Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2184 The Battle for Supremacy

Meanwhile, in other corners of the training ground, more saplings broke through the soil and grew rapidly, and the life force and wood elemental energy permeating the space became increasingly concentrated.

Li Jue frowned, his figure remaining still as his blade flashed again, sweeping across another lush green area. Trees and vines snapped in its wake, but Qinghe's true form remained elusive.

She became one with the rapidly growing forest, omnipresent yet elusive.

This is precisely the most troublesome aspect of Qinghe Spirit Wood Body combined with the Wood Element Domain. Given time, she can turn the entire training ground into her own domain, with endless vegetation serving as her eyes and ears, her weapons, and her barrier.

To defeat her, one must find her true form before her domain fully expands and the divine tree reaches the heavens, and strike her dead in one blow. Otherwise, one will be bogged down in a war of attrition, facing endless attacks and regeneration from the vegetation.

Li Jue clearly understood this principle as well. He pushed his movement technique to the limit, transforming himself into a streak of elusive black blade light, frantically weaving and slashing through the training ground.

Sharp, dark blade energies crisscrossed, tearing newly grown trees and vines to shreds. Each of his strikes contained the intent to cleave through everything; ordinary wood-based defenses were as fragile as paper before him.

However, Qinghe's movements seemed even more unpredictable.

She truly was a forest spirit, her figure flickering among the dense vegetation, sometimes transforming into a green leaf drifting in the wind, and sometimes merging into the trunk of an ancient tree.

No matter how fast Li Jue's blade was, it was always a beat too slow, and what he struck was often just her afterimage, or the plant clones she had just abandoned.

Moreover, Qinghe's counterattack also arrived quietly.

Li Jue was forced to divert his attention from these ubiquitous attacks, severing roots, splitting branches, and using his sword intent to disperse pollen. This undoubtedly slowed down his search for Qing He's true form and exacerbated his exhaustion.

Time slipped away little by little amidst the fierce pursuit and defense.

A quarter of an hour, a quarter of an hour...

The trees on the training ground were not cleared away by Li Jue's sword energy; instead, they multiplied and grew taller. Towering ancient trees rose from the ground, their branches and leaves so dense that they blocked out the sun.

The pale green wood element domain has covered most of the training ground. Within the domain, Qinghe's aura is omnipresent, yet elusive and hard to find.

Li Jue's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his expression growing increasingly grim. He could sense that as the number of divine trees within the domain increased, Qinghe's power was constantly growing stronger, and the domain's suppressive force was also becoming more and more intense.

His speed was decreasing, and the flow of his sword intent was becoming somewhat sluggish. What bothered him even more was that he still couldn't pinpoint Qinghe's true location. She truly was symbiotic with this forest; as long as the forest existed, she would be immortal.

"This can't go on."

Li Jue was anxious. His battle with Xu Ziqian had taken a heavy toll on him, and he was not at his peak. A prolonged battle would be extremely disadvantageous for him. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he decided to hold back no longer.

Heavenly Blade: Slaying the Void!

Li Jue suddenly stopped, gripped the sword with both hands, raised it high above his head, and a more domineering sword intent soared into the sky.

His black robes fluttered and rustled even without wind, and his jet-black longsword emitted an excited hum, with twisted black patterns appearing on its blade.

At this moment, Li Jue barely managed to lock onto Qing He's true form.

In the next instant, Li Jue merged with his blade, transforming into a black lightning bolt that tore through the sky, and fiercely slashed down at the towering divine tree in front of him.

This strike seeks not change, but only ultimate destruction and severance.

Where the blade flashed, a thin, black slit was cut through the space, and all the grass and trees that blocked its path were instantly and silently reduced to dust.

"Boom!"

The jet-black blade of light slashed at the trunk of the towering divine tree, producing a deafening roar. The violent blade energy and the wood-elemental spiritual light collided and annihilated each other, forming an energy storm that shredded all the vegetation within dozens of miles.

However, to Li Jue's dismay, Qing He, whom he had just locked onto, was not among the divine trees.

"Ten Thousand Trees Lock the Spirit!"

A clear, calm voice suddenly rang out from behind Li Jue. Without anyone noticing, Qing He's figure had silently appeared beside an inconspicuous green bamboo.

