The instant the Three Talents Immortal Trapping Array shattered, Zhang Xuan and the other two each brought out a life-saving treasure. A jade shield engraved with cloud patterns appeared in Zhang Xuan's hand. As spiritual energy flowed into it, layer upon layer of cloud mist emerged across its surface, forming a thick defense. Ice Soul Elder swallowed a blue pill, causing the chill around him to surge wildly. With a hand seal, countless icicles floated before him and formed an ice wall. Myriad Poisons Old Freak was the most sinister of all. He secretly hid a poison sac in his sleeve, a nearly imperceptible thread of black venom coiling around his fingertips as his gaze remained fixed on Chen Fan's openings.
"Attack together! He's only just touched the threshold of the Martial Saint Realm, and his aura is still unstable. We may still have a chance!" Zhang Xuan roared as he struck first. He thrust the jade shield forward, and cloud mist surged out like a tidal wave, transforming into countless spiritual energy arrows that shot toward Chen Fan. Ice Soul Elder followed close behind, the icicles before him firing out like a torrential downpour. Interwoven with the spiritual energy arrows, they formed an attack net that covered the entire field.
Chen Fan's gaze sharpened as his qi and blood, along with his True Energy, boiled once more. A pale golden Qi and Blood Spear condensed in his hand, its tip gleaming with sharp light. Rather than retreat, he advanced. With a tap of his foot against the ground, he shot into the attack net like an arrow loosed from the bow. Blazing Spear Art: Break the Formation! He unleashed it once again. The spear shadows moved like nimble wandering dragons, weaving through the spiritual energy arrows and icicles. Every flick of the spear shattered several attacks, forcibly tearing open a gap in the net.
"Impossible! How could he so easily break our combined attack?" Ice Soul Elder's face turned deathly pale. He could clearly sense that Chen Fan's spear shadows contained a peculiar intent, one that seemed to restrain his ice-element techniques. The moment the icicles touched the spear shadows, they lost all spirituality and became ordinary chunks of ice.
Seeing that the long-range attacks had failed, Myriad Poisons Old Freak's eyes flashed with viciousness, and his figure suddenly vanished from sight. The Poison Shadow Escape he cultivated allowed him to conceal himself within poisonous mist, and he excelled at sneak attacks. Soundlessly, he circled behind Chen Fan. The black venom thread at his fingertip shot toward Chen Fan's heart from behind like a venomous snake. The Bone Corroding Poison contained within it could kill even a Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator the instant it touched them.
"Brother Fan, watch your back!" Lin Xiaohu suddenly shouted. Though he could not join the battle, he had kept his eyes fixed on the battlefield, and he had happened to catch Myriad Poisons Old Freak's concealed trajectory.
Chen Fan's heart tightened. Without even turning around, the power of qi and blood within him automatically condensed into a pale red shield across his back. "Pfft!" The black venom thread struck the shield with a soft sound and was instantly burned away by the power of qi and blood. Myriad Poisons Old Freak's figure was also exposed by the shield's rebounding force, his face filled with shock.
"You can actually detect my sneak attack?" Myriad Poisons Old Freak could scarcely believe it. His Poison Shadow Escape had never failed in the cultivation world, yet it had been seen through by a mere martial artist.
"In martial cultivation, one listens in all directions and watches in every direction. No matter how well you hide your aura, it cannot escape the senses of qi and blood." Chen Fan's voice was cold. With a flash, he was already standing before Myriad Poisons Old Freak. "Blazing Spear Art: Piercing Clouds!"
The pale golden spear shadow instantly pierced through Myriad Poisons Old Freak's protective spiritual energy and drove straight toward his forehead. Terrified out of his wits, Myriad Poisons Old Freak hurriedly twisted aside. The spear shadow grazed his shoulder, yet still left a wound so deep that bone showed through. Golden gang energy immediately scorched the wound with a sizzling sound, leaving the poison utterly unable to spread.
"Ahh—! My arm!" Myriad Poisons Old Freak screamed miserably. He could feel that Chen Fan's gang energy contained a special power. Not only could it suppress poison, it could also scorch his meridians. Knowing he was no match, he turned to flee, only for Chen Fan to kick him squarely in the back and send him crashing heavily to the ground.
Chen Fan stepped forward and planted a foot on Myriad Poisons Old Freak's chest. Pale golden gang energy surged through the sole of his foot, instantly sealing his meridians. "Speak! What other scheme are Xianyun Sect, Profound Ice Sect, and Poison Dragon Cult plotting together?"
A flash of madness crossed Myriad Poisons Old Freak's eyes. He suddenly opened his mouth and sprayed a mouthful of black venom at Chen Fan. This was his final killing move, Myriad Poisons United. The venom contained all the poisons he had cultivated throughout his life; even a Martial Saint Realm expert might not be able to withstand it.
Chen Fan had been prepared. He sidestepped the venom, while the Qi and Blood Spear in his hand thrust out again, piercing straight through Myriad Poisons Old Freak's throat. Black blood poured from Myriad Poisons Old Freak's mouth. His body quickly began to melt, ultimately turning into a puddle of black pus and vanishing completely within Falling Star Valley.
