Two moves!
That was all Sword Divine had needed to knock Lu Yun down. While the cultivators and immortals in Destiny City couldn’t see his existence, the sword light was visible to the naked eye.
“Sure enough, there’s always someone better than you. Sidekick is formidable, but there’s still someone above him!” the Dragon Lord lamented in the Untroubled Sea’s camp.
“I need to increase the speed of my cultivation after going home!” The Dragon Lord was one of the cultivators baptized by the Dao Flower, one who’d created his own void realm methods.
But up until now, the most anyone in the world possessed were void realm methods; no one had a void realm combat art! In other words, the void realm cultivators were still using spirit realm combat arts. As a result, they were still far from capable of exhibiting the genuine strength of a true void realm cultivator.
But this time, upon exiting the Sovereign Arena, many cultivators were delighted to discover void realm methods and combat arts among their rewards. The emergence of void realm combat arts meant the battle strength of void realm cultivators would instantly increase many times over.
Geniuses who could withstand golden immortals in the perceived void realm would now be able to overwhelm those same immortals. More importantly, these void realm combat arts were just a foundation.
After ascending to immortality, a cultivator’s previous combat arts would no longer suit them. One had to start afresh with new immortal arts, arts that could be built upon the very base of these void realm combat arts.
“Once I refine these combat arts, I might not be any weaker than this Sidekick!” The Dragon Lord looked at Lu Yun and gnashed his teeth. Instead of fighting face-to-face, Lu Yun had used shamanic arts to overpower him in one surprise move. For the Dragon Lord, and others like him, this was an impossible pill to swallow.
“That being said, I need to go to Dusk Province after I’m done here. The previous title of the First Youth Sovereign in the world is already a thing of the past.”
……
“Man!” Inside the arena, Lu Yun couldn’t help but sigh ruefully when Sword Divine refused to reveal his identity. At the same time, he shifted to the side and dodged his opponent’s fatal strike while struggling back to his feet at the same time.
Sword Divine gazed back at him with cold, hawkish eyes.
“Struggles of a dying beast. Your death is imminent,” he sniffed coldly before continuing his assault.
Slash after slash, each move of his sword contained the essence of dao. They seemed extremely crude, cruder even than a mountain woodcutter chopping firewood with his axe, yet each locked on to Lu Yun with an irresistible momentum.
Lu Yun’s expression was grave. His left arm was all he had left, having lost the use of the other one; all the bones inside were broken. Nevertheless, he pointed with his left hand and sent out a full ten sword atlases from his figure, each containing one thousand and eighty immortal swords. The glints of sword light intersecting with each other, they formed numerous sword formations that worked relentlessly to counter the terrifying might of the great dao.
……
Meanwhile, Qing Han was also caught in the throes of a bitter struggle. Zi Chen, Mo Qitian, and the thirty-six other returned void powerhouses attacked her in a concerted battle that was even more intense than the confrontation between Lu Yun and Sword Divine.
But even though she was facing thirty-eight opponents all by herself, Qing Han wasn’t panicked in the slightest.
“Sidekick is already so powerful, and this Qing Yu… Just where did they come from?!”
“It looks like they really aren’t Qing Han and Lu Yun! They use completely different combat arts!” The watching Qing immortals had taken note of this difference. In fact, there were quite a lot of differences between Qing Yu’s subconscious movements and mannerisms versus the Qing Han they all knew.
As for Lu Yun, despite Sword Divine forcing him to fight at full strength, his famed sword arts of Vast Dragon Seaturner, Peng of Kun, and Starstream Sword were nowhere to be seen. Even the sword intent emanating from him was different. Rather than his former sword ocean, it was a sword intent mingled with the stars—vast, boundless, and as deep and immeasurable as the seas, but even more formidable.
As all of the Sovereign Arena shook, some of the cultivators inside fell to shockwaves born from the chaotic fighting and ended up being eliminated.
Swoosh!
Just when things were about to take a dire turn for all onlookers, an illusory stalk of jade-green bamboo shot up from the center of the arena and shed bamboo leaves that quelled the dreadful shockwaves.
It was a young girl not yet fifteen with bright eyes and charming features. Jet-black locks flowed down over an emerald-green chiffon robe, and her figure glowed misty green. An incorporeal bamboo stalk stood behind her, the same stalk that protected the arena. This wasn’t a genuine treasure, but the result of the young girl’s combat art… a void realm art!
Quite a few cultivators inside the arena sighed softly in relief and looked at her in gratitude, but she paid them no heed. Her attention was solely focused on the figure of the young man fighting an invisible enemy.
Wanfeng had already recognized Lu Yun. He, too, knew she’d recognized him.
Back in Destiny City, she’d realized who he was when she helped her junior sister. Their eyes had even met, briefly. She knew how much trouble a public reunion would be for him, so she’d resisted her impulse and acted like they were strangers.
Even now, she couldn’t afford to let the pretense slip for a single second, or it’d be a devastating blow for him. His identity couldn’t be exposed, otherwise people would raze Dusk Province to the ground.
So, she only took a deep look at him before glancing away.
