Chapter 493 - 238: Battle Zhang Junyi

Chapter 493: Chapter 238: Battle Zhang Junyi

Zhang Junyi had been trapped in the mists long enough to finally reveal an opening. Xie Yuan seized it instantly. Combining the Cloud Dragon Nine Forms with the profound Cloud Mountain Sword Intent Scripture, his biting Sword Qi had already inflicted a minor wound on Zhang Junyi.

Having gained the upper hand, Xie Yuan had no intention of relinquishing it.

He pivoted, rushing to Zhang Junyi’s side before the man could regain his footing. His Long Sword streaked through the air like a bolt of silk, slashing down from above!

Zhang Junyi felt the gale assault his face once more, the air stinging his skin before the blade even arrived. He knew it was infused with formidable Sword Intent and dared not be careless. Cyan flames erupted from his Peach Wood Sword as he suddenly parried upward.

The clearing was bathed in a brilliant cyan light, as if a Cyan Dragon were soaring into the sky. The glow reflected off the nearby bamboo grove, making the leaves appear a deeper cyan and the stalks a richer green. Then, the entire grove shook violently, a hazy white frost suddenly coating its surface.

Zhang Junyi managed to block Xie Yuan’s overhead strike, but Xie Yuan’s Cloud Dragon Nine Forms was relentless. His assault was like a raging tempest, a storm of rolling clouds and ceaseless rain. Within it, a divine dragon thrashed about, revealing a scale here and a claw there. It shook its head and whipped its tail, its power seemingly infinite, overwhelming the battlefield until Zhang Junyi’s cyan aura was all but extinguished.

Huie Jue watched from the sidelines, his eyes wide. ’I can’t believe Xie Yuan’s Swordsmanship has reached this level! Once he gained the upper hand, he didn’t give Zhang Junyi a single opening, turning a stalemate into a one-sided rout in an instant! Logically, his Swordsmanship shouldn’t be at the flawless level of a Grandmaster yet. How is this possible?’

’This level of power is completely different from what I imagined. He’s so much stronger than I predicted!’

’It’s not just that his cultivation has progressed far beyond my expectations... What else am I not seeing?’

Zhang Junyi saw he couldn’t escape the cage of mist Xie Yuan had created. His space to maneuver was being compressed inch by inch. Even though his Peach Wood Sword flared with brilliant cyan light as he tried to break out left and right, he simply couldn’t succeed.

He knew if he didn’t use his trump card now, this would be his last chance.

And so, seizing a brief opening, Zhang Junyi took a deep breath. His Profound Skill surged through his body like a raging river, stirring the surrounding air currents and even causing the light from Xie Yuan’s sword to flicker.

Xie Yuan’s expression tightened. He was about to unleash a flurry of stabs with his Long Sword to deny Zhang Junyi any chance to counterattack, but he saw that his opponent had already finished gathering his power. ’With one of the world’s top Cultivation Techniques, who needs to go through five inhalations and three exhalations to build up power?’

A true dragon’s roar suddenly echoed through the bamboo grove.

Zhang Junyi raised his Peach Wood Sword, and all the cyan light condensed on its tip before shooting out like a pillar of light, rocketing straight into the sky.

A spectral image of an Azure Dragon appeared above the bamboo grove. It shook its head, whipped its tail, and coiled once in the air before diving down with a sudden lunge. Killing intent flooded the area; it was inescapable!

’Is this kind of power even possible for someone below the Grandmaster Realm?’

’One has a Five-Fingered Mountain, the other can command a divine dragon.’

’How are these disciples of Grandmasters all so absurdly powerful!’

Xie Yuan’s entire body tensed, overcome by a profound sense of danger.

Without a moment’s hesitation, his Long Sword instantly transformed into a massive, ornate battle-axe. He gripped it horizontally with both hands, pouring all his Qi and Blood and internal energy into it.

A deep, somber black light began to glow on the axe’s edge. Xie Yuan swept the giant axe upward, and an extremely condensed black axe aura cleaved the air, crashing into the massive dragon’s shadow.

An earth-shattering BOOM exploded in mid-air. Potent energy blasted outward and light flared as a large swath of the bamboo grove was instantly flattened with a great CRASH.

In the distant Daoist temple, a few pilgrims and passersby heard the colossal boom. They were so frightened they instantly dove under the tables, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion. ’Was that a thunderclap out of a clear sky?’

’But what ordinary thunderclap is that ferocious? Could someone have brought down heavenly retribution!’

The pilgrims’ faces were pale and their legs were trembling, but when they saw the Daoist before them remained serene and completely unfazed, they instantly felt much more at ease.

’The temple might be small, but this Daoist must be a true master. A disturbance like this is nothing to him. Surely he can protect us.’

The bamboo grove was in shambles.

Though Xie Yuan’s axe aura was minuscule compared to the Azure Dragon’s spectral form, its power was not the least bit inferior. A single slash of the axe aura nearly cleaved the massive dragon from the sky, and the two attacks canceled each other out in mid-air!

However, despite having neutralized Zhang Junyi’s ultimate attack, Xie Yuan’s expression remained grim.

The Zhang Junyi before him had used the opportunity to escape the encirclement of sword light. His presence surged and his aura billowed. The cyan light on his Peach Wood Sword flared brilliantly, and his Sword Aura had become so dense it was beginning to take on the characteristics of solidified Sword Qi!

He slashed, unleashing a wave of cyan light that swept over half the clearing like an azure moon.

With a HISS, a pale white light rose like steam from Xie Yuan’s Long Sword. He too unhesitatingly channeled his internal energy, unleashing his own Sword Aura to clash with Zhang Junyi.

Two dazzling lights—one cyan, one white—crisscrossed the clearing. Arcs of light flew in all directions, their power far exceeding anything an ordinary Martial Artist could achieve.

Huie Jue was forced to scramble back, constantly dodging the shockwaves from the clashing swords and the stray wisps of Sword Qi. He retreated again and again, until he stood in the heart of the ruined, splintered bamboo grove.

He watched the evenly matched battle, his eyes glittering with astonishment as he muttered to himself:

"The Daoist has played his trump card! At this rate of consumption, he can’t last long. Every strike from here on out will be a desperate gamble."

"Why hasn’t Xie Yuan used his own ultimate attack? He’s being too complacent! If this drags on, he might not be able to hold out. He could be too exhausted to even use his Secret Technique!"

The two combatants fought with no regard for their stamina, sparks flying as their blades met. Yet no matter how divinely unstoppable Zhang Junyi’s Peach Wood Sword became, and even when the explosive power of his Profound True Limitless Skill once again gave him the upper hand, he could not break through the three-foot radius around Xie Yuan.

Zhang Junyi realized something. ’When it comes to pure Swordsmanship, Xie Yuan and I aren’t on the same level. I’m relying purely on my profound Cultivation Technique and the ferocity of my sword forms—an advantage I owe to my heritage. It’s a case of brute force overwhelming refined skill.’