Chapter Seventy: Killing Another Golden Core Cultivator

Mo Sitong was about to step forward when Liu Junhuai pulled her aside. With a swift slash in front of him, the Five Elements Chaotic Blade sent out invisible blade light in all directions, severing the right hands of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

He walked forward slowly, gazing into the eyes of the middle-aged man, and spoke each word deliberately: “If you’re ill, go get treated. You’re old enough to know to cherish your own body. And keep your pups in check; before you let your dogs bite, check if the target is holding a blade.”

Turning to the men with severed hands, he said, “If there’s another move, it’ll be your left hand next.”

The young men were already trembling, their legs weak with fear. They had never expected this man to dare act in their own home, and to strike so lethally—several Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t even dodge his attack.

The middle-aged man was secretly alarmed. The Golden Core cultivator in their ranks had not even acted, yet their side was already defeated. He cursed his elder brother’s foolish plan, thinking no one would dare resist in Dustless Palace. But this man not only resisted, he struck to kill—truly fearless, and what a display of dominance! What dominance, indeed!

Mo Sitong felt satisfied, yet worried that Liu Junhuai had used such force on his first visit to Dustless Palace, making it even harder to gain support within the sect.

Liu Junhuai seemed to sense her concern. He gently pinched Mo Sitong’s hand and whispered, “Don’t worry. Sometimes an unexpected beginning brings unforeseen results. With me here, the sky won’t fall.”

Bian Jizhong also secretly gave a thumbs up, thinking, “What a formidable brother I have. I thought I was bold, but he’s even fiercer than I am.”

Passing those men, Mo Sitong said, “When we see Grandpa, don’t mention your age. I just said you’re about as old as me. Anyway, you look older—haha!”

Once Liu Junhuai and his companions had walked away, the middle-aged woman collapsed to the ground, muttering, “What kind of people are these? Too ruthless! And they were merciful; otherwise, those men would already be dead.”

The three crossed the main hall and entered a garden-like courtyard. At the entrance to a long corridor, Mo Sitong stopped.

“The people from Martial Ridge Sect are waiting for us just beyond this corridor. Don’t act here, or there’ll be no way to explain things to the palace,” Mo Sitong cautioned Liu Junhuai.

Liu Junhuai nodded, “I know. Don’t worry! I have no grievance with them, and didn’t kill their young lord.”

Bian Jizhong chimed in, “Exactly, no grudges, no complaints. Just explain things, and we’re all friends.”

Mo Sitong rolled her eyes at them, “You two have the thickest skin.” Then she covered her mouth and laughed.

They passed through the corridor into a fresh and elegant pavilion. In the bright reception hall sat several people. As Liu Junhuai and his companions entered, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator stood up abruptly.

He glanced at the tall, imposing Bian Jizhong, feeling uneasy—this Dustless Palace junior, thin and frail just a few years ago, had now formed a Golden Core.

Sensing the stern gaze of his sect elders behind him, the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator turned to Liu Junhuai, “Are you Liu Junhuai? Did you harm Xia Cangshu of our sect? Don’t tell me you don’t know—only you three entered the eighth layer.”

Liu Junhuai gave him a calm look. “Sitong mentioned it just now. In the eighth layer, my elder brother and I stayed together. We never saw this Senior Brother Xia you speak of. We barely escaped with our lives—what time did we have to kill anyone?”

“Then why did three enter the eighth layer, but only you two came out?” the man pressed.

Liu Junhuai replied, “Senior, I wonder how you gained your cultivation. The cultivation world is treacherous. To advance, one must endure countless hardships and fight for survival, adapting to the law of the jungle. The eighth layer was filled with murderous intent; countless fierce eyes watched from above and below. If your disciple didn’t survive, is that our doing? If we had perished there, would you blame your own sect?”

The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was left speechless, but an elderly man with white hair glared, unleashing a Golden Core pressure upon Liu Junhuai. The air thickened, and the Foundation Establishment cultivators felt their chests tighten; those with lower cultivation even bled from the corners of their mouths.

Liu Junhuai pulled Mo Sitong close, shielding them both with his spiritual awareness, and continued to gaze calmly at the old man.

“Sitong, which one here is the Dustless Palace elder?” Liu Junhuai suddenly asked.

Following Mo Sitong’s gesture, Liu Junhuai addressed that man, “Senior of Dustless Palace, you witnessed what happened. It was forced upon me by Xia Xishan of Martial Ridge Sect, and has nothing to do with your palace. If I yield, there’s no point surviving in the cultivation world. I beg your palace’s grounds for this, and declare this will end only with death.”

With that, he turned and left the reception hall, signaling Bian Jizhong to pull Mo Sitong aside. Facing the Golden Core elder, he said, “If others do not offend me, I will not offend them; but if they do, I will annihilate their entire clan. This is the oath I took upon entering the cultivation world, and today, it starts with your Martial Ridge Sect! Come!”

As he spoke, his entire body surged with true essence, his eyes locked fiercely on the white-haired Golden Core cultivator.

The elder’s Golden Core pressure had intended to force Liu Junhuai into submission, but to his shock, Liu Junhuai was utterly unaffected, moving as freely as before. The elder realized Liu Junhuai was no ordinary late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator; even if he won, it would be a bloody battle.

The Golden Core cultivator already wanted to retreat, but the situation was now a tiger’s back—he could neither advance nor withdraw.

After a few breaths, the elder steeled himself and leapt into the courtyard, his true essence pushed to the limit, throwing a punch at Liu Junhuai.

