CHAPTER 33: FACING THREE GOLDEN CORE REALM CULTIVATORS

The commotion finally drew the attention of the masked leaders.

The one with the weakest aura—the apparent early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator—turned toward Xian Tiandi. Even through the bone mask, Xian Tiandi could sense the man’s attention focusing on him.

"A mere Qi Condensation brat dares to interfere?" the cultist’s voice was muffled by the mask but carried clear disdain. "You must have a death wish."

The other two masked leaders glanced over briefly but didn’t move from their positions. They apparently didn’t consider a Qi Condensation cultivator worth their attention.

Xian Tiandi remained calm, his expression neutral. "You’re killing innocent people. That ends now."

The masked cultist laughed. "Ends? You have no idea what you’re facing, boy."

The cultist raised his hand and a massive blood-red spear materialized above him. The spear was formed entirely from blood essence and radiated tremendous killing intent.

This was clearly a powerful technique, far above what normal Foundation Establishment cultivators could produce.

The spear shot forward with incredible speed.

Xian Tiandi’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t dodge this attack casually—it was too fast and too powerful. He would need to counter it directly.

He drew upon his Martial Force, channeling it through his right arm. At the same time, he circulated Chaos Qi through his meridians, enhancing his physical capabilities even further.

The combination of Force Condensation and Qi Condensation working in perfect harmony gave him strength that far exceeded his apparent cultivation level.

His fist shot forward to meet the blood spear.

The impact created a shockwave that cracked the stone pavement beneath his feet. The blood spear shattered on contact with his fist, exploding into a mist of red droplets that quickly evaporated.

Xian Tiandi’s arm trembled slightly from the force of the impact, but he was otherwise unharmed.

The masked cultist froze. "What? How did a Qi Condensation—"

He didn’t get to finish the sentence. Xian Tiandi had already moved, closing the distance between them in an instant. His speed was far beyond what the cultist expected.

The cultist tried to form a defensive technique, but Xian Tiandi was already within striking range. A palm strike infused with Chaos Qi hit the cultist’s chest. The defensive energy shield the man had partially formed crumbled like glass.

The cultist flew backward, crashing into the ground and rolling several times before coming to a stop. He coughed up blood as he struggled to stand.

"Impossible," the cultist gasped. "Your strength... you’re not just Qi Condensation..."

Xian Tiandi didn’t respond. He moved forward to finish the fight, but before he could deliver the final blow, the other two masked leaders finally reacted.

"Enough," one of them said. The voice was cold and carried authority.

Both of the stronger masked leaders abandoned their positions and moved toward Xian Tiandi. The wounded cultist quickly retreated back toward the formation.

Now Xian Tiandi faced all three of them together.

The atmosphere changed. The pressure in the air intensified dramatically. The two newly involved leaders released more of their auras, and Xian Tiandi’s suspicions were confirmed.

These weren’t Foundation Establishment cultivators at all.

They were Golden Core cultivators—early and mid-stage respectively—who had been suppressing their auras to appear weaker. The disguise technique was sophisticated, but now that they were taking the fight seriously, their true cultivation leaked through.

’So my instincts were correct,’ Xian Tiandi thought. ’This is more dangerous than I anticipated. Three Golden Core cultivators. Even with my advantages, this will be difficult.’

The one in the center, who appeared to be the leader of the trio, spoke. "You’re stronger than you appear, boy. But you’ve made a fatal mistake coming here alone."

"Who said I’m alone?" Xian Tiandi replied calmly.

As if responding to his words, two powerful auras suddenly flared in the distance. Elder Feng and Elder Qiu had engaged with the other Golden Core cultists who were coordinating the attack across the city.

The masked leader’s head tilted slightly. "Ah, you have Golden Core protectors. Clever. But they’re occupied elsewhere. Here, you face us alone."

The three cultists spread out, forming a triangle formation around Xian Tiandi. Their coordination was practiced and efficient. They had clearly fought together many times before.

Xian Tiandi’s mind raced through his options. Fighting three Golden Core cultivators directly was suicide, even with his advantages. He needed to be smart about this.

Then he noticed something. The three cultists weren’t moving far from the formation.

They were still maintaining their positions as guardians of the ritual. This meant they were also serving as conduits for the formation’s energy—channeling power from the sacrificed civilians into the Crimson Soul Orb.

’That’s it,’ Xian Tiandi thought. ’They’re not just guarding the formation. They’re part of it. There’s a connection between them and the array itself.’

This gave him an idea. It was risky and he had never attempted anything like this in actual combat, but he had no better options.

He would try to use his Supreme Taming Dao.

Xian Tiandi had been refining the theories and concepts of his Taming Dao path for years now, both in this life and in his past life’s final years when he discovered the Supreme Taming Dao Scripture.

The scripture taught that taming wasn’t limited to beasts or objects—it could extend to abstract concepts, relationships, and connections.

He had never tested this in real combat before. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

The three cultists attacked simultaneously.

Blood techniques erupted from all directions. The leader formed a massive blood dragon that roared as it charged forward.

The second cultist created dozens of blood chains that whipped through the air, trying to bind Xian Tiandi. The third cultist generated a blood mist that spread outward, attempting to poison and corrode anything it touched.

The coordinated assault was overwhelming. Against a normal Qi Condensation cultivator, it would be instantly death.

Even against most Foundation Establishment cultivators, it would be extremely dangerous.

But Xian Tiandi wasn’t trying to fight them directly.

He activated his Chaos Beast Spirit, feeling its power resonate deep within his soul. The formless spirit that contained all possibilities, all elements, all concepts—this was the foundation of his Taming Dao.