Over on the floating platform, Bai Ying sneered in the face of a sudden attack of sword might. A burst of True Energy flowed from her palm into the tree branch, immediately enveloping the latter in a soft white light. Her torso plunged forward. Not only did she not dodge this sharp, severe Sword Qi, but she even charged straight at it.
Underneath the platform, everyone gasped when they saw her employing such a suicidal battle strategy. Even the expression of Perfected Immortal Yunyin, whose victory was well within grasp, faltered. He wondered if she was hiding some kind of treasure. Why would she dare to use a piece of rotten wood to fight against his Golden Clouds of Heaven and Earth Sword?
The collision of the branch with the Golden Clouds Sword produced tens of thousands of green specks of light, as if dead trees had encountered springtime. The specks of light scattered, eliciting exclamations from the disciples below. "I"ve never seen Elder Bai fight! So she"s an expert of wood-related magic spells!"
Bai Ying bent the branch ever so slightly and borrowed the rebound force to fly backward. The specks of green light floating in the air converged and formed Sword Qi that blasted at Perfected Immortal Yunyin.
Perfected Immortal Yunyin couldn"t help feeling a jolt of shock. He never thought that she would so easily nullify his blow and even use her own strength to launch a counterattack. He ducked frantically, habitually looking around him as he did so. He was quite a sorry sight at the moment.
Though he saw only a vast expanse of white clouds, he knew perfectly well that the people below could clearly see what had happened on the platform. He couldn"t help frowning. It seemed that this woman wasn"t as easy to deal with as rumored.
Considering this, he once again cast a spell. The clouds all around abruptly rolled, every piece of cloud turning into a tangible-looking flying sword. In a flash, hundreds of them were pointed to Bai Ying.
"He produced swords out of Qi!"
"My G.o.d! He was able to produce so many swords at once!"
Below the platform, exclamations resounded continuously. The capability to produce a sword out of Qi was a mark of a person who had entered the Core Forming Realm. First Elder frowned. Even he could only produce between thirty to fifty swords out of Qi at a time. Yunyin"s expertise with magic skills was, as expected, above his own.
"Heh. What"s the use of having so many swords? It just looks good, at best," Bai Ying mercilessly retorted while gripping the tree branch.
Perfected Immortal Yunyin sneered. "Fine. Go ahead and try them then!" He launched the hundreds of swords at her.
The hundreds of Sword Qi crisscrossed as they rained down, leaving no room for her to dodge. A storm of clouds and winds gathered high up in the sky, nearly completely obscuring the view of those below. Even so, they could feel the power of the terrifying Sword Qi as it wreaked havoc on the floating platform.
Perfected Immortal Yunyin continued to wear a mocking smile on his face. "Bai Ying, oh, Bai YIng. You dug your own grave. I might not have perfected my Ten Thousand Loops sword tactic the way my Senior Brothers did but how could a Foundation Building Realm cultivator like you escape with your life?"
Moments later, the killing vortex of the Sword Qi finally came to an end. A cold voice hidden behind the clouds and mist could be heard saying, "I said, what"s the use of having so many swords? It"s all show and no substance."
When the clouds dispersed, they saw Bai Ying standing in her pristine white clothing, untouched even by fine dust. Countless green leaves swirled around her. The dense Sword Qi earlier didn"t even touch a single corner of her clothing.
"What? How can she be completely intact?!"
Numerous disciples under the platform were stunned. Chu Hanyan narrowed her eyes and thought to herself, "Sure enough, this woman has true skills." She looked at Mo Yu who stood beside her and frowned out of worry.
Perfected Immortal Yunyin"s face was full of horror. "No! Impossible! There"s no way you"re left completely intact! Just what kind of tricks did you people use on this floating platform?!" His eyes were full of cold fury.
"With your Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivation, how could you not tell if we"ve done something to the platform?" Bai Ying replied placidly, branch still within grasp.
Perfected Immortal Yunyin"s expression darkened. Truth to be told, he had carefully examined the platform and realized there was no chance for anyone to tamper with it. However, she was a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator. How could she block his sword tactic?
"I don"t believe it!"
With a bellow from Perfected Immortal Yunyin, the overlapping Sword Qi rose again. This time, it carried an even greater momentum, calling forth a storm on the platform. Nearby, an electric arc fell from amidst the clouds. He had unexpectedly added a lightning-related magic spell to the foundation of the Sword Qi attack.
In just half an hour, Perfected Immortal Yunyin had used all the magic skills in his a.r.s.enal but none of his attacks could even touch a strand of hair on Bai Ying"s head. She could transform like a supernatural being and divide into multiple beings. Her true power was immeasurable. Could this be her rumored creation, "Singing of the Wind and the Moon"?
The Three Pure Sect disciples below were dumbfounded. Their impression of Third Elder had always been that of a lackadaisical person who was all talk and no action. This time, their impression of her had completely renewed.
Just now, the woman floating like a deity on the floating platform came and went like the wind. She was untouchable like the reflection of the moon on the water.
"She defeated even the Sect Leader during our inter-sect compet.i.tion all those years ago. No one could break her Singing of the Wind and the Moon skill." Second Elder stroke his beard as he shook his head with a wry smile.
Xiao Chen was so stupefied that he fell into a trance. "Why does her Singing of the Moon and the Wind skill look so similar to master"s Immortal-override Steps?"
Up on the floating platform, Perfected Immortal Yunyin was panting evidently due to the excessive consumption of his True Energy. Now, even commanding his flying sword felt like a challenge. On the contrary, Bai Ying who stood before him looked calm and composed as if nothing had happened.
"The True Qi reserves of a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator like you can"t even rival the reserves of a Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator like me! Hehe!"
