Chapter 880: Chapter 879: People of Jiuchong Mountain
Three days later, a red light descended upon the snow mountain, resembling a rapidly burning meteor. At the point of impact, it felt as though the peak itself was subtly trembling, and the snow fell like silk, akin to a sudden flurry.
At the center of the earthquake, a burly man emerged, bare-chested with hair covering his torso, wearing straw sandals, much like a barbarian.
He looked up and spoke in a voice as deep as a bell, “Stranger from Jiuchong Mountain, I have come to meet the Sword Cultivator of Qingkong!”
Yue Duo frowned and slowly stood up; not far behind her, Hou Niao also rose, as it wouldn’t be appropriate to greet such a figure while seated.
The burly man was aware there were two people present but seemed unsure, “Two Sword Cultivators? Well, that’s even better—one-on-one would be less satisfying; two is just right!”
His words were bold, but it was clear he did not mean disrespect, rather it was simply his nature; nevertheless, such words sounded a bit harsh to Yue Duo.
“I am Yue Duo, the one you seek. This person is…”
“I am the junior apprentice, also a Sword Cultivator. Actually, it doesn’t make much difference who engages. Senior Sister, I’ve felt some improvement recently, why not let me handle this bout?”
Hou Niao’s words were somewhat flippant, a bit presumptuous, not typically in his character. This stranger had clearly come for Yue Duo, not him. Yet, lacking a better verbal retort to this man’s arrogance, he volunteered himself, implying Yue Duo need not act since he, the junior brother, could suffice.
Yue Duo was direct, “Step back, it’s not your concern!”
This guy had no idea of the power wielded by the Jiuchong Mountain cultivators; that place was a boundary domain where powerful entities established their Dao and became Immortals during the early New Era, among the very first—indicating a deep foundation. Even she must approach with caution, allowing for no negligence.
But the stranger was intrigued; he had heard of this extraordinary Sword Cultivator, a person with a very special status, being the only one on the Hell Star.
“Daoist Yue, let me first play with your junior brother, for fairness’ sake.”
Yue Duo was speechless; she understood the stranger’s intent. He was among the second wave to arrive into Jinxiu’s big world boundary domain, thus possessing a Realm higher than the first wave who rose from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core. This person had reached late-stage Golden Core long ago, and whether in cultivation or skill, he was exceptionally mature, providing a significant advantage in combat.
This man had initially proposed a one-on-two fight to avoid taking such advantage, knowing full well that a Sword Cultivator wouldn’t engage in anything disgraceful. Since he couldn’t fight two at once, exhausting one opponent first would achieve his goal; for someone of his background, he would not unscrupulously bully the less experienced.
Despite his mature and seemingly reckless appearance, he was meticulous, determined not to dishonor Jiuchong Mountain’s reputation.
Yue Duo cared little for his late-stage Golden Core level; for a Sword Cultivator, crossing realms to kill was the true measure of strength. How could she fear an opponent of the same Realm?
For Hou Niao, however, this was indeed a rare opportunity to spar with a strong opponent, unmatched by the typical trial arena experiences. Plus, when he said ‘play,’ he meant it wouldn’t lead to harm, with his serious efforts saved for himself.
The two of them were the real opponents, whereas the renowned Sword Cultivator was merely an accessory to the main event.
After casting a glance at Hou Niao, “Then go ahead, don’t overthink it, just perform to your best. This is a strength cultivator from Jiuchong Mountain, possessing top-tier skills even among the elite Daoist traditions of the universe.”
Hou Niao hadn’t expected Yue Duo to agree; this caught him by surprise, yet he eagerly anticipated this chance. Here was a cultivator whose prowess was evident at a glance, making for a perfect piercing stone to test his mettle.
Floating forward, seeing that the burly man had no intention to make the first move, he understood in their eyes, he was of lower status, which didn’t bother him. In combat, proving oneself required demonstrating capability.
He began with the Sword Holding Skill!
Against a practitioner of magic cultivation, this would be impossible, but would a strength cultivator refuse such a challenge?
The stranger from the building wouldn’t retreat!
A Sword Cultivator daring proximity instead of deploying swords at a distance?
Standing firmly, with a playful look, as the Sword Cultivator came within several tens of feet, a stomp of the foot revealed a force field within a hundred feet radius. Inside it, one felt weighed down by a mountain; movement, speed, flexibility, and pressure were all different from normal. The force field was continuously shifting, at times strong, at others weak, concentrating power unevenly.
With a fist punch reaching out, Hou Niao merged with his flying sword in response to the squeezing power, rushing forward to strike at the burly man’s eyes without hesitation.
The stranger let out a light ‘hmm,’ surprised by the unexpected target loss of the Sword Cultivator, but continued without care,
A finger pointed out, as if rallying a mountain; although heavy, it remained agile, colliding with the sword tip and sending a wave of raw force surging out, collapsing the entire flying sword space instantaneously. Hou Niao was knocked out of his true form but remained unfazed, with his sword momentum fierce and ready to slash at the burly man’s throat from point-blank range.
The stranger remained calm, instead stretching his body, expanding and contracting his arms, releasing a force field that hurled Hou Niao away.
Though his body was flung, his judgment was unfaltering. As he retreated swiftly, an initial point of sword light appeared; the sword division like a shadow exploded in the air like fireworks, with a hundred sword streams swirling and descending upon the burly stranger.
The stranger laughed heartily, not evading, “Interesting! Daoist Yue, your junior brother’s skills are quite impressive!”
The flying sword group sliced across his body, leaving white marks without injuring his oil-slick skin!
Hou Niao leaped back a hundred feet; within the Purple Mansion, the Five Elements Mysterious Light turned, sending out several flying swords anew. But Yue Duo suddenly stepped sideways in front of him,
“Good enough, but it’s time to end this.”
Hou Niao paused; he still had the strength for another bout, but after thinking it over, he chose not to act rashly.
Yue Duo was right; while he could still fight, the outcome of the battle seemed unfavorable. In just a few brief moments, his Three Sword States had been fully displayed, but in truth, they were of no use.
Charging ahead with his sword, banking on the notion that the opponent wouldn’t dodge, coming within ten feet he had feared nobody!
But he did not anticipate the opponent’s force field to be so wondrous, exceeding his comprehension. Within it, he couldn’t grasp the power in his hands, having to constantly channel mana to counter the force field, which made it hard to maintain stability in his sword moves.
The moment he neared with his sword, realizing the path was blocked, he decisively resorted to Body Sword Integration.
The stranger’s pointed finger provided a second revelation, giving Hou Niao a true understanding of the term ‘miraculous power,’ which not only created miracles but shattered mysteries!
The body and sword space trembled violently, teetering between collapse and stability. He changed moves again; rather than waiting for it to be shattered, he withdrew proactively.
Finally, the sword light division during retreat, regrettably, while the flying sword group was set up, the sword’s power was lacking, ultimately becoming like a swarm of mosquitoes, unable to pose a threat.
This person was too powerful, far beyond the comparable Xuanwu, making Hou Niao feel a sense of helplessness.
The Upper Realm is not some trivial upper boundary—they possess genuine power.