Xiang Yu observed the charging cultivator, steadying his stance as he prepared for impact. Despite the enormous power difference between them, he felt a glimr of confidence. Within this talisman-laden battlefield, the playing field had beco sowhat equalized. The Core Formation expert might possess overwhelming strength, but his movent was now severely restricted.
The man approached with fury burning in his eyes, his fist leading the charge—yet Xiang Yu noted how the cultivator moved with heightened caution. Having fallen for Xiang Yu's tricks twice already, the man was clearly determined not to be caught off guard again.
As the powerful fist closed in, Xiang Yu raised his sword to et it, deliberately channeling lightning qi through the blade to maximize its effectiveness against the man's demonic energy. The collision sent vibrations through both combatants, forcing them to slide backward from the impact.
Xiang Yu glanced appreciatively at his sword as they separated. I should thank that assassin for giving such an excellent lightning technique, he thought. If he weren't trying to kill , I'd definitely light so incense in his honor.
From their brief exchange, Xiang Yu confird what he had suspected—the cultivator's strength had indeed diminished considerably. However, the man had also raised his guard completely, which ant defeating him would require significantly more effort than before.
Fortunately, with battle instinct maxed to the mortal limit, detecting gaps in the man's defense wasn't particularly challenging for Xiang Yu. He charged forward with his lightning-infused sword raised high.
The Core Formation expert glanced behind himself nervously, noticing the absence of footprints in Xiang Yu's wake. He couldn't retreat—what if there were more unseen talismans in the ground behind him?
Dammit, I'll just face him head-on, the cultivator decided. Even if I'm not at full power, what could a re disciple from a low-level sect possibly do to ?
He raised his arms defensively as Xiang Yu closed the distance. The sword struck against the man's forearms, its force completely nullified by the cultivator's superior strength. But this was rely a distraction—Xiang Yu's other hand moved in a fluid motion, executing a fire palm strike directly toward the man's chest.
Hmph! Just this basic technique? the cultivator thought smugly, blocking the sword with just one arm while moving his free hand to counter Xiang Yu's palm with his own.
When their palms collided, they initially seed evenly matched—but in the next instant, the Core Formation expert's expression transford from confidence to shock.
"What?" he gasped, staring at the point where their hands t. His eyes widened as he realized the fire palm had suddenly changed into a lightning palm.
Xiang Yu rely smiled. With his heightened battle awareness, advanced mind level, and the versatile Transcendent Dao Physique that allowed seamless manipulation of different energies, switching elents without any cooldown was effortless. Fooling the overconfident cultivator had been almost too easy.
Though he couldn't inflict significant damage with this maneuver alone, it created the perfect opening for his true strategy. With the man's concentration montarily disrupted, Xiang Yu twisted his hand, easily breaking free from their deadlock. As the opposing force suddenly vanished, the cultivator's weight shifted forward unexpectedly.
Seizing this opportunity, Xiang Yu closed his hand firmly around the man's arm, clamping down with surprising strength to prevent the limb from being used defensively. In the sa fluid motion, he maneuvered his lightning-crackling sword toward the cultivator's exposed neck—now perfectly aligned with his blade due to the man's compromised balance.
The Core Formation expert's expression darkened as he watched the sword approach his vulnerable throat, death seemingly imminent.
Then ca an unexpected sound—the distinctive clank of tal striking tal. Xiang Yu's eyes widened in disbelief as he realized what had happened: the desperate cultivator had actually caught the sword with his teeth! Despite his maxed battle instinct, there were still cultivation world tactics that Xiang Yu couldn't anticipate.
The man was sweating profusely, his jaw clenched around the blade as lightning energy seeped into his gums, causing them to bleed. Despite the pain, he maintained his desperate hold on the weapon.
Xiang Yu recovered from his surprise almost instantly and delivered a powerful kick to the man's jaw. The force separated the cultivator from the sword, along with several bloody teeth that went flying through the air.
The impact sent the Core Formation expert tumbling backward, but he quickly stabilized himself mid-air, hovering cautiously to avoid triggering any buried talismans below. His expression twisted with rage and frustration as he hovered safely above the battlefield.
"Fuck this!" the cultivator spat, rising several ters higher above Xiang Yu. He began forming a ball of fiery energy between his palms, the radiance growing brighter and more intense until it resembled a miniature sun.
"He wouldn't... right?" Xiang Yu's lips twitched nervously as realization dawned. He had assud the man's arrogance and pride would prevent him from considering such a desperate tactic. But it seed the cultivator actually intended to obliterate the entire clearing with a massive explosion.
