Volume One: The Millennium Stream Chapter 35: A Single Stroke to Sever Gold

Riding his horse, he galloped under the moonlight. Unless something unexpected occurred, no one from the Ma family would bother him for the remainder of the journey.

After two days of hard riding, the horse grew weary. Sun Zikai unfastened the reins and set it free.

Utilizing the wind, he soared through the air, covering five hundred miles in a single day and night until he arrived at the banks of Lake Duer.

He had arrived early, but someone else had arrived even sooner. He saw a bonfire burning brightly, beside which sat a youth of fourteen or fifteen. The boy had delicate features and appeared as though he lacked the strength to truss a chicken, yet his cultivation aura was at the seventh stage of Qi Refining.

Sun Zikai stepped forward and said, "I am Sun Zikai, a disciple of the Yanming Sect. And you are?"

The youth poked at the fire with a wooden stick, nodded toward Sun Zikai, and asked, "Where is Ma Yuhong? I thought he would be the one to come. Are you his servant?"

"No, I am here in Ma Yuhong's stead."

"Oh?" The youth was surprised, but he showed no trace of disdain. Merely curious, he asked, "Have you masked your cultivation level, brother?"

"No. As you can see, I am only at the first stage of Qi Refining."

"Oh," the youth said, poking the fire nonchalantly. "You must have some extraordinary talent. My name is Cheng Xu, from the Dongchen Sect. I arrived yesterday. Sit down; I am roasting a wild pheasant, and it will be ready to eat in a moment."

"Very well." Sun Zikai sat by the fire. A few dozen breaths later, Cheng Xu raked aside the embers and pulled out a lotus-leaf packet. Steam rose from the leaves, and upon opening them, a rich aroma wafted out.

Taking some salt from a small pouch, he sprinkled it over the meat and generously shared half with Sun Zikai. As he ate, Cheng Xu asked, "Your blade is so thin—is it convenient to use?"

Sun Zikai replied, "It has its own convenient methods. Do you not use any implements, Brother Cheng?"

"I do not. Only your 'Instrument Sect' and the eccentric 'Five-Sins Sect' specialize in weapons. Are you from the Instrument Sect?"

"No, I am from the Medicine Sect, a disciple of Sect Master Fu Zhe."

"Master Fu Zhe has taken an apprentice? That is fresh news. I must go back and tell my master. My master and yours are from the same hometown and were once betrothed, but your master was swept away by Senior Wu Lanmu. He was supposed to come to the Dongchen Sect, but instead followed Senior Wu to the Yanming Sect. If he had stayed at the Dongchen Sect, he wouldn't have been framed and had his path of cultivation ruined."

Sun Zikai was astonished. "I have never heard that my master had a fiancée."

"No one dares to speak of it. My master was heartbroken and has been cold as ice for years, hating your master to death. But romance is a matter of mutual affection; Sect Master Fu Zhe treated my master as kin, not as a lover. He often came to the Dongchen Sect to visit, only to be driven away by my master every time."

"Such a thing actually happened!" Sun Zikai’s lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "I must go back and ask him about this."

Cheng Xu continued, "My master held genuine feelings for Senior Fu Zhe. What a pity—unrequited love is merely a dream. Oh? If my master knew that the person sent by the Yanming Sect was the apprentice of Senior Fu Zhe, she would surely have instructed me to beat you to death."

"Then I am in luck. Thank you for the warning, Brother Cheng." Sun Zikai asked again, "Why did you arrive so early? I set out many days in advance, fearing I would be late."

Cheng Xu shrugged and replied, "A Ghost-Horned Rhino is not worth so many people killing it together. I planned to arrive early, wait for one other person, and then the two of us could resolve the matter together. Also, I have a slow temperament and am not very good at cooperating with others. By finishing it early, I avoid excessive contact with disciples from other sects. Brother Sun, are you willing to join me in hunting the Ghost-Horned Rhino?"

Sun Zikai was even more surprised. "Brother Cheng, you trust me? I am only at the first stage of Qi Refining."

Cheng Xu replied, "The fact that the Yanming Sect chose you to come proves you must have some extraordinary talent. I trust you."

"Very well, I am willing to go," Sun Zikai said, nodding gratefully.

After enjoying the chicken by the lakeside, the two ventured into the Xiake Mountain Range.

Cheng Xu was in a hurry, evidently eager to finish the mission and leave. However, he lacked keen perception and could not locate the Ghost-Horned Rhino within the vast mountain range.

This was where Sun Zikai proved his worth. He led Cheng Xu, avoiding countless beasts along the way. The creatures here were not much weaker than those in the middle sections of the Yanming Sect’s garden.

Gradually, Cheng Xu sensed something was amiss and asked, "Brother Sun, you seem to have been here before; you are incredibly familiar with this place. But these beasts are not stationary—they are constantly moving. How can you lead me to avoid every single one of them?"

Sun Zikai replied, "I am skilled in the art of perception. Every beast within a radius of several dozen miles is within my awareness."

"Really?" Cheng Xu exclaimed. "What a powerful ability. With this, you deserve a great reputation. Senior Fu Zhe is truly impressive."

Sun Zikai added, "I have a rough idea of where the Ghost-Horned Rhino is. It is seven miles away. There is not a single living thing within five miles of it. Its energy intensity is very high, and its vitality is flourishing."

