Chapter 542: Three Swords Slash Blossoms

Just one step away!

As Palace Master Huakai thought this, the Northern Underworld Domain suddenly began to tremble. Subsequently, the spatial rift she had painstakingly opened by connecting with the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree suddenly began to close.

"Damn it, that creature still has strength left!" Seeing this, Palace Master Huakai's expression drastically changed. She was about to activate a forbidden art, using the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree to detonate the Danxia Mountain's fire veins. However, the fissure in the Northern Underworld Domain, which had been so difficult to open, was rapidly sealed under the immense spiritual power of Immortal Master Narcissus.

"I've re-severed Palace Master Huakai's connection with the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree. It might take another minute to deal with Divine Chariot Palace Master. Can you hold on?" Immortal Master Narcissus's words echoed in Chen Mobai and the others' ears, but by then, she had already acted. Even if they couldn't hold on, they had to!

"I'll try my best." As Lan Haitian spoke, he took out a snow-white pill and swallowed it. After a few breaths with his eyes closed, his previously weakened complexion immediately improved. Only members of their Heaven-Mending Group in the Immortal Sect would carry such potent, aggressive medicine.

"I need to try one more time. This time, I absolutely cannot be interfered with by these individuals." At this moment, Palace Master Huakai also reacted. Her gaze, sharp and cold, fixed on Chen Mobai and Lan Haitian. Gongsun Jielu was still sealed and no longer a concern. As long as she suppressed or killed the remaining two, she could wholeheartedly summon the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree, and perhaps break through the Northern Underworld Domain before Immortal Master Narcissus finished dealing with Divine Chariot Palace Master. At this point, this was the only path left.

Palace Master Huakai no longer hesitated. Forming hand seals, the Seven-Colored Treasure Tree once again enveloped her. Although the Treasure Tree was already damaged from the successive attacks by Gongsun Jielu and Lan Haitian, neither of them could now unleash such powerful sword aura or talismans. Palace Master Huakai was confident she could rely on her cultivation in this true body, and the damaged Treasure Tree, to slay Chen Mobai and Lan Haitian. After being damaged, the Treasure Tree could no longer completely encase her, but with the supply of her vital essence, Palace Master Huakai could still perform the forbidden art she had just used.

Seeing flowers begin to bloom once again on the withered branches, Lan Haitian's expression slightly changed. He took a deep breath, holding the Stargathering Stone, and was about to use a domain ability to buy some time.

A dazzling and blinding purple light suddenly flared beside him! Chen Mobai held the Violet Lightning Sword in his right hand, bits of flickering electric light like stars, continuously arcing outwards from him as the center. As his sword-wielding hand rose, specks of electric light, like phosphorescence, merged into the Violet Lightning Sword's blade. Once the blade was raised high above his head, a terrifying energy, capable of making the void tremble and oceans surge, had completely gathered.

"This sword!?" At this moment, Palace Master Huakai finally noticed the scene. The news of Chen Mobai wielding the Violet Lightning Sword had been headline news in the Immortal Sect for a long time. Although she had been in long seclusion nourishing the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree, she was aware of it. However, like Lan Haitian and the others, she believed that even if Chen Mobai was a prodigy, he couldn't possibly make a top-grade Tier 4 crystal divine sword submit to him. Tier 4 was equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage. Palace Master Huakai's Treasure Tree, had it not been forged by her previous incarnation, would likely be impossible for her to perfectly control, even with treasure-refining techniques.

Yet, the scene unfolding before her — the profound unity between man and sword, where the sword's heart was perfectly understood — utterly surpassed Palace Master Huakai's imagination!

"I misjudged him. This guy's talent is even more terrifying than the legends say!" Palace Master Huakai could say she had personally watched Chen Mobai grow step by step to this point, as he was, after all, a citizen under her jurisdiction. Back when Chen Mobai outshone all others and claimed first place in the entrance examination, she, out of curiosity, even detached her divine sense and personally came to investigate. She could confirm that he was just a student with very ordinary talent. Only his talent in combat arts was truly astonishing. Had it been during the Era of Foundation Wars, this person would certainly have achieved great things. But in the current peaceful era of the Immortal Sect, it was already quite good to even enter one of the Ten Great Academies.

Although Chen Mobai eventually entered the Dance-Weapon Daoist Academy due to Yu Tianguang, Palace Master Huakai still paid no mind. After all, she was essentially on the same level as Immortal Master Chengxuan, and while the Daoist Academy had a grand reputation, to her, it was nothing special. Few students emerging from the Daoist Academy could form a Golden Core, let alone a Nascent Soul. At the very least, she hadn't seen any Golden Core cultivators from the Dance-Weapon Daoist Academy with great hope or potential to form a Nascent Soul. When the entrance examination concluded, Palace Master Huakai felt that, with Chen Mobai's talent, forming a Foundation Establishment was probably no issue, but forming a Golden Core would be difficult. Even if he managed to form a Golden Core by chance, he would stop there, unable to advance further to her level.

However, Chen Mobai's subsequent development progressively exceeded all her expectations. He achieved Foundation Establishment through enlightenment, and in the Jumang Daoist Academy, he single-handedly suppressed all Foundation Establishment prodigies of the Immortal Sect! He even, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, suppressed three Golden Core Immortals in the Mountain Sea Academy and gained the favor of the Violet Lightning Sword. Such sword cultivation talent made even Palace Master Huakai feel threatened. However, within the Immortal Sect's territory, and with Chen Mobai being so closely watched, she could only discreetly observe and dared not make a move. After all, it would be unwise to expose herself for the sake of a mere Immortal Sect genius.

There was also another reason: after Chen Mobai graduated, he indeed became quiet. Whether studying at the Heaven-Mending Daoist Academy or returning to Danxia City to farm and research talismans, his displayed talent was merely above average. Palace Master Huakai then confidently entered seclusion to prepare for the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree's advancement. However, upon emerging from seclusion, she heard news that deeply shocked her: Chen Mobai had achieved Golden Core through enlightenment! What made her frown even more was that after forming his Golden Core, he actually chose the neighboring Yumang City! At this point, Palace Master Huakai had already sensed a hint of ominous signs. That's why when Yu Tianguang was arrested by the Immortal Sect, she remained completely still, allowing Lan Haitian and the others to take him away. It was just a pity that she still underestimated the Immortal Sect's resolve, and even more, underestimated this guy's talent!

Watching the dark-purple, fan-shaped sword light descend from the sky, Palace Master Huakai gritted her teeth, fed another drop of her dwindling vital essence to the Treasure Tree, and activated its power. The dark-purple sword light collided with the sea of flowers, erupting in earth-shattering thunderous roars! Each shattering petal, however, eroded the Violet Lightning Sword's power inch by inch!

"Although this guy can achieve unity with his sword, he has, after all, only just formed his Golden Core. The power he can unleash from the Violet Lightning Sword is less than one or two tenths, perhaps even weaker than that Aurora Starfall Talisman!" After arduously dissipating the last wisp of the Violet Lightning Sword's lightning glow, a cold glint flickered in Palace Master Huakai's eyes. Flowers fell, transforming into floral clones! "With one swift effort, I'll turn both of them into cocoons, into nourishment for the Treasure Tree. That way, connecting with the Jade Phoenix Parasol Tree can be even faster..."

One by one, dark flying needles shot down from the sky, riddling all six floral clones with countless holes. Lan Haitian activated his Six Controls Scripture. After absorbing sufficient spiritual energy, the Stargathering Stone appeared in mid-air like a black sun, continuously drawing out his specially crafted flying needles—made with Immortal Sect resources—from within the domain. These needles formed an airtight magnetic array, shooting and piercing towards Palace Master Huakai, who was merged with the Treasure Tree, from all directions! But Palace Master Huakai merely sneered and waved the Treasure Tree's branches. Immediately, tens of thousands of different colored petals lit up, blocking every single flying needle. This precise control of divine sense fully showcased Palace Master Huakai's higher-level essence.

"As expected of a great evil path master. For now, the only option is to take a risk. I can probably draw her attention for half a minute. Go try to undo Vice Department Head Gongsun's floral cocoon seal. If she can act, the three of us should be able to hold out until Immortal Master Narcissus arrives!" As Lan Haitian spoke, a withered yellow branch shot out from the palm of a distant green floral clone, exploiting a gap in his spiritual energy circulation to pierce through his magnetic domain. If not for the magnetic force shifting Lan Haitian's own body by half a position at the crucial moment, he would likely have been pierced through the heart. Even so, Lan Haitian still had a hole opened in his waist and abdomen by the branch. He spit out a mouthful of blood, then gritted his teeth, took out a black flying dagger, and severed the branch from his waist and abdomen.

"Why aren't you going...?" After doing all this, Lan Haitian found Chen Mobai unmoving and became extremely anxious, thinking he was perhaps startled by such a brutal battle due to his limited combat experience!

But at that moment, the muffled thunderous roar that had sounded earlier echoed again in his ears, and the previously dimmed blade of the Violet Lightning Sword once again shone with dazzling brilliance.

"My apologies," Chen Mobai's calm voice resounded in Lan Haitian's ear. "I was fully focused on preparing the second sword strike just now, so I couldn't divide my attention to answer you." He raised his right hand, aimed the Violet Lightning Sword at Palace Master Huakai once more, and struck down forcefully. The observant Lan Haitian even noticed that the fingertips of Chen Mobai's sword-wielding right hand were glowing with the five elements' five colors, seemingly forming a powerful array that perfectly synergized with the Violet Lightning Sword's light. The sky seemed to light up with a crescent-shaped dark-purple arc of light. Wherever it passed, the floral clones spawned by the Treasure Tree instantly transformed into scattered wood chips and shredded petals, without any resistance!

Palace Master Huakai's expression changed drastically. She hurled the stone-flower artifact she had refined in this life towards the incoming Violet Lightning Sword arc. She intended to detonate this artifact, prematurely releasing the sword strike's energy. But her intention was seen through by the observant Lan Haitian, who directly used magnetic force to steer the Stargathering Stone, along with the remaining thousand-plus flying needles, around the Violet Lightning Sword, making them collide with the stone flower prematurely. Amidst the rumbling roar, Lan Haitian's face suddenly turned pale, and a large mouthful of blood overflowed from his lips. This indicated that his life-bound artifact was severely damaged, possibly even destroyed! However, his action allowed Chen Mobai's Violet Lightning Sword arc to strike the Treasure Tree without any obstruction.

With an unpleasant screech, the Violet Lightning Sword deeply cut into the Treasure Tree's core. A deep, bone-visible sword mark appeared on Palace Master Huakai's left shoulder, waist, and leg, continuously gushing blood. Amidst violent coughing, Palace Master Huakai formed hand seals, unleashing a forbidden art she had thought she would never use again! At this moment, in the sky above, the dark-purple arc of light flared up again! Chen Mobai's face was pale, but he gripped the Violet Lightning Sword with a resolute expression, unleashing his third sword strike of the day!

Palace Master Huakai's eyes widened, fixed tightly on the clean-cut young man wielding the sword and striking down from the sky, as if wanting to imprint his face firmly in her memory. Subsequently, the dark-purple fan-shaped arc of light descended, splitting Palace Master Huakai in two along the already-cleaved sword mark on the Treasure Tree. Blood splattered across the sea, and the Treasure Tree completely lost its luster. A withered and broken stone flower also fell from mid-air, landing precisely on Palace Master Huakai's wide-open, unseeing eyes.

"Is it over?" Lan Haitian asked, somewhat disbelievingly. He had originally thought this situation would be grim, likely resulting in one or two deaths. Who would have thought that Chen Mobai would ultimately unleash three consecutive sword strikes, slaying the renowned Palace Master Huakai of the Ascension Sect!

"The power of my single sword strike, though not as strong as your Aurora Starfall Talisman, still possesses Tier 4 might. With three strikes, I believe she should be dead!" Chen Mobai wasn't entirely sure either, as his opponent was no minor figure. Moreover, he didn't have much experience slaying Golden Core Immortals with the Violet Lightning Sword, and these ancient evil cultivation masters might have some means of feigning death to escape!

"Use your True Fire and burn her," Lan Haitian hesitated for a moment before speaking to Chen Mobai. Chen Mobai immediately took out the Six Yang Divine Fire Mirror and activated the Pure Yang Fire, directing it onto Palace Master Huakai's two severed body halves and the Treasure Tree. However, this Pure Yang Fire was too neutral and gentle; it surprisingly couldn't ignite the corpse or the Treasure Tree.

"Brother Chen, haven't you cultivated the 'Grand Sun Pure Yang Fire' from the Pure Yang Scroll?" Lan Haitian asked, somewhat surprised by the sight.

"I just formed my Golden Core not long ago; I haven't had the time," Chen Mobai spoke frankly. The Golden Core chapter of the Pure Yang Scroll contained many spells, and the Grand Sun Pure Yang Fire was a signature ability of Pure Yang Scroll cultivators. It was one of the Immortal Sect's six great precious flames. When cultivated to the extreme by combining Pure Yang Fire, Grand Sun Fire, and one's own core fire, it could even incinerate the void. However, he had always been uninterested in spells that could not be cultivated relying solely on resources.

"Oh, you did quite well, kid?" Just then, the void opened, and Immortal Master Narcissus, with white hair, white eyebrows, and skin like jade, stepped in. Seeing Palace Master Huakai's lifeless, wide-eyed body on the ocean, she gave Chen Mobai a surprised look. With her cultivation realm, she naturally discerned the Violet Lightning Sword's power lingering on Palace Master Huakai's corpse with a single glance.

"Vice Department Head Gongsun and Deputy Group Leader Lan first depleted most of her spiritual power and vital essence. I was only fortunate enough to deliver the killing blow, and I dare not claim credit," Chen Mobai, however, spoke very humbly.

After hearing this, Immortal Master Narcissus scrutinized him carefully once more, then nodded in satisfaction. Then she snapped her fingers, and amid a dizzying shift, they had already left the Northern Underworld Domain and returned to the Danxia Mountain Range.

"Out of respect for you, I left him alive." Immortal Master Narcissus gestured towards Yu Tianguang, who was bound and unconscious within a large sphere of water.

"Thank you, Immortal Master!" Seeing this, Chen Mobai couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.