Chapter 432 – Testing the Sword on Fiends, Using Fiends to Test the Sword

‘No good, this Azure Cloud World cultivator is far too peculiar.’

‘Nether Soul Ancestor hasn’t made a move yet, presumably because he doesn’t want to attract the attention of this world’s Heavenly Dao at this moment.’

‘There are still two other Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones within the Dragon Palace. I must find a way to get them to assist me.’

With these thoughts in mind, Sun Yuan – the Transformation Soul Stage Revered One from Corpse Fiend Cave who controlled the four-clawed Corpse Dragon – immediately roared angrily at the other two Corpse Fiend Cave Revered Ones who were still watching from the sidelines: “What are you still staring at? If we let this fellow reach above the Dragon Palace,”

“Do you think the formations we currently have can withstand that fierce Lightning Tribulation overhead?”

“Or do you think the Ancestor can handle this matter?”

“The Ancestor hasn’t appeared until now – haven’t you understood his meaning yet?”

“If the Ancestor could intervene, would he have delayed until this moment?”

Hearing Sun Yuan’s words, the other two Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones in the Dragon Palace remained silent for a moment before releasing their own Celestial Corpse Immortals.

These two Celestial Corpse Immortals, like Sun Yuan’s, were both massive Corpse Dragons.

Without a doubt, these were top-tier corpse fiends they had refined using dragon corpses from after they conquered the East Sea Gate.

For a time, the appearance of three Transformation Soul Stage Corpse Dragons boosted Corpse Fiend Cave’s morale considerably.

By now, numerous Corpse Fiend Cave disciples had realized that the battle here had escalated beyond what cultivators below the Transformation Soul Stage could participate in.

Although Lu Chen appeared quite formidable,

Lu Chen was ultimately just one person.

Moreover, most cultivators were unaware of Netherworld Ancestor’s current situation within the Dragon Palace.

They simply assumed the Ancestor hadn’t appeared because the timing wasn’t right for him to intervene.

Didn’t this indicate that the current situation was still within the Ancestor’s control?

This indirectly gave Corpse Fiend Cave disciples a sense of confidence.

However, some more astute Corpse Fiend Cave disciples sensed something amiss.

Because the current situation had clearly reached a point where they could no longer afford to stand by and watch.

Lu Chen had first slain multiple Nascent Soul Stage Corpse Flood Dragons,

then gained complete upper hand in his battle against Sun Yuan.

If they allowed him to continue like this, it would undoubtedly severely damage Corpse Fiend Cave’s morale

and put them at a psychological disadvantage in future battles against other sects in Azure Cloud World.

Therefore, no matter how one looked at it, as the only Great Vehicle Stage Ancestor currently representing Corpse Fiend Cave in Azure Cloud World,

Netherworld should have intervened by now.

Unless… he had reasons preventing him from taking action.

Fortunately, only a minority of Corpse Fiend Cave disciples maintained such clear understanding,

so the atmosphere within Corpse Fiend Cave hadn’t become too tense yet.

Especially when they saw the other two Corpse Fiend Cave Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones join the fight,

some Corpse Fiend Cave disciples even felt that this Lu Chen fellow wouldn’t be able to act arrogantly much longer.

After all, these were three full Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones.

Similar thoughts occurred to the two newly appeared Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones.

“Sun Yuan, to become so disheveled dealing with a mere Transformation Soul Stage Sword Cultivator – I think you’re deliberately holding back, hoping the Ancestor will intervene so you can preserve your strength as much as possible?”

Hearing the mockery from his rival Sima Kaiyue,

Sun Yuan chose not to rebut, remaining silent instead.Although they were all Revered Ones at the Transformation Soul Stage from the Corpse Fiend Cave,

they were deeply at odds with each other.

If not for the school’s regulations, they might have long since tried to kill one another.

As for the third Transformation Soul Stage Revered One, Wang Tianming, Sun Yuan’s relationship with him was neither good nor bad.

However, Sun Yuan had no intention of warning him.

Without truly experiencing Lu Chen’s Sword Formation, one could not comprehend its peril.

He needed these two to help him restrain Lu Chen.

Thus, it was even more crucial not to let them know the truth.

So, when faced with Sima Kaiyue’s mockery, Sun Yuan’s gloomy expression perfectly mimicked someone whose inner thoughts had been exposed.

His acting was truly outstanding.

This further convinced Sima Kaiyue of his own assumptions.

Without any further hesitation, Sima Kaiyue controlled his Corpse Dragon and flew toward Lu Chen.

On the other hand, Wang Tianming was much more cautious, not rushing into Lu Chen’s Sword Formation to assist the trapped Sun Yuan.

Instead, he remained outside the Sword Formation, relying on his Corpse Dragon’s Divine Abilities to provide long-range support.

He was extremely prudent.

This caution was soon rewarded.

Just as Sima Kaiyue’s Corpse Dragon entered Lu Chen’s Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation,

the Corpse Dragon immediately froze mid-air.

Upon closer inspection, countless blood-red lines appeared all over Sima Kaiyue’s Corpse Dragon.

