Chapter 153: Chapter 146: Don’t Be Too Curious

Thunder Shock Swordsmanship!

When Chen Che struck, he struck with his full power, holding nothing back. His True Essence—several times greater than that of cultivators at the same tier—combined with his incredibly proficient Tier Two Low Grade Swordsmanship to shatter his opponent’s Protective True Essence in an instant.

"What Swordsmanship is this?"

Zhou Changping’s eyelids twitched wildly. In a life-or-death moment, his Qi and Blood surged as he twisted his body violently, dodging the flash of the sword aimed at his throat.

Immediately, ignoring his pierced right hand, he lunged forward. His fingers formed a claw, brazenly grabbing for the hilt in an attempt to pin Chen Che’s hand!

This was the ruthlessness of this world’s cultivators; in a life-or-death situation, they wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

SHLICK!

His first strike having failed, Chen Che felt a rush of adrenaline and courage. He twisted the blade and flicked it sharply upward!

He was the same. In a life-or-death moment, he wouldn’t show the slightest hesitation.

"Hmph!?"

Blood splattered as three severed fingers flew into the air. Zhou Changping let out a muffled grunt.

He was forced to retreat a step, dodging the blade’s edge as it grazed past his throat.

"Kill!"

One strike missed, and another followed. Chen Che moved as one with his sword.

Supported by his vast True Essence, the light of his sword became like flowing water, or mercury spilling across the ground—dense and impenetrable. The attacks were relentless, each strike as fast as a thunderclap, flashing like lightning and leaving a trail of dazzling light.

’This kid?’

Zhou Changping’s eyes widened. He retreated again and again, but ultimately couldn’t dodge in time. Several gashes opened up on his body, blood spraying from them.

’Tier Two Swordsmanship!?’

’And so masterfully executed.’

"You little bastard!"

Zhou Changping was furious.

Although he had relied on external forces to luckily reach Foundation Establishment, his realm was what it was. With his high cultivation, he had always seen Qi Refining Cultivators as nothing more than ants.

Who would have thought he would be bested by a junior at the Eighth Layer?

In his shock and fury, he raised a hand and summoned a Jade Token that looked like a cross between gold and jade. Instantly, a soft light descended, enveloping his body like a luminous robe.

With a SCRAPE, the sword’s edge swept across the robe of light, erupting in a shower of sparks.

A Tier Two Low Grade Magical Artifact:

The Golden Threaded Jade Robe.

In an instant, the sky full of sword shadows could no longer get near him.

"Die!"

As soon as the Magical Artifact appeared, Zhou Changping roared and charged forward.

His right hand, with only two fingers remaining, plunged straight into the impenetrable flurry of sword strikes. Amidst a harsh, dense cacophony of clashing metal, he closed his fist and seized the Pure Jun Sword.

Chen Che felt the Pure Jun Sword in his hand become as heavy as a mountain, impossible to move an inch.

His opponent’s Qi and Blood was that of a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator!

"You little bastard! You said you had a fifty percent chance to kill me?!"

Pinning the Pure Jun Sword, Zhou Changping simultaneously shot out his left hand like a viper striking from its den, aiming viciously for Chen Che’s throat.

True Essence surged between his fingers, as fierce as a viper’s fangs or an eagle’s talons:

"Come on! I’d like to see just how you’re going to kill me!"

He had originally planned to keep Chen Che alive and force him to perform alchemy for the Sect.

But now, he had only one thought: to kill this boy on the spot. This strike would rip the boy’s throat to shreds.

All of this took longer to describe than it did to happen, unfolding in the blink of an eye.

In magical combat, life and death are decided in an instant!

Meanwhile, black mist billowed from the Soul-Calling Banner. Its ferocious skull had just managed to intercept Zhou Changping’s fatal blow, grinding against it like it was chewing on metal.

But in the next instant, he saw that Chen Che had been caught.

"Zhou Changping!"

Beneath the night sky, Xiao Chan’s hair whipped about wildly in his rage. He roared, gripped the Soul-Calling Banner with both hands, and swung it fiercely. Before his eyes, his full head of black hair turned streaked with gray.

