Chapter 419: Withering and Thriving Inheritance

The three parties here kept one another in check.

After their brief exchange just now, they had gained a rough understanding of each other's strength and were currently maintaining a state of vigilance.

Because if any two sides suffered utter defeat, the remaining party could easily swallow them whole.

"Daoist Friend Heavenly Wolf, you are a cultivator of our Heavenly South. You wouldn't be deceived by their sweet talk, would you?"

"Daoist Friend Qingxuan, you have no right to interfere with what this True Lord does."

They exchanged sharp words but refrained from making a move.

At this rate, they would likely disperse very soon.

Xu Chuan pondered for a moment before stepping out from the shadows. Wearing a faint smile, he declared, "It certainly is lively here!"

As his voice rang out.

"It is you!"

"Daoist Friend Withered Glory!!"

"Xu Chuan, why are you here? Could it be that Fairy Feng Ling asked you to hunt this True Lord down?"

The Two-headed Black Flame Sparrow exclaimed in shock.

True Lord Qingxuan, True Lord Fierce Sun, and the Ancestor of the Lei Family all spoke up one after another.

Finally, True Lord Heavenly Wolf's pupils shrank, his eyes brimming with deep vigilance.

It could be said that he had watched Xu Chuan grow up, and his fear of him far exceeded that of anyone else present.

Even though he had now reached Divine Ability Perfection, deep down, he truly did not want to clash with Xu Chuan.

Because that would mean he had to put his life on the line.

"Hei Ming, do you know this person?" You Huang, the Nine Nether Sparrow, asked.

"Big Brother You Huang, he should be a top Golden Core expert from some Nascent Soul power in Heavenly South. It is precisely because this person holds down the fort at the Dongxi Xu Clan that they have not been wiped out."

"The Dongxi Xu Clan?"

"One of the Golden Core Aristocratic Families in the Land of Imprisonment. Right now, almost all forces above the Foundation Establishment stage have been wiped out, leaving only his Xu Clan..."

"Useless trash! A Million Beast Tide, and you still cannot wipe out a single Golden Core power?"

The Two-headed Black Flame Sparrow allowed itself to be berated without talking back. Instead, it said, "Big Brother, as long as we kill him, I will immediately rally a portion of the demonic beasts and trample Dongxi flat!"

Hearing this, You Huang carefully scrutinized Xu Chuan, its grayish-green pupils flickering faintly.

The ranks of the current Demon Tide were naturally not as formidable as they had been during the first three days.

In these past few days alone, no less than seventy or eighty Tier 3 demonic beasts had died at the hands of cultivators from the Blackwater Region and Heavenly South. The casualties among first and second-tier demonic beasts were even greater.

This was because whether it was the cultivators of the Blackwater Region or Heavenly South, none of them showed any mercy when slaughtering demonic beasts.

If they were dealing with the Golden Core prodigies from either side, they might have had to consider the consequences.

Of course, it was not just the demonic beasts.

Many Golden Core cultivators from both domains had also perished.

"Daoist Friend Qingxuan, are you not going to introduce this person to this old Daoist?"

True Lord Qingxuan laughed heartily. "Daoist Friend Withered Glory, this is the Fifth Elder from the Clear Void Sect, Daoist Yuansong."

He then turned to Daoist Yuansong and said, "Daoist Friend Withered Glory hails from our Azure Dragon Prefecture in the Northwest Region."

Xu Chuan nodded in greeting, and the other party did the same.

It could be considered the formal establishment of a nodding acquaintance.

Next, Xu Chuan shifted his gaze to True Lord Heavenly Wolf, smiling faintly. "Daoist Friend Heavenly Wolf, it has been many years since we last parted. I trust you have been well?"

True Lord Heavenly Wolf did not respond, but all of his attention was completely focused on the man.

The moment he noticed Xu Chuan making a move, he would immediately flee.

"I heard that not long ago, Daoist Friend Heavenly Wolf encountered Deling and the others, and even heavily injured Elder Yang Qi of our Azure Dragon Alliance..."

True Lord Heavenly Wolf furrowed his brows tightly.

At this time, an elderly man from the Blackwater Region spoke up. "Daoist Friend Heavenly Wolf, with your strength, you are a top-tier existence beneath the Nascent Soul stage in the entire Land of Imprisonment.

Why should you fear a mere mid-stage Golden Core cultivator?

Could it be that he has some immense backing?"

