7: Black Wind Stronghold Chief, Treasure-Giving Boy

With the Golden-Eyed Tiger King executed and the beast tide scattered, the periphery of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range temporarily returned to its former “calm.” Only the faint scent of blood in the air and the ravaged, messy mountain forests attested to the thrilling battle that had taken place not long ago.

The flying boat set off again, traversing amidst the towering mountains and steep ridges.

Su Linger, Chen Feng, and Zhao Lei now looked at Lu Qingxuan completely differently. If before it was awe due to his status and rumors, now it was genuine, heartfelt worship and conviction toward his absolute strength. A record of suppressing and killing a Late Golden Core Stage Demon King with bare hands while only at the Foundation Establishment Realm was unprecedented!

Lu Qingxuan sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, he was digesting the gains from this battle and planning the use of the newly acquired entries.

The [White Tiger Bloodline (Thin)] (Gold) complemented the [Primary Desolate Ancient Sacred Body] (Gold), making his Physical Body's vitality and blood even more vigorous, comprehensively enhancing his strength, speed, and defense. Especially the sharp killing intent originating from the ancient Divine Beast, when integrated into his Fist Intent, increased its power even further.

The [Geng Metal Evil Body] (Purple) greatly increased his control over Metal-attribute Spiritual Qi, and his attacks gained stronger penetration and tearing effects.

"Simply stacking Physical Body entries, while making me invincible in close combat, leaves my methods a bit singular." Lu Qingxuan's mind raced. "Next, I can appropriately merge some Spell and Evasion Technique entries to make up for the shortcomings in range and mobility."

He filtered and merged a large number of white and green entries related to Spells and movement techniques that he had copied earlier in the Transmission Hall, the Mission Hall, and during the beast tide.

[Fireball Technique Mastery] (Green) + [Wind Blade Technique Control] (Green) + [Water Control Experience] (Green) = [Basic Spell Affinity] (Blue)!

[Wind Manipulation Technique] (Green) ×3 = [Wind Riding Art] (Blue)!

[Wind Riding Art] (Blue) ×3 = [Flying Cloud Evasion Technique] (Purple)!

[Earth Evasion Technique] (White) ×3 = [Earth Traveling Technique] (Green)!

...Although he had not yet merged a Gold-quality Spell entry, the addition of several Purple and Blue entries made his methods more diverse. He equipped the [Flying Cloud Evasion Technique] (Purple), feeling that his affinity with the power of wind was greatly enhanced. If fully utilized, his speed would likely be no less than that of an ordinary Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator.

Just as he was immersed in the joy of entry merging, ahead of the flying boat, in a strategic mountain pass filled with miasma, faint sounds of commotion and Spiritual Power fluctuations could be heard.

"Something is happening ahead," Chen Feng said vigilantly.

Lu Qingxuan opened his eyes and spread his Divine Sense forward, instantly "seeing" the situation in the mountain pass clearly.

He saw the narrow mountain road blocked by a group of Cultivators dressed in chaotic attire and emitting Evil Qi. There were about twenty to thirty of them, with cultivation ranging from Foundation Establishment to Early Golden Core stage. They were besieging a sizable merchant group. The merchant group's guards had suffered heavy casualties and were retreating steadily, with goods scattered everywhere.

Behind this group of robbers, a one-eyed muscular man sat grandly upon a protruding rock. His face was covered in thick flesh, and a hideous saber scar ran from his forehead to his chin. His Aura was fierce, and his cultivation had clearly reached the Golden Core Middle Stage! He wore a string of shrunken human skulls around his waist, emitting a sinister Qi, and was grinning viciously while watching the slaughter below.

[Name: Dulong (Black Wind Fortress Master)]

[Realm: Golden Core Middle Stage]

[Entries:

[Fierce Bandit Leader] (Purple): When commanding bandits, slightly increases the morale and Battle Power of subordinates. Luck slightly increases when robbing homes, killing people, and stealing goods.

[Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield] (Purple): The Evil Qi accumulated from long-term slaughter can condense into a Protective Aura, offering decent defense and capable of impacting the opponent's mind.

[Armor-Piercing Blade Intent] (Blue): Saber techniques possess armor-piercing attributes, resulting in additional destructive effects against protective spiritual light and defensive Magical Artifacts.

[Earth Burrowing Technique] (Blue): Allows for movement or concealment underground for a short period.]

