Chapter 683: 437 Chapter: Dissuasion

“Hmph!”

Actions speak louder than words. Seeing this, the man in white also let out a cold snort, “Refusing a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!”

After speaking, the sword artifact on his back emitted a chilling aura, once again unsheathed with swift motion.

“Clang!”

As the sword was drawn from its sheath, it shone brilliantly, emitting a light so intense it was like a dragon spitting out its radiance, causing pain in the onlookers’ eyes.

“What a sword!”

“Mysterious Heaven Sword Sect!”

“The Sword Immortal Ancients Sect, unmatched in swordsmanship, also excels in the art of refining swords.”

“It is said that within the sect, there are Immortal Clan Flying Swords that can slay demons and refine evil as effortlessly as reaching into a bag to take something out.”

“Although the two of them haven’t received such bestowed weapons, the sword artifacts in their hands are also top-tier magical treasures.”

“If it weren’t for the Mysterious Heaven successor returning to the sect to report on his duties that year, the Black Lotus Sect would not have had the chance to create an incarnation of an evil god.”

“A top-tier Mysterious Heaven Flying Sword is definitely not something that can be compared with those shoddy magical treasures from the Ye Family.”

Looking at the sharpness of the sword artifact, everyone felt a shiver run down their spine.

The sharpness of this sword, even through a screen, was enough to make one’s heart pound with fear.

“This sword…”

“Looks so formidable?”

“My dog eyes, my dog eyes!”

“Can the host… withstand it?”

“Isn’t it too much of a disadvantage without a weapon?”

“No wonder he’s so equipped, turns out he has godly gear.”

Although they were unaware of the intricate details, the sheer sharpness of the sword made the crowd apprehensive.

But Xu Yang remained silent, his footsteps unchanged, stepping into the void and leaping into the sword scar.

“Hmph!”

The man in white, seeing this, did not waste his breath either, with two fingers he held his sword, and the sword technique was executed.

“Aoo!”

As the sword technique was chanted, the flying sword actually let out a dragon’s cry, transforming into a white-golden arc of light, piercing the sky like the sun, thrusting towards his opponent.

The sword was named Shocking Dragon. It was of the highest quality, forged from Dragon Blood Crying Stone which contained spirit gold within. The sword master took it and forged it through a thousand beatings and a hundred refinements. With astonishing speed and clever strength, coupled with the Mysterious Heaven Sword Art, its power was unpredictable.

Descendants of an Immortal Sect are truly worthy of the name. Although their cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment level, this display of swordsmanship was on a completely different level compared to the cultivators from the Ye Family they had faced before.

Such a sword strike was nothing short of breathtaking!

Just then, the live stream slowed down again.

As the live feed slowed, elongating time, the camera focus, unlike usual, did not follow the soaring flying sword, but turned to the martial artist’s body.

One could see the martial artist taking a step forward, his robust body springing into action. Though his clothes were intact, not revealing bare flesh, the defining lines of his muscles were still prominent, like the undulating mountains and rocks, as if they were cast in steel or like a bowstring tautly drawn.

The tightly drawn bowstring slowly extended, giving a sense of immense power, almost as if one could see through the surface, every bone, every muscle, and even every drop of blood and every vein, how they exerted force and moved.

Like a drawn bow, like an awakening dragon, like an erupting volcano, like a breaking dam’s floodwaters…

Power, unparalleled power, surged within his limbs and flesh, with each beating of his heart, with each breath, fierce and unstoppable…

Strong!!!

Forceful!!!

“Aoo!”

Such a punch, rising with the body, also elicited a dragon’s roar that shook the wilderness for miles around.

“Subduing Dragon, what is subduing a dragon?”

“To subdue is not to conquer the dragon but to wield strength as one!”

“My strength is like a dragon, my heart subdues, combining firmness and gentleness, turning at will!”

“The skill of the Subduing Dragon Palm is not bound by the palm or skill, but by force!”

“At the pinnacle of Subduing Dragon, the body is at its limit, and the force reaches its peak!”

“Absolute control over one’s physical strength, this is the highest realm of the Subduing Dragon Palm!”

As the dragon’s roar sounded, text explanations appeared within the live stream, clarifying the martial arts technique in detail.

Such a strike…

“Aoo!!!”

“Boom!!!”

The cry of the dragon resounded, followed by a loud clang.

The slow-motion on the screen instantly returned to normal, and with a heavy punch like a dragon, he shook the void, destroying everything in its path.

The fierce sword light instantly shattered, revealing the sword artifact’s true form, as it collided with the martial artist’s fist.