True Lord Heavenly Wolf looked at the man. "Daoist Friend Wu Shan, if you and the others can join forces with me to take him down, this True Lord might not refuse the invitation you extended earlier."

"Why do we need to join forces? I will do it!"

Before his voice had even faded, White Fiend had already transformed into a ghastly white streak of light. Wrapped in bone-piercing cold and monstrous killing intent, he lunged straight at Xu Chuan!

"Idiot!" True Lord Heavenly Wolf cursed under his breath, but it was too late to stop him.

True Lord Qingxuan, True Lord Fierce Sun, and the others merely watched quietly, seemingly relaxed enough to offer commentary.

"In the past, I had only heard of Daoist Friend Withered Glory's prestigious name. Now, I can finally see him take action."

"Daoist Friend Withered Glory must have made even further progress over these past few years."

The Ancestor of the Lei Family was also curious.

Facing White Fiend's aggressive assault, Xu Chuan's expression remained unchanged.

He merely raised his eyes calmly, looking at the ghastly white baleful shadow that was arriving in an instant.

White Fiend and Black Fiend practiced a bizarre demonic cultivation method from the Heavenly Fiend Sect called the "Nine Nether Profound Dark Baleful Scripture".

It required two people to cultivate together.

One person cultivated the Nine Nether Profound Baleful Qi, while the other cultivated the Nine Nether Bright Baleful Qi.

When the profound and bright baleful energies were mobilized simultaneously, their might was utterly terrifying.

With their current level of Great Accomplishment in their divine ability, their combined strike could even allow them to gain a slight upper hand against someone at Divine Ability Perfection.

White Fiend cultivated the Nine Nether Profound Baleful Qi.

This baleful qi was not only bone-piercingly cold and capable of eroding a physical body's meridians, but it could also wear away a person's life force.

Ordinary divine abilities and magical arts found it difficult to resist.

Striking out in anger at this moment, he unleashed his signature divine ability—the Nine Nether Profound Baleful Palm!

Countless wisps of baleful qi surged out wildly, transforming into a massive profound baleful palm that covered a radius of thirty meters, slamming directly down toward Xu Chuan's head!

Xu Chuan glanced up and slowly raised his right hand, forming an incantation seal in an instant.

A touch of vibrant, emerald-green radiance quietly lit up.

Immediately after, a unique and profound mystery permeated the air.

In the next moment, Xu Chuan gently pushed forward.

"Flourishing Glory Seal."

The words were spoken softly, gentle as a spring breeze turning into rain.

The instant the dharma seal collided with the profound baleful palm.

A dense and eerie sizzling sound erupted, much like boiling water being poured over snow: "Sizzle-sizzle!"

The profound baleful palm that had filled the crowd with dread was shattered just like that.

"What?!"

The ferocious grin on White Fiend's face instantly froze, twisting into disbelief and horror.

Driven forward, the Flourishing Glory Seal then morphed into a streak of green light, directly tearing through White Fiend's protective dharma barrier and stamping heavily onto his chest.

"Pfft—!"

White Fiend looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His body was sent flying backward into the distance as he violently spewed a large mouthful of blood.

What terrified him even more was that the baleful qi origin essence he had so painstakingly condensed within his dantian had actually been neutralized by a quarter by an incredibly dense wave of life force.

If he wanted to cultivate it back, it would take him at least twenty to thirty years.

"My baleful qi origin essence... you..."

White Fiend glared furiously, but a trace of terror hid within his eyes.

A casual strike had crushed his divine ability and even dissolved his baleful qi origin essence.

Even if their respective cultivation paths countered one another, it was enough to show Xu Chuan's overwhelming strength. He was absolutely a formidable expert at Divine Ability Perfection.

Black Fiend supported White Fiend and asked, "Are you alright?"

"He... he cultivates the Dao of Life Force. It completely melted away a quarter of my baleful qi origin essence."

Black Fiend's expression also changed slightly.

For those who practiced baleful qi demonic cultivation methods, more than half the power of their divine abilities relied on their condensed baleful qi.

The purer and more profound the baleful qi, the greater the might of their divine abilities.

Condensing it was relatively "simple". They could quickly accumulate it through slaughter, drawing from subterranean baleful qi veins, or channeling it from the Nine Heavens.

However, the drawback was exactly what White Fiend was experiencing.

If the condensed baleful qi origin essence was damaged, the foundation of their cultivation would be shaken, and the power of their divine abilities would be drastically reduced.

A dead silence fell over the area.