With a gentle tap of her jade-like hand, the emerald bamboo trembled slightly, and countless mysterious green runes suddenly lit up on its body.

"boom!"

Countless thick roots and tough vines descended from the sky and the ground, frantically coiling and strangling at Li Jue, whose aura had slightly weakened. Their sheer number and density instantly sealed off all of Li Jue's space to dodge.

At the same time, the ground shook violently, and new trees sprouted from the soil, growing rapidly and filling the area cleared by the fierce blade energy.

Li Jue's expression turned grim. He swung his sword swiftly, the dark blade flashing and severing the approaching roots and vines. But as soon as one batch was cut down, more surged forth, seemingly endless.

What's more troublesome is that the bits of grass and trees he cut didn't lose their vitality after landing; instead, they quickly took root and sprouted, becoming new points of attack.

He was trapped in a growing quagmire, and the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Meanwhile, Qinghe's true form had vanished without a trace.

Finally, after nearly half an hour of fierce fighting, Li Jue was sealed by the power of the entire forest.

"Senior Brother Li, you flatter me." Qinghe's cool voice came.

Inside the sepak takraw, Li Jue's struggles gradually weakened, and the glint of his blade dimmed. He knew he had lost.

Within this Wood element domain, unless he can instantly unleash power exceeding the domain's limits, or accurately locate Qinghe's true form and kill her with a single blow, it's only a matter of time before his power is exhausted.

However, in his current state, he is no longer able to do either of these things.

"I... admit defeat." From inside the sepak takraw came Li Jue's muffled voice, filled with deep resentment yet utter helplessness.

Upon hearing this, Qinghe waved her hand, and the vines and roots that had been enveloping Li Jue receded like a tide. A moment later, the training ground returned to its original state.

Li Jue broke free, his black robe disheveled, his aura undulating, and his face grim. He glanced deeply at Qing He, who remained calm on a distant treetop, then at Xu Ziqian, who was meditating, and Chen Fei, who was sitting quietly. Without a word, he turned and leaped into the martial arts arena.

The consecutive defeats to Xu Ziqian and Qing He were a significant blow to someone as proud and arrogant as him.

"Qinghe wins!" Elder Qingxu's voice rang out, bringing the battle, which had lasted for half an hour, to a close.

The disciples watching discussed among themselves. Qinghe's way of winning was not as violent and direct as Xu Ziqian's, nor as tragic and decisive as Cao Feiyu's. Instead, she used a kind of almost unsolvable control and attrition to wear down Li Jue, whose attack power was astonishing.

"Wait, Senior Brother Xu has already won both of his battles."

"According to the rules, the final ranking is based on the number of wins. If Senior Brother Xu wins one more game, he will have three wins."

"Regardless of the outcome between Senior Brother Chen Fei, Senior Sister Qing He, and Senior Brother Li Jue, as long as Senior Brother Xu wins any of the next matches, he will receive a top-grade spiritual material."

"That's really true."

The discussions swept across the land like a tidal wave, and everyone's attention was once again focused on Xu Ziqian. It seemed that Xu Ziqian was only one step away from obtaining a top-grade spiritual material of the sixteenth rank.

In the arena, Xu Ziqian, who was meditating, naturally heard the surrounding discussions. He slowly opened his eyes, a flash of dark golden light appearing deep within them. He looked at the high platform, then at Chen Fei not far away, showing no smugness or excitement.

It's not just about winning one more game, it's about winning everything!

"Next match..." Elder Qingxu's gaze swept over them, lingering briefly on Chen Fei and Xu Ziqian:

"Chen Fei vs. Xu Ziqian".

These words sparked even more heated discussion and anticipation in the already noisy scene.

The match between Chen Fei and Xu Ziqian is practically a pre-final showdown. It's a direct confrontation between the two currently recognized strongest players, and a crucial battle that will determine whether Xu Ziqian can secure the championship early.

"Finally... this moment has come."

"It's a true battle between Senior Brother Chen Fei and Senior Brother Xu Ziqian."

"Who do you think will win? Senior Brother Xu's divine body is too abnormal; even Senior Sister Cao's powerful sword couldn't break through it."

"It's hard to say. Senior Brother Chen Fei has always kept his true strength hidden. Who knows if he still has any trump cards up his sleeve? He was able to break through Senior Sister Qing He's domain, so he might be able to break through Senior Brother Xu's defense."

