https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-930-Weak-as-a-Fledgling-Shen-Yuan-Takes-Action/13459492/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-932-Parting-and-Farewell-Clouds-Disperse-and-Rain-Falls/13459497/
Chapter 931: Fellow Daoist, Desperate in the End
Chapter 931: Fellow Daoist, Desperate in the End
The Great Five Elements Sword Formation!
The formation diagram was derived from Han Zhan's improved version of the Two Instruments and Five Elements Sword Formation. It didn't require puppets to wield the swords; sword orbs could replace them.
The sword orbs for the formation were gathered from Feiyunzi of the Northern Sea, Pavilion Master Li of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, and Lin Qingxuan of the Jade Ink Sword Sect.
Unfortunately, due to the varying levels of the sword orbs, the formation always had vulnerabilities.
In previous battles, Luo Chen had always struggled to fully exploit the sword formation's potential.
It wasn't until recently, when Cang Long transcended his tribulation, that Luo Chen used the power of heavenly lightning to refine three of the sword orbs to the True Artifact level. Only then did Han Zhan's vision of the perfect sword formation come to fruition.
The first battle of this newly formed sword formation was against Luo Chen's longtime nemesis!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Five sword orbs darted into the void like swimming fish.
In the next moment, the sword light flared intensely!
With the divine essence sage at the center, countless sword threads erupted, weaving a net in all directions.
The sword threads transformed endlessly, crisscrossing as they converged to ensnare the divine essence sage.
The crystalline flying sword, a True Artifact that the divine essence sage had painstakingly refined for hundreds of years, possessed a killing power on par with his Five-Colored Treasure Pagoda.
However, within the Great Five Elements Sword Formation, it seemed to have lost its direction.
Despite the flying sword's desperate attempts to slash through the sword threads, they were endless, showing no sign of diminishing.
Sss! Sss! Sss!
The sword threads struck, leaving deep marks on Shen Yuan's protective treasure robe.
The hat covering his head was sliced open, revealing his strange and contradictory face.
"Such sharpness?"
The divine essence sage's pupils contracted, never expecting the sword formation to be so formidable.
He didn't realize that although the formation was based on Han Zhan's design, its potential had far exceeded Han Zhan's original vision. Luo Chen had infused the formation with a piece of supreme Nine Yang Metal, making the sword threads formed by the sword orbs among the sharpest in the world, rivaled by only a few treasures.
Luo Chen's fingers flicked rapidly, weaving sword seals, and the complete Great Five Elements Sword Formation felt smooth and natural to him.
Finally, there were no more vulnerabilities!
He no longer had to worry about the enemy exploiting any weak points.
Now that the old villain Shen Yuan was trapped in the sword formation, it was only a matter of time before he met his end!
However, when he saw the face beneath the hat, Luo Chen paused.
"Changed!"
"It's not that face!"
He remembered clearly that the last time they faced each other, the face beneath the hat belonged to someone who looked a lot like the late Linmu Zhenren.
But now, the face gave Luo Chen the feeling of... Mo Tianlao?
"You're distracted!"
With a sinister laugh, the crystalline flying sword transformed into a rainbow of light, enveloping the divine essence sage as he broke through the layers of sword threads, attempting to escape the formation.
Luo Chen frowned, suppressing his doubts, and swiftly changed his sword seals, issuing a low command.
"Slash!"
In the next moment, countless sword threads converged into a massive golden light sword.
As Luo Chen's sword finger shot out, the light sword descended with a sweeping strike.
Facing this attack, Shen Yuan's eyes blazed with fury, and instead of retreating, he advanced, flicking his finger.
"Go!"
The crystalline flying sword detached from his body, its small form clashing with the massive golden sword.
Clang!
The clashing of swords echoed in all directions.
In the instant of impact, boundless power erupted.
The Great Five Elements Sword Formation, under the force of the collision, was forcibly breached, breaking apart on its own.
The five sword orbs flew back, and Luo Chen caught them, feeling no dissatisfaction that the formation had been broken.
Because the damage inflicted on the enemy was highly satisfactory.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A cracking sound echoed quietly.
Shen Yuan, holding the sword hilt, turned red in the face.
In the next moment.
Pfft!
A mouthful of blood spewed out, and the crystalline flying sword, which was connected to his mind, shattered into pieces.
