Martial Cultivator

Only Chen Chao could say something like this. If anyone else had said it, they would probably have been cursed bloody. Achieving the sword immortal realm in just a few years was solid, unquestionable genius anywhere. It was absolutely impossible for it to be dismissed as merely being a sword immortal, as Chen Chao put it.

Chen Yi sighed with emotion. ”Lord Warden Commander is indeed domineering.”

He Liang lowered his head. Hearing his own master say this, he truly did not know what to think.

Chen Chao looked at the approaching sword light and scoffed. ”You merely lucked into stepping into the sword immortal realm, and you dare challenge me? Just the likes of you, Lu Chu, are you worthy?”

Before the words had finished, Chen Chao sprang up from the ground and transformed into a streak of black rainbow light that smashed toward the sky. In just an instant, he arrived in front of that sword light. Chen Chao reached out his palm, grabbed hold of it, and without the slightest hesitation, violently yanked. That sword light, dragged out to an extreme length, was forcibly hauled over by Chen Chao and smashed down with a backhand strike.

On the mountain path, a bottomless hole as thick as a giant tree trunk appeared.

Lu Chu’s figure appeared in midair. This newly named member of the Xinliu Prefecture Ten looked at Chen Chao, his expression calm. ”You have improved quite a bit these past years.”

Chen Chao smiled faintly. ”You have not made much progress.”

Before Chen Chao finished speaking, his entire body swept toward Lu Chu. His speed was in no way inferior to a great sword immortal unleashing their lifeblood flying sword.

Lu Chu frowned. He truly had not expected the Chen Chao before him to be so fast. But after many years of sword cultivation, he was not completely without reaction. With a slight movement of intent, the flying sword in his hand slashed horizontally forward. Sword qi filled the sky and converged into a single line at this moment, surging forth vast and mighty, like a great river rising in flood.

In fact, just the momentum of this single sword strike was enough to explain why this young sword immortal could claim a place among the Xinliu Prefecture Ten.

If he faced an opponent of equal realm, even just the first strike from Lu Chu’s sword would be enough to make them feel challenged. But what he faced was Chen Chao, who had long stepped into the end of Nepenthe and had sparred with powerhouses like the Demon Emperor and Daoist Wuyang.

On that single tide of sword qi, Chen Chao simply reached out one hand, grabbed the vast sword qi, and crushed it with force, arriving before this young sword immortal completely unharmed.

Without any unnecessary words, Chen Chao launched a punch, carrying endless qi.

The entire Mt. Tai Xuan seemed to shake as his punch struck, and rocks continuously fell.

Lu Chu had no intention of retracting his sword and now delivered another strike, as if prepared for a fight to the death. But Chen Chao did not care about Lu Chu’s sword at all. His punch collided with Lu Chu’s second strike.

The flying sword trembled, then instantly split into several, hovering in the air with their tips aimed at Chen Chao, continuously releasing sword qi.

Chen Chao swung his hand and smashed the closest flying sword in front of him, knowing it was only a sword qi projection. He was not surprised. With his hand motion, it was as if a fierce wind had risen, causing all the flying swords to sway violently in the air, unable to act freely.

Chen Chao looked up at the sky, his expression as calm as ever.

Lu Chu could only laugh bitterly.

After releasing two strikes, though he had not yet exhausted all means, the opponent’s responses were too simple. Relying only on himself, it was difficult for him to have any chance of victory.

So, in the next moment, as if he had made a firm decision, he silently circulated his sword qi within his body along a trajectory that defied reason.

Chen Chao sensed Lu Chu’s abnormality and smiled. ”Trying an impromptu breakthrough?”

Before he finished speaking, he reached out, grabbed Lu Chu’s head, and forcefully threw him down.

A massive pit appeared again on the mountain path.

Chen Chao looked down the path, then narrowed his eyes slightly.

A dazzling sword light rose from the ground, crashing toward him. From its aura, it was indeed a great sword immortal’s strike.

Chen Chao was slightly surprised; it seemed he had not expected the opponent to actually break through.

But in the next moment, he noticed the sword’s aura was unstable. It was not a genuine great sword immortal strike.

In other words, some method had been used to temporarily borrow the realm.

Just as Chen Chao considered this, the sword light was already charging at him. He hesitated for a moment, turned sideways, and let the dazzling sword light sweep past him. Everyone thought the young Lord Warden Commander was avoiding the strike. But no one expected that when the sword light was almost midair, Chen Chao suddenly smashed a punch upward.

