Chapter 73

Xie Zongyuan, seeing Fang Zhen leave, sneered coldly, his disdain evident. He raised his hand and waved it, a white light flying out from his sleeve straight toward the Jingcang Sect.

He then turned his head and glanced at Zhang Yan a few times,拱手道: "Thank you, Senior Brother. However, this demon cannot be defeated by mere magical treasures. Staying here would only put your life at risk. It's best to leave now."

Zhang Yan looked ahead and saw the two Xuanguang cultivators struggling under the giant axe of the Qichang beast, seemingly unable to hold on much longer. He said, "Senior Brother Xie, if you leave now, you still have a chance."

Xie Zongyuan smiled lightly and said, "As a descendant of the Xie family of Yuxuan, how can I flee in the face of an enemy like Fang Zhen? If I die here today, someone will avenge me, and I will not disgrace my family name. Senior Brother, there's no need to say more. Just go."

Luo Xiao whispered, "Master, Xie Zongyuan has already used a talisman to summon experts from his clan. He is confident in his support."

Zhang Yan shook his head slightly and said, "Even if they are experts, they may not arrive in time. This move is not very useful now. Xie Zongyuan's courage is not feigned."

He then turned his gaze to the trembling Zhenhai Stele and said, "Daoist Luo, what treasure do you think is holding back the Zhenhai Stele?"

Luo Xiao replied, "Master, the Zhenhai Stele is a high-grade spiritual treasure, on par with the Soul-Shaking Inkstone. Whatever can hold it back must be a mystic artifact."

"Ah, a mystic artifact?"

Zhang Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. He had many spiritual treasures, but he had never seen a mystic artifact. He thought, "I cannot miss this opportunity. I need to find a way to obtain it."

After some thought, he decided, "Xie Zongyuan seems to be a man of responsibility, calm in the face of danger. Let's try to lure Qichang away and kill him, taking the mystic artifact. It will be a favor to Xie Zongyuan."

The situation below became more critical. Qichang, still enraged from being suppressed by the Zhenhai Stele, refused to let Xie Zongyuan go. One of the Xuanguang cultivators, unable to dodge in time, had his arm cut off by the axe. Qichang then kicked him, crushing his chest despite the protective Xuanguang barrier, causing him to spew blood and fly away.

With two people already struggling, the last Xuanguang cultivator was in grave danger. He was helpless; without a powerful treasure or superior Xuanguang technique, he had no way to face Qichang. Even delaying him for a moment was his best effort.

Qichang swung his axe again, forcing him back several steps. He then advanced, ignoring the dozens of warriors in front of Xie Zongyuan, and charged through them, causing a bloody scene.

Just as he cut through the last few warriors in front of Xie Zongyuan, a blue light flew toward his eyes. Qichang, sensing danger, instinctively turned his head. "Sss," a cut appeared on his temple, blood flowing, blurring his vision.

Qichang roared and reached up to grab the light. The blue light, however, turned and escaped from his hand, "Sss," cutting a shallow wound on his neck. It then circled in the air, aiming for his eyes. Qichang screamed, covering his face and retreating several steps to avoid the attack.

The blue light leaped into the air and returned to Zhang Yan's hand. He nodded, impressed by the sword pill, which was made from star essence sand. If his cultivation were higher, he could have killed Qichang with it, rather than just causing minor injuries.

Qichang wiped the blood from his face, glared at Zhang Yan, and roared, suddenly leaping into the air and charging at him. A gray light flashed as the talisman left the Zhenhai Stele and returned to him.

Zhang Yan smiled and turned the flying boat to leave. He had already noticed that although Qichang was strong, his eyes were dull, and he seemed to act on instinct. His flying speed was not much faster than the boat. Since he was charging at Zhang Yan, it was a good opportunity to lead him to a secluded place and use his treasures to finish him off.

As Zhang Yan led Qichang away, the situation for Xie Zongyuan eased. He summoned the Zhenhai Stele back, feeling more at ease with it in his possession.

The remaining Xuanguang cultivator rushed over and said, "Fourth Young Master, since this cultivator has lured the demon away, you don't need to stay here. Let's go!"

Xie Zongyuan glared at him coldly, "I have already sent a message. Someone will come soon. Why should I fear this demon? Moreover, Senior Brother Zhang risked his life for me. How can I abandon him? Do you think I am like Fang Zhen?"

