268: Chapter 268: Killing Zhou Xuan

Xiao Ran did not give him a chance.

The vortex reversed, reflecting the swallowed spiritual power back.

Zhou Xuan spat out blood and was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground.

He rolled several times on the ground before stopping when he hit a piece of rubble.

The powerful devouring ability caused Zhou Xuan's longsword to fly out of his hand and stab into the ground.

The spiritual light on the blade was completely extinguished, making it look like a piece of scrap metal.

Zhou Xuan struggled to crawl up, blood overflowing from the corners of his mouth, his face pale and his body trembling.

The vitality in his left arm had been completely sucked dry, and the bone protruded through the flesh, stark white and shocking to behold.

His right arm had been corroded by venom; the skin was festering, and blood was flowing freely.

"Fellow Daoist has excellent methods; I admit defeat."

"But you cannot kill me... I am an Elder of the Sword Sect..."

"If you kill me, the Sword Sect will not let you off..."

Zhou Xuan's voice was hoarse.

Xiao Ran walked up to him and looked down at him from above.

Moonlight spilled over Xiao Ran, casting a long shadow that weighed down on Zhou Xuan like a great mountain.

"Sword Sect? Am I afraid of the Sword Sect?"

Xiao Ran's voice was very soft, yet it made Zhou Xuan feel chilled to the bone.

"No..."

Zhou Xuan wanted to say more, but Xiao Ran struck him on the top of the head with a palm.

The vortex spun, devouring his Divine Soul.

Zhou Xuan's eyes bulged and his mouth hung open, still frozen in a posture of begging for mercy.

His body slumped limply to the ground, his eyes still open, dying with grievances unredressed.

Xiao Ran withdrew his hand, picked up the Storage Ring from the ground, and scanned it with his Divine Sense.

Inside was a Heaven Rank High Grade longsword. The blade was silver-white, with faint moonlight flowing along the edge, emitting a bone-chilling coldness.

The words 'Cold Moon' were engraved on the hilt, and an ice-blue gemstone was embedded in the scabbard.

There were also several bottles of Medicinal Pills, a few Spirit Stones, and several Jade Slips of Cultivation Techniques.

These spoils of war were all decent, but he was most satisfied with that sword.

"Cold Moon Sword, a good name."

Xiao Ran tucked the Storage Ring into his robes and turned to look at the two members of the Yao Race.

The Golden Lion and the Nine-Headed Snake were struggling to get up, preparing to flee.

The Nine-Headed Snake's seven heads were lopsided; three were still bleeding, two were smoking, one was wrapped in poisonous silk, and one was shrouded in poisonous miasma.

A large patch of the Golden Lion's mane had been scorched, revealing the bare skin beneath; it limped on several legs as golden blood continued to drip.

When they saw Xiao Ran's gaze, they trembled and ran even faster.

Xiao Ran did not pursue them.

Because he had a daring plan.

He planned to bury the intermediate forces of both the Human Race and the Yao Race here. When that time came, the Sword Qi Great Wall would be empty...

Wouldn't this world belong to the two of them sooner or later?

Therefore, Xiao Ran wasn't afraid of them going back to report; what he feared was them not reporting.

The more the Yao Race swarmed over, the more the Human Race's strength could be consumed.

"Why do I feel a little like a traitor to humanity?"

Xiao Ran thought to himself secretly.

"No, I'm just doing this to free the Cultivation World from the control of those old monsters."

Immediately, he turned and transformed into a grey-black light of escape, continuing to fly toward the golden light.

Through the Soul Link, he contacted Li Changsheng.

"Changsheng, how are things on your end? Have you achieved a Breakthrough?"

Li Changsheng's voice came through, carrying a hint of pride.

"I've broken through and am heading toward the inner perimeter."

"I encountered a few blind members of the Yao Race on the way and dealt with them easily."

"What about you? Did you run into anything interesting?"

Xiao Ran smiled and said, "I just killed a Sword Sect Elder and snatched a Heaven Rank High Grade longsword."

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment, his voice carrying a trace of helplessness.

"You really aren't afraid of trouble. You even dare to kill a Sword Sect Elder? Aren't you afraid the Sword Sect will come looking for trouble?"

Xiao Ran laughed.

