Chapter 171 - 170: The Terrifying Red Lotus Sword

With his Divine Vein unleashed, Luo Tian’s combat power soared to its absolute peak.

Facing both Zheng Wei and the woman in pink, he was completely unafraid and even held a dominant advantage.

One reason for this was that Luo Tian had already severely wounded the woman in pink.

Furthermore, the swirling Cold Mist from his Divine Vein enveloped a ten-meter radius, making it well-suited for fighting multiple opponents.

Whenever Zheng Wei or the woman in pink drew near the Cold Mist, the Cold Power would erode them, drastically reducing their speed. They also had to fight against the pulling force at the vortex’s center.

After a few exchanges, Luo Tian had easily neutralized Zheng Wei and the woman in pink’s joint offensive and launched a powerful counterattack.

’This kid! What tier is his Martial Vein? It’s rare for even an Earth Tier Martial Vein to possess such might.’

Zheng Wei’s expression was grim.

Although he had no obvious injuries, that terrifying cold was constantly seeping into his body, corroding his life force.

His Martial Vein and Defensive Treasure Artifact couldn’t completely block out the Cold Power.

"Don’t attack him head-on! Stall and wear him down," Zheng Wei transmitted, his voice calm.

"Yes, Young Master Zheng!"

A glint appeared in the pink-clad woman’s alluring eyes as she understood Zheng Wei’s intent.

’The reason Luo Tian is so powerful is mainly due to his Martial Vein and his comprehension of a True Intent.’

’But neither of those can be sustained for long.’

’Especially the power of a True Intent. It far surpasses the Spirit Sea Realm, let alone someone who is only at the Half-step Spirit Sea Realm.’

Last time at the Profound Spirit Hall, Zheng Wei had used this exact strategy of defensive attrition to wear down Xia Bingyue when she activated her True Sword Dao Intent.

’Trying to wear me down with hit-and-run tactics?’

Luo Tian quickly noticed that the pair, Zheng Wei and the woman, were constantly skirmishing and trying to tie him down, avoiding a direct confrontation.

’Simple-minded.’

A wry smile touched the corners of Luo Tian’s lips.

’My Divine Vein excels in battles of attrition. It makes my opponents weaker the longer they fight.’

’As for the power of my True Intent...’

’I cultivate the Creation Technique. My Spiritual Power is over ten times stronger than others at my level, and I can maintain this ten times longer than Xia Bingyue could.’

Cloud Traveling Step! Celestial Star Sword Technique!

Luo Tian pushed his Body Technique to its limit. Like a wisp of cold smoke, he flickered and danced, relentlessly pursuing the pair.

The moment they touched the Cold Mist, their movements slowed drastically.

Luo Tian, in contrast, was bolstered by the Shadow Cloak, and his speed increased significantly.

’So fast!’

Zheng Wei and the woman in pink simply couldn’t get away.

Their hit-and-run strategy had failed, forcing them into a passive defense.

"Celestial Star Eighth Technique, Fallen Stars!"

Luo Tian leaped into the air, unleashing waves of brilliant Sword Qi light. Like stars falling from the sky, they rained down on the pair in a continuous bombardment.

This technique was an area-of-effect Attack.

Combined with the Cold Mist Domain from his Divine Vein, the constant bombardment was devastatingly powerful.

The pair grew weary from defending. Frost clung to their bodies, impossible to dispel, and the circulation of their True Qi and blood grew sluggish.

The Divine Vein Cold Power continued to erode their life force.

’How can this kid’s True Intent last for so long? There’s not even a hint of exhaustion!’

Zheng Wei’s pupils shrank in disbelief.

The last time he’d fought a battle of attrition like this, against Xia Bingyue, her True Intent power had already begun to wane by this point.

Luo Tian’s resilience and comprehensive strength had clearly surpassed Xia Bingyue’s.

SWISH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Luo Tian’s movements grew faster and faster, as fluid and graceful as smoke and clouds.

Beams of Sword Light from his Star River Technique rained down, completely overwhelming the pair.

Even with the dual protection of his Martial Vein and Treasure Armor, Zheng Wei suffered some internal injuries.

The woman in pink was gasping for breath, drenched in sweat.

At a certain moment, Luo Tian suddenly shot forward, leaving behind an afterimage of cold smoke shaped like an arc of light. His speed had broken through to a whole new level.

SWOOSH!

The afterimage of cold smoke flashed and vanished into thin air.

’That speed! A Perfect Spirit Level Body Technique!’

Zheng Wei’s expression turned solemn.

"Watch out!"