As a Xie family disciple, he would never leave a fellow disciple in danger. If he did, it would bring shame to his family.

The cultivator, seeing his fierce gaze, dared not say more and retreated.

Zhang Yan, retreating while fighting, used the sword pill to provoke Qichang, leading him deeper into the forest. Soon, they reached a dense area.

A black light flashed from his sleeve, and Luo Xiao appeared behind him, looking around and whispering, "Master, this is a good place to act."

Zhang Yan nodded, handing the Soul-Shaking Inkstone and the Proclamation Pen to Luo Xiao, and then descended the flying boat.

Qichang, seeing this, roared and pounced down.

Zhang Yan pointed forward, and the star sword pill flew up. Qichang, remembering the pain, raised his hand to protect his eyes. Zhang Yan smiled and slid a colorful hammer into his hand, throwing it into the air.

Qichang, unable to see, was unprepared. A loud "Boom" echoed as the Heart-Crushing Hammer struck his head, causing him to black out and fall straight to the ground, crashing through several thick trees.

Zhang Yan, not letting up, flicked his sleeve, and a green light shot toward Qichang's throat.

The如意神梭emitted a sharp sensation, ready to take a life. At this critical moment, Qichang's dull eyes seemed to regain some clarity. He barely managed to block with his hand, "Sss," the神梭penetrated his thick arm, advancing a few inches before stopping.

Zhang Yan cast a spell, causing a spray of blood, and retrieved the神梭, but it did not sever Qichang's arm as expected.

He raised an eyebrow. The如意神梭had always been effective, but this was the first time he encountered such resistance. It seemed his cultivation was not yet sufficient to fully harness its power.

Qichang, dazed from the injuries, tried to stand up but felt an even stronger sense of danger from behind. A cloud-patterned red pen appeared silently, causing him to stiffen. Suddenly, the talisman on his body leaped up, blocking the Proclamation Pen.

Before he could recover, Zhang Yan raised his hand again, and the Heart-Crushing Hammer flew at him. Qichang roared, half-standing and raising his axe to block, but due to his single-handed effort and sitting position, the axe was knocked away with a "Clang."

Without his weapon, Qichang was like a tiger without claws. Luo Xiao, seizing the opportunity, cast a spell, and the Soul-Shaking Inkstone flew down.

The sky darkened as the giant inkstone, five zhang wide, descended like a mountain. Qichang roared, raising his hands to block it.

Zhang Yan shook his head. "Boom," the entire forest seemed to shake, leaves falling like rain, and a cloud of dust rising. Qichang was crushed into a pulp without a sound.

With Qichang dead, the talisman lost its master and tried to escape. Luo Xiao, quick to react, grabbed it, feeling it struggle in his palm. He exclaimed, "Master, it's indeed a mystic artifact. However, it has a trace of spiritual essence and needs to be refined slowly to be of use to you."

Zhang Yan smiled, "Since it's in our hands, there's no rush. Let's clean up the area first to avoid any suspicion when the sect investigates."

Luo Xiao nodded and carefully cleaned up the area, retrieving the beast-faced axe.

After cleaning up, Zhang Yan ordered Luo Xiao to transform and return to his sleeve, then headed back.

When he returned to the foot of the mountain, he was surprised to see Xie Zongyuan still there.

However, a middle-aged cultivator stood beside Xie Zongyuan, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. He had deep wrinkles on his forehead and a large nose, making him memorable. He was likely the Xie family's reinforcement.

Xie Zongyuan's expression brightened upon seeing Zhang Yan. "Senior Brother Zhang, I'm relieved to see you safe. Where is the demon now?"

Zhang Yan shook his head. "I circled the forest a few times and lost him. The demon seems to have lost his mind and I don't know where he went."

Xie Zongyuan's eyes showed disappointment. He coldly snorted, "What a pity. If he dares to return, I'll make him pay."

The middle-aged man coughed. "Fourth Young Master, since everything is fine, we should return to avoid worrying Uncle."

"Wait, I have one more thing. Senior Brother Zhang, please stay." Xie Zongyuan waved his hand, and a dozen warriors brought forward a golden dragon bound by a Yuan Yang Golden Lock.

Xie Zongyuan walked to Zhang Yan and bowed deeply. "Today, I am grateful for Senior Brother Zhang's help. I have nothing to offer in return, so I will give you this golden dragon! If you need anything in the future, just ask, and I will do my best to help."

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