Chapter 522: Chapter 522

Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian were pursuing a person with a Seventh-Layer Golden Core cultivation. Although he had been injured in the previous battle, his strength had not diminished much.

Seeing the two chasing closely, and noticing that they were merely at the Early Stage of Golden Core cultivation, and appeared rather young, this person kept fleeing with a hidden resolve in his heart to teach them a lesson.

Thus, after half an hour of pursuit, seeing that they were about to exit the forbidden airspace of the "Ten Thousand Treasures Tower," he stopped voluntarily.

"You two juniors, you’ve been chasing me relentlessly. Do you really think I’m afraid of you? Today, I will show you my means!"

Stopping, he cursed a few words and then formed a spell with his fingers, sending dozens of yellow rays from his hands onto the mountains. Soon, they solidified and formed forty to fifty rock giants, each ten zhang high.

The rock giants, towering over ten zhang, wielded stone axes or stone hammers, and each emitted an aura comparable to a Tier Four Lower Grade Demon Beast, extraordinary indeed.

This was the divine technique "Stone to Soldiers," somewhat akin to the legendary great divine technique "Scattering Beans into Soldiers," yet it was its simplified version.

Upon the emergence of these dozens of rock giants, they followed their master’s command to encircle Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian.

Their massive bodies stomped on the ground, causing the earth to tremble as if an earthquake had occurred, shaking incessantly.

Seeing this, Zhouyang squinted his eyes, ready to take action to eliminate these rock giants first.

However, before he could act, Jiang Fengxian intervened and broke the move.

The beauty pointed with her delicate finger, releasing a hint of blue-green light from her hand, which melded with the surrounding grass and vines among the rock giants, forming a green forest that trapped all rock giants, making them incapable of any movement.

"What a marvelous ’One Tree Becomes a Forest,’ I never thought Fengxian could cultivate such a divine technique in just under a hundred years after forming her Core!"

Zhouyang exclaimed in surprise, his expression filled with praise as he looked at Jiang Fengxian with admiration.

Everyone knew that Golden Core Stage cultivators could practice various powerful divine techniques, but were they easy to master?

Typically, upon initially entering the Golden Core stage, a cultivator refines their Lifebound Spiritual Artifact and focuses on cultivation, only diverting attention to divine techniques when their cultivation encounters a bottleneck.

Jiang Fengxian, possessing the Green Wood Spirit Body, had a high chance of successfully forming a Nascent Soul in the future. Generally, after forming her Core, besides refining her Lifebound Spiritual Artifact, she should focus entirely on cultivation to elevate her cultivation to the Ninth Layer of the Golden Core as soon as possible.

Considering she raised her cultivation to the Third Layer Golden Core within less than two centuries after forming her Core, she had indeed devoted most of her time to cultivation over the years.

Even so, she managed to master the enemy-trapping divine technique "One Tree Becomes a Forest," truly astonishing and admirable.

At this moment, hearing Zhouyang’s compliments, Jiang Fengxian merely shook her head lightly without revealing any joy, saying, "These are minor tricks; Brother Zhou, you flatter me."

She knew Zhouyang’s strength well; although she had mastered the "One Tree Becomes a Forest" divine technique, it was not yet at the Small Success Realm. Despite trapping the rock giants now, it would only last for a few dozen breaths at most before its effect wore off.

If Zhouyang were to act instead, merely unleashing the "Qianyang True Flame," he could easily incinerate the rock giants or the vine forest.

"Arrogant juniors, take this!"

The old man, furious at the two for ignoring him, waved his hand and summoned a yellow copper gong and a yellow short stick, using the stick to strike the gong.

The sharp gong sound rang out, causing Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian to feel a heavy thud in their chests, as if struck hard by a drumstick, feeling immensely uncomfortable.

Zhouyang was better off; being strong in body refinement, his physical strength was formidable. The gong sound caused discomfort but did not inflict injury on him.

However, Jiang Fengxian was affected; presently entirely in human form, her physical strength comparable to an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator. As the gong sound rang, she trembled as if struck by lightning, clutching her chest painfully with a gasp, with blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"Fengxian, are you alright?"

Zhouyang exclaimed in surprise, and without waiting for Jiang Fengxian’s response, with a murderous look, he waved his hand and summoned the newly acquired "Lion Fire Ruyi."

The fiery-red Jade Ruyi shot out, swiftly transforming into a Flaming Lion charging toward the old man, preventing him from sounding the copper gong a second time.

However, the second gong sound did ring out.

The old man blocked the Flaming Lion with a yellow Suppressing Ruler Spiritual Artifact and then activated his magical power to sound the copper gong once more.

