Jian Xingzhi closed the coffin lid, but the next moment thought that he still had to observe the outside. Quietly, he made a hole on the side of the coffin, and looked sideways in the direction where ‘Bai Suiyou’ was standing.
He saw that ‘Bai Suiyou’ glanced around and smiled slightly: “So many people have arrived. Please continue your fight, I won’t be joining you.”
As soon as the voice fell, Jian Xingzhi saw the bright ’40’ on the man’s head disappearing instantly. It seemed that this ‘Bai Suiyou’ just attached his consciousness to this man, merely using this person as a vessel, but he himself was not present.
As soon as ‘Bai Suiyou’ left, the young man’s demeanor changed immediately. His face returned to its ordinary appearance, and his body became more robust.
He appeared to be possessed, his expression stoic. With a flick of his wrist, a long sword appeared in his hand. He calmly stared ahead, his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation: “You, if you leave now, you might live.”
“How hilarious.” Liu Feixu said as he held a piece of talisman paper between his fingertips and glanced at the young man holding the long sword. “How can you, a mere Nascent Soul, kill us?”
The young man didn’t respond. He lowered his head and glanced at the formation beneath his feet: “Just the right time, for you all,” he raised his eyes, swung the long sword sharply before declaring, “To be sacrificed for the White Dragon Jade!”
The long sword rushed towards Liu Feixu with violent momentum. Liu Feixu dodged nimbly, summoning a long vine adorned with flowers and leaves in his hand. He raised his hand and flickered it, wrapping it around the sword-wielding youth. At the same time, Shen Zhiming and Ning Buyan joined forces. Their sword intent broke through the air, while Jun Shu played a powerful tune on his flute. With four of them attacking a single Nascent Soul cultivator, it should have been effortless. However, unexpectedly, the young man’s sword shone more brightly, releasing a massive blow of spiritual energy that suddenly rushed out of the sword, violently sweeping away the four of them in an instant!
As the four of them smashed on the ground, blood dripped down their mouths. Countless tendrils appeared beneath the formation, attacking the high-level cultivators, as if those tendrils had consciousness of their own.
Everyone was astonished at the sudden appearance of the tendrils and began to dodge in a hurry. However, the tendrils beneath the formation were densely packed, making it impossible to land. The four people could only maneuver in the air, trying to evade while looking for an opportunity to attack the young man in the center.
Although the young man’s cultivation level was not high and his sword techniques were average, strangely enough, he had an overwhelming amount of spiritual power. Each attack the four people made was resisted with direct force, before being absorbed with his own energy. After a few exchanges, the others began to sense that something was wrong.
Spiritual power is not inexhaustible. This person could barely withstand their attack once or twice. How could he maintain such a strong output as if nothing had happened? If he truly possessed this level of strength, there was a possibility that they would be all buried here.
Cultivators value their lives, and the higher the level of cultivation the cultivator has, the more so.
After thousands of years of hard work and using countless treasures and opportunities, while the White Dragon Jade was precious, it wasn’t enough to make them risk their lives.
The four of them conferred, and Liu Feixu was the first to speak: “Forget it, I won’t be taking the White Dragon Jade anymore. Farewell.”
Immediately after, Shen Zhiming glanced at Jun Shu: “We should go.”
Ning Buyan sighed: “Friend Jian, I have done my best, but I must leave now.”
Just as quickly and unexpectedly they arrived, they attempted to leave.
However, it seemed the formation showed no intention of letting them go. As the four rushed toward the exit, the tendrils surged with excitement, pursuing them relentlessly. Before they reached the entrance, the cave door suddenly fell down. As they showed a brief moment of hesitation, the tendrils seized them, dragging them back with force!
“After sucking your blood,” The sword-wielding youth said calmly, “the formation won’t let you leave. Originally, we planned to sacrifice the townsfolk of Guicheng to summon the White Dragon Jade, but now that we have you, it’s no longer necessary.”
As he said, the young man with the long sword raised his hand, and the tendrils surged with immense spiritual energy. They began to strangle the four people, who were tied up, like a giant python.
The four of them used their own spiritual energy to block the strangulation of these giant python-like tendrils. Both sides were in a stalemate. The young man with a sword walked over to the side of Jian Xingzhi’s coffin. He raised his hand and touched the lid of the coffin, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. “Weren’t you supposed to rescue him? Why are you escaping now?”
“Let us go.”
Shen Zhiming commanded in a freezing voice: “Then I can spare your life for this matter.”
“You cultivators of righteous path like to pretend. Even at a time like this, you’re saying you’ll spare me if I let you escape? Don’t you want to protect your beloved friend, Jian? I will kill him in front of you.”
