Chapter 776: Natural Martial Dao

Ao Pan was slightly stunned, feeling quite surprised in his heart.

He thought about it and felt that he would still be a fellow sect member with Tie Zheng in the future, so he laughed and said: "How can you say that? Fellow Daoist Tie Zheng, we are all here to participate in the Rising Cloud Trial, so competition is natural."

"Isn't it natural for there to be alliances and maneuvers between us?"

"If you want to blame someone, you can only blame yourself for being too strong, forcing me to join the weak to resist the strong."

The veins on Tie Zheng's forehead popped out: "I won't listen to your explanations, you despicable villain!"

Ao Pan: —

Lu Zeng interjected: "Oh my, you are an outsider, you don't know his past. Why bother with this now? Let's join forces and fight him together."

Although Tie Zheng was a rogue cultivator, he came from a great clan, and his starting point was very high.

It was just that later, he unfortunately encountered betrayal from many people. There were his parents, his wife, his sworn brothers, and so on.

So much so that, in his despondency, he left the family, took the initiative to become a rogue cultivator, wandered for a long time, and practiced alone in the mountains and wilderness.

As a result, his temperament began to become isolated and strange, often immersed in the pain of the past, and he would have a stress reaction to betrayal, no matter how small.

Ao Pan took a deep breath, the long whip in his hand cutting through the air, making a harsh whistling sound as it struck Tie Zheng directly.

Tie Zheng raised the weapon in his hand to defend forward.

Ao Pan's arm and wrist shook continuously, and the long whip in his hand was like a living creature, changing its trajectory and coiling toward the hilt of the blade in Tie Zheng's hand.

At the same time, Ao Pan's other hand threw out another piece of Profound Armor.

The bronze radiance exploded, and the next moment, a huge city-breaking hammer appeared in mid-air, pressing toward Ao Pan with a crushing momentum.

Boom!

Tie Zheng dodged, and the city-breaking hammer smashed into the ground, shaking the entire rock cave violently!

But at the same time, the bronze blade in his hand could not be taken care of and was coiled by Ao Pan's long whip.

"Let go!" Ao Pan shouted coldly, exerting force suddenly.

Tie Zheng tried his best to hold on, but his strength was no match for Ao Pan's, so he had to let go, and the entire web between his thumb and index finger was torn, blood dripping.

Ao Pan was a Jin Dan-level body cultivator, while Tie Zheng was a martial cultivator.

There was a difference between the two.

In terms of physical quality, Ao Pan was stronger than Tie Zheng.

"Well done!" Lu Zeng was overjoyed.

Ao Pan coiled around Tie Zheng's weapon, held it with one hand, and suppressed it with all his might. At the same time, his spiritual sense mobilized to put away the city-breaking hammer.

This weapon was too huge and heavy, more suitable for the battlefield; for this kind of one-on-one fight, it was hard to find a place to use it.

Basically, Ao Pan did not pin his hopes on it being able to cause damage.

Therefore, when Ao Pan used it, he only used it as a cover to force the enemy to rescue, and the real offensive was to be launched separately.

"I took one of Tie Zheng's bronze weapons, but next, he will be on guard. It will be very difficult for the city-breaking hammer to produce this result again!" Cold light flashed in Ao Pan's eyes.

Ao Pan then glanced at Lu Zeng, hesitated for a moment, but still handed the bronze blade he had just snatched to the other party.

"You have too few weapons; you refine this one!"

"I'll hold him off first."

Lu Zeng was stunned for a moment, feeling quite surprised.

Ao Pan's decision was very wise. In the previous two-on-one, many of the bronze weapons in Lu Zeng's hands were broken, and he had almost no handy weapons, so his combat power was severely weakened.

He was not a martial cultivator, nor a body cultivator, but a mechanism cultivator. The more bronze weapons he mastered, the more he could exert his own combat power.

The sincerity of cooperation shown by Ao Pan made Lu Zeng look at him with new eyes for a moment.