Point versus surface, needle against cloth, the magical treasure’s sword edge against the flesh and blood of a human.

No matter how you looked at it, the latter appeared to be at an absolute disadvantage, completely suppressed.

But with the skill of the Subduing Dragon, the control of force was at its extreme, leaving no gaps, no flaws.

The point could not break through the surface, the needle could not pierce the cloth, and the magical sword edge could not overcome the flesh and blood of a human.

“Boom!!!”

A loud noise was heard, the Shocking Dragon recoiled in surprise, returning with a metallic clang, becoming a piercing radiance embedded into the mountainside.

“Pfff!!!”

The primordial flying sword, having suffered such a heavy blow, caused the man’s mana to surge chaotically within his dantian, his Qi and blood flowing in the wrong direction, forcing the man in white to stagger back with his face upturned and spewing fresh blood, splattering over his body in a crimson mess.

“Senior brother!”

Seeing her companion injured, the woman’s face drained of color as she quickly flew forward to support his body.

“…”

“…”

“…”

In the live stream room, there was a moment of silence as everyone was left in shock without words.

After a prolonged silence, a torrent of reactions came flooding in.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!”

“Can it get any more extreme?”

“Now I finally understand why you don’t use weapons?”

“You’re a human weapon yourself!”

“Spouting blood already, pretty boy, tsk tsk tsk!”

“Just a pretty face with no substance!”

“Still, big muscles are reliable!”

“If he also used weapons, I can’t even imagine what that would be like.”

“Are you sure you’re still human?”

“You don’t understand body refinement…”

Inside the live stream room, laypersons were enjoying the spectacle, while experts looked for technique.

But this time, even the experts couldn’t make much of the technique.

“The flesh confronts the magic treasure!”

“Bare fists break the flying sword!”

“Is this martial man even human?”

“Overlord Non-urgent Strength, Subduing Dragon Subjugating Tiger Strength, Broken Vajra Skill… War God’s Immortal Body!”

“This is the War God’s Immortal Body?”

“Terrifying, truly terrifying!”

The cultivators were shocked, beyond words.

Looking back at the scene…

“Senior brother!”

The woman supported the man, fed him a pill, and then immediately channeled her mana to stabilize his injuries.

The man’s face was pale, his robe stained with bright red blood, and it wasn’t until after he took the pill that he showed a slight sign of recovery.

Just as his injuries stabilized and his mana began to recover, the man clenched his teeth and struggled to get up, intending to recall his life-bound Law Sword.

However…

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

Within the belly of the mountain, there was a struggle like a bound furious dragon, appearing enraged yet powerless.

The Flying Sword, its treasured light broken and struck by a colossal force, had penetrated deep into the mountain’s body, embedded in the ironstone. With the man now severely injured and his mana insufficient, naturally, it was difficult for him to call it back.

This made him even more frantic, disregarding his body, he forcefully spurred his mana.

He was a Cave Heaven successor, an Immortal Sect descendant. Since his debut in the world to slay demons, he had never tasted defeat, and his pride was inevitable.

Now, to have his sword broken by a bare fist, one can imagine his state of mind. If he couldn’t retrieve it, it would definitely lead to frustration and might even leave a shadow in his heart.

“Senior brother, you mustn’t!”

Despite her words, the woman still took action and forcibly suppressed his movement.

A heart demon was indeed terrifying, but it paled in comparison to the fearsome man before them.

This man’s battle body was so horrifying that no one beneath a Golden Core could stand against him.

Although the two of them had a combined technique that allowed their two swords to match a Golden Core, that was only possible when their swords were united.

How could the man unite his sword with her in his current state?

If they forced the issue, even if they succeeded, they would suffer great damage to their Yuan Qi and their foundation.

Was it worth it, for the Ye Family, for Fulong Mountain, to go to such lengths?

Not worth it at all!

The two suppressed their urges and watched as their enemy retreated, etching this grudge in their hearts.

As for Xu Yang, he paid no heed to their gazes, stepping up the azure stairs and reaching the mountaintop in an instant.

Then they saw…

“Amitabha!”

A Buddhist chant resonated, as if bell and drum were ringing in one’s ears.

Looking intently, there was an old monk clad in golden-red kasaya, standing before the temple gate.

Temple gates come in various sizes, large and small.

The old monk stood under the gate, seemingly ready to guard it just like the two from the Sword Sect.

“This…”

“Again?”

“When will this end?”

“A war of attrition, is it interesting?”

“You really have no shame!”

The live-streaming audience saw this and continued their unceasing criticism.

“This poor monk Dry Prosperous, has seen your excellence!”

