Translator: CinderTL
"So confident?"
The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Taixu Sword Sect exchanged glances, their hearts secretly trembling.
You Long personally stepped forward to inspect the items Xiao Yan Zhi was carrying.
After a while, confirming that he carried nothing other than his protective magic treasures, he nodded to Huan Ming and turned his gaze to Li Chunjun.
Li Chunjun's focus was not on Zhan Chiyang.
The Chiyang Sword Sect Master.
Although this wasn't the first time he had learned about the Chiyang Sword Sect Master, seeing him in person was a first.
"Mid-stage Nascent Soul, his first mystical power is the Soul Shock Art, a power of intimidation and control. As for his second mystical power, no one knows."
Li Chunjun's mind flashed with the information the Taixu Sword Sect had gathered on the Chiyang Sword Sect Master.
Detailed, but missing the most crucial piece of information.
His second mystical power.
But this was inevitable. Figures like Zhan Chiyang, at the level of a Chiyang Sword Sect Master, were unlikely to be forced to use their full strength in the Blue Star Minor Realm, where Nascent Soul cultivators were restricted from participating in battles.
"Chunjun, be careful! The Chiyang Sword Sect is up to no good. I suspect they will definitely use underhanded tactics! Once the battle begins, you must strike with full force, leaving them no chance to play any tricks!"
Jiang Yuqiu reminded him through divine sense.
"If they use underhanded tactics, will the Taixu Sword Sect retaliate?"
Li Chunjun asked.
"As long as we have evidence, none of the Chiyang Sword Sect members who came today will leave alive!"
Jiang Yuqiu said coldly, "Zhan Chiyang included."
Evidence.
In other words, without evidence, even if they knew the Chiyang Sword Sect had used underhanded tactics, there was nothing they could do.
This was the unspoken rule among the Nine Great Immortal Sects.
Li Chunjun glanced at Zhan Chiyang and the several Nascent Soul cultivators of the Chiyang Sword Sect standing beside him, including Xi Yan and Zhuo Yu, two top-tier experts from the Wu Ji Sect.
Unspoken rules.
The bad news was that he had not yet reached a level where he could truly ignore these rules.
The good news was that, with his strength, he was fully capable of handling ninety-nine percent of any underhanded tactics.
For now, Li Chunjun said nothing, simply leaping to the peak of the hastily opened mountain.
"Li Chunjun, do you really think becoming the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy makes you invincible? Today, I..."
Xiao Yan Zhi, the True Inheritor Disciple of the Chiyang Sword Sect, wanted to say something.
But Jiang Yuqiu, Huan Ming, and the others knew better than to give the Chiyang Sword Sect any time to play their tricks. The moment Li Chunjun stepped onto the stage, they would strike with overwhelming force to eliminate him.
Therefore, without giving Xiao Yan Zhi a chance to speak, Huan Ming decisively announced, "All are present. The True Inheritor Battle between the Taixu Sword Sect and the Chiyang Sword Sect begins now."
"Whoosh!"
A dazzling sword light shot into the sky.
Accompanying it was a chilling sword intent that pierced straight to the soul.
From the very first move, Li Chunjun went all out.
However, the Chiyang Sword Sect, Wu Ji Sect, and Xian Tian Sect were also well-prepared.
Under the shock of the sword intent, although Xiao Yan Zhi was affected, it did not pose a fatal threat to him!
He still had the strength to counterattack despite the sword intent's intimidation.
The experienced Peak Lord You Long immediately realized something.
"This is... the Heart Prayer Art!"
His expression turned grim. "The Wu Ji Sect truly has some tricks up their sleeves!"
Huan Ming's expression was equally cold.
They never expected that the Chiyang Sword Sect and Wu Ji Sect would resort to such tactics.
The Heart Prayer Art is somewhat similar to the benefits brought by "divine blessings."
It can stimulate a cultivator's mental power, allowing them to exert twelve times their usual ability, putting them in a state akin to "invincible with self," completely unafraid of any mental or will-based intimidation!
In other words, it can significantly weaken the deterrent effect of Sword Intent on cultivators!
Such a talisman can only be refined by a very few Primordial Spirit True Monarchs or even Void Refining Great Powers, who can then bestow it upon others.
