Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Huh? A Divine Soldier? Haha, you're truly naive. With your level of cultivation, even if you have a Divine Soldier, how much of its power can you possibly wield? Ten percent? Or maybe five?"

When he saw Yang Xiao reveal the Bloodthirsty Divine Sword, Yuan Haotian was momentarily stunned by its aura, but he quickly broke into derisive laughter.

A mere True Intent Stage Martial Artist, trying to use a Divine Soldier? He's simply courting death.

It's a question whether he can even lift it.

Besides, even if he could wield it, how much of its power could he possibly unleash?

It probably wouldn't even be as powerful as a Treasure Weapon.

'What an idiot.'

'Still, this guy has so many treasures on him. Right, he's the successor to the Northern Wilderness Divine King and he even has the Ye Family's God-Suppressing Coffin. It would be weirder if he *didn't* have a Divine Soldier. The stupid part is that he's actually using it against an enemy.'

Yuan Haotian licked his lips, his eyes filled with ridicule and a hint of greed as he stared at Yang Xiao.

It was as if he were looking at the world's wealthiest fool.

Yang Xiao paid him no mind.

He reached out and placed his hand directly on the Bloodthirsty Divine Sword.

He gently grasped the hilt and postured to lift the sword.

'Hm? He actually gripped it?'

Yuan Haotian couldn't help but be surprised at the sight.

He had considered that Yang Xiao might be able to bring out ten or twenty percent of the Divine Sword's power—which would explain why he'd dared to use it—but seeing him actually grip the blade was still a shock.

After all, this was a Divine Soldier. The Spirit within was incredibly powerful. Without its acknowledgment, an ordinary person couldn't even get near it, let alone grasp it.

'It seems this kid has actually earned the Divine Soldier's approval!'

'Hmph, so what? His own power is pathetic. Even with a Divine Soldier's help, how much of its might can he possibly unleash?'

But Yuan Haotian's expression quickly twisted into a disdainful sneer.

'Besides, even if it is a Divine Soldier, it's useless against me unless he can unleash over eighty percent of its destructive power. And him? As strange as he is, could he possibly wield over thirty percent of a Divine Soldier's power at the True Intent Stage? Even someone at the Void Immortal Peak couldn't do that. *I* couldn't do that. The only exception would be a Lifebound Divine Weapon, but even that's just a slim possibility. And who refines a Lifebound Divine Weapon? Every last one of them is a True God or a True Immortal Level being. It's practically impossible for anyone below the level of a True God or True Immortal. What do I have to be afraid of?'

Taking a huge step back,

Yuan Haotian thought that even if the weapon in Yang Xiao's hand *was* his Lifebound Divine Weapon, with his cultivation, just being able to hold it was impressive enough.

To unleash more than eighty percent of its power, he'd have to reach my level of cultivation and train in a Cultivation Technique comparable to my Three Thousand Dao Clones. Otherwise, it's completely out of the question.

If it's not a Lifebound Divine Weapon, being able to unleash around thirty percent of its power at the Void Immortal Realm—the Demigod Level for Martial Cultivators—is already considered an incredible feat.

Therefore, for anyone below the True Immortal or True God Level, a Divine Soldier isn't necessarily better than a Daoist Weapon. Sometimes, it might not even measure up to a Treasure Weapon.

This is because if one's strength is too low, they can't unleash its power at all.

One can only use it as a common weapon made of exceptionally fine materials. It might even suppress the wielder's own strength, since the burden of a Divine Soldier is immense. The gains don't justify the cost.

Yuan Haotian was, naturally, unafraid.

At that moment,

Yang Xiao lifted the Bloodthirsty Divine Sword.

But then he closed his eyes.

It was as if he were brewing something.

The aura was incredibly heavy.

Even Yuan Haotian's look of extreme contempt softened slightly.

He grew uneasy.

Though he wasn't yet a True Immortal, he was not far from the True Immortal Realm, and he possessed some of the same premonitions that True Immortals and True Gods had.

This feeling of anxious restlessness, for instance.

However, perhaps because of his hatred for Yang Xiao and his earlier, overwhelming disdain,

even at this moment, he still didn't believe Yang Xiao was capable of threatening him.

"Putting on a show. What trick are you trying to pull now?"

Yuan Haotian sneered.

Yang Xiao, however, continued to ignore him.

'At this very moment, he was experimenting, trying to figure out how to expend the least amount of Spiritual Power to annihilate this guy in a single blow.'

'Who had time to deal with him?'

Seeing Yang Xiao's posture and the series of surprising actions he'd taken, Yuan Haotian grew restless. Even now, he didn't believe Yang Xiao could truly threaten him. Yet, when he saw him reveal the Divine Soldier and seemingly prepare to unleash a major attack, he couldn't hold back any longer.

'Forget it. Who cares what scheme he's plotting? I'll just kill him, and that'll be the end of it. Why stand here and watch his clumsy performance? I refuse to believe he can do anything, no matter how much power he gathers!'

With that thought, Yuan Haotian raised his hand and brought it down in another palm strike.

It was the Godslaying Palm again.

Only this time,

without the help of the God-Suppressing Coffin's Array, he was confident that Yang Xiao could not escape his suppression and had absolutely no way to dodge.

Once the palm landed, death was certain.

But just then,

an immense suction force manifested from thin air.

It instantly tugged at the Seed of the Great Dao within his body.

It was the power of the Mysterious Furnace Cauldron, activating.

Yuan Haotian had already experienced this power before.

After an initial jolt of shock, he quickly composed himself.

He sneered. 'This trick again? It seems he's at his wit's end! In that case, I'll just press the attack and kill him!'

The thought flashed through Yuan Haotian's mind. He didn't pay it much heed; with a minor effort to suppress the suction, he continued his all-out attack.

He would kill Yang Xiao with this single palm strike.

'As long as I kill him, it'll all be over. Not only will I be able to advance to the True Immortal realm, but I'll also get all the treasures this guy has. Then...'

A trace of smugness welled up in Yuan Haotian's heart.

His strike grew even more powerful.

If a blow of this magnitude were to truly land on Yang Xiao, his very Divine Soul would be obliterated.

However!

Just then, something happened that completely defied Yuan Haotian's expectations.

A terrifying power suddenly surged forth from Yang Xiao's body.

The power was so terrifying that even Yuan Haotian felt threatened. Furthermore, he could sense that this was not Yang Xiao's own power.

It was an external force!

'What kind of external force could be this powerful?'

'Could it be the power of a True God?'

'But even if it's a True God, so what?'

After a few thoughts raced through his mind, Yuan Haotian did not retreat. Instead, he advanced.

He was already past the point of no return—an arrow nocked and drawn, which had to be loosed.

Besides, Yuan Haotian simply didn't believe Yang Xiao could do anything to him.

So, he didn't stop.

He continued his deadly charge.

Just as he was about to strike Yang Xiao,

Yang Xiao finally moved.

A flash of blood-red light,

erupted into existence.

The Bloodthirsty Divine Sword in Yang Xiao's hand,

SWISH!

slashed out.

There was no Sword Technique.

No Divine Patterns were activated.

It was just a simple, direct slash.

It brutally struck the very hand Yuan Haotian had used to unleash the Godslaying Palm, slicing into it without the slightest resistance.

Following the momentum,

the blade continued on, cleaving Yuan Haotian's entire body in two!