Chapter 42
Chapter 42 Dragon-beheading Art
A commotion immediately swept the crowd. The green-clothed man who came with Xu Hao frowned. “Junior Brother Xu, no matter what, this is the sect of Junior Brother Ouyang’s fiancee. Speak politely.”
Xu Hao titled his head with a smile. “It’s fine. It’s just a little sect of the Human World.” He then looked at Mo Yu. “What are you doing here still? I told you to call the Sect Leader’s disciple to come up here!”
Mo Yu clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles creaked. In his entire life, no one had ever dared to speak to him like this. With a dark expression, he said, “Why do you have so many things to say? Have you thought of how you want to die?” He began making a chant incantation and an Immortal’s Sword emitting a dense and cold radiance appeared in his hand. He promptly thrust the sword at Xu Hao.
A gale immediately erupted. Mo Yu’s Sword Qi was exerting a great pressure but Xu Hao merely wore a cold smile. The latter lifted his hand and before the sword was even unsheathed, a stream of white light struck Mo Yu with a thump. The impact was so great that Mo Yu’s sword could not help shuddering, causing the humming sound to reverberate without an end.
Taking advantage of all this clamor, Xiao Chen turned to Li Muxue beside him and said, “Miss Li, I’m sorry for offending you earlier. Do you know the two other people?”
Li Muxue was watching the battle on the platform with rapt attention. When she heard his question, she turned to him and replied, “The one in green is Qianye Li, the eldest disciple of Tianyun Zi of Skygale Sect of the Violet Manor. The other one is… Ouyang Yu.” Her voice turned quieter toward the end of her sentence. Evidently, she was unwilling to marry Ouyang Yu.
Tianyun Zi? Xiao Chen fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he recalled it was the old Taoist that fought with Mu Chengxue at the Xiao Family Manor! Back then, Mu Chengxue had called him Perfected Immortal Tianyun!
Just then, a loud noise came from the battle platform. It was the sound of Mo Yu flying out of the platform. The crowd immediately cried out in surprise and the expressions of the Elders also changed. Mo Yu did not even last five movements!
Several disciples swiftly went up to help Mo Yu to his feet but the latter pushed them away with a flick of his sleeve. His eyes were so wide that his skin looked like they were about to crack. He forcefully swallowed the blood that was rising up his throat.
Xu Hao laughed out loud. “That’s enough! There are still seven movements left. Hurry up and ask Sect Leader’s disciple to come out. Let’s not delay any more time!”
He was implying that three of their disciples need only to last 10 movements against him altogether, not one disciple lasting 10 movements. Everyone glared at him in anger but if not even Mo Yu could win, wouldn’t Luo Shangyan be humiliating herself if she went up? Xu Hao could probably send her flying with a spit of his breath.
The Elders frowned deeply. Second Elder said, “The Sect Leader’s disciple is currently not here…” Before he could finish his words, an unassuming figure flew up the platform. It was none other than Luo Shangyan.
“The 13th Generation disciple of Three Pure Sect, Luo Shangyan! Please guide me!” Her eyes were like electric when she spoke. Her hands were pressing on the hilt of her sword. With her sleeves swaying in the wind, she looked just like a fairy of clear waters.
Xiao Chen’s expression changed. “Senior Sister Luo!” Beside him, Xiao Han stopped him. “The five Elders are here. There won’t be any problem.”
While his words might be true, Xiao Chen was still ill at ease. Even though four out of five Elders were in the Core Forming Realm, Xu Hao was from the Violet Manor. He did not even respect the five Elders.
Xu Hao sized up Luo Shangyan before laughing. “Yo! I didn’t expect there to be a person with such abundant Spiritual Qi in the Human World. Why don’t you also come with me after I win three battles today?”
With an ashen expression, Luo Shangyan unsheathed the sword tied to her waist with a clanging sound. The platform immediately lit up with a green light. It was none other than the Sect Leader’s Shadow-undertaking Sword.
Xu Hao blinked at the sword before tilting his head toward his two companions below. He said with a smile, “Senior Brother Qianye, this is the Shadow-undertaking Sword, isn’t it? I heard it can match up to Qin Xiu’s Stifled Light Sword…”
Qianye Li frowned. “Take care!”
Xu Hao grinned. With a lift of his sword and a thumping sound, he forced the retreat of Luo Shangyan’s oncoming sword with the impact. Luo Shangyan swiftly regained firm footing after taking several steps back and quietly invoked an incantation art.
The blade of the Shadow-undertaking Sword trembled and a half-feet long illusion came out of the sharp end of the sword. The first illusion produced two illusions, and the two illusions produced four. In the end, there were tens of swords that nearly enveloped half of the battle platform. It was impossible to distinguish the real sword from its illusions and neither was it possible to judge the location of the sword power.
