With his current strength, he might not be invincible below the Celestial Essence realm, but he could easily slay most at the Great Success of Marrow Cleansing. A Half-Spirit Weapon was formidable, but its effectiveness depended on the user.
"W-We’re here!"
Chen Yong was the first to snap out of his shock, leading Zhou Jiang, Guo Yun, and the others over. The sight of severed limbs scattered across the ground sent another wave of horror through him.
Five Martial Artists at the Minor Achievement of Marrow Cleansing, dead just like that—cut down as easily as slicing vegetables.
"These bastards dared to try and seize the Sect’s mine. They deserved to die."
The men had overheard the conversation between Xu Yang, Luo Xin, and Liu Qing, so they knew these attackers were also disciples of the Purple Sun Sect.
"Drag the bodies outside and bury them," Xu Yang ordered.
Chen Yong interjected, "Don’t. The vital energy and blood of a Bone Marrow Cleansing expert are potent—a great tonic for Exotic Beasts. Burying them will attract powerful ones from nearby. It’s best to burn the bodies."
Xu Yang then remembered they were deep in the Yunling Mountain Range, a place teeming with Exotic Beasts. The scent of blood from so many Marrow Cleansing Martial Artists’ corpses could indeed attract powerful ones.
"Then burn them. And make sure my contribution is properly recorded."
Xu Yang turned and walked away.
Whether Luo Xin’s group had come for revenge or not, the fact remained that he had saved the mine and everyone in it. He had slain five Marrow Cleansing experts for the mine, a contribution to the merit ledger that no one could erase.
’This should take care of any future trouble,’ Xu Yang thought.
This time, almost everyone who had a grudge against him had shown up. It was a clean sweep.
In a way, he even had Luo Xin to thank.
If that guy hadn’t gone around instigating and gathering everyone, it would have been much harder for him to kill so many people he wanted dead all at once.
Cao Jin, Yun Feng, and Liu Qing were all from different peaks. Even if he had wanted to kill them for a while, finding the right opportunity would have been difficult.
As Chen Yong and his men disposed of the bodies, Xu Yang returned to his courtyard to continue his grand smithing project.
That night, two long shadows stretched out under a dim oil lamp.
"I never expected Elder Huoyun to value him so highly. Even after being exiled here, he was given a Half-Spirit Weapon for protection," Guo Yun sent via voice transmission. "If it weren’t for what happened today, I’d never have guessed that thing with the grimy, well-worn scabbard was actually a Half-Spirit Weapon."
Chen Yong replied via transmission, "Today was a blessing in disguise. It was dangerous, but it gave us a clear look at his true strength. Tell the men to be careful and not expose what we’re doing."
"We thought he was just some kid we could push around, but it turns out he has a Half-Spirit Weapon and strength rivaling the Great Success of Marrow Cleansing."
Guo Yun frowned. "How long do we need to be careful? We’ve already piled up a lot of the stuff. We have to get it moved out soon."
"Just do as I say. Don’t be impatient; caution is our top priority. Since Elder Huoyun thinks so highly of him, he probably won’t be here for long."
"And what if he never leaves?"
A cold glint flashed in Chen Yong’s eyes. "Then we’ll find a way to *make* him leave."
...
[Fuyue Bear Scripture Marrow Cleansing Chapter - Minor Achievement (4713/6000)]
Time passed. A chill had crept into the air around Moon Lake. Xu Yang had now been here for a month and had just taken his third Dragon Tiger Great Golden Pill.
’At this rate, I can break through to the Great Success of Marrow Cleansing in another month and a half at most.’
His Cultivation wasn’t the only thing steadily improving. His Weapon Forging Skill had progressed to the point where he could craft all sorts of Weapons. The finished products now barely differed from the designs he pictured in his mind.
The transformation of his Gang Qi was complete. It was now more condensed and domineering than ever, having ascended to a new level and carrying with it a faint Sword Intent.
As a result, his progress with the Bright King Unmoving Body was frighteningly fast. His Body Refining advanced by leaps and bounds; the pace had doubled since he had developed his Sword Intent.
[Bright King Unmoving Body - Introduction (2824/4000)]
At this rate, he could also achieve a breakthrough with his Bright King Unmoving Body in a month and a half.
’I guess you could call this Body Refining with Sword Intent,’ Xu Yang thought.
After its transformation, his Gang Qi had taken on the sharp and domineering characteristics of Sword Intent.
A Physique tempered by such Gang Qi would be anything but ordinary. Even others who practiced the Bright King Unmoving Body likely wouldn’t have a physical body as powerful as his.
