Chapter 242: Chapter 158: What? That Demon Cultivator Has Already Been Taken Care Of?

Inside the Qingyang Spirit Ore mine, Chang Shunping stared at the fallen Cao Wunian, his mind in turmoil.

He had witnessed Xiao Chen’s divine might before, felling one Foundation Establishment Cultivator with each sword strike.

Because of that, Chang Shunping had great faith in Xiao Chen’s strength. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed to the Qingyang Spirit Ore mine to wait for him, hoping to discuss a strategy.

But just now, when he saw Cao Wunian’s aura suddenly surge, even causing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to erupt violently, he couldn’t help but panic.

He could tell from the sheer pressure alone that such power did not belong to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Chang Shunping had seen more than one Great Perfection Foundation Establishment Cultivator in action before.

But none of them had ever made his heart pound and his flesh tremble from hundreds of yards away, as Cao Wunian just had.

Therefore, he had immediately fired a Signal Arrow, hoping to summon any potential reinforcements nearby.

At the same time, he drew his Flying Sword, intending to go forward and help Xiao Chen face the enemy.

Normally, when facing a powerful threat, two people standing together would surely be better than one person resisting alone.

But after taking an instinctive step forward, Chang Shunping froze.

Cao Wunian’s power was at its peak, and he was afraid.

Chang Shunping was just an ordinary Cultivator who had relied on Elixirs and Spiritual Objects to force his way to the sixth level of Foundation Establishment.

Benefiting from his family’s legacy, his cultivation journey, while not exactly smooth sailing, had been mostly free of obstacles. As a result, he was severely lacking in actual combat experience.

He thought of how the Chang Family still needed a guardian, and of the White Bone Sect’s fearsome reputation.

Chang Shunping hesitated, unsure if he should go help or seize the chance to flee. He stood frozen, lost in a fierce internal conflict.

In the moment he was stunned, Cao Wunian completed his transformation.

His body swelled to a height of ten feet, transforming him into a White Bone Giant whose every move created sonic booms.

A single step left a crater in the ground several feet deep and dozens of feet wide.

A single punch sent a whistling gale rushing against his face, even from dozens of yards away.

He was like a Demon God descended upon the world. Even a top-grade Magical Artifact Shield seemed on the verge of shattering under his fists.

Chang Shunping shivered. He knew that if he were the target of that punch, there would only be one outcome: being smashed into a bloody pulp.

However, in the next moment, he witnessed the most incredible scene of his entire life.

Xiao Chen actually put away all his Magical Artifacts and stood his ground, his hands clasped behind his back.

Chang Shunping was completely bewildered. ’What does this mean?’

’Has Xiao Chen decided to give up resisting?’

But he soon understood why, because what happened next was nothing short of a complete mockery of a fight.

The White Bone Giant, who could cross hundreds of feet with a single stride, was now as clumsy as a toddler learning to walk before Xiao Chen.

No matter how it charged, leaped, or chopped, a flash of golden light would flicker and weave, and all of its attacks would miss their mark. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

With each flash of golden light, Xiao Chen’s figure would reappear dozens of yards away.

He darted back and forth below Qingyang Mountain, his robes fluttering in the fierce winds, moving as gracefully as a dancer.

As a spectator, Chang Shunping was completely dazzled, unable to keep up.

If not for his wide field of vision, he would have lost track of Xiao Chen completely.

If the White Bone Giant had represented power beyond the Foundation Establishment realm,

then the flashing golden light now surely represented speed beyond that realm.

A question welled up from the bottom of Chang Shunping’s heart: ’Can a Foundation Establishment Cultivator really be this fast?’

In this, he was actually mistaken. Over a long distance, not even Xiao Chen could maintain such speed.

But in such a familiar environment, performing rapid dodges for a short period was not a problem at all.

Thus, from the moment Cao Wunian consumed the "Holy Medicine," the outcome of the battle was already sealed.

Seeing Xiao Chen pick up the Storage Bag from the ground and begin to clean up the battlefield,

Chang Shunping finally snapped out of his daze, realizing he was still standing in the same spot and had never mustered the courage to rush in and help.

He hastily put away his Flying Sword, feeling both ashamed and relieved.

He was ashamed of his own lack of strength, but relieved that he had met Xiao Chen and successfully weathered this crisis.

He then hurried forward to offer his congratulations. "Congratulations, Xiao! The Lingyuan Sect issued a double Merit bounty this time, so you’ve gathered all the Merit you need at once."

During a previous conversation, Xiao Chen had mentioned his desire to become a Demon-slaying Guard.

He was originally short of the Merit from two late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators, but Cao Wunian counted for two. Now, he just had to wait until next month’s rotation to be promoted directly to Demon-slaying Guard.

Then, he would no longer be bound by the Lingyuan Sect’s garrison assignments and would be free to act as he pleased.

Chang Shunping continued to congratulate him, "I heard that among all the previous Demon-slaying Guards, even the one who was promoted the fastest took half a year to gather enough Merit."

"For you, Xiao, to meet the requirements in just two months... your talent is truly exceptional, and your strength is beyond compare!"

"At this rate, I fear no one will ever surpass you."

Xiao Chen smiled faintly. "You flatter me, Chang. I was merely lucky and came across a few good opportunities."

This wasn’t entirely false modesty. Being assigned to a place like the Qingyang Spirit Ore mine, one truly needed a bit of luck to encounter a sufficient number of Demon Cultivators.