SPMT : Chapter 174

Old Monster Chihuo took out various magical artifacts and continuously bombarded the great formation. Under Old Monster Chihuo’s sustained attacks, the great formation became shaky.

Although the great formation was shaking, it had excellent resilience and didn’t develop major problems due to Old Monster Chihuo’s attacks.

Streams of golden light exploded, and dense heaven and earth spiritual energy poured down. Xu Mu’an and the others in the formation immediately felt refreshed.

After Golden Core cultivators successfully formed their cores, they would receive a baptism of heaven and earth spiritual energy. At this time, people staying near the Golden Core cultivator could also benefit.

“Daddy became Golden Core! Daddy became Golden Core! Daddy is coming to help us!” Xiao Xiaofan said excitedly.

Old Monster Chihuo looked at Xiao Xiaofan’s excited appearance and sneered, “So what if your father advanced to Golden Core? He’s just early Golden Core.”

The great formation flashed with light, then the spiritual power in the formation was completely drained. The remaining power in the formation concentrated together and blasted toward Old Monster Chihuo with lightning speed. Hundreds of Lei Yan walnuts exploded simultaneously, sending Old Monster Chihuo flying.

As soon as Xiao Jingting emerged from seclusion, he took over control of the great formation from Xu Mu’an.

Xu Mu’an and Xiao Jingting were connected in heart and mind, completing the transfer of the formation’s control in the blink of an eye.

As soon as Xiao Jingting took control of the great formation, he immediately launched an attack. Old Monster Chihuo was too careless and suffered a major loss.

Seeing Old Monster Chihuo blasted away by the formation, Xiao Jingting didn’t dare be careless and quickly pursued.

“Damned thing!” Old Monster Chihuo roared and took out his Fire Cloud Banner, waving it at Xiao Jingting.

The Fire Cloud Banner was Old Monster Chihuo’s natal magical artifact. Inside the Fire Cloud Banner were several types of spirit fires that Old Monster Chihuo had spent enormous effort to collect. A thick wave of heat rushed toward Xiao Jingting.

Xiao Jingting felt like he had suddenly fallen into a volcano, similar to the feeling in the secret realm’s Fire Path.

However, this heat wave was obviously much stronger than the one from the Fire Path. The robes made from Qinggang Lingyun bamboo on Xiao Jingting’s body firmly protected him. Without this, Xiao Jingting felt he would have been burned to death.

Xiao Jingting threw over a dozen talismans at Old Monster Chihuo.

Seeing that Xiao Jingting could still launch attacks under his Fire Cloud Banner, Old Monster Chihuo was somewhat shocked. In the past, early Golden Core opponents would have begged for mercy after his single strike. Old Monster Chihuo secretly regretted being careless. Under severe injury, he couldn’t unleash the Fire Cloud Banner’s full power.

Xu Mu’an protected the youngsters, watching Xiao Jingting and Old Monster Chihuo battle from afar.

Xiao Xiaofan frowned and looked at Xu Mu’an, saying, “Mother-father, can daddy win?”

Xu Mu’an frowned. Whether Xiao Jingting could win, he couldn’t say! Xiao Jingting was just a newly advanced Golden Core, while the other was an established Golden Core expert. In terms of true essence depth and battle experience, Xiao Jingting was far inferior.

Xiao Jingting threw out five thousand-year spirit swords, attacking Old Monster Chihuo.

Seeing Xiao Jingting produce spirit swords, Old Monster Chihuo was even more surprised. In his view, Xiao Jingting was just a Golden Core newcomer who might not even have had time to refine magical artifacts. Yet the person produced five thousand-year spirit swords with one move.

“Who exactly are you? Did you take the Soul Refining Water from the secret realm?” Old Monster Chihuo asked.

Xiao Jingting couldn’t be bothered with Old Monster Chihuo and intensified his offensive.

Old Monster Chihuo was late Golden Core, quite a bit stronger than Xiao Jingting. Fortunately, at the battle’s start, Xiao Jingting had used the formation to severely injure him. Otherwise, Xiao Jingting would be in danger.

