Chương 1284: Chapter 75: Retreat in Terror and the Impending Great War

"I have long heard of the elusive black-robed cultivator who snatched the Mu Jade Sword from the shadows," the disciple from the Beast Taming Sect began, his voice laced with a frigid, mocking edge.

"Word has it that you not only possess the art of invisibility but rely on a singular Earth-element artifact—the Earth-Shaking Bell—to trample over your enemies with impunity. They say none can withstand a single strike from you. But looking at you now, it seems those rumors were nothing more than grand exaggerations!" With a sharp, practiced slap against his storage bag, he unleashed his hidden strength. In a blur of spiritual light, eight massive beasts appeared, each standing a full zhang in height.

These were Wild Bulls, primeval creatures that had survived since the ancient eras. Their heads were crowned with wicked, spiraling horns, and thick plumes of white, scorching steam erupted from their nostrils with every rhythmic breath. The Wild Bull was a Tier 2 low-grade demon beast known for its inherently violent temperament and a love for brutal, physical confrontation. They were pack hunters by nature; even a Tier 3 demon beast would hesitate to provoke a herd of these stampeding juggernauts.

"These eight Wild Bulls are spirit beasts I have painstakingly captured and tamed over a long period," the cultivator sneered, his gaze turning as sharp as a winter frost.

"If you are truly a man of sense, you will hand over the Mu Jade Sword this instant. Do so, and I shall allow you to crush your trial stone and teleport safely from this realm. If not... I fear you will be ground into a bloody slurry beneath their hooves before you can even scream!" He let out a series of cold, rasping laughs, his confidence swelling.

"Oh, and I nearly forgot to warn you—I carry the Five Elements Soul-Protecting Mirror, a supreme treasure of the Beast Taming Sect. As long as this artifact protects me, any Divine Sense or soul-based assault from anyone below the Late Golden Core stage is utterly futile!" In the eyes of the other cultivators in the Trial Realm, Reyn's lethal reputation rested upon two formidable pillars.

The first was the devastating power of the Earth-Shaking Bell, and the second was his terrifying soul cultivation, which had already reached the Golden Core realm. To them, if these two advantages were neutralized, Reyn would be nothing more than a toothless tiger—a spent force that could no longer pose a threat. But how could they possibly fathom the true extent of the cards Reyn held close to his chest?

Seeing the Beast Taming Sect disciple acting as if victory were already within his grasp, Reyn simply shook his head with a slow, deliberate motion. A cold, mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Summoning spirit beasts? That is a craft I have also dabbled in, Daoist." As he spoke, his hand blurred, striking a specific storage bag at his waist. In a single breath, a spectral legion of one hundred and one skeletons erupted into existence, standing tall before him. The Shura Secret Bone, the core of this skeletal army, pulsed with a wave of savage delight that rippled through the mental link it shared with Reyn.

However, the moment it sensed the frigid killing intent emanating from its master's soul, its joy vanished, replaced by a volcanic rage. It whipped its massive skull toward the Beast Taming Sect cultivator and unleashed a thunderous, bone-chilling roar of pure indignation! Its master was being threatened! How dare this insignificant human use these eight hideous, fleshy beasts to hem in its lord? Did he truly wish to see whose retinue was more numerous?

To the simple, primal consciousness of the Shura Secret Bone, there was only one response to such an affront: a tenfold retaliation. The Beast Taming Sect cultivator's eyes bulged in sheer, unadulterated shock. Before his very eyes, this sudden horde of skeletons—led by a gargantuan, six-zhang-tall orange behemoth—let out a collective, harrowing shriek. The red light within their hollow eye sockets flared like dying stars.

With a synchronized clatter of bone, the skeletal army fanned out, instantly reversing the tactical situation. In the blink of an eye, the cultivator and his eight Wild Bulls were the ones trapped within a suffocating circle of death.

