146: Chapter 105 Repelling the Enemy and Returning Home

The Nine-Tailed Fox held the Image in its mouth, its golden slit pupils fixed on Chen Xuan.

It did not rush to swallow it, but instead held the Image in its mouth while slowly retreating.

"Junior, you have quite some nerve."

The Nine-Tailed Fox's voice was seductive, but there was no laughter in its eyes.

"Last time on the cliff top, your Revered Master saved you. This time, he is not here."

Chen Xuan pointed his sword tip at the Nine-Tailed Fox, his expression unchanged.

"You can try."

He was calculating in his mind.

The Nine-Tailed Fox was faster than him; a Golden Core Master naturally had the advantage.

But as for the other one, he was just a passerby.

He didn't have the advantage in a one-on-one fight.

But he had a trump card.

Senior Sister Wen Yao was almost here.

In his Storage Pouch, he still had the Jade Slip containing the sealed Sword Qi given by his Revered Master.

If it really came down to it, he could detonate it.

But that was his last resort.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's tail swayed gently, its golden slit pupils sweeping over Chen Xuan and then over Zhou He.

It was weighing its options.

Zhou He's expression was very ugly.

He had been tricked by Chen Xuan.

The cooked duck had flown away.

"Yun Qi, you are only at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment; do you really think you can take something from my hands?"

Zhou He's voice was cold and sinister.

"Immortal Master Kumu values you, which is giving you Face. Do not be ungrateful."

Chen Xuan looked at him as if looking at a dead man.

"Immortal Master Kumu valuing me is his business. Me taking the Image is my business. The two matters are unrelated."

A trace of killing intent flashed in Zhou He's eyes.

He raised his hand, condensing a golden ball of light in his palm.

Inside the ball of light was a miniature Buddha statue, with a compassionate Face but cold eyes.

A variant of the Maitreya Descent.

A secret technique of the Buddhist Sect.

Chen Xuan recognized the Buddha statue, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

Back at Bihai Lake, Maitreya's statue had almost cost him his life.

Although it was only a wisp of Maitreya's Nascent Soul Divine Thought, its power was enough to crush any Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

What Zhou He was using was not the Maitreya Descent, but a similar technique.

Its power was not as great as the original, but it was still enough to threaten his life.

Seeing the Buddha statue, a trace of wariness flashed in the Nine-Tailed Fox's slit pupils.

It retreated a few steps.

Chen Xuan did not retreat.

His hand rested on his Storage Pouch, ready to take out the Jade Slip containing the sealed Sword Qi at any moment.

Just then, the sound of escaping light piercing the air came from the distance.

More than one.

The Nine-Tailed Fox's ears pricked up.

It turned its head to look at the southern horizon.

Three beams of light were rapidly approaching from there.

Senior Sister Wen Yao's light was in the lead, a cyan sword light like a rainbow.

Following behind were two beams of light, the two Foundation Establishment Senior Brothers from the Conquest Hall.

The Nine-Tailed Fox narrowed its eyes and glanced at Chen Xuan.

"You called for help."

Chen Xuan did not deny it.

"Retreat."

The Nine-Tailed Fox spat out the Image it was holding, swallowed it into its belly, and turned into a white light, disappearing into the ruins.

It did not choose to fight head-on.

The Image was already in hand; there was no need to cause extra trouble.

Zhou He's expression became even uglier.

He looked at Chen Xuan, then at the approaching light in the distance.

"Yun Qi, I have noted today's events."

He put away the ball of light in his palm and turned into a grey light, flying towards the east.

Two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators followed behind him, fleeing in a sorry state.

Chen Xuan did not pursue.

Nearly half of his magic power was consumed, and the aftereffects of forcibly using the Sword Dao Thunder Sound were appearing.

His Meridians were aching faintly.

Liu Lili sheathed her sword and walked to his side.

"Junior Brother, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Chen Xuan took a deep breath, suppressing his surging Qi and blood.

He looked down at the Storage Pouch in his hand.

Inside the pouch lay a City Wall Earth Image.

Adding the one he had sensed from the periphery of the Ancient Battlefield earlier, he had obtained two this trip.

The City Wall Earth Images had gone from one to three.

He was still two short of being able to attempt fishing for the City Wall Earth Metal Essence.

But he did not feel much joy in his heart.

The Nine-Tailed Fox had also snatched one.

That fox would not let it go.

