Chapter 420: Chapter 418: Wuhen Mountain Ancestor

“Ladies and gentlemen.”

Purple Thunder True Monarch’s gaze was icy as he said, “In a Golden Core battle, life and death are decided by a fine line. I hope both parties can restrain their killing intentions, so as not to make things difficult for this old man.”

“Of course.”

Purple Flame Demon Lord said, “Purple Thunder Taoist, please proceed with the remaining three matches.”

“Fellow Daoist Lin, what do you think?” Purple Thunder True Monarch asked.

Lin Tiannan’s eyebrows were tightly knitted: “Proceed.”

Thus, the two once again sent out a paper ball. Purple Thunder True Monarch drew a paper ball from the copper bowl, unwrapped it, and said indifferently, “In the third duel, Holy Daughter Lin Baoping of Furong Immortal Palace will face the Gold Core Sword Cultivator Jing Tiancheng of Sangyu Country.”

…

“Master.”

Lin Baoping, with her sword in hand, stepped out and said, “I am leaving.”

Monarch Ling Fu transmitted her voice, “Ping’er, fight with your best effort. If you can’t win, then surrender, there’s no shame in that. Moreover, you must be cautious. Sangyu Country harbors ill intentions. This Jing Tiancheng is unknown, perhaps he is Sangyu Country’s trump card.”

“Yes, disciple will remember this well!”

Lin Baoping gracefully departed.

On the opposite side, a young cultivator with a lazy demeanor slowly walked out from the crowd. It was that legendary Jing Tiancheng, with an ancient sword on his back and a fine sword hanging at his waist, his body enveloped in sword intent, appearing extremely difficult to deal with.

“Huuh…”

At this moment, Ning Daoran finally exhaled a breath of relief. Liu Wushuang’s injury had been mostly healed, but unfortunately, her Golden Core was shattered, and that was irreversible.

Fortunately, Liu Wushuang’s talent is exceptional. It only took her a hundred years to cultivate from the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment to the Late Stage of Golden Core. She still has a chance to form her Nascent Soul, especially since she suffered this setback for the sake of Xia Country’s Cultivation World. Presumably, the Liangyi Sect would compensate her, and the resources piled upon her would not be few.

“Master Qi Xing.”

Ning Daoran said, “Send Junior Sister Wushuang back to the Liangyi Sect immediately. This place might turn into a battlefield soon. It’s not appropriate for Junior Sister Wushuang to stay here.”

“Mhm.”

True Monarch Qi Xing agreed completely and looked toward Lin Xuyan, “Xuyan, take Wushuang back to our sect.”

“What?”

Lin Xuyan shuddered, “The outcome here today is not yet clear. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate for me to leave at this time?”

“You should go.”

Ning Daoran said, “Can’t you see? The five duels are a facade. Sangyu Country’s real purpose is to cunningly eliminate our Xia Country’s Nascent Soul Seeds. They might even send someone to ambush Junior Sister Wushuang on the way. Your departure is the safest option. Leave immediately without any delay; give Sangyu Country no chance to ambush you.”

“Understood!”

Lin Xuyan, supporting Liu Wushuang’s arm, vanished quietly behind the crowd.

“Senior Lin.”

Ning Daoran glanced at Lin Baoping and Jing Tiancheng in the distance, who were about to start the battle, and transmitted his voice, “I think these five duels have already lost their meaning. We are in the light, while Sangyu Country is in the dark. We don’t even know the details about Jing Tiancheng. It would be unwise to continue the fight now. In my opinion, why not explain the situation to Senior Zi Lei. We should immediately retreat to Liuhua Island and launch a full-scale assault in three days, pushing Sangyu Country back to its own land.”

“This…”

Lin Tiannan frowned and said, “The arrow is already on the bow, it may be too late to cancel the duel now.”

“Well then.”

Ning Daoran frowned and said no more.

“Young Friend Ning, you will be the finale in the fifth match. Please start meditating immediately to recover your mana.”

