97: Chapter 97 Enlightenment of Sword Intent, Life and Death Arena in the Mortal World!

Chen Zhuxiao sat in a secluded corner on the first floor of the Red Dust Tower. As he sipped his tea and listened carefully to the zither music, he felt as if he were truly there, and the long sword on his back began to vibrate slightly.

This long sword was named thunder trace. It was given to him by Chen Fufeng before he descended the mountain to travel. It was a Second-stage High Grade Dharma sword, forged primarily from Heavenly Thunder Essence Stone, making it extremely suitable for a Thunder Dao Cultivator.

As for vast thunder, it was being nourished within his immortal foundation. Once he broke through to the Purple Mansion Realm, vast thunder would transform into his life-bound Spiritual Artifact, fully revealing its peerless edge.

Over the past year, he had traveled to many places and killed several Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators, accumulating a wealth of combat experience.

Some were motivated by greed, seeing an Opportunity before them and wishing to take a gamble; others were bandits who fancied themselves as great robbers, rampaging through several towns to collect protection money, only to ultimately fall with regret under his sword.

After a year of tempering between life and death, his Realm had consolidated significantly, and he had become much more composed—like a sharp sword that had sheathed itself, ready to be drawn at any moment to display its world-shaking sword might.

"The myriad phenomena of the Mortal World are dazzling to the eyes; if one does not enter the Mortal World, how can one temper their own state of mind?"

Chen Zhuxiao muttered to himself. This was the reason he had come to the Red Dust Tower.

As for Fairy Qingyu, no matter how peerless her beauty, it was useless to him. The person he held in his heart already occupied its entire space; he would not fall for anyone else.

Simply put, one should not meet someone too stunning in their youth, otherwise they would never spend the rest of their life in peace.

In summary, the lethality of a 'white moonlight' is too great.

"Mo Li... Mo Li, should I make a trip to the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion in Liyuan Commandery to see if I can meet her?" Chen Zhuxiao rubbed the celadon teacup in his hands, lost in thought.

The Chen family was now a great Purple Mansion clan. With the protection of the demon king Yuan Feng, they dominated Liyuan Commandery, their influence boundless for a time.

Even the Heavenly Lotus Sect and the Guiyuan Sect had to bow their heads a little; after all, their Purple Mansion Old Ancestors were only at the Three Divine Abilities Realm, whereas Yuan Feng had killed a Purple Mansion Cultivator with Three Divine Abilities.

Therefore, in terms of status and position, there was not much difference between Chen Zhuxiao and Mo Li.

What he did not know was that his two elders were watching him through a window on the third floor.

"This kid looks like he's heartbroken. Could it be that he suffered a romantic injury, which is why he came to the Red Dust Tower to see if he could find a suitable Mortal World woman to have a good time with?" Yuan Feng stroked his chin and speculated.

The corners of Chen Fufeng's mouth twitched, and he covered his forehead. "Brother Yuan, Zhu Xiao told me years ago that he had a sweetheart. It must be related to that time he went down the mountain without permission. I don't know which family's girl it is that has troubled him for so long."

"The word 'love' is the hardest to fathom; it is the sweetest candy in the world, and also the bitterest medicine." Yuan Feng shook his head.

In his past life as a corporate slave, he had also secretly liked several girls and had also secretly felt sad when his goddess became someone else's girlfriend. Thinking about it now, it was truly somewhat laughable.

"The myriad phenomena of the Mortal World—if one does not enter the Mortal World, how can one cross the Mortal World? Perhaps Zhu Xiao came to the Red Dust Tower with exactly this thought in mind." Chen Fufeng sighed.

Just as the man and the ape were talking, the zither music echoing throughout the Red Dust Tower stopped abruptly, and the stunningly beautiful Fairy sitting at the top of the pavilion in the air rose gracefully.

A green jade long flute appeared out of thin air. Her slender, jade-white fingers moved with precise coordination, holding the flute at different spots, and she placed it to her red lips. A refreshing and soothing flute melody began to play.

Chen Zhuxiao put down the teacup in his hand and emptied his body and mind. His entire being entered an ethereal state. The flute music lingered, like a gentle breeze brushing against his face, like the murmuring of flowing water, making one forget the hustle and bustle of the world.

"High mountains and flowing water, drawing close to nature, distancing oneself from the Mortal World—is this the only way to be an Immortal?"

"No, cultivating immortality is not a path of heartlessness. For an Immortal, the 'Human' comes first, and the 'Immortal' comes after. If one has no heart, how can one be an Immortal?"

"What exactly is my Sword Intent? Is it to break through shackles and fight against the heavens, or to not fall into Reincarnation and remain free for ten thousand generations? Or perhaps..."

With the help of the flute music, this Qilin Son of the Chen family entered a state of enlightenment. The dormant Perfection-level sword Aura gradually manifested, like a True Dragon emerging from the Heavenly Abyss, its roar shaking the ten directions.

Wisps of lightning danced on his body, and an Aura like Heavenly Thunder mixed with the sword Aura, slowly spreading outwards. The faint sound of thunder quietly merged into the flute music, forming a duet.