This was precisely the essence of the Shadow-undertaking Sword. The opponent would see only sword illusions but not the source of the sword power. Even if Xu Hao’s cultivation was higher, he would still find it hard to escape the rain of swords that filled the sky.
Below the platform, the disciples acclaimed when they saw Luo Shangyan unleashing such exquisite swordsmanship. However, Xu Hao merely chuckled and his sword was still sheathed. The crowd heard a thump and Xu Hao’s sheath accurately hit the true Shadow-undertaking Sword, returning it to Luo Shangyan’s hand.
Xu Hao grinned. “Little beauty, I’ve already yielded to you with two movements. I can’t do so anymore.” He then sent his sheath flying. With a whizzing sound, it turned into a golden light that hit Luo Shangyan on the abdomen.
Having just suffered grievous injuries a few days ago, there was no way for Luo Shangyan to withstand this attack. She was sent flying before blood could even spray from her mouth. Xu Hao’s sheath bounced back and accurately returned to his sword.
“Senior Sister Luo!” Xiao Chen cried out in alarm. Ignoring Xiao Han who was trying to stop him, he leaped up and caught Luo Shangyan in midair.
Luo Shangyan’s heart meridians were damaged after getting injured several days ago and had yet to recover completely today. Coupled with the attack earlier, her heart meridians were close to cracking completely and she continued to cough up blood.
Xiao Chen swiftly took out the healing elixirs that Mu Chengxue gave him back then from his chest. Without caring how many elixirs he took, he stuffed them all into her mouth to help usher in True Energy into her body.
Over on the platform, Xu Hao gave a strange laugh. “I’m sorry, little beauty. I didn’t know you’re already injured, or I wouldn’t have been so heavy-handed…”
Xiao Chen’s eyes were bloodshot as he violently whipped his head around to shoot the man on the platform a terrifying look. Luo Shangyan held tightly onto his arm. “Don’t… I’m fine.” She coughed up blood again after she finished speaking.
Fifth Elder immediately flew down from the jade platform and sealed several crucial acupoints on Luo Shangyan’s body. Cheng Ying and the others had also rushed over. Xiao Chen placed Luo Shangyan in Cheng Ying’s arms and with a shift of his body, he reappeared on the platform in what was essentially a split second.
Except Third Elder Bai Ying, the expressions of the three remaining Elders on the jade platform changed. “Why is it him?”
Xu Hao looked at Xiao Chen with a smile. “Are you also the Sect Leader’s disciple? Tell me your name.”
Xiao Chen clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles creaked. His voice was solemn as he replied, “The Outer Disciple of Sunset Peak, Xiao Chen!”
“Outer Disciple?” Xu Hao burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that his eyes were brimming with tears. He looked at the Elders on the jade platform and his voice was a little unclear from all his laughing. “Don’t… Don’t tell me that there’s no one else in Three Pure Sect? You’re sending even your Outer Disciple?”
Bai Ying, who had long become irritated with this man, sneered. “Yes. Why don’t we make a bet? If you can win the Outer Disciple of Three Pure Sect today, I’ll carry your chamber pot for three months!”
The moment these words left her mouth, everyone from Three Pure Sect was stupefied. Second Elder coughed. “Third Junior Sister, can you be a little more careful with your words? You’re still in front of so many disciples, after all.”
Xu Hao once again laughed heartily and pointed at her. “Great beauty, those are your own words. Why don’t you serve me for three months as well?”
Instead of being furious over his impolite words, Bai Ying was all smiles. She nodded and said, “Deal. If you lose, I want you to crawl out of this place.”
“Alright! That’s a promise!” Xu Hao raised his head with a smile. He then pointed at Xiao Chen with his sheath. “There are five movements left. If you last that many movements, I’ll consider it your victory.”
“Hehe. Sure.” Xiao Chen’s expression was dark as he sneered. He unsheathed the Unsullied Immortal’s Sword that Yu Yifeng gifted him. In an instant, tens of thousands of white lights rose into the air. They were so dazzling that many disciples could not even keep their eyes open.
Below the platform, Qianye Li’s expression immediately shifted. “It’s Ranked 11th Yu’s Unsullied Sword! Why is it in his hands?!”
Ouyang Yu’s expression changed as well. “Senior Brother, you’re saying that the sword is the Unsullied Sword belonging to the one ranked 11th on the Big Dipper List?”
Qianye Li did not reply. He bellowed at the platform, “Be careful, Junior Brother! It’s an Unsullied Sword!”
