Chapter 58: Killing a man every ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles

Chapter 58: Ten Paces to Kill a Man, a Thousand Miles Without Leaving a Trace

Hearing the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger roar, Su Huan came to her senses and giggled. “Tiger, he called you a big cat. That’s blatant disrespect! Go teach him a lesson!”

“Roar!”

The Crimsonflame Demon Tiger let out a furious bellow and sprang forward at terrifying speed.

Its enormous claws swept down with a howl.

“You little kitten. You need a spanking!”

Chen Ping’an smiled and used the Qingyun Sect’s unique movement technique. His figure vanished in a strange flicker, only to reappear above the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger. He brought his palm down hard.

Boom!

The blow slammed the tiger out of the air and into the ground, its huge body gouging a crater in the earth.

Dazed and battered, the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger couldn’t get back to its feet for a long while.

Swish, swish, swish!

Su Huan, watching nearby, was shocked. She raised her little golden bow and fired more than a dozen arrows in rapid succession.

Chen Ping’an calmly swung his sword and shattered them all.

His mastery of the Qingyun Sword Art surpassed even that of the sect’s founding patriarch. And his Innate Sacred Dao Seed was one of the strongest in the world, making it easy for him to overwhelm someone like Su Huan, whose Dao Seed was merely Heaven-grade.

On top of that, Chen Ping’an had cultivated the Ninefold Immortal-Demon Art. Though both he and his opponent were in the Golden Body Realm, his physical strength, speed, and defense far surpassed those of any Golden Body cultivator in the entire wilderness.

With all these advantages, fighting above his level was effortless for Chen Ping’an.

“Are you Lin Zhong?” Su Huan stammered in panic. “No, you can’t be Lin Zhong. He couldn’t possibly defeat my Tiger with a single move!”

The Crimsonflame Demon Tiger suddenly scrambled to its feet and opened its jaws, spewing a blazing sea of fire.

“You little kitten, you never learn.”

A light laugh rang out from above the tiger’s head. With a thunderous boom, the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger was slapped back down again.

This blow struck harder than the first.

Stars swam before the tiger’s eyes. The world spun, and its limbs went limp.

Hiss, hiss!

Suddenly, countless little golden arrows shot through the air.

A crimson sword cloud surged up and swept them away, foiling Su Huan’s sneak attack.

Thump!

Chen Ping’an appeared behind Su Huan like a ghost and smacked her flying with a single slap.

She cried out as her graceful figure traced an arc through the air, then landed with a plop on the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger’s back.

Dust billowed around them, enveloping both girl and tiger.

Seeing Su Huan covered in dust, looking like a country bumpkin, Chen Ping’an couldn’t help laughing. He made no move to attack again.

He was an old ancestor who had lived for ten thousand years. A little lesson was more than enough when dealing with juniors like these.

“Who are you? Why have I never heard of you?” Su Huan asked, lifting her dusty face and staring at Chen Ping’an in bewilderment.

“Just a disciple of the Qingyun Sect.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly and drifted away.

Su Huan watched him leave without warning, feeling thoroughly perplexed.

Though she had been struck in the back, she hadn’t suffered the slightest internal injury. That made her feel well disposed toward Chen Ping’an; she decided he must be a good person.

“Who on earth is he? He’s unbelievably strong…”

Su Huan murmured to herself.

She could hardly believe that a Qingyun Sect disciple capable of crushing her with a single move could be completely unknown within the sect. She had never even heard of him!

Su Huan had always believed herself to be heaven’s favored daughter, peerlessly powerful and among the strongest in all of Northern Province.

But now she realized that there was always someone stronger, and a greater world beyond. That obscure Qingyun Sect disciple had certainly taught her a vivid lesson.

“Tiger, are you feeling better?” Su Huan asked, looking down at the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger.

She could tell it had only sustained minor injuries.

“Roar…” The tiger gave a plaintive cry and stayed sprawled on the ground, unwilling to move.

After comforting it for a few moments, Su Huan stood up. “Come on, Tiger. Let’s find a river and wash up.”

At that, the Crimsonflame Demon Tiger sprang to its feet at once. Carrying Su Huan, it disappeared into the forest.

