Lord Shan Wounded

"Song Xueqiao, Peak Master of Black Sand Peak of the Two Instruments Sect, greets Fellow Daoist Black Shoes." An old man dressed in black robes looked at the giant black hand that had been conjured and was easily shattered by the flying sword of Daoist Black Shoes. He was slightly surprised, but still smiled and spoke calmly.

The Daoist Black Shoes glanced at Chen Ye, who was lying on the ground, his life hanging in the balance, before turning to look at the old man in black robes who called himself Song Xueqiao, finding him rather troublesome.

Don't be fooled by the elegant and pleasant-sounding name of the person opposite; the bloodthirsty aura emanating from him is so strong that even his Spirit Artifact robes can barely conceal it. It's clear at a glance that he has cultivated powerful Evil Method.

The Two Instruments Sect has always been known for its nine peaks and twenty-three veins, but Black Sand Peak is not among them. It only appeared in the eyes of the world in the last two or three hundred years.

Legend has it that this was the Grand Elder of the Two Instruments Sect, after befriending a cultivator who had achieved the Golden Core stage, considered him a close friend, and thus established a new lineage within Reed Creek Mountain.

The people on this peak have always kept a low profile, and few cultivators outside know anything about them.

Just look at Song Xueqiao in front of us. He has profound cultivation and exquisite Law Technique. His cultivation in the Foundation Establishment stage is probably close to perfection. His next step is either to try to Core Formation or to form False Core.

Even such a person was not well-known. Within the Black Sand Peak of the Two Instruments Sect, he could not even become the Peak Master, but could only serve as one of the seven Peak Supervisors.

This clearly demonstrates that although this peak is newly established, its strength is not much inferior to the other nine peaks within the Two Instruments Sect, and is equally astonishing.

The Daoist Black Shoes instantly began to consider the matter. If it were just Song Xueqiao alone, it wouldn't be impossible to put up a fight.

The Daoist Black Shoes had to think carefully about whether he should completely offend the Two Instruments Sect, even just one of its peaks, just for the sake of capturing Chen Ye!

Seeing that the Daoist Black Shoes held the flying sword and did not make another move, Song Xueqiao's smile widened, and he said, "The state court is tyrannical, readily destroying families, wiping out clans, and demolishing mountains and temples!"

Fellow Black Shoes should know that it is still unknown whether Fellow Daoist Chen Ye is the murderer of Sect Leader Zi Maple Valley, yet he has ended up with his disciples scattered and his clan withered.

Fellow Daoist, don't misunderstand. Are you really going to make enemies of the many righteous people of Cloud Horn Prefecture just because you're greedy for the petty gains from the state court?

What is a righteous person? In the eyes of the Two Instruments Sect, anyone who is willing to oppose the state court, even if they slaughter the people and bring disaster to the common people, can be called a righteous person.

On the state court's side, the standard is probably similar. At most, the state court might still care about the Kuang Household's reputation and offer a few lukewarm words of advice.

Upon hearing Song Xueqiao's words, the Daoist Black Shoes's face gradually softened.

He has already reached the Golden Leaf Foundation Establishment, and his chances of Core Formation are quite good;

Those who have the potential to Core Formation are as numerous as carp crossing a river. If he were to truly cultivate to the Golden Core stage today, and Song Xueqiao dared to utter a single word, he would be killed with a single sword strike. Even if the Two Instruments Sect knew about it, they probably wouldn't say another word.

However, he is only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. He has a promising future, but in the eyes of many False Core and Golden Core cultivators, he is not necessarily a significant figure.

The Daoist Black Shoes didn't know whether Black Sand Peak wanted to take Chen Ye back just to slap the state court in the face, or if he had some other motive. But if he got involved in the conflict between the state court and the Two Instruments Sect, it wouldn't be good for him.

It's true that the Daoist Black Shoes wanted to capture Chen Ye to earn a bonus, but his desire to eliminate Chen Ye, this Evil Dao Foundation Establishment, was also driven by his own conscience.

However, if he were truly to be in a position of opposition to the Two Instruments Sect in order to accomplish this task, the Daoist Black Shoes would not be so impartial and selfless.

"In that case, I will take care of this matter." Before the Daoist Black Shoes could finish speaking, he sensed a figure rapidly approaching him. At the same time, Song Xueqiao on the opposite side also sensed the approaching person.

Song Xueqiao was decisive. He knew that the Daoist Black Shoes was no longer determined to capture Chen Ye. Regardless of whether the person was friend or foe, he only needed to bring Chen Ye back to Black Sand Peak.

Although he hadn't completed all the tasks assigned by Feng Zheng, he had been hiding in the village with Chen Ye for some time now, and he could at least give a proper account of what had happened when he returned.

