Chapter 987: The Final Tes
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Ying Qiong waved her hand and got all the people on the warship to withdraw. Then, she asked seriously, “Xiao Chen, do you really not need me to send people to escort you to the Central Province of the Tianwu Domain?”
It was a long way to the Martial God Palace in the Central Province. There was a lot of space and time for “accidents” to happen. Ying Qiong could not help but worry.
Xiao Chen shook his head and replied in a deep voice, “There is no need. This should be the Supreme Sky Emperor’s final test for me. If he wanted to, he could easily tear space apart and bring me there in an instant.
“I’d better take this path on my own.”
Seeing Xiao Chen so determined, Ying Qiong sighed. She knew that he would not change his mind. She whispered, “Since that is so, then I will not try to dissuade you.
“Remember, you must succeed in your King conferral ceremony. Several of the old folks of my clan are watching you. If you fail, after such a long time, some promises might not be able to withstand the test of time.”
With a quick thought, Xiao Chen vaguely understood what Ying Qiong meant. The Sky Dome Realm’s Ying Clan must have been sent down by the Kunlun Realm’s Ying Clan to protect the descendants of the Xiao Clan.
From the looks of it, perhaps the Ying Clan was also one of the protective measures left by the Azure Emperor before he fell ten thousand years ago.
However, whether the Ying Clan would help Xiao Chen or not would depend on his performance.
“I definitely will. From the moment I made my identity clear, the title of Azure Dragon King was destined to be mine.”
The Martial God Palace was not made up of one or a few people. It represented the alliance of all the factions of the entire human race, which ruled the vast territory of the Tianwu Domain as well as countless stars in the Starry Heavens. This rule lasted from the Ancient Era all the way until now.
The concept that the Martial God Palace was the rightful ruler of the human race was deeply rooted in every human cultivator’s heart.
The title that the Martial God Palace bestowed was extremely important. It was not an empty title; it represented a kind of Luck, something that every human cultivator acknowledged.
The title of Azure Dragon King did not start with the Azure Emperor. Instead, it was left by the founder of the fallen Holy Land—the Dragon’s Gate.
The existence of the Dragon’s Gate could likewise be traced back to the Ancient Era, long before the Azure Emperor.
However, it was only under the Azure Emperor’s hand that the Dragon’s Gate developed to its peak. Since then, when people thought of the Dragon’s Gate, they thought of it as the Azure Emperor’s Dragon’s Gate.
Every Dragon’s Gate’s leader had been the Azure Dragon King of their generation. Thus, this title was crucial to Xiao Chen.
Without this title, he would lose its status when he rebuilt the Dragon’s Gate in the future, unable to obtain the acknowledgment of the billions of human cultivators. Without that Luck, he would not be able to revive the Dragon’s Gate.
With a gentle leap, Xiao Chen jumped off the warship and landed on the ground. Then, he looked up into the distance before starting on this journey that he could only take alone, moving towards the end.
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Xiao Chen was traveling on a small road on a mountain in no rush as he continued digesting his gains from the duel with Wen Ziran.
Flawless Bright Moon. First comes night, then the moon. Does night have to be flawless before the moon can be flawless? Or does the flawless bright moon make the night perfect and flawless?
Without the setting of night, the bright moon will not have its radiance.
After thinking for three days, Xiao Chen finally figured out the relationship between the two. Only the darkest night could bring out the perfect radiance of the moon.
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Such peaceful days continued for a month. However, just as Xiao Chen was about to leave the Profound Domain, he was blocked by a group of purple-clad people.
These people were not the people of the Yan Clan, Jiang Clan, or Lin Clan. They were all cultivators of the Purple Night Sword Sect.
Not many people had come, only about twenty. However, all of them were at least Martial Sages.
For the current Xiao Chen, these people’s cultivations were not high. However, all of them gave off a sharp brightness.
Without exception, these people were swordsmen who comprehended sword intent. As for the leader, it was the great grandmaster-level Martial Sage Ouyang Long.
It was the same Ouyang Long whom Xiao Chen let off at Sword Forging Peak.
Beside Ouyang Long was another person, an even older man with an aura that suggested that he was past his prime, an old monster that had lived for several hundred years.
However, instead of allowing him to enter closed-door cultivation to try and break through to quasi-Emperor, Ouyang Long actually dragged him out here.
The formation of swordsmen before Xiao Chen seemed to be half the strength of the Purple Night Sword Sect. Even as a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage, Ouyang Long could not mobilize such a force. Someone probably convinced the Purple Night Sword Sect to do this.
Xiao Chen remained silent. He only took note of the Purple Night Sword Sect’s name.
Ouyang Long laughed with an air of grandeur, “Haha! Xiao Chen, you seem to be very well regarded in the Profound Domain these days. How unfortunate! You will not be able to return alive.”
“Give this old man a Longevity Fruit, and this old man will not interfere with your passage to the Central Province,” the white-haired man beside Ouyang Long said with a somewhat hoarse voice.
Xiao Chen’s gaze did not linger on this group of people for long. As he looked down at them from the sky, he smiled and said, “Even if you have another five hundred years of lifespan, it would be a waste. You are fated to be just a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage for life. It would be better to feed the Longevity Fruit to a dog than to waste it on you.”
The white-haired old man said in a rage, “What a sharp-tongued brat! Today, this old man will personally use your corpse to feed the dogs. Lay the formations!”
Right after the old man spoke, the twenty Martial Sages, who comprehended sword intent, drew their swords. Then, they leaped up, producing a ‘boom’ as they broke the air.
