Chapter 22 Who's the Real Evil Cultivator?!
"Master! Has Junior Brother been inside too long?"
Li Yingling glanced at Chu Xingchen, unable to hide her concern.
Ever since Li Xingtian sent the signal and infiltrated the mine, there had been no further word.
"Wait a little longer." Chu Xingchen frowned slightly. With the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman, Li Xingtian shouldn't encounter problems even if he couldn't win.
Perhaps he had already transmitted away if the situation turned critical.
Receiving this answer, Li Yingling sighed deeply but chose to follow her master's decision to wait a bit longer.
However, ten minutes later.
As a violent explosion erupted from the mine shaft, a surge of fierce, sinister spiritual energy suddenly burst forth from within.
This time, there was no need for Li Yingling to speak.
The Golden Core Elder guarding the spirit stone warehouse—a middle-aged man—had already emerged. Regardless of Li Xingtian's situation inside, he must intercept this Golden Core expert first!
Chu Xingchen decisively drew a spirit sword from his spatial ring. Before leaving, he handed a transmission talisman to Li Yingling:
"Use it immediately if in danger, then find a place to hide and wait for me to find you."
"What is this?" Li Yingling looked down at the golden-patterned talisman in her hand.
"A Random Transmission Talisman. It activates upon spiritual energy infusion. Absolutely do not use it out of curiosity." Chu Xingchen put on his mask again. "Also, stay calm and prioritize your safety."
"What should I do now?"
"Follow Li Xingtian's plan—try to support him, but ensure your own safety. Especially against anyone you cannot defeat, flee without hesitation. Li Xingtian has the same talisman; don't worry about him."
Li Yingling then watched Chu Xchen vanish instantly, transforming into a streak of rainbow light.
Chu Xingchen struck without hesitation, unleashing his strongest technique—Li Yingling's entry-level divine ability.
Three Thousand Weak Water Sword.
Threads of sword energy coalesced into water dragons, clinging to the blade.
Chu Xingchen aimed at the elder preparing to return to the mine and struck with one slash.
An entry-level divine ability was still a divine ability. Coupled with Chu Xingchen's master-level evasion arts and the element of surprise, it was devastating.
The elder urgently needed to reinforce the mine. The plan had reached its critical moment—this was the Qingfeng Sect's lifeline.
He absolutely could not fail here. He had already crushed an emergency jade talisman; with slight delay, other Qingfeng elders would arrive to reinforce him.
But the formations and rituals inside must not be compromised. Anxiety gnawed at him.
Facing Chu Xingchen's sudden lethal strike, he noticed it too late—there was no time to resist.
The elder could only forcefully squeeze his Golden Core, raising a hasty barrier.
Yet it seemed unable to withstand even a moment. That sword seemed to cleave through time and space. In an instant, the aura of death arrived with its boundless sword intent.
The elder gazed at the swordsman—tattered clothes, a vicious ghost mask covering his face, exposed eyes devoid of joy or sorrow.
Unable to dodge, the elder could only turn his head desperately, avoiding the decapitating blow.
But he couldn't evade the long sword piercing his heart. Immense spiritual power mixed with torrential sword energy rampaged through his body, destroying everything.
With one strike, half his body—including his heart—was reduced to blood mist.
But the elder seized this moment of respite, breaking free from the attack range and hastily retreating backward.
Chu Xingchen did not pursue. He stopped, eyes fixed on the elder before him. A Golden Core cultivator should die from a shattered heart.
Yet this elder seemed... unharmed. Quite demonic. Better check his attributes with the system first.
[Mo Chen]
[Cultivation: Mid-Stage Golden Core]
[Blue Trait: Postnatal Demon Body]
[White Trait: Thick-Skinned]
[White Trait: Petty Cunning]
[Black Trait: Heart Demon Possession]
Postnatal Demon Body?
Chu Xingchen frowned slightly. It seemed there were deeper secrets within the Qingfeng Sect.
The elder stood his ground, a hint of relief on his face as black-red spiritual energy erupted from within him, rapidly devouring the unreacting Qi Condensation Stage 2-3 miners around him.
