Chuan Dihe Nu only possessed innate, iron-clad resilience. It could not compare to the divine mystery of the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique; relying solely on his hardened body might not withstand this strike, a blade seemingly capable of cleaving heaven and earth.

"Bind!"

The blade fell!

He Nu remained completely unharmed, not even a single strand of hair misplaced.

Because one hand had gently pinched the very edge of the blade. It appeared effortless, yet it entirely neutralized the ferocity of the tiger-like slash, leaving it no room to descend!

Feng Zikang!

At some unknown moment, he had soared to He Nu’s side, reaching out to arrest the blade's momentum.

Hong Kang’s expression shifted drastically; he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Aside from your decent grasp of the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique, your other skills are just child's play!" Feng Zikang flicked his wrist lightly, sending Hong Kang tumbling away, while he himself caught hold of the vine that had materialized from the withered vine technique. His eyes were half-open, half-closed, appearing to be in deep contemplation.

Hong Kang was filled with shock and suspicion. He had anticipated Feng Zikang would be a master, but not to this extent—able to stop his fatal strike barehanded.

Looking at his current demeanor, it seemed he was studying the restrictions woven into the withered vine staff.

Hong Kang wasn't particularly worried about this aspect. Last night in the military camp, several high-level experts had labored until dawn just to break through the third layer of restrictions. It seemed unlikely that this man, merely touching it on the battlefield without even fully connecting to its core, could surpass those numerous experts!

He remained patient, waiting for an opening.

Feng Zikang released his inner True Qi, probing the network of the Withered Vine Cudgel. For some reason, he felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity with it.

Moreover, these restrictions seemed far too simple.

Compared to the River of Stars Shuttle, which had stumped him for years without yielding any clues, the so-called restrictions of the Withered Vine Cudgel were genuinely trivial!

He let out a cold snort, his innate energy bursting forth. Like a bamboo splitting, he shattered the restrictions one after another!

Hong Kang, unaware of his success, saw only Feng Zikang’s distraction and took it as his chance. With a fierce shout, he swung his blade down again.

Midway through the strike, he heard Feng Zikang burst into laughter. With just a slight shake, the entire mass of green vine was shattered into fragments that danced everywhere, gradually coalescing in Feng Zikang’s hand, taking the shape of a staff!

"Not good!"

Hong Kang recognized the imminent danger and was paralyzed with terror. He swiftly retracted his blade and retreated. Feng Zikang flicked his wrist, and the Withered Vine Cudgel transformed again into thousands of tendrils, tightly ensnaring Hong Kang. Immediately following, a streak of white sword light shot directly for Hong Kang’s throat.

"Bind!"

The sword light dissipated. Hong Kang spat out a mouthful of blood but escaped decapitation. His body convulsed, transforming into a small insect that zipped away rapidly!

Feng Zikang lowered his weapon and stood still, smiling faintly.

"This Eight-Nine Arcane Technique and the art of transformation are indeed marvelous. Even the Starfall Great Extinction Sword Art cannot harm him. This fellow is also astute; as soon as he realizes he can’t win, he flees. It seems that to truly put him to death, I really must borrow a God-Slaying Blade."

Mr. Xu Wan flew down and stood beside Feng Zikang, chuckling, "When Senior Brother Feng borrows the God-Slaying Blade, capturing Hong Kang will be as easy as turning a hand! I must congratulate Senior Brother Feng on acquiring the Innate Yi Wood; the Withered Vine Staff will surely display its brilliance in your hands!"

Feng Zikang nodded slightly, stroking the Withered Vine Staff with a smile on his face.

As soon as the Withered Vine Technique entered his possession, he immediately recognized it as Innate Yi Wood. It wasn't exactly a true magic treasure yet, lacking meticulous refinement, but it already possessed supreme divine power. If properly consecrated and refined, it might indeed become a genuine artifact.

However, for him, the greatest utility of the Innate Yi Wood lay elsewhere. If placed within the Profound Realm, its power of vigorous growth would surely help the Realm restore its former prosperity sooner.

Feng Zikang pondered Mr. Xu Wan's words, feeling slightly surprised that his comment about "displaying brilliance" seemed to carry a hidden meaning.

It was unavoidable; Mr. Xu Wan appeared omniscient, which was why Feng Zikang was constantly suspicious of him. But the affairs of the Profound Realm were something Feng Zikang was absolutely certain he couldn't know. Feng Zikang stilled his mind, subtly probing, and indeed, he detected no other similar hints from him.

