Chapter 1736
Chapter 1736 (Raw 1746): Only So-So
By using the body as a cauldron, a powerful technique was reborn.
The Sharp Spirit Finger gained a new application, turning from primarily offensive to primarily defensive.
Furthermore, it even made use of the new dragon veins. After two months of closed-door cultivation, Xiao Chen gained a lot.
Xiao Chen looked at everything before him and revealed a smile. "However, the aura it releases is excessive, and it wastes quite a lot of Veritable Essence Energy and Vital Qi. I have to improve my usage of it; otherwise, I won't be able to use it regularly."
He was extremely satisfied with the new Sharp Spirit Finger. Such a powerful technique would help him deal with strong enemies in the future.
After another month of closed-door cultivation refining the new Sharp Spirit Finger, Xiao Chen finally emerged from the dilapidated courtyard.
Then, he started asking around for information on the Dragon Flame Ancient Land.
Before entering closed-door cultivation, he had already made up his mind and set the Dragon Flame Ancient Land as his next destination.
Xiao Chen had gone into closed-door cultivation mostly to ready himself for the Dragon Flame Ancient Land.
He did not know what kind of dangers would be there. Hence, he strengthened himself in advance, making some preparations. Without a doubt, preparedness averted peril.
There were a lot of information brokers in the city. The Dragon Flame Ancient Land was not a secret forbidden land, either. After spending some Spirit Jades, he quickly found the information he wanted.
Before even finishing reading the information, Xiao Chen set out for the Dragon Flame Ancient Land.
Along the way, he detected some weak auras focused on him, dogging him.
These auras were well hidden. However, Xiao Chen's Spiritual Sense was very sharp and managed to detect their traces.
Strange. Three months already passed. Hasn't Feng Chen's group of people given up yet?
Perhaps I caused too huge a commotion when I cultivated the Divine Dragon Body Tempering Art and attracted the attention of some experts?
Regardless of which it was, Xiao Chen kept an eye out.
His expression did not change as he continued out of the city, following the information about the Dragon Flame Ancient Land.
After leaving the city gates, he casually waved his hand, and the Cycle Throne's mutated flood dragon transformed into a tall, black dragon horse.
Xiao Chen urged on the black dragon horse, which moved swiftly, kicking up clouds of dust behind.
After traveling for one hour, Xiao Chen suddenly stopped. A group of people blocked his way.
The leader of this group was the Heavenly Profound Gate's Feng Chen. However, Xiao Chen did not see the other two. Even so, disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect and the Thunderflame Castle were present behind Feng Chen as well.
"Xiao Chen, we took turns guarding the place and waited for you for three months. Had you remained for a few more days, this young master really would not have the time to continue wasting on you. Unfortunately, of all the times, you chose to come out now."
Feng Chen looked at Xiao Chen with a murderous intent so thick that it seemed tangible. His hatred practically spewed out like fire.
He wished that he could immediately kill Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen demanded coldly, "After being defeated, are you here to commit suicide?" He swept his gaze through the place and dismounted.
"Humph! Even if you are extremely capable, you will be settling accounts here today."
"Clang!"
Feng Chen drew the sword in his hand, and a spot of cold light exploded from the tip of the sword. The cold light looked piercing and dazzling, covering the ground in front and freezing it for three hundred meters around.
The sword strike arrived swiftly and was ruthless. Feng Chen was decisive and did not use any flashy moves.
He relied on his cultivation and his comprehension of the Sword Dao, as well as his will of ice, to thrust his sword over.
The timing that Feng Chen chose was when Xiao Chen just dismounted from his horse. It had to be said that his judgment was spot-on.
The cold Qi mixed with sword intent turned into a seemingly solid wind. As it blew over, it caused Xiao Chen's long hair to flutter.
As the sword wind ruffled Xiao Chen's long hair, frost covered the strands, turning them white as they fluttered wildly backward.
"Whoosh!"
However, suddenly, it seemed like the wind stopped. Xiao Chen's long hair froze in place.
It looked like time seized up and space turned solid. Xiao Chen stretched out two fingers and gently clamped the sword in Feng Chen's hand between them.
Xiao Chen gently caught the extremely fast sword strike, holding it motionless.
No matter how much force Feng Chen used, he could not advance any further. Even after using all the Veritable Essence Energy in his body, he could not pull his sword out.
