“What a madman!”
If given a choice, the Greenbeard Fiend absolutely did not want to confront the Righteous Dao Sword.
Leaving aside the fact that the opponent’s Vast Righteous Qi was a natural bane to many evil and unorthodox cultivation paths, the real issue was that this fight was completely unprofitable.
For an evil cultivator, facing Righteous Dao Sword Chu Jiao was equivalent to courting disaster.
This was especially true for someone like the Greenbeard Fiend, who was at the late-stage Perfected Golden Core realm.
For demonic cultivators, reaching Perfected Golden Core essentially meant the road ended there.
Breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm was impossible unless one encountered heaven-defying fortune.
Out of ten thousand Perfected Golden Core demonic cultivators, would even ten ever encounter such fortune?
It was nothing more than a fantasy.
If the opponent were someone like the Saintess of the Life-Severing Sect, then even killing Chu Jiao would not matter—she had powerful backing.
But someone like him, with no future potential… who would protect him afterward?
Meanwhile, Chu Jiao was a true prodigy of the righteous path, already showing signs of becoming the leading figure among the younger generation of the Seven Righteous Path Swords.
Against such a person, losing meant death.
Winning, on the other hand, meant being hunted endlessly by Chu Jiao’s Nascent Soul–realm master.
Either way, there was absolutely no benefit.
So why was this madman chasing him so relentlessly?
Greenbeard Fiend couldn’t understand it.
Originally, the agreement had been simple: bring the Life-Severing Sect’s formation disk, deploy it, and leave.
He had never truly joined the sect. It was merely a cooperative arrangement based on mutual benefit.
He had thought it would be an easy task.
Who could have known he would encounter such a rabid dog?
Was this really the time to talk about upholding justice and exterminating evil?
But regardless, Greenbeard Fiend had already sensed Chu Jiao’s killing intent.
His brow furrowed.
“Chu Jiao! Since you refuse the courtesy I offered, don’t think I’m some weakling you can bully at will!”
“If you insist on fighting to the death, then how could I refuse?”
He was an old fiend with centuries of experience.
Once he made up his mind, demonic energy surged skyward.
In an instant, his decision was made.
At worst, he would kill Chu Jiao and go into seclusion for a hundred years.
He refused to believe that a mere Golden Core disciple could make a Dao Sword True Master hunt him for an entire century.
A small purplish-black banner appeared in his hand.
Inside it, countless resentful souls wailed.
Chu Jiao’s expression changed immediately.
Among those souls… there might once have been Mo Ling’s.
The Ten Thousand Soul Banner—Greenbeard Fiend’s famed demonic treasure, refined over countless years.
Chu Jiao could not afford to clash with it directly.
He knew this fear was irrational.
After all, this fiend had fought countless battles over the centuries.
Mo Ling’s soul had likely long since dispersed.
But still—
He could not let go.
For him, this was…
His hands formed seals rapidly.
The Righteous Dao Sword expanded above his head, taking a defensive stance.
Golden beams shot forth from his palms, solidifying in the sky.
“Imprisoning Dragon, Locking Sky Grand Formation!”
Greenbeard Fiend’s eyes widened.
“Have you lost your mind?! Using such a grand formation to trap me?”
“You didn’t set it up beforehand, and your cultivation is inferior to mine! How dare you think you can imprison me?!”
Even an old fiend like him felt deeply insulted.
His rage ignited instantly.
“Demonic Flames Scorch the Heavens!”
Surging demonic energy transformed into blazing flames, scorching the newly formed formation.
Then he waved the Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Countless resentful souls surged forth, crashing into the Righteous Dao Sword.
Innumerable ghostly hands clawed at the Vast Righteous Qi, tearing at it endlessly.
Chu Jiao retreated step by step.
He refused to let the righteous energy harm the souls, but—
He couldn’t fight like this.
In this exchange, he was steadily pushed into a disadvantage.
“What’s wrong, Young Hero Chu?”
“So aggressive before, yet now so hesitant?”
“Charging forward boldly, then retreating in fear—how laughable!”
Greenbeard Fiend laughed loudly.
Yet internally, his vigilance was at its peak.
Chu Jiao had come with killing intent, yet now only defended without counterattacking.
Not even willing to waste a sliver of power—
That meant…
Greenbeard Fiend’s attention snapped to the surroundings.