Liu Junhuai, intent on asserting his dominance, would not waste time. As the punch neared, he vanished, a shadow dispersed by the punch’s wind, only to appear behind the Golden Core cultivator, his killing blow silently piercing the elder’s protective aura.

The elder was terrified, ignoring his shattered aura and urgently fleeing Liu Junhuai’s reach.

“Wretch, courting death!” Tan Jiao’s face turned iron-gray with fury, swinging his fist at Liu Junhuai again, his other hand gripping a handful of black iron sand.

Though several meters separated them, as he raised his hand, the punch was already before Liu Junhuai’s eyes.

“Afraid of you? Hardly!” With a loud bang, Liu Junhuai stood motionless, raising his own hand in time, even stepping forward. When their fists collided, a sound like a tire bursting echoed.

The elder retreated several meters, stopping at the reception hall steps, staring in horror at his burning, nearly broken hand.

He had thought Liu Junhuai would fear his fist and avoid a direct clash, but with a single punch, his hand was nearly ruined.

A shiver ran through him, and absurd terror rose—his pride in forming a Golden Core shattered.

The onlookers were equally stunned. A late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator had overpowered a Golden Core with sheer strength—no tricks, just raw power. The Golden Core was forced back several steps, while Liu Junhuai stood unmoved.

“Too bad, you never got to use your poison sand. Don’t say I bully the old and weak—here’s your chance!” Liu Junhuai said, vanishing again, reappearing behind the elder.

As expected, the moment Liu Junhuai disappeared, the elder scattered the black iron sand behind him.

Liu Junhuai stood behind, refusing to dodge, letting the iron sand cover him.

As Mo Sitong cried out in alarm, Liu Junhuai’s body flashed gold; a second golden light shot forth, piercing the elder’s chest.

Immediately, Liu Junhuai wielded his Five Elements Chaotic Blade; with a bleak flash, the elder’s white-haired head soared skyward, landing amid distant flowers.

A hush fell; thick deathly air filled every corner of the courtyard. All were dumbfounded, including two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators watching nearby.

Those uninvolved marveled at Liu Junhuai’s incomprehensible technique; none could see the origin of the golden light, only its dazzling brilliance in that instant.

Those involved were terrified by Liu Junhuai’s decisive ruthlessness—no hesitation, no mercy, soaked in blood yet his demeanor unchanged: calm as the wind, elegant, unruffled.

“Father!” The late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator’s anguished scream shattered the silence.

Several cultivators of similar strength rushed at Liu Junhuai. Bian Jizhong, long unable to restrain himself, unleashed the Tiger Shadow Blade in a flurry, sending tiger-shaped blade light roaring behind them.

At the sound, Liu Junhuai moved, appearing eerily among the enemy, his fragmented blade sweeping all hostile force within its range and reflecting it back. The sound of flesh being sliced echoed repeatedly; two heads and several limbs arced through the air in bloody trails, landing afar.

Bian Jizhong’s tiger shadows had vanished, leaving only a field of mangled bodies soaking in blood, some still twitching faintly.

The two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators watching gasped, realizing that the late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, just a step from Golden Core, lasted less than a breath against the two—such terrifying power, and one was so young.

Bian Jizhong shot Liu Junhuai a look, then strode toward the table where Martial Ridge Sect had been seated.

Two men remained standing there. Seeing Bian Jizhong approach, one, a middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator, stammered, “Senior, we are disciples of Seven Stars Sect, only accompanying Martial Ridge Sect. We know nothing of this matter, please judge fairly.”

Suddenly, Mo Sitong rushed forward, pointing at the young cultivator at Qi Refining Stage Eight: “Are you Liu Hanliang of Seven Stars Sect? Do you know Miao Zongmin?”

Liu Junhuai recalled the trap meant for Mo Sitong, his eyes blazing with anger, and rushed over.

The young Qi Refining cultivator was terrified, bowing repeatedly to Mo Sitong, “I deserve death for passing information to Senior Brother Miao Zongmin. Please, Fairy Mo, spare me this time!”

Bian Jizhong turned and asked Liu Junhuai, “What’s going on?”

Liu Junhuai replied, “Brother, Liu Hanliang teamed up with Sitong and others in the mansion’s early layers. At the entrance to the seventh layer, they split up, and Liu Hanliang sent word to his senior Miao Zongmin that Sitong entered alone. Miao Zongmin set an ambush on the seventh layer to harm Sitong.”

Bian Jizhong was enraged, slapping Liu Hanliang and sending him flying several yards.

Mo Sitong stopped Bian Jizhong from chasing further, saying, “Wait, I have more questions for him.”

Liu Junhuai dragged Liu Hanliang back with one hand. Mo Sitong asked, “You nearly cost me my life. Tell me—who made you do it? Answer, and you can leave.”

The middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator also roared angrily, “Speak, or even Master won’t spare you!”

Liu Hanliang glanced around, lowering his voice, “Fairy Mo, can we speak somewhere else?”

Bian Jizhong grew furious, raising his hand to strike again, but Liu Junhuai held him back.

Liu Junhuai said, “Speak. If you tell us, you can go free. If not, your sect will suffer—choose wisely.”

Liu Hanliang hesitated, timidly asking, “If I tell the truth, will Fairy Mo spare me and my master?”

Mo Sitong nodded. She looked at the two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators; one nodded, saying, “Speak boldly. I guarantee your safe departure from Dustless Palace.”