You know, Ao Pan could have kept it for himself to add a piece of Profound Armor for himself. This kind of bronze weapon was not durable and was easily damaged in fierce clashes.

But he didn't do that, instead taking the initiative to yield profit to Lu Zeng.

This action immediately made up for the rift caused by his previous attack on Lu Zeng, and in this instant, it made his temporary combat alliance with Lu Zeng several times stronger.

Tie Zheng was furious!

"Good! Good! Very good!" His eyes were bloodshot, and the pain and humiliation engraved in the bottom of his life in the past surfaced again.

His arms suddenly spread to both sides of his body. His left hand held a bronze sword, the sword light flickering, and his right hand held a twelve-foot bronze spear. A bronze sickle was suspended on his left waist, with a ferocious shape. On his right waist was a bronze long staff, perfectly round.

Martial Art—Metal and Iron Clash!

For a time, the sword light was like snow, the spear shadows were like a forest, the sickle drew a fatal arc, and the long staff swept horizontally like a beast wagging its tail!

Around Tie Zheng, a storm of metal and iron was set off.

Ao Pan and Lu Zeng retreated steadily.

The bronze blade in Lu Zeng's hand was struggling desperately; while refining it hard, he shouted: "Can you hold on?"

Ao Pan gritted his teeth and stood in front of Lu Zeng.

He sacrificed the city-breaking hammer again, crashing toward Tie Zheng.

Clang, clang, clang—

A series of explosions, the city-breaking hammer crashed into the metal and iron storm around Tie Zheng, sparking countless sparks, dazzling for a time.

The momentum of the metal and iron storm plummeted, while the city-breaking hammer was hacked beyond recognition; it supported for a few breaths before being teleported away by the Profound Armor Cave's great formation.

But it successfully bought critical time for Ao Pan and Lu Zeng.

Lu Zeng retreated urgently, while refining the bronze blade, pulling away from Tie Zheng.

Ao Pan cautiously kept his distance from Tie Zheng, holding the most handy bronze long whip, waving it continuously.

The long whip made a snapping sound, the whip shadows dancing like dragons and pythons, hitting around Tie Zheng, forcibly curbing the metal and iron storm.

The gaze under Tie Zheng's face mask was cold; his left shoulder shook slightly, releasing the sixth Profound Armor, which was a bronze bow.

The bronze bow was suspended above his head, actively pulling the bowstring, and with two "whoosh" sounds, it shot out an ice arrow and a fire arrow.

The two arrows drew two arcs in mid-air, bypassing Ao Pan and shooting straight at Lu Zeng.

Boom, boom.

The power of ice and fire erupted one after another, forming a shock wave mixed with countless ice fragments and flames.

Lu Zeng flew out backward from the shock wave, kneeling on the ground on one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

But the bronze blade in his hand was no longer struggling and had been successfully refined by him.

Lu Zeng stood up suddenly and launched a counterattack.

Ao Pan's long whip followed like a shadow.

The metal and iron storm around Tie Zheng rose again, standing tall.

The three Jin Dan cultivators fought into a ball; although their strength was suppressed by the great formation, they were still the top combat power in the arena.

Tie Zheng fought two with one and was pressed into a disadvantage.

"Opportunity!" Lu Zeng threw the bronze blade in his hand, forcing Tie Zheng to dodge.

He suddenly grabbed the bronze hammer beside him and smashed it out with force. Whoosh! The hammer wind was so strong it almost suffocated people.

Tie Zheng mobilized his spiritual sense, and the bronze long staff and bronze long spear came out together.

The long staff carried a dull sound of wind and thunder, from bottom to top, flicking toward the hammer handle at an exquisite angle. The long spear was like a poisonous dragon coming out of a cave, condensing a point of cold light, stabbing straight at the center of the giant hammer face, breaking the surface with a point.

Two explosions erupted almost simultaneously.

The heavy hammer head brushed Tie Zheng's shoulder and finally landed on the ground, instantly smashing a deep pit.

The long staff and long spear were shaken back a notch, leaving Tie Zheng's defense wide open.

