Chapter 1398
Not Poor
Chapter 1398 Not Poor (1+12) (Bonus Chapter 39113 for "Hidden Dragon in Action")
The magical powers of Jimu in the sky shone brightly and incessantly, while the shouts of cursing were endless. This caused the people in the Great Void to reconsider their actions and their expressions to change slightly.
'Single Inch.'
Ping Yan's cold attitude naturally displeased him.
'The old man... he's not even willing to pretend anymore.'
The Sun family was not a small clan; they were originally a prominent family that had moved south from Guanzhong. However, they had long since fallen on hard times and were not close to Changhuai. Later, when Shen Sou and others were cultivating in the mountains, they had Sun Miaoqing offer himself as their bedmate, which is how they finally gained prominence.
However, Shan Yin himself was a rogue cultivator from a poor background, so it was truly unexpected that he could pass the Ginseng Purple Realm. The Qing family was initially quite satisfied, but seeing the current situation, they were even more resentful.
"Now that Sun Miaoqing and Sun Suoyun have entered the mountain to cultivate, your Sun family can be considered part of my Changhuai family. That's why I allowed Song Yunbai to become my disciple back then. That woman is a pillar we're keeping for the next generation of supernatural powers; she's not exactly a marginal figure. Out of respect for Sun Miaoqing, I've already overestimated your Sun family..."
"Back in the desert, when you were in trouble, you defected to Mingyang, and I didn't bother to blame you. But now, in the blink of an eye, you've defected so ruthlessly. Your knees are weaker than Shangguan's!"
She was naturally very unhappy, already harboring a grudge, and seeing this scene, she finally let out a cold laugh, slowly stepped out, and spoke in a chilling voice.
"Sun Zhenren is so imposing!"
These words, like divine decrees, resounded throughout the heavens, and the divine power of the "Xiu Ming Gui" roared into operation with her words, illuminating the sky!
A violent commotion erupted from within the clouds, and a golden ring emerged from the sky, descending one by one and pressing down upon the group. Dan Yin, looking on in surprise and uncertainty, raised his head and said:
"So it's Lord Pingyan!"
Ping Yan's status was outstanding. He only made a slow appearance, but it already made the world silent. The wind in the desert howled. Sima Yuanli had just caught Wu Miao when his expression changed slightly.
'This is troublesome…'
The cultivators had made their own calculations along the way. According to Sima Yuanli's estimation, the morale of the people in Western Shu was currently low. In this great battle, as long as Li Zhouwei used the domineering and forceful Mingyang technique to cripple a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator, the battle would naturally become much easier.
Although the main hall remains silent, and Li Zhouwei, who is in charge here, has not yet made a move, judging from the current situation, not only have they lost the initiative, but they have also lost a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator!
Ping Yan's strength should not be underestimated; things are already extremely troublesome here.
If it were anyone else, Sima Yuanli would have already been cursing in his heart by now. But the only one in his heart was Li Zhouwei—this King of Wei had not only saved his life, but had also won many battles in the north. He naturally had his own plans, so how could he allow Li Zhouwei to interfere?
His mind raced with conflicting thoughts, but Ping Yan wouldn't wait idly. The Great Master, expressionless, strolled down from the horizon, his killing intent palpable, and coldly said:
"You old scoundrel!"
She uttered only three words, yet her supernatural powers gathered around her, like thousands of gray shadows sweeping across the void, scattering in all directions.
"There is a constant master."
Bright, gorgeous clothes appeared on the woman's body, and in an instant, all the light between the earth and the sky dimmed. The shimmering light of the trees in the sky was pulled down to the earth one by one. Shan Yin's face became more and more unpleasant - he could not afford to offend Li Zhouwei, and he could not afford to offend Ping Yan even more!
'This old woman may possess just as many spiritual treasures as Mingyang!'
But things had come to this point, and he had no way out. Seeing Wu Jian before him like a cold stone, relentlessly blocking his escape route, his lips trembled slightly, and he exclaimed in horror:
"Fellow Daoist Wu Rong! We've known each other for a while now..."
"Clang!"
The only response he received was the all-encompassing Jade True Light. Wu Rong seized the opportunity without hesitation, his face glowing with a jade-like quality, his eyes clear and bright, seeing through all illusions. No matter how the old man moved through the "Zhu Liao Gathering," the Jade True Light remained ever-present, firmly locking him in!
To make matters worse, the golden ring in the sky followed him like a ghost, making it impossible for him to escape. After being dragged for more than ten rounds, Shan Yin's heart had sunk to the bottom.
