Chapter 528 - 499: Reviving the Sword Dao

Chapter 528: Chapter 499: Reviving the Sword Dao

This was the first time Bai Zichen’s Qing Emperor Longevity Sword had failed to kill its target outright, a testament to the opponent he was facing.

Still, in his weakened state, with even his Realm heavily damaged, Xiang Banshan no longer possessed the power of a Great True Monarch.

With the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword joining the fray, the three streaks of Sword Light crisscrossed, turning the tables and suppressing Xiang Banshan within the range of the Huohuo Sword Threads.

A look of resolve appeared on Xiang Banshan’s face. His Nascent Soul shot out from his crown, clutching a Flying Shuttle. It was clear that not only had his physical body aged, but his Nascent Soul had also taken on the withered appearance of a tiny old man.

He hammered his chest with both fists, spewing mouthful after mouthful of bloody Lifebound True Essence onto the thirty-six Jade Talismans as if it cost him nothing.

Even on the talismans that had already been used, the dim Flower Bird Talismans were forcefully reactivated, forming a Heaven-Encompassing Net.

The net forcibly ensnared the three streaks of Sword Light. Xiang Banshan’s Nascent Soul then merged with the Flying Shuttle, transforming into a black streak that instantly teleported dozens of miles away.

How could the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Jade Talismans, already forcefully overdrawn, possibly block three Tier Four Flying Swords? Especially when one of them was Bai Zichen’s Lifebound Flying Sword, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword.

The Thunder Radiance swelled, bursting the talisman net apart. The net reverted to thirty-six Jade Talismans that whined as they began to spiral away.

A flash of Moonlight caught up to them. The Sword Light swept out, and not a single Jade Talisman escaped its grasp; all were captured.

Bai Zichen wanted to give chase, but he felt a faint yet murderous Sword Intent from behind. A chill ran down his spine, and he stopped in his tracks.

’Xiang Banshan has a century of life left at most. After the blow I just dealt him, I doubt he’ll have the nerve to move against Brother Ge or the Qingfeng Sect... His defeat at my hands will be a massive blow to his prestige, and to that of the Nine Tribulations Sect. Their rivals will surely start getting ideas. Even if he finds some way to prolong his life and clings to a wretched existence, it’s no great matter. Sixty years from now, I can just pay a visit to the Nine Tribulations Sect and swing my sword again.’

Bai Zichen estimated the speed of the Escape Technique Xiang Banshan’s Nascent Soul was using with the Flying Shuttle. The chances of catching him were slim.

Besides, he hadn’t yet learned any Magic for looting an undefended Realm. Even if he killed Xiang Banshan, there would be no other spoils to claim.

Of course, the greater reason was the subtle threat emanating from White Python Mountain.

Had he been weaker and on the verge of being killed by Xiang Banshan, Bai Zichen believed the Five Phoenix Sword Sect would have certainly intervened to save him.

But the tables had turned. An Early-Stage Nascent Soul had just routed a Great True Monarch.

Anyone could see that if Xiang Banshan hadn’t abandoned his physical body for his Nascent Soul to escape, he would have been brutally ground to oblivion by the three Flying Swords at the base of White Python Mountain.

Such a feat was simply unheard of. How could Ma Youx not be shocked?

This had nothing to do with good versus evil. It was a kind of anxiety any cultivator would feel in his position.

’Ma Youx is a Great True Monarch who has mastered Sword Light Division. If he decided to act with malice, my only choice would be to immediately deploy the Star River Sword Array and struggle to defend myself...’

Bai Zichen had no desire to test the hearts of the Five Phoenix Sword Sect cultivators. The best method was to not give them the chance.

It was a shame. He had originally planned to use this opportunity to meet with the attending Nascent Soul True Monarchs, exchange information, and see if he could get any leads on a Top-Tier Cultivation Technique—or perhaps even trade for one directly.

Now, that entire plan was ruined.

"True Monarchs of the Sword Sects, I apologize for the disturbance today and for ruining Fellow Daoist Han’s celebration. Please pass a message to Xiang Banshan for me: within a hundred years, I will visit the Nine Tribulations Sect to settle this score!"

Bai Zichen collected the full set of Jade Talismans. After a cupped-fist salute, his form merged with his sword, and he streaked away as a flash of Thunder Radiance.

"The Nine Tribulations Sect will know no peace from this day forward!"

Only after the Thunder Radiance Sword Light vanished over the horizon did Ma Youx let out a long sigh. He recalled his Sun and Moon Qiankun Dual Swords, having ultimately decided not to act.

The Nine Tribulations Sect bore the title of a Super Sect, but everyone knew its Tier Five Sect Spirit Beast was never coming back. It was now one of those Major Sects confirmed to be without the protection of a Divinity Transformation expert.

Xiang Banshan’s humiliating defeat, which left him fleeing as just a Nascent Soul, had torn away the sect’s final, glamorous facade.

What’s more, given Bai Zichen’s rate of growth, who knew what level he would reach in a hundred years.

By making an enemy like this, even if Xiang Banshan managed to survive, he would face endless headaches upon his return. He probably wouldn’t be getting much sleep.

"Brother," Han Chaoran said, his voice now much more solemn, "I intend to enter seclusion tomorrow to focus on the Celestial Phoenix Shocking God Sword Technique. I will not emerge until I have achieved a breakthrough!" ℯ

"Good. It is time you honed your skills. Once you have a breakthrough, you can go to the Celestial Phoenix Grotto Heaven to receive the Sword Intent inheritance," Ma Youx said gently, looking at the somewhat demoralized Han Chaoran. "That Bai Zichen’s Sword Dao Talent is indeed world-shaking, but you have your own advantages. If you can successfully inherit our founder’s Sword Intent, you will have a head start on everyone else on the path to Divinity Transformation."

He still had high hopes for his junior brother. Han Chaoran’s chances of reaching Divinity Transformation were far greater than his own, at least from what he could see at this early stage.

The battle had been witnessed firsthand by over a dozen True Monarchs and dozens of True Men.

The story of an Early-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator defeating a Great True Monarch was sensational. Within days, the news had spread throughout the Great Li.

By the end of the month, it had become the hottest topic in the entire Central Domain.

Bai Zichen of the Qingfeng Sect had truly carved his name into the annals of the Central Domain, leaving a deep and lasting impression on every cultivator.

After Taibai, if anyone could bring about a renaissance of the Sword Dao, it had to be Bai Zichen!