Chapter 170 Trouble After Trouble

Mu Changge had not walked far when a sudden sound of clapping echoed from the shadows of the trees by the roadside.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

The applause was steady and unhurried, carrying a sense of feigned admiration and scrutiny. In the silent wilderness, amidst the thick scent of blood, it sounded particularly jarring.

Mu Changge stopped in his tracks. The playful expression on his face, born from the "unexpected fortune" he had just harvested, vanished instantly. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly, a trace of coldness and impatience flitting through his heart. What was going on today? Troubles were coming one after another, endless and incessant. He did not consider himself a protagonist favored by Luck, so why were these troubles piling up?

He looked toward the sound and saw several figures wearing the sword robes of the Wandao Sword Sect stepping out from the woods.

There were five of them in total. The leader was a young man in his thirties with a square face, yet his brows carried an inescapable air of sinister arrogance. The sword at his waist was exceptionally luxurious; he was a Core Disciple of the Wandao Sword Sect. The pale golden small sword embroidered on his cuffs indicated his status. His cultivation had reached the Mid Spirit Severing stage, though his aura was still slightly unstable, clearly showing he had just broken through and had not yet fully consolidated his Realm.

It was he who had been clapping. At this moment, he continued to clap while walking toward Mu Changge with a hypocritical smile, saying loudly, "Junior Brother Mu is truly impressive! Great methods, great sword technique! You have truly opened our eyes!"

The four Disciples behind him, all at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage or Late Nascent Soul Stage, followed closely. Their expressions varied—some were shocked, some scrutinizing, but most showed a condescending hostility. They had been far away and partially obscured by the woods and the energy Mu Changge had deliberately stirred up, so they hadn't seen exactly how he had struck. They hadn't seen the specifics of that fleeting cross-shaped sword light; they had only seen a flash, and seven heads had fallen. They were shocked that this "Junior Brother Mu," rumored to have entered the Sect through connections, was so powerful, but that was all. After all, those who died were just unknown Cultivators and a spoiled girl from a Family.

Mu Changge looked at these five, especially the leader, the Core Disciple at the Mid Spirit Severing stage. If he remembered correctly, this man was named Wang Meng, a loyal lapdog under the Sect's Saint, Jian Wushuang. He immediately understood. As expected, this was not a chance encounter, but a deliberate act. Was Jian Wushuang unable to sit still, starting to send people to test him, or simply wanting to use this opportunity to get rid of him?

"Senior Brother Wang, you flatter me. It was merely for self-preservation, clearing away some noisy ants blocking my path." Mu Changge's expression was calm, and he cupped his hands slightly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Wang Meng had reached him. His gaze swept over the corpses strewn across the ground in miserable states, lingering for a moment on Liu Yaoyao's face, which was frozen in terror and unwillingness. A cold, imperceptible sneer curled the corner of his mouth. A sharp-featured Disciple at the Late Nascent Soul Stage behind him immediately understood. He stepped forward, pointed at Liu Yaoyao's corpse, then at Mu Changge, and shouted sternly:

"Mu Changge! It is one thing to kill these mysterious men in black! But this girl—judging by her attire and bearing, she is clearly a Disciple from a nearby cultivation Family, and her cultivation is only at the Early Nascent Soul stage; she is clearly a weak woman! Yet you killed her as well. Such cruel and ruthless methods—is this how a Disciple of the Righteous Path should behave? You slaughter the innocent like this; how are you any different from the demons of the Demonic Path?"

Another Disciple chimed in, "That's right! Senior Brother Wang, this man acts strangely and strikes viciously, possessing no compassion of the Righteous Path! Just now, we saw from afar that he seemed to have a dispute with this girl, and in the blink of an eye, he resorted to killing. He didn't even spare her when she begged for mercy. His heart is truly punishable! In my opinion, we should capture him immediately, take him back to the Sect, and hand him over to the Hall of Punishment for judgment!"

They spoke one after another, sounding righteous, their faces full of "righteousness" and "heartache," as if Mu Changge had truly done something heinous and unforgivable, and they were the righteous envoys protecting the Sect's laws and defending the dignity of the Righteous Path.

