Chapter 109 - 54: Innate Qi Sword: Restriction Lifted

Chapter 109: Chapter 54: Innate Qi Sword: Restriction Lifted

"..."

The constant messages from the other party left Jiang Xuan feeling helpless and more than a little annoyed.

So, he replied in a cold, hard tone.

Of course, while replying, he also explained why he wouldn’t accept the challenge.

’It’s not like I’m actually scared of her, and it’s not in my nature to win once and run away. There’s nothing to hide on that front.’

"A win is a win, so cut the crap! I’m not fighting you a second time, not because I’m a coward, but because I’m in no condition to fight right now. There’s no point. Stop messaging me."

Jiang Xuan had thought his words would put an end to her pestering. But after he sent the message, she first fell into a long silence. The next moment, a request to enter the Martial Arts Arena popped up before him, immediately followed by several more urgent requests. She showed no intention of backing down.

Frowning, Jiang Xuan accepted anyway.

WHOOSH—!

As light and shadow twisted and flowed, a slender figure materialized from thin air. It was Su Xingying, restored to her peak condition.

When she saw that Jiang Xuan truly looked withered and on the verge of death, she froze for a moment. Then, the corner of her mouth twitched, her expression indescribably odd.

"Why aren’t you using an Array to restore yourself? Don’t you know this is an Illusion Realm? Your physical state is just a projection of your real body. You can use the Array’s hub to return to your peak condition at any time."

Her words made Jiang Xuan roll his eyes dramatically. "Of course I know that, but do you think restoring my condition doesn’t cost Spirit Stones?!"

"I’m not like you—a direct descendant of a wealthy clan, a pampered young lady with plenty of Spirit Stones to squander."

At his words, Su Xingying’s eyes shot wide open, her astonishment nearly overflowing. What made Jiang Xuan raise an eyebrow was that, upon learning of his dire lack of Spirit Stones, the reproach on the young woman’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a sparkling look of delight.

"You’re actually short on Spirit Stones..." Noticing Jiang Xuan’s glare growing darker, she quickly waved her hands. "I don’t mean to look down on you! I just never thought that someone with your outstanding Talent couldn’t even afford the Spirit Stones to recover."

"..." Her words left Jiang Xuan speechless. At that moment, he only wanted to say one thing: ’Building my own Scripture Pavilion is really expensive.’

Without that financial drain, and with the continuous support from Four Seasons Valley, he could have easily produced not just a few Spirit Stones, but several hundred.

Just as Jiang Xuan was sighing inwardly, the young woman’s next words made him snap his head up to look at her. And now, his gaze held no trace of annoyance, only delight.

The reason for his sudden change in attitude was the young woman’s crisp declaration: "I’ll cover the Spirit Stones you need to recover."

Having said that, she thought for a moment before earnestly cupping her hands in a salute toward Jiang Xuan. "Xingying was being presumptuous just now. It was wrong of me to disturb your peace after my defeat, Senior Brother. As an apology, as long as you are willing to accept my challenge, I will offer twenty Spirit Stones."

"And if you win, Senior Brother, I will add another eighty, bringing the total to one hundred Spirit Stones."

The moment she said this, Jiang Xuan’s attitude did a complete 180. A warm smile spread across his face. "Ahem, Junior Sister Xingying, you’re too kind. To be honest, I have long admired your magnificent style. I also benefited greatly from our last battle and was just thinking I’d like to spar with you again..."

After this string of compliments, Jiang Xuan changed his tune, sounding slightly embarrassed. "Um... Junior Sister Xingying, I just want to ask, is it one hundred Spirit Stones for every match I win?"

"..." Jiang Xuan’s greedy appearance made Su Xingying want to laugh, but she quickly composed herself and said seriously, "Yes. For every match you win, Senior Brother, I will pay one hundred. And this reward has no upper limit!"

