Slaying Nantian, Subduing Flying Swallow, All Cultivators Submit!

The Profound Fire Sword settled into his grasp. With a murmur of "Just in time," the tip of the blade swept up at an angle. A streak of flowing light emerged and abruptly expanded, turning into a scorching sun that plummeted right overhead in the nick of time. Blazing Sun Art! After sending the scorching sun crashing down, Luo Chen did not even glance at the result. He raised his left hand, his five fingers flexing and curling as they formed mudras, while his right hand flicked and traced the longsword through the void. Chants rolled from his lips, resonant and profound. When the Blazing Sun Art detonated, a battered, disheveled figure finally entered Luo Chen's sight. Two blue water dragons, reduced in size by thirty percent, detached from his sides and surged toward Luo Chen. Luo Chen paid no heed to the two water dragons. Two streaks of dark light shot from his body, flying left and right to intercept them. Meanwhile, he slowly pressed the Profound Fire Sword downward. "Landslide!" In the empty air, an illusory mountain of magic power bore down slowly. In his vision, the gaunt, sallow-faced man was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, his robes shredded. Glaring viciously at Luo Chen, he gripped a black banner and shook it toward the sky. "Rise, Ten Thousand Soul Array!" The boundless black mist that had been scattered earlier let out tens of thousands of screeches, soaring from the earth to crash into the illusory mountain of magic power. In an instant, the endless black fog coalesced into a savage, roaring black dragon. In a flash, the black dragon collided with the fiery mountain. The mountain held for a mere moment before abruptly collapsing. Yan Nantian sneered, "Trifling tricks, and you dare show off before me!" With a mocking laugh, he waved the long banner even more frantically. The black dragon forged of mist roared toward the heavens, seeking to sweep away all remnants of the mountain in a single blow. To this, Luo Chen gave a cold sneer. A creature of shallow sight. The Landslide Art was named precisely because it required the mountain to collapse. Only then would its true power show! The next instant, from within the collapsed mountain of magic power, surging streams of flowing flame gushed forth like tidal waves, rolling down like molten lava to completely submerge both the black dragon and Yan Nantian. What was more, the Blazing Fire Miasma that had mingled into the Ten Thousand Soul Array earlier now unleashed its full measure of fiend qi. Waves of corrupting fiend qi diffused outward, unraveling the black dragon's structure from within. Wherever a thread of greyish-white light passed, the mist-dragon's body disintegrated inch by inch. Yan Nantian finally realized something was terribly wrong. Yet amid such a barrage, he was riding a tiger with no way to dismount; his only choice was to drive the Ten Thousand Soul Banner with everything he had to weather this onslaught. Multitasking, Luo Chen glanced to his flanks. After several clashes, the two dark streaks and the blue water dragons had already reached a conclusion. The Qi Piercing Nail and Soul Breaking Nail had each driven into a dragon's head, clattering and ringing within. "These must be the Water-Splitting Piercers, one of Yan Nantian's three treasures. They truly possess the power to part waters and transform into dragons." Seeing that the two black nails were fighting evenly with them, Luo Chen paid them no further mind. His left hand came to rest at his chest, ceasing its mudras. Upon the Profound Fire Sword in his right hand, clusters of gleaming light began to quiver, one after another. Every tremor signaled a massive surge of magic power flooding out from within Luo Chen. Under such an overwhelming accumulation of magic power, Luo Chen could faintly hear the low whines and groans coming from the blade of this low-grade magic treasure flying sword, which was of rather mediocre quality. "Nine suns is the limit. Any more, and this sword won't be able to bear my overbearing magic power." Luo Chen sighed inwardly, then tapped the sword's tip against the empty night sky. With every tap, a faint glow flashed into existence. With every tap, it pointed in a different direction. Before long, Luo Chen stilled the Profound Fire Sword, and the sword's mournful wails finally ceased. Meanwhile, the battle below was drawing to a close. At some point, Yan Nantian had been driven to the lowest point, his feet treading on the water's surface in midair, his beard and hair curled and charred as though roasted by fire. His robes were utterly