Chapter 507 - 476: One Sword, a Rout

Chapter 507: Chapter 476: One Sword, a Rout

The sea of blood surged, then gradually calmed.

But in the wake of Zhao Shifeng’s shout, everyone’s hearts were thrown into turmoil.

Zuo Qinlong had turned traitor, colluding with the Star-Picking Sect’s Great Protector Dou Shanhe, and was executed by Valley Master Chen in Celestial Ghost City? If they hadn’t seen the spear that intercepted True Master Xuehai, no one present would have believed a single word of it.

But even having seen it, they were still half in doubt.

"So?"

True Master Xuehai withdrew his Divine Sense. He hadn’t detected the two men, only the utter devastation of Celestial Ghost City and the cultivators continuously streaming toward Ghost Mother Peak. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Chen Che.

"Did Valley Master Chen rush here to stop us? Is that it?"

This just went to show the depths of the Star-Picking Sect’s schemes.

Even Ghost Mother Peak, considered a meat-grinder of a battlefield, had an important figure stationed there precisely to prevent such unexpected situations. And after his calm words, the cultivators who were still terrified moments ago inexplicably felt their hearts settle.

That’s right!

’So what if it’s true?’

’Can a heavily wounded Golden Core who just fought a grueling battle possibly defeat True Master Xuehai in his peak condition?’

As this thought surfaced, the spirits of the Celestial Ghost City side, which had just been lifted, were instantly doused as if with a basin of cold water.

They, too, realized they weren’t facing some pushover, but True Master Xuehai, Gong Liangyi—a man who had run rampant for a century and slaughtered an unknown number of Golden Cores! That one spear strike, which had pierced through several Golden Cores in an instant, hadn’t harmed him in the slightest!

"No."

Chen Che shook his head.

"Oh? Then what is it?"

"To kill you!"

"Kill me?"

True Master Xuehai’s brows shot up. He burst into wild laughter and slowly shook his head.

"In my life, I’ve tasted the blood of countless so-called heroes who swore to slay demons and evil. But all their blood had a sour, rotten stench. I wonder if Valley Master Chen’s blood will be the same."

He didn’t believe for a second that Chen Che could have killed Zuo Qinlong and Dou Shanhe all by himself; it was simply too illogical.

’He was more inclined to believe the two had fought amongst themselves for some reason, and Chen Che had simply gotten lucky. After all, having also come from the Star-Picking Sect, he knew their strength better than anyone.’

Hearing this, Meng Qianxun frowned secretly.

Xiao Chan gripped his Soul-Calling Banner even tighter and said in a low voice, "He won’t stop until one of them is dead. The remaining cultivators are just opportunists who follow the prevailing wind. If True Master Xuehai doesn’t die, they won’t disperse. We should press our advantage and..."

As he spoke, wisps of black mist were already rising from the banner.

Before he could finish, Chen Che raised a hand and pressed down, stopping him. He slowly shook his head, looking at True Master Xuehai, and said without a trace of fear:

"If you want to know what my blood tastes like, you’re welcome to come and try it for yourself. I’ll be right here. I just wonder if you have the guts. Everyone else, fall back a thousand zhang..."

On the Celestial Ghost City side, everyone looked at each other in dismay. ’Is Chen Che going to face True Master Xuehai alone?’ 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Meng Changtu wanted to speak, but Meng Qianxun gave Chen Che a deep look and said in a hoarse voice:

"Everyone, fall back a thousand zhang."

Hearing this, everyone frowned slightly. But no one disobeyed, and they slowly retreated.

WHOOSH—

Chen Che stepped off the Little Chick’s back, landing in the void. He raised his hand and crooked a finger.

"True Master Xuehai, you’re a long-renowned senior. Surely you’re not too scared to come forward in a situation like this, are you?"

True Master Xuehai was an old hand at this. He recognized the immense confidence in those words, as well as the goading tactic, and immediately started laughing. Anyone else would have been bluffed; a more suspicious person might not dare to advance, and might even have been scared into retreating.

But he had run rampant for so long. If he was scared off by a few words, how could he ever show his face in public again?

His eyes darted around, and he adopted a magnanimous posture as he spoke:

"Valley Master Chen is certainly a character. A tactic like this is useless against me. I’d quite like to see what gives you the confidence to speak to me this way!"

With that, the sea of blood at his feet began to boil...

ROAR!

The blood waves churned, and the atmosphere within Ghost Mother Peak grew increasingly tense.

In contrast to the worry on the Celestial Ghost City side, the cultivators on the opposing side wore mocking expressions. Although Chen Che’s opening spear strike had indeed shocked everyone, True Master Xuehai’s calm demeanor had allowed them to gradually calm down as well.

Hearing that Chen Che intended to block all of them by himself, the surroundings inevitably erupted in clamor:

"He’s a spent force, yet he dares to say such things?"

"That spear strike just now probably used up all his strength. Trying to scare True Master Xuehai with this trick is just too naive."