The old monk pressed his palms together in a Buddhist salute, his demeanor extremely humble, “Indeed, it is the Ye Family who first erred, but having already lost two lives, their wrongdoings should be forgiven. As the saying goes, ‘It is better to resolve enmity than to persist it’. This humble monk earnestly requests that you show mercy and spare the lives of the Ye Family members. I pledge my life that neither the Ye Family nor Fulong Mountain will trouble you or Benefactor Qian in the future, how about it?”

“Wow!”

“Nicely said!”

“Who are you, exactly?”

In the face of these words, the online audience wasn’t buying it at all, while a silent group of cultivators watched on.

“Dry Prosperous Monk!”

“A Grand Golden Core cultivator!”

“One of the last remaining Golden Cores of Dry Prosperous Mountain!”

“When the Blessed Land of Dry Prosperous Mountain collapsed years ago, nearly all the Deity Transformation and Nascent Soul were wiped out. This Dry Prosperous Monk was also gravely injured, and thanks to Fulong Mountain’s aid and invitation into their Blessed Land for recuperation, otherwise he wouldn’t be here today, regardless of being a Golden Core, even his life might not have been spared.”

“Given this, it’s only natural that he stands up for the Ye Family.”

Watching the Dry Prosperous Monk blocking the temple gate, everyone had their thoughts and were expectantly waiting.

A Grand Golden Core cultivator was already the highest martial force among mortals.

As for Nascent Souls, since they are fated to face their own Heavenly Tribulations, considering the actions of the Great Cavern Heavens, should a Nascent Soul dare to interfere in the world, they must be ready to settle karma and attract Heavenly Thunder’s punishment.

As a top-tier combatant of this era, this Dry Prosperous Monk naturally held a certain right to speak.

Even so, he didn’t dare to be negligent before this man, keeping an extremely humble attitude, intent on negotiating peace.

Unfortunately…

“One move!”

The martial artist said to him with these words, “I have a move called ‘Ascendant Dragon Returns to the Sea’. If you can withstand it without dying, then this matter will be dropped.”

“Ascendant Dragon Returns to the Sea?”

Hearing these words, the Dry Prosperous Monk fell silent.

Seeing this, the martial artist smiled, “Do you know what ‘Ascendant Dragon’ means?”

“…”

After a moment of silence, the Dry Prosperous Monk eventually spoke, “Qian Hexagram’s sixth line refers to the Ascendant Dragon with regret; reaching the pinnacle only to decline, motion brings regret. Hence, one should not exhaust all power, so as to reserve the possibility of a turnaround, this will allow the flying dragon to soar in the skies.”

“Correct!”

Xu Yang nodded in agreement, and then asked another question, “So, what does ‘Returns to the Sea’ mean?”

“…”

After another pause, the Dry Prosperous Monk shook his head, “This humble monk does not know.”

Xu Yang laughed and explained, “The Ascendant Dragon represents being at the pinnacle, and after reaching the extreme peak, one must fall from the sky.”

“Therefore, the regretful dragon, strong yet unrestrained, can gather force to rise again, endlessly and infinitely!”

“However…”

Xu Yang shook his head with a smile, looking at the old monk, “One who firmly holds to their principles, unyielding and unreturning, willing to lay down their life without remorse, even should their blood stain the celestial plane and their dragon soul returns to the sea, it is without regret. This is ‘Ascendant Dragon Returns to the Sea’, do you understand?”

“…”

The Dry Prosperous Monk listened to this, silent again.

Xu Yang didn’t wait for a reply, continuing to ask, “Are you willing to try?”

“…”

After a long silence, the Dry Prosperous Monk finally responded with the chant “Amitabha”, adopting the stance of one prepared to bear his trust, “If one is entrusted by others, one must act loyally for those others. I will bravely call for this move of no regret.”

“Good!”

Hearing this response, Xu Yang didn’t say much more, “Just remember, this move has no return, only death, not life!”

As he spoke, he began to channel his Gang Yuan.

“Boom!!!”

As he channeled his Gang Yuan, his mighty aura burst forth, his clothes exploding to reveal a martial artist’s robust physique, the body of a dragon, the frame of a ghost god.

“Come!!!”

“Amitabha!”

Before the momentum was fully gathered, another chant of Buddha came out as the Dry Prosperous Monk clasped his hands together, “How can there be a matter in this world of saving one only to kill another, such evil and deadly battles, and the outcome is not what anyone wishes for; besides, the matter is too muddled to be clear. This humble monk will take his leave!”

With those words, he made another bow, turned around, and rushed away hastily.

“…”

“…”

“…”