Shock bloomed on Feng Chen's face. Horror spread in his heart as he flustered.
Damn it! How could it be like this?
My sword strike is fast and ruthless. Although I did not use a Martial Technique, not just anyone can catch it with two fingers, right?
Could it be that Xiao Chen already has the strength of a Star Venerate?
Only a Cloud Sea Star Venerate could so easily catch a sword strike from me. This is impossible.
"Crack!"
The state of turning the body into a cauldron, supporting the heavens with the head and the earth with the feet, scattered. Xiao Chen gently twisted the two fingers that he held together.
The Veritable Essence Energy and the Vital Qi used for the Sharp Spirit Finger oscillated together with the sword tip.
The sword in Feng Chen's grasp quickly vibrated and directly fell out of his hand.
The energy spread, and Feng Chen's entire body vibrated as he was heavily knocked back. He felt like his bones were about to fall apart.
Only at this moment did Xiao Chen's clothes and hair start moving with the wind again.
The frost on Xiao Chen's fine, black hair fell off like snow. As he stood there, he looked handsome and elegant.
"Feng Chen, your skills are truly regressing. You are not even able to block two fingers from me," Xiao Chen mocked coldly as he saw Feng Chen collapse to the ground.
"Senior Brother!"
The disciples behind quickly rushed over and helped Feng Chen up. As they looked at Xiao Chen, horror filled their eyes.
Xiao Chen looked around and said indifferently, "Old Senior, are you not coming out yet? Or are you waiting to collect a corpse?!"
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
A figure flashed in the distance, then appeared on top of a nearby tree. With another flash, this figure landed in front of Xiao Chen.
"Martial Uncle, you have to kill him!" Feng Chen immediately shouted upon seeing this person.
Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes at this person. It turned out to be a Cloud Sea Star Venerate.
Feng Chen managed to bring out a senior of the sect; no wonder he dared to block Xiao Chen alone.
After verifying that this was just a Star Venerate, Xiao Chen relaxed. Matters were not as serious as he feared.
Right now, Xiao Chen was no longer the Xiao Chen who just entered the blessed land, helpless before a Star Venerate.
Furthermore, this white-haired old man before Xiao Chen was much weaker than that Black Lotus Church Protector.
This white-haired old man was only an early-stage Star Venerate.
The white-haired old man looked at Xiao Chen and said indifferently, "Hand over the Dao Tool in your hand, and you may leave."
Xiao Chen smiled faintly and said, "I was wondering what could draw you to attack me. It turned out that you are interested in the Dao Tool I hold. However, you alone are not enough."
The white-haired old man laughed instead of getting angry. "Don't think that I cannot see through your earlier trick. There is no need to act mysterious before a Star Venerate. You can flaunt your might before a junior with some tricks. However, those are insufficient before an old man. Obediently hand over the Dao Tool!"
Clearly, the old man was referring to the matter of Xiao Chen clamping down on Feng Chen's sword with two fingers using the Sharp Spirit Finger.
Xiao Chen revealed a meaningful smile as he said indifferently, "If you want it, here you go."
He swung his hand, and the Moon Seeking Saber—the renamed Tyrant Saber—flew towards the white-haired old man.
No one expected such a scene. The Dao Tool attracted everyone's attention.
This included the white-haired old man's.
Divine Lightning Eye!
Xiao Chen instantly executed the Divine Lightning Eye's fourth layer. Immediately, six thunder clouds appeared in the sky, each containing a bolt of tribulation lightning.
Six purple-colored flowers quickly spun around and merged in Xiao Chen's right eye.
At the same time, the tribulation clouds also merged. However, their target was not the white-haired old man but Feng Chen.
By the time the white-haired old man discovered this, it was already too late. The thick tribulation lightning lashed down and landed on Feng Chen.
Electric light flashed, and a 'boom' roared out. The nearby cultivators got blasted back, their bodies mangled.
When the white-haired old man, who caught the Tyrant Saber in the air, turned his head back, he happened to see this scene.
Startled, the white-haired old man cried out, "Martial Nephew!"
Who could have thought that Xiao Chen would use such a mighty killing move on Feng Chen instead of the white-haired old man?
