The Modern Martial Immortal

Brilliant seven-colored light blossomed across the skies above the North Sea Star like a rainbow.

Ripples in space stirred the surrounding spiritual power, forming tides that spread endlessly in every direction, tides that would soon give rise to violent celestial phenomena.

When that time came, lightning storms, thunderous skies, and raging winds and rain would inevitably bring terrifying devastation to the living beings inhabiting this region.

That was also why everyone on the North Sea Star fought to move forward and refused to fall behind.

Many believed they could quietly hide away in some secluded corner, cultivate in peace, avoid conflict, and accept slower progress in exchange for safety.

But on the North Sea Star, where battles broke out with terrifying frequency, even if a cultivator hid deep in remote mountains or at the ends of the earth, disaster could still descend from the heavens one day and wipe out not only them, but also their loved ones and their entire family in a single sweep.

***

Amid the spatial ripples, Yaoguang’s Wandering Dragon Sword carved through all obstacles. Fierce sword light tore open the void, shielding him as he crossed five hundred kilometers, narrowly avoiding the shockwave produced by the collapse of a Primordial Void formed from a fallen Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal.

”A Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal...” He glanced back. ”With my advantage in comprehension, dealing with Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals is indeed easier for me than fighting Azure Golden Core cultivators. But every Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal dies the same way, through the collapse of their Primordial Void. Unless they carry quasi-Dao Artifacts or Dao-Artifact-level materials capable of surviving that collapse, not even the slightest scrap of spoils remains behind.”

If spoils can be left behind, then the wealth of a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal...

Hold on...battle immortals are all broke!

Once they realized they belonged to a class of cultivators with no future, these battle immortals either drowned themselves in indulgence, spending every resource and pill the moment it reached their hands, or devoted everything toward nurturing their most talented descendants. Almost none of them kept wealth on their person.

”Battle immortals are poor, but the Xi family isn’t.” Yaoguang shifted direction. The Longxiang Flying Vessel appeared in his hand.

As the treasure accelerated, ripples spread through the void before him.

In less than ten breaths, once the vessel reached sufficient speed, it split open space and carried out a short-range void traversal.

When Yaoguang emerged from the void crossing, the capital city of Haizhou was already right before his eyes.

He stored the Longxiang Flying Vessel, rose on his sword, and transformed into a streak of golden sword light that shot straight toward the city.

Since the battle between Yaoguang and Xi Lie had erupted only five thousand kilometers outside the state capital, the collapse of a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal’s black hole was still clearly visible from the city.

Brilliant rainbow-colored light illuminated the heavens, while the celestial phenomena caused by the fall of a Void-Piercing Realm expert swept toward the capital.

It was easy to foresee that within moments, the surrounding tens of thousands of kilometers would be engulfed in violent storms and catastrophic weather brought about by the collapse of that Primordial Void.

And the death of such a mighty figure outside the capital naturally drew countless high-tier cultivators into the air.

One after another, they stared toward the distant horizon, shock written across their faces.

”That phenomenon... A Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal has fallen?!”

”Who was it?! There are four great powers in the city, the three great families and the city lord’s residence, and each has a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal overseeing it. Which faction lost theirs?!”

”Could it be some passing Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal? Perhaps his lifespan finally ran out, and he could no longer stabilize the Primordial Void within his body, causing it to collapse and kill him?”

Speculation spread wildly, yet no one dared to meddle.

After all, a Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal had fallen.

If that expert had died because he failed to stabilize his own Primordial Void, that was one thing. But if he had been killed by someone else...

Then rushing over now would simply mean volunteering to be silenced by beings capable of slaying even Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals.

While others were merely shocked, the upper echelon of the Xi family felt something else: worry.

A select few knew that one of the family’s Void-Piercing Realm battle immortals had just gone out to deal with an opponent.

”Contact Xi Lie!” Xi Hong, head of the Xi family, stared toward the distant horizon as he spoke to Xi Hai.

Xi Hai nodded, not daring to waste a second, and immediately sent out a message.

But there was no response. At once, Xi Hong’s face darkened.

A trace of panic flashed through Xi Hai’s eyes, but he forced himself to calm down. ”Sixteenth Brother only went at my request to deal with a Blazing White Golden Core cultivator, and one who isn’t even a true disciple at that. Though he may be somewhat capable, even I would have a fair chance of defeating him. I only asked Sixteenth Brother to act to ensure nothing went wrong. He absolutely cannot be in danger.”

”A Blazing White Golden Core cultivator who isn’t even a true disciple? Have you forgotten the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy before battle?! I already had someone investigate this afternoon. The reason he isn’t a true disciple is that he joined the sect only this year and hasn’t been able to take the true disciple assessment yet. With strength capable of repelling even a ninth-tier great demon, his chances of becoming a true disciple in three years are extremely high!” Xi Hong snapped. His tone grew increasingly harsh.

Still, he understood his uncle’s greed. Given the circumstances, and with the temptation of 460,000 Pure Yang Grand Pills placed before him, his decision was hardly surprising.

”Even if he has the strength of a future true disciple, at most he should be comparable to an Azure Golden Core cultivator. Sixteenth Brother dealing with him should be effortless,” Xi Hai said solemnly, as though only by saying it aloud could he convince himself Xi Lie was safe.

Just then, the two Azure Golden Core cultivators suddenly sensed something.

A streak of golden sword light descended like a meteor, instantly smashing into the interior of the Xi family estate. Before the family’s protective array could fully activate, it blasted through a crucial array node.

