Chapter 1034: Everyone, don't be in a rush to leave!

The battle was extremely chaotic. Screams, shouts, and flashes of sword light filled the air.

In no time, thick blood coated the ground. Some slipped because of the blood, while others lost their balance.

As the battle unfolded, the crowd gradually realized how inexperienced the Sun Family's sword cultivators truly were now that they had been reduced to mere mortals. They clearly lacked the experience to fight in such a scenario. In contrast, every strike Fang Chen delivered carried a distinct sharpness, maximizing damage with minimal effort.

Such experience couldn't be gained overnight. It had to be honed through years of fighting.

Chen Qingtai and the others looked toward Li Changsheng, their expressions filled with astonishment. One of them asked, "How old was this child when he began cultivating?"

Smiling softly, Li Changsheng answered, "I don't know the exact age, but I know that before his cultivation, he spent years in battles. These killing moves, it seems, were developed on the battlefield."

The others exchanged surprised glances.

In the past, they had considered selecting talent from ordinary mortals to walk the Burial Sword Heavenly Steps. These mortals had achieved good results. They had never shown fear when facing cultivators, and their battle experience was ample. A few of them had even successfully reached the top of the Burial Sword Heavenly Steps.

However, reaching the top and obtaining a sword scripture were two different things. Since these mortals lacked the talent for cultivation, most of them had failed to seize sword scriptures. As a result, the various factions had gradually abandoned this strategy.

After all, they had to expend time and effort searching for talents among mortals, all while not yielding the desired rewards.

Fang Chen was a cultivator who had been through countless battles as a mortal for many years, possessed talent for cultivation, and came from a sword cultivator background. A person like that was exceedingly rare, so rare that they were practically impossible to find.

Fifteen minutes passed.

Some of the Sun Family sword cultivators had already turned and climbed up the vines in front of them, not daring to look down below. Terror consumed their faces as they trembled uncontrollably. Behind them lay countless corpses—fellow cultivators who had now been separated from life.

Suddenly, a laugh came from behind, and a voice said, "Everyone, don't be in a rush to leave."

As a Sun Family sword cultivator looked down, his soul nearly left his body. He saw the blood-soaked figure crawling toward him with a smile.

To him, that smile appeared nothing but terrifying.

"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!" he screamed in fear.

As he grew more terrified, his grip on the vine started to loosen. Before long, he lost his grip completely and started plummeting.

In the process, he tried to grab onto Fang Chen, but the distance was too great, and he could only scream as he crashed to the ground, his body shattered into a bloody mess.

Fang Chen pursued one Sun Family sword cultivator after another, either kicking them off the vines or stabbing them with his sword.

Most of these sword cultivators were of a higher cultivation than Fang Chen. Some were in the Soul Splitting Realm, some in the Fusion Realm, and others in the Upper Three Realms. Yet, now they all received the same fate.

Only the Soul Splitting Realm sword cultivators were able to preserve their lives, thanks to their ability to separate their spirits.

The Sun Family's Loose immortals fell silent, frowning as they watched the scene unfold.

The death of a few sword cultivators meant little to them. As long as the sword scriptures remained, they could cultivate as many sword cultivators as they wished.

However, what Fang Chen was doing felt like a sharp slap to the face. Their family had accumulated prestige over countless years, yet they couldn't stop a mere sword cultivator?

On the ladder, the Long Family sword cultivators were dumbfounded, their hearts filled with shock. "Is this guy not afraid that the Sun Family will come after him for this?"

Although the Long and Sun Families had always been at odds, the relationships among these families were hard to predict. Sword cultivators were like weapons in the hands of these nobles. When they were useful, the nobles would pay attention to them. When no longer needed, these sword cultivators could be exchanged for greater benefits. They would be discarded without hesitation.

Such examples were common. They could be having their sword cultivators fight one another in one moment and then start exchanging them for benefits in the other.

To the Long Family sword cultivators, what Fang Chen was doing now was foolish and unwise.

"If he keeps doing this, the Long Family won't think more of him. Instead, the higher-ups will see him as just a reckless fool with no brains."

One of the Long family sword cultivators said darkly, "Let's move quickly. Don't get involved in this, or we'll risk burning ourselves."

The others nodded in agreement, deciding not to rest any longer. They would first try to create some distance from Fang Chen.

Around the Sword Burial Palace, countless cultivators stood watching. When they saw how easily Fang Chen killed the Sun Family sword cultivators, as if slaughtering pigs or dogs, they began asking about the odds at various betting tables.

As expected, the odds for Fang Chen were lowered one after another. He was now slowly becoming one of the favorites.

***

Zhu Kexiu snorted coldly. "This kid.... He really killed them all. Doesn't he fear the Sun Family's revenge? Does he really think that the Long Family's Heaven Calamity Dragoness will care about him, a mere sword cultivator?"

Zhu Yuncheng said indifferently, "It doesn't matter how many Sun Family sword cultivators he kills. With his connection to Li Jingnian, as long as he can reach the top, the Heavenly Calamity Dragoness will protect him."

"Father, the Sun Family probably won't be too angry," responded Zhu Kexiu. "After all, it's just a few sword cultivators' lives, not worth much. But the one from Yunlu City may not let it go so easily."

Zhu Yuncheng smiled softly. "The Long Family had a hundred first-transformation Loose Immortals at its disposal. Their influence spans across the entire Prison Wind Lands. Not to mention, they have numerous second-transformation Loose Immortals and that third-transformation as well. Even Zhao Yunlu will think twice before turning against them. He is a third transformation Loose Immortal, but he has no backing or support."

Zhu Kexiu froze. "Even a third-transformation Loose Immortal has to stay mindful of these families?"

"Once you reach the fourth transformation, you don't need to," replied Zhu Yuncheng calmly.

The fourth transformation...

Zhu Kexiu smiled bitterly.

Whether the fourth transformation even existed was a question in itself. Over countless years, no one from Longyuan, Minghu, or Sihui had ever reached the fourth transformation. This showed how unattainable this realm was, even for third-transformation Loose Immortals.

Half a day passed.

By now, Fang Chen had arrived at the eighteenth level of the Heavenly Steps, and his steps grew heavier and heavier.

The sword cultivators from the Long and Sun Families had already begun their covert and overt struggles. Although they had not completely torn their masks off, they were constantly on the watch for any sign of weakness on the other side.

When the Long Family sword cultivators saw Fang Chen, their expressions turned taut.

The Sun Family sword cultivators immediately made a move, intending to leave.

Fang Chen smiled and said, "Don't hurry off now."

The Sun Family sword cultivators completely ignored him. They quickly grabbed the vines and started climbing upward.

Were they supposed to wait here to die?

The Sun Family sword cultivators knew better than to fight Fang Chen anymore. He had already killed many people on their side. As long as Fang Chen didn't show any signs of exhaustion, they had no intention of clashing with him.

Seeing them scurry off, Fang Chen smiled, preparing to give chase. However, he suddenly heard a weak voice that made him pause.

"Sword Leader Fang, save me...."

The Long Family sword cultivators turned tense when they heard this voice, and their eyes widened. They looked away awkwardly.

Instead of chasing after the Sun Family sword cultivators, Fang Chen turned to the Long Family's side and said with a smile, "Move aside, everyone. The voice sounds familiar. Let me see who it is."

A Long Family sword cultivator squeezed a smile. "You should go after the Sun Family sword cultivators. We'll rest here for a bit and start climbing later."

Fang Chen's smile faded. He calmly repeated, "Move aside."

His calm words were like a sword hanging over the Long Family sword cultivators' heads, sending chills racing down their spines.