He barely caught a trace of the cold, smoky arc as it shot toward the woman in pink in an instant.

’This is bad!’

The woman in pink felt a tide of cold wash over her, as if she’d been plunged into an icy abyss. She was just about to unleash her True Qi and a Secret Technique to pull away.

"Ugh..."

Her body went rigid. A bloody hole had appeared on her throat.

PFFT!

A glint of cold light from a Sword Pointing had pierced her through the back of the neck.

THUD!

The woman in pink collapsed, her eyes wide open in death.

With his Cloud Traveling Step reaching the Perfection level, Luo Tian’s speed had become completely overwhelming.

"You... you actually killed Shangguan Mei..."

Zheng Wei’s pupils contracted violently, his eyes filled with terrifying rage and killing intent.

The woman in pink had been something of a lover to him. Skilled in the Charm Technique, she had been very attentive.

"You’re next!"

Luo Tian sneered.

WHOOSH!

The cold, smoky arc flashed. Luo Tian appeared beside Zheng Wei in an instant and slashed with a beam of Star River Sword Light.

BAM! CRACK! BANG!

Zheng Wei parried hastily and was sent flying by the sword strike, nearly spitting up blood.

Fine, dark brown lines appeared on his skin as his Treasure Armor erupted with the light of golden scales.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Luo Tian attacked with his incredible speed, battering Zheng Wei until he was powerless to resist.

With his Cloud Traveling Step at the Perfection level and the boost from the Dark Night Cloak, Luo Tian’s speed reached a new high.

In contrast, Zheng Wei’s speed was continuously hampered by the Cold Mist Domain, reducing it to less than sixty percent of his peak.

CLANG! CLANG! PSHHH!

Sparks flew from Zheng Wei’s body as the golden-scaled light of his Treasure Armor steadily dimmed.

Maintaining the Treasure Armor’s defense required an infusion of True Qi.

But Luo Tian’s assault was too ferocious; the two layers of defense from his Martial Vein and Treasure Armor couldn’t hold.

BLECH! BANG!

Zheng Wei spat out a mouthful of blood as his body slammed into the wall.

"Luo Tian! Forcing me into such a state... you should be proud of yourself."

Zheng Wei wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with vicious cruelty.

In terms of true strength, he was stronger than the number one expert on the Human List, but not by a huge margin.

Zheng Wei’s real strength lay in his background.

"You talk too much!"

Luo Tian unleashed another incredibly fast beam of Sword Light, aiming for Zheng Wei’s head.

This time, Zheng Wei didn’t even try to dodge. He simply crushed a Cyan Jade Talisman in his hand.

BUZZ!

A shimmering cyan barrier of light enveloped Zheng Wei’s entire body.

CLANG!

Luo Tian’s Star River-level sword strike hit the cyan barrier, but it remained as solid as a fortress, completely undamaged.

Hm?

Luo Tian frowned slightly.

Zheng Wei had used this trump card before, when he was being pursued by the Fire Lizard King.

"Come on! Hit me!"

Zheng Wei roared with laughter, his face a mask of mockery.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Luo Tian, imbuing his blade with a sliver of True Intent, struck three more times, but the cyan barrier didn’t even waver.

"Celestial Star Ninth Technique, Star River Radiance!"

Deep within Luo Tian’s eyes, an ethereal Sword Mark surfaced. He slashed out, unleashing a profound, dazzling sword aurora that shone like a brilliant star river.

This strike resonated with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, generating a vast and boundless momentum.

Combined with a burst of Cold Mist, the might of this sword was enough to kill or severely wound the number one expert on the Human List. Even a cultivator at the Third Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm would struggle to block it.

WHOOSH—BOOM!

The most powerful Ninth Technique struck the cyan barrier. The barrier rippled faintly, its light dimming slightly.

’This defensive trump card is too strong!’

Luo Tian sucked in a sharp breath.

’I doubt even a Mentor from the Holy Mansion could break this defense anytime soon.’

"Hmph! This is a True Essence Protective Shield crafted by an Earth Level expert. You can’t hurt me at all, but I can certainly hurt you."

Zheng Wei looked arrogant, victory already in his grasp.

With his powerful trump cards and ultimate moves, he was destined from the start to be invincible in the Royal Secret Garden.

Flying Dragon Claw!

Ignoring Luo Tian’s attacks, Zheng Wei swiped out a massive, shimmering golden claw shadow.

Luo Tian’s expression darkened as his figure flickered and he began to evade.

As things stood now, Zheng Wei was in an invincible position.