”Insolence!”

”Who dares attack the grounds of the Xi family!?”

Xi Hai and Xi Hong roared in unison as they shot into the sky.

But they were still a step too slow.

Amid violent rumbling and earth-shaking tremors, an ancient tree, heavily protected by layers of arrays, was struck directly by the Wandering Dragon Sword’s sword light and exploded into splinters that scattered in all directions.

After destroying that array node, the golden sword light curved through the air and swiftly returned to the hand of the figure following close behind.

The moment Xi Hai saw who it was, his eyes widened in disbelief. ”You?!”

Xi Hong also recognized him, and fury instantly exploded across his face. ”What audacity! Such outrageous audacity! You, a mere inner sect disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect, dare act so lawlessly?!”

The figure who had arrived riding sword light was none other than Yaoguang.

”It seems like you know exactly why I’ve come,” Yaoguang said.

As he spoke, more than a dozen streaks of sword light shot into the sky.

”What happened?!”

”Someone actually dares attack our Xi family?! They must be tired of living!”

”Who has come seeking death at the hands of my Xi family?!”

Every one of those streaks of sword light belonged to experts at the Radiant Sun Golden Core Realm or the Blazing White Golden Core Realm.

Although most of the Xi family’s strongest members had been taken to the imperial capital, the forces left behind in the state capital were still filled with talent, fully displaying the family’s deep and formidable foundation.

Farther away, many cultivators had also noticed the commotion and turned their attention toward the scene. Yet not a single cultivator stepped in.

Anyone bold enough to openly provoke the Xi family was clearly not someone ordinary people could interfere with. If they wanted to involve themselves, they first had to understand whether they could. No one would casually gamble with their life.

”Xi Hai, as the hall master of the Demon Hunting Hall, you embezzled the 460,000 Pure Yang Grand Pills that rightfully belonged to me as a bounty for exterminating the Black Dragon Pirates. You abused your authority and stole what you were entrusted with protecting, a disgraceful act that merits only contempt. Hand over my 460,000 Pure Yang Grand Pills now, and I will turn around and leave! Otherwise—” Yaoguang’s psychic thought echoed through the night sky.

Before he could finish, Xi Hai furiously cut him off. ”You bastard! Who gave you the courage to come attack the Xi family?!”

The terrifying aura of an Azure Golden Core surged from his body. ”Forget the fact that you are not yet a true disciple of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Even if you became one, the Xi family is not something you can provoke so lightly. Since you insist on seeking death—”

”Stubborn and blind! Fine then... We’ll settle this according to the rules of the North Sea Star.” Yaoguang shook his head.

His gaze fell on Xi Hai. ”Xi Hai, throughout the Demon Hunting Halls across the surrounding dozen states, your greed is notorious. Everyone has heard of it. So why do you think I still came to your Demon Hunting Hall to claim my bounty?”

Without waiting for an answer, Yaoguang burst into laughter. ”There are two reasons. First, when comparing my strength to your family’s power in this state capital, I believe I am strong enough to act with confidence! Second...”

The Wandering Dragon Sword in his hand suddenly slashed out, ripping apart the void and sending visible ripples spreading outward.

And the direction of that sword light was none other than the secluded cultivation ground of the Xi family’s other Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal.

”Because Haizhou’s guardian envoy is away seeking pills!” Yaoguang said.

”How dare you!”

”Attack together!”

Xi Hai and Xi Hong, the two Azure Golden Core cultivators, did not hesitate. At the same moment, they spread their psychic thought and activated their divine abilities, locking onto Yaoguang as they moved in for the kill.

But almost the instant they moved against him, light from the Two-Realm Ruler flashed.

Yaoguang immediately unleashed the Nine Heavenly Transformations, traveling through the void and slipping directly past the divine abilities that had sealed the space around him, and charging toward the secluded cultivation ground of Xi Guang, the other Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal.

Only when he reached that expert’s cultivation grounds did he realize something. ”No wonder he didn’t come out immediately despite such a big disturbance outside. Is his Primordial Void unstable? He must be in seclusion to stabilize his condition!”

Yaoguang swung the Wandering Dragon Sword, and spatial ripples spread across the blade’s edge.

”Looks like my timing couldn’t be better!” He said, bursting into laughter.

The next moment, those spreading spatial ripples were abruptly drawn inward, condensed into the Space-Splitting Strike, and crashed down toward that Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal.

Although Xi Guang was in seclusion stabilizing his Primordial Void, he was neither crippled nor dead.

A Void-Piercing Realm battle immortal’s Primordial Void became unstable every few years. He, like all battle immortals, had long grown accustomed to it.

And now that the Xi family itself was under attack, he had naturally already reacted and ended his seclusion.

The moment he saw Yaoguang attempting to seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, Xi Guang snorted coldly. ”You’re overestimating yourself!”

He forcibly activated his Primordial Void. As ripples capable of twisting space spread outward, he suddenly reached out and clenched his hand toward Yaoguang’s direction.

The space around him seemed to begin collapsing inward at a terrifying speed.

”The Great Universe Hand? Is that the only great divine ability your Xi family has?” Yaoguang recognized the technique at a glance.

The spatial ripples stirred by Space-Splitting Strike violently crashed forward. Before the Great Universe Hand could crush the space around him, the strike pierced it, carrying the overwhelming might of a supreme divine ability as it stabbed fiercely toward the space occupied by Xi Guang.