Chapter 1236: Breaking Chrysanthemum

“Isn’t this guy dead already? Why is he here again?”

“Dead? If I, Qingtian Sovereign, were so easily killed, how could I command the Qingtian lineage and become a true sovereign?” Qingtian Sovereign sneered, his murderous aura surging. “You only killed one of my clones!”

“A clone?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Tian Qing was a manifestation of an idea, reborn, and counted as one of his clones. Now, even the bronze-masked figure he had seen earlier was just another clone… This Qingtian Sovereign’s powers were truly vast!

“That was a clone I cultivated by splitting my soul, a process that took a full five hundred years… You killed it. Tell me how you want to die, and I will grant your wish today!” Qingtian Sovereign narrowed his eyes, revealing intense hatred.

As a Sovereign of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, even with meticulous concealment, he had to be extremely cautious when entering human territory and dealing with master teachers. Therefore, the bronze-masked figure was merely a clone he had painstakingly created at immense cost. His true body remained hidden here for safety.

Despite possessing the abilities of a soul oracle, creating a clone required an unknown amount of resources and a full five centuries of cultivation. Yet, this guy had directly killed it, and not just one, but both of them! He hadn’t even spared the Ten Great Kings… It could be said that Zhang Xuan, standing before him, had virtually wiped out the entire Qingtian lineage. The hatred in his heart was immeasurable; he yearned to crush Zhang Xuan’s bones to dust and kill him instantly!

“I’d like to die of old age naturally…” Zhang Xuan replied.

“You don’t get to choose!” Qingtian Sovereign snorted coldly, his murderous aura boiling.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Xuan felt his soul being pulled by an immense force, threatening to leave his body at any moment. Knowing that the opponent was casting a soul-seizing spell, Zhang Xuan frowned. Although his soul was substantial, it lacked suitable cultivation techniques, making its combat power weak. At this moment, his physical body and true qi were his strongest assets. Once his soul left his body, he would undoubtedly be in great danger.

His Heavenly Dao True Qi circulated, stabilizing his soul. Stomping his foot, Zhang Xuan burst forward. Since they were already mortal enemies, there was no need to hold anything back.

Swish!

Vast true qi surged through his meridians. Zhang Xuan transformed into a galloping lion on the plains, his long sword in hand slashing through the air. His entire being seemed to merge with the sword, lunging forward.

Man and Sword as One!

Having thoroughly studied all the sword arts texts in the Combat Master Hall’s Artifact Pavilion, his Heavenly Dao Sword Art had already reached the Saint Realm level. At this moment, he once again unleashed the ultimate move, Man and Sword as One. The sword qi extended in a straight line, like a rainbow suspended in the underground palace.

“He has some skill!” Qingtian Sovereign narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t expected his soul-seizing technique to fail, and for Zhang Xuan to instead launch an attack. Ignoring the soul-seizing now, he reached out with his palm. The air before him seemed to solidify, and the sword qi’s advance immediately slowed.

“Ethereal Encompassment Realm… late stage?” Zhang Xuan’s heart tightened. The moment his opponent made a move, Zhang Xuan knew his power level. He was many times stronger than the bronze-masked figure, having actually reached the late stage of the Ethereal Encompassment Realm! Each minor stage of the Ethereal Encompassment Realm involved enduring a lightning tribulation. Reaching the late stage meant he had already survived three such tribulations. This was simply not something Zhang Xuan, at the peak of the Embryonic Form Realm, could contend with.

“Break!” The long sword slashed downwards fiercely. The incomparably sharp sword qi cut through the air like silk, piercing through the surrounding constraints in an instant. No sooner had Zhang Xuan felt his body lighten than Qingtian Sovereign flipped his palm, sending a palm print flying towards him.

His face darkened. He raised his long sword to meet it. He was struck too hastily, unable to unleash his full power. The Glacial Rain Sword was sent flying, embedding itself in a nearby wall, vibrating continuously. Zhang Xuan himself crashed to the ground, creating a deep crater.

Although he could fight above his level, he could at most contend with an Ethereal Encompassment Realm mid-stage expert. Compared to a late-stage expert, he was still far inferior.

“With just this level of skill, you won’t escape death today!” After sending Zhang Xuan flying, Qingtian Sovereign sneered coldly. His murderous aura permeated the entire room as he reached out his finger again, bearing down with crushing force.

“If you want to kill me, let’s see if you have the power and means!” Zhang Xuan sprang up from the ground, flipping his palm as if stamping down a seal.

Great Sorrowful Demonic Palm!

Boom!

His palm collided with the opponent’s finger, his face flushed again, and he retreated seven or eight steps consecutively. His opponent was a Sovereign of the Qingtian lineage, who had lived for countless years. His understanding of combat was impeccable, and combined with his profound cultivation, Zhang Xuan could not gain even the slightest advantage against him.

“Lie down!” Qingtian Sovereign sneered coldly, his five fingers like iron hooks. Unleashing his full late-stage Ethereal Encompassment Realm power, he completely bound the surroundings. No matter where Zhang Xuan tried to run, he felt an inescapable sense of entrapment.

“This move isn’t just a physical attack; it also carries a soul attack. If one’s mental fortitude is even slightly weak, their psychological defenses will be instantly shattered…” He clenched his fist. The opponent’s move seemed unremarkable, just a casual grab, but Zhang Xuan’s profound understanding of martial arts allowed him to see its terrifying nature at a glance. Not only did it possess true qi attacks that were difficult to evade, but it also imparted a powerful psychological suggestion. It was like a collapsing mountain, giving one a feeling of inescapable doom. If this illusion was allowed to grow, even if one’s strength could contend, they would surely not escape.

