Chapter 628
Intercepting and Killing a Genius at the Spirit Sea Realm!
When Jiang Xuan stood weary from his journey at the end of a wide official road, gazing at the silhouette of the majestic city ahead, the tension that had been building in his heart for so long finally eased slightly.
Wuqu City.
One of the twelve most famous guard cities surrounding the Forbidden City, the capital of the Purple Obsidian Empire.
They stand like stars surrounding the moon, or like a sturdy barrier, guarding the heart of the empire. Wuqu City is one of them, renowned for its prosperous commerce and deeply entrenched power.
It was noon, and the blazing sun beat down on the earth. The official road, paved with smooth bluestone, was worn smooth by the constant flow of carriages and people, reflecting a slightly dazzling light in the sunlight.
On both sides of the road were lush trees and rolling farmland. Further away, the towering walls of Wuqu City were clearly visible, with banners fluttering in the hot wind atop the city towers. The air was filled with a mixture of dust, sweat, livestock, and the faint clamor emanating from the distant city.
Jiang Xuan walked on the official road, brushing past all sorts of pedestrians who were either on horseback, in carriages, or on foot.
He was wearing a plain blue cloth shirt that had faded slightly from washing; the fabric was ordinary, but it was very clean.
His black hair was casually tied back with a simple cloth strip, and a few strands of hair were stuck to his forehead with sweat.
Half a month of continuous travel had left his once handsome face with the marks of time and his skin tanned, but his eyes had become even brighter and deeper, like an ancient well with a calm and resolute look that revealed the strength he had gained through hardship.
"Wuqu City...we've finally arrived."
Jiang Xuan gazed at the approaching city gate, silently reciting to himself. It had been over a month since he left Yanxia City, experiencing pursuit, counter-attacks, void travel, and fortuitous encounters in ruins, culminating in this half-month journey. Now, he had finally truly stepped into the outer region of the imperial capital.
Once inside Wuqu City, according to imperial law and the unspoken rules surrounding the Forbidden City, powerful families like the Chi family would no longer dare to openly send experts to carry out large-scale ambushes.
The Twelve Guardian Cities are directly garrisoned by the Imperial military, teeming with powerful individuals. Numerous other sects and families have also established themselves there, creating a complex and interconnected environment where any action could have far-reaching consequences. Even the powerful Chi family must consider its influence and dare not act recklessly in the open.
This area can be considered a relatively safe buffer zone.
Jiang Xuan's plan was very clear.
He would enter the city, find a reputable carriage company, and hire a fast "precious carriage"—a special vehicle pulled by tamed demonic beasts and engraved with acceleration and protective runes. Then, without stopping, he would head directly to his final destination—the Forbidden City. If all went well, before sunset today, he would truly step into the heart of imperial power, the vortex where the storm was brewing.
He followed the crowd toward the city gate, his steps unhurried, but his eyes scanning his surroundings warily. The closer he got to his destination, the less he could relax.
However, just as he was still several miles away from the city gate, and the pedestrians and carriages on both sides of the official road were gradually thinning out, a strange change suddenly occurred!
In the distance, a sharp streak of light pierced the sky at incredible speed. One moment it was on the horizon, and the next it was already approaching the official road! It was not the escape light of a bird or an ordinary cultivator, but a purplish-gold radiance that was extremely condensed and carried a chilling sword intent!
The light suddenly stopped in the air a few dozen feet in front of Jiang Xuan, the light faded, and the figure inside was revealed.
That was a boy who looked only twelve or thirteen years old!
The boy stood on a simple, ancient-looking spirit sword that shimmered with purple-gold light, hovering in mid-air.
He wore a well-tailored purple brocade robe, its hem fluttering gently in the wind. A small, exquisite gold feather crown held his jet-black hair back. His face was still youthful, but his brows were sharp as swords, his eyes held a commanding presence, and his lips were taut, exuding a coldness and fierceness far beyond his years.
What's even more striking is that a faint purple mist swirled around him. This was not ordinary spiritual power, but a higher-level phenomenon that stirred up some of the power of heaven and earth, making him look imposing, like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, its edge fully revealed.
The moment the young man appeared, his gaze locked onto Jiang Xuan on the official road like that of a hawk, his eyes sharp as knives, devoid of any emotion.
Jiang Xuan's heart tightened, his steps faltered, and all the muscles in his body tensed instantly. The newcomers were hostile, and their target was clear: him!
"You are Jiang Xuan?"
The boy spoke, his voice clear and melodious, yet as cold as a winter spring, conveying no question but rather a confirmation.
Jiang Xuan remained silent, neither admitting nor denying, but simply watching the other person quietly as his spiritual energy circulated within him.
"Hmph, it seems I was right."
Seeing that Jiang Xuan did not answer, the boy's eyes grew even colder.