This flying sword was no ordinary weapon.
It was crafted by the most skilled weapon master using countless precious materials.
He had nurtured it for hundreds of years, and it had even survived the great battle at Cangwu Mountain.
But now, it was destroyed by Luo Chen's sword formation attack.
"Damn you!"
Ignoring the intense pain in his soul, Shen Yuan, enraged, pointed at Luo Chen.
A hazy green light burst forth!
This move again?
Luo Chen remembered this technique; the last time, the enemy had used it to match his Withering and Flourishing Dao Finger.
Back then, he thought it was a divine technique.
But now, it seemed different, more like...
"I see!"
Luo Chen, understanding dawning, raised his hands, and a fiery phoenix soared into the sky behind him, carrying immense power and screeching as it lunged at the hazy green light.
The green and red lights collided in the void.
The hazy glow continuously invaded the other, spreading and causing the heavens and earth to tremble. The vast inner grounds of the divine sect were repeatedly affected by the intense aftershocks.
Luo Chen watched the collision of the two powerful spells, his suspicions confirmed.
When he comprehended the Fire Essence, he discovered that corresponding spells had also been enhanced.
At first, he thought it was due to the integration of the true meaning of the law.
Later, he realized it was not.
The spells in that state were superior to ordinary spells but slightly inferior to great divine techniques.
It's simply because the Primordial Energy of heaven and earth moves in tandem, enhancing ordinary spells and making their power more formidable.
True divine arts, however, can merge and resonate with the true essence of the laws.
Clearly, the old villain Shen Yuan hasn't grasped the true essence of the laws. He has merely fused ordinary spells with the Primordial Energy of heaven and earth, thus achieving a qualitative change.
Back then, the only reason I could withstand his Withering and Flourishing Finger was due to my higher cultivation realm and abundant magical power.
"If that's the case..."
Luo Chen pressed his lips together and gazed at the furious Shen Yuan in the distance. A spell instantly erupted from him.
"Politeness demands reciprocity; take this as well!"
In the next moment!
A dragon's roar echoed from the heavens, and a massive dragon head suddenly appeared, roaring as it charged toward the Divine Essence Sage.
As it passed, the void trembled, and a vast amount of Primordial Energy continuously infused it.
Shen Yuan's expression changed slightly, and he began to move swiftly.
However, no matter how he fled, the fiery dragon remained locked onto him, never missing its target.
A divine locking spell!
In just a couple of breaths, Shen Yuan realized the essence of this move.
He stopped dodging, stood still, and reached down with his hand, pulling up.
Then, the earth trembled.
Countless clumps of yellow earth rose into the air, forming two large hands that shielded him.
Roar!
The fiery dragon crashed into the two large yellow hands without hesitation, then gradually dissipated, transforming into Qingchu Spirit Energy and returning to the heavens.
Whoosh!
Luo Chen followed closely, determined not to let his opponent escape his attack range.
However, seeing this, his brows furrowed once more.
Instant high-level spells?
After three hundred years of cultivation, only he could achieve such a level!
This was only possible because of the proficiency system, which allowed him to enhance his spell proficiency day after day, night after night, enabling him to instantly cast various powerful spells with a mere flick of his wrist.
But in the brief exchanges with the Divine Essence Sage, he discovered that the other's spell mastery was on par with his own!
Whether it was the Green Light Finger or this earth-element defensive spell, the other never used many hand seals. Instead, he could instantly cast them with a mere thought, just like himself.
"Rumors say that the Wu Xing Shen Sect rose to become one of the top forces in Dong Huang, all thanks to Shen Yuan."
"Most of the high-level spells that have circulated within the Wu Xing Shen Sect were likely created and developed by the Divine Essence Sage."
"Previously, I thought these were exaggerated, but now it seems they are well-deserved."
"Just by the speed of spell casting, one can see his profound mastery in this field!"
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Luo Chen couldn't help but feel a sense of mutual respect.
Spells contain the foundational understanding of the Great Dao. Creating and using a spell often requires a highly proficient grasp of the corresponding fundamental components.
Compared to slow, power-consuming spells, ordinary cultivators prefer to rely on quick-acting, less power-consuming magical treasures.
Even at the Yuan Ying stage, cultivators tend to focus less on spell cultivation due to past habits.
