Chapter 613

Chapter 613: Weighing the Pros and Cons

Ling Mo Cheng’s aura surged instantly to the peak of the Seventh Level of the Nascent Soul stage, matching Master Hei Xu’s, which took him by surprise.

Though the Sixth and Seventh Levels were only one stage apart, the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth. Bridging that divide was nearly impossible, even for someone like Ling Mo Cheng, a Misty Sect elder with access to the Great Qin Empire’s finest training resources.

Yet Ling Mo Cheng now radiated the unmistakable aura of the Seventh Level’s peak, rivaling Master Hei Xu completely.

Master Hei Xu’s face darkened. He hadn’t anticipated Ling Mo Cheng’s sudden leap in power. Whatever method Ling Mo Cheng used, it meant a fight would be risky.

Master Hei Xu had assumed his cultivation would dominate here, especially with Tian Yunzi absent. In the earlier layers of the Ice Tower, restrictions had capped Nascent Soul experts at the Fifth Level. Forcing a breakthrough would trigger wild strength backlash—fatal even for Seventh Level masters like him.

But in this frozen realm, those restrictions vanished, restoring his peak Seventh Level power. Confident in his supremacy, he’d never expected Ling Mo Cheng to appear, flaring a Seventh Level aura despite being a Sixth Level cultivator. Now, Master Hei Xu understood the terrifying depth of the Misty Sect’s resources.

Fight or retreat? Master Hei Xu wavered. Backing down after his bold claims would shame him and weaken his claim to treasures. Yet victory wasn’t assured. Ling Mo Cheng’s borrowed strength, combined with potential Immortal artifacts, gave Master Hei Xu less than fifty percent odds of winning—and defeat would spell disaster.

“Ling Mo Cheng, you think the Misty Sect is invincible?” Master Hei Xu bellowed, murderous intent thickening as Ling Mo Cheng tensed to strike.

“The Xuan Yuan Sect is beneath us,” Ling Mo Cheng replied coldly. “Did you truly believe you could challenge the Misty Sect?”

Master Hei Xu narrowed his eyes. “I struck a pact with Hua Changchun and Tian Yunzi to pool all treasures and divide them fairly. Would you defy that?”

Ling Mo Cheng sneered. “Did you think the Misty Sect, Divine Grace Palace, and Great Qin’s imperial family would ally with trash like you? We needed cannon fodder to breach the secret realm’s first layer with minimal losses. That’s all you were.”

Master Hei Xu stiffened, rage flashing in his eyes.

“Ridiculous! You dare negotiate with the three major powers? The Misty Sect could erase a dozen Xuan Yuan Sects without effort. Hand over the treasures you’ve scavenged, and I might let you crawl back alive.”

The insult struck deep. Master Hei Xu, a Seventh Level peak master and sect leader, had never endured such mockery. Rage overwhelmed his caution. How dare a Sixth Level upstart, boosted by tricks, belittle him?

With a roar, Master Hei Xu unleashed his full aura. A towering Buddha-like projection materialized behind him—his Nascent Soul’s manifestation. He’d risk damaging his soul to kill Ling Mo Cheng here.

Unrestricted by the Ice Tower’s earlier limits, his power soared. The projection alone would cripple weaker cultivators. Though Ling Mo Cheng mimicked the Seventh Level’s aura, his true Sixth Level cultivation strained under the pressure.

“Summoning your Nascent Soul’s projection?” Ling Mo Cheng mocked. “You’ll ruin your chances of transcending mortality!” An energy wave erupted from him, scattering Master Hei Xu’s oppressive aura.

“Witness my true power before you die,” Master Hei Xu growled. A pitch-black Immortal artifact shimmered in his hand.

“Kill me, and the Misty Sect will exterminate your sect,” Ling Mo Cheng said calmly.

“You claimed they wouldn’t retaliate!” Master Hei Xu’s grip tightened on the artifact.

“Fool. As a Misty Sect elder, my death demands vengeance. Did you truly believe otherwise?” Ling Mo Cheng laughed, a sly glint in his eyes.

Master Hei Xu faltered. Ling Mo Cheng’s earlier lies had pushed him to attack, but now doubt crept in. That hesitation cost him.

Ling Mo Cheng struck first. A white arc of light shot toward Master Hei Xu’s head.

Master Hei Xu stumbled back, blocking hastily with his left palm.

Boom!

The divine rainbow-like force smashed into him, driving him backward. Ling Mo Cheng pressed his advantage, unleashing a barrage of attacks as fierce as any Seventh Level expert.

Master Hei Xu scrambled to defend, struggling to regain footing. Once initiative was lost, reversing it proved near-impossible against Ling Mo Cheng’s relentless assault.

Watching from afar, Ye Yun gaped. Ling Mo Cheng’s shameless words and Master Hei Xu’s indecision bewildered him. In this world, only strength commanded fear—why hesitate to crush an enemy?

“So this is the mighty Misty Sect?” Ye Yun muttered.