40: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (Part 5)

With his father's support, Xu Yuan slowly exhaled a turbid breath, a bitter smile of helplessness on his face, completely devoid of his previous arrogant demeanor.

"I made Father and Revered Master worry." His voice also carried a hint of weakness. "Revered Master is wise, that 'Heavenly Tribulation Blade' is incredibly powerful, but its consumption is also terrifying."

"With my current 7th Layer of Qi Condensation cultivation, even with all my strength, I can barely unleash a trace of the Tribulation Blade's true intent. And after one strike, my spiritual power will be instantly drained, leaving me with no strength to fight again."

He paused, looking towards the outside of the hall, his gaze profound: "Just now, many Elders had doubts, and Senior Brother Zhao Zheng was also unconvinced."

"If I couldn't crush him instantly with an absolutely dominant posture, even if I eventually won, it would inevitably be a long struggle, and new complications would arise, making it difficult to truly awe people."

"Therefore, I took a risky move, concentrating all my spiritual power and mind on one finger, striving to defeat the enemy with a single move and establish my prestige."

"Fortunately... I succeeded."

Hearing Xu Yuan's explanation, Chen Ping felt both relief and lingering fear: "Nonsense! This is utter nonsense! If that strike hadn't worked, or if Zhao Zheng had blocked it for a moment, wouldn't you have been at his mercy with your spiritual power depleted?"

Qin Zhantian, however, his eyes flickering, slowly nodded, his appreciation growing stronger: "No! Yuan'er did the right thing!"

"In extraordinary times, one must take extraordinary measures!"

"The position of Dao Child concerns the future of the Sect. The first display of power must be earth-shattering, allowing no flaws!"

"Although your action was risky, the effect was excellent. Not only did it establish your prestige, but it also won over a talent like Zhao Zheng. It's killing multiple birds with one stone!"

Qin Zhantian patted Xu Yuan's shoulder, his tone turning serious: "However, what your father said also makes sense. Such methods should not be used lightly. Before your cultivation can support continuous use of this blade technique, you must be extremely cautious. The most important thing now is to quickly raise your cultivation!"

"Only when you Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment will this Heavenly Tribulation Blade likely unleash its true power!"

"Revered Master, rest assured, Disciple understands." Xu Yuan nodded, then a cold glint flashed in his eyes, "It's just that after this incident, I feel even more pressed for time. That Ye Feng... is ultimately a major hidden danger. Is there any news from the Shadow Guards?"

At the mention of Ye Feng, Qin Zhantian and Chen Ping's expressions also became solemn.

Chen Ping said in a deep voice: "The Shadow Guards have found some clues left by the Grand Elder when he escaped, pointing to the Miasma-filled Mountain Forest northwest of the Sect. They are intensifying their search. As soon as there is definite news, I will personally go to deal with it immediately!"

A cold light flashed in Xu Yuan's eyes, and his tone was resolute: "No, Father, if Ye Feng's exact whereabouts are discovered, I will go with you."

"What?" Chen Ping was startled by the words, a disapproving look on his face, "Yuan'er, you have just been made Dao Child, you should be in seclusion consolidating your cultivation and impacting higher Realms. How can you bother yourself with this matter?"

"That Ye Feng is now a cripple, and the Grand Elder is also seriously injured. With me personally taking action, it's a sure thing, absolutely no chance of failure!"

"Why do you need to make a trip yourself?"

"Do you not trust me?"

In Chen Ping's view, Xu Yuan going personally was a waste of time; Cultivating was the top priority.

Even Sect Master Qin Zhantian frowned slightly, feeling that Xu Yuan was being a bit too cautious.

Xu Yuan, however, slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over his father and Revered Master, his tone more solemn than they could have imagined: "Father, Revered Master, you... must not underestimate that Ye Feng!"

"Underestimate?" Chen Ping was puzzled, "His Innate Blade Bone has been stripped, his Dao Foundation destroyed, he's no different from a Mortal. Can he still stir up trouble?"

