Daoist Competition-Chapter 298 - 16: Battle of the Flying Swords_2

Mu Hongchen let out a furious cry, red light surging several zhang high above her head. She lunged forward, shouting hoarsely, "Demon Daoist, today I will kill you to avenge my master!"

The Daoist smiled faintly and said, "This humble Daoist has a name—Lu Ge, it is."

He sat calmly on the boat, watching as Mu Hongchen charged at him, but showed no intention of dodging or defending.

Mu Hongchen, about to strike as she approached his front, suddenly saw a figure block her path. Upon closer inspection, it was Qi Yelan. Shocked, she abruptly halted, enraged and bewildered, "Junior Sister Qi, what are you doing?"

Qi Yelan’s face also bore a terrified expression as she stammered, "Senior Sister, I—I don’t know. I didn’t mean to."

Lu Ge flicked his horsetail whisk and said, "Disciple, come to your master now."

Upon hearing his call, Qi Yelan felt a sudden warmth between her brows and, as if under compulsion, flew toward him and respectfully stood behind him. Her face remained in a state of panic, completely unaware of what had transpired.

When Mu Hongchen saw this expression, she immediately deduced some manipulation had occurred. Furious, she shouted, "Demon Daoist, what have you done to my junior sister?"

Lu Ge chuckled and said, "This humble Daoist has done nothing. It’s just that your junior sister lacks the temperament of a cultivator—too greedy, too fixated. Such qualities greatly hinder her cultivation. Nevertheless, this humble Daoist does not disdain her and is willing to take her under my wing, teach and guide her for years, impart superior skills, and show her the path to immortality."

Mu Hongchen regained her composure at this point. She knew this Daoist possessed profound mana far beyond her ability, and now that Ni Qianying and Qi Yelan had been captured too, if she and Hu Jue also fell here, the foundation of the Chenxiang Sect would be utterly ruined. She stepped back two paces and whispered, "Daoist Zhang, Junior Sister Hu, let’s retreat."

Zhang Yan remained unmoving, shaking his head. "Fellow Daoist Mu, since this person dares to speak openly of avenging your master, he must have a method to prevent us from escaping."

Lu Ge glanced toward Zhang Yan and smiled, "This fellow Daoist sees clearly. In this Sixth Realm, I have already laid down a Trapped Dragon Formation. Without me opening the array, even with knowledge of the Array Breaking Method, you wouldn’t escape within half a month."

Mu Hongchen’s voice grew icy cold. "Demon Daoist, what do you intend?"

Lu Ge squinted and said, "If you are all willing to join my sect and cultivate my techniques, I shall not harm you. Alternatively, if you allow me to impose prohibitions upon you, I can let you return safely. My terms are rather generous; consider them well."

Mu Hongchen let out a cold laugh. "You want to be my master? Let’s see if you have the skill to match your ambition!"

Knowing that escape was unlikely, she decided not to hesitate further. With her body shielded by the Chenxiang Cover, she gathered all her Xuan Guang into one, transforming it into a rainbow-like torrent that rushed toward Lu Ge.

Lu Ge let out a deep chuckle, waved his sleeve, and a burst of azure light surged from behind him. With a resounding explosion in the air, the red light dissipated instantly without a trace.

Mu Hongchen paled in shock and quickly mobilized the Spiritual Energy within her chest to summon another stream of Xuan Guang. But it was too late—Lu Ge laughed heartily as a strand of azure Xuan Guang detached and fell upon her. Instantly, it felt like the crushing weight of a millstone pressed down on her. She could now neither move her feet nor prevent herself from slowly kneeling to the ground.

Lu Ge smiled down at her. "I am in no rush to take you under my wing. Reflect on this matter here for a while."

Zhang Yan witnessed Lu Ge suppress Mu Hongchen effortlessly with a strand of refined Xuan Guang. He deduced this person was at least in the Xuan Guang Third Realm, perhaps even higher.

