Chapter 509: Sword Cuts Through the Golden Core

This strike, enhanced by a Tier 4 sword and imbued with all the essence of the Heavenly Tribulation's lightning, unleashed power far beyond Chen Mobai's imagination.

With a resounding crack, a fissure appeared in the Brocade Golden Pearl.

Chen Mobai felt a slight resistance at his wrist, then the Purple Lightning Sword suddenly exerted a powerful pull, draining thirty percent of the Pure Yang spiritual energy from his dantian's Qi Sea.

In an instant, a dark purple lightning glow illuminated the blade, rapidly infusing into the Divine Lightning Swordlight that pressed against the golden pearl.

Boom!

An earth-shattering roar echoed through the skies. As all the cultivators on the battlefield watched with wide, disbelieving eyes, the tiny crack that had just appeared rapidly spread across the entire golden pearl.

Under the might of the Purple Lightning Sword, the Brocade Golden Pearl completely shattered, transforming into countless shimmering specks of light that drifted down from the sky.

The moment his vital magical artifact shattered, Nan Xuanjing, whose mind was intrinsically linked to it, immediately spat out a large mouthful of blood.

Immediately after, the Misty Mountain River illusion vanished, revealing the figures of three Core Formation cultivators.

Fu Zongjue's true form was pale. Beside him, a tattered puppet, with its wooden purple-veined joints exposed, was blocking Zhao Xuankang's Dragon-Striking Whip and Nan Xuanjing's Golden Halberd.

To ensure his safety during this "lure the snake out of its hole" strategy, Fu Zongjue had naturally brought out this long-hidden Purple Yang puppet. It was precisely because of this that he managed to withstand the full assault of the two opponents.

Nevertheless, Fu Zongjue was still in a perilous situation.

Zhao Xuankang, surveying the entire situation, saw Chen Mobai flying towards them from not far away, wielding a long purple sword. His expression immediately changed drastically.

"Impossible! He actually formed his Core! I made so many arrangements; under the Demonic Night Prayer Art, even if he didn't die, he should have been severely weakened, with no hope of success..."

Zhao Xuankang was deeply shaken by Chen Mobai's appearance, but as an experienced cultivator, he quickly suppressed all his emotions. With a cold gaze, he raised the Dragon-Striking Whip in his hand.

Spitting out a mouthful of vital blood, the artifact absorbed this immense power, instantly turning blood-red. Amidst a dragon's roar, the jiaolong, previously a mere illusion, became almost corporeal, opening its gaping maw to bite down on Fu Zongjue.

As long as he could kill one Core Formation cultivator, even if the Divine Wood Sect gained another Chen Mobai, victory would still be within his grasp.

However, every Core Formation cultivator in the Eastern Desolate Region had ultimate life-saving trump cards.

Fu Zongjue immediately pulled out a cyan talisman. This was a Tier 3 high-grade talisman meticulously crafted by Zhou Shengqing. Upon activation, a cyan spiritual light enveloped his true form, blocking the Dragon-Striking Whip while pulling him away to a safer distance.

"I told you, you will die today!"

At this moment, Nan Xuanjing also suppressed the backlash from his shattered vital artifact. He consumed a black pill, then let out a fierce cry as he clasped his hands in the air. The surrounding spiritual energy surged like ripples towards the Golden Halberd in his palm.

The renowned "Sun-Shooting Divine Halberd Art" of the Xuanxiao Dao Palace began to unleash brilliant and dazzling light over Yan Country. Accompanied by the surging sound of spiritual energy filling the sky, it resembled a golden meteor falling from outside the heavens, shooting towards Fu Zongjue!

Fu Zongjue also pushed the power of his spiritual talisman to its limit, hoping to block Nan Xuanjing's desperate strike.

At that very moment, a burst of fiery light suddenly appeared in front of him.

As the fiery light dissipated, Chen Mobai was revealed, holding the long purple sword.

His expression was cool and sharp. His free hand rose, and an ancient bronze mirror emerged, transforming into a golden, semicircular light shield.

The golden meteor, formed by the Golden Halberd, crashed heavily into the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror as if striking the earth's crust.

At that instant, all cultivators watching the scene directly were blinded by the dazzling light.

What followed was an extremely powerful spiritual energy fluctuation and a massive shockwave.

Only then did the rumbling sound of thunder reach them.

When the Qi Condensation cultivators below finally managed to open their eyes, they saw purple and golden light, like two brilliant stars, continuously colliding in mid-air under the control of the two Core Formation cultivators.

Bang, bang, bang!

Boom, boom, boom!

It was unclear how many times the Golden Halberd and the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror clashed, but ultimately, the Golden Halberd's light was the first to dim.

The Golden Halberd artifact was originally a consumable weapon created by the Xuanxiao Dao Palace specifically for the "Sun-Shooting Divine Halberd Art." It was designed to unleash maximum power during combat but would then be largely unusable.

