novelraw Chapter 52 – Golden Sword Qi
Chapter 52 – Golden Sword Qi
"Miss Lu is here too!"
Lu Mengyao, dressed in a blue gown, appeared near the Life-and-Death Battle Platform, causing a stir among the crowd.
Over the past half month, this Miss Lu had been seen frequently with Luo Xiu, a fact well-known among the Outer Sect.
She was once the most dazzling Proud Daughter of Heaven in the Free Spirit Outer Sect, reaching the Qi Sea Realm at ten and the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm at eighteen. Her cultivation talent was unmatched!
Just when everyone thought she was about to break through to the Innate Realm and become an Inner Sect disciple, she suddenly disappeared for several years.
Four years later, she returned, her cultivation not only stagnated but regressed, now only at the fifth layer of the Qi Sea Realm.
However, Lu Mengyao's special status in the Outer Sect was unaffected by her cultivation level. Her popularity was unmatched, even by the top experts.
Her delicate brows furrowed as she glanced at Zhang Lüliang, who was overseeing the battle from the pavilion. Her keen intuition told her that Lin Jingyun and Luo Xiu's life-and-death duel was likely instigated by this old fellow.
However, Zhang Lüliang had the backing of an Inner Sect Elder, and even her father, Lu Feichen, had to be wary of the Elder's influence.
Meanwhile, she noticed Luo Xiu on the platform, his True Qi only half-recovered, which would undoubtedly affect his performance.
Although Luo Xiu claimed he could slay someone at the seventh layer of the Qi Sea Realm, the current situation seemed unfavorable for him.
As Zhang Lüliang announced the start of the life-and-death duel, Lin Jingyun moved instantly.
In a life-and-death duel, there was no fairness or courtesy.
At this moment, Luo Xiu was sitting cross-legged, refining medicinal power to restore his cultivation, making it the perfect time to strike.
"Prepare to die!"
Lin Jingyun's figure burst forth, his white robe transforming into a white phantom on the battle platform, moving like a drifting cloud.
Fifth-grade martial arts, Flowing Cloud Movement Technique!
Clang!
As his figure moved, his Battle Sword was unsheathed, the sword's hum resonating, True Qi light radiating, the sword like a streak of light, slashing towards Luo Xiu's head.
Lin Jingyun's speed was swift, his timing impeccable, making it difficult for the cross-legged Luo Xiu to dodge.
Many in the audience below had their pupils constrict. Luo Xiu had just achieved the 130th rank in the Flying Dragon Tower, could he be killed in one strike like this?
However, Luo Xiu on the battle platform remained motionless, seemingly unaware of the lethal sword light slashing towards him.
"Luo Xiu!" Lu Mengyao's jade hands clenched tightly, more anxious than anyone present.
A sinister smile appeared on Lin Jingyun's lips, and with a swish, the sword's edge sliced through, severing Luo Xiu's body in two.
The crowd erupted in shock!
"Something's wrong! There's no blood, it's an afterimage!" Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed.
Lin Jingyun's sinister smile froze instantly. No one knew better than him that his Battle Sword hadn't felt any resistance, he hadn't struck Luo Xiu at all.
"What kind of movement technique is this? He clearly didn't move, how could he leave an afterimage, where did his real body go?"
Lin Jingyun's expression changed, suddenly sensing a fierce gust of wind attacking from behind.
He turned abruptly, just in time to see Luo Xiu's fist coming straight for his forehead.
Luo Xiu's punch was enveloped in black True Qi light, a chilling aura spreading.
This punch, Luo Xiu held nothing back, containing the power of death from the Life and Death Extremes, capable of directly damaging the opponent's Vital Meridians. If it hit, Lin Jingyun would be half-dead.
Lin Jingyun, having cultivated to the seventh layer of the Qi Sea Realm through numerous life-and-death trials, also sensed the dangerous aura from Luo Xiu's fist.
He pushed the Flowing Cloud Movement Technique to its limits, his figure rapidly retreating, tilting his head just in time to narrowly avoid Luo Xiu's punch.
Having mastered the Swift Sword Art's power techniques, Luo Xiu's punching speed was incredibly fast.
Although Lin Jingyun instinctively dodged the punch, the gust of wind from the punch scraped across his face.
"Ah!"
The crowd below heard Lin Jingyun let out a scream, seeing his left cheek a bloody mess, blood splattering.
"This..." The excruciating pain on his face left Lin Jingyun in agony, but he couldn't understand how the gust from Luo Xiu's punch could injure him.
A Qi Sea Realm Martial Artist could protect themselves with True Qi, and he was at the seventh layer of the Qi Sea Realm. To be injured by a mere gust of True Qi wind, it would take someone at the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm.
Even a peak ninth-layer expert would have to have their protective True Qi shattered by a powerful gust to be injured, yet the gust from Luo Xiu's punch bypassed his protective True Qi entirely, injuring him directly.
The exchange between the two was lightning-fast, leaving the crowd below stunned.
First, Luo Xiu left an afterimage, appearing ghost-like behind Lin Jingyun, delivering a punch whose gust left Lin Jingyun's face a bloody mess!
Among the spectators, there were top Outer Sect disciples ranked around the hundredth place, even they couldn't comprehend how Luo Xiu did it, rubbing their eyes, thinking they might have seen wrong.
"What movement technique did Luo Xiu just use? He left an afterimage and appeared directly behind Lin Jingyun?"
"Lin Jingyun clearly dodged that punch, yet was injured by the True Qi wind. Is Luo Xiu's True Qi comparable to the peak of the ninth layer of the Qi Sea Realm?"
"He's only at the third layer of the Qi Sea Realm..."