The invisible Sword Qi within the formation made the Corpse Dragon’s once-proud Physical Body as fragile as tofu.

As the Corpse Dragon was injured, Sima Kaiyue immediately suffered significant damage.

“Pfft!”

Sima Kaiyue spat out a mouthful of blood, then looked at Sun Yuan in astonishment.

At that moment, Sun Yuan was watching him with a peculiar smirk.

Though his own crisis was unsettling, the misfortune of an enemy brought joy.

Seeing his rival Sima Kaiyue injured by Lu Chen’s Sword Formation,

Sun Yuan was overjoyed.

Was there anything in this world more satisfying than watching an enemy humiliated?

But despite his delight, Sun Yuan immediately controlled his own Corpse Dragon, attempting to help Sima Kaiyue’s Corpse Dragon resist Lu Chen’s Sword Formation.

Wang Tianming, standing nearby, did the same.

Although he deeply wished to avoid confronting such a dangerous foe as Lu Chen,

they had no retreat now.

Do not forget, while the Netherworld Ancestor was currently restrained by the Heavenly Dao and unable to act,

it did not mean he was unaware of what was happening outside.

If they dared to feign effort today,

once this matter concluded, they would face severe reckoning later.

Under these circumstances, the three Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones finally joined forces.

Three Great Divine Powers simultaneously appeared above the East Sea.

Facing three Great Divine Powers at once, Lu Chen immediately felt some pressure.

But this pressure was exactly what Lu Chen wanted.

Without such external forces, it would not be easy for him to fully fuse with the domineering Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation.

Apart from these three Transformation Soul Stage Revered Ones from the Corpse Fiend Cave, Lu Chen had another problem at hand:

the increasingly powerful Heavenly Tribulation.

The Heavenly Tribulation at the Transformation Soul Stage had grown much stronger than at the beginning,

reaching a total of thirty-six bolts.

Each of these thirty-six Heavenly Tribulations was immensely powerful.

Though Lu Chen had already withstood twelve,

and had caused the Corpse Fiend Cave Cultivators to be injured by the Heavenly Tribulation as well.However, none of this weakened the Heavenly Tribulation’s power; instead, it grew increasingly formidable.

Lu Chen had to simultaneously resist the Heavenly Tribulation and engage in combat with the three Corpse Fiend Cave Revered Ones at the Deity Transformation Stage across from him.

Fortunately, he wasn’t the only one being targeted by the Heavenly Tribulation.

Sun Yuan and the other two, having already stepped into the Heavenly Tribulation’s range, now faced similar challenges as Lu Chen.

The only difference was that the Heavenly Tribulation’s power they endured was relatively lesser.

Because this had escalated into a collision at the Dao-Grade level.

The situation over the East Sea had become exceedingly complex.

In the sky, the increasingly powerful Deity Transformation Stage Heavenly Tribulation raged.

On the sea surface, various Daos clashed violently.

Under such circumstances, the entire East Sea descended into utter chaos.

The Dragon Palace, located a thousand meters beneath the sea, shook incessantly amidst the Dao fluctuations.

Some of the weaker Corpse Fiend Cave cultivators didn’t even wait for the Heavenly Tribulation to strike the Dragon Palace.

They were the first to be affected by the residual Dao waves – their Dao Hearts shattered, unable to control their cultivation, either losing control and undergoing immediate dissolution or suffering severe injuries, losing seventy to eighty percent of their cultivation base.

In an instant, over half of the Corpse Fiend Cave’s low-level cultivators were affected.

If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before everywhere except the Dragon Abyss within the Dragon Palace might be completely destroyed in this great upheaval.

Just as the underwater Dragon Palace was about to succumb to the Dao confrontation above,

A massive black shadow emerged from the depths of the Dragon Palace.

It was an enormous dragon tail.

But unlike Sun Yuan and others’ physical dragon corpses,

This dragon tail appeared ethereal, almost as if it were an illusory dragon formed by the convergence of countless energies.

After appearing, the dragon tail directly enveloped the entire Dragon Palace.

The residual Dao waves that had terrified countless Corpse Fiend Cave cultivators

Completely vanished, blocked by this illusory dragon tail.

Along with this, the Dragon Palace gradually calmed down.

Within the current Dragon Palace, there was only one person capable of such power.

That was the Dragon Palace’s Great Vehicle Stage cultivator, Netherworld Ancestor.

But due to fear of the Heavenly Tribulation,

Netherworld Ancestor dared only to intervene slightly, protecting the Dragon Palace.

Or more precisely, protecting the Interworld Beacon within the Dragon Palace.

Truth be told, even if all the Corpse Fiend cultivators in the underwater Dragon Palace died,

Netherworld Ancestor wouldn’t care too much.

They were merely a bunch of ants.

Their deaths meant nothing.

At worst, he could just replace them.

But if the beacon in the underwater Dragon Palace were destroyed,

That would be troublesome.

Because it would mean the Corpse Fiend Cave wouldn’t find it easy to enter the East Sea again.

