Chapter 331 (2): Yao Clans Locust Leaf

Chapter 331 (2): Yao Clan's Locust Leaf

An instant was all a sword cultivator needed to kill their enemy.

The bonded flying sword hovering near the outer ring of the mounted troops suddenly soared past the cavalrymen. Fortunately, the sword cultivator was seeking extreme speed rather than destructive power, so he chose the shortest path that didn't have any obstacles in the way. Otherwise, his flying sword might have ruthlessly pierced through several more heads.

Chen Ping'an pushed his sword out of its scabbard, holding two fingers together and forming a sword seal as he controlled Deep Infatuation, the immortal sword that had exhausted Dou Zizhi's wealth. Deep Infatuation flew back and blocked the flying sword viciously piercing over from behind him.

The middle-aged sword cultivator's heart sank. Not only was this young uninvited guest a sword expert, but he was even able to block his bonded flying sword, Candle Light? Perhaps this sword was a concealed immortal treasure? Otherwise, with Candle Light's sharpness and power, so-called divine weapons in the cultivation world would be completely unable to withstand a single strike from it. Yet, the young boy's sword wasn't damaged at all. There wasn't a single chip on it.

The hulking martial artist felt slightly amused at the sword cultivator's misfortune, and he gloated, "Are you still not in a hurry?"

The middle-aged sword cultivator wasn't angered, and he smiled faintly as he replied, "I'll gauge this person's strength and play along with him for a while. I have the ability to protect myself."

"Very well!"

The hulking pure martial artist dressed in Dew Armor smiled wickedly as he stomped a crater into the ground and charged forward in an explosive manner, throwing a punch at the young boy when he arrived fifteen or so meters away. His fist aura was ferocious, and the surging astral energy was as thick as a large bowl.

Chen Ping'an stood with one arm behind his back, with his hand hidden inside his sleeve. While he controlled Deep Infatuation to block the sword cultivator's flying sword again and again, he also raised his other hand to block the hulking martial artist's fist aura with his palm.

He clenched down with his fingers.

The hulking martial artist's fist aura was surprisingly crushed by Chen Ping'an.

The man laughed loudly, not appearing worried in the least. This was a probing attack to begin with, and he hadn't even used half of his power. "Not bad, young mister! Your Dao foundation is quite decent! As for how decent..."

He let out a soft grunt as he suddenly increased his speed and charged forward again, arriving just a few paces away from Chen Ping'an in the blink of an eye. He raised his right arm and threw a lightning-quick punch, one that was so rapid that his entire right shoulder glowed with a snow-white radiance.

There was a loud thud.

Just like before, Chen Ping'an used his palm to block the hulking martial artist's powerful punch.

A hint of puzzlement appeared in the assassin's eyes. The young boy in front of him was as stable and unmoving as a mountain.

Even though the man was confused, this didn't stop him from raising a leg and viciously kneeing Chen Ping'an. When it came to battles between martial artists, especially elite martial artists, one not only needed to think quickly, but also to attack and defend according to one's instincts. In fact, it was best if one's instincts were quicker than one's thoughts. Only then could one be considered a genuinely skilled martial artist.

The hand held behind Chen Ping'an's back finally reached forward and extended out of its sleeve, gently tapping the hulking martial artist's knee. This caused the hulking martial artist to lean forward, after which Chen Ping'an smashed his elbow into his opponent's chest.

The hulking martial artist dressed in Dew Armor was sent stumbling back.

However, his fist was still being held by Chen Ping'an, so he was immediately dragged forward again, allowing Chen Ping'an to unleash a punch and hammer his Dew Armor.

There was a loud boom as the hulking martial artist was sent flying backward, crashing into the ground more than thirty meters away.

However, he only suffered very minor injuries thanks to the armor pellet he was wearing. Even so, the Qi inside him was slightly shaken, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

The man slapped the ground and jumped back to his feet, spitting out the saliva and blood in his mouth before grinning and grumbling, "Good heavens... Are you a sword expert, or are you an external martial artist with a powerful physique?"