In that instant, the very wind seemed to turn black, emitting a ghastly, wailing howl.

The skull, shrouded in black mist, expanded in the blink of an eye into the skeletal remains of an upper torso.

However, before he could act, he saw that Chen Che showed no sign of panic. Instead, Chen Che abandoned his sword, formed a palm with his hand, and raised his right hand, letting it fall gently onto Zhou Changping’s chest. The palm strike seemed incredibly light, like a final, feeble struggle.

But as it landed, the light of the Jade Robe protecting his opponent shattered on the spot.

"What?"

Zhou Changping froze. Before he could react, it felt as though his chest had been trampled by a colossal beast.

BANG!

His body shuddered, and his eyes became bloodshot.

In that instant, Zhou Changping felt every bone in his body jarring and rattling.

A Tier Two Middle Grade Martial Technique:

Nine Shocking Ape Strikes!

The palm fell, then rose again!

BANG! BANG!

As the second palm landed, Zhou Changping’s body convulsed, his chest caved in, and a hand seal materialized on his back, the force of it ripping through his robes.

Then, to his opponent’s utter disbelief, the third palm fell.

With a sound like tearing silk, a profound and violent power swept through his body. It not only shattered his organs but also gathered all his blood and forced it to erupt from the hand seal on his back in a gory fountain!

"No, impossible..."

Zhou Changping glanced at the hole that now pierced his torso. He struggled to raise his head, looking up at the youth hovering in the air. Finally, with a THUD, his body crashed to the ground, forever silent.

"You’ve seen it now. So what happens next?"

With a flicker of Chen Che’s gaze, the Pure Jun Sword, which his opponent hadn’t released even in death, silently broke free and returned to its sheath.

This was why he had learned a Close-Combat Martial Technique.

In magical combat between cultivators, if one’s magical artifact or weapon is neutralized, their combat ability is severely hampered. A sudden, unexpected attack at that moment is something an opponent would never anticipate.

"...Huh?"

Xiao Chan’s face was a mask of rage and despair. He held the Soul-Calling Banner high with both hands as black winds converged, causing the skull to swell to over a hundred feet in size.

He had, after all, been prepared to take Zhou Changping down with him.

But who could have imagined...

He didn’t snap out of his shock until Chen Che looked over at him.

"Cough, cough..."

The Soul-Calling Banner retracted, quickly reverting to its form as a battle spear. Simultaneously, the massive skull dissolved into a black mist and dissipated. "Tributor Chen, what incredible skill... To think a mighty Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t even withstand three of your palm strikes."

He was truly stunned.

’That was a Foundation Establishment cultivator! A Foundation Establishment Major Cultivator using a magical artifact, no less! If it were me, I doubt I could have even withstood a single one of those palm strikes.’

"It was a fluke."

Chen Che said calmly, "Without you here, this battle would not have been so easy."

Both of his decisive strikes had come when Xiao Chan was fighting for his life, drawing Zhou Changping’s attention. His opponent was fighting two against one, after all; it was impossible for him not to be distracted.

By now, Chen Che had reached the riverbank and was examining the Golden Dragon Carp.

"It’s a shame we can’t take this Fish Dragon with us. Zhou Changping must have placed a mark on it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have found us so quickly. If we take it, people from the Primordial Sect will track us down sooner or later!"

Xiao Chan’s words were filled with regret.

This was a chance to reach Foundation Establishment...

"I’ll erase the mark. And there’s another rat nearby...!"

Chen Che had already discovered the Divine Sense Mark on the Golden Dragon Carp. With the current strength of his Divine Sense, he could easily erase it.

"Hmm!?"

Xiao Chan was startled. Hearing the last part of the sentence, his gaze turned cold. He quickly scanned the surroundings, his eyes narrowing as they landed on a certain spot:

"Dan Guanqing, you can come out now!"

"Tributor Chen, Senior Xiao, I... I didn’t see anything! I don’t know anything..."

A rustling sound came from behind a large tree, and a pale-faced Dan Guanqing slowly emerged.

His legs were trembling, and his entire body shook like a leaf in the wind.