In terms of value, the Heart Prayer Talisman is no less valuable than the Minor Teleportation Talisman.
Moreover, due to the limited number of cultivators who have achieved success in the path of the mind, the Heart Prayer Talisman's value is even slightly higher than that of the Minor Teleportation Talisman.
Mental power is elusive and unpredictable, and the enhancement brought by the Heart Prayer Talisman often lasts for a period of time. This is precisely why they were able to exploit such a reasonable yet unreasonable loophole.
Ultimately, Sword Cultivators...
Possess a diversity of means that cannot compare to orthodox cultivators.
"What is this Heart Prayer Art? I don't understand."
True Lord Xi Yan said lightly, "We merely encouraged this little guy well on our way here; we didn't expect him to unexpectedly trigger the mental power deep within his soul."
Zhan Chiyang, standing nearby, also smiled and said, "Some people grow stronger when faced with challenges. Perhaps it was Yan Zhi's eagerness to defeat this Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy that put him in this special state."
"Hmph!"
Huan Ming snorted coldly.
The Wu Ji Sect and Chiyang Sword Sect would certainly not admit it.
At this point, they could only blame their own inadequacies. They had clearly checked their spirits thoroughly but failed to notice anything unusual.
However... he turned his gaze toward the martial arts arena that had been set up on the mountain peak.
Even with the enhancement of the Heart Prayer Art, how much difference would it make for Xiao Yan Zhi? Not to mention that the Heart Prayer Talisman had already been used for some time, and its effects were gradually weakening. Even if Xiao Yan Zhi truly received the full support of the Heart Prayer Art, he still believed that Li Chunjun, who could lead the charge to break through the Great Shang capital, would ultimately achieve victory.
Strength is strength! Not only Huan Ming had confidence, but Jiang Yuqiu, You Long, and others also maintained a firm belief in their victory.
However, they clearly did not know that the methods of the Chiyang Sword Sect, Wu Ji Sect, and other forces were not limited to this.
To ensure that the Taixu Sword Sect would not produce a second Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy and to prevent the situation from thirty years ago, when the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy overshadowed the world, several major sects had made ample preparations.
On a mountain peak over three hundred miles away from this battlefield, an altar had long been set up.
Nearby, the Nascent Soul True Lord Ge Li of the Xian Tian Sect was escorting an Evil God's Chosen and a dozen Evil God Believers.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Originally, with your Sun Worshipping Sect's development on Blue Star, it would have been impossible for us to root you out so quickly and clean you out. Our great battle would have entangled us for at least three to five years, or even eight to ten years."
At this moment, the Nascent Soul True Lord was gradually leading them on: "The Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy has excavated the Flaming Phoenix Blood to condense the Flame Phoenix Brand at the fourth transformation, making his perception extremely sharp. In the vast Blue Star Minor Realm, spanning tens of thousands of miles, no matter where you hide, you cannot escape detection. This is a situation you certainly do not wish to see happen again."
Ge Li stared at the Evil God's Chosen: "So, you still have a chance to fulfill your final purpose before dying by my sword. Use your life as a sacrifice to invoke the power of your deity and cast a Bloodline Curse to kill the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy!"
"What a filthy existence. You are in desperate need of purification by the Great God of Purification!"
The Evil God's Chosen sneered, his gaze filled with disdain as he looked at Ge Li.
"You should be grateful that the conflicts among the various human factions have allowed you to survive until today. Otherwise, all thirteen of your Chosen on Blue Star would have been wiped out long ago."
As he spoke, Ge Li took out a vial of blood: "I've already prepared the materials needed for the curse. All you need to do now is activate it! This is your only hope to protect the other Chosen and Believers of the Sun Worshipping Sect."
He then let out a cold laugh: "You wouldn't want the flame of the Sun Worshipping Sect to be completely extinguished in this world that is about to become a central hub, would you?"
The Evil God's Chosen's pupils contracted.
"The radiance of the Great God of Purification will eventually illuminate every corner of the world."
"That depends on your own efforts."
Ge Li was growing impatient: "Opportunities are fleeting. Hurry up! By sacrificing your life now, you might still be able to eliminate a future threat to your sect—the Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy. If you miss this chance... your death will be utterly meaningless!"
