Fang Xing’s murderous intent soon overflowed, leaving even a Golden Core like Exalt Huang was shocked. This Exalt Xing everyone viewed as generous, outspoken, and unable to bear grudges had suddenly changed into someone so violent and vicious—someone mighty and terrifying. Where was there even a hint of sincerity or honesty now? The words he spoke were also surprising; as an Exalt of the clan, how could he say such terrible things?

　　“Exalt Xing, after saying such disgraceful words, do not fault me for being ruthless! I’ll be taking you so you can speak to the clan master himself!” Exalt Huang stopped talking and grabbed towards Fang Xing, revealing his power as a Golden Core. Although it looked to be a quick grab, his pale yellow robe showed wind gusting in all directions, and everywhere within ten feet of Fang Xing was covered in the effect. He believed he’d simply missed the last time, so he was serious this time around.

　　At the end of the day, Golden Cores were fundamentally different from Foundation Stages. With this attack, wherever Exalt Huang’s spirit sense went, it seemed as though the space was locked down. It might seem as though Exalt Huang was only reaching towards a person, but he was in fact grabbing at an entire area of space—as long as someone was there, they would not be able to escape. This was the power of a Golden Core, and its ability to lock down space was simply superior to a Foundation Stage’s.

　　Fang Xing neither hid nor evaded when facing Exalt Huang’s grab and—with aswoosh —a long golden lance appeared in his hands. This was the lance he’d obtained in the Mysterious Domain from Prince Chu Huang—who’d nurtured it with dragon’s blood—and although Fang Xing had kept it in his storage sack ever since, this time he drew it out into the open. He grasped the lance with both hands and vibrated his Qi before thrusting it forward into the air.

　　BOOM !

　　The lance contained the power of a fully mastered purple foundation, causing it to be enveloped in a thin layer of purple. As it was thrust towards Exalt Huang’s palm, the power contained within seemed to be so great it could destroy everything. The illusory palm created by Exalt Huang had become akin to the sky in comparison to Fang Xing’s tiny body, yet this lance seemed capable of breaking such a sky.

　　When the sky fell, he only needed to pierce through—and it seemed he intended to do precisely that.

　　“Exalt Huang, don’t kill him!” Hentian Qing couldn’t help but to shout. With her cultivation level, the only thing she could see was that Exalt Huang’s attack was filled with his true power and the Golden Core light shining around it, covering a ten-foot radius around Fang Xing. The gust of wind had already caused the nearby rocks to dance, and stones thirty feet away had deep gouges. How could Fang Xing hold up under such power?

　　Although Hentian Qing hated Fang Xing to the utmost, she didn’t intend to take his life. She shouted in fear but her voice was overwhelmed by the loud clash, and no matter whether it was Exalt Huang or Fang Xing, neither heard her shout—the clash had already been decided. After a loud crash, ash and smoke rolled over the area and strong winds billowed out thirty feet away. Hentian Qing was pushed back by the powerful force, and she retreated fifty feet away before daring to open her eyes to look.

　　The scene she expected did not occur. Once the smoke dispersed, she suddenly realized the positions between the two hadn’t changed. Fang Xing hadn’t been turned into mincemeat; it was in fact Exalt Huang who let out a low grunt while holding on to his right hand, and a drop of fresh blood dribbled down from his finger to splash onto the stone shard beside his foot, turning into a small blossom of blood.

　　As for Fang Xing with the golden lance in his hands and the giant black sword on his back, he didn’t move at all. His face with expressionless and blood could be seen on his lance—his earlier attack had pierced through Exalt Huang’s palm.

　　“You were able to stop my full-powered attack and wound me…. You… what exactly is your cultivation level?” Exalt Huang shouted in surprise, his expression filled with disbelief.

　　“Full mastery of Foundation Stage. But the differences between each foundation can be very different…” Fang Xing lightly replied before casually throwing the golden lance aside. This lance was enough to potentially trigger a war if it were seen outside the Guixu Ruins, yet he’d thrown it away like a piece of trash. After receiving the full power of a Golden Core’s attack head-on, it had become a bit twisted and cracked; if it were used for another clash, it might end up breaking and the situation would drastically change.

　　“Your little grandpa here studies the path of a Battle Cultivator. Let alone being proficient in attacking the strong with weak cultivations, the amount of resources required is likely unmatched by even mid-stage Golden Cores. The techniques and spells I’ve learned are ones even grand ancestors of a clan would desire, and the treasures I have would cause war between numerous people even in Videha…. If I still can’t take on something like you with all that, then all these eighteen years I’ve lived would truly have been for nothing….” Fang Xing’s words were cold and his gaze towards Exalt Huang was filled with utter disdain. Although he was only in Foundation Stage, his presence was actually stronger than that of a Golden Core’s.