Failing to breach the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror's defense at its initial peak power meant that all subsequent attempts would be futile.

Yet, Nan Xuanjing, as a peak mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, believed he should easily defeat a newly formed Core cultivator, even without his vital artifact and despite his injuries.

Furthermore, he still had four more Golden Halberds for the Sun-Shooting Divine Halberd Art in his storage bag.

However, this spell required some time to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to be fully effective.

"Senior Brother Fu, do you need my help?"

At this moment, Chen Mobai still had the presence of mind to inquire about Fu Zongjue, who was being suppressed by Zhao Xuankang on the other side.

"Hmph, in a one-on-one fight, we puppet masters fear no one!"

Fu Zongjue was quite proud. With the spiritual talisman from Zhou Shengqing still effective and the extraordinary abilities of the Purple Yang puppet, he was somewhat dishevelled, but Zhao Xuankang could only suppress him, unable to deliver a fatal blow without Nan Xuanjing's cooperation.

"Good, then I can confidently deal with this fellow."

After receiving the reassuring answer, Chen Mobai turned his gaze to Nan Xuanjing opposite him.

Nan Xuanjing then pulled out a golden flying sword, also a Tier 3 artifact, which he had received from his sect when he first formed his Core.

He had used this flying sword for decades, and it was already perfectly under his control.

After infusing it with spiritual energy, the golden flying sword divided into two, then four, then eight, forming a golden sword array in mid-air that swept towards Chen Mobai.

Facing this technique, the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror erupted with pure white flames, incinerating the golden sword light into golden mist upon contact.

After forming his Core, Chen Mobai could now unleash the full power of this Tier 3 artifact.

Furthermore, because his Pure Yang spiritual energy perfectly matched the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror, the artifact's two inherent spells, Profound Yang Divine Light and Pure Yang Divine True Fire, could be activated with 120% of their power.

The Profound Yang Divine Light, transformed into a shield, had already withstood Nan Xuanjing's strongest Sun-Shooting Divine Halberd Art. Now, with the Pure Yang True Fire burning, the golden flying sword hummed and trembled, seemingly unable to endure.

Fire overcomes metal in the Five Elements. Both Chen Mobai's artifacts and cultivation techniques possessed the Yang Fire attribute. Although he was a level below Nan Xuanjing in cultivation, he managed to suppress his injured opponent.

He can be killed!

After two exchanges, this thought clearly emerged in Chen Mobai's mind.

He didn't know why this thought had arisen.

It was as if by instinct; Nan Xuanjing's existence had been transformed into a quantifiable model in his mind, displaying negative statuses: injuries, missing artifacts, spiritual energy depletion, side effects from potent medicine...

Opposite Nan Xuanjing, Chen Mobai's own model appeared, showing positive buffs above his head, along with equipment and skill slots below.

Purple Lightning Sword: Two more strikes can be used without depleting its essence.

Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror: Vital artifact in perfect equipped state, battle power boosted.

Pure Yang Spiritual Energy: Slightly depleted, bolstered by Fire Spirit Physique and Heavenly Fire Spirit Root.

Azure Flame Sword Aura, Five Elements Sword Finger, Myriad Dharma Body...

"Is this the Square Inch Scroll?"

Chen Mobai vaguely understood something, yet he also felt that the Square Inch Scroll might not be cultivated this way.

Nevertheless, at this moment, he could only suppress all distracting thoughts, controlling the Pure Yang True Fire to condense into fireballs, which he hurled towards Nan Xuanjing.

Amidst flashing golden light, Nan Xuanjing cast a spell, condensing spiritual energy into multiple barriers to block the attack.

Chen Mobai gripped the Purple Lightning Sword in his hand and raised it!

Boom!

A purplish-red lightning bolt flashed across the sky. Although the power of the Heavenly Tribulation had been exhausted in the previous strike that shattered the Brocade Golden Pearl, the Purple Lightning Sword could still utilize Chen Mobai's Pure Yang spiritual energy to unleash the Divine Sword Thunder Control Art.

Nan Xuanjing's expression changed upon seeing this. With a pained look, he pulled out a yellow spiritual talisman. Once activated with spiritual energy, it transformed into an earthy yellow light barrier that enveloped his entire body.

However, after raising his sword, Chen Mobai did not strike.

Although the Purple Lightning Sword was peculiar, it was in perfect sync with Chen Mobai's will. Man and sword moved as one; if its master commanded it not to strike, it would obediently refrain.

It was just a bit frustrating to hold back.

"You damn brat!"

Seeing this, Nan Xuanjing couldn't help but curse. Once activated, his talisman could block any Tier 3 attack, but its defensive power would gradually weaken over time.

However, if left unattacked, it could last for three days and three nights.

Despite his furious cursing and grim expression, he didn't lose his composure and continued to gather spiritual energy to cast the Sun-Shooting Divine Halberd Art.