True Lord Qingxuan stroked his beard, thinking to himself, 'Truly remarkable. No wonder the Ancestor thought so highly of him. In the blink of an eye, that little Foundation Establishment fellow from back then has already surpassed him.'

The Ancestor of the Lei Family also sighed inwardly. 'The Azure Dragon Prefecture rightfully belongs to his Xu Clan.'

It was Daoist Yuansong's first time meeting Xu Chuan, and also his first time seeing him in action. His pupils shrank slightly as an immense wave of shock crashed through his heart.

It was undeniably a perfected divine ability.

Was he really just a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator as he displayed on the surface?

Xu Chuan slowly retracted his palm. His calm gaze swept over White Fiend and Black Fiend, then brushed past the crowd with their varying expressions, before he said indifferently, "I truly dislike it when others interrupt me while I am speaking."

"Daoist Friend Heavenly Wolf, why didn't you warn us in advance?!" Black Fiend rebuked angrily.

"It is because he is too stupid. Why do you think this True Lord suggested that we attack together? If it could be resolved by him alone, why would I have wasted my breath talking to him?"

"Moreover, what you just witnessed is not even half of his true strength!"

True Lord Heavenly Wolf continued, "Withered Glory, Withered Glory. Do you think his honorary title was given for nothing?"

"He walks the ancient Dao of Withering and Flourishing. One withers, one flourishes. The power of life force is merely one aspect of his strength. In comparison, his power of withering is even more eerie and overbearing."

"So it is the Dao of Withering and Flourishing!" Daoist Yuansong exclaimed. "Our Clear Void Sect once had a Grand Cultivator who cultivated the exact same Dao.

In his era, he nearly suppressed all the cultivators in Heavenly South."

"Oh? The Clear Void Sect also holds a Withering and Thriving Inheritance?" Xu Chuan's interest was piqued.

His Dao of Withering and Flourishing had been entirely comprehended on his own. At present, it seemed that his comprehension of its true intent was perfected, but given the profound mysteries of this Dao, there was undoubtedly a subsequent path.

It was just that his strength and heritage were currently lacking, making it difficult to progress further.

If he had an inheritance, his Dao of Withering and Flourishing might take another step forward.

"It was left behind by that Grand Elder."

"Is it open for trade?"

"Naturally. Although it is a profound inheritance, those capable of cultivating it are exceptionally rare, so it cannot be considered a core inheritance of our Clear Void Sect."

Pausing for a moment, Daoist Yuansong added, "However, it cannot be exchanged for ordinary items."

"During this expedition to the Ancient Battlefield, all the major sects are searching for the Ancient Prodigy Tokens in hopes of unlocking the Golden Core stage prodigy battle arena in the next term.

Daoist Friend Withered Glory possesses formidable strength, so your chances of finding them are quite high. You may use two tokens to exchange for it with our Clear Void Sect."

Xu Chuan fell into deep thought.

He had heard Moyue mention this matter before.

One Ancient Prodigy Token could be exchanged for one High-Grade Innate Spirit Item, while three could be exchanged for a low-grade fourth-tier spirit vein.

That was the very foundation of a Nascent Soul power.

"Daoist Yuansong, that price is slightly too high. I could consider trading one token, though," Xu Chuan said with a faint smile. "I merely wish to use the Withering and Thriving Inheritance for reference; it is not something I am desperately longing for.

If your noble sect is sincere, we can make this deal.

If not, I won't force it."

Daoist Yuansong thought for a moment before replying, "We can slowly discuss this matter after Daoist Friend Withered Glory has obtained an Ancient Prodigy Token. Let us deal with the current situation first."

Xu Chuan smiled and glanced at the cultivators from the Blackwater Region.

Their expressions immediately grew solemn.

One of them barked, "Yuansong, you old cur! Have you no shame?!"

But Xu Chuan merely said, "In truth, I did not come here for them. I have no interest in interfering with your disputes."

"Then why has Daoist Friend come here?" Yuansong asked curiously.

Xu Chuan's gaze fell upon the Two-headed Black Flame Sparrow and the other demonic beasts.

"So that's how it is." The Ancestor of the Lei Family suddenly understood. "With Daoist Friend Withered Glory's strength, he truly has no need to pay any mind to us, but he has an irreconcilable conflict with the demonic beasts."

The crowd looked perplexed.

The Ancestor of the Lei Family continued, "Daoist Friend Withered Glory arrived here early because a Golden Core Aristocratic Family established by his Xu Clan descendants is located here.

