187: Suppress

Back in the Cultivation Chamber, Liu Xuan merged his entire body into the ground and quickly traveled through the lakebed using the Earth Escape Technique.

The One Yuan Water Dragon Grand Array also had barriers underground, but Liu Xuan held the core control authority of the Grand Array, so he could pass through it easily.

...

On the lake, while Liu Xuan was using Earth Escape, the gaunt, elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivator realized Lu Pingan was stalling for time and said impatiently:

"True Person Xiao is certainly generous, handing out talisman treasure so freely. But do you really think a single talisman treasure is enough to stop the two of us brothers?"

Both brothers were at the Mid-stage Foundation Establishment, and they possessed a combined attack technique. With their seamless coordination, they did not fear even an ordinary Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Lu Pingan's strength was mediocre, and he was not skilled in the Dao of the sword. The Red Pine Talisman sword could at most unleash fifty percent of its power. It was enough to make them wary, but not enough to make them retreat.

Lu Pingan's heart tightened. The words of the two men before him showed they were targeting Xiao Ran. They had planned this for a long time, choosing to strike at the critical moment of Xiao Ran's Breakthrough, leaving her no time to escape.

To save Xiao Ran, the only way was to repel the two men; there was no room for maneuver.

There was no other way!

He had to fight! Even if he couldn't win, he had to sustain some injuries so he could justify it to True Person Xiao.

"Hum~"

Just as he was preparing to risk his life, a massive Aura suddenly rose from the location of the Merchant Alliance market by the lake. It was also a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

A Sword Intent surged into the sky, and a cyan-green sword light appeared, seeming to contain endless vitality.

A Sword Cultivator! This was a pure Sword Cultivator who had cultivated Sword Intent!

The skeletal man felt a surge of panic. He turned his head and transmitted his voice to the gaunt, elderly man: "Big Brother, something is wrong. Should we retreat first?"

Sword Cultivators generally had high combat power. This person appearing now was clearly on Lu Pingan's side. Things were constantly exceeding their expectations; the safest course of action was to leave first.

The gaunt, elderly man was somewhat unwilling. He cupped his hands toward the mysterious Sword Cultivator opposite them and asked:

"Who is this Fellow Daoist? Do you really want to risk fighting our brothers?"

Although the mysterious Sword Cultivator's Sword Intent was strong, their cultivation Aura was not very high—they appeared to be only at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage. Two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators against two Early-stage ones—the advantage was still on their side.

Opposite them, Liu Xuan was incredibly excited to finally have a chance to let loose.

"I am Ye Fan from Kunlun Mountain. Seeing injustice, I draw my sword to help. Take this... sword!"

The cyan sword light instantly expanded, carrying an infinite Aura as it pierced toward the black clouds, illuminating half the sky in cyan.

Azure Wood Divine Light Sword!

This was a move combining Liu Xuan's own Sword Intent with one of his innate techniques, the Azure Wood Divine Light. It was roughly half of his full-strength strike.

"Hiss, hiss~"

The sword light pierced through the black hand and then touched the black clouds.

"This..."

The skeletal man and the gaunt, elderly man were terrified. They discovered that the black clouds beneath them were rapidly dissolving under the sword light.

The black clouds were not formed by their mana but were evolved from a High Grade Spiritual Artifact with extraordinary defensive power. Ordinary attacks could barely damage them at all.

'With such profound Sword Intent, could this person be a Core Disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect?'

Both men felt fear and began planning to escape. They had only been hired to kill, not to risk their lives.

"Want to leave?"

Seeing the black clouds turn and run, Liu Xuan, who hadn't had his fill yet, certainly wouldn't let them leave.

A golden light flashed across the sky, revealing the phantom of a golden mountain. Streaks of golden light locked onto the black clouds.

talisman treasure, golden mountain seal!

Liu Xuan had obtained this talisman treasure many years ago and had left it in his Dantian gathering dust. Now, he had finally used it!