[Vengeful] (Green)]

"It's the Bandit Cultivators of Black Wind Fortress!" Zhao Lei's face darkened. "These beasts have been entrenched in this Black Wind Pass for years, robbing passing merchants and committing all kinds of evil! That one-eyed man is the Fortress Master, Dulong, a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator. His Armor-Piercing Saber Technique and Earth Burrowing Technique are quite tricky; many Sect Disciples have fallen into his hands!"

Su Linger's small face paled, and she subconsciously moved closer to Lu Qingxuan. Having just experienced the beast tide and now encountering notorious Bandit Cultivators left her with lingering fear.

Lu Qingxuan's gaze swept over Dulong, lingering for a moment particularly on [Fierce Bandit Leader] (Purple) and [Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield] (Purple).

"Those are two decent entries." A subtle curve lifted the corner of his mouth.

The entry delivery boy has arrived.

"Your Highness, should we take a detour or..." Chen Feng asked. Although he trusted Lu Qingxuan's strength, the opponent had numbers, and Fortress Master Dulong was not an easy foe to deal with.

"Take a detour?" Lu Qingxuan chuckled softly. "Why should we take a detour?"

He controlled the flying boat, and instead of avoiding the area, he headed straight for the mountain pass where the fierce fighting was taking place and began descending.

This blatant action immediately attracted the attention of both fighting parties.

"Hm? Another fat sheep?" Dulong's single eye lit up. He looked greedily at the obviously expensive White Jade Flying Boat, and especially upon seeing Su Linger's beautiful features on the boat, he showed a lewd gaze. "What a beautiful young woman! Brothers, surround this flying boat! Kill all the men, leave the women!"

"Yes! Boss!"

Immediately, seven or eight Bandit Cultivators grinned viciously, broke away from the siege on the merchant group, and rushed toward the newly landed flying boat. Saber lights flashed, sword shadows danced, and Spiritual Talismans flickered, showing no mercy.

Chen Feng and Zhao Lei roared in anger, just about to step forward to meet the enemy.

They saw Lu Qingxuan slowly stand up and step out of the flying boat.

Facing the howling attacks, he didn't even bother to lift an eyelid, merely flicking his sleeve casually.

An invisible yet vast and mighty force surged out, like mountains collapsing and seas overturning!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!..."

The seven or eight Bandit Cultivators were like crashing into an invisible steel wall. All their attacks were instantly annihilated upon contact with that force, and they themselves flew backward at a speed faster than they came. While still in the air, their muscles and bones were completely broken and their internal organs shattered, turning into piles of mashed flesh upon landing!

With an understatement, he killed seven or eight Foundation Establishment Bandit Cultivators with a single sleeve flick!

This scene caused the previously noisy battlefield to fall silent instantly.

Whether it was the surviving merchant group guards or the fierce Bandit Cultivators, they all stared dumbfounded at the suddenly appearing white-robed young man, their eyes filled with horror.

The vicious grin on Dulong's face instantly froze. His pupil contracted violently in his single eye, and he abruptly stood up from the rock, staring intently at Lu Qingxuan.

"A master!" An alarm blared in his heart. To be able to instantly kill several of his subordinates so easily, this young man was definitely not an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

"Who are you, Your Excellency? Why interfere with the affairs of my Black Wind Fortress?" Dulong shouted in a deep voice, his tone carrying a hint of apprehension.

Lu Qingxuan did not reply. He merely looked at him calmly, his gaze as if he were looking at... an item.

This gaze made Dulong extremely uncomfortable. He had dominated the Black Wind Pass for many years; when had he ever been so lightly regarded?

"Putting on airs! Since you seek death, this King will grant it to you!" Dulong roared in fury. His Golden Core Middle Stage Spiritual Power burst forth. Dense Evil Qi permeated from his body, condensing into a layer of dark red, solidified Protective Aura around him—it was precisely the [Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield]!

He drew the door-sized Ghost Head Saber from his waist. The saber body was wrapped in Blade Intent carrying an Aura of destruction—it was precisely the [Armor-Piercing Blade Intent]!

"Die for me! Earth Splitting Slash!"

