Chapter 181: Transcendent Realm

Chapter 181: Transcendent Realm

A sharp Sword Qi surged forth, forming a massive torrent.

The sword technique from the Supreme Sword Dao—Ultimate World Sword!

"Stars and Moon Sharing the Sky!"

Profound Qi Clouds emanated from Ning Xiaochuan's hands, supporting a sky full of stars as a silver crescent moon emerged, floating amidst the starlight before slashing toward the Sword Qi.

This was Ning Xiaochuan's eighth innate Divine Ability.

In the Yulan Empire, only once every few centuries would a martial artist capable of awakening an eighth innate Divine Ability appear. It not only represented extraordinary talent but also the uniqueness of the eighth innate Divine Ability.

The eighth innate Divine Ability was almost always immensely powerful, earning a place on the Heavenly Cauldron Divine Ability Ranking.

The "Stars and Moon Sharing the Sky" unleashed by Ning Xiaochuan enveloped a space spanning over 20 meters, with stars and the moon coexisting.

"Boom!"

The crescent moon and Sword Qi shattered simultaneously, dispersing into wisps of Profound Qi mist.

"Whoosh!"

Ning Xiaochuan transformed into a streak of multicolored light, piercing through the Profound Qi mist as he struck out with a palm toward Ming Yang, landing a blow on his Protective Sword Aura.

The Protective Sword Aura trembled violently, unleashing a counterforce.

The Blood Qi within Ming Yang's body convulsed fiercely, sending him flying backward until he landed on a bluish-gray tower over 66 meters away.

Wings unfurled from Ning Xiaochuan's back as he rode the wind, pressing his advantage. A purple Profound Qi Sword materialized in his hand, and he swung it down in a devastating slash.

"Boom!"

The tower beneath Ming Yang was cleaved in two by Ning Xiaochuan's sword, leaving a horrifying gash down its center.

Ming Yang retreated once more, landing steadily in the middle of the ancient street. He spoke calmly, "Is this all you've got? If you don’t use the Northern Abyss Divine Art now, you won’t get another chance."

"Oh?" Ning Xiaochuan landed on a vermilion eave above, his expression relaxed as he held the Profound Qi Sword, his gaze icy.

Ming Yang planted his heavy sword into the ground. Tiny points of light emerged across his skin as his martial aura surged, his body growing increasingly radiant, as if carved from divine jade.

"Crack!"

Centered around the tip of the heavy sword, fine fissures spread across the bluestone pavement.

The cracks widened and lengthened, reducing the entire ancient street to rubble.

"Rumble—"

A towering Sword Qi erupted from the blade, manifesting as a colossal sword shadow over 20 meters long.

Ming Yang's power suddenly quintupled, his imposing aura overwhelming as he raised the giant sword and brought it crashing down toward Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned the "Cloud and Sunset Returning Qi" to shield himself, but even that could not fully withstand the Sword Qi. He was sent flying, crashing through three ancient structures before tumbling into the ruins.

"Bang!"

Ning Xiaochuan shot back up from the wreckage, standing atop a bluish-gray piece of rotten wood. His body was covered in fine sword wounds, blood dripping from them as he fixed a cold stare on Ming Yang. "This is the power of the Transcendent Realm."

Not far away, three powerful senior disciples clearly witnessed the Sword Qi, their faces filled with shock as they exchanged glances.

"Has Ming Yang truly broken through to the Transcendent Realm?"

"This is quite normal. Ming Yang's innate talent has always been high, and after cultivating in the Heavenly Palace for six days, reaching the Transcendent Realm isn’t surprising," the three senior students remarked.

"No, breaking through to the Transcendent Realm isn’t that easy. Ming Yang has only just begun transcending. To fully reach the Transcendent Realm, he’ll need at least another year of cultivation." At the gates of Emperor's City, a massive shadow slowly approached.

As it drew nearer, her true form became clear.

She rode atop a Dragon Elephant, wielding a Dragon Elephant Halberd Spear, clad in crimson armor, with blue hair and green eyes. An aura of chilling intimidation radiated from her.

"Someone from the Dragon Elephant Divine Martial Battalion has arrived," whispers spread through the darkness.

"She’s from the Cloud Marquis House, the second disciple of the Cloud Marquis."

"So it’s her. No wonder her presence is so overwhelming."

Ji Hanxing sat atop the Dragon Elephant, her gaze fixed on Ning Xiaochuan and Ming Yang in the distance. A thought crossed her mind: Could Ning Xiaochuan possibly be a match for Ming Yang, who had already begun transcending?

To begin transcending meant a martial artist had stepped onto the threshold of the Transcendent Realm.

This signified reaching another height in martial arts. Even without fully entering the Transcendent Realm, their combat power would have multiplied several times over.

Ming Yang gripped his heavy sword, the light around him merging seamlessly with the blade’s glow.

"Whoosh!"

The heavy sword shot from his hand, transforming into a Sword Dragon, its claws bared as it lunged toward Ning Xiaochuan.

The sharp tip of the sword aimed straight for Ning Xiaochuan’s throat.

Not a trace of fear flickered in Ning Xiaochuan’s eyes. Activating the martial divine ability "Rainbow Teleportation," his body morphed into a seven-colored rainbow bridge, soaring across a distance of 30 meters.

The heavy sword pursued relentlessly, matching Ning Xiaochuan’s speed no matter how fast he moved.

"He’s already begun transcending. You’re no match for him. Become my blade servant, and I’ll grant you the power to kill him with a single strike," the voice of the Heavenly Emperor’s Blade echoed from the Mystic Beast Manual in Ning Xiaochuan’s embrace.

"Shut up!" Ning Xiaochuan’s body soared upward, reaching the skies above Emperor’s City. With a flap of his Dual Wings, he ascended into the clouds.