Milord’s goal should be to eliminate the powerhouses in the arena and leave only the weaklings behind! Master said the Sovereign Meet this time around isn’t normal. The will of the immortal dao has been seized by another.
However, she made no move to intervene. She had absolute confidence in him. This invisible powerhouse might be formidable, but he was definitely no match for Lu Yun. As for Qing Han… She was as strong as Lu Yun, perhaps even more domineering in some areas.
Boom!!
Sure enough, in a thunderous explosion, Qing Han had detonated a returned void powerhouse.
“A draconic art!” an immortal exclaimed in fear. The hand seal Qing Han had used a moment before resembled the illusory claws of a divine dragon.
“Not a draconic combat art, but an art that belongs to the Azure Dragon tribe!!” another immortal shouted. “And a high-level king-grade art, to boot!”
Azure Dragons, White Tigers, Vermillion Birds, and Black Tortoises—the four great divine tribes had vanished a long time ago. All traces of them had been lost eighty thousand years ago, when the divines still ruled the immortal world.
Royalty among the divines, the four cardinal tribes were said to have betrayed the divines in later legends. In any case, the might of the cardinal tribes was undisputed. During the Primordial Era, they were heavyweights that could contend against the ruling immortal dynasty.
There were still many records about them in the current immortal word, especially concerning the four great divine kings of the Azure Dragons, Black Tortoises, Vermillion Birds, and White Tigers.
The art Qing Han had just showcased belonged to the Azure Dragon King! A single hand seal had been enough to defeat a returned void realm powerhouse!
“Awooo!!” A resounding dragon cry spread in every direction as the shadow of a giant azure dragon barreled across the sky, Qing Han standing on top of its head.
“I need to quickly dispose of you lot, so I can go help my Sidekick.” A cold smile floated onto Qing Han’s lips. The next moment, the dragon beneath her feet charged her opponents in a cloud of dark azure lightning.
“Die!” Zi Chen and Mo Qitian suddenly appeared, their two black longswords merging into one and chopping right down at her.
“I’ve been waiting for you two… Away with you!!” She jerked her head up and spread her palm upward. Three seals floated out of her hand before flying forward. There was a strange aura about these seals and they sent fierce bouts of violent shaking coursing through the arena.
“This is… a combat art from the founders of immortal dao!!” Scarlet Ape cried out from inside Jadeite Manor, profound dread in its fiery eyes.
“How is that possible? The art of the founders, how can he… he, he, he…” Scarlet Ape repeated “he” several times, uncertain of what else to say.
It had lived through that era and knew full well how terrifying the three founders of the immortal dao were. They were extraordinary beings that had transcended the era of the human dao and were the masters of mankind.
As it happened, those three seals were their signature combat arts.
……
From three, the seals split into thousands upon thousands in the sky, enveloping Zi Chen and Mo Qitian in dense clusters. Against the art of the founders of immortal dao, the two of them could mount no resistance and were annihilated on the spot.
Qing Han then waved her hand, collecting two black immortal swords in her palms.
“It’s not that precise sword, but these nevertheless originate from that sword.” The three seals turned around and returned to float above her hand. She looked at the remaining thirty-five people and called out, “Will you leave on your own, or do I need to blow you up too?”
A moment ago, all thirty-five had fought together to dispel the Azure Dragon King’s art, and had now surrounded her.
“Fight!!”
Each of these returned void powerhouses was a genius meticulously raised by their clan and blessed with tremendous potential and the pride to match. To surrender without fighting? And kill themselves on top of it? It would be the greatest of humiliation for them, so all of them attacked her together.
Expression icy as frost, she waved her hand and dispatched the three seals again.
Only torn scraps were left of the cultivators a quick breath later. There was absolutely nothing they could do against her full power. Even so, it had also been a great challenge for her to face thirty-five returned void powerhouses by herself. Pale as a sheet, blood seeped out from the corner of her mouth, a testament to the heavy injuries she’d suffered.
“Don’t mind me!” Lu Yun transmitted his voice from far away. “You go and eliminate everyone above unravelled void realm!”
Qing Han’s figure shook when she looked in his direction.
At that moment, Lu Yun was surrounded by ten sword atlases. With ten thousand eight hundred flying swords to attack and defend with, he’d entirely stopped Sword Divine’s assault. While Sword Divine had his opponent firmly on the back foot, there was no opening for the divine to deal a damaging blow.
“Alright!” Qing Han agreed after a moment’s hesitation. She knew Lu Yun still had hidden cards left to play. One hundred and eight thousand immortal swords appearing at the same time would surely be enough to go toe-to-toe with Sword Divine.
“How dare you!” Sword Divine flew into a rage when he saw Qing Han about to go on a killing spree. He swatted Lu Yun away and chased after her.
However, another ten sword atlases emerged from Lu Yun and blocked his way.
“Your opponent is me.” Lu Yun glared at Sword Divine and slowly stood up. Twenty sword atlases and twenty-one thousand six hundred immortal swords surrounded the enemy that only the young Dusk lord could see.
Sword Divine froze.
