Chapter 212: Sword Roaming the Wilderness
When Ancestor Su Xing crawled out of the soil and completely revealed himself before Zhao Zhen, Zhao Zhen instead let out a sigh of relief.
This man looked as though he was on the brink of death.
It seemed he was truly only coveting Zhao Zhen’s physical body, rather than having his eyes set on the Clear Sky Sect.
So this was the possession that Master had spoken of?
Although Zhao Zhen often sparred with fellow disciples, he had never faced methods like those of Ancestor Su Xing.
The opponent’s tactics made him truly realize how terrifying slaughter between immortal cultivators could be.
This was not like the Martial Arena, where spells were exchanged with restraint, but a fight where every means was employed without limit.
First, he had used people from the Xuanji Sect to mislead him.
Second, he had controlled his mother’s body in advance using gu.
Then, taking advantage of the opportunity, he had poisoned Zhao Zhen.
This chain of schemes caused Zhao Zhen to lose his fighting ability before he could even inflict any damage on the man.
Dark clouds pressed down.
On the desolate hillside, Ancestor Su Xing stood before Zhao Zhen like a dried corpse.
He directly sat down cross-legged in front of Zhao Zhen.
As he circulated his cultivation method, he looked down at Zhao Zhen’s face.
When their eyes met and Zhao Zhen clearly saw the other’s true appearance, he was no longer afraid.
“Before I die, can you tell me where you come from?” Zhao Zhen asked in a deep voice.
Ancestor Su Xing sneered and said: “Trying to extract information? I’m not like you, not so easy to fool. But I can tell you this—I come from the west. You also don’t need to worry about your sect encountering trouble. I don’t want to provoke your Clear Sky Sect. Once I take over your body, I will leave the land of the Nine Provinces.”
If not for the fact that at Tianxuan Mountain he could only obtain news of Zhao Zhen, a single immortal cultivator, he would never have set his sights on Zhao Zhen.
As for the Clear Sky Sect disciples who arrived later, he had also hesitated over whether to seize their bodies.
However, their cultivation was shallow and their aptitude mediocre.
He could not bear to waste his chance at possession on them.
His secret possession technique could only be used once.
This was his only chance to be reborn.
“The west…”
Zhao Zhen’s gaze flickered as he silently pondered.
Ancestor Su Xing no longer paid attention to him and began chanting an incantation.
Immediately after, Ancestor Su Xing raised his right hand, extended two fingers, and pointed them toward Zhao Zhen’s forehead.
At that moment, Zhao Zhen’s eyes sharpened.
A terrifying aura suddenly erupted as he sprang up and threw a punch at Ancestor Su Xing.
Ancestor Su Xing reacted extremely quickly, leaping away at once and dodging the punch.
After landing, he looked at Zhao Zhen in shock and asked in astonishment: “How did you do it? Below the Spirit Perception Realm, no one can withstand the poison of my Netherworld Centipede.”
Zhao Zhen gasped for breath, sweat pouring down like rain, as his physical body rapidly recovered its strength.
Blood kept spilling from his mouth.
He swallowed twice and grinned ferociously as he said: “Old thing, looks like your experience isn’t that extensive either.”
In his heart, he felt grateful to Master.
As expected, Master was formidable—the Heavenly Gang Golden Body Art he had been taught had worked wonders.
After being poisoned, he had frantically tried to activate the supreme techniques he had mastered, only to discover that only the Heavenly Gang Golden Body Art could be mobilized.
That technique tempered the acupoints within his body.
By stimulating those acupoints and using Heavenly Gang energy, he forcibly expelled the poison.
However, this also came at a price.
His internal organs all suffered violent shocks, and tearing pain racked his body.
He was merely forcing himself to endure it.
Hearing his words, Ancestor Su Xing did not panic.
Instead, he clicked his tongue in amazement and said: “No wonder he was able to establish such an immortal cultivation sect on this barren land in just a little over ten years. Your master is no simple figure.”
Unhurried, he reached toward the storage pouch at his waist, took out banner after banner, and tossed them into the air.
These banners rapidly spread out, forming a circle in the sky that enclosed Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen suddenly stamped forward, cracking the hillside, and in a single step charged to Ancestor Su Xing’s front.