Fortunately, perhaps out of fear of Li Zhouwei who had not yet made a move, Ping Yan merely formed hand seals in the air and did not pursue him. He held a talisman between two fingers, his hand seals becoming increasingly complex, and shouted:
"Bah!"
'He's already injured by the Lesser Yang, so let's use this Lesser Yang Golden Fire to burn him and teach him a lesson he won't forget!'
In an instant, the talisman burning with golden flames between the two disappeared, and the golden ring hanging above Shan Yin's head suddenly shone brightly, as if something had sprung out from it and suddenly smashed onto his head.
It was that talisman burning with golden flames!
Changhuai is a lineage of the Golden Elixir Dao, possessing its own set of wondrous methods that are integrated with supernatural powers!
This talisman descended from the sky using supernatural powers. With the blessing of the "Life-Granting Vessel" and the "Constant Master," even this dignified Great Immortal was unable to react; only the supernatural power spontaneously illuminated itself.
"The Forest of Delusions"!
Having taken this blow head-on, Shan Yin barely suppressed the urge to cry out in pain and stopped using his supernatural powers:
"The falcon has taken its perch."
He finally broke free from the intertwining of various supernatural powers, the golden fire on his body still shining, and a second talisman had already jumped out from between Ping Yan's two fingers!
"Boom!"
Without any warning, the old master was unable to escape from Yu Zhen's grasp, nor did he intend to force his way out. He obediently swallowed the talisman and spat out blood.
Ping Yan's anger subsided slightly. He let the old man beg for mercy in pain and smashed him twice more. Listening to the deafening wail, he vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
'The old man is screaming like a pig being slaughtered... He's only spitting out blood, nothing else!'
This is not Ping Yan's fault. The 'Jimu' cultivators are inherently resilient, and Li Zhouwei allowed him to recuperate in that spiritual treasure for a long time. The Lesser Yang calamity has long been suppressed, and the 'Wangdan Forest' is a special life-saving divine ability that can respond according to the injury. It is no longer afraid of the Lesser Yang outside!
The woman's expression changed slightly, revealing a hint of anger at having lost face. The third talisman was already between her two fingers, burning fiercely. At the other end, she activated her supernatural power, tightening the 'Life-Saving Vessel' abruptly, and shouted:
"Takeru!"
The Great Master Yuzhen naturally understood her meaning. He also raised the Jade True Light, and the Azure Jade Cliff rose from the ground, trapping Shan Yin within it. He gently pressed the light in his hand...
Upon seeing the fire, Shan Yin knew things were bad and could only weep:
"Lord Ren! Spare my life!"
Shan Yin was slightly older than him and usually didn't offend anyone. In fact, he had a close relationship with Shan Yin. Shan Yin was so humble and obsequious that, in that instant, the Grand Master's expression subtly changed. Finally, remembering their past friendship, he softened his tone for a moment.
Tears streamed down Shan Yin's face, but his heart remained calm. He had been waiting for this opportunity. He activated his four supernatural powers, the only one of which was not afraid of fire, the "Delusional Forest," at full power, enveloping his body. He gritted his teeth and charged out!
"Boom!"
Dark clouds erupted in the sky once more. Dan Yin coughed up blood and wept tears as his arm was severed by the powerful Jade True Light. The severed limb burned away in the flames. He had already used the Wood Gathering Divine Power to travel dozens of miles in an instant!
"you!"
Ping Yan could easily see through Wu Zhen's subtle actions, but since this Grand Master was practically his senior brother's disciple, he couldn't say much and simply sneered:
"Still trying to hide? You're asking for death!"
This time, however, she wasn't truly angry; she already had a plan in mind:
'This is perfect. I'll pretend to be blinded by rage and chase after him relentlessly. With him gone, the pass will naturally fall to Mingyang without my protection!'
Anyway, since there were still her own people watching in the void, she wasn't afraid of the situation collapsing after she left. So she gritted her teeth even more and chased after him on the wind. Wu Meng dutifully accompanied her, keeping a close eye on the palace in the sky to prevent Li Zhouwei from taking advantage of the chaos.
But Pingyan had only chased after him for a few breaths when he looked down and his expression changed.
This Daoist nun, unlike the one known for her skill in healing, was no less adept at self-healing, and perhaps even more so. Despite being covered in soot, Shan Yin's aura defied the raging flames on his body, allowing him to recover at an astonishing speed. Only his arm, burned by the flames, wouldn't regrow immediately, prompting the nun to curse him.
