The surrounding two-mile radius of forest had vanished, leaving only a scene of devastation. The earth appeared to have been stripped bare, with countless rocks and soil overturned.
Lingering flames and sword energies permeated the area for dozens of zhang. If any cultivators of the first or second realm had stumbled in, they would likely have been injured by the residual power.
The middle-aged Taoist was no longer visible on the earth; only Ji Yuan stood silently amidst the wreckage, the Xuan Tian Shi Ling Pagoda atop his head.
His eyes were tightly shut, a powerful fluctuation emanating from his body, along with an air of profound Daoist rhyme.
In the midst of a life-and-death struggle, he had somehow entered a state of enlightenment!
"Seeking death!"
A fierce roar echoed from the sky, followed by a blaze of fire that obscured the heavens.
The middle-aged Taoist reappeared, manipulating a sea of flames that swept down towards the ground, intending to incinerate the boy, who was lost in enlightenment, into ashes!
However, in a moment, Ji Yuan's eyes snapped open, a destructive aura flashing within them.
His presence surged violently, smoothly transitioning from the late second realm to the peak. Magic power surged through his meridians, and boundless sword energies and sword light erupted from his body!
He looked up at the approaching sea of fire and then softly uttered a single word: "Disperse!"
In an instant, an endless stream of sword energies and sword light roared towards the sky. In the blink of an eye, the fiery expanse was torn asunder!
"How is this possible!"
The middle-aged Taoist's expression tightened, and he subconsciously whispered in astonishment.
His gaze then darkened, and he spat out a stream of light containing a small, sheathless dagger no larger than his palm!
This artifact, cultivated with his very life, immediately unleashed surging flames upon its appearance. An extremely condensed blade energy was hidden within its body, poised and ready.
However, Ji Yuan showed no reaction upon seeing this.
His aura continued to surge, his momentum climbing to an extraordinary height, matching that of a third-realm cultivator.
Only now did he truly understand the power possessed by the prodigies of the Nine Profound Sect.
Before his breakthrough, Ji Yuan could contend with third-realm cultivators, but he was still considerably weaker than Lin Yu Bai.
Yet, after this breakthrough, even if Lin Yu Bai had also reached the peak of the second realm, he would still be a step behind Ji Yuan.
"So... this is the way of the sword!"
Ji Yuan murmured to himself, his aura surging once more. A faint Daoist rhyme flickered within him.
At this moment, he had already taken one step into the third realm!
Watching the sheathless dagger flying towards him, a destructive aura flashed in his eyes.
What is a sword?
A sword is the sharpest tool of a knight, the dignity of a gentleman!
What is the way of the sword?
To cut down all enemies, to annihilate all tribulations!
"Xuan Tian Sword Intent... Destruction Dao..."
Ji Yuan pointed his sword towards the sky, murmuring softly, "Sever!"
A thread of sword energy, as fine as a strand of hair, shot out from his fingertip.
With a mere flash, the sword energy appeared before the sheathless dagger. It gently circled, then vanished again without a trace.
The next moment, the middle-aged Taoist felt the threat of death. He was about to channel his magic power to protect himself.
Suddenly, he let out a muffled groan. As he looked down, a wisp of sword energy had pierced his heart!
With a mere leak of energy, the middle-aged Taoist's heart was pulverized. Then, the sword energy followed his meridians into his forehead, piercing unhindered into his sea of consciousness.
"No..."
He opened his mouth to cry out, but the light in his eyes rapidly dimmed.
In an instant, his soul dissipated, leaving only a collapsing divine sense and endless sword energies crisscrossing within his sea of consciousness.
A destructive force surged through the middle-aged Taoist's body, and then his form silently disintegrated.
The sheathless dagger that had unleashed the raging flames also shattered into several pieces at the same time, its breaks perfectly smooth.
A mountain and river bag and two magic artifacts fell from the sky. The middle-aged Taoist had vanished without a trace.
*Puff!!!*
After his aura reached its peak, Ji Yuan suddenly coughed out a large mouthful of blood, his internal energy becoming somewhat unstable.
Clearly, he had sustained serious injuries during the previous battle. If not for his timely breakthrough, he might have been the one in danger.
However, his face was filled with intense joy. With the immense pressure from the third-realm cultivator, he had finally taken that step. Not only had his cultivation broken through, but he had also comprehended the true way of the sword.
Ji Yuan took a deep breath, quickly consumed several pills, and then collected the few magic treasures and his spoils of war.
He then found a direction and left the area at the fastest speed possible, his figure disappearing into the distant mountains.
An hour later, he arrived before a small hill and, using his natal flying sword and sword qi, carved out a deep cave in a very short time.
Soon, with the deployment of several high-grade formations, the cave vanished. Even if a third-realm cultivator stood outside and searched with their divine sense, they would find no trace.
Entering the depths of the cave, Ji Yuan immediately sat down cross-legged, took out two or three healing spirit pills, and began to recover from his injuries while stabilizing his newly broken-through realm.
After more than ten breaths, his body gradually emanated abundant sword intent, along with a dense presence of Dao principles.
At the same time, on a main road a hundred li away.
Over a hundred strong youths, accompanied by twenty to thirty elders and women, walked forward, each face showing tension and anxiety.
At the front of the procession were Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong, followed by Zhao Yuebai, Lu Yuzhe, and Zheng Jiaxing.
After escaping the rebel search perimeter, they successfully found over two hundred youths and women and children in a廃弃 village to the southeast.
After consulting with everyone, more than 160 people were willing to undertake the long journey with them to Lin Fu County, over two hundred li away.
Most of these people were youths who had been press-ganged as laborers, along with some boys over twelve or thirteen years old. A smaller number were elders and women and children who had gathered there later.
Under the ravages of war, they had all lost their homes, and even their loved ones and friends had fallen in pools of blood.
This road was not easy. Although they were following the official road, they had to travel much further than the actual distance.
Going around mountains, bypassing rivers, the two hundred li journey stretched to nearly twice its length before they finally exited the rebel territory.