Dulong grasped the saber with both hands, leaped up, and merged man and saber into one. He transformed into a ferocious, dark red Saber Aegis, like an evil Dragon splitting the earth, carrying a terrifying Aura capable of tearing everything apart, and slashed down towards Lu Qingxuan's head! Before the saber arrived, the sharp Armor-Piercing Blade Intent and the Evil Qi that impacted the mind were already rushing forward!

This single slash concentrated his entire Golden Core Middle Stage cultivation and the power of his two core entries. Its might was astonishing, enough to easily cleave through the defenses of Cultivators at the same Realm!

The merchant group survivors showed despair, and Chen Feng and Zhao Lei secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

However, facing this fiercely peerless slash, Lu Qingxuan remained standing in place, neither dodging nor evading.

He even... extended two fingers.

His index and middle fingers, gleaming white like jade, precisely clamped the very tip of the blade at the instant the massive Ghost Head Saber Aegis, capable of splitting mountains and breaking peaks, was about to hit him!

"Clang—!!!"

A clear, resounding clang, like the clash of metal, echoed throughout the entire mountain pass!

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

The Armor-Piercing Blade Intent, which was capable of tearing apart Golden Core defenses, instantly melted and disintegrated upon touching those two fingers, like snow meeting the spring sun.

The dense, viscous, and ferocious Evil Qi that impacted the mind was dispersed by an even mightier and more ancient force of vitality and blood when it approached within three feet of Lu Qingxuan, unable to penetrate even slightly!

The slash, which concentrated Dulong's entire power, was thus casually clamped by two fingers! It didn't budge an inch!

The ferocity on Dulong's face instantly turned into extreme horror and disbelief! He felt as if his slash had not struck flesh and blood, but an eternal and immortal sacred mountain! The rebounding force tore his web of thumb and forefinger, leaving them bloody!

"Impossible!!!" He let out a hysterical roar.

Lu Qingxuan's gaze was indifferent, and he slightly exerted force with his fingers.

"Crack!"

The Ghost Head Saber, which was of decent quality, began to shatter inch by inch from the point where the fingers clamped it! It turned into countless fragments that scattered everywhere!

"Pfft!" With his Life Magical Artifact destroyed, Dulong suffered a backlash, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his Aura instantly weakened.

He finally understood at this moment what kind of terrifying iron plate he had kicked! This young man before him was simply not an existence he could contend with!

Escape! He must escape!

Without hesitation, Dulong frantically circulated the Spiritual Power within his body, ready to use the [Earth Burrowing Technique] to flee.

However, how could Lu Qingxuan give him this chance?

Just before Dulong's body was about to sink into the ground, Lu Qingxuan put his fingers together like a sword and pointed into the air toward Dulong's location.

This single point, seemingly casual, contained the mighty vitality and blood of the [Primary Desolate Ancient Sacred Body], the sharp killing intent of the [White Tiger Bloodline], and the sharp power of the [Geng Metal Evil Body]!

A faint golden finger wind, condensed to the extreme and almost invisible, arrived later but struck first, instantly sinking into Dulong's shoulder, which was about to disappear!

"Ah—!"

A shrill scream came from underground. Immediately afterward, Dulong, who had just burrowed less than three feet underground, was forcibly "squeezed" out of the earth by an irresistible force and heavily slammed onto the ground. A transparent hole appeared on his right shoulder. At the wound, faint golden vitality and blood intertwined with Evil Qi, continuously eroding his life force, causing him unbearable pain and making him completely lose the ability to resist.

The entire scene was dead silent!

All the Bandit Cultivators watched their powerful and invincible Fortress Master lying on the ground screaming like a dead dog. They were all frightened, their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. Someone shouted, and they immediately scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing frantically.

Chen Feng and Zhao Lei reacted extremely quickly, immediately intercepting and, together with the surviving guards of the merchant group, completely slaying the Bandit Cultivators trying to escape.

Lu Qingxuan ignored the small fries. He walked slowly toward Dulong, who was lying paralyzed on the ground, his face ashen.

"S-Senior, spare me! Senior, spare my life!" Dulong endured the intense pain, kowtowing and begging for mercy with tears and snot streaming down his face. "This junior was blind and offended Senior! This junior failed to recognize Mount Tai! This junior is willing to offer all the treasures of Black Wind Fortress, only asking Senior to spare my life!"

Lu Qingxuan looked down at him, as if looking at an ant.

"I shall take your entries."

He stretched out his hand and placed it on the top of Dulong's head.

