269: Chapter 264 Great Battle

By the side of the Thunder Pool, wind and clouds churned violently!

The moment Xiao Linger transformed into that streak of emerald light, charging resolutely toward the center of the Thunder Pool, the focus of the entire battlefield instantly converged upon her!

That nine-leaf thunder bamboo, with its purple-gold divine light swirling and exuding a fatal allure, was now within her reach!

"Not good!"

A roar erupted from within the Sword Qi tornado, sounding like a great bell and causing the air to hum.

"Stop her!"

Another cold voice, filled with undisguised killing intent, hissed like a viper's tongue—chilling and lethal.

Trapped within the sword formation, the Leader of the Li Huo Palace group and the Black and White Twin Fiends let out roars of extreme shock and fury simultaneously!

They fought with all their might, clashing madly against the endless Chaos Sword Qi. The brilliance of their Magic Treasures and the flames of their Divine Abilities exploded continuously within the sword formation, momentarily tearing open an insignificant gap.

Their gazes, like poisoned arrows, pierced through layers of sword shadows, locking tightly onto Xiao Linger's slender back!

They could never have imagined that they, Peak Golden Core powerhouses who had long been famous in the Southern Region, would actually be trapped by a single, unknown young man!

This was no longer a simple battle; it was a humiliation! A humiliation that trampled their lifelong pride underfoot and crushed it ruthlessly!

They could only watch helplessly as another young girl went to pluck the fruits of victory they had planned for so long and had even fought bitterly to obtain!

What a tremendous humiliation!

Boom!

The Leader of the Li Huo Palace group was incensed. He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a fist-sized, nearly white ball of his natal True Fire!

Once that True Fire appeared, the surrounding temperature soared, causing the very space to warp slightly and emit an unbearable "crackling" sound.

This was no ordinary flame; it was the "Li Huo Essence" he had spent hundreds of years of painstaking effort refining deep within the earth's molten core, and it was the Foundation of his entire Dao practice!

The True Fire transformed into a lifelike giant flame bird. As it spread its wings, it spanned over a zhang in size, and every feather burned with destructive power.

It let out a piercing screech that could shatter metal and stone. Instead of charging head-on into the sword formation, it deftly bypassed it at an incredibly tricky angle, skimming the edge of the Sword Qi storm like a bolt of white lightning, aiming straight for Xiao Linger's back!

Meanwhile, the Black and White Twin Fiends of the Shadowless Gate once again merged into the shadows.

This was not simple concealment; it was as if their bodies had turned into the formless shadows themselves, silently and rapidly creeping along the ground toward Xiao Linger's back!

Wherever they passed, even the gravel on the ground did not shift in the slightest, as if they were the flowing darkness itself.

They abandoned their conflict with the Leader of the Li Huo Palace group.

In this moment, these sworn enemies chose, without prior agreement, to prioritize eliminating that greatest threat!

However, standing before them was a mountain they would never be able to overcome.

The name of that mountain was Chen Zhiwen.

"You dare to be distracted in my presence?"

Chen Zhiwen's cold voice seemed to come from the depths of the Nine Serenities, devoid of even a shred of emotion.

He stood where he was, not even turning his head.

He simply pressed his right hand, fingers held like a sword, gently downward.

In an instant, the Sword Qi tornado, which had originally been used only to trap enemies, underwent a violent transformation!

Countless strands of Chaos Sword Qi instantly transformed from intangible to tangible, becoming as refined as steel and incomparably sharp!

The entire tornado storm turned into a true, absolute kill formation composed of billions of sharp swords!

Every strand of Sword Qi contained a trace of his Divine Thought; the entire sword formation was an extension of his perception!

"Not good!"

Alarm bells rang loudly in the heart of the Leader of the Li Huo Palace group, and a sense of fatal crisis instantly enveloped his entire body!

Without a second thought, he tried to withdraw and retreat, recalling the giant flame bird.

But it was too late.

Chi! Chi! Chi!

Endless Sword Qi, like a school of sharks smelling blood, crazily swarmed toward him to shred him!

The giant flame bird that had just flown a short distance away didn't even have time to let out a cry before it was instantly pierced by dozens of Sword Qi strands from all directions, exploding into a sky full of sparks!