"I’d like to see what tricks he has up his sleeve to stop True Master Xuehai."

But before they could finish speaking, the events that followed explained exactly why Chen Che was so confident.

SPLASH...

True Master Xuehai swept his great sleeve, and the calmed sea of blood surged once more. A single wave rose, abruptly cresting a thousand zhang into the sky, its cold, bloody light dyeing the heavens crimson.

And he himself rode the wave toward his opponent.

Chen Che stood in the void, his hands at his sides, the strong wind whipping his long hair about like crazed pythons.

"Hah!"

As the wave surged toward the sky, True Master Xuehai suddenly pointed with two fingers joined together.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The sea of blood churned and spun.

Beneath the bloody light, the descending sea of blood rapidly formed countless whirlpools, which then bulged outward, transforming into enormous, giant spiral blood spears. Each giant spear was hundreds of zhang long, pressing down as if to support the heavens.

If the previous giant face had been large but ineffectual, then these Blood Sea Spears were the embodiment of focused power.

Of course.

As a veteran Golden Core, True Master Xuehai certainly wouldn’t fall for such a simple goading tactic, nor would he waste time leisurely chatting with Chen Che. During their conversation, he had split his Divine Sense in two and already coordinated with the other Golden Cores present.

So, almost as soon as True Master Xuehai made his move, the remaining Golden Cores all charged violently toward Chen Che.

To them, the Celestial Ghost City side was already a spent force, running on fumes. Chen Che’s arrival had merely given them a moment’s respite. Now, as long as they took down Chen Che, the others would naturally lose all hope.

"Kill!"

This scene did not surprise Meng Qianxun; he was an old hand as well. So when he ordered everyone back, he had also coordinated with all the Golden Cores, preparing to provide support at any moment to guard against the enemy’s dirty tricks.

Xiao Chan, disregarding everything else, raised his Soul-Calling Banner, but before the banner could even unfurl, he froze in a daze.

At the very same moment True Master Xuehai attacked, Chen Che abruptly looked up. He opened his right hand, and a Sword Pill blossomed in his palm. Countless Sword Leaves rapidly broke away, yet they gathered without scattering, arranging themselves into a long line and coalescing into a thousand-zhang greatsword.

VMMMM—

A soft hum.

The next instant, a tremendous roar echoed through Ghost Mother Peak.

BOOM—

Chen Che clenched his fist. Pushing his True Essence, Divine Sense, and Qi and Blood to their absolute limits, he brought the greatsword cleaving down through the air.

"Die!"

The power of this slash was beyond the imagination of any of the Golden Cores. Before the sword’s edge had even fallen, the Spiral Blood Spears were already exploding one after another.

Horrified, True Master Xuehai brought his hands together, and the sea of blood converged once more. The countless protruding Spiral Blood Spears rapidly elongated and extended, weaving around each other between his hands and merging together.

Directly forming a single, colossal Long Spear!

This bloody Long Spear was mighty enough to prop up the heavens and span the seas. But this giant spear, formed from the blood of over a dozen Golden Cores and thousands of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, was like a praying mantis raising its arms before a landslide in the face of Chen Che’s sword.

BOOM—

Amidst an unprecedented roar, a terrifying streak of Sword Qi shot out dozens of li from the main path of Ghost Mother Peak, leaving a bottomless sword scar on the ground.

The Long Spear that True Master Xuehai had formed from condensed blood was shattered by the Sword Pill in less than half a breath.

CRACK!

As the Sword Qi flashed, it enveloped his entire body.

He had just activated a Talisman and hadn’t even had time to throw it before his eyes filled with terror. Then, his entire body was torn apart by the Sword Qi, dissolving completely into the sea of blood.

Everything was annihilated in an instant. All that remained was the receding sea of blood and the immense sword scar, proof of the slash that had just occurred.

HISSS—

The Star-Picking Sect’s Golden Cores, who had been surging forward menacingly, and even the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Cultivators who were preparing to tag along for some easy spoils, all froze in place as if someone had suddenly hit a pause button.

Their gazes toward Chen Che were filled with nothing but endless terror.

How could they possibly comprehend it? Even Zuo Qinlong and Dou Shanhe, both at the Eighth Layer, couldn’t withstand a full-power strike from Chen Che. What chance did this True Master Xuehai have, whose cultivation was built up through Evil Techniques?

SPLASH!

The sea of blood washed back, its waves churning and crashing like surf against a reef.

Chen Che slowly raised his head.

Then, with a ROAR, as if a military camp had broken into chaos, they turned and fled, scrambling away even faster than they had arrived.

It was more than just an army collapsing like a landslide.

That one sword strike had utterly obliterated the last shred of conviction in their hearts.

"Kill!"

Xiao Chan shouted in a low voice, put away his Soul-Calling Banner, and, gripping his Soaring Dragon Spear, was the first to give chase.

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