He swiftly absorbed their life force as nourishment, converting it into energy to restore the half of his body destroyed by the strike. That previous attack had pierced his Golden Core's protection, and that sword technique—so naturally profound—was unmistakably a divine ability! Cultivators with and without divine abilities operated on entirely different levels.
Especially since this opponent's cultivation seemed superior to his own. The priority now was to stall for time, awaiting reinforcements from other sect elders!
Mo Chen quickly spoke: "Fellow Daoist! There must be some misunderstanding! This is the Qingfeng Sect's mining area."
Chu Xingchen's tone remained flat: "An evil cult's mining ground. Eliminating evil is my righteous duty."
Hearing the response, Mo Chen secretly sighed in relief. As long as he could exchange words and buy time, this fool—even if he was late-stage Golden Core or possessed divine abilities—would soon face the sect's Nascent Soul Ancestor.
Mo Chen hastily cupped his hands: "My Qingfeng Sect is a certified orthodox cultivation sect under the Southern Danzhou Immortal Alliance Pavilion. How can you call us evil cultivators?"
Seeing Mo Chen cup his hands, Chu Xingchen rejoiced inwardly. Damn, villains really do die from talking too much. What kind of idiot thinks I'd keep bantering with him?
Since destroying his body wasn't effective, he'd destroy his mind.
"But you..."
Chu Xingchen opened his mouth as if to speak, but his sword never stopped. His body shot forward like lightning, instantly appearing before Mo Chen. Sword energy now flowed like water around the blade. Without hesitation, he slashed at Mo Chen's head.
Yet this strike unexpectedly missed.
Mo Chen suddenly released a dark crimson blood mist, enveloping the surroundings. The sword intent Chu Xingchen had locked onto abruptly dissipated—or rather, the locked target had transformed into that mass of blood mist.
Chu Xingchen immediately raised a spiritual energy barrier to block the blood mist, unsure of its properties. No longer concerned with energy consumption, his spirit sword flared brilliantly. Water-like silk threads surged from the blade into the mist, sharp spiritual energy severing all connected blood strands.
"You're the real evil cultivator here! Attacking by ambush?!" Mo Chen's furious voice echoed from the mist. Had he not been on guard, that sword might have truly decapitated him.
"My heart radiates light; what more is there to say?" Chu Xingchen replied simply. The silk threads erupted violently, flooding the mist like a torrent.
Mo Chen knew he couldn't maintain the blood mist state any longer—it meant slow death. He hastily solidified his body.
Now Mo Chen's blood-red eyes locked onto Chu Xingchen. This brat was bullying him solely because he lacked divine abilities!
Chu Xingchen remained expressionless. An unencumbered late-stage Golden Core with divine abilities facing a mid-stage Golden Core—failing to achieve overwhelming dominance would make him worthless.
His spirit sword glowed again as water-like intent converged on the blade. He intended to finish this Golden Core within two moves.
But suddenly, the mine shaft behind them erupted. Several mangled figures flew out, smashing through structures before embedding themselves in the surrounding rock walls.
Chu Xingchen couldn't help but worry, glancing sideways.
After the mangled figures emerged, Li Xingtian stepped out—demonic flames surging around him. Dark crimson, blood-soaked spiritual energy coated his body, his scarlet eyes filled with endless killing intent.
Some unknown blood, carrying a sinister aura, seemed controlled by Li Xingtian, coiling around him alongside his spiritual energy.
Had he fallen to demonic cultivation?
Why did he appear so malevolent?
As Li Xingtian exited the mine, he spotted his master and shouted with frenzied reverence: "Master!"
Mo Chen stared dumbfounded at Li Xingtian. He'd never seen this man before—the "Master" he called couldn't be himself. That meant he was addressing this mask-wearing man who claimed his "heart radiated light."
Wait—of everyone present, only your disciple looked like a fucking demon! And you call yourself righteous?!
Mo Chen pointed furiously at Li Xingtian: "You goddamn bastards are the real evil cultivators?!"
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