[Ding! Copy successful! Obtained Purple Entry [Fierce Bandit Leader]!]

[Ding! Copy successful! Obtained Purple Entry [Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield]!]

[Ding! Copy successful! Obtained Blue Entry [Armor-Piercing Blade Intent]!]

[Ding! Copy successful! Obtained Blue Entry [Earth Burrowing Technique]!]

After the copying was complete, Lu Qingxuan's finger trembled slightly.

Dulong's body stiffened, the light in his eyes completely dimmed, and he slumped to the ground, lifeless.

Black Wind Fortress Master, deceased.

Lu Qingxuan didn't even glance at the corpse, turning instead toward the startled merchant group.

The portly old man leading the merchant group quickly led the survivors to kneel, kowtowing repeatedly: "Thank you, Immortal, for saving our lives! Thank you, Immortal, for saving our lives!"

"Rise." Lu Qingxuan said indifferently, his gaze sweeping over the scattered goods of the merchant group, which were just ordinary spiritual materials and medicinal herbs, with no special entries.

He didn't linger. After signaling to Su Linger and the two others, he re-boarded the flying boat.

The flying boat ascended again, crossed the Black Wind Pass, and continued moving towards Flowing Cloud City.

After this incident, Su Linger and the others gained a deeper understanding of Lu Qingxuan's strength. A Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator was nothing more than a clay chicken or pottery dog before him, utterly vulnerable!

Lu Qingxuan then began merging the newly acquired entries.

He merged the [Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield] (Purple) with the previously merged [Advanced Defense] (Purple).

[Malevolent Aura Condensing Astral Shield] (Purple) + [Advanced Defense] (Purple) + [Bronze Skin Iron Bones] (Blue) = [Indestructible Battle Aura] (Gold)!

[Indestructible Battle Aura] (Gold): The combination of vitality and blood with Evil Qi forms a powerful protective Battle Aegis, greatly enhancing defense, automatically reflecting some physical and energy attacks, and possessing a certain resistance to Divine Soul attacks. The stronger the Battle Intent, the stronger the defense!

He then merged the [Armor-Piercing Blade Intent] (Blue) with [Martial Arts Mastery] (Green) and several blue entries related to sword and fist techniques.

[Armor-Piercing Blade Intent] (Blue) + [Martial Arts Mastery] (Green) + [Skilled Swordsmanship] (Blue) + [Fierce Fist Technique] (Blue) = [Extreme Breaking Martial Intent] (Purple)!

[Extreme Breaking Martial Intent] (Purple): A special Martial Intent condensed from the essence of various weapons, fists, and feet. Attacks inherently possess multiple effects like "armor-piercing," "penetration," and "shock," giving them extremely strong destructive power against all types of defenses.

Finally, he merged [Earth Burrowing Technique] (Blue) with [Flying Cloud Evasion Technique] (Purple) and [Ghostly Movement Technique] (Purple).

[Earth Burrowing Technique] (Blue) + [Flying Cloud Evasion Technique] (Purple) + [Ghostly Movement Technique] (Purple) = [Five Elements Minor Evasion] (Gold)!

[Five Elements Minor Evasion] (Gold): Allows for short-distance evasion within the Five Elements mediums of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The speed is extremely fast, the concealment is very strong, and the consumption of Spiritual Power is low.

He consecutively merged two Gold entries and one Purple entry!

Lu Qingxuan's strength once again ushered in a massive wave of improvement!

The [Indestructible Battle Aura] greatly increased his defense, making him almost invincible; the [Extreme Breaking Martial Intent] made his attacks sharper and harder to guard against; and the [Five Elements Minor Evasion] greatly enhanced his mobility and life-saving capabilities.

He felt that if he were to encounter the Golden-Eyed Tiger King again now, he could probably blast it apart with a single punch! Even facing an Early Nascent Soul Cultivator, he might not be without the strength to fight!

"This Black Wind Fortress Master was indeed a qualified Treasure-Giving Boy." Lu Qingxuan was in a pleasant mood.

The flying boat streaked across the sky, and the mountains and forests below rapidly receded.

The distance to Flowing Cloud City was already short.

However, Lu Qingxuan vaguely sensed a subtle feeling of crisis, seemingly approaching from the distant front.

"Flowing Cloud City... it seems it won't be a smooth journey either."

A hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes. Crisis often meant... higher-grade entries!