Ten thousand Wraths

Liu Ping turned around and began walking toward the outskirts of the small town.

— The conversation between Eldest Senior Brother and that monster had already revealed some astonishing secrets.

But it wasn't enough.

Liu Ping's face showed a hint of regret.

If only...

If only he were still at the Divine Reflection Realm cultivation base. Things wouldn't have been so troublesome.

At that level, he had countless methods to extract the secrets of "Spirit hunter" from Eldest Senior Brother's mouth.

But now, he was limited to the Foundation Establishment perfection stage.

No matter how strong this body was, it still wasn't Divine Reflection Realm.

"Wait, almost forgot..."

Liu Ping halted, turned back, and walked into the settling mist and dust. He searched near the spot where a person had died earlier and found a Storage Bag.

He rifled through its contents, his expression growing brighter with satisfaction.

Having money is a true joy.

Earlier, using The One Who Debuts on that terrifying monster had burned through an astronomical amount of spirit stones in mere moments.

Performance Class abilities were a bottomless pit for resources—he couldn't afford to remain idle without replenishing his wealth.

As Liu Ping pondered silently, he asked aloud, "How's your master doing now?"

The Sword Spirit replied, "The medicinal pill you gave her is effective. Zhangxue is in deep recovery—your Grand Profundity Palace's medicinal pills live up to their reputation."

"That's right. That pill was a gift from a senior when I joined the sect. It's primarily for cultivation, but its healing effects are remarkable as well. I was quite impressed with it myself," Liu Ping said.

"Let's head back to check on her," the Sword Spirit suggested.

"Let's go," Liu Ping agreed.

Liu Ping was just about to take a step when he suddenly looked up at the nighttime sky.

A streak of flowing light cut through the darkness, arcing across the heavens and descending somewhere in the distant forest.

"It's her sect members. They're looking for her" the Sword Spirit said, its voice tinged with unease.

Liu Ping furrowed his brow. "My Perverts Clothing has never been seen through before, but—"

"But what?" the Sword Spirit asked.

"My cultivation level is too low. I can't fully utilize the concealment power of the Pervert's Clothing. There's still some risk of being exposed" Liu Ping admitted.

"Then what should we do? We need to get back to her quickly!" the Sword Spirit urged.

"That's not a good idea," Liu Ping said, hesitating. "If we rush over now, we might alarm those people. If that happens, she'll be discovered too."

"Then just pretend you're her assigned dao companion!" the Sword Spirit suggested.

Liu Ping smiled faintly. "That's... one way."

"What's the plan, then? How do we handle this?" the Sword Spirit asked, sounding increasingly anxious.

Liu Ping's smile widened as he answered casually, "Simple. We'll just kill them all."

"You only have the Foundation Establishment Stage! They're Golden Core and Rejuvenation cultivators!" the Sword Spirit retorted, incredulous.

"Fair point."

Liu Ping began walking forward, his steps slow and deliberate. As he moved, a ripple of spirit power emanated from his body.

Although his bamboo hat helped to mask the fluctuation, there was something about it—subtle, yet impossible to ignore—that suggested immense potential brewing beneath the surface.

In the air before him, two lines of burning small texts appeared:

[You are attempting to break through.]

[You have begun your great strides toward the Golden Core Realm!]

Liu Ping didn't stop walking, his pace steady as he headed toward the outskirts of the small town.

The Sword Spirit spoke, puzzled: "Aren't you going to find a safe place to break through? Transitioning from Foundation Establishment to the Golden Core stage will attract Void wraths eager to devour a cultivator."

"It's fine," Liu Ping replied with a calm smile. "Someone like me, with so many trump cards, can handle it just fine."

"Are you referring to the Transcending Tribulation techniques?" the Sword Spirit asked.

"maybe"

Gradually, faint sounds began to emerge around Liu Ping, an eerie mix of whispers and guttural chewing noises. It was as if unseen voices were murmuring secrets while beasts gnawed on bones just beyond sight.

Suddenly, the Void shifted.

A ghostly figure, its entire body covered in matted hair, pushed its head out from the cracks in reality, its sinister gaze sweeping the surroundings.

"Female sword cultivator—you are crossing the Golden Core Tribulation!" the wrath sneered.

"That's right. But before you go, lend me a little blood" the sword cultivator replied calmly.

She secured her long sword on her back, extended her hand, and drew the snow shadow blade. Without hesitation, she swung it toward the ghost.

"You're doomed, poor fool" the wrath said with a cruel grin.

A flash of cold, snow-like light sliced through the air.

In the next instant, the ghost's head was severed from its body.

"With such poor judgment, how dare you parade around as a wrath?" the cultivator said with a sigh.

She skewered the wrath's head on the tip of her blade, grasping the weapon with both hands. Closing her eyes, she muttered in a low, commanding tone:

"The Nine Serenities! Ten thousand Wraths—heed my command, now!"

The spiritual energy radiating from her body flared violently, transforming into a boiling mass of black light.

The dark energy coalesced at the blade's tip, pouring into the severed wrath's head.

The wrath's head stirred, its eyes slowly opening. It gazed soullessly into the void, as if searching for something unseen.

"Is this your trump card ability?" Sword Spirit asked, its voice tinged with curiosity.

"Yes," the cultivator replied calmly. "Among the many spells I've mastered, this one is specifically designed to activate during the Golden Core Tribulation."

In the Void, the faint whispers abruptly ceased.

