Chapter 44: In the Blink of an Eye, Three Lives Extinguished

The burly man gave a shout, and the two behind him immediately swept in, surrounding Shen Yan completely.

"Big brother, this kid has no experience in magical combat at all. Let's strike now before someone else snatches our prize," the second brother yelled, taking the initiative. He swung a long blade straight at Shen Yan.

As the blade gleamed, the second brother grinned wickedly, as if he could already see Shen Yan being cleaved in two by his strike.

Yet Shen Yan showed not the slightest trace of fear. With a gentle flick of his Xuan Yuan Heavy Water, a curtain of water coalesced before him.

"A water shield talisman?"

The burly man burst out laughing at Shen Yan's response. A mere mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, facing a full-powered blow from a late-stage Qi Refinement expert, actually thought to rely on a low-grade spell talisman to block it?

But to everyone's astonishment, the mighty blade, shimmering with force, crashed into the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water shield and, apart from stirring a few ripples, had no effect whatsoever.

Not only that, the second brother felt a tremendous rebound from the water shield, nearly causing him to lose grip on his sword.

"Big brother, this one's tougher than he looks! Quick, help me!" Though he appeared dim-witted, the second brother was sly at heart. Failing with his first strike, he retreated at once, preparing for the three of them to attack together.

But how could Shen Yan give him that chance? He cast Water Bullet once more, channeling the primordial ice at terrifying speed toward the second brother.

Each drop of Xuan Yuan Heavy Water weighed a thousand pounds, carrying the power of a top-grade magical weapon. As it was unleashed, a series of sonic booms echoed through the air.

Before the three bandits could react, the primordial ice had shattered the second brother’s protective robe, and in an instant, he exploded in mid-air into a rain of flesh and blood!

"Second brother!" the burly man cried out, unable to accept that his late-stage Qi Refinement brother had been slain by someone he considered a fledgling.

But the third brother shouted, "Big brother, this kid’s only at mid-stage Qi Refinement! How many times could he possibly unleash such terrifying power with his level of spiritual energy?"

His words immediately reminded the burly man that this was indeed the case. The second brother had been wearing a mid-grade protective robe, and he was a body cultivator to boot, yet he’d been blown apart in a single strike. Such power was not something a Qi Refinement cultivator should possess.

"You’re right. Even if he can use it a second time, it can’t be that quick!"

With that thought, the burly man flashed a nasty grin; the shock of his brother’s death faded, and he wasted no more words, preparing to strike at Shen Yan.

A jet-black, conical magical weapon flew from his hand, withering every plant it passed, clearly laden with deadly poison.

The third brother was not to be outdone. He wore a pair of gloves, and between his fingers, he flicked a cluster of poisoned needles toward Shen Yan.

Both men unleashed their full arsenal, hoping to kill Shen Yan before he could repeat the move that had just annihilated the second brother.

But Shen Yan showed no panic. Instead of dodging, he calmly curved his fingers and shot two primordial ices straight at them.

Crack! Clang! Clang! Clang!

In the blink of an eye, the poisonous black cone and the cluster of needles were shattered by the primordial ice.

"This..." The burly man and the third brother stared in disbelief at their destroyed magical weapons.

What kind of technique was this?

In the next instant, both men suddenly realized what was happening, feeling a force as overwhelming as a mountain crashing down upon them, filling them with terror.

"Something’s wrong! Run!"

As soon as they sensed this crushing pressure, they understood how the second brother had died.

This kid was no easy prey at all, but a monstrous predator that devoured everything.

Run! Run!

At that moment, all thoughts of murder and plunder vanished from their minds. All they wanted was to escape with their lives.

Though they had lost a top-grade Soul Shattering Cone and over a dozen low-grade poison needles, so long as they lived, there would always be another chance to rise again.

But how could Shen Yan let them flee? He had been worrying about his lack of spirit stones, and now these three bandits had presented themselves on a platter. If heaven offers and you refuse, you invite its wrath. He would gladly accept their generosity.

With a surge of spiritual power, Shen Yan sent the primordial ices crashing toward the two.

A fierce gale whipped the mountain flora into a frenzy, while the impact shattered their protective robes outright.

"Not good!"

The burly man and the third brother were terrified, burning through their spiritual energy in a desperate attempt to escape the horror behind them.

But no matter how fast they ran, they could not escape the primordial ices, those devastating weapons driven by Shen Yan’s power. In a flash, the two felt as if struck by a mountain.

Crack! Crack!

"What’s that sound?"

Their minds went blank; darkness closed in, their external spiritual force shattered, and in the next instant, their bodies, just like the second brother’s, were reduced to pulp and fell to the forest floor.

Far off, Wu Qi witnessed the scene, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He clamped a hand over his mouth, not daring to make a sound.

Elsewhere, rustling sounds arose from the forest.

"Is that the three Man brothers?"

"It’s them. Those three bastards never played fair, not even letting passing rogue cultivators go. They’re like fishermen who kill the pond for every fish."

"No, this time they’ve met a hard target—pretending to be weak to lure the tiger!"

"You walk the night road long enough, you’ll meet a ghost. Who in Little Orchid Mountain isn’t a cunning old hand by now?"

"My god, how did the second Man brother die?"

"What kind of spell was that? All three brothers wore mid-grade protective robes, and the second brother perished just like that?"

"And he was a body cultivator with a protective robe! That kid’s trump cards are terrifying."

"Such power is already comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"Too bad, there’s no way he can unleash that again—"

"What?! He can do it again?"

"The three Man brothers are finished."

"What kind of monster is this? With a flick of the wrist, he killed all three brothers. Should we..."

"Not good, he’s spotted us! Run!"

In an instant, all the bandits lurking in the woods hoping to play fisherman to the snipe and clam scattered like frightened birds.

Shen Yan snorted coldly, withdrew his gaze, and looked toward Wu Qi’s hiding place. With a flick of his finger, he erased him from the world.

"So he was the bandits’ informant after all."

With a cold laugh, Shen Yan collected the three brothers’ storage bags, summoned his crane, and set off for Jade Immortal Sect.

Flying swiftly, Shen Yan reached the barrier outside Jingyun Island in less than half a day.

He took out the token he had obtained from Sun Mingshuo’s party. Just as he was about to activate the restriction, a sense of danger surged in his heart.

Without hesitation, Shen Yan slapped the crane and had it wheel about, fleeing at full speed.

Moments later, a man in daoist robes, face clouded with anger, appeared before the barrier—it was Yu Qing, a true disciple of Golden Miao Peak.

"Damn it! Who leaked the news?"

Ever since Shen Yan used the token to open the barrier last time, Yu Qing had stationed men nearby to keep watch.

Just now, the token belonging to the junior sister Xu—whom Shen Yan had killed—suddenly reappeared. Yu Qing rushed over at once, but was still a step too late.