"Since I cannot eliminate Hong Kang here, I won't waste any more time. I will head to Youyuan Mountain now and see if I can borrow that God-Slaying Blade."

Feng Zikang saw no point in lingering. He gave a few instructions to He Nu and then left Lizhou City. Following Mr. Xu Wan's guidance, he headed west. After barely a hundred li, he indeed saw a mountain, its scenery serene, yet it was ringed by four peaks, making it quite peculiar.

Feng Zikang flew to the valley entrance, where several large characters were inscribed: "Those Who Enter This Mountain Shall Surely Die!"

The tone was slightly comical, but Feng Zikang had been informed by Mr. Xu Wan that the God-Slaying Disciple continuously refined the God-Slaying Blade here. Ordinary people couldn't withstand it; one strike, and their Nascent Soul would scatter completely—hence, certain death.

Erecting this tablet was merely a well-intentioned warning.

Feng Zikang dared not be careless. He gathered his focus and took precautions before stepping into the valley. The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt a chilling cold rush toward him.

The God-Slaying Disciple had refined his blade here for a hundred years. The God-Slaying Blade was ferocious and sharp; even the plants and trees in the mountain were tainted by this fierce, irreversible aura, inevitably carrying a degree of malevolence.

Just as Feng Zikang prepared to proceed deeper, a streak of red light rushed toward him. In ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't fear it, but he could feel it himself—his inner Nascent Soul and demonic embryo both emitted a mournful cry, seemingly gripped by intense fear. Feng Zikang was greatly alarmed and plummeted rapidly, only to see the red light change direction and pursue him, intent on total annihilation.

"Are you Senior God-Slaying Disciple? I am Feng Zikang, a disciple of the Military School's Small Bamboo Grove at Dragon-Tiger Mountain, a student of Master Ye Tiansheng. I beg you, withdraw your divine power!"

His movements were agile, skillfully evading at every turn. The red light could not strike him, yet its terrifying might remained palpable.

"Ah?"

A strange cry echoed from the mountain. The red light changed course, flying back toward a patch of bushes. A figure stumbled out from the thicket: clothes tattered, face covered in stubble, sporting a bright red complexion, grinning foolishly at Feng Zikang.

"You are Master Ye's disciple?"

The man jumped out. "I am the God-Slaying Disciple. I never expected to meet the disciple of my benefactor today and almost committed an offense!"

Feng Zikang bowed in thanks, but the God-Slaying Disciple suddenly seemed to recall something and his face crumpled into worry. "Say, you are Master Ye’s disciple, so why on earth would you trespass into my Youyuan Mountain? Didn't you see the stone tablet warning that those who enter surely die? Aren't you forcing me to go back on my word? Alas, alas..."

He sighed repeatedly, leaving Feng Zikang hardly any room to speak.

Feng Zikang couldn't help but laugh softly. He hadn't expected the God-Slaying Disciple to be troubled by this issue. He chuckled, "Senior God-Slaying Disciple, you needn't worry. You already broke your word long ago; you didn't need me to come here for that."

"What?"

The God-Slaying Disciple jumped up, roaring in anger. "I, a man who always keeps his word! If it weren't for you being my benefactor's disciple, I would hold you to it today! When have I ever gone back on my word?"

Feng Zikang laughed heartily. "Senior, you said anyone who enters this mountain surely dies. Before I arrived, didn't Che Shaohuai enter the mountain and survive?"

"Who? Who?" The God-Slaying Disciple was furious. "Where is the mountain entrant who didn't die? That's impossible!"

Feng Zikang laughed and pointed at him. "Senior, the last person who entered the mountain and didn't die was you! Since you didn't die, the statement 'those who enter this mountain surely die' is already invalidated. How can it be I who broke it?"

"This..."

The God-Slaying Disciple scratched his head, admitting Feng Zikang's logic had a grain of sense. But he certainly wasn't foolish enough to commit suicide just to prove he kept his word. He finally decided to drop the topic entirely.

"Hahahaha! What did you call yourself again? Fellow Daoist Feng? What brings you here today? Let's not dwell on these trivial matters..."

Feng Zikang smiled faintly and cut to the chase. "Senior, I won't beat around the bush either. I came today because I simply wish to borrow your God-Slaying Blade!"

