Chapter 550

Chapter 550: Terrifying Sword Soul

At this critical moment, Fang Lie showed no panic, instead revealing a contemptuous smile.

As he smiled, a majestic golden shield over one zhang tall suddenly materialized before him, effortlessly deflecting all sword energies. The shield bore dragon scale patterns with mysterious yet beautiful markings. Not only did it remain unscathed by the fierce attacks, it even quivered mockingly after repelling the strikes, as if taunting its opponent.

This lifelike behavior unmistakably revealed its identity – only an Eighth-rank transformation treasure could possess such sentience.

Gasps erupted from the spectators. "The Purple Gold Ruyi Shield! One of Mo Sect’s hidden treasures! It ranks among the top ten below Ninth-Rank treasures!"

"Top three, more like! Legend says Mo Ancestor crafted it himself using Immortal Realm materials! The disciple’s excessive thickness prevented its final ascension, otherwise it’d be Ninth-Rank!"

"Even Mo Sect’s Thunder Tribulation Immortals covet this treasure but lack merits to claim it. Yet Fang Lie obtained it and completed the refining ritual with elders’ help! Though he’s no Shield Expert and uses less than half its power, few can breach this turtle shell!"

"Exactly! In Thunder Tribulation Immortal hands, even Semi-Immortals struggle against it. Ao Jianzi stands no chance now!"

Amidst the murmuring crowd, Ao Jianzi narrowed his eyes and sneered, "I thought you were heroic, Fang Lie. Turns out you’re just a turtle hiding in its shell!"

"I make no heroic claims," Fang Lie retorted, "But your family’s worse! Your father betrayed mine during the righteous-demonic war, and you schemed against me at Little Demon Chamber! Your whole clan are backstabbing scoundrels!"

Ao Jianzi’s face darkened with rage. The crowd shot disdainful looks towards East Kunlun’s contingent. Demonic Path cultivators jeered openly.

"The East Kunlun leader’s lineage wallows in such vileness! How were they raised?"

"Like father, like son! This pair reveals their patriarch’s true nature!"

"With such morals, why stay righteous? Join us demons! We’ll roll out the welcome!"

Demonic laughter boomed across the field. Even Neutral Sect members and righteous allies smirked at East Kunlun’s humiliation.

East Kunlun disciples flushed crimson. The Sword God trembled with suppressed fury but dared not confront the entire crowd. He barked at Ao Jianzi, "Enough chatter! Finish him!"

Complying urgently, Ao Jianzi clasped his hands and roared, "Your shell won’t save you, Fang Lie!"

"Ao Jian Soars Skyward! Human-Sword Unity!" A thousand-zhang sword shadow materialized behind him, containing a blurry human figure resembling Ao Jianzi himself.

The crowd gasped. "A sword soul? Impossible!"

"Historic sword talents only achieved this after Thunder Tribulation! Yet he’s at Qi Sea realm?"

"Qi Sea realm sword soul users are once-in-millennium geniuses! Since when did Ao Jianzi possess such talent?"

"Odd. His grandfather Sword God awakened sword soul at Golden Pool realm, already surpassing peers. How’s this possible?"

"Look – his sword soul appears rigid, like woodcarving. Not natural!"

"A postnatal sword soul perhaps?"

Sword souls emerge when cultivators hone sword intent to perfection, birthing spirit-like entities. This elevates sword intent’s power tenfold – a qualitative transformation.

Normally requiring millennia of cultivation, Thunder Tribulation endurance, and Three Heavenly Tribulations cleansing, even East Kunlun’s thirty Thunder Tribulation Immortals only half-possess sword souls. Yet Ao Jianzi, no exceptional talent, achieved this prematurely.

So everyone guessed this was likely not an innate sword soul he had refined himself, but a postnatal sword soul granted by an elder. Across the entire world, only two or three individuals like the Sword God could accomplish such a feat!

Bestowing a postnatal sword soul proved extremely difficult. It required an elder to sever a wisp of their own sword soul and fuse it into the junior’s sword intent, combined with several rare treasures from heaven and earth to barely succeed. The sword soul formed the foundation of a sword cultivator’s path. To ascend later, one’s soul must merge with their sword soul – it served as the very root of immortal ascension. Once damaged, recovery became nearly impossible. Thus almost no one dared attempt this.

Yet this time, to kill Fang Lie and reclaim the stolen Star Gold Element Core, the Sword God went all out. He even sacrificed part of his own sword soul to boost Ao Jianzi’s strength. The consequences reduced the Sword God’s power by at least thirty percent, requiring a full Hundred Years to restore.

When the sword soul manifested, Ao Jianzi’s aura transformed completely – like an erupting volcano, his ferocious sword intent pierced the heavens. From dozens of miles away, its mere pressure pricked Fang Lie’s skin with pain.

Fang Lie gaped in shock, bewildered by this sudden surge in power. Before he could even process thoughts, a Sword Ray of pure terror slashed toward his face. Though only a hundred zhang long, this condensed essence packed devastating force. Most frighteningly, the Sword Ray possessed a living spirit within it.

The eighth-rank Purple Gold Ruyi Shield automatically activated to protect its master. This highly spiritual treasure could deploy a Shield Expert’s four ultimate techniques without command, effortlessly deflecting ordinary attacks or even reflecting them. Yet against this Sword Ray, it floundered helplessly. Unable to absorb, reflect, or properly block, the shield resorted to brute-force defense.

The cunning Sword Ray twisted like a serpent mid-flight, confounding the shield’s defenses. Though the Ruyi Shield intercepted the blow through sheer experience, it only caught the trailing energy while the concentrated tip struck its lower-left weak point. The impact knocked the shield sideways.

As the shield desperately tried rebalancing, Ao Jianzi pressed his advantage. His sword strikes flowed like an endless torrent – the second and third blows hammering the same vulnerable spot, battering the Purple Gold Ruyi Shield away from Fang Lie’s front. Though the shield stabilized within feet, the delay proved fatal.

The fourth Sword Ray slipped past the disoriented shield’s flank, piercing clean through Fang Lie. Terrible Sword Energy detonated inside him, reducing his body to splinters.

Despite Fang Lie’s eighth-rank top-grade Purple Gold Ruyi Shield, Ao Jianzi had slain him in four strikes using only an Eighth-Rank Flying Sword. This display chilled every witness to the bone.

None could deny – with sword soul enhancement, Ao Jianzi’s strength now rivaled Thunder Tribulation Immortals. Few such immortals could breach the Ruyi Shield’s defenses so effortlessly. This demonstrated the sword soul’s true horror. Though it granted no raw power boost, it perfected swordsmanship to extremes. Fierce Sword Energy combined with peerless technique multiplied effectiveness tenfold. With this, Ao Jianzi stood virtually unbeatable among his peers!