Chapter 475: Encountering Ang Xiao Again!
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's words were not transmitted secretly but declared openly to the world, perfectly in line with her usual style.
In an instant, ripples of qi fluctuations spread across the four realms of the world.
[Earth on the Roof] and [Fire in the Furnace]?
What did this mean?
It was common knowledge that [True Lord of Rigid Form Preaching the Dao] had achieved [Gold in the Sand], supplemented it with [Earth on the Roof] and [Fire in the Furnace], combining these three elements to reach the late-stage Golden Core realm.
Yet now, True Lord Qingcheng Feixue spoke of it with such disdain, instantly prompting Golden Core True Lords across the world to wonder—was there an issue with this method? In recent years, [True Lord of Rigid Form Preaching the Dao] had indeed become reclusive...
"Silence!"
The most vehement reactions came from the two Sword Pavilion True Lords who cultivated [Earth on the Roof] and [Fire in the Furnace]. Both immediately issued stern rebukes.
Each True Lord had their own Dao title.
One was titled [True Lord of Frost-Covering Wind], the other [True Lord of Ascendant Light and Refined Radiance]. Simultaneously, they unleashed their techniques, and the heavens trembled with the piercing cries of swords!
"Hmph."
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue responded with utter disdain. Sword intent might be a formidable weapon at the Foundation Establishment level, but at her stage, it was nothing extraordinary.
Unless a [Sword Dao Fruit Position] emerged, granting sword intent the power of a fruit position and evolving it into something divine, it might warrant her attention. Otherwise, it was merely a common technique... What truly concerned her was the divine sense hidden within those sword cries—a presence deep within the Sword Pavilion that had locked onto her, gathering momentum.
'Attempting to kill me by force?'
An overwhelming sense of danger surged through her, yet True Lord Qingcheng Feixue showed no trace of panic. Instead, she grinned eagerly, as if craving the challenge.
"Come and try!"
Boom!
A torrent of [World-Cleansing Light] erupted, igniting like a sun in the sky, instantly drowning out the soaring sword cries.
"Madwoman! Lunatic!"
At this moment, every True Lord of the Sword Pavilion cursed inwardly. [True Lord of Bearing Heaven's True Virtue] even quietly used [Wall Soil] to make himself inconspicuous.
But then—
"Clang! Clang!"
Finally, a sword cry rang out from the depths of the Sword Pavilion. In an instant, the sea of consciousness of every True Lord involuntarily conjured the image of a sword.
It was a blade of pure gold, yet riddled with fine cracks.
[Sword intent]!
And a True Treasure refined from a worldly fruit position!
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue instinctively recognized its name: '[Heavenly Talisman Rigid Brilliance Spirit-Victory Qi Sword]... That old thing is serious!'
The sword intent imbued in its edge was called [Seize Victory]!
A sword intent no less formidable than True Person Dangmo's [Sword of No Killing Intent], amplified by the power of a late-stage Golden Core Great True Lord, unleashed unparalleled might!
Simultaneously, the [Gold in the Sand] fruit position blazed brightly in the heavens.
"Slash!"
A sword strike honed to perfection, accompanied by a clear shout, lashed out as if whipping the heavens themselves. In that moment, even the celestial light dimmed.
All else turned illusory.
The only thing visible between heaven and earth was that single sword strike emerging from the Sword Pavilion's depths—brilliant beyond measure, dazzling beyond compare, and swift beyond comprehension.
By the time you saw it, it had already struck you.
"Pfft!"
The blade pierced qi, the sword light penetrated flesh. The [World-Cleansing Light] unleashed by True Lord Qingcheng Feixue shattered like paper under its effortless slash.
The next moment, her graceful figure was cleaved at the waist. Boundless sword qi, fruit position imagery, and sword intent poured forth, intent on reducing her to dust. Yet what met them was a peal of laughter and a blinding explosion of crimson light!
She had detonated herself!
The erupting blood light merged with [World-Cleansing Light], pushing the imagery to its limits, forcing the sword light to retreat and erasing all traces of intent.
Immediately after, a soul plunged into the [Netherworld].