Ancestor Su Xing did not clash with him head-on, swiftly dodging instead.
The two chased one another, fighting along the slope, while the banners in the sky tightly followed Zhao Zhen.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck down out of thin air, startling Zhao Zhen into leaping aside as the lightning blasted countless shattered stones into the air.
Before he could think further, bolt after bolt of lightning descended from the sky, forcing him to dodge continuously.
He was already seriously injured.
After several evasions, his speed clearly slowed.
Ancestor Su Xing darted about like a ghost, preventing Zhao Zhen from drawing near.
A stifled frustration welled up in Zhao Zhen’s heart.
He actually felt as though he were facing Ji Ya.
Ji Ya liked to evade and continuously cast the Mountain Lord Divine Incantation.
Li Qingqiu had jokingly referred to this kind of tactic as “kite-flying.”
The Clear Sky Sect had kites, so Zhao Zhen could immediately grasp what Master meant.
When such tactics were used in a life-and-death battle, they were even more unbearable.
Ancestor Su Xing coldly watched him, impatience growing stronger in his eyes.
“I did underestimate him, but that’s only natural. Anyone who can become an immortal cultivator has their own means. Fortunately, he won’t be able to hold on for much longer.”
Ancestor Su Xing thought silently.
He was not in a hurry to strike, not because he lacked strength, but because he wanted to preserve Zhao Zhen’s physical body as much as possible.
If he were to possess a crippled body, that would be far from ideal.
Boom—
A thunderous explosion rang out from afar, startling Ancestor Su Xing into turning his head.
He saw enormous sparks erupt in the sky, rapidly scattering and transforming into streaks of fire that extended in different directions.
What was that?
Confusion flashed through Ancestor Su Xing’s eyes.
His instincts told him that a variable had appeared.
Zhao Zhen also saw this scene, his heart jolting.
Were there Clear Sky Sect disciples nearby?
Those massive sparks in the sky were Cloud-Piercing Thunder, specially made by the Clear Sky Sect.
They had been conceived by his Master and crafted by the Heavenly Works Hall.
Their purpose was to allow disciples in danger to summon nearby comrades.
The Cloud-Piercing Thunder covered a vast range, allowing disciples even a hundred li away to see it.
Zhao Zhen immediately focused his mind, preparing to stall for time.
Seeing his fighting spirit rekindled, Ancestor Su Xing roughly guessed the reason.
“Indeed, doing things within the territory of other sects is always troublesome!”
The killing intent in Ancestor Su Xing’s eyes intensified as he immediately charged toward Zhao Zhen.
Seeing him rush over, Zhao Zhen did not dodge.
Instead, he charged forward as well.
If he kept evading this lightning array, he would only exhaust his own strength.
Only by injuring this old bastard would the lightning array disperse.
The two rapidly closed in on each other.
Just as they were about to collide, Zhao Zhen’s right palm suddenly transformed into gold, with a faint golden phantom emerging.
Ancestor Su Xing abruptly sank into the soil, causing Zhao Zhen’s strike to hit nothing.
Boom!
Before Zhao Zhen could stop himself, Ancestor Su Xing burst out from the ground in front of his feet and kicked his chin, sending him flying.
His consciousness went blank for an instant, but he quickly reacted and used the momentum to leap away.
When he landed and looked over, Ancestor Su Xing was nowhere to be seen.
Bang!
Zhao Zhen instinctively raised his arm to block, but he was still sent flying by Ancestor Su Xing’s kick.
He only felt his arm snap in an instant.
This old thing looked half-buried in the ground, yet his strength was unexpectedly terrifying.
Zhao Zhen crashed miserably into a massive boulder, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and then slammed onto the ground.
Ancestor Su Xing clearly heard the sound of bones breaking, and a look of pain appeared on his face.
He had intended to kick Zhao Zhen’s shoulder, but he had not expected Zhao Zhen to react so quickly and raise his arm to block.
Nevertheless, that kick was enough to rob Zhao Zhen of his fighting ability.
Ancestor Su Xing shifted to Zhao Zhen’s front, extended two fingers, and pressed them against his forehead, rendering him unable to move.
“I see you won’t shed tears until you see the coffin!” Ancestor Su Xing said coldly, his expression vicious.
As his words fell, screams rang out from the distance.
