Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 423: Assassination

He took out a magic conch and blew on it.

All the disciples in the ocean heard the conch and flew back up.

Chang Mingxin saw that only half of the more than one hundred disciples were left.

With a sorrowful sigh, he said, “Tang Jie is cunning. You no longer need to chase him.”

“What?” The disciples were flabbergasted.

Chang Mingxin waved his hand. “Leave the rest to me. All of you, move to the side.”

He raised his sword and began to chant, making preparations for battle.

Amidst countless shifting signs, the Spirit Ring under Chang Mingxin’s feet began to flash with an intense light.

As the light of the ring intensified, it began to expand, gradually encompassing the entire area.

Everyone understood that a Celestial Heart True Person taking this long to cast a spell art must be about to unleash a heaven-shaking strike.

After a long while, Chang Mingxin finally finished the preparations for his spell art. His body was trembling, clearly under an immense load.

A moment later, Chang Mingxin pointed his sword at the sky and shouted, “Ten Thousand Sword Mountains, fall!”

With this roar, ten thousand beams of light erupted from his sword.

There were truly tens of thousands of beams of light, each light formed of condensed sword intent. They flew into the sea like a furious downpour, stirring up mighty waves.

The frenzied sword rain instantly engulfed the surface of the ocean, sword beams extending to as far as the eye could see.

Not only that, when they hit the sea floor, they exploded.

Explosions ripped across swath after swath of the sea floor, causing hundreds of waves to rise up. For a moment, half of the sea floor in this region was turned into a vacuum.

But the attack wasn’t even over yet.

This was only the first wave.

The sword hanging in the sky was like a sun, constantly radiating light and heat. Each ray of light would turn into another energy sword.

Thus, the sea was subjected to an endless rain of swords, the majestic sight chilling the hearts of everyone who beheld it.

Only at this moment did the onlookers truly understand what it meant for cultivators to have the power to move mountains and suppress the seas.

As the swords hammered down, peaks of water crested upward and refused to fall back down, as if they were mountains rising from the sea.

Everything in this region of the ocean was being turned to dust by this constant barrage.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, but it was no match for the howling of the waves. The power of nature was showing signs of defeat in the face of this man-made storm.

After a long while.

The sword hanging in the sky cracked.

It broke into pieces.

As the sword shattered, the sword light faded, the sword deluge ceased, and the waves finally settled back into the water.

Calm had finally been restored.

Chang Mingxin suddenly turned ghastly pale, and his body swayed and almost fell from the sky.

Fortunately, a disciple at his side supported him, shouting in concern, “True Person!”

“I’m fine. It’s just that there’s some backlash from forcibly casting this art. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest. It’s just a pity that I had to use my Thousand Extinctions Sword,” Chang Mingxin sorrowfully said as he looked at the remains of his sword.

At this moment, all the disciples were both shocked and happy.

Someone even laughed and said, “Tang Jie should be dead this time, right?”

Someone next to him said, “Even another True Person would find it hard to resist this kind of attack, let alone little Tang Jie.”

“But I wonder if that suppressing stone stele managed to survive.”

Chang Mingxin heard this and said, “Under my sword mountains, Tang Jie’s Mustard Seed Bag shouldn’t have been able to survive, but the stone stele is a divine item and shouldn’t have been damaged. You can go down and search. If you can find the stone stele, then it proves that Tang Jie is dead. As for the body…”

Chang Mingxin shook his head. Under his Ten Thousand Sword Mountains, let alone an intact corpse, even remains would be hard to find.

“Yes!” The disciples made to enter the ocean for the third time, but one person did not leave: the disciple who had supported Chang Mingxin earlier. “True Person, after displaying your divine might, you are weakened for the moment. If the enemy were to attack, you would be at a disadvantage. I will stay here and keep you company.”

Everyone laughed. “How could there be an enemy at this time?”

But they really didn’t have anything to use against his argument.

The smarter ones realized that he was probably trying to build a good relationship with the True Person and kicked themselves for not doing it first, but alas, it was too late to correct this mistake.

As the disciples entered the water, Chang Mingxin sighed. “This Tang Jie managed to singlehandedly kill nearly one hundred disciples. Truly, even a hundred deaths couldn’t redeem him. Unfortunately, it’s impossible for his body to be intact, or else I would have sliced him into ten thousand pieces to release my rage.”

The losses inflicted by this scoundrel had already essentially made this mission a failure, and the thought of the inevitable drop in status made Chang Mingxin gnash his teeth.