When the young man with a sword said that, Jian Xingzhi’s heart skipped a beat. However, he knew that the people outside had not exhausted their spiritual energy yet. So he decided to wait until both sides fought to death before going out and making a move.
Thus, Jian Xingzhi continued to hide inside, but he also condensed the sword aura in his hand, ready to spring into action at any moment.
“I enjoy hearing your pleas. If you’re willing to say ‘I beg you,’ this person can be spared.”
The young man with a sword placed his blade on the lid of the coffin, and glanced at everyone, his gaze landing on Shen Zhiming’s face: “Head of the Wen Xin Sect, Daoist Monarch Shen, between ‘I beg you’ and a person’s life, which one will you choose?”
“The Immortal Alliance will never bow its head,” Shen Zhiming said with righteous determination, “Young Friend Jian is willing to sacrifice his life.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the sword plunged violently into the coffin. Jian Xingzhi was startled and instinctively recoiled to the side. The young man with a sword looked up at Shen Zhiming with a smile. “Tell me, do you think he was stabbed? Did he manage to dodge?”
Shen Zhiming remained silent. The young man with a sword pulled out his blade and thrusted it again, this time aiming for the center with a particularly tricky angle. Jian Xingzhi immediately dodged to avoid the strike.
The young man furrowed his brow, a hint of dissatisfaction appearing on his face for two failed strikes. He began to stab the sword into the coffin from different angles rapidly. Jian Xingzhi twisted and turned inside the coffin, determined not to let him land a hit.
The young man immediately became angry and shouted, “I don’t believe this.”
With that, his hands flashed like a shadow, and in an instant, he summoned eighteen swords and stabbed from different positions at the same time with the swords!
The sword went in from one side, appearing on the other. The blades met each other, each was stabbed into a fatal position.
However, after the eighteen strikes, the coffin was riddled with holes everywhere, yet there was still no sign of blood inside!
The young man became engrossed in this activity. For a moment, he even forgot about the four people he had tied up. He rummaged through his Qiankun bag, pulling out a dozen swords and stabbed them one by one after carefully selecting good angles.
“I refuse to believe you can’t be killed even after being stabbed blindly!”
The young man began to stab the swords into the coffin, as if performing in an acrobatic show. However, Jian Xingzhi’s muscles and bones were remarkably flexible. He twisted his body and coordinated the position of his limbs to survive in the narrow gaps between the swords.
More than a dozen swords were inserted one by one. Jian Xingzhi knew that this would never end. He began rummaging through his Qiankun bag, and after finding the water pouch and some dyeing materials, he dyed the water red and poured it down along the blade.
The young man finally saw the red liquid flowing from the coffin and burst into laughter. “He’s dead! Your Friend Jian is finally dead! Jian Xingzhi, he’s dead!!”
The formation beneath the coffin absorbed the water, remaining completely still, but the young man was oblivious to this fact. He was filled with triumphant joy, while the four people beside him looked at him with indescribable expressions.
But before they could think further, the young man raised his hand and turned around.
“Now,” The young man said coldly, “it’s your turn!”
After that, the tendrils began to strangle the four bound people vigorously. Shen Zhiming and others finally shook with rage. They drew out their natal swords, violently striking the tendrils and slashing them with a single strike as they shout out: “You are seeking death!”
A fierce battle erupted in the cave, with everyone engaged in a chaotic struggle.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Qin Wanwan was constantly absorbing spiritual energy at a crucial moment of forming her Nascent Soul. As she continuously absorbed spiritual energy, they became increasingly thinner around her. She could no longer think about anything, all her actions were purely instinctive.
She could vaguely see a small figure forming within her body, the figure was pure white in color, gradually developing hands and feet…
It became increasingly clear and intricate, the abundant spiritual energy flowing into its form. However, for some reason, it still lacked fundamental features.
The spiritual energy flowed in two directions at the same time. One toward the entrance of the cave, which presumably should be toward the center of the formation, and the other into her body. She felt that her body had reached the limit. Whether it was the spiritual root or the Golden Core, it seemed that they had been exhausted to the extreme.
There was no place on her body that didn’t hurt. The speed of absorbing spiritual energy slowed down due to the overwhelming pain. Xie Gutang frowned and couldn’t help but speak up: “Miss Qin, hold on a little longer. The last moment of forming a Nascent Soul is the most difficult. Just get through it and everything will be fine.”
Qin Wanwan couldn’t speak. Her brain began to find countless reasons for her to stop. Her teeth chattered, and she felt utterly drained of strength.
The sounds of fighting echoed from a distance, but it soon stopped. After a moment, Qin Wanwan suddenly heard a burst of maniacal laughter.
“He’s dead! Your Friend Jian is finally dead! Jian Xingzhi, he’s dead!!”
