Chapter 481 - 263: Exposed
Chapter 481: Chapter 263: Exposed
Xu Yang had just broken through, yet he was already facing a Celestial Essence Martial Artist. He felt not a shred of nervousness, only an irrepressible killing intent.
As long as Song Yushao lived, he could not be at ease.
Golden Gang Yuan surged throughout his body, his skin glowed with a jade-like luster, and the Power of Heaven and Earth churned around him.
"CRACKLE CRACKLE..."
His bones and sinews rumbled, and his blood rushed like a dragon. He followed behind the golden Sword Qi, his Jade Water Saber, infused with Gang Yuan, transforming into a cold glint of light that slashed straight for Song Yushao’s chest.
"BOOM!"
The saber’s light tore through the air like a clap of muffled thunder, and a scorching aura swept over everything.
This slash was as fast as a thunderbolt and as powerful as the cleaving of the heavens, possessing an indomitable might.
Before the saber’s light even arrived, its sharp Sword Intent had already sliced through the Force Field around Song Yushao, severing his connection to the Power of Heaven and Earth.
"Who in the world are you?" Song Yushao roared.
’This level of strength, this Saber Technique Realm... he must be an Elder of the Purple Sun Sect.’
’It’s just that, among the Elders of the Purple Sun Sect, I don’t recall anyone cultivating golden Gang Yuan.’
As he spoke, Song Yushao also made his move. The Spiritual Treasure Sword in his hand stirred up a scorching sword light, which he used to slash horizontally at the incoming saber light.
"CLANG!"
The saber light and sword light clashed with a crisp metallic ring. Huge sparks flew everywhere, like clusters of fire bursting apart.
In the next moment, a violent wave of air surged outward, sweeping away from the point of impact. Within a thirty-foot radius, the ground cracked open, its surface completely peeled back by the terrifying shockwave as a dragon of dust and smoke shot into the sky.
Both men felt their feet sink as their legs plunged into the earth.
Xu Yang felt a tyrannical force travel up from the hilt of his saber. The Jade Water Saber trembled violently as if it were about to be knocked from his grasp. He was forced back uncontrollably, his feet thudding against the ground and leaving deep imprints.
’A veteran Celestial Essence expert. His strength truly is tyrannical!’
A chill went down his spine.
Although Song Yushao had been stuck at the Celestial Essence First Layer, his talent and potential having likely reached their limits, his strength was not to be underestimated. Both his physical body and his Gang Yuan were well-honed.
"Hmph!"
Song Yushao let out a muffled grunt. He too felt a tyrannical force coming from his opponent. The hilt of his sword shook violently, his bones rumbled, and he couldn’t help but take a large step back.
However, he wasn’t concerned about that. He was more focused on the saber in his opponent’s hand.
"The Jade Water Saber!"
His pupils contracted violently as killing intent surged within him.
Through the dissipating Gang Yuan, he saw the Song Family’s lost Spirit Soldier Jade Water Saber. This beast was the one who had murdered Song Shixian.
If this animal hadn’t interfered, his Song Family would have killed Xu Yang long ago. Now this beast had come to cause trouble at Yunxi Villa, killing dozens of the Song Family’s elite and his Crimson Flame Tiger.
What was even more detestable was that this beast was using his Song Family’s saber to kill him!
For a moment, Song Yushao wished he could flay the man before him alive and tear him limb from limb.
"You beast, what grudge do you have against my Song Family that you would target us like this?"
His longsword hummed, and as a thick beam of sword light shot out, Song Yushao demanded fiercely.
’This person must have a grudge against the Song Family. Otherwise, if he just wanted something from Yunxi Villa, with his Cultivation, he could have just taken it. There was no need to release the Crimson Flame Tiger to slaughter the Song Family disciples, nor hide in the shadows to ambush me.’
But no matter how he thought about it, the Song Family had never provoked such an expert, nor was it possible they had made an enemy of a Purple Sun Sect Elder.
’His opponent is clearly cultivating the Li Fire Technique, and besides the Elders of the Purple Sun Sect, no one has access to it. And only the Purple Sun Sect possesses such a fierce Saber Technique.’
