Chapter 87: One Sword, Instant Kill

  Of course, as they gradually encroached upo ’s bordernds, the demonic sect brought in all sorts of supplies from the outside world to the vilges in the northwestern mountains.

  By trolling the flow of vital resources and occasionally bes and venieo win the vilgers’ cooperation, the demonic sect secured a steady stream of manpower aablished a reliable logistical foothold withi ’s territory.

  Their infamy spread far and wide beyond the northwestern region of Great , but deep in those mountains, they could match Great in many ways.

  The flying shuttle tore through the skies, stirring the air with a faint, rhythmic hum.

  Before long, An Jing—who had been closely attuo the subtle vibrations—took notice. Gazing in the flying shuttle’s dire, he said quietly, “They’re here.”

  At that moment, An Jing stood on the mountainside of a small hill. He ositioned on a narrow pteau, staring into the dista a small bck silhouette—the flying shuttle.

  He had not fled far. After finding suitable terraiayed put, preparing for a terstrike.

  A sword case over three chi ih rested on a nearby protruding rock. Through a le scope, it locked onto the small figures aboard the distant flying shuttle. A faint glimmer lit up in An Jing’s eyes as the ing Sword Case’s log formation synized with his vision, almost like a sed pupil.

  This was the so-called “ing*.”

  The flying shuttle cut swiftly through the air, sweeping aside winds and clouds. In that remote mountain forest, its octs felt o hide themselves, nor did they fear An Jing’s escape. After all, they were fident they had the strength to subdue an Internal Fortifiartial artist.

  They never expected An Jing to have no iion of fleeing or hiding. He was ready to strike back.

  “Captain, we’ve found the target,” announced a demonic sect disciple from the raised observation ptform, peering through his telescope. “He’s on that hillside up ahead—and it looks like he’s waiting for us!”

  “Oh?” Instructor Li, standing below the observation ptform, raised an eyebrow. “Could it be that An Jing has finally e to his senses and pns to surrender rather than run?”

  It seemed almost unbelievable…

  “Don’t let yuard down,” Xu gjing cautioned, shaking his head. “He might be prepared to fight to the death. The youhey are, the more likely they’ll risk everything. Stay ready.”

  With that, he and Instructor Li moved to the front of the flying shuttle, i on disc the reason behind An Jing’s ued behavior.

  At that moment, the observer noticed something else. This time, curiosity tinged his voice: “The target seems to be holding something unusual—it looks like a Magical Artifact. How strange… Where could he have gotten it…”

  “A Magical Artifact?”

  Instructor Li and Xu gjing exged uneasy ghey sensed something was off, but with An Jing still five or six li away, they were not overly ed—yet.

  “Maybe he stole it from the Red Armuards, or found some Fate Artifa the estate’s hidden chambers?” Instructor Li specuted. But Xu gjing suddenly tensed, his pupils trag. “No!”

  He jumped bato cover, r, “Steer away—asd! Evade!”

  “That Magical Artifact is extremely dang—”

  But it was already too te.

  From An Jing’s vantage point, Xu gjing and Instructor Li had barely emerged into sight. They were cautious, but not cautious enough.

  Click, click, click. In that instant, the le scope and the ing Sword Case’s log formation aligned. A pale-white sigil pinpoihe head of the white-robed schor.

  A surge of spiritual energy poured from the spiritual energy furnace, rag along the ing Sword Case’s acceleration trad erupting as crag azure sparks.

  An Jing pulled the trigger.

  Vmm—

  A white sword ray burst forth with a shrill whistle, like the first light of dawn pierg predawn darkness. It formed a pale-white ar its wake.

  Xu gjing, uo dodge and already sensing his doom, realized there was no escape.

  —So it really was true… Don’t say I wasn’t warned… haha!

  His thoughts bzed at lightning speed, but he managed a calm ugh. “As I suspected, An Jing is no mere fish in a pond. His threat was a straightforward admission… How fortunate…”

  In a fsh of radiahe flying sword hit its mark.

  Man and Fate Artifact both shattered.

  “What sort of Magical Artifact is that!?”

  As the sword case fired, Instructor Li was stunned. He drew the bde at his waist and grabbed a se of railing as an improvised shield.

  He was a heartbeat slower than Xu gjing and thus withe brilliant azure-blue ar An Jing’s Magical Artifact. In that split sed, he felt death’s looming prese was the equivalent of a full-power strike from an Internal Breath Like Tides expert, repeatedly pressed.

  Even to attempt blog it, he would have o prepare well in advance, meticulously adjusting his breath and focus for dozens of seds. Only then might he parry a sirike from that Artifact.

  At the Internal Fortification level, even a slight miscalcution could lead to severe injury—or instah.

  “Old Xu, you…”

  Reeling in shock, Instructor Li was on the verge of calling off the pursuit. Xu gjing’s fears had been pletely warrahey had woefully uimated An Jing. If they truly wao apprehend him, this squad would never suffice—they would need someone like Chief Steward Zhang, a Martial Veins Grandmaster, to guarantee victory.

  But there was no sign of Xu gjing.

  Then Instructor Li noticed that his ht side—armor and flesh—was drenched in blood.

  A mangled half-corpse stood on the deck, its upper tone.

  Under his horrified gaze, the gust from the asding shuttle toppled the remains in a crimson spray.

  “Old Xu—!”

  That anguished cry resouhrough the sky, but it had no effe An Jing below. He quickly packed away the ing Sword Case a off on his escape once again.

  And this time, no Divine Ability would be able to follow his trail.

  “The white-robed schor… I never even learned his name.”

  An Ji a twinge ret. Had he known, he would have etched it into his memory as a footnote in his time at Hanging Fate Manor.

  Still, he khis was far from over.

  The demonic sect would never abandon their pn to capture him. ime, they would not send such a hasty, unprepared team.

  It wasn’t just the demonic sect, either: Great , the Heavenly Demons—any number of powers might be searg for him. This frontation would only intensify that i.

  He was not particurly worried.

  By the time these fas of the Huaixu Realm acted again, An Jing would have gained far more strength from the Tianyuan Realm and the Sword Spirit—better equipment, more cultivation resources, airely new mystical arts and martial teiques.

  He might not be ready to win ht, but he definitely wouldn’t lose!

  A chill wind of te autumn and early winter swept across the nd, and An Jing’s figure vanished into the immense northwestern mountains.

  (End of Chapter)

  *重明 (gmíng) literally means Renewed/Repeated Light