Lin Tiannan transmitted his voice, “We’ve all seen the cunning intentions of Sangyu Country crystal clear. In the next few matches, we must retaliate in kind. If there’s a need to kill, then kill; do not let Sangyu Country think that the cultivators in the Late Stage of the Golden Core of Xia Country are made of clay.”

“Please rest assured, senior.”

Ning Daoran nodded, “My match will not leave any room for mercy, a fight to the death!”

Lin Tiannan nodded with mixed feelings in his heart.

Liu Wushuang was not only exceptionally talented but also very obedient and very good to Ning Daoran, her fellow sect brother. Therefore, Liu Wushuang’s shattered Golden Core had truly angered Ning Daoran.

The outcome of the third and fourth matches might be uncertain, but Ning Daoran’s fifth match would surely be a fight to the death.

…

“Fairy Lin.”

Standing on the uneven ground, Jing Tiancheng floated up and saluted with a laugh, “I have long admired the name of the Holy Daughter, Fairy Lin of Furong Immortal Palace, and yearned to meet you. Little did I expect that our meeting would be under such circumstances.”

His smile was gentle, “When we clash soon, I hope the Fairy will show mercy. Once a point is made, we should stop. We shouldn’t end up like the previous match with Red Furnace Taoist.”

“Well said.”

Lin Baoping smiled faintly, “Since it has begun, let us start.”

With that said, Lin Baoping immediately presented a magical treasure, a snow-white jade bottle with blue patterns, exuding the aura of a Third-order top-grade ancient treasure, a treasure capable of both attack and defense.

Her Furong Spirit Technique flourished as Lin Baoping, like a blooming hibiscus, directed strands of mana force out with her fingertips, charging straight towards Jing Tiancheng!

“Well played!”

Jing Tiancheng swung his long sword, chopping out fierce sword lights to counter, and in addition, the ancient sword on his back unsheathed itself to circle around him.

His Sword Dao appeared simple and unsophisticated, even awkward on the surface.

However, cultivators like Ning Daoran, who had cultivated the Liangyi Sword Technique to Return to Nature, could see that Jing Tiancheng’s Sword Dao had a sense of returning to its true nature. It looked simple, but in reality, it was unfathomably profound!

The two matched each other well, striking back and forth in the air, exchanging hundreds of moves in the blink of an eye.

Many spectators were shocked, and some were even secretly imprinting the sword techniques and magic, as such an opportunity was rare.

“How odd.”

A cultivator from Xia Country at the early stage of the Golden Core frowned and said, “Jing Tiancheng, as a late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator, could it be that he doesn’t possess a lifebound flying sword and only has his worn sword and the flying sword behind him? Such sword cultivators are extremely rare.”

“Hmph, relying only on those two swords, he can actually withstand Fairy Lin’s fierce assault, which truly reveals his exceptional abilities.”

“Fellow Daoist, your words are mistaken. Lin Baoping is the Holy Daughter of Furong Immortal Palace and has deeply inherited the true Furong Spirit Technique. It is said that the most formidable aspect of the Furong Spirit Technique is its mastery over space. When practiced to perfection, one can conjure a domain field that causes the opponent to collapse without fighting. As long as Lin Baoping has not displayed this technique, the outcome cannot be determined.”

…

Before long, Jing Tiancheng was gasping for breath, his mana greatly depleted.

Lin Baoping was no better off, her pretty face dripping with perspiration.

It was right after Lin Baoping delivered a thrust with her sword when suddenly, her aura transformed, and countless dharma images of the lotus blossomed around her. A sense of all things sinking overwhelmed the space, and within moments, the heaven and earth within dozens of meters changed color. Lotuses swayed, trapping everything within.

“Yaochi Miao Realm!”

Someone shouted, “This is the supreme realm of the Furong Spirit Technique! It’s hard to believe that Lin Baoping, still so young, has already mastered it!”

“It’s said that a cultivator trapped in the Yaochi Miao Realm will have all their abilities sealed, with no chance of escape!”

