51: Chapter 51 Battle Against the Peak Golden Core

As the middle-aged Cultivator lunged toward Ning Yuan at high speed, his dense aura swept forward, a wave of invisible pressure crashing against Ning Yuan's face.

"Is this the strength of the Golden Core Peak?"

Feeling that powerful aura, Ning Yuan's eyes filled with solemnity. Having just made a Breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, he needed someone to test his strength, and the person before him was an excellent opponent.

"Pingtian Sword Art!"

'Yuanzhi' appeared in Ning Yuan's hand, bringing forth a sharp sword light that transformed into a brilliant radiance as it struck toward the middle-aged Cultivator.

"Hmph!"

Facing Ning Yuan's offensive, the middle-aged Cultivator didn't take it seriously at all. He didn't evade in the slightest; only when the sword light was upon him did he suddenly throw a punch.

Boom!

The expected scene of the sword light being crushed with overwhelming force did not occur. Instead, the two sides were locked in a stalemate, leaving the middle-aged Cultivator's face full of shock.

With his Golden Core Peak cultivation, he was actually unable to take down an Early Stage Golden Core Cultivator instantly, filling his heart with disbelief.

But what happened next terrified him even more. Another sword light swept in fiercely, and before he could react, it slashed across his chest like a bolt of lightning.

Puchi!

Being struck in the chest, he immediately felt countless tiny strands of Sword Qi invading his body, damaging his internal organs. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth, and his entire body flew backward uncontrollably, crashing heavily onto the ground.

The Yu Ling Sect Disciples watched the middle-aged Cultivator fly backward, shock involuntarily surfacing in their eyes. They clearly hadn't expected a dignified Golden Core Peak Cultivator to be sent flying by a single move.

But before they could recover their senses, Nangong Xi had already charged before them. A strange light flashed in her beautiful eyes, causing them all to freeze in place.

Puff, puff, puff!

Nangong Xi took the opportunity to swing the long sword in her hand. Several afterimages flashed past, and the heads of the Disciples tumbled to the ground one after another, their eyes still holding a look of confusion.

Clearly, they hadn't realized the fact of their own deaths yet, still immersed in the illusion and unable to extricate themselves.

This was the terrifying aspect of the 'Elysium Illusion Scripture' that Nangong Xi cultivated; it could make people fall into it unknowingly and then be easily dealt with by her.

Even so, Nangong Xi's heart could not remain calm for a long time, because Ning Yuan's strength after his Breakthrough to Golden Core far exceeded her imagination.

When she was at the Early Stage of Golden Core, it would have been impossible for her to repel a Golden Core Peak Cultivator like Ning Yuan did, making her once again shocked by Ning Yuan's talent.

At the same time, it also made her feel a bit uneasy. Ning Yuan's talent and strength were so outstanding, while she... Just as Nangong Xi was lost in thought, Ning Yuan didn't delay for a moment. With a shift of his body, he directly launched an attack on the middle-aged Cultivator.

The 'Yuanzhi' in his hand transformed into dozens of sword shadows, enveloping the middle-aged Cultivator's vital points, every strike being lethal.

Seeing this, a trace of panic couldn't help but flash across the middle-aged Cultivator's face, but he didn't just give up. His fists danced continuously to block the countless sword shadows while his body retreated repeatedly to avoid the brunt of the attack.

Facing the middle-aged Cultivator's resistance, Ning Yuan wasn't surprised at all. He continued to attack according to his own rhythm, appearing unhurried.

Boom, boom, boom!

The middle-aged Cultivator naturally resisted Ning Yuan's attack with all his might. The two figures interlaced, attacking each other incessantly. The sky full of sword shadows and fist shadows collided, producing a series of booming sounds.

Bang!

Another terrifying collision of Spiritual Qi erupted, and the two figures retreated simultaneously, carving out marks of over ten meters on the ground.

After a round of fighting, the two were actually evenly matched.

"His strength is actually even stronger than I anticipated..." Watching the battle before her, Nangong Xi was secretly alarmed, murmuring to herself.

The middle-aged Cultivator panted slightly, his eyes now filled with solemnity. He had underestimated Ning Yuan before; he hadn't expected a mere Early Stage Golden Core's strength to be so formidable.

The strength he displayed was completely equal to his own. But so what? He was, after all, at the Golden Core Peak cultivation, and he wasn't without his own trump cards.

"Kid, your strength truly surprises me, but it ends here!"

The middle-aged Cultivator looked up at Ning Yuan, a cold light flashing in his eyes. The Spiritual Qi in his body surged violently, and a dangerous aura radiated out.

Feeling this aura, Nangong Xi and Ning Yuan's expressions changed drastically. A bone-chilling sensation arose spontaneously, and alarm bells rang in their hearts.

Then, they saw the middle-aged Cultivator slap the Spirit Pet Bag at his waist. A dark shadow flashed like lightning and then attached itself to the middle-aged Cultivator's body.

Boom, boom!

An ink-black Spiritual Qi erupted from within the middle-aged Cultivator's body. From a distance, it looked as if he were enveloped in black flames.

As the black Spiritual Qi appeared, his pupils also changed, becoming as cold and terrifying as a venomous snake's.

At the same time, dense scales slowly appeared on his body, glinting with a cold light. Even his head began to evolve toward that of a snake.

"What the hell is this? How can he transform? Cosplay?"

Ning Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, his heart shouting that he didn't understand. What kind of ghostly technique was this, being able to turn from a person into this monstrous appearance?

"Ning Yuan, don't try to be a hero! Shall we strike together?" Just as Ning Yuan was secretly complaining, Nangong Xi's shout quickly reached him.

"Don't worry! Let me try first, and if it doesn't work, we'll go in together!" Seeing this, Ning Yuan said with a smile. Although it looked very unusual, he would only know the specifics after testing it.

Hearing him say this, Nangong Xi had no choice but to drop the idea of attacking together. However, she still kept a close watch; if Ning Yuan fell into a disadvantageous position, she would strike immediately.

"Kid, you two should just come at me together! Don't blame me for not giving you a chance; this way, you can be a pair of doomed lovers!"

By now, his head was already identical to a snake's. He flicked his tongue and revealed a sinister grin.

"Dealing with someone like you doesn't require two people to act!" Ning Yuan said with a shrug, a perfectly timed trace of contempt appearing on his face.

"I think you're looking for death!"

Before his voice had even faded, he slammed his foot down, and his entire being turned into a series of afterimages as he lunged toward Ning Yuan.

"Good timing!"

Ning Yuan met him with a smile. Simultaneously, Sword Intent erupted around him. With a movement of his hand, an overwhelming wave of sword light swept out, covering the middle-aged Cultivator within.

"Hmph! You think the same trick will work again?"

Looking at the sword light that struck like a rainstorm, he showed a disdainful expression. Instead of dodging, he charged straight out, his heavy fist smashing out like a giant hammer to meet the incoming sword light head-on.

Clang, clang, clang!

The sword light and the heavy fist collided, producing a loud noise like iron being struck. Waves of Spiritual Qi fluctuations exploded, stirring up violent winds that scattered in all directions.

After performing the unknown secret technique, the middle-aged Cultivator's strength had increased significantly, and even his defense had been greatly enhanced due to the scales on his body.

Under his heavy fist, the sky full of sword light was like paper, shattering one after another, while only white marks remained on his body.