Thinking of this, Song Xueqiao's brows relaxed. He then flicked his fingers, and a dark spiritual light covered Chen Ye, whose life or death was unknown. With another wave of his hand, Chen Ye transformed into the size of a small doll and fell into Song Xueqiao's hand.

Seeing the spiritual light flowing continuously around Song Xueqiao's Spirit Artifact robes, the Daoist Black Shoes knew that the former was about to leave.

By this time, the person had gotten much closer, and the Daoist Black Shoes also sensed the familiar aura emanating from him. Just as he was about to be surprised, a white light flashed by, and a cloud of black energy emanated from Song Xueqiao's robe, catching the white light completely.

The old cultivator narrowed his eyes slightly. With just this one strike, he could sense that the newcomer's strength was very weak, only around the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. It was rather strange that such a minor character dared to stop him.

But now is not the time to find out the truth. Normally, dealing with people like this would only take a few moves. The most important thing now is to take Chen Ye back to see Feng Zheng.

Without needing to think too much, Song Xueqiao's robes shone with a rare flying restriction, and he was about to take Chen Ye had already turned into the size of a puppet, back to Black Sand Peak.

Unexpectedly, a fierce sword light struck, and the black vortex that Song Xueqiao had previously manifested from his robes was dispersed. He had to summon a ghost-face shield to block the sword light.

Song Xueqiao's expression immediately changed. Who were these people? And why had even the Daoist Black Shoes drawn his sword?!

While Song Xueqiao was still in surprise, he saw a monkey in straw Spirit Artifact appear from a distance, holding a jade axe, and slashing it down at his head!

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that this monkey was merely a Qi Refinement, but its sharp moves and exceptionally solid foundation temporarily gave it the power of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator.

Even so, a mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement is truly no different from a blade of grass in the eyes of a great figure like Song Xueqiao, who can attempt to Core Formation.

"Where did this monkey come from, daring to attack me?" A surge of anger rose in Song Xueqiao's heart, and he roared, "How dare you!"

Song Xueqiao stretched out his right hand, and a violent black light condensed into shape. Immediately afterwards, a black giant hand, about ten feet tall, appeared in front of him and clenched down towards the monkey's head.

The overwhelming resentment made Lord Yin Shan, who was holding the jade axe, feel extremely uncomfortable. Although he had gained an extra sixty years of lifespan due to the corruption of the demon spirit, and had always upheld the Daoist heart and cultivated diligently for many years, in the end, he was still only at the Qi Refinement stage.

It was already a rare feat for Lord Yin Shan to be able to fight against an ordinary Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, but in Song Xueqiao's eyes, this level of skill was not worth mentioning.

Seeing that Lord Yin Shan's jade Spirit Artifact was no match for the giant hand that Song Xueqiao had conjured, it was about to be crushed in one gulp.

The Daoist Black Shoes was anxious. Lord Yin Shan Gongze had been cultivated by the people of Cloud Horn Prefecture for many years, and he absolutely could not afford to make a mistake in front of him.

Just like before, the giant palm that Song Xueqiao conjured was easily shattered by the sword light, which made him angry as well.

Song Xueqiao's initial wariness of the Daoist Black Shoes was simply because the other party had a long and Dao Path, and he didn't want to offend him easily, not because he was truly afraid of him.

As Golden Core disciple with the title of Peak Master, Song Xueqiao was a prominent figure in Shannan Circuit. How could he possibly tolerate the Daoist Black Shoes, a cultivator who had only just reached the Foundation Establishment, repeatedly causing trouble?

Old Xiu carefully put away the puppet that Chen Ye had transformed into, then pointed a finger, sending a swift force towards Lord Yin Shan, who had just broken free from the giant hand. It was as fast as lightning and arrived in an instant.

The Daoist Black Shoes quickly approached Lord Yin Shan, and with a flick of his finger, the energy spread out. At the same time, the ghost face on Song Xueqiao's shield in the distance opened its mouth wide, and a dozen skulls covered in blue flames were spat out one after another.

Each of these skulls was the size of a wine jar, and as soon as they appeared, cries of anguish immediately surrounded Lord Yin Shan and the Daoist Black Shoes.

Upon hearing this, Lord Yin Shan merely frowned slightly, while the Daoist Black Shoes's brows furrowed deeply, as if even his usually resolute Daoist heart was trembling slightly.

"What powerful evil magic!" This was the first time the Daoist Black Shoes had been amazed in his heart since the start of the battle.

There are countless cultivators in the Shannan Circuit and the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty who play with skulls; even an ordinary Qi Refinement Evil Cultivator can make a spectacle of it.

The Daoist Black Shoes has traveled all over the country for many years, slaying countless enemies with his sword and escaping from the skulls of many powerful Evil Cultivator with his flying sword. This is the first time he has ever seen someone whose Dao heart could be affected by mournful cries.

