Chapter 207: Chapter 204: Cliff Sword
The mass death of living creatures caused resentment to surge towards the sky, and the mingling of the aura of death enshrouded the area, making even the sun’s yang energy weakened by a third.
Oxhead distinctly felt his body slightly strengthened, experiencing a sense of being like a fish in water.
As a sixth-rank ghost cultivator, although he was not afraid of sunlight, he would still feel somewhat uncomfortable during daylight. However, that feeling was now replaced by ease.
Furthermore, Oxhead could clearly sense the emergence of one yin soul after another.
His Dao Fruit Ability "Big White Ox Cart" could lock onto yin souls within a certain range and then rush to the scene at the first moment. Now, as living beings around Qi Mountain were being killed and yin souls born, Oxhead’s senses were naturally the most intensely affected.
’After this event, the-ranking of everyone from Lord Cui of the Yin Law Department on down will shoot up,’ Oxhead couldn’t help but think.
Although he couldn’t be promoted directly like the father and son of Lu King, he could still get a taste of the benefits.
Whether it was Lord Cui, who managed the Book of Life and Death, or Oxhead and Horseface, the Day Patrol Deity, and the Night Patrol Deity, who hooked souls everywhere, they could all greatly advance their Dao Fruit’s transforming progress.
Even the Lord Inspector from the State Mansion, who protected the land and ordered the defeat of the rebel army, could step further.
This was a feast belonging to everyone.
To sum it up in three words—win, win, win!
At that moment, a pure white Sword Light streaked across the sky like lightning, dazzlingly fast, and suddenly turned into a downpour of thousands of Sword Qi.
"Who dares to be so presumptuous!"
Oxhead immediately bellowed, blocking the front with his steel fork spinning like a whirlwind, sweeping up a mighty gang wind, fiercely pushing back, and the colliding Sword Qi and gang wind produced an unending clanging sound.
However, the sharpness of the Sword Qi far exceeded Oxhead’s expectations. In the blink of an eye, the steel fork forged of cold iron was full of sword marks, and in the midst of the heavy sword shadows, pure white Sword Light suddenly flashed across, sweeping by, and the steel fork was split in two, with the dazzling Sword Light striking straight at Oxhead’s face.
"Nine Netherworld Soul Entangling Silk."
Oxhead shouted, and from his pair of ox horns, shot out hundreds and thousands of pitch-black threads, entwining towards the Sword Light with a cold and musty aura.
This was a technique formed by combining yin souls with netherworld energy, most effective at corrupting pure Essence Qi. A sword cultivator’s most important aspect is the purity of their Sword Qi, and once contaminated, their Sword Qi’s power will be greatly damaged.
But the sharpness of this Geng Metal Sword Light far surpassed Oxhead’s estimates.
The Nine Netherworld Soul Entangling Silk hadn’t even touched the Sword Light when it was slashed by the Geng Metal Sword Qi, and the sharp sword shadow was already reflected in the large copper bell-like ox eyes.
"Hold on!"
A heavy sudden suppression loomed as a stone tablet illusion, as large as a small hill, suddenly appeared at the summit of Qi Mountain, exuding a thick aura that seemed capable of suppressing everything. Even the extremely sharp Geng Metal Sword Light was abruptly halted for a moment, its speed greatly reduced.
Ji Chengye’s figure flickered to Oxhead’s side, his Battle Sword cast as if of stone struck horizontally, colliding with the Sword Light. The sword strength was as monumental as mountain ranges, solid and weighty, sending the Sword Light flying several meters away.
"Daode Sect’s Yuan Zhen!"
Ji Chengye stared at the Sword Light and said, "Does your Daode Sect also want to rebel like the Taiping Sect?"
The pure white Sword Light took advantage of the push to escape the area covered by the stone tablet illusion, flying out to the empty sky outside the mountain. The Daoist, who quietly appeared, was hovering in the air.
The Daoist said indifferently, "To go against the current is to invite destruction upon oneself."
It seemed Yuan Zhen was quite receptive to the words of others; after all, he was actively applying what Jiang Li had said quite effectively.