Strong sword intents quickly merged in the air. When they landed, a huge Purple Night Sword Formation took shape.
With such a formation supporting Ouyang Long and the white-haired man, anyone under quasi-Emperor would have difficulty surviving.
“Qiang!”
However, just as the sword intents merged, a saber light came from Xiao Chen’s body. This saber light combined with the will of thunder and his Great Perfection saber soul as it shot out.
A resonant saber hum resounded as a saber intent as vast as the sea spread from Xiao Chen.
He instantly shattered the sword intents of these twenty people at the most opportune moment, not allowing them to build the formation’s momentum to its peak.
Xiao Chen’s figure flashed, and countless saber lights shot out from his body. Miserable cries echoed. The twenty people had just leaped up when they vomited blood and landed heavily on the ground, significantly injured.
Xiao Chen regretted the result. There were too many people. If there were no more than ten, with their sword intents shattered, he could have killed them all in an instant.
The last thing he feared with the Flawless saber Dao was being surrounded.
With one move, Xiao Chen injured twenty Martial Sages who comprehended sword intent. Ouyang Long and the white-haired old man were greatly astonished at the disruption of their plan.
“Whoosh!”
The white-haired old man’s figure flashed, decisively retreating, leaving Ouyang Long to fend for himself.
That old bastard! Ouyang Long cursed in his heart. He quickly turned around and prepared to flee. However, a bolt of lightning flashed, and a white figure blocked him.
“I wonder, where did you get your courage from, to try and kill me? In my eyes, swordsmen who have not comprehended a sword soul are already nothing.”
Xiao Chen looked coldly at Ouyang Long with no expression on his face.
How hateful!
A fierce look flashed in Ouyang Long’s eyes. When he drew his sword, the sharp brilliance turned into a sword light flying forward at lightning speed.
Ouyang Long tried to create a chance for himself to flee Xiao Chen.
This sword strike contained all the strength that Ouyang Long possessed. Its brilliance could not be underestimated. Its sharpness could pierce through a huge mountain.
However, without a sword soul, it only possessed the appearance of strong might.
Xiao Chen did not move at all. In the instant he came in contact with the sword light, he extended his right hand and used two fingers to clamp down on the sword.
“Weng!”
A strong force came from the sword, making Xiao Chen’s clothes and hair flutter wildly. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out under his feet.
In the next moment, countless boulders soared into the air behind Xiao Chen. They were densely packed together, covering the sun.
However, Xiao Chen’s feet did not even move a step. He only used two fingers to catch the sword of a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage.
Xiao Chen’s body was like a saber, stable as a mountain. An acute sharpness spread in all directions.
Ouyang Long’s old face flushed red. He was a bona fide great grandmaster-level Martial Sage who had cultivated for more than three hundred years, yet a junior caught his sword with his fingers.
“Ding!”
As Ouyang Long struggled to try and retract the sword, a sword light flew at Xiao Chen’s back.
It was the white-haired old man who had left and returned. He showed a sinister smile on his face as he said, “Old ginger is spicier. Die, brat!”
[TL Note: “Old ginger is spicier” is a Chinese saying that means older people are more experienced and wiser.]
The white-haired old man’s timing was excellent. He struck right at the moment when Xiao Chen caught Ouyang Long’s sword.
If Xiao Chen let go now, Ouyang Long would have a chance to attack, a chance that the other party needed. This attack contained all of Ouyang Long’s strength and would at least pierce through Xiao Chen.
If Xiao Chen did not let go, he would have difficulty advancing or retreating. There would not be any way to dodge the white-haired old man’s sword. Thus, the white-haired old man was delighted, smiling coldly. The old man believed that even if Xiao Chen did not die, he would be heavily injured.
“Clang…! Clang…!”
Xiao Chen smiled faintly. He was not shocked at the white-haired old man’s attack. He exerted some force, and the Dragon Energy in his body circulated in his body, moving very quickly. Thunderous sounds rang out from his body.
Ouyang Long revealed an expression of disbelief as Xiao Chen twisted his two fingers and shattered the blade of the sword. Then, Ouyang Long vomited blood and went flying back.
After that, Xiao Chen turned around and stretched out his hand, using it as a treasured saber, concentrating his sharpness on his fingertip.
The air sang with a melodious sound, the hum of a saber. The sky immediately turned pitch-black. If one extended their hand, one would see nothing.
The instant night fell completely, Xiao Chen’s fingertip connected with the tip of the white-haired old man’s sword.
The scene before the white-haired old man turned dark. Before he could adjust to the new environment, he saw a light flash, and the sound of a sword shattering rang out again.
As the light brightened, a crescent moon shot out of Xiao Chen’s fingertip.
A light flashed and chopped the white-haired old man in half before soaring into the sky. Then, it moved around and turned into a bright full moon hanging high in the air.
Xiao Chen looked at the round moon above and revealed a satisfied expression. He muttered to himself, “Not bad. This is the true Flawless Bright Moon. First comes night, then the moon. When the night is perfect, the moon will naturally be pure.”
However, for Xiao Chen to be able to kill the other party—a great grandmaster-level Martial Sage—in one move, there were other factors at play.
First, the other party was careless. Second, this was probably the other party’s first time facing such a skillful Saber Technique.
The most important was that, while the other party called himself a swordsman, he might as well called himself a thick-skinned rascal. All he had was his cultivation.
The white-haired old man was hardly a powerful great grandmaster-level Martial Sage. Furthermore, before he died, he had already lost all his sharpness. Killing him was like cutting through a piece of rotten wood.
The white-haired old man was unworthy and overly proud.