Only five people knew the full details of the matter concerning the Kui Niu Mei and the killing of Yu Weifeng: himself, Zhou Yao, Liao Xiaoji, Jin Zhongshan, and Pan Lin. No other cultivator should have known.

Since whispers had escaped to the outside world, the leak must have come from one of the four—Zhou, Liao, Jin, or Pan—alerting outsiders to the emergence of the Kui Niu Drum. What puzzled him, however, was how vastly different the rumors were from the reality.

The truth had been carefully obscured, twisted into a confrontation between Yan Hao and Yu Weifeng, which in turn caused the forces under the Giant Yan and the Heavenly Dao Alliance under Sect Master Yu to become intensely hostile toward each other.

Ye Qin knew little about the power dynamics of the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, and certainly was unaware of who was covertly manipulating the situation and stirring up trouble. Suppressing the shock churning in his chest, Ye Qin lowered his head, slowly savoring the spiritual wine, lost in thought.

The extremely troublesome great divine artifact, the Kui Niu Mei, rested within an isolated pocket dimension in a large storage bag at his waist. With his current strength, holding onto the Kui Niu Drum long-term was simply impossible.

The five Sect Masters and the Giants, along with numerous cultivators from the Immortal Palaces, had dispatched a significant contingent of Golden Core cultivators to search for the Kui Niu Drum’s whereabouts. Even Nascent Soul Ancestors were attempting to seize it. If anyone discovered it was in his possession, he suspected he wouldn't even know how he died. The current chaotic state of the Eastern Sea made the situation incredibly perilous for him.

He needed to return to the Purple Sword Palace as quickly as possible to hand over the Kui Niu Mei to Palace Master Zhou Yu. No matter the immense trouble involved, it was better for the Purple Sword Palace Master to bear the brunt of it. "Host Chu, that person is right here in the Immortal Evasion Tower. This subordinate saw him with my own eyes! He is precisely the enemy you’ve been looking for, Master."

Outside the Drunken Immortal Tower, several Foundation Establishment realm men dressed as servants escorted a middle-aged man in brown robes to the entrance. This middle-aged man, surnamed Chu, was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator and clearly held some standing.

Following behind the brown-robed man were three other Golden Core cultivators: an elder in yellow robes, a muscular man in a green shirt with a severed arm, and a man in white. They sped toward the Immortal Evasion Tower.

Ye Qin felt several sharp surges of divine sense sweep over him, causing his heart to tighten. He glanced toward the window. "Good fellow, you’re really hiding here! Don't let him escape! I’ve been searching for you in Linhai City for months—finally dragged you out."

The brawny man in the green shirt with the severed arm glared furiously at Ye Qin, roaring with intense wrath, "Get down here! Today, I’m settling this old score and killing you!" "Thank you, Brother Chu, for helping my brothers locate their enemy. Uh, I must also ask Brother Chu to lend us a hand. There will certainly be a handsome reward afterward!" the elder in yellow robes said to the brown-robed man.

"Not at all, finding someone is a trivial matter. Brother Ge, you should settle your grudge first. Afterward, we can share some drinks and reminisce about old times..." "The three of you should be enough to deal with him; I need not intervene,"

The brown-robed man replied quickly. He then glanced up at the Drunken Immortal Tower and, seeing that the enemy of the elder in yellow robes and his companions was only an early-stage Golden Core cultivator, felt somewhat dismissive, certain of victory. "Haunting us relentlessly, these treasure-seeking cultivators actually dare to come here and provoke a fight! A few months ago, I held my temper, but I refuse to tolerate it any longer now." Ye Qin felt a surge of anger and sneered.

"If you want to kill me, let's see if you have the ability!"

Ye Qin's figure flickered, vanishing from the Drunken Immortal Tower only to reappear hundreds of feet in the air outside, suspending himself on his sword, coldly looking down upon the three treasure-seeking cultivators—a naked display of contempt. "Attack!"

Elder Ge, the brawny man with the severed arm, and the man in white turned ashen with rage. Throwing out several top-grade magic tools and primordial spirit artifacts, they charged toward Ye Qin suspended in the air.

Linhai City was a peculiar place, teeming with outside cultivators, a true melting pot of varying reputations. Therefore, the city patrols and guards never interfered with private duels.

As long as one didn't smash other cultivators' pavilions or provoke other individuals, the matter was ignored. Other Golden Core cultivators likewise would not intervene in private fights; rather, they watched with keen interest.

From within the Drunken Immortal Tower and nearby pavilions and streets, hundreds, even thousands, of Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators craned their necks to watch the spectacle, roaring encouragement, as if chaos were a desirable thing. Even some Nascent Soul cultivators observed the spectacle with interest from the luxurious private rooms of the high buildings.

Three cultivators, one mid-stage and two early-stage Golden Core, were attacking a single early-stage Golden Core cultivator. The outcome of the duel seemed obvious. The only strange thing was that the besieged early-stage Golden Core cultivator appeared completely unafraid, while the three besiegers seemed overly tense, approaching with studied caution. "A swift end to this. I have no time to tangle with you lot!" Ye Qin’s gaze was icy as he spoke.

Five small swords—Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—shot out in succession, instantly transforming into five colossal swords that shielded him. Golden light, cyan radiance, dark shimmer, yellow glow, and flames interwove, shining brilliantly enough to rival the sun. "The Great Five Elements Sword Array, form!" Ye Qin roared, flicking his fingers to release a stream of magic power.

This stream of power first struck the Heavenly Melody Silk Sound Sword. The sound was celestial, ethereal music washing across several miles, causing minds to drift. The Silk Sound Sword then shot out a cyan beam, striking the Southern Bright Li Fire Sword. The Li Fire Sword erupted in fierce flames, turning the air for miles around into a sea of fire.