"But Senior Brother Xu's strength is also terrifying; he even broke Senior Sister Cao's sword. Can Senior Brother Chen Fei's physical body withstand that kind of power?"

"Don't forget, Senior Brother Chen Fei possesses the inheritance of three sects, so his methods are definitely not that simple."

"Will Senior Sister Cao's crushing defeat affect Senior Brother Chen's mental state?"

"I noticed that Senior Brother Chen Fei remained very calm, as if he wasn't affected at all."

"That's called calm? I find that look a little scary..."

In the Tiangang Peak area, Liu Ruxu clenched her small fists nervously, her pretty face filled with a complex expression of excitement and trepidation.

She naturally trusted her senior brother Xu unconditionally, but Chen Fei's previous behavior made her uncertain. She could only secretly pray that her senior brother Xu would win.

Li Jue, holding his long sword, leaned against a rock, his face cold and his eyes fixed intently on the scene.

Qinghe remained as beautiful and refined as ever, standing barefoot in place, her gaze calmly fixed on the field. However, her slender white fingers unconsciously and gently twirled a green leaf in her hand.

Feng Butong stood at the edge, his usual warm smile long gone.

Chen Fei strode towards the training ground at a leisurely pace. His footsteps landed on the black jade stone ground, producing a soft yet clear "tap, tap" sound that resonated in the quiet environment, striking a chord in everyone's hearts.

On the other side, Xu Ziqian finished his meditation and headed towards the training ground. At the same time, he was also observing Chen Fei in the distance with extreme caution.

This opponent is unlike any he has ever encountered before.

The blade was sharp and unstoppable, its trajectory and intent clearly visible; it could be easily broken through by a stronger force and a more robust defense.

Cao Feiyu's sword is unyielding and sharp, with a pure and extreme sword intent. It can also overcome skill with brute force and crush with greater power.

But Chen Fei... Xu Ziqian couldn't see through him.

"The three inheritances are integrated into one body: Array Dao, Spirit Mirror, Return to Truth Body... The methods are endless and unpredictable. One must remain unchanged to deal with all changes. No matter how you change, I will break through it with my own strength."

The core advantage of the Divine General Body lies in absolute defense. As long as you defend against the opponent's possible unpredictable tactics and overwhelm them with sheer power, victory will inevitably be yours.

The two stood facing each other, dozens of miles apart.

An invisible aura was already colliding and intertwining between the two. The space became viscous, and a heart-palpitating sense of oppression permeated the entire training ground.

Just then, Xu Ziqian in the arena uttered a deep voice: "Junior Brother Chen, I have been looking forward to this battle for a long time."

Xu Ziqian's voice, like the beating of a war drum, was deep and resonant, carrying an undisguised burning fighting spirit and strong confidence. It echoed on the silent mountaintop and clearly reached everyone's ears.

He stood there, his figure as upright as a pine tree, with a faint golden glow beneath his bronze skin, like a war god poised to strike.

Having defeated Li Jue and Cao Feiyu in succession, his momentum had reached its peak, and his fighting spirit was boiling like magma. He desperately needed a worthy opponent to prove his Dao and establish his unparalleled reputation among his peers.

Chen Fei, the opponent whom everyone considers the biggest variable, is undoubtedly the best whetstone and the last mountain he must cross on his way to the top.

However, faced with Xu Ziqian's oppressive words, Chen Fei simply smiled and made no response.

Xu Ziqian's boiling fighting spirit suddenly stopped, replaced by a surge of furious anger at being slighted.

Although Chen Fei didn't say anything, it was precisely this silence that represented his entire meaning.

"boom!"

The raging blood and qi surged and roared within Xu Ziqian's body like the Yangtze River, emitting a deep, rumbling sound. Dark golden patterns instantly spread across his entire body.

His already tall frame swelled even more, his skin taking on a dark, heavy metallic sheen, as if cast from divine metal. An aura of pressure, like a tangible tide, surged outwards from him.

Xu Ziqian's dark golden eyes locked onto Chen Fei.

"Boom!"

He stomped his foot and transformed into a blurry, dark golden afterimage, tearing through space and instantly bridging the distance between them, appearing in front of Chen Fei.

There was no probing, no fancy moves, just the most direct close-range punches.

