Chapter 214 - 158: Conclusion of the Duel, Rushing to the Battlefield

Chapter 214: Chapter 158: Conclusion of the Duel, Rushing to the Battlefield

A scarlet figure appeared, like a malevolent ghost emerging from Hell. Its skin was completely burned away, its flesh roiling as it blazed with blood flames nearly five meters high. A terrifying pressure radiated from it, blanketing the area.

This was the final blow.

Chen Xiaorong’s condition, however, was the complete opposite. She showed no signs of disarray. The only change was the Suwen longsword in her hand, which now glowed with an intensely brilliant white light—a light so pure it contained no trace of impurity.

Her aura was serene, yet it was the calm that precedes a storm. As she channeled an immeasurable power into the edge of her sword, Chen Xiaorong’s Meridians began to rupture from the overload. It started with the small, insignificant ones, then spread to several major channels, and finally, even to the two Heaven and Earth Bridges that were intrinsically tied to her Cultivation.

These two Meridians were formed upon breaking through to Foundation Establishment, connecting the body’s internal environment with the natural world. At that stage, a Cultivator’s speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power would increase more than tenfold.

Those in the Foundation Establishment Realm could even borrow some of the world’s power during battle, such as the Golden Giant Sword Chen Xiaorong had summoned, or the protective blood-red mist Wuhuan Daoist had used.

Now, Chen Xiaorong had deliberately shattered her Heaven and Earth Bridge, effectively abandoning her Foundation Establishment Cultivation. But that was not all... At this same moment, the Spirit Pattern Path within her Suwen longsword fractured inch by inch, transforming into an incomparably terrifying Energy that fused with the pure white blade.

She was not sacrificing her life, nor her blood, but her future.

Jade Shattering was a technique of Chen Xiaorong’s own creation. It wasn’t profound, but it involved severing one’s own future path to gain terrifying power in exchange. The immense Foundation she had built through her Perfect Foundation Establishment was now providing her with a ceaseless torrent of power.

The blade in Chen Xiaorong’s hand gathered all the Energy, no longer letting it disperse. Contained within that extremely restrained edge was a terrifying aura capable of annihilating all creation.

Her figure froze in Space, her Taoist Robe clinging tightly to her skin. The blade seemed to have become a tool in the hands of a creator, ready to slice through Chaos and birth a new world.

Nothing could stop this attack.

Time seemed to freeze. In less than a second, the two collided. A violent, terrifying tremor spread out, tearing the very air apart and creating a vacuum. The crimson light and the pure white Sword Qi mauled each other like wild beasts, unleashing terrifying Energy.

The scene was like Purgatory descending upon the world. The bloody darkness and the brilliant pure white clashed, iridescent colors flickering in and out of existence at the point of impact. The two combatants struggled against each other like primordial behemoths, pouring their very beings into this single strike.

The Blood Gang and Sword Gang tore at one another as Energy erupted continuously. The aftershocks of the battle swept outwards, rampaging wantonly. Boulders were pulverized by the shockwaves, and the entire thousand-meter radius was engulfed in this fight to the death.

The very earth was overturned, cleaved by the Blade Gang, which gouged out fissures two to three meters deep. Immense power erupted across the land like an enraged behemoth, transforming the surroundings. Blades of grass were instantly liquefied into a green spray that splattered through the air. Boulders shattered into countless fragments that blanketed the battlefield before dissolving into rolling clouds of dust.

As the dust settled, only a single figure remained, battered but standing firm.

It was Chen Xiaorong. On a battlefield ravaged beyond recognition, her robes whipped loudly in the wind and her long hair flowed like a waterfall. Her gaze was resolute and calm, as if nothing in the world could shake her.

By now, the surrounding vegetation had been reduced to charred husks. The fissures crisscrossing the ground looked like permanent scars carved into the earth. The atmosphere on the battlefield grew exceptionally grim as the Demon Path Cultivators immediately charged toward Chen Xiaorong without a hint of hesitation.

Chen Xiaorong coughed up a mouthful of blood and raised the now-dim Suwen longsword before her. She watched the horde of Demon Cultivators swarm toward her like a pack of wolves and made a decision that stunned everyone. She pulled out a few Healing Elixirs, swallowed them, and charged straight into the fray.

She did not retreat, nor did she evade. She chose to continue the fight.

Everyone could see it clearly now: she had fallen from the Foundation Establishment Realm. Among the attacking Demon Cultivators were several masters who had reached Qi Cultivation Perfection. And, of course, the Demon Cultivators wouldn’t care about any code of honor; they would undoubtedly swarm her all at once.

"What do we do?" Shen Yunjiao asked Zhao Zuo.

"We can’t just stand by and watch. Let’s go. Get closer to the battlefield," Zhao Zuo said.

On the battlefield, the three leading Demon Cultivators at Qi Cultivation Perfection pulled a Scroll from their Storage Bag and tore it open. A magnificent Sword Qi, a hundred meters long, shot directly toward Chen Xiaorong. Zhao Zuo noted that the power of these three Sword Talismans seemed no different from the one Zhou Wushuang had used.

Apparently, while the Zhou Family hadn’t seemed to retaliate openly, they still harbored resentment over their disciple’s death. Thus, they used three Foundation Establishment Stage Sword Talismans as a means of revenge. If Chen Xiaorong still had her Foundation Establishment Cultivation, she would have scoffed at the power of these Sword Talismans.

But things were different now. Chen Xiaorong’s Realm had fallen, and with her current injuries, these three Sword Talismans were more than enough to take her life.

At the critical moment, an icy Sword Qi erupted from her body. The faint image of a woman in a blue Taoist Robe appeared behind Chen Xiaorong. This new Sword Qi... shot out and collided with the three unstoppable golden streams of Sword Qi, neutralizing them until they all vanished into nothing.