Invisible ripples spread outward, announcing the arrival of a Heavenly Maiden. Draped in sheer, ethereal gauze, she descended gracefully, holding a pipa cradled in her delicate hands. Her fingers danced across the strings, producing an enchanting melody that resonated through the air.

She gazed at the scene with captivating, watery eyes, her smile both alluring and dangerous.

"You dare invoke the heavenly tribulation of the Golden Core to summon me and the Myriad wraths? Young one, do you not fear having your soul utterly annihilated?"

Liu Ping stepped forward and extended a single finger, tapping gently against his blade.

A crisp, resonant clang echoed as the sound of the Heavenly Maiden's pipa abruptly shattered.

At that moment, four sharp spiritual glows burst from the Snow Shadow Blade, ascending into the sky. The glows fused together, condensing into a freezing mist that quickly gave rise to scorching flames. The clash of ice and fire produced dense fog, crackling with intermittent thunder.

The fog churned violently as bolts of lightning, serpentine and silver, erupted from within, leaping along the surface of Liu Ping's blade.

The Heavenly Maiden's expression darkened immediately.

"This is SkillBlade... you are a SkillBlade successor!" she exclaimed, hastily retracting her pipa.

Liu Ping's gaze didn't waver as he spoke:

"Call out those hiding in the void and have them assist me" Liu Ping commanded.

"Yes" the Heavenly maiden replied, lowering her eyes respectfully.

She vanished into the void, her figure quickly fading from sight.

The Sword Spirit, silent until now, finally spoke up. "Heavenly demons and Wraths typically come to devour cultivators during their Golden Core Tribulation. Why did she look at you as if she'd seen a ghost?"

"There was once a man—a master of bladesmanship—who, while undergoing his tribulation, discovered their existence. On a whim, he decided to test something" Liu Ping began, 'her' voice distant as if recalling a memory.

"What did he attempt?" Sword Spirit asked, curiosity evident in its tone.

"He resolved to kill every wrath that could interfere with a Golden Core Tribulation, hoping to determine whether others crossing their tribulations in the future would still encounter such creatures. His goal was to explore the origins of these monsters and understand their survival mechanisms" she explained, her words deliberate.

Liu Ping paused as if lost in thought, before continuing. "You're a Sword Spirit, so you should know that researching knowledge often demands a bloody price... I'll spare you the long details, but in short, after countless battles and experiments, the remaining wraths were forced to swear a Heart Blood Oath. The oath binds them: as soon as they encounter Skillbade practitioners, they must obey commands unconditionally. All they ask is for that person to refrain from killing them."

"Did that person agree to those terms?" the Sword Spirit asked.

"Not at first," he admitted, "but they kept offering large amounts of spirit stones, and it became awkward to continue refusing. Reluctantly, they agreed."

(TN: hmm.... it was himself wasn't it?)

He smiled faintly and added, "Originally, we had to wait until the Saint Realm to summon them. Thankfully, they appear during the Golden Core Tribulation. While it's just a single opportunity, it's enough to provide significant help."

After a few moments, clusters of dark shadows began to emerge from the void. Gradually, the shadows coalesced, forming an endless wall of darkness behind Liu Ping.

From within the shadows, the maiden reappeared and bowed deeply. "The Wall of the Wrath World has been established. We are ready to act at any moment," she announced.

"Conceal it" the female cultivator ordered.

"Understood." She nodded and retreated into the dark wall.

With her departure, the wall dissolved into nothingness.

Adjusting the bamboo hat on her head, the female cultivator leaped gracefully and dashed toward the forest with swift, determined strides.

She moved swiftly through the forest, her figure darting gracefully between the trees. Before long, several cultivators appeared ahead.

"It's Fairy Maiden Li!" one of them shouted.

'Fairy Maiden Li' halted, her gaze calm and assessing as she looked at the group. "Are you looking for me?"

The cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions uncertain. One of them, a male cultivator, stepped forward cautiously. "We heard that Fairy Maiden Li was injured—"

"Yes, I am injured. And?" she interrupted, her tone steady.

"Do you need our assistance?" another male cultivator offered hesitantly.

She smiled faintly, holding her sword across her chest. "How kind of you to offer. Since you're so eager to help, hand over your spirit stones. I could use them to soothe the grief in my wounded heart."

The group looked at one another, stunned into silence.

One cultivator laughed nervously. "Surely Fairy Maiden jests."

Her smile widened, though her voice turned sharp. "Who's joking? If you truly want to help, then give me the spirit stones. Otherwise, don't bother pretending to care. That false concern of yours is disgusting—it makes me want to vomit."

The group stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

Finally, one of them clenched his fists and spoke firmly. "Fairy Maiden, I've heard your swordsmanship is unparalleled. I'd like to spar with you."

Her eyes widened, disbelief flashing across her face. "Are you serious? I'm injured—I have wounds on my body—and you want to fight me? What kind of man challenges a wounded woman? How shameful."

The cultivators looked utterly embarrassed. Two of them bowed respectfully, clasping their fists in a salute before taking to the sky and leaving.

The remaining three shared a brief look before one of them, the same man who had challenged her, spoke again. "Junior Sister, it seems the sect is in chaos. No one will come to your aid now..."

"And?" she asked, tilting her head with feigned curiosity.

"Then we'll make sure you can't escape!" he shouted, signaling to his companions.

In an instant, all three charged at her, their intent clear.

Fairy Maiden Li's lips curved into a sweet smile as she whispered, her tone laced with mockery, "Very good. I do love it when people reveal their treachery so openly."