186: Autumn Water Sword

"Hmm?" he uttered a soft sound of surprise, his gaze returning to Lin Feng.

"He actually managed to take my 'Sea Severing Finger' without being severely injured?" Although that finger strike wasn't his full power, an ordinary Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator would at least lose their combat ability, if not die. Yet, this young man merely coughed up blood and was pushed back, his Aura still solid.

"The Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Canglan Continent, their Cultivation Technique refinement and Spiritual Qi condensation are actually this high? A random Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator I meet has such strength?" He couldn't help but feel doubts about the cultivation level of this unfamiliar continent.

"Your Sword Qi is sharp and condensed, quite impressive," the Gray-Robed Cultivator's tone remained calm, but his eyes were still solemn.

He made a claw shape with his right hand and gently pressed forward. This time, it wasn't a single stream of water, but a pale blue water curtain that appeared out of thin air, sweeping towards Lin Feng like a surging tide.

This water curtain covered a vast area, not only carrying immense pressure but also containing a viscous, coiling force, intending to completely bind and crush Lin Feng.

"This Move, 'Layered Wave Heavy Water', let's see how you'll withstand it with brute force now?"

The air around Lin Feng suddenly became viscous and heavy. The pale blue water curtain came crashing down with overwhelming power, and even more troublesome was a powerful suction force within it, like countless invisible hands coiling around him, trying to drag him down firmly.

Direct confrontation was definitely not an option. It would be like punching cotton; not only would he be unable to exert force, but he would also get entangled, and then completely overwhelmed by the subsequent, more turbulent power.

In a flash, the flow of Spiritual Qi within his body instantly changed. Instead of resisting, his body became soft and elusive, subtly shifting and gliding with the flow of the water curtain's power.

At the same time, his right hand had already transformed into Yimu Sword Essence, quietly pointing downwards. Several tough green vines broke through the soil, deftly coiling around several key points where the power of the water curtain surged at its base.

With hissing sounds, the green vines violently shook under the impact of the water flow, but their entanglement indeed caused a slight stagnation in the water curtain's movement.

Just as this subtle change in the force field appeared, Lin Feng's figure, like a loach, narrowly slipped out through the momentarily appearing gap. Although the edge of the water current caused his Qi and blood to churn, he avoided the direct crushing force.

The Gray-Robed Cultivator let out a soft sound of surprise, a hint of astonishment flashing across his face. His 'Layered Wave Heavy Water' seemed calm, but actually concealed a coiling force; ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators, once caught, would find it extremely difficult to escape.

This kid in front of him could actually find the nodes of the force field's flow so precisely and escape in such a clever way? The Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Canglan Continent, their understanding and application of power, have actually reached this level?

Naturally, he didn't know that the Nine Profound Sword Heart Art Cultivation Technique Lin Feng practiced granted him an abnormal sensitivity to the Five Elements changes, nor did he know that Lin Feng had multiple experiences fighting Core Formation Cultivators.

As soon as Lin Feng stabilized his figure and before he could even regulate his breathing, he saw the Gray-Robed Cultivator merge his sword fingers. Immediately, thousands of ice needles, as fine as ox hair, condensed in the air, rushing towards him with bone-chilling coldness. These ice needles were not as imposing as the previous water curtain, but they were more insidious and difficult to defend against, specifically designed to break through protective Spiritual Qi.

He dared not be careless. With a flick of his finger, a dark-colored bead flew out from his sleeve, suspending itself before him. This was precisely the xuanming heavy water bead, the rare treasure that had automatically protected him multiple times before.

As Spiritual Qi was channeled, a faint glow circulated around the bead, and a thick, solid black water shield, whose surface gently rippled like water, instantly formed.

The ice needles arrived in an instant, striking the water shield with dense, muffled popping sounds. Most of the ice needles seemed to sink into a swamp, being gradually worn down and deflected by the heavy, flowing water momentum, eventually losing all their force and dissipating.

However, a few extremely condensed ice needles still penetrated the water shield's defense, hitting Lin Feng's protective spiritual light, causing ripples and bringing a bone-chilling coldness.