"I have been waiting for you here for more than half a month. Today, I will send you on your way."
Before the words were even finished, giving Jiang Xuan no time to respond or prepare, the purple-gold spirit sword at the boy's feet suddenly emitted a clear and melodious sword cry.
With a "clang," it flew out automatically and landed in his fair hand.
Immediately afterwards, the boy pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed in mid-air towards Jiang Xuan's direction!
There are no complicated moves, no charging process, just a simple slash.
But with this one strike, the world suddenly changed color!
A dazzling, purple-gold sword aura, more than ten feet long, appeared out of thin air, like the Milky Way pouring down from the heavens, or like a thunder god wielding a giant axe, carrying a terrifying power that could tear everything apart, and cleaved down towards Jiang Xuan!
Before the sword energy even arrived, the incomparably sharp sword intent had already enveloped the surrounding area. The solid ground of the official road was plowed open by the invisible pressure, creating a deep ravine, and the branches and leaves of the trees on both sides broke and shattered!
A Spirit Sea Realm attack! And it was an extremely powerful strike within the Spirit Sea Realm!
Jiang Xuan's pupils constricted, and the hairs on his body stood on end! This young man, though seemingly young, was so ruthless and decisive in his attacks, and his cultivation was frighteningly high!
At the critical moment of life and death, Jiang Xuan pushed his movement technique to the limit, his feet seemingly springing up as he violently retreated to the side and rear! At the same time, his spiritual power surged wildly into his right arm, and he threw a punch, a solid fist aura meeting the descending sword energy, attempting to slightly block its sharpness.
boom!!!
The fist's energy shattered instantly upon contact with the sword's aura, as if made of paper. The sword's speed was only momentarily slowed, yet it still slashed down with unstoppable force!
Although Jiang Xuan tried his best to dodge, the sword energy covered too wide an area and was too fast! He only had time to turn his body at a very small angle.
"Hey!"
Blood splattered!
A purplish-gold sword aura grazed Jiang Xuan's left arm, instantly obliterating a patch of flesh and his sleeve, leaving a horrifying wound deep enough to expose bone! Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining half of his clothes crimson. The intense pain caused Jiang Xuan to groan, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Even a mere glancing blow has such power! If it were hit head-on, it would probably be split in two on the spot!
"Hmm? With the cultivation of the Earthly Fiend Realm, you were able to dodge a sword strike with 70% of my strength? You are quite capable than the rumors suggest."
In the air, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in the purple-robed youth's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger killing intent. "Unfortunately, it's still far from enough."
Looking down at Jiang Xuan, who was desperately dodging and whose arm was bleeding from an injury, he regarded him as an ant that he could crush at will.
The sudden attack, the inexplicable killing intent, and the unforgettable pain instantly ignited the fury in Jiang Xuan's chest. Since leaving Yanxia City, he had been repeatedly hunted down and narrowly escaped death, and a pent-up resentment had been brewing in his heart.
Now that they were about to enter the safe zone, they were intercepted by this boy who appeared out of nowhere and struck a fatal blow. How could they not be furious?
"Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me?"
Jiang Xuan endured the excruciating pain, quickly sealing the acupoints around the wound on his left arm to stop the bleeding, while demanding an explanation in a stern voice. At the same time, he reached for his waist with his right hand, and the "Flying Star Crossbow" he had obtained from the Black Scale Guard of the Chi family appeared in his hand. The crossbow bolt was nocked, and the cold arrowhead locked onto the boy in the air.
"Why ask so many questions of a dying person?"
The boy's expression was indifferent; he showed no interest in answering.
He flicked his finger lightly again.
call out!call out!call out!
Three condensed, almost tangible purple sword energies, arranged in a triangular shape, tore through the air with a sharp, piercing sound, instantly traversing dozens of feet and slashing towards Jiang Xuan! Although these three sword energies were not as large as the previous one, they were more condensed and swift, with treacherous trajectories, sealing off Jiang Xuan's space to dodge left and right.
Jiang Xuan gritted his teeth, unleashing his spiritual power without reservation. His footwork shifted, and he twisted his body like a ghost in the blink of an eye.
The first sword energy grazed the outside of his left leg, taking away a piece of flesh, leaving a burning pain.
The second sword energy grazed his back, tearing his clothes and leaving a bloody gash on his back.
The third sword aura was the most dangerous, aimed straight for his throat. Jiang Xuan leaned back sharply, and the sword aura grazed his shoulder, taking away a large chunk of flesh and blood, and even revealing his pale shoulder blade!
Blood instantly soaked Jiang Xuan's clothes. He staggered back several steps, his face pale and his breathing rapid. In just two rounds of attacks, he was already seriously injured. If not for his quick reflexes and extraordinary movement techniques, he would already be dead!
