Chapter 74

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Three explosive talismans detonated in quick succession, their thunderous explosions echoing through the vast night.

Pfft!

The large bird was immediately drenched in blood, mainly because it couldn't dodge in time. It was splattered with blood and bone, bearing the brunt of the explosion's power. One of its wings was blown off, and it fell from the sky like a broken kite.

The young man in purple on its back fared no better. While he was skilled at providing support, his physical strength and resistance to explosions were lacking. Covered in blood and flesh, he fell from the sky along with the bird, having been caught off guard by Zhao Yun's explosive talismans. Standing too high, he had become a live target.

Boom! Bang!

With a loud boom, the large bird hit the ground first, smashing a small hill to pieces. Then the young man in purple landed, shattering a massive boulder.

Amidst the flying debris, neither of them got up, likely unable to. Drenched in blood from the explosion, this fall left them half-paralyzed. It was a miracle they were still breathing.

Zhao Yun arrived shortly after, holding the blood-stained Zixiao Sword.

The young man in purple tried to get up, but his body was too weak. His bones were shattered, and his meridians were completely damaged, rendering him a cripple.

"Who sent you?"

Zhao Yun asked calmly, approaching with his sword.

The young man in purple, despite the blood gushing from his mouth, showed no fear. Instead, he gave Zhao Yun a strange smile, one that seemed to carry a hint of gratitude. Zhao Yun frowned, unsure of the meaning behind this smile.

As he watched, the blood flowing from the young man's mouth turned black.

"Damn it." Zhao Yun rushed over.

Unfortunately, he was too late. The young man had already swallowed the poison hidden in his teeth and died on the spot. His face showed no pain, only a sense of relief, as if he were an old man passing away peacefully.

"Assassin," Zhao Yun murmured.

When a killer's mission fails or they fall into enemy hands, they often choose to take their own life. It might be a matter of professional ethics, or perhaps they fear a worse fate if they return.

He searched the young man's body but found no identity tag. Apart from his purple clothes, bow, and arrows, there was nothing else. The same was true for the large man and the old man; there was no trace of anything that could identify them or reveal who had sent them.

Caw! Caw!

The large bird was still alive, lying among the debris and moaning, perhaps for its master or for itself. It had never fallen so low, having once soared through the heavens.

"Rou Sheng Gate."

Moon Goddess suddenly spoke, as if she could understand the bird's moans. From its cries, she discerned this secret. Zhao Yun might know it, but she did not.

"Rou Sheng Gate?"

Zhao Yun frowned. How could he not know?

It was an extremely mysterious assassin organization that had existed since the ancient Warring States period. The gate was filled with experts and had a network spanning the world.

Rumors had it that every generation's leader of Rou Sheng Gate was a genuine Tianwu Realm expert. No one had truly seen them, but the mere mention of Rou Sheng Gate struck fear into the hearts of many. As long as the price was right, they would assassinate anyone, be it a Heavenly Sect or a royal family. Over the centuries, such examples were numerous.

At that moment, Zhao Yun thought a lot.

The night when the poison mist was blown into his room, it was likely also sent by Rou Sheng Gate.

He even suspected that the evil mage earlier might also belong to Rou Sheng Gate.

This assassination organization was too mysterious, hiding in various identities in the world.

"Who is it?"

Zhao Yun muttered to himself, wanting to know who the mastermind was, and how much they hated him to hire Rou Sheng Gate's assassins. This was not good news.

An open attack is easy to avoid, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against.

Being targeted by Rou Sheng Gate meant he would never have peace again.

Without further thought, he took out a corpse-disintegrating powder to destroy the evidence, collected the weapons and valuables of the three assassins, and disappeared into the darkness, coughing blood several times.

This battle had been extremely dangerous.

Facing assassins, any moment could be fatal.

He still had severe toxins in his body.

Looking at his left arm, it was already completely black, with no sensation, hanging limply. Fortunately, the three were only True Spirit Realm; if they had been Profound Yang Realm, they might have killed him with a single strike. Assassins of that level might not even be affected by explosive talismans.

Late at night, he found a cave.

It took him most of the night to barely expel the toxins, his face still pale.

After that, he took the weapons of the three assassins.

The three weapons were indeed exceptional, especially the large man's gilded hammer, made of Golden Profound Iron, weighing at least 800 pounds. The old man's thin sword and the young man's bow and arrows were also made of special Profound Iron. Even True Spirit Realm assassins had such equipment, so one could imagine how terrifying higher-level assassins would be.

He used beast fire and heavenly thunder to melt the weapons.

The essence of the three weapons was extracted and refined, then infused into the Longyuan Sword. After polishing, the Longyuan became even heavier, humming with a dragon's roar.

He took a sip of spirit liquid and looked at Moon Goddess.

His gaze was clear: Xiu'er, I've been targeted by an assassin organization, aren't you going to do something? Like, teach me a life-saving secret technique?

Moon Goddess said nothing, glancing at Zhao Yun: Haven't I taught you enough? Isn't Earth Escape good enough? Isn't Wall Penetration profound enough? Isn't Wind God Step fast enough? Isn't the Battle Saint Technique dominant enough? What can a small martial cultivator do with so many techniques?

