Aerial Instant Strike
"Dear friend... is there any possibility of reconciliation? I shall act as if I did not witness what just transpired..." Yang Fan's voice trembled with panic and fear, his body retreating step by step, feigning a complete lack of combat readiness.
Yet, within the depths of his heart, he remained as calm as still water, acutely aware that his adversary would not easily relent—most likely, they would seek to silence him.
"Ha ha! To act as if you did not see it? Then that means you indeed saw everything!" The young man's face was lit with malevolence, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mockery as he staggered forward, pressing the attack.
As a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Refining Qi stage, dispatching a mere beginner would usually require no effort at all. However, he was currently grievously wounded, his magical energy severely depleted. Despite possessing a fragment of a treasured artifact, he lacked the strength to wield such a powerful relic.
Yet, seeing Yang Fan cowering in fear and refusing to fight only heightened his confidence. He advanced step by step, overwhelming the young Qi practitioner with his oppressive aura, rendering him breathless.
"Today, your misfortune is upon you for witnessing our affairs, and thus, you must die!" The youth's eyes gleamed with malice as he conjured ethereal shadows with his hands. A flicker of spiritual light danced as he unleashed two or three fireballs in quick succession.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The fiery projectiles raced toward Yang Fan, roaring through the air, a wave of heat rippling in their wake.
This youth's fireball technique, unleashed by a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Refining Qi stage, far surpassed that of the likes of "Uncle Eight"—the potency was several times greater, and he launched three simultaneously.
At this stage, a cultivator's reservoir of spiritual energy had reached a peak, which rendered them immensely powerful compared to ordinary Refining Qi practitioners. If an average beginner faced such an assault, they would surely be gravely injured.
Yet, the one facing this assault was Yang Fan.
He was no ordinary beginner, armed with an unwavering spirit and profound resilience. At this critical moment, Yang Fan's figure flickered as he soared gracefully through the air, narrowly evading the three fireballs that arced toward him.
"What...?"
The young man froze momentarily, astonished at Yang Fan's battle instincts and reflexes that exceeded his expectations. However, upon witnessing Yang Fan's aerial maneuver, a smirk curled on his lips.
It was well-known that cultivators at the Refining Qi stage could not fly; even hovering momentarily in mid-air was a formidable challenge. Yang Fan, suspended in the void, faced considerable limitations in agility and movement.
This, in turn, placed him in significant peril.
Yet, the youth underestimated Yang Fan yet again...
As Yang Fan reached the apex of his leap, preparing to descend, an unexpected turn of events unfolded.
Whoosh!
A brilliant azure streak shot forth from Yang Fan's hand, piercing the midnight sky.
In that instant, the pitch-black night was pierced by a resplendent light.
Whoosh—Puff!
A gleaming azure sword cleaved through the young man's throat.
A single strike—fatal!
His eyes widened in disbelief, the expression on his face frozen in a mixture of astonishment and confusion as he stared at the azure blade that had so effortlessly penetrated his throat.
"The Azure Blade, a low-grade spiritual weapon—may it bring you clarity in death," Yang Fan remarked with a cold smirk, landing solidly on the ground.
"What... how is this possible..." The young man's face contorted in horror, managing to gasp out a few words, supported only by the remnants of his magical energy and blood. How could a novice at the Refining Qi stage possibly wield a spiritual weapon?
Spiritual weapons surpassed regular magical artifacts; only those who had reached the Concentrating Spirit stage could harness them. Even those at that level were not guaranteed possession of such a weapon.
Take the elder who had just perished, for instance; despite being at the Concentrating Spirit stage, he had wielded only a superior magical artifact.
Magical artifacts and spiritual weapons were categorized into four grades: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and superior.
Thud!
The youth collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his face still etched with shock and disbelief. Even in his final moments, he could not fathom how a mere beginner could command a spiritual weapon to attack him.
Yang Fan exhaled slowly, a flash of spiritual light appearing as the Azure Blade returned to his grasp. Gazing at the sword, memories of his master, Liu Wuhen, flooded back to him.
The Azure Blade was a gift from Elder Liu on the day Yang Fan stepped into the Concentrating Spirit stage.