The black clouds were suppressed by the golden light, as if they were bearing a weight of ten thousand jun, unable to move even an inch.

'The effect is this good?'

Products from the System were indeed extraordinary. The power of the golden mountain seal was much higher than Liu Xuan had imagined.

The System's description of the golden mountain seal was that it was equivalent to a strike from a False Core True Person. A False Core was a level half a step below a Golden Core True Person. Liu Xuan had thought it would be worse than the Red Pine Talisman sword given by True Person Xiao.

The Red Pine Talisman sword would unleash different levels of power based on the user's cultivation and their comprehension of the Killing Sword Dao, at most reaching the power of a strike from a False Core True Person. It was impossible for it to reach the effect of True Person Xiao's personal attack.

But the golden mountain seal was different. Since the System said it could unleash a strike from a False Core True Person, it would unleash a strike from a False Core True Person—delivering maximum power right from the start.

"Boom, boom, boom!!"

The skeletal man and the gaunt, elderly man bore the immense pressure, exhausting all their means to break through the golden light suppression, but it was completely futile.

"Senior, spare us!"

"This has nothing to do with us! Someone ordered us to come!"

"Senior, spare our lives! We will tell you everything!"

...

Seeing that it was impossible to break the golden light suppression and that the golden mountain was slowly pressing down with death imminent, the two pleaded loudly for mercy.

Liu Xuan remained unmoved and continued to control the golden mountain to suppress them. The black clouds dissipated, turning into a broken, small black flag. Only when the two men's mana was exhausted and their Divine Soul fell into a coma did Liu Xuan stop.

A cyan mana hand grabbed the two, and Liu Xuan's figure flashed, instantly disappearing.

In a valley a few miles from White Crane Lake, Liu Xuan suddenly appeared with the two unconscious men.

Subsequently, he took them underground, creating a space three hundred meters below ground to place them.

He set layer upon layer of restrictions on them, leaving them with only a breath of life, and then took out a handful of Talisman and struck them into the four corners of the space. Liu Xuan's body merged into the wall and instantly disappeared.

...

White Crane Lake.

Lu Pingan was completely dumbfounded!

The incomparably powerful cyan sword light, the even more terrifying golden mountain seal—the strength of this mysterious Sword Cultivator who had suddenly appeared was terrifyingly powerful!

Two Foundation Establishment Cultivators joining forces to attack had combat power comparable to a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. A combination like that had no room to fight back under his hand. Just how strong was he?!!

'Kunlun Mountain, Ye Fan!'

'Does such a place exist?'

'Could he also be someone arranged by True Person Xiao to protect Xiao Ran and Liu Xuan?'

He had too many questions in his heart, but he could find no answers.

The Cultivators watching by the lake were also shocked by the battle just now. It was quite a while after Liu Xuan left before everyone started discussing it.

"Judging by the commotion just now, is this Sword Immortal's cultivation not lower than the Late-stage Foundation Establishment?"

"He flew right past me just now. I remember now—that Senior was hiding his identity and even drank with me before!"

"Kunlun Mountain? Who knows where Kunlun Mountain is?"

...

The Merchant Alliance market suddenly became lively. Some were discussing the strength of the mysterious Sword Cultivator, some were bragging and trying to build connections, and others were asking who Ye Fan was and where Kunlun Mountain was...

The most excited ones were the Sect Disciples who had survived the disaster on Lake Heart Island and Liu Xuan's Concubines and children.

In a short moment, going from a certain-death situation to a new lease on life, everyone's minds experienced huge fluctuations. Some couldn't help but weep with joy, grateful that they hadn't died.

The Cultivators of the Law Enforcement Team were fine; they frequently went out on missions and had seen scenes of slaughter to some extent.

Liu Xuan's Concubines were different. Some of the Junior Sisters hadn't even killed a chicken before; how could they endure such a scene?