Martial Cultivator

“A sword path genius from the Sword Sect, a once-in-a-millennium talent of our daoist lineage, and an outstanding talent among the mortal world’s martial artists; you three coming together truly surprises me.”

Daoist Yinli sighed and said, ”Given a few more years, you guys are destined to wield great influence in this world. But unfortunately, you no longer have time.”

“Once the three of you die, the rest of the young generation will have a chance to rise. I suppose I can count that as doing a good deed.”

Daoist Yinli smiled faintly. Raising both hands, he said softly, “Now let me show you what a true chasm looks like.”

Before his voice had even faded, the sea of clouds began to roar.

Terrifying thunder boomed into existence in an instant. From the moment this great daoist sage began to wield his lightning spells, the entire world was filled with continuous rumbling.

Daoism’s lightning spells were the most deadly of all its secret arts. No one knew how many daoist cultivators in the world had mastered them, but as for those who could be called the strongest in this art, there were perhaps only two.

The former Daoist Wuyang, and the current Daoist Yinli.

Now that Daoist Wuyang’s life and death were unknown, Daoist Yinli had become the undisputed number one in lightning spells among daoist cultivators.

Watching the arcs of lightning gradually forming in the sky, Yun Jianyue felt a heaviness in his heart. Though he had arrived in time, he still was not optimistic about the outcome of this great battle.

Chen Chao noticed the concern on the face of this daoist genius and said with a grin, “What’s there to worry about? This is just a gamble.”

Yun Jianyue poured a bucket of cold water over that optimism. “The Chief Enforcer’s lightning spells are unrivaled under the heavens. Even an average powerhouse at the end of Nepenthe wouldn’t dare take them head-on. Now that we’re already inside the lightning pool, do you really think you can withstand it?”

Chen Chao smiled and did not speak.

As for Yu Xiyi, he looked completely unconcerned. This Sword Dao genius had always disdained such things.

“Fend for yourselves.”

Chen Chao grinned and said, “With that build of yours, it’d be a miracle if there’s anything left of you after getting struck.”

Yun Jianyue just laughed it off.

......

......

Thunderclouds gathered as terrifying peals of thunder echoed through the sky. Within the sea of clouds, arcs of lightning appeared one after another, flickering non-stop.

A dreadful aura blanketed the entire Yingchun Commandery.

In the next instant, a thick bolt of heavenly lightning came crashing down.

Descending upon the mortal world!

And its target was none other than Chen Chao!

Chen Chao cursed under his breath. His figure twisted and flickered, vanishing from where he stood. But the bolt of lightning seemed unwilling to let this young martial artist go. It chased after him relentlessly, not stopping at all.

Knowing he could not evade it, Chen Chao did not hesitate for even a moment. Gripping Cloud Mud in his hand, he slashed straight toward the heavenly lightning!

At the same time, Yu Xiyi unleashed his flying sword, sending a flurry of sword light across the skies, charging directly at Daoist Yinli.

Yun Jianyue also activated his daoist techniques. Behind him emerged a drifting patch of white clouds, and amidst those clouds, a faint full moon could be seen.

This was his lifeblood daoist technique, not one handed down through the daoist sect, but something he had created himself. Though its might could not compare to the most exalted daoist spells, it was the most suitable for him.

Three of the era’s geniuses each unleashed their own methods.

But Daoist Yinli remained unmoved. He focused entirely on controlling the lightning pool, summoning the most terrifying heavenly lightning.

As Yu Xiyi’s Wild Grass neared Daoist Yinli, a bolt of terrifying heavenly lightning descended with pinpoint precision, striking the sword dead-on. Wild Grass let out a mournful cry and fell from the air.

If this had not been a Hundred Year Sword of Sword Qi Mountain, just a single strike from that heavenly lightning would have been enough to strip it of all spirituality, reducing it to nothing but scrap metal.

Yu Xiyi’s complexion turned pale, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his lips.

Not far away, Yun Jianyue was constantly searching for the weakest point within the lightning pool, hoping to break through it. As a daoist disciple, he naturally understood the most terrifying aspects of this lightning pool. As such, very few of the heavenly lighting actually struck him. Oftentimes, he could evade them entirely.

This was the innate advantage of a daoist disciple.

Back at the Infatuation Daoist Temple, Yun Jianyue had once crossed swords with Daoist Yinli. Back then, though he had revealed some of his strength, he had in truth been holding back. His cultivation was far stronger than Daoist Yinli had assumed.

In truth, the gap between the three of them in terms of cultivation had long been negligible.

