"Junior Brother Zhu!"

"What are you doing?"

Bao Xin roared, his sword in hand.

Three of their group of six had been killed in an instant. His eyes were bloodshot with rage.

The others also stared at him with indignation.

"I’m the one who should be asking questions, Senior Brother Bao. We have no past grievances, no recent enmity. Why are you so determined to kill me?"

Zhu Ju held his saber, his expression grave.

"As far as I know, another senior brother from the Celestial Sword Lineage was supposed to undertake this mission. But you, Senior Brother Bao, took his place at the last minute."

"On the Flying Ship, you secretly observed my movements no less than ten times over several days."

"But I could dismiss that. I could write it off as a coincidence, or perhaps you were just concerned for my safety."

He swept his gaze over the remaining men and said slowly,

"But after we left the Flying Ship, I did my best to conceal my aura. In theory, no one should have been able to track me here."

"What’s more..."

"Your killing intent isn’t very well hidden."

Perhaps an ordinary Innate Qi Refiner wouldn’t notice, but with his Divine Soul Power, how could he possibly ignore such blatant murderous intent?

Their relentless pursuit made their intentions crystal clear.

Bao Xin’s expression changed drastically at these words. The angry look of a man demanding an explanation froze on his face.

"Well, well!"

He narrowed his eyes and spoke in a cold voice,

"It seems I underestimated you, Junior Brother!"

"The only one to blame is yourself. You killed Fann Jie, and his older brother has no intention of letting you go."

"Fann Jie?" Zhu Ju frowned.

"A disciple of the Black Death Master?"

His only encounter with the man was from several years ago, during the Bright Void Sect’s campaign to exterminate the Five Poison Sect. He had killed Fann Jie when the man tried to escape. He never thought it would still lead to a fatal disaster today.

"Correct!"

Bao Xin nodded.

"Fann Jie’s brother is named Fann Ren. He is one of the Black Death Master’s most favored disciples, with a Cultivation at Nine Acupoints Perfection."

"He has some dirt on me. He wants me to kill you to avenge his brother, so I have no choice."

"So that’s how it is!" Zhu Ju understood.

"So you saved the Ye Family Siblings on purpose?"

"That’s right," Bao Xin confirmed with a nod.

"The Ye Family Siblings were captured by Brother Fann’s men. They heard the siblings knew you, so they put on a little show and delivered them to me."

"Through them, you learned about the situation in Hejian Prefecture, which led you to leave the Sect for this long journey."

"Heh..."

He let out a short laugh and shook his head.

"It was just a casual move. I didn’t have high hopes, but I never expected you’d actually leave the Sect out of concern for your relatives."

"Junior Brother!"

"If you had just stayed obediently in the Sect, none of this would have happened. You have no one to blame but yourself."

"I understand now." Zhu Ju looked at him.

"Senior Brother, you’ve been colluding with Tribulation Cultivators for a long time. I imagine many disciples from our Sect have met unfortunate ends because of you."

"And what if I have?" Bao Xin shrugged.

"I know you’ve been hiding your Cultivation, Junior Brother. But so what? Today... you will die without a doubt."

"Get him!"

Having wasted enough time on words, his patience had long since run out.

With a single command.

The four of them, including himself, attacked in unison.

Sword lights flashed and black light shimmered ominously. Bao Xin thrust his sword forward, the sound of wind and thunder rushing toward Zhu Ju’s face in an instant.

Among the many attacks, there was even a Yin Thunder.

A Yin Thunder capable of blasting a Late-Stage Innate Qi Refiner to smithereens!

SWISH!

Zhu Ju swung his saber.

The light of the blade moved in a perfect arc, like a circle, catching all the incoming attacks with exquisite precision and redirecting them toward one of the men at his side.

This slash seemed ordinary, but it held the very essence of his Saber Technique, demonstrating his complete control over the myriad attacks.

BOOM!

The Yin Thunder exploded.

The lightning that should have expanded in all directions was instead guided by the Cross and Vertical Saber, all of it surging in a single direction.

The man opposite him had a look of terror in his eyes. Before he could even cry for help, he was blown to pieces by the redirected techniques.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

The sound of collisions was as rapid as a sudden downpour. Zhu Ju’s figure flashed, and a streak of saber light cut through the barrage of attacks, slicing across a man’s throat.

SPURT!

Fresh blood splattered.

In just a few breaths, two of the four attackers had lost their lives.

"Ghost God Limit!"

"Six Acupoints Innate!"

Terror filled Bao Xin’s eyes and his face turned deathly pale. He abruptly executed a sword formula, shrouding himself in wind and thunder as he retreated explosively.

He was also a Six Acupoints Innate, and the Sword Technique he cultivated was extraordinary—the Wind and Thunder Sword Technique from the Celestial Sword Lineage.

But from the first exchange, the gap between them was obvious.

They were worlds apart!

Zhu Ju’s mastery of the Saber Technique was no less than that of the top Core True Inheritance disciples of the Celestial Sword Lineage.

