Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 39: A Scholar Would Die for His Confidant

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: A Scholar Would Die for His Confidant

Under the sunlight, the ruins of Fulong Manor were shrouded in a murderous aura.

The Governor of Chu State, Xu Bin, raised his hand and waved forward, saying, "The will of the people, Fulong Manor colludes with demons, kill them!"

"Kill!" The Demon Suppression Army shouted in unison, advancing together. This Demon Suppression Army numbered over a thousand men. Though they were all martial artists, many were of high realms. The gathered blood and energy of thousands of martial artists formed a killing intent so strong that the civilians behind them trembled and their legs shook.

Even Liu He, a Four Realm Demon, looked solemn at this killing intent. However, he soon became at ease, as this was an outcome long foretold.

"I’ll be the one to slay this great Jiao Long." A powerful voice sounded as a figure stepped forward. This person held a large blade, with overwhelming martial intent erupting from his body. With a thought, a lion’s roar echoed through the heavens, and behind the martial artist appeared a massive lion’s shadow, enveloped in purple, exuding an intensely fierce and tyrannical pressure.

"Good Martial Spirit." Xu Bin looked up at the martial artist and praised. In martial cultivation, upon reaching the Fourth Realm, one could incorporate treasures and demon beasts into their martial intent, condensing a Martial Spirit to enhance their combat power.

The Martial Spirit corresponds to the Dharma Form, condensed from the mana of Qi Refining practitioners.

Strong martial artists have the chance to compete with Qi Refiners.

Of course, most martial practitioners wouldn’t have such an opportunity.

"Yu Qing, your father rebelled back then. The court spared your life, but you haven’t repented and have incited demons to rebel again. Today, you’ll meet the same fate as your father, the great Jiao Long, flayed and deboned." With the words of the burly knife-wielding man, the lion’s roar shook the skies, and his blade slashed toward Yu Qing, with a purple blade light splitting the sky.

The white robe on Yu Qing fluttered as he raised his head, and from within his body erupted a mighty Jiao Long’s roar, causing the ears of those nearby to tremble, even dissipating some of the killing intent formed by the Demon Suppression Army.

He raised his left arm, which transformed into a Jiao Long’s claw, catching the descending blade with his mighty physique.

"Great Demon Jiao Long, its body is like a Magical Treasure." Many surrounding eyes brightened as they thought of how this precious bone could be refined into powerful treasures.

The lion’s roar resounded, and the lion’s shadow behind the martial artist bared its fangs, charging at Yu Qing. His sleeve shredded piece by piece, revealing solid muscles. With both hands gripping the blade forcefully, it clashed against the Jiao Long’s claw.

Yu Qing would not give him a chance, raising his right arm that transformed into a Jiao Long’s arm, continuously swelling. A Jiao Long shadow seemed to appear behind him, colliding with the lion shadow. The Jiao Long Demon Bone Fist erupted, and sensing something amiss, the martial artist retreated, abandoning his blade but was still struck by the punch. His martial intent shattered, his chest caved in, fractures echoed, and his body was instantly sent flying with a spurt of blood.

This scene made the surrounding cultivators even warier, realizing that killing this great Jiao and claiming its Jiao Long body wouldn’t be easy.

Back when they captured Yu Qing’s father, it’s said the court paid a great price.

"This Jiao Long is formidable, everyone together!" The martial artist, injured and unwilling, looked at Yu Qing.

"Attack."

With his words, many echoed in agreement, swiftly surrounding Yu Qing. From all directions, powerful mana and martial intent erupted simultaneously. Among them were ones Li Fan recognized, such as Old Snake from the Medicine Cleansing Lake and the monks from the Jingang Temple, present in the crowd.

Of course, there were also cultivators from the court’s Demon Slayer Bureau. Those from the Chu Sector were elite, many of them top Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At this moment, a Demon Slayer Bureau cultivator stepped forward. With a thought, strands of golden threads ascended from his body, reaching the sky. Instantly, above Fulong Manor appeared a massive golden disc, its countless patterns interwoven, blocking out the sun.

"Heavenly Snare!"

As this cultivator’s words fell, the dense golden threads descended like countless arrows, falling towards Yu Qing’s location.

This was a spell from the court’s Demon Slayer Bureau, the Heavenly Snare, but only cultivators of Foundation Establishment or higher had sufficient mana to cast such a spell.

For a moment, Yu Qing and others were like turtles in a jar, covered and surrounded by the spell.

Seeing this, Yu Qing understood the other’s intent to kill. With a resounding dragon’s roar piercing the sky, his clothes shattered, revealing his true form—a giant Jiao Long soaring into the air, charging toward the descending Heaven Snare arrows.

Countless arrows landed on his body, yet Yu Qing remained unfazed, continuing to charge upward, aiming directly at the spell’s source, seeking to forcefully break this spell.

Beneath him, Liu He and Liu Ji, the brother-sister duo, knew Yu Qing was protecting them, and they too transformed into their true forms, joining Yu Qing’s upward charge.

"Amitabha Buddha."

The Buddhist chant echoed, golden Buddhist light flickered, followed by a stern voice: "Demonic fiend."

A massive golden Buddhist palm descended towards Liu He and Liu Ji, the very presence of the Wuxiang Monk from Jingang Temple that Li Fan had encountered.

Old Snake from the Medicine Cleansing Lake spewed toxic mist towards the center, and for a time, various magical powers surged simultaneously, besieging Yu Qing and his companions.

