Chapter 14: Deep Sea Cloud Iron

“The Fourth Elder has made his move. That good-for-nothing Mu Xian is doomed now. Even though the Fourth Elder only has high-level Condensed Essence Realm cultivation, he obtained the third-tier precious magical treasure, the Azure Dragon Sword, by chance in his early years. With this Azure Dragon Sword, his combat power is enough to rival ordinary True Essence Realm cultivators. Sometimes, even the Grand Elder might not be able to defeat the Fourth Elder.”

“As the saying goes, the shorter the weapon, the greater the danger. The Azure Dragon Sword in the Fourth Elder’s hand is less than two inches long—it’s not an exaggeration to call it a dagger. The Fourth Elder was already skilled in assassination techniques. With this Azure Dragon Sword, he became even more powerful, like a tiger with wings, and his strength improved further.”

“The Fourth Elder truly lives up to his reputation. When he doesn’t act, nothing happens; but when he does, it’s with the force of a thunderbolt. He is much more reliable than that Mu Deguang, whose body was drained by wine and women.”

Witnessing the imposing momentum when Mu Siping made his move, the people around Mu Deyu whispered and discussed among themselves, fear showing on their faces.

What these people did not notice was that the moment Mu Siping drew the Azure Dragon Sword, Mu Xian’s star-like eyes immediately widened, revealing a burning light within. His barely visible Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, as if he had seen a delicious feast, and he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Mu Xian naturally heard the discussions around him, but he sneered at them. It was one thing for a bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well to not recognize a treasure, but they actually stood there boasting. The Azure Dragon Sword in Mu Siping’s hand was not just a third-tier magical treasure; it was clearly a ninth-tier magical treasure!

Mu Xian recognized the sword in Mu Siping’s hand almost at first glance. To be precise, Mu Xian recognized the material of the sword in Mu Siping’s hand.

The Azure Dragon Sword in Mu Siping’s hand was forged from Deep Sea Cloud Iron. This metal was not only extremely tough, but it also possessed a very special property: a strong memory. No matter how damaged a weapon made from Deep Sea Cloud Iron became, it could eventually restore itself to its original perfect condition.

Because of this special property of Deep Sea Cloud Iron, refining it was extremely difficult. However, precisely because of this characteristic, once Deep Sea Cloud Iron was successfully forged into a weapon or armor, it became a priceless treasure.

“I was just worried about not having a suitable weapon, and then someone delivered it right to my door. The heavens are really treating me well.” Mu Xian swallowed his saliva, then gently broke free from his mother’s embrace. He directly swung his sword to meet the Azure Dragon Sword descending from above.

Seeing Mu Xian’s frail body actively charging toward the roaring blue dragon, gasps of shock erupted from the crowd.

In everyone’s eyes, Mu Xian’s action was no different from suicide. After all, Mu Siping had been famous for many years, and his aura was fully formed. Mu Xian, on the other hand, had always been labeled a good-for-nothing, with not the slightest sign of True Essence Power fluctuation on him.

With only a few light “swish” sounds, the Black Iron Sword in Mu Xian’s hand shattered into countless pieces. The Black Iron Sword also went from its original seven inches in length to less than three inches, shortened by more than half. Mu Xian’s body kept retreating and had already fallen back beside his mother again.

Seeing this, the ferocity on Mu Siping’s face deepened, and a cruel smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. The sharp sword in his hand clung like a bone-deep disease, continuing its relentless attack on Mu Xian.

Layer upon layer of sword shadows merged together, finally converging into a vast ocean that completely buried Mu Xian. Under the cover of the layered sword curtains, Mu Xian’s frail figure completely disappeared from sight.

The next moment, the smile on Mu Siping’s face froze.

Mu Siping was shocked to discover that after Mu Xian’s sword became shorter, it seemed to gain life and suddenly came alive. Moreover, far from showing any fear, Mu Xian’s face was filled with joy and excitement.