The second gong sound rang out, and although Jiang Fengxian was prepared for it, she was still affected, her heart vibrating, causing her to vomit a second mouthful of blood.

"Old scoundrel, you’re courting death!"

Zhouyang glared, his murderous intent fully ignited.

His initial intention was to pressure the old man into yielding the "Enlightenment Profound Truth Fruit" and consider the matter ended, as treasures, though valuable, pale in comparison to life, something the late-stage Golden Core cultivator should easily grasp.

However, seeing the old man injuring his friend and still aiming to kill them, he abandoned all mercy.

He immediately unleashed a killing move.

Spitting out from his mouth, a pale golden Treasure Pearl flew out, spinning in the air before emitting a golden beam toward the old man.

The old man, being a seasoned late-stage Golden Core cultivator, cautious by nature, had previously evaded a sneak attack from "Yu Deshui" intending to seize the "Enlightenment Profound Truth Fruit" singlehandedly.

Although he did not know the purpose of the golden light now, his instinct warned him not to let an unknown attack reach him.

He stomped, disappearing from the spot in an instant, causing the golden light to miss.

This was the first time since Zhouyang had refined the "Soul Capturing Treasure Pearl" that it had failed.

From this, he realized that truly, no treasure was omnipotent; executing this single move seemed easy in theory but was exceedingly difficult in practice!

Upon seeing the old man’s figure emerging several hundred zhang away from underground, Zhouyang realized what method the old man used to evade the "Soul-Devouring Golden Light."

Nonetheless, he had no time to dwell on these matters; since the "Soul-Devouring Golden Light" had not worked, other killing moves had to be employed.

Moving swiftly, he charged at the old man like a phantom, ready for a close combat showdown to settle the opponent.

Yet that old man, upon seeing that he remained unaffected by the gong sound, understood that his physical body far exceeded that of ordinary people, and would not allow him to get close.

He immediately summoned a Flying Sword to slash at him, while quickly forming a Spell with his hands, creating layers of obstacles on Zhouyang’s path to prevent him from getting near.

Zhouyang temporarily held off the old man’s Flying Sword with the "Jinghong Sword," but the various obstructive Magic from the opponent made him feel like he was in a quagmire, unable to advance an inch.

Fortunately, at this moment, the old man was focused all his energy on him, unable to further activate the Copper Gong Magical Artifact, giving Jiang Fengxian a chance to intervene and counterattack.

Jiang Fengxian, being proud by nature, was burning with anger after being caught off guard and injured by the old man earlier. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

Seizing the opportunity, she immediately summoned the Tier Five High-Grade Artifact "Chaos Soul Bell" obtained from Xu Song’s Cave Mansion, ready to retaliate and show the old man her prowess.

On that day, against the Tier Five Middle-Grade Demon Beast "Cyan-faced Owl," it was precisely this "Chaos Soul Bell" that dispersed the "Cyan-faced Owl’s" Magical Power.

As the bell rang, cyan sound waves spread out, and the old man found it impossible to dodge as he had avoided the "Soul-Devouring Golden Light" earlier.

For this kind of area sound wave attack, even if he could personally evade, the Artifacts he had already summoned could not all be retracted in haste.

With no other options, he could only prepare for full defense, ready to take this attack head-on.

Little did he know, this decision directly led to his downfall.

The Artifact "Chaos Soul Bell," named for its soul-disrupting effects, naturally had the ability to attack the Divine Soul, but it also had the effect of dispersing the Magical Power of Cultivators or Demon Beasts.

Though the old man was prepared for a Divine Soul attack, he was not prepared for its secondary effect.

Thus, as the cyan sound wave touched him, while he concentrated on resisting the soul-disrupting attack of the bells, his own Magical Power was also shaken, making it impossible to cast any spells.

Zhouyang had already learned about the wonders of the "Chaos Soul Bell" from Jiang Fengxian, how could he miss this opportunity, and immediately activated the "Soul Capturing Treasure Pearl" to launch another attack.

A flash of golden light instantly entered the old man’s body.

The old man, having suffered two consecutive Divine Soul attacks, had no strength left to control his Artifacts, and in an instant, Zhouyang’s "Jinghong Sword" knocked down the old man’s Flying Sword, and together with Jiang Fengxian’s Cyan-Gold Flying Sword, struck the old man.

Poor the old man, a Late-Stage Golden Core Cultivator, after cultivating for hundreds of years, fell inexplicably at the hands of two younger generations whose combined age didn’t exceed his own, a thousand years of cultivation ended up in vain.

