Because he was far from the collapsing mountain and was also a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Meng Han was not swept into the Minor Realm. After the calamity, the ruins of the Flaring Wind Sect began to collapse, and cultivators from all sides fled.
He also left the underground area, intending to return to Fragrant Blossom City to search for Zhao Chun's whereabouts. Unexpectedly, within the ruins, he was ambushed by a scoundrel and attacked by a Late Foundation Establishment cultivator, suffering heavy injuries. Fortunately, in Fragrant Blossom City, he encountered a group of True Spirit Sect disciples who rescued him.
He was now on his way back to the sect. Hearing Zhao Chun's message and knowing she was also safe, he told her to return to the sect quickly, as the Southern Region had been very unstable lately, and there might be danger. After reading the message, Zhao Chun decided to set off immediately.
She was also injured and needed to return to the sect to recuperate. Orange Prefecture Ridge was in the northeast of the Southern Region. Traveling by Smoke Boat, one could reach Ji City in five or six days, and after another two or three days of travel, one could enter the lands of the True Spirit Sect.
Zhao Chun didn't want to delay. After bidding farewell to Hong Qian, she set off in the direction of the sect. Forcibly cultivating the Art of Forging in the Furnace in the heavenly pit had indeed brought her great benefits.
Her skin and flesh, tempered by the fire qi, were tougher than before. After returning to the sect and cultivating quietly for a period, she thought she would be able to truly achieve the entry level. However, having consumed too many spiritual fruits and healing medicines in a short time, the burden on her physical body was too great.
Her Dantian still felt saturated. She would have to carefully refine it all before she could cultivate again. Aboard the Smoke Boat, Zhao Chun sat cross-legged, performing Tuna breathing, slowly conditioning her body.
Suddenly, a trembling sensation seemed to come from ahead! Zhao Chun swiftly descended, put away the Smoke Boat, and found a hidden place to conceal herself. She even placed a talisman on her body to hide her aura.
The trembling grew closer and closer to her! Accompanying it were two heavy, oppressive auras!
"Hand over the Amethyst Spirit Branch, and this Seat may spare your life!"
The voice was old and hoarse, filled with imposing might. Zhao Chun, looking up from below, saw a person floating in mid-air. His body was stained with blood, and the robe on his left side was torn away, revealing a horrifying stump.
Chi Song?
Looking at the person opposite him, she had thick eyebrows and large eyes, with a tall figure. A hint of weariness was on her face. She held a silver-white longsword in her hand, standing majestically.
She stared coldly at Chi Song and retorted, "I'm afraid even you don't believe those words. If you have the skill, come and take it yourself!" Zhao Chun recognized her too.
She was an elder of the True Spirit Sect, Qiu Jianying! She didn't know what had happened for the Amethyst Spirit Branch to end up in Qiu Jianying's hands, and for Chi Song to have even lost an arm. Before she could think further, Chi Song, upon hearing these words, erupted in fury.
He controlled two flying wheels and charged toward Qiu Jianying to kill her! As Qiu Jianying swung her sword, sword qi surged and slashed at the flying wheels. After the sound of a collision, the two flying wheels abruptly reversed and flew back.
Seizing the opportunity, she sent another wave of sword qi tearing through the air, straight for Chi Song's face! There was a gap in their cultivation bases. Qiu Jianying was only at the Mid Core Formation stage.
Although her foundation was solid and her techniques had reached major achievement, allowing her to fight an ordinary Late Stage cultivator, Chi Song was no ordinary cultivator. He had long since broken through to the Late Core Formation stage and was only waiting for his Soul Light Division to advance to the Profound Division stage.
The gap between the two could not be measured by a single small stage. However, in this confrontation, Qiu Jianying's offense and defense were steady, and she seemed to faintly have the upper hand. The reason for this, although it had the flavor of taking advantage of someone's plight, was that in disputes between cultivators, reason rarely held sway.