“Ah!” Old Monster Chihuo screamed miserably. “What is that?”

The corner of Xiao Jingting’s mouth curved into a slight smile as he thought: Success.

When Xiao Jingting advanced to Golden Core, the Scorpion King he had subdued in the secret realm also advanced to Golden Core. Just now, while entangled with Old Monster Chihuo, Xiao Jingting had deliberately released the Scorpion King.

Bitten by the Golden-Topped Red-Tailed Scorpion, Old Monster Chihuo’s face immediately turned blue.

Xiao Jingting took the opportunity to self-detonate over ten magical artifacts. After the secret realm trip, Xiao Jingting had acquired many stolen magical artifacts. Some stolen goods he dared not sell were perfect for self-detonation. They were all decent magical artifacts, but Xiao Jingting looked down on them.

Old Monster Chihuo fell to the ground. Xu Mu’an, Xiao Xiaodong and the others who had been waiting rushed forward, all launching attacks at Old Monster Chihuo.

Seeing a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators attacking him, Old Monster Chihuo was furious, but like a tiger fallen to the plains, he had no power to fight back against the group of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Poor Old Monster Chihuo with his late Golden Core cultivation ultimately died at the hands of several Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Father, he’s dead,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

Xiao Jingting quickly took the space ring from Old Monster Chihuo’s hand and said, “This place isn’t safe anymore. Let’s leave quickly.” If Old Monster Chihuo could find this place, others could too. Moreover, Old Monster Chihuo had already guessed that he took the Soul Refining Water. If they stayed here, perhaps Nascent Soul cultivators would come next time.

Xu Mu’an gathered the Qi Refinement cultivators on the island, gave them some resources, and told them to flee for their lives.

“Father, where are we going?” Xiao Xiaodong said.

“Don’t you already have a plan? Lead the way,” Xiao Jingting said.

Xiao Xiaodong smiled awkwardly and quickly headed toward the teleportation array’s location.

This mission of Xiao Xiaofan’s was instigated by Xiao Xiaodong. Besides Fufeng Island being remote, there was another reason – this place had an abandoned teleportation array leading to unknown overseas locations. It had been abandoned for a long time. Xiao Xiaodong only learned about it by chance while discussing with Chen Xu and then checking ancient records.

Xiao Xiaodong always felt they had exposed too much in the secret realm, so he had prepared an escape route early.

“This is it. It’s already repaired,” Xiao Xiaodong said.

“Hurry,” Xiao Jingting said with a tense expression.

Xiao Xiaodong quickly installed the Spirit Stones. The group boarded the teleportation array and rapidly traveled to the other side. As soon as Xiao Jingting was teleported out, he immediately destroyed the teleportation array. Once one side’s teleportation array was broken, the other side couldn’t be used.

Chen Xu looked at Xiao Jingting’s tense expression and said, “Uncle Xiao, what just happened?”

Xiao Jingting frowned and said, “Seems like people from Yingui Sect came – a Nascent Soul and several Golden Cores.”

Xiao Xiaodong nodded and muttered, “Good thing we ran fast.”

……

Just as Xiao Jingting’s group left, several Yingui Sect cultivators appeared at the teleportation array location.

“The teleportation array shows signs of recent use, but it’s inactive now.”

“Escaped quite quickly,” a thin old man said coldly. The old man looked like a decrepit elder, but was actually the Nascent Soul expert Old man Mu Gu who dominated one region.

“Old Monster Chihuo is dead. Even though Old Monster Chihuo was late Golden Core, he unexpectedly capsized in the gutter.”

“At the place where Old Monster Chihuo died, we discovered a great formation with hundreds of Lei Yan walnuts. We can confirm this person is related to whoever took the Soul Refining Water from the secret realm.”

“Have you identified the other party?”

“Present here were Qingyun Immortal Sect’s single spiritual root disciple Xiao Xiaofan, his older brother, his father and mother-father, plus Lei Xuan and Chen Lifeng’s grandson Chen Xu. Xiao Xiaodong’s father seems to have advanced to Golden Core.”

