Chapter Ten: Breakthrough—The Celestial Fate Sword Technique Unleashes Its First Power

That heavy punch paused suddenly in front of her forehead, hanging there for a long time as if frozen in place.

At this moment, the Chief’s eyes were filled with intense terror; a sword gleaming with a silvery light was held right against his brow. Had his body moved even a fraction of an inch forward, it would have been pierced through by the blade.

He swallowed hard, letting out a dry, forced laugh:

"My friend, why don't we both put down our weapons? Peace brings wealth, after all."

Huo Qing remained expressionless. Although he had been in the midst of cultivation, he was perfectly aware of the situation outside. The sight of Ye Hongling protecting him at the risk of her life earlier had warmed his heart, but it also solidified his resolve to kill the man before him.

*Bang!*

Huo Qing raised his left hand and unleashed a punch, sending a blast of explosive spiritual energy surging outward.

The Chief’s expression changed drastically. He retreated rapidly, crossing his arms to shield himself while pouring out his own spiritual energy.

*Boom!*

However, the moment they collided, the Chief was sent flying, tumbling over a dozen times before finally steadying himself.

"A mid-stage Earth Spirit Realm expert! I didn't pay much attention to you before, but it turns out you are far more troublesome than this little girl."

The Chief’s face grew as dark as water; he had misjudged his opponent.

Huo Qing’s expression was cold. He clenched his fist, feeling the powerful surge of strength within him, and felt a hint of joy. This epiphany had allowed him to successfully master the first form of the Heavenly Derivation Creation Sword Art. Even more valuable was the fact that he had finally broken through to the mid-stage of the Earth Spirit Realm!

Behind the Chief, the Third Chief—who bore a scar on his left cheek—approached, staring at Huo Qing with vigilance. Seeing reinforcements, the Chief let out a sigh of relief and sneered:

"Boy, you killed my Second Chief. Let’s see how I turn you into mince meat!"

With that, the two men moved left and right, clutching bolts of lightning in their palms as they lunged cunningly at Huo Qing.

"Hahaha! This is our signature technique. We once used this move to blast a late-stage Heaven Spirit Realm expert to death!"

The two laughed maliciously as the lightning in their palms expanded rapidly to a size of three zhang, causing the very air to crackle with thunderous explosions.

"Nether Thunderstorm!"

The terrifying assault descended upon Huo Qing in an instant!

Unable to dodge in time, Huo Qing was blasted apart!

Seeing that not even a bone of Huo Qing remained, the two men burst into arrogant laughter. They had thought he was some formidable character, yet he had still died at their hands!

"Huo Qing!"

Ye Hongling turned pale with fright, her hands and feet growing cold.

"Hmph!"

Just as everyone let down their guard, an afterimage flashed by, ghost-like, as it closed the distance to the two chiefs.

"Wait, something's wrong!"

Sensing the shift, their expressions changed instantly. In their panic, they struck out blindly in all directions.

"This boy has such诡异 (bizarre) movement techniques; he's so fast that he's even leaving afterimages!"

"Sword Dance of the Returning Blade!"

Suddenly, countless sword shadows shot across the sky, a sharp, cold glint flooding the area like falling flower petals.

*Squelch! Squelch!*

The two could not evade the onslaught; their bodies were slashed open one after another, and bright red blood began to flow incessantly. Within moments, a river of blood formed beneath them.

"Big brother, what do we do?"

A chill ran through the Third Chief. If this continued, they would die from blood loss.

"Sacrifice the Heavenly Martial Seals! Block this wave of his attack. As long as we hold them off, we still have a chance!"

The Chief gritted his teeth, filled with deep regret. If only he had known, he never would have come on this trip! That fool Yang Jian—why did he have to provoke such a bizarre character?

A primitive-looking light seal flashed in his hand, its surface engraved with countless intricate patterns. He bit his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood onto it. On the other side, the Third Chief followed suit.

The two Heavenly Martial Seals merged, rapidly forming a defensive barrier. The swarming sword shadows rained down upon it; although they caused ripples, the barrier remained stable, repelling the attacks.

"Hmph, Huo Qing, once your stamina runs out, I will make sure to humiliate that girl right in front of you!"

The Chief’s face was livid. Given his status, being forced into a corner by a junior of the Earth Spirit Realm was a humiliating blow to his pride.

Huo Qing sensed this and felt a flicker of surprise; the defensive power of the seals they had activated was indeed extraordinary.

"However, thinking you can save your lives with just this turtle shell is far too naive."

"Don't boast! If you have the guts, break through this barrier!"

The two laughed grimly, clearly taking Huo Qing’s words as the desperate talk of a man at his wit's end.

"As you wish."

Huo Qing smiled faintly, then shot into the sky. Innumerable heavy sword shadows converged, gathering at the tip of his Spirit-Piercing Sword. Carrying astonishing power, he slashed down.

The ground cracked beneath the force of this strike.

"Break!"

A clear, resonant sword hum rang across the heavens. As everyone looked on, the seemingly impenetrable barrier began to show a narrow hole, with more than half of the Spirit-Piercing Sword embedded within it.

*Snap!*

Huo Qing clicked his fingers, and the tottering barrier shattered with a deafening crash.

*Pfft!*

With the barrier destroyed, both men spat out torrents of blood. They staggered back, their spirits broken.

"How is this possible?!"

The Chief shrieked. Their strongest defense had been forcibly shattered by this guy’s single move, 'Flying Dragon in the Sky'?!

Even more shocking, it was done by a mere greenhorn in the Earth Spirit Realm—it was simply unheard of!

"Big brother, let's run!"

The Third Chief’s face was as pale as paper. He grabbed the Chief’s sleeve, and they fled in a panic. Since neither their strongest attack nor their strongest defense could stop this guy, running was their only option!

"Do you think you can get away?"

Huo Qing smiled faintly and gave chase immediately. At the same time, his fingertips turned pitch-black as he pointed into the air.

"Black Demon Finger."

In an instant, rolling baleful energy rose like smoke, consuming the two men until only their withered skeletons remained.

"This 'Black Demon Divine Record' is truly bizarre. Once mastered, it can actually corrode people directly."

Huo Qing sighed. He didn't know how the Yun family had obtained such a spiritual technique; they had truly struck gold. Fortunately, it had fallen into his hands, preventing such a treasure from going to waste.

Two glimmers of light caught Huo Qing's attention. He reached out, and the two seals flew into his palm.

"Heavenly Martial Seals."

Huo Qing frowned slightly. Why did he always feel a strange fluctuation coming from these objects?

"Whatever, I'll keep them for now."

With a thought, the two seals vanished into his storage bag.

At this moment, Ye Hongling rushed over. Seeing that Huo Qing was unharmed, she patted her ample chest and beamed with joy. As a few rays of sunlight fell upon her, the sweat on her chest highlighted her stunning curves, a sight enough to make anyone’s blood race.

"Huo Qing, you are simply too strong! I really don't understand how you cultivate!"

Ye Hongling gasped in admiration.

Huo Qing smiled without saying a word, though his gaze drifted slightly downward.

"Oh, right! What was that movement technique you used earlier? I’ve never seen you use it before."

Huo Qing pondered for a moment and said:

"It must be due to the Heavenly Derivation Creation Sword Art. The first form of this technique, 'Sword Dance of the Returning Blade,' includes a movement technique itself. Once I mastered the form, I naturally grasped it as well."

"That’s amazing! Hehe, I’m feeling more and more like bringing you along was a good decision."

"Let's get ready to move. It’s almost dark."

"Right, let's reach the Black Demon Abyss before nightfall."

"..."