Luo Shangyan heard the noise and opened her eyes. She watched the half-illusionary, half-substantial Xiao Chen, who now resembled a Deity or a Devil. She said hesitatingly, "Junior Brother Xiao... "
Xiao Chen finally came around. His Soul could not leave his body for too long, or he might not be able to return and would be left scattered. He turned back to look. His body was lying quietly in the mud. The Immortal-Binding Rope had loosened.
The Immortal-Binding Rope could only bind a living thing. As long as the person it bound was still alive, it would never come loose. Although a Cultivator could execute mystic arts to make his Soul come out of the body, his body would still be alive. Why had the Immortal-Binding Rope come loose? Was his body...
He had no time to carefully ponder. He quickly shifted his Soul back into his body. He finally opened his eyes after a long time. Ling Yuxuan's Heart Meridians had been shattered by his blow. Blood gushed out incessantly from his mouth. He would soon die.
Xiao Chen walked quickly over, removing his clothing to cloak Luo Shangyan. Then, he turned around coldly. "You want my Spiritual Meridians so badly, but I will take yours instead!" With these words, two black mists entwined Ling Yuxuan's body.
Taking another person's Meridians was strictly prohibited by the Immortals' sects. Xiao Chen's method came not from the Mystic Cyan Sect or the Three Pure Sect, but from the Devil book Heaven's Talisman, which he had discovered by accident in the Xiao Family Tombs.
Ling Yuxuan's whole face contorted. "Stop! Our Ling Family won't ever let you off... "
Although his Heart Meridians had been shattered, he could still recover after a year or so of recuperation. If his Spiritual Meridians had been forcefully ripped out, his foundation would be lost. Henceforth, he would be a maimed invalid, better off dead.
Xiao Chen turned a deaf ear and was still executing the mystic arts from Heaven's Talisman. Ling Yuxuan's heart gradually turned cold. "I beg you! Don't take my Spiritual Meridians! I guarantee that the Ling Family will never bother you again... "
"Too late!" Xiao Chen gave a loud roar. Black Qi gyrated around his entire body and his eyes were purplish, like a great Devil's. Even Luo Shangyan by the side stared in shock.
After seizing someone else's Spiritual Meridian, he could not use it directly but must refine it. His cultivation would then soar. After refining Ling Yuxuan's Spiritual Meridians, Xiao Chen was certain to break into the Foundation Building Realm.
The contortions on Ling Yuxuan's face became more and more gruesome. Finally, he yelled, "Save me, Grandpa!" "Poom!" He crumbled a jade piece in his hand into pieces.
Xiao Chen gave a start. It was a jade note. Those old devils from the Ling Family would soon be here. In his haste, he released his True Energy even faster. Finally, two half-illusionary, half-substantial white radiances streaked into Ling Yuxuan's elixir field. Ling Yuxuan's face dimmed and he could no longer move.
Xiao Chen rapidly absorbed the two Spiritual Meridians into his body. He knew that they could no longer stay. He grabbed Luo Shangyan and tried to run. From the corners of his eyes, he saw the Immortal-Binding Rope and grabbed it quickly as well, putting it into the Divine Vessel. Then, they dashed away into the depths of the forest.
By now, night had completely fallen. The stars and the moon were dim tonight. They could not make out anything in the mountains. Aided by his Divine Sense, Xiao Chen skirted around obstacles and ran all the way for nearly 20 kilometers. Only then did they dare stop for a rest.
After a day of escape, they were exhausted. Yet they could not rest. Those men from the Ling Family would come in pursuit anytime. If the pursuers were only at the Foundation Building Realm, it would be alright. If they were Core Forming Realm Cultivators, however, two of them would perish in these vast mountains.
"Now what?" Luo Shangyan asked, gripping his hand tightly and surveying the ghastly forest all around them.
Xiao Chen was about to comfort her when he felt a scorching sensation course out from his elixir field. It ran around his entire body, burning him like a stove. He felt terrible. Luo Shangyan did not know anything about him seizing the Spiritual Meridians and asked nervously, "What's wrong?" She was about to condense a white radiance into his body.
Xiao Chen hurriedly pushed her away. "No!" He knew that it was because of the two Spiritual Meridians. If he failed to refine them in time, they would clash inside his body, probably causing irremediable injuries to himself.