This is the insurmountable gap between the Spirit Sea Realm and the Earth Gang Realm! The opponent can easily mobilize the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to enhance himself, and the power, speed, and range of his attacks are far beyond what the Earth Gang Realm can match.
Previously, when fighting the "Azure Cicada" warship, which was an inanimate object, they relied on tactics and magic weapons to outmaneuver it. But facing a living, breathing Spirit Sea Realm cultivator with overwhelming power and decisive killing ability, the feeling of powerlessness in a direct confrontation was so clear and cruel!
"Huh? You can hide?"
Seeing that Jiang Xuan had once again dodged his three deadly sword strikes, the purple-robed youth, though battered and covered in blood, had ultimately avoided fatal blows, couldn't help but feel a genuine surprise and... displeasure in his eyes.
The fact that a mere ant at the Earthly Rank Realm had escaped his grasp twice made him feel that his authority had been challenged.
"It seems I underestimated you."
The boy's face darkened slightly, and his voice grew even colder.
"Since that's the case, then I'll show you what the real difference is."
He stopped casually flicking his fingers and instead slowly extended his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and made a grabbing motion towards the void where Jiang Xuan was.
hum!
The purple-gold spirit sword emitted a cheerful hum, flew back automatically, and circled around the boy. The sword shone brightly, emitting a chilling sword light.
At the same time, the air within a radius of several dozen feet centered on the boy seemed to freeze instantly, then began to collapse and distort inward! An invisible, overwhelming, and terrifying power field was generated, firmly locking onto Jiang Xuan below!
Jiang Xuan suddenly felt as if he had fallen into an invisible swamp, or as if he were bound by invisible shackles. The space around him became viscous and heavy, and his movements became extremely slow.
Even more terrifying was that an incomparably sharp sword intent, seemingly capable of piercing through the soul, had completely locked onto him. No matter which direction he dodged, it seemed he could not escape the impending, earth-shattering sword strike!
There's nowhere to escape! There's no way to avoid it!
The shadow of death has never been so clear and intense!
Jiang Xuan's eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were pressed tightly together, almost drawing blood.
He knew he could no longer hold back! His opponent was determined to kill him and possessed the strength to crush him!
He gripped the "Flowing Light" battle sword, a high-quality weapon he had obtained from the "Azure Fu" warship, tightly with his right hand. The blade hummed and emitted a cold light.
His left hand silently reached into his robes and grasped a seemingly inconspicuous bead, only the size of a pigeon egg, cool to the touch, jet black and round—the Heaven-Shaking Bead!
This is a little gadget that Qingyuan crafted out of some scraps and remnants of divine power he collected while bored in those ancient ruins. According to Qingyuan, this bead is quite powerful; when fully activated, it is enough to severely injure or even kill an ordinary high-level Spirit Sea Realm cultivator.
It only refined three pills in total, and feeling they weren't very useful, it casually gave them all to Jiang Xuan for self-defense.
At this moment, the Heaven-Shaking Pearl, which the Azure Turtle had described as "not very useful," became Jiang Xuan's only possible hope for turning the tide in his desperate situation!
The remaining spiritual energy within him, along with the faint, strange power originating from the Heavenly Water Sacred Pearl, began to frantically pour into the Heaven-Shaking Pearl in his left palm. Extremely fine, almost invisible dark golden patterns began to appear on the surface of the pearl.
In the air, the purple-robed youth's eyes were cold. The spiritual sword light surrounding him had reached its peak, and the tip of the sword was pointing at Jiang Xuan. The next moment would be a thunderous and fatal blow!
At this critical juncture, when life and death were hanging in the balance—
"stop."
A gentle, kind voice, like that of a kind old grandfather next door, suddenly rang out in the room.
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the terrifying sword intent field and the roar of collapsing space, reaching the ears of everyone present, carrying a strange, soothing power.
The purple-robed youth's expression changed drastically! He clearly recognized the owner of the voice! But with the arrow already on the bowstring and the killing intent already decided, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Instead of stopping, he urged the speed of his spirit sword to increase even further!
"cut!"
The young man shouted coldly, and the purple-gold spirit sword, which had been charged to its limit, transformed into a destructive rainbow of light with a shrill sound that tore through the void, piercing straight into Jiang Xuan's heart! This sword strike was more terrifying than any of the previous attacks. Wherever the sword light passed, the air was completely emptied, leaving behind a brief vacuum channel!
However, this seemingly unstoppable sword light stopped abruptly when it was still about ten feet away from Jiang Xuan's chest!
It wasn't Jiang Xuan who blocked it, nor did the Heaven-Shaking Pearl erupt.
It was an old, wrinkled, loose-skinned hand that had appeared before the sword light, seemingly out of nowhere. (End of Chapter)