Chapter 183: Two Evergreen Trees for Body Protection
The other Core Formation stage cultivators had found their respective opponents and were locked in battle.
Various types of spiritual weapons and techniques were being unleashed.
Spiritual energy surged wildly around Spirit Beast Mountain.
The battle involving dozens of Core Formation stage cultivators caused the surrounding spiritual energy to become chaotic.
If Foundation Establishment stage cultivators got too close, they would feel dizzy and unable to use their spiritual energy.
Shen Mo's opponent was obvious—it was naturally Luo Chaotian.
Both of them drew their long swords.
Clang, clang, clang.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of strikes were exchanged.
Sparks flew, dazzling and intense.
"Thunder Shadow Sword Technique? It seems somewhat different from the Thunder Shadow Sword Technique of the Qingxuan Sect," Luo Chaotian quickly noticed the peculiarity of Shen Mo's swordplay.
It was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes still, sometimes in motion.
It was unpredictable, hard to defend against.
However, Luo Chaotian was the sect master of the Divine Sword Sect.
And since the Divine Sword Sect was named for the sword, they naturally had unique insights into various sword techniques.
Shen Mo's swordsmanship could suppress other cultivators but not Luo Chaotian.
Shen Mo chuckled, "Sect Master Luo's swordsmanship is quite average. Is this the level of the top sect among the Five Great Sects of Xuanjing River?"
Luo Chaotian snorted coldly, and his technique abruptly changed.
Suddenly, it became like a mighty river, rushing down with unstoppable force.
In the next instant, it shifted, becoming like the Nine Springs of the Underworld—soft, lingering, delicate yet ruthless.
Shen Mo raised an eyebrow.
Indeed, Luo Chaotian lived up to his reputation as the master of the Divine Sword Sect. His mastery of sword techniques had reached an exceptional level.
However, Shen Mo's methods weren't limited to just swordsmanship, nor was he focused solely on it.
Without hesitation, he abandoned his sword, and a purple-black demonic armored gauntlet appeared on his right arm.
Splat!
He suddenly crushed three blood pouches hidden in his sleeve.
Nine drops of Ice Jiao blood immediately fused into the demonic armor.
In an instant, the armor transformed into an ice spike form.
Then, with a sudden motion, he unleashed a devastating punch!
Endless icy spiritual energy surged from all directions in the blink of an eye.
A massive ice spiral formed.
Its force was so overwhelming that it seemed as though it could freeze even the soul.
Facing such an awe-inspiring attack, Luo Chaotian's expression changed slightly.
He had previously heard about the terrifying power of the demonic armor from others' descriptions.
But now, facing it directly, even his heart raced with fear.
He felt an astonishing threat.
His intuition told him that if he couldn't block this strike, he would be severely injured!
Luo Chaotian quickly reversed his grip on his sword and, in a flash, stabbed seven times in rapid succession.
The seven sword beams didn't dissipate but instead merged into the form of a giant sword in front of him.
This was the Divine Sword Sect's secret technique, a high-grade Earth-class defensive skill, only comprehensible after reaching the sixth level of the "Flying Sword Longevity Scripture."
It was called the "Seven Stars Divine Sword."
Though named after a sword, it was one of the most formidable defensive techniques.
The surrounding elders of the Divine Sword Sect, seeing this move, were taken aback.
It had been a long time since they had seen Luo Chaotian use this technique in combat.
It seemed that Shen Mo, who had shaken both the northern and southern parts of the Xuanjing River, was indeed formidable.
He had forced Luo Chaotian to take this battle seriously!
Boom!
In the next moment, the icy spiral clashed with the Seven Stars Divine Sword.
Blinding light shot out in all directions.
Ice shards flew, and sword energy scattered.
The shockwaves from the attack struck the ground, blasting rocks into the air and destroying massive trees.
Several Core Formation cultivators who couldn't evade in time groaned, coughing up blood.
As for the Foundation Establishment stage and lower cultivators, those unlucky enough to encounter the shockwaves would be injured if they were grazed and killed if directly struck.
It was truly a case of immortals battling while mortals suffered.
To Core Formation stage cultivators, those below them—Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation stage cultivators—were no different from ordinary mortals.
In midair, the ice particles scattered, and the light dimmed.
Two figures were sent flying at the same time.
Shen Mo was thrown back more than ten meters.
Meanwhile, Luo Chaotian flew back over thirty meters before he managed to stabilize himself.
