Qinghe rose to his feet from the palm of the Nascent Soul avatar, his expression twisted with irritation as he spat out,
"You conniving brat, it's your turn now."
"Mm, go on. Watch how I beat the crap out of this bastard."
Without another word, Qinghe flew toward Xie Lingyu's direction, leaving the battlefield to Chu Xingchen.
Chu Xingchen glanced at Qinghe's retreating figure before locking his gaze onto Xu Yuan.
Xu Yuan stood atop the surging river, a sinister wind whipping around him. The Dragon-Slaying Sword in his hand pulsed with a crimson aura, staining the waters below in a bloody hue.
His eyes burned with fury as he glared at Chu Xingchen.
"Why should all the fortune in this world fall into others' hands?"
Chu Xingchen scoffed in disdain.
"Ask your mother why she didn’t find you a decent father."
The best counter to trash talk was always a personal attack.
Qinghe, who had just reached Li Xingtian’s side and begun swallowing pills, couldn’t help but shoot Chu Xingchen a look.
This guy’s insults were even filthier than his own! Did White Granny not mind at all?
Yet, hearing those words filled Qinghe with an odd sense of satisfaction—as if he’d finally found someone who could curse on his behalf.
Xu Yuan’s gaze turned icy. "The Xuanwu Kingdom hoarded Baxia for themselves. You didn’t lift a finger until I laid all the groundwork, only to swoop in and steal the prize at the last moment. This world—"
Before he could finish, Chu Xingchen’s Nascent Soul avatar raised its flowing water sword and slashed down at Xu Yuan with overwhelming force.
The blade, wreathed in a raging water dragon, descended with terrifying speed, arriving before Xu Yuan in an instant.
With a grim sigh, Xu Yuan knew he could delay no longer. He raised his Dragon-Slaying Sword to meet the strike.
The clash of steel rang out.
Chu Xingchen’s Nascent Soul avatar had clearly exerted its full strength—even its chibi-like form furrowed its brow slightly.
The pressure forced Xu Yuan’s expression to darken.
Chu Xingchen sneered. "You little bastard, sacrificing your shell to trap me was a desperate move. Now that it’s gone, how many more strikes do you think your soft flesh can take?!"
The taunt struck a nerve, twisting Xu Yuan’s face in fury.
This brat was far too troublesome. With Baxia now awakened, that damned flood dragon was surely waiting with bated jaws.
Xu Yuan had originally stationed himself near the Xuanwu Kingdom’s capital, anticipating Baxia’s emergence. All his gathered clues pointed to the legendary beast being sealed within the kingdom’s imperial jade seal—the only artifact capable of suppressing Baxia’s fortune, infused as it was with Emperor Taizu of Zhao’s founding dynasty’s destiny.
He had planned to wait patiently, but that damned flood dragon had gone a step further—stealing the entire bowl instead.
Was Zhao Xuan, the current emperor of Xuanwu Kingdom, out of his mind?
Who just hands over their imperial jade seal to outsiders?!
Time was slipping away. This Karmic Nascent Soul was far too ruthless—even Xu Yuan, a Spirit Severing cultivator missing a portion of his origin power, was struggling to hold his ground.
If Chu Xingchen kept him tied up any longer, that flood dragon would surely devour Baxia whole.
Left with no choice, Xu Yuan had resorted to using his own shell to trap Chu Xingchen.
For a turtle, this was beyond humiliating—revealing his true form now meant exposing his bare, shell-less body.
Rebuilding his shell would take an excruciatingly long time.
Seeing Xu Yuan’s silent rage, Chu Xingchen seized the moment to taunt again.
"What’s wrong, shell-less runt? Weren’t you so chatty earlier? Cat got your tongue now?"
"I thought you loved running your mouth, you little bastard!"
Xu Yuan’s glare sharpened. "You think you’ve got me cornered?!"
Chu Xingchen’s Nascent Soul avatar flared brighter, the water sword radiating terrifying pressure.
"Damn right I do!"
Xu Yuan hesitated no longer. He unleashed his full demonic power, releasing the energy he had been stockpiling in the Dragon-Slaying Sword—originally reserved for Baxia.
A clear, resonant hum echoed from the blade.
Then, a blinding crimson arc erupted, blotting out the sky.
Xu Yuan swung forward. The once-heavy water sword now felt weightless—in an instant, the momentum reversed, forcing Chu Xingchen back.
With a single slash, the Dragon-Slaying Sword cleaved Chu Xingchen’s water sword in two.
Seeing Xu Yuan’s sudden surge in power, Chu Xingchen took a cautious step back.
A flicker of triumph crossed Xu Yuan’s face—until, in the blink of an eye, the severed water sword reformed in Chu Xingchen’s grasp.
The Dragon-Slaying Sword was a weapon that required a century of tempering to unleash its true might even once.
Normally nourished by the blood of demons and humans, Xu Yuan had even begun feeding it his own origin power. Yet even now, it hadn’t reached its peak state before this battle.
Still, the longer it was tempered, the greater its power—and the longer it could maintain its unleashed form.
But this brat… his words were infuriating, and he gave no openings.
Xu Yuan remained silent. The sword in his hand was no longer the aged, unremarkable blade from before.
Now, it was a weapon of blood—its surface etched with dark crimson runes, its aura restrained yet pulsing with a faint, sinister glow.
Even the hilt had transformed, now adorned with what looked like the severed head of a dragon at its base.
As Xu Yuan lunged forward, Chu Xingchen raised his water sword to block.
A crimson flash, swift as lightning.
This time, not only was the water sword shattered—the Nascent Soul avatar itself was forced back, its hardened form chipped by the devastating strike.
Xu Yuan pressed his advantage without pause, his movements a blur as he closed in for the kill.
Chu Xingchen, watching the cold-faced demon charge, suddenly asked,
"So you’re saying Baxia was sealed away by Emperor Taizu of Zhao’s design?"
Xu Yuan ignored him, driving the Dragon-Slaying Sword straight toward the core of Chu Xingchen’s Nascent Soul—right where his physical body stood.
Chu Xingchen’s water sword morphed into a shield as he continued,
"I agree—fortune in this world should be fair. Everyone deserves a chance!"
"Since we’ve both seen Baxia’s opportunity, why not split it? No need for us to fight to the death."
Still, Xu Yuan gave no response. His blade shattered the shield effortlessly, then thrust straight for Chu Xingchen’s heart.
Though his face betrayed nothing, his actions spoke clearly—this overwhelming power wouldn’t last.
Chu Xingchen retreated swiftly, his Nascent Soul’s massive hand seizing the glowing Dragon-Slaying Sword.
At the same time, a new arm sprouted from the avatar’s right side, summoning another water sword to slash at Xu Yuan’s head.
Without his shell, Xu Yuan didn’t dare take the hit. He wrenched his sword free and leapt back, cleaving the incoming water blade midair.
But before he could press forward again, his heart lurched at the sight before him.
Baxia, having regained its footing, ignored the battling pair entirely and began lumbering away.
Xu Yuan shouted in alarm, "Brat! Baxia’s fortune is escaping! Stop it!"
Chu Xingchen smirked. A third arm emerged from his Nascent Soul’s left shoulder, brandishing yet another water sword.
"Why stop it? If you can’t have this opportunity, and I don’t take it either, isn’t that fair?"
Xu Yuan’s eyes burned with rage.
What kind of bullshit is this! It paid an unimaginable price just to seize this one chance.
And this brat has the nerve to say it so lightly! How the hell is this fair?!