"You shameless scoundrel! You coward!"
How could she not be angry? This old codger knelt down before Mingyang faster than anyone else, but then turned to her side. With two great masters surrounding him, he suddenly became some kind of loyal old servant, stubbornly refusing to cooperate!
"My skill, 'Ji Mu,' is this powerful... What can you do to me? If you're so capable, then show me your own formation to break, bring forth a calamity, and one slap will send me sprawling in that desert. I certainly won't be able to escape!"
Dan Yin heard her clearly, but he only ran as fast as he could, not daring to respond to her, trying his best to maintain his injuries, feeling the Shao Yang Calamity within his body that was slowly becoming uncontrollable, his heart growing heavier and colder:
'This calamity is truly troublesome... If it drags on any longer, we'll be tormented from both inside and outside, and I might really die at the hands of this old woman!'
The two chased and fled for a moment, when suddenly a figure appeared in the distance ahead, startling Shan Yin so much that his soul almost left his body. Upon closer inspection, he first breathed a sigh of relief:
'Just the Bright Yang Divine Power at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm…'
But then I was horrified:
'Oh no! Li Ximing!'
He didn't know why this real person was suddenly there, and the instant it occurred to him, fear gripped his heart:
'Ping Yan has pursued us all the way here; how can we let him off so easily? If Li Ximing is injured or killed, who will bear the wrath of the Qilin!'
He disregarded his current status and whether the other party knew about it, activated his supernatural powers, and exclaimed in horror:
"Fellow Taoist Zhaojing! Leave quickly!"
But after hearing his words, the light in front of him did not go out, but became even brighter. He saw the magnificent and solemn Heavenly Gate fly up and crash down on the Great True Man behind him!
'ah?'
The dazzling light of the Heavenly Gate stunned not only Shan Yin in front, but also Ping Yan behind, who laughed out loud in anger:
'Fine, fine... I haven't made a move in a while, and everyone's treating me like an easy target!'
With the blessing of the "Constant Lord," she advanced instead of retreating, raising her hand and gathering five-colored light in her palm. With a backhand, she suppressed the Heavenly Gate in the sky, and the colors of the "Life-Granting Vessel" descended from the sky, locking the man on the horizon in the distance.
But then a loud laugh was heard, and the True Man activated his supernatural powers, shouting in a booming voice:
"Without any support, how could Zhaojing withstand the might of the Great Master!"
The sound resounded like thunder across the sky, and the Great Master's mind went blank for a moment. His first reaction was to think of three words:
'Li Zhouwei?!'
'not good! '
She was on high alert, her hand moving from a vacuum to a solid grasp; the small umbrella had already materialized in her palm. A swirling sandstorm swept across the area, and Shan Yin, equally startled, was overjoyed.
No wonder!
'No wonder no one made a move earlier! They were setting her up here!'
The old master's joy had barely surfaced when he felt a surge of supernatural power, and Li Ximing's voice whispered in his ear:
'Why aren't you running away? Are you waiting to die?!'
How could Shan Yin not know what this meant? His heart skipped a beat, and he cursed loudly, while continuing to laugh heartily, saying:
"This place is now in the hands of the King of Wei!"
He leaped into the air, taking advantage of the brief moment of Ping Yan's hesitation, and activated "Falcon's Perch" at lightning speed, grabbing Li Ximing from the horizon and rushing away!
It would have been better if the old master hadn't left; now that he was gone, Pingyan understood everything:
'Impossible! Li Zhouwei couldn't possibly have known I was going to give him two passes, so he wouldn't have left the desert so easily, let alone guessed I would be chasing him all the way here. How could he possibly be lying in ambush here!'
Having been teased like this, she finally ignited her true anger. Without a smile or a hint of anger, her face turned as cold as ancient ice. She stopped chasing, raised one hand to her chest, and suddenly grabbed:
"Foster mother"!
This peculiar divine power flashed, bursting forth with boundless light, like a beam of light rising from the desert plains, chilling him to the bone. Dan Yin felt as if his feet had taken root, forcing him to fly close to the ground, the cold seeping into his bones. He couldn't help but curse:
"How did you end up here!"
No matter how bad Shan Yin was at fighting, he was still a Great True Man and cultivated the Wood Gathering Technique. Just now, Ping Yan didn't show any anger and didn't have the domineering supernatural power of "Emperor Guan Yuan" that could cover an entire area. If he really gave up everything, the possibility of escaping from this old woman's hands was not small. It's just that he was reluctant to give it up!