It seemed as if a long time had passed, yet it also felt like only an instant. The moment the flute music ceased, a bolt of thunder exploded, rolling with Heavenly Might that was deafening.

Just as everyone was dumbfounded, a world-shocking Sword Intent soared into the sky, like a great dragon soaring to the Nine Heavens, like the deep sea striking the Nine Firmaments. Its momentum was magnificent, severing all shackles, free and unfettered in the Mortal World!

"What is this?" A Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator widened his eyes. Feeling that terrifying Sword Intent, he sensed an intense crisis of death from it.

An old Cultivator stood up tremblingly, his pupils shaking, his voice filled with shock: "This is... Sword Intent?!"

"What? Sword Intent!"

Cultivator after Cultivator stood up, their gazes all looking in one direction. There sat a scruffy, sword-bearing Cultivator, unkempt, but it was not hard to see that he was not very old.

"Which faction's Prodigy is this?" A Purple Mansion Immortal Master who had come to the Red Dust Tower to relax looked at Chen Zhuxiao and couldn't help but ask curiously.

Beside him stood a beautiful female Cultivator, her eyes filled with surprise, her voice soft and charming: "It seems the person Fairy Qingyu is about to choose is almost certain. A Genius Sword Cultivator who has comprehended Sword Intent—tsk tsk, he is worthy of the title of Sword Immortal."

Fairy Qingyu on the pavilion in the air put away her jade flute. A flash of complexity crossed her bright eyes behind the veil. She pressed her red lips together, her jade-white knuckles turning white from gripping so hard.

"Why... is it him?!"

Fairy Qingyu sighed softly and retreated into the pavilion. She took out a glazed jade talisman, her gaze deep and distant, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Father did not hesitate to consume a Red Dust Immortal Token to invite the myriad phenomena instrument of the red dust to calculate my so-called destined person, but why, why must it be him?"

The myriad phenomena instrument of the red dust was the supreme Dao Weapon of the Red Dust Immortal Sect, forged by the Red Dust Immortal Sect's founding Ancestral Master, Dao Lord Red Dust. It was an Enlightenment Artifact, said to be able to deduce all phenomena and see through an entire epoch of the future.

And the Red Dust Sect was a branch of the Red Dust Immortal Sect established in various cultivation kingdoms. It could also be called an Immortal Sect because every branch had a Nascent Soul level Venerable presiding over it.

Like the three great Nascent Soul Sects of the Great Qi Cultivation Kingdom—the Cang Gu Hall, the Luotian Sect, and the Red Dust Sect—one could imagine how great the power of this Red Dust Immortal Sect was, even surpassing the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.

Every branch of the Red Dust Immortal Sect had a Nascent Soul level myriad phenomena instrument of the red dust suppressing its Luck. Fairy Qingyu's father had invited the myriad phenomena instrument of the red dust of the Great Qi Red Dust Sect to deduce the whereabouts of her destined person.

According to the feedback from the myriad phenomena instrument of the red dust, this destined person was located in Xuan Prefecture. That was why Fairy Qingyu had temporarily joined the Red Dust Sect, entering and exiting various places in Xuan Prefecture as an entering-the-world Disciple of the Red Dust Sect, with the sole purpose of finding that so-called destined person.

After a long time, Chen Zhuxiao finally exited his state of enlightenment. His sharp Sword Intent was hidden, but the edge all over his body was difficult to conceal, like a drawn divine sword that no shackle could bind.

"I am Zhang Tianyou. Fellow Daoist, would you care to fight me?!" At this moment, a burly Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator jumped out and challenged Chen Zhuxiao on the spot.

If he could defeat a Foundation Establishment Sword Cultivator who had comprehended Sword Intent, he, Zhang Tianyou, would surely become famous and enter the Xuan Prefecture Prodigy Ranking!

Chen Zhuxiao frowned slightly, standing with his hands behind his back, neither humble nor arrogant: "If you can take one strike from me, I will count myself as defeated."

"Fellow Daoist, comprehending Sword Intent does not mean you are invincible!" Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianyou's tone became several degrees colder.

Chen Zhuxiao shook his head: "I killed several people like you even before I comprehended Sword Intent, let alone after."

"Good, good, good." Zhang Tianyou laughed out of extreme anger and cupped his hands towards the top of the Red Dust Tower: "I request the Tower Master to open the Red Dust Life and Death Arena. I want to have a life and death battle with this person!"

"Granted!"

A majestic voice fell, and the entire Red Dust Tower shook. A square arena, spanning a thousand zhang, rose from the ground.

"Rumble..."

An ancient Aura permeated, accompanied by a thick killing intent, causing people to tremble involuntarily, with a chill rising straight to their skulls.

This Red Dust Life and Death Arena was prepared for the many Cultivators who came to the Red Dust Tower. If two Cultivators took a fancy to the same Mortal World woman, they could win the right to possess the beauty by fighting in the life and death arena. It was truly bloody.

This arena looked only a thousand zhang in size, but in reality, it contained a universe within; it was a sub-body transformed from an Immortal Artifact, possessing the characteristic of infinite extension.

