The two immense flying boats came to a halt, with a distance of dozens of li between them.
With a resounding clang, the cabin doors swung open.
“Tu Chi, I should have known it was you,” Wu Yuan’s robes billowed, his pupils icy as he fixed his gaze on the silver-robed figure standing in the air and the green-robed figure behind him.
A late-stage Golden Core cultivator? Wu Yuan could only faintly sense their vital aura with his soul.
Wu Yuan couldn’t ascertain their exact cultivation levels, merely making educated guesses.
In theory, someone with a ninth-degree immortal root could progress to the Amethyst Cradle phase. But in practice, such an immortal root denoted little to no cultivation talent, sluggish progress, and was a formidable obstacle standing in the way of breakthroughs.
Thus, most Golden Core cultivators had immortal roots hovering around the seventh-degree. And among those who reached the mid-stage Golden Core phase, very few possessed an eighth-degree immortal root.
This was the reason why the higher one’s cultivation phase, the harder it became to battle someone from a higher cultivation phase. Those who could reach the higher cultivation phases in the first place were all elites of their cohorts during lower cultivation phases.
These two Golden Core cultivators were certainly not ordinary.
“Yes, it’s me. It’s been a while, Daoist Li Xia,” Tu Chi fixed Wu Yuan with a mocking gaze, transmitting his voice via essentia.
One of the advantages of a powerful soul was the ability to conceal one’s aura, thus Tu Chi and Fang Youlong were unable to sense that Wu Yuan’s vital aura was far more powerful than before.
“Where is your jiaolong spirit beast?” Tu Chi asked, scanning the surroundings.
“So, it all comes down to my spirit beast?” Wu Yuan locked eyes with Tu Chi.
“Indeed! Your jiaolong spirit beast,” Tu Chi continued, his gaze fixed on Wu Yuan. “Li Xia, I don’t wish to make things difficult for you. Surrender your jiaolong spirit beast, and I will allow you to depart.”
Wu Yuan’s gaze narrowed.
“Fellow Daoist, choose wisely. Though you may have some backing, this is Fengchuan City,” Fang Youlong interjected coolly.
Fengchuan City was the Tu Family’s domain.
“Fengchuan City?” Wu Yuan’s frigid stare swept over Tu Chi and Fang Youlong, and he spoke deliberately, “Tu Chi, I am recording this and projecting it live to the Redmoon Immortal Realm. I’ve also reported it to my sect and family. I suggest that you depart promptly.”
“If you choose to fight, you will regret it,” Wu Yuan stated impassively.
Projection recording? Wu Yuan was indeed doing so, but it wouldn’t be of much use. The mention of his sect and family was just a bluff, a scare tactic.
As expected, Tu Chi and Fang Youlong hesitated at Wu Yuan’s words. This was their greatest fear. The Redmoon Immortal Realm had various functions which made raiding extremely risky.
When looting someone with influential connections, the risk of being identified was high unless a raider could eliminate their target before they had time to react.
“When immortal cultivators battle, life or death is up to fate,” Tu Chi stated, his tone icy. “I’ll give you one last chance. Surrender your azure jiaolong, and I will spare your life.”
Tu Chi had never intended to spare Wu Yuan. His only fear was that Wu Yuan, in his final moments, would command the azure jiaolong to end its own life.
“Very well, I will comply…”
Boom! Before Wu Yuan’s voice faded, he charged forward, crossing the distance between them in an instant. A wave of earthy-yellow qi streams enveloped him, as sword qi crisscrossed through the air.
Simultaneously, nine beams of earthy-yellow light shot forth from Wu Yuan’s palm, piercing the sky and hurtling towards Tu Chi and Fang Youlong.
Wu Yuan was unleashing his full power!
For Wu Yuan, violence was always a last resort in any situation. But once the decision was made, he would show no mercy.
Kill! Wu Yuan’s murderous intent was unstoppable.
“Not good!” Tu Chi’s countenance shifted, retreating rapidly as a cascade of blue qi streams swirled around him, akin to a rushing river.
Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~ Silver artifacts resembling pillars floated up one by one, seamlessly melding with his Domain and transforming.
“Tu Chi, you claim that he is a first-stage Golden Core cultivator? Capturing him will be a walk in the park? This is at least a fourth-stage Golden Core cultivator!” Fang Youlong exclaimed, equally taken aback.
The ferocity of Wu Yuan’s outburst was truly terrifying.