"What a pitiful and dark existence!"
The Evil God's Chosen continued to mock.
But he still took the refined blood curse material. Glancing at the curse altar already set up at his feet, he turned his gaze to the surrounding Believers: "Everyone, it is time for us to sacrifice ourselves for the Great God of Purification and return to the embrace of our divine lord."
His eyes burned with fervor: "Every Flaming Phoenix Sword Prodigy is a mortal threat to our Sun Worshipping Sect. Though we are but humble beings, we can drag one of them down with us. Our souls will surely be illuminated by the Great True God and ascend to the Divine Kingdom!"
"Ascend to the Divine Kingdom!"
The eyes of over a dozen Believers simultaneously flashed with fanaticism.
At the command of the Chosen, these Believers did not hesitate to sacrifice themselves, allowing their blood to flow into the formation.
As each Believer sacrificed themselves, the Chosen's expression grew increasingly devout and frenzied, and the ritual proceeded more smoothly.
The sight...
Made Ge Li involuntarily step back, lest the Taixu Sword Sect's tracking techniques, which might follow the curse, detect his presence.
"Nascent Soul cultivators cannot intervene directly! A Core Formation curse might not have much effect on Li Chunjun, who has already achieved minor mastery in Sword Intent... but... the Evil God's Chosen are different! They possess a portion of the Evil God's power... Invoking the Evil God's power to cast a curse, even if it's just a minuscule fraction of the Evil God's strength, the potency of this Bloodline Curse... will rival that of a Nascent Soul!"
Ge Li's eyes gleamed.
Witnessing such a curse firsthand could even enhance his own Curse Technique.
As Ge Li pondered, the Chosen's sacrificial ritual reached its final moment.
With one last fervent shout, he cried out: "The radiance of the God of Purification will eventually illuminate all!"
Li Chunjun and Xiao Yan Zhi's battle had already erupted!
The True Inheritor of the Chiyang Sword Sect was equipped with the extremely defensive Black Tortoise Shield. His strategy was to delay as much as possible, waiting for the right moment.
Although Li Chunjun's Sword Intent was affected by the Heart Prayer Art and couldn't be fully utilized, the sharpness of his Flying Sword still kept Xiao Yan Zhi on the defensive.
Three consecutive strikes hammered against his Black Tortoise Shield.
There was no way to dodge or hide.
The absolute advantage in strength couldn't be compensated for by a mere Heart Prayer Talisman! Even though Xiao Yan Zhi tried his best to counterattack, he was still shaken to the core by the overwhelming force of the Scarlet Sky Sword.
After three rounds of attacks, the top-tier Protective Magic Treasure specially bestowed by the Sect Master showed signs of cracking.
"How can the gap be this big!?"
Xiao Yan Zhi's eyes were filled with disbelief.
Facing Li Chunjun, he had the illusion that he wasn't fighting against a fellow Core Formation cultivator, but a high-level Nascent Soul expert! A life-and-death battle against a Nascent Soul cultivator would probably be no different!
If it weren't for the Heart Prayer Art amplifying his strength from ten to twelvefold, and if his Protective Magic Treasure hadn't been upgraded from ordinary to top-tier, he would have been obliterated by the second strike!
Even so, when the Scarlet Sky Sword, having completed its third strike, curved in mid-air and accelerated madly, preparing for a fourth attack, Xiao Yan Zhi's scalp tingled.
"Damn it! This fourth strike..."
The True Inheritor of the Chiyang Sword Sect gritted his teeth, holding up the Black Tortoise Shield, staring fiercely at the Scarlet Sky Sword, which was moving at a speed he couldn't possibly evade!
Whether he could block the fourth strike, he had no confidence at all! Just as Xiao Yan Zhi was preparing for a desperate struggle, Li Chunjun, who was controlling the Flying Sword, suddenly paused.
In the next moment, his Essence, Energy, and Spirit plummeted.
The very form of his life's "existence" seemed to be erased from the source of his bloodline.
Xiao Yan Zhi was momentarily stunned.
Recalling the Sect Master's instruction before the battle to hold out and wait for the decisive moment, a fierce light suddenly erupted in his eyes.
"Now is the time!"
(End of the Chapter)
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