Cultivating Immortality :I Obtained The Villain's Ascension Code Chapter 27: Eliminate the Chosen

Atop a hidden peak in the distance, Xiao Ning removed the black mask from his face, watching the battle unfold beneath the concealnt formation.

"To think Wu Shu would strike so quickly... not even sparing Mie Lin a second glance," he murmured.

He had instructed Mie Lin to feign weakness—to provoke Wu Shu’s arrogance and force his hand. And it worked.

"Maybe I gave that man too much credit," Xiao Ning lips curling into a smirk.

Still, he reminded himself, It’s better to overestimate an enemy than to underestimate one.

He had made that mistake once before—in his past life.

Never again.

[CODEX ALERT]

[PROTAGONIST’S AURA DETECTED]

[CODEX SUGGESTION]

[IMDIATE ACTION RECOMNDED: ELIMINATE THE PROTAGONIST]

Xiao Ning’s eyes glead with a dangerous light at the alert, though his expression remained calm.

"You’re late," he muttered. "I already sensed it long ago."

After all, he had studied Jiang Chen’s past in detail. The patterns, the events—it all resembled another man from long ago.

ng Qingxuan.

That na still echoed in his mind. The man who nearly killed him... who once stood on the threshold of the Celestial Step.

Both Jiang Chen and ng Qingxuan had the sa signs—massive fortune, overwhelming montum, and the uncanny ability to turn disasters into stepping stones.

Even if he couldn’t see this so-called "Protagonist Aura," Xiao Ning could feel its presence. And if left unchecked, Jiang Chen would beco the next calamity.

Still...

"Eliminate him now?" Xiao Ning chuckled softly. "Do you think I’m that foolish?"

Jiang Chen had co here alone. That ant he was hiding sothing. A trap? A final card to play?

No, Xiao Ning would not take that risk.

"Let Wu Shu test him first. If Jiang Chen dies, I gain everything. If not... I’ll make my move when the ti is right."

This was the fate of those with great fortune—they drew trials, danger, and enemies like moths to a fla. Xiao Ning had no intention of becoming just another stepping stone on Jiang Chen’s path.

***

Back on the battlefield, Jiang Chen straightened up, wiping a sar of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes locked onto Wu Shu calmly.

"So, you’ve finally decided to show yourself."

"Oh?" Wu Shu raised a brow, surprised for a split second before smirking again. "You know who I am? Interesting."

"Wu Shu of the Imperial Wu Clan." Jiang Chen snorted. "You really thought I wouldn’t see through this? Every step, every sche—you’ve been the one pulling the strings."

Nearby, Su Jen, who had been pretending to recover, lifted her head. Her expression shifted. Calm. Still. But a strange gleam flickered in her eyes.

Wu Shu’s smirk faded slightly. How does he know? Did Shadowclaw betray ? No... they wouldn’t dare.

Still, the boy knew too much. He couldn’t be allowed to leave.

"Hmph." Wu Shu narrowed his eyes. "So be it. You won’t leave this place alive anyway."

He raised his hand, and icy energy crackled along his fingers like veins of frozen lightning. The temperature dropped sharply, and mist began to spread from beneath his feet, rolling outward like a tide.

Within seconds, the entire peak was engulfed in bone-chilling cold.

"A domain?!" Jiang Chen’s expression changed.

This wasn’t ordinary spiritual power. This was a domain—a power that surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm. Only experts who had stepped into the Heavenly Tribulation Realm could wield sothing like this.

His golden flas flickered as the pressure mounted. Jagged spikes of ice erupted from the ground, caging him in. Even breathing beca difficult, as if the very air had turned solid.

This pressure... even late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators would struggle against it!

Wu Shu wasn’t just powerful—he had achieved mastery over the ice elent to an extre degree.

Jiang Chen’s jaw tightened.

"Blazing Retribution Aura!"

With a shout, flas surged from his body, golden and fierce. They burst outward in every direction, lting the spikes and forming a protective zone within the domain.

Wu Shu’s eyes narrowed. "Oh? So you do have a few tricks."

This domain, the Eternal Frost Field, was sothing Wu Shu had comprehended after reaching the half-step Heavenly Tribulation Realm. Against it, even veteran Nascent Soul cultivators would falter.

Yet Jiang Chen—newly ascended—was holding out.

That alone sent a shiver down Wu Shu’s spine.

This brat... he’s far more dangerous than I thought.

The pressure wasn’t gone—the frost domain kept pressing inward—but Jiang Chen had found a foothold, if only for a mont.

Still, his expression tightened. This... this level of power...

Across from him, Wu Shu caught the hesitation and sneered. "You really thought your little fla trick was enough?"

He lifted a hand overhead. Thin trails of frost swirled toward his palm, crystallizing into a translucent spear. The surrounding air dropped several degrees as threads of ice qi coiled tightly around it.

"Frozen Ti Strike."

The spear launched forward—not fast, but wrong. It warped the air around it, dragging ti like a net. Jiang Chen moved on instinct, barely pivoting aside as it ripped past, clipping his shoulder.

A biting cold spread instantly from the wound.

His arm went numb. The frost crawled inwards, eating into muscle and bone with every heartbeat. He staggered, breath catching. This wasn’t just cold—it was spiritual frost, the kind that sapped energy and soul both.

Gritting his teeth, Jiang Chen slamd a foot into the ground, steadying himself. Pain lanced through his side, but he didn’t retreat.

He inhaled once. Then—

"Eternal Dawn Stance."

Warmth surged through his limbs. The golden light dispelled part of the frost clinging to his body, stabilizing his ridians. Without pause, he followed up with another strike, drawing upon the last dregs of his inner fla.

"Solar Flare Slash!"

A crescent-shaped blade of golden fire cut through the air. It struck the remnants of the Frozen Ti Strike mid-flight, releasing a thunderous shockwave. The battlefield lit up briefly in radiant fla, scattering the surrounding frost mist.

Jiang Chen took advantage of the reprieve to leap back, putting distance between them.

Wu Shu narrowed his eyes. The disdain on his face was gone, replaced by a quiet concentration.

"Hmph. Still struggling? Fine. Let show you the difference between true cultivation and borrowed techniques."

He spread both arms, and a sequence of intricate hand seals followed in rapid succession. Blue light flickered between his fingers, each movent drawing upon his soul force directly.

"Soul Freeze Technique."

The mont the words left his mouth, an invisible chill crept into Jiang Chen’s mind. His limbs locked, his soul seed to halt mid-thought, suspended as if ti itself had frozen within his spiritual sea.

He could not move.

Then Wu Shu looked to the heavens and raised a single hand.

"Heaven-Cleaving Ice Blade!"