Chapter 118: Eradication to the Last Breath

On Woodfish Island, the battle raged on.

Amidst the flashing sword light, Daoist Gray Bone found himself in an increasingly dire situation. Lacking any techniques for flying swords, his bone-forged magic sword was a rudimentary offensive tool, barely ranking as a mid-grade artifact; in a duel of swordsmanship, he was no match for Jiang Chen.

Furthermore, he had to contend with the Battle Corpse, a creature of formidable physique that knew no fear. Under such pressure, he was forced into a purely defensive stance, lacking any opportunity for a counterattack. Several times, he only narrowly blocked Jiang Chen’s blade by relying on the defensive power of his Tiger-Leopard Armor.

Elsewhere, the situation was equally grim for the Black-Hearted Elder. In terms of spell cultivation, the Black and White Elders were indeed his inferiors, but their seamless coordination, coupled with the strange, freezing chill within their true energy, had effectively suppressed him.

Realizing the tide had turned, he attempted to flee, but a sudden volley of arrows blocked his path—the disciples of the Taiping Sect had surrounded them.

"It seems I am doomed today."

Confirming that they were completely encircled, the expression on Daoist Gray Bone’s face turned ghastly.

"It appears you have no more tricks up your sleeve."

Jiang Chen kept the Battle Corpse engaged with the Daoist while his own sword moved with fluid, unpredictable grace. He closely observed the Daoist’s reactions; at this point, he was certain that the man had exhausted his arsenal.

"Your cultivation is decent, but your spells are mediocre. You rely entirely on two mid-grade artifacts. There is no need to prolong this."

As a murderous intent took hold, Jiang Chen’s sword light became increasingly lethal. Sensing his master's intent, the Battle Corpse let out a roar, black electricity crackling over its body as its attacks became savage and suicidal. Having grown significantly stronger, the corpse now possessed the strength to contend with a minor-completion Qi refining cultivator when utilizing the Four-Armed Vajra technique, despite its own cultivation remaining at the early stage.

Facing such a ferocious onslaught, Daoist Gray Bone’s countenance changed drastically.

"Fellow Daoist Jiang, I surrender! I am an artifact refiner. If you wish, I can forge a mid-grade artifact for you—no, even a high-grade one…"

With the sword light sharp and the corpse relentless, the spiritual light of his Tiger-Leopard Armor flickered and dimmed. The Daoist had lost all will to fight.

Jiang Chen, however, remained unmoved.

The moment the Daoist had accepted this contract, his fate had been sealed. In a different context, Jiang Chen would have gladly accepted him, as an artifact refiner was an invaluable talent. But they were now enemies, and Jiang Chen lacked the means to control him, leaving no way to ensure the Daoist's loyalty.

"Crane’s Cry to the Nine Heavens."

Knowing the time was ripe, Jiang Chen pushed his sword light to its absolute limit.

A crane’s cry pierced the air. The sword light manifested into the phantom of a white crane, its movements elegant yet possessed of a lethal edge.

For a fleeting moment, Daoist Gray Bone’s mind blurred. By the time he regained his senses, that ethereal sword light had already torn through the defense of his Tiger-Leopard Armor, leaving a single red dot at the center of his brow.

"You..."

He collapsed, his life extinguished. Looking at Jiang Chen, who had shown no mercy, the Daoist’s face was filled with disbelief. He had not expected the leader of the Taiping Sect to hesitate so little when faced with the surrender of a skilled artifact refiner.

"It is too late. I am not a magnanimous man. To those who seek to kill me, my only response is to wipe them out completely."

Watching the fallen Daoist, Jiang Chen let out a soft sigh.

Soon after, the Black and White Elders arrived, dragging the corpse of the Black-Hearted Elder. His face was a bruised purple, his body covered in frost as if he had been frozen to death.

"Sect Master, the invaders have been executed!"

The two elders bowed before Jiang Chen. Though they bore heavy wounds, their faces were filled with exhilaration. Before joining the Taiping Sect, they could only barely manage to kill a wounded rogue cultivator by working together, often at a terrible price. Today, clad in beast skins and wielding demonic power, they had slain a peak-condition cultivator at the cost of only minor injuries. This was the difference; this was progress.

The moment they killed the Black-Hearted Elder, they had not only slain an enemy but also conquered their own inner demons.

Observing the subtle change in the two elders, Jiang Chen felt a sense of surprise. Previously, while they were martial arts masters with great control over their blood essence, they had always carried an air of twilight and decay. Now, that gloom had faded, replaced by a vibrant, rising spirit.

"Shedding your inner demons and renewing your spirit?"

After a moment of perception, Jiang Chen understood.

"Like a withered tree meeting spring, new buds appear. Sixty is still an age for striving."

With a sigh of admiration, Jiang Chen did not dwell on it further. While such a transformation might seem incomprehensible in his past life, it was not unusual in this world of cultivation.

Legend had it that in ancient times, some would study classics in libraries for a century, only to achieve sudden enlightenment and ascend to become renowned masters. Compared to such legends, the transformation of the Black and White Elders was merely a small step.

"Go and rest well. Have Wang Yuan handle the cleanup, then seal the news. Do not let word of today’s events spread."

His voice drifted, lost in thought, as he issued the command. The elders bowed in obedience, feeling even more fortunate in their decision to join the Taiping Sect.

After they departed, Jiang Chen turned his gaze toward the corpses.

By calculating the unknown, using the aura of Peach Blossom to disguise his identity, and employing the Spirit-Sealing Technique to mask the elders' presence, he had set a perfect trap. These men did not die unjustly; they could only blame their own poor judgment for seeking to collaborate with him.

"I had my suspicions about the mastermind, but now I must be certain."

With a thought, Jiang Chen activated his Soul Reflection, grasping the remnant soul of the Daoist. It was the Daoist who had acted as the intermediary for the one behind the scenes.

As time passed, fragments of memory surfaced, and Jiang Chen found the answer he sought.

"Gao Sixing of the Gao family. It was him, after all."

Confirming the mastermind’s identity did not surprise him. In the territory of Qingyuan County, he had few enemies. Only the Gao family had the influence to hire three Qi-refining cultivators, including one at the minor-completion stage, to move against him.