Chapter 127: Bestowing Favor

"Hmm?" Xia Jiuxuan arched an eyebrow.

His spiritual power far exceeded that of ordinary men. The very instant the magic cultivator struck, he had perceived everything. Yet, Xia Jiuxuan did not move; he simply allowed the blade of magical energy to pierce into his mind.

"He's been hit!" The magic cultivator was ecstatic at the sight.

"Quick, kill him!" The other two rushed forward, their battle sabers slashing toward Xia Jiuxuan and his companions.

Duanmu Wan’s spiritual power was not weak either; naturally, she was not injured by the blade of energy. As for Mu Feng, he currently possessed the aura of a True Dragon, which could withstand powerful magical attacks; this mere blade of energy could not harm him.

"You dogs, you seek death!" Duanmu Wan’s expression turned cold, and she prepared to strike.

"Don't move," Xia Jiuxuan whispered quietly.

The two looked at Xia Jiuxuan with questioning gazes, but he did not respond.

Boom!

The sabers of the two attackers traced long, phantom shadows of blade intent as they descended upon Xia Jiuxuan’s head.

"Stop!"

At that moment, several people beside Xia Jiuxuan acted immediately, blocking the shadow of the blades.

"What are you doing?" Many people stood up, glaring angrily at the two who had attacked.

"Damn it." The two were stunned; they had not expected others to help Xia Jiuxuan at such a critical moment.

"Everyone!" The young magic cultivator stood up immediately and said, "This scoundrel Xia Jiuxuan has been seizing our spirit crystals and treasures. Does he not deserve to die?"

"Bullshit! If not for Xia Jiuxuan, we would have been killed by that ox demon long ago. Is it resources that matter, or our lives?" someone roared.

"Hmph, you are all too stupid. If Xia Jiuxuan truly wanted to save people, he wouldn't have ordered us to hand over our resources. He is merely looting during a crisis, and yet you foolishly thank him?" the youth said coldly.

Hearing this, many looked at one another.

"I think he's right. Does Xia Jiuxuan really want to save us? He’s just robbing us!"

"Exactly! He stole our resources, so why shouldn't we take them back?"

"Kill Xia Jiuxuan and reclaim our resources!"

In an instant, at least thirty or forty people released killing intent, ready to slay Xia Jiuxuan.

"You are all so shameless!" Others stood up, clashing with the agitators.

"It is not that we are shameless; it is that you have too much of a slave mentality!"

Seeing that many had been incited, the young magic cultivator wore a smug expression. "Those who agree to kill Xia Jiuxuan and reclaim our resources, stand on my side!" he shouted.

Dozens of people flew over and landed behind the youth.

"Good!" The youth was even more delighted. He laughed, "It seems there are still people with common sense. Let us all strike together, execute Xia Jiuxuan, and reclaim what is rightfully ours. Furthermore, anyone who dares to block us is our enemy and an enemy of justice. Do not hold back—just kill them!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

Qin Wei and the others, though their toxins had not yet been purged, stood up to block the path in front of Xia Jiuxuan. One after another, over thirty people stood with Xia Jiuxuan, while the rest remained neutral.

"That's enough."

Xia Jiuxuan scanned the crowd and stood up from the ground. Duanmu Wan looked at him, instantly understanding his intent. He had not struck earlier simply to see how many people wanted him dead—or rather, to see how many were not worthy of living.

"You!" Seeing Xia Jiuxuan stand up, some of the youths opposing him became uneasy.

"Don't be afraid! He is at the end of his rope. If we strike together, we can easily kill him," the magic cultivator said viciously.

Xia Jiuxuan remained calm. "Are you certain you want to kill me?"

The crowd’s expressions tightened, and they retreated slightly.

"He is only pretending to be composed! Don't be fooled—strike now, or it will be too late once he recovers!"

With that, the magic cultivator attacked first.

Buzz. The air vibrated as runes flew from the youth’s palms, congealing into a trapping formation. Suddenly, within ten zhang of Xia Jiuxuan, magical puppets appeared. They did not attack him directly but released invisible threads that wound around him.

"Charge! Kill him for me!"

"There is no turning back now, kill!"

The thirty-plus youths on the opposite side erupted together, unleashing blades, swords, fists, and kicks in a frenzied assault against Xia Jiuxuan.

"Well done." Xia Jiuxuan arched an eyebrow. "All of you, kneel!" he roared.

Bang, bang, bang...

The explosive sound was actually a sonic cultivation technique. Half of the youths rushing toward him burst apart in mid-air.

"Aaaah!"

Even those who weren't killed outright fell to the ground, rolling in agony while clutching their ears.

"Kill me? Go on, continue." Xia Jiuxuan stood firm, a cold smirk on his face.

"How is this possible!" The magic cultivator stood frozen, his mind a complete blank.

"Brother Xia is not heavily injured!"

"Haha, good! Those shameless things deserve to die!" Those standing with Xia Jiuxuan cheered.

"Brother Xia, I..."

*Squelch!*

Before the magic cultivator could finish his explanation, a flash of sword light split him in two. His two companions had already collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth in terror. Xia Jiuxuan flew over and crushed them with a single stomp each.

Soul-seizing!