…

Chen Ping’an stopped before a mountain cliff.

In the middle of its weathered rock face, someone had carved ten elegant, ethereal characters with a sword.

“Ten paces to kill a man, a thousand miles without leaving a trace.”

Gazing at the verse, Chen Ping’an was overcome with emotion.

He had given those words to his master, who had carved them into the cliff with his own hand.

The place had since become known as Sword Cliff.

Ten thousand years had passed. The rock face had weathered badly, yet the carved words remained clear.

Below the cliff lay a flat stretch of ground, where a number of people were studying the inscription and slowly practicing sword forms.

Chen Ping’an walked over as well.

Each stroke of those ten words contained a trace of his master’s sword intent. Anyone who could comprehend even a single strand of it would qualify to enter the outer reaches of the Sword Pool.

Comprehending sword intent was extremely difficult. Ninety-nine out of every hundred people were eliminated at this stage.

Many who lacked sufficient cultivation or had only ordinary talent didn’t bother wasting their time at Sword Cliff.

That was why there weren’t many people here.

Those who grasped the sword intent quickly would leave the cliff and go train elsewhere.

Noticing several Qingyun Sect disciples, Chen Ping’an joined them and walked over.

Suddenly, a figure darted in from behind and landed at the site.

“Senior Brother Lin!”

Seeing that it was Lin Zhong, many people greeted him at once.

Lin Zhong gave them a casual nod. His gaze shifted and fell on Chen Ping’an. “At the seventh level of the Golden Body Realm, there’s no point wasting your time here.”

Chen Ping’an paused.

Was the man being kind, or was there malice behind his words?

He wanted to enter the Sword Pool and pay his respects to his master. How could he leave without first comprehending a strand of sword intent at Sword Cliff?

Before Chen Ping’an could respond, a figure in purple suddenly landed nearby.

It was Zixia.

The moment Lin Zhong saw her, his expression changed. His eyes turned adoring, and he hurried over with a broad, eager smile. “Fairy Zixia, you’re here too!”

Zixia acted as if she hadn’t heard him. She looked over the faces of the Qingyun Sect disciples, but disappointment showed in her eyes.

Then she spotted Chen Ping’an.

Seventh level of the Golden Body Realm?

Her eyes lit up, and she sprang to his side, examining him from head to toe.

A nameless surge of anger rose in Lin Zhong’s heart.

He was tall and handsome, strong and talented—yet he couldn’t stir the slightest ripple in Fairy Zixia’s heart. Meanwhile, some fellow at the seventh level of the Golden Body Realm had caught her attention.

“Move along. Sword Cliff isn’t for you,” Lin Zhong said to Chen Ping’an, his jealousy flaring.

Seeing this lovesick fool take out his anger on him, Chen Ping’an almost laughed in exasperation.

Zixia really was a calamity. Even Lin Zhong had fallen for her.

“Since when did Sword Cliff have rules like that?” Chen Ping’an asked coolly.

Lin Zhong glared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Wait, no.” Zixia shook her head. The young man’s voice and appearance were both different. He wasn’t the handsome man who had haunted her thoughts.

Chen Ping’an smiled to himself.

After leaving the cave, he had changed his appearance, and naturally, his voice as well.

So Zixia had no way of recognizing him.

Zixia studied Sword Cliff in earnest. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, she successfully comprehended a strand of sword intent and hurried away.

Lin Zhong, meanwhile, also managed to comprehend one.

“As expected of Senior Brother Lin, the strongest of our Qingyun Sect’s younger generation…” one of the disciples flattered him.

People from the other sects looked on with envy as well.

“Why are you still standing there? Get lost!”

Having collected the sword intent, Lin Zhong remembered Chen Ping’an and turned to him with a cold smile.

Now that Zixia had left, he had nothing to hold him back.

A mere seventh-level Golden Body disciple had dared to defy him. He was going to make the boy pay for it.

Chen Ping’an gazed at Sword Cliff.

“Come, sword.”

He smiled lightly.

Hum!

Sword Cliff suddenly blazed with light. Two radiant strands of sword intent flew out from the carved words and drifted into his palm.

**End of Chapter**