Quite a Struggle

"Fellow Black Shoes, it's been a long time. The last time I saw you was when Fellow Daoist He and you came to a banquet at my Grass Witch Cult."

The clear chanting of sutras inside the room stopped abruptly, and a sense of tranquility rose in the Gu Su temple.

Chen Ye finished reading the Daoist book, his back slightly arched like a cooked shrimp.

He glanced at the flying sword in front of him and saw that it shone with an alarming light, his expression slightly surprised.

To conceal his tracks, Chen Ye had been living in seclusion in this small village ever since he successfully Foundation Establishment, Yixin healing and cultivation. The disguise Law Technique he had acquired in his early years was of a high grade, called "Heavenly Ingenuity Performance," Vast-Tier Superior-Grade Law Technique.

Because his cultivation had been stagnant for many years due to the hidden injuries he had suffered during the Foundation Establishment, he devoted much of his energy to this Law Technique, and had now cultivated it to a near-perfect state.

Chen Ye originally thought that after disguising himself, not only his closest senior and junior brothers, but even ordinary False Core cultivators would not be able to recognize his true face. In his own opinion, this was already an extremely cautious move.

He never expected that the Daoist Black Shoes's eyesight would be so amazing that he could recognize him with just one glance.

"If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't Chongming Sect He Household's reputation back then, and I would have just killed this kid directly." Chen Ye recalled an old incident and sighed.

Back when the Daoist Black Shoes's cultivation was still low, he killed an outer disciple of the Grass Witch Cult over some trivial matters.

Before Daoist Black Shoes grew up, what was Hemu Dao, who didn't even have a single Late Qi Refinement cultivator, in Pingrong County? The Grass Witch Cult was so powerful that the elders of the sect originally intended to have Hemu Dao pay with his life.

When Daoist Black Shoes's cowardly master heard about it, he was almost ready to agree, but it was Chongming Sect who came to plead with Chen Ye.

Chen Ye remembered that the Chongming Sect had not yet completely collapsed at that time, He Household had produced three generations of Double Brightness Sect leaders. The He family had also paid a lot of Spirit Stone, so he agreed to the agreement, allowing the Daoist Black Shoes to escape this calamity.

"Chen Ye, you've really gotten old. The last time I saw you was when Brother He and I wiped out your thirteen blood slaves who collected the Essence Blood of young boys."

The Daoist Black Shoes shook his head, ignoring Chen Ye's attempts to win him over. At this moment, his gaze towards the latter was filled with emotion.

That year, he killed an outer disciple of the Grass Witch Cult who was using his placenta to refine an evil elixir. At the time, he was still young and acted rashly. When his fellow disciples learned of this, they reported him to the Grass Witch Cult.

Although Chen Ye did not pursue the matter further afterward, it was only after his elder brother provided a large sum of money as compensation and he himself swore a blood oath never to take revenge on his family in the future that he was spared.

It's not because Chen Ye is kind-hearted.

Looking at myself, even after reaching the Foundation Establishment, I have never broken my blood oath, nor have I ever deliberately made things difficult for any member of the Grass Witch Cult. This is what it means to be kind and benevolent.

He, the Daoist Black Shoes, was determined to be a man of integrity and uprightness, and he owed this old cultivator nothing!

Chen Ye rose to fame at a young age and was one of the most prominent figures of the previous generation in Pingrong County. Back then, he was regarded by the Grass Witch Cult as the hope for the sect's rise and the most popular candidate for Foundation Establishment in Pingrong County.

He was once incredibly powerful in Pingrong County, and the Grass Witch Cult flourished and expanded its territory under his rule. Even figures like Sect Leader He and the Daoist Black Shoes willingly regarded themselves as juniors.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ye failed in his Foundation Establishment and never recovered.

Later, Chen Ye spent his days in seclusion recuperating from his injuries, searching for various unorthodox methods to Foundation Establishment, but none of them were of any use. In the end, he was only able to achieve Foundation Establishment by resorting to unorthodox methods.

However, Chen Ye's experience of killing a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator while only at the Qi Refinement stage and then attaining the Dao Foundation is quite rare even in the entire Shannan Circuit.

But when the Daoist Black Shoes looked at this old acquaintance in front of him, a murderous intent suddenly arose in his heart.

The person before me and his senior brother Shi Li are birds of a feather. For the sake of their Dao Path, all living beings and their own flesh and blood are nothing more than resources in their eyes.

This is a genuine Evil Cultivator, a true bandit kingpin. Even if we don't take the small reward offered by the state court, we cannot let him go today.

"Is that so? Then you really do have a better memory, fellow Daoist." Chen Ye sighed, knowing in his heart that this battle was inevitable.

The incantation he held in his hand changed, and the White Bone Banner swelled in the wind, instantly revealing a White Bone Demon God that shattered the deserted temple that had been abandoned for countless years.

Rotten wood and broken tiles fell down with a rustling sound, and a large cloud of dust rose up, as if draping the enormous White Bone Demon God in a gray halo, making it look even more eerie.

The Daoist Black Shoes ignored all of this. With a tremor of his flying sword, several sword lights gently blocked the White Bone Demon God. The Vajra in the latter's hand collided violently with the sword lights, accompanied by a huge roar.

The vajra shattered into ashes, but the sword light continued its relentless advance, leaving several deep marks on the dark yellow plate armor of the White Bone Demon God.

Chen Ye's expression was grim, and he was secretly alarmed. "This Golden Leaf Foundation Establishment is truly extraordinary. The Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword is far more powerful than Shen Ang, whom I faced before."

"This is only because I've already reached the Foundation Establishment. If I were still stuck in the Qi Refinement stage, I probably wouldn't even be able to withstand a single Sword Qi from him, and I would die on the spot."

With just a probing move, Chen Ye already felt the urge to retreat.

He had just completed the Foundation Establishment stage, and had not even finished converting all his spiritual power. His most prized White Bone Banner had not yet been upgraded to a true Second Tier Spirit Artifact by purchasing spiritual materials.

In fact, most Foundation Establishment True Cultivator in Shannan Circuit would not be able to accumulate a Second Tier Spirit Artifact without the support of their Lineage, sect, or teacher over many years.

Although Chen Ye had accumulated years of experience in the Shen Ang, he still needed to conceal his whereabouts, fearing that if he took out any items, he would expose his identity.

This meant that even with all of Shen Ang's savings, he had no suitable Spirit Artifact to use.

Over the years, Chen Ye has truly only stayed in the remote temple, not even collecting the Blood Qi of mortal cultivators, and truly dared not make any rash moves.

The old man had thought that once he had weathered the storm for the next few years and the henchmen of the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an had almost forgotten about Shen Ang's death, he could leave Cloud Horn Prefecture and enjoy a carefree life.

I didn't want to just do some good deeds out of the ordinary, but I ended up being found by these Black Shoes. How unlucky!

If Shen Ang Green Leaf Foundation Establishment like Chen Ye, whose injuries had not yet healed but whose strength had greatly increased, would have no choice but to use his Spirit Artifact. He could still retreat unscathed, or even win the battle.

But now, facing the Daoist Black Shoes, Chen Ye truly had no confidence whatsoever that he could escape from the man's clutches without paying any price.

Despite the Daoist Black Shoes's casual sword strike, the White Bone Demon God remained standing in the distance, roaring incessantly.

However, Chen Ye's right hand, which was holding the White Bone Banner, began to tremble slightly. Several meridians on his wrist had been invaded by the Sword Qi, resulting in many tiny wounds.

Chen Ye, a ruthless man, was not afraid of the pain of his meridians being torn apart, but the damage to his meridians caused his spiritual energy to circulate poorly. Such an injury would be fatal when fighting against an opponent like the Daoist Black Shoes.

Chen Ye's face remained ashen, knowing that this was not the time to show weakness.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye shook the White Bone Banner, stirring up a large gust of yin wind. The White Bone Demon God instantly became more energetic, and the two fireflies under its brow bone burned even more fiercely, igniting the rotten wood fragments on the ground from a height of ten feet.