The Leader of the Li Huo Palace group was struck as if by lightning; he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, and his face instantly turned deathly pale!

With his natal True Fire damaged, he had already suffered significant internal injuries!

The fate of the Black and White Twin Fiends of the Shadowless Gate was even more miserable.

Their proud stealth and concealment techniques had nowhere to hide under the perception of Chen Zhiwen's omnipresent Chaos Sword Qi!

Two strands of Sword Qi, condensed into substance, seemed to have grown eyes. Ignoring the barriers of space, they precisely "nailed" their true forms out of the shadows!

The two let out muffled groans, their figures stumbling, and a trace of blood spilled from the corners of their mouths.

On the other side, the Blood Rakshasa, who had been specifically "looked after" by Chen Zhiwen, was terrified.

From the very first moment they clashed, she realized she was wrong—wrong to an outrageous degree!

This seemingly young man before her was not a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, but an ancient Vicious Beast in human skin!

His Sword Qi was extremely bizarre, carrying an aura of Chaos that seemed capable of annihilating all things, and it possessed a natural suppression over her invincible Blood Scripture Cultivation Technique!

No matter what strange and vicious Blood-Dao Divine Ability she unleashed, it would be shattered by the opponent with a single sword strike, in the most direct and overbearing manner!

Her proud Blood River Formation was as fragile as a stream under his sword.

Her Blood Fiend Qi, which could taint Magic Treasures and corrode Divine Souls, melted instantly before his Sword Qi, like snow meeting the sun!

This was not a battle between evenly matched opponents at all!

It was a total, absolute crushing!

"Who... on earth is this person?!"

For the first time, a feeling called "fear" welled up in the Blood Rakshasa's heart.

She could not understand how such a terrifying Sword Dao Prodigy had emerged in this Northern Region!

One person, one sword.

Just by standing there, he suppressed the four renowned Peak Golden Core powerhouses—the Leader of the Li Huo Palace group, the Black and White Twin Fiends of the Shadowless Gate, and herself, the Saintess of the Blood Fiend Sect—leaving them without the slightest ability to fight back!

If this scene were to spread, it would be enough to shake the entire Southern Region cultivation world!

...

Just as Chen Zhiwen was suppressing the entire scene single-handedly, Xiao Linger finally braved the violent thunder at the center of the Thunder Pool and rushed to the front of the nine-leaf thunder bamboo!

"Got it!"

A flash of wild joy crossed her eyes. Spiritual light flickered on her jade hand as she reached out without hesitation to grab the purple-gold divine bamboo!

Successfully harvested!

The moment the spiritual bamboo, containing vast life force and thunder Dao rhymes, was in her hand, Xiao Linger's heart finally settled.

Without a moment's pause, she turned around immediately, intending to exit the Thunder Pool.

But the moment she turned around, she saw him.

She saw Chen Zhiwen, that figure which was not particularly tall, yet at this moment, appeared as majestic as a god or demon.

Alone with his sword, he faced the siege of four powerhouses of the same rank. Amidst the crisscrossing sword light, he actually suppressed everyone completely, creating a space of absolute safety for her to seize the treasure!

An indescribable shock and emotion instantly filled Xiao Linger's heart.

Subconsciously, she wanted to rush up and fight side by side with him.

However, at this moment, Chen Zhiwen's cold and unquestionable voice rang out in her mind again.

"Once you have the item, leave immediately!"

His tone was resolute and decisive.

"Return to the Sect, do not look back!"

Xiao Linger's footsteps came to a sudden halt.

She gazed at Chen Zhiwen's back, her lips moving as she wanted to say something.

She wanted to say that it was too dangerous for him alone.

She wanted to say that they should fight their way out together.

But when she met the gaze Chen Zhiwen cast through the gaps in the sword light, she swallowed all her words back.

It was such a sharp, confident, and unquestionable gaze!

That look seemed to tell her: Trust me.

Xiao Linger's heart trembled violently.

She took a deep breath, suppressing all her worry and reluctance deep in her heart.

She knew that if she stayed now, she would only become a burden to him.

The most correct choice was to listen to him, take the nine-leaf thunder bamboo, and leave as quickly as possible, so that he would have no more worries.