Chapter 186
Chapter 186
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: Unknown
Chapter Title: Clash on the Star Palace Sea
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Amidst the Star Palace Sea, sword qi soared into the heavens, sweeping the jade firmament clear. It drew away the clouds for a thousand li, blending sea and sky into a single hue—a scene of flawless natural beauty, truly magnificent.
"Too bad someone has to ruin the view."
Lu Yang let out a sigh, then turned toward the sword-browed youth glaring daggers at him from straight ahead.
"Fellow Daoist, you've chased me the whole way. Might I ask your name?"
"Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, [Heavenly Punishment]!"
Ye Xingfeng made no attempt to hide it—or rather, the sword cultivators of Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion never deigned to conceal their origins. They took pride in their identity.
After all, even against the Primal Saint Sect, the Sword Pavilion could hold its own!
In every righteous-demonic war, the Dao Court and Pure Lands played it safe as fence-sitters. Only the Sword Pavilion charged ahead relentlessly, clashing head-on with the Saint Sect in battles of life and death.
The blood feud between them went without saying.
Seeing this, Lu Yang could only sigh.
"I'm merely a century into Foundation Establishment. I've never killed anyone from the Sword Pavilion. No grudge between us, right?"
Ye Xingfeng shook his head.
"No grudge, but there is karma. You obtained the Witch-Ghost Path inheritance and joined the Northern River Demon Sect to wreak havoc—that's the evil cause. Today, I come to slay you—that's the evil fruit. This is your own doing, for failing to accumulate merit. You deserve this tribulation."
".As expected of the Sword Pavilion."
Lu Yang recalled the Yun Miaozhen he'd once seen and wasn't surprised. After all, she was already mad at Qi Refining; a Perfected Being being even more extreme was only natural.
"Utterly shameless!"
Behind Lu Yang, Ancestor Tingyou trembled with rage. He remembered those words from a thousand years ago, when that Golden Core True Lord had wiped out the Witch-Ghost Path with a single sword.
[You hail from the demonic path yet cling to barren soil like a wall—that's the evil cause. Today I slay you to purge demons and guard the Dao—that's the righteous fruit. In consideration of your hard cultivation, having attained this righteous fruit, you now share a karmic bond with my Sword Pavilion. In your next life, reborn as a true human, I shall ferry you into the Sword Pavilion to cultivate.]
The meaning was simple:
Though I slaughtered your entire family, it's for your own good. Though your family is wiped out, you've gained an opportunity. In your next life, you can join my Sword Pavilion.
Was that even human speech?
The thought of being reborn in the future, unable to unravel the fetal enigma due to weakness, then muddleheaded joining the Sword Pavilion—treating the enemy who exterminated his sect as kin—
Ancestor Tingyou burned with mad hatred!
If not for that, why would he reincarnate only within secret realms, clinging to survival? He'd rather his soul scatter than become a Sword Pavilion disciple!
Killing intent surged in Ancestor Tingyou's heart, but in the end, he calmed himself and turned to Lu Yang.
"This man cultivates the Supreme Taiyi Heavenly Gang Sword Baleful Aura and has forged a [Supreme Taiyi True Gold Dao Foundation]. He's likely already refined an innate divine ability. His cultivation surpasses yours by a level."
"Moreover, sword cultivators excel at combat. Best to avoid his edge for now."
Ancestor Tingyou's tone was calm. Lu Yang was now the sole hope of the Witch-Ghost Path. Compared to him, personal vendettas meant nothing.
But the next moment—
"Ridiculous. Me, avoid his edge?"
Lu Yang gripped the Avici Sword, sneering.
"Today, the one who should avoid the edge is him!"
Whoosh—!
Before the words finished, Lu Yang sacrificed the Avici Sword from his hand. Crimson sword light slashed straight toward Ye Xingfeng—a strike long held in reserve. One sword emerged, parting the four seas!
"Well come!"
Ye Xingfeng was overjoyed rather than startled. He sacrificed a sword pellet that devoured spiritual energy, spinning it with a clatter. It split into over a hundred fierce sword qi.
