Chapter 231 : The Gathering of Heaven’s Prides
Chapter 231: The Gathering of Heaven’s Prides
Bypassing the eerie wasteland, Chen Beiwu put away his flying boat and urged Wave-Stepping through the Tide, dashing wildly toward the southwest.
‘Cultivators are dueling!’
Chen Beiwu’s brow lifted as he keenly sensed the agitation of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy in the southeast.
He restrained his aura, activated the Phantom Concealment Pendant and Mirror Flower, Water Moon, and cautiously rushed toward the place where the spiritual fluctuations arose.
‘So it’s cultivators from Greenwood Sect and Heavy Gold Sect.’
Hiding behind a millennium-old tree, Chen Beiwu’s gaze swept across the scene ahead, recognizing the identities of the combatants.
At the forefront of the four Heavy Gold Sect cultivators stood a bald giant of a man, ten feet tall, his physique like a steel tower.
His skin was bronze, his entire body bulging with muscular lines. Bare-chested and barefoot, he wielded a staff-shaped magical treasure of dark-golden hue.
That massive staff seemed to be an extension of his body. Each swing drove the vigorous, furnace-like qi and blood within him, causing faint golden radiance to ripple across his skin, emanating an oppressive aura as heavy as a mountain.
This man was none other than Heavy Gold Sect’s present true disciple first, Zhou Yuan.
Zhou Yuan cultivated Heavy Gold Sect’s sect-suppressing cultivation method, the Myriad Tribulations Golden Body. His battle style was bold and direct, excelling in using strength to crush finesse. His power was no weaker than Luo Yongjie, whom Chen Beiwu had slain earlier.
Yet even so, Zhou Yuan could not subdue his opponent.
Chen Beiwu narrowed his eyes, shifting his gaze toward a female cultivator standing among six Greenwood Sect disciples, faintly leading them. She wore a simple yet elegant cyan-green Daoist robe.
Her features were delicate, her eyes clear, a sash at her waist accentuating her slender figure. In her hand, she gripped a verdant thin sword, looking like a living vine.
In Chen Beiwu’s divine sense, that thin sword was no dead object. It contained boundless Wood-Essence vitality, more like a living treasure vine, which stirred his own Greenwood spiritual vortex in his dantian to quiver slightly.
‘A fine item.’
His intuition told him that if he used that treasure vine to nourish his Greenwood spiritual vortex, his cultivation of the All Laws Converge, Heaven Book of the Divine Tree could take another step forward, pushing him into Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.
“Zhao Qingluo, if you retreat now, I can spare your life.” Zhou Yuan’s voice was like a great bell, shaking loose fragments of stone all around.
It was well known that Greenwood Sect’s current true disciple first was a cowardly turtle who never stepped beyond sect lands, thus impossible to appear in the Tianyan True Realm.
The leader of the Greenwood cultivators here was Zhao Qingluo, the present true disciple second, a step weaker than Zhou Yuan.
Only, Greenwood Sect’s sect-suppressing cultivation method, the [Evergreen Reincarnation Creation Scripture], was simply too formidable. It could use Evergreen Power to instantly heal injuries.
Even though Zhou Yuan had the upper hand throughout the fight, it was extremely difficult to quickly defeat Zhao Qingluo, who specialized in dragging opponents into wars of attrition.
“Brother Zhou, those words are mistaken.” Zhao Qingluo glanced at the ancient stele in the center of the plaza, which radiated strange fluctuations: “A True Monarch left this inheritance with its destined fate. If Brother Zhou insists on seizing it alone, that would hardly be the righteous way.”
At her words, Zhou Yuan stopped speaking. His feet stomped the ground as he swung the Mountain-Sundering Staff in a wide arc, unleashing a shrill whistle as it tore through spiritual energy, smashing down toward Zhao Qingluo.
Zhao Qingluo smiled gracefully. Vines from her sword surged like a giant python, blocking Zhou Yuan’s crushing strike.
She indeed was not Zhou Yuan’s equal. Yet as long as Zhao Qingluo delayed until Mirror Moon Sect and Profound Sword Pavilion’s Golden Core seeds arrived, she could ensure Greenwood Sect secured a share from the inheritance stele.
‘Zhou Yuan, Zhao Qingluo!’ Chen Beiwu narrowed his eyes and glanced at the stele in the distance.
