Chương 185: Chapter74: Seizing the Mu Jade Sword

Xing Tianxie's words landed like a heavy stone, causing the Dragon-Tiger Sect cultivator's face to shift instantly. A flicker of dread crossed the man's eyes, his expression wavering between fury and hesitation for a long moment before he finally let out a cold snort, choosing to remain silent rather than press the issue further. After all, those currently besieging Xing Tianxie hailed from various provinces and factions.

If he were the one to step forward and utterly offend the Pomie Sect's prodigy, he would be the one bearing the brunt of the consequences while the others reaped the rewards. These elite disciples were far from fools; their minds were sharp and calculating. Realizing the risk, they exchanged wary glances, none willing to be the "first bird" to face the hunter's arrow. For a heartbeat, the battlefield fell into an eerie, heavy silence. Internally, Xing Tianxie breathed a shallow sigh of relief.

He had successfully used the prestige of the Pomie Sect to temporarily paralyze them. However, he knew all too well that none of these vultures would allow him to simply walk away with the Mu Jade Sword in his possession.

"Fellow Daoist Xing Tianxie, surely you understand that the Mu Jade Sword is a prize we must all contend for," a handsome cultivator in blue Daoist robes spoke up, his voice low and resonant.

"Even as the future Sect Leader of the Pomie Sect, your status alone cannot frighten us into retreat. We ask that you voluntarily surrender the sword. It would be a pity if 'divine abilities have no eyes' and an unfortunate accident were to occur. Do not lose the greater for the sake of the smaller."

"Indeed! If you do not relinquish the Mu Jade Sword, we will never permit your departure!" another shouted.

"The Pomie Sect is formidable, but our Taichong Sect does not fear you!"

"Hand it over immediately, or we shall cease our restraint. Consider your options carefully, Daoist Xing!" Those who could enter the Trial Realm were the crème de la crème of their respective sects, holding lofty positions. Barring catastrophe, they were guaranteed seats as Elders, if not Sect Leaders. While they respected Xing Tianxie's background, they would never abandon the Mu Jade Sword for it. Xing Tianxie's face turned as dark as a storm-wracked sea, his eyes flaring with a sinister light.

After a tense silence, a single word escaped his lips: "Fine!" He was a man of decisive action; knowing he could not fight his way out with the prize, he refused to waste further energy in a futile struggle. With a sharp slap to his storage bag, the Mu Jade Sword appeared in his grip. The moment it tasted the air, it erupted in a hazy azure luminescence, its glow spanning nearly a hundred zhang.

The surrounding cultivators felt their eyes burn with a sudden, feverish greed at the sight of the blade, yet, locked in a stalemate of mutual suspicion, no one dared to make the first move.

"Hmph! If you want the Mu Jade Sword, then fight for it!" Xing Tianxie's gaze swept coldly over the crowd. He raised his arm and hurled the sword with a violent flick. Bolstered by his spiritual power, the blade transformed into a streak of light, whistling through the air toward the distance.

"Move! Do not let it fall into another's hands!"

"Dragon-Trapping Art, seize it!"

"Earth-Searching Net, capture!" Greed exploded as the sword took flight. Divine abilities and magic treasures erupted simultaneously, converging on the azure streak. But just as the barrage of spells was about to reach the sword, a mysterious figure shrouded in black robes materialized out of thin air. With a casual reach, he snatched the Mu Jade Sword from its trajectory and tucked it into his storage bag with a flick of his wrist.

"You seek death!"

"We spent half our lives hunting that sword, and you dare take it? Hand it over!"

"To steal this sword is to make enemies of us all! If you wish to leave with your life, surrender the blade and crawl away this instant!" With a chorus of furious roars, five cultivators struck as one, driving their artifacts toward the black-robed figure with lethal intent. Each possessed a cultivation at or above the Foundation Establishment stage; fueled by bitter resentment, they unleashed their full might.

Their magic treasures radiated violent surges of spiritual power, rolling outward like a tempestuous sea, enough to make any observer's heart tremble with dread.

"Courting death!" the black-robed man snorted coldly. With a sharp slap to his storage bag, a bell-shaped artifact manifested instantly.

"Earth-Shaking Bell, Suppress!" he barked. Infused with his vast spiritual power, the bell swelled to its maximum size of forty zhang. Shimmering with an earthy-yellow divine light, it plummeted like a falling mountain, smashing directly into the cluster of incoming treasures. Boom! Boom! Boom! The violent collision of artifacts unleashed a shockwave of spiritual energy that swept across the battlefield. Amidst the deafening, heaven-shaking thunder, the cultivators who had struck first turned deathly pale.

They staggered backward, their footing unstable, while their eyes widened in sheer horror. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Hmph! A cold snort echoed from beneath the hood. Simultaneously, a powerful surge of Primordial Soul energy erupted, manifesting as a focused Divine Sense strike that swept through the air.

"Soul-Piercing Awl!" Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! The horror in the five cultivators' eyes instantly transformed into pure terror as they coughed up mouthfuls of fresh blood.