Chi Song's battle with the Superficial Old Daoist had been brutal. He was already injured, but the Superficial Old Daoist was, after all, only at the Mid Core Formation stage and definitely couldn't have killed him. Unexpectedly, that evil cultivator, harboring some unknown deep-seated hatred, had fought with his life on the line just to severely injure him.
In the end, he tore off Chi Song's arm, but also perished himself. After the great boat collapsed, Zhao Chun and Meng Han were naturally not the only ones who survived. Cultivators had numerous methods, and there were many ways to slow one's descent.
We won't elaborate on that here. What was more important was the resentment in the hearts of the surviving cultivators. They widely publicized the fact that Chi Song possessed the Amethyst Spirit Branch.
This treasure was already extremely rare, and as soon as the news spread, it alarmed Core Formation cultivators from all over, who set out to find Chi Song's whereabouts. Chi Song hid everywhere, wishing only to return to Immortal Meeting City as soon as possible to assimilate the Amethyst Spirit Branch and advance to the Profound Division stage.
However, fate plays tricks on people. In a struggle with a Core Formation cultivator, his storage artifact was sent flying by a spell. Although he ultimately killed that cultivator, the artifact containing the Amethyst Spirit Branch ended up in Qiu Jianying's hands.
How could Chi Song be willing to accept this? He wanted to kill her and seize the treasure back. He also hadn't expected Qiu Jianying to be so formidable; her swordsmanship had left him in a rather sorry state.
He hastily dodged the sword qi and quickly recalled his flying wheels for defense, saying viciously, "Worthy of being a genius of the Southern Region, to be able to exchange a few moves with this Seat. If I let you continue to grow, I'm afraid you would reach the Profound Division stage.
But you shouldn't have, you absolutely shouldn't have, come to snatch this Seat's possession. Today, I will make you perish completely in this place!" His lifespan was nearing its end.
If he couldn't break through to the Profound Division stage, he would have to sit and transform. The Amethyst Spirit Branch could be said to be Chi Song's only hope. No wonder he appeared to be on the verge of madness.
Qiu Jianying pointed the tip of her sword, showing not the slightest intention of retreating. She shouted, "What skill is there in a war of words? Whatever methods you have, use them all!"
Chi Song was consumed by rage. The flying wheels by his side split from two to four, four to eight, eight to sixteen, and finally multiplied into several hundred. They floated behind him, each one flashing with a sharp light.
The qi scattered by their spinning sliced apart branches and green leaves dozens of meters away!
Xiu!
Those several hundred flying wheels all attacked Qiu Jianying, stirring up the wind and sweeping up a vast cloud of dust. In an instant, this corner of the world was filled with the howling of a hurricane! Qiu Jianying knew that Chi Song's storage artifact was in her hands.
After numerous fights, he had not been able to recover his spiritual energy. This attack was so tyrannical, he must have drawn upon all the accumulated power in his body, fighting with his life on the line! Since it has come to this…
Don't you regret it! A light suddenly erupted from her entire body. Watery ripples appeared on her sword, and the faint sound of monstrous waves crashing against the shore could be heard, countering the hurricane of flying wheels!
Zhao Chun could no longer watch. The vast dust obscured her vision, and she didn't know what was happening within. Suddenly, a streak of sea-blue light shot straight into the clouds!
Accompanying it was a crisp sword cry. Waves of sword energy, like surging white billows, devoured the flying wheels. The dusky yellow dust settled, and like the rising morning sun, the world was once again returned to light!
Chi Song's head rolled off from under the silver-white longsword, falling to the ground along with his corpse, blood pouring out like a torrent! Qiu Jianying's chest heaved slightly. This strike, killing a half-step Profound Division cultivator from the Mid Stage, had also exhausted all her strength.
She was about to sheathe her longsword when she looked coldly towards a certain spot and said in a frosty voice, "Come out!"
(End of this chapter)