: to help me reach the third rank and give Qianlong City a direct descendant of a transcendent being."

Xu Yuanhuai couldn't hide his envy.

Xu Yuanshuang, being Warlock, frowned upon hearing this:

"With just this little bit of dragon aura?"

Ji Xuan squinted and said with a smile:

"There are still people below him. Xu Qi'an is just at the end of his rope. In less than a quarter of an hour, he and the old bastard from the Martial Alliance will die at the hands of Vajra Dharma Image."

"To tell you the truth, the Imperial Preceptor's real purpose for this trip to the martial world is to help me break through to the Transcendent Realm with the help of dragon energy."

"Now that Xu Qi'an is trapped, I should prepare for my promotion as soon as possible."

He was carrying a box, which he opened, and a rich Qi and Blood and energy rushed out.

Even though they had never seen the Blood Pill before, the siblings recognized it at a glance.

Xu Yuanhuai said in a low voice:

"You must seize his fortuitous opportunity and use him to advance to the third rank."

Ji Xuan smiled gently, looked at his cousin, and teased:

"What, you can't bear to see your own brother die? He didn't hold back when he beat you in Yunzhou."

"His birth signifies that he is a tool to carry destiny; as a tool, he should be used when necessary and discarded when appropriate."

"Yuan Huai, he's dead. You are now the Grand Preceptor's eldest son, and you will inherit everything from him, including Xuzhou."

Xu Yuanhuai scoffed, "Aside from Martial Dao, fame and fortune are all fleeting things to me."

He paused, then said, "Back in Yongzhou, if he hadn't shown mercy, I would have been dead long ago."

After saying that, he quickly changed the subject:

My father once said that you should always have a backup plan. If you go straight for one goal, you're more likely to end up in a desperate situation.

"What will you do if this doesn't work out?"

Just as Ji Xuan was about to answer, Xu Yuanhuai was startled by a loud bang and stopped listening. He abruptly turned his head to look down at the battle.

"When!"

The pagoda was once again struck by the monk's knife, emitting a piercing groan.

A shallow knife mark appeared on the tower.

As the monk's knife struck, a divine sword shrouded in black light was simultaneously thrust out. With a sharp "clang," the sword tip pierced the gate of the pagoda, causing a thin crack to appear in the gate.

Clubs, vajras, and other weapons immediately fell, striking the pagoda with a series of clanging sounds.

The old scoundrel from the martial arts alliance, like an ant trying to shake a tree, stepped between the two, manipulating his sword energy to strike the Vajra Dharma Image's brow.

Bang!

The Vajra image suddenly leaned back, staggered back a few steps, and the gold paint on its brow was mottled.

He also could not anticipate the old scoundrel's attack.

The pagoda was able to breathe, its body rotating and vibrating out the power of the second layer, suppressing the Vajra Dharma Image while manifesting the "Great Wisdom Dharma Image" and reversing the light wheel.

The Vajra Dharma Image froze again.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the old scoundrel circled around the Vajra Dharma Image, his palms and blades flashing and sweeping, each blade a distorted beam of light striking the Vajra Dharma Image with a series of clangs.

Golden fragments splattered.

The sword energy, capable of easily piercing through a third-grade Vajra body, was completely powerless against this terrifying Dharma form.

The old master's gua sha technique was superb... Xu Qi'an found humor in his suffering and relieved his stress by complaining.

The "Great Wisdom Dharma Form's" method of lowering consciousness can only affect it for a moment at most. In less than two seconds, the Vajra Dharma Form breaks free from its dazed state, and all twenty-four arms launch an attack simultaneously.

It looked as if a person with twelve arms was swatting flies, which, with their agile Movement Method, darted and weaved through the rain of swords and spears, sometimes soaring high and sometimes skimming low.

While the old scoundrel was entangling the Vajra Dharma Image, Xu Qi'an, bathed in the Pharmacist Dharma Image, communicated with the Pagoda Spirit:

"Senior, are you alright?"

"Something's wrong. If this continues, I'll end up like that Hun Tian Divine Mirror."

The old monk Taling gave a reply.

If only I were proficient in Buddhism, I could control the pagoda. Xu Qi'an's anxiety surged.

Although the pagoda is Law Treasure of the Bodhisattva, even Law Treasure need people to use them.

Just like the Zhenguo Sword, Xu Qi'an could use it to slay Vajra. But if the Zhenguo Sword were to kill enemies on its own, let alone slay Vajra, it might just be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone and never to return.

The same principle applies to pagodas and stupas.

Xu Qi'an does not practice Buddhism and does not have the status of a Bodhisattva, so he is completely unable to use the pagoda.

It's all thanks to the old monk Taling's love and dedication.

"Please, senior, concentrate on healing me and repairing my meridians and Qi Sea."

What he needs to race against time now is to save time.

Nalan Tianlu's thunder spear destroyed his life force, and of course, it also destroyed his meridians and dantian. Since his dantian and meridians could not be fully repaired, he was unable to use his trump cards.

Sizzle~

The vajra, wreathed in lightning, burst forth with countless arcs of electricity, which intertwined to form an electric grid that enveloped the surrounding space.

The old man's agile body froze instantly upon being touched by the electric grid that permeated every inch of space. Then, his energy surged, dispelling the current.

This barely perceptible pause is seen as a huge flaw by a master of this level.

The long staff, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, crashed down, creating a deafening sonic boom.

The old scoundrel flipped in the air, lunging forward a considerable distance.

Puff!

The copper rod grazed his legs, instantly turning his lower body into a bloody mess, revealing his bare bones.