With a tremendous rumble, the sword light shattered. Apart from the dispersed sword qi scattering everywhere, Lu Chu’s figure also fell out from the remnants of the sword light.

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes.

Lu Chu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, landing on a large tree. “How could you tell that I was in that sword light?”

Chen Chao said calmly, “Didn’t expect it, though your sword light’s killing intent was too weak, it didn’t seem directed at me, more like you wanted to use it to break through this grand array and leave Mt. Tai Xuan.”

Lu Chu remained silent. That was indeed his plan. Once that sword scripture, which forcibly elevates realms with one’s own heart blood, was used, his sword dao realm would essentially reach its absolute limit. But if he didn’t elevate his realm, he would never be a match for Chen Chao.

So the choice in front of him had always been a dilemma.

Ordinary people in his situation could only pick one: either rely on their current realm to truly fight Chen Chao, or use the secret method to breakthrough and later see what side effects there would be.

But to be honest, he didn’t actually want to choose either.

Because the timimg the secret method was delivered to his hands was subtle.

Clearly, Daoist Redsky intended to treat him as a pawn.

At the very least, sacrificing him to preserve Mt. Tai Xuan.

Lu Chu would not accept such an outcome. He believed that, given some time, he could step into the great sword immortal realm.

So he only chose to briefly use that sword scripture’s secret technique to deliver a strike, merely hoping to break through the mountain-protecting grand array of Mt. Tai Xuan, then leave Mt. Tai Xuan and seek a future under wide skies.

But still, he did not expect that Chen Chao had seen through it.

Lu Chu asked telepathically, “Chen Chao, if I choose to join forces with you and destroy this Purple Leaf Grotto together, can you promise me that within ten years, we will no longer be enemies?”

Chen Chao raised an eyebrow and smiled, “What? Purple Leaf Grotto raised you, you can abandon it just like that?”

Lu Chu remained calm, “They want to push me out and abandon me, leaving no more relationship. Moreover, in all those past years, how many cold-shoulders and eye-rolling have I endured?”

Chen Chao nodded, “That makes some sense. You were originated from this Purple Leaf Grotto, so you know its depths. And saying only ten years, we both know there is no way we can turn swords into jade... everything seems reasonable, except for one thing.”

“What is that one thing?”

Lu Chu was quite puzzled.

Chen Chao smiled, “This official doesn’t need it.”

“If this official wanted help with this Purple Leaf Grotto, I wouldn’t be looking for a second-rate sword cultivator like you, Lu Chu.”

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes and smiled, “You, Lu Chu, want to join forces with this official? Are you even deserving of that?”

Lu Chu was silent at first. In the end, his whole face became twisted, laughing, “Fine, fine, fine, Chen Chao, being so arrogant, then you shall die on Mt. Tai Xuan today!”

Lu Chu gritted his teeth and truly began to activate that secret technique.

He had no desire to do this, for it would irreversibly damage the source of his Dao, but Chen Chao’s pressing threat forced him to decide: after breaking through, he would battle this martial artist. Even if he could not kill him, he would severely wound him, so that he could not leave Mt. Tai Xuan!

Chen Chao hovered in midair, watching Lu Chu activate that secret technique, seemingly unconcerned that this sword immortal’s temporary entry into the great sword immortal realm would increase his killing power.

......

......

Several minutes later, a terrifying sword light erupted on the middle slope of Mt. Tai Xuan, spreading across the mountain.

But just as quickly, that terrifying sword light shattered, breaking into fragments, and soon vanished without a trace.

A flying sword broke apart inch by inch.

The young martial artist stood on the mountain path, reached out, and clutched Lu Chu’s throat, lightly smiling, “Really think that breaking through makes you invincible under the heavens?”

Lu Chu who was lifted into the air was covered in blood, his face ashen.

Even if he did not die today, this young sword immortal’s life from now on was destined to have no chance to advance further.

Yet in less than an hour, his sword heart had shattered more than once.

Chen Chao crushed Lu Chu’s throat, casually threw him onto the mountain path, and then walked up the mountain.

Life force gradually fading, Lu Chu looked down the mountain path with a complicated expression.

A woman suddenly appeared in front of him, full of expectation, asking, “Lu Chu, do you still remember me? It’s Xu Qiu!”

Lu Chu looked up at the female cultivator before him, expression indifferent.

Xu Qiu? Who is that?