Many felt a chill in their hearts, possessing such terrifying strength at the third layer of the Qi Sea Realm was simply monstrous!
"That little brat's black True Qi just now was peculiar!"
In the pavilion, Zhang Lüliang frowned, his face showing a serious expression.
Though he couldn't discern Luo Xiu's ability to damage Vital Meridians, as a Martial Master at the ninth layer of the Innate Realm, he sensed the unusual nature of Luo Xiu's death power.
Without reaching the Spirit Refining Realm, one couldn't use soul perception as mental power to probe, so Zhang Lüliang only sensed something odd, unable to pinpoint what was special.
At this moment, on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform, Lin Jingyun's face was covered in blood, his eyes on Luo Xiu filled with fierce killing intent, and a hint of... fear!
Luo Xiu's punch had made him feel the threat of death. If it had been the punch or his Battle Sword that struck him, he would have been dead for sure.
Luo Xiu now exuded an unfathomable mystery, and people feared and revered the unknown, causing Lin Jingyun's confidence to waver.
Gritting his teeth, Lin Jingyun's eyes turned red, "It seems I have to use the Formation Treasure given by Steward Zhang."
Flipping his palm, a golden orb appeared in his hand, covered in intricate patterns and runes.
"Luo Xiu, die!"
Lin Jingyun shouted fiercely, his face twisted, frantically infusing True Qi into the golden orb, dazzling golden light radiating from it, each beam like sword energy, slicing through the air with a hissing sound.
"It's a Formation Treasure!"
"Containing metal attribute power, a third-tier Formation Treasure!"
The spectators' eyes widened, as elemental attributes were powers only Innate Martial Masters could wield.
With a third-tier Formation Treasure, Lin Jingyun could unleash attacks comparable to those of an Innate Martial Master.
To the crowd, Luo Xiu's strength was formidable, but the gap between Innate and Qi Sea was an insurmountable chasm.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!..."
The sound of air being cut echoed as three golden sword energies slashed towards Luo Xiu, each about three meters long.
Luo Xiu's first instinct was to dodge, but the three sword energies sealed off the surrounding space completely, unless he jumped off the battle platform, there was no way to avoid them.
According to the rules of a life-and-death duel, falling off the platform meant defeat, and life or death would be decided by the victor.
"Ten-Directional Phantom!"
Luo Xiu's figure blurred, instantly flashing seven afterimages.
"So many afterimages, what kind of movement technique is this?"
"There's no such movement technique in the first layer of the Free Spirit Pavilion, he must have learned it elsewhere."
Luo Xiu's display of seven afterimages amazed the crowd, but the three golden sword energies were comparable to an Innate Martial Master's attack, could Luo Xiu really dodge them?
The golden sword energies were incredibly fast, and on the Life-and-Death Battle Platform, there were eight Luo Xius, seven afterimages, and one real body.
"Boom!"
The first golden sword energy struck, creating a massive crater on the platform, dust flying everywhere.
Six of Luo Xiu's afterimages were affected, all collapsing and vanishing.
"Slash!"
Lin Jingyun shouted, the remaining two sword energies slashing towards the two remaining Luo Xius, one of which had to be the real body.
"Boom!"
Another explosion, the last afterimage shattered, and in Luo Xiu's eyes, the third golden sword energy was rapidly approaching, he had no chance to dodge with his movement technique.
At this moment, everyone held their breath, afraid to miss any subtle detail. The golden sword energy was comparable to an Innate Martial Master's attack, could Luo Xiu withstand it?
"Flash Sword!"
The Shadow Sword was unsheathed, the Heaven's Life and Death Cycle in his Dantian spinning rapidly, Life and Death Extremes Qi surging into the sword.
"Boom!"
With no way to avoid it, Luo Xiu's sword collided with the golden sword energy.
In an instant, Luo Xiu felt as if struck by lightning, his body and sword sent flying, the terrifying power of the golden sword energy cracking his skin, as if his entire body was about to shatter.
The golden sword energy, having severely injured Luo Xiu, dimmed slightly but continued its trajectory, still aiming to strike Luo Xiu.
"Life-Reaping Sword!"
The Shadow Sword in his hand thrust out again, the black death power spreading.
In this collision, the indestructible, unmatched golden sword energy finally shattered, but Luo Xiu's clothes were reduced to tatters, his body covered in blood, his skin without a single intact spot.
Clang!
He half-knelt on the ground, using the Shadow Sword to support himself, just at the edge of the battle platform, barely avoiding falling off.
A fierce energy roamed within him, Luo Xiu couldn't help but cough up blood.
The golden sword energy was indeed comparable to an Innate Martial Master's attack, the strength of the energy it contained far surpassed the Qi Sea Realm. Luo Xiu was invaded by a wisp of energy, suffering significant internal injuries to his meridians and internal organs.
The Life-and-Death Battle Platform was devastated, the three craters a testament to the power of the three golden sword energies.
Opposite Luo Xiu, Lin Jingyun, though pale, was in a much better state.
A third-tier Formation Treasure typically required an Innate Martial Master's cultivation to activate, Lin Jingyun, using it with his seventh layer Qi Sea Realm cultivation, had nearly exhausted his True Qi.
Seeing Luo Xiu's battered state, Lin Jingyun finally breathed a sigh of relief, yet also felt a tinge of fear, those three sword energies were comparable to an Innate Martial Master's attack, and yet Luo Xiu survived?
"But it doesn't matter if you're not dead, you're already at your limit, destined to die by my hand!"
Lin Jingyun knew he had to kill Luo Xiu, or else if he allowed him to grow, it would be his own death.
He raised his sword, stepping towards the blood-soaked Luo Xiu.