Chapter 302: Chapter 25: Deciding Life and Death
Nature’s ruthlessness was fully revealed at this moment, as if heaven and earth were under Jiang Li’s control, yet he was not like the cultivators before the End of Dharma who could move heaven and earth’s qi, nor was he like the current great powers who could change heaven and earth with their formidable energy or Dao Fruit ability.
He had merely grasped a bit of the natural changes and turned them into his own power.
Water, fire, thunder and lightning were swept down by a violent wind, the air parted loudly like a tide, merging with the sound of the waves of Dragon Abyss Lake, indistinguishable which were real sounds and which were echoes.
"Boom!"
Jiang Li manifested Three Flowers at the top, his body covered in golden light, coming down with a storm, his right arm turning into a Dragon Claw, pressing down with water, fire, wind, and thunder striking together, the Five Elements Sword Wheel that was revolving seemed to suddenly freeze as if encased in ice.
If Yuan Zhen truly cultivated all Five Elements together and achieved the cycle of generating and overcoming among them, then this strike from Jiang Li would surpass the previous offensive and would definitely be ineffective.
If he could unite all Five Elements as one, that would be yet another matter.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t.
Thus, under the violent attack of water, fire, wind, and thunder, the Five Elements Sword Wheel shattered after a brief freeze!
Five beams of sword light burst forth, caught simultaneously by five figures, Yuan Zhen and the four incarnations, who controlled their swords with crossing sword qi, battling the winds, clashing with water, fire, thunder, and lightning.
Jiang Li decisively maneuvered his body, preparing to pursue his victory, but simultaneously, the sword light exploded.
A dazzling star appeared, transforming into a supreme white-gold sword light.
As if the star of Taibai descended upon the world, the sword light overshadowed everything, and space seemed to split under this sword, its sharp edge causing a great sense of crisis in Jiang Li’s heart, who did not hesitate to reveal his trump cards.
He sensed that the source of Divine Essence being extracted within Yuan Zhen’s body had completely disappeared. This was his final killing move.
In a short time, a low-grade could not use trump cards consecutively, for each manifestation of a killing move from within the body was a test to the body, consecutive deployments would lead to premature destruction.
Thus, Yuan Zhen preemptively used an extra move, allowing his strength to unfold further and making this sword strike even more fierce.
Realizing this, Jiang Li did not dare to delay, immediately mobilizing the talisman within his body, starlight emanating from his body, stars surrounding the moon in manifestation, Ming Yue high in the sky, reflecting back the sword light.
Taiyin Ju Zi, Water Clearing Gui E.
Sword against sword, sword light opposite each other, sword qi and chill crisscrossing, mutually annihilating each other, the aftermath splattering and colliding against the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, immediately creating a sound as if the mountain shook and the earth moved.
Beneath the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, a large mass of the mountain crumbled, revealing lightning and flames from within the fissures, with fierce winds roaring, blowing apart large rocks.
Landslides occurred, boulders rolling straight down and plunging into Dragon Abyss Lake, large clouds of dust were raised, then wrapped and stirred by the wind force, like dragons churning.
Amidst severe turmoil, only the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform remained unscathed.
This piece of suspended huge rock stood firm, and even the chaotic stones beneath remained stable. Unknown qi mechanisms appeared on the footprint on the top of the rock, dispelling some of the sword qi.
A large piece of the mountain collapsed from between the chaotic stones, revealing the remnants hidden within the mountain, resembling rocky trees.
It seemed the rumors were true; Ancestor Zhou indeed had shot down the Dragon King here.
The collision of the fourth-grade killing moves made the mountains shake and the earth tremble, as if heaven and earth were in a violent shock, everything in sight trembling.
This collision seemed futile, failing to achieve any battle results, but their emergence undoubtedly meant both parties had no life-saving measures left. Yuan Zhen had thoroughly used up his trump cards, and Jiang Li could not use them again in a short time.
Thus, the next moment would be the killing stroke.
"Whoosh—"
The wind howled, carrying flying sand, broken stones, dust, mixed with rain, fire, and thunder, following Jiang Li’s palm movements.
Jiang Li’s figure soared, utterly disregarding the intense shaking around him, his palm movement initiated torrents of storm, storm and thunder, storm and fire, raging forth, rushing towards several figures in front.
"Clang!"
Five beams of sword light simultaneously burst into sound, Yuan Zhen and the four incarnations handled their swords, creating a dimness.
At this point, Yuan Zhen finally unleashed his strongest sword technique—Xiyi Sword Skill.
Or rather, he waited for the right moment.
The Xiyi Sword Skill, acting externally, affected the opponent’s perception of sights and sounds, creating a domain devoid of light and sound, while he and the Sword Orb became invisible and colorless.
Making the enemy unable to see or hear, while he himself became invisible and colorless. Jiang Li had previously crossed swords with Yuan Zhen, experienced his lack of light and sound, and was acquainted with the Xiyi Sword Skill’s invisibility and colorlessness. At that time, Jiang Li still had a vague sense of the surroundings, but now, Yuan Zhen had achieved complete shielding.
This was due both to Yuan Zhen’s greater power than before and to the past Yuan Zhen’s limitations for various reasons, never fully displaying his Xiyi Sword Skill.
Under this dual influence, the killing intent suddenly surged.
The direct effect of the three torrents was unknown, even the sounds and reverberations couldn’t be heard, only the strong wind hitting against them could be felt.
In the darkness, without seeing the sword light, feeling the sword momentum, or hearing the sword sound, but Jiang Li suddenly acted as if he had foreseen it, countless components flying out from his sleeves, turning into long swords, the sword tips humming and vibrating, precisely the Divine Sword Thunder High-frequency Sword Technique.