The Li Fire Sword showered a stream of fire-colored light onto the Yellow Heaven Deep Earth Sword. The Earth Sword blazed with yellow light, swelling into a towering behemoth twenty feet high, solid as adamant rock.

The Deep Earth Sword unleashed a yellow ray that struck the Golden Bird Shining Light Sword. The Golden Bird Sword flared with golden light, rising like a small, fierce sun, its piercing radiance so intense that it was impossible to look at directly.

The Golden Bird Sword projected a golden stream of light toward the Heaven One Deep Water Sword. The Water Sword surged with dark light, and a terrifying aura of absolute stillness enveloped several miles. This formidable presence pressed down on the countless Foundation Establishment cultivators in the city, forcing them to avert their gaze upward. Finally, the Deep Water Sword shot another beam of light back toward the Heavenly Melody Silk Sound Sword.

The Great Five Elements Sword Array had linked the five primordial spirit flying swords into a single, closed circuit. A flow of magical power circulated rapidly between the five swords, perpetual and inexhaustible.

Even Ye Qin found it incredible. Controlling each primordial spirit artifact individually was taxing, but once the Sword Array formed, the magical power circulation within the formation consumed remarkably little energy, making control effortless. "Five-Element Primordial Spirit Flying Swords!" Cries of astonishment erupted from countless Foundation Establishment cultivators on the street! Sensing the immense pressure of the Great Five Elements Sword Array, the Golden Core cultivators also felt a thrill of awe and shock.

"Heavens! To control five different elemental primordial spirit artifacts and unleash such power, he must be a Five-Element Root cultivator! And yet, possessing the lowest tier of spiritual root, he has managed to cultivate to the Golden Core realm!" Shock followed shock. In the nearby buildings, several Nascent Soul cultivators recognized the formation, murmuring in surprise. "It’s the Purple Sword Palace’s Great Five Elements Sword Array! Perfect harmony and restraint, a flawless Great Five Elements Sword Array!"

"The array acclaimed as invincible among Golden Core cultivators! It hasn't been seen for thousands of years; I never expected to witness it here... If this youth reaches the late Golden Core stage, no one within that realm will be his match." "Is it really that powerful?"

"Naturally. Most sword arrays are forged using materials from only one of the five elements—a Gold Sword Array, an Earth Sword Array, a Wood Sword Array, etc. The Earth Array can counter the Gold Array, and the Gold Array can suppress the Wood Array. This is the inevitable cycle of creation and restraint."

"However, a sword array that incorporates all five elements can defend against the attacks of every other array and break through the defenses of all others. It is the only array that counters all others without being countered itself."

"But to unleash the full power of the Great Five Elements Sword Array, one must be a Five-Element Root cultivator. Cultivators with many spiritual roots progress extremely slowly; they are considered poor-root cultivators in the world of cultivation, generally looked down upon, and their path is exceedingly difficult." "However, once they achieve some level of accomplishment, their combat prowess is overwhelmingly dominant, and their future prospects are limitless."

"I didn't expect this young man to become a Golden Core cultivator and, moreover, forge the Purple Sword Palace’s Great Five Elements Sword Array. He wears the Daoist robe of a Purple Sword Palace cultivator, so he must be a disciple. In another one or two centuries, if this youth reaches the Nascent Soul stage and obtains the Lesser Three Wonders Sword Array, the prosperity of the Purple Sword Palace will surely be assured." "The Purple Sword Palace is deeply fortunate to have taken in a Five-Element Root disciple with such potential—an invaluable gain!" "This duel is without suspense. This youth is certain to win!"

While many Nascent Soul cultivators in nearby rooms were murmuring their assessments, and the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators on the street remained in shock, three shouts rang out: "Giant Wood Array!"

"Great Earth Seal!"

"Blue Light Ascension!"

The yellow-robed elder, the green-shirted brawny man, and the man in white simultaneously manipulated their top-grade and primordial spirit artifacts of the Earth, Wood, and Water elements, launching spells to challenge Ye Qin. Ye Qin merely waved his hand, and the Great Five Elements Sword Array pressed down upon the three treasure-seeking cultivators. The Giant Wood Array met the attack head-on, but upon contact with a single ray of golden light, the dozen or so solidified massive timbers disintegrated. The Blue Light Flying Sword was slapped away by a yellow beam and vanished without a trace. The Great Earth Seal was firmly locked down by a cyan beam, unable to move.

Immediately following were three cries of pain as Elder Ge, the brawny man with the severed arm, and the man in white—the three Golden Core cultivators—crashed to the ground simultaneously. Severely wounded, they were either dead or injured. The duel had just begun and was already over, all within the span of a few breaths. Indeed, there was no suspense. ■ This~V...!

The brown-robed middle-aged man watching from the street turned pale, his expression extremely grim. Ye Qin’s methods were several times stronger than he had anticipated. Suddenly, as if his backside were on fire, he bolted into the crowd of observing cultivators, disappearing with his few subordinates.

The urban area of Linhai City erupted in buzz. An early-stage Golden Core cultivator single-handedly defeating three cultivators of the early and mid-Golden Core stages—such combat power was utterly dominating.

Ye Qin coldly scanned the three treasure-seeking cultivators, whose injuries were unclear. They were just ordinary treasure-seeking Golden Core cultivators with meager strength; he didn't care if they lived or died.

Ye Qin then cast a final glance at the shocked Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators on the street, before transforming his sword light into a streak of radiance, flying swiftly out of the city toward the northern islands. (To be continued, for future events, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)H