Under Mu Siping’s horrified gaze, the broken sword in Mu Xian’s hand pierced through the heavy layers of sword curtains, like a meteor falling to earth, swiftly passing through Mu Siping’s throat.

“You… you…” Feeling the power within his body recede like a tide, Mu Siping could not believe what was happening to him. He had killed countless Condensed Essence Realm cultivators, and even True Essence Realm cultivators had died resentfully under his sneak attacks. How could he possibly die at the hands of a good-for-nothing he never even considered a threat?

Unfortunately, Mu Siping never managed to figure out the answer to that question. Then, with a face full of unwillingness, he fell from mid-air, splattering dust and blood on the ground.

As Mu Siping fell, the blue dragon and the vast ocean instantly vanished without a trace, and the Azure Dragon Sword fell heavily to the ground.

“If you don’t seek death, you won’t die. Old man, it’s you who should clear your head.” After cleanly killing Mu Siping, Mu Xian forcefully resisted the urge to bend down and pick up the Azure Dragon Sword, his heartbeat accelerating rapidly.

Mu Xian was certain that in a small place like Shitang Town, no one knew the true value of the Azure Dragon Sword. Otherwise, such an invaluable treasure would never have been carried around by Mu Siping all over the place.

Mu Siping himself might have realized the preciousness of the Azure Dragon Sword, which was why he rarely drew his sword, making him the most mysterious among the Mu Family Elders.

“An innocent man gets into trouble because of his treasure. I need to find a way to tamper with this Azure Dragon Sword somehow. Also, all the enemies in this courtyard must be silenced.”

While Mu Xian was pondering how to secretly claim the Azure Dragon Sword for himself, the people who witnessed Mu Xian instantly kill Mu Siping looked at each other, unable to speak for a long time.

After all, since Mu Xian entered the courtyard, he had acted extremely aggressively. First, he repelled Mu Deyu with thunderous force. Then, ignoring the threats from the Mu Deyu brothers, he directly killed Mu Deguang. And just now, he cleanly and instantly killed Mu Siping.

Repelling Mu Deyu could be explained as Mu Xian launching a sneak attack. Mu Deguang’s death could be attributed to his average cultivation. But Mu Xian instantly killing Mu Siping left people completely unable to find an explanation.

Seeing Mu Xian kill two people in a row without turning red in the face or his heart racing, appearing completely calm and composed, the people in the courtyard suddenly felt Mu Xian had become strangely unfamiliar.

Everyone knew Mu Xian was usually as timid as a mouse. Forget about killing people; he wouldn’t even dare to kill a chicken or a fish. Yet, when he killed Mu Siping just now, he didn’t even blink, as if it were as simple as drinking water or eating a meal.

Moreover, wasn’t the situation completely under Mu Deyu’s control? Why were the leading rebel Elders being killed one after another?

Also, wasn’t Mu Xian a good-for-nothing with Inherently Blocked Veins? How could he possibly kill Mu Siping, who already had mid-level Condensed Essence Realm cultivation?

Question after question arose in everyone’s minds, and a mysterious veil suddenly shrouded Mu Xian.

“The Yuan-Dispelling Potion! Xian’er must have brewed the Yuan-Dispelling Potion again!” In the courtyard, a flash of excitement could not help but appear in Ling Tian’s eyes.

Ever since witnessing Mu Xian’s skill in brewing the Yuan-Dispelling Potion at Green Forest Ridge, Ling Tian had developed an inexplicable trust in Mu Xian. Now, seeing Mu Xian easily kill Mu Deguang and Mu Siping, he instinctively believed Mu Xian must have used the potion again without anyone noticing.

Although Ling Tian never discovered when Mu Xian had administered it, that did not stop him from feeling happy and excited about it.

After a long period of silence, the others in the courtyard finally reacted to what had happened.