Xia Jiuxuan checked his Slaughter Arena; he had now imprisoned a total of one hundred genius puppets. After these past few days, his cultivation realm was on the verge of reaching the Li-Fan Realm. With his physical strength nearly rivaling the Ru-Sheng Realm and his cultivation about to ascend, Xia Jiuxuan calculated that he could even kill a low-stage Pi-Hai Realm cultivator!

The Pi-Hai Realm was divided into six minor levels: Initial, Mid-stage, High-stage, Extreme, Peak, and Consummate. In a direct confrontation, Xia Jiuxuan’s odds of defeating a mid-stage Pi-Hai cultivator were over sixty percent.

"What a decisive strike!" The others felt a chill run down their spines at the sight of the corpses.

Xia Jiuxuan turned, his gaze sweeping over the surviving youths.

Thud!

Except for Duanmu Wan, Qin Wei, and their group, the others knelt in unison.

"Brother Xia, we are incredibly grateful for your life-saving grace. We have no intention of repaying kindness with enmity. We hope Brother Xia will show mercy." These people were terrified, fearing that Xia Jiuxuan would slaughter them all in a fit of bloodlust.

"Get up. I will not kill you." Xia Jiuxuan finished speaking and walked toward Duanmu Wan.

Only then did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief, rising shakily to their feet.

"You lot, sit down. I will purge the poison for you," Xia Jiuxuan said to Qin Wei and the others.

"Many thanks, Brother Xia!" Their faces brightened; they had no doubt in Xia Jiuxuan’s abilities.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xia Jiuxuan used his soul intent to clear the toxins from their bodies.

"Haha! I've recovered!"

"Damn it, I'll never fall for such a trick again!"

"Refreshing!"

Qin Wei and the others felt alive and invigorated, their spirits soaring.

"Brother Xia, I, Qin Wei, will never forget this kindness. If you ever need anything, just say the word. Even if it means crossing a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I will not refuse!" Qin Wei bowed to Xia Jiuxuan.

"Same here!"

"Me too!"

Xu Fei, Luo Zheng, and the others also expressed their loyalty. Xia Jiuxuan merely nodded faintly, saying nothing more.

A moment later, Xia Jiuxuan looked toward a shadowed corner in the back and called out, "Mo Yongjian, come out."

The figure hiding in the corner trembled violently. With a sigh of despair, he slowly walked out.

"Are you going to kill me?" Mo Yongjian offered a bitter, hollow smile.

"Kill you? Is it necessary?" Xia Jiuxuan’s expression was indifferent.

Mo Yongjian shook his head in sorrow. Am I not even worth killing? Yes, Xia Jiuxuan was such a monstrous talent, so powerful; in his eyes, I must be nothing more than an ant.

"Then what do you want?" Mo Yongjian looked up, locking eyes with Xia Jiuxuan. He had already decided that if Xia Jiuxuan humiliated him, he would end his own life.

Xia Jiuxuan curved his lips into a smile, which made Mo Yongjian’s skin crawl. Xia Jiuxuan walked over step by step and stood before him.

"You have potential. Don't be so arrogant in the future," Xia Jiuxuan said calmly.

"You are a hundred times more arrogant than me," Mo Yongjian gathered the courage to say.

"I am different from you. I have the qualifications to be arrogant; you do not."

Mo Yongjian lowered his head. It was the truth; he had no way to refute it.

"I understand. I am convinced." With those words, Mo Yongjian transformed his right arm into a blade and thrust it toward his own head.

*Clang!*

His blade was caught between Xia Jiuxuan’s two fingers.

"Cowardly," Xia Jiuxuan remarked.

"Am I not even allowed to commit suicide?" Mo Yongjian was on the verge of breaking down.

Xia Jiuxuan ignored him and retrieved half a drop of Blood Dragon essence from a jade bottle in his storage space. "This half-drop of essence is not what it once was, but it is a hundred times better than the Earth Dragon essence. I will impart a refining technique to you; absorb it into your dantian. As long as you follow this path of refining your body into a weapon, you will go much further."

With that, Xia Jiuxuan used his mental intent to transmit a simple refining method into Mo Yongjian’s mind. Mo Yongjian was stunned as he instantly gained the memory of this profound technique. He looked at the half-drop of essence floating before him, his eyes stinging, nearly shedding tears.

"You..."

"Stop talking. Refine it."

"Yes!"

Mo Yongjian could not describe his current mood. He nodded and immediately began to circulate the technique Xia Jiuxuan had given him. The half-drop of dragon blood merged into his body, dissolving into his veins. Suddenly, ancient divine patterns appeared beneath his skin, soaking into his limbs and bones.

"Ah!"

A quarter of an hour later, Mo Yongjian opened his eyes and let out a soft roar. Mysterious runes faintly shimmered on the surface of his skin.

"I... I have achieved atavism!" Mo Yongjian’s eyes widened. He felt as if he were an ancient divine weapon—indestructible and unstoppable!

"You still have a long way to go," Xia Jiuxuan said faintly.

Only Xia Jiuxuan knew that if a member of the Weapon-Refining Clan truly reached the stage of atavism, their body could condense into a peerless divine artifact, eternal and impervious to all laws—truly invincible. This path of cultivation was considered top-tier even among the myriad realms.

"Mo Yongjian thanks Brother Xia!" Mo Yongjian’s eyes welled with tears as he knelt.

"That was unnecessary," Xia Jiuxuan said coldly, turning away.

Mo Yongjian, however, locked that debt of gratitude firmly within his heart.