The White Bone Demon God stomped down again, and countless fireballs rose up, their sparks reflecting each other. Then, the White Bone Demon God rubbed his hands together, and a flash of mysterious light appeared in his hands, condensing into a blood sword about the width of a person. He then slashed at the Daoist Black Shoes.

As the blood-red sword swept past, a sharp sword light, imbued with intense Blood Qi and resentment, appeared before the Daoist Black Shoes. Its imposing presence and chilling aura filled the air, making even the bright sunlight seem much cooler.

The seasoned Daoist Black Shoes could easily see through Chen Ye's outward strength but inner weakness. He wasn't afraid of Fei Nanying, who had attacked him in anger at the Sect Leader Kang Da's wedding banquet, so why would he fear Chen Ye, a mere Foundation Establishment Early Stage Outer Dao Foundation Establishment?

Seeing that the flying sword in the Daoist Black Shoes's hand remained unchanged, several ordinary sword lights scattered countless sparks and slashed at the blood sword without giving way in the slightest.

"Bang!" The two forces collided, and the blood sword that the White Bone Demon God had once again condensed was shattered into dust by the sword light. The astonishing blood sword light did not even last a moment under the Sword Qi of the Daoist Black Shoes before it was scattered in this world.

After the Daoist Black Shoes's sword lights extinguished the Blood Sword, their power remained undiminished, striking precisely the several wounds on the White Bone Demon God's breastplate.

The enormous White Bone Demon God summoned by Chen Ye's White Bone Banner finally succumbed to several more Sword Qi. Starting from the wound in its chest, fine lines spread across its entire skeleton, eventually disintegrating into a pile of broken bones, rendering it unable to fight any longer.

Chen Ye's expression immediately turned extremely ugly. The Daoist Black Shoes's sword strike was not simply an annihilation of the white bone illusion summoned by the White Bone Banner.

After the White Bone Demon God crashed down, the White Bone Banner in Chen Ye's hand tore open with a "whoosh" sound, leaving a foot-long gash. Chen Ye's face turned as white as paper, his throat tightened, and he could no longer hold back, so he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Even the secret technique "Heavenly Ingenuity Performance," whose dimensions had remained unchanged for years, could not be maintained and revealed its true form.

Chen Ye's once snow-white hair was now as black as ink, and the appearance of a dying old cultivator from several years ago had changed into that of an ordinary-looking middle-aged Daoist.

Only in his cloudy eyes could one see the weariness of someone who had seen much of the world.

The Daoist Black Shoes knew that this was because he had damaged Chen Ye's natal magic Law Artifact, which caused him to suffer a backlash. He pressed his advantage and attacked again, intending to cut Chen Ye in two.

Chen Ye opened his mouth and spat out an endless stream of dark red talisman water from his stomach, causing the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword to slow down instantly.

At this moment, a dozen or so ugly creatures, each ten feet tall, with blue eyes, red teeth, leopard heads, bear paws, and black skin covered with countless poison sacs, emerged from the talisman water, rushing to meet the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword.

The filthy, dark blood of the Witch Beast quickly stained the flying sword, making it dull and lifeless. However, the Daoist Black Shoes's Shen Ang was far superior to that of Chen Ye.

With a sudden change of hand Method Formula, he unleashed a dazzling white light, cleaving through the talismanic water and striking the flying sword. The sword immediately buzzed, and the filth clinging to it was instantly swept away.

Even though Chen Ye had ingeniously concealed more than a dozen Perfected Qi Refinement Witch Beast within his Water-Swallowing Technique, these foolish creatures were still like mantises trying to stop a chariot, being pierced one by one by the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword like a string of candied hawthorns.

The fine Sword Qi completely obliterated the flesh and marrow of the Witch Beast into the talisman water, leaving no trace of the flying sword itself.

Two more of his techniques were easily thwarted by the Daoist Black Shoes. Chen Ye's eyes showed astonishment, but he made a quick decision and flicked his finger backward.

Two thin red lines crossed and were imprinted on Chen Ye's back. A large chunk of skin and flesh near his tailbone suddenly flipped open, and even a ruthless man like Chen Ye showed pain on his face.

A series of unpleasant scraping sounds rang out. Chen Ye reached behind him and pulled out a flying sword that was half black and half white, right against his spine.