At this moment, a fiery glow suddenly appeared in front of him.

It was Chen Mobai, who had used his Fire Escape Technique to instantly cross the distance between them. A colossal, translucent skeletal claw emerged, gripping the earthy yellow light barrier tightly.

A ferocious burst of earth elemental energy erupted, forcefully expanding the Myriad Dharma Body.

But at this moment, the fingertips of the Myriad Dharma Body's skeletal claw suddenly condensed the five elemental spiritual energies of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These then transformed into five-colored flames, solidifying into a brilliant, glazed radiance under the Five Elements Sword Fiend Array. Like a colorful tempest formed by condensed five-element sword light, it violently rubbed against the earthy yellow light barrier, generating even more terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations.

Without any hesitation, Chen Mobai commanded the Purple Lightning Sword to strike.

Boom!

The Purple Lightning Sword, which had been holding back, suddenly erupted. Purple currents burst forth in an instant, forming a massive purple lightning pillar that spanned heaven and earth, heavily striking the earthy yellow light barrier, which was already violently twisting and fluctuating under the assault of the Myriad Dharma Body.

The clash between the two had drawn the attention of all cultivators present. Both Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stage cultivators had stopped, watching the vast and terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations in mid-air, their faces filled with horror.

"Is this the full might of a Core Formation cultivator?!"

As time passed, the massive purple lightning pillar spanning heaven and earth slowly vanished.

The blood-soaked Nan Xuanjing appeared before everyone. He extended his right hand, covered in a brilliant golden glow, and with great difficulty, gripped the Purple Lightning Sword that Chen Mobai had swung.

Unfortunately, he was no match for the power of a Tier 4 sword.

The blade pierced directly through his palm and plunged straight into his shoulder.

If Nan Xuanjing hadn't dodged at the crucial moment, his head would likely have been severed.

"This sword..."

It was at this moment that Nan Xuanjing finally realized something was amiss. He had initially thought this sword artifact was merely a low-grade Tier 4 weapon.

"As the first Core Formation cultivator I've killed, I'll grant you a swift end."

Chen Mobai did not allow Nan Xuanjing to finish his sentence. He opened his mouth and spat out a cyan-green stream of light, which, with a gentle sweep, severed the head of the Xuanxiao Dao Palace's Core Formation cultivator.

"Junior Brother!"

Zhao Xuankang had already sensed that something was off with the combat power of the newly advanced Core Formation cultivator Chen Mobai and had intended to help. However, Mo Douguang, having already dealt with Nan Shidao's true form hidden nearby, arrived in time to intercept him.

"Now, it's your turn."

Mo Douguang, holding the blood-dripping Longevity Sword, looked calmly at the despairing Zhao Xuankang and spoke coldly.

"Just you wait. The Grand Elder will bathe the Eastern Desolate Region in blood."

After gritting his teeth and uttering this, Zhao Xuankang pulled out a silver talisman.

Mo Douguang immediately unleashed a sword strike towards him. However, when his sword light reached Zhao Xuankang, it seemed to slice through an illusion, passing harmlessly through the air.

"Heaven-Escaping Talisman!"

Fu Zongjue exclaimed in surprise as he watched Zhao Xuankang's figure, enveloped in silver light, gradually vanish.

A Tier 4 Heaven-Escaping Talisman was a trump card for escape, even in the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

He hadn't expected Zhao Xuankang, a mere Core Formation cultivator, to possess such a talisman.

Chen Mobai, who had just slain Nan Xuanjing, turned and saw the scene. He frowned, raising the Purple Lightning Sword in his hand and pouring his last reserves of spiritual energy into it, activating the sword's final allowed usage for the day.

Unfortunately, after penetrating the silver light, the Purple Lightning Sword's strike retained less than ten percent of its power. Zhao Xuankang endured the blow and then resentfully vanished from their sight.

"What a pity, we only killed Nan Xuanjing. It wasn't a complete success."

Chen Mobai walked over, speaking with a touch of regret.

"Killing one is already excellent. With Nan Xuanjing dead and Zhao Xuankang escaped, the Southern Profound Sect is a mere shell. From now on, Yan Country and Xiao Country truly belong to our Divine Wood Sect."

Fu Zongjue, however, burst into hearty laughter.

"For this decisive victory, Junior Brother Chen, you deserve the greatest credit."

Upon hearing Fu Zongjue's words, Chen Mobai modestly shook his head, indicating that he certainly wouldn't have been able to kill Nan Xuanjing by himself.

"To be able to slay a mid-stage Core Formation cultivator with a sword at the early Core Formation stage—your talent in swordsmanship surpasses even mine."

These words came from Mo Douguang. His most renowned achievement was slaying two Tier 3 demonic beasts from the Cloud Dream Lake single-handedly when he had just formed his Core.

Coming from him, such praise was undoubtedly of immense value.