The next second, in the lands north of the river, a baby girl was born. Opening her eyes, she instantly reclaimed her fruit position, growing into adulthood—still bearing True Lord Qingcheng Feixue's visage!
"Hahaha!"
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue threw her head back in laughter, yet fine cracks spread across her delicate jade-like face, faint golden light seeping through.
A Great True Lord's sword strike—especially one charged with killing intent—was not something mere self-destruction could evade. Particularly that [Seize Victory Sword Intent], which lived up to its name: once struck, the victim would forever be inferior to the wielder in future encounters.
Its effect resembled a [Weaklings Mark].
Marked by the sword intent, the victim would find their divine abilities reduced to thirty percent effectiveness when facing the swordsman, ensuring inevitable defeat in conceptual clashes!
"But... this is all you get!"
Her smile turned icy. Though she had been slain once and branded with sword intent, her dongtian remained unharmed, and her combat power had not diminished in the slightest.
'Unlike me, you're in no condition to continue!'
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue straightened proudly, gazing toward the Sword Pavilion as if observing a wounded tiger—wary yet eager to test its limits.
'Forcing himself to unleash Great True Lord-level power must have worsened his condition. He conceals it well, likely using [Wall Soil] imagery to obscure his true state... Still, pushing him too far would be unwise. Moderation is key—cornering him completely would backfire.'
With this thought, she withdrew her divine abilities.
'My objective here is accomplished—Hong Yun's dongtian fragment has been destroyed... Hm? Did I forget something?'
True Lord Qingcheng Feixue froze abruptly.
Her beautiful eyes blinked, suspicion flickering in their depths... Yet no matter how hard she pondered, she found nothing amiss, as if it had all been her imagination.
Beneath Sweet Pear Tree Path, a faint glimmer buried itself deep underground, evading the [World-Cleansing Light] and hiding unnoticed under the True Lords' watchful gazes.
"Whew... close call."
Ang Xiao exhaled in relief.
He had seized the chaos of this battle to preserve this last sliver of his dongtian fragment using [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction], ensuring he wouldn't lose connection with the mortal world.
Then, stroking his chin, Ang Xiao nodded approvingly: "...Interesting. That shrew's cultivation depth exceeds my expectations—she actually saw through the Sword Pavilion old fossil's weakness. Fortunately, she hasn't detected me, or this would've become far more troublesome."
Before his grand scheme bore fruit, exposure was unacceptable.
Glancing once more toward the Sword Pavilion, he scoffed: "[Gold in the Sand]... Hmph! Reaching late-stage with such shallow comprehension—he's lucky to be alive!"
What True Lord Qingcheng Feixue discerned, he naturally saw as well.
Why was [True Lord of Rigid Form Preaching the Dao] in poor condition, unable to act? Because he had used [Fire in the Furnace] and [Earth on the Roof] to break through to late-stage Golden Core!
'[Gold in the Sand] harmonizes well with [Fire in the Furnace].'
'But the problem lies in [Earth on the Roof] being countered by [Fire in the Furnace]—their clash is disastrous! Seeking late-stage this way was bound to leave flaws!'
Ultimately, it came down to insufficient cultivation depth.
He recognized the compatibility between [Gold in the Sand] and [Fire in the Furnace] but overlooked how [Earth on the Roof] was suppressed by [Fire in the Furnace], resulting in this blunder.
That he reached late-stage at all was likely due to some Ultimate Treasure.
Yet that was his limit—not only did it leave severe hidden dangers, but his Dao path became obstructed, confining him to the Sword Pavilion in near-seclusion.
"Still no match for me!"
Ang Xiao smiled proudly. Reversing [Chen Earth] to achieve Five Elements perfection, attaining the Supreme Fruit Position to reach late-stage Golden Core—this was his life's proudest accomplishment.
Who among the world's heroes could rival him?
None deserved mention...
The next moment, a large hand firmly grasped the dongtian fragment Ang Xiao had preserved with [Knowledge-Perception Obstruction].
Lü Yang sighed admiringly: "As expected of Senior Ang Xiao—you really had one."