Chapter 249: White Blade Clash

The Old Ancestor of the Vajra Sect trembled, unable to discern whether his shaking stemmed from terror or exhilaration. Yet, he understood one thing: if Xu Qing intended to kill, it would be a relentless battle to the death unless the adversary possessed an extraordinary, world-shaking ability.

Unlike his previous opponents, who were never truly formidable, this time was different.

The Old Ancestor had not only sensed Saint Xuanzi's immense power from a distance but had also occasionally overheard disciples of the Criminal Apprehension Division discussing him while confined within the iron stick. He knew Saint Xuanzi possessed peerless talent.

However, such thoughts were now beyond his consideration. He realized he only needed to grasp one crucial point:

Knowing the Demon Xu's character, should he truly perish here, he would undoubtedly employ every last resort before his death, and the self-detonation of the iron stick was likely among them.

"Because of this Saint Xuanzi, Demon Xu wants to kill. Because of this Saint Xuanzi, Demon Xu intends to self-detonate me. Because of this Saint Xuanzi, my life is in peril. All of this is Saint Xuanzi's fault! Saint Xuanzi, you will be the death of me!"

As these thoughts crossed the Old Ancestor's mind, his eyes instantly blazed crimson. He glared intensely at Saint Xuanzi through the black iron stick.

The Shadow, too, clearly detected the subtle fluctuations emanating from Xu Qing and the Old Ancestor. Its intelligence had considerably developed, and after a moment of contemplation, it also grew anxious.

Dusk had fallen. Xu Qing had been subtly releasing poison, an invisible and odorless gas, dispersing it imperceptibly into the surroundings.

In truth, these were not actual poisons; they were harmless whether alone or combined. Yet, given the right catalyst to trigger their transformation, they could instantly become lethal.

However, Xu Qing clearly believed this was insufficient to bridge the gap between himself and Saint Xuanzi. After all, Saint Xuanzi had displayed Six-Flame combat prowess within the Seven Blood Eyes, a terrifying might capable of challenging a First Peak Elder.

Crucially, Xu Qing was uncertain if Six-Flame combat power represented Saint Xuanzi's full capabilities. Moreover, he hadn't detected any presence of the opponent's protectors in the vicinity.

"Considering Saint Xuanzi's personality, it's unlikely he'd keep his protectors hidden. So, the high probability is that he has dispatched them elsewhere within this Phoenix Forbidden Zone to attend to other matters for him."

Xu Qing pondered for a moment. He believed that to be entirely safe, he needed further observation and should avoid any rash moves. Concurrently, he prepared to release more poison, aiming to significantly enhance his chances of success.

Simultaneously, Xu Qing opened five bottles containing small black worms, controlling all of them to spread. However, the feedback he received from the worms after they flew out deepened his vigilance.

Saint Xuanzi's protective canopy, surprisingly, possessed a defensive quality that prevented the small black worms from immediately penetrating it.

They could only adhere to its surface, awaiting an opportune moment.

"My Life Lantern canopy protects the divine soul. Does Saint Xuanzi's Life Lantern protect the physical body?" Xu Qing pondered thoughtfully.

Time flowed by. Dusk faded into night, and as the brilliant moon emerged in the firmament, its light cascaded across the land. Xu Qing, who was assessing the poisons he had deployed and considering which more to release, suddenly reacted.

He observed the cultivators outside the temple; the moment night descended, their expressions grew solemn, and some even held a subtle glimmer of anticipation in their eyes.

This piqued Xu Qing's curiosity, and he looked up.

His gaze settled on the One-Flame Foundation Establishment elder in the distance.

Under Xu Qing's gaze, the elder's body trembled. After a brief hesitation, he swiftly rose, bowed towards Xu Qing, and then spoke in a hushed tone.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, are you perhaps unaware of the secrets hidden within this Grand Cang Dao Temple?"

Xu Qing's expression remained impassive. The sect's records he possessed indeed contained no mention of the mysteries the elder spoke of, so he simply nodded, awaiting further explanation.

Seeing this, the elder didn't hesitate or conceal anything, immediately explaining the situation.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, this Grand Cang Dao Temple functioned as usual until the past four years, during which certain changes occurred, leading to a significant increase in visitors."

"The change is that whenever night falls, and moonlight permeates the temple to illuminate the statue, the statue will manifest phantom sword movements."

"Everyone can witness these, yet no one has successfully comprehended them, save for that esteemed individual—" The elder's gaze swiftly darted towards Saint Xuanzi within the temple.

"Since his arrival, he has gained insights every night. Though we have failed repeatedly, we still harbor some hope. We don't aspire to complete comprehension; even grasping a superficial understanding would be enough to bolster our chances of survival."

The elder offered a wry smile as he spoke.

Xu Qing, deep in thought, turned to gaze at the temple.

The brilliant moon now shone brightly in the sky, casting its light across the ground. A few beams penetrated cracks in the temple roof, falling inside to illuminate the statue.

As Xu Qing watched intently, the statue within the Grand Cang Dao Temple slowly began to transform under the moonlight.

Faintly, the statue seemed to stir with a newfound vitality, as if in motion. Streaks of illusory blade shadows materialized around it, flickering in and out of existence, appearing both real and phantom-like.

Yet, in a mere blink, everything reverted to its original state.

A peculiar feeling arose in Xu Qing's heart, and he continued to gaze. Soon, he once more sensed the statue's inherent vitality and the blade shadows surrounding it.

To outside observers, these blade shadows remained a blur; only in fleeting moments might one catch a glimpse of a clear blade edge.

However, in Xu Qing's perception, because he had already comprehended the Grand Cang One-Blade technique, every single blade shadow was crystal clear at this moment.

Furthermore, the instant he saw them clearly, a phantom Heavenly Blade dramatically materialized above his head!

