When Ancestor Su Xing crawled out of the soil and fully revealed himself before Zhao Zhen, Zhao Zhen instead let out a breath of relief.
This man looked like he was on the verge of death. Clearly, he was only coveting Zhao Zhen's physical body, not targeting Qingxiao Sect itself.
So this was what Master had spoken of—body seizure?
Zhao Zhen often sparred with fellow disciples, but he had never faced methods like those of Ancestor Su Xing.
Only now did he truly realize how terrifying life-and-death struggles between immortal cultivators were. This was nothing like dueling on a martial platform, where spells stopped short—here, anything and everything was used without restraint.
First, Ancestor Su Xing had misled him using people from the Xuanji Sect. Then he had secretly used gu to control his mother's body in advance, before seizing the chance to poison Zhao Zhen. This chain of schemes rendered Zhao Zhen combat-ineffective before he could even injure his opponent.
Dark clouds pressed low over the barren mountainside. Ancestor Su Xing stood before Zhao Zhen like a dried corpse, then calmly sat down cross-legged right in front of him.
While circulating his cultivation method, he looked down at Zhao Zhen's face.
Their gazes met. After seeing Ancestor Su Xing's true appearance, Zhao Zhen instead no longer felt afraid.
"Before I die, can you tell me where you come from?" Zhao Zhen asked in a deep voice.
Ancestor Su Xing sneered. "Trying to pry information? I'm not like you—so easily deceived. Still, I can tell you this much: I come from the west. You also don't need to worry about your sect encountering trouble. I have no desire to provoke Qingxiao Sect. Once I seize your body, I'll leave the land of the Nine Provinces."
If he had not been on Tianxuan Mountain and learned of only Zhao Zhen as a cultivator, he would never have set his sights on him.
He had hesitated over whether to seize the bodies of the Qingxiao Sect disciples who arrived later, but their cultivation was too shallow and their aptitude too ordinary. He could not bear to waste his one chance.
His body-seizing secret art could only be used once—this was his sole opportunity to be reborn.
"The west…"
Zhao Zhen's eyes flickered as he silently pondered.
Ancestor Su Xing no longer paid him any attention and began chanting incantations.
Immediately afterward, he raised his right hand, extending two fingers and pointing straight at Zhao Zhen's forehead.
At that instant, Zhao Zhen's gaze sharpened. A terrifying aura erupted as he abruptly sprang up and threw a punch at Ancestor Su Xing.
Ancestor Su Xing reacted with astonishing speed, instantly leaping aside and narrowly dodging the blow.
After landing, he stared at Zhao Zhen in shock and demanded, "How did you do it? Below the Awakening Spirit realm, no one can withstand the poison of my Netherworld Centipede!"
Zhao Zhen gasped for breath, sweat pouring down like rain as his physical body rapidly recovered its strength.
Blood continuously spilled from his mouth. He swallowed twice and grinned ferociously. "Old bastard, it seems your own experience isn't all that rich either."
In his heart, he was grateful to his master. Master truly was formidable—the Heavenly Firmament Golden Body Art he had been taught had worked wonders.
After being poisoned, he had frantically tried to activate all the supreme techniques he knew, only to find that the Heavenly Firmament Golden Body Art alone could still be driven. This art had tempered the acupoints throughout his body. By stimulating them and forcibly circulating heavenly-gang energy, he had expelled the poison.
Of course, there was a price. His internal organs had all suffered violent shock, his body wracked with tearing pain—but he endured it by sheer will.
Hearing his words, Ancestor Su Xing did not panic. Instead, he clicked his tongue in amazement. "No wonder your master managed to establish such an immortal sect on this desolate land in just over ten years. Your master is anything but simple."
Unhurried, he reached for the storage pouch at his waist, took out one banner after another, and tossed them into the air. The banners quickly spread out, encircling Zhao Zhen in midair.
Zhao Zhen stomped forward, shattering the mountainside beneath his feet, and in a single step charged straight at Ancestor Su Xing.
Ancestor Su Xing did not clash with him head-on, instead swiftly dodging away.
