Chapter 500

The water blade sliced across the sky, nearly obscuring half the heavens, and as it came down, it felt as if the entire Dahe River had crashed upon them!

Elder Chi Yan finally showed alarm.

"Good lad!"

He roared, both hands thrust forward, and the flame blade surged to eight hundred zhang!

"Boom!!"

The two giant blades clashed again—this time, neither shattered.

They locked in midair, blade edge against blade edge, water and fire savagely tearing at each other.

Water vapor evaporated into a sky-wide white mist, then burned away into nothing by the flames.

The flames were suppressed by the water blade, yet refused to die. After three breaths of stalemate, both giant blades shattered simultaneously.

Chen Mu grunted, retreating several zhang.

Elder Chi Yan also stepped back three paces.

He looked at Chen Mu, his eyes no longer dismissive, but solemn.

"Just entered the Rong Tian Realm, yet you control the power of heaven and earth with such mastery. I underestimated you."

Chen Mu did not answer; he drew a deep breath, his true energy surging wildly through his body.

The Ninefold Wave Force was devastating, but still insufficient against the white-haired elder.

Instantly, he formed hand seals, and his aura shifted abruptly.

The Crimson Water Dragon Slaying Dao.

This supreme art fused water and fire elements, merging two opposing forces into one, unleashing astonishing power.

Chen Mu had cultivated it to the fourth level, and had likewise touched the realm of intent.

Elder Chi Yan, seeing this, flickered a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Cultivating water and fire together? Interesting."

He raised his hand again—this time not a flame blade, but a more solidified flame spear.

The spear glowed crimson throughout, its tip burning with blinding white flame—the sign of extreme temperature.

"—Break!"

The elder thrust forward, and the flame spear became a crimson streak of light, striking straight at Chen Mu.

Chen Mu formed hand seals, and a glow of crimson and cyan erupted around him.

Within the glow, water and fire elements intertwined and spiraled, forming a rotating column of light.

"Dragon Fang Pierces Heaven!"

Chen Mu roared, and from the column burst forth a massive dragon head.

The dragon head opened its jaws and bit down on the flame spear!

"Boom—!"

The dragon head and the spear exploded simultaneously!

Chen Mu staggered, but did not stop—he formed hand seals once more.

"Boiling Water Tornado!"

Instantly, from the river's surface, countless water columns shot skyward; under the reinforcement of heaven and earth's power, they spun wildly, forming towering water tornadoes.

Within the tornadoes, flames burned and boiling water churned; wherever they passed, even the air was torn apart.

Elder Chi Yan frowned, waving his hands repeatedly, sending forth wave after wave of flame blades toward the tornadoes.

But the tornadoes were too numerous, too dense—cut down one, three more rushed in!

He snorted, and flames erupted violently around him, forming a fiery barrier that blocked every tornado.

Chen Mu had been waiting for this exact moment.

Swish!

His figure flashed violently, vanishing from his spot.

The next instant, Chen Mu appeared behind Elder Chi Yan, the Xian Long Sword gathering a strange glow.

"Polar Illusion Annihilation!"

The sword light flashed—the glow transformed into a crimson-cyan sword qi, stabbing straight for Elder Chi Yan's back!

This sword strike fused the extremes of water and fire; as it pierced out, even empty space twisted.

Elder Chi Yan did not turn his head—he slapped backward with one hand!

Boom!!!

The sword qi met the palm force, and both men were flung backward.

Chen Mu crashed into the riverbank, carving out a pit several zhang deep.

Elder Chi Yan also retreated dozens of zhang, a shallow sword cut now visible on his palm.

He stared at the cut, a flicker of shock in his eyes.

"Good lad—you've actually wounded me."

He descended from the air, standing on the river's surface, flames surging again around him.

This time, he was serious.

"I have cultivated for three hundred and twenty years, refining my Rong Tian Realm for a hundred. Do you think these flashy techniques can defeat me?"

As he spoke, he raised his hands, forming seals; flames surged wildly around him, heaven and earth's power pouring in, instantly coalescing behind him into a hundred-zhang-tall flame giant.

The flame giant wore armor of fire, wielded a colossal flame sword, its face grotesque—like a god of fire descending!

"Slash!"

The elder brought down his sword—the flame giant mirrored the motion, its hundred-zhang flame blade descending with the power to destroy heaven and earth, aimed straight at Chen Mu's head.

This sword strike was stronger and more fierce than all previous attacks!

Chen Mu looked up, gazing at the sky-covering flame great sword, his eyes showing not the slightest fear.

Clenching the Sunken Dragon Sword, the sword intent around him surged wildly.

Second Heaven. Third Heaven. Fourth Heaven!

Still not fully unleashed—only Fourth Heaven sword intent amplified, combined with the fifth layer of the True Martial Exterminating Sword Art, one slash unleashed!

A sword light, utterly yang and unyielding, shot skyward, meeting the flame great sword head-on.

"Boom—!"

The roar shook the heavens.

This collision was more violent than any before.

The entire Dahe River exploded open, its riverbed exposed, rocks on both banks collapsing.

The ground within a ten-li radius trembled; birds far away took flight in panic, darkening the sky.

The flame great sword shattered.

But Chen Mu's sword light also shattered.

He was blasted backward hundreds of zhang, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

Elder Chi Yan was no better off—he spat a mist of blood, his aura dimmed considerably.

Yet he still smiled.

"Boy, you're strong. Too bad, the gap between Tiangong cultivators cannot be bridged by such tricks."

He raised his hand, preparing his final strike.

Chen Mu's form flickered, standing midair, and he smiled too.

Elder Chi Yan froze, then his face turned ashen.

A deadly sense of danger struck from behind!

He spun around—only to see a black-and-white sword light, already three zhang behind him, appearing without warning!

The sword light made no sound, leaked no aura, as if it didn't exist at all.

Yet where it passed, empty space melted away, revealing black fissures!

The Yin-Yang Sword Qi of the Twin Instrument Sword Qi!

Chen Mu's previous strike was merely a frontal distraction.

The true killing move had been quietly released the moment he activated the True Martial Exterminating Sword Art.

Using the peerless Hidden Sword Art!

Elder Chi Yan's pupils shrank sharply—he frantically channeled flame, trying to block the sword light.

But it was too late.

The Yin-Yang Sword Qi passed soundlessly through his protective flame, through his flesh, entering his chest and exiting his back.

A fist-sized blood hole appeared on the old man's chest.

No blood flowed from the hole—only black-and-white light slowly swirling, devouring the old man's remaining life force.

Elder Chi Yan looked down at the blood hole on his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You… you…"

His lips trembled, trying to speak, but only spat out a few blood bubbles.

Then his swaying body fell from the sky, crashing onto the exposed riverbed, kicking up a cloud of dust.

All vitality gone.

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

With the card in hand, Chen Mu landed on the ground, staggered a few steps, and steadied himself by gripping a massive boulder.

He gasped for breath, his aura weak and unsteady—but his eyes remained bright as stars.

Far away, Guo Wuqiu lay slumped on the riverbank, watching this scene, his expression beyond words.

Terror.

Despair.

Incredulity.

Chen Mu was not a Di Tan cultivator or a Jian Shen Bu Huai—he was a Tiangong cultivator!!!

"…"

Guo Wuqiu opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.

Chen Mu slowly walked to his side, looking down at him.

"You just said I was dead?"