Mu Changge watched coldly, his heart unmoved, and he even wanted to laugh. Indeed, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. These people were clearly here to find fault; no matter how he explained it, the other side would find an excuse to attack. That Liu Yaoyao? Weak? Innocent? The arrogant, morally manipulative face she had shown earlier was not weak at all. But none of that mattered now. It was enough to know that they wanted his life.

Reasoning with the Saint's lapdogs? That would be truly stupid.

Explain? There was no need. In the world of cultivation, especially in a setup clearly targeting you, strength is the only logic.

Killing intent rose in Mu Changge's heart, but his face showed a look of helplessness and innocence. He spread his hands, "Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers, you are truly wronging me. It was these men in black who intended to ambush and rob me; I had no choice but to counterattack in self-defense. As for this young lady... sigh, blades have no eyes. In the chaos of battle, who can take care of everything? Accidental injury is unavoidable. Senior Brother Wang, please see clearly and seek justice for me." His tone was sincere, his eyes "earnest," as if he had truly suffered a great grievance.

Hearing this, the hypocritical smile on Wang Meng's face deepened, but cold light flickered in his eyes: "Oh? Is that so? But from what I have seen and heard, it seems that is not the case. Junior Brother Mu, you have only been in the Sect for a short time and perhaps do not know the Sect's rules. Killing the innocent and deceiving fellow Disciples are serious crimes. Why not... come back to the Hall of Punishment with me and explain it to the Elders in detail? If it is truly a misunderstanding, the Sect will naturally clear your name."

Return to the Hall of Punishment? Once in the Hall of Punishment, one would truly be at their mercy. Jian Wushuang had been operating within the Sect for many years; would there be no one of his in the Hall of Punishment?

Mu Changge sighed and shook his head, appearing very disappointed: "It seems Senior Brother Wang is determined to make things difficult for me?"

"It is not making things difficult, it is following the Sect's rules!" Wang Meng's voice turned cold. He took a step forward, releasing his pressure as a Cultivator at the Mid Spirit Severing stage without reservation. It pressed down on Mu Changge like a mountain. At the same time, his right hand was already pressed on the hilt of his sword at his waist. "Junior Brother Mu, will you capture yourself, or do you want me to 'invite' you back?"

The four Nascent Soul Disciples behind him also scattered instantly, forming a loose encirclement, blocking all of Mu Changge's escape routes. Their Magical Artifacts flashed with spiritual light, locking onto his energy.

The helplessness and "grievance" on Mu Changge's face vanished instantly, replaced by an extreme calmness, even carrying a faint hint of mockery. He flexed his wrists, his gaze sweeping over Wang Meng and the four behind him as if looking at dead things.

"Since logic doesn't work..." Mu Changge spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "Then... go to hell!"

Before the words faded, he moved!

But this time, he did not strike directly at Wang Meng. Instead, he attacked the four Nascent Soul Disciples who were forming the encirclement first! Because he knew very well that fighting head-on with Wang Meng, who was at the Mid Spirit Severing stage, would be no easy task even if he could fight across Realms. He had to eliminate the wings first and disrupt his focus!

Mu Changge's figure flickered, creating three afterimages that were hard to distinguish from the real one, each rushing toward three of the Nascent Soul Disciples. At the same time, he shook his sleeve, and three imperceptible black lights shot silently into the ground, disappearing into the soil.

"Cheap trick!" A Disciple at the Late Nascent Soul Stage sneered, swinging his sword to slash at the afterimage rushing toward him. The sword light flashed, the afterimage dissipated; it was fake! His heart sank, thinking, "Not good."

And the "Mu Changge" rushing toward another Nascent Soul Middle Stage Disciple suddenly dissipated like foam just as the opponent was defending with all his might. Almost at the same instant the afterimage dissipated, the soil beneath this Disciple exploded violently. A pitch-black metal Puppet, joints flashing with runes, wielding two short blades, burst from the ground. The short blades struck like a viper's tongue, stabbing directly at his crotch and Dantian! It was the "Assassination Puppet" Mu Changge had secretly deployed!