“True Person, do not be angry. Right, this disciple learned some massage techniques as a child that can open up the meridians, allowing for better flow of blood and energy. Perhaps it can relieve some of True Person’s fatigue,” the disciple said.

After some thought, Chang Mingxin agreed.

As the hands massaged his back, a stream of spiritual energy entered his body. It was gentle and bestowed an indescribable sense of comfort.

Chang Mingxin felt relaxed all over. Having never experienced such comfort in his life, he said in satisfaction, “You’re quite the clever and capable one. Right, what’s your name, and which hall do you belong to?”

The disciple behind him replied, “I don’t know either!”

“What did you say?” Chang Mingxin was startled, and then his heart thumped in alarm, and he lunged forward.

As he lunged forward, a golden light flashed past his neck, failing to strike him by only a centimeter.

But there was no dodging the blast of energy from the palm on his back.

The energy surged into his meridians and exploded. A terrifying hole was opened up on his back, cracks spreading out from it.

Grooow!

Chang Mingxin threw back his head and howled! Not since he became a True Person had he ever felt so much pain.

The worst of all was that this strike to the back had severed his Central Pivot Point, which would prevent him from casting any spell arts for a short amount of time.

But he was truly a fierce sort. Even in these circumstances, he still managed to counterattack.

With a frenzied howl, Chang Mingxin formed a beam of sword energy on his right index finger.

He had spent all his life tempering this sword energy, so he could even form it from only the energy of his body.

As he lunged forward, he swung the sword energy in his right hand at the attacker behind him.

A moment later, a golden light cut apart Chang Mingxin’s sword energy, and with its remaining power, it continued forward and cut off half his arm, blood spurting from the wound.

“Aagh!” Chang Mingxin once more felt a heart-rending pain. All of a sudden, he had lost an arm.

…To the attack of a golden dagger.

He could finally turn around.

There, in the sunlight, the face of that clean and delicate youth gradually transformed into another.

“Tang Jie!” Chang Mingxin didn’t dare to believe his eyes.

He finally understood.

This bastard had the ability to change his appearance!

He had killed a Beast Refining Gate disciple and taken his clothes precisely for a moment like this.

When the Beast Refining Gate disciples emerged from the sea a second time, Tang Jie realized that the upcoming attack would probably be something he couldn’t deal with. Thus, he had immediately changed his appearance and mixed in with the crowd, then gotten closer to Chang Mingxin.

He saw Chang Mingxin’s sea-churning attack and saw how weak he was after it.

A plan that had not existed before this began to emerge in his mind.

Assassinating a Celestial Heart… without his original body getting involved!

After taking Chang Mingxin’s right arm, Tang Jie lunged.

When facing a Celestial Heart opponent, he knew that even an opponent that was heavily injured, exhausted, and without his treasure could not be underestimated.

Thus, he didn’t waste any time on chatter and tried his best to seize the initiative.

A punch to shatter the meridians!

A slash to cut off an arm!

Next was a finger aimed at Chang Mingxin’s forehead.

The Jade Shattering Finger!

At the same time, Chang Mingxin crazily roared. This was a cry to summon reinforcements, to call all the Beast Refining Gate disciples to assist him.

At the same time, he raised his left hand, summoning up another beam of sword energy that he thrust at Tang Jie.

Because he was injured, everything about this attack, whether it was technique, intent, power, or form, was problematic and flawed.

Tang Jie had many ways he could have dodged it, broken it, or faced it.

But he didn’t choose any of them.

He charged straight at that sword energy, his Jade Shattering Finger meeting the tip of the sword.

Attack versus attack so that the battle could be ended as quickly as possible!

Finger energy met sword energy in a dazzling burst of light.

The energy sword mangled Tang Jie’s fingertip, but ultimately dissipated under Tang Jie’s Jade Shattering Finger.

So long as the flesh existed, the Jade Shattering Finger still existed.

It pushed through the remnants of sword energy and struck Chang Mingxin’s left hand. Light erupted from the fingertip, and Chang Mingxin’s left hand exploded.

But as Chang Mingxin’s left hand exploded, another beam of sword energy emerged from his wrist and smashed into the Jade Shattering Finger.

The surging sword energy made Tang Jie’s left index finger crack and fracture, but then it dissipated again. Tang Jie continued thrusting his finger, thrusting four times at Chang Mingxin’s arm. Finally, Chang Mingxin’s left arm broke apart, but as a price, Tang Jie’s left hand was now a mangled piece of flesh, the index finger completely gone.

But he didn’t care, swinging the saber in his right hand at Chang Mingxin’s head.

