Stubborn

Xu Linglong narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing up Daoist Yuyang.

By conventional logic, Daoist Yuyang’s cultivation was inferior to Chu Xingchen’s, making him the priority target whether for capture or elimination.

Yet this man had come clad in nearly half of the Taidao Sect’s finest treasures.

He undoubtedly carried numerous emergency teleportation artifacts as well, making apprehending him far more challenging than dealing with Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen might have thought he seized an opportunity, but hadn’t she, in turn, exploited the opening he revealed?

Xu Linglong tightened her grip on the inky-black longsword in her hand. Today, she would see for herself the true caliber of this Chu Xingchen, whose aura was as indistinct and chaotic as the primordial void.

“Moon-Swapping Shadow Shift.”

Her voice remained fervent as she raised the black sword and slashed toward Chu Xingchen from a distance.

As the blade rose, a pitch-black moon emerged behind Xu Linglong, blotting out the sky.

As it fell, the dark moon erupted with radiant light, transforming into an endless torrent of black energy that surged forth.

Chu Xingchen’s brows lifted slightly. With a flick of his wrist, the sword Wanban stood upright as he uttered coldly:

“Luo Rain Grand Technique!”

A surge of righteous energy erupted from Wanban’s tip, lashing out to intercept the black tide.

Yet this was no ordinary spiritual energy. Unlike typical attacks that would scatter or dissipate under such a strike, the black tide splintered outward upon impact, splashing in all directions.

In mere moments, the surroundings were nearly saturated with the dark energy.

Daoist Yuyang pressed forward as well, his spiritual treasure crackling with thunder as he intoned sharply:

“Divine Art—Nine Heavens Thunderbolt!”

Crimson lightning, brimming with destructive force, arced toward Xu Linglong.

Though Daoist Yuyang had yet to reach the Unity Stage, he was already at the peak of the Divine Transformation realm.

Disciples of the Eighteen Immortal Sects on the Central Continent could be considered a full realm above ordinary cultivators—let alone a meticulously groomed core disciple like him.

This strike carried the might of a Divine Transformation pinnacle technique. Xu Linglong dared not treat it as a mere attack from a Divine Transformation cultivator.

A violet glow ignited in Xu Linglong’s eyes as black energy surged from her left hand, coiling around the crimson lightning.

Surprisingly, the seemingly sluggish and frail black tide managed to forcibly halt the Nine Heavens Thunderbolt, holding it at bay for a brief moment.

The violet in her eyes brightened slightly as she fixed her gaze on Daoist Yuyang.

Yet at the same time, an arcane aura emanated from the Taizong Supreme Spirit Robe draped over Daoist Yuyang’s form.

The violet in Xu Linglong’s eyes faded rapidly. She snorted coldly, and the black energy in her left hand wavered momentarily.

Daoist Yuyang, however, remained composed, his righteous demeanor unshaken. The power of his thunder even intensified, as if entirely unaware—or perhaps wholly indifferent—to Xu Linglong’s attempt.

Ever since his clash with Chu Xingchen, Daoist Yuyang had taken to wearing the Taizong Supreme Spirit Robe at all times, guarding against precisely such esoteric illusion specialists.

After all, until one reached the Mahayana Stage, where divine sense and perception peaked, even the most formidable illusions could prove troublesome.

This was a lesson learned the hard way.

Xu Linglong’s gaze turned icy as she assessed Daoist Yuyang. For now, there was little she could do against a man armored head to toe in divine artifacts.

The violet glow returned to her eyes as she shifted her attention to Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen bore none of the treasured protective artifacts that top sects guarded so jealously. No strange radiance shimmered around him.

Moreover, he met her gaze with startling boldness.

A flicker of delight stirred in Xu Linglong’s heart—this fool actually thought he could—

In an instant, her thoughts froze.

Her vision twisted. The world inverted.

Mountains of peach blossoms sprawled endlessly before her. Where Chu Xingchen had stood, an enormous peach tree now rose, its shade sheltering a man and woman locked in an intimate embrace...

Xu Linglong’s divine sense remained unfettered, confirming her surroundings with clarity.

Undoubtedly, she was the one ensnared in an illusion the moment their eyes met.

A smile curled on Xu Linglong’s lips. How amusing.

Narrowing her eyes, the violet glow within them flared, dispelling the peach blossoms like mist.

“You truly dabble in everything—and with alarming proficiency.” Her voice dripped with amusement. “You’re far more troublesome than I expected. But today, fortune favors me. Letting you live any longer would only spell my doom.”

Chu Xingchen’s Wanban shimmered with azure light as a river descended from the heavens, coiling around him.

“I have a suggestion for you.”

“Oh?” Xu Linglong’s fingers twitched, the black energy around her spreading wildly. She chuckled. “Some last words to share?”

Chu Xingchen raised Wanban, the celestial waters gathering above him.

“Save the gloating for after you win. Otherwise, you’ll just look like a clown.”

“Spirit-Answering Grand Technique—Supreme Goodness Like Water!”

Daoist Yuyang ceased channeling the Nine Heavens Thunderbolt, allowing Xu Linglong’s black tide to crash toward him.

Yet the dark energy shattered harmlessly against the layers of protective artifacts shielding him.

With a swift hand seal, his spiritual power surged skyward as he declared:

“Divine Art—No Restraint Under Heaven!”

A beam of golden light lanced down, bathing Chu Xingchen as he brought his sword down in a decisive slash.

The azure currents around Wanban shimmered with flecks of gold.

Chu Xingchen’s expression remained serene as Wanban descended.

The world stilled. Sword intent roiled.

A single, razor-thin line of azure light flashed—brilliant, blinding.

Beneath its radiance, the surrounding space finally buckled under the clash’s intensity, collapsing into pure, boundless darkness.

Xu Linglong’s smile faded. She exhaled softly.

If she didn’t employ her true strength now, this strike might genuinely overwhelm her.

Daoist Yuyang’s divine art compounded the problem. Against any other core disciple—even one at the Unity Stage—the situation might have been manageable.

But this amplification... it was nothing short of astonishing.

The strange black sigils that had been confined to Xu Linglong’s hands now spread across her body.

Her eyes darkened entirely into violet, pupils shifting to a pale pink. All warmth drained from her expression, leaving only icy detachment.

The black sword in her hand dissolved into liquid shadow, reforming in an instant into an eerily shaped longbow.

Xu Linglong drew the string without an arrow. Black tendrils slithered up the bow’s frame as her fingers tightened. A drop of peculiar black blood welled from her fingertip, merging with the weapon.

As the azure light hurtled toward her, mere moments from impact—

She released the string.

A streak of black shot forth, carrying an aura so aberrant it seemed to warp reality itself.

Xu Linglong harbored no doubt that this seemingly fragile black light could withstand the overwhelming sword strike.

Her tone was light, almost conversational:

“Did a warm-up really inflate your confidence so much? Let’s begin anew. I do hope your tongue remains as sharp as before.”

Chu Xingchen reached up and removed his mask, revealing a face brimming with mirth—and a hint of derision.

The two forces collided.

Before the shockwaves could erupt, the space around them disintegrated entirely.

The annihilation of the dimension swallowed much of the clash’s energy, though some still spilled outward.

Even these residual waves reduced the unremarkable hills of Jiaxi Town to a gaping crater.

The three figures hovered midair.

Chu Xingchen glanced at the devastation around them and grinned.

"You're right. A new cycle has just begun, and your mouth should remain as stubborn as ever."

As the words fell,

countless streams of spiritual energy streaked across the heavens and the earth, weaving into intricate layers of formations as dense as the stars.