Chapter 38: Sarira

At that moment, the late-stage Houtian realm martial artist seemed to sense something and turned his head to look at Zhang Yuan.

In the darkness of the night, the two were separated by more than four zhang, yet both could sense the other's gaze.

*Swish—*

*Swish—*

Crossbow bolts suppressed the riverbank, piercing the bodies of many fleeing martial artists on the boats, sending them tumbling into the water.

The Houtian realm martial artist also stepped into the water, kicking up a spray of muddy yellow droplets.

Flee?

With an unchanging expression, Zhang Yuan rushed out of the cabin, stepped off the wooden boat in a few strides, and plunged into the water.

The soldiers of the Martial Guard Office wore armor; combined with their weapons, they carried the equivalent of dozens or even hundreds of catties of weight, making even moving through the water difficult, let alone fighting an enemy.

Zhang Yuan wore no armor, and with his profound cultivation, he feared no foe, which allowed him to charge into the water in pursuit.

As soon as he entered the water, the dashed lines before his eyes reconstructed, and several pale red pillars of light emerged ahead.

With a light push of his feet, his figure moved like a fish, instantly catching up to one of the pale red pillars.

Reaching out, he grabbed the person ahead by the ankle.

*Crack—*

After snapping the opponent's ankle, Zhang Yuan released his grip, leaving the man to his fate.

For a martial artist with a broken ankle in the water, the chances of survival were slim.

Zhang Yuan continued forward, reaching out whenever he encountered a pale red pillar.

Regardless of whether the opponent turned to slash with a saber or thrust with a sword, or fought desperately to flee, he would simply reach out and twist an arm or a leg, or sometimes snap their neck.

After a short period of advancement, he reached the opposite riverbank.

Ahead, a figure stepped out of the river and sprinted toward the woods on the shore.

Zhang Yuan followed closely, maintaining a moderate pace, in no hurry to strike.

This person was familiar with these river channels and mountains; he was likely one of the bandits of the Guangji River.

According to the mission information and the data provided by Young Master Tao, there were not many late-stage Houtian realm cultivators among the Guangji River bandits—only two.

One was the chieftain of Gutang Village, located a hundred miles upstream, whose identity was backed by the government, making him a sort of half-bandit, half-government informant.

The other was Yang Yaozu, the chieftain of Guangyuan Village.

This Chieftain Yang came from a great family, but unfortunately, his family had fallen into decline. Resentful of his own circumstances and his family's plight, he had turned to banditry.

Zhang Yuan ran alongside the martial artist for over ten li before calling out loudly, "Chieftain Yang, the Jailer of the Luyang Prefecture Martial Guard Office requests your presence for a brief stay."

Ahead, the running figure shuddered, his footsteps halted, and he turned to look at Zhang Yuan, who was only three zhang away.

To be able to pursue from the wooden boats all the way to this place, Zhang Yuan's cultivation was at least at the late Houtian realm.

Furthermore, since he dared to pursue, he must have sufficient confidence in his own strength to defeat Yang Yaozu.

"My Lord, cultivation is not easy and the path of the martial world is long. I wonder if you could grant me some convenience?"

Yang Yaozu held a saber in his hand as he watched Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He walked forward slowly and said, "No."

No.

Yang Yaozu hadn't actually expected Zhang Yuan to agree.

After chasing him for so long, how could he let him go with just a casual word?

Besides, Yang Yaozu was a renowned expert in the martial world for over ten years, commanding hundreds of followers; he would never truly beg for mercy.

The moment Zhang Yuan spoke, Yang Yaozu had already turned to attack, his long saber slashing diagonally toward Zhang Yuan's arm.

He did not aim for Zhang Yuan's torso but for his arm, because government officials typically wore armor for protection. If Zhang Yuan were wearing inner armor, a strike to the body would be futile and cause him to lose the initiative.

By striking the arm now, if Zhang Yuan failed to dodge, the blade would sever it.

At the Houtian realm, when the difference in strength and speed is minimal, having a weapon naturally provides a greater chance of victory.

He could only say that the Zhang Yuan opposite him was being overconfident.