ruined, exposing most of his bare chest. The crisscrossing scars covering it testified to how many life-and-death battles he had fought in his lifetime. His hand was trembling. The long banner in his grip was no longer a profound obsidian, and the black mist cloaking it had thinned considerably. He stared at Luo Chen in shock and doubt. "What spell was that?" "It is called Landslide. Merely Rank 2." Facing his question, Luo Chen answered unhurriedly, appearing completely in control of the situation. Yan Nantian's eyes widened. "A mere Rank 2 spell? How could it possibly break the Ten Thousand Soul Array of my Ten Thousand Soul Banner?" Luo Chen smiled faintly. "Spells may be ranked high or low, but their might depends entirely upon the caster's capability. Just like your Ten Thousand Soul Banner—if held by an expert of the Yuan Demon Sect's Soul Refining branch, it would likely unleash several times the power it shows in your hands. Surely Fellow Daoist understands such simple logic?" Yan Nantian's expression froze. Truth be told, Luo Chen was right. Yet throughout his life, he had possessed neither the time nor the peace to study spells thoroughly. When he finally gained a century of respite, he had focused on raising his cultivation realm, unable to spare much energy even for refining his treasures. He understood the reasoning, but what good did that do him now? He pressed his lips into a tight line. "One last question. What is your name?" He did not ask his goal, nor his origin, nor of any grudge between them; he only wished to know Luo Chen's name. Yet having asked, he did not wait for an answer. With a swirl of the long banner, he wrapped himself in layer upon layer of black cloth, then opened his mouth and spat out a gleaming azure miniature sword. The sword vented brilliance, cloaking him along with it, and abruptly charged at Luo Chen. Luo Chen's lips retained a faint smile. How could he not see that his opponent had merely been catching his breath and steadying his meridians to mobilize more power from his Golden Core? Even so, Luo Chen had played along with the conversation. Because he, too, was waiting! "This seat is Qingyang. Fellow Daoist, have a safe journey along the Yellow Springs!" With a soft whistle, Luo Chen exhaled a long plume of white breath. The next moment, in the night sky, nine glimmers of light erupted simultaneously, transforming into colossal fireballs akin to blazing suns. In an instant, nine suns hung in the sky, completely encircling the blue light. "Detonate!" *Boom!* Though nine Blazing Sun Arts detonated together, in this moment, only a single sound rang between heaven and earth. In the past, Luo Chen could also cast the Blazing Sun Art instantaneously at will, and even fire eight or nine in succession. Yet when detonating them, he had usually triggered them one after another. This time, however, nine suns crossed the sky, and nine suns detonated as one! The momentary power unleashed surpassed even many Rank 3 spells. The ten-li tranquil lake was no longer shrouded in black mist, but what it reflected was no longer pure white moonlight, but crimson suns! The terrifying fluctuations of magic power collapsed inward before suddenly blasting outward. A tremendous blast wave rolled outward like a tsunami, spreading layer upon layer in every direction and expanding its reach. Ten li, twenty li, thirty li... from the look of it, it threatened to sweep across a thousand li! The cultivators of the Flying Swallow Archipelago watching the battle were shaken to their core; many cried out in panic and retreated madly, terrified of being caught in the fallout. Cheng Dou, tasked with maintaining the Water Mirror Art, went pale, torn between retreating and holding his post. Cheng Haixin, Cheng Haichang, and the others, who had already fled farther back, saw Cheng Dou hesitating and shouted frantically, "Eldest Brother, fall back quickly!" Hearing this, Cheng Dou, who had wavered, gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve. For this battle, Luo Chen had given him this single task; how could he just flee? His hands formed continuous seals, raising light shield after light shield before him. In just a few breaths, the horrific shockwave surged to his side. Yet! Just as it was about to slam into Cheng Dou, the shockwave halted. Only gusts of wild wind whipped around, making his bound hair thrash wildly behind him. Cheng Dou's face was slightly pale as he forced his head up to look at the water mirror above. Ripples stirred across its surface, yet the image within remained crystal clear. He felt nothing but awe—Demonic Lord Qingyang possessed such terrifying control