Today it was his first time using this method. He did not know how long it would take to refine two Spiritual Meridians. If the Ling Family superiors arrived now, the consequences would be dire. He immediately sealed the True Qi barging around his body with a Cyan Mystic Sect skill. Then he dragged Luo Shangyan along and ran.
With every step he took, another part of his body seemed to sear. Gradually, he felt that every inch of his skin was incinerating. He finally collapsed near a cave.
Luo Shangyan quickly helped him up. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his face turning red and white by turns. She did not dare inject True Energy into his body or there might be a contrary effect. Suddenly, eagle screeches rang out in the sky. Lifting up her head, she found four or five eagles circling overhead.
"Oh no, the hunting eagles of the Ling Family!" Xiao Chen turned deathly pale. The eagles had arrived, meaning that his pursuers were close by.
Just as expected, from the distance the woods started to shake, rustling noisily. Suddenly, out streaked several figures into the forest. Since the two of them were in white, they could still be easily spotted although the night was dark. These people had discovered them at once.
Several gleaming flying swords attacked noiselessly. Luo Shangyan quickly erected a Barrier, but could not block off these flying swords from these Foundation Building Realm Cultivators. Xiao Chen bore with the extreme pain and flashed out his Unsullied Sword. Its body hovered in mid-air, shuddering incessantly without striking out.
Luo Shangyan grabbed its hilt and executed the superb swordplay of the Three Pure Sect, hitting the assailing flying swords away. Xiao Chen clenched his teeth. "Senior Sister Luo, hold them for the time being!" Then, he leaned against a tree trunk, coursing True Energy around his body, cross-legged.
They were three Foundation Building Realm Cultivators from the former band of assailants. If it weren't for the Unsullied Sword, Luo Shangyan could never hold them back. Even with it, she had come perilously close to getting injured.
Sword Qi streaked here and there in the forest. Huge clumps of trees were lopped off in the trunks. Nearby, numerous ferocious birds and beasts darted away in fear. Facing the three men, Luo Shangyan soon suffered gashes thanks to their Sword Qi. Her white clothes were soaked in blood. Had she not been of the healing school, she would have long collapsed from exhaustion.
Xiao Chen concentrated and shut his eyes loosely. Plumes of white Qi emerged from the top of his head. He had coursed his True Energy to the extreme, but it was not at all easy to refine another man's Spiritual Meridians. The two Spiritual Meridians were like two wild horses loosed from their reins, slamming continuously against his abdomen's elixir field. Yet they could not rush out. Xiao Chen could not guide them out either.
Over at Luo Shangyan's side, the situation had become more alarming. She could vaguely sense she was about to collapse. One cultivator finally noticed Xiao Chen leaning against the tree. He released himself from the fight and tried to stab Xiao Chen between his brows.
Luo Shangyan turned ghastly pale. She wanted to stop the man but it was too late. The chilling, 10-meter Sword Radiance reached an inch before Xiao Chen's forehead. Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes. Two profound gleams shone out from his eyes. The Sword Radiance swerved inadvertently to one side.
Following that, a boundless force emanated from Xiao Chen's body. Even the woods around started to shake. The cultivator blanched in shock. "You are in the Core Forming..." Before he could finished his words, an invincible palm force had shattered him into a mist of blood.
The other two cultivators had not realized what had happened during this brief instance. Yet Xiao Chen's sudden outburst had struck terror into their hearts. They were hesitant to move forward. At this moment, the eagles in the sky started to screech again. Five or six dark shadows streaked in from the distant woods.
When the two cultivators saw help arrive, they heaved a sigh of relief. One of them shouted, "Kill him!" The five newcomers behind them instantly formed a Seven Star Big Dipper Sword Formation with the other two.
All at once, seven white radiances broke through the sky. Every radiance was 10 meters long. All around, fierce gales began to blow. Several trees were uprooted and thrown into the distance. Xiao Chen walked up slowly behind Luo Shangyan. His one arm supported her shoulder, while his other gently lifted her arm clenching the Unsullied Sword.
"Senior Sister Luo, let me teach you how to fight with the Unsullied Sword."