A bad premonition arose in his heart. ’The Crimson Flame Tiger breaking its restraints was deliberate. I’m afraid the Vermilion Flame Fruit has already been taken by this beast.’
The crimson sword beam tore through the air like a collapsing celestial pillar, carrying the power to split heaven and earth. It was fierce and domineering, dispersing the thick dust and smoke to reveal the figure hidden beneath black cloth.
A sharp glint exploded in Xu Yang’s eyes. He didn’t speak, but with a surge of Gang Yuan, he raised his hand and also unleashed a massive saber beam.
"BOOM!"
The next moment, the bucket-thick saber beam and sword beam collided. Amidst a deafening roar, they both exploded. The violent Vigorous Energy formed a visible shockwave that swept across heaven and earth, tearing terrifying fissures in the ground.
Both men shuddered, veins bulging on their arms. They felt their blood churn like waves and their bones hum in unison as they were forced to stumble backward.
"Not talking? Once I kill you, I’ll find out who you are!"
A soul-shaking cold light shot from Song Yushao’s eyes. His killing intent erupted, and he immediately stopped holding back as a sharp Sword Intent burst from his body.
"PFFT!"
The formless Sword Intent soared into the sky. Pulled by the Sword Intent, the Power of Heaven and Earth from all directions swarmed in like a tide, forming a transparent sword light.
"Canglang Sword Technique, Tide Rising!"
The world seemed to tremble. Amidst a deafening roar, an image of a great wave appeared behind Song Yushao, its turbulent waters crashing violently.
In an instant, a majestic pressure swept out. The earth quaked, cracks spread, and dust and smoke billowed.
Martial Dao Imagery, an ability exclusive to Celestial Essence Martial Artists!
Song Yushao had broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm many years ago; naturally, he had already comprehended a Martial Dao Imagery.
His aura flared, his Sword Intent pierced the heavens, and his grand imagery shook the world.
"Die!"
With a long cry, a blood-red sword light tore through the air, transforming into a red waterfall that fell with a sharp Sword Intent.
The rolling ocean waves roared behind Song Yushao. Before the sword light even arrived, the ground around Xu Yang had already begun to crack apart, and a tyrannical pressure, like a raging tide, relentlessly battered his Heart Spirit.
"Hmph!" He let out a cold snort, and his formless Sword Intent shattered the pressure, instantly relieving the strain on his body.
"BANG!"
The ground beneath his feet shattered as he shifted rapidly to the side, disappearing from his original spot.
The next moment, the waterfall-like sword light slammed heavily into the spot where he had been standing.
"RUMBLE..."
Terrifying dust and smoke shot skyward. Amidst the deafening noise, a gash over a hundred feet long was carved into the earth, and the scorching, sharp Sword Qi rushed out for another hundred feet before dissipating.
"I don’t care who you are, you’re dead today!"
Song Yushao roared as his sword light swept out. His aura shattered the ground in its path, collapsing an unknown area of Yunxi Villa. The overwhelming sword light slashed toward Xu Yang’s waist.
The sharp Sword Intent seemed powerful enough to cleave a mountain in two.
’If I have to expose myself, then so be it!’ A sharp glint erupted in Xu Yang’s eyes.
’Without revealing my full strength, I can’t kill Song Yushao. A veteran Celestial Essence expert isn’t someone I can kill while hiding my identity.’
’At this point, within the territory of the Purple Sun Sect, I no longer need to be so cautious.’
At this thought, his domineering and condensed Gang Yuan rumbled. His entire body began to glow with a gentle, jade-like light, as if he were turning into jade.
"BOOM..."
A tyrannical aura erupted from him like a volcano, a majestic pressure sweeping out to confront and clash with the oppressive aura coming from Song Yushao.
Within a hundred-foot radius, the ground shattered, and earth and stone turned to dust, completely unable to withstand the aftershocks from the clash of auras between two Celestial Essence Strong Persons.
The earth beneath Xu Yang’s feet cracked, and a blinding light exploded as a ten-foot-tall illusory image of a Ming King appeared behind him.
Unmoving Bright King Body, a Great Success Level Body Refining Technique! It was said to be as immovable as a mountain, integrating both offense and defense.