Before the fist even arrived, the terrifying pressure of the fist, like an invisible mountain, crashed down.

The space around Chen Fei was compressed to the extreme, and he let out a wail of unbearable strain. His blue robe was blown so hard that it clung to his body and fluttered wildly, and his black hair danced wildly behind him.

This punch, delivered with rage by Xu Ziqian, was three times more powerful than the one he used against Cao Feiyu.

He wanted to shatter Chen Fei's arrogance with a single punch.

Chen Fei stared at the dark golden fist rapidly enlarging in his pupils, and at Xu Ziqian's face contorted with rage.

Then, just as the fist was about to strike, Chen Fei raised his right hand.

His five fingers were slightly bent, forming a fist, which collided with the fist enveloped in dark golden divine light.

"boom!"

A dull, resounding impact seemed not to echo in the air, but rather to explode directly in the depths of everyone's hearts and souls.

The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power and a sense of weight, causing the hearts of all the disciples watching to clench sharply.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

In the arena, the two fists did not produce the expected earth-shattering explosion, nor did they burst forth with dazzling light.

A single, visible, transparent ripple spread silently from the point where the fists clashed. Wherever the ripple passed, space rippled and twisted slightly like water before collapsing.

Xu Ziqian's dark golden fist struck as if it had crashed into an unshakeable mountain barrier.

The dark golden divine patterns that flowed wildly across the surface of the fist tried to crush and destroy everything in its path, but all the force seemed to sink into nothingness, failing to even budge the opponent!

"Buzz!"

A strange, spatial hum suddenly resounded, centered on Chen Fei.

Centered on Chen Fei's position, within a radius of ten miles, countless complex and profound pale silver array patterns suddenly lit up in the void.

These intertwined and rotating array patterns did not expand outwards to form a formation domain to trap and kill enemies, but rather firmly enveloped and bound Chen Fei himself at the center.

"Senior Brother Chen is setting up an array?"

"Wait! His formation... why is it enveloping me?"

The pale silver array that enveloped Chen Fei shone brighter and brighter, the array patterns flowed faster and faster, the space within the array became viscous and slow, and the flow of time also underwent subtle changes.

"Using oneself as the core of the formation, drawing the power of heaven and earth into one's own body?" Feng Butong's gaze flickered slightly.

The power of heaven and earth borrowed by the formation is vast and chaotic. Forcibly incorporating it into one's body puts an extremely heavy burden on the physical body! Even cultivators who specialize in body refinement rarely allow other formation cultivators to bless them in this way.

Just as Feng Butong's thoughts were racing, Chen Fei, who was shrouded in the formation, began to experience a surge in his aura.

"Boom!"

As if originating from the very source of heaven and earth, the annihilation patterns of Chen Fei's True Nature Body and the pale silver spacetime array patterns on his body began to resonate and merge in a strange way.

At the same time, the clear radiance of the Undying True Light Mirror channeled the violently borrowed power of heaven and earth into Chen Fei's body in a way that the Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body could withstand.

Furthermore, the Dao Ruins Return to Truth Body's ability to annihilate all laws is perfectly combined with the power of spacetime arrays, forming a completely new power system.

It takes the Dao Ruins Returning to Truth Body as the core and ultimate carrier of power, the Eternal Void Time Array Scripture as the power amplification and channel, and the Immortal True Suchness Spiritual Light Mirror as the core of power harmonization and control.

At this moment, the three top-tier inheritances did not simply add each other together, but rather produced a qualitative chemical reaction, perfectly blending and complementing each other.

"Roar--!"

A deep roar, seemingly from an ancient ferocious beast, faintly emanated from Chen Fei's body. This aura was different from Xu Ziqian's pure power and violent blood energy; it was a kind of pressure that mixed multiple artistic conceptions.

Under this oppressive force, Chen Fei's figure did not grow taller, but in everyone's perception, he seemed to be connected with the earth beneath his feet, the sky above his head, and the surrounding void.

He was no longer an independent individual, but had become a part of this world and spacetime, the core of the formation, the hub of power, and the embodiment of the rules.

Although everyone knew that this was not Chen Fei's Dao Domain, at this moment, Chen Fei gave the impression that his Dao Domain had been infinitely amplified by the formation.

It was as if every gesture he made could draw upon the power of the very origin of the Great Dao. (End of Chapter)