The two pursued one another across the slope, engaging in combat, while the banners in the sky clung tightly to Zhao Zhen's position.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck down from nowhere, startling Zhao Zhen into leaping aside as it blasted rocks into the air.
Before he could think further, bolt after bolt of lightning descended, forcing him to dodge continuously.
Already heavily injured, his repeated evasions caused his speed to drop noticeably.
Ancestor Su Xing darted about like a ghost, preventing Zhao Zhen from closing the distance.
Zhao Zhen felt deeply frustrated. He actually felt as though he were facing Ji Ya again. Ji Ya loved to evade and continuously cast the Divine Curse of the Mountain Lord. Li Qingqiu had jokingly called this tactic "flying a kite."
Qingxiao Sect kept actual kites, so Zhao Zhen had understood his master's meaning at the time.
Used in a life-and-death battle, this tactic was even more unbearable.
Ancestor Su Xing watched him coldly, impatience growing in his eyes.
"I underestimated him, but that's to be expected. Anyone who becomes an immortal cultivator has their own methods. Fortunately, he won't be able to hold out much longer."
Ancestor Su Xing thought calmly to himself. He was not refraining from attacking because he lacked strength—he simply wanted to preserve Zhao Zhen's physical body as much as possible.
Seizing a crippled body would be far from ideal.
Boom—
A thunderous explosion rang out from the distance, startling Ancestor Su Xing into turning his head. He saw massive sparks bloom across the sky, rapidly scattering and transforming into streaks of fire that extended in all directions.
What was that?
A hint of confusion flashed through Ancestor Su Xing's eyes. His instincts told him that a variable had appeared.
Zhao Zhen saw it as well, his heart jolting.
Were there Qingxiao Sect disciples nearby?
Those massive sparks in the sky were Piercing Cloud Thunder, specially made by Qingxiao Sect. The idea had come from his master and the item had been crafted by the Heavenly Works Hall, its purpose being to summon nearby disciples when one encountered danger.
The range of Piercing Cloud Thunder was vast, visible even to disciples 50 kilometers away.
Zhao Zhen immediately focused his mind, preparing to stall for time.
Seeing Zhao Zhen's fighting spirit reignite, Ancestor Su Xing roughly guessed the reason.
"As expected, acting within another sect's territory is nothing but trouble!"
Killing intent surged even stronger in Ancestor Su Xing's eyes as he immediately lunged toward Zhao Zhen.
Seeing him charge straight at him, Zhao Zhen did not dodge. Instead, he rushed forward as well. If he kept evading this lightning array, he would only exhaust his own strength.
Only by injuring this old bastard would the lightning array disperse.
The two rapidly closed the distance. Just as they were about to collide, Zhao Zhen's right palm suddenly transformed into a golden hue, with a faint golden phantom emerging around it.
Ancestor Su Xing abruptly sank into the soil, causing Zhao Zhen's attack to miss entirely.
Boom!
Before Zhao Zhen could halt his momentum, Ancestor Su Xing burst out from the soil in front of his feet and kicked him squarely under the jaw, sending him flying.
His consciousness went blank for an instant, but he reacted quickly, immediately borrowing the force to twist away.
As soon as he landed and looked up, Ancestor Su Xing was nowhere to be seen.
Bang!
Zhao Zhen instinctively raised his arm to block, yet he was still kicked flying again. He felt his arm snap in an instant.
This old thing looked half-buried in the ground, yet his strength was terrifying.
Zhao Zhen crashed miserably into a massive boulder, spat out a large mouthful of blood, and then slammed heavily onto the ground.
Ancestor Su Xing clearly heard the sound of bones breaking, and a look of pain crossed his face.
He had intended to kick Zhao Zhen's shoulder, but did not expect Zhao Zhen to react so quickly and raise his arm to block.
Still, that kick was enough to strip Zhao Zhen of his fighting ability.
Ancestor Su Xing flashed to Zhao Zhen's front, extended two fingers, and tapped his forehead, rendering him completely immobile.
"So you still won't shed tears until you see the coffin!" Ancestor Su Xing said coldly, his expression vicious.