As soon as these words were heard, Xie Gutang turned around instantly, and Qin Wanwan abruptly opened her eyes.
Impossible, Jian Xingzhi has died?!
Qin Wanwan was in disbelief. In that instant, the spiritual energy around her became chaotic, threatening to explode. Xie Gutang quickly raised his hand and pointed his finger in her forehead, trying to guide the energy within her body.
“Qin Wan!” Xie Gutang shouted anxiously, “Calm your mind, don’t be anxious!”
“He said…” Qin Wanwan blankly stared at Xie Gutang, her teeth trembling, “My Master is dead.”
“If he is truly dead,” Xie Gutang said calmly. At that moment, Qin Wanwan saw the shadow of Jian Xingzhi in his expression, which inexplicably gave her a sense of reassurance. Xie Gutang’s voice was like a bell ringing in her ears, “Then you must avenge him.”
She should avenge him.
Qin Wanwan clenched her fists. The sounds of fierce fighting echoed around her, shaking the ground. At that moment, she could no longer care about all the pain in her body. With a low cry, she stopped resisting and allowed the spiritual energy to surge in.
The spiritual energy that had originally been flowing toward Jian Xingzhi suddenly shifted direction and exploded around her. Xie Gutang was thrown back by the force. When he got back on his feet, he saw that the spiritual energy had formed a massive vortex, resembling a tornado. In the eye of the storm sat Qin Wanwan, her expression calm and serene, like a statue standing amidst the torrent of winds.
The small figure within her gradually developed the fundamental features. Just at the same time, the blood from the formation slowly spread, covering the ground. At the moment when she finished forming her Nascent Soul, dozens of beams of radiant light converged beneath Jian Xingzhi’s coffin.
“The White Dragon Jade!”
Jun Shu exclaimed excitedly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he was knocked down by Liu Feixu. Liu Feixu turned around and shouted to Ning Buyan: “Brother Ning, take the White Dragon Jade. This one is yours. Next time, we’ll go together, and the next one will be mine!”
Now, with their cultivation severely depleted, he realized that if he did not form an alliance with Ning Buyan, it would be impossible to obtain the White Dragon Jade from the combined forces of Shen Zhiming and Jun Shu.
“Get lost!”
Jun Shu raised his hand and smacked Liu Feixu. Ning Buyan and Shen Zhiming rushed towards the White Dragon Jade together. However, they were stopped by the young man with a sword who shouted, “Don’t even think about it!”
The five of them instantly became embroiled in a fierce struggle, unwilling to back down. Jian Xingzhi peeked out from the coffin toward the cave’s entrance to assess the situation. Quietly, he slid open the coffin lid, and when the others weren’t paying attention, he swiftly grabbed the White Dragon Jade. He sealed it into his Qiankun bag before closing the coffin lid and lying back down.
The young man with a sword was evenly matched with Shen Zhiming and Ning Buyan. His spiritual power was endless. However, despite that, he found himself struggling against their combined force. As he swung his blade with a thunderous might, he suddenly realized that his spiritual energy had faltered at the crucial moment. It was like a big tiger rushing aggressively, but instead of roaring, simply let out a soft “meow”.
The sword struck the center of the sword cross formed by Shen Zhiming and Ning Buyan. The three exchanged glances, and without hesitation, Shen Zhiming and Ning Buyan unleashed their sword technique, driving them into the young man’s abdomen. The young man quickly retreated and raised his hand to summon another wave of spiritual energy. The formation above him crackled ominously as the energy surged toward the tip of his blade.
He covered his wound and laughed wildly: “Go to hell!”
As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his blade down fiercely, sending a gale rushing toward Shen Zhiming and Ning Buyan. The two braced themselves for impact, but to their surprise, the wind that reached them was as gentle as a spring breeze, barely stirring the air.
The three were stunned. Shen Zhiming let out a sneer and Ning Buyan brandished his sword.
Without a moment of hesitation, the sword-wielding young man turned around and tried to escape. However, as he glanced back, he saw the coffin where Jian Xingzhi was lying was there as before. The light still shimmering in the same way, the coffin unchanged, but—
“Where is the White Dragon Jade?!”
The youth let out a furious roar, and finally, everyone reacted. They exchanged bewildered glances filled with suspicion. In that instant, a loud bang was heard as a tremendous explosion shook the air. A fierce wind imbued with spiritual energy swept in, sending all of them flying.
Everyone scrambled to their feet and looked toward the distance. They saw a woman in red and a young man in purple standing at the collapsed entrance of the cave.
The woman held a long sword in her hand, her flowing skirt stained with blood, and dust swirling around her blade. She slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes sharp and predatory like a wolf’s.
“Who among you?” Qin Wanwan asked coldly, “Killed my Master?”
