Shangxuan True Person moved very quickly.
Although he was already a mid-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivator at perfection, possessing two innate divine abilities and a superior-grade spiritual sword, he was still no match for a crowd.
No matter how strong he was, he was not a Grand True Person.
Even if he had perfected the mid-stage Foundation Establishment, he was still at the mid-stage.
What’s more, he was not a direct disciple of the True Lords of the Four Great Powers.
Therefore, when facing the siege of more than a dozen Foundation Establishment True Persons, he could only let out a few wretched howls like a defeated dog:
"Come fight me one-on-one if you have the guts!"
"Beasts... beasts, all of you!"
Amidst the miserable screams, Shangxuan True Person was struck from behind by Yinshan True Person’s palm imprint, pierced through from the front by Yu Chan, and had his divine sense shattered by Han Xiang.
His entire body was battered and bruised by the magic treasures and divine abilities of other early-stage Foundation Establishment True Persons from Jiangbei.Finally, a divine ability crashed down with a deafening roar.
【Embracing Mountain】!
Without any power to resist, Shangxuan True Person fell to the ground, the radiance of his divine abilities dissipating in an instant, his eyes tightly shut, appearing completely unconscious.
As for the two early-stage Foundation Establishment sword cultivators, the Xuanjin Sword Master and the Xuanyin Sword Master, there was even less to say.
Lü Yang and the others didn’t even need to lift a finger.
The Jiangbei cultivators, having witnessed the methods of the "Primordial Saint Sect", swarmed forward without hesitation.
Without any suspense, they captured the two on the spot.
"Well done."
Lü Yang’s expression was calm as he sealed Shangxuan True Person and the two sword masters, Xuanjin and Xuanyin, into 【Embracing Mountain】 one by one.
"This time, you have all worked hard."
After speaking, he took out a stack of jade slips.
He infused a wisp of divine sense into each jade slip and then distributed them to the cultivators of Jiangbei present.
"You have all earned this. Take them."
"This is…"
A Foundation Establishment True Person from a small sect received a jade slip, swept his divine sense over it, and immediately looked excited.
"The Dao Method of 【Ten Thousand Treasures River】 from Fenbao Cliff?"
"I’m giving it to you. Just keep it."
Lü Yang’s tone was indifferent.
"There are also the divine abilities and cultivation methods of Shangxuan Sword Sect. Once I extract them, everyone who participated this time will get a share."
"Since you all took the risk to act, I won’t let you suffer a loss."
As his words fell, Lü Yang waved his hand and directly threw the superior-grade spiritual swords of Shangxuan True Person, Xuanjin Sword Master, and Xuanyin Sword Master to the three Foundation Establishment True Persons who had contributed the most this time.
This made the eyes of the others turn red with envy.
All their previous caution was instantly thrown out of their minds.
Divine abilities! Cultivation methods! Spiritual treasures!
The sects these people came from were already small, and some were even rogue cultivators.
Being able to obtain these things was already like striking it rich for them.
What more needed to be said?
If before, the Jiangbei cultivators still held back a little, now they were fully fired up with enthusiasm and fighting spirit.
Without this, how could they show their loyalty?
The grace of the Saint Sect was truly endless!
"As for them…"
At this point, Lü Yang looked at the three captives again and shook his head.
"Their cultivation to this point was not easy either."
"Our Primordial Saint Sect has always been lenient with prisoners."
"Here’s the plan. After I finish the interrogation, their Dao Foundations will be fed to my 【Abi Sword】, their corpses will be refined into demon corpses, and their souls will be sent to the Secret Realm of Refinement to reincarnate."
Upon hearing this, Yinshan True Person frowned, then sighed.
"Junior Brother, you are still too kind."
Lü Yang also showed a helpless expression.
"Ah, I just can’t change this nature."
The two of them spoke so matter-of-factly.
But nearby, Han Xiang felt colder the more she listened, and even Yu Chan’s eyelids twitched slightly.
Was this kindness?
Did the Primordial Saint Sect have a misunderstanding about the definition of kindness?
What they didn’t know was that in Lü Yang and Yinshan True Person’s view, letting their souls reincarnate and start over was already considered mercy.
If this wasn’t kindness, what was?
Moreover, after reincarnation, they might even return to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
By then, they could harvest them again.
Next, Lü Yang dragged the three captives into a secret chamber, took out the Ten Thousand Spirits Banner, summoned Chen Xin’an, and performed the Heavenly Mother’s Life-Transforming Profound Light.
