Xiao Zian was stunned and hurriedly tried to dissuade, "Uncle Master, this isn't right... There are at least eighty thousand people in this city! Killing so many just for one man will tarnish the reputation of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Think thrice!"
"Be gone!" The elder kicked Xiao Zian aside and scoffed, "Mere mortals are but ants in the eyes of us Core Formation cultivators. Stepping on tens of thousands of them is nothing. They will reproduce in a few hundred years, won't they?"
"Besides," he continued coldly, "there will be no survivors in this area I target. Who would know it's the work of our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect? We can simply blame the Devil Music Sect afterward."
Covering his eyes, Xiao Zian watched as more and more fiery clouds gathered in the sky, feeling helpless. Being only a little over a hundred and sixty years old, the thought of tens of thousands perishing in a sea of fire pained his heart, but he felt powerless.
People living near the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect were used to the red skies. However, this day, the sky above Qingyun City took on an unusually intense shade of red, with clouds tainted in crimson, as if a sea of fire brewed overhead. Everything below seemed to be painted with cinnabar, creating an apocalyptic scene.
Nearly a hundred thousand citizens paused their daily activities, stopping to gaze up at the spectacle.
Shu Han slammed the tea table and stood up in fury as he watched the ever-growing fire clouds.
"To sacrifice the lives of tens of thousands for one person! Such cruelty!"
Hiding amidst the masses was clearly not an option against this adversary.
Observing the numerous citizens looking up, Shu Han thought, 'If hiding is futile, then at least I shouldn't drag them into this. You old ghost, brace yourself for my 1,500 Thunder Tribulation talismans!'
Just as Shu Han prepared to launch himself into the sky and reveal his position, suddenly, a flash of fire shot up from a corner of the town. The figure within the flames moved at an astonishing speed, leaving only the booming sound of footsteps in thin air, resonating like heavy drums, causing shivers to run down spines.
Walking on air! It's that mad old man!
Shu Han, using his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, saw the mad old man stepping on air, dashing to the Core Formation elder. He threw a punch with lightning speed.
Caught off guard, the Core Formation elder tried to defend himself using his red-tasseled spear. But in the blink of an eye, the punch shattered the spear and landed squarely on the elder's chest.
Bang!
A piercing explosion rang out, sending the Core Formation elder flying like a cannonball.
"Scram!"
A commanding shout followed, ringing like a massive bell, causing heads to buzz.
Shu Han was so shocked that his scalp tingled. He knew the mad old man was powerful, but he hadn't expected him to be THIS powerful. That was a Core Formation early-stage expert! They were supposed to live for a millennium and have an indestructible Golden Core! Yet, not only had the elder's magic treasure been pierced through with a single punch, but he was also sent flying like a dead dog!
Blood frothed from the Core Formation elder's mouth. While his life wasn't in danger, his chest was sunken in, and his primordial magic treasure was destroyed, causing him to lose over three hundred years of cultivation progress. Upon seeing the mad old man, he turned his tail and fled like a rat seeing a cat.
Xiao Zian swallowed hard, trembling with fear, and quickly chased after the Core Formation elder.
The old man seemed unable to stay aloft for long. After reaching a certain height, he plummeted down, creating a massive crater in the city.
The surrounding mortals were terrified and scattered in all directions, while Shu Han went against the crowd, squeezing through the dispersing masses to the edge of the crater.
Inside, the mad old man appeared utterly drained, a stark contrast to his previous vigor.
"Thank you for your assistance, senior! I'm forever grateful," said Shu Han.
The old man's murky eyes looked at him, and he stretched out a grimy hand, seemingly asking for spirit stones.
Shu Han paused, realizing that in his current appearance, the old man didn't recognize him. He quickly shifted back to his original form, and upon seeing this, the old man's eyes flashed brightly. Standing up, he raised his fists.
Again? Shu Han thought, perplexed.
Whoosh!
As the old man's fists approached, Shu Han quickly shifted his palm to resemble a sword, engaging in a spar with him.
The two went back and forth in the crater, their movements accelerating. Under such pressure, Shu Han's Sky-aspiring Sword Technique began to refine, catching the old man's attention. The latter's fighting style started to subtly integrate aspects of Shu Han's swordplay, becoming more varied and intricate.
He's learning my martial arts! No wonder he always wants to spar upon seeing me; he's interested in my techniques!
While the old man's strength was unparalleled, his moves lacked sophistication. He relied on brute force, missing the intricate maneuvers found in mortal martial arts that can turn the rotten into the miraculous.
Martial arts aim to maximize the potential of a mortal's limited physical strength. Magic techniques strive to optimize a cultivator's limited magical power.
Both arts develop based on limited power. The old man, however, wasn't familiar with these subtleties. After all, when even an opponent at the Core Formation stage could be repelled with a single punch, why would he need unpredictable techniques?
However, having refined techniques was undoubtedly beneficial, which was why he showed great curiosity when he encountered Shu Han's martial arts. Few cultivators mastered martial arts like Shu Han. And mortal martial artists couldn't withstand the old man's overpowering strength.