Hearing her voice, Jian Xingzhi raised his head.
The coffin had long been punctured by that foolish sword-wielding young man, resembling a sieve. Light streamed in from the cave entrance, and Jian Xingzhi, peering through the narrow opening, spotted Qin Wanwan not far away.
She had a stunningly beautiful face, her body stained with blood, like a razor-sharp blade that had just been sharpened.
He had been obsessed with swords his whole life, believing that in this world, no matter how beautiful a face is, nothing could compare to the brilliance of a sword stained with blood at the moment it was drawn.
But at that moment, he realized for the first time that there was someone who could be as beautiful as a sharp blade, radiant and strikingly stunning.
As everyone stared at Qin Wanwan in a daze, in Jian Xingzhi’s mind, the system suddenly lit up with activity:
【Warning! Warning! The key point of Task Eight has arrived. Please ensure you adhere to the character’s essence and become the perfect hostage! Leave the spotlight moments for the female lead!!】
“What the hell is a perfect hostage?”
Jian Xingzhi felt bewildered, and 666 quickly informed him, “Just relax, and lie flat.”
“Oh.”
Jian Xingzhi nodded. He observed the chaotic spiritual energy around Qin Wanwan and realized that her spiritual energy needed to be stabilized urgently. He frowned, considering ways of how to stabilize her spiritual energy. Just then, he saw her approaching over with a sword in hand, stopping beside his coffin.
“Where is my Master?”
Her voice was icy. Everyone finally reacted. Liu Feixu quickly pointed at the coffin next to her, exclaiming loudly, “He’s inside!”
Qin Wanwan turned around and saw the coffin with more than a dozen swords stabbed in it. She felt heartbroken, and for a moment, she hesitated to open it.
Her heart ached when she thought how Jian Xingzhi, sealed in a coffin and stabbed to death with swords like a circus play in this small world, died miserably.
At this moment, her spiritual power was raging around her, making it difficult for her to calm her thoughts or think clearly.
She raised a trembling hand and placed it on the coffin.
“My Master, although not a very good person,” She muttered in a quiet voice, “He is overbearing, selfish, not smart enough, bullies people with his sword, always beats me, never cares about what I want, and doesn’t care about my inner feelings, breaks my bones at any time he wants to teach me some heart method, doesn’t give me vacations, carries me on his back when I’m tired and continues beating me as soon as I wake up…”
Qin Wanwan began to list his shortcomings, and the more Jian Xingzhi listened, the guiltier he felt. Those around them showed a hint of sympathy on their faces.
Liu Feixu couldn’t help but advise her, “Miss, perhaps it’s time to forget about this kind of master.”
“But he’s still my Master!”
Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi felt a surge of emotion. He suddenly realized that even if he couldn’t complete the task, he couldn’t deceive her like this. This disciple was soft-hearted, kind, and a bit filial. Just look how heartbroken she was right now.
So he reached out from the hole he had dug earlier and tugged at her sleeve.
Qin Wanwan was unmoved and bellowed out, “He must die by my hand even if he has to die! What right do you have to kill him! And even if you kill him, how can you stuff him in a coffin and stab him like this!?”
Jian Xingzhi continued to pull her sleeve.
Xie Gutang advised Qin Wanwan: “Miss Qin, perhaps Fellow Daoist Jian hasn’t died yet, why don’t you open the coffin first?”
“Dead…” Qin Wanwan’s mind was a blur, the pain and chaotic spiritual energy mixing together. Just as she was about to say something, she felt someone tugging at her sleeve.
“Stop pulling!”
She pushed the person’s hand impatiently, but instead of letting go, the other party took the opportunity to hold her hand.
The person’s hand was warm, with the faint calluses that came from long-term sword practice.
Jian Zhiyan’s hands had no calluses at all, but ever since Jian Xingzhi arrived, he practiced martial arts and swordsmanship diligently every day, quickly developing calluses from his training.
The moment the hands were clasped, a familiar spiritual energy flowed from their interconnected palms. The spiritual energy began to lead and washed away the violent spiritual energy raging in her body. And at the same time, Jian Xingzhi’s voice rang into her ears.
“Your spiritual energy is in chaos, calm it down first. Master is fine, don’t panic.”
[Mini Theater]
Jian Xingzhi: “Wanwan was so shocked by the news of my death that she lost her mind, feeling proud.”
Qin Wanwan: “The male protagonist sacrifices himself to the heavens, while the female protagonist ascends to immortality, can’t believe it’s truly happening.”
Jian Xingzhi: “….”
All that dodging in the coffin 😂 it reminds me of old HK slapstick Kungfu comedies, like Stephen Chow dodging left and right. Thank you for the update!