But then Li Ximing suddenly appeared, which not only completely enraged Ping Yan, but also left him in a dilemma of whether to leave or stay... Who knows what fate awaited Li Ximing if he fell into Ping Yan's hands!
However, Li Ximing, standing on his supernatural power, had a rather strange look in his eyes, as if he was not quite used to being on the same level as this red-robed Grandmaster, and asked a rather odd question:
"The Great Master is going to be a fence-sitter again!"
These words struck a chord with the old man, seemingly hitting the nail on the head and startling him.
Indeed, Shan Yin was neither a loyal minister nor a filial son, nor a chivalrous good man. When he was really forced to do something, he would just abandon Li Ximing and go to hide overseas and never come back!
'I'm a true man, I can live comfortably anywhere!'
But seeing this guy ask such a question, he hesitated. Even though he was ready to throw the guy out at any moment, he still maintained a serious expression and said:
"Although I am a surrendered subject, I am moved by Mingyang's noble character and will certainly escort you back to the lake... We will share life and death and never betray each other!"
"Ha ha!"
Li Ximing didn't believe him at all. He just asked casually before replying:
"Since the old master trusts me, why don't we stop here? I have a method that will surely make this man return empty-handed and in danger of losing his life!"
"Oh?"
Dan Yin was skeptical but couldn't find a reason for the other party to harm him. He cursed inwardly but politely stopped and turned around. Sure enough, the other party stopped. Li Ximing pressed Cha You slightly and listened more closely, feeling more at ease.
The light chasing them was already getting faster and faster. The two only stopped for a moment before the light rushed up to them. Ping Yan seemed to be walking down from the earth. Without saying a word, he spun the black umbrella in his hand, and thousands of rays of light descended from the sky!
Dan Yin shrank back, then began to use his supernatural powers, listening to Li Ximing beside him chuckle softly:
"Without support, how could Zhaojing withstand the might of the Great Master?"
Shan Yincai, having just unleashed his supernatural powers, was momentarily amused and exasperated, saying:
"You're trying to scare her? You're using supernatural powers to incite her, what are you talking to me about?"
As the last word was uttered, Shan Yin's voice abruptly stopped, his expression suddenly changed, and he turned around thoughtfully.
At the same time, the streaks of light across the sky also came to a standstill.
The trembling golden energy permeated the heavens and earth, as if an invisible barrier sealed off this land, blocking every ray of light from falling. Ping Yan's icy expression also froze, and he frowned and looked up.
Someone had been standing in front of Shan Yin without him noticing.
This man was quite tall, dressed simply, wearing cloth shoes, and carrying a sword on his back. He looked very ordinary, except for a small, dark, bean-sized glint of sword light between his eyebrows, which inspired awe.
Ping Yan silently took a breath.
“Cheng Xunzhi…”
"I see…"
Even though her supernatural powers were impervious to open flames and could sweep away the metal element, she still had to be somewhat wary of dealing with sword intent. Ping Yan's expression slowly darkened, but what suddenly clouded her heart was a deeper scheme:
'How did he get here? Who gave him permission? Isn't the underworld supposed to keep a close watch on him? Would they dare let him risk his life here?'
This was a serious matter, and she had to get to the bottom of it!
So, facing this sword immortal, Ping Yan neither attacked nor retreated immediately. Instead, he slowly closed his umbrella and whispered:
"So you're a fellow traveler of the sun."
This statement is quite clever—if we really want to be precise, among all the cultivators present, the two of them are actually the closest in lineage. It's just that Pingyan is of a higher generation and we don't see him often. The two families also had some disputes in Shu back then.
To address someone as a fellow Daoist at this moment is already a subtle sign of yielding.
But her voice drifted away in the desert wind, and the sword immortal before him did not answer; his five fingers slowly tightened their grip on the hilt of his sword.
"Clang!"
Cheng Xunzhi drew his sword.
Pingyan was caught off guard. She only saw the residual light flickering before her eyes. The next moment, the terrifying aura that shot into the sky and the five golden rays finally shimmered in her eyes, like circles of terrifying suns, leaving her mind blank.
Shan Yin was also frozen in place.
The Great Master Ji Mu suddenly felt a tremor deep in his soul. His four supernatural powers began to sway, like four birds huddled together for warmth on a branch, shaking and trembling. Streams of heat rushed from his throat to his Niwan Palace, scalding him awake.
Peak of the Purple Mansion realm.