Sometimes, the strength of a Cultivation Technique depended on who was practicing it.
After a glance at his status panel, Xu Yang resumed his cultivation.
Under the guidance of his Heart Method, his Gang Qi felt like a blazing fire tempering his flesh and bone, and like thousands of hammers ceaselessly pounding his body.
"Brother Xu, the men from the Inner Sect are here to transport the Profound Iron! Steward Chen asks that you come supervise and check the accounts."
Suddenly, Guo Yun’s voice called out from outside.
"I’ll be right there!"
Xu Yang stopped practicing the Bright King Unmoving Body, changed his clothes, and walked out of his courtyard. A caravan was approaching, led by none other than Guan Du.
Among the caravan members, he also spotted Zhu Yuan, Hong Lei, and other disciples from Li Fire Peak.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers!" Xu Yang said with a smile.
His gaze swept over the horse-drawn carts, which he saw were laden with grain, dried meat, and other supplies.
The Inner Sect came once every two months, both to transport away the excavated Profound Iron Ore and to deliver fresh supplies.
"Junior Brother Xu, are you getting used to this place?" Guan Du asked with a laugh.
Zhu Yuan, Hong Lei, and the others also stepped forward one by one to greet Xu Yang.
"The weather’s getting colder, so food keeps longer now. I brought some fresh meat especially for you. Take it to your room and enjoy."
Guan Du said, pointing to a leg of venison on one of the carts.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Guan!"
Xu Yang didn’t stand on ceremony, promptly carrying the leg of venison back to his courtyard.
He had tried hunting in the mountains for some game to eat, but his luck had been poor. He never managed to find any prey, and since he was worried about the mine’s safety, he couldn’t stay out for long. He had returned empty-handed every time.
"So that bastard Luo Xin has been missing for over half a month because he died here. And to think the Sect even sent people to look for them."
By the time Xu Yang returned, Chen Yong had already recounted the earlier events to Guan Du and his men. The group couldn’t help but curse Luo Xin and his accomplices.
They were all Inner Sect Disciples at the Minor Achievement of Marrow Cleansing—a part of the Purple Sun Sect’s core strength.
For them to all disappear at once... The Purple Sun Sect had even searched for them in Cyan Yang City for some time. No one would have expected them to come to Moon Lake only to be slain by Xu Yang.
Once the supplies were unloaded and the Profound Iron loaded up, Guan Du and his men didn’t linger, departing quickly with their carts.
The visit was a minor interlude for Xu Yang. With the Profound Iron shipped out of the warehouse, he actually felt more at ease. No valuables meant less chance of trouble.
That evening, with the arrival of fresh supplies, everyone at the mine enjoyed a good meal.
Xu Yang made a point of cooking a pot of stew with the venison Guan Du had given him.
He had thought things would be quiet for a while. But to his surprise, the very next morning, while he was meditating in his room, the sound of a gong suddenly echoed throughout the mining camp.
With a frown, he stopped circulating the Fuyue Bear Scripture. Grabbing Red Blood from beside him, he shot out of the room like a whirlwind.
The mining camp was already in chaos. Fortunately, most of the miners had already gone into the mineshafts for the day; only the Purple Sun Sect disciples were outside.
"It’s the Cyan-Scaled Eagle! That beast is back for revenge!" Zhou Jiang roared.
Xu Yang looked up to see a Cyan-Scaled Eagle with a wingspan wider than a house circling above the camp, letting out sharp, furious cries.
"SCREEE..."
Another, even sharper cry pierced the air. The clouds parted as a second, even more massive Cyan-Scaled Eagle rode the wind in from the horizon. It was nearly twice the size of the first.
In an instant, Xu Yang felt two sharp gazes lock onto him.
"Brother Xu, what do we do?"
The color drained from the faces of Zhou Jiang and the others. Panicked, they quickly gathered around Xu Yang.
The first Cyan-Scaled Eagle was enough to wreak havoc on the camp, to say nothing of a second, even more terrifying one.
"Get to safety! These two beasts are here for me!" Xu Yang said, tightening his grip on his blade.
With a tap of his toes, he vanished, reappearing in a flash outside the mining camp.
A great battle was inevitable. But if he fought it here, the camp would likely be razed to the ground.
"Into the mines! Junior Brother Xu has a Half-Spirit Weapon; he can protect himself. Let’s not get in his way."
Chen Yong shouted, then decisively turned and ran for a nearby mineshaft.
To the Cyan-Scaled Eagles, they were nothing more than ants. They were completely useless in this fight. The only thing they could do was hide and ensure the battle didn’t spread to the camp.