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Hunched over within the Yaochi Miao Realm, Jing Tiancheng’s face was ashen. Clenching his teeth, he quickly slapped his storage bag, and from it flew out three deep blue array flags and three array plates. He rapidly executed spells, and in an instant set up a small array on the edge of the Yaochi Miao Realm.

“This is bad…”

Ning Daoran and True Monarch Liu Yun were both shocked.

Only an array master could quickly discern the strength of this array’s force. The vibrations of the array indicated it was of fourth-tier middle-grade; although merely a miniature array set up with three array flags, Lin Baoping, who was in the array, was in grave danger!

“Fellow Daoist, you’re overthinking it!”

Lin Baoping flicked her wrist, and a streak of sword light shot out like thunder.

“Boom~~~”

Jing Tiancheng brought out a bone shield to block it. Meanwhile, with a sneer and sweat-soaked face, he let out a pained groan, and suddenly, a golden light emerged from his belly and smashed toward Lin Baoping.

“That is…”

Everyone was shocked.

That was actually a Golden Core!

“Boom—-”

The Golden Core exploded mere meters from Lin Baoping, instantly shattering the Yaochi Miao Realm, with the remnants of the Golden Core’s power being absorbed by the brightly shimmering array.

“Not good!”

Lin Tiannan frowned, “This man is a dual Golden Core cultivator, willing to sacrifice one Golden Core just to kill Lin Baoping?!”

By then, the array had been activated. The sky darkened momentarily as brilliant starlight poured from the heavens.

Ning Daoran looked up in astonishment; those starlights seemed like actual falling stars, carrying a colossal energy far beyond the capacity of ordinary Golden Core cultivators to withstand.

“It’s the Falling Star Array…”

True Monarch Liu Yun’s lips were already bloody.

Several of Xia Country’s Golden Core cultivators struck out at once. Lin Tiannan summoned the Golden Phoenix Sword, True Monarch Qi Xing brought out the Yimu Divine Ruler, True Monarch Liu Yun swung his long sword, and Monarch Ling Fu, overcome with urgency, summoned a spiritual treasure-level umbrella.

But it was too late. The moment their attacks hit the Falling Star Array, the array buzzed and trembled continuously, while several streaks of starlight within the array plummeted, striking Lin Baoping who was already spitting blood incessantly!

…

“Master…”

She stood there in a daze, her beautiful eyes staring at Monarch Ling Fu, who was desperately attacking the array from outside.

“Boom~~~”

The stars fell, and Lin Baoping’s figure was instantaneously obliterated.

…

Ning Daoran watched, dumbfounded, as everything happened too quickly.

Monarch Ling Fu spurted fresh blood, helplessly watching her most beloved disciple perish, a sight of utter sorrow.

“Come out!”

With a slap of his Spirit Beast Bag, Jing Tiancheng released a grey, hazy spiritual beast that opened its mouth and devoured the souls permeating the air, chewing and swallowing them greedily.

The Devouring Spirit Beast, specialized for consuming souls.

He actually did not even spare Lin Baoping’s soul.

…

Ning Daoran stood silently outside, without uttering a word, time seemed to stand still for him. At this moment, he harbored an unprecedented hatred for the Cultivation World of Sangyu Country.

Such schemes, such cruelty, can the deep-seated hatred between the two nations truly be resolved?

Perhaps it could, but only after his generation has completely passed away.

“Fellows, no need for this.”

Jing Tiancheng pulled back rapidly, casting spells one after another to retract the Falling Star Array’s flags and plates.

…

“Humph~~~”

Suddenly, a woman’s voice rang in Ning Daoran’s ear: “A dual Golden Core cultivator, plus at least the identity of a fourth-order lower-grade array master, coupled with being a late-stage Golden Core sword cultivator; this man is not some Jing Tiancheng, nor is he a Loose Cultivator. Instead, he’s that elder from Wuhen Mountain of Sangyu Country who has been in seclusion for a hundred years. Hmph, exchanging Lin Baoping for a single Golden Core, Sangyu Country has indeed made a shrewd calculation!”