It was vast and boundless, like an ancient battlefield, stained with blood and countless marks of various weapons. Who knows how many powerful Cultivators had stood here for the sake of a beauty's anger, fighting bloody battles against rivals to decide life and death.

"It is worthy of being one of the most famous arenas under the heavens; it truly lives up to its reputation. I'm afraid it can even compare to that supreme Prodigy Life and Death Arena." A Purple Mansion Immortal Master watching the show from a high floor sighed with emotion.

"Many Purple Mansion Cultivators have died on this arena, and I fear even some at the Great True Person level have as well." Yuan Feng looked at the ancient arena that had suddenly appeared and clicked his tongue in wonder. That such a thing existed in this world was truly eye-opening.

"Brother Yuan, Zhu Xiao has now comprehended Sword Intent, but that has also made him a target for everyone. With his personality, he would rather break than bend; he will never retreat a single step." Chen Fufeng's face showed worry, fearing that his second son would be lost here.

Yuan Feng patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice: "Old Chen, true prodigies are all tempered from life and death, blood and fire. Zhu Xiao has comprehended Sword Intent; he needs Foundation Establishment Cultivators of a certain weight to test his sword and sharpen its edge. We two old guys just need to believe in him, and that's that."

"Yes, believe in Zhu Xiao. He is the Qilin Son of my Chen family, a Sword Cultivator of the Divine Thunder Path, with extreme offensive power, invincible among his peers!" Chen Fufeng nodded, but the worry in his heart remained, he just didn't show it.

Yuan Feng appeared carefree, but in reality, he was sweating for Chen Zhuxiao. There were quite a few Purple Mansion Cultivators gathered in this Red Dust Tower, especially that mysterious Tower Master, who was definitely not simple.

Among the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivators who came for Fairy Qingyu today, many were young Disciples from major Sects who had come to this Red Dust Tower solely to catch Fairy Qingyu's eye.

Now that Chen Zhuxiao had shone brilliantly, these major Sect Disciples would never miss this Opportunity. As long as they could defeat Chen Zhuxiao, they would not only become famous, but their weight in Fairy Qingyu's eyes would also increase.

Zhang Tianyou cupped his hands to the crowd, leaped up, and landed on the arena, looking at Chen Zhuxiao provocatively, as if saying: "Come over here!"

Swish!

Chen Zhuxiao took a quick step, like a flash of lightning. Many Cultivators only felt their eyes blur, and he was already standing on the arena, his body as straight as a pine tree.

"Go to hell!"

Seeing Chen Zhuxiao enter the arena, Zhang Tianyou didn't say a word and attacked directly, shooting out thousands of brilliant golden Sword Qi from his hands, evolving into a sea of Geng Metal Sword Qi.

"Clang!", "Clang!", "Clang!"

The crisp sound of swords ringing shook the four directions. Thousands of sharp Geng Metal Sword Qi merged together, turning into a sword radiance as huge as a mountain, slashing down like a falling golden river.

Fifth-grade Geng Metal Spell, Golden Radiance Mountain-Slicing Sword Art!

"This Zhang Tianyou should be a Disciple of the Golden Blade Sect of Luochuan Commandery. What a Golden Radiance Mountain-Slicing Art; killing ordinary Loose Cultivators is like slaughtering dogs."

The Cultivators watching under the arena were astonished. Zhang Tianyou started with his trump card Fifth-grade Spell. Each strand of Geng Metal Sword Qi was like a real Dharma sword, and when stacked together, the power was imaginable.

Chen Zhuxiao stood with one hand behind his back, facing this lethal strike, his sleeves fluttering, his expression calm.

He formed a sword with his fingers, lightning blindingly bright around his body, thick bolts of lightning entwining him as if draping him in an immortal lightning armor.

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted, and a hundred-zhang sword radiance slashed out fiercely, wreathed in a peerless Sword Intent of severing all shackles and being free and unfettered in the Mortal World. Its edge was endless, colliding with the mountain-like Geng Metal Sword Qi.

Rumble!

Brilliant light and radiance burst forth. The void seemed to shatter under the tearing of Dharma power. The place where the two fought seemed to have turned into ruins, and only those at the Purple Mansion Realm could clearly see the true situation inside.

Pfft!

The thunder-like sword radiance dissipated, and the terrifying Sword Intent was gone, causing everyone's hearts to shake. Had Chen Zhuxiao lost?

A burly figure rushed out, covered in blood. Starting from his forehead, a bloodstain ran vertically downwards, as if his entire person had been sliced open.

"Save... me!"

Zhang Tianyou shouted to those outside the arena. He had suffered unimaginable heavy injuries. Chen Zhuxiao's Sword Intent was too terrifying; it had directly destroyed his Fifth-grade Spell and sliced open his Foundation Establishment Dharma body.

"Next!"

Chen Zhuxiao's sword-like eyebrows stood up. thunder trace on his back rang out, unsheathing itself halfway, and a Heaven-slashing and Earth-destroying Sword Intent erupted.

"No..." Zhang Tianyou roared, his entire body splitting into two halves, his internal organs spilling all over the floor, blood splattering the Red Dust Life and Death Arena, and he died on the spot.