His side didn’t stand a chance.

Moreover, they had already lost three members before the fight had truly begun.

WHOOSH!

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword leaped out from his Sword Pouch. It circled in mid-air, shredding the figure that was still trying to struggle, then shot toward Bao Xin like a bolt of lightning.

"Junior Brother, spare me!"

With a lethal killing intent closing in from behind, Bao Xin cried out desperately,

"I was forced into this! I know many secrets and Cultivation Techniques of the Sword Sect lineage! I also know Fann Ren’s..."

PLSCH!

Before he could finish, the five-colored light had already smashed through his protective Wind and Thunder Powerful Qi and pierced his heart.

The Flying Sword circled, flinging off droplets of blood.

THUD!

Bao Xin’s corpse fell to the ground.

It all happened in a flash. From the start of the fight to its conclusion, only a dozen or so breaths had passed.

’Once fists have flown, isn’t it a bit late to beg for mercy?’

Shaking his head, Zhu Ju controlled his Flying Sword to gather the spoils of battle from the ground before him.

Just as he finished collecting the items and was about to leave, he suddenly froze, his expression turning solemn.

"Who’s there?"

"Such sharp senses."

A cold, icy voice sounded from the darkness.

"What a bunch of trash. Still, they let me witness a good show. Your methods are quite impressive, Your Excellency!"

Zhu Ju slowly turned around.

A figure with a long saber on his back had appeared in the woods at some unknown time, leaning against a large tree and watching.

At the same time, a sharp killing intent, so palpable it felt physical, fell upon him from a distance, causing Zhu Ju’s expression to grow increasingly grave.

"Fann Ren?"

"That’s me."

The newcomer nodded and walked forward slowly.

Fann Ren’s appearance was quite unique. He had thin, blood-red lips, a hooked aquiline nose, and narrow eyes that glinted with a cold light.

His long hair was unbound, flowing freely behind him. A sheathless long saber was strapped to his back with some unknown type of vine.

As he strode forward, the sky suddenly darkened. The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi abruptly inverted, pressing down like a mountain.

Breaking Nine Acupoints!

Innate Perfection!

The Five Peaks True Form Force within his body began to circulate at an unprecedented speed. Zhu Ju looked directly at the man and spoke slowly,

"Are you also here to kill me?"

He had never fought a Late-Stage Innate Cultivator before, let alone someone at Innate Perfection with all Nine Acupoints Opened.

The oppressive aura washing over him made him feel a sense of danger he had never felt before.

Even when he encountered that Demon Sect Dao Foundation expert, it hadn’t been like this. After all, that expert’s attention hadn’t been on him at the time.

"A mere Inner Sect Disciple of the Bright Void Sect isn’t worthy of my attention," Fann Ren said, shaking his head lightly.

"I came here on other important business, but..."

"Now, I’m interested."

He had only come here to rendezvous with Bao Xin and the others to carry out a mission assigned by his elders.

He never thought he would witness Zhu Ju single-handedly annihilate Bao Xin’s entire party. The saber techniques were so sharp and fast that he didn’t even have time to intervene and save them.

This was clearly beyond his expectations.

He was clearly just a Bright Void Sect disciple who had only advanced to the Innate realm a few years ago, yet he had unleashed power on par with the Late-Stage Innate realm.

"You’ve ruined my plans, and you’re the enemy who killed my brother." Caressing the hilt of his saber, Fann Ren looked up.

"I hope the secrets you’re hiding don’t disappoint me."

SWISH!

Unlike the long-winded Bao Xin, he attacked directly.

A gleam of saber light flashed and vanished, appearing before Zhu Ju’s face as if by Instant Teleportation.

CLANG—

The Cross and Vertical Saber blocked in front of him, but a terrifying Giant Power erupted from the opponent’s blade, blasting Zhu Ju away.

His opponent’s strength wasn’t just immense; it carried a concussive force that traveled up the blade, through his arm, and into his body.

SWISH!

Zhu Ju’s heart jumped, and the Five-Pointed Flying Sword shot out like lightning.

Burial Sword Peak!

Five-colored Sword Light crisscrossed in the air, transforming into a downpour of ten thousand swords. It was like an inverted mountain peak, its might-shattering.

He went all out from the very first move.

CLANG CLANG CLANG...

Fann Ren, holding his long saber, swept a mass of black light through the air, and the Five-Pointed Flying Sword cried out in pain.

Black Death Saber Light!

VMMMM...

A five-colored halo descended from the sky and clamped down violently.

Five Elements Ring!

A High Grade Spiritual Artifact!

WHOOSH...

Fann Ren’s body flickered, and his entire form seemed to flow out from the gaps in the Five Elements Ring like quicksand.

"Hm?"

Zhu Ju’s expression changed slightly.

He had never seen such a technique before. It was simply unbelievable.

One had to understand that the Five Elements Ring didn’t just bind physical objects; even the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi couldn’t escape it.

"It seems you don’t understand what the Black Death Mysterious Skill is."

Fann Ren lunged forward in a flash.

