A red sword tip spiraled high into the air.

It was not that Su Ji did not want to eliminate him root and branch.

The key issue was that the aftershock of that sword strike just now had unexpectedly failed to sweep this guy away in the process.

This fellow was, at the very least, at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm. Furthermore, he looked significantly stronger than Lin Qingliu, so he definitely had quite a few life-saving treasures on him.

This thing called sword sacrifice was essentially Su Ji's trump card.

What did a trump card mean?

It meant that once it was used, he basically had no other methods left.

Su Ji was currently just an empty shell. He could not really push this guy into a corner and force him to bring out his life-saving Destiny, could he?

Surround on three sides and leave one open; he had to leave him a path that looked like a way to survive.

Moreover, he had to make the man feel like this was a chance at survival he had fought hard to win.

Su Ji cleared his throat and put on a businesslike expression.

"As a member of the Puppet Heaven Holy Land, you came to visit my Acacia Sect, yet you destroyed our sect's main hall."

"Shall we have a talk about this matter?"

The middle-aged man's face, already flushed from his churning vitality, now turned the color of pig liver.

Was he the one who destroyed it?

He really wanted to roar this out, but as the words reached his lips, he forcefully swallowed them back down.

Su Ji acted as if he did not see his constipated expression and continued speaking on his own.

"I know what you are thinking, but whether you did it or not is not important."

"What is important is that if I say you destroyed it, then you destroyed it."

The middle-aged man was furious. "You..."

The smile on Su Ji's face was extremely bright.

"Tell me, aren't humans strange creatures?"

"I merely treated you the exact same way you treated me just a moment ago."

"Why are you getting so anxious and angry?"

"I am merely seeking justice for the Acacia Sect. As the sect master, I cannot just remain silent when the main hall has been destroyed by someone, can I?"

Hearing these words, the middle-aged man's brain buzzed.

Sect master?

What was going on?

The legend of the fastest rise to power?

How did you just substitute yourself into the role of the sect master?

Su Ji dropped his smile and instantly switched to a majestic and dignified appearance, returning the exact same words the Acacia Sect Master had used on him just moments ago.

"Insolent!"

"You are being utterly unreasonable. You shattered my sect's main hall, and you still dare to quibble here?"

"I have already spared your life out of consideration that you are an envoy of the Holy Land. Do not fail to appreciate my kindness."

"I have not even pursued your crime of brutally murdering the previous sect master of my Acacia Sect!"

To be honest, hearing these words made the middle-aged man furious.

But so what if he was furious?

The moment he thought of that world-destroying sword strike from just now, he completely lost his temper.

"How much for the compensation."

He accepted his fate.

At least, staying alive right now was the most important thing.

Su Ji nodded in satisfaction. The fellow was teachable.

He held up a single finger.

"One million top-grade spirit stones."

As soon as Su Ji's voice fell, the middle-aged man practically roared. "Why don't you just go rob someone?!"

Hearing this, Su Ji revealed a matter-of-fact expression.

"Ah? Am I not robbing you?"

"Was I not making it obvious enough?"

The middle-aged man was choked up and could not speak for a long time. His face flushed red before he finally deflated like a punctured balloon, saying dejectedly, "I... I do not have that much."

As if he had long expected him to say this, Su Ji revealed an amiable smile.

He looked the middle-aged man up and down. That gaze was like looking at a piece of merchandise waiting to be sold to the highest bidder.

"No money, huh..."

Su Ji stroked his chin, putting on a thoughtful expression.

"Not having money is easy to handle too."

"Write an IOU."

As the dignified Grand Elder of the Puppet Heaven Holy Land, with a cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Golden Core realm, he was revered wherever he went. When had he ever suffered such a bizarre and humiliating insult?

But he did not dare to act out...

"Fine."

He squeezed this word out through his clenched teeth and humiliatingly pulled out a blank jade slip from his robes.

Seeing this, the smile on Su Ji's face grew even brighter.

He cleared his throat and began to dictate the contents of the IOU.

"Due to the misconduct of the Puppet Heaven Holy Land, the Acacia Sect has suffered immense losses. The sect's main hall has been destroyed, the sect master has unfortunately passed away, and the emotional damage is immeasurable..."

