Chapter 146: Chapter 139: Foundation Establishment at the Door
He had long seen that Dan Guanliang had ulterior motives, but he hadn’t planned to interfere.
After all, this was a matter between him and the Meng Family. Moreover, anyone who dared to plot against a Foundation Establishment Race was bound to have some tricks up their sleeve. But he never expected that the man would be so unscrupulous in pursuit of his plan that he would even dare to make a move on him.
Chen Che had no intention of showing mercy.
WHOOSH!
In the dense forest, a fierce wind suddenly arose.
A beam of sword light, like a bolt of white silk, shot directly from his fingertip, sweeping out like a ten-foot-long greatsword.
Dan Guanliang was sent staggering back several steps by the gale. In that instant, he felt a powerful wind blast his face, making it impossible to even open his eyes. He could only hear the harsh RUSTLE of the surrounding leaves.
Meanwhile, the Cultivators in Flying Fish Robes, who were lunging forward with shocking saber glints, abruptly froze in mid-air, their old, withered faces filled with astonishment.
It seemed to last an eternity, yet it was over in an instant.
CLANG!
Under everyone’s horrified gazes, with a single sweep from Chen Che, the sharp long sabers in the hands of the mid-air Cultivators in Flying Fish Robes snapped in two on the spot. The two Cultivators themselves were cleaved in half by the might of that one sword strike.
As blood rained down, four mutilated halves of their bodies crashed to the ground.
The entire scene fell deathly silent.
Dan Guanliang never would have dreamed that Chen Che could kill two Eighth Layer Death Warriors with just a wave of his hand.
In an instant, cold sweat streamed down his back.
’This is bad!’
Just from the decisiveness and ruthlessness of his opponent’s strike, he finally realized what a terrifying enemy he had provoked for the Dynasty. But things had already come to this. He had no other path to take; he could only see this through to the bitter end.
"Attack together!"
With his shout, the remaining four Cultivators in Flying Fish Robes soared into the sky.
In a flash, the four men’s bodies swelled, veins bulging and muscles expanding. Their well-fitting Flying Fish Robes were immediately stretched taut.
A dense flurry of saber light filled the forest, like countless bolts of lightning. Wherever the saber energy passed, innumerable plants were shredded in mid-air, turning into a sky full of dust.
Four deep, sharp saber marks appeared on the ground, each one half a foot deep, stretching from the four men’s feet all the way to Chen Che!
The combined might of their joint attack was no less than the full-power strike of a Ninth Layer Cultivator.
"You’re courting death!"
However, Chen Che just grunted lightly and waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.
But in the void, the howling wind rose again, transforming into countless sharp swords that shot out like a hail of bullets. Several towering ancient trees were torn to shreds, and the four Cultivators in Flying Fish Robes were instantly riddled with holes, exploding into a shower of blood and gore.
"Ah...!"
Dan Guanliang was a step too slow. Although he managed to summon a Shield in time, it was shattered in an instant. He was then pierced through the chest and abdomen by several sharp swords and thrown violently backward.
However, after he landed, he clenched his teeth, slammed one hand on the ground, and his eyes bulged. His aura, instead of diminishing, surged, instantly reaching the Qi Refining Eighth Layer. At the same time, his face aged rapidly, and in a moment, he transformed from a dashing young man into a gray-bearded old man.
Clearly, he was using the same kind of Evil Technique as the Cultivators in Flying Fish Robes.
But instead of charging at Chen Che, he turned and fled toward the edge of the forest.
’It’s all over!’
Dan Guanliang nearly gnashed his teeth to dust. He had lost six Death Warriors and offended a Tributor of Jinyun Valley. Even if he survived tonight, the Dynasty wouldn’t spare him. On top of that, he had used the Life-Taking Secret Technique. Not only had his one-hundred-and-twenty-year lifespan been slashed to thirty, but his path of Cultivation was now severed forever.
’Once I survive this ordeal, I’ll come back for revenge...’
Just as he was thinking this, he felt a sudden gust of wind. A black shadow swooped down over his head. Then, an immense force slammed him from mid-air to the ground. The terrifying power almost crushed his bones.
A dull THUD sounded, like a giant boulder hitting the earth.
"Ah!"
Dan Guanliang cried out in pain, spitting out a mouthful of blood. But when he saw the black shadow, his pupils shrank, and the fury in his heart turned to terror.
Because he discovered that the one pinning him down was none other than that Giant Eagle.
"...It?"
Dan Guanliang froze for a moment. Seeing Chen Che standing nearby with his hands behind his back, he had a sudden realization and shook his head with a bitter laugh.
"So that’s how it is. It turns out this Demon Beast was yours from the very beginning... No wonder you were unwilling to sell it to me!"
"So that’s how it is..."
"Why didn’t I think of that!"
With a mouth full of blood, Dan Guanliang let out a choked, bitter laugh.
He had just been thinking that Chen Che was planning to use this Demon Bird to woo Meng Qingxuan. It was precisely this miscalculation that had led him to make such a fatal mistake.
"It’s not too late to find out now,"
Chen Che said, slowly shaking his head.
"Not too late?"
Dan Guanliang was stunned, a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes. "Could it be... Tributor Chen, are you willing to let me go...?"
’That’s right. I come from the Dynasty, so I must have some value. Perhaps he sees that. If I submit to Chen Che, I might have a chance to survive.’
"It’s better to die understanding why than to die in ignorance."
But to his surprise, Chen Che slowly shook his head and flicked a finger. Before Dan Guanliang could even react, his head was pierced through. He died on the spot without even letting out a scream.
Without any hesitation, Chen Che took the Spirit Stones and the Clear Moon Lotus Seed, then destroyed the body to eliminate all traces before leaving with a swagger.
