Chapter 29: He Dong

The young man glanced at Cao Yun, a sneer curling his lip. "You should have been content playing the role of a blood slave. Once I successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage in two years, I might have taken you on as a menial disciple. But you, in your overestimation of yourself, dared to step into the Outer Sect without permission."

"Noisy." Cao Yun let out a cold hum. With a flick of his hand, he tapped his storage pouch. A low-grade flying sword instantly erupted with a brilliant cyan glow, hovering in mid-air before transforming into a streak of light that lunged fiercely at the young man.

The youth remained unmoved, his posture rigid. Just as the sword was about to strike, a dense, solid golden light barrier sprang into existence, shielding him like a heavy bronze bell. A crisp metallic clang rang out; the sword struck the barrier, throwing off a spray of dazzling sparks before being deflected, embedding itself deep into the cavern wall with only the hilt trembling.

The young man chuckled with utter disdain. "Is this what you rely on? A low-grade, basic flying sword?"

With those words, his gaze sharpened. A flying sword, wreathed in a sinister crimson glow, rose slowly above his head. The red light flooded the cavern, painting the space as if it were a sea of blood. The surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to answer a summons, rushing toward the blade. In an instant, a terrifying pressure radiated from that crimson light, causing the entire cavern to shudder.

Just as the youth prepared to unleash a killing blow to finish Cao Yun, a thunderous roar of "Stop!" erupted from outside the cave. The shout seemed imbued with boundless power, causing the entire cavern to tremble violently, the echo humming in every corner.

"He Dong, do not be so arrogant. This is the Myriad Demon Pavilion!" Following the voice, a short, stout middle-aged man with a distinctive waddling gait stepped into the cavern. It was Zhao Wuji.

"Oh? Senior Brother Zhao, since when has an Inner Sect disciple of our Heavenly Star Wolf Sect been unable to kill a mere Outer Sect disciple?" The youth raised an eyebrow, his tone laced with provocation as he addressed Zhao Wuji.

"Insolent!" Zhao Wuji roared. His hand suddenly manifested into a massive, solidified palm spanning several feet. Radiating a formidable aura, it lunged toward He Dong.

He Dong poured his entire reservoir of magical power into his crimson sword. The blade flared with intense light, striking out at the giant hand. With a deafening boom, the cavern rocked as if it were on the verge of collapse.

As the dust settled, He Dong was seen kneeling on the ground, his hair disheveled, blood dripping from his lips, his face as pale as parchment. He glared at Zhao Wuji, spitting out another mouthful of blood before hissing, "Zhao Wuji, you are nothing but a True Spirit Root cultivator. Once I reach Foundation Establishment, I will wipe you out sooner or later."

Zhao Wuji looked at him expressionlessly and spoke coldly, "I may not dare to kill you, but if you ruin the Pavilion Master’s plans, no one will be able to save your miserable life."

"You..." He Dong was so enraged by these words that his blood surged, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Focus on your Foundation Establishment first. I advise you not to be so arrogant; our Pavilion Master has killed Earth Spirit Root cultivators before," Zhao Wuji said, looking down at the frustrated He Dong with open contempt.

Suddenly, a hum resonated above He Dong’s head. Before anyone could react, the Fire Mother-and-Child Needles had aligned into a single line, streaking toward the grounded He Dong with the clear intent to kill.

He Dong’s heart shuddered as the cold grip of death enveloped him; he closed his eyes in despair.

"Stop!" Zhao Wuji cried out in alarm, his hand transforming into a giant claw to snatch the needles. But it was too late. With a fresh surge of power from Cao Yun, the needles accelerated, piercing into He Dong’s body with a series of wet thuds before the giant claw could intervene.

"Cao Yun, you..." Zhao Wuji was stunned. If He Dong died here, he would have no way to defend himself.

"He won't die. After all, I understand human anatomy better than any of you." Cao Yun lifted his hand slightly, and the needles flew back out of He Dong’s body, trailing bits of flesh and blood into the air.

He Dong had long since fainted, leaving only a ruined cavern and the metallic scent of blood lingering in the air.

"Cao Yun, don't get too cocky!" Zhao Wuji barked, his face flushed with rage. "He Dong is an Inner Sect disciple and the personal student of the Sect Leader. If anything happens to him, even the Pavilion Master may not be able to protect you!"

These two Qi Refining disciples were truly ruthless, one worse than the other.

"Whoever tries to kill me, I will kill them," Cao Yun said, licking his dry lips. "If one day Dai Wuhai wants me dead, I won't stand still and wait for the end. Even if I can't drag him down with me, I will make him pay the price."

Watching Cao Yun’s cold, lethal demeanor, a chill crept up Zhao Wuji’s spine. Despite being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he felt a flicker of fear toward a Qi Refining disciple.

This realization left Zhao Wuji pacing and regretting his reaction for days to come, but at that moment, he had truly been shaken by Cao Yun’s icy killing intent.

"Cao Yun, don't celebrate yet," Zhao Wuji scoffed. "I will leave this matter for the Pavilion Master to handle."

With a flick of his finger, a halo of light encased He Dong, and he began to float slowly out of the cavern behind Zhao Wuji.

"If that fatty had arrived a moment later, He Dong would likely be dead," Cao Yun muttered to himself, tapping his forehead. "He Dong, He Dong... why were you so determined to kill me?"

All Cao Yun desired was a few days of freedom. If he were to die, he wanted it to be for his own reasons, and on his own terms.

Days passed, and no one came to trouble Cao Yun, nor was there any sign of He Dong. Everything seemed as if it had never happened, which was unsettlingly strange.

With no immediate turmoil, Cao Yun decided to head to the Myriad Demon Forest to test the power of the Fire Mother-and-Child Needles and put his own developed killing techniques into practice.

He flew on his magical tool toward the forest. Upon arrival, he put the tool away and proceeded on foot. Although the low-level beasts no longer posed a major threat, several Foundation Establishment-level beasts lurked within.

Better safe than sorry. While Cao Yun did not fear death, he had no intention of throwing his life away carelessly.

Entering the forest, Cao Yun utilized the Wind-Riding Technique, his figure blurring into a stream of light as he sped deeper into the woods.

He remembered that about a hundred miles in, a cavern housed a bear-like beast named Bai Lie, with strength around the eighth or ninth level of Qi Refining. Cao Yun decided to use it for target practice.

Before long, he stood outside the cave. Several fireballs flew from his hands, erupting deep within the cavern.

A series of muffled explosions echoed out, but as Cao Yun watched the entrance with a heavy gaze, silence persisted.

"Has the beast gone out to hunt?" Cao Yun felt a surge of frustration. How could he be so unlucky?

When he was weak, high-level beasts were everywhere; now that his strength had improved, the high-level beasts of the Myriad Demon Forest seemed to have vanished into thin air overnight.