Chapter 9: That Person’s Back Looks Like Senior Brother

Chapter 9: That Person's Back Looks Like Senior Brother

Yunmeng Swamp.

This was a place filled with scattered marshes, shrouded in poisonous mists all year round, infested with demonic beasts, and rarely visited by people.

As such, it was a paradise for adventurers—and also a common hiding place for countless demonic cultivators.

Xiao Chen, clad in a black cloak and carrying a longsword on his back, walked leisurely through Yunmeng Swamp.

He hadn't set foot in this place since a few months ago, when he came for that woman and obtained the Five-Colored Lotus.

Returning now, Xiao Chen's mindset had undergone a complete transformation.

This time, he wasn't here to reminisce, but to hunt down a demonic cultivator known for abducting innocent women—Hua Junzi.

This man's cultivation was only at the peak of the Dao Foundation realm, but he had mastered an escape technique that made him elusive.

He was skilled in poisons and drugs, and had abducted several True Fate realm women. More than one Heaven Origin cultivator had been humiliated by him.

Some powerful cultivators had tried to kill him, but all had failed.

Hua Junzi had a particular twisted habit—he preferred to act in the wild and would always leave behind the undergarments of his victims as trophies.

The intelligence Xiao Chen received said Hua Junzi was hiding somewhere in Yunmeng Swamp.

As for the exact location, the information wasn't clear.

Xiao Chen accepted the mission mostly because it overlapped with his planned area for training.

Regardless of whether he caught Hua Junzi, he would return to Wendao Academy in two months.

'Someone's fighting.'

Xiao Chen abruptly stopped.

During his time cultivating in the Miscellaneous Dao Institute, his spiritual sense had improved significantly.

Originally, his spiritual sense was already at half-step True Fate level. After months of practicing Sitting Oblivion, it had risen to the level of a True Fate cultivator.

Now, his spiritual sense could cover a full mile in every direction.

He instinctively walked toward the direction of the disturbance, carefully withdrawing his spiritual sense to avoid alerting others.

Moments later, he arrived at the edge of the battlefield.

From a distance, he spotted several disciples wearing the outer courtyard uniforms of Wendao Academy.

Among them, he recognized a few familiar faces.

One of them was none other than Liu Yue'er—his former junior sister and someone he'd been closest to in the outer court.

Seeing Liu Yue'er, Xiao Chen felt a rush of complicated emotions.

Unlike the others who mocked him after he was crippled, Liu Yue'er had never once looked down on him.

She came to encourage him every day and even chased away many troublemakers on his behalf.

But back then, Xiao Chen couldn't bear for anyone to see him in such a miserable state, so he pushed her away.

Before she left, she still said to him, "Senior Brother, I'll definitely find you a holy medicine to restore your dantian. You must not give up on yourself."

Now, Liu Yue'er and the others were locked in combat with a short, hideously ugly man in scholar's robes.

Hua Junzi.

Xiao Chen hadn't expected that less than half a month after arriving at Yunmeng Swamp, he'd already run into him.

But the current situation didn't look good for the Wendao Academy disciples.

Except for Liu Yue'er and one other female disciple, the rest had all collapsed and were unable to fight.

From the looks of it, they'd been hit by Hua Junzi's signature drug—Soft Immortal Powder. This was a potent sedative rumored to prevent any cultivator below the Life Nirvana realm from accessing their spiritual energy.

Boom!

Hua Junzi suddenly flicked his folding fan, sending both Liu Yue'er and the other girl flying.

Pfft—

Both women coughed up blood, clearly suffering severe internal injuries.

"Hehehe…"

Hua Junzi let out an obscene, greasy laugh.

"Who would've thought I'd run into two little beauties like you in the middle of nowhere. Looks like fortune favors Hua Junzi today."

"You… you're a True Fate realm cultivator?"

Liu Yue'er wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and looked at the ugly man before her in disbelief.

"Heh, if I didn't keep a trick up my sleeve, I would've been killed by self-righteous brats like you long ago," Hua Junzi sneered as he stepped closer to the two injured girls.

Liu Yue'er still wanted to fight, but at that moment, she realized her spiritual power had been completely sealed off—she couldn't muster even the slightest bit of force.

'Do I really need to use the secret technique…?'

This small reaction didn't escape Hua Junzi's notice. He grinned lewdly and said, "Little beauty, don't struggle anymore.

When you fought me earlier, you already inhaled my Soft Bone Powder. Even a Heaven Origin realm beauty wouldn't be able to do anything under its effect—let alone you two little Dao Foundation girls."

Xiao Chen silently observed the scene before him. There was no anger in his eyes, only cold focus, as he slowly drew the sword from his back.

For someone like Hua Junzi—who was extremely skilled at escaping—he had only one chance.

But one strike would be enough.

Even before he had grasped sword intent, Xiao Chen could challenge enemies above his level.

Just as Hua Junzi was about to reach Liu Yue'er, he suddenly paused.

He had a natural instinct for danger.

That was how he'd managed to repeatedly escape from even higher realm cultivators.

Hua Junzi instinctively turned toward the direction the danger came from and shouted, "Who's there!?"

Clang!

A clear sword cry echoed across the swamp.

A streak of sword qi flew toward Hua Junzi at an unstoppable speed.

"Who the hell—sneak attacking like a coward!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Hua Junzi activated his escape technique and vanished in a blur.

But a moment later, he felt the world spinning.

Instinctively, he looked up—

And saw a headless body falling from the sky.

'That body looks familiar… isn't that mine?'

'Who the hell pulled this off…? Who doesn't follow martial etiquette anymore!?'

With endless unwillingness and shock, Hua Junzi's severed head rolled several times across the muddy ground before finally coming to a halt.

Silence.

The battlefield turned deathly quiet.

The gathered disciples of Wendao Academy stood frozen, staring at the head on the ground, unable to process what had just happened.

None of them could've imagined that the infamous Hua Junzi—who had plagued the region for over a decade—would be taken down by a single, silent sword strike.

Rustle… rustle…

Only when soft footsteps came from the distance did everyone return to their senses.

They turned toward the sound and saw a tall figure entirely cloaked in black, face hidden beneath a black mask. The man calmly walked up to Hua Junzi's body and collected it.

Xiao Chen had disguised himself deliberately—hooded and masked—so that no one could recognize him.

He carried Hua Junzi's corpse away without saying a word.

All that remained was a lone, deep silhouette disappearing into the mist, leaving no chance for anyone to speak.

Only after a long moment did the crowd begin to react.

One Wendao Academy disciple said regretfully, "Damn it, we didn't even get the chance to thank that senior."

Others started blaming themselves as well.

"Yeah, for someone to kill Hua Junzi in one strike… he must be a Heaven Origin realm powerhouse."

"I don't know if it was Heaven Origin, but that sword strike clearly carried sword intent. I've seen one of our inner court geniuses use something similar before."

Hiss…

Everyone gasped.

To outer court disciples like them, sword intent was something unreachable, something they could only dream of.

Only Liu Yue'er remained dazed in place, whispering softly, "That person's back… looked a lot like Senior Brother…"

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