And this beacon had always been the target of the Central Province Sects.

They just hadn’t been able to accomplish it so far.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen in the sky seemed to sense something, his expression instantly changing.

“After waiting so long, you’ve finally emerged.”

Lu Chen spoke these words openly, without any attempt to conceal them.

Hearing this, Sun Yuan and the others immediately felt a sense of foreboding.

Immediately after, everyone sensed a terrifying Sword Intent emanating from Lu Chen.

This Sword Intent was overwhelmingly powerful, carrying an unstoppable momentum capable of severing heaven and earth.

Simultaneously, a Dharma Idol appeared behind Lu Chen.

When Sun Yuan and the others saw the face of this Dharma Idol, they were struck speechless with terror.

A deep voice echoed from beneath the sea at the same time.

“Sword Ancestor…”

That’s right, Sword Ancestor.

What Lu Chen had summoned was none other than the former Nine Realms Sword Ancestor.This was the trump card Lu Chen had always kept hidden.

It was also the fundamental reason he dared to come here.

The Sword Ancestor’s Dharma Idol raised the long sword in its hand and slowly swung it down.

This sword strike, like a thunderbolt tearing through the sky, instantly slashed across the dragon corpse controlled by Sun Yuan and the others.

The dragon corpse, possessing the cultivation of the Transformation Soul Stage, was utterly incapable of resisting this sword strike.

And this sword strike did not stop there; it began to spread toward the seabed.

Ultimately, it landed on the illusory dragon tail.

However, this sword strike failed to cause significant damage to the illusory dragon form.

After all, this Sword Ancestor’s Dharma Idol was merely a trace of Sword Intent preserved by Lu Chen after retrieving the Sword Ancestor’s Broken Sword.

Though this Sword Intent was powerful, it had not yet reached the level of slaying a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator with a single strike.

But Lu Chen’s goal was not to use this Sword Intent to kill the Great Vehicle Stage ancestor of the Corpse Fiend Cave.

He merely wanted the other party to be noticed by the will of the Heavenly Dao.

To block Lu Chen’s sword strike, the Netherworld Ancestor of the Corpse Fiend Cave ultimately made his move.

Boom!

Upon sensing the aura of the Great Vehicle Stage, a new Lightning Tribulation appeared.

“Good, good, good. Since you wish to force this old man to act, then before the Lightning Tribulation descends, I shall first deal with you, this insolent fool.”

The Netherworld Ancestor’s voice was low, and though he tried to sound calm, anyone could hear the anger in his words.

He had refrained from acting earlier precisely to avoid attracting the attention of the Heavenly Dao.

But Lu Chen had not restrained himself; instead, he had pushed him to this point.

Truly, he had been given an inch and taken a mile.

Now that he was already under the gaze of the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Tribulation was inevitable,

He had nothing left to hold back.

Above the East Sea, a massive shadow slowly rose from the depths.

Soon after, an illusory dragon corpse of immeasurable size emerged from the sea.

And its size was only one aspect.

What was truly terrifying was its body, covered in countless wraiths.

This was the Netherworld Ancestor’s Celestial Corpse Immortal, his current true form—the Netherworld Dragon Corpse.

The Netherworld Dragon Corpse looked up at Lu Chen above and slowly opened its bloody maw.

In the next moment, a terrifying suction force swept across the East Sea.

“Is this the power of the Great Vehicle Stage…”

Watching the Netherworld Dragon Corpse devouring the sea and his own body becoming uncontrollable,

Lu Chen couldn’t help but marvel at the might of the Great Vehicle Stage.

A simple breath alone was enough to influence heaven and earth.

And this was merely a Mortal Realm Immortal.

Lu Chen dared not imagine how powerful a true Immortal would be.

But things had reached this point, and his goal was nearly achieved.

What better test subject for his sword than an Immortal in the flesh?

Indeed, in Lu Chen’s plan, he had two targets for testing his sword.

The first was the Transformation Soul Stage Revered One of the Corpse Fiend Cave.

This target was not only easy for Lu Chen to accomplish but also highly likely to help him successfully achieve a Breakthrough to Deity Transformation and condense a second Transformation Soul Stage Clone.

However, it would not allow the Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation and himself to achieve the ultimate Fusion.

Thus, on this foundation, Lu Chen had devised a second plan.

That was to use the ‘Fiend’ as a whetstone, to temper his sword by slaying the Fiend.

Only in this way could his Breakthrough reach true Great Perfection.

Now was the time to temper his sword by slaying the Fiend.

Under the mocking gaze of the Netherworld Dragon Corpse,

Lu Chen abandoned the original Sword Ancestor’s Sword Intent and faced the Netherworld Dragon Corpse with his own Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation.This was undoubtedly an extremely difficult concept for the Netherworld Dragon Corpse to comprehend.

After all, how could a mere Transformation Soul Stage cultivator possibly harm a Celestial Being in the Great Vehicle Stage?

Yet when it sensed the increasingly profound Sword Intent emanating from Lu Chen, that mockery… transformed into astonishment.

(End of Chapter)