Boom! In an instant, green qi streams erupted from Fang Youlong’s body, spreading across a radius of more than ten li. Simultaneously, a sizable cauldron began to expand rapidly, shielding his front as a hazy luminescence enveloped him completely.
The Domains of the three Golden Core powerhouses erupted simultaneously.
Indeed! In these past few months, Wu Yuan had quietly advanced to the Golden Core phase, now capable of matching the weakest seventh-stage Golden Core cultivator in terms of essentia and mana.
While he could mask his aura on normal occasions, once he released his power, his true level would inevitably be detected.
Boom! The collision of the three Domains reverberated through the air, resonating as if the very heavens and earth were shaking.
It was one against two. Yet, Wu Yuan’s Domain and the earthy yellow qi streams overwhelmed all in their path. He held an indisputable advantage, fiercely pushing back the green and blue Domains.
“What level is his Domain?” Tu Chi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I’ve already reached the third-level Domain stage.”
“We clearly have the upper hand in mana,” Fang Youlong’s expression shifted to astonishment.
Both cultivators, one at the seventh-stage Golden Core phase and the other at the eighth, possessed sixth-degree immortal roots. In terms of mana, they surpassed Wu Yuan and were considered late-stage Golden Core cultivators.
Yet in a clash of Domains, they couldn’t defeat him?
This could only mean one thing: Wu Yuan’s comprehension of the Dao was far superior, as his Domain’s strength greatly surpassed their own. Tu Chi finally realized the truth – Li Xia was no weak Golden Core cultivator, he was a peerless genius!
After fifteen years of contemplating the Dao, my Domain has already reached the seventh level. Wu Yuan’s gaze was frigid.
With his Terranean Body, reaching the Domain stage meant stepping through a threshold. As long as he cultivated methodically, his comprehension progress would continue to soar.
In the last fifteen years, Wu Yuan had devoted himself entirely to cultivation. It was this deep accumulation that allowed his progress to skyrocket now. Reaching the seventh level of the Domain stage was completely normal.
A Dao comprehension level at the sixth-level Domain stage was required in order for one to construct their void amethyst cradle, transitioning to the Amethyst Cradle phase, or craft the mountains and rivers in their soul chamber, transitioning to the Shambhala phase.
Given sufficient time, Wu Yuan’s advancement to the Amethyst Cradle phase was inevitable.
“Perish,” Wu Yuan’s voice was cold as the nine lifebound flying swords under his control erupted into a dazzling display. Streams of sword light swirled around him, and cryptic patterns shone on the swords with a terrifying divine glow, assembling them into a massive divine sword.
Dark Earth Sword Array, second step: Nine Swords of Light. Though he had utilized this technique in the previous ambush, the power paled in comparison to the current display. This was because Wu Yuan was now at the Golden Core phase.
With a resounding boom, the subtle earthy-yellow aura surrounded the sword of divine light. As though rending the heavens and cleaving the earth itself, the divine sword sliced through Tu Chi’s blue Domain like mere paper.
Everywhere the divine light touched, the blue qi streams were obliterated, and silver pillars were shattered. A shockwave of incredible magnitude reverberated outward, engulfing everything within a hundred li, causing the earth to shake and the sky to tremble.
“No!” Tu Chi could only watch in horror.
In the blink of an eye, all of his attempts to counter the attack and protect himself were cut by that fearsome divine light. There was no time to react.
Boom! The divine light washed over Tu Chi’s body. Despite the protection of his battle armor, the impact was too overwhelming, and he disintegrated into blood vapor in an instant.
Tu Chi was dead!
Wu Yuan was able to kill an eighth-stage Golden Core cultivator in just a single exchange.
Fang Youlong stood frozen in shock, his mind reeling at the sight before him.
Flee! His face drained of color as he bolted backward in a panic, a misty green light surrounding him and propelling him away as quickly as possible. He no longer harbored any thoughts of confronting Wu Yuan.
Flee? Wu Yuan’s cold eyes locked onto him. Without hesitation, he gave chase. At the same time, the Nine Swords Array that previously resembled a sword of divine light now assembled into a new, strange formation. Instead of a sword, it was now far longer and thinner, resembling a giant needle!
Wu Yuan flew as fast as he could, trying to catch up to Fang Youlong. Simultaneously, he pointed at his target. “Go!”
Whoosh! The sword array that looked like an elongated needle shot out instantly, its speed several times faster than the sword of divine light just now.
The third step of the Dark Earth Sword Array: The Sword Within Reach!