Mu Deyu saw that Mu Deguang and Mu Siping were killed one after another within half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Of the three Elders who came with him, only he, the commander with no troops, remained in the blink of an eye. The situation he had meticulously created was completely ruined by Mu Xian, and the people beside him were beginning to waver and doubt. This made Mu Deyu furious.

“You brat! You have no respect for your elders, you are cruel and love killing! Surrender and accept your death!” After saying this, Mu Deyu swung the sharp sword in his hand, raising a sharp whistling sound through the air, and directly slashed toward Mu Xian’s vitals.

In response, Mu Xian merely snorted coldly, not even bothering to engage with Mu Deyu. He even ignored Mu Deyu’s attack, standing motionless in place without the slightest movement to dodge.

“Brat, today next year will be the anniversary of your death. Remember clearly on the road to the underworld. In your next life, don’t be reborn as a good-for-nothing.” Seeing Mu Xian not dodge, Mu Deyu thought Mu Xian was terrified into stupidity by his attack. A trace of pity could not help but flash in his eyes as he coldly scolded.

Fierce sword energy swirled around the tip of Mu Deyu’s sword. An indescribable pressure and momentum suddenly surged violently from Mu Deyu’s body. Under the oppression of this aura, the space within several meters instantly solidified. The people in the courtyard were forced to retreat repeatedly.

On the side, Tang Qiluo, Ling Zhan, and others saw Mu Deyu’s extremely fierce attack. They were horrified and terrified, their hearts leaping into their throats. However, one of them had their Spiritual Power sealed, and the other only had Flesh Body Realm cultivation. Even if they wanted to stop Mu Deyu, they couldn’t.

Just as everyone thought Mu Xian was certainly doomed this time, a dot of black, cold light suddenly bloomed from Mu Xian’s hand. A sharp whistling sound rang in everyone’s ears. Then, that dot of cold light grew larger and larger, finally transforming into a huge, sharp sword. The giant sword carried an unparalleled momentum, like a long rainbow, recklessly heading straight for Mu Deyu’s chest.

Feeling the sharp killing intent emanating from the giant sword, Mu Deyu’s heart suddenly constricted, and the ferocious smile disappeared from his face.

Only a series of crisp “clang” sounds were heard. Mu Deyu’s ruthless and fierce sword energy all landed on the giant sword. Immediately, the sounds of metal clashing rang out continuously, colliding to produce a string of dazzling sparks. Extremely sharp sword energy shot out in all directions.

Accompanied by a series of weird “swish” sounds, conspicuous sword marks appeared on the bluestone pavement in the large courtyard. The people in the courtyard retreated several steps, avoiding the sweeping residual force.

Mu Xian’s Sword Momentum was incredibly fierce, like a blue dragon swooping down, moving erratically in mid-air. Mu Deyu, however, relied on his profound cultivation, managing to block all of Mu Xian’s Sword Momentum.

When the two figures separated again, Mu Xian stood motionless in place, while Mu Deyu retreated three steps in succession.

Mu Xian looked completely composed. Mu Deyu’s sword-holding right hand, however, trembled slightly. Beads of cold sweat covered his face, and his eyes were filled with terror.

Mu Deyu was horrified to discover that although he had blocked the sword in Mu Xian’s hand, he could not block the strange force coming from the opponent’s sword.

At the moment the two swords collided, an overwhelmingly domineering force surged over from the opponent’s sword. Just as Mu Deyu was trying hard to dissipate this inexplicable force, suddenly another, even more violent wave of force surged from the sword. Before the second wave ended, a third wave followed closely. Almost every wave of force was twice as strong as the previous one.

After three consecutive waves of force, Mu Deyu’s sword-holding wrist was already numb from the shock. Moreover, that force continued to rampage wildly within his body, tearing apart his meridians, muscles, and blood, making him feel as if he would rather die.

“No! You are not Mu Xian! That good-for-nothing Mu Xian has Inherently Blocked Veins. How could he possess such power?” Staring at Mu Xian with a suspicious and uncertain expression for a long moment, Mu Deyu roared loudly.