These sword qi spread out like a peacock fanning its tail, or mercury spilling across the ground, blanketing the crimson sword light of the Avici Sword. Each trajectory was like an antelope hanging its horns—traceless yet flawlessly precise, striking exactly at the weak points of the crimson sword light.
Crack!
In no time, the crimson sword light Lu Yang had charged was shredded by the sky-full of sword qi. The sword qi then gathered, reforming into the sword pellet.
This was Ye Xingfeng's lifebound flying sword.
Among the Jade Pivot Sword Pavilion, True Lord direct bloodline scions like him typically refined a lifebound flying sword from countless treasures starting at Qi Refining. To that end, the Sword Pavilion even devised a secret art: fusing the lifebound flying sword into one's Dao foundation at Foundation Establishment. It boosted success odds by ten percent, and afterward, it could be wielded as a divine ability—the higher the quality, the greater the power.
Take Ye Xingfeng's [Star River Sword Pellet], for example.
Crafted from [Heavenly River Star Sand] and five metals, it even incorporated a strand of [Upper Chapter] Geng Metal Qi fetched by a True Lord.
Even among superior spirit treasures, it was top-tier!
It contained fully three marvels: [Barrier-Breaking], [Thought-Cleansing], [Spirit-Slaying]. All were pure killing marvels without exception.
[Barrier-Breaking] shattered defenses, [Thought-Cleansing] severed divine sense and soul, [Spirit-Slaying] extinguished spirit energy-based divine abilities and spells. Layered together and unleashed via sword intent, at peak it became the "one sword breaks myriad laws" that countless sword cultivators coveted!
Boom rumble!
In an instant, Ye Xingfeng merged with his sword pellet, slashing out. Sword qi thundered like thunderous tones wherever it passed. In a blink, it reached Lu Yang!
The unparalleled sharpness forced even Lu Yang to narrow his eyes.
On that sword edge, spiritual light flickered faintly—a mere unremarkable white dot. But truly seeing it drew one inexorably in.
Sword intent locked; no escape!
A lion fights a rabbit with full force, let alone Ye Xingfeng, a Golden Core direct disciple? This slash even synced all his divine abilities!
Lifebound divine ability: [Ten Directions Supreme Taiyi Divine Edge]!
Innate divine ability: [Lord of Arms and Armor]!
In that moment, the Heaven-Scrutinizing Instrument at Lu Yang's brow whirred, law eyes opening. In a flash of insight, he took in every divine ability Ye Xingfeng unleashed.
The surging sword intent even pricked pain at his brow.
The foe's divine abilities differed utterly from his own.
[Ten Directions Supreme Taiyi Divine Edge] likewise held four marvels, each simple to the extreme: all-around amplification, bolstering his sword pellet!
As for the innate divine ability [Lord of Arms and Armor], it too amplified treasure power. Combined, it piled his stats to absurd heights!
Facts proved stacking stats worked.
Wu Cang failed only because he was weak, stats too low. Ye Xingfeng's sword, however—be it divine abilities or karma—could cleave through with one stroke!
No mechanics, pure stats.
Under such stat buffs, he needed no fancy moves. Draw sword, slash—that was invincible, sweeping all before it!
"So strong. Too strong."
Lu Yang sighed in admiration, then hurled out [Mountain-Embracing].
The next second, boundless dark light brushed down onto Ye Xingfeng's unparalleled sword qi, sealing the [Spirit-Slaying] marvel specialized for extinguishing divine abilities.
Though under Ye Xingfeng's buffs that marvel rivaled a divine ability—capable of cleaving even lifebound and innate ones—[Mountain-Embracing] had illusory and real dual phases. Now in illusory form, the sword qi couldn't touch it, helpless as it pressed down.
Boom!
In a flash, Ye Xingfeng's aura plummeted, sword light dimming sharply. Still peerlessly sharp, yet bereft of one-sword-breaks-myriad-laws might.
Almost simultaneously, brilliant radiance coalesced at Lu Yang's fingertip once more.
[Fixing Closeness and Distance]!
"Farewell."
Before Ye Xingfeng could react, his vision spun wildly. When he finally stabilized, where was Lu Yang's figure?
Already ten thousand li apart.