Chapter 120: The Demonic Dagger

When Chu Jie spoke, not only did the expression of the martial artist in black change, but the other martial artists around him were also visibly shaken. They had all heard of Chu Jie and knew he had seized a precious artifact from the Luo family, but none of them had taken him seriously. Although they felt a flicker of apprehension toward Chu Jie’s strength, they still didn't think much of him. It was only now, surrounded by so many, that he dared to speak so boldly, which finally forced them to take him seriously.

"How arrogant! Hmph, let’s attack together. Before the Golden-Armored Warrior returns, we’ll kill them and leave with the violet flames," someone shouted.

"Exactly! Kill them. To dare speak to us like that—they must be tired of living!" another person yelled.

The martial artist in black sneered, "Since you don't know what's good for you, don't even think about taking a single violet flame. Once we take your heads, everything you own will be ours!"

Greed flickered in the eyes of every martial artist present. Chu Jie was known to possess top-tier artifacts—items every martial artist dreamed of. Such treasures were rare and elusive; even if one managed to obtain one, it was usually snatched away by powerful families. Thus, anyone currently wielding such artifacts was inevitably tied to a prominent clan, and among those surrounding Chu Jie were several warriors from various influential families.

Chu Jie sneered. If he were at his peak, half of these people would already be dead. Even now, if he fought with desperate resolve, he could take many of them down with him. Furthermore, if he donned his golden armor, these people would be of no concern at all. However, he could not risk exposing the armor. Unsure if others were lurking nearby, he chose to be cautious and avoid using it.

Chu Jie communicated with Zhou Jie again, urging him to hurry over. He and Duan Kun had already collected a total of ten violet flames. While he had a decent amount, he sensed that these flames were of great importance—the more, the better.

Suddenly, a streak of golden light shot through the sky in the distance, leaving a golden trail in its wake.

"Oh no, the Golden-Armored Warrior is back! Run!" The martial artist in black, sharp-eyed, spotted the approaching threat.

At his words, everyone preparing to attack Chu Jie panicked. The intimidation factor of the Golden-Armored Warrior was immense. Having previously been slaughtered to the point of not daring to even approach, they viewed this warrior as an invincible nightmare. They scrambled to flee, abandoning all thoughts of attacking Chu Jie, wanting only to escape the area.

Chu Jie and his companions, however, remained calm and continued to collect the violet flames. This display sparked a mix of dread and intense curiosity in the martial artist in black. He wondered what kind of trump card Chu Jie possessed that could make him so fearless.

The scattered group of martial artists fled in all directions, completely breaking their formation. After retreating a safe distance, the man in black stopped and turned back, observing intently. He was desperate to understand why Chu Jie wasn't afraid. He had seen Chu Jie nearly killed by the warrior earlier, only for the attacker to inexplicably stop and withdraw—a mystery that haunted him.

"The twelfth violet flame. Eight more to go," Chu Jie murmured, a faint smile on his lips.

From afar, the onlookers watched with gnashing teeth, yet none dared to approach. They could only pray that the Golden-Armored Warrior would finish Chu Jie off.

"Go ahead and collect them. Once you're dead, those violet flames will be ours," a hidden martial artist muttered from the shadows.

The man in black thought otherwise; he was convinced something was wrong with Chu Jie. He suspected that Chu Jie would manage to collect all the flames without coming to any harm. Staying as close as he dared, he watched them motionless.

Wu Long and his six companions formed a protective perimeter around Chu Jie and Duan Kun to ensure they remained undisturbed. At that moment, the Golden-Armored Warrior arrived.

Two beams of blood-red light shot from Zhou Jie’s eyes. Chu Jie had always wondered about the origin of those eyes—a mystery perhaps only a peerless monster could understand. Yet, regardless of how powerful the Golden-Armored Warrior was, he now had to obey Chu Jie’s commands. Under Chu Jie’s control, Zhou Jie immediately launched an attack on Wu Long and the others.

