"No!"
In mid-air, the old man let out a grief-stricken roar, his eyes bloodshot.
He watched helplessly as his two magic treasures were forcibly taken away by the opponent, and the connection in the depths of his soul snapped.
If he counted the Stone Mirror, which was seized earlier, it meant three magic treasures had been plundered by this person!
The thought of this almost made the old man faint from anger, and his aura became incomparably violent.
He could no longer care about anything else, as if he had lost his mind. He rushed forward with all his might, his hands clasped in the void, and two identical long swords appeared.
These swords were entirely blood-red, with densely packed patterns carved on their blades. The moment they were unsheathed, they exuded a sky-piercing malevolent aura.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan's expression immediately turned solemn. He also felt a pressure emanating from these twin swords.
He flicked his finger, and the Xuanyuan Spirit Devouring Pagoda instantly hovered above his head, emitting wisps of clear light.
At the same time, he pointed at his Natal Flying Sword beside him. It transformed into a brilliant stream of light and shot up into the sky, charging directly at the giant Yin energy warrior who was stepping through the air.
After doing all this, he took a step forward and was about to meet the charging old man.
But at this very moment, a smile appeared in the opponent's eyes. Although it was hidden by boundless rage, it was clearly perceived.
Ji Yuan naturally knew what that smile represented, but his face showed no reaction. With a calm expression, he continued to swing his sword forward.
"Die!"
The old man cackled and used the twin swords in his hands to block.
It had to be said that although he hadn't deeply refined these twin long swords, having only activated two or three layers of restrictions, the quality of these swords was exceptionally good, possessing twelve acquired restrictions and being made of very precious materials.
Therefore, despite the shallow refinement, they could still display extremely powerful might with an unsparing infusion of magical power, barely blocking Ji Yuan's sword imbued with the path of destruction!
And at the same time, two figures streaked from behind Ji Yuan at high speed, exuding astonishing killing intent even before making a move.
But he paid them no heed, and under the old man's astonished gaze, he responded with a playful smile.
The next moment, a thunderous roar echoed, and faster than the sound was an incomparably brilliant flash of lightning!
BOOM!!!
In an instant, a deafening roar filled the sky. The two cultivators of the third realm, who were attempting a sneak attack, were instantly sent flying amidst the violent magical power and the raging lightning!
Black smoke billowed from their bodies, and countless arcs of lightning flickered within and outside their physiques. The magical power they had nurtured for a long time immediately collapsed, making it difficult for them to even maintain flight for a short period.
Elder Hong Tian's figure appeared on the scene. He glanced at the two in front of him, then shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man who was about to launch a sneak attack.
The middle-aged man, who was at the mid-third realm, felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious primordial beast. He had no doubt that if he dared to make any move, he would be overwhelmed by a ferocious onslaught.
At that point, whether he could retreat safely would depend entirely on his luck.
However, he felt that his luck today was not particularly good.
*Poof!!!*
As he hesitated, the Yin energy warrior in the sky suddenly collapsed, being annihilated by countless sword energies.
"Speaking of which, I feel a little embarrassed, but please leave these twin swords behind."
Ji Yuan smiled faintly and rotated the wrist holding the long sword.
Instantly, a sword light flowed, followed by a scream from the old man. The palm holding the twin swords was severed by the sword light!
*Bang!*
He did not take the old man's life, but merely kicked him in the chest. Even the force was subtly transformed into a gentle strength, sending the old man flying more than ten feet away.
"Go!"
Ji Yuan shouted, and with the Xuanyuan Spirit Devouring Pagoda, he collected the twin swords into the pagoda, leaving only the severed hands to fall from the sky.
The moment his voice fell, he and Elder Hong Tian departed one after another, one transforming into a brilliant sword light, the other into a dazzling thunderbolt.
In mere breaths, they vanished from this world, having fled seven or eight miles away.
"Give up."
The middle-aged man, who was in the mid-third realm, used his magical power to support the old man's severed palms and then said, "Give up."
A young Daoist at the early-third realm was enough to contend with the four of them, coupled with a cultivator at the late-third realm, they stood no chance.
The old man's face was grim. He used magical power to reattach his severed hands, then took out elixirs and medicinal pills.
Even with the aid of the pills, it would likely take two to three months of careful recuperation for his hands to fully recover.
"How can you ask me to give up?"
After a long time, he murmured in a low voice, his eyes filled with hatred.
On the other side, Ji Yuan and the elder took some time to catch up with the flying artifact in mid-air.
Although Xue Yang and the others had decent cultivation, it was still somewhat strenuous for them to operate this artifact, only maintaining a passable speed.
Ji Yuan boarded the artifact and immediately took over the operational control. Infusing his magical power, he caused its speed to increase severalfold!
"Why didn't you kill him just now?"
Elder Hong Tian asked.
He could naturally see that Ji Yuan could have killed the third-realm old man completely, but deliberately held back, merely kicking him away.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan's expression became somewhat peculiar as he replied, "After taking so many treasures from him, I felt a bit soft-hearted."
There's a saying in the mortal world: "When you take someone's belongings, your hands are tied; when you eat someone's food, your mouth is soft."
He had successively taken several magic treasures from the old man, as well as a treasure vault worth at least a thousand spirit coins. In the choice between killing and not killing, he chose the latter.
Of course, if it were a life-or-death situation with no retreat, or if the opponent threatened the lives of his companions, he would never hesitate, and would kill them with thunderous force.
Before such a situation arose, sparing someone was not impossible.
The most important point was that Ji Yuan had a premonition, a subtle feeling, that if he spared the old man's life, there might be some pleasant surprises in the future.
This feeling had no basis and was purely a whim, but cultivators tended to place great importance on such sudden premonitions.
"Who are these people? And what did you take?"
Elder Hong Tian couldn't help but ask.
Ji Yuan coughed twice and explained the unexpected arrival of Xue Yang and the others, as well as how he had looted a treasure vault of astonishing value while destroying the foundation of the opponent's mountain protection formation.
He also mentioned the five magic treasures he had later seized: the Stone Mirror, the Great Seal, the Heart Protection Mirror, and that pair of twin swords.
It was worth noting that the pair of twin swords seemed to be a set of magic treasures, capable of displaying greater power when used in coordination.