Throughout his journey, Luo Chen has experienced countless battles.
But most of them were clashes between magical treasures.
Fights where spells are cast frequently and each side showcases their prowess are rare.
The Divine Essence Sage, not only sharing the same five-element constitution, also has a similar cultivation direction and combat style.
How could he not admire such a person?
However!
The brief moment of mutual respect was followed by overwhelming killing intent!
Such a person must die even more!
Luo Chen no longer hesitated. He opened his mouth and unleashed his ultimate move.
Whistle!
Amidst the fierce wind, a small green-white tree suddenly appeared in the void.
Its roots extended deep into the void, spreading to unknown regions.
A vast amount of Primordial Energy poured into the green-white tree, along with Luo Chen's boundless magical power.
The Withering and Flourishing Divine Flame flickered along its branches, blooming wildly.
Infinite scorching heat burned the void.
The Divine Essence Sage, caught within, began to melt.
He continuously cast spells, but neither the earth-element defensive spells nor water-element defensive spells could stop the flames.
Fifth-stage Divine Flame had already surpassed the resistance capabilities of Yuan Ying cultivators.
Even a powerful Great Demon Emperor like Huang Man would be powerless against this move.
"Shen Yuan, farewell!"
Luo Chen controlled the output of his magical power and continuously drank Golden Wind Jade Dew Spirit Wine to replenish the rapidly depleting power.
Even though he had broken through to the Sixth Layer of Nascent Soul and cultivated the Heavenly Phoenix Rebirth Scripture, and even grasped Fire Essence, it was still incredibly challenging to summon the Withering and Flourishing Divine Flame at the Nascent Soul stage.
Revealing the true form of the Withering and Flourishing Divine Flame was already his limit.
He believed that under this move, the Divine Essence Sage would surely die.
However!
The battle took an unexpected turn once again.
Gulp!
Gulp!
In the hazy, illusory flames, the Divine Essence Sage's withered hand held a crystal-clear jade bottle.
A stream of clear water continuously flowed from the bottle's mouth, forming a large bubble that enveloped him.
No matter how the Withering and Flourishing Divine Flame burned, it couldn't penetrate the three-foot barrier around him.
Luo Chen's eyes narrowed, and he said hoarsely, "What is that?"
The Divine Essence Sage seemed to struggle to activate the water, but he was particularly smug about Luo Chen's surprise.
"In this world, there are wondrous things. Fire is called Sourceless, and water is called Rootless."
"This Rootless Water is known as the Endless Spring, a source of endless vitality and unceasing flow. I discovered it in the wilderness and cultivated it for many years to achieve its current power."
"Luo Chen, I know the might of your Withering Fire, which even Thunder Daoist, Huang Man, and others are helpless against. But if I dare to challenge you, it's because I have made thorough preparations."
"How long can your magical power sustain the activation of this Withering Fire?"
As he spoke, the water bubble began to expand, gradually pushing back the Withering Fire.
Luo Chen clenched his teeth and increased his magical power output.
The Withering Fire Spirit seemed to grow increasingly frustrated, unable to believe it was being held back by a mere spring.
In the past, it could burn the heavens and boil the seas!
With Luo Chen's support, the elemental energies merged even more intensely, causing the small green-white tree branch to sway more violently.
The water bubble was being compressed.
Seeing Luo Chen fully focused on controlling the Withering Fire, the Divine Essence Sage's eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
This was the moment!
One hand holding a bottle, the other making a seal, his eyes slowly closed.
Buzz...
A strange force suddenly appeared.
Without anyone noticing, a transparent attack struck Luo Chen.
Luo Chen's entire body trembled, his eyes instinctively closing, and even the Withering Fire grew weaker.
Shen Yuan watched this scene with great joy.
When Luo Chen battled the three Demon Emperors under his watch and personally killed Huang Man, he knew this person's strength was already on par with a Great Cultivator.
When Luo Chen returned safely from Cangwu Mountain and even joined the Abyss Sect, Shen Yuan knew this young man would soar to great heights, far beyond his reach.
Moreover, Luo Chen, though known for his gentlemanly conduct, was also someone who repaid enmity with enmity.
How could he remain unscathed after Shen Yuan's repeated attacks on Luo Tian Sect and his underhanded schemes?
This battle between the two was inevitable!
For this, he had prepared many things.
