At this moment, Joe Di's Fifth Riftblade finally exploded inside the body of the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator.
When the wave of the Fifth Riftblade first struck the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator, he was only shocked by the depth of Joe Di's true essence. For the first time, his twin cymbals failed to fully block Joe Di's blade wave.
Like most cultivators who encounter the Riftblade for the first time, he didn't pay much attention to the aftershock of Joe Di's blade hitting him. It was just a minor injury, something a late-stage Golden Core cultivator wouldn't even consider noteworthy.
But no one could have known that the true killing intent of Joe Di's blade would erupt after the wave struck, with endless blade patterns surging into his body and exploding within, like countless droplets splashing off a wave crashing onto a reef...
Agonizing pain and the aura of death spread. The Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator pointed at Joe Di, trying to say something, but countless blood mist burst from his body. He didn't utter a single word before dying on the spot.
Joe Di paid no attention to the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator. He risked injury—if he couldn't defeat a Golden Core seventh-layer, he would have to flee today. So killing this cultivator was already within his expectations.
The moment he killed the Golden Core seventh-layer, Joe Di ignored the wound at his waist and let the blade aura transform into a sky curtain, sweeping up waves of killing intent.
It was like a waterfall cascading down from the void, plunging straight down for three thousand feet.
"Splat!" A Golden Core fourth-layer cultivator had just shattered Joe Di's Mountain Crest Fist, when he was swept into the blade curtain. The crushing momentum filled the space, leaving the Golden Core fourth-layer cultivator no room to resist, and he was cleaved in two by Joe Di's blade curtain.
Silence fell around them. The remaining three Golden Core cultivators didn't make a move; they simply stared at Joe Di in shock.
Even the mighty Golden Core ninth-layer cultivator was only about as strong as Joe Di. The five of them besieged Joe Di, and in just one exchange, Joe Di killed a Golden Core seventh-layer and, despite his injuries, took down a Golden Core fourth-layer.
The Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator took a deep breath. These attacks seemed to go back and forth, but in reality, they were completed in an instant. After injuring Joe Di, his spear condensed another technique, ready to strike again and finish Joe Di.
But before he could unleash his spear technique, Joe Di had already killed a Golden Core seventh-layer and then a Golden Core fourth-layer. Joe Di's speed in deploying his magical treasures was nearly twice as fast as his own. What did this mean? It meant Joe Di's spiritual sense was at least twice as refined as his, and his true essence was just as strong.
In other words, if he fought Joe Di one-on-one, Joe Di could easily defeat him. Joe Di had chosen to attack the Golden Core seventh-layer just now; if he had chosen him instead, he might not have escaped either.
Feeling how terrifying Joe Di was, the Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator hesitated and did not attack again.
The two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators felt a chill as they looked at Joe Di. Joe Di fought five Golden Core cultivators at once, and at the cost of taking a spear wound, killed a Golden Core seventh-layer and a Golden Core fourth-layer. Now, with only three of them left, even if they could defeat Joe Di, two of them would likely die in the process.
Joe Di's spiritual sense was so refined that he could switch techniques in the blink of an eye—this alone made him far stronger than the rest. Did they really want to snatch something from someone this ruthless?
As the two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators hesitated, the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator who had previously forced Sprout inside and was cultivating in the Azure Pool suddenly brightened.
Joe Di was indeed powerful, but five Golden Core cultivators attacking together had still injured him. If a few more people joined in, surely Joe Di would be in trouble today.
Others didn't know what Joe Di had on him, but this Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator knew very well. He had seen Joe Di collect an Azure Ley Line, and after Joe Di took it, the spiritual energy in the Azure Pool noticeably weakened. After cultivating in the pool for just a few days, he was about to break through to the Golden Core eighth-layer. He also knew that the Golden Core cultivator who had given Joe Di a Memory Stone to enter the Azure Pool together had already broken through to the Golden Core seventh-layer.
If Joe Di had killed two people without getting injured, he wouldn't have dared to think too much. But since Joe Di was wounded after taking down two, his excitement could no longer be contained. He knew very well that when the five attacked Joe Di earlier, they hadn't used their full strength.
