Chapter 2: Silver Armor Divine General

’Any endless trouble is your Wei Family’s business. What does it have to do with me?’ Listening to the Wei Family Cultivator’s words, Fang Qingyuan wanted nothing more than to slap him to death.

’A Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator... could my Humpback Skate team possibly stop him?’

’Didn’t you see that even Wang Lu’s group of over thirty people was no match for him? I’d like to live a few more years, thank you very much.’

So, Fang Qingyuan ignored the Wei Family Cultivator and steered Yin Bao to fly backward in retreat. Having witnessed its companion’s gruesome death, Yin Bao’s young mind was already traumatized. At Fang Qingyuan’s signal, it used every last ounce of its strength to flee.

Seeing that Fang Qingyuan was ignoring him, the Wei Family liaison’s face twisted. He summoned a Magic Sword, aimed it at Fang Qingyuan’s neck from afar, and shouted sternly:

"How dare you! Stop right there! Get up there and tie up Swentai. In a moment, my family’s ancestor will arrive."

Locked on by the Magic Sword’s aura and feeling the sharp intent on his neck, Fang Qingyuan looked at the Wei Family liaison’s expression. He knew that if he didn’t obey, the man would actually dare to attack.

This liaison from the Wei Family was at Late-stage Qi Cultivation, while he was only at the Qi Refining Fourth Level and wasn’t skilled in combat. If they were to fight, he would definitely lose.

’Unless I use that Talisman... I could kill him by surprise. But killing a Wei Family Cultivator... that would change the nature of the situation entirely.’

The Wei Family Cultivator was here to oversee the battle. Killing him in front of everyone from the She Family... even the Beast Taming Sect wouldn’t be able to protect him.

This was not the time for idiotic remarks like "I don’t believe you’d dare" or "Go on, try me." Fang Qingyuan sighed and steered Yin Bao to slowly, reluctantly inch closer to Swentai.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw She Xi Yu give him a meaningful look. This sparked an idea in Fang Qingyuan’s mind.

’It seems the She Family doesn’t want to fight Swentai to the death either. They’re only doing this because the Wei Family Cultivator is forcing them to.’

’I just don’t know what She Xi Yu is planning, or what he wants me to do.’

Swentai had gone berserk. He had been planning to go to the Outer Sea soon to find a Core Formation Spiritual Land. He never expected that before he could even leave, the calamity of his family’s destruction would befall him.

Swentai’s primary Spirit Root was Metal, and he practiced a Gold-attribute Cultivation Technique. Although Shandu Mountain was a Fourth-grade Lower Grade Spirit Land, its attribute was incompatible, making it unsuitable for his first choice to attempt Core Formation.

He had heard that Golden Spirit Island in the Outer Sea possessed a fourth-grade upper-grade Gold Attribute Spiritual Vein. If he were to attempt Core Formation there, his chances of success would increase by at least twenty percent.

However, the price was steep. Renting a cave residence and purchasing Breaking Through Elixirs would cost no less than several tens of thousands of Middle-grade Spirit Stones.

Swentai had saved for half his life, but he still didn’t have enough Spirit Stones. Fortunately, his elder brother, Swen Guang, had sponsored him, which gave him the confidence to rent a fourth-grade upper-grade cave residence.

Remembering Swen Guang’s kindness, Swentai looked at the Cultivators before him, his voice filled with hatred:

"All of you... deserve to die!"

Swentai raised the Golden Spirit Origin-Slaying Sword in his hand. With a casual swing, a blood-curdling scream followed. With his Late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, the vassal Cultivators of the Wei Family before him were no match for a single blow.

’Core Formation... what a wonderful thing. A pity that I, Swentai, will never see it in this lifetime.’

’Better to break than to bend, to charge forward with courage—this is the path I, Swentai, have chosen. I will not choose to eke out a meager existence, enduring humiliation and biding my time.’

Swentai recalled the theory for his Core Formation. Swen Guang had previously advised him that this theory was too dangerous and that he should choose a different one.

He had been hesitant before, but thinking back now, this was part of the reason he had kept delaying his trip to the Outer Sea.

’Now that they’ve come to my doorstep, what’s the point of changing my Core Formation theory? I have enemies to slaughter, so why should I change it?’

’It is what it is. Fate is fate. This life came from the Swen Family, so it’s only fair that it be returned. First, I’ll kill these small fry, and then I’ll find the mastermind and demand justice.’