Under the terrifying force of the blow, the old scoundrel plummeted downwards like a crashed plane.

The monk's knife and divine sword quickly filled in and delivered the blow.

Ta-da!

The old scoundrel swung out a palm strike to each side, barely managing to deflect the trajectories of the monk's knife and the divine sword. In that split second, his injuries to the lower body had already healed.

His Movement Method became agile again, allowing him to dodge attacks from other weapons.

Cao Qingyang and the others, who were watching from a great distance, all broke out in a cold sweat.

Not to mention them, even the old man himself was sweating profusely. The Vajra Dharma Mirror was fighting him just like he had fought the two Dharma Protectors before.

Once you seize the opportunity, you can wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Of course, having already advanced to the second rank, he wouldn't be so easily killed off. Even though this Vajra Dharma Image's combat power was comparable to that of a first-rank warrior, it couldn't instantly kill a second-rank martial artist known for his vigorous vitality.

But once dismembered and sealed, the only outcome is death.

At this moment, a clear light rose from beneath the Vajra Dharma Image's feet, and its majestic and towering figure vanished.

In response, the experienced old man immediately swooped down, effectively defending against the attack of the Vajra Dharma Form.

He appears from only the four directions: east, south, west, and north. Lowering his altitude can effectively defend against the Law Artifact held by the opponent's twelve arms.

Flying too high makes you an easy target.

Just then, the old man's premonition of danger gave him feedback: the enemy was coming from the south.

The Vajra Dharma Image indeed appeared in the south.

Um?

Crisis Alert?!

"When"

Suddenly, the old scoundrel, in his descent, bumped into someone—a hideous Asura Vajra.

The next moment, the old man was tightly embraced by the other party.

He was completely unaware of the approach of the Asura Vajra, as if the other party had concealed its own aura.

In that instant, the old scoundrel understood.

Puff!

The Vajra Dharma form appeared, and with a precise sword strike, severed the old scoundrel's head without harming the Asura Vajra.

For a martial artist who has mastered the "Transformation of Strength" technique, this is the most basic operation.

The moment its head flew off, the Asura Vajra completed its mission, released its grip, and let itself fall.

Almost simultaneously, the tip of the vajra spewed out bolts of lightning, striking the old scoundrel's head and torso, causing him to suddenly straighten up.

Then, a golden bell covered his head, and a golden pagoda suppressed his torso.

On the wind-riding boat, Ji Xuan suddenly stood up and stared intently at the golden bell and the golden pagoda with the Xu Household siblings.

The golden bell and pagoda trembled violently, but everything calmed down as the Vajra Dharma Image inserted the precept knife and divine sword into the bell and pagoda.

"It's done!"

Ji Xuan's face lit up with ecstasy; he rarely showed such a dramatic change in expression.

"Impressive. Using teleportation as a cover, they secretly transferred the Heavenly Gu Clan's Law Artifact to Asura Vajra."

"As expected of the Buddhist School Vajra warriors with rich combat experience, I previously thought they preferred brute force to using their brains."

"It seems that most enemies in the world are not worth their brains."

It's over... Xu Yuanshuang looked at her younger brother and found that he was also looking at her.

The siblings looked at each other in silence.

Next, as long as Vajra Dharma Image uses its remaining power to seal the old scoundrel and brings him back to Yunzhou, that old fellow will surely die.

Xu Pingfeng remained calm, seemingly unsurprised, as if everything was under control.

On the martial arts alliance side, led by Cao Qingyang, everyone looked ashen-faced, as if facing the end of the world.

In the woods, Li Lingsu grabbed Miao Youfang, and they both stood on flying swords, their faces pale.

Be ready to escape at any time.

Not far from them, a white tiger with its right forelimb severed rode the wind, ready to give chase at any moment.

The reason nothing has been done is because there is still a key figure whose fate is yet to be determined.

"Run! Quickly, ride the pagoda and escape!"

Li Lingsu screamed inwardly.

"Xu, Xu Yinluo"

In the crowd of the martial arts alliance, someone called out this name in a trembling voice.

The pagoda floated silently, neither fleeing nor saving anyone. At this moment, both the Law Treasure and those bathed in the image of the Pharmacist were utterly at peace.

Xu Qi'an changed from sitting cross-legged to standing, and then stepped out of the protective circle of the Pagoda.

He walked on air, his gaze not on the Vajra Dharma Image, but on Xu Pingfeng on the Wind-Riding Boat.

The father and son looked at each other across the distance.

You're wrong!

Xu Qi'an stretched out his hand, and the Zhenguo Sword came whistling through the air, delivering himself into his grasp.

"Between you and me, it's not about whether you're willing to accept me or spare my life."

Xu Qi'an took out a fragment of the Earth Book, looked up at Xu Pingfeng high above, and said, word by word:

"It's me, and I'm not willing to let you go!"

Bite!

With a flick of his finger, the fragments of the Earth Book were sent flying, and a golden dragon, seemingly real, burst forth from the mirror.

Then, he took out a piece of paper that he had prepared long ago, and lit it with a flick of his wrist.

From the embers of the burning paper, a golden dragon rushed into his body.

Xu Qi'an's eyes shone with brilliant golden light. Bearing half the nation's destiny and containing dragon energy, he held the national sword and shouted:

"Please--the-great-ancestor--Emperor--"

Suddenly, a pair of eyes opened in the world.

P. S.: This is more than I expected, six thousand words. Also, please vote for me with monthly tickets. I have to visit relatives and friends for the New Year tomorrow, time for bed.