The books collected by the Royal Family contained records of the Golden Dragon Carp, so he had also been plotting to get the fish. Tonight, he had noticed the Fish Dragon swimming rapidly and followed it out of curiosity. He never, ever expected to stumble upon a scene like this.

The Evil Cultivator, Xiao Chan!

The Tributor, Chen Che!

The two of them had teamed up to kill a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Whether you saw anything or not, you shouldn’t have been here!"

Xiao Chan was expressionless.

"Tributor Chen, I... I even gave you a gift once..."

Hearing the killing intent in his words, Dan Guanqing felt his heart plummet into an abyss and hastily turned to look at Chen Che.

"You once asked me at the Pill Shop how one can live a long life, didn’t you?"

Chen Che opened his eyes; he had just finished erasing the mark from the Golden Dragon Carp. "I told you then to understand the situation, to accept reality. Let me add one more thing... Remember this: don’t be too curious."

"Don’t kill me!"

Dan Guanqing nodded subconsciously, then suddenly snapped to his senses. He shrieked and turned to run.

Before he could get away, Xiao Chan waved his hand. The long spear formed from the Soul-Calling Banner instantly pierced Dan Guanqing’s body, pinning him firmly to the ground. In a flash, he was reduced to a shriveled corpse.

"Idiot!"

Xiao Chan retrieved the Soul-Calling Banner, took the Storage Pouch from the body, re-wrapped the weapon in its gold-threaded black cloth, and walked toward Chen Che.

"It’s been dealt with."

Just then, Chen Che pulled a Storage Pouch from Zhou Changping’s corpse. The two exchanged a look, then quickly destroyed the bodies, wiped away all traces of their presence, and made a hasty departure.

...

...

"Phew."

An hour later, the two had relocated to a hidden mountain hollow dozens of miles from the battlefield. Sensing no pursuers, they both heaved a sigh of relief.

Only then did Chen Che feel the intense pain radiating through his entire body.

His limbs, his waist, his abdomen, even his spine—all were strained by the immense force unleashed by the Nine Shocking Ape Strikes. Forcibly activating a Tier Two Middle Grade Martial Technique with only the Qi and Blood of a Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator, it was impossible to escape unscathed. But the injuries weren’t serious; seven or eight days of rest would be enough to recover.

However, if three strikes hadn’t been enough and he had been forced to use a fourth, he feared it would have taken half a year, or perhaps even longer, to recuperate.

’I need to keep tempering my Qi and Blood!’

Still, he was quite satisfied. To have killed a Foundation Establishment Cultivator while only at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer realm—what more could he ask for?

Of course, Xiao Chan wasn’t in good shape either. He had, after all, activated the Soul-Calling Banner, and his hair was now nearly half white. If Chen Che hadn’t intervened and killed Zhou Changping, Xiao Chan feared the banner would have completely devoured his Qi and Blood, leaving him dead from exhaustion.

Only after he swallowed a pill did his Qi and Blood begin to gradually recover.

However, just as they were about to divide the fish, Xiao Chan suddenly spoke up:

"Tributor Chen, I have an unreasonable request..."

"Speak."

"I’d like to trade my thirty-percent share of the Fish Dragon for one of the pills you refine from it."

Xiao Chan looked at him, his eyes filled with anticipation.

"You knew this fish would help with Foundation Establishment, yet you delayed its capture. I imagine the pills refined from it must be far superior to a Foundation Establishment Pill..."

"...Alright."

Chen Che agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Although he had memorized the refining process for the Dragon Fish Pill until he knew it by heart, he had never actually attempted it. He had no idea how many times he might fail before succeeding. But as long as he succeeded once, the rest of the fish meat would be pure profit.

Thirty percent of the fish could probably yield three pills!

"Then I will await Tributor Chen’s good news!"

Xiao Chan cupped his fists in a salute, and his figure vanished into the darkness.

A moment later.

Chen Che returned to his Cave Mansion. Looking at the Golden Dragon Carp and the Storage Pouches before him, he couldn’t help but rub his hands together in anticipation.

’Tonight was truly a great haul!’

And at that same moment, Jinyun Valley erupted into chaos.