"Good, I myself am also eager to test how formidable the senior brother from Daode Sect, who is rumored to be comparable to Zhong Shenxiu, truly is."
Now that Ji Chengye was imbued with the Marquis Guan Dao Fruit, he felt like a hidden dragon taking to the heavens, unstoppable, and his confidence was at its peak. Moreover, as the soon-to-be Heir of King Lu, he also possessed a heavy treasure, the "Cliff Sword."
The stony Battle Sword took on a bright yellow hue, transforming from rock to a jade-like texture, and patterns of the heavenly turtle emerged on the blade.
The mountainous stone tablet illusion further expanded, enveloping everything within ten meters around Ji Chengye, with the dense yellow light manifesting inside, giving one the impression of solidity like the earth itself.
"Cliff Sword!" Yuan Zhen’s expression grew solemn.
He recognized this sword.
This was the Fifth Grade Daoist Artifact, Cliff Sword, containing the Dao Fruit of the Overlord, one of the Nine Dragon Sons, within.
It is said that during the Ancient Era, the Overlord often carried the Five Mountains on its back, stirring up storms in rivers and lakes, until it was subdued by the Human King, Yu the Great, who then utilized it to remove the mountains and dig ditches, thoroughly regulating the rivers and making significant contributions to Yu’s flood control.
But after the successful water control, Yu the Great, fearing the Overlord would revert to its old ways and continue causing trouble, created a towering stone tablet, engraved with the Overlord’s merits, forcing it to carry the tablet, making it difficult to move at will.
This legend, when embodied in the Dao Fruit, represented a domain that suppressed all things, especially those capable of flight, halting them completely.
Although the Overlord was slow, it could make the opponent just as sluggish, bringing them to an equal footing, and then using its vast experience to defeat them.
However, a Daoist Artifact’s power naturally couldn’t compare to a Dao Fruit Ability integrated by a cultivator. The Fifth Grade Daoist Artifact, Cliff Sword, couldn’t truly achieve a complete flying ban; at most, it could apply heavy pressure to force them to descend.
Nevertheless, it was still enough to restrain Yuan Zhen’s Flying Swords.
As Ji Chengye spoke, the Cliff Sword rose heavily and majestically fell like a heavenly pillar, powerful and forceful like the Great River.
"Sealing and Sacrificial Swordsmanship, Mountain River Suppression."
The sword technique derived from the Ji Family’s "Xuanyuan Sword Manual" was displayed here, with the power of the sword coming before the blade itself, a heavy pressure like a mountain descended, transforming Sword Qi into a pillar, as if a mountain was toppling.
The empowerment brought by "Sealing Langju" made Ji Chengye chase Yuan Zhen in power as soon as he advanced, and Cliff Sword was even more in perfect harmony with his cultivation technique. Combining multiple aspects, the power of this sword was not to be underestimated.
Yuan Zhen immediately activated his sword formula, and Geng Metal Sword Light soared like a meteor, sharply piercing the sky as if it could tear heaven apart.
When the two swords met, the sword pillar was unmatched in its heavy mass, while the sword light was unendingly sharp. In a head-on clash, Sword Qi exploded across the sky, whipping up the gloomy wind and clouds into a violent frenzy without cease.
Then, again!
Yuan Zhen’s expression unchanged, he drew upon his sword formula, his Sword Light dividing like a peacock spreading its feathers, turning into a sword wheel that swept across the sky, ruthlessly unraveling the roaring wind and clouds, sweeping away the heavy Sword Qi involved in the process.
Then, the sword wheel fell upon the Stone Tablet Illusion, Sword Qi pressing down, about to compete in power with Ji Chengye.
Even a Fifth Grade Daoist Artifact requires a person to wield it, and the domain of Cliff Sword also needed Ji Chengye’s power to sustain.
"Courageous Crown of Three Armies."
Ji Chengye uttered with a deep, light voice, showing no sign of retreat. His blood energy surged around him, rising like wolf smoke from the top of his head, his hands holding the Cliff Sword as if cleaving heaven, the heavy sword momentum crushed the half-space like a mountain colliding.