Blue light erupted from the bodies of Wu Long’s team, merging into a continuous field that enveloped them. Zhou Jie began raining down strikes of blood-red sword energy. Though the scene looked earth-shattering, in reality, Zhou Jie was not using his full strength; it was all a ruse. To the observers, it appeared as if Wu Long’s team was putting up a desperate, valiant defense while Chu Jie and Duan Kun worked to secure the flames.

The martial artist in black was terrified, his mind in chaos. He couldn't tell if Wu Long’s team had been hiding their true strength all along, or if the entire fight was an elaborate sham. Seeing the defense hold against the Golden-Armored Warrior, he broke into a cold sweat. He even began to wonder if Chu Jie had never actually been defeated, but had instead unleashed such overwhelming power earlier that he had simply scared the warrior off.

"Eighteen," Chu Jie breathed, focusing every ounce of his concentration on the Spirit Fire Absorption Technique; any distraction could lead to failure.

He glanced into the distance. Many had already fled, but some remained, waiting for Chu Jie to fall so they could scavenge his remains. Chu Jie looked up at Zhou Jie. Despite the ferocious display, under his control, Zhou Jie was using only one-fifth of his true combat power, with most of his spiritual energy spent on making the spectacle look as dramatic as possible.

Seeing the scene, the martial artist in black felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Recalling his earlier threats, he began to back away, genuinely terrified that Chu Jie might turn his attention toward him. Fear gripped him, making it difficult to breathe.

"Twenty!" Chu Jie deposited the last of the violet flames into the Primordial Cauldron. With the collection complete, he finally let out a sigh of relief. He had been deeply worried that the Golden-Armored Warrior’s act might be seen through if it went on any longer.

Once the cauldron was tucked into his dantian, Chu Jie shouted, "Wu Long, let's go!"

Wu Long and his men tightened their formation around Chu Jie and began moving toward the onlookers. As they approached, the crowd felt a wave of anxiety, and everyone began to retreat. The fastest among them was the man in black; he had a sinking feeling that Chu Jie was coming for him.

Chu Jie locked his gaze on the man in black. He hadn't intended to kill anyone here, but after the man's earlier arrogance, he decided to use him to make an example.

Behind them, the Golden-Armored Warrior gave chase at a measured pace—a movement also dictated by Chu Jie. When they caught up to a few of the stragglers, Chu Jie redirected Zhou Jie’s focus. The unlucky martial artists realized with horror that the warrior was now hunting them specifically.

Chu Jie pursued the man in black. Everyone now realized there was nothing left to gain here; staying meant death, so they fled. More and more people retreated. After this encounter, most would never want to face the Golden-Armored Warrior again—he would haunt their dreams, potentially stagnating their martial paths forever. Abandoned bodies littered the ground, their belongings ignored by those desperate only to save their own lives.

Chu Jie intercepted the man in black with blistering speed.

"Run? Why aren't you running anymore?" Chu Jie held his Wolong Blade, staring coldly at the man.

The man in black was drenched in sweat. Despite being a seventh-stage Spirit Convergence Realm expert, his legs trembled before Chu Jie. He had never felt such paralyzing fear—it reminded him of when he was a novice facing seasoned masters. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth, deciding to gamble. If he surrendered now, his death would be meaningless.

"I admit I am not as strong as you. You could escape the Golden-Armored Warrior, and I could not. But..."

The man pulled a short, eerie dagger from his robes, covered in pulsing, dark blue veins.

"I won't accept this!"

The man in black plunged the dagger into his own heart. Chu Jie froze. Suicide?

As the blade sank into the man's chest, it seemed to squirm, and the surrounding space appeared to distort. The entire dagger vanished into his body, and his wound sealed instantly. The man began to levitate three feet off the ground, his head hanging low, his face hidden by his hair.

"This is my family’s ancestral blade, a dagger filled with demonic power. By sacrificing oneself to it, one gains immense strength. After I die, it will return to my family’s burial grounds on its own."

The man in black snapped his head up. His eyes were bloodshot, but the red quickly bled into a haunting, vibrant blue.

"Remember my name: Ye Tianyou. After you die, you will join me inside this blade as its guardian souls. You could do far worse in death."

A surge of terrifying power radiated from Ye Tianyou, stronger even than that of Wang Shan, an eighth-stage Spirit Convergence expert.