Chapter 649 (2): Like-Minded Cultivators

Ning Yao wantonly flew through the battlefield on Sword Immortal, with a thread of golden light lingering among the demon army and refusing to dissipate for a long time. In some sections, the thread was dead straight; in others, it was crooked and wavy, spanning thousands of meters in total.

Along the path of the golden light were broken limbs and mangled corpses, with the golden light itself appearing like a natural talisman that possessed great amounts of sword intent. Coupled with the flowing sword qi in the surroundings, the demon army was placed under incredible pressure, with many Middle Five Tier demon cultivators choosing to directly lie down on the ground to dodge the relatively high and dense thread of golden light.

Many Dragon Gate Tier and Golden Core Tier demon cultivators had already rapidly fled the area encapsulated by the golden sword formation.

Ning Yao glanced at the golden thread on the battlefield, and she formed a hand seal and gently swiped down after determining that enough sword qi had been gathered.

Like a torrential downpour paused in the sky, and like a gigantic pool hovering above, the sword qi body suddenly plummeted to the ground.

Where Chen Ping'an was located, the earth shuddered violently, and fist aura boomed like thunder.

The nearby demons were sent flying back, and it looked as if the small mountain of demons was collapsing from within.

Fan Dache breathed a sigh of relief. He finally caught sight of Chen Ping'an, who appeared slightly disheveled, with his clothes tattered and his flesh mangled. However, his fist intent was so abundant it was almost visible to the naked eye, flowing through his entire body as if a deity were protecting him.

This was perhaps the best physical representation of the Vajra Body Tier.

Even though Fan Dache was a sword cultivator who dreamed of becoming a sword immortal, he had to admit after witnessing this scene that a martial artist managing to charge through enemy formations with their Vajra Body remaining intact was truly formidable and arrogant.

A dazzling immortal technique slammed into Chen Ping'an's back, causing him to stumble forward just a single step. He borrowed the momentum to charge forward several dozen meters, using his fists to clear a path.

A Militarian demon cultivator slammed their large halberd into Chen Ping'an's waist, sending him flying dozens of meters to the side. A dozen or so immortal techniques and several dozen offensive bonded items followed him like a shadow.

A moment later, another small mountain formed around Chen Ping'an as he landed on the ground, blocking him from view.

There was one good thing about Fan Dache: he never did anything extra and unnecessary.

However, Fan Dache felt increasingly frightened and on edge. Had these demon cultivators gone crazy? They were fighting with complete disregard for their own lives!

Ning Yao continued to leave the front line to the injury-riddled Chen Ping'an, and she would, at most, use her sword strikes to attack the two wings of the demon formation, using Sword Immortal to limit the lateral movement of the demon army.

As a celestial tool, Sword Immortal had already gained a slight amount of sentience, but only to the level of a little child. Even so, it appeared extremely satisfied and delighted at this moment.

Sword Immortal had indeed suffered and felt a little stifled in Chen Ping'an's possession. So be it if it were commanded to fly here and there by the young man who wasn't even a sword cultivator, but more importantly, its owner never allowed it to fight to its heart's content.

Even though Ning Yao appeared calm and composed, with her sword heart stable and her sword strikes precise, this didn't mean that she was completely unconcerned about Chen Ping'an's situation.

After all, just how great an achievement would it be to kill the Sword Qi Great Wall's Hidden Official?

There were significant differences in opinion among the sixty military tents of the Savage World regarding this matter, and they could be roughly categorized into three groups.

With the Geng Yin Tent as the leader, one group of military tents believed that the military merit for killing Hidden Official Chen Ping'an should be equivalent to the military merit of killing an Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortal. The reason for this was simple.

Even though Chen Ping'an was the new Hidden Official, enjoyed high status and wielded huge influence at the Sword Qi Great Wall, controlled the Hidden Official lineage, and caused the Savage World to suffer huge losses with his tactics and formations, he was ultimately not a sword cultivator.