This Heavenly Blade was precisely the Grand Cang One-Blade he had comprehended. As he gazed, the illusory Heavenly Blade, once formed, shimmered with radiance, seemingly undergoing a transformation.

Upon closer inspection, it was evident that this change pertained primarily to its degree of solidification.

Previously, the Heavenly Blade had been purely illusory, but now, starting from its hilt, it began to solidify amidst the shimmering light.

This solidification continued to spread. One could envision it engulfing the entire blade, elevating Xu Qing's Grand Cang Blade from its former illusory state to something infinitely closer to a tangible reality.

This scene astonished the dozens of onlookers. As surprise flickered in their eyes, a Heavenly Blade, strikingly similar to Xu Qing's, simultaneously manifested above the head of Saint Xuanzi, who sat cross-legged in meditation within the temple.

The only difference was that his Heavenly Blade was green, while Xu Qing's was purple.

The two Heavenly Blades emerged one after another at this moment. This sight elicited gasps from the surrounding crowd, and many eyes narrowed, their breathing becoming slightly hurried.

Indeed, Saint Xuanzi had revealed this phenomenon days ago upon his arrival, maintaining it ever since, to which everyone else had grown accustomed. Yet, Xu Qing's equally peerless manifestation left them momentarily stunned.

They understood that this scene indicated both individuals had comprehended the Grand Cang One-Blade, possessing astonishing insight, and thus held the potential to successfully comprehend the second blade.

"This Xu Qing truly lives up to his reputation as a prodigy of the Seven Blood Eyes!"

"Both of them are in the process of comprehension, and it appears they are transforming from illusion to reality. Clearly, the moment of complete solidification will mark the success of their comprehension."

"It simply comes down to who succeeds first. Once one achieves success, the other, regardless of how much they have comprehended, will instantly lose all form of insight, their progress vanishing."

The dozens of onlookers, well-versed in the Grand Cang Dao Temple's ways and having witnessed this phenomenon repeatedly, now whispered among themselves, yet refrained from entertaining any malevolent thoughts at this juncture.

For comprehending the Grand Cang One-Blade did not imply a loss of vigilance or lethal power. If they dared to interfere, they would undoubtedly suffer a gruesome death on the spot.

From the perspective of the crowd outside the temple, both Xu Qing's and Saint Xuanzi's Heavenly Blades emitted brilliant light. Saint Xuanzi's blade appeared significantly more solidified, having reached approximately fifty percent.

As Xu Qing had arrived later, his comprehension time was less than Saint Xuanzi's, and his blade was currently less than ten percent solidified.

Xu Qing raised his head and cast a cold gaze at Saint Xuanzi. From the appearance of the blade shadows, it was clear that if this continued, Saint Xuanzi would undeniably gain an advantage in comprehension.

Although the Grand Cang One-Blade was significant, there were numerous Dao Temples, and only by comprehending seven blades could one achieve an Emperor-level cultivation technique. Thus, for Xu Qing, whether he succeeded in this particular comprehension was not a critical concern.

He deliberated whether to strike while his opponent was immersed in comprehension.

"Although he possesses four Life Flames and at least Six-Flame combat power, his 120 dharma apertures actually conceal a significant weakness!"

During this period, Xu Qing had engaged in battles with the prodigies of the Seven Sects Alliance, gaining insight into those with 120 dharma apertures.

"It would be best to wait until I've released more poison; then, a sudden poison explosion would be far more potent." Xu Qing mused, withdrawing his gaze. He possessed patience and decided to wait a bit longer, noting that given his opponent's comprehension speed, success would not be achieved within just a few days.

"Furthermore, while his protectors aren't here, I must remain fully vigilant."

With these thoughts, Xu Qing temporarily suppressed the killing intent within him.

Yet, precisely as he suppressed his murderous intent, Saint Xuanzi, within the temple, turned his head. His expression was blank as he looked at Xu Qing outside, his gaze settling particularly on the blade shadow above Xu Qing's head. Gradually, his eyes grew chilling, as if fixed upon a corpse.

"A mere domestic fowl dares to contend with a phoenix!"

He had no intention of 'nurturing' him any longer. Since Xu Qing dared to vie for this opportunity, he might as well eliminate him. It wouldn't take much time, and once done, he could resume his comprehension.

As for Xu Qing's status as a Seven Blood Eyes sequence member, Saint Xuanzi remained indifferent. He had already noticed the faint reddish tint in the sky during the day, and coupled with other information he possessed, he realized the Alliance had launched an attack on the northern region.

Now was the Alliance's moment of triumph; if he killed a sequence member, the Seven Blood Eyes would not dare to raise an objection.

His nature was to act on impulse; now that murderous intent had surged within him, he didn't hesitate. He abruptly rose and stepped out of the temple.

Within him, all 120 dharma apertures blazed like a furnace. Four torrents of Life Flame surged upward, and a Life Lantern star formed a vibrant, seven-colored canopy above his head. Behind him, the green-bodied, red-tailed monstrous bird, Miemeng, shrieked across the vast sky.

At this moment, his Six-Flame combat power erupted with earth-shattering force, an unstoppable sharpness. His aura dominated all directions, altering the very color of the wind and clouds, as if countless heavenly thunders reverberated suddenly throughout the area.

The crowd outside the temple could not react in time; they were simply not capable of perceiving the speed of a Six-Flame cultivator. Only Xu Qing suddenly looked up.

Even Xu Qing could not directly perceive the speed of a Six-Flame cultivator.

After all, the disparity between Six-Flame and Five-Flame was immense, akin to the difference between Four-Flame suppressing Three-Flame.

However, the surrounding area was saturated with his poisons, and Saint Xuanzi's body was also permeated by the small black worms. All of this enabled Xu Qing to detect him instantaneously.