"Precisely because he lost his Innate Blade Bone, he is even more terrifying!"

Xu Yuan's voice lowered. He couldn't directly explain concepts like "protagonist template" and "Child of Luck," so he could only articulate it in a way they could better understand:

"According to some ancient texts' obscure records, those with great Luck often turn misfortune into fortune and overcome difficulties to find good Luck! In desperate situations, astonishing Opportunities often accompany them!"

"We stripped him of his blade bone and ruined his Dao path. This is a blood feud that can only end in death, and it has forced him into a truly desperate situation!"

"Driven by such extreme hatred and despair, who can say that he won't accidentally fall into some ancient Immortal Cave during his escape? Or be noticed by some reclusive old monster? Or even... turn misfortune into a blessing and resume his Dao path in another way?"

Xu Yuan's words, as if imbued with a strange, magical power, sent an inexplicable chill down the spines of Chen Ping and Qin Zhantian, two well-informed powerhouses.

Seeing his father's expression waver, Xu Yuan pressed on: "This matter concerns my Dao path and my life, and even more so, the future rise and fall of the Sect! I must personally confirm it, and only by seeing him Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering with my own eyes can I truly rest assured! Otherwise, my heart will be uneasy, and my Cultivation will also be hindered!"

Although they felt Xu Yuan's worries might be a bit exaggerated, the world of Cultivation was vast and full of wonders.

Those legends about individuals with great Luck finding new life in desperate situations were not baseless. It was better to believe them than not!

Qin Zhantian pondered for a moment, his sharp gaze falling on Xu Yuan's firm and persistent face, and finally, he slowly nodded, making a decision:

"Alright. Yuan'er, your concerns... are not entirely unreasonable. Caution makes for a safe journey of ten thousand years. This concerns your Dao path and your life, so no amount of caution is too much."

He looked at Chen Ping: "Sixth Elder, since Yuan'er has made up his mind, then let it be. You two will go together then, and be sure to plan meticulously to ensure foolproof execution!"

Seeing that the Sect Master had already assented, Chen Ping no longer insisted, and solemnly responded: "Sect Master, rest assured, I will definitely protect Yuan'er and thoroughly deal with that Revered Master and Disciple, eliminating future troubles forever!"

"That's good."

Qin Zhantian nodded slightly. Then, with a flip of his palm, a Talisman about the size of a palm, inscribed with countless profound and complex runes, subtly emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation, appeared in his palm.

The moment the Talisman appeared, the surrounding Spiritual Qi subtly vibrated, and an indescribable terrifying pressure was contained within it, like a sleeping Vicious Beast.

"Yuan'er, since you are the Dao Child of my Overlord Blade Sect, and the future of the Sect rests on you, no mistakes can be tolerated." Qin Zhantian solemnly handed the Talisman to Xu Yuan, "This Talisman Seals a wisp of my Divine Sense, and Seals a full-power strike condensed by me, equivalent to a full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator!"

"Keep it close to you and you can activate it by slightly nourishing it with your own vital blood. This Talisman is extremely powerful, but it takes some time to activate, and it's not easy to make, only this one exists. You must not use it lightly unless it's a matter of life and death."

"At a critical moment, it might save your life and turn the tide!"

Feeling the terrifying power contained within the Talisman, Xu Yuan's eyes immediately burst with surprise!

A full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment Perfection Cultivator!

In the Overlord Blade Sect and even the surrounding region, Foundation Establishment Perfection was already the peak combat power, and Sect Master Qin Zhantian possessed this level of cultivation.

Possessing this Talisman meant he held a terrifying attack equivalent to the Sect Master personally striking!

Dealing with a Ye Feng whose Dao Foundation was destroyed and a seriously injured Grand Elder was like using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken, but as Xu Yuan thought, what he wanted was this foolproof guarantee!

Absolutely no room for any accidents!