Even with Golden Egg in slumber, he was confident he could defeat either one of them in single combat.
Unfortunately, both had four or five Late-Stage Foundation Establishment sect-mates guarding them.
If he attempted to monopolize the inheritance, Greenwood Sect and Heavy Gold Sect would surely join forces to besiege him.
After all, before absolute benefits, even Greenwood Sect and Mirror Moon Sect’s supposed friendly alliance was as good as nonexistent.
‘It’s safer to play the oriole from behind.’ Chen Beiwu lifted his gaze toward the figures by the collapsed stone pillars.
He was not the only cultivator hiding in secret to watch.
If he struck now, he would merely expose himself.
“Zhou Yuan is truly troublesome. If you fellow Daoists still refuse to act, this concubine shall yield the inheritance stele.” Zhao Qingluo’s eyes suddenly turned toward the stone pillars.
As her voice fell, the Ninefold Tidal Echo resounded. The dense heaven-and-earth spiritual power of the secret realm churned into a boiling sea eye, birthing nine whirlpools, each ten zhang wide.
“Ninefold Sea-Refining Manual? The newcomer is Mirror Moon Sect’s true disciple second, Han Shengwu!” Greenwood Sect disciples revealed joy.
Greenwood Sect and Mirror Moon Sect had long been on good terms. If the two sects joined hands, they might repel Heavy Gold Sect and share the inheritance stele.
“No wonder you skulked in the shadows—it’s you, Han Shengwu, my defeated opponent.” Zhou Yuan’s expression remained calm.
Among Earth Proliferation Territory cultivators of his generation, only three were worthy of his caution: Mirror Moon Sect’s God of Slaughter Zhu Qiong, Profound Sword Pavilion’s Gu Jianfeng, and Blazing Flame Sect’s Luo Yongjie.
Aside from those three, all other Late-Stage Foundation cultivators were nothing but clay chickens and pottery dogs in his eyes.
Even if Han Shengwu joined with Zhao Qingluo, Zhou Yuan was confident he could withdraw safely.
“Brother Zhou, fighting further achieves nothing. Why not join forces to explore the inheritance stele?” Han Shengwu’s tone was calm, ignoring Zhou Yuan’s ridicule.
Zhao Qingluo nodded: “I think that’s reasonable.”
“Hmph, come out!”
Sensing others still lurking, Zhou Yuan let out a cold snort. His golden radiance flared, and he hurled the Mountain-Sundering Staff toward a hillside in the northwest.
“Boom!”
Gu Yunsi activated the Water Mirror Technique, blocking the staff and retreating dozens of zhang before stopping at Han Shengwu’s side: “Brother Zhou, why such impatience?”
“Junior Brother Gu, you came just in time.” A hint of delight flashed in Han Shengwu’s eyes.
If he were the only Mirror Moon Sect cultivator present, it would be hard to secure enough benefits from the inheritance stele.
“Not just me.” Gu Yunsi turned, looking toward the ancient tree: “Junior Brother Chen, with Senior Brother Han here, if we three join hands, it’s not impossible to claim a share.”
At these words, all present cultivators were shocked.
Zhou Yuan and Zhao Qingluo’s eyes revealed doubt.
What was this? Another Mirror Moon Sect disciple hidden here they had not discovered?
“Senior Brother Gu, how did you detect me?”
From behind the ancient tree, Chen Beiwu’s figure appeared silently, his tone curious.
Not seeing him for a day truly warranted new appraisal.
Compared to their last meeting, Senior Brother Gu now radiated an aura several times stronger. Such power could already rank in Mirror Moon Rankings’ top ten, yet even then, it should not be enough to pierce his concealment.
Before Gu Yunsi answered, Zhou Yuan already revealed unease.
‘Damn, it’s the aura of Mirror Flower, Water Moon!’
Heavy Gold Sect body cultivators feared neither heaven nor earth—but they dreaded illusions.
Until their Myriad Tribulations Golden Body reached the second stage where essence, qi, and spirit united as one, the nemesis of Heavy Gold Sect body cultivators was none other than Mirror Moon Sect disciples cultivating Mirror Flower, Water Moon.
Sensing Zhou Yuan’s unease, all present cultivators felt a chill in their hearts.
Good heavens—since when did Mirror Moon Sect produce yet another peerless Heaven’s Pride!