A day later.
Lü Yang put away the pale-faced Chen Xin’an and casually ended the miserable lives of the already unrecognizable three captives with a single sword stroke.
Then, he began to count his spoils.
First was the 【Abi Sword】.
A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator at perfection and two early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators—such a vast amount of resources fed to the 【Abi Sword】 produced an absurdly great feedback.
"According to 【The Butcher】’s feedback, all three of these sword cultivators practiced metal-element Dao Foundations."
"After killing them, the 【Abi Sword】’s restraint against the metal element has reached fifty percent."
"In other words, any divine abilities or Dao Methods of the metal element will have their power halved in front of the 【Abi Sword】!"
This was already worthy of being called the nemesis of sword cultivators.
Especially effective for ambushing sword cultivators who knew nothing about this.
It could make them overestimate the power of their divine abilities, and if used well, could even kill them unexpectedly!
Besides that, there was the memory of Shangxuan True Person.
"There really is a sword pavilion cultivation method!"
This was Lü Yang’s other major gain.
The Shangxuan Sword Sect had indeed received the support of the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion and had actually obtained a secret sword pavilion cultivation method.
Its name was — 『Taiyi Formless Sword』
"It’s not a cultivation method, but a sword-forging secret technique."
"Using this method, one could refine a superior-grade spiritual treasure called 【Formless Sword】 by combining it with a Heavenly Fiend or Earth Sha evil."
"So that’s how it is."
Lü Yang rubbed his chin, finally solving a long-standing doubt in his mind.
"So this Shangxuan True Person wasn’t actually in seclusion to break through to the late stage."
"He was in seclusion forging a sword."
"I knew it, how could he have the resources to break through to the late stage?"
Late-stage Foundation Establishment was a heavenly chasm!
Even in the Primordial Saint Sect, someone like the Peak Master of Mending Heaven Peak had perished while attempting to break through to the late stage.
How could someone like Shangxuan True Person possibly have the ability to achieve that?
According to Shangxuan True Person’s memory, he had indeed obtained a Heavenly Fiend or Earth Sha suitable for him.
But knowing he had no chance of becoming a Grand True Person with it, he planned to use it to forge the 【Formless Sword】, enhance his combat power, and contribute more in future wars.
"But now, it all belongs to me."
Lü Yang smiled slightly, but soon his expression grew serious.
He then took out a small jade bottle from Shangxuan True Person’s storage bag.
Inside the bottle was the Heavenly Fiend or Earth Sha that Shangxuan True Person had obtained.
It was a strand of Xin Metal Qi.
Xin Metal, among the Heavenly Fiends, was named 【Chong Guang】!
"…What a coincidence?"
Lü Yang didn’t believe it!
Was this the hidden hand left by True Person Chong Guang?
Had Shangxuan True Person obtained this Heavenly Fiend according to Chong Guang’s plan to forge the 【Formless Sword】?
For a moment, Lü Yang was filled with countless doubts.
But at this moment, the secrets of fate and cause and effect had all been suppressed by True Lord Qingcheng Feixue.
No one could divine them.
So all he could do was speculate, unable to verify anything.
"Could it be that I ruined True Person Chong Guang’s plan?"
Originally, Shangxuan True Person, as a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator at perfection, was the stabilizing force for 【Kingdom of Qing】.
It was almost impossible for him to fall, given his strength.
However, True Person Chong Guang probably didn’t expect Lü Yang to rely on his movement techniques and the combination of Dao Methods and divine abilities to forcibly move the entire Shangxuan Sword Sect to Jiangbei.
There, Lü Yang created an opportunity to defeat many with few, and in the end, overwhelmed the sword cultivator to death.
"It’s all because I’m too outstanding!"
Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but sigh, though he wasn’t worried.
"I can still fix this. Anyway, the item is already in my hands. I can forge it myself…"
"…And this will also give the enemy some reaction time."
Thinking of this, Lü Yang glanced again in the direction of Zha Long Pass.
He knew very well that his southward mission this time was not truly to destroy the 【Kingdom of Qing】.
His task was to apply pressure.
What he needed to do was to engage in a tug-of-war with the 【Kingdom of Qing】, creating enough external conflict to give True Person Chong Guang, who had reincarnated within the 【Kingdom of Qing】, an opportunity.
And the destruction of the Shangxuan Sword Sect should be enough to cause panic on the side of the 【Kingdom of Qing】.
When that time came, what kind of response would they make?
And how would True Person Chong Guang act?