Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Taking Action
"Buzz!"
With a serious expression, Qu Luoning let out a cold snort and responded with an attack.
With a flick of her jade-like fingers, she unleashed a stream of spiritual power that, in motion, transformed into a sword light, clear and crystalline, slicing towards Xia Hui and the other two.
"Courting death!"
Seeing Qu Luoning so ungrateful, Xia Hui lost the desire to continue wasting words with her.
"Snap!"
With a sudden motion, Xia Hui extended her hand into the air, substituting her finger for a sword, and with a casual swipe, she erased Qu Luoning’s attack completely.
As a disciple of the Sword King Sect, Xia Hui’s comprehension of the Sword Dao was naturally incomparable to ordinary people.
At this moment, her sword was sharp and astonishing. In the same realm, almost no one could withstand her full-power strike.
Moreover, after battling four people up until now, Qu Luoning had expended a significant amount of spiritual power, and even with her three Spirit Veins, she was nearing her limits.
"Attack together. If she dares continue to resist, just kill her directly," Xia Hui snorted coldly.
"Yes, Senior Sister!"
Upon hearing this, the other three didn’t hesitate further, instantly forming a certain formation that completely blocked Qu Luoning’s path.
"A disciple of the Sword King Sect, yet four against one weak woman. Aren’t you afraid that if this spreads, people will laugh their heads off?"
At this moment, a faint voice suddenly came from outside the battlefield.
Hearing this, Xia Hui and the others frowned and then turned their gaze towards the source of the voice.
"Who’s skulking around here?" a disciple of the Sword King Sect barked coldly.
Qu Luoning was also momentarily stunned, finding the voice somewhat familiar.
Soon, a figure in white emerged from a patch of weeds not far from them.
"Ji Chen?"
Upon seeing the person clearly, Qu Luoning realized why she found the voice familiar earlier.
"Ji Chen? The name sounds familiar, as if I’ve heard it somewhere before," Xia Hui mused with a slight frown, as if trying to recall something.
Then a disciple of the Sword King Sect beside her said, "A few days ago, there was a rumor in the Holy City that a man named Ji Chen had a marriage arrangement with Fairy Qingcheng. Could it be him?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Hui recalled hearing Ji Chen’s name in passing only in the last couple of days.
Moreover, it was connected to Liu Qingcheng; if not for this, she wouldn’t have paid any attention to a minor sect’s Young Sect Leader.
"I wondered who it was, so you’re that pampered Young Sect Leader who had a marriage arrangement with Fairy Qingcheng?"
Xia Hui sneered, looking at Ji Chen, her eyes full of disdain, "I heard you are now a Second Grade Alchemist? A decent title, but alas, in front of my Sword King Sect, a Second Grade Alchemist is nothing. Moreover, your strength, I heard, hasn’t even reached the Vein Condensation Realm?"
"Not even the Vein Condensation Realm?"
Hearing this, the three other disciples of the Sword King Sect couldn’t help but snicker, their faces showing disdain, "Truly unaware of your mortality, thinking you can play hero and save the damsel in distress?"
"Kid, do you think your Second Grade Alchemist status is enough to make us apprehensive?"
"Ridiculous, merely a Second Grade Alchemist, such characters are a dime a dozen in the Profound Domain. Do you really think you’re somebody?"
Amidst their mocking, Ji Chen had already approached them.
"Noisy."
With a cold snort, Ji Chen suddenly struck first, initiating an attack.
A fierce sword light flashed, and he drew out the Cyan Emperor Sword, immediately slashing towards one of the Sword King Sect disciples.
"Buzz..."
The attack came unexpectedly, but these Sword King Sect disciples didn’t take it seriously.
Because in their eyes, Ji Chen, who hadn’t even reached the Vein Condensation Realm, posed no threat to them.
"Hm?"
However, Xia Hui quickly sensed something was amiss.
She felt that Ji Chen’s sword was extraordinary, its power far exceeding her expectations.
"Watch out!"
She exclaimed in surprise, instinctively trying to warn them.
"Swoosh!"
But alas, it was too late—the sword light pierced through the chest of the Sword King Sect disciple in a blink.
Blood splattered, and under Xia Hui and the others’ incredulous gaze, the Sword King Sect disciple ultimately fell to the ground, lifeless.
"Dead...dead?"
Such a scene, though long to describe, happened in just two breaths.
When they realized it, the remaining two Sword King Sect disciples showed extreme shock on their faces.
How is this possible?
A person who hadn’t even entered the Vein Condensation Realm managed to slay a Spirit Transformation Realm First Layer expert with one sword!
"His aura..."
Xia Hui narrowed her eyes, her expression somewhat grim, "If I’m not mistaken, his cultivation has reached at least the Vein Condensation Realm Seventh Layer!"
"Vein Condensation Realm Seventh Layer?"
"Wasn’t it said that he hadn’t even broken through the Vein Condensation Realm?"
"According to reports, a few months ago, he was merely Qi Refining Realm Eighth Layer, without breaking through to the Vein Condensation Realm. Who knew he was hiding his cultivation!" Xia Hui snorted coldly.
"But even so, the Vein Condensation Realm Seventh Layer shouldn’t have been able to slay Brother Li with one sword, right?" The two Sword King Sect disciples frowned deeply.
Xia Hui’s gaze fixed on the Cyan Emperor Sword in Ji Chen’s hand as she said, "That sword is likely a Dao Artifact!"
"Dao Artifact!"
"No wonder!"
The two were startled, finally understanding completely.
If the sword in Ji Chen’s hand was indeed a Dao Artifact, then Brother Li’s carelessness could indeed have led to his death from a single strike.
After their initial shock, a look of greed emerged on their faces, and one of them said, "We didn’t expect an extra gain. That sword, we’ll take it!"
Magical treasures like Dao Artifacts are hard to resist even for elite disciples of the Sword King Sect.
Such high-level weapons are only owned by a few Elders, impossible for ordinary disciples to procure.
"You want it?"
Ji Chen smiled, sweeping his gaze over the three of them and said, "You need the ability to take it first."
"Arrogant!"
"Even if you are Vein Condensation Realm Seventh Layer, so what? If Brother Li wasn’t careless, how could he have been slain by you?"
They scorned him, even though Ji Chen wielded a Dao Artifact, his cultivation still seemed too low to them. With careful handling, capturing Ji Chen wouldn’t be difficult.
"If you think my strength lies solely in having a Dao Artifact, then you’re gravely mistaken."
Ji Chen sneered, and as his words fell, a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes, killing intent evident.
"Buzz..."
At the same time, the Phantom Sword Technique was unleashed without hesitation.