Chapter 163: Chapter 163

Ge Qing kept his head bowed, but a glint flashed in his eyes. The balance of power in the Northern Territory was about to shift.

As Long Qu finished speaking, a golden storage ring appeared beside him in a shimmer of rippling light. Within it lay a high-grade spirit vein spanning over thirty zhang, along with numerous other rewards and three Earth-tier techniques.

Even a single Earth-tier technique was exceedingly rare, let alone three.

With such resources in hand, the Daxia Sword Sect's disciples would inevitably reach greater heights. In time, the sect itself might ascend to rival the great powers of the Northern Territory.

However, the skies were still shaking with explosions. Gu Xiong was no easy opponent. Qin Xian and Tu Kui had to fight side by side just to hold their ground. With two powerful Daxia Sword Sect elders tied up, the sect found itself at a disadvantage.

Elsewhere, Shen Lan was fending off two foes alone, her blade forming arcs of ice-blue sword light. Though the battle had only just begun, she was already covered in many wounds.

Not far off, Li Nanting flared with fury when he saw her wounds. He slashed at two of his Golden Core Realm opponents to force them back, then rushed to her side. By the time he reached her, Shen Lan had already slipped free of danger. She moved like a fish through water, casting spells with swift, one-handed seals.

Li Nanting tossed out three purple talismans and shouted, “Spell number two hundred and sixty, Lightning Rope!”

Three bolts of purple lightning wrapped around two Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, one tall and one short, binding them with three lightning ropes.

Though the lightning ropes bound them for only a breath’s time, it gave Shen Lan the opening she needed to retreat. Li Nanting seized the moment, moving like lightning and cutting through the air in two swift, deadly arcs.

Two dull booms echoed.

Both strikes shattered the enemy cultivators’ vital force shields. However, freed from their bindings, they managed to dodge the incoming sword light, getting away with minor injuries instead.

Blood dripped from their necks. The short and fat cultivator glared at Li Nanting and cried out, “Li Nanting! You’ll pay for this!”

The taller and thinner cultivator’s face darkened. He glared at Li Nanting with his drooping eyes and licked his lips.

Shen Lan pulled Li Nanting behind her, ignoring her own injuries. She frowned and snapped, “Why are you butting in? They’re mid Nascent Soul Realm cultivators! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

A powerful aura radiated from Li Nanting. He replied gently, “So what, should I just stand there while you’re in danger? I can’t do that.”

Shen Lan laughed in exasperation. “At least you’re finally acting like a man!”

Li Nanting stayed by her side, sword in hand. This time, he did not back down.

The corners of Shen Lan’s lips curled up into a faint smile. In a quiet voice, she asked, “You’ve been avoiding me for three hundred years. Why today?”

Li Nanting pursed his lips, saying nothing.

He didn’t have to. Shen Lan’s eyes reddened. She understood.

He’d distanced himself because she’d reached the Nascent Soul Realm first. His pride had made him feel ashamed. However, he still cared about her.

Shen Lan took a deep breath, and her gaze sharpened. “I’ll focus on killing. Cover me!”

Li Nanting narrowed his eyes and nodded. Lightning flashed beneath his feet, and he shot forward.

All four erupted into brutal combat, their blades weaving deadly sword lights. Every swing unleashed devastating force, the sheer impact of their battle scarring the surrounding mountains with deep craters.

Li Nanting had lived for eight hundred years, and his lightning spirit root made him a formidable opponent among Golden Core Realm cultivators. Though only at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, his destructive power equaled that of an early Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

On the battlefield below, Li Guanqi gripped the Red Lotus Sword, ready to kill. The blade glowed with a sinister crimson light, arcs of electricity dancing all over it. Vital force surged through him, and in under thirty moves, he’d killed a Golden Core Realm cultivator.

Now a Golden Core Realm cultivator, he unleashed his terrifying swordsmanship without holding back. He dominated those of similar cultivation, holding an undeniable advantage.

He killed three Purple Sun Pavilion Golden Core Realm cultivators in just half an hour. His eyes had turned blood-red, yet his spirit platform remained clear. He still thought the Red Lotus Sword’s strength was terrifying.

After undergoing soul dissolution, the sword’s ability had reached its zenith. His spirit void had imbued it with an ability called Main Killing, which manifested in the devastating force behind every strike.

Despite its immense weight, the Red Lotus Sword’s power was nearly unstoppable by those of similar skill. It far surpassed the Emerald Wolf Sword in sharpness and overall quality.

The Red Lotus Sword was three chi and one cun long, and it suited Li Guanqi very well.

In his dantian, his golden core pulsed with brilliant purple-gold light. Intricate, dense patterns covered its surface. He could now circulate vital force through his entire body in a single breath, many times faster than when he was in the Foundation Building Realm.

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He heard the sound of blades rushing at him from behind—multiple swords slicing through the air.

However, Li Guanqi merely curled his finger without even looking back. Vital force erupted from his golden core and flowed through his body.

Suddenly, six lightning spears shot out from the sky, piercing through two Purple Sun Pavilion Golden Core Realm cultivators. A burst of sword light followed.

Two heads flew into the air.

Blood spattered across Li Guanqi’s face. In an instant, he drew the attention of the Purple Sun Pavilion’s leaders.

By then, the thunder in the sky was an almost constant rumble. Lu Kangnian’s Divine Transformation Tribulation was nearly at its end.

Lu Kangnian’s robes were in tatters, but his gaze remained as sharp as knives. He looked around the tragic battlefield, and his eyes became even more bloodshot.

There were three bolts of tribulation lightning left.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Han Tiange was losing his fight. His luxurious purple robes were burned and torn in many places, hanging in tatters.

Over a dozen sword wounds marred his body, and there was even one on his neck. Had he been a moment slower, Ling Daoyan’s sword would’ve taken his life.

Ling Daoyan, a fat old man with a red face, fought with his sword in one hand. The flames erupting from his sword seemed to blur into one big mass, so even Li Guanqi could not see his sword’s trail.