In the Great Saint Secret Realm.
Before a certain palace, two cultivators stood in confrontation.
"Youngster, hand over the elixir in your possession, and this seat might spare your life. Otherwise, even if you have an ancient weapon to protect you, you won't escape death!"
Qu Peng looked at Gu Xuan standing before him, his face a mixture of greed, disdain, and a hint of fear towards the Evil Slayer Blade.
To him, a cultivator at the Fifth Layer of Refining Organ Realm was no more than an ant.
It was this very ant who had obtained a bottle of elixir from the palace before them, which was what made Qu Peng's heart race.
After all, this was a secret realm left by the Heavenly Phoenix Great Saint, and the elixirs within the palace were certainly his legacy.
That with the passing of hundreds of thousands of years, many elixirs had turned to dust with time. Only those that remained were truly extraordinary.
If it were any other cultivator of the Refining Organ Realm, Qu Peng would not have wasted words and would have already made a move to snatch it.
Qu Peng looked at the Evil Slayer Blade carried by Gu Xuan, and his gaze was filled with apprehension.
He had personally witnessed a powerhouse at the Nine Layers of Divine Transformation Realm being slain by this blade.
Thus, he had great fear of the power of this Divine Weapon.
Gu Xuan's expression was cold, "Fortunes of the secret realm are up to fate; there's no way I would hand over the elixir. I do not wish to engage in a battle with you. Leave now and we can both be at peace, otherwise, the blade in my hand might not be so impotent!"
Upon these words, Qu Peng's expression flickered unpredictably.
His greed completely overtook his apprehension, and with a step forward, he suddenly summoned an ancient tower and pressed it down fiercely towards Gu Xuan.
"So what if you have an ancient weapon, truly think this seat has no means?!"
"Given a chance to live yet you refuse, so bring upon your own death—"
Qu Peng's expression was ferocious, as if he had already witnessed the scene of Gu Xuan being crushed by himself.
Seeing the ancient tower pressing down with terrifying suppressive force, Gu Xuan's blood seemed to stagnate, but at that moment, a powerful and magnificent Blade Intent unexpectedly burst forth from behind him.
The Divine Blade was unsheathed.
The cold and terrifying blade wind cut through the void, and the ancient tower shattered to pieces. The unrelenting force swept over, causing Qu Peng's expression to drastically change.
"This is not an ancient weapon... half... half-Saint's will..."
Qu Peng tried to flee, but under the coverage of the blade wind, he couldn't escape in time and could only watch as the Divine Blade came slashing down.
At the last moment, Qu Peng, on the contrary, became calm and looked at Gu Xuan with eyes full of resentment.
"Younger, even if I die, you will pay a price—"
Before he could finish.
Qu Peng was split in two by the Evil Slayer Blade.
No joy appeared on Gu Xuan's face, for he noticed that before his death, Qu Peng seemed to have executed some Secret Technique, leaving a strange pattern on the back of his own hand.
This pattern, like a maggot in one's bones, could not be removed.
"It seems I have drawn the attention of the forces behind Qu Peng!"
Gu Xuan's brows were slightly furrowed but then relaxed.
At this point, worrying further was unnecessary.
Given the situation just now, even if he had given up the elixir, Qu Peng would not have spared him.
One of them was destined to survive.
As for what to do after killing Qu Peng, that could be decided later.
"Better leave this place first!"
Gu Xuan immediately turned and left.
Other cultivators arrived upon hearing the commotion.
When they saw the horrific traces on the ground, their pupils shrank, and then they saw Qu Peng's bisected corpse.
"This is a True Disciple of Yuhua Sacred Land!"
"Hiss, who would have thought that he would die here."
"It is said that this person was the offspring of a Daoist Palace Realm Peak Master from Yuhua Sacred Land; now that he's dead here, there's likely going to be quite a drama..."
Many cultivators recognized Qu Peng's identity. After all, as a True Disciple of Yuhua Sacred Land, he had entered the Ninth Layer of Divine Transformation Realm at a young age, and it was a certainty that he would step into the Dao Palace Realm in the future.
In a period of great contention, he was seen as one who could aspire to become a saint.
Qu Peng had a reputation as a prodigy in the Eastern Domain.
Nobody expected that he would die here.
The death of the descendant of a Dao Palace Realm here would undoubtedly cause significant upheaval once the news spread.
Inside a palace, a black-robed elder was meditating with closed eyes. Suddenly, his eyes opened sharply, and beneath his thick brows, a pair of eyes as sharp as a hawk's shone, while a hint of coldness flashed across his gaunt cheeks.
"What has happened, why would I all of a sudden have such an ominous premonition?"
Qu Huadao's brows furrowed, and his expression became slightly ugly.
A Sword Peak Disciple hurried in from the outside, looking flustered.
"Peak Master, there's big trouble..."
"What causes such panic!"
Qu Huadao's expression chilled further, and a terrifying aura emanated from him, weighing down on the shoulders of the disciple, whose panic seemed to subside a bit.
The disciple swallowed hard and began to speak stutteringly.
"Qu... Qu Peng brother... brother's Soul Token has sh... shattered!"
A terrible force suddenly erupted, and Qu Huadao appeared instantly in front of the disciple, grasping his neck, his face filled with rage.
"Qu... Qu Peng brother..."
The disciple's face turned red, his eyes filled with terror, and he struggled to speak.