At this thought, the Spiritual Qi in Swentai’s body began to circulate wildly, no longer caring if his body could withstand it. He slashed out with his sword, cleaving another beast-vessel in two. Then, his eyes fixed on Fang Qingyuan’s vessel. With a casual wave of his hand, a beam of sword light shot forth.

Seeing the massive beam of sword light flying toward him, Fang Qingyuan’s soul nearly fled his body. The gruesome destruction of the two previous beast-vessels had happened right before his eyes. He never thought his turn would come so soon.

At the critical moment, a stream of incantations, one after another, echoed across Yin Bao’s back:

"Ding-Chou extends my life, Ding-Hai restrains my soul. Ding-You controls my spirit, Ding-Wei repels my disaster. Jia-Shen solidifies my fate, Jia-Wu guards my soul. Jia-Chen stabilizes my spirit, Jia-Yin nurtures my true self..."

As the incantation rose, the eighteen Array Banners on Yin Bao’s back all began to emit Spiritual Light. Spiritual Power surged wildly from the She Family disciples holding the banners into She Xi Yu’s body, instantly boosting his cultivation from Early-stage Foundation Establishment to Late-stage Foundation Establishment.

Despite his soaring cultivation, She Xi Yu’s expression was incredibly solemn. He raised the main banner in his hand, pointed it at the incoming sword light, and a phantom of a Silver Armor Divine General manifested.

The Silver Armor Divine General was enormous, over ten meters tall—as large as a three or four-story building. Its face was blurry and indistinct. It hovered in mid-air and, facing Swentai’s sword light, slammed its hands together, actually catching the beam between its palms.

"Good! Then take another one of my strikes!"

Seeing the Silver Armor Divine General, Swentai laughed maniacally. He completely ignored the other Qi Cultivation Cultivators and charged straight for Fang Qingyuan’s group.

A giant sword chopped and slashed at the Silver Armor Divine General, flying up and down, completely suppressing it in combat.

With every strike, a part of the Silver Armor Divine General’s spiritual body was cut away. But as She Xi Yu refilled it with Spiritual Power, the general’s injuries began to rapidly heal.

Fang Qingyuan steered the Humpback Skate, leading everyone to hide behind the Silver Armor Divine General. Feeling the shockwaves from the battle, he tightly clutched the Purple Talisman in his hand, hesitating whether to use it.

This Talisman was a high-end item he had spent ten Middle-grade Spirit Stones on, named the Nine Luminaries Dragon Abyss Sword Talisman.

A Loose Cultivator had reluctantly put this Sword Talisman up for sale to afford a Magical Artifact he had taken a liking to, and it had ultimately fallen into Fang Qingyuan’s hands.

This Sword Talisman could release a beam of sword light, which was infallibly effective against Qi Cultivation Cultivators. But against Swentai, he had no confidence at all.

After just a short while, She Xi Yu’s face turned pale. In the end, he was only an Early-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Being able to hold off Swentai for this long with an Array was already incredible.

As She Xi Yu’s face grew paler and paler, he finally couldn’t hold back and shouted at the Wei Family Cultivator:

"Is this enough? Is it good enough now? We held him off! Where is your ancestor?"

Hearing She Xi Yu’s question, the Wei Family Cultivator replied harshly:

"Hold on a little longer! I’ve already sent the message. The ancestor will be here any second."

Hearing the Wei Family Cultivator say this, She Xi Yu’s eyes turned completely cold. After exchanging a glance with Fang Qingyuan, he manipulated the Silver Armor Divine General to reach back and snatch the Wei Family Cultivator, grabbing him as easily as if he were pinching a chick.

In the Silver Armor Divine General’s hand, the Wei Family Cultivator’s face was filled with terror. He tried to say something, but She Xi Yu wasn’t about to give him the chance.

He was thrown directly into Swentai’s sword light. The next moment, the once-arrogant Wei Family Cultivator was instantly sliced in two, clearly dead.

The moment the Wei Family Cultivator died, Fang Qingyuan immediately spurred Yin Bao into a frantic retreat. As the incantation continued to cycle, She Xi Yu manipulated the Silver Armor Divine General to cover their escape, struggling to withstand Swentai’s assault.

Never before had time felt so long for Fang Qingyuan. The span of a few dozen breaths felt like half a lifetime.

So, when he saw the ferocious flood dragon at Wei Tong’s feet, his mind suddenly relaxed, and he almost fainted from the relief.