At the Second Realm of Xuan Guang, one could balance Yin and Yang and transform it freely. At the third-stage "Spirit Brightness," Xuan Guang underwent another evolution.

At this stage, there is the notion, "Condensed into one, Jiazi No Loss," meaning that a strand of Xuan Guang placed in a box would remain intact for sixty years without dissipation, and upon retrieval, it would still illuminate the inner halls and reintegrate seamlessly with the cultivator.

When Du Bo met his end years ago, he had utilized a strand of his Xuan Guang to wrap Du You in protection for flying escape, indicative of this stage. However, compared to the effortless mastery displayed by the Daoist before them now, he was still a step behind.

Zhang Yan stretched out his hand to stop Hu Jue, who was about to step forward. He said in a low voice, "Daoist Hu, leave this to me. Go to your senior sister and attend to her."

Hu Jue knew she was no match for Lu Ge, and upon hearing his directive, nodded hastily and ran toward Mu Hongchen.

Zhang Yan took a few steps forward, smiling faintly. "Daoist, if you wish to be my master, you’ll first need to see if my sword agrees."

Lu Ge smiled slightly. "I am willing to witness fellow Daoist’s prowess."

With a thought, Zhang Yan summoned forth a sword ball from between his brows. It transformed into a fiery streak of light, hurtling toward Lu Ge in an instant.

Lu Ge remained seated, his expression unchanged. He defended solely using his horsetail whisk.

Under Zhang Yan’s mastery, the sword ball followed his heart’s intent, weaving through the air and striking down. Yet Lu Ge’s swift and composed defenses managed to intercept each strike with precision.

After a brief exchange, Zhang Yan’s eyes flashed. The sword ball suddenly split into two halves and descended rapidly. freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Separation and Combination Light Splitting?"

Lu Ge was taken aback by the abrupt move and exclaimed. With a clang, he drew a crimson Dharma Sword with his left hand, while his right wielded the whisk to ward off the dual swords. At this point, his expression turned more serious, abandoning his earlier casual air. He stood, maneuvering the two magic artifacts skillfully amidst the flurry of sword lights.

The battle dragged on for nearly an hour. Zhang Yan shouted decisively, and this time he divided the initial two sword balls into six more, forming eight clusters of glowing light. They spiraled around Lu Ge, emitting silvery threads and glimmering starlight.

Despite the intensifying pressure, Lu Ge remained calm and focused, seemingly unfazed. However, deep down, he grew increasingly astonished. Manipulating the sword balls consumed significant mental energy, especially techniques involving splitting swords. Yet Zhang Yan exhibited extraordinary stamina, his breath steady and spirit sharp, without the slightest hint of fatigue, far exceeding Lu Ge’s expectations.

Another hour passed, and seeing his opponent remain undistracted and perfectly composed, Zhang Yan held nothing back. With a long roar, he further divided the eight sword balls, multiplying them until sixteen danced in the air. These converged into a storm-like vortex, showering countless beams of radiance in a whirlpool of turbulent force.

Lu Ge’s steadfast composure faltered slightly. Throughout his life, he had faced more than ten sword cultivators, deeply aware that without Dharma Treasures for defense, letting them unleash their advanced sword force was catastrophic. Once such a sword force was unleashed, it was a raging storm—inescapable, unstoppable.

He let out his own fierce cry, his face flushing crimson. From the small, dim Golden Core within his abdomen, he forced a stream of Qi of Elixir Evil, which he spat upward. Instantly, a gale arose, scattering the sixteen sword balls dozens of zhang away.

After releasing that breath, Lu Ge’s complexion paled, his spirit waning slightly as he inwardly lamented, "Careless, far too careless."

Before Zhang Yan could reform his sword force, Lu Ge’s body shook. Thousands of fine strands of azure Xuan Guang suddenly shot forth from him, preemptively rushing ahead.

He let out a dry laugh and said, "Do not blame this humble Daoist for using an overwhelming level to suppress you; rather, it’s because Sword Cultivators like you are excessively troublesome, leaving no alternative but to resort to such measures."

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this story, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)