She agreed so easily, for one, because a hundred Low Grade Spirit Stones were nothing to her. Not to mention anything else, the Star Stone she wore was worth one hundred and eighty thousand Low Grade Spirit Stones, and such a rare item couldn’t simply be bought with money.

The other reason she agreed so readily was that her expression had turned stern; she didn’t believe she would lose again.

’My power is overwhelmingly greater than his... I lost our last fight purely because I was careless. That will not happen again!’

BUZZ—!

As the thought formed in her mind, a sharp, soaring aura erupted from Su Xingying’s body. Like a morning star in the dead of night, her presence began to climb, level by level.

Faced with this surging momentum, Jiang Xuan flicked his finger. A flash of light and shadow enveloped him, and drawing on the power of the Array, his withered form instantly returned to its peak state.

The next moment, he slowly raised his hand to the hilt of the sword at his waist and drew his treasured Cyan Glaze from its Sword Scabbard, inch by inch.

As he drew the blade, a sharp, murderous glint appeared in his eyes.

At the same time, with every breath he exhaled, an endless, bone-chilling white mist poured from Jiang Xuan’s throat. It billowed out from him, spreading in all directions, freezing even the autumn air in its path.

The Ancient Battlefield Illusion Realm, originally crisp and autumnal with swaying reeds, was gradually enveloped by the chill of deep winter. Frost coated the plants, and a frigid wind howled.

And on this frost-covered Ancient Battlefield of reeds, Jiang Xuan and Su Xingying stood facing each other.

WHOOSH...

A cold gust of wind swept past. In the instant the reeds bent and swayed, a sharp SWISH! rang out. Su Xingying’s figure transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward Jiang Xuan like a shooting star chasing the moon.

But this time, Jiang Xuan’s response was completely different.

BOOM!

As he inhaled, a deafening clap of Thunder erupted from within his body!

And with the roar of Thunder, the aura around Jiang Xuan surged like a lit flame—rising! Raging! Roaring!

In just a few breaths, Jiang Xuan’s aura had grown two or three times stronger.

Innate Qi Sword: Limit Break!

This was a secret application of the Innate Qi Sword. In this mode, the Sword Technique was no longer a weapon for attacking enemies but transformed into the light of creative thunder that invaded the Five Viscera and forcibly undid the body’s innate limitations.

The Five Viscera are connected to the Flesh Body, so this was, in effect, a way to break the shackles on Jiang Xuan’s Flesh Body and push his power to its absolute limit.

Of course, such an outburst always came with fatal drawbacks.

First, its duration was extremely short.

The stimulation from the Innate Qi Sword would only last for about thirty breaths. Once that time was up, the Vitality Creation Thunder Power would fade. Furthermore, because the Innate Qi Sword had transformed into Vital Thunder to release the limits on his Five Viscera, he would also lose an incredibly powerful attack.

Second, his body would break down.

The existence of limiters has never been a bad thing for humans.

They are not restraints, not shackles, and certainly not weaknesses. They are the most advanced self-preservation system the human body has evolved.

Removing them did indeed make Jiang Xuan stronger, but it also meant that in the process, every swing of his sword, every block, would be accompanied by fatal risks like torn muscles, fractured and dislocated bones, an overloaded heart, ruptured blood vessels, and internal bleeding.

Jiang Xuan didn’t know what would happen to the young woman before him after thirty breaths of his all-out burst, but his own body would inevitably collapse and be ruined.

But despite the numerous repercussions, Jiang Xuan activated it without hesitation.

’It doesn’t matter. As long as I kill her within thirty breaths, it’s a win even if my Flesh Body disintegrates the very next second!’

For the sake of the Spirit Stones, Jiang Xuan was burning everything he had. This made his gaze on Su Xingying grow colder and more indifferent, as if he were looking at a dead person.

"Su Xingying..." Staring at his opponent, Jiang Xuan spoke, his voice low and hoarse, laced with a bone-deep chill. "I am going to kill you!"

BOOM!