Both of them had sustained injuries.
Shen Mo had sword wounds on his chest and left arm.
Even though his Green Lotus Robe was incredibly durable, it had been slashed open.
However, before much blood could flow, the wounds began to heal rapidly.
In contrast, Luo Chaotian had small holes all over his body, each filled with tiny ice shards.
The ice shards emitted a bone-chilling cold, affecting the surrounding flesh and blood.
Even with Luo Chaotian channeling his spiritual energy to shake them off, it wasn't easy to expel them from his body.
With just one strike, the difference in strength between the two was clear!
Luo Chaotian shouted in a low voice, "You're not at the peak of the Core Formation stage; you've already reached the pinnacle!"
This scene, witnessed by the cultivators from the three factions, stirred up a massive storm in their hearts.
To them, no matter how much Shen Mo's reputation spread across Xuanjing, no matter how talented and accomplished he was as a young prodigy, he shouldn't have been a match for Luo Chaotian.
After all, Luo Chaotian had long been famous, the strongest among the five sect masters of Xuanjing River.
Wang Tianzhan, Mo Hanshan, Zhao Liepeng, and Zhuang Mochou had all fought against him, and none had ever defeated him.
But now, this moment shocked them to the core.
Luo Chaotian's low growl wasn't heard by many, but those nearby who caught his words were even more shaken.
This young man... had reached the pinnacle of the Core Formation stage?! He was only in his twenties, yet he stood at the very top of Xuanjing's cultivators?!
"Sect Master Luo has sharp eyes to see through this," Shen Mo said with a faint smile.
"Your demonic armor is already ineffective, and your Water Ink Sword Qi can't harm me."
"Next, you're going to use the Red Lotus Flame and the Nine Suns Divine Phoenix Technique."
Luo Chaotian stared coldly at the young man before him.
Shen Mo clapped his hands. "Sect Master Luo knows me well, but unfortunately, you didn't guess my next move."
In the next instant, Luo Chaotian's figure vanished from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was already thrusting his sword forward.
A fierce and biting sword energy erupted from the tip of his blade.
In an instant, the sword energy expanded to a size of over ten meters.
The distance between them shrank rapidly to just twenty meters, thanks to the movement technique Luo Chaotian had used.
From a distance, the scattered cultivators, some standing on treetops, others on mountaintops, were stunned by what they saw.
"What kind of move is that? Luo Chaotian just disappeared from his spot!"
"It must be the Divine Sword Sect's Earth-class movement technique, the 'Instant Shadow Sword.' However, the version I know doesn't seem this powerful."
An elderly cultivator chuckled, "You youngsters still lack experience. This move is a perfected form of the Instant Shadow Sword, known as 'Instant Shadow Flash.'"
"As far as I know, only two people in the entire Divine Sword Sect have mastered Instant Shadow Flash. One is Zhou Qingcang, and the other is Luo Chaotian."
"Tsk, tsk, no wonder it's so formidable!"
"It looks like Shen Mo might be in trouble. Look at his expression—he doesn't seem to have reacted at all."
"Divine Sword Sect cultivators excel in close-quarters combat. I wonder if Shen Mo can block this strike..."
Many cultivators focused their gazes on Shen Mo.
This included those within Spirit Beast Mountain, such as Mo Yuheng and Liu Menghu.
"Young Sect Master, can he block it?" Liu Menghu wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked.
Mo Yuheng shook his head. "It's difficult. From what I know, he needs time to gather the four great gates to perform his defensive technique."
"Luo Chaotian isn't giving him much time right now."
In midair.
The fierce sword energy grew closer and closer to Shen Mo's chest.
Luo Chaotian's gaze was icy, unwavering.
At that moment, Shen Mo didn't even need to channel his spiritual energy. Suddenly, a massive amount of wood-based spiritual energy converged around him.
In the next instant, two towering, verdant evergreen trees suddenly appeared!
Mo Yuheng exclaimed in shock, "Evergreen Trees for Body Protection?! And there are two of them!"
🌟 Unlock Exclusive Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
Hello, beloved readers!
Join my Patreon community to enjoy:
📚 Daily Updates: Never wait for new chapters—get your story fix every day!
📖 20 Chapters Ahead: Access new chapters far in advance of Scribblehub/RoyalRoad/Webnovel releases.
Support the creation of the stories you love and dive deeper into my world!
Patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
Please Join Patreon!!