The veins on the middle-aged man's hand gripping the jade slip bulged.

"...After friendly negotiations between both parties, the Puppet Heaven Holy Land voluntarily compensates the Acacia Sect with one million top-grade spirit stones to make amends. To be paid in installments over ten months, at one hundred thousand per month. In the event of an overdue payment..."

With every additional word Su Ji spoke, the middle-aged man's face darkened by another shade.

After finishing, Su Ji looked at him with a beaming smile.

"Write it down."

The middle-aged man took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the surging humiliation in his heart. His divine sense surged, branding Su Ji's words into the jade slip without missing a single character.

However, when signing off at the very end, he played a little trick.

He did not leave his own personal imprint. Instead, he branded it with the unique cloud-patterned gear crest of the Puppet Heaven Holy Land.

He refused to believe that the Acacia Sect would actually dare to take this thing and go to the Holy Land to collect the debt.

After doing all this, as if exhausting all the strength in his body, he tossed the jade slip to Su Ji.

He could no longer care about his demeanor. His figure flickered, turning into a streak of flowing light as he prepared to leave.

He did not want to stay here a single moment longer.

However, right at this moment.

A figure appeared out of thin air in front of him and, without a word of explanation, slashed out with a sword.

"Clang!"

With a crisp sound, the middle-aged man hastily raised his hand to block, but he was forcefully pushed back by the tremendous power. The already churning vitality within his body surged violently once again.

He looked up with an ashen face and saw the newcomer clearly.

"Who are you, sir? You dare to interfere in the affairs of my Puppet Heaven Holy Land?"

The newcomer held a crimson dharma sword, his expression solemn. It was none other than that Golden Core stall owner.

Actually, he had already arrived the moment the storm erupted.

Only, he had witnessed Su Ji's sword strike.

That strike had made heaven and earth lose their luster.

What Acacia Sect Master?

He felt that even if the Supreme Elder of the Acacia Sect crawled out of his coffin, he would probably be so frightened that he would dive right back in and continue playing dead.

He did not quite understand the necessity of Su Ji asking him to come over and stall for time.

Just as he felt he had made a wasted trip and was preparing to leave quietly, he thought about it carefully.

No.

For the senior to give such an instruction, there must be a profound meaning behind it.

But the Acacia Sect Master was already dead, so who was he supposed to stall?

Whatever.

Hitting whoever he saw definitely could not be wrong!

Because he had been on standby outside the sect these past few days, his sword had remained unsheathed, staying in a state of nourishment.

At this moment, as soon as he drew the longsword from its scabbard, he felt something was not quite right.

Oh-ho! Why did the grip feel a bit fiery hot?

He did not quite understand why his beloved ice-attribute sword had become so clingy and fiery hot after taking a trip through the senior's hands.

But he could clearly feel that this was a good thing.

On the blade of the sword, there was actually a faint, almost imperceptible trace of dragon might!

Had it been tempered by dragon breath? Or...

Ah, Senior!

He truly refused to take advantage of him even the slightest bit!

Thinking of this, his gaze toward the middle-aged man instantly turned hostile, and his attacks grew a few fractions heavier.

The middle-aged man was already heavily injured and had been scared out of his wits by Su Ji's sword strike. His only thought was to escape this place of trouble.

Meanwhile, the Golden Core stall owner was brimming with fighting spirit, and the divine weapon in his hand felt exceptionally good to wield.

For a time, the two exchanged dozens of moves in mid-air. Spiritual light exploded, and sword qi crisscrossed. They actually fought to a standstill, locked in an inseparable battle!

The middle-aged man grew increasingly alarmed as the fight went on. His opponent's swordplay was broad and sweeping, yet tricky and ruthless, completely unlike the style of an ordinary rogue cultivator.

Meanwhile, the Golden Core stall owner only became more excited with every strike. The scorching heat radiating from his beloved sword perfectly complemented his pseudo-core, the Blue Ice Grass, bringing about an unexpectedly thrilling dual sensation of ice and fire.

This even caused the spiritual energy within his body to circulate a fraction faster.

The two men clashed fiercely once more.

"Clang—!"

After a ringing clash of steel far louder than any before it, a snapped red sword tip spun wildly as it sailed high into the air.