"Wait until I'm killed, and you'll be secretly happy!"

Zhao Yun pouted, they were in the same boat, why was she so unreasonable?

Moon Goddess ignored him.

As a master, she had to let her disciple suffer a bit. Training in life and death would help him transform and achieve Nirvana. It was all about the right mindset, he just needed to endure.

Zhao Yun disagreed and took out the Sword Control Technique.

This technique was not hard to learn. It involved imprinting a seal on the sword and using hand seals. The distance and power of the flight depended on the cultivator's strength. With enough foundation, a simple strike could split mountains and rocks from a thousand feet away. If the foundation was weak, even a small sapling might not be cut.

Under the moonlight, he started a campfire and roasted meat.

He held the ancient scroll of the Sword Control Technique, engrossed in reading, occasionally practicing the hand seals. The technique required perfect coordination of the seal, true essence, and hand seals.

It also involved mental strength.

The higher the mental level, the easier it was to control the sword. In essence, it was about the foundation.

To him, this Sword Control Technique was incomplete.

Or rather, it was a modified version, not the true technique.

Seeing this, he glanced at Moon Goddess.

Moon Goddess understood his gaze but said nothing. Zhao Yun's thoughts were not far off. The technique was indeed incomplete. The true Sword Control Technique required extremely high mental strength, at least a martial soul, to control the sword with the soul. To surpass the Tianwu Realm, the martial soul must evolve into a divine spirit, allowing control over all things in the world, including flying swords.

With a strong divine spirit, a single sword strike could decapitate someone from a hundred miles away.

At the divine realm, a single thought could create thousands of swords, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

This was why she did not teach Zhao Yun the true Sword Control Technique. It would be useless; he couldn't use it without a martial soul, let alone a divine spirit.

The modified version would have to do.

A small True Spirit Realm cultivator, attempting to master a great technique, was just asking for trouble.

Clang!

Zhao Yun took out the Zixiao Sword, his fingertips crackling with lightning, imprinting the seal.

He then stained the seal with a drop of blood.

Finally, he planted the sword in the ground, fingers together, silently reciting the technique, and performed the hand seals. He swung his arm, pointing at a tree five paces away.

Clang!

The Zixiao Sword flew from the ground, piercing the tree.

He moved his arm, changing the gesture, and the Zixiao Sword shot into the sky.

However, the flying sword had a range limit, beyond which it would lose connection.

He was prepared for this.

Nonetheless, he had mastered the Sword Control Technique. If he had known it earlier, he wouldn't have needed the explosive talismans; a single strike could have taken down the large bird.

Thus, learning the technique would make future battles against flying opponents less passive. If they flew low, he could strike them down with a single sword.

As for the range limit, it was temporary.

With increased cultivation and foundation, the range would expand.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

In the forest, the sound of the sword echoed as Zhao Yun practiced the incomplete Sword Control Technique, using it with great fluency.

"Not bad."

Zhao Yun sheathed the sword, wiped his sweat, and chuckled.

"Garbage."

Moon Goddess's gaze was slightly askew. A half-baked Sword Control Technique, and he thinks he's so great. If she taught him true divine techniques, would he think he could fly?

"Rising to the sky."

As he spoke, a wolf howl echoed through the night, exuding a sense of dominance.

Zhao Yun looked up.

He saw a light shooting into the sky, and upon closer inspection, it was a person, a fat old man with a large head and a round belly.

"Can fly, Tianwu Realm?"

Zhao Yun's eyes widened in surprise.

"Judging by the fall, it won't be pretty."

Moon Goddess's tone was deep. Rising to the sky? More like jumping!

Sure enough.

The old man, after reaching a certain height, began to fall. His ascent was impressive, but his descent was not. He flailed in the air like a drowning person, creating a graceful arc as he plummeted.

Boom!

The explosion was loud. The old man likely shattered a mountain, with debris flying and an invisible aura spreading, toppling ancient trees and shattering boulders.

Pfft!

Zhao Yun was also affected, being thrown back and spitting blood. Fortunately, he was far enough away; if he had been closer, he would have been crushed.

"Peak Earth Concealment Realm," Moon Goddess said calmly.

There was no need for her to say more. Zhao Yun fled, not even standing up, rolling and crawling away. Someone who could destroy True Spirit Realm and explode Profound Yang Realm was a different matter, especially at the peak Earth Concealment Realm. With protective true essence, his level of explosive talismans would be far from enough to harm him. A single finger would be enough to kill him.

Eh?

A light exclamation followed, the voice belonging to the fat old man, who had just climbed out of the debris, holding his waist. Sensing a martial cultivator, he approached.

Boom!

The explosion was loud. The old man likely shattered a mountain, with debris flying and an invisible aura spreading, toppling ancient trees and shattering boulders.

Pfft!

Zhao Yun was also affected, being thrown back and spitting blood. Fortunately, he was far enough away; if he had been closer, he would have been crushed.

"Peak Earth Concealment Realm," Moon Goddess said calmly.