The Gray-Robed Cultivator let out a soft "hmm." His skill in condensing water into needles seemed simple, but it contained hidden profundities; ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivators' defensive Magic Treasures would find it difficult to withstand.

What surprised him even more was that the treasure bead the opponent brought out, with its emanating heavy water Aura, had a similar effect to his 'Layered Wave Heavy Water Art', both belonging to rare methods of controlling heavy water. "This xuanming heavy water... this person actually also possesses such a rare water-element Magic Treasure?"

His gaze subtly sharpened, and his originally indifferent expression became a little more serious. "To be able to utilize heavy water to such an extent, you indeed have some skill." He lightly turned his wrist, and the longsword named autumn water let out a clear, ringing sound. "It seems if I don't show some real ability, I might be underestimated."

Before his words finished, his entire being had already merged with the sword light, transforming into a brilliant blue long rainbow that tore through the air. This sword Move seemed simple, yet it perfectly fused the profound thickness of the Layered Wave Heavy Water Art with the sharp edge of the ice needles. The sword's momentum was like a river surging, carrying both immense power and countless hidden killing opportunities.

Before the sword's edge arrived, the fierce Sword Intent already caused Lin Feng's surrounding Spiritual Qi to stagnate. He knew in his heart that this sword Move was unavoidable; if he retreated even half a step, he would fall into an irreversible predicament.

Immediately, he clasped his hands in front of his chest, and the accumulated thunder power within his body erupted with a roar.

As his ten fingers flew, a thunderous electric vortex, entangled with countless electric snakes, rapidly formed in front of him. This was precisely the offensive and defensive Thunder Vortex Annihilation Move from the Seven Heavens Thunder Lure.

Almost simultaneously, the Gray-Robed Cultivator's sword light arrived. Blue and white lights collided violently, erupting in a deafening roar. The thunder vortex vibrated intensely under the impact of the autumn water sword; electric light and water vapor intertwined and splattered, eventually unable to sustain itself and collapsing with a crash. However, after this obstruction, the unstoppable sword light also dissipated into nothingness.

Lin Feng was shaken back several steps by the aftershock, a sweetness rising in his throat as he forcefully suppressed his churning Qi and blood. In that last attack, he seemed to have fought to a draw, but in reality, he had suffered a hidden loss. The sharpness of the autumn water sword far exceeded expectations; even the thunder vortex could not completely neutralize it.

The Gray-Robed Cultivator stood with his sword, his robes gently fluttering in the turbulent Spiritual Qi. That last sword Move, he had used seventy percent of his Cultivation Power, yet it was still neutralized by the opponent's thunder technique.

"You are the first Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator to withstand my autumn water sword's 'Long River Piercing the Sun'." He slowly raised his head. "This sword is forged from the essence of North Sea Cold Iron, tempered for a hundred years in a ten-thousand-zhang sea eye. When drawn, it's like a tide, already possessing sentience. It's truly remarkable that you forced me to use it."

His gaze swept over the remnants of the green vines still faintly trembling on the ground, his tone carrying a hint of surprise. "Heavy water, thunder, and those strange green vines... just who are you?"

He genuinely couldn't understand how a Foundation Establishment Cultivator could simultaneously master so many vastly different powers. Those green vines could precisely pinpoint the operational nodes of his Cultivation Technique, and the thunder technique even resisted his water-attributed sword art. This completely exceeded his understanding of Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators.

Lin Feng's heart was equally turbulent at this moment, far from as calm as he appeared on the surface. His gaze was fixed on the Gray-Robed Cultivator, his Qi and blood still subtly churning. He knew that although the Thunder Vortex Annihilation had barely blocked the sword Move, the opponent had clearly not used his full strength yet.

The Gray-Robed Cultivator said no more. He held the autumn water sword, its surface shimmering, horizontally in front of him. The chill emanating from the sword seemed to freeze the surrounding air. Immediately after, he lightly raised his left hand, and a milky-white treasure bead, the size of a pigeon's egg and perfectly spherical, quietly appeared in his palm.

The treasure bead was perfectly spherical, with cloud-like patterns slowly flowing on its surface. Upon closer inspection, these patterns seemed to be living entities moving within the bead.