Ping Yan's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Her previous rage had miraculously worked its magic at this moment. In her peak state, simultaneously empowered by the "Master" and "Servant Mother" abilities, she barely managed to slightly turn her head—
"Click..."
The umbrella in her hand seemed to have been hit by something extremely terrifying. The ribs broke in an instant and it exploded from the sky with a bang. A strong storm of golden energy rose from the ground and swept the boundless sand in the desert into the sky!
"Boom!"
The entire sky was engulfed in a raging storm of golden energy, like thousands of golden and black dragons that occupied the entire world. Countless rogue cultivators raised their eyes, then lowered their heads with tears in their eyes, and fled in panic.
Pingyan staggered back three steps, two streams of gray blood flowing from the tip of her nose, dripping down her lips, only to transform into rolling golden light and dissipate.
She cultivated the Earth element, which gave her a significant advantage over the Daoist lineage of the person before her. She barely managed to block the attack, but the real threat lay elsewhere—her hand rose, two fingers pinching the talisman, yet it remained frozen in place.
Ping Yan's voice trembled slightly and was hoarse:
"The Unending Edge..."
"Clap."
In the storm of golden energy, the faint sound of falling was particularly jarring. Before the Great Immortal's black boots, a delicate white little finger lay quietly on the ground.
Blood gushed from the hand holding the talisman in Pingyan's hand, her pupils dilated to the limit, and her lips trembled slightly. The sword immortal not far away also stopped and stretched out two fingers to pinch the fish-like earth-colored talisman.
At the instant the golden energy storm soared into the sky, it seemed that these two Grandmasters had already exchanged blows several times.
Ping Yan stopped moving, while Cheng Xunzhi held the earth-colored swimming fish and stepped forward. The pear blossom sword pointed diagonally at the ground, but it seemed like an ordinary sword, not stirring up a single grain of sand.
The sword immortal said softly:
“You and Uncle Qing… did learn something from each other.”
Ping Yan's gaze suddenly focused on the swirling sand around him, realizing that he had already traveled too far from Shu, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.
Only she, or rather only the direct descendants of the Sun, knew just how terrifying Cheng Xunzhi was before her.
"Never-ending sharpness!"
The decline of the Sword Sect can be largely attributed to its traditions and morality, all because of sword immortals and sword intent. But if there were no top-tier benefits, why would the cultivators of the Sword Sect pursue them so desperately?
"The 'Inexhaustible Edge' technique was passed down from the sun to that True Lord. First, one must possess sword intent; second, one must master all five techniques to their fullest extent, to complement the sun's illuminating intent..."
The "Unending Edge" technique is unremarkable in the hands of other sword cultivators. While not bad, it's merely a unique offensive method. However, in the hands of a sword immortal who has mastered all five techniques...
This divine power will let the world know why the Sword Sect dares to call itself the Sword Sect!
Her earth element could block the opponent's metal energy and even stand firm in front of the opponent's supernatural powers, but when faced with this inexhaustible sharpness containing the sun's power, she could only turn pale!
Ping Yan's bleeding had stopped. His lips moved slightly, and he spoke softly and humbly:
"Well, I'm kind of your senior uncle..."
"Uncle-Master?"
This sounded like a joke, which added a touch of amusement to Cheng Xunzhi's tone. He said:
"Although the guarding of the high plateau is done on a rotational basis, it has always been a system where one sect sends people and another sect takes care of it. Back then, Uncle Qing became acquainted with my aunt because of this. But if we count the order, when Chenggao had his accident, I remember that it was you who was taking care of it outside, right? Others may not know, but Changhuai couldn't possibly not know. Or is it that you were so engrossed in your seclusion that you couldn't hear the fighting outside and didn't intentionally let them come over?"
Ping Yan's smile froze slightly. Before she could speak, Cheng Xunzhi had already stepped forward, approached her, and whispered:
“I had no intention of getting involved in your dirty deeds back then... nor did I want to take my anger out on you. I know you two have never been close, and I can only blame my own incompetence... It might not be a bad thing that Uncle Qing and my aunt's affair didn't work out.”
He slowly raised his sword and said calmly:
"Now that you've run into me today, I naturally have to ask—was it you or Uncle Qing who was responsible for what happened back then?"
Ping Yan let out a soft breath, forced a smile, and said:
"Xun Zhi... my crime doesn't warrant death..."
The sword immortal before him laughed. At first, it was a slight laugh, but it quickly became unrestrained. Tears streamed down his face, falling into the desert. He said:
"Sun cultivator, if you're going to die, then die quickly... don't let people look down on you!"