Before the two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators could retreat, the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator shouted harshly, "This man didn't just get one Soulcore Fruit—he got three, at least nine in total! Besides those Soulcore Fruits, he also took an Azure Ley Line. The spiritual energy in this Azure Pool is less than a tenth of what it was, all because this man extracted a hundred-zhang Azure Ley Line. Let's split the spoils! Even if each of us gets half a zhang, it's enough for all of us to reach the Soul Ancestor realm. What are you waiting for? Let's go after him together..."
After his shout, the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator at peak rushed out of the pool. The two Golden Core cultivators with him didn't hesitate and followed right after.
They knew very well that the pool's spiritual energy concentration had dropped several times over.
Hearing that Joe Di had a hundred-zhang Azure Ley Line, and that the pool's spiritual energy was less than a tenth of its original strength, everyone became red-eyed with envy.
The Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator also grew red-eyed when he saw how many treasures Joe Di possessed. Not only had Joe Di taken a hundred-zhang Azure Ley Line, but even having a storage treasure capable of holding such a vein was an unparalleled treasure.
"Let's kill him together! We'll split the ley line, everyone who joins in gets a share..." The Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator roared, leading the charge toward Joe Di.
Joe Di's heart sank. Before he could escape, countless magical treasures were already coming at him.
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At the same time, someone sealed the cave entrance. Although this seal was nothing to Joe Di, by the time he broke through it, he could have been killed countless times over.
Sprout and Melody Qin, still in the Azure Pool, felt their hearts sink. No matter how strong Joe Di was, how many cultivators could he possibly defeat?
Seeing countless cultivators swarm toward Joe Di, even Zane Chong slowly moved in his direction.
He also clearly knew the pool's spiritual energy concentration had dropped. He didn't know exactly how long the ley line Joe Di had taken was, but he was sure Joe Di had taken one. After just a few days cultivating in the pool, he had reached Golden Core sixth-layer perfection. If he could get a few feet of that ley line, he might break through to the Soul Ancestor realm.
Seeing Joe Di trapped in endless attacks, Zane Chong couldn't think any longer and rushed in as well.
No matter how strong Joe Di was, he was doomed today—there was no need to fear him anymore. Rumor had it that Joe Di once used a trap array to kill all the Golden Core cultivators on the third floor of the Qi Trading House, but today he had no time to set up such an array. Besides, Zane Chong had seen with his own eyes the Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator pierce Joe Di's waist with a spear; apparently, Joe Di wasn't as formidable as the rumors claimed.
"Splat, splat!" Even though Joe Di wore spiritual armor, in a short time he was struck by several attacks, leaving streaks of blood.
Joe Di's spiritual sense swept over the cave entrance, finding it sealed by an array. His only option was to fight his way out—there was no other path.
Joe Di's long blade swept out, unleashing wave after wave of blade curtains in a frenzy.
Joe Di didn't dare use Mountain Fury and Ocean Wrath at this moment—they consumed too much true essence and spiritual sense.
"Boom, boom, boom!" As the melee erupted, cultivators kept falling, and Joe Di was constantly struck by all kinds of magical treasures.
Joe Di's spiritual sense spotted the Golden Core seventh-layer cultivator who exaggerated the length of the ley line he took and incited everyone to gang up on him, hiding at the back. Joe Di immediately realized that many here were just hoping to pick up a bargain.
If everyone worked together wholeheartedly, he estimated he couldn't last even half an incense stick's time.
With this in mind, Joe Di began to move around, secretly setting out array flags as he went.
Almost every time he set up a Deathtrap Array flag, Joe Di would kill several cultivators, though he also gained new wounds each time.
"Boom!" A stone pearl smashed into Joe Di's blade, sending shards flying and suppressing the blade intent he had just unleashed.
Before Joe Di could retrieve his long blade and attack again, the Golden Core eighth-layer cultivator who had been waiting nearby struck out with his spear like a hidden viper. The spear's intent tore through Joe Di's true essence shield and spiritual armor, piercing his chest.
"Splat!" As the spear was withdrawn, a jet of blood burst from Joe Di's chest, and he felt his strength fading.
I can't die. Joe Di's consciousness blurred, but he swung his long blade once more—this time, it was the sixth form, Skyveil Blade.
Unlike the previous Skyveil Blade, this one didn't descend from the void, but swept in from afar, engulfing nearly all the cultivators in its path.
[Meta Note: That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!]