"Ah?" The God-Slaying Disciple's face instantly turned ashen. He felt extreme reluctance, but this man was the disciple of his benefactor. If he refused to lend it, wouldn't it appear completely heartless?

Feng Zikang understood his hesitation and smiled. "Senior, rest assured. I will only borrow it for a few days. Once I kill the man, I will return it immediately."

Hearing that it was only for a few days, the God-Slaying Disciple's complexion improved slightly.

He drew the God-Slaying Blade from his robes. It was blood-red all over, crystalline, and terribly alluring. The God-Slaying Disciple stroked it a few times, a look of distress on his face. "Fellow Daoist Feng, it's not that I don't want to lend it to you, but this God-Slaying Blade is actually still being refined; it lacks the final step. Even if you take it out now, it probably won't be of much use. It requires the baleful energy of Youyuan Mountain to unleash its true efficacy."

"Ah?"

Feng Zikang paused, surprised. Mr. Xu Wan had not mentioned this detail. "Senior, are you saying the God-Slaying Blade is useless once taken out of Youyuan Mountain?"

"Not entirely useless," the God-Slaying Disciple shook his head. "Its power will be greatly reduced. It likely won't meet your requirements, unless..."

"Unless what?" Feng Zikang pressed upon hearing the turn in the conversation.

"Oh?" Such heaven-and-earth spiritual objects have their own unique, tricky characteristics; they are inherently hard to capture. But a God-Slaying Blade that loses much of its power upon leaving might not be enough to deal with Hong Kang. Since he made the trip, he might as well give it his best effort.

"You?"

The God-Slaying Disciple eyed him suspiciously, seemingly unimpressed by his cultivation level.

"You're only at the Foundation Establishment stage, right? Can you handle it?"

The God-Slaying Disciple still harbored some doubt, but after examining Feng Zikang's face again, a look of joy returned, and he nodded repeatedly.

"However, Fellow Daoist Feng, you look radiant today, your brow glowing hot. You must be in a period of great fortune. Take this chance to suppress the Earth Dragon; perhaps you might actually succeed!"

"Oh? Senior, you understand physiognomy?"

"A little, a little!" The God-Slaying Disciple was quite humble. He pointed Feng Zikang toward the entrance of a cave in the mountain, allowing him to explore on his own, and handed over the God-Slaying Blade.

The moment the God-Slaying Blade entered Feng Zikang's hand, he felt a wave of chilling, noxious energy wash over him, causing his heart to tremble. Such an evil weapon—it was a wonder the God-Slaying Disciple could refine it, as even the user’s Nascent Soul felt a subtle discomfort. Its power was indeed...

He entered the tunnel where the Earth Dragon burrowed out and proceeded slowly downward.

This Earth Dragon loved to tunnel randomly beneath the ground, and its massive size meant that beneath Youyuan Mountain, there were endless uneven passages. Feng Zikang found the space within quite ample, not feeling confined at all.

At least the passage was taller than he stood when upright—this was how deep the Earth Dragon had burrowed!

Feng Zikang felt a secret awe in his heart and dared not slacken.

The abilities of these heaven-and-earth spiritual creatures must be treated with caution; one could easily capsize in a small ditch.

He cautiously burrowed into the earth. The walls were slimy and slick. Using luminous pearls for light, he could clearly see the scratch marks on all sides; there was no vegetation. It seemed the Earth Dragon had passed through here not long ago.

"It seems fortune favors me; this Earth Dragon isn't far."

Once the Earth Dragon was subdued, the God-Slaying Blade could finally be sharpened.

It was a pity that the baleful energy here was too dense, and coupled with the pressure of the God-Slaying Blade, he dared not easily release his Formless Heavenly Demon Incarnation, or he would have already located the Earth Dragon's tracks instead of being this cautious.

Shhh...

His ears suddenly perked up. Not far ahead, there seemed to be the sound of something shifting sand!

"It's coming... scratch..."

Feng Zikang cautiously peered forward, examining the area. He found nothing. The tunnels here were complex and branched in all directions. The Earth Dragon could shift slightly, and it would disappear into who knew where.

He stilled his mind and sensed carefully. In the silence, he intuitively felt the Earth Dragon was near, yet he couldn't locate it.

Suddenly, a violent rustling sound erupted behind him!

Feng Zikang whipped his head around to see two eyes, enormous as lanterns, shining with eerie green light, directly behind him!