Even without invoking Heavenly Thunder, he could perform this extremely explosive sword technique at this moment, the sword tips cutting through the air, the scorched traces of the swords like rings, layer upon layer, rapidly circling around him.
One sword split the Bing Soil, the sword tip etched out countless sparks, the heavy earth-like sword light was torn apart.
One sword steamed the Gui Water, extreme heat gathered on the sword tip, mercilessly destroying the essence of water.
A sword, shattering the wooden armor, Sword Qi permeating within, igniting the hidden fire in the wood. "Using thy wood, I kindle my own fire," the blaze fiercely consuming the wooden armor’s sword light.
Another sword, annihilating the Bing Fire, the burning wooden armor enhancing the sword tip’s dominance, rendering the fire non-threatening.
At last—
"Clang!"
The scenes without light and sound were beginning to crumble. The scorching sword circle closed in, trapping the Geng Metal Sword Light aimed at his back. Sparks flew, mercilessly severing it.
"Boom!"
The realm of darkness collapsed completely, followed by wild storms, thunder and fire roaring together, instantly engulfing the five Daoist shadows that appeared. But—
There was no true body of Yuan Zhen.
From the five severed sword lights, Sword Orbs flew, converging in front of Jiang Li. An invisible ’sword’ embraced the qi of the Sword Orbs, held by a hand that appeared. With the Flying Sword’s colorful glow, the sword light, like river water pouring from the sky, flowed endlessly, tracing a mystical trajectory, thrusting grandly towards Jiang Li’s forehead.
From palm to shoulder, and then the entire body, the true form of Yuan Zhen appeared, thrusting a sword at his foe.
Kill!
He actually had five Incarnation Golden Cores, revealing only four until this critical moment when the fifth was finally used.
His Lifebound Flying Sword was not among the five Sword Orbs but was another sword, revealed only at this moment.
Right when Jiang Li destroyed the five swords, breaking the dark realm without light and sound!
After all...
"If you didn’t come close, how could I dare to reveal this killing move?"
Their eyes met, Yuan Zhen’s gaze seeming to convey such a message.
The sword light, like a fleeting gleam, advancing without retreat, bringing death not life, rushed straight toward Jiang Li’s head, the full force of Yuan Zhen armed and ready, fueled further by the burning of his Essence Blood, ready to extract the Five Elements, shattering both body and spirit at the moment of impact.
He could not integrate the Five Elements into one, but by disrupting his opponent’s Five Elements, he could still kill.
This method was useless for cultivation, unable to foster the generation and overcoming of the Five Elements, nor increase his cultivation—yet, it could kill an enemy!
That was enough.
Because of the fierce battle, Jiang Li’s Three Elements were severely depleted, and the golden light of Three Flowers Gathering at the Top had significantly weakened. As long as he could land the strike—
"Ting!"
His Sword Finger precisely blocked before the forehead, seizing the sword tip as it almost struck, amidst the fleeting gleam.
Sword Qi burst forth, but those fingers, like white jade crystals, seemed the most indestructible objects in the world, unscathed under the Sword Qi, even dissolving it.
Jiang Li’s Innate True Body Method was not in vain.
His appearance leaned toward magic practitioning, and he avoided taking attacks head-on from enemies, but this did not mean Jiang Li’s physical form was weak. His Essence Element was robust, he cultivated the Innate True Body Method, and still had Dao Fruit Ability "Golden Core Technique." If one thought they found his weakness, he was ready to surprise them greatly.
"If I don’t come close, how can I kill you?" Jiang Li said calmly.
Yuan Zhen was proficient in the Xiyi Sword Skill. If he completely abandoned his reputation and mental state, and with Daode Sect’s teachers holding off Tianxuan and others, he had a chance to escape.
Moreover, although Jiang Li had previously forced Yuan Zhen into this deadly battle by leveraging the sect’s prestige, personal prospects, and leverage, who knew if, at this life-and-death moment, he would cast all aside and choose to flee?
To ensure a hundred percent chance to kill him, Jiang Li had stepped into his trap voluntarily, breaking the trap at the final moment, giving Yuan Zhen hope and then despair.
Now was the moment to decide victory.
Both to ascertain superiority and settle matters of life and death.
Innate Qi swiftly transformed into Eight Qi, dark clouds heavily pressed down from the sky. Winds and storms poured toward the Shooting Flood Dragon Platform, thunder, and fire clashing, displaying ferocious power.
In the sky, Taiching Divine Light appeared alongside the Star Battle, an Azure Dragon soared, its mouth gripping the Sword Gang, angering the True Fire.
"Thunderous boom!"
Thunder flashed, anomalies spread across the sky, the vault of heaven seeming to crack open, uttering an earth-shaking roar.
Amid the sky-filled thunder and anomalies, Yuan Zhen’s face suddenly turned red, then pale as a dead person. His sword emitted a five-colored brilliance, the Five Elements Sword Light violently destabilized, forcibly shaking off the Sword Finger.
Jiang Li’s left arm transformed into a Dragon Claw. The Mo Wu Sword reorganized and fused, attaching to his arm like Arm Armor. As he breathed, the wind and rain moved together, thunder and fire accompanying.
"Dang—"
After the Sword Light shook off the Sword Finger, it aimed to charge forward but met a cross strike from the Dragon Palm.
Innate Eight Qi burst forth from the Dragon Claw like a frenzied dragon tearing wildly, Jiang Li’s hands consecutively bombarding the sword body on the left and the right, breaking Yuan Zhen’s Lifebound Sword section by section, then a direct palm strike. The Innate Eight Qi evolved into infinite qi, seemingly melting all things within it.
"Heavenly Endless Treasure."
Boundless Primordial Qi followed this palm, crazily evolving inside Yuan Zhen’s body, filling every corner, every cell.