His mental fortitude circulated, and the panic in his heart vanished without a trace. Raising his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan shifted his feet, unleashing the Boundless Traveler movement technique. In an instant, he dodged the opponent’s palm. At the same time, he twisted his body and pointed a finger forward.

Great Star Finger Force!

Whoosh!

The finger force, like a launched arrow, shot straight towards Qingtian Sovereign’s eye.

“To discover the flaw in my eyes so quickly… As expected of a peak seven-star master teacher!” Qingtian Sovereign chuckled softly, not nervous at all. Instead, he flipped his wrist and flicked his finger. A beam of light collided with the Great Star Finger Force, both dissipating in the air, and Zhang Xuan retreated again.

From the start of the battle, he had used his unique ability to discern the opponent’s flaws and weaknesses. However, this guy was simply too strong, especially his ability to control the surrounding environment. Even though Zhang Xuan knew his vital points, his attacks couldn’t get close enough to be effective.

“The higher the cultivation level, the less effective knowing vital points becomes…” Zhang Xuan understood. When his strength was low, merely knowing vital points allowed him to defeat experts several major realms above him. However, as his cultivation grew higher, and cultivators gained greater comprehension of space, achieving such easy feats became almost impossible.

Nevertheless, while killing the opponent wasn’t easy, the opponent found it just as difficult to kill him. He flipped his palm again, transforming it into a fist, lifting it in the air, and bringing it down like a hammer.

Crack! Crack!

The space before them seemed to crack. His fist, imbued with lightning, cascaded down upon Qingtian Sovereign.

Martial technique: Thousand Fist Thunder Sea!

This martial art was created by an Ethereal Encompassment Realm expert who was inspired by observing lightning during his Ethereal Tribulation. It was considered a top-tier technique in the Qingyuan Empire, and Zhang Xuan’s current execution unleashed even greater power.

Before it had fully manifested, the underground palace seemed to be filled with lightning. Thousand Fist Thunder Sea’s raw power might not surpass the Great Sorrowful Demonic Palm, but the lightning it contained affected soul oracles. When used against Qingtian Sovereign, its effectiveness might even exceed the latter.

Martial techniques are not necessarily better simply because they are stronger; they achieve maximum effect when they are highly targeted. This is precisely why countless experts desperately create more and newer martial techniques.

“Hmm?” Qingtian Sovereign’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected this young man, who was only at Saint 3-dan Embryonic Form Realm, to not only block his continuous attacks but also launch a counterattack. He involuntarily took two steps back, then spread his five fingers and grabbed again.

Swish!

The lightning before him seemed to be enveloped by a special force. With a gentle squeeze, it simultaneously exploded.

“I am a late-stage Ethereal Encompassment Realm expert who has endured three lightning tribulations… Even heavenly lightning couldn’t harm me. Do you think your lightning secret art can affect me?” Qingtian Sovereign snorted coldly and stepped forward again. Under the backdrop of his formidable aura, he seemed like an unshakeable giant. Even if Zhang Xuan used every possible means, he couldn’t injure him in the slightest.

“It won’t affect you much… But, where is my Glacial Rain Sword?” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

“Glacial Rain Sword?” Qingtian Sovereign was puzzled and frowned. Just now, the opponent’s long sword had been knocked away by his single strike and was embedded in the wall… Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but glance towards where the long sword had been. Upon seeing it, his pupils constricted.

“Where’s the sword?” The long sword was gone, having been retrieved by the opponent at some unknown moment.

“Behind you!” Zhang Xuan hooked his finger sharply.

Qingtian Sovereign’s face sank. He quickly turned around, only to find nothing there.

“Damn it!” He then realized he had been tricked by the opponent. His body swayed, and he quickly leapt to the side. However, it was too late. A sharp pain struck his chest as a palm print landed on him. He involuntarily stumbled back several steps, his face turning pale.

Although the opponent’s hasty strike wasn’t strong, it still infuriated him. A dignified Sovereign of the Qingtian lineage, an ancient monster who had lived for untold years, whose strength had reached the late stage of the Ethereal Encompassment Realm, had actually been struck by a mere Embryonic Form Realm junior… He simply could not endure it!

“I’ll kill you…” He roared again, his true qi boiling within him. Just as he was about to unleash his strongest attack, he heard the young man’s voice once more.

“Down below…”

“Hmph, do you think that trick will still work on me?” Seeing that the opponent was still playing games, Qingtian Sovereign clenched his teeth and slammed his palm down furiously, power surging out. He was about to crush Zhang Xuan when he heard a “whoosh” sound from below. He looked down and indeed saw that the long sword, which had been embedded in the wall, had somehow burrowed underground and was now thrusting straight upwards.

“Without anyone wielding it, you think a mere sentient sword can kill me? You’re underestimating me too much…” He sneered coldly, turning his palm to strike the sword blade. Once hit, the sword would undoubtedly shatter. However, before his full power could be unleashed, he felt an immense force surge from above his head.

Immediately after, he saw a massive cauldron settling down onto his head with a thud.

He raised his hands to block it. The opponent’s strength was immense; his hands couldn’t hold, his knees buckled, and he was forced into a sitting position.

Splat!

The long sword pierced him from below.

Flower petals bloomed.

“Ah…”

A gruesome scream echoed as Qingtian Sovereign wailed like a ghost.