Moreover, in terms of cultivation base alone, Chen Ping'an genuinely wasn't outstanding despite his ability to kill Li Zhen with his fists. In reality, he didn't necessarily possess the combat power of a sword cultivator at the peak stage of the Nascent Tier. Thus, taking into account his status as the new Hidden Official, it was most appropriate and reasonable to regard him as an Unpolished Jade Tier sword immortal.

With the Ding Mao Tent as the leader, another group of military tents felt that the military merit for killing the young Hidden Official should be equivalent to the military merit for killing an Immortal Tier sword immortal, both in terms of his legitimate threat to the Savage World and his symbolic importance to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Great Demon Yang Zhi and Great Demon Huang Luan, both of whom had thrones in the ancient well, agreed with this assessment. It wouldn't be over the top to regard Chen Ping'an as a great sword immortal.

Apart from these two groups, the Jia Shen Tent was alone in its proposal for something even more radical. As long as someone managed to kill Chen Ping'an, they should receive military merit at least equivalent to that between killing two particular groups of sword immortals. The first group included Dong Sangeng, Chen Xi, and Qi Tingji, and the second group included Lu Zhi, the old deaf guy, and Nalan Shaowei. In fact, it shouldn't be out of the question to view this military merit as equivalent to that of killing an Ascension Tier sword immortal!

There was incessant debate about this, and after the Jia Zi Tent reviewed all of the proposals, it eventually decided to set the military merit of killing Chen Ping'an as equivalent to that of killing a great sword immortal. However, he couldn't be regarded as an ordinary great sword immortal, and he should instead be regarded as a great sword immortal between Nalan Shaowei and Yue Qing.

Fan Dache's heart shuddered.

In the distance, over where Chen Ping'an was using his fists to open up the enemy formation, a demon cultivator also unleashed a flurry of punches in Fan Dache's direction.

Chen Ping'an twisted his body in mid-air, dodging some powerful immortal techniques and immortal treasures and facing the other attacks head-on as he gracefully landed on the ground. He slid five to six paces backward before forcefully stomping his foot and returning to the battlefield at an even quicker speed, directly seeking out the demon cultivator that was also a pure martial artist.

Not only was this demon cultivator the leader of a small army, but it was also a Dao cultivator on top of being a Far Roaming Tier martial artist. It didn't wield any weapons, and its human form was burly, with its thick muscles exuding a domineering might.

The two martial artists crashed into one another, with their fists violently colliding and creating an explosion of fist aura, with majestic fist intent rapidly rippling outward and pushing back the surrounding demons.

Chen Ping'an and the Far Roaming Tier demon cultivator each retreated a step after facing a punch, after which they threw another punch and struck each other's faces, causing their heads to snap back.

The loud booms on the battlefield were like the deep rumbling of thunder.

The Far Roaming Tier demon bellowed loudly, commanding the nearby Golden Core Tier and Dragon Gate Tier cultivators to launch their immortal treasures and immortal techniques toward its location without any regard for his life and death.

Chen Ping'an launched sixteen consecutive punches in the blink of an eye.

Since his opponent dared to stay put, he wouldn't move anywhere else either. Regardless of a martial artist's background and allegiance, there was nothing more satisfying than standing still and exchanging punches.

Such exchanges would be direct and fair, and as long as one's fist techniques were lofty enough and one's punches were powerful enough, one's opponent would eventually collapse to the ground in an obedient manner. It was as if the loser were yielding to the victor and viewing them as an ancestor on the path of fist techniques!

————

Deng Liang was the most composed and mature sword cultivator from the lineage of the Hidden Official, and he had joined a sect and become an official immortal after starting off as a vagrant cultivator. Thus, he was most familiar with the muddy paths of the mortal world, just as he was familiar with the lingering immortal qi of abodes in the mountains. This allowed him to become calm and patient.

Calm and patience needed to be slowly nurtured, bit by bit — this was true for almost every single person.

For some unknown reason, however, Deng Liang suddenly flipped his table today.

He calmed down almost instantly, apologized, and sat in a daze for a brief moment. Then he silently stood and righted the table.

Sword Immortal Chou Miao lightly shook his head, gesturing for the others to remain quiet.