Meanwhile, the demonic beasts are determined to exterminate every faction at or above the Foundation Establishment stage."

"So it is like this," the old man from the Blackwater Region said. "Although our Blackwater Region received a similar order, it was entirely optional.

After all, our main objective is to wait for the Ancient Battlefield to manifest.

Since that is a family established by the descendants of Daoist Friend Withered Glory, we naturally will not bother them anymore."

"Hehe, if Daoist Friend requires our assistance, we can even help you deal with these three beasts."

"There is no need."

Xu Chuan shook his head.

The cultivators from the Blackwater Region immediately stopped talking.

Xu Chuan naturally wouldn't believe their empty talk, so he intended to use this battle to awe them and ensure they wouldn't easily harbor any malicious thoughts.

"True Lord Withered Glory, you want to challenge the three of us all by yourself?" You Huang the Nine Nether Sparrow narrowed its pupils, staring down at him with disdain.

Although it had witnessed Xu Chuan's strength earlier, in its eyes, even if the human displayed his full power, he would at most be only slightly stronger than itself.

Wanting to fight all three of them simultaneously was simply an idiot's nonsense!

True Lord Fierce Sun and the others exchanged a glance before continuously backing away, only stopping when they were a couple of miles away.

Seeing them do so, the demonic cultivators from the Blackwater Region followed suit, clearing the battlefield for Xu Chuan and the three peak Tier 3 demonic beasts.

"I refuse to believe he can single-handedly match three peak Tier 3 demonic beasts that possess powerful bloodlines!"

White Fiend spat resentfully.

"He already held back. If we provoke him again, I'm afraid we'll truly be courting death!"

Black Fiend advised, "Even if you die, the Grand Elders won't specifically travel all the way to the heartland of Heavenly South just to kill a Golden Core cultivator to avenge you."

White Fiend instantly went silent and quietly focused on recuperating.

A short while later.

Xu Chuan flipped his palm, and a cyan umbrella appeared in his grasp.

Seeing this, True Lord Heavenly Wolf's pupils shrank once more, as if recalling unpleasant memories.

"An umbrella-shaped magic treasure?" Daoist Yuansong remarked in surprise. "How truly peculiar."

"That is his famous signature magic treasure," True Lord Fierce Sun said with a faint smile.

"Then this poor Daoist must observe it closely."

"Open!"

Xu Chuan didn't bother probing; he tossed the Azure Dragon Treasure Umbrella straight into the air.

The treasured umbrella spun in mid-air and snapped open!

In an instant, a massive, thick, and solid light screen flowing with cyan and gold colors draped down from the canopy, firmly enveloping a ten-meter radius around Xu Chuan.

Upon the light screen, twenty-eight starlight points faintly flickered.

They interconnected with each other, forming a profound and mysterious array formation that exuded a majestic, indestructible aura that rendered it impervious to myriad techniques.

Then, with a thought, he formed a Sword Art hand seal.

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang—!!!"

A continuous series of clear, resounding sword cries—resembling the roar of a dragon soaring through the nine heavens—exploded endlessly from within the umbrella's ribs!

The tips of the twenty-eight umbrella ribs abruptly opened up.

Twenty-eight incredibly sharp sword glints shot out like flood dragons breaking free from their cages!

Every single flying sword was a low-grade magic treasure, and their auras were perfectly interlinked, functioning as one seamless entity.

The Twenty-Eight Flying Swords shuttled and intertwined rapidly in the air.

In the blink of an eye, they coalesced into a Sword of the Azure Dragon over sixty meters long, formed entirely of dazzling sword light!

The dragon was remarkably lifelike. Its dragon scales were composed of countless tiny wisps of sword qi, while its dragon eyes were formed from two extremely compressed spheres of Geng Metal sword light.

Its dragon whiskers were ethereal, drifting threads of sword qi.

Its dragon claws were made of five incomparably condensed, armor-piercing sword astral glows.

Boundless sword qi pierced the heavens around the sword dragon, stirring the winds and clouds...

It emitted a terrifying sword intent capable of severing heaven and earth and piercing through the void.

Its flourishing might had already surpassed the limits of the Golden Core level, comparable to the attack of an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

"Go!"

Xu Chuan pointed forward with a sword finger.

"Roar!!!"

The Sword of the Azure Dragon raised its head toward the sky and unleashed a roar that shook the very souls of those present.