Perfected Immortal Yunyin raised his head and said bitterly, "You"re merely relying on your wood-related magic spell to recover your True Energy. What do you have to be proud of?"
"Hehe! It"s no big deal to defeat a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator who relies on elixirs. I"ll even feel ashamed if this is publicized."
Bai Ying made a casual wave with her hand as she spoke, infuriating Perfected Immortal Yunyin. She was obviously a mere Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator while he was obviously a Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivator. Though he didn"t have much combat experience, how could he fail to take down a mere Foundation Building Realm cultivator?
Impossible!
All of a sudden, the clouds above the floating platform underwent a drastic transformation to swirl around the platform. The veins on Perfected Immortal Yunyin"s face protruded as dazzling golden lights shot out of him. The lights made him look like a celestial being.
Everyone below the platform lost heart to see that he was overdrawing his body"s True Energy. Regular cultivators would experience a decline in their cultivation after exhausting their True Energy. For example, one must release all the True Energy in one"s body in order to void one"s cultivation.
"I have no need for my Lv 6 Core Forming Realm cultivation if I can"t even defeat a Lv 8 Foundation Building Realm cultivator like you!"
Perfected Immortal Yunyin was acting like a madman. The entire floating platform shook with a bellow from him. The endless golden lights were so dazzling that many people below couldn"t open their eyes.
"Hehe! You"re jumping the wall from all that pressure?" Bai Ying still looked as carefree as ever.
The disciples below were all horrified. The might of a power produced from overdrawing one"s True Energy was unimaginable, yet Bai Ying still dared to provoke her opponent. She truly didn"t want to live anymore!
Xiao Chen"s forehead was gradually drenched in sweat. The racing of his heart became more and more intense.
All of a sudden, a ma.s.sive, hundred-foot-long sword glowing with golden light appeared in the sky. It was none other than the unique skill of the Skygale Sect, the Heavenly Punishment Sword. The moment the sword plunged, the sky was eclipsed. Even the sun was overshadowed.
The sword had yet to fall, but the vast and unparalleled Sword Qi had caused the entire floating platform to tremble violently. The fact that it looked as if the platform would collapse and fall at any time resulted in countless disciples below seeking shelter.
"Hehe! Bai Ying, I"ve used two levels of my cultivation. Today is the day you die!" Perfected Immortal Yunyin"s expression was frosty. This attack was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with murderous aura but he had merely used two levels of his cultivation. Even so, it wasn"t something that the average cultivator couldn"t withstand.
Bai Ying smiled coolly and once again poured a layer of True Energy into the tree branch, making it look like a dazzling Immortal"s Sword. She pointed her sword to the sky and casually recited a spell. All of a sudden, a mighty Suddenly, a gush of force surged from the edge of the blade toward the sky.
It was also at this moment that she shook her foot. She looked as if she was about to topple. She covered her forehead with one hand as if she would faint at any moment.
"What"s wrong? What wrong with Elder Bai?!"
"Sigh. She"s nevertheless still in the Foundation Building Realm. Looks like she"s no longer able to withstand the Sword Qi..."
The discussions under the platform were unceasing as the mood turned chaotic. Suddenly, a murderous intention emerged in Perfected Immortal Yunyin"s eyes. "Hehe! Even the heaven is helping me!" He once again injected the Heavenly Punishment Sword with another level of cultivation. This sword would definitely claim Bai Ying"s life!
Xiao Chen"s expression abruptly shifted. "No—" Following a long whistle, he flew toward the floating platform like an orb of white light.
"What? Has he gone mad? That"s the might of Core Forming Realm! Is he trying to dig his own grave?!"
Following the resumption of the discussions, the Elders paled as well. That was the might of a Core Forming Realm Cultivator cultivator"s True Energy! The moment when Xiao Chen came into contact with even the smallest sliver of the power, his body and soul would be destroyed in an instant!
Li Muxue, Luo Shangyan, and the others also turned pale in a flash. Mo Yu frowned. Was this his opponent? Xiao Chen wasn"t even afraid of the might of a Core Forming Realm cultivator. The more he mulled over it, the more he found himself no match for Xiao Chen. He snorted coldly. "What brute courage! So be it if you die!"
As Xiao Chen drew closer and closer to the floating platform, the fierce winds nearly tore him apart. He held on by using all of his True Energy and managed to reach for Bai Ying. "Hold on, Master! Your disciple is coming to save you!"
With a roar, the Heavenly Punishment Sword high up in the sky finally approached. The vast and unparalleled Sword Qi could tear everything and everyone apart. How could Xiao Chen, a disciple in the Qi Refining Realm, be able to withstand it?
"Puff!" He spat a mouthful of blood after facing a vicious surge of the Sword Qi. He slowly fell down but he continued to hold onto Bai Ying. His eyes were full of unwillingness.
He was already seeing Bai Ying as his master Ling Yin at that moment, but were things ending just like this...
While in a daze, he seemed to have returned to the day the death sentence was carried out at the Execution Tower. He heard the words Ling Yin told him back when she protected his soul ringing next to his ears: "Chen"er, wait for me to enter the Grand Completion Realm in a thousand years. We"ll meet again then, once again..."
Didn"t they agree to meet again...
Ten feet, five feet, three feet...
The Heavenly Punishment Sword was getting so close to Bai Ying that her death seemed all but certain. The disciples on the ground held their breath. Suddenly, Bai Ying raised her head and two flashes of light flitted across in her pupils. Then, with a flick of her left sleeve, she rolled over the falling Xiao Chen and brought him to the edge of the floating platform.
She pointed the branch in her right hand to the sky and a layer of pale green Qi shield instantly took shape. Only a loud bang was heard the moment the Heavenly Punishment Sword fell on the floating platform. The entire platform sank more than ten feet and nearly collapsed.