If this happened, Xiang Yu would be in grave danger. He hadn't anticipated the man would resort to such a thod…
…
Dark energy gathered and swirled around Elder i, intensifying with each passing mont. The sinister power expanded outward, growing larger and more concentrated until he was completely imrsed in its malevolent embrace. The ominous sight caused Elder Guo to instinctively step backward, his brow furrowed as he wondered what the elder was up to.
With a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the courtyard, Elder i began absorbing the dark energy directly into his body. His physical form underwent a horrific transformation as the demonic power reshaped him. His robes tore apart, unable to contain his rapidly expanding musculature, revealing a powerfully built physique rippling with strength.
The years seed to lt away from his appearance. Wrinkles vanished, his weathered skin tightened, and his elderly features reverted to those of a man in his pri. Most striking was his hair—the white strands of age darkened and then blazed into a brilliant crimson, flowing around his head like living flas.
From the center of his forehead, a horn erged, pushing through skin and bone with a sickening crack. The protrusion was obsidian black at its base, gradually transitioning to a blood-red tip.
"Guo Shantian!" The transford Elder i roared, his voice deeper and more resonant than before. "Always interfering with my plans!" His crimson eyes burned with decades of accumulated hatred. "Today, let's see if you or I will die!"
…
"Little girl, don't be in such a hurry to leave..."
A voice echoed through the chamber, prompting Li Yao to whirl around instantly. Her eyes darted to every corner, every shadow, yet she saw no one. Her hand instinctively moved to her sword hilt.
[So he finally decided to show himself,] the Empress remarked with disdain.
"Show himself?" Li Yao's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Did you know he was there all this ti?"
[Of course,] the Empress replied, her voice dripping with pride. [How could such a low-level soul escape my notice?]
"Then why didn't you tell ?" Li Yao demanded, her grip tightening on her sword.
[I didn't see the need to,]
"Didn't—" Li Yao began, then sighed in resignation. "Nevermind." She paused, curiosity overtaking her montary frustration. "What do you an by 'low-level soul'? Is it the sa as you?"
[Hmph, how could you compare to such a person?] The Empress's indignation was palpable. [My soul is eternal and undying. This is just a small nascent soul—it barely passes for a soul at all.]
Li Yao gave up pursuing the conversation. The Empress was boasting too much.
"No need to be so on guard. I'm not an enemy," the voice spoke again, clearer this ti, as if drawing closer though still remaining invisible.
"Says the person who's hiding," Li Yao retorted, her fingers still firm around her sword hilt as she continued scanning the chamber vigilantly.
The voice released a weary sigh. "It's not that I'm hiding. It's just that I can't co out."
"My na is Feng Tianxu," the voice continued.
Li Yao's eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. "Wait, that's..."
"That's right," the voice completed her thought. "I am the ancestor of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect."
…
In the grand hall of the Wuming Cult, an elder approached the sect master.
"Sect master, do you really think that he can do it?" the elder inquired, his voice tinged with a hint of doubt despite his efforts to conceal it.
The sect leader rely smiled.
He sat upon a throne carved from black jade, fingers drumming idly against the armrest. "Of course. Although i Zhiyuan is quite arrogant and prideful, there is no way he could fail the mission," he replied with absolute confidence.
The elder clasped his hands behind his back, brow furrowed. "Still, why did you have to go this roundabout way?" he pressed further. "With the sect master's strength, there aren't many who can match you in the eastern region. Why did you have to risk it using this thod?"
The leader's laughter echoed throughout the hall, causing several disciples attending in the shadows to shiver involuntarily. "Although it's true that I'm quite strong, I'm just a single person," he explained, leaning forward slightly. "The orthodox sect masters are wary of my power but they can't outright attack . If I were to make a move, even against a low-level sect—it's still an orthodox sect. If those old fools decided to take this as an excuse to gang up on ..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but the elder nodded in understanding.
"Besides," the sect master continued, his voice dropping to an almost affectionate tone, "I'm not risking anything. Among his generation, i Zhiyuan is the masterpiece I created. There is no way he can lose." An evil smile spread across his face.
…
Author's Corner:
This chapter is all over the place
My apologies, I can only release one chapter today.
But don't worry, I'll release 3 tomorrow so it's all good ♥️
Daily (1/1) never thought i'd ever beco one of those manhwa authors who get health problems. anyway, I'm recovering and will post 3 tomorrow
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