「Half an hour later.」
Only after the commotion had completely died down and he confirmed there was no more danger did the Big Leader dare to sneak closer. Looking at the ravaged scene, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
"Did you see that!"
The Big Leader turned his head, looked at the dumbfounded Loose Cultivators, and cursed, "How could anyone who holds the position of Tributor be some soft-hearted saint? This is what happens when you dare to ambush someone on the road..."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
After a moment, someone finally asked in a low voice, "Who died tonight?"
"Whoever it was, you’d better take that information to your graves..."
...
Meanwhile, Chen Che had returned to his Cave Mansion.
Although Dan Guanliang had appeared unexpectedly, the overall plan for the night was not affected in the slightest. In fact, it had turned out perfectly.
’The Little Chick’s identity is now clean.’
In addition, he had obtained some Spirit Stones, one Clear Moon Lotus Seed, a copy of the ’Life-Taking Technique’, and several letters.
The ’Life-Taking Technique’ was the Secret Technique Dan Guanliang used to escape. It burned one’s lifespan in exchange for a one-time boost of two or even three layers in one’s Cultivation Realm. However, it maxed out at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer and could not break through into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Once used, one’s Essence Blood would be consumed and their lifespan drastically reduced.
’If this book appeared on Earth Element Star, it would be banned in minutes, and the author would be locked up for decades.’
Flipping through it casually, Chen Che’s face filled with disgust.
On Earth Element Star, Cultivation Techniques that came at the cost of damaging one’s body were strictly forbidden, and books that taught techniques at the cost of one’s lifespan were classified as Evil Techniques.
Of course, that didn’t mean they didn’t exist on Earth Element Star. Most such books were sealed away, with extremely high access requirements. Ordinary Cultivators had no permission to even come into contact with them.
As for the letters, Chen Che’s interest was greatly piqued after glancing at them.
To mortals, imperial power was the pinnacle. And there was no Emperor who did not desire immortality.
The Great Feng Royal Race had used its authority to collect all books related to Daoist Techniques within its borders. Unexpectedly, they actually found a few incomplete Cultivation Techniques and thus embarked on the path of Cultivation. However, they lived far more comfortably than ordinary Loose Cultivators.
By marshaling the resources of a nation and building upon the foundation of the Royal Family, they had formed a Cultivation Clan hidden within the Mortal World.
It’s just that such a clan was relatively closed off and unknown to outsiders.
’If a Dynasty lasts long enough, doesn’t that mean its hidden Cultivation Clan could become incredibly powerful? Could it produce Foundation Establishment or even Golden Core cultivators...?’
Chen Che mused thoughtfully.
For a moment, he, who had never paid any mind to the Mortal World, suddenly became much more wary of those long-standing mortal capitals.
However, the Great Feng Dynasty had only been established for a little over two hundred years, so it couldn’t have given birth to an overly powerful Cultivation Clan.
...
As expected, the news spread in less than two days.
"That Jingfeng Divine Eagle was bought by Tributor Chen? For a full one hundred Spirit Stones?"
"I heard that when the guys from the fish stall caught the Jingfeng Divine Eagle, it was struggling like crazy. But then, when it saw Tributor Chen, it suddenly calmed down..."
"And Tributor Chen said that he and this demon had an affinity."
On his way to the Market, Chen Che overheard people discussing it.
But for most Cultivators, what they envied was the group from the fish stall, who had made a huge profit in Spirit Stones.
Upon hearing the news, Meng Qingxuan rushed over, wanting to see the Jingfeng Divine Eagle. However, Chen Che directly refused, using the excuse that he couldn’t control it yet.
"Could it be that Miss Meng wants to buy it?"
"Of course not."
Meng Qingxuan shook her head, though her tone was filled with regret. "This demon has an affinity with you. Even if we were to buy it by force, we wouldn’t be able to tame it..."
Decades ago, the Meng Family had also done something like killing someone to seize their demon.
But that Demon Beast could never be tamed. Instead, it always treated the Meng Clan Members as enemies, even forcefully resisting the control of the Beast Taming Token. In the end, they had no choice but to dispose of it.
Since then, the Meng Family no longer engaged in such thankless tasks.
"Although you have an affinity with the Jingfeng Divine Eagle, you still need to feed it in a timely manner."
Meng Qingxuan didn’t seem to doubt Chen Che’s excuse.
"It takes a long time to tame one. In my opinion, ’Jingfeng’ has an extremely high potential. It might even become a Foundation Establishment Great Demon."
After all, Demon Beasts, like humans, have their own preferences. It wasn’t strange for one to feel an instant connection.
’Jingfeng? What kind of stupid name is that?’
Chen Che grumbled inwardly but still nodded slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Miss Meng."
Meng Qingxuan was about to say more when the bustling Market suddenly fell silent. Then, the Fiery Flying Crane parked outside the Pill Shop suddenly bent its neck, folded its wings, and began to tremble as if it had encountered some terrifying existence.
Then, all the Loose Cultivators in the Market lowered their heads and averted their eyes.
"What’s going on?"
Meng Qingxuan looked over curiously, but the moment she raised her head, her expression froze, and the confusion on her face turned to tension.
"It’s the Primordial Sect! And three Foundation Establishment Major Cultivators..."
"Hmm?"
Chen Che frowned and looked outside, following her gaze.
Three old men with billowing sleeves and the air of transcendent immortals walked at the forefront. Behind them were nearly a hundred disciples in neat attire, each carrying a longsword on their back.
Though their procession was grand and imposing, everywhere they passed fell deathly silent, as if a troop of Shadow Soldiers were marching through in broad daylight.
It was an extremely bizarre sight.
Just then, the leading Foundation Establishment Major Cultivator suddenly halted and turned his head to look over.
Then, he brazenly began walking toward the Pill Shop.