Neither would Zhou He.

Nor would Yao Shuang.

He had become the target of everyone.

Senior Sister Wen Yao's light landed in the ruins.

She was wearing a cyan training outfit, with two swords hanging at her waist and her long hair tied into a ponytail.

The red lotus petal mark between her eyebrows glowed red in the setting sun.

"Junior Brother, I am late."

Her gaze swept over the ruins, and seeing the bloodstains and broken bones on the ground, she frowned slightly.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox?"

"Yes." Chen Xuan nodded, "And Zhou He from the Central Plains Buddhist Sect, Late Stage Foundation Establishment."

A trace of coldness flashed in Senior Sister Wen Yao's eyes.

"The Buddhist Sect's reach is long enough."

Chen Xuan did not respond.

He crouched down and looked at the ground around the high platform.

The killing Formation was still operating, but after the Image was taken away, the power of the Formation was rapidly decaying.

In a few more years, this fragment of the blessed land would completely dissipate.

"Senior Sister, please protect me."

Chen Xuan said.

"I want to see what else is under the high platform."

Senior Sister Wen Yao nodded and took the two Foundation Establishment Senior Brothers to spread out around the ruins to keep watch.

Liu Lili stood beside Chen Xuan, her hand on her sword hilt.

Chen Xuan walked to the front of the high platform.

He activated his Dharma Eye, looking through the bricks and stones into the underground.

Deep in the foundation, there was something else.

It was not a City Wall Earth Image.

It was a Jade Slip.

The Jade Slip was entirely black, with cracks on the surface, but it was not completely shattered.

Chen Xuan reached out, his magic power probing into the cracks of the bricks and stones, and sucked out the Jade Slip.

The Jade Slip was ice-cold to the touch.

He probed it with his Divine Sense.

What was recorded inside was a diary.

"I am the City Wall Earth combined Dao Metal Essence, Immortal Master Wuji, Zhao Wuji, Middle Stage Golden Core, who has cultivated for one thousand three hundred years, fighting to the death against three Golden Core Masters of the Buddhist Sect in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range Ancient Battlefield."

"I killed two of them and severely injured one, but the blessed land was shattered, the Metal Essence leaked away, and my life is coming to an end."

"Latecomer, if you see this Jade Slip, it means my blessed land has been destroyed."

"The City Wall Earth Image can be taken, but you must be careful of the killing Formation. Beneath the killing Formation, I have buried an item, which is the clues to the Metal Essence I collected throughout my life."

"The Heavenly Fire Metal Essence is deep within the Nanming Volcano, guarded by a True Spirit."

"The City Wall Earth Metal Essence is within my blessed land, and has already been taken by you."

"The White Wax Gold Metal Essence is at the Hidden Sword Peak of the Central Plains Sword Sect."

"The Long Flowing Water Metal Essence is in the ten-thousand-zhang abyss at the bottom of the Long Sea."

"The Pine and Cypress Wood Metal Essence is in the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, guarded by a great demon and an ancient Spiritual Root."

"Of the five Metal Essences, obtaining one is enough to prove the Golden Core. I exhausted my whole life and only obtained one City Wall Earth, which is a great pity."

"Latecomer, I hope you go further than I did."

Chen Xuan withdrew his Divine Sense and was silent for a long time.

Five Metal Essences.

Heavenly Fire, City Wall Earth, White Wax Gold, Long Flowing Water, Pine and Cypress Wood.

Obtaining one allows for Golden Core.

Obtaining all five allows for Nascent Soul.

This is the complete Legacy of the ancient Golden Core Dao.

He now had three City Wall Earth Images.

He was still two short of being able to attempt fishing for the City Wall Earth Metal Essence.

As for Heavenly Fire, he was still three Images short.

The road ahead was long.

But at least he had a direction.

Chen Xuan put the Jade Slip into his Storage Pouch and stood up.

Liu Lili looked at him.

"Junior Brother, what was written in the Jade Slip?"

"A path."

Chen Xuan said.

"The path to Golden Core, the path to Nascent Soul."

Liu Lili was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

"Then what are you still standing there for? Let's go, let's go back and cultivate."

Chen Xuan nodded.

The four of them turned into beams of light and flew towards the south.

Behind them, the ruins cast long shadows in the setting sun.

That ancient city had finally completed its mission.

Chen Xuan looked back once in the air.

Silently thinking about Zhao Wuji's words in his heart.