over his magic! Whether it was the blast radius of that fire spell or the enduring stability of the Water Mirror Art he had cast, both undeniably demonstrated the pinnacle of mastery in their respective arts. "Phew..." He exhaled a long breath, turning back to the panic-stricken crowd. "Fellow daoists, this distance was chosen by Demonic Lord Qingyang as the optimal vantage point. If you do not trust me, could you still doubt the Lord himself?" The crowd exchanged glances, struck speechless. Just then, a crisp, tender cry of alarm rang from the crowd. "Watch out!" Within the water mirror's projection, beneath that all-destroying detonation of nine suns, a streak of blue light broke through, darting straight for Luo Chen! *** Above the ten-li tranquil lake, Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. He shifted the Profound Fire Sword behind his back to his left hand, and his right hand shot out, his fingers pinching together like a sword to catch the incoming tip in the nick of time. *Clang!* "A fine natal magic treasure flying sword, but alas, its force is spent." Even as he muttered to himself, the blue flying sword shattered inch by inch, its fragments plummeting into the mud exposed at the drained lake bed. Luo Chen's gaze had already shifted toward another direction. Beneath the night sky, a long banner with dimmed spiritual light wrapped around a Golden Core, fleeing desperately in one direction. Beneath the blast of nine detonating suns, extraordinary as Yan Nantian's arts were, and even with the Ten Thousand Soul Banner shielding him, he could not withstand that horrific concussive force. His physical body had been completely obliterated. Only his Golden Core clung to life, attempting to escape. Given the demonic habits of the Northern Sea cultivation world, even with only a Golden Core remaining, there were many ways to stage a comeback. But how could Luo Chen allow the tiger to return to the mountain? His body shuddered, and a pair of wings suddenly unfurled from his back. With a flap of the wings and several flickers, he was already several li away, appearing right before the Soul Refining Banner. Luo Chen thrust his hand out. From within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, a ghost king roared and charged forth to block the grasp. Luo Chen ignored it, his hand abruptly morphing into a claw—the Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw! Wreathed in endless green flames, the giant claw pierced straight through the ghost king's spiritual form and seized the Golden Core within the banner. "Fellow daoist, spare m—" *Crack!* The azure Golden Core shattered in an instant. Dense magic power vented in all directions. The shattered soul fragments fell into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, where the remaining vengeful spirits and ferocious ghosts tore into them ravenously. Luo Chen raised an eyebrow, seized the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and probed it with his divine sense. "The host is dead, and the ten thousand ghosts turn on him!" "Good!" Uttering praise, Luo Chen held the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and drifted back toward where Yaoyue Island had once stood in the ten-li tranquil lake. Reaching out with a beckoning gesture, two streaks of light flew up from the lake bed. Looking closely, they were the Soul Breaking and Qi Piercing black nails, along with the pair of Water-Splitting Piercers swept up by the magic power wrapped around the nails. Putting away the black nails first, Luo Chen caught the pair of Water-Splitting Piercers. By now, the great battle had finally concluded. Yet less than the time to drink a cup of tea had elapsed. Luo Chen hovered quietly above the lake bed, seemingly waiting for something. Before long, spiritual energy surged all around, and figures landed in swift succession in every direction. At their head was Cheng Dou. First, he looked at where Yaoyue Island had been. The island was gone, sunken a thousand zhang into the earth. And the ten-li tranquil lake no longer had clear, reflective water; only a cratered lake bed remained, strewn with dead spirit fish and spirit vegetation. From the sky, raindrops fell pattering down. Beholding this utter devastation, Cheng Dou's heart trembled. A battle between Golden Core cultivators truly held the power to churn seas, drain lakes, and halt rivers. Most notably, this entire clash had remained under that man's control from beginning to end, never letting the fighting spread. Had they fought with utter abandon, not even the Thirty-Six Flying Swallow Islands would have survived their wrath. Swallowing hard, Cheng