"This man can summon a literal army of skeletons with a mere flick of his wrist... he is undoubtedly a ghost-path cultivator!" The disciple's mind whirled. Despite his rough, brawny exterior, he was a brilliant mind among the younger generation of his sect. He knew that in the eight provinces of the Zhao Kingdom, only the Huanming Sect of Jin Province specialized in the ghost-path.

Yet, he was certain that even the Sect Leader of the Huanming Sect could not possibly summon over a hundred powerful puppets, each equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, in a single breath! The black-robed man before him was a monster who hid his true power behind layers of mystery. This skeletal legion alone was enough for him to march through the Trial Realm with total dominance; no single cultivator here could hope to be his match!

The disciple took a deep breath, looking at Reyn with newfound gravity.

"I admit, Daoist, your strength is far beyond what the rumors suggested," he said, his voice low and somber.

"However, if these skeletons are the limit of your hidden cards, I am still confident that I could escape with my life, even if I cannot defeat you. If you truly wish to take the Mu Jade Sword from my hand, you must demonstrate a level of power that leaves me no choice but to concede in total submission. Furthermore, if I do surrender the sword, you must guarantee that I will be allowed to depart this place in peace. Do we have an agreement?" Reyn fell into a brief silence, contemplating the offer.

He eventually gave a slow nod. The man was straightforward and acted with a certain rugged honor; if he could secure the Mu Jade Sword without wasting his strength in a messy battle, it would be the ideal outcome. With a fluid motion, Reyn reached into his storage bag and withdrew a three-foot-long arrow, its entire body shimmering with a brilliant, mirror-like silver sheen, as if it had been forged from the purest Geng-gold.

This was the Sharp Gold Breaking Arrow, the very treasure Zi Luanxing had prepared as a trump card against the ancient female corpse. It had eventually fallen into Reyn's possession. The offensive power of this arrow was nothing short of cataclysmic; it was inscribed with complex restriction-breaking formations that allowed it to bypass any magical shield or barrier below the Nascent Soul stage. To a Golden Core cultivator, it was a weapon of absolute, unavoidable lethality.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Recognizing the artifact in Reyn's hand, the Beast Taming Sect cultivator's pupils contracted into tiny pinpricks of terror. He realized that if Reyn had chosen to use this arrow from the start, he would have been obliterated into a cloud of blood and dust before he could even register the attack. He reached up, carefully wiping the cold sweat that had begun to bead on his forehead.

"Your arsenal is truly terrifying, Daoist. I concede; I am no match for you," the man said, cupping his fists in a gesture of profound respect. He reached into his storage bag and produced a Mu Jade Sword. After a moment of visible hesitation, he tossed the jade sword toward Reyn.

"I have fulfilled my end of the bargain. May I take my leave now?" His heart pounded against his ribs like a trapped bird. He knew that if Reyn decided to strike now, he would be utterly powerless to stop his own demise. After a cursory inspection of the Mu Jade Sword, Reyn offered a slow, measured nod and stowed the artifact away.

"Since you have been so cooperative, Daoist, I shall naturally not go back on my word. You may depart." Relief flooded the face of the Beast Taming Sect disciple. He cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

"I am Ge Yucheng of the Beast Taming Sect. Though you have stripped the Mu Jade Sword from my grasp this day, I find myself owing you a significant debt of gratitude for my life." He paused, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial, hushed whisper.

"A word of warning: at the exit of the Trial Realm, Wei Qubing of the Three Thousand Dao Sect and Yin Wuyu of the Supreme Demon Sect are already lying in wait like famished tigers. They intend to intercept and plunder any cultivator who arrives with a Mu Jade Sword. I have said my piece; the rest is up to your own vigilance. Farewell!" Ge Yucheng suppressed the burning curiosity he felt regarding the identity of the figure hidden beneath the black robes. Reason told him that prying now would be a fatal mistake.

With a final bow, he transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distant horizon.