The Endless Spring was to counter the Fifth-Rank Withering Fire.
The soul technique he just used was to exploit Luo Chen's short cultivation time, knowing his divine soul foundation couldn't match his own.
But there was one outstanding strength of his opponent that he still needed to deal with!
"It's a pity to waste such a precious physical body."
Muttering to himself, the Divine Essence Sage slapped the Lustrous Jade Bottle.
In the next moment, clear spring water gushed out.
The endless spring water immediately broke through the Withering Fire's encirclement.
Not only that, the Five-Colored Pagoda, which was engaged in battle with the Primordial Cauldron, flew back, emitting a large yellow light.
The Divine Essence Sage's two hands moved, and the crystalline flying swords, shattered by the Grand Five Elements Sword Array, gathered towards him, transforming into streaks of golden light.
He drew in a deep breath and spat out a pure nascent soul true fire, which intertwined with the golden and yellow lights, as well as the green light of the Endless Spring.
"Nine Revolutions of Golden Flame, Filling the Sea with Earth!"
There are many types and attributes of spells in this world.
Basic ones can simply clean dust and purify the body, while powerful ones can destroy heaven and earth, called divine techniques.
In between, there is a relatively special type of spell.
Composite spells!
For example, Luo Chen's Mountain Collapse technique is a combination of fire and earth elements, and the Reflection in Water and Moon in the Mirror is a composite spell of water and wood elements.
How could the Wu Xing Shen Sect, which specializes in spell research, not have similar spells?
The Primordial One Qi Great Hand Seal is just a simple combination, not considered profound.
On the battle platform in the past, the Wu Xing Shen Sect's Jin Dan Great Cultivator, Yin Sixiang, demonstrated the Four Elements Barrier, which was the pinnacle of such spells!
However, limited by his realm, Yin Sixiang needed various external aids to form the Four Elements Barrier, and it was extremely slow.
But the Divine Essence Sage didn't need that!
His technique, Nine Revolutions of Golden Flame, Filling the Sea with Earth, was no less intricate or powerful than the divine techniques created by Huashen Great Beings.
The only drawback was the lack of integration with the true meaning of the laws.
But how could anyone simultaneously master the true meanings of the laws of metal, fire, water, and earth and fuse them together?
"Eliminating Luo Chen is enough!"
Shen Yuan laboriously cast the spell.
Instantly, a river of flames surged forth, sweeping everything in its path.
Without Luo Chen's control, the Withering Fire struggled to resist, retreating to protect its master.
But as the flames continued to wash over, the Withering Fire, unsupported by Luo Chen's magical power, grew increasingly weak.
"Master, wake up quickly!"
In its desperation, the naive Withering Fire Spirit issued a warning.
And in response...
Swish!
Luo Chen's eyes snapped open, and a blood sword materialized in his right hand.
He swung it down!
The blood sword sliced through the sky, cutting through the river of flames, and surged upstream to touch Shen Yuan's body.
With a single strike!
In the horrified gazes of countless Wu Xing Shen Sect disciples, the old body was split in two.
Even the vast and complex nascent soul was dumbfounded, splitting into two halves.
Luo Chen retracted the Withering Fire and stood with his sword in hand.
Amid the swirling wind, Luo Chen's face was cold and stern: "What gave you the illusion that my divine soul foundation was inferior to yours?"
In his sea of consciousness, the three divided souls stood guard, the Imprisoning Soul Technique always ready.
Even if the Divine Essence Sage had used a soul technique, it wouldn't have mattered.
Even if three or five Great Cultivators had launched a soul attack together, Luo Chen would not have feared.
Previously, standing still was merely a ruse to appear weak, waiting for the opponent to use their ultimate move to find a weakness, and then strike with a single decisive blow.
This old man had lived nearly a thousand years, with countless trump cards and methods. If the battle continued, who knew what other bizarre tricks he might have up his sleeve.
Only a fatal strike could end this feud once and for all.
The aged body fell to the ground, sending up clouds of dust.
The nascent soul, split in two, floated in the air, seemingly unaware of what had just happened.
How could the soul technique have no effect on him?
How could his most proud spell be instantly broken?
What kind of sword was that?
Was this really the end?
No!
No!
"No!!!"
Luo Chen watched as the nascent soul in the air gradually dissipated and crumbled, his mind gradually becoming clear.