The dust scattered, and a weakened Feng Chen appeared. The protective treasure that his sect had given him saved his life at the crucial moment.
Hence, Feng Chen was only severely injured and had not died on the spot.
The white-haired old man calmed down, and his gaze chilled as he turned to glare at Xiao Chen with murderous intent.
However, the white-haired old man only saw an afterimage burning with purple light. When he turned his head back to the front, he discovered that Xiao Chen had used the instant he turned his head to arrive before Feng Chen.
Then, Xiao Chen caught hold of Feng Chen and gently lifted him.
The white-haired old man felt a burst of irritation. This Xiao Chen actually fooled him too badly. His expression immediately turned scarily sullen.
"Junior, let go of him right now. Otherwise, the Heavenly Profound Gate will make sure that you die a death wherein your body can't be buried!"
[TL Note: Burial or the last rites are very important to the Chinese. They believe that if one does not get buried or go through the proper last rites, they are doomed to wander the world, unable to move on to the next life, and turn into malicious spirits.]
Xiao Chen grabbed Feng Chen's neck as his Veritable Essence Energy restricted Feng Chen's meridians. Then, he looked at the white-haired old man as he tightened his right hand's grip, saying coldly, "Interesting. To think that you still dare to threaten me."
"Martial Uncle, save me. I don't want to die!"
Despite managing to cling to life after experiencing the tribulation lightning, Feng Chen had fallen into Xiao Chen's hands soon after. With death looming over him, he was already frightened out of his wits.
Aside from wanting to live, he did not have any other thoughts.
The white-haired old man felt stifled on hearing that. Most of his anger immediately dissipated. As he looked at the Dao Tool in his hand, he sighed and said softly, "Truly, the younger generations will surpass us in time. This old man admits that I underestimated you. Release him, and I can swear to let you go. Also, I will return the Dao Tool."
"It's too late," Xiao Chen replied coldly. Then, the Veritable Essence Energy that infiltrated into Feng Chen's body exploded.
From the inside out, Feng Chen's entire body exploded, bursting into pieces before the white-haired old man, as dead as he could be.
Xiao Chen had never been some kindhearted gentleman. After suffering repeated attacks, how could he be soft?
From the moment Feng Chen reappeared before Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen already intended to kill him; this person had to die.
"You!"
This bloody scene before the white-haired old man angered him into trembling.
The white-haired old man was a Star Venerate, yet a junior killed his martial nephew before his eyes.
Furthermore, this was under circumstances where the white-haired old man was willing to compromise. Despite that, Xiao Chen mercilessly and decisively killed Feng Chen.
Had the white-haired old man not gotten greedy for the Dao Tool, how could Xiao Chen have had the chance to do this?
However, upon reaching this thought, the white-haired old man thought further. If this junior planned all this out, then he is too scary.
He perfectly planned every step, already figuring out how to kill Feng Chen from the start.
"How bold. Your Dao Tool is in my hands. Let's see how you are going to get out of this today!"
The white-haired old man spread out all his aura, incensed. He wanted to use his Star Venerate cultivation to directly subdue the Tyrant Saber and forcibly draw it.
However, the white-haired old man was shocked to discover that he could not budge the Tyrant Saber at all.
That's not right. Even if this is a Superior Grade Dao Tool, with my Star Venerate strength, I should be able to suppress it. Why can I not draw this saber?
Xiao Chen revealed a mocking smile as he leaped into the air. Then, he stretched out his hand and beckoned. The Tyrant Saber unsheathed and flew into Xiao Chen's grasp.
"Breaking the Mundane!"
While the white-haired old man was still feeling uncertain, Xiao Chen instantly executed Breaking the Mundane.
The Buddhist swastika appeared on Xiao Chen's forehead. When the old man looked up, he was already within a certain memory deep within his heart.
By the time the old man startled to his senses, the three-kilometer-long saber light was already right before him.
"Crack!"
The white-haired old man tried to block with all his might. However, this saber strike still managed to break several of his ribs.
The white-haired old man vomited a mouthful of blood as he flew back. The scabbard fell out of his hand.
Xiao Chen extended his free hand and beckoned again, retrieving the scabbard. Then, with a flash, he sheathed the saber.
As Xiao Chen looked at the white-haired old man, who had regained his footing, he said indifferently, "The so-called Star Venerate is only so-so."
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