Seeing this, the other sword cultivators could only turn a blind eye to Deng Liang's sudden outburst as well. Even Xuan Can, Cao Gun, and the other sword cultivators, who were also outsiders like Deng Liang, chose to remain silent.

Dong Bude shot a glare at Guo Zhujiu, who was furiously signaling to her with her eyes.

Just what on earth did the young girl want? Was Deng Liang liking Dong Bude a reason for Dong Bude to like Deng Liang?

Deng Liang's expression was gloomy as he silently retrieved a pot of wine and started to drink.

When the sword cultivators from the Savage World had challenged the Sword Qi Great Wall before, the bonded flying swords of three young prodigies from the Sword Qi Great Wall had been destroyed.

The three innate sword prodigies could be regarded as outstanding, even at the Sword Qi Great Wall, yet their Great Dao had been brutally and comprehensively severed, just like that.

And now, four more prodigies had been killed in the chaotic battle by those sacrificial demon sword cultivators. At the same time, an even larger number of young sword cultivators, who weren't listed in the records, had fallen in battle.

This was despite the Sword Qi Great Wall dispatching two sword immortals and more than forty earth immortal sword cultivators beyond the city wall to act as reinforcement and lay traps.

The spiritual energy of the Sword Qi Great Wall was being rapidly depleted.

The amount of resources expended each day was exorbitant, to a degree that any sect-level force in the Majestic World would find inconceivable. Converted into immortal coins, the astronomical numbers were enough to destabilize the Dao Hearts of those cultivators who also worked as accountants.

The Savage World had been subtly and gradually accelerating the advance of the great trend.

According to the secrets revealed by the Hidden Official, it hadn't been easy for the sages of the Three Teachings to provide them with assistance in the battle. Their decision to join forces and create the long golden river, which split the battlefield into two, appeared more like a final display of resolve, where there was no longer a path of retreat. More precisely, they refused to retreat even if such a path existed.

The great trend swept forward with fury, and it could only be delayed momentarily, regardless of how the lineage of the Hidden Official racked its brains, and no matter how determined the sword cultivators were as they launched attacks with little regard for their life and death. It appeared as if the direction of the great trend couldn't be changed no matter what.

Deng Liang had started off as a vagrant cultivator, so it wasn't the case that he couldn't accept defeat. However, he had never once felt so frustrated, helpless, indignant, and ultimately defeated. He could only drink wine to wash away his sorrows.

This was made worse by the fact that Deng Liang was able to access first-hand intelligence and understand the situation of the entire battlefield as he sat in the summer palace. Going over the many battles and analyzing the gains and losses of both sides, he could gain a deep understanding of the overall direction of the battle. The more this was the case, the more powerless Deng Liang felt.

Lin Junbi simply busied himself with the tasks at hand.

Chou Miao glanced at Lin Junbi, and the young sword immortal imperceptibly nodded. Lin Junbi, the prodigy from the Middle Earth Divine Continent, would walk relatively far along the path of the Great Dao.

Lin Junbi was oblivious to just how highly he was regarded by Chou Miao.

After arriving at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the first lesson that Lin Junbi learned was that he needed to swallow his pride and become humble.

In reality, people had the impression that Lin Junbi ultimately wasn't as trustworthy as Chou Miao even though he was highly exceptional in his cunning, quick wit, and cleverness. Indeed, he was like a naturally unpolished piece of jade that had been meticulously carved afterward — of course, this was only in comparison to Chou Miao. It was also precisely because of this that the other sword cultivators in the main hall of the summer palace approved of his position as the third-in-command.

Chou Miao was the polar opposite of Lin Junbi, appearing simple and honest, and reserved and restrained.

There was a whole basket of legends and stories about this young sword immortal, who hadn't become the new Hidden Official after becoming a member of the Hidden Official's lineage. His standing was slightly lower than the Hidden Official's, and he hadn't said anything so incredible that people would smack their tables and exclaim in praise. Nor had he done anything that left people stunned and awestruck.