Ao Pan's attack followed closely, and it was about to pierce Tie Zheng's chest—

"Flash of Light!" Tie Zheng shouted in a low voice.

One of the twelve beast-head copper bell balls hanging on his waist suddenly shook, flew into mid-air, and turned into a blade light attacking Ao Pan.

Ao Pan was knocked flying by a huge force, and when he looked closely, he saw a leopard-shaped Blade Beast biting his bronze sword.

Ao Pan's bronze sword was his seventh weapon and the most powerful one.

He decisively let go, controlling it with spiritual sense, wanting the bronze sword to fight on its own.

This choice became the most critical failure!

The Blade Beast was composed of countless blades, some thick, the width of an adult's palm, others thin as cicada wings, extremely sharp. Suddenly spinning crazily and vibrating at high speed, the blades rubbed against each other, forming a bronze sphere, "swallowing" the bronze sword into its body.

Subsequently, a series of metal grinding sounds were extremely harsh and made people's teeth ache.

Only two breaths later, the Blade Beast turned into a leopard shape and pounced on Ao Pan again. And that bronze sword was already broken and teleported out of the arena by the great formation.

"This is the Blade Beast?!" Ao Pan's pupils shrank, feeling a fatal crisis.

He waved the long whip in his hand crazily, laying down layers of defensive whip shadows in front of him!

The Blade Beast Glancing Light was extremely fast, like a bolt of lightning, shooting directly into the whip shadows.

The next moment, the whip shadows collapsed!

The bronze whip that Ao Pan relied on was cut into countless segments.

Ao Pan was dumbfounded, revealing a look of panic.

The Blade Beast Glancing Light carried the remaining power, pounced on him, and turned into a ball of blades again.

Ao Pan was pounced on, erupted in a desperate situation, and slashed fiercely with the only remaining bronze weapon in his hand.

With a loud "clang," Ao Pan barely managed to slash the Blade Beast back.

He retreated several large steps, his tough body already covered in blade wounds; in some places, the flesh was almost cut into minced meat, and some wounds were deep enough to see the bone.

Seriously injured!

The terrifying injuries made the cultivators who saw this scene shrink their pupils.

The Blade Beast Glancing Light tumbled backward, and when it landed on the ground, it turned into a leopard shape again.

The Blade Beast pounced on Ao Pan again.

Lu Zeng felt something was wrong and hurriedly blocked the way, but the Blade Beast Glancing Light was extremely sensitive, like a bolt of lightning, bending halfway, easily avoiding Lu Zeng, and killing Ao Pan.

Ao Pan felt a chill in his heart and had to shout: "I admit defeat!"

The Blade Beast crashed into his body but was blocked by the power of the great formation, not allowing Ao Pan to suffer further injuries.

Ao Pan gasped, looked at Tie Zheng with lingering fear, and the next moment, he was teleported out of the arena.

Once Ao Pan was eliminated, Lu Zeng's expression changed greatly, and he couldn't help but panic.

The Blade Beast pounced on him.

Clang, clang, clang, clang—

Lu Zeng mobilized the Profound Armor with all his might, retreating steadily under the wild attack of the Blade Beast.

When the Blade Beast presented a leopard shape, its power was huge and its movements sensitive; when it hadn't turned into a blade sphere, it released the terrifying power of crushing and cutting, easily crippling Lu Zeng's Profound Armor.

Lu Zeng was soon unarmed, covered in blood, and decisively opened his mouth to admit defeat.

Lu Zeng was teleported out of the arena, and the radiance in Tie Zheng's eyes slowly dissipated.

The Blade Beast Glancing Light returned to his side, the leopard-shaped outline composed of countless vibrating blades rising and falling slightly, as if panting. Steam lingered around its body, like the sweat evaporation of a flesh-and-blood body after rapid activity. But in fact, this was metal dust caused by countless blades cutting and rubbing at high speed.

The cultivators who saw this scene all stared, whether it was the cultivators hosting the Rising Cloud Trial in the Profound Armor Cave or the competitors participating in it, all were shocked by the combat power of the Blade Beast.

