As soon as the black-robed elder appeared, he locked onto Ian Song, his eyes filled with a dense, icy killing intent.
Who is this old man?
Ian Song thought to himself, staying calm as he ordered the System to scan the elder for Golden Core-level techniques.
Soon, the System displayed one Golden Core technique and two Golden Core combat arts.
Ian Song, you little thief! How dare you try to ruin my Valeguard Kingdom—prepare to die!
With a thunderous shout, the black-robed elder floating in midair swung his blade down.
Boom!
A blade-qi arc over ten zhang long ripped through the air, carrying a terrifying aura as it crashed down.
Everyone else, scatter!
Ian Song barked coldly, standing his ground as he gathered Golden Core true-qi into a single punch and struck out.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, waves of force sprayed out, catching many soldiers in the crossfire.
Late-stage Golden Core!
Ian Song was surprised. Wiping blood from his mouth, he turned into a streak of light and shot into the distance.
He hadn't needed to meet that last strike head-on at all.
If he dodged, thousands of soldiers behind him would suffer. Besides, he wanted to test the elder's true strength, so he took the blow head-on and paid a small price—his organs were shaken.
Where do you think you’re running, you little thief!
Seeing this, the black-robed elder instantly turned into a streak of black light and gave chase.
Ian Song’s Golden Core was cultivated using the Celestial Venerable Heart Scripture, a Daoist manual. Daoism emphasizes following Heaven’s Way and tranquility, so his flight speed was extremely fast.
Even though the black-robed elder behind him was a martial Golden Core, he couldn’t match Ian’s speed.
While fleeing, Ian Song took out the manual.
This manual was called the Nine-Dragon Cauldron Art. Cultivating it to perfection could reach late-stage Golden Core—the black-robed elder had likely mastered it.
Using his divine sense, Ian Song quickly skimmed through the manual, then began analyzing its flaws and correcting them.
Half an incense stick later.
Ian Song finished revising the manual, raising its grade by a full tier—now, cultivating it to perfection could reach early Nascent Soul. Direct fusion would require 110,000 Qi Luck.
With over ten million Qi Luck, Ian Song wasn’t short on points, but fusing it directly to Nascent Soul would trigger another tribulation.
So he ordered the System to fuse his cultivation only up to late-stage martial Golden Core.
Fusing to late-stage Golden Core cost 70,000 Qi Luck.
The martial dantian is in the lower abdomen, Daoist dantian in the chest, and Buddhist dantian at the brow.
As the fusion command took effect, Ian Song felt his dantian swell as powerful energy from the void poured in, gathering and compressing within.
Stop right there, you little thief!
The black-robed elder, furious, swung his long blade again and again, sending blade-qi arcs slashing wildly toward Ian Song.
The blade-qi arcs moved with incredible speed.
They outpaced Ian Song’s movement, causing him trouble and slowing him down.
With no other choice, he landed on the ground below.
Whoosh!
The black-robed elder landed as well, his gaze cold as he stared at Ian Song. "Why aren't you running anymore?"
Who exactly are you in the Valeguard royal family?
Ian Song asked calmly.
Today, you’ll die knowing the truth—I am the founding Emperor of Valeguard!
The black-robed elder declared proudly.
You’re actually the founding Emperor of Valeguard?
Ian Song was surprised. He hadn’t expected the elder to be both a scholar and a martial expert. Thinking about it, it made sense—the man had seized the throne with ease, his cultivation must have played a big part.
You dare steal my Valeguard throne, thief? Today is your death day—prepare to die!
With a low shout, the black-robed elder swung his blade at Ian Song.
A hundred meters vanished in an instant.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ian Song drew his Frostbrand Sword and unleashed an exquisite sword technique, weakening the blade-qi with each move.
After more than ten fierce clashes, Ian Song thrust his sword forward, shattering the blade-qi.
Your swordsmanship isn't bad, thief! But your strength is far beneath mine—die!
The black-robed elder narrowed his eyes and charged forward, blade swinging in rapid succession, sealing off every direction with blade-qi.
Ian Song frowned slightly, then stomped his right foot against the ground.
Suddenly, the ground collapsed beneath him and Ian Song dropped down, causing the elder’s attack to miss.
He actually has a move like that?
The black-robed elder froze for a moment, but quickly slashed down into the pit where Ian Song had disappeared.
But Ian Song kept sinking deeper underground, and the earth weakened the blade-qi.
By the time the blade-qi reached him, its power was much reduced.
Instead of fighting the blade-qi, Ian Song sliced a horizontal tunnel with his sword, gathered the dirt into the System, converted it into bricks, and sealed the tunnel behind him.
Bricks are far sturdier than dirt.
In no time—
The black-robed elder leapt into the tunnel, saw the bricks blocking his way, and paused in surprise. Then he violently hacked the bricks to pieces with his blade.
But to his frustration, Ian Song’s tunnel twisted and turned, so he couldn’t destroy all the bricks at once.
After quickly tunneling several miles underground, Ian Song burst out of the earth and shot into the sky, fleeing at top speed.
A few breaths later—
The black-robed elder emerged from underground, cursing furiously.
He shot into the sky as well, but Ian Song had already pulled seven or eight kilometers ahead.
His speed was already slower than Ian Song’s, and even if he tried the blade-qi again, the distance would weaken its power.
But he couldn’t let Ian Song escape—after all, Ian was the reason the capital fell. If he let this youngster go, and Ian trained for a century or two, he’d never be a match.
So even though he was slower, he kept chasing Ian Song relentlessly, confident that he could wear him down with sheer true energy.
The chase lasted more than an hour.
In his lower abdomen, a martial Golden Core had already formed, with energy still pouring in, making its aura ever stronger.
Since he’d already survived a lightning tribulation, he didn’t need to face the Golden Core tribulation again.
Glancing back at the elder, now twenty-plus miles behind, Ian Song smirked.
During that hour, he’d already revised the elder’s two other Golden Core martial techniques, fused them using Qi Luck, and made them even stronger.
Once his strength reached late-stage Golden Core, their roles would reverse—it’d be the elder’s turn to run.