This is something that even ordinary False Core would find difficult to achieve.

"Heavy is the root of light, stillness is the master of restlessness." Lord Yin Shan's chanting rang in the ears of the Daoist Black Shoes. He saw the former nimbly dodge the bite of a skull in front of him, and the blade of the jade axe shone with white light as he slashed fiercely at the next skull.

With a clang, the sound of metal clashing rang out, and a piece of the skull's head was sliced off. Undeterred, it lunged at Lord Yin Shan.

Lord Yin Shan paused his Spirit Artifact, calmed his mind, and stared intently at the two fireflies within the skull. Even as his eyes burned and tears streamed down his face, he did not yield an inch.

As the skulls drew closer, Lord Yin Shan opened his mouth, and a torrent of scorching demonic flames erupted from it, instantly incinerating the skulls in front of him into ashes.

"This... this is Core Fire?!" Song Xueqiao's eyes widened in surprise. At this moment, he couldn't care less about the blue flame skeleton that he had spent years refining.

Having seen much and possessed a master who was a Golden Core cultivator, he naturally recognized that although the demonic flames spewed from the monkey's mouth were not very powerful, their source quality was extremely high, and they were undoubtedly Core Fire.

"Who is this guy so close to, and is he even Golden Core bloodline descendant?" Song Xueqiao wondered in surprise.

If a cultivator below the Golden Core stage wants to use the Core Fire Law Technique, then normally, Golden Core cultivator must personally cast the spell and draw a stream of Core Fire essence to make it possible.

But the essence of this Core Fire is incredibly precious; even those cultivating to the Golden Core stage must expend a great deal of effort to replenish it. How could one bear to do such a thing if it weren't for someone extremely close?

In the Two Instruments Sect, there are hundreds of Golden Core disciples, but Song Xueqiao has only ever heard of the current Grand Elder's only daughter receiving such favor.

"But this monkey in front of me can actually cultivate such powerful Daoist arts while only at the Qi Refinement stage!"

Upon realizing this, Song Xueqiao lessened the pressure on his hands, and the Daoist Black Shoes, reminded by Lord Yin Shan, once again attacked with his sword.

In an instant, Sword Qi filled the arena, suppressing the previously arrogant Blue Flame Skeleton. Song Xueqiao waved her hand, and the Ghost Face Shield suddenly opened its mouth and sucked in all the skulls in the arena.

After doing all this, Song Xueqiao looked unwell. It was true that he had held back, but it was equally true that the shabby Daoist's flying sword was incredibly sharp.

With the addition of a monkey whose strength is unknown, it now seems that bringing Chen Ye back to Black Sand Peak will be a difficult task.

Since they refuse to submit to pressure, then we'll continue to intimidate them with the power of our sect.

As a disciple of the sect, Song Xueqiao was very skilled at these tasks, and he could easily switch between arrogance and obsequiousness.

Those who cultivate themselves seek Changsheng and immortality; how can they constantly engage in life-and-death struggles?

Often, when things went poorly, Song Xueqiao could salvage the situation to some extent by simply bringing out the banner of the Two Instruments Sect. At least in the nearby provinces, this tactic always worked!

"May I ask which fellow Daoist is here? I am a disciple of Elder Juwei of the Liangyi Sect, who is in charge of punishments. I am here on orders from Jiang Yuandan, the Peak Master of Black Sand Peak. I hope you will grant me this favor."

False Core is not Golden Core and cannot be given the honorific title of a superior cultivator; it can only be addressed as the Pill Master.

The two people Song Xueqiao mentioned Ju Wei and Jiang Yuan, were his backers. Although the latter was far less prestigious than the former's True-Grade Golden Core Elixir, he was still one of the top-tier False Core cultivators, and the Daoist Black Shoes had also heard of him.

He is indeed a swordsman, but he is not the kind of reckless person who would fight against heaven and earth with just a flying sword.

If we give up now, there might still be a chance for Song Xueqiao to intervene and prevent him from targeting us too much.

Just as the Daoist Black Shoes was about to speak to Lord Yin Shan, who was beside him, he saw the latter rush forward again, wielding the jade axe.

"The old cultivator that the state court brought from the Dali Court of Judicial Review in the Capital told me that Chen Ye had undergone a blood transfusion and took the Blood Foundation Pill that Shi Li had refined using the common people of the entire city to successfully Foundation Establishment. We cannot allow a single person like him to live!"

Lord Yin Shan Gong's voice was as deep and heavy as ever; though it was like a booming bell, it had a slightly murky quality.

The Daoist Black Shoes couldn't understand what Lord Yin Shan meant by the Blood Foundation Pill, but upon seeing the latter make a move, he raised his sword without hesitation and stood in front to block it.