As his words fell, screams rang out in the distance. Zhao Zhen glanced sideways and saw Yu Mi kneeling on the ground, both hands frantically tearing at her own head. Clumps of hair, matted with blood, scattered across the ground.
The sight made Zhao Zhen's pupils contract violently. He immediately shouted, "Stop! I admit defeat!"
Hearing this, Ancestor Su Xing's lips moved slightly, and Yu Mi stopped tearing at her hair, collapsing limply to the ground.
Ancestor Su Xing wasted no more words and immediately began performing the body-seizing technique.
He feared that more Qingxiao Sect disciples might arrive to interfere.
As he cast the spell, Zhao Zhen clearly felt a surge of icy-cold vital energy burrow into his body. Immediately after, his vision began to sway, the world spinning violently as an indescribable dizziness crashed over him.
Whoosh—
A piercing sound tore through the air, startling Ancestor Su Xing into leaping up. He narrowly dodged a flying sword, yet the sword qi scraped his face, leaving it stinging with pain.
After evading the flying sword, he turned his head and saw a figure charging toward him at extreme speed, like a streak of sword light slicing across the mountains.
The body-seizing technique was interrupted. Zhao Zhen's head slammed to the ground, and he instantly regained clarity. Opening his eyes, he saw Jiang Zhaoxia rapidly closing in.
Seeing Jiang Zhaoxia arrive, Zhao Zhen felt both relief and shame.
He knew Jiang Zhaoxia had spent these years in seclusion, striving to surpass Senior Sister Xu Ning. Jiang Zhaoxia's appearance was no coincidence—it had to be arranged by his master.
Ancestor Su Xing immediately grabbed Zhao Zhen, intending to use him as a hostage to threaten Jiang Zhaoxia.
However, Jiang Zhaoxia did not slow down at all. He charged straight to Zhao Zhen's front and raised his sword, about to sever Zhao Zhen's head.
Ancestor Su Xing, standing behind Zhao Zhen, was horrified. He immediately flung Zhao Zhen away. As Zhao Zhen was hurled aside, Ancestor Su Xing was forced to face Jiang Zhaoxia's strike head-on.
He leapt backward while raising his right palm, using vital energy to block Jiang Zhaoxia's sword qi.
The two skimmed low through the air, streaking along the slope for more than 330 meters before Ancestor Su Xing finally shook off Jiang Zhaoxia's sword qi.
After landing, Jiang Zhaoxia flicked his sword. His arm lowered, the sword tip pointing toward the ground as drops of black blood slid down the blade.
Ancestor Su Xing steadied himself and lowered his gaze to his right palm. The skin had split open, and black blood poured out endlessly.
He raised his eyes to look at Jiang Zhaoxia. His face was twisted, his eyes filled with deep wariness as he asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"
Jiang Zhaoxia lifted his chin slightly and looked down on him. "Qingxiao Sect, Jiang Zhaoxia."
"Qingxiao Sect? Do you have a grudge against him?" Ancestor Su Xing asked in surprise.
"Disobedient and unruly. As his senior, killing him would only spare Qingxiao Sect further trouble."
Jiang Zhaoxia spoke coldly, his gaze locked firmly on Ancestor Su Xing, curiosity rising in his own heart.
This man had actually managed to evade his sword—his cultivation was clearly no ordinary thing!
"Third Martial Uncle, be careful! This man specializes in poison and is proficient in earth-burrowing techniques. He also used gu to control my mother—beware of him using her to launch a sneak attack!"
Zhao Zhen shouted hoarsely from afar. His voice was not loud, but Jiang Zhaoxia could hear him clearly.
Ancestor Su Xing did not grow angry. Instead, he stared at Jiang Zhaoxia with a strange gaze and let out a sinister laugh. "Why do I feel that you're even more suitable for my body-seizing than he is?"
Sword qi surged from Jiang Zhaoxia's sword-wielding arm, swiftly condensing into a sword soul identical to himself.
"Overestimating yourself. No wonder you've fallen to this state."
Jiang Zhaoxia said indifferently. His sword qi erupted like a raging flood, shattering the mountain beneath his feet as dust billowed violently in all directions.