Xu Hao looked a little dumbfounded. He muttered, “This… This is an Unsullied Sword?” Before his voice had even faded, Xiao Chen was already swinging his sword at him. In an instant, a strong wind came from all directions. White sword light of three Chinese feet long abruptly rose from the Unsullied Sword.
Xu Hao was so alarmed that his face lost all color. He immediately raised his sheath to resist Xiao Chen’s attack. With a thump, his sheath was cut into countless fragments. He himself could not stand recoiling from the eruption. He could not help feeling shocked. How could a man of the Human World possess such impressive power? It was undoubtedly thanks to the Unsullied Sword.
Below the platform, the crowd’s acclaim was deafening. The eyes of several of the Elders brightened as well. Second Elder caressed his beard with his hand and nodded continuously. On the other hand, First Elder was wearing an incredibly gloomy expression. When Mo Yu heard the thunderous cheering, he only found it to be ear-piercing.
“That’s one movement!” Xiao Chen bellowed in a solemn voice. He followed up with another sword movement, causing a storm that filled the entire sky. With a change in his expression, Xu Hao hastily performed seals and chanted incantations. The sword in his hand transformed into a stream of white radiance that whizzed as it flew toward Xiao Chen.
The two swords collided and instantly caused a thunderous noise, so loud that the eardrums of the people below the platform nearly split. After the collision, the swords flew back to the hands of their respective owners. Xiao Chen took a step back. Since his opponent’s strength was above his, a head-on battle would spell disastrous consequences for him…
Xu Hao narrowed his eyes. Naturally, he was able to understand the profoundness of the collision earlier. His opponent was merely borrowing the strength of his weapon and was not his rival whether it was in terms of pure power or swordsmanship. After pondering over this, Xu Hao tossed his sword high up into the sky and bellowed, “Heaven-executing Sword!” A massive sword of about ten Chinese feet made out of golden radiance abruptly appeared in midair.
In an instant, the clouds parted and the mist scattered. The clouds within ten miles of the platform were scattered by this force.
Qianye Li’s expression abruptly shifted. “Stop, Junior Brother!” What Xu Hao performed earlier was the most abstruse and ultimate meaning of the swordsmanship of Skygale Sect. How could Xu Hao use the swordsmanship when he was only in the initial stage of the Foundation Building Realm? Moreover, there were still restrictions on the Human World.
Though Xu Hao heard him, he chose to ignore him. He continued to perform seals and chant incantations. The great exhaustion of his energy had turned his face deathly pale. Due to his overexertion, his body was even starting to shudder.
With a deafening rumbling sound, the massive sword formed out of golden radiance in the midair abruptly cut down like it was cleaving heaven and earth. Even the disciples who were standing on the ground could feel the terrifying force concealed in the massive sword and their faces all paled. If this sword hit, the entire Three Pure Palace might end up getting destroyed! Was this the technique of the Cultivators’ sect of the Violet Manor…?
The expressions of the Elders changed as well. Was this the might of Skygale Sect, known to be the strongest sect? Even their mere disciple could fully unleash such a technique? There was no such talent in their Three Pure Sect.
In their opinion, even a cultivator in the Foundation Building Realm would find it difficult to withstand such a terrifying force, never mind Xiao Chen who was still in the Qi Refining Realm. Second Elder was about to fly over at once when Bai Ying stopped him, her eyes focused on Xiao Chen. “I believe in him.”
When the massive sword was only several tens of Chinese feet away from the ground amid the whistling gale, several of the large trees in the vicinity of the battle platform ruptured after failing to withstand this great force. Their branches and leaves flew wildly in the air.
The strong and ferocious sword power nearly caused Xiao Chen breathing difficulties. Suddenly, he leaped with his body emitting countless white rays of light and stood still in midair like he was an immortal. The Unsullied Sword swiftly spun around him and eventually transformed into sword radiance of seven different colors. Together, they pierced the sky.
“Dragon-beheading Art!” Following his roar, the seven sword radiance converged in a flash and turned into a Sword Qi made of white radiance that was nearly a hundred Chinese feet long. There was no one on the ground who was not shocked. They had never seen such a technique in their entire lives. What he had performed was the Dragon-beheading Art of the Mystic Cyan Swordplay, a technique designed to behead evil ancient dragons.
The eyes of the Elders were wide open. In fact, they were even trembling a little. That Sword Qi that spanned nearly a hundred Chinese feet long was actually even more powerful than Xu Hao’s Heaven-executing Sword. Since when did they have such a disciple under them?
When the sword cut down, it was like a sword that pierced through a halo. Its Qi was vast enough to shroud mountains and rivers. Even the battle platform started shaking. Qianye Li and Ouyang Yu’s expressions changed dramatically. Though they wanted to stop their companion, it was already too late.