Martial Cultivator

The mountain protecting grand array of Purple Leaf Grotto had been personally constructed by their founding ancestor. Aside from cultivation, Daoist Purple Leaf’s research into formations could not be said to be shallow. This mountain protecting grand array was the work of his lifetime. Beyond preventing others from entering or leaving, there was another aspect which Daoist Purple Leaf considered exceedingly ingenious: when the formation operated slowly, it could collect the incoming outsider’s qi flow, then lock onto it, and thereafter let the formation take the lead in carrying out a kind of artificial suppression.

This was also why, during the ascent, Purple Leaf Grotto had first allowed the other Nepenthe cultivators to make their moves - the purpose was precisely to collect Chen Chao’s qi during the exchanges.

If one had to give an example, it would be like a cultivator proficient in fire techniques arriving at Mt. Tai Xuan at this moment, as though standing within a vast ocean.

As a mere martial artist, although Chen Chao was not burdened with so many intricacies, still felt at this moment that the circulation of his qi was no longer as smooth as it had been outside the mountain. It had grown somewhat sluggish.

Although the instant he entered Mt. Tai Xuan, Chen Chao had already sensed Purple Leaf Grotto’s determination, he was still somewhat surprised at this moment.

Just as Sect Master Zhanyuan of the Mountains and Rivers Sect had previously said, daoist cultivators possessed far too many methods. Especially for a sect that could stand in the world for so many years without falling, it was certainly not so simple.

With this grand formation in place, and in addition this old undying one who had cultivated the Dao for many years, this was the foolproof plan Purple Leaf Grotto had conceived.

Daoist Jadevoid looked at Cloud Mud in Chen Chao’s hand and sighed with feeling, “If today Lord Warden Commander dies upon Mt. Tai Xuan, the world will know that my Purple Leaf Grotto is no inferior to the Infatuation Daoist Temple. From this day on, within the Longevity Dao lineage, when my Purple Leaf Grotto speaks, there will always be those who listen.”

Chen Chao gripped the saber hilt but did not hurry to draw it. He merely narrowed his eyes. “Old Sage, do not think things so simple. If this official were truly so easy to kill, I would not have lived until today.”

Daoist Jadevoid nodded with a smile. “Understood. If not for Lord Warden Commander’s fearsome reputation, this penniless daoist would not have arranged matters so thoroughly.”

Chen Chao nodded, seemingly rather satisfied with those words. He smiled and asked, “Then what about this Daoist Redsky? Not making a move together, lest the night grow long and dreams become nightmares?”

Daoist Jadevoid smiled. “That will not be necessary. Having already taken such advantage of Lord Warden Commander, we certainly will not stoop to the act of two killing one.”

Chen Chao let out an “Oh,” then smiled and asked, “Does Sage think this official would believe that?”

Daoist Jadevoid said softly, “Words are so spoken, but whether you believe them is up to Lord Warden Commander yourself...”

Before he had finished speaking, Chen Chao had already stepped forward, placing his foot upon a stone brick. He then exerted force and crushed the brick beneath his foot.

A certain inexplicable aura dispersed at once.

Daoist Jadevoid said in astonishment, “Lord Warden Commander truly cannot be underestimated. How could even such a minor scheme be perceived by you?”

Chen Chao said nothing, merely lowered his head to look. After that ordinary stone brick shattered, in truth the entire ground, beginning from that very brick, gradually formed crisscrossing golden threads.

Across the ground before the purple pavilion, golden lines intersected, gradually forming a layout resembling a chessboard.

If beneath one’s feet there was already a chessboard, then Chen Chao, standing upon it at this moment, was a chess piece.

It was only unknown whether he was black or white.

“This penniless daoist will play a game with Lord Warden Commander, how about it?”

Daoist Jadevoid suddenly produced a horsetail whisk in his arms. At this moment, he merely gave it a slight wave. Above the sky curtain, purple qi condensed, and abruptly a bolt of violet lightning descended.

Its momentum was swift, no less than a flying sword streaking past from a Nepenthe sword immortal.

Chen Chao retreated several steps, watching as the purple lightning struck where he had just been standing. Yet it seemed to lack destructive force, for even the stone bricks had not shattered.

Chen Chao narrowed his eyes slightly.

Before he could think further, purple lightning gathered in the sky curtain and began to fall continuously. Moreover, each bolt followed him like a shadow, making it difficult for Chen Chao to evade.

Chen Chao moved about the plaza, constantly dodging the purple lightning.

Daoist Redsky watched this scene and sneered, “Where is that earlier display of might?”

Daoist Jadevoid appeared as calm as ever. Watching this scene, he merely smiled.

Having cultivated for several hundred years, and in age not much younger than Purple Leaf Grotto itself, had Chen Chao not climbed the mountain, he likely would not have stepped out of his own cave dwelling.

At his level of cultivation, what he sought had in truth been reduced to just the two words: eternal life.

But since he had already resolved to act, he would first thoroughly kill Chen Chao. As for what came after, Daoist Redsky naturally had his own calculations.

Daoist Jadevoid glanced at the purple lightning in the sky. As for the path of lightning techniques, there were countless daoist cultivators in the world who knew them, yet their relative heights were difficult to distinguish. At this moment, borrowing the grand array to construct a lightning pool, its power was naturally far greater than if he acted alone. Still, he shook his head.

He felt it was not enough.

A martial artist who had reached the end of Nepenthe possessed a body whose toughness could not be underestimated. Moreover, the one before him now was the genuine, present-day number one martial artist.

Daoist Jadevoid formed a lightning seal with one hand. Between his five fingers, lightning flickered.

The might of the purple lightning in the sky curtain grew even greater.

Daoist Jadevoid watched Chen Chao moving across the plaza like a swimming fish and narrowed his eyes slightly. The other truly lived up to being a talent of the age; merely being able to evade those purple bolts in such a manner was no simple matter.

Though there was admiration, Daoist Jadevoid continued to deduce Chen Chao’s next position, constantly accumulating lightning light, intending to heavily wound Chen Chao in a single strike at that very spot.

After several breaths, Daoist Jadevoid’s gaze turned sharp. He had calculated where Chen Chao would next land.

With a thunderous roar, an incomparably thick purple lightning descended upon the world!

It crashed heavily toward Chen Chao on that side of the plaza.

For a moment, the entire field of vision was filled with lightning, making it difficult to see anything else.

But in the next instant, Daoist Jadevoid frowned with slight regret.

In that mysterious and profound instant, the other party had unexpectedly altered his trajectory, breaking free from his deduction and landing elsewhere.

Daoist Jadevoid was not particularly disappointed. Since one attack had failed, he began calculating anew, while continuously deepening the might of the purple lightning within the thunderclouds. Within that lightning pool in the sky curtain, an even more resplendent and thicker purple lightning was about to take shape.

Yet immediately afterward, Daoist Jadevoid began laughing.

Because after several rapid changes of direction, that young martial artist was already unwilling to continue passively enduring the attacks. Unable to restrain himself, he began moving towards Daoist Jadevoid.

This too was within Daoist Jadevoid’s calculations. Once Chen Chao truly could not restrain himself and sought to close the distance to launch a surprise attack, he would encounter Jadevoid’s hidden follow-up - something even more troublesome than lightning spells.

For long before this, Daoist Jadevoid had already laid countless restraints on the ground before him.

As long as Chen Chao dared to approach within several dozen feet of him, he would definitely be trapped in place, becoming a living target, and could only watch himself be shattered alive by the purple lightning.

No bones would remain.

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