Wang Jiahe was beyond excited. He never expected to encounter another cultivator within the Ji family caravan, let alone a female cultivator only at the early stages of the third level of Qi Condensation. He hadn't misjudged; she possessed a low-grade flying sword—a true artifact. Even though it was only low-grade, it was exactly the kind of treasure he could use at his current level. The realization that even the head of the Wang family did not possess a flying sword filled his heart with exhilaration.
Li Xue came to a halt in a valley about fifty li away from the caravan. Li Lin had already used an Invisibility Talisman to conceal himself nearby.
Wang Jiahe flew to a stop about ten zhang away and laughed heartily. "Why have you stopped running, fellow Daoist? Haha!"
Hearing his smug, triumphant laughter, Li Xue felt a surge of revulsion. "Why must you trouble a mortal caravan, fellow Daoist?" she asked.
Wang Jiahe replied with even greater arrogance, "If you behave and listen to me, I won't have to trouble those mortals anymore. Just hand over your flying sword, and I might just be persuaded to take you in as my cultivation furnace!"
Li Xue was incensed. How could a cultivator be so utterly shameless? Not only did he intend to rob her, but he also sought to claim her person. If she could not defeat him, she truly might suffer such a humiliation. Refusing to waste any more words, she summoned her flying sword and pointed it directly at Wang Jiahe.
Wang Jiahe had not expected the female cultivator to strike so directly and swiftly. Usually, when female cultivators heard such insults, they would be consumed by rage and launch into a tirade, creating openings that made them easier to strike down. However, he was, after all, a cultivator at the peak of the third level of Qi Condensation, and his reactions were sharp. An Earth Wall Technique rose to block Li Xue’s attack, while he simultaneously sent a Wind Blade whistling toward her.
The pearl flower ornament on Li Xue’s head was a defensive artifact. With a flicker of her divine sense, she channeled spiritual energy into the ornament. Instantly, a curtain of light enveloped her, easily warding off the opponent's attack.
Greed flared even brighter in Wang Jiahe’s eyes. His hands blurred through a series of incantations, and solid blades of ice manifested around him. In an instant, a sky full of ice blades rained down upon Li Xue.
Under the relentless assault of the ice blades, Li Xue’s protective light curtain flickered and shook, draining more than half of her spiritual energy. While maintaining the defensive barrier, she pulled out a Fireball Talisman and hurled it forward.
Wang Jiahe activated a layer of defensive spiritual energy around himself, his hands never ceasing their movements. Soon, another swarm of ice blades appeared. Just then, Li Xue’s Fireball Talisman arrived, and his ice blades surged forward to meet it. The collision of extreme cold and extreme heat resulted in a thunderous explosion that echoed across the horizon. The sheer force of the blast sent both of them flying backward.
Li Xue was pushed back fifty zhang before she could stop. She hadn't anticipated the explosion would be so powerful; having never encountered such force before, she suffered for her lack of experience.
As Wang Jiahe recoiled, he circulated his spiritual energy to form a defensive shield, coming to a halt ten zhang away. Frowning, he prepared to use his trump card to end the battle quickly.
Suddenly, a streak of red light flashed. Before he could even see it clearly, the red light was upon him. Thinking it was another talisman, he quickly used the Wind Riding Technique to dodge, but he was a step too late. The red light pierced through his defenses, aiming straight for his heart.
"No!" he screamed, channeling all his spiritual energy to resist. Unfortunately, it was a flying sword—an offensive artifact. There was no saving him.
Wang Jiahe’s eyes widened in shock. A small figure appeared before him. It was Li Lin. A cold expression sat on the boy's young face, and he spoke with an air of maturity far beyond his years. "You dare insult my mother? You clearly don't know how the word 'death' is written." He tilted his small face up and gave a sharp "Hmph!"
Wang Jiahe’s final thought was a question: *Is that really just a child?*
By the time Wang Jiahe collapsed, Li Xue had rushed over. She first confirmed that Li Lin was unharmed before she could breathe a sigh of relief. Then, she carefully examined Wang Jiahe to ensure he was truly dead. Quickly, she retrieved his storage bag and used a Fireball Technique to incinerate his body.
Having dealt with everything, she took Li Lin’s hand and hurried back to the Ji family caravan. Since an incident had occurred, the most important thing was to leave the scene as quickly as possible. She didn't know if there were other cultivators in the area; with her and her son only at the third level of Qi Condensation, they certainly could not afford to encounter any high-level cultivators.
As soon as they returned, Li Xue and her son retreated into their carriage. Ji Rufeng immediately stepped forward and reported respectfully, "Senior, the bandits from Wind Mountain Stronghold have all been captured. How would you like us to handle them?"
Li Xue thought for a moment and said, "How are such matters usually handled in your martial world? I need to ensure they won't speak of today's events." Although these bandits were not good people, Li Xue did not want to cause excessive bloodshed. However, she could not allow them to leak information, or there would be trouble if someone came looking for them. Caution was necessary. She then added, "By the way, that man from earlier is dead. Once you've finished here, we must continue our journey as quickly as possible."
Ji Rufeng’s body trembled. With a complex expression, he replied respectfully, "Understood!"
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 11 | The Cultivator's End | Novela.app | Novela.app