"What is there to fear? He provoked me first. I saved him, yet he wanted to use me as cannon fodder."

"Someone like that deserves to die."

"Besides, I'm a member of the Demon Sect. What's wrong with killing a Sword Sect Elder? Isn't that perfectly natural?"

Li Changsheng nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes sense!"

"Alright, be careful yourself."

"The people from the Sword Sect aren't to be trifled with. Since you killed their Elder, they will definitely investigate. If they happen to track it back to you..."

Xiao Ran interrupted him.

"Let them investigate then. What can they do to me?"

"No matter how powerful the Sword Sect is, they can't frame an innocent person out of thin air, can they?"

"Besides, right now it's not them looking for trouble with me, but me looking for trouble with them."

Li Changsheng thought about it.

"True, but you still need to be careful."

"The Sword Sect's intelligence network is very formidable; they might be able to detect your aura."

Xiao Ran nodded. "I know. You be careful too."

The two of them cut the link.

Xiao Ran continued to fly.

After flying for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a dense Stone Forest appeared ahead.

The stone pillars in the forest were of varying heights; some were like sharp swords piercing the clouds, while others were like curved sabers lying across the ground.

Ancient runes were carved on the stone pillars, most of which were already blurred and indistinct, though a few occasionally glowed with a faint light.

Within the Stone Forest, spiritual light flickered faintly.

And it wasn't just in one place, but several.

Xiao Ran narrowed his eyes and was about to head down to investigate when he suddenly sensed several powerful auras approaching.

Three streaks of Demonic Qi, all at the Void Refinement Stage.

One was the five-colored Demonic Qi of the Five-Colored Phoenix Clan, brilliant and blazing.

One was the thunderous Demonic Qi of the Thunder Qilin Clan, violent and overbearing.

One was the mystic ice Demonic Qi of the Mystic Ice Chilong Clan, cold and sharp.

The three streaks of Demonic Qi flew toward the Stone Forest from three different directions at extreme speed.

Xiao Ran immediately descended, landing behind a huge rock outside the Stone Forest and concealing his aura.

His Guixu Body suppressed his life aura to the absolute minimum, making him almost indistinguishable from the surrounding stones.

He peered through a crack in the boulder, observing the movements of the three Yao.

The one from the Five-Colored Phoenix Clan was a Phoenix with a body of five colors.

Its feathers were magnificent, and Nirvana Fire burned on its tail feathers—the flames were golden, exceptionally dazzling in the twilight.

Void Refinement Middle Stage.

She landed in the center of the Stone Forest and looked around, a flash of vigilance appearing in her amber eyes.

Her wings folded, but her tail feathers continued to burn, the Nirvana Fire turning the surrounding stones red-hot.

The one from the Thunder Qilin Clan was a cyan-blue Qilin, surrounded by flickering and crackling electricity.

Its four hooves trod on lightning, leaving a charred hoofprint on the ground with every step.

Also Void Refinement Middle Stage.

It landed on a stone pillar, its purple eyes scanning the surroundings, with thunderclouds faintly rolling within them.

The one from the Mystic Ice Chilong Clan was an ice-blue Chilong, covered in ice-blue scales that were frosted over with a thin layer of ice.

It breathed out cold air, each breath leaving a white mist of ice in the air.

Still Void Refinement Middle Stage.

It coiled at the edge of the Stone Forest, its white eyes staring at a The Cavern in the center of the forest.

The three Yao formed a triangular formation, surrounding a The Cavern in the center of the Stone Forest.

Inside the The Cavern, spiritual light flickered faintly.

Furthermore, it was brighter than the surrounding spiritual lights—a dazzling gold, like a small sun.

Xiao Ran's heart stirred; there was definitely something good in that The Cavern.

Three Yao at the Void Refinement Middle Stage against him at the Void Refinement Early Stage—a direct confrontation definitely wouldn't work.

But he had the Yellow Spring Army, over six hundred corpses at the Soul Transformation Stage.

Of course, that was before; now that Xiao Ran had achieved a Breakthrough to the Void Refinement Stage, the Yellow Spring Army had naturally improved by a level as well.

Moreover, he didn't necessarily have to fight them head-on.

He could wait—wait for them to start fighting, and then reap the benefits of the situation.