"What is this?!" The Disciple was so terrified that his soul flew away and his spirit scattered. In his haste, he only had time to turn sideways. The short blades grazed his thigh and ribs, bringing up a spray of blood. Though not fatal, it left him instantly severely injured, and he stumbled back, screaming.

"Watch out for the ground!" Wang Meng shouted sharply, but before his words finished, the air above another Nascent Soul Disciple suddenly became thick and heavy, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down!

"Weightlessness technique? No! It is... Gravity Distortion!" The Disciple felt his body sink, his movements instantly slowing several times over. Even the flow of spiritual energy in his body became sluggish, and his originally swift and fluid footwork became like being trapped in a quagmire. This was one of the niche techniques Mu Changge had comprehended in the Scripture Pavilion—not true weightlessness, but a micro-pressure that temporarily altered the gravity field!

Just as his movements lagged, the last "afterimage" rushing toward the third Nascent Soul Disciple suddenly solidified—it was the real Mu Changge! He pointed his fingers like a sword, a black light condensed to the extreme flickering at his fingertips, striking toward the center of the opponent's brow like lightning! The Disciple panicked and raised his sword to block, but only heard a crisp "ding." The high-quality Flying Sword in his hand was flicked away by Mu Changge's finger. The black light continued unabated, instantly piercing through his protective spiritual light and sinking into his brow!

"Pfft!" The light in the eyes of this Nascent Soul Middle Stage Disciple instantly dimmed, and his body slumped down. Before his Nascent Soul could escape, it was annihilated by the destructive Sword Qi contained in that wisp of black light.

In the blink of an eye, one was severely injured and one was killed! As soon as Mu Changge made his move, he used a combination of reality and illusion, Puppet sneak attacks, and spell interference to catch them off guard!

"Scoundrel!" Wang Meng was both shocked and angry. He never expected Mu Changge to be so slippery and ruthless, and his methods so bizarre and varied, completely disregarding the rules. He no longer cared about maintaining the demeanor of a Senior Brother. With a roar, the long sword at his waist clanged out of its sheath, transforming into a heaven-shaking crimson sword rainbow, carrying a scorching and violent aura as it slashed directly at Mu Changge's back! It was his signature ultimate technique—《Crimson Sun Burning Heaven Sword》!

Before the sword arrived, the scorching sword pressure had already scorched the ground black, and the air slightly distorted.

Mu Changge seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. At the instant the sword rainbow reached his body, his figure moved horizontally several feet like a ghost, narrowly dodging this fatal sword. At the same time, he waved his backhand, and several tricky trajectories of Sword Qi struck out like vipers leaving their den, forcing the other two shaken Nascent Soul Disciples to save themselves, unable to form an effective encirclement.

"Your opponent is me!" Wang Meng roared, his sword momentum shifting. The crimson sword light followed like a shadow, locking onto Mu Changge again. He unleashed his footwork, the spiritual energy of the Soul Transformation Stage exploding with full force, his speed increasing sharply, and the sword light like a rainbow shrouded Mu Changge.

Mu Changge dared not be negligent. The antique long sword appeared in his hand again. He unfolded his sword technique, no longer the "Heaven-Extinguishing Cross Slash" which was stunning but consumed a great deal of energy, but shifted to a more agile, treacherous sword path that combined defense with offense. His footwork was erratic, like willow catkins in the wind, often dodging Wang Meng's fierce attacks in the nick of time. His sword moves were like maggots on a tarsal bone, focusing on the subtle flaws and spiritual energy nodes in Wang Meng's sword technique transitions. Although he could not pose a fatal threat for the time being, it made Wang Meng fight extremely aggrieved, feeling that he had strength but nowhere to use it, as if every sword was slashing into empty space, while he also had to constantly guard against the other's elusive and insidious counterattacks.

[part:deepseek-chat]

This kid... his swordsmanship is so vicious and cunning! His footwork is also elusive and unpredictable! Is he really only at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage?