"What energy? What vitality?"

Sun Zikai paused, then replied, "Oh, I just meant it is quite strong."

"No matter," Cheng Xu said. "You have already cleared the obstacles for me and helped me a great deal. Let me handle that creature."

"Very well."

The two circled around. After two miles, they indeed saw no other beasts. At the same time, the Ghost-Horned Rhino sensed intruders in its territory, and a roar echoed from afar.

The roar sounded like a tiger's, but deeper, growing layer upon layer in intensity. Cheng Xu quickened his pace until he was running.

Sun Zikai followed lightly behind. After racing for five miles, they finally spotted the giant beast—twenty yards long, with green skin and a tower-like horn on its nose.

The rhino roared at them. Cheng Xu said calmly, "It has reached the level of the Essence Consolidation Realm. No wonder they wanted so many people to hunt it."

The rhino slammed its front right foot into the ground, firing a cross-shaped energy blade from its horn toward them. The blade shattered the earth as it flew.

Sun Zikai did not rush to act. Cheng Xu surged forward, forming hand seals. As he cast his spiritual arts, fourteen morning-light seals appeared before him, overlapping into a formation. The light of the formation acted as a barrier, blocking the rhino's energy blade amidst a violent tremor.

Following this, Cheng Xu ran in a wide arc and shouted, "Northern Thorn!" As he moved, spikes shot from the soil toward the rhino. These earth-spikes were as hard as steel, and sparks flew when they struck the beast's hide.

The rhino seemed to feel pain and grew enraged. It stomped the ground again, and within a hundred-yard radius centered on itself, the earth shook violently. Grass, stones, and soil were sent flying. Sun Zikai leaped into the air, darting through the chaotic debris.

Looking at Cheng Xu, he was half-kneeling on the ground, likely unable to withstand the force of the attack.

The rhino lunged at Cheng Xu. Unperturbed, Cheng Xu shouted, "Heavenly Blessing Gate!"

Spiritual energy condensed in the high air, and twenty portal-shaped constructs descended like massive nails, pinning the rhino firmly to the ground.

Cheng Xu jumped quickly in front of the rhino, pulled three white talismans from his robes, and waved them before the beast’s eyes. He whispered, "Soul Soothing."

The white talismans dissipated into dozens of spiritual threads that swirled before the rhino's eyes before fading into nothingness. The rhino grew drowsy and collapsed, falling into a deep sleep.

Cheng Xu gestured to Sun Zikai that he had succeeded. Of course, he could not kill the rhino, but trapping it in a sleep for five or six days was no problem. They could wait for the other disciples to arrive and then discuss how to slay it together.

Sun Zikai smiled at Cheng Xu but shook his head, indicating that the matter was not settled. He could feel the rhino's vitality surging and its energy rising; the creature was clearly not asleep, but secretly gathering strength to break free.

Sure enough, as Cheng Xu curiously examined the rhino, it suddenly opened its eyes. Its entire body erupted with spiritual energy, and its green skin turned red and hot. With brute force, it shattered the twenty Heavenly Blessing Gates pinning it down.

Cheng Xu leaped backward to retreat, but the rhino roared and shook the earth within a hundred yards once more. Cheng Xu spun three times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground.

Cheng Xu had underestimated the rhino's strength. The shock had broken his legs. Though he endured the pain, he had no time to cast another spell. The Dongchen Sect had lacked proper intelligence; they had assumed it was merely a beast that had accidentally reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

In the blink of an eye, the twenty-yard-long rhino charged. Sun Zikai landed calmly in front of Cheng Xu and assumed a stance to unleash a powerful punch, but he held back—he did not want to be too ostentatious.

Instead, he extended a single finger to meet the rhino's charge.

The rhino focused all its force into its horn. A few seconds later, it collided with Sun Zikai's index finger.

To Cheng Xu's utter shock, the behemoth hit the finger as if it had rammed into a mountain, its four legs flailing as it crashed to the ground.

The rhino stood up, enraged, its red-hot body radiating killing intent. It locked its focus onto that one slender finger.

Under the immense force, the ground beneath Sun Zikai and Cheng Xu fractured and split, yet Sun Zikai remained motionless. With a flick of his finger downward, he smashed the rhino into the ground, creating a deep crater.

Sun Zikai grabbed Cheng Xu, leaped dozens of yards back, and set him down before walking back to the rhino.

The rhino fired another cross-shaped energy blade from its horn at Sun Zikai. Sun Zikai reached out and shattered the blade with his bare hand; his indestructible flesh could not be shaken by such a level of technique.

The rhino let out a roar and charged again. Sun Zikai reached for the long blade at his waist, gripped the scabbard with his right hand and the hilt with his left, leaned forward, and murmured, "One Slash—Golden Severance."

The essence of gold assimilated into the blade, making it equally indestructible. His body transformed into a streak of light as he sliced through the beast's body.

After man and beast passed each other, Sun Zikai sheathed his blade. The rhino’s horn was severed, and cracks appeared on its red hide as blood sprayed out. With a mournful cry, the beast bit its own broken horn and fled into the deep mountains.

Sun Zikai had intentionally held back, sparing its life.