Although it had not yet reached the Perfection Realm, he had already comprehended the Bright King Image.
Xu Yang’s aura surged rapidly. A tyrannical power felt like it was about to burst from his body. His bones and sinews let out a series of CRACKLES and POPS. Veins bulged all over his body, his muscles swelled like mountain peaks, and his frame even grew by half a foot in an instant, the knotted muscles straining against his clothes.
’Martial Dao Imagery truly is a power exclusive to Celestial Essence Martial Artists.’
This was the first time he had used his Martial Dao Imagery after breaking through to the Celestial Essence Realm. The amplification of power was on a completely different level compared to when he was in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm.
’Or perhaps, using it in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm was like a child swinging a heavy blade—I couldn’t unleash the true power of the Martial Dao Imagery at all.’
At this moment, he felt as if he were one with heaven and earth. The giant Bright King Image continuously drew the Power of Heaven and Earth from the world and infused it into his body, causing his strength to grow ever stronger.
His astonishing aura broke through Song Yushao’s pressure. A collision that only the Heart Spirit could hear vibrated through his very being.
Tyrannical power poured into the Jade Water Saber, and its light flared. Xu Yang strode forward to meet the sword light and slashed out with his saber.
"BOOM!"
The saber light and sword light clashed like two celestial pillars colliding. A violent shockwave swept out in all directions as the golden and crimson Gang Yuan roared and bombarded the void.
With a loud BANG, the saber light and sword light exploded simultaneously, revealing the bodies of the Spiritual Soldiers themselves.
Both Spiritual Soldiers let out a mournful cry and trembled violently, as if they were about to disintegrate from the terrifying impact.
Xu Yang’s whole body shook, his bones rumbled, and his blood churned like waves.
His legs were like an old tree rooted in the earth, standing firm and unmoving. Even as large swathes of ground beneath his feet cracked apart, he didn’t budge an inch.
"Hmph!"
Song Yushao grunted, and the Martial Dao Imagery behind him vanished. He felt an irresistible concussive force travel up from his sword’s hilt. The blade shook violently, its Spirituality nearly dissipating.
The hand gripping his sword went numb, losing all feeling for a moment. The terrifying recoil forced him to stumble backward, his steps thudding against the ground.
But Song Yushao paid it no mind. A sharp glint exploded in his eyes, which shone with a blazing cold light.
’Golden Gang Yuan! Unmoving Bright King Body!’
"Xu Yang, it’s you, you beast!" Song Yushao blurted out, his voice filled with boundless fury and shock.
’Near the Purple Sun Sect, only Xu Yang cultivates the Golden Gang Qi. I was suspicious when I saw the golden Gang Yuan earlier, but I didn’t think it was possible for Xu Yang to have broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm.’
Now, seeing the Unmoving Bright King Body, he was one hundred percent certain that the masked man was Xu Yang.
’The Li Fire Technique, the Unmoving Bright King Body, and the Golden Gang Qi. Looking across the entire Purple Sun Sect, only Xu Yang fits this description, and he has a grudge against the Song Family.’
"It’s your daddy!" Xu Yang ripped the black cloth from his face.
The moment he used the Unmoving Bright King Body, he knew his identity would be exposed, because everyone knew he cultivated it.
’Against a veteran Celestial Essence expert like Song Yushao, holding back is not an option.’
’But it doesn’t matter. Everyone from the Song Family at Yunxi Villa is dead. If I slaughter Song Yushao too, no one will ever suspect it was me.’
"You’ve hidden your abilities so well!" Song Yushao was both shocked and enraged, his face a mask of disbelief.
’It really is Xu Yang!’
’That beast’s Unmoving Bright King Body reached the Great Success Level long ago, and he even comprehended the Bright King Image, yet he hid his strength during the Purple Sun Sect’s Ten Prodigies ranking competition. No wonder he could so easily suppress Lin Jingyu of Yellow Maple Valley.’
Of course, what truly horrified Song Yushao was Xu Yang’s Cultivation. He had actually broken through to the Celestial Essence Realm, while people like Zhang Hanzhou and Qi Xuancheng were still struggling to break through their bottlenecks.