Wang Meng grew more and more alarmed the longer the fight dragged on. Priding himself on his Mid Spirit Severing stage cultivation, and having taken the Medicinal Pill bestowed by the Saint to stabilize his Realm, he had thought capturing a mere Nascent Soul Middle Stage Mu Changge would be as easy as taking candy from a baby. He never expected his opponent to be so troublesome. Not only was Mu Changge's swordsmanship far more exquisite than that of a typical Sect's Core Disciple, he also knew all sorts of strange, unorthodox secret techniques. His combat awareness was terrifyingly sharp, always deflecting Wang Meng's attacks with minimal cost, while constantly harassing him with Puppets, Talismans, or bizarre spells, driving Wang Meng to the brink of frustration.

What particularly unnerved Wang Meng was the situation of the other Nascent Soul Stage Junior Brothers nearby. The one who had been heavily injured at the start was entangled by that elusive Puppet, teetering on the edge of danger. The one affected by the gravity interference moved sluggishly, struggling left and right under the occasional cold, opportunistic Sword Qi shots from Mu Changge, already sporting several new wounds. The remaining uninjured one was also forced into a sorry state by Mu Changge's tricky Sword Qi, all while having to guard against sneak attacks from who-knows-where.

"Can't drag this out any longer!" A flash of ruthlessness passed through Wang Meng's eyes. The prolonged battle hadn't yielded results, and instead, his side had one man incapacitated and another heavily injured. If this dragged on, what if they capsized in a tiny ditch...

He launched a fierce flurry of sword strikes, forcing Mu Changge back, and seized the chance to reach into his robes. He pulled out a small, blood-red jade vial, uncorked it, and without even looking, swallowed a crimson Medicinal Pill the size of a longan that radiated a violent, scorching aura!

The pill entered his stomach like erupting magma! Wang Meng's aura instantly surged violently. His skin turned crimson, veins bulged, his eyes bloodshot, and his hair stood on end. A savage pressure far exceeding the Mid Spirit Severing stage erupted from him, cracking the ground around him!

"Burst Origin Pill!" Mu Changge's eyes narrowed. This was a tyrannical pill that could greatly boost cultivation in a short time, but its side effects were severe. After the effects wore off, one's Meridians would be damaged, cultivation would regress, and it could even harm one's Foundation. This Wang Meng was truly going all out!

"Mu Changge! Die for me!" After swallowing the pill, Wang Meng's rationality seemed eroded by the violent medicinal force. He roared like a wild beast. The crimson longsword in his hand blazed with intense light, transforming into a massive, ten-zhang-long crimson greatsword phantom. Carrying a terrifying heatwave that seemed capable of scorching the heavens and boiling the seas, it descended upon Mu Changge's head! This strike's power was several times greater than before—it was Wang Meng's all-or-nothing, life-risking attack!

"Sky-Scorching Slash!"

Wherever the crimson greatsword passed, the air sizzled and crackled from the heat. The ground was plowed open into a charred trench—its might was terrifying!

Facing this terrifying strike, Mu Changge took a deep breath. Confronting this Sky-Scorching greatsword unleashed by a pill-enhanced, desperate foe, not only was there no fear in his eyes, but a flash of pure Battle Intent and solemnity swept across them.

He chanted softly, as if reciting a sword formula's true words. The ancient longsword in his hand was not immediately thrust forward. Instead, he held it vertically before him, its blade trembling slightly. In that instant, an indescribable "presence" began to rise from his body.

It wasn't a simple killing intent or spiritual pressure, but a manifestation of will—a resolute, unwavering determination to advance without retreat. It was as if, even if a bottomless abyss, a city-consuming inferno, or a deity blocking the path lay ahead, once this sword was drawn, it would never turn back. It existed only to sever everything in its way and reach the other shore. This was precisely the extremely powerful Sword Intent he had comprehended within the Wandao Sword Sect's Secret Realm.

Simultaneously, beneath this "unyielding advance" as the main theme, several other interwoven sword nuances were subtly concealed:

The Sword Intent coalesced. The longsword finally began to thrust forward slowly.