Song Xueqiao's expression changed drastically. How could these two fools from the mountains not even care about the title of Golden Core cultivator? The matter of the peak leader could not be neglected. Song Xueqiao released a message talisman, summoning all the fellow disciples of the Two Instruments Sect in the vicinity to come and provide assistance.

The Daoist Black Shoes saw his movements clearly, but it was too late to stop him. He could only increase the force of his flying sword.

After a chaotic battle, Song Xueqiao was quite relieved that Lord Yin Shan Song Xueqiao not use his most feared demonic flames again.

Although the former obtained a trace of the Golden Core Fire Source due to the corruption of demonic spirits and stored it in his dantian, it is difficult to control frequently and can only be used once every three years.

Fortunately, Song Xueqiao was unaware of this matter. While fighting, he was also secretly on guard, which put him at a disadvantage in his battles with the Daoist Black Shoes and Lord Yin Shan, making it impossible for him to escape.

The Daoist Black Shoes's Swordsmanship was superb; even though Song Xueqiao was Golden Core disciple and had Foundation Establishment Perfection, he had to use all his skills to fight against him.

Bloodlust, ghostly aura, and skeletal corpses—all of these would dissipate within a few rounds under the opponent's sword light.

He had intended to capture this monkey to control the Daoist Black Shoes, but unexpectedly, although the monkey's cultivation was low, his Movement Method were extremely ghostly. He dared not be distracted too much when facing the Daoist Black Shoes, and for a time, he was unable to subdue him.

Although his jade Spirit Artifact was of average power, it carried the righteous energy of the Xuanmen sect, subtly restraining his own abilities.

Fighting alongside these two made Song Xueqiao secretly realize how difficult it was to deal with them.

If I had known this would happen, I would have captured Chen Ye earlier and reported back. I didn't bother listening to Feng Zheng's instructions. I should have carefully observed his methods of circulating and gathering qi, recorded them clearly, and then carried them out!

Just as the three were locked in fierce combat, a beautiful cultivator arrived.

"Lord Shan! Senior Black Shoes!" Qin Sufu's appearance surprised Daoist Black Shoes slightly.

Even if the former has achieved the Ice Leaf Dao Foundation, it has only been a short time, and he probably hasn't even completed the spiritual energy conversion yet. His combat strength is still inferior to Yin Shan Lord Yin Shan. Against a strong opponent like Song Xueqiao, his arrival would not be an aid but a hindrance.

Lord Yin Shan thought the same thing. He had followed Qin Sufu on a mission ordered by the state to inspect the people in various counties, and it was only when he passed through this area that he found what appeared to be Chen Ye's trail.

He rushed over, leaving Qin Sufu behind, but he was still a step too late.

Just as Qin Sufu was about to come to their aid, before Lord Yin Shan could even shout, a silver blade of light suddenly fell, striking the Daoist Black Shoes's flying sword.

While dealing with the Daoist Black Shoes, Song Xueqiao seized the opportunity and immediately spat out a black fang from his ghost-face shield, aiming straight at Lord Yin Shan.

Lord Yin Shan was unable to dodge in time. The jade axe collided with the sharp fang, but he was no match for it. The sharp fang veered off course, grazing Lord Yin Shan's shoulder immediately began to fester.

The Daoist Black Shoes sensed something was wrong and immediately flicked his fingers to recall his flying sword, holding it in front of him. He then grabbed Lord Yin Shan and Qin Sufu and fled.

Just as Song Xueqiao was about to give chase again, he was stopped by the owner of the previous blade of light.

"Yue Lan, why are you stopping me?" Although they were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, Song Xueqiao considered himself Yue Lan's senior, and the latter did not have an Alchemist. So even though he had repelled the Daoist Black Shoes and his group because of Yue Lan, Song Xueqiao was still not very polite.

"Song Fengqian, the Daoist Black Shoes is not someone to be trifled with. If we fight for too long, and Fei Nanying or even Kuang Liuting are summoned, and with no Golden Core cultivators available now, there are few in our Two Instruments Sect who can match them. At that point, even you yourself might find it difficult to escape, let alone fulfill your master's request."

Yue Lan, however, was not polite and immediately retorted, making Song Xueqiao's face turn ugly.

"Phew, thank you for your help, Junior Brother Yue." After hearing Yue Lan's words, Song Xueqiao, who had just encountered some setbacks, remained silent for a while before finally calming down and expressing his gratitude.

Yue Lan returned the greeting and said, "Senior Brother Song, I have other matters to attend to, so I will not stay any longer. Please be careful on your journey back to the sect, as things have been rather turbulent lately."

After Yue Lan finished speaking, she quickly left.

Song Xueqiao stopped in place, clutching the doll tightly in her hand, and after a while, she also fled towards Reed Creek Mountain.

Thanks to Alpaca Qidian, Xiang Xiaoshuai, the Monster Who Plays the God, and Dadianzi for the monthly tickets.

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