"Hmph! Aside from the scions of the Yang family fortress, how would outsiders know that this weapon has long been linked to my consciousness? Even though I am merely a beginner, as long as I expend a fraction of my spiritual energy, I can still wield this sword," Yang Fan thought with a cold smirk. The earlier strike had cost him a substantial portion of his magical energy.
Of course, the successful execution was also due to his prior display of weakness and the perfect execution of the aerial instant strike.
Had the youth not been so arrogant and cautious, Yang Fan would have had to pay a heavier price for victory, despite ultimately prevailing.
His gaze swept across the two lifeless bodies, fixating on their storage bags and magical artifacts.
These were spoils of war!
Without hesitation, Yang Fan opened the two storage bags, exploring their contents with keen interest.
He discovered six or seven magical artifacts, a few hundred spirit stones, and various other elixirs and materials. Among them, a peculiar blue brick caught his attention.
As he lifted the brick, a heavy, oppressive aura washed over him, and he noticed intricate symbols inscribed upon its surface. Upon closer inspection, he realized with astonishment that this treasure was actually a mid-grade spiritual weapon!
A mid-grade spiritual weapon!
This was one of the reasons the youth had dared to attack his master.
However, given the youth's pinnacle status in the Refining Qi stage, he could only manage to wield this artifact with great effort and only in defense—not for offensive use.
Yang Fan forced down his excitement, focusing his intent as he stored the blue brick in the "Xianhong Space."
Such a precious item was beyond his current capacity to wield, and placing it in the storage space would ensure its safety.
If left in the storage bag, it could attract unwanted attention from powerful cultivators with keen senses, leading to potential disaster.
Moreover, Yang Fan learned from the earlier conversation that this blue brick was a fragment of a treasured artifact belonging to the "Jinhong Sect."
With this knowledge, Yang Fan was even less inclined to use it carelessly.
Once he had gathered the spoils, a sense of satisfaction washed over him. Although he had faced considerable danger, the rewards were bountiful, promising significant profit.
Finding a secluded corner, Yang Fan retrieved a jade vial from his storage bag. Inside lay a perfectly round purple pill, roughly the size of a pinky, exuding a refreshing aura upon closer inspection.
"It truly is a mid-grade 'Yunshen Dan'!" Yang Fan's face brightened with joy as he swiftly tucked it away.
"This 'Yunshen Dan,' along with the few mid-grade 'Yunling Dan' my master gifted me earlier, provides a great opportunity for any typical late Refining Qi cultivator to break through to the Concentrating Spirit stage."
Yang Fan mused, strategizing in his mind.
The function of the 'Yunling Dan' was to refine the purity of spiritual energy, enhancing a cultivator's strength. It was particularly beneficial for those who had yet to reach the pinnacle of the Refining Qi stage.
Combining the Yunling Dan with the Yunshen Dan represented an excellent chance to break through to the Concentrating Spirit stage.
However, for Yang Fan, still at the early stage of Refining Qi, reaching Concentrating Spirit status remained a distant goal. He would reconsider this matter after advancing to the late Refining Qi stage.
Moreover, he felt a peculiar urge; given the unique nature of his astonishing cultivation technique, it might be more efficient to serve as an apothecary, healing and treating more powerful cultivators rather than consuming elixirs and spending time in seclusion.
By comparison, the latter approach appeared to yield quicker results.
After another hour of cultivation in the wilderness, Yang Fan felt his magical energy restore to a flourishing state.
Breathless, he rose to his feet, noticing that night was gradually dissipating, and a thin veil of mist hung in the air, cool and refreshing against his skin.
"With just half an hour until dawn, I might as well set off early. Now, with my increased resources, I should be able to purchase quite a bit of medicinal materials at the 'Xiuyuge,'" he declared, striding toward the main road.
As he approached the two corpses, an idea struck him. Instead of immediately incinerating them, he walked up to inspect the bodies.
Overcoming the stench of decay, Yang Fan extended his palm over the wounds of the corpses and invoked the "Rain Dew Technique."
He wished to see if this technique held any efficacy against the dead.