　　“Little Foundation Junior, how dare you look down on me!” Exalt Huang suddenly shouted, as though trying to use his own voice to shatter the fear he held in his heart. “I shall let you know your true place today!” As he yelled, he dashed forward, creating a loud explosion before golden shears flew out from his sleeve. The shears formed into two rays of light that flew towards Fang Xing, and Exalt Huang’s spirit sense locked on to Fang Xing’s location while a small amount of golden-core light crashed outward. He no longer viewed Fang Xing as a mere Foundation Stage and instead saw him as an equal that required the full use of his abilities.

　　No matter all of the skills Exalt Huang used, however, when he sent them towards Fang Xing, he suddenly felt a tremble in his heart. Although he’d locked on to Fang Xing’s location, a strange blue fog began spreading out. The golden shears pierced through where Fang Xing had been, yet somehow neither they nor the core light came into contact with anything. When the fog dispersed, Fang Xing had completely disappeared—as though he’d never been there in the first place.

　　Exalt Huang flinched at this and sweat began to form on his forehead. “How is this possible?” During a fight, there was nothing more terrifying than not knowing where an opponent was. With his Golden Core cultivation and powerful spirit sense, gaining control over the battlefield should be as simple as strolling through the park; regardless of how his opponent tried to dodge or where he ended up, Exalt Huang should have known within an instant. There was no reason why his spirit treasure and core light should lose their target….

　　… yet at this moment, his spirit sense had lost all traces of Fang Xing. It was as though he was no longer even in the area.

　　Swoosh ….

　　Just as sweat began to cover his back, a sharp sword force abruptly thrust out from behind on his left side. He let out a roar and his body instantly evaded before he flew up nearly a hundred feet, but when he looked down, he noticed a sword wound on his left arm that had cut so deep he could even see his bone—if it weren’t for his keen reflexes, he would have already lost an arm.

　　In the same spot Exalt Huang had been standing in earlier, Fang Xing could be seen holding a giant black sword and looking at him without expression.

　　“This old man will kill you, you little livestock!” Exalt Huang roared in anger. He quickly formed a hand seal, and countless giant stone shards nearby flew up at his command only to all fly towards Fang Xing when he pointed forward. Smoke rose and the earth shook as though the area was beset with an earthquake, and countless shards fell from the sky like giant raindrops. The area Fang Xing stood was filled up and turned into the likes of a small mountain.

　　“How… how can it become like this…? There was no need to be so extreme….” Hentian Qing continued to watch this soul-trembling fight. Her lips shook, and she was filled with an unspeakable chill. Everything had escalated far beyond what she’d imagined, leaving her utterly shaken.

　　“Where are you, little livestock?” Exalt Huang shouted while on full alert. He knew Fang Xing wasn’t truly beneath that small mountain, and a sense of terror remained in his heart. He’d seen another blue fog appear around the kid just as the stone shards had nearly pushed him down, and he also saw how his body had disappeared once more.

　　This feeling of an enemy hiding and observing in wait for the perfect opportunity was maddening. He’d rather be chopped in half out in the open than continue dealing with this hair-raising sensation so similar to being stared at by a venomous snake.

　　“Didn’t you want to kill me despite being mere Foundation Stage?

　　“Didn’t you want to wipe out the entire Hentian clan and use me as your the first sacrifice for your sword?

　　“Well come out then!”

　　Silence fell upon the surrounding area. There was only the echoes of Exalt Huang’s furious shouts.

　　“I’m here….”

　　Just as the terror within Exalt Huang reached its peak, a voice rose from his right-hand side. Exalt Huang flinched before letting out a loud growl and shooting out four or five spells to his right, creating such great chaos that everything along the path was shredded. Just as he attacked, however, a mighty sword light came his way from the left.

　　“Ahhhh!” Exalt Huang yelled and quickly prepared to defend himself, yet that black sword’s attack didn’t seem like something he’d be able to resist.

　　Fang Xing appeared on the left like a ghost before slashing outward.

　　Swoosh swoosh swoosh swoosh ….

　　Fang Xing seized the opportunity this time and didn’t stop with only a single attack. He sent out attack after attack towards Exalt Huang, and all Exalt Huang could do was continuously scream as his robe was cut into countless pieces and wounds appeared from out of nowhere.

　　Blood splattered and Exalt Huang retreated, causing a bloody path to form on the ground. As for Fang Xing, he would appear and then vanish in an incredibly mysterious manner while slowly extracting all of Exalt Huang’s life….

　　The unnamed technique!

　　The unnamed technique from the black Sword Embryo was now finally displaying its true power in Fang Xing’s hands.