The mad old man's speed continued to increase, and Shu Han, even with his Cloud-walking Step combined with the Flowing Boots, struggled to keep up. Under this immense pressure, Shu Han began to incorporate the essence of the "Shrinking Earth into Inches" technique into his steps, awkwardly adapting his Cloud-walking Step.
To his astonishment, under such intense pressure, he gradually succeeded. His Cloud-walking Step, augmented by the "Shrinking Earth into Inches" technique, became faster and nimbler within a confined space, now matching the old man's speed.
If someone were watching, they would be utterly dazzled. Inside the narrow crater, afterimages of their battle filled the space. Shu Han fought exuberantly, his palm turning into a sword, performing the ultimate move of the Sky-aspiring Sword Technique, the "Skyward Inquiry."
Though he held no sword, a blinding cold light emanated from his hand.
Upon seeing this, the old man's eyes shone brilliantly, and with a punch, he too exuded the core essence of the "Skyward Inquiry."
Whoosh!
Shu Han's palm halted just before the old man's forehead, while the latter's punch paused right in front of Shu Han's face.
The old and young looked at each other and burst into laughter, retracting their moves simultaneously.
Shu Han's heart raced. Suddenly, he noticed black patterns pulsating on his arm. It seemed as if some of the Black Abysall Fire within him had been driven into his body during the intense fight. The emergence of these dark patterns significantly enhanced his physical condition.
With reverence, he bowed, "Thank you for the guidance, senior!"
The old man nodded, once again stretching out his grimy hand for spirit stones.
Shu Han laughed and directly took out two large gourds of wine from his storage pouch, handing them to the old man.
The old man eagerly snatched the gourds, took a hefty swig, and then tossed one gourd back to Shu Han. With a murky gaze, he silently gestured for Shu Han to drink. Understanding the old man's intention, Shu Han uncorked the gourd and joined him in drinking.
However, throughout their drink, no matter what Shu Han said, the old man remained silent, continuously drinking.
Gathering courage, Shu Han wanted to probe the old man's secrets. He placed his hand on the old man's back, but the elder didn't react and continued drinking. Shu Han's consciousness, accompanied by his magic power, delved into the mad old man's body. What he discovered left him utterly aghast.
The balance of Yin and Yang was in chaos, the Five Elements were inverted, the meridians were misplaced, the Dantian was destroyed, and the spiritual platform was covered in dust.
How could he possibly be alive?
Xiao Zian was stunned and hurriedly tried to dissuade, "Uncle Master, this isn't right... There are at least eighty thousand people in this city! Killing so many just for one man will tarnish the reputation of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect. Think thrice!"
"Be gone!" The elder kicked Xiao Zian aside and scoffed, "Mere mortals are but ants in the eyes of us Core Formation cultivators. Stepping on tens of thousands of them is nothing. They will reproduce in a few hundred years, won't they?"
"Besides," he continued coldly, "there will be no survivors in this area I target. Who would know it's the work of our Fiery Cloud Instant Sect? We can simply blame the Devil Music Sect afterward."
Covering his eyes, Xiao Zian watched as more and more fiery clouds gathered in the sky, feeling helpless. Being only a little over a hundred and sixty years old, the thought of tens of thousands perishing in a sea of fire pained his heart, but he felt powerless.
People living near the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect were used to the red skies. However, this day, the sky above Qingyun City took on an unusually intense shade of red, with clouds tainted in crimson, as if a sea of fire brewed overhead. Everything below seemed to be painted with cinnabar, creating an apocalyptic scene.
Nearly a hundred thousand citizens paused their daily activities, stopping to gaze up at the spectacle.
Shu Han slammed the tea table and stood up in fury as he watched the ever-growing fire clouds.
"To sacrifice the lives of tens of thousands for one person! Such cruelty!"
Hiding amidst the masses was clearly not an option against this adversary.
Observing the numerous citizens looking up, Shu Han thought, 'If hiding is futile, then at least I shouldn't drag them into this. You old ghost, brace yourself for my 1,500 Thunder Tribulation talismans!'
Just as Shu Han prepared to launch himself into the sky and reveal his position, suddenly, a flash of fire shot up from a corner of the town. The figure within the flames moved at an astonishing speed, leaving only the booming sound of footsteps in thin air, resonating like heavy drums, causing shivers to run down spines.
Walking on air! It's that mad old man!
Shu Han, using his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye, saw the mad old man stepping on air, dashing to the Core Formation elder. He threw a punch with lightning speed.
Caught off guard, the Core Formation elder tried to defend himself using his red-tasseled spear. But in the blink of an eye, the punch shattered the spear and landed squarely on the elder's chest.
Bang!
A piercing explosion rang out, sending the Core Formation elder flying like a cannonball.
"Scram!"
A commanding shout followed, ringing like a massive bell, causing heads to buzz.
