Chapter 27: Defeating Enemies

After snapping the enemy’s Talisman Sword, Mu Yuan paused no longer and showed no mercy. He had seen battlefields soaked in blood, so his heart was tempered like refined steel. Though he wasn’t entirely ruthless like hardened warriors, killing a few enemies was nothing difficult for him.

The Dragon Soul Sword erupted with dazzling light, instantly unleashing Sword Qi that wisped and snaked. It hinted at the Qi Refinement stage where energy forms threads, like thousands of arrows shooting fiercely and effortlessly piercing through the still-dazed cultivator. The man was turned into a porcupine and died instantly without a sound!

The attacker’s sword broke and he fell dead in mere seconds. Mu Yuan had ambushed unexpectedly, his cultivation level higher than the enemy’s, his swordsmanship incredibly strong, and the Dragon Soul Sword monstrously sharp. This allowed him to achieve an extraordinary effect with one blow.

His left hand already held a gathered Vortex Force, effortlessly nullifying the incoming Sword Light. Zha Ying and his family barely escaped death but stayed alert. Zha Feng, with black amber-like eyes, stared in awe at Mu Yuan.

Seeing Zha Ying still focused, holding Gu Insects in hand, Mu Yuan whispered softly, “Uncle Zha, it’s me!”

Mu Yuan appeared imposing and authoritative at that moment, with faint lightning crackling around him, making him even more splendid. Zha Ying couldn’t recognize him visually, but hearing Mu Yuan’s voice, they had only parted recently, so he guessed immediately. Yet, he still asked, “Is that you, Brother Mu?”

Mu Yuan chuckled and patted Zha Feng’s head. “I’ve left Yun’er in a safe place—don’t worry. First, I’ll deal with those two!”

With those words, Mu Yuan soared into the air. The Dragon Soul Sword still circled him as he flew with Zhenqi propulsion, far quicker and more agile than regular wind flight. In battle, this gave a huge advantage. Flying with wind makes you stand stiff and defend passively, while Zhenqi flight allows drifting up and down freely to unleash full power. Who would win? It was obvious at a glance!

As he rose mid-air, Mu Yuan wasted no words. He unleashed brilliant lightning Sword Qi that surged down like a storm tide, roaring like crashing waves. The two cultivators panicked, working their talismanic tools to release dozens of Sword Lights behind them. But their swordsmanship was as weak as the one Mu Yuan had casually killed moments ago—how could they block Mu Yuan’s Dragon Soul Sword Qi!

After just a few exchanges, Mu Yuan heard snapping sounds; the Talismanic Script engraved on their Talisman Swords shattered one after another, cracks forming on the blades. Alarmed, the pair hacked out palm strikes, creating gusting wind to force open a gap in the sea of Sword Qi. Then they fled without looking back!

Mu Yuan snorted coldly. The Dragon Soul Sword boomed with thunder and flashed with electricity, shooting dozens of Sword Qi streaks immediately. Like fierce Flood Dragons with bared claws, they lunged sharply, piercing the Void with shrill shrieks that shook eardrums!

A crisp slicing sound echoed. One of the fleeing cultivators—wearing dark-yellow robes—had an arm sliced off by two of Mu Yuan’s strikes. Terrified, the remaining one broke his now-dull sword into pieces and hurled them at Mu Yuan like a rain of petals, hoping to block him briefly for escape.

Mu Yuan gave a dark laugh. The Dragon Soul Sword danced wildly, like a divine dragon twisting impossibly, shredding the metal fragments into dust. With a flick of his fingers, dozens of Zhenqi beams shot from his knuckles, bright and vivid like small streams, but moving swiftly. They struck both enemies, piercing through like sharp blades!

Ssshh—thick jets of blood spurted from their wounds. Even as they flew fastish, they couldn’t outrun the Sword Qi or Zhenqi flares. After a successful hit, Mu Yuan took rapid steps mid-air, his movements incredibly quick. Gripping the Dragon Soul Sword with both hands, he poured endless Zhenqi into it. The sword instantly formed a massive Sword Light over ten yards long, surging violently. With a shout from Mu Yuan, it flowed like an inverted brook, slashing downward fiercely and smashing the pair out of the sky. They vomited torrents of blood—clearly, they didn’t survive!

Zha Ying’s family stared blankly as Mu Yuan showed divine might high above, slaying all three enemies in a row. Each felt shocked. Zha Ying thought quietly, “Brother Mu is so powerful—lucky we didn’t slight him. He saved our village!”

After killing Leng Fenghai’s allies, Mu Yuan floated mid-air. Seeing flashing lights at Yuan Longtai’s home, he hesitated, afraid to help again in case both sides attacked him. Only after the battle ended did he feel scorching pain on his back—his wound had torn from overexertion. He quickly landed, greeted Zha Ying, found an intact hut, and cultivated with the Longevity Art to heal!

Worried about the flickering lights at the chieftain’s place, Zha Ying saw Mu Yuan sitting still in cultivation. He approached carefully and asked, “Brother Mu, the strong foes haven’t retreated from the chieftain yet. Shouldn’t we…”

Mu Yuan smiled and said, “It’s fine. Your chieftain has Divine Abilities aplenty. The villagers are already safe, so aiding them will surely calm any worries!”

Hearing this, Zha Ying knew he couldn’t insist and backed out quietly. Mu Yuan shook his head—he’d suffered setbacks with Yuan Longtai already. It wasn’t worth grudging, but no need to stir up trouble either!

Longevity True Qi rumbled inside him, sealing his back wound again. Mu Yuan stirred the Tidal Flow anew, forming tiny vortices in veins battered by Sword Qi. The intensely cold Sword Qi once rampaged freely but was now pinned down by countless jade-green radiances, harmless to Mu Yuan’s veins. It couldn’t breach the Dragon King’s Dynamic Force activated by the Dragon Soul Sword! Gradually, Vortex Force absorbed and melted it all, turning it into Primordial Qi that Mu Yuan soaked in!

“This Vortex Force is a simple Divine Ability in the Tidal Flow,” he thought, “but it embodies the Great Dao with endless wonders. Normally, I’d only push foreign Sword Qi out—yet now, I dissolve it, absorb it, and even glean sword techniques from it. Truly excellent!”

Mu Yuan’s mind sank into the dissolved Sword Qi. An eerie, icy feeling washed over him. Patterns and attack tricks from how that Sword Qi swirled in his veins reappeared vividly, filling in the missing dark ferocity from Greenwood Divine Radiance and Canglang Water Sword. He gained much wisdom!

When Mu Yuan awoke from meditation, he suddenly remembered leaving Zha Yun’er outside. Worse, he’d used Tide True Qi to cloak her presence, making her near invisible to others. Cursing his foolishness, he shot up and strode out. Gazing afar, the distant fight had ended—families were busy patching damaged huts. Likely, Yuan Longtai won, or Leng Fenghai failed his sneak attack, losing three allies instead. Seeing no way forward, the villains fled. Mu Yuan no longer cared. Darting through darkness to Zha Yun’er’s spot, he stayed calm upon finding her safe. Casually lifting the spell, he met her watery eyes, gleaming with mountain-folk spirit, and froze completely!