Chapter 356 One Against Two
The golden eagle let out a panicked cry, sensing that danger was approaching.
Ji An communicated with the beast through his mind, commanding it to descend, and then put it into his spirit beast pouch.
The beast taming is still very weak and cannot withstand attacks from those at the Chaoyuan stage.
Xiong Ba landed on the rocks not far away, and the churning yellow clouds immediately dissipated. He revealed what he thought was a benevolent smile and cupped his hands in greeting:
"Greetings, fellow Daoist."
"Judging from your attire, fellow Daoist, you are a high-ranking cultivator of the Golden Spirit Sect. I would like to make a deal with you. Is that possible?"
Earth-elemental demonic beasts are not good at flying. He inherited this characteristic by refining the essence blood of such demonic beasts, so his cloud-riding skills are average. He is more adept at transforming into a giant bear to fight head-on on land.
The aerial strikes were left to Black Hawk. The two had fought together for many years and worked in perfect harmony, never missing their prey.
If he were to land directly near the opponent, the opponent would surely escape on a cloud, and with his speed, he would be unable to catch up.
Black Hawk alone would probably have a hard time finding an opportunity to kill him.
It's true that the opponent is a cultivator from a spiritual farming background, but the quality of the spiritual artifacts possessed by a sect cultivator is far superior to that of their demon cultivators.
If Black Hawk fails to break through the opponent's defenses in a short time and the opponent escapes, they may never have such an opportunity again.
According to Chen Xingzhou's intelligence, his opponent is very cowardly and may stay at home for many years after sensing the danger.
Ji An's wariness showed no sign of waning as he coldly said:
"I'm not interested. If you have any high-level resources you'd like to trade, just come to our sect to discuss it. Our sect wouldn't covet your things."
Discussing a deal in this desolate wilderness doesn't seem like a good approach at all.
However, he wasn't particularly nervous. He assumed that if this person was hostile, their cultivation level was definitely not at the Golden Core stage; otherwise, there would be no need for words, and he could have simply attacked them directly.
If the enemy is only at the Chaoyuan stage, it's not that he underestimates the cultivators of the world. With his current comprehensive abilities, he can hold his own against some enemies at the fifth level of the Chaoyuan stage.
His other source of confidence was that his identity jade tablet could defend against attacks from the early stage of the Golden Core realm, and the Xuanhuang Pagoda talisman could defend against attacks from the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, so he was fearless.
"Fellow Daoist, let me tell you what it is before you refuse."
Xiong Ba maintained what he thought was a kind smile, little did he know that his face was full of fat, and no matter how he smiled, it looked somewhat ferocious.
As he spoke, he moved closer, taking out a wooden box the size of a human head:
"I can hand the treasure over to you first. If you are not interested, you can return it to me."
He was trying to shorten the distance to his target as much as possible, inwardly complaining, 'Just as Chen Xingzhou said, what a coward!'
The other party was surrounded by yellow spiritual light, with golden lotuses blooming all around. He could tell that this was earth-elemental spiritual light.
Before they even met, the other party had already activated their defensive magical artifact. How insecure that must have been!
"Stop. I have absolutely no interest in this deal you're talking about. If you come any closer, I will attack."
Ji An's gaze darkened; the closer distance meant shorter reaction time.
"Alright, I'll stop. Fellow Daoist, your reaction was too extreme. I meant no harm."
Xiong Ba stopped and took a few steps back. All he was doing now was stalling for time, waiting for the Black Hawk that was circling behind him to get into position.
“Fellow Daoist, I just really like the earth-elemental defensive spiritual artifact you have on you, and I would like to exchange it for a thousand-year-old spiritual herb.”
You must know the difficulties faced by rogue cultivators. Even though I've been fortunate enough to break through to the Chaoyuan stage for many years, I still don't have a single suitable spiritual weapon.
The Golden Spirit Sect's weapon-forging skills are unparalleled in the Western Continent, so the quality is quite reliable. If you feel the value isn't enough, I can add other resources.
He spoke off the cuff, his gaze remaining fixed as he watched the black eagle rapidly approaching behind his target.
Ji An secretly made hand seals; the other party's words were full of loopholes and obviously false.
If the other party truly possesses a thousand-year-old medicinal herb, taking it to Qingyun Immortal City would naturally allow them to have it appraised by the sect's weapon-refining shop.
A thousand-year-old medicinal herb can be used as an adjuvant to certain Golden Core stage pills, and is quite valuable.
Xiong Ba suddenly took a step forward, his head transforming from human to bear in an instant, his blood-red mouth opening wide, letting out a deafening roar.
This is a sonic attack method. Cultivators' spiritual weapons are not good at defending against this type of attack. The impact of the sonic waves can greatly shake the enemy's blood and qi.
Sonic attacks are ineffective against body cultivators because they possess abundant qi and blood, strong internal organs, and extremely high defense against vibration damage.