Yet, he was somehow able to gain the trust and belief of the others.

It was likely that everyone belonging to the lineage of the Hidden Official had considered this question before: Who would become the next Hidden Official if something untoward genuinely befell the young Hidden Official? The answer in their minds was always Chou Miao, and not Lin Junbi.

Lin Junbi didn't feel much resentment about this. He had to admit the truth that he was inferior to Chou Miao, and he had never been afraid of interacting with mighty figures to begin with. He was also a very quick learner as long as he wasn't facing a trial of life and death, and what he learned in the fights and sparring sessions would naturally temper and improve his own abilities.

Lin Junbi was well aware that Chou Miao's ability to gain the trust and belief of others was thanks to more than just his cultivation base.

There were many things he could observe and learn from Chou Miao.

For example, no one would regard Sword Immortal Chou Miao as an astonishingly talented and flawlessly strategic person.

This definitely wouldn't be people's first impression of him.

If Chou Miao were regarded as having lofty sword skills but a gentle temperament, then the young Hidden Official gave people the impression that he was very good at fighting despite not possessing a high cultivation base. He was also very shrewd and calculating, but he was surprisingly a good person.

In addition, the sword cultivators belonging to the lineage of the Hidden Official each had their own strengths, so Lin Junbi would benefit a lot by working and cultivating here every single day. That being the case, why would he consider leaving?

Lin Junbi might refuse to leave even if Chen Ping'an tried to shoo him away now.

He glanced at the temporarily vacant head seat and shook his head lightly. He wouldn't leave, but he definitely wouldn't become the Hidden Official either.

————

Chen Sanqiu glanced at the situation of the nearby battlefield and pondered for a moment before calling out to Dong Huafu and telling him to fly closer to Chen Ping'an's position alongside him. At the same time, he also asked Fatty Yan and Die Zhang to pick up some of the slack, saying that he and Dong Huafu would immediately return to help after taking a short breather.

Flying on their swords, the two of them entered the neighboring section of the battlefield and roughly formed a pincer formation with Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao.

Dong Huafu squatted on his sword and offered his assessment, saying, "His advance is a bit slower than Big Sister Ning's."

He thought for a moment and recalled the second shopkeeper's bonded mystical ability, so he quickly tried to make amends by adding, "But A'Liang said before, men can't be too quick."

Chen Sanqiu laughed loudly upon hearing this.

Unexpectedly, the second shopkeeper was coincidentally punched by a Militarian demon cultivator in Golden Crow Armor, who seemed forced to advance further through the demon formation. He pierced through the formation that had already been weakened by Chen Sanqiu's sword strikes and eventually stumbled to a location close to Chen Sanqiu.

Chen Ping’an fell and performed a roll before standing up and shattering a bonded treasure with his fist, one that had stuck to him like a parasite. His fist stance then changed, and he forcefully summoned a breath of True Qi and stabilized his body, which caused his wounds to split open and pour blood.

Almost all of the standard Dao robes that he had borrowed from the sword cultivators belonging to the lineage of the Hidden Official had already been used and destroyed, with the final one on his body also shredded and in tatters. He was essentially topless right now, with his body covered in wounds and his bones visible in many places. Chen Ping'an put on the final azure Dao robe from the Ning Residence before turning around to glance at Dong Huafu.

He smiled faintly.

Ning Yao also smiled faintly in the distance.

Dong Huafu responded with a silly smile.

Chen Ping'an leaned backward and just barely dodged a menacing arc of sword light slashing over from behind him. Before completely falling to the ground, he smacked the ground with his palm and twisted his body, taking a step forward and finally using his Land-Shortening Talismans for the first time.

He instantly arrived beside the demon sword cultivator that had launched a huge number of sneak attacks, and he swung his arm sideways and knocked the demon's head clean off. He then bent down and grabbed the demon's headless corpse, using it as a shield as he charged sideways.

An expressionless demon cultivator, who looked like a middle-aged man, picked up a broken and low-quality sword from somewhere on the ground. Holding this weapon that barely resembled a sword anymore, he strode forward and arrived at Chen Ping'an's side, after which he slashed down without any blinding sword light or incisive sword intent.