The Daoist Black Shoes's eyes sharpened. Although he had only been cultivating for a few decades, he had ventured out of the state a few years ago and had gained considerable experience. He considered himself not one of those ignorant and foolish cultivators who shut themselves off from the world.

But upon seeing Chen Ye's sudden action, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Despite his astonishment, the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword did not stop in the slightest, its blade pointing directly at Chen Ye's brow.

The Sword Qi was astonishing. Even when it was still several feet away, a small cut appeared between Chen Ye's eyebrows, and bright red blood flowed uncontrollably down from there, making Chen Ye's pale face look sinister and terrifying.

As the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword drew closer, the wound on Chen Ye's face grew larger and larger. At first, it was only as thick as a cow's hair, but soon the skin and flesh of his entire forehead were torn open, revealing the stark white bone.

Chen Ye ignored it, letting large amounts of blood gushing down, blurring his vision, as if he had walked out of a pool of blood, without paying any attention to it.

His hand seals changed rapidly, and finally, he formed a sword seal with his hands and stepped in the Tai Chi style. The white part of the flying sword in his hand suddenly disappeared and flew out of Chen Ye's hand.

"Clang clang clang clang," the two flying swords, one black and one white, clashed several more times in the air before returning to their respective owners.

As the flying sword landed in his hand, the Daoist Black Shoes merely showed surprise, feeling the sword tremble slightly and the hilt burning hot, letting out a soft exclamation.

Chen Ye was in a sorry state, and the flow from the two huge wounds on his face and back had gradually decreased, it was unclear whether it had stopped or was almost dry.

Chen Ye remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was utterly astonished. This Daoist Black Shoes was truly so troublesome; he had used all his skills and had only managed to deflect one of his sword strikes.

You should know that he obtained this flying sword from Shen Ang, who had already refined it into his natal magic Law Artifact.

Shen Ang is already at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. The life mark he has imprinted on him would be difficult for Chen Ye to remove and nurture using ordinary methods. It would probably take more than ten years to succeed.

So Chen Ye dug out the secret technique of "Blood and Bone Artifact Immersion" from the pile of old papers in the sect's classic texts. Although it was extremely painful, the fact that he was able to wield this Second Tier spirit sword for such a short time was enough to show how miraculous this secret technique was.

But now Chen Ye knew that even with all his efforts, he was no match for the Daoist Black Shoes. Not to mention winning, he was now seriously injured and all his trump cards had been exposed, making escape almost impossible.

Little did Chen Ye know that the Daoist Black Shoes opposite him was also secretly alarmed. This Chen Ye was indeed no easy opponent. He had only been at the Foundation Establishment for a short time, yet his methods were already more troublesome than the few Foundation Establishment he had killed a few days ago.

If the Grass Witch Cult had accumulated more wealth back then, it could have acquired a higher-level Foundation Establishment artifact for Chen Ye, allowing him to avoid the risky breakthrough and the irreparable internal injury. Perhaps Chen Ye would have already Foundation Establishment much earlier.

Even before the Daoist Black Shoes appeared out of nowhere, Pingrong County already had a formidable figure.

However, given the old grudges between the two sides and the upcoming bonus, the Daoist Black Shoes will not let this old cultivator go, neither for personal nor public reasons.

The flying sword was summoned again, Chen Ye's eyes showed despair. He blocked it with his sword again, but this time the blade of the flying sword in his hand had turned white and its power was much weaker than before. It was easily cut down by the Daoist Black Shoes.

The flying sword aimed at Chen Ye's neck. At this moment, he had no strength left to dodge, and blood was about to seep out.

At this moment, a large, dark hand suddenly appeared in front of Chen Ye and grabbed the flying sword of the Daoist Black Shoes.

"Crack!" The giant hand was completely shattered by the violent Sword Qi, but Chen Ye was spared because of it. He had been thrown far away by the giant hand and was now slumped on the ground.

The Daoist Black Shoes sheathed his flying sword, looked at the newcomer, and his face was ashen.

Thanks to Brother Nankanle for the Extended Net Moon.

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