Ignoring the desperate and unwilling cries, and the countless resentful and hateful gazes below, he recalled the Primordial Cauldron and turned to leave.
Suddenly!
The wind ceased, and the clouds stopped moving!
Luo Chen suddenly turned around, staring intently at the nascent soul split in two.
In his gaze, the nascent soul began to merge, and not only that, its body started to rapidly expand, absorbing a massive amount of elemental energy.
Even more!
"My disciples, with a great enemy before us, why do you remain indifferent?"
"Are you afraid, or do you no longer recognize me as the Tai Shang Elder?"
"If so, then return your strength to me!"
"I will be the one to slay this villain!"
The massive nascent soul hovered in the air, drawing in vast amounts of spiritual energy.
As its eyes opened and lips moved, the Sect Protection Formation that had enveloped the Wu Xing Shen Sect, attempting to trap Luo Chen, began to tremble.
Beams of light rained down, sweeping over the lower-ranking disciples.
With each sweep, a life was lost.
Then, their spiritual energy, life force, and even their souls, were absorbed through the light beams into the nascent soul.
"Senior Brother, no!"
The Divine Flame Sect Master screamed in anguish.
But Shen Yuan paid no heed, continuing as he pleased.
The enormous body of the nascent soul grew, giving Luo Chen a sense of familiarity.
"Divine Soul?"
On the Heavenly Peak, before Dan Sheng Chu Yan ascended, he had once manifested his divine soul.
It was no longer a child's form but a massive divine soul giant that could obscure the heavens and earth.
He knew that this was the hallmark of a Huashen powerhouse, where a nascent soul transcends to become a divine soul!
Now, it was clear that the divine essence sage was also struggling to reach this stage in his final moments.
Luo Chen frowned, holding the Primordial Slaughter Sword, and struck with a single sword slash.
Swish!
The sword light was fierce, and with just one strike, the massive and ethereal divine soul was split in two.
But then, with the influx of elemental energy and the sacrifices of countless Wu Xing Shen Sect disciples, it quickly merged again.
Luo Chen was stunned. His Primordial Slaughter Blood Sword had slain two Huashen powerhouses, the Blood Sea Ancestor and the He Ze Ancestor, both top-tier True Artifacts, and was only a step away from becoming a spirit treasure.
How could it be ineffective against Shen Yuan's divine soul?
"Could it be that..."
Luo Chen's thoughts raced, his crimson eyes and golden pupils reappeared, and he looked into the void.
Streams of spiritual energy were flowing into Shen Yuan's body through the vast elemental energy.
Assimilation!
Indeed, while Shen Yuan appeared to be advancing to the Huashen realm, he was actually being rapidly assimilated by the heavens.
He had become one with the heavens!
The Primordial Slaughter Sword, though capable of slaying a Huashen, was far from being able to sever the fabric of the heavens.
Luo Chen began to retreat.
Similarly, the few Yuan Yin cultivators of the Wu Xing Shen Sect also started to flee.
"Quick, escape! Senior Brother has gone mad!"
"As long as you live, the Divine Sect still has hope!"
The Divine Flame Sect Master shouted in anguish.
Qi Emei and the other two looked terrified, hastily retreating, ignoring Luo Chen's presence.
In response, the massive divine soul, now expanded to a thousand or more feet, emitted a low laugh.
"You can't escape."
"Since you cultivated the techniques I provided, you can never escape."
"Come back, all of you!"
With his deep, resonant laughter, Qi Emei and the other three nascent souls discovered that their spiritual energy was uncontrollable, and even their nascent souls could not escape their bodies. They were forced to fly towards the massive divine soul.
"It's the Essence Absorption Divine Technique!"
The Divine Flame Sect Master knelt on the ground, instantly understanding everything.
"Senior Brother, you left a hidden hand in there!"
The divine essence sage paid no attention to him. The terrifying suction had little effect on his junior disciple, Shen Huo, but it was effective on the lower-ranking cultivators and those who had cultivated the Essence Absorption Divine Technique, like Qi Emei and the others.
As they screamed and pleaded for mercy, Shen Yuan swallowed them whole.
Then, the massive divine soul instantly locked onto the white-clad man.
"Luo Chen, it's your turn!"
(End of Chapter)
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