Dou bowed deeply. "Cheng Dou of Black Swan Island, leading the cultivators of the Thirty-Six Flying Swallow Islands, pays respects to Demonic Lord Qingyang!" As he bowed in greeting, the remaining six Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Cheng clan also bowed in unison. "Mighty is the Demonic Lord!" Luo Chen's expression did not change as his seemingly mild gaze swept across the other Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. By this time, all the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Flying Swallow Archipelago had arrived, numbering roughly a hundred. Beneath his sweeping gaze, anyone whose eyes met his could not bear the pressure and lowered their heads instinctively. Every single one of them had watched the battle through the water mirror. They had witnessed how Luo Chen had thoroughly suppressed Master Nantian from start to finish within a brief span of time, leaving his opponent without even a remnant soul to escape with. Such ferocious might was even more terrifying than Nantian's had been all those years ago! Someone in the crowd cried, "Mighty is the Demonic Lord!" Then came a chain reaction. "Mighty is the Demonic Lord!" "Mighty is the Demonic Lord!" "Mighty is the Demonic Lord!" The voices of merely a hundred people, uniting together at this moment, resonated like great bronze bells echoing through the clouds. The corners of Luo Chen's mouth curled up slowly. "Fellow daoists, we shall meet here again in one month. I hope not a single one of you will be absent!" His clear, ringing voice carried across the wilds and struck deep into every heart. All who heard it felt a shiver in their souls. When they looked up, Luo Chen had already vanished from the night sky. Before Cheng Dou floated a jade slip radiating red light. Cheng Dou took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the slip; streams of information flowed into his mind. It was a formation method to gather spiritual energy and stabilize spirit veins! Looking at the ravaged, shattered ruins of Yaoyue Island, he understood Luo Chen's intent. "One month to clean up the ruins and reconvene the Rank 3 spirit vein shattered in this place." "Fellow Daoist Xu, Brother Wang, Old Fu, I fear this will trouble the three of you." "As for the rest of you, those with wealth contribute wealth, and those with strength contribute strength." The cultivators exchanged uneasy glances. After such a battle, how could the low-grade Rank 3 spirit vein here have withstood the shock? It had naturally been shattered. Re-gathering the spirit vein would surely come at an enormous cost. What was more, time was terribly tight! Naturally, none of them wanted to part with their resources. Yet thinking of Qingyang's demonic might, who dared slacken? Especially after his parting words: "We shall meet here again in one month. I hope not a single one of you will be absent!" Seeing that no one spoke, Cheng Dou took a step forward and snapped sharply, "Do you dare disobey his orders?" With that bark, as if Demonic Lord Qingyang himself stood there, everyone shivered. The cultivator surnamed Xu, who had spoken with Cheng Dou earlier, shook his head with a bitter smile. "This old man certainly would not dare." After he spoke, "Brother Wang" and "Old Fu," who had been named by Cheng Dou, could only sigh and accept the task. The three of them were the foremost formation masters in the Thirty-Six Flying Swallow Islands. They were also the ones who usually maintained the island-linking formation handed down by the Canghai Alliance. Once these three yielded beneath Demonic Lord Qingyang's overbearing might, the others lost all will to resist and voiced their willingness to help. Seeing this, the tension on Cheng Dou's face finally relaxed. The corners of his mouth curved upward, until he could no longer hold back and broke into a radiant, unrestrained smile. This time, he had won his gamble! From now on, as long as Demonic Lord Qingyang remained in the Flying Swallow Archipelago, the Cheng clan would be the foremost cultivation clan of the islands. What better embodiment of a fox borrowing the tiger's majesty? So long as he successfully formed his core, the Cheng clan would flourish even after Demonic Lord Qingyang eventually departed. Savoring the lingering traces of Yan Nantian's aura here, he laughed with growing abandon. You cannot measure the sea with a peck; how could he, Cheng Dou, remain beneath others for his entire life? Yan Nantian could not suppress him, and Demonic Lord Qingyang was merely a stepping stone. One day, he, Cheng Dou, would become the true master of Flying Swallow! That day would not be far!