He suspected Chu Jiao was stalling for time.
Waiting for reinforcements.
At this point, he had only two choices:
Flee immediately—but Chu Jiao, as a sword cultivator, could pursue him relentlessly with flying swords.
Even with a cultivation advantage, pure escape speed might not favor him.
Or—
Kill Chu Jiao quickly before help arrived.
In that brief moment, Greenbeard Fiend made his choice.
“Blood Ignition Great Art!”
Blood energy erupted violently from his body.
His power surged.
The resentful souls gnawing at the Vast Righteous Qi grew even more ferocious.
Was this fiend really gambling his life?!
Chu Jiao didn’t understand.
He was clearly on the defensive, yet the other party was going all out.
Then, in an instant, he understood.
But understanding came too late.
He was no match.
There were no reinforcements.
He was going to die.
“I didn’t think I’d need to use this treasure,” Greenbeard Fiend sneered,
“but since you insist on dying, I’ll grant your wish!”
A ring appeared in his hand.
“This mission is a complete loss anyway!”
“Hate-Heaven, Split-Earth, Sorrow-Free Ring! Go!”
“What is that?!”
The ring struck Chu Jiao.
His internal energy erupted into chaos.
Waves of hatred tore through his soul.
His Vast Righteous Qi vanished instantly.
He was finished.
“Thunder—come!”
Lightning tore through the resentful souls.
“Witness my Merciless Flying Sword!”
A streak of light arrived from the horizon.
“Lin Wushuang?! So there are reinforcements! Hah! This old man withdraws!”
“Take care of your junior brother!”
Greenbeard Fiend dissolved into demonic mist and fled.
But the one who appeared was not Lin Wushuang.
It was Li Wangyan.
Borrowing the power of the Mystic Maiden Mirror, he had replicated Lin Wushuang’s Merciless Sword and Qi Xiao’s thunder technique, frightening the fiend into retreat.
Li Wangyan caught Chu Jiao as he fell.
“You are…”
Chu Jiao recognized him instantly.
“How are you… still at the sect…”
He lost consciousness.
But Li Wangyan was far from calm.
Having lived among demonic sects for years, he understood fiends like Greenbeard all too well.
He rose into the air.
Before he went far, the demonic cloud returned.
“I wondered why Lin Wushuang didn’t pursue,” Greenbeard Fiend sneered.
“So it was just a late-stage Foundation Establishment junior bluffing.”
Late-stage Foundation Establishment versus late-stage Golden Core?
For Li Wangyan, it wasn’t difficult.
He possessed an immortal artifact.
With enough spirit stones, he could erase Greenbeard Fiend entirely.
And he had the stones.
But he didn’t.
This had been his plan.
“Senior Sister Jade Lotus, lend me your Dao.”
His aura surged.
Late-stage Foundation Establishment → Golden Core early stage → mid stage → late stage.
“Deceitful brat!”
A thirty-six-petaled jade lotus smashed into Greenbeard Fiend, heavily injuring him.
Another lotus formed.
Greenbeard Fiend’s heart sank.
This youth already wielded peak-level combat power.
He intended to kill him outright.
Then Li Wangyan spat blood.
The lotus shattered.
“Ha! This isn’t your own power!”
Greed flashed in Greenbeard Fiend’s eyes.
“An extraordinary treasure… perhaps my chance to reach Nascent Soul!”
He activated the Blood Ignition Art again, pale and exhausted.
Li Wangyan formed seals.
A blood-stained jade lotus bloomed in his palm.
Greenbeard Fiend’s eyes filled with despair.
“If you don’t die, then I die!”
They collided.
Greenbeard Fiend fell from the sky.
Li Wangyan fell too—still holding Chu Jiao.
Below them lay a mortal city.
* * * *
“Did you hear about that thunderstorm a few days ago?”
“They say an immortal treasure fell from the sky.”
“Martial artists are flooding our city!”
“A million people live here—how could such luck fall to us?”
In a restaurant, waiters chatted.
“Check, please.”
Li Wangyan paid, packed the food, and left.
Three long knocks. Three short ones.
The door opened.
“You’re back?!”
“I brought food.”
Later—
“Why did you save me?” Chu Jiao asked softly.
“When I begged you before… you didn’t save me.”
Li Wangyan replied calmly:
“I’ve said it already.
No matter who it was… I would have acted.”
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