Chapter 357 - 286: Shen Xingchen’s First Battle 2

Chapter 357: Chapter 286: Shen Xingchen’s First Battle 2

"Zhang Tianwen, is it? You were lucky to escape last time. This time, your luck has run out."

"You!" Zhang Tianwen froze, then realization dawned. An irrepressible hatred filled his eyes as fury burned within him. He let out a low growl.

"What was your relationship with him?"

"He was just a Death Warrior. I had no relationship with him whatsoever."

Clearly, Chen Buhuo had no intention of explaining further. He chuckled softly. The next instant, he appeared behind Zhang Tianwen and threw a punch.

The punch seemed ordinary, yet it contained the full power of a Golden Core cultivator, its might perfectly contained.

Zhang Tianwen was instantly on guard. As he turned, he shot backward while his Divine Might Spirit Tiger roared, spitting out a Geng Metal Heavenly Killer Sword to block Chen Buhuo’s advance.

BANG!

The Geng Metal Heavenly Killer Sword shattered to pieces. Zhang Tianwen used the opportunity to create some distance. His emotions were in turmoil, and his gaze darkened.

"So what? If I could kill a Golden Core cultivator once, I can do it again!"

"Is that so?"

Chen Buhuo pouted, a mocking glint in his eyes. He shook his head and sneered.

"Do you still think you’re that peerless genius from back then? Face reality, little boy."

"Red Refining Sealing Void!"

The words had barely left his lips. Just as Chen Buhuo was about to move, the Red Purgatory raised its head and roared. Instantly, within its Domain, chains of molten flame erupted from all directions, surging toward Chen Buhuo to seal him in.

"Hmph."

Chen Buhuo grunted, his gaze turning colder as he watched the molten flame chains surge toward him.

The surrounding void was sealed. The chains writhed with a will of their own, and wave after wave of pressure crashed against Chen Buhuo.

"Soul Stepping!"

The Colorful Star Deer tapped its hoof. Its antlers radiated an endless, seven-colored light that filled the area. Bathed in the light, the surrounding trees and woods twisted and writhed, growing at a frantic pace as thick vines shot upward to ensnare Chen Buhuo.

"Thousand Thoughts Slash! God Shocking Needle!"

But Yu Changsheng’s assault was far from over; each attack flowed seamlessly into the next. As the Red Purgatory and Colorful Star Deer launched their attacks, Yu Changsheng made his move. Great waves churned in his Sea of Consciousness as he condensed his Divine Sense into bolts of black lightning, which then shot from his eyes toward Chen Buhuo’s own Sea of Consciousness.

Although Chen Buhuo was a Golden Core cultivator, and Yu Changsheng’s Divine Sense attack couldn’t cause him significant harm, it could, in coordination with the attacks from the Red Purgatory and the Colorful Star Deer, freeze him in place for an instant.

And for that exact instant, Chen Buhuo’s body stiffened, frozen in the air.

Yu Changsheng didn’t need to say a word. There was no way Zhang Tianwen would pass up such a golden opportunity. In a flash, both the Thunder-controlling Spirit Tiger and the Divine Might Spirit Tiger shuddered as a fearsome aura and crackling thunder erupted from them simultaneously.

A colossal Geng Metal Sword, wreathed in lightning and radiating an astonishing Evil Qi, shot toward Chen Buhuo.

"Purple Thunder, Geng Metal, Heavenly Killer Sword!"

Zhang Tianwen didn’t do things by halves; when he attacked, it was always with a killing blow. The might of this strike was heaven-shattering. Purple thunder crackled around the blade, heaven-reaching Evil Qi condensed into its edge, and the sharpness of the Qi of Geng Metal was on full display. As the sword descended, it lacked the myriad transformations and fleeting grace of Shen Xingchen’s style, but the raw, savage power it contained was even greater.

The stray arcs of electricity made the very air hum. For the first time, Chen Buhuo’s expression changed. A look of utter astonishment, of disbelief, filled his eyes.

The power contained within this sword was actually enough to make him feel a sense of danger.

"What kind of joke is this?!"

Chen Buhuo cried out as his cultivation erupted. His aura flared, and his body trembled as he struggled against his restraints. But the sword was too fast, arriving in the blink of an eye. Unsurprisingly, it struck him squarely in the heart.

PUFF...

A flush crept over Chen Buhuo’s face. He tasted something sweet, and a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. His aura wavered. He was injured.

"I underestimated you... Die!!"

Chen Buhuo licked the blood from his lips and clenched his fist. In that instant, the Geng Metal Sword shattered into motes of light, the thunder crackling over it dissipating into nothing.