Li Fan watched the battlefield, feeling a sense of irony.

So many powerful cultivators claimed to slay demons for the people of Lin’an County, but at this moment, as Lin’an County faced a demon calamity, no one paid attention.

The court’s Demon Slayer Bureau and the Demon Suppression Army gathered here, their eyes showing no concern for the people’s lives and deaths.

Yu Qing in Jiao Long form charged into the Heavenly Snare, his massive body tearing it apart, but saw multiple Demon Slayer Bureau cultivators positioned around, casting spells simultaneously. The Heavenly Snare transformed into countless golden threads, these threads winding towards the Jiao Long’s body like a massive net.

The Jiao Long’s large body was impossible to evade, and the golden threads wrapped and tightened, piercing into his scales and flesh.

Yu Qing roared, trying to break free, but the harder he exerted, the tighter the golden threads bound him, drawing blood.

The Demon Slayer Bureau existed to slay demons, with many spells targeting demons, and this Heavenly Snare was prepared specifically for Yu Qing.

Other cultivators seized the opportunity. The previously wounded martial artist slashed again with his large blade at the Jiao Long’s neck, trying to deal a fatal blow.

A spear aimed for Yu Qing’s eye, intending to blind him.

Below, Liu Ji saw the scene, howled mournfully, and rushed to the sky, but a Buddhist palm descended, smashing onto her snake head, blood splattering.

Once more, a dragon’s roar resonated, Yu Qing’s Jiao Long body emanated dark light, shattering the golden threads. He simultaneously extended his giant claws, one toward the knife-wielding martial artist, the other toward the incoming spear, gripping them, then advancing to claw at the two individuals.

The two couldn’t dodge in time, gripped by Yu Qing’s claws.

The giant Jiao Long eyes glared at them before snapping his fangs down, a splattering sound as blood spurted, and before they could scream, their bodies were bitten apart.

"Master!"

The wounded Liu Ji looked up at the Jiao Long figure in the sky, seeing Yu Qing’s huge eyes sweeping over the crowd, the beastly nature within seemingly awakened.

He had eaten innocent people before, and that was his fault.

But today, he wasn’t wrong.

These people deserved death!

"Demonic fiend."

Xu Bin whispered angrily. As he raised his eyes, his previously unremarkable presence suddenly seemed exceptionally grand, a terrifying aura spread from him as he soared skyward, standing at great height.

"It seems the court should never have spared you back then." As his words fell, his palm pressed towards the Jiao Long, and mana roared into a vast ’Suppress’ character, spreading across the sky to crush him.

The Jiao Long beneath him shot up straight, claws glowing with a terrifying demonic light, striking the gigantic suppressive character, causing it to crack and explode.

Above Xu Bin’s body appeared an anomaly, a razor-sharp ’pen’ suspended in the air.

This was his Dharma Form, the Demon-slaying Pen, which had cost much to condense.

Born humble, he hadn’t a natural innate Dharma Form, but early academic diligence and recognition from prominent figures elevated him to the current status of Governor of Chu State.

"Your parents were punished with death by a thousand cuts for eating humans, witnessed by you, yet you dare repeat such crimes." Xu Bin berated, sweeping the Demon-slaying Pen where a killing light appeared, dodged by the great Jiao Long.

The Demon-slaying Pen soared above, growing larger, casting a divine glow, and with Xu Bin’s arm falling, aimed at slaying the Jiao Long.

The great Jiao Long ascended, clutching the Demon-slaying Pen fiercely. Its brilliant glow was razor-sharp and spun violently, cutting into the Jiao Long’s arm flesh, continuing downward as the Jiao Long roared angrily, deadlocked.

With a flick of his sleeve, Xu Bin summoned a court treasure, a treasure seal across the sky, blotting out the sun, descending upon the Jiao Long with a thundering ’Suppress’ character smashing down.

"Boom!"

The mighty Jiao Long was thrown to the ground, the earth fractured, yet Yu Qing’s claw held firmly onto the Demon-slaying Pen.

The treasure seal continued its suppression when a large snake lunged towards it, Liu Ji’s eyes filled with defiance, roaring, "If humans kill me, what sin is eating them?"

Bang... The huge treasure seal suppressed her body into the ground, spewing blood.

"Insolence." Xu Bin coldly said, the surrounding cultivators charging towards Yu Qing again, Liu He’s form advancing, his enormous snake body coiling around the Demon-slaying Pen.

"Get away." Yu Qing shouted at him.

"I can’t listen to you this time." Liu He’s words fell, releasing dazzling demonic light, lifting the Demon-slaying Pen upward.

"Courting death." Xu Bin harshly spoke, the Demon-slaying Pen spinning, carving blood from Liu He’s body, slicing like a blade, yet the snake body persisted, those snake eyes looking at Yu Qing, "Master, going ahead."

His snake body continuously splitting, unable to confine the Dharma Form of a Condensed Core Realm cultivator.

"I’ve always considered you a brother." Yu Qing said.

"I know, my master." Liu He’s serpent eyes showed a smile of comfort.

As humans say, the warrior fights for the one who knows him.

A blood rain fell as his serpent body was sliced by the Demon-slaying Pen’s divine light into pieces.

"Brother." Liu Ji screamed, her snake body rushed over, but the treasure seal once more suppressed her into the ground.