"Swish!"

The heavy sword pierced through the clouds, its blade grazing past Ning Xiaochuan’s chin, carrying razor-sharp Sword Qi.

Ning Xiaochuan swiftly reached out, gripping the hilt of the heavy sword, but the force sent him tumbling through the air.

His arm bones, fused with the divine ability of the Lightning Divine Beast, possessed immense strength. Hundreds of lightning bolts surged forth, enveloping his palm to suppress the Sword Qi emanating from the blade.

Ming Yang’s expression shifted slightly. He could clearly sense the weakening of the Sword Qi on his heavy sword.

For a Supreme Sword Dao Practitioner, the most crucial element was the "sword" in their hand.

With a sword, they were the strongest attackers in the same cultivation realm.

Without a sword, they were the weakest.

Ming Yang didn’t know how Ning Xiaochuan was absorbing the Sword Qi from the heavy sword. But he knew one thing: if Ning Xiaochuan succeeded in taking the sword, his defeat today would be inevitable.

"Retrieve!"

Ming Yang roared, nine Sword Souls manifesting behind him as he mustered all his strength to reclaim the heavy sword.

Ning Xiaochuan was flung about uncontrollably by the sword’s force, crashing into pillars, smashing through walls, and slicing down trees. His body was left battered and bruised.

Ning Xiaochuan was utilizing the power of the Demonic Sword to subdue the heavy sword, aiming to claim Ming Yang's sword as his own. No matter how formidable the Supreme Sword Dao might be, it could only submit obediently before the Demonic Sword.

"Be suppressed!" Ning Xiaochuan roared, channeling the Demonic Sword within him to operate wildly, forcibly absorbing the Sword Qi from the heavy sword.

The heavy sword trembled violently in Ning Xiaochuan's grip, the force of the vibrations sending sharp pain through his arm, yet it remained firmly in his grasp, unable to break free.

Ming Yang, disregarding all else, charged forward in a desperate attempt to reclaim his sword.

"Whoosh—"

Ning Xiaochuan gripped the heavy sword with both hands and swung it fiercely, unleashing a vast wave of sword light that carved a deep gash across Ming Yang's chest, sending him flying backward.

Ning Xiaochuan thrust the sword toward Ming Yang's heart.

However, the heavy sword shook violently once more, struggling relentlessly to break free from his grasp.

Ning Xiaochuan summoned the power of the Demonic Sword again to suppress the heavy sword.

Seizing the opportunity, Ming Yang struck out with a palm strike toward Ning Xiaochuan. Though he had lost his sword, his cultivation remained profound, wielding the power to split mountains and cleave cliffs.

Ning Xiaochuan casually countered with a palm strike of his own, sending Ming Yang flying into a desolate, abandoned courtyard.

Without his sword, Ming Yang posed no threat to Ning Xiaochuan—like a wolf stripped of its fangs.

"Clang!"

Ning Xiaochuan forcefully plunged the heavy sword into the ground, pinning it with one hand while launching an Annihilation Sword Wave with the other, blasting it toward Ming Yang.

"Thud!"

The Annihilation Sword Wave pierced through Ming Yang's chest, leaving a bloody hole in his body as he was sent flying once more, crashing into a wall with disheveled hair, utterly disgraced.

He staggered to his feet, his eyes brimming with icy fury, letting his blood flow freely. "Blood Sword!"

Ming Yang channeled the Profound Qi within him, forcing more blood from his body, splattering it across the ground until it pooled into a crimson puddle.

The blood gathered into the shape of a sword, transforming into a Blood Sword.

The aura of this Blood Sword was even stronger than that of the heavy sword.

This was the final trump card of a Supreme Sword Dao Practitioner—every drop of blood in their body was akin to a sword. By shedding enough blood, they could forge a Blood Sword.

Above the sky, a Blood Cloud formed, shrouding half of Emperor's City.

This was a phenomenon born under the influence of Sword Qi.

Ning Xiaochuan could clearly sense the change in Ming Yang's aura and thought to himself, "Ming Yang's talent is extraordinary. If my pressure forces him to break through into the Transcendent Realm, defeating him today will become far more difficult."

Left with no other choice, Ning Xiaochuan once again tapped into the power of the Demonic Sword, but he shouted aloud, "Northern Abyss Divine Art!"

He extended his palm, forming a swirling vortex.

The Blood Sword, still in the process of forming, instantly scattered. The Blood Qi surged toward Ning Xiaochuan's palm, flowing into his pores and being absorbed by the Demonic Sword.

The Northern Abyss Divine Art had always been a mere facade—a method Ning Xiaochuan used to conceal the Demonic Sword.

But other martial artists didn’t see it that way. They firmly believed the Northern Abyss Divine Art truly existed, and now, Ning Xiaochuan had finally begun to wield this legendary divine technique.

The Blood Qi on the ground madly surged into Ning Xiaochuan's body.

"Boom!"

The Blood Sword, on the verge of fully forming, shattered completely, becoming nourishment for Ning Xiaochuan.

Watching strands of Blood Qi fly into Ning Xiaochuan's body, Ming Yang's eyes filled with despair. With a long roar, he transformed his body into a sword and struck toward Ning Xiaochuan.

"A dying struggle!"

Ning Xiaochuan gripped his heavy sword with both hands and swung down, shattering Ming Yang's Protective Sword Aura. The blade grazed past his cheek and cleaved into his body, severing his collarbone.

"Pfft—"

Blood splattered across Ning Xiaochuan's face.

Just as Ning Xiaochuan raised his sword again to deliver the final blow and eliminate the threat for good— "Spare his life!"

A massive palm descended from the sky, seized Ming Yang, and carried him away.

Ning Xiaochuan's sword struck empty air, slashing into the ground and leaving a scar dozens of meters long.

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