"I didn't expect Xuanhuang Town to be so formidable. No wonder, no wonder it managed to rise so quickly, transitioning from a mere village to a full-fledged town in such a short time. Truly remarkable. So the legend of the Heavenly Prison is real—this place really was established by a heaven-defying treasure. The scale of Xuanhuang Town's achievements is astonishing."
"It's best not to provoke them. It's wiser to behave here and not harbor any improper thoughts. After replenishing some supplies, we should quickly head to that place of great treasures—perhaps we might even get a share. It's definitely better to avoid causing trouble here. Still, Eternal Coins are truly wondrous! Who would've thought Xuanhuang Town could mint such an incredible currency? I've grown quite fond of it myself."
Elsewhere in the town, other foreign cultivators were present, although they weren't as arrogant and reckless as Long Aotian. They had personally witnessed Long Aotian being suppressed and imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison, and knew better than to act rashly, realizing they lacked the capital to act so brazenly.Each of them quickly reined in any dangerous thoughts.
At that moment, a voice rang out:
"Everyone!!"
Yi Tianxing did not immediately leave. His gaze swept across the surroundings. Wherever his eyes fell, people felt an invisible pressure descend on them, causing their breathing to instinctively pause. Fortunately, the gaze didn't linger for long before Yi Tianxing retracted it. He spoke calmly:"Xuanhuang Town welcomes all humans and friendly foreign races for communication and trade. However, you must come with goodwill. Should anyone cause trouble, harbor ulterior motives, or engage in actions harmful to the town's interests—then don't blame me, Yi Tianxing, for being ruthless."
"If friends come, there will be wine and meat. If enemies come, all I have to offer are blades and spears."
Yi Tianxing's tone was even, yet his words struck a chord among the townsfolk, filling them with joy and pride. Such declarations were exactly what they wished for. It reinforced their sense of belonging. Xuanhuang Town was meant to be strong.They were never afraid of trouble. Should anyone dare to stir up chaos here, they would fight to the death without hesitation.
"Hu!!"
Just then, Zhang Yue—who had previously been turned into a golden statue—suddenly exhaled a long, heavy breath. The golden glow on his body faded, and within a few breaths, he had returned to his normal complexion.
"My lord, I have brought shame to Xuanhuang Town,"Zhang Yue said as he knelt on one knee, his face flushed red, speaking with guilt.As the dignified head of the Six Doors, to be defeated by Long Aotian with a mere finger was a tremendous blow to the town's prestige. Just thinking about it made him feel disgraced.
"It seems that Long Aotian's Gold Touch Divine Aperture hasn't been cultivated to a profound level. Although he can transmute others into gold, he can't make it permanent nor completely extinguish their life force—that's what allowed you to survive,"Yi Tianxing commented with a nod.
The Gold Touch divine power was strong, but only truly fatal at higher mastery.Although Zhang Yue had been turned into a golden statue, the vitality within his organs remained. Had even his organs turned to gold, there would have been no saving him. His body would have been irrecoverable.For example, the long saber Yi Tianxing seized remained a gold weapon, permanently altered.
"Then wouldn't my golden tooth be gone too?!"Upon hearing this, Green Emperor immediately thought of his golden tooth and cried out, baring his teeth dramatically:"No way! Absolutely not! This one-of-a-kind golden tooth—how can it just vanish?! Look how dazzling, how perfect it is! If I lose it, my sky will lose its color—my life will be plunged into darkness!"
Green Emperor nearly leapt up in panic.Who could understand how much he treasured that golden tooth? It was a symbol of glory!
Yi Tianxing merely shook his head and ignored him, not blaming Zhang Yue either. He helped Zhang Yue up and said:"Facing someone like Long Aotian is beyond your current ability. But as long as you keep working hard, you'll eventually reach his level. All you lack is time and a solid foundation."
Zhang Yue trembled with emotion. He opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing. However, a steadfast light shone in his eyes, unshakable.
"Continue your patrol. If you encounter anything you can't handle, you can call for military support. Elder Huang, Master Lu, and others are all in the town,"Yi Tianxing said with a smile, before taking Cai Yan by the hand and leaving the street.
Hidden among the crowd, Huang Chengyan nodded approvingly:"Our lord has grown even stronger."
"And that Long Aotian—his body was suffused with incredible luck, like a protagonist blessed by the heavens. His strength and hidden cards were no joke. Yet even he was suppressed by the lord—and bitten by Green Emperor, no less! Now his luck is completely shrouded by misfortune. Xuanhuang Town has boundless prospects ahead,"Master Lu muttered under his breath, nodding quietly.