Standing behind him, the middle-aged sword cultivator had an amused smile on his face as he replied, "You say martial arts prodigies are not allowed to have both skills at once?"

The hulking martial artist took a deep breath before turning around to glance at Wei Xian standing on top of the hill. He no longer felt relaxed like before, and remarked to the sword cultivator, "This young boy truly deserves to die. Master, have you had enough fun yet? We definitely need to be careful so we don't end up meeting an unexpected death in a place like this. After all, this young boy didn't come here by himself."

The old man wasn't suspicious of any foul play as he accepted the alchemical pill and thanked the prince. He didn't hesitate at all before tossing it into his mouth and swallowing it.

The smile on the prince's face grew even wider as he personally walked over to support the old general by the arm, leading him toward a carriage.

Chen Ping'an stood on top of the hill and farewelled them with his gaze.

After a while, Chen Ping'an retrieved his Militarian armor pellet and handed it to Wei Xian. However, Wei Xian didn't accept it straight away.

"This is a Militarian armor pellet known as Divine Dewbearing Armor," Chen Ping'an explained. "It will become a suit of armor if you channel your True Qi into it, and it will produce a suit of armor similar to that martial artist's. Moreover, this armor can automatically block attacks from swords, sabers, and mystical techniques.

"Unless the armor is directly breached by a single attack or repeatedly attacked in the same place, it will often be a life-saving treasure as long as it has enough spiritual energy to stay active. It's extremely effective against the bonded flying swords of sword cultivators."

Generally, the grade of an armor pellet was directly related to how much spiritual energy it could store.

Because of this, armor pellets were roughly divided into three categories which those from the mountains jokingly named Puddle Armor, Pond Armor, and Lake Armor.

Divine Dewbearing Armor belonged to the lowest rank, with almost all of them being categorized as Puddle Armor. However, the one sold at Stalactite Mountain's Ganoderma Inn was unique. It was very likely an ancestral armor, one from the very first batches of Divine Dewbearing Armor. In other words, it was an incredibly precious suit of armor meticulously crafted by a Militarian grandmaster.

Wei Xian pushed Chen Ping'an's outstretched hand back and said with a chuckle, "I can't accept a reward that isn't deserved. It's not too late for me to accept it after I perform meritorious service."

Chen Ping'an smiled and put the armor pellet away.

However, there was a look of eager anticipation on Pei Qian's face as she asked, "If he doesn't want it, then can you give it to me instead?"

Chen Ping'an completely ignored her.

Afterward, the three of them set off in a different direction from the Yao Clan's mounted troops. They were traveling toward that small town which they could vaguely see the silhouette of.

As they walked, Wei Xian finally said a few words in an extremely rare display.

He asked three questions in a row.

"Young Master, are you trying to become a sage of morality who pursues the three eternal qualities?[1]"

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but chuckle as he shook his head and replied, "Of course not."

If he truly possessed such an ambition, then Chen Ping'an would have accepted the offer to become the Scholarly Sage's disciple a long time ago. However, Chen Ping'an's long travels through the continents, especially Parasol Leaf Continent, had caused him to become increasingly firm in his own convictions.

"Then do you want to seize the unstoppable trend and fight for territory and power?" Wei Xian asked.

Chen Ping'an was rendered speechless. He pointed at himself and asked, "Me?"

Wei Xian finally asked, "Then perhaps you want to focus on self-cultivation, attain Dao, and achieve immortality?"

"Why are you asking these questions?" Chen Ping'an retorted.

Wei Xian didn't say anything else.

Chen Ping'an was also unwilling to say anything more, so the three of them fell completely silent as they continued to trudge forward.

1. The three eternal pursuits (三不朽) refer to the pursuit of virtue, achievement, and words. The first is the pursuit of morality, the second is the pursuit of meritorious service and results, and the third is the pursuit of unique theories and principles. In very simple terms, trying to become a good person, do things well, and study earnestly. ☜