With the three of them working together, even a typical powerhouse at the end of Nepenthe would be no match.

Heavenly lightning continued to fall, its terrifying presence spreading ever outward. Within the lightning pool, Daoist Yinli was consumed with murderous intent, killing intent pervading all.

But, the one he targeted most was still Chen Chao.

But every time that heavenly lightning struck, it never unleashed its full power. It always held back slightly.

In other words, it left a sliver of hope.

Chen Chao understood very well what Daoist Yinli was concerned about.

He was worried about that sheet of paper Chen Chao carried, so he was hedging his bets at every turn.

The truth was, both of them understood the game they were playing.

But what Daoist Yinli could never have imagined was that the page was not on Chen Chao anymore.

......

......

Terrifying bolts of heavenly lightning continued to rain down, concentrating on the three of them.

Daoist Yinli split his focus into three, directing it toward each of the three combatants. Though this caused the force of the lightning to diminish slightly, it was still incredibly fearsome.

Yet within this lightning pool, none of the three had yet been slain.

Among them, Yun Jianyue was faring the best, followed by Chen Chao.

Yu Xiyi was cursing nonstop.

He recalled his flying sword. Gripping it tightly, the furious young man slashed toward the descending lightning. Terrifying sword light began to surge and twist throughout the lightning pool, converging with astonishing force.

This young sword immortal’s Sword Dao realm was indeed terrifying.

He raised his sword fingers and slashed open the center of his brow. A small sword emerged from within, growing larger and larger until it became a full-sized flying sword, then it slashed toward Daoist Yinli!

This sword strike was far more powerful than Wild Grass’ attack before.

Strictly speaking, it was not even a sword, it was Yu Xiyi’s sword cultivation itself. This was the terrifying trump card he had kept at the bottom of his chest.

Almost every sword cultivator had their own nurtured sword aperture, and within it resided a miniature sword.

This was a sword cultivator’s very foundation. Unless faced with life and death, it would never be used.

Now that Yu Xiyi had brought out this miniature sword, it meant this young sword immortal had reached the point of revealing his final trump card.

Yun Jianyue arrived at a corner of the lightning pool and murmured softly, “Found it.”

Yu Xiyi’s sword strike had already been unleashed, and the terrifying sword light covered the heavens. It already vaguely carried the might of a single strike from a Great Sword Immortal.

Daoist Yinli’s expression changed slightly as he looked at the terrifying sword strike. Even he did not wish to face this attack head-on.

Just then, he suddenly sensed his lightning pool beginning to tremble.

When he shifted his gaze toward Yun Jianyue, he finally realized that Yun Jianyue had already found the weakest point of his lightning pool.

”How was this possible?!”

Daoist Yinli could scarcely believe it, could Yun Jianyue truly see through his lightning spell?

But in the very next instant, the lightning pool had already begun to collapse. The structure he had built was actually starting to shatter.

What was going on?

At the same time, that sword strike was already upon him.

Daoist Yinli summoned the Temple Master’s seal to block the strike, while daoist aura surged from his body. In the blink of an eye, he crossed a great distance and appeared in front of Yun Jianyue.

A terrifying wave of daoist aura burst forth, sending Yun Jianyue flying.

Seeing this, Chen Chao slashed out with his saber, but was smacked away by Daoist Yinli with a single palm.

Then, the Profound Yellow Bell suddenly appeared and crashed toward Yu Xiyi, who had just unleashed that terrifying sword strike.

Boundless daoist aura and terrifying force surged forward, engulfing Yu Xiyi in an instant.

Daoist Yinli revealed a smile.

From start to end, his true intent had been to kill this Yu Xiyi first.

Because that demon bead was on him.

As for Chen Chao, because of that page of paper, Daoist Yinli had always been deeply apprehensive.

But at that very moment, as Chen Chao was steadily retreating, he suddenly roared, “Yu Xiyi!”

In his trance, Yu Xiyi gave a slight nod. A single page of paper drifted out and hovered before him.

It was a page that shimmered with golden light.

The moment Daoist Yinli saw that page, his expression became ugly to the extreme.

He had never imagined that the page had not been on Chen Chao all along.

But it was instead with this young sword immortal.

Yet by now, the Profound Yellow Bell could no longer be withdrawn.

Some of its aura had already landed upon that page.

Countless streams of golden light began to spread out.

An even more terrifying aura began to overflow from that single page.

The Profound Yellow Bell let out an incessant hum, but the sound carried a strange, indescribable tone.

This artifact that Daoist Yinli had refined over countless years had already begun to shatter in an instant.

And all of this was only the beginning.