Returning after 10000 Years Cultivation - Chapter 117

“Zhuofan, what’s wrong?” Zhou Xianya’s face paled in alarm as she hurriedly stood up, trying to help Ji Zhuofan to his feet.

“You… you actually broke my Evil Wheel Pupil Technique!”

Whether from terror or the backlash of his spiritual energy, Ji Zhuofan trembled uncontrollably, staring at Jiang Tian in disbelief.

Battles of spiritual energy were far more perilous than martial combat. Once a secret technique was broken, the backlash could obliterate one’s soul, reducing them to an ordinary mortal.

In that single strike, Jiang Tian had utterly crushed Ji Zhuofan’s spiritual energy, stripping him of all his abilities.

Had Jiang Tian not held back out of concern for Zhao Xueqing, Ji Zhuofan might have already lost his mind—or his life.

“Hmph, what worthless trash you call the ‘Evil Wheel Pupil Technique.’ Pathetic!”

Jiang Tian sipped his tea leisurely, his expression calm and composed. “If I wanted you dead, your head would have exploded by now.”

“You… how arrogant!” Ji Zhuofan gritted his teeth, but he couldn’t deny that Jiang Tian had the right to be.

“Don’t bother me again. You’re not even qualified to speak to me. Hell, not even your family head is worthy!” Jiang Tian said dismissively.

“If you want a conversation, send your master, Wei Shuofeng. I’ll teach that trash what real sorcery looks like!”

With that, Jiang Tian took Zhao Xueqing’s hand and strode away under the stunned gazes of the crowd.

In terms of martial prowess, Jiang Tian couldn’t yet claim to be invincible across China—after all, he hadn’t faced any seasoned grandmasters or divine-level experts.

But when it came to sorcery? With ten thousand years of cultivation experience, countless secret techniques, and divine spells at his disposal, he had every reason to be confident.

A mere ant like Ji Zhuofan was beneath his concern. If the fool dared to provoke him again, Jiang Tian would simply erase him.

As for Wei Shuofeng? Jiang Tian almost looked forward to it. Come at me. I could use an excuse to take your treasures.

“He broke my pupil technique… destroyed my spiritual foundation…”

Even minutes after Jiang Tian left, Ji Zhuofan remained slumped on the floor, disheveled, his face streaked with sweat and blood, muttering like a madman.

Never once had he failed since his debut. Yet today, Jiang Tian had crushed him effortlessly. The humiliation was unbearable.

“Zhuofan, are you okay? Don’t be upset…”

The intricacies of sorcery were beyond Zhou Xianya’s understanding. She pulled out a tissue, gently wiping the blood from his face.

“Okay? How could I be okay? This is a disaster!”

Furious and helpless against Jiang Tian, Ji Zhuofan redirected his rage at Zhou Xianya.

SLAP!

He struck her across the face, sending her sprawling. Blood trickled from her lips, her fair cheek now marred by vivid red fingerprints.

“Zhuofan, why… why did you hit me?”

Dazed, Zhou Xianya clutched her burning cheek, her voice trembling with shock and hurt.

“You ruined me! Your intel was wrong! Jiang Tian isn’t just a martial artist—he’s a dual cultivator!”

Seething with hatred, he kicked her mercilessly—her full chest, her soft abdomen—spitting venom with every blow.

“You said he was just a madman, easy to deal with! You got me into this! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have provoked him! You jinx!”

His brutal assault left Zhou Xianya writhing on the floor, howling like a wounded animal. She vomited everything she’d eaten, tears and snot streaking her face, a pitiful sight.

“I… I really didn’t know… What even is sorcery?” she sobbed, battered and broken.

Exhausted, Ji Zhuofan leaned against the wall, panting and dripping with sweat. His eyes burned with malice.

“Jiang Tian, you ruined me. I won’t let this slide!”

Zhou Xianya might have been the catalyst, but Jiang Tian was the one who had shattered his cultivation.

“I’ll convince Master to take action. That bastard will pay with his life!” he snarled, his face twisted with rage.

As the last remnants of Ji Zhuofan’s spell faded, Zhou Xianya shuddered as if doused in ice water.

Now, stripped of the illusion, Ji Zhuofan’s charm had vanished. He seemed grotesque, even terrifying.

Why was I so obsessed with him? I even sold the family business at a fifth of its value!

The realization hit her like a thunderbolt. Regret gnawed at her.

Zhou Xianya had always been a social butterfly, adept at navigating relationships without ever getting attached.

Yet this time, she had nearly fallen into Ji Zhuofan’s trap. The thought sent chills down her spine.

…..

That night, after ensuring Zhao Xueqing was asleep, Jiang Tian climbed to the rooftop to resume his long-neglected cultivation.