The attack was just as muted as his appearance, yet Chen Ping'an didn't even have time to use his Inch Movement Talisman. His fist intent soared to a peak level, and only then was he able to catch the blade of the broken sword with much difficulty. Even so, he still sank into the ground from the force of the attack.

The demon cultivator didn't try to hack apart Chen Ping'an's hands and shoulders with brute strength, and he instead withdrew the ordinary blade and slashed down at Chen Ping'an's neck.

Chen Ping'an clenched his left hand into a fist and guarded his heart, which caused the demon cultivator to feel a little surprised. His sword strike would have indeed changed trajectories halfway and thrust into his opponent's heart. The demon cultivator stepped forward at the critical moment of changing the trajectory of his attack, with his figure as elusive as a flying sword as he directly appeared behind Chen Ping'an. The tip of his sword twisted casually and thrust forward, piercing into Chen Ping'an's spine.

At almost the exact same instant, Chen Ping'an changed his fist stance to Examining the Dragon, causing the tip of the sword to falter for a moment. He should have borrowed the momentum of the sword strike to charge forward with more vigor, but Chen Ping'an instead chose to move sideways several steps. And sure enough, a so-called second sword-wielding demon appeared straight in front of his original location and directly slashed down.

The demon smiled faintly and exerted more force, also tightening his grip on the long sword.

Close to one hundred demon sword cultivators instantly appeared on the battlefield, completely encircling Chen Ping'an. They were all wielding swords, yet not a single one of them was commanding a bonded flying sword. With each of them adopting a different stance and technique, they then thrust their blades at Chen Ping'an.

Not only that, but there were also six demon sword cultivators standing beyond the circular sword formation, with each man holding a sword and seemingly waiting for Chen Ping'an to use his Inch Movement Talisman.

Even further beyond this, another gigantic circular sword formation appeared in front of Ning Yao, Fan Dache, Chen Sanqiu, and Dong Huafu, with each demon in the formation holding a sword.

This demon sword cultivator was challenging Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao, as well as Chen Sanqiu and Dong Huafu, two young prodigies recorded in the booklet from the Jia Zi Tent, by himself. Of course, there was also the Golden Core Tier Fan Dache, who wasn't recorded in the booklet.

The true target of this demon sword cultivator was both Chen Ping'an and Fan Dache.

As for the outcome, he had already given the choice to the sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall, the youths who were the same age as him. In reality, he didn't care a great deal about the outcome.

When sword cultivators launched sword strikes, what was most important was having full conviction in their decisions. The amount of military merit was only secondary.

The demon cultivators in the sword formation were both real and fake at the same time, with combat power distributed between them. Thus, the young demon sword cultivator needed to meticulously calculate and distribute this combat power.

He appeared slightly exasperated, and a figure somewhere, which was already wavering and insubstantial to begin with, crumbled and dispersed.

The remaining sword-wielding demons were all targeted by at least two or three, and at most five to six, flying swords.

Meanwhile, the young Hidden Official stood firm and unfazed.

The young demon, who was also wearing a face mask and concealing his aura, slowly faded and disappeared. He took one final glance at Chen Ping'an and smiled knowingly, using the official dialect of the Majestic World to say fluently, "You're a like-minded cultivator."

The strange demon sword cultivator had appeared mysteriously, and now he had disappeared elusively. It was unknown where he had gone.

Chen Ping'an retracted all of his flying swords, combining them back into Moon in the Well. The bonded mystical ability of this flying sword was, as its name suggested, to have a moon illuminate a deep well. As long as a ripple appeared in the mind's lake, a bright moon would shatter and reform each time a sword strike was launched and retracted. Everything was at the whim of a sword cultivator's mind.

It hadn't been easy for Chen Ping'an to nurture two bonded flying swords, yet he had just been forced to summon Moon in the Well far earlier than he had wanted to.

Get fucked, you like-minded cultivator, Chen Ping'an cursed in his mind.

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