“What’s going on?” Yang Hao, still shaken from the brush with death, was puzzled by the miraculous salvation that had just occurred, as if aided by divine intervention.
“Who else but your master saved you?” Hunyuanzi’s voice sounded tired. “That nearly cost me my life.”
“Thank goodness it was you; otherwise, I’d have been a goner for sure.” Yang Hao genuinely thanked Hunyuanzi for once. But soon enough, he added rather shamelessly, “So you can be this powerful even from inside my stomach? How about from now on, you handle the fighting while I just take care of sleeping with women and let you voyeuristically enjoy the view?”
Yang Hao never truly enjoyed fighting. To him, the alchemical practices of the Dan and Dual Cultivation Sect suited him far better than engaging in martial combat, which he consistently sought to avoid.
“You wish!” Hunyuanzi quickly crushed his absurd idea. “Do you even realize how much energy from my Nascent Pill that last move consumed? I probably shaved off at least three months of my life. If I keep rescuing you like this, I won’t last long. Are you trying to betray and kill your master?”
Startled, Yang Hao stuck out his tongue in fear. Hunyuanzi could survive inside his stomach only thanks to the energy from the large pill Yang Hao had swallowed long ago. If that energy were truly depleted, Hunyuanzi would really perish and vanish forever. Although Yang Hao constantly bickered with the old man, he certainly didn’t want him dead.
“You managed to dodge that attack only because of your luck,” Gold remarked, annoyed by Yang Hao’s relaxed and self-satisfied muttering despite his injuries.
” Luck?” Yang Hao, bleeding but still sharp-tongued, retorted, “Why don’t you say your swordsmanship is just lousy? Let me tell you, my movement technique is the best in the world. No sword technique can ever hit me. Your so-called Aurora is nothing but junk. It’s not even bright enough to be used as a nightlight.”
“Is that so?” Gold’s face showed no anger, only a sinister calmness as he took a deep, meaningful breath, clearly gathering power for another strike.
Yang Hao glanced around desperately, hoping to find an opening to escape. But although Gold stood alone, his sword aura covered three directions entirely, leaving no room for escape.
“What do I do now? What do I do?” Yang Hao urgently asked Hunyuanzi.
“What else? Wait to die,” Hunyuanzi replied grumpily. “Who told you to run your mouth off? Why did you have to insult his sword technique?”
“Should I have praised him instead?” Yang Hao argued, “Since when do we boost others’ morale while undermining our own?”
“That guy might have weak cultivation, but the sword technique he uses is no simple matter,” Hunyuanzi sighed, as if recalling past memories. “The sword move he used earlier originated from the sword sect cultivators of my time. But due to the changes over time, people nowadays have forgotten true cultivation methods, so its power has greatly diminished. Back then, a single use of that technique could kill everyone within a thousand paces. At one time, a single cultivator killed over a thousand people with just that one move.”
“What?” Yang Hao was stunned. So Gold’s swordsmanship was actually that formidable. In that case, the wound on his shoulder seemed almost worth it.
“A团长 of a swordsman corps with sixth-level combat power—if you underestimate him, you truly have nothing left to look forward to but death,” Hunyuanzi seized the chance to admonish him.
“This counts as crisis teaching?” Yang Hao thought bitterly, nodding like a pecking chick. “Fine, fine, I’ll be more careful in the future. I’ll respect every opponent I face.”
“But it’s already too late,” Hunyuanzi said. “Look what Gold is doing!”
Yang Hao had already noticed. Gold had lifted his noble, ornate robe and pressed several buttons on his belt. With the current level of technology, clothing had become a showcase of advanced engineering—many garments appeared soft and comfortable, yet were embedded with numerous technological components. The buttons Gold pressed were part of a high-tech auxiliary device shaped like a belt—the Power Amplifier.
This Power Amplifier was one of the core pieces of equipment in the Imperial Army. By stimulating the wearer with electric-like currents, it could rapidly multiply their physical strength and especially their innate energy once activated. High-ranking officers in the Empire, especially those belonging to the swordsman and martial arts corps, were often equipped with one for use in critical battles against powerful enemies.
Back when Yang Hao was at school, Wang Zhijun had once used one too. However, since Wang’s innate energy was inherently weak, the effect had been minimal.
But this time was different. The man before Yang Hao was no ordinary swordsman. Gold was the deputy commander of the Imperial Swordsman Corps and a direct disciple of the famous Ten Sword Style. His strength was already on par with Yang Hao’s, and his sword technique was exceptional. Now, with the Power Amplifier activated, his innate energy surged several times over. Around Gold’s body, silver light rapidly emerged, like outwardly radiated innate energy overflowing and spilling out from within.
Gold raised his treasured sword high. The blade’s glow suddenly intensified, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as daylight. Yang Hao felt as if a supernova had exploded before his eyes, its brightness blinding.
This time, if Gold released his “Aurora,” its power would be unprecedentedly devastating. Even with Yang Hao’s incredible speed or the finest flying sword, he would be unable to resist. He was like a cornered army surrounded by countless troops, practically a corpse awaiting Gold’s blade.
At this critical moment, Yang Hao was pushed into a desperate corner. The earlier, weaker Aurora had already overwhelmed him, and now even the combined strength of Yang Hao and Hunyuanzi might not be enough to survive the sword immortal’s legacy move—the Aurora.
“We’re done for,” Hunyuanzi sank into despair. “This is it. I can’t do anything anymore.”
“If you can’t, I can!” Yang Hao almost growled the words through clenched teeth. He shut his eyes tightly, not even glancing at the blinding light before him—the light that would soon kill him. He reached into his dantian pouch and pulled out a bright red pill, as fiery as a chili pepper, and shoved it into his mouth.
“What are you doing?” Hunyuanzi was startled. “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t take the Fire Rong Pill?”
The Fire Rong Pill was a new auxiliary pill recently taught to Yang Hao by Hunyuanzi. Since the previous Power Pills only enhanced strength for those at the Foundation Building stage and were ineffective for Yang Hao, who was now at the Spiritual Void stage, only the latest auxiliary pill—the Fire Rong Pill—could rapidly increase his true energy throughout his body.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage