Chapter 116: 惊神剑阵

Even within the Nascent Soul realm, the gap between the initial stage and the middle stage is like heaven and earth. This disparity was palpably evident in the sword energy ripples generated by the Great Elder's mere flick of a finger, a stark contrast to the effects produced by other elders in the initial Nascent Soul stage.

Xu Yang let out a dismissive snort and wasted no time. With a raised hand, the Cloud-Gazing Sword Intent manifested in the air, invisibly coalescing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into a colossal beam of sword light that hurtled towards the Great Elder.

“What?!” The Sacred Land faction was utterly dumbfounded. As seasoned practitioners, they instantly recognized that Xu Yang, despite being a self-proclaimed outsider to the sword dao, had unleashed sword energy even more potent than that of the Great Elder himself!

“Hmph, it appears I truly underestimated you before. You certainly possess considerable skill!” The Great Elder’s expression turned serious as he continued to empower his colossal sword edge, though the added force seemed to have little noticeable effect.

A deafening roar erupted, sending a powerful wave of sound rippling across the vast plain. The sky above reverberated with an earth-shattering clang. Cultivators below the Cave-Heaven realm were struck with heart-pounding fear, the mere aftershocks causing them immense pain.

The two sword energies ripped through the air, colliding in a dazzling display that truly offered the present sword cultivators a magnificent spectacle.

“Come, let me see what other surprises you have in store,” the Great Elder sneered. A pair of wings, forged from sword energy, suddenly erupted from his back. The sword in his hand hummed ominously, and a protective aura coalesced around him. His true, complete combat form had emerged, as if signaling to every Sacred Land inheritor below that the real brutal fight had begun.

“Everyone, you may begin your assault now,” Xu Yang stated nonchalantly. Behind him, the Eighth Prince, who had been itching for action, immediately gave the command. Three thousand Golden Armored warriors surged forward simultaneously, charging into the Sacred Land’s mountain stronghold and ruthlessly slaughtering the cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land.

Concurrently, Ling Yao and Bai Lianxue exchanged a look. The two goddesses also launched their attacks simultaneously, engaging the elder-tier powerhouses below.

Although Bai Lianxue had not yet fully recovered to her peak state, her inherent foundation remained perfectly intact. More crucially, as long as she wasn't suppressed by cross-realm annihilation power, her current physical form was essentially immortal. The resilience of her Natal Saint Lotus was simply beyond what any ordinary mortal body could hope to rival.

Booming explosions of terrifying sword energy resounded continuously. Battles erupted simultaneously across all fronts of the plain, escalating into an exceedingly brutal conflict.

The Eighth Prince, too, was exceptionally exhilarated, fighting splendidly with the partial Cloud-Gazing Sword Intent imparted by Xu Yang. He held his own effortlessly against even elder-tier individuals.

As for Xu Yang, he was merely toying with the Great Elder.

A cultivator at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm is undeniably a top-tier master throughout the Great Qi cultivation world. With the exception of regional supreme beings like the Ten Elders, the Great Elder of a Sacred Land holds an incredibly esteemed position.

Yet, before Xu Yang, a being who had lived for a hundred thousand years, the Great Elder’s entire foundation was nothing but a laughable trifle…

“Do you know what brings me the greatest amusement?” Xu Yang’s lips curled into a mocking sneer as he gazed at his opponent. “It’s seeing the light of triumphant ambition in your eyes slowly fade into oblivion!”

“A true powerhouse never wastes energy on such trivial talk. Respecting every opponent and giving your all — that is the true bearing a formidable practitioner should possess!”

Xu Yang, however, remained calm and collected in the face of the Great Elder’s taunts.

“That is merely your definition of a powerhouse. In my view, a true powerhouse is someone who can change the rules. As long as I possess the power to utterly crush you, I can do precisely as I please!”

As Xu Yang spoke, he unleashed a colossal palm strike that descended from the sky. Its unrivaled aura instantly repelled the Great Elder’s incoming force. The spreading aftershocks alone caused the Great Elder’s heart to seize with dread, his qi and blood churning violently and refusing to settle.

“Damn it!” The Great Elder gritted his teeth, taking a deep breath to forcibly suppress the churning qi and blood within him before launching another attack.

Yet, he utterly failed to grasp the true extent of Xu Yang’s power, the man standing directly before him…

Boom! A thundering explosion ripped through the sky as Xu Yang, with a single hand, unleashed a terrifyingly sharp sword energy that slammed into the Great Elder’s physical body.

“Good heavens… is this person truly just a Qi Refinement realm cultivator? This is utterly inconceivable!” exclaimed one.“Unimaginable!” another gasped. “Such swordsmanship mastery must surely rival that of the Ten Elders! Elder-tier cultivators simply cannot withstand him!”

The Great Elder, having suffered a blow, failed to learn his lesson. He repeatedly retreated with an embarrassed expression. No matter how much he gritted his teeth in frustration, he simply could not match Xu Yang in terms of raw power.

“Form the Ten Directions Astonishing God Sword Array!” the Great Elder finally commanded. At his call, all surrounding elder-tier powerhouses swiftly returned to his side, converging around him like streaking meteors. If one could not prevail, then ten shall! Surely, with a grand array formed, even the most formidable enemy would be unable to resist!

As the Great Elders successively fell back, Bai Lianxue and Ling Yao halted their attacks, retreating to Xu Yang’s side. It was clear that their opponents intended to gather all their Nascent Soul realm powerhouses to besiege Xu Yang alone.

“Master!” Bai Lianxue’s face showed concern, but Xu Yang merely waved a dismissive hand behind him.

“Don’t worry, child. Allow me to show you the progress your master has made over these past ten thousand years.”

Boom! In an instant, Xu Yang clasped his hands together, and an incomparably dazzling golden Eight Trigrams totem suddenly materialized behind him. From within this Eight Trigrams, thousands upon thousands of terrifying phenomena emerged, each possessing its own distinct aura.

“So that’s it!” Ling Yao exclaimed in sudden realization, pulling out the wheel-shaped artifact she carried. It was one of the personal magical artifacts Xu Yang had gifted her, capable of manifesting various distinct auras. She had always thought it was merely an illusion used to conceal one’s aura, never expecting Xu Yang could actually evolve a self-sustaining, terrifying array from it!

Indeed, Xu Yang’s accumulated foundation from ten millennia of secluded cultivation was truly astounding. This was merely one of the hundreds of cultivation techniques he had independently developed, yet it possessed such immense power.

Boom! As the colossal Eight Trigrams totem continued to expand, the entire aura circulation around Xu Yang underwent a complete transformation. He became like a walking maelstrom, a terrifying vortex of spiritual energy capable of pulverizing anything within several feet of him. No matter how powerful a Nascent Soul realm cultivator might be, none would dare to approach him lightly.

“Hmph, I’d like to see if my Heavenly Sword Sacred Land’s Astonishing God Sword Dao can break through your ostentatious display of power!”

“Unleash the flying swords!” the Great Elder roared into the air. With a series of whooshing sounds, over a dozen renowned swords simultaneously shot skyward from the elders’ hands, signaling the imminent arrival of an even more potent offensive.