“Xiao Jingting – sounds like quite a character! I wonder if Qingyun Immortal Sect knows about this.”

“Send people to guard here. If anyone comes out of the teleportation array, capture them immediately.”

……

Not long after Old man Mu Gu arrived, Chen Lifeng also came. The two fought a great battle and parted unhappily.

Later, Tianshen Sect also sent people. The Tianshen Sect people fought with those guarding the teleportation array. After a battle, the Yingui Sect people disappeared, and Tianshen Sect people remained on guard.

News of Xiao Jingting killing Old Monster Chihuo spread rapidly.

Qiu Yun frowned and said, “Are these people crazy? Xiao Jingting was just Foundation Establishment cultivation. How could he kill Old Monster Chihuo?”

“It might not be false,” Mu Yun said. “The news says Xiao Jingting advanced to Golden Core.”

Qiu Yun had long known Xiao Jingting wasn’t simple, but didn’t expect him to advance to Golden Core so quickly. “Is the Soul Refining Water really in that guy’s hands?”

“At the place where Old Monster Chihuo died, they found extensive signs of Lei Yan walnut usage. The Soul Refining Water might really be in his hands,” Mu Yun said.

Qiu Yun narrowed his eyes and said, “Good thing this guy ran fast. Otherwise, even if he’s Golden Core, he’d probably be torn to pieces.”

Mu Yun thought: “Yes! Xiao Jingting left via teleportation array. That teleportation array seems to transmit extremely far distances.”

Qiu Yun shook his head and said, “It would be fine if he left alone, but he actually took Senior Chen’s little grandson too, making Senior Chen furious and fight with Yingui Sect people.”

“In that situation, he could only take Chen Xu with him!” Mu Yun said.

Qiu Yun nodded and said, “That’s true.”

……

“Senior Brother, what do you think this is all about?” Qu Tao asked.

Liu Jinrong smiled bitterly and said, “You ask me, who do I ask?”

“Did Senior Brother Xiao really advance to Golden Core?” Qu Tao frowned. Among the Qingyun Immortal Sect people who went to the secret realm, Xiao Jingting was completely unremarkable. Suddenly hearing that the person who used to brag with him was actually the mysterious hidden expert from the secret realm, Qu Tao felt absurd.

Liu Jinrong was also very surprised. After Old Monster Chihuo was killed, sect elders questioned him several times, asking how much he knew about Xiao Jingting.

Liu Jinrong’s impression of Xiao Jingting was very faint. Although they had met several times, Liu Jinrong always thought Xiao Jingting was just an ordinary cultivator, even somewhat overconfident – going to the secret realm at middle Foundation Establishment while bringing his early Foundation Establishment son.

Hearing that Xiao Jingting was already late Foundation Establishment, Liu Jinrong thought he had misjudged. Since the person had advanced to Golden Core, he naturally shouldn’t have been middle Foundation Establishment before – he must have reached Foundation Establishment Great Perfection long ago. Having such an expert beside him without noticing, Liu Jinrong secretly felt he was truly blind.

Qu Tao originally thought Xiao Jingting’s only value was being Xiao Xiaofan’s father. Turns out this guy was allegedly the mysterious person stirring up trouble in the secret realm, and now had even formed a Golden Core.

Liu Jinrong exhaled and said, “They say Old Monster Chihuo also died at this person’s hands. If this guy hadn’t advanced to Golden Core, how could he kill Old Monster Chihuo?”

Qu Tao scratched his head and said, “Is Senior Brother Xiao really that formidable?”

Liu Jinrong nodded and said, “Probably so. Now many forces are looking for him. I heard he also raided the Golden Bees’ lair.”

Qu Tao: “……”

R : Update ahead of schedule! Something came up, so I had to move things forward a bit 

Oh by the way, I changed Elder Chihuo to Old Monster, the real translation is actually Old Monster. I realized “Elder Chihuo” was a way too nice for him, but Old Monster suits him better.