The Empress and Xu Yang exchanged thoughts, but this time even Xu Yang couldn't make sense of the situation.
"It doesn't matter. I'm curious to see what extraordinary tricks he has up his sleeve!"
Xu Yang's fundamental principle for dealing with changes had always been to respond to every situation with constancy. After all, strength was the ultimate truth; no matter what secrets Feng Xiu held, he could not escape Xu Yang's suppression.
"Your growth is truly astonishing."
Feng Xiu looked at Xu Yang with a half-smile.
"Then get lost."
Such a sharp reply made Xu Yang instinctively frown.
"But don't assume you can do whatever you want. We are determined to get this Nine-Petal Heavenward Plant. The fact that you found this place means you've uncovered a secret we didn't want you to know. However, that's fine. The three conditions to enter Qilin Mountain represent the final game between our Northern Jin Alliance and you. Only one side can emerge victorious."
Xu Yang sneered, "Given your calm and composed demeanor, I presume Tuoba Yun and the others have already gone to the Qiankun Dao Sect?"
Feng Xiu's lips curved slightly. "You are indeed very clever. However, I'm afraid you won't stand a chance fighting us in this place."
Feng Xiu snapped his fingers, and countless sword glows flew out one after another. Xu Yang's team quickly felt an immense sword qi suppression overwhelming them. The surrounding void seemed to be filled with an incredibly fierce surge of sword qi.
"What astonishing aura..."
Bai Lianxue said, a little surprised.
"Don't worry, those two can handle it easily."
The Nine-Petal Heavenward Plant actually comforted Bai Lianxue, seeming quite confident in Xu Yang's and the Empress's strength.
"Oh? Can you discern the true power of my master and the Empress?"
"Of course! Don't forget, I am the King of Flowers! The one using the sword, if I'm not mistaken, is cultivating an ancient secret technique that has been lost, called 'Seven Tribulations to Heaven.' Each tribulation takes five thousand years, and after completing all seven, one can reach the legendary peak of the Tribulation Crossing Grand Completion realm, the ultimate limit for a human. He should have already passed the sixth tribulation. If he unleashes his full power, he should be able to contend with a Tribulation Crossing Realm expert.
However, if your master and that girl combine their strengths, they can not only easily suppress this person, but also effortlessly dismantle the sword array barrier behind him. Their soul resonance is incredibly powerful; I've never witnessed anything like it."
The Heavenward Plant, of course, didn't know that Xu Yang and the Empress had pioneered an unprecedented method of soul resonance. With the help of the Ancestral Dragon Soul, their spiritual power had reached the pinnacle of human potential, making it utterly impossible for Feng Xiu to contend with them.
The fierce sword aura quickly faded away. The reason was simple: all the sword glows in the air returned to the formation totem behind Feng Xiu, converging into countless Heavenly Sword Marks.
"Is this your domain?"
Xu Yang asked calmly in return.
"Indeed, this is my domain. Combined with the unique sword array of my Northern Jin lineage, I've created this unparalleled 'Heavenly Sword Extremity'! Within the range of my aura's lock, anyone facing my sword qi will have their defensive capabilities reduced by thirty percent, regardless of their cultivation realm. No one can escape it."
Xu Yang scoffed, "Then I'm quite interested. I wonder which is stronger, my Cloud-Gazing Sword Dao or your Heavenly Sword Extremity!"
The Empress wisely retreated, leaving the stage to her man and Feng Xiu, who was hailed as the foremost swordsman of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces.
At the same moment, the Cloud-Gazing Sword Intent reappeared behind Xu Yang. In front of him, the Eternal Divine Artifact unleashed a soaring azure sword glow, burning with an intensely hot wave of sword light.
"This is..."
Xu Yang sneered, "Do you think only you possess a sword dao domain? My Cloud-Gazing Sword had a breakthrough when I left the East Sea, but I've never used it in actual combat. Today, you'll be the first to experience it!"
Only the Empress, who shared a spiritual resonance with him, was aware of Xu Yang's breakthrough; even his own teammates did not know.
As soon as it appeared, the sword glow behind Xu Yang seemed like the end of a vast ocean. Limitless sword qi around him transformed into surging azure waves, rapidly enveloping Feng Xiu's location.
"How preposterous! This sword qi is incredibly powerful. Xu Yang, Xu Yang, why are you always one step ahead of me? Is this fate?"
Feng Xiu was clearly feeling some indignant rage. He had originally thought that having just entered the sixth tribulation, he could unleash his full power to reach the strength of the Tribulation Crossing Realm, which should be enough to suppress Xu Yang.
However, after this encounter, he realized that Xu Yang's realm was already on par with his own peak state. In other words, if Xu Yang also activated his strongest form, he could likewise suppress Feng Xiu.
Gritting his teeth, Feng Xiu furiously raised his eyes, and countless sword glows behind him simultaneously surged towards Xu Yang.
"Myriad Swords Concealing Light!"
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...*
Terrifying sword energy fluctuations erupted simultaneously. It was as if thousands of sword glows pressed down on Xu Yang from the heavens, making it impossible for him to break free, even as his form was enveloped by ethereal waves like a vast ocean.
However, Feng Xiu soon understood that Xu Yang had no intention of dodging. Instead, he openly confronted the overwhelming sword energy suppression head-on.
"I warned you during our first encounter at the Thousand Cloud Sect not to go too far. Unfortunately, your ambition doesn't perfectly match your strength. With your current foundation, even if you reach Qilin Mountain, only destruction awaits you."
Feng Xiu gave a cold smile. "Don't pretend to be virtuous after gaining an advantage. Dare you say you're not interested in the Qilin Mountain's legacy? It's not just a divine-level domain; it also holds the Ancestral Dragon's hoard. Whoever enters Qilin Mountain will become the absolute ruler of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, and even the entire continent, in the future!"
Feng Xiu's goal and ambition were, in fact, quite clear. He didn't want to break through to ascension; instead, he aimed to maintain his cultivation at the Tribulation Crossing Grand Completion realm. This way, he would become the strongest being on the continent without touching the rules of the higher realms, naturally allowing him to control everything within the continent.
To be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix was Feng Xiu's ultimate aim.
"Heh, ruler? Do you truly believe this continent is as it appears? To put it another way, these Ice Mountains have given me great insight. Perhaps everything we see on this continent is merely a plaything in the palm of some deity from the higher realms. Obsession runs too deep, ultimately leading only to self-inflicted harm."
Xu Yang's ability to say such things stemmed from his transcendental experience and profound understanding.
After all, he was the only person on the continent to have cultivated a single realm to its absolute peak, and he often saw issues with extreme clarity.
Cultivating one extreme realm takes a hundred thousand years. How many such hundred thousand-year periods does one have in a lifetime?
Perhaps endless cultivation, while a pursuit, is also a form of confinement.
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