The blade carried a cold light, appearing like a silver streak in the moonlight, the whistling sound of it cutting through the air testifying to how fast and fierce the strike was.

With the blade approaching, Zhang Yuan did not dodge as Yang Yaozu had expected.

Zhang Yuan stepped forward, his left hand dropped slightly, his waist twisted, and his right hand suddenly rose.

He turned and dropped his elbow.

*Clang—*

The face of the horizontally slashing saber was struck by Zhang Yuan's elbow. The blade trembled, nearly snapping.

This saber was better than those held by the bandits on the wooden boat; it was forged from fine steel, and Zhang Yuan's single blow had failed to break it.

The blade did not break, but Yang Yaozu's palm, holding the saber, trembled violently, and a bloody wound opened at his web of the thumb, soaked in blood.

Zhang Yuan's single strike had cracked his web!

Yang Yaozu withdrew his saber and retreated, his eyes filled with terror.

He was an expert who had survived in the martial world for many years and had fought countless battles, yet no one had ever defeated him so simply and decisively.

"To think Luyang Prefecture actually possesses such a figure..." Dragging his saber as he retreated, Yang Yaozu's expression turned solemn.

Zhang Yuan's strike had injured his web, instantly halving his combat effectiveness.

In truth, even if he hadn't been injured, he could tell from that single strike that he was no match for Zhang Yuan.

That casual strike from Zhang Yuan demonstrated absolute control over combat, precise grasp of the battlefield, and mastery over both his martial cultivation and techniques.

This was a powerhouse whose killing methods had been honed to the extreme!

"I said, I am inviting you to stay briefly at the Luyang Prefecture Martial Guard Office." Zhang Yuan's expression turned cold and fierce, and a murderous aura slowly condensed in his eyes. "You should not have ambushed the uniformed martial soldiers stationed on the boats today."

Daring to intercept and kill government personnel was a provocation of the government's authority.

Such an act was already a capital crime.

Yang Yaozu's expression grew heavy. He retreated step by step, gripping the saber with his left hand and holding it horizontally in front of him.

"Whether you believe it or not, my people from Guangyuan Village did not strike to kill."

"It was those monks who did it."

"We were merely guiding them in exchange for some benefits."

As Yang Yaozu spoke, he pulled a scroll wrapped in cowhide paper from his robe.

"The leading monk had very high cultivation. He used a Buddhist manual as payment and asked me to lead his men onto the boat."

A look of heartache appeared on his face as he tossed the manual toward Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan reached out and caught the manual, but his feet did not stop.

This caused a look of panic to emerge in Yang Yaozu's eyes.

"By the way, they found something in the pile of ore on the boat. I know what it is."

Zhang Yuan's footsteps finally halted.

Yang Yaozu breathed a sigh of relief, retreating further as he said, "A Sarira. I heard them whispering that it was a Sarira."

A Sarira.

In the Buddhist cultivators of the Liangyuan Domain, it was the treasure left behind after a top-tier expert passed away.

It was said that a Sarira was on the same level as the Golden Core in immortal cultivation or the Golden Body and Jade Bone in martial cultivation.

Buddhist cultivation emphasized the harmony of mind and body; a Sarira condensed the intent of a powerhouse, capable of purifying the soul and tempering the physical body.

However, even in the Liangyuan Domain, a Sarira was a critically important treasure. Why would it appear in the Great Qin?

"Where is the Sarira?" Zhang Yuan looked at Yang Yaozu.

"After they found it, they sent it to Guangyuan Village. The leading monk stayed at Guangyuan Village and did not come to the riverbank."

Yang Yaozu pointed toward the rear, but his expression suddenly changed.

In the direction of Guangyuan Village, flames soared into the sky, illuminating half the heavens!

An indescribable power suddenly erupted from Zhang Yuan's body, sending Yang Yaozu, several zhang away, flying backward uncontrollably.

His eyes widened as he watched Zhang Yuan take a single step, his figure streaking through the treetops like a hawk, rushing toward the direction of Guangyuan Village.

"Xiantian Realm!"

(End of Chapter)