To deal with a magic practitioner, one can make them momentarily dazed, or at the very least, cause their blood and qi to churn and make them feel uncomfortable for a while, thus affecting their ability to cast spells.
As he roared, Black Hawk arrived and unleashed his attack, a black, demonic cloud pouring down from the sky, carrying a strong stench of blood and decay.
Sensing the attack from behind and seeing the demon cultivator who had transformed into a bear's head, Ji An cursed inwardly.
'Still too kind-hearted. Even though they sensed the other party's ill intentions, they should have acted immediately.'
If we take direct action, we won't find ourselves in a situation where we're attacked from both sides.
The roar made his eardrums bulge and his blood surge, causing him some discomfort, but it did not affect his fighting ability.
He activated his Wind Control Technique, and an invisible current enveloped him as he dodged to the side, trying his best to avoid it.
With the Apricot Yellow Banner, the Primordial Golden Armor Mantra, the Rock Mountain Technique, the sect's second-tier robe, and the body-refining technique of the Silver Armor Mastery, he didn't feel he couldn't withstand an attack from a Chaoyuan stage cultivator.
He could have easily escaped using Earth Release: Earth Release, but being ambushed like this left him seething with anger.
The purpose of concealing one's strengths is to give the opponent hope and then launch a surprise attack, giving the enemy a major blow.
A battle can be decided in a mere instant.
If you unleash your ultimate attack upon meeting an enemy without knowing their strengths and weaknesses, and they manage to dodge it, it can be quite awkward.
More importantly, if the enemy realizes his strength and tries to escape, should he pursue or not?
If we chase after him, what if there are still traps waiting for him?
The bear, as large as an elephant, slammed its hand on the ground, and countless spikes emerged from the rocks, attacking and hindering its opponent's dodge.
Ji An's movement was hindered, shrouded by the black eagle's ominous cloud.
Countless wind blades were mixed in with the demonic clouds, constantly cutting through his protective aura.
He held his breath, raised his head slightly, and looked through the dark clouds to see the giant eagle stirring up trouble.
The defenses of the apricot-yellow banner quickly dimmed and dissipated under the attack of the Chaoyuan-stage demonic beast.
When Xiong Ba saw that the target was surrounded by dark clouds, he immediately felt relieved.
Next, all he needs to do is keep driving the opponent away, making it constantly endure Black Hawk's wind blade tornadoes.
'Hehe, after all, he's just a spirit farmer, with no experience in combat!'
Even if the enemy's defensive artifacts are formidable, they cannot withstand Black Hawk's attacks for long.
When a magical artifact is subjected to continuous attacks, it consumes a great deal of a cultivator's mana.
Xiong Ba kindly reminds you:
"Black Hawk, take it easy, don't slice his head into thin slices!"
A sharp cry of an eagle rang out from the dark clouds. At that moment, the black eagle was amazed at how easily it had succeeded this time.
How wonderful it would be if there were more goals like this!
The cultivators whose names are on the Heavenly Demon Alliance's kill list are mostly those with formidable fighting skills.
It's less of a kill list and more of a list issued by the alliance to warn demon cultivators.
If you encounter a cultivator like this, you should stay as far away as possible.
For example, cultivators like Lin Qiubai, Lin Jiuxiao, and Li Haoran from the Golden Spirit Sect—no demon cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage would dare to make a move against them.
When Black Hawk saw that the target was standing motionless within the range of the dark clouds, he thought to himself, "Could it be that he's scared out of his wits?"
The yellow aura of the Panshan Technique also could not withstand the prolonged cutting of the wind blades, and its light quickly dimmed.
The Rock Mountain Technique is, after all, only a Foundation Establishment level spell. Even if it reaches the Great Perfection level, it is still powerless against the wind blades of the Rising Sun level.
After locating the black eagle, Ji An immediately looked away, observing it only out of the corner of his eye.
He had plenty of ways to deal with land monsters, but this giant eagle would be harder to handle if it escaped, so he listed it as his top priority target.
Black Hawk saw that the defensive magical aura on his target was about to be completely worn away, and he was also worried that the opponent would be cut into pieces by the wind blades.
In that case, there would be setbacks in obtaining the bounty on the kill list.
After Chen Sheng became the leader of the alliance, he often ostracized the elders of the alliance. If the target was cut beyond recognition by the wind blades, he might refuse to pay the bounty.
The Black Hawk lowered its altitude, attempting to more precisely control the wind blades to avoid slicing into the target's head.
Suddenly, he felt enveloped by an intense killing intent, his hair stood on end in a fit of irritation, and golden light magnified in his pupils.
It was a torrent of flying swords formed by the convergence of countless metal elemental spiritual energies. The flying swords were only an inch long, yet they exuded a cold, deathly aura.
The moment these flying swords appeared, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. The threat of death came so swiftly that he didn't even have time to let out a cry.