"Boom!"
The air shook, revealing ripples that quickly dispersed throughout the mountains. Near the mountaintop, trees were uprooted, soil and mud flying everywhere.
Even the Ox-head behind Ji Chengye felt the heavy pressure, his sturdy body slightly stooped under the weight.
Ji Chengye’s aura was like a rainbow, his blood energy and wolf smoke turbulent, his Qi Mechanism surging around him, his power seemingly endless, with a trend of surpassing Yuan Zhen.
"In terms of technique, your Flying Sword is restrained by Cliff Sword, in terms of power, this Princely Heir can also crush you. Yuan Zhen, what do you have to fight against me with?"
Years of forbearance culminated in a stunning revelation today; having ascended to the heavens, Ji Chengye felt his mind exceptionally clear, a thoroughly invigorating sensation cleansing his heart and chest, "The current top Disciple of the Daode Sect is merely this. Now, I am stronger than all of you."
As he spoke, his Qi Mechanism grew even stronger. Ji Chengye spurred his True Qi again, ready to switch from defense to offense, using Cliff Sword to defeat Yuan Zhen decisively.
However, at this moment—
"How strong, exactly?"
A faint voice suddenly entered his ears. Ji Chengye’s heart jolted, and he swung his sword to turn around.
Sealing and Sacrificial Swordsmanship, Sweeping Six Harmonies.
The sword momentum was heavy like a mountain, yet the Sword Qi was intensely surging. Two different auras merged into one, like raging floods, sweeping in all directions.
The Ox-head Yin God behind Ji Chengye’s face changed dramatically as he hurriedly retreated, while a figure charged straight in, treating the torrent as nothing, pressing close.
Primordial Qi refining all alien energies, the heavy and domineering Sword Qi was refined as it approached, and crystal-clear fingers touched the Cliff Sword.
"Bang!"
Ji Chengye only felt his arms numb as if struck by lightning. An irresistible Power shook the Battle Sword, the Strength transmitted to his palm, nearly causing him to lose sensation in his arm.
At that moment, Primordial Qi transformed, turning into Primordial Earth Qi, blending with the opponent’s Qi. From earth came metal, and Innate Golden Qi naturally formed. A Sword Light flew from behind Jiang Li, aiming straight for Ji Chengye’s throat.
The unforeseeable deadly move after deadly move emerged, and in an instant, a sharp force pressed against Ji Chengye’s throat—
"Ding!"
Bright Armor suddenly shone with light, a faint Blood Light covering Ji Chengye’s body. The sword striking the throat made his face turn the color of goose liver. He flew backward several feet but failed to threaten his life.
’The Dao Artifact where Marquis Guan Dao Fruit once resided...’
Jiang Li thought to himself, then reached out to grasp the long sword, carrying it behind his back, and said indifferently, "It seems your strength cannot support your arrogance."
Meanwhile, Ji Chengye managed to right himself in mid-flight after being sent flying four feet. He landed solidly, like a mountain stabilizing his form.
"Jiang Li?!"
Seeing the assailant, Ji Chengye grew angry and surprised, "You dare show your face?"
Jiang Li was without killing moves, in the same situation as Ming Yang—if he were defeated, he would truly die.
"Wrong."
Jiang Li replied with a slight smile, "The one standing before you is not Jiang Li, but rather a manifestation of the Nineteen Demons’ Heluo God from the Devil God Sect."
As he spoke, red lines emerged on Jiang Li’s face, faint traces of scales appearing, "You see, these Snake Scales prove my identity."
Ji Chengye’s anger rose again at the words.
Not to mention the traces on the face that didn’t resemble Snake Scales at all, but even when the Heluo God identified himself, he would not refer to "Devil God Sect" but would use his true name, "Desolate God Sect".
Devil God Sect was a derogatory term used by others to refer to the Desolate God Sect.
Calling it ’Devil God Sect’ in front of its members was essentially comparable to calling a woman a whore.
The fact that Jiang Li would say such things indicated that he had made up his mind to kill Ji Chengye today and then pin the murder on the Devil God Sect.