Chang Mingxin kicked out, and a beam of sword energy emerged from his foot.

The sword and saber met, and Tang Jie was unable to bring the Heartbreak Saber to bear.

Chang Mingxin resolved himself to fight to the death, and he kicked out repeatedly with his left and right feet. In a flash, eight sword beams appeared to obstruct Tang Jie.

At the same time, the Beast Refining Gate disciples began to return from the ocean to assist him.

Delighted, Chang Mingxin shouted, “You can’t kill me!”

“I can!” Tang Jie answered.

And then he charged.

A sword beam moved to head him off.

Sword beams pierced through the Formless Golden Body, leaving bloody holes in his body. Tang Jie unleashed a stunning wave of saber energy at Chang Mingxin’s kicking legs.

Whoosh!

Chang Mingxin’s legs went flying from his body.

His four limbs had been cut off, and as Tang Jie lunged at him like a tiger, he opened his mouth. Another sword beam shot out, adding another wound to Tang Jie’s body.

Some disciples had now emerged from the sea, gasping in surprise at what they were seeing.

Tang Jie was unmoved. Putting away his saber, he used the Jade Shattering Finger with his right hand and thrust it forward.

The Jade Shattering Finger clashed with the sword energy, and the fingertip pierced through the sword energy and exploded in Chang Mingxin’s mouth, opening a hole in his throat.

Chang Mingxin was no longer able to bellow, nor issue sword energy from his mouth.

He raised his head and angrily glared at Tang Jie. “I still have more!”

Sword energy emerged from his belly, shooting at the Jade Shattering Finger.

When the sword energy dissipated, Tang Jie had lost another finger.

At the same time, the fastest Beast Refining Gate disciples were drawing closer to the battlefield. One of the disciples was already casting a spell art.

Chang Mingxin laughed. “Tang Jie, you’re dead!”

Although he was heavily injured, the fact that he had survived made his heart leap with joy.

“Is that so?” Tang Jie indifferently said.

He took out a round, black object and tossed it.

“A Heavenbane Lightning Pearl?”

The Beast Refining Gate disciples at the very front cried out in alarm.

Having just witnessed the terrifying power of these things, these disciples were still suffering from psychological trauma. When they saw the pearl, they immediately flew away, caring little for Chang Mingxin’s life.

“You people…” Not even in his dreams would Chang Mingxin have anticipated this development.

Tang Jie coldly smiled. “How interesting. Even a stone can send them running.”

He didn’t speak very loudly, but his voice traveled so far that everyone was able to hear it.

“What?” Chang Mingxin was stunned, and those Beast Refining Gate disciples who had fled like mice were also dumbfounded.

When they saw the item that had been thrown out, they saw that it really wasn’t a Heavenbane Lightning Pearl, but a round, black stone that could be found anywhere on the sea floor.

They were so furious that they felt like throwing up blood.

Tang Jie rushed forward and grabbed at Chang Mingxin.

“Don’t even think about it!”

Chang Mingxin’s eyes flashed, shooting out two beams of sword energy.

Tang Jie swung the Heartbreak Saber, blocking one sword beam while his left hand grabbed at Chang Mingxin. This grab didn’t do any damage to Chang Mingxin, only taking his Mustard Seed Bag and identity token. For this, Tang Jie sustained a wound on his shoulder.

While his two sword beams were fending off Tang Jie, Chang Mingxin made his body descend as quickly as possible, and those disciples who had run off in fright moved to receive him. Chang Mingxin crazily laughed, “Tang Jie, in the end, you couldn’t kill me. Now that you’ve missed your chance, you’re dead for sure!”

“Is that so?” Tang Jie repeated his words from before.

The tone was so similar that Chang Mingxin’s heart froze in alarm.

He suddenly realized something and looked down.

A bloody hole had been carved in his belly, but far more important than that was that something had been put into this hole.

A black pearl.

“This is…” All the hairs on Chang Mingxin’s body stood up. “A Heavenbane Lightning Pearl!”

His voice even changed pitch.

He had no idea when Tang Jie had even managed to stuff this pearl into his body.

“Goodbye,” Tang Jie coldly said.

On the surface of the ocean, four Cognitive Creation disciples were flying toward Chang Mingxin to protect him.

Not a lot of people, but I suppose they make up for it in quality.

Tang Jie thought to himself, and then he snapped his fingers.

Boom!

Water was once more sent shooting into the sky.

One more bomb to send Chang Mingxin off! But he sure put up a fight before finally kicking the bucket.