Someone exclaimed: "The combat power of this Blade Beast is simply too strong!"

Someone wondered: "The refining method of the Blade Beast is not rare. Why is Tie Zheng's performance so amazing?"

The Hao-surnamed cultivator whispered: "Natural Martial Dao—"

Although Tie Zheng's life experience was tragic, fortune and misfortune depended on each other. He practiced alone in the mountains and wilderness, his mind fit the martial dao, and he realized the wildness in nature. He did not possess the craftsmanship of refining, but relying on the special properties of Green Flow Copper and Profound Armor, he refined this powerful Blade Beast Glancing Light.

The cultivator beside him judged: "With such a Blade Beast by his side, the winner of this Rising Cloud Trial should be him."

"The only thing that cannot be determined is whether he can secure the top spot."

The top spot of the Profound Armor Cave's Rising Cloud Trial requires the cultivator to be the first and hold at least nine pieces of Profound Armor. These two conditions are indispensable.

The battle of the three Jin Dan cultivators had ended, but the Foundation Establishment cultivators were still fighting fiercely.

The momentum of the Blade Beast Glancing Light made no one challenge Tie Zheng. The latter began to calmly pick up Profound Armor and refine it. Lu Zeng and Ao Pan were eliminated one after another, leaving behind several pieces of Profound Armor, combined with the ones in Tie Zheng's hands, already exceeding nine. His advantage was very huge, almost locking in the top spot.

The Hao-surnamed cultivator looked at Unlike Ning Zhuo, Seeing Ban Ji, and others.

"The Foundation Establishment cultivators are still fighting internally; if they can join forces, there is still suspense."

"Is there a possibility for Seeing Ban Ji and Unlike Ning Zhuo to join forces?"

The watching cultivators all heard that for the Foundation Establishment cultivators to join forces, the key depended on the attitudes of Unlike Ning Zhuo and Seeing Ban Ji.

Seeing Ban Ji shouted aloud: "Unlike Ning Zhuo, stop immediately! Now is not the time for us to fight!"

Www?????

"If we keep fighting, the top spot will fall to others."

Unlike Ning Zhuo sneered: "The top spot has little meaning to me! I came here this time just to intercept you. Seeing Ban Ji, right now is the consequence and retribution for your scheming against me."

Seeing Ban Ji was furious: "You idiot!"

His eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, and his heart was extremely impatient.

The Profound Armor's Rising Cloud Trial was of extraordinary significance to him; according to the results of the lower calculation, his goal for this trip was the top spot.

Unlike Ning Zhuo might not care, but Seeing Ban Ji couldn't!

However, Seeing Ban Ji was now besieged, and two fists were no match for four hands.

"Damn it! Damn Unlike Ning Zhuo, damn human calamity!!" Just as Seeing Ban Ji was at his wit's end, with anger and hatred intertwined, suddenly several cultivators changed their weapon blades and simultaneously launched a sneak attack on Unlike Ning Zhuo.

"What?!" Unlike Ning Zhuo was shocked, and caught off guard, his back was stabbed, and blood gushed out.

He hurriedly turned around, pulled back his shield, but was kicked hard by an attacking cultivator, his whole body flying backward, and the shield also slipped out of his hand.

The cultivators who launched the sneak attack cooperated tacitly, and one of them immediately took action, grabbing the shield tightly and suppressing it with all his might.

Unlike Ning Zhuo flew down like a sack, hitting the cave wall, and hurriedly rolled.

The next moment, several bronze weapons slashed at the cave wall, only a fraction of an inch away from hitting Unlike Ning Zhuo.

In the blink of an eye, the competition among the Foundation Establishment group underwent a dramatic change.

Seeing Ban Ji:?!

The several cultivators who attacked Unlike Ning Zhuo looked at Seeing Ban Ji and bowed one after another.

"Young Master Seeing Ban Ji, do not doubt. The Ban family walks the righteous path and does good deeds; in the early years, they showed kindness to us, so today we are repaying it here." ===== CHAPTER 777 =====