After killing the old man, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian hastily took his relics, with Zhouyang promptly cremating the old man’s body, and then they quickly left the scene, directly exiting the area where the "Ten Thousand Treasures Tower" stood.

Several days later, Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian stopped on a Spiritual Peak several tens of thousands of miles away from the "Ten Thousand Treasures Tower" area.

This mountain had quite an impressive scene, with a Spirit Vein Grade as high as Tier Five Lower Grade, originally the domain of a Tier Five Demon Bear. After the two drove the Demon Bear away, they occupied the place as a temporary resting spot.

The Demon Bear had initially dug a cave in the mountain to reside in, but Jiang Fengxian disdained the heavy stench inside the cave and opened a new temporary cave mansion.

After the cave mansion was opened, the two entered to begin dividing the treasures obtained from killing that old man.

To speak of it, this was the first time Zhouyang took the initiative to kill for treasures.

Though somewhat out of necessity, the fact remained.

Therefore, during the division of treasures, there wasn’t much joy on his face, but rather it was full of melancholy.

Jiang Fengxian, a bit puzzled, asked him about the matter.

After hearing his explanation, she first showed a disapproving expression, but later, not knowing what came to her mind, she fell silent with a somber look.

After a while, she softly said, "Even so, what can be done? Cultivators are meant to fight with the heavens, with Demon Beasts, and with people. Cultivators who have reached the Golden Core Stage, whose hands haven’t been stained with the lives of other Cultivators in the hundreds or tens? Brother Zhou, you say you have never actively killed for treasures before, but isn’t passive killing for treasures still killing for treasures?"

"If Brother Zhou cannot see through this, and bears guilt because of it, then even if you are fortunate to undergo Refining Pill and Forming Infant, you might add another tribulation to your Heart Demon Tribulation!"

Zhouyang thought her words were indeed true.

The "Heart Demon Tribulation" stems from the guilt and regrets deep within a Cultivator’s heart, so the more guilt and regrets a Cultivator harbors, the more difficult it is to overcome this tribulation.

If a Cultivator holds a grudge over something from the past and cannot let it go, they are unlikely to succeed when the "Heart Demon Tribulation" arrives.

Therefore, even a Ninth-Layer Golden Core Cultivator, confident in overcoming Nascent Soul Formation, would first seek ways to release and remedy all past regrets, to minimize the power of the "Heart Demon Tribulation."

Indeed, as Jiang Fengxian said, if Zhouyang were to hold a grudge over this incident of killing for treasures, it would eventually harm himself.

"Killing for treasures is disgraceful, yet such things happen daily in the Cultivation Realm, and among High-Tier Cultivators, few dare say they’ve never done it. Brother Zhou, you have held out until now; you’re already far superior to countless predecessors in the Cultivation Realm, so why demand too much from yourself!"

"Besides, the Kunxu Realm itself is an arena, and the Cultivators who come here, haven’t they all prepared for the possibility of perishing? That person died at our hands only because they were not as skilled, and the same would be true if we fell to someone else!"

Upon finishing her words, Jiang Fengxian couldn’t help but sigh again and said, "I have spoken all I can, Brother Zhou, you are a wise person, and should understand my meaning, so I won’t repeat myself!"

Next, she took a "Enlightenment Profound Truth Fruit" and other treasures she received and went into the Cultivation Chamber, intending to use the fruit’s medicinal power to break through to the Middle Stage of Golden Core.

It wasn’t that Zhouyang didn’t understand Jiang Fengxian’s words.

But such things are like a person’s first kill, regardless of whether it’s an evil person or an innocent, there will always be a storm of complex emotions afterward.

All along, he tried to avoid proactively killing for treasures, not so much because of kindness, but as a means to give himself a fig leaf, a reason to comfort himself.

Jiang Fengxian made it clear that even if he hadn’t actively killed for treasures, had he not done so passively?

If he truly were kind-hearted, even when encountering someone with malicious intent and counter-attacking them, should he not return their relics to their friends and family?

Thus, his melancholy and unease now are less about being upset over an evil act, but rather about the loss of his fig leaf, causing shame.

"Buddha said: retribution and karma, never fail. But although this world has Cultivators, I have never heard of the Buddha. Is karma truly effective?"

"If evil deeds were truly met with retribution, why do Demonic Cultivators, notorious for their wickedness, still successfully cultivate to the Nascent Soul Stage and overcome the Heart Demon Tribulation?"

Zhouyang looked up, his eyes full of doubt, unsure if he was questioning the Heavenly Dao above or himself.