Shu Han was so shocked that his scalp tingled. He knew the mad old man was powerful, but he hadn't expected him to be THIS powerful. That was a Core Formation early-stage expert! They were supposed to live for a millennium and have an indestructible Golden Core! Yet, not only had the elder's magic treasure been pierced through with a single punch, but he was also sent flying like a dead dog!
Blood frothed from the Core Formation elder's mouth. While his life wasn't in danger, his chest was sunken in, and his primordial magic treasure was destroyed, causing him to lose over three hundred years of cultivation progress. Upon seeing the mad old man, he turned his tail and fled like a rat seeing a cat.
Xiao Zian swallowed hard, trembling with fear, and quickly chased after the Core Formation elder.
The old man seemed unable to stay aloft for long. After reaching a certain height, he plummeted down, creating a massive crater in the city.
The surrounding mortals were terrified and scattered in all directions, while Shu Han went against the crowd, squeezing through the dispersing masses to the edge of the crater.
Inside, the mad old man appeared utterly drained, a stark contrast to his previous vigor.
"Thank you for your assistance, senior! I'm forever grateful," said Shu Han.
The old man's murky eyes looked at him, and he stretched out a grimy hand, seemingly asking for spirit stones.
Shu Han paused, realizing that in his current appearance, the old man didn't recognize him. He quickly shifted back to his original form, and upon seeing this, the old man's eyes flashed brightly. Standing up, he raised his fists.
Again? Shu Han thought, perplexed.
Whoosh!
As the old man's fists approached, Shu Han quickly shifted his palm to resemble a sword, engaging in a spar with him.
The two went back and forth in the crater, their movements accelerating. Under such pressure, Shu Han's Sky-aspiring Sword Technique began to refine, catching the old man's attention. The latter's fighting style started to subtly integrate aspects of Shu Han's swordplay, becoming more varied and intricate.
He's learning my martial arts! No wonder he always wants to spar upon seeing me; he's interested in my techniques!
While the old man's strength was unparalleled, his moves lacked sophistication. He relied on brute force, missing the intricate maneuvers found in mortal martial arts that can turn the rotten into the miraculous.
Martial arts aim to maximize the potential of a mortal's limited physical strength. Magic techniques strive to optimize a cultivator's limited magical power.
Both arts develop based on limited power. The old man, however, wasn't familiar with these subtleties. After all, when even an opponent at the Core Formation stage could be repelled with a single punch, why would he need unpredictable techniques?
However, having refined techniques was undoubtedly beneficial, which was why he showed great curiosity when he encountered Shu Han's martial arts. Few cultivators mastered martial arts like Shu Han. And mortal martial artists couldn't withstand the old man's overpowering strength.
The mad old man's speed continued to increase, and Shu Han, even with his Cloud-walking Step combined with the Flowing Boots, struggled to keep up. Under this immense pressure, Shu Han began to incorporate the essence of the "Shrinking Earth into Inches" technique into his steps, awkwardly adapting his Cloud-walking Step.
To his astonishment, under such intense pressure, he gradually succeeded. His Cloud-walking Step, augmented by the "Shrinking Earth into Inches" technique, became faster and nimbler within a confined space, now matching the old man's speed.
If someone were watching, they would be utterly dazzled. Inside the narrow crater, afterimages of their battle filled the space. Shu Han fought exuberantly, his palm turning into a sword, performing the ultimate move of the Sky-aspiring Sword Technique, the "Skyward Inquiry."
Though he held no sword, a blinding cold light emanated from his hand.
Upon seeing this, the old man's eyes shone brilliantly, and with a punch, he too exuded the core essence of the "Skyward Inquiry."
Whoosh!
Shu Han's palm halted just before the old man's forehead, while the latter's punch paused right in front of Shu Han's face.
The old and young looked at each other and burst into laughter, retracting their moves simultaneously.
Shu Han's heart raced. Suddenly, he noticed black patterns pulsating on his arm. It seemed as if some of the Black Abysall Fire within him had been driven into his body during the intense fight. The emergence of these dark patterns significantly enhanced his physical condition.
With reverence, he bowed, "Thank you for the guidance, senior!"
The old man nodded, once again stretching out his grimy hand for spirit stones.
Shu Han laughed and directly took out two large gourds of wine from his storage pouch, handing them to the old man.
The old man eagerly snatched the gourds, took a hefty swig, and then tossed one gourd back to Shu Han. With a murky gaze, he silently gestured for Shu Han to drink. Understanding the old man's intention, Shu Han uncorked the gourd and joined him in drinking.
However, throughout their drink, no matter what Shu Han said, the old man remained silent, continuously drinking.
Gathering courage, Shu Han wanted to probe the old man's secrets. He placed his hand on the old man's back, but the elder didn't react and continued drinking. Shu Han's consciousness, accompanied by his magic power, delved into the mad old man's body. What he discovered left him utterly aghast.
The balance of Yin and Yang was in chaos, the Five Elements were inverted, the meridians were misplaced, the Dantian was destroyed, and the spiritual platform was covered in dust.
How could he possibly be alive?