Zhao Zhen glanced over and saw Yu Mi kneeling on the ground, her hands frantically tearing at her own hair.
Clumps of hair, matted with blood, scattered across the ground.
The sight made Zhao Zhen’s pupils constrict.
He hurriedly shouted: “Stop! I admit defeat!”
Hearing this, Ancestor Su Xing moved his lips slightly.
Yu Mi stopped tearing at her hair and collapsed limply to the ground.
Ancestor Su Xing wasted no more words and immediately cast the possession technique.
He feared that other Clear Sky Sect disciples might come to interfere.
As he performed the technique, Zhao Zhen clearly felt a stream of icy vital energy burrow into his body.
Immediately afterward, his vision wavered.
He felt the world spin, an indescribable dizziness crashing over him.
Whoosh—
A sharp tearing sound of air arrived.
Startled, Ancestor Su Xing sprang up and narrowly avoided a flying sword, but the sword’s energy scraped his face, causing stinging pain.
After dodging the flying sword, he twisted his head to look and saw a figure rapidly approaching, like a streak of sword light cutting across the wilderness.
The possession technique was interrupted.
Zhao Zhen’s head slumped to the side as he instantly regained consciousness.
When he opened his eyes, he just happened to see Jiang Zhaoxia rapidly closing in.
Seeing Jiang Zhaoxia arrive, Zhao Zhen felt both joy and guilt in his heart.
He knew that Jiang Zhaoxia had spent these years in seclusion, striving to surpass Senior Sister Xu Ning.
That Jiang Zhaoxia could arrive was certainly no coincidence—it must have been arranged by Master.
Ancestor Su Xing immediately seized Zhao Zhen, intending to use him to threaten Jiang Zhaoxia.
However, Jiang Zhaoxia showed no intention of stopping at all.
He directly charged to Zhao Zhen’s front and raised his sword, about to sever Zhao Zhen’s head.
Standing behind Zhao Zhen, Ancestor Su Xing was horrified.
He immediately threw Zhao Zhen away.
Zhao Zhen was flung aside, and Ancestor Su Xing had no choice but to face Jiang Zhaoxia’s strike.
He leaped backward while raising his right palm, using vital energy to block Jiang Zhaoxia’s sword energy.
The two skimmed low through the air, racing along the hillside for over a hundred zhang before Ancestor Su Xing finally shook off Jiang Zhaoxia’s sword energy.
After landing, Jiang Zhaoxia flicked his sword.
His arm lowered, the sword tip pointing to the ground, as drops of black blood slid down the blade.
Ancestor Su Xing steadied himself.
He lowered his gaze to his right palm, where the skin had split open, black blood endlessly seeping out.
He raised his eyes to look at Jiang Zhaoxia.
His face was ferocious, his eyes filled with wariness, as he asked in a deep voice: “Who are you?”
Jiang Zhaoxia slightly lifted his chin, looking down on him as he said: “Clear Sky Sect, Jiang Zhaoxia.”
“Clear Sky Sect? Do you have a grudge with him?” Ancestor Su Xing asked in mild astonishment.
“Disobedient and undisciplined. As a senior, killing him can also remove more trouble for the Clear Sky Sect.”
Jiang Zhaoxia said coldly.
His gaze was fixed tightly on Ancestor Su Xing, curiosity also rising in his heart.
This man had actually been able to evade his sword.
His cultivation was clearly not low!
“Third Martial Uncle, be careful! This man is skilled in poison and proficient in earth-burrowing techniques. He also used gu arts to control my mother. You must guard against him using my mother to launch a sneak attack!”
Zhao Zhen shouted through clenched teeth from afar.
His voice was not loud, but Jiang Zhaoxia could hear it.
Ancestor Su Xing was not angered.
Instead, he stared at Jiang Zhaoxia with a strange gaze and let out a sinister laugh: “Why do I feel that you are more suitable for my possession than he is?”
Sword energy emerged from Jiang Zhaoxia’s sword-wielding arm, rapidly condensing into a sword soul, identical in form to himself.
“Overestimating yourself. No wonder you ended up in such a state.”
Jiang Zhaoxia said indifferently.
His sword energy erupted like a mountain flood, actually shattering the mountain beneath his feet as dust billowed in all directions.