"What a pity!"

CLINK...

The long sabers clashed in mid-air.

Zhu Ju’s feet moved in a rapid sequence. In an instant, his long saber struck dozens of times, before the saber light suddenly condensed.

CLANG...

Fann Ren’s forward momentum finally halted.

"Ghost God Limit!"

"Good Saber Technique!"

"Now you take a slash from me!"

Yellow Sands Flood the Heavens, the Common People Grieve!

The sky abruptly went dark. The wails of ghosts and howls of gods assaulted his eardrums as a sky full of black light swept over him like a sandstorm.

The Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi within a hundred-zhang radius churned madly.

ZWING!

Zhu Ju achieved Human-Saber Unity. He slashed his long saber forward violently, unleashing a Saber Qi that was over ten meters long.

Fifth Limit—Unparalleled Mad Saber!

’The world may be vast, but I can sunder it with a single slash!’

BOOM!

The sandstorm faltered.

"Haha..." Fann Ren threw his head back and laughed, his long hair dancing in the wind, a crazed look on his face.

"Good!"

"Excellent Saber Technique!"

"Again!"

The long saber in his hand was as heavy as a mountain; even the Five-Pointed Flying Sword couldn’t withstand a direct blow. Yet when he wielded it, it was exceptionally agile. Black light flashed horizontally and vertically, a low rumble of wind and thunder could be heard, and the sky filled with wildly swirling black sand.

Zhu Ju used his Five Elements Ring, Five-Pointed Flying Sword, and Cross and Vertical Saber all at once, yet he was still completely suppressed by his opponent’s single saber.

BANG!

The ground trembled slightly.

Dozens of black shadows leaped out and pounced toward Fann Ren.

The black shadows were as thin as cicada wings. Their momentum was astonishing, and they emitted soul-shaking cries as they enveloped him layer by layer.

Papermen!

Skin Puppets!

BOOM!

The saber light at the center flared brightly, and the numerous Papermen scattered into countless fragments.

"A Flying Sword, a Magical Artifact, Puppets, a Saber Technique..." Fann Ren said unhurriedly as he swung his long saber.

"You have many tricks, and they’re not weak. It’s a pity they’re too varied and lack purity."

CLANG...

A collision rang out.

Zhu Ju’s body flew back dozens of meters, skimming the ground. He frantically circulated his Five Peaks True Form Force to dissipate the incoming Strength.

"Single-Minded Devotion!"

Fann Ren closed the distance in a flash, his long saber swinging.

"Only then can one grasp the True Intent!"

"You don’t even understand this basic principle?"

BANG!

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword was knocked away again. The Spiritual Light of the sword’s body dimmed considerably, and there might even have been nicks on its surface.

Compared to Zhu Ju’s many techniques, Fann Ren had only a single saber, yet he was able to completely suppress him.

He was even toying with him, like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Hmph!"

With a soft snort, Zhu Ju took advantage of their clash to suddenly draw near.

His eyes flew open, and two foot-long beams of white light shot out from his pupils, slashing toward his opponent like a pair of blades.

Soul-Stabilizing and Soul-Slaying Divine Light!

"Ngh!"

A blast of Divine Soul Power comparable to that of a True Man shot out. Even with Fann Ren’s formidable techniques, his body couldn’t help but stiffen for a moment.

An opening!

Five Elements Palm!

Zhu Ju raised his left hand, gathering the Power of the Five Elements, and struck ferociously at his opponent’s heart.

BOOM!

A large hole was blasted directly through Fann Ren’s chest, but inside there was no flesh and blood—only swirling yellow sand.

"A good move!"

"But the True Body Illusory Transformation cultivated through the Black Death Mysterious Skill is no less profound than the Celestial Spirit Technique of your Dragon Head Lineage."

"A technique like that is far from enough to take me down!"

The swirling yellow sand coalesced, reforming into Fann Ren’s body.

His complexion was somewhat pale, and his aura was unstable. There was even a lingering fear in his eyes.

Clearly, such a technique was not without its costs.

But in the end, Zhu Ju had failed to land a decisive blow.

SWISH!

A Flying Talisman!

Escape!

He had just flown into mid-air when he saw the yellow sand billowing behind him. Fann Ren was in pursuit, moving at an even faster speed.

’He can fly too?’

Zhu Ju’s face paled. A moment later, he was struck down by a gleam of saber light and, with a flicker of his body, sank into the ground.

An Earth Escape Talisman!

"Who in the world are you?"

Fann Ren landed, his brows tightly furrowed.

"So many techniques... even among Late-Stage Innate experts, this is rare. Could it be that Your Excellency deliberately joined the Bright Void Sect to obtain their inheritance?"

"I have to admit, your methods are truly impressive."

STOMP!

He stomped one foot on the ground. The earth shuddered violently, and the soft soil instantly became as hard as bedrock.

This was a Method specifically designed to counter the Earth Escape Talisman.

The next moment,

Fann Ren’s eyebrows shot up.

"He vanished?"

’How is that possible?’