Later, in the rear courtyard of the mansion,
In a cool pavilion, Yi Tianxing and Cai Yan sat together. A servant had already brewed hot tea for them.
"Big Brother Yi, is this a spatial belt? Could there be treasures inside?"Cai Yan asked curiously, blinking at the white jade belt Yi Tianxing was holding.
"A spatial belt... I'm excited too,"Yi Tianxing smiled.
Someone like Long Aotian was basically a walking treasure trove—just stepping on his belongings would net you riches. His belt, of all things, definitely promised great rewards.Had it been worthless, Long Aotian wouldn't have screamed so miserably when it was taken.
With a thought, Yi Tianxing channeled a stream of true qi into the belt, forcefully breaking the spiritual imprint within. Simultaneously, a surge of sword intent struck it.
Crack!!
With a crisp, inaudible sound, the imprint shattered.The space within the belt instantly opened up to Yi Tianxing.
Whoosh!
With a wave of his hand, a torrent of items spilled out like a flood, clinking crisply as they piled up.
A huge portion of the pile was made of crystals—Black iron crystals, bronze crystals, silver crystals, and so on, all heaped together, almost as tall as an adult—like a small mountain.
"Did Long Aotian stumble upon a crystal treasure mine?!"Yi Tianxing muttered in surprise.Though not truly earth-shattering, this haul was still impressive enough to shock most cultivators.If Xuanhuang Town didn't already have its own crystal mine, even they would have been stunned.
The number of crystals easily totaled between one hundred and two hundred thousand—And it wasn't just basic black iron crystals; many higher-grade crystals were mixed in, making the total value extraordinary.This haul alone could nurture a significant number of powerful cultivators.
"With so many crystals, and with Sea of God Realm cultivators absorbing one black iron crystal per day, it would be like accelerating ten days' worth of normal cultivation for each one. This stockpile could really boost our forces,"Cai Yan murmured in awe.Currently, Xuanhuang Town's upper ranks and military used crystals for cultivation.While Eternal Coins were more effective and renewable, they were not yet widely available, so crystals served as an important training resource.
However, crystals weren't the only things among the loot.After quickly stashing away the crystals into the Hongmeng Heavenly Emperor Tower for storage, other items came into view.
Most of them weren't particularly valuable—various talismans, weapons, and such.
But among them was a particular jade book that immediately drew attention.
"'Heaven-Slaying Sword Manual'—is this the sword technique Long Aotian used earlier? To dare name it 'Heaven-Slaying'... it must be extraordinary,"Yi Tianxing thought, feeling a slight chill in his heart.
A sword manual with such a name couldn't be simple.
"This sword technique seems formidable just from the name alone. Big Brother Yi, open it quickly!"Cai Yan said, her beautiful eyes sparkling with excitement.
Inside the Heaven-Slaying Sword Manual:
"Heaven-Slaying Sword Manual:A supreme sword technique born from heaven and earth itself. It comprises nine swords.This is a fragment, containing only the first three swords: Heaven-Cleaving, Heaven-Crushing, and Heaven-Breaking.Each sword holds infinite power. When cultivated to perfection, they can slice through the heavens themselves.The sword intent is overwhelming and peerless.Each strike holds the potential to suppress all beings—it can be incomparably mighty or incomparably weak, depending on the wielder."
Through the Wordless Heavenly Book, the information from the Heaven-Slaying Sword Manual was projected directly into Yi Tianxing's mind.
He held the manual solemnly, flipping it open.
The first lines read:
"Within heaven and earth, sword techniques are countless, and sword dao is endless.However, there is no invincible sword technique, no invincible sword intent—only peerless swordsmen and unrivaled sword cultivators.Sword techniques originate from killing, exist for slaughter, and persist for survival.In ancient times, there were no sword techniques, only basic sword skills born from battle and tempered through blood.Mastering the fundamentals to the extreme leads to the strongest sword dao.One sword to cleave the heavens.One sword to break the heavens.One sword to slay the heavens."
Each word carried the unwavering belief of supreme sword dao.
There is no invincible sword technique—Only invincible sword cultivators.
This was the ultimate truth the Heaven-Slaying Sword Manual aimed to convey.
Moreover, the manual contained no detailed sword forms—only pure, fundamental sword intent.Specifically, a singular supreme intent: the Heaven-Slaying Sword Intent.