"Mirror Image, Fleeting Life!"

Chen Buhuo’s eyes snapped open. His fingers danced, tracing patterns in the air before him. Invisible ripples spread out from his fingertips. As he performed the finger technique, space itself began to visibly distort. Strange rays of light shot out from the distortion, enveloping Zhang Tianwen and Yu Changsheng.

Yu Changsheng froze, unable to react in time. The world spun around him, his vision filled with endless shards of mirror. They assembled themselves into a massive cage, trapping him completely.

Each shard reflected his own image, yet every reflection was different. One was filled with grief and indignation, another was wild with joy, a third was utterly cold, a fourth was placid. Yet, the lips of every single reflection were curled into the same bizarre smile as they all turned to stare at him.

’Is this... an Illusion Realm?’

Yu Changsheng frowned. His mind felt hazy. He shook his head to clear it, his inner alarm bells ringing. He bit down hard on his tongue. The sharp, coppery taste filled his mouth, and his mind cleared considerably.

"Thousand Thoughts Slash!"

His Divine Sense transformed into bolts of black lightning that struck the mirrors before him. In an instant, the mirrored space shattered violently, revealing Chen Buhuo’s astonished face.

"You broke out that quickly? It seems your Divine Soul Power is not to be underestimated."

Chen Buhuo’s brow furrowed. He shot backward, then abruptly turned toward Zhang Tianwen, who was still trapped in the Illusion Realm.

Yu Changsheng’s eyes went cold. The Red Purgatory broke through all obstacles, appearing before Chen Buhuo in a flash. Its claws swelled to a monstrous size, shimmering with crimson flames. The searing heat warped the very air as it swiped viciously at Chen Buhuo.

"Red Prison Swift Dragon Claw!"

ROOOOAR!

The mighty Dragon’s Roar echoed through the heavens, a vast draconic pressure sweeping out in all directions. The power in that single strike, while not quite at the Golden Core level, was terrifyingly close!

RIIIIP!

It was as if the very heavens had been torn open, and a torrent of roiling crimson flame poured out. The fire surged along with the claw’s path, forming a canopy over Chen Buhuo’s head before crashing down.

"Hmph?!"

Alarmed, Chen Buhuo narrowed his eyes. He took a deep breath, abandoning his attack on Zhang Tianwen. He looked up and threw a punch toward the sky, wildly unleashing his Golden Core cultivation.

BOOM!

The flames rolled back and were extinguished completely. The Red Purgatory shrieked, whipped its tail, and let out a heaven-shaking roar as its claws, like streaks of light, struck out three more times.

The claws flashed by in an instant, tearing through space as if it were paper and leaving behind black, jagged cracks.

"Red Heaven-Splitting Claw!"

Veins popped on Chen Buhuo’s forehead. With a sudden shudder of his arms, a massive fist projection shimmering with golden light materialized to block the attack.

SCREECH!

The Red Purgatory let out a pained cry as the scales on its claws buckled and shattered. Chen Buhuo didn’t fare much better. The color that had just returned to his face drained away once more. He stumbled back three steps, spitting blood into the air.

"Wake up!"

Yu Changsheng appeared before Zhang Tianwen. Grabbing his still form, he shook him and roared. He then condensed his Divine Sense into a needle and jabbed it fiercely into Zhang Tianwen’s Sea of Consciousness.

VMMMM!

Zhang Tianwen shuddered violently. The haze in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by clarity. He stared at Yu Changsheng for a moment, then quickly came to his senses and nodded, a look of gratitude on his face.

The fist projection collapsed. The Red Purgatory was locked in a fierce struggle with Chen Buhuo, and with the help of the Divine Might Spirit Tiger and the Thunder-controlling Spirit Tiger, Chen Buhuo found himself completely unable to disengage, helpless against the three Spirit Beasts.

The Red Purgatory, in particular, was causing him immense trouble with its endless arsenal of abilities, its powerful physical body, and its Tier Two Ninth Layer cultivation.

As for the Golden-Winged Eagle, the Colorful Star Deer, and Li Minghan’s Cold Pool Giant Crocodile, they had formed a protective circle around Wang Dingsheng.

After all, among the five of them, Wang Dingsheng’s cultivation and combat strength were the lowest, making him the most likely target.

"Red Prison Shadow Dragon Kill!"

The Red Purgatory shrieked. Within its Domain, volcanoes began to tremble, and lava erupted like great waves. The Red Purgatory’s body shuddered, splitting from one into two, from two into four, from four into eight...

Eight Red Purgatory dragons materialized in the void, surrounding Chen Buhuo from every direction. Opening their cavernous maws, they charged him in unison.