Chapter 480

Chapter 480: Sand Guard (Part Two)

Jin Shangzhi’s mood had plummeted to its lowest point.

As a mid-level Purple Witch, he found himself in an unthinkable predicament, cornered by a mere initial Purple Palace cultivator. His forces had been decimated, and even his most loyal subordinates had fallen beyond his protection. It felt as though his pride had been stripped away, trampled underfoot.

As a pillar of strength among the Sand People, a Purple Palace-level sorcerer, Jin Shangzhi had led his Hunter Cultivator team on countless missions into the Sand Guard, amassing a legacy of victories and earning immense respect within his tribe.

He had slain hundreds of battle cultivators and even taken down three Purple Palace masters.

Jin Shangzhi had expected today to be another chapter in his storied legacy, a chance to add another layer of glory.

But fate had other plans. Before he could even approach the city wall, he was discovered and met with a thunderous assault.

This Sand Tribe Sorcerer had never encountered a cultivator like Wang Chen before—a man whose cultivation level seemed unremarkable, yet whose power was terrifyingly potent, wielding spells of unimaginable destructive force.

Even with his most powerful spirit tool, Jin Shangzhi could not withstand a single strike from his adversary.

Helplessly, Jin Shangzhi watched as Wang Chen slaughtered his elite forces in mere moments. The humiliation and rage that surged within him burned away any thought of escape.

The fierce, unyielding spirit of the Sand Tribe roared within him, consuming his reason.

"Kill!"

With a furious roar, he launched himself into the air.

The black banner in his hand unfurled instantly, transforming into a menacing black dragon, its claws bared as it lunged toward Wang Chen, who hovered calmly in the sky.

At the same time, Jin Shangzhi retrieved a voodoo doll from his storage bag, his eyes gleaming with divine light as they fixed upon it.

In an instant, the doll’s blank face sprouted features—eyes, a nose, and a mouth—bearing an uncanny resemblance to Wang Chen.

"Seal!"

Jin Shangzhi bit down on his tongue, spitting a mouthful of vital blood onto the voodoo doll.

The moment the blood left his lips, his energy, spirit, and mind visibly withered. His once jet-black hair turned streaked with white, as though decades of life had been drained from him in an instant.

This was no ordinary curse—it was a sorcery technique, one that demanded a heavy price. Jin Shangzhi had chosen Wang Chen as his target, sacrificing his own lifespan to ensure the curse’s potency.

Though Wang Chen’s cultivation level was inferior, his strength surpassed Jin Shangzhi’s. Without paying a steep cost, the curse would have been futile.

Meanwhile, Wang Chen, having just shattered the black dragon hurtling toward him, suddenly saw a flash of blood light. His senses and keen awareness were abruptly dulled, as if his soul had been shrouded in a thick haze, leaving him sluggish and disoriented.

Even the Chini Sword slipped from his control.

It felt as though he had been plunged into an endless abyss, where struggle and resistance were futile.

Wang Chen’s heart sank, a cold dread creeping over him as he sensed the specter of death drawing near.

He knew he had been cursed.

Though Wang Chen had some understanding of curses, his knowledge was limited.

He recognized this as one of the most insidious and treacherous techniques employed by demon cultivators.

To counteract curses, there are primarily three methods: practicing counter-spells, equipping the corresponding spirit tools, or utilizing spiritual symbols and treasure symbols!

Wang Chen had brought along a few talismans for dispelling curses and promptly reached out to activate them.

However, as soon as three bursts of spiritual light erupted, they quickly dimmed and dissipated.

The effect, though not entirely absent, was minimal and did little to aid his escape from the predicament.

What should he do?

In this critical moment, Wang Chen remained composed.

Although he had fallen victim to his opponent’s curse, the situation had not yet reached a point of no return; at least, his divine intent could still resist the invading Curse Power, and escaping back to the Sand Guard, several miles away, was still feasible.

But to have his goal slip away just like that, and to be outsmarted by someone else, how could Wang Chen swallow such a bitter pill?

With a shift in his mindset, a faint golden light suddenly radiated from his body surface!

【Virtue – 1028】

A message prompt flashed in Wang Chen’s vision, and the immense pressure weighing down on his body and soul vanished into thin air. The unseen Curse Power that had invaded within his body instantly dissipated.

It was as if the thin snow being scorched by the blazing sun had simply disappeared!

Wang Chen relaxed, and his Spiritual Power surged, allowing him to regain control of the Chini Sword.

This top-tier spirit sword seemed to come back to life in an instant, emitting a dazzling sword energy.

It suddenly changed direction, slicing through the layers of black mist, darting hundreds of steps and piercing through Jin Shangzhi’s body!

"Uh…"

The Sand Tribe Sorcerer who had just unleashed a powerful curse trembled and involuntarily bowed his head.

A large hole had been opened in his chest, connecting front to back.

Jin Shangzhi shook his head in disbelief.

His once-unstoppable powerful spell had been effortlessly countered by Wang Chen.

Now it had cost him his life!

In the next moment, the Sand Tribe Sorcerer’s body plummeted.

His heart had been completely shredded by the sword energy, and his five organs were turned to mush, only surviving a few more moments thanks to his strong cultivation at the fifth layer of the Purple Palace.

But that was only a matter of seconds.

【Heavenly Merit +579】

Jin Shangzhi’s corpse fell heavily onto the Gobi desert, face up and eyes wide open, unable to close.

Wang Chen called back the Chini Sword and calmly descended.

He reached for the bodies of the other four Hunter Cultivators, binding them together with the Binding Immortal Rope along with the Sand Tribe Sorcerer’s corpse.

He did not take any of the storage bags they carried; instead, he lifted all the bodies and shot into the sky.

Moments later, Wang Chen landed on the wall of the Sand Guard.

In front of the Sand Guard lay a vast, boundless Gobi desert, with an unobstructed view. Thus, the fierce battle with the Sand Tribe Hunter Cultivator team had been witnessed by the defending battle cultivators.

Although it was a bit far away, many spells and magical tools allowed for distant observation.

From the moment he engaged in battle to his return with victory, less than a cup of tea’s time had passed, and several hundred battle cultivators had already gathered on the wall.

Everyone stood in stunned silence as they watched Wang Chen toss a string of bodies at their feet!

Wang Chen was too busy to waste words. He nodded at a Mysterious-armored General, then activated his flying sword to return to the Seven Star Pavilion.

Although he was a celestial guardian, he lacked the authority to command or give orders to the defending battle cultivators and Dao soldiers.

The two sides were actually in a cooperative relationship, not hierarchical.

However, the enemies Wang Chen killed could be exchanged for merits, and the records of battle achievements were maintained by the generals.

Generals were the leaders of battle cultivators and could not be surpassed by Purple Palace cultivators!

The Mysterious-armored General did not expect Wang Chen to leave so decisively. He initially wanted to exchange a few words but ended up swallowing them back and focused on the enemy corpses instead.

He did not dare to be greedy or negligent about the celestial guardian’s merits and needed to confirm identities for the records.

When this Purple Palace General saw Jin Shangzhi’s corpse, he took a sharp breath.

"Blood Demon Purple Witch!"