"Three Thousand Dao Sect... Supreme Demon Sect..." Reyn's gaze sharpened into icy needles. In the mere mention of Wei Qubing and Yin Wuyu, he sensed a faint, prickling threat—a resonance of power that suggested these two were far from ordinary practitioners.

"It seems a confrontation is inevitable before I can depart this realm. My origins may be humble, but I have never harbored fear for these so-called 'heaven-sent geniuses'! If they wish for war, I shall give them a slaughter that freezes their marrow. I will ensure they never dare look upon me as an enemy again!" Reyn's mind raced with cold precision.

The Trial Realm had become a charnel house; between the four from the Purple Mist Sect, the four from the Yin-Yang Joy Sect, and various others, no fewer than ten elite cultivators had fallen by his hand. If he returned to the Mu Family clutching every Mu Jade Sword, suspicion would be unavoidable. They would know he was the butcher. Without a proper resolution, this would ignite a firestorm that could consume the Reyn Clan and the Xuanxiao Sect alike.

"In that case, why hide at all? I shall unleash the full breadth of my power!" He calculated his odds. With his current repertoire, he could already clash head-on with Mid-stage Golden Core experts. If he deployed the Shura Secret Bone and his legion of a hundred blood-red skeletons, even a Late-stage Golden Core sovereign would find him a formidable adversary.

"If I reveal such overwhelming might, any sect seeking retribution against my kin will be forced to pause. They will fear my shadow, knowing that if they fail to kill me, my vengeance will be a lingering nightmare they cannot wake from."

"The moment I step out, my name shall resonate across the entire cultivation world of the Zhao Kingdom. When they realize I have attained such heights in less than two years, awe will replace their anger. Even if they are certain I slew their disciples, they will not dare pursue the matter without a guarantee of my absolute destruction. To avoid a lifetime of being hunted by a monster like me, they will swallow their pride." Reyn's eyes blazed with a manic clarity.

As he resolved his path, the blood in his veins began to simmer, fueled by a violent, surging battle intent.

"Since those two are guarding the exit, it is unlikely anyone else will escape with a sword. Let them play the role of my collectors. I shall let them gather the remaining three Mu Jade Swords, then take everything from their hands on the day of departure!" Reyn's dark hair billowed despite the stagnant air, and his azure robes snapped like a banner in a gale. A titanic pressure erupted from his form, shaking the surrounding atmosphere.

"I shall use the remaining time to prepare a grand surprise for them." His voice drifted into the wind as a flash of azure light followed. He pushed the Demon Flash Escape to its limit, tearing through the sky like a phantom. Dozens of miles later, the light vanished. Reyn's Divine Sense swept the terrain, and he descended toward a secluded cavern. With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent several fireballs into the depths, flushing out a pack of nameless Tier 1 demon beasts.

Sensing the predatory aura radiating from Reyn, the jackal-like creatures whimpered, tucking their tails and fleeing in a frantic scramble. Stepping into the cave, Reyn nodded in satisfaction. He layered several restrictive seals over the entrance before seating himself upon a flat bluestone. After a moment of silent contemplation, he retrieved two items from his storage bag: the Heaven-Turning Seal and the Earth-Shaking Bell. To maximize his lethality for the coming storm, he needed to elevate his artifacts.

If he could successfully fuse the essence of the Earth-Shaking Bell into the Heaven-Turning Seal, the latter's grade would skyrocket, potentially reaching the tier of a Top-grade Magic Treasure. He placed the two earth-attribute treasures before him, meticulously reviewing the refining mantras of the Heaven-Turning Seal within his Primordial Soul. Once certain of every detail, he began.

"Rise!" Reyn's expression turned solemn as he pointed a finger. The Heaven-Turning Seal hovered in mid-air, radiating a dense, ochre light and the heavy scent of primordial earth. As he hammered rune after rune into the artifact, the light began to churn, forming miniature vortices that spun like funnels across its surface, hungry for the fusion to come.