Martial Cultivator

Chen Chao bent his elbow, deflecting Daoist Wuyang’s palm, while his other hand clenched into a fist and swung at him. He clearly had no intention of dodging, only of trading life for life.

His actions surprised Daoist Wuyang. After a brief thought, he decided to withdraw his palm and gathered the lightning in front of him to block Chen Chao’s punch instead.

Chen Chao’s fist struck the lightning, erupting with another violent boom. But this time, he failed to break through it and was instead forced several steps back.

The two locked eyes. Chen Chao grinned. “What’s the matter? You’ve reached such a high realm, yet you’re still afraid to die?”

Daoist Wuyang’s expression remained cold as lightning surged in his palm, forming a thunder dragon that lunged toward Chen Chao.

Chen Chao sneered, neither dodging nor retreating, and simply threw a heavy punch that shattered the thunder dragon apart, scattering lightning in all directions.

In the distance, Yu Xiyi who was catching his breath widened his eyes at the sight. “Damn it, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Though both of them had reached the end of Nepenthe, Yu Xiyi’s duel with Daoist Wuyang had been full of calculation - each sword stroke weighed and deliberate. But Chen Chao seemed not to think at all; every punch carried a reckless, unstoppable momentum.

Damn it, if his opponent weren’t Daoist Wuyang, any other cultivator would’ve been smashed to pieces by now!

Yu Xiyi suddenly remembered something and shouted, “A’Yue, don’t just stand there, damn it! Patch that gap already! Are you really going to let your martial uncle and yourself kill the two of us?”

Truly, this sword immortal, even when asking for help, didn’t sound like he was asking for help at all.

Yun Jianyue’s face was pale, but he knew that Yu Xiyi was right. His role was to maintain the battlefield and weaken Daoist Wuyang’s connection with heaven and earth as much as possible. Now that the lightning pool had been breached, that was indeed his fault.

He steadied his mind, linking with the manifestation above the sky dome, controlling it to extend a hand into the lightning pool, scoop up a swath of lightning, and scatter it across the firmament to block the bolt that had already pierced through the pool.

But as soon as the lightning scattered, Yun Jianyue coughed up a mouthful of blood. His entire body trembled, as if he might fall from the air at any moment.

Yu Xiyi looked up at Yun Jianyue’s current state, feeling a twinge of pity. He wanted to say something to dissuade him, but in the end, he only gave a self-deprecating smile. Damn it, when death’s already knocking, what’s the point in holding back? It’s death all the same.

He sat cross-legged, sword across his knees, sword intent slowly gathering, preparing to forge his strongest strike.

Daoist Wuyang frowned. The lightning pool above the sky dome had now lost its connection with him. Though he could still use lightning spells, they were noticeably weaker.

He thought about reestablishing the link, but after glancing at the battered Yun Jianyue, he decided against it.

Still too soft-hearted.

But if anyone thought that without that lightning pool he couldn’t kill Chen Chao, that would be underestimating him.

Lightning roared in his palm, condensing into a thunder sword. With a single thought, Daoist Wuyang sent it flying, it cleaved the heavens apart.

Across from him, Chen Chao’s expression didn’t change. His hand grasped his saber’s hilt.

Cloud Mud left its sheath, and the sound of a dragon’s roar filled heaven and earth.

A snow-white true dragon slowly emerged behind Chen Chao, raising its head. As it did, it exhaled a terrifying surge of qi that shook heaven and earth.

Dragon Rearing Head, it was Chen Chao’s own technique. From the day he first developed it to now, having stepped into the end of Nepenthe, its power was no longer comparable to what it once was.

The snow-white dragon suddenly swallowed the thunder sword that flickered across the heavens, and immediately began to writhe in agony.

Chen Chao’s face turned pale, but he gritted his teeth and forced the sword down.

Daoist Wuyang raised an eyebrow, puzzled. This young martial artist had only recently stepped into the end of Nepenthe, how could his aura already feel as if he were invincible within it?

He had only felt such a presence once before, from another martial artist.

Chen Chao’s black robes billowed violently. Whatever Daoist Wuyang was thinking, the young martial artist didn’t care. He simply slashed down.

A colossal saber qi erupted, pressing down on Daoist Wuyang within the lightning pool.

At the same time, a purple line of lightning fell upon that saber qi.

It was Yun Jianyue, he hadn’t only severed Daoist Wuyang’s connection with his lightning pool, but had also connected Chen Chao to it.

Daoist Wuyang’s fury exploded. “Yun Jianyue, do you truly mean to do this?!”

What angered Daoist Wuyang was not that Yun Jianyue was trying to kill him, but that in Yun Jianyue’s current state, forcing such an act would inevitably harm his own Great Dao foundation.

Yun Jianyue ignored him. From his sleeves, countless talismans shimmering with lightning light shot out and spread in a neat line. One after another, bolts of lightning burst forth from the talismans.

The boundless lightning merged into one, flooding entirely into the colossal saber qi.

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