"A Golden Core cultivator!" they gasped in despair. Between the crushing descent of his artifact and the mental assault, the entire confrontation had reached its conclusion in a mere matter of breaths. The surrounding onlookers turned pale, retreating in unison. Their gazes were filled with deep wariness and resentment as they stared at the black-robed figure. They had risked everything, even the wrath of the Pomie Sect, to force Xing Tianxie to surrender the Mu Jade Sword.

To see a powerful interloper suddenly appear and seize the prize was a bitter pill to swallow.

"Daoist, I suggest you think twice," a disciple from the Dragon-Tiger Sect said, his voice icy and sinister.

"Though your cultivation is formidable, you are no match for us if we join forces. If you are wise, leave the Mu Jade Sword behind. We promise not to make things difficult and will let you depart in peace. If not... heh heh!" Reyn did not wait for him to finish. Two flashes of electric light erupted from beneath the black robe, locking onto the speaker as the Soul-Piercing Awl struck with full force. Pfft! The Dragon-Tiger Sect disciple's face turned ghostly white as he sprayed a mist of blood.

Before he could recover, the Earth-Shaking Bell plummeted, enveloping him completely. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! The bell's innate ability, the Soul-Shattering Hum, activated instantly. With a flick of his wrist, Reyn recalled the bell to his hand. The disciple's lifeless body slumped to the ground. He had been holding a Trial Stone, intending to crush it and escape, but he never found the chance.

"Those who block me shall die!" Reyn growled in a low, raspy voice. After snatching the fallen man's storage bag, he transformed into a streak of light and took to the skies. Behind him, the remaining cultivators were paralyzed by fear. Not a single soul dared to intercept him; they exchanged glances before scattering like startled birds.

"That silhouette looks incredibly familiar... could it truly be him?" Xing Tianxie's eyes flickered with a sharp light as he watched the black-robed figure vanish into the distance. A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"Whether it is or not, I will know for certain at the exit of the Trial Realm in a few days!" With those whispered words, he rose into the air and sped away in the opposite direction. Enveloped in his flight light, Reyn couldn't help but let a smile touch his lips. By concealing the Mu Jade Sword's aura and utilizing the stealth of his black robe, he had managed to seize two more swords in a short span of time. Including the one from the Yunluo Ancient Tomb, he now possessed four!

If he could gather the remaining four... The thought of the Dao-grade Azure Jade Palace filled his heart with boundless anticipation.

"Four more to go. I wonder how many I can secure before the trial ends?" Reyn's lips curled upward. The dark green square box's ability to isolate the sword's aura was proving invaluable; without it, his targets would likely have fled long before he could close the distance. Pushing his Demon Flash Escape to its limit, he transformed into a blur of azure and crimson, whistling through the air like a meteor. Two days later. Atop a barren, desolate peak, a burly cultivator sat cross-legged, his upper body bare.

Savage scars crisscrossed his torso, and a palpable aura of slaughter hovered above his head, occasionally coalescing into the phantom images of ferocious beasts. This was the disciple from the Beast Taming Sect who held another Mu Jade Sword. At his feet lay a foot-long frog covered in pitch-black scales, lounging lazily. Each breath the creature took sounded like rolling thunder, and the aura radiating from its body had reached the Late Foundation Establishment stage.

Its large eyes, occasionally opening, were filled with arrogance—only showing a deep, hidden fear when looking at its master.

"Moo!" Suddenly, the strange frog flipped upright, its mouth agape as it let out a roar like a bull. Its cold, emotionless eyes locked onto a patch of empty air a dozen zhang away. Simultaneously, the Beast Taming Sect cultivator snapped his eyes open. A cold sneer played on his lips.

"I have been waiting for you for quite some time," he said softly.

"Since you are here, show yourself. Your little invisibility trick cannot hide from my spirit beast." Reyn's figure slowly materialized in the air. He glanced at the frog but said nothing, immediately manifesting the Earth-Shaking Bell. The artifact expanded to its forty-zhang glory, resembling a divine bell from the heavens as it whistled down toward the man and his beast.

"Excellent!" the Beast Taming Sect cultivator shouted, his eyes brightening. He pointed a finger at the frog.

"Go!" The frog rolled its eyes in a display of reluctant annoyance but let out another low growl. Its body swelled rapidly, reaching a staggering ten zhang in size within breaths. Its powerful, pillar-like hind legs kicked off the ground, turning the surrounding boulders into dust as it launched itself like a bolt of lightning toward the descending bell. Boom! The two collided with a thunderous impact.

The frog let out a pained howl, yet the Earth-Shaking Bell was also knocked backward, its spiritual light flickering violently. Reyn's eyes narrowed in surprise; he hadn't expected the creature to possess such terrifying physical strength. However, the frog seemed driven to rage by the pain. It opened its massive maw, and a horrific suction force erupted, enveloping the Earth-Shaking Bell and pulling it toward its gullet. Buzz!

The bell erupted with layers of earthy-yellow light, fighting desperately against the pull. For a moment, the two were locked in a fierce stalemate. The Earth-Shaking Bell was comparable to a High-grade Magic Treasure, yet this creature—merely a Tier 2 High-grade beast—was able to restrain it with its gravitational suction. It was clearly no ordinary monster.