The movement seemed sluggish, yet it felt as if it pulled upon the momentum of the surrounding heaven and earth. Where the sword tip pointed, the air silently split open, leaving a fine, platinum-white trajectory. This wasn't the color of the Sword Qi itself, but a sign of space being "pierced" by that ultimate sharpness and resolute will. There were no dazzling lights, no deafening roars. Only a strand of Sword Qi, refined to its extreme and containing a faint golden hue (the outward manifestation of multiple Sword Intent Fusion), detached from the sword tip and shot forth soundlessly.

This strand of Sword Qi seemed unremarkable, yet it gave off an intensely dangerous feeling. Unlike Wang Meng's "Sky-Scorching Slash" with its grand spectacle, it instead condensed all its power, all its will, all its destructiveness to the extreme, concentrating it into a single point, solely for the purpose of piercing, tearing, and destroying any obstacle in its path. Where it passed, even light seemed to be faintly absorbed and distorted, like a slender thread of death leading to nothingness.

The next moment, this "Unyielding Advance" Sword Qi, embodying the pinnacle of Mu Changge's current sword path, collided head-on with the crimson greatsword phantom carrying its mountain-scorching, sea-boiling momentum, right in mid-air!

"Screeeech—!"

A piercing, teeth-grating sound of friction and tearing suddenly erupted, like a red-hot iron rod plunging into solid ice. The moment the crimson greatsword's violent, blazing fire-attributed spiritual power made contact with the faint golden Sword Qi, it was as if snow meeting a branding iron. The resolute "Unyielding Advance" will and the multiple composite Sword Intent contained within the Sword Qi forcibly "cleaved" it open! The front of the Sword Qi continuously annihilated the greatsword's spiritual structure while itself being eroded by the greatsword'sviolent power.

Two forces of vastly different natures yet equally formidable began the most direct annihilation and confrontation. The point of intersection erupted with a blindingly intense light, half crimson as blood, half flowing gold like imperial splendor. A terrifying shockwave exploded outwards from the collision point in a ring. Where it passed, the ground was lifted, crushed, and pulverized layer by layer, forming an ever-expanding charred crater. The few remaining trees in the distance were instantly uprooted, then shredded into pieces in mid-air by the chaotic spiritual energy.

Wang Meng's face was contorted with ferocity. He poured all his strength into driving the pill's power and his spiritual energy. The crimson greatsword's light blazed even brighter as he tried to completely crush that contemptuous strand of Sword Qi. He could sense that while his opponent's Sword Qi was terrifyingly refined, its foundational spiritual power seemed slightly inferior to his own. If they stalemated, victory would be his!

However, Mu Changge's gaze was as cold as ice. Gritting his teeth, the "Unyielding Advance" Sword Intent in his heart erupted to its limit. He knew deeply that this battle absolutely could not be prolonged; he had to press the advantage in one go!

"Crack..."

A faint yet soul-chilling sound of shattering came from within the crimson greatsword phantom. At the point of contact between the greatsword's edge and the faint golden Sword Qi, a minute, platinum-white crack appeared, and within it, a grayish aura seemed to be spreading!

"No—!" Wang Meng's pupils contracted violently, and he let out a despairing roar. He felt his connection to his Magical Artifact rapidly weakening; the greatsword phantom was disintegrating from within!

Seizing the advantage, the faint golden Sword Qi relentlessly burrowed along the crack, like a bone-deep maggot, wreaking havoc, crushing, and piercing through the crimson greatsword's interior!

"BOOOOOOM—!!!"

This time, a truly earth-shaking explosion finally occurred. Theviolent spiritual energy and Sword Qi, now out of control, vented and detonated madly in all directions!

And that faint golden strand of Sword Qi, after completely detonating the greatsword, though its light had dimmed and it had weakened by over ninety percent, still carried the resolute will to annihilate its target. Under Wang Meng's horrified, despairing gaze, it imprinted itself between his eyebrows.

"No... Saint... save..." That final sliver of consciousness only had time for this fleeting thought.