The trip to Shennong Sect was fruitful. Aside from the Verdant Wood Divine Cauldron for the spirit-gathering array, the most valuable find was this Demonflame Stone.

He opened his palm, gazing at the strange, shimmering stone with a mix of awe and satisfaction.

The Demonflame Stone, a product of nature’s most extreme forces, contained immense fire energy. If absorbed, it could amplify Jiang Tian’s fire-based techniques tenfold.

For ordinary people, exposure to its radiation would be fatal within days—hence its storage in a lead-lined box.

Even cultivators risked backlash if they tried to refine it recklessly. But Jiang Tian’s Chaos Creation Art, a technique unique to the Crocodile Ancestor, posed no such danger.

After all, the Crocodile Ancestor was infamous in the cultivation world as the “Devourer of All.” Once, in a bet with Jiang Tian, he had swallowed a star—an actual sun—and emerged stronger, winning an entire star system from Jiang Tian in the process.

Refine!

Shaking off the memory, Jiang Tian focused. The Chaos Creation Art surged within him, his dantian expanding like a bottomless void, ready to consume everything.

Sizzle!

A crimson vortex of fire energy spiraled from the Demonflame Stone, pouring into Jiang Tian’s dantian.

Time blurred. Seven or eight days passed in the blink of an eye.

Crack.

The stone crumbled into grayish-white dust, its energy fully depleted.

Good. My dantian now holds fire energy, and my cultivation has reached the third level of Qi Refining. Let’s see if I can conjure the Demonflame Blade.

With a thought, a flicker of eerie blue flame ignited at his fingertip.

Pleased, Jiang Tian slashed the air.

Whoosh!

A blade of fire shot forth, severing a massive tree in the courtyard—and reducing it to ash in the same instant.

Excellent. The Demonflame Blade is a success. Jiang Tian grinned, exhilarated.

In the cultivation world, flames were categorized in countless ways—gentle or fierce, yin or yang. Gentle flames healed; fierce flames destroyed.

Demonflame ranked among the top twenty destructive flames, burning at temperatures exceeding ten thousand degrees. Ordinary fire recoiled before it.

Best of all, this energy was now part of him. Unlike fire summoned through talismans, he could wield it at will, with no delay.

…..

A month had passed since Jiang Tian’s return from Shennong Sect.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of Jiangbei’s elite, materials for the spirit-gathering array had steadily arrived.

Jiang Tian enlisted Shen Mange and Master Qi, a feng shui expert, to lay the array’s foundation at the King’s No. 1 Villa.

Now, everything was ready. All that remained was embedding the Primordial Yellow Earth Jar to activate the formation.

In his spare time, Jiang Tian also crafted numerous magical artifacts and talismans for emergencies.

Then, one evening, an invitation arrived:

The Feast of Ultimate Bliss, hosted by the Wei family of Yangcheng, extended to Mr. and Mrs. Jiang Tian of Linzhou’s Zhao Pharmaceuticals.

The sender’s name bore only three characters:

Wei Shuofeng.

Heh. Trouble’s coming.

Jiang Tian mused:

Wei Shuofeng, what’s your game? Avenging Ji Zhuofan? Eyeing Jiangbei? Or have you heard of me and covet my resources?

No matter. I’d welcome you making the first move. The moment you do, that Primordial Yellow Earth Jar will be mine.

August 13, 2007.

Wei Shuofeng, Yangcheng’s magnate and the South’s foremost sorcerer, issued his summons.

The Feast of Ultimate Bliss was about to begin.

…..

“The Feast of Ultimate Bliss is a joint event hosted by Yangcheng’s major families—the Weis, the Tangs, the Ties, the Bais, and others.”

In the CEO’s office, Zhao Xueqing explained:

“Once it begins, elites from all seven major cities of Jiangnan will attend to pay respects to Wei Shuofeng and present tribute.”

“Not just them—even some nationally influential families with ties to the Weis will be there.”

“Jiangnan’s market is even bigger than Jiangbei’s. We can’t afford to ignore it. But the pharmaceutical industry there is controlled by the Ji and Wei families. And now we’ve offended the Jis…”

“With me here, what’s there to fear? If we don’t go, we’d look like cowards.”

Jiang Tian smiled faintly. “Trust me. One day, Zhao Pharmaceuticals will dominate the world, and you’ll be its first female billionaire. Yangcheng is just our first battlefield.”

His words, so casually spoken, carried an unshakable confidence.

“Okay. As long as you’re with me, I’m not afraid. We will expand into Jiangnan!”

Inspired by his certainty, Zhao Xueqing’s eyes shone with determination.

“Master Jiang, come quick! Wolong Villa is about to erupt!” Tang Linglong’s frantic voice crackled through the phone.

When Jiang Tian arrived, the Jiangbei elite were in the midst of an emergency meeting.

The atmosphere was tense.