He could only desperately twist his body to dodge, while trying his best to restrain his demonic power to protect his body.
He refined the essence of a rare black eagle, which possessed immense strength and swift flight.
Although its feathers are comparable to those of wind-milled copper, its defensive capabilities are still far inferior to those of land monsters with thick fur or tough scales.
He had just finished doing all this when the flying swords formed by the Gengjin Zhanling Sword rushed to his side like a waterfall flowing upstream.
Black Hawk only managed to avoid the head and half of his body. His protective demonic power and his strong feathers only served to slow him down slightly. His left side was instantly riddled with holes by the flying sword.
His lungs suffered extensive penetrating damage, rendering him completely unable to make a sound. To make matters worse, the powerful healing abilities of the demonic beast's body proved utterly ineffective.
The muscles at the wound site began to die, and the life force rapidly dissipated. Even when he wrapped it with demonic power, it had no effect whatsoever.
Rewinding time, the moment Ji An seized the opportunity to unleash the Gengjin Spirit-Slaying Sword, Xiong Ba, who was guarding outside, also felt a chilling killing intent emanating from him.
He saw a golden light emerge from the dark clouds, beautiful yet deadly.
The next instant, he saw Black Hawk rush out, blood flowing freely from half of his body.
This long-time partner, teetering precariously, flew several feet away. A golden light flashed in the dissipating dark clouds, silently passing by the black eagle.
Then, Xiong Ba watched helplessly as his companion was torn in two in mid-air and crashed heavily onto the rocks.
Black Hawk's head was directly in his direction, its eyes wide open, staring straight at him.
Xiong Ba shuddered. What was going on? Was I hallucinating?
Everything had been normal just moments before, but suddenly the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. He felt as if he were dreaming, as if it were all unreal.
Chen Xingzhou, that brat, said the other party was a spirit farmer. There are spirit farmers like that?!
He recognized the chilling aura of metal-based magic; what spirit farmer would study metal-based magic! Once he escaped back, he'd definitely teach him a lesson!
Ji An emerged from the dark clouds, looking at the astonished brown bear with a mocking expression:
"Is this all you've got?"
He did not witness Black Hawk being killed by him twice, and thus gained a new understanding of the power of the Gengjin Spirit-Slaying Sword.
If this spell were to be upgraded to the Great Perfection level, probably not many cultivators of the same level would be able to withstand its attacks.
As he spoke, he made a hand seal, pointing his finger downwards to release the power of "Turning the Earth into Steel." The enemy was clearly a demon cultivator who had refined the essence of an earth-elemental demon beast. If the enemy used a talent spell like Earth Escape to escape, he would not be able to catch up.
Centered on him, a yellow aura instantly rippled outwards, startling Xiong Ba into hastily activating his demonic power for defense.
The light swept across the ground beneath Xiong Ba, but nothing happened.
Ji An grinned, a mocking glint in his eyes. After the real-world test he had just undergone, he had become extremely confident.
With a thought, the Flame Banner flew out from his dantian and transformed into a cloud of fire that hovered above his head.
Without further ado, he launched his attack. With the Earth-Touching-to-Steel technique as a backup, the opponent would be unable to escape using earth-based techniques within a radius of a hundred feet.
The magical power flowed from his dantian, circulating rapidly through his immortal meridians. As the incantation was completed, a crimson fire dragon, trailing blue flames, appeared from the void and flew towards the enemy.
He just used the Gengjin Spirit-Slaying Sword, and now he wants to test the power of the Fire Dragon Burning Heaven Technique and the Earth-Leaving Flame Banner.
"Aww!"
Xiong Ba sensed the restless fire elemental energy in the air and the changed ground beneath his feet, realizing that it would be difficult to escape without forcing the enemy back.
He used his demonic power to condense a rock-like armor to protect his entire body, then stood upright and raised his forelimbs to slam down heavily.
The mountain shook, and Ji An felt unable to maintain his balance, staggering like someone who was drunk.
At this moment, the fire dragon had already rushed in front of the enemy, and a violent explosion rang out, like the roar of a cannon firing.
In an instant, the flowing flames bloomed like sparks from a hammered ironwork, dazzling the eyes like a bright rain of fire.
Xiong Ba was completely disoriented from the explosion. Even though he used his demonic power to seal his ear canals, he still felt like he was hearing a deafening din of gongs and drums.
He endured the intense discomfort and launched an attack, countless spikes emerging around Ji An, this was the only attack opportunity he could seize.
Otherwise, he would be a sitting duck if the enemy launched an attack from the sky.
A phoenix's cry emanated from the flaming banner that had risen off the ground, and the fiery clouds condensed into a fireball the size of a water vat, crashing head-on into Xiong Ba.
An even louder roar erupted, and the elephant-sized bear was slammed into the ground, leaving its mark on the hard rocks.
He bled from all seven orifices and promptly fainted.
(End of this chapter)
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