No blood, no visible wound. But the last glimmer of life in Wang Meng's eyes instantly extinguished. Theviolent aura surrounding him dissipated like a pricked balloon. His body swayed, then toppled straight backward, landing with a thud on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Between his eyebrows was only a needle-tip-sized sword mark, but all vitality had been completely severed.

—Mid Spirit Severing stage, Wang Meng, dead!

"Senior Brother Wang!"

"Senior Brother!"

Beside them, the three remaining Nascent Soul Stage Disciples (one heavily injured and entangled by the Puppet, one hindered by gravity interference and wounded, one uninjured but terrified) witnessed this scene. They were scared Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, almost unable to believe their eyes! Mid Spirit Severing stage Senior Brother Wang Meng, who had taken a Burst Origin Pill, was actually... actually killed by this Nascent Soul Middle Stage Mu Changge!

The Disciple affected by gravity interference, already seriously wounded, had his mind severely shaken at this moment. A treacherous strand of Sword Qi that Mu Changge had long sinceambush pierced through a gap in his defense, instantly puncturing his heart. He let out a shriek and fell to the ground, dead.

Of the remaining two, the heavily injured Disciple was already in dire straits. Now, with his composure shattered, the Earth-Treading Puppet seized the opportunity. A short blade flashed across his throat. His eyes widened as he clutched his spraying neck and slowly collapsed.

The last, uninjured Late Nascent Soul Stage Disciple was already scared out of his wits. What Battle Intent remained? With a strange cry, he turned and fled without the slightest hesitation, not even sparing a thought for his companions' corpses. He pushed his movement technique to the limit, transforming into a streak of light as he fled into the distance!

Having just executed that technique, Mu Changge'sConsumption was also immense. His face was slightly pale, his breath somewhat labored. He stood holding his sword, watching the fleeing figure. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he prepared to give chase and eliminate the root of the problem.

Feeling thelocking killing intent from behind, the fleeing Disciple was scared out of his mind. In a panic, he pulled out from his robes a jade Talisman engraved with complex silver patterns. A flash ofHeartache crossed his eyes, but it was overwhelmed by a stronger desire to survive. He crushed it fiercely!

"Crack!" The jade Talisman shattered.

An intense spatial fluctuation instantly enveloped him!

"Mu Changge! How dare you slaughter fellow Sect members! Senior Brother Wang Meng will not have died in vain! The Saint will definitely find out! Just wait for the Sect's punishment! You're dead!" In the instant before the spatial power completely swallowed his figure, the Disciple still found time for a blustering,outwardly fierce but inwardly weak roar, his voice filled with venom and terror.

A flash of silver light, and the Disciple's figure vanished from the spot, leaving only some residual spatial fluctuations.

Mu Changge looked at the spot where the Disciple had disappeared, his gaze icy, killing intentstern. With a thought, he was about to summon You Li toCompletely stay that person.

However, just as his killing intent surged and he prepared to act, his powerful perceptionKeenly captured something. From an extremely distant,Hidden mountain valley behind him, an aura fluctuation—extremely faint and belonging to none of those present—flashed and vanished! That aura wasExtremely well hidden. Had he not subconsciously released hisPerception to scan the surroundings, he would have almost missed it!

Someone was observing! And their concealmentmeans were extremely sophisticated! Who was it? Friend or foe? A mere passerby, or...Premeditated?

Thoughts flashed like lightning through Mu Changge's mind. The motion to summon You Li was forcibly halted. The cold killing intent on his face slowlyconvergence, and his tense body seemed to relax. Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted into an indescribable,bizarre curvature—three parts mockery, three parts understanding, four parts icy cold.

He shook his head. His voice returned to its previous flatness, even carrying a trace of indifferent weariness:

"Forget it, forget it... let him escape. The words of one person alone can't stir up too big awave."

He then stopped looking in the direction the Disciple had vanished. Nor did he immediately go to deal with the corpses and Storage Pouches of Wang Meng and the others. He simply stood where he was,Fine-tuninging slightly, but still keeping his wits about him. His gaze, seeminglyIntentionally or unintentionally, swept over that seeminglyA peaceful mountain valley behind him. His eyes weredeep, like an ancient well's cold, dark water.