Luo Tian couldn’t hurt him, but he could hurt Luo Tian.

"Hmph!"

Luo Tian simply withdrew his Divine Vein Power and used his supreme speed to skirmish and maintain distance from Zheng Wei.

With his absolute advantage in speed, Luo Tian could easily maintain his distance, and Zheng Wei had no hope of landing a blow.

"Zheng Wei, let’s see how long your True Essence Protective Shield can last," Luo Tian said with a faint smile.

Zheng Wei’s True Essence Protective Shield wasn’t generated from his own power; it was a consumable item.

’Once it runs out of energy, I can launch my counterattack.’

"Haha... Luo Tian! How foolish you are!"

Zheng Wei laughed with wild abandon.

"If I have an invincible defensive trump card, it’s only natural that I’d also have an ultimate move to kill you in an instant."

Another Jade Talisman appeared in his hand. This one was red and shaped like a fist.

’That Red Jade Talisman...’

Luo Tian’s expression changed. His Creation Technique flared, sensing a lethal crisis.

WHOOSH!

Without a second thought, Luo Tian used his Body Technique to create more distance.

"It’s a useless struggle! You’re dead for sure!"

Zheng Wei laughed, baring his teeth as he poured True Qi into the fist-shaped Red Jade Talisman.

RUMBLE—!

A fist of pure flame, erupting with the force of a volcano, shot toward Luo Tian with world-shaking might.

The fiery fist seemed to move slowly, as if it could be dodged.

But Luo Tian felt a pressure as heavy as a mountain. An invisible fist force locked him in place. A suffocating sense of crisis washed over him; it felt like being trapped in a mire, impossible to escape.

Just as Zheng Wei had said, this single punch was enough to kill Luo Tian instantly.

Even a Mentor from the Holy Mansion would likely perish if faced with this attack.

Go!

Luo Tian took out his last Kun Ga’s Fang and poured his True Qi into it.

VRRROOOM!

Kun Ga’s Fang erupted with an eerie light, unleashing a massive, dark whirlwind several stories high, its power monstrous and overwhelming.

GROOOAN—

At the center of the dark whirlwind, a massive phantom of the Sleeping Beast Kun Ga appeared, emanating a terrifying pressure.

BOOM—

The volcanic Flame Fist Force surged forward.

CRACK!

The power of Kun Ga’s Fang was annihilated in less than half a breath.

After all, the fang only contained one-tenth of the Sleeping Beast’s power; it was no match for an attack of this caliber.

"Haha! Got a few tricks up your sleeve, do you? But you’re still going to die!"

Zheng Wei threw his head back and laughed.

The Flame Fist Light, still retaining seventy percent of its power, bore down on him.

’If that’s the case!’

Luo Tian took a deep breath and drew an ornate-looking sword.

"Is that... the Red Lotus Sword?"

Zheng Wei froze, his eyes burning with greed.

SHIIING! CLANG!

With a clear ring, the magnificent, crystal-clear Treasure Sword, etched with the pattern of a red lotus, was unsheathed.

WHOOSH!

The True Qi in Luo Tian’s body surged frantically into the Red Lotus Sword, as if being devoured by a black hole.

In an instant, a brilliant Red Mist Sword Lotus bloomed in the sky. It was gorgeous and magnificent, yet it radiated a terrifying aura that seemed capable of incinerating all creation.

At that moment, the entire Red Lotus Cave Mansion trembled, and the formless Heaven and Earth Flame Power was drawn automatically into the Red Lotus Sword.

FWOOSH!

The volcanic Flame Fist Light suddenly shuddered as if seeing a nightmare. It rapidly disintegrated, consumed by the light of the Red Mist Sword Lotus.

In the blink of an eye, Zheng Wei’s ultimate move was annihilated, popping like a bubble.

"This..."

Zheng Wei was petrified, utterly stunned.

"Die!"

Luo Tian’s gaze was frosty. He swung the Red Lotus Sword, using its momentum to slash toward the distant Zheng Wei.

"No, don’t—!"

Zheng Wei screamed, consumed by absolute terror and despair.

Compared to the might of the Red Lotus Sword, his ultimate move was a complete joke.

WHOOSH—BOOM!

The magnificently blooming Red Mist Sword Lotus pulsed and struck Zheng Wei.

PFFFT!

The cyan barrier around Zheng Wei disintegrated as if it were made of paper.

"Ahhh—!"

With a final, wretched scream, the moment Zheng Wei made contact with the Red Mist Sword Lotus, his body was instantly incinerated, turning to ash and smoke.