After dealing with Myriad Poisons Old Freak, Chen Fan turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan and Ice Soul Elder. By now, both their faces were as pale as paper. Myriad Poisons Old Freak's death had utterly destroyed their will to fight.
"Chen Fan, don't go too far! Our Profound Ice Sect has no grudge against you. We only came because Xianyun Sect coerced us!" Ice Soul Elder hurriedly said, trying to absolve himself.
"No grudge?" Chen Fan sneered. "When you tried to kill me with Ice Seal Ten Thousand Miles just now, why didn't you speak of having no grudge? Since you came here today, don't even think of leaving alive!"
Zhang Xuan knew begging was useless, and a fierce glint flashed through his eyes. "Ice Soul Elder, let's risk everything together. Perhaps there's still a sliver of life!" The jade shield in his hand suddenly erupted with dazzling light as spiritual energy poured into it madly. "Xianyun Sect secret art: Cloud Explosion!"
The jade shield exploded in an instant. Countless streams of cloud mist condensed into a gigantic fist and smashed toward Chen Fan. Ice Soul Elder also gritted his teeth and unleashed a forbidden technique. The chill around him swelled to its limit, his body beginning to freeze until he finally transformed into a massive ice statue. The ice statue swung its hands, and countless ice spikes rose from the ground, sealing off every route of retreat for Chen Fan.
"Good!" Excitement flashed in Chen Fan's eyes. His qi and blood and True Energy circulated at full force. Pale golden gang energy intertwined with pale red qi and blood, forming a gigantic Blazing Spear. Sky Shattering Fist: Burning River and Blazing Spear Art: Prairie Fire erupted at the same time. Fist force and spear shadows fused into a huge flaming spear shadow that blasted toward Zhang Xuan and Ice Soul Elder's attacks.
Bang!
A heaven-shaking explosion rang out as the flaming spear shadow collided with the cloud fist and ice spikes. Golden flames instantly devoured the cloud mist and ice spikes. Zhang Xuan and Ice Soul Elder were thrown back again and again by the tremendous impact, vomiting great mouthfuls of blood.
Zhang Xuan's jade shield had already shattered, and his spiritual energy was exhausted. Watching Chen Fan approach step by step, terror filled his eyes. "Chen Fan, I am the Acting Sect Master of Xianyun Sect! If you kill me, Xianyun Sect will never let you go!"
"Xianyun Sect? Even if Xianyun Sect's sect master came himself, I'd kill him all the same!" Chen Fan's voice was icy. The Blazing Spear in his hand thrust forth once more, piercing directly through Zhang Xuan's heart. Zhang Xuan's body crumpled limply to the ground, his eyes full of unwillingness, but he made no sound again.
After dealing with Zhang Xuan, Chen Fan turned his gaze to the ice statue formed by Ice Soul Elder. Inside it, Ice Soul Elder's eyes were filled with despair. He knew he no longer had the strength to resist.
Chen Fan raised the Blazing Spear in his hand, and the flaming spear shadow instantly enveloped the ice statue. The statue melted swiftly in the flames. Ice Soul Elder's screams soon disappeared amid the fire, and he ultimately became a puddle of clear water before completely dissipating.
With the deaths of the three great Nascent Soul experts, the battle in Falling Star Valley finally came to an end. Chen Fan slowly withdrew the Qi and Blood Spear. The qi and blood and True Energy within him began to circulate madly, while the threshold of the Martial Saint Realm he had touched earlier now began to open itself to him. Myriad Poisons Old Freak's poisons, Zhang Xuan's Cloud Explosion, and Ice Soul Elder's forbidden technique had placed immense pressure on him, yet they had also stimulated his flesh and qi and blood, allowing him to completely shatter the second shackle of the Mortal Body Shackles!
"Ahh—!"
Chen Fan let out a long howl. An aura far surpassing his previous one erupted from his body, pale golden gang energy completely enveloping him. The power of qi and blood surged through him like a great river, while both the strength of his body and the purity of his True Energy underwent a qualitative leap. He could clearly feel that his senses had become sharper. Every blade of grass and tree around him, every faintest trace of aura, could be perceived distinctly. His strength had become even more terrifying; every punch and kick held the might to shatter mountains and split rocks, and he could even use his physical body to withstand magical treasures head-on!
The Martial Saint Realm! Chen Fan had finally broken through into the Martial Saint Realm!
Lin Xiaohu, Li Mo, and the others looked at Chen Fan's aura with shock and admiration in their eyes. They knew that from this day onward, the cultivation world would welcome a new legend: a legend of martial arts who had broken through to the Martial Saint Realm with a Mortal Body and slain Nascent Soul experts!
Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them. He could feel that after breaking through to the Martial Saint Realm, his strength now far surpassed that of ordinary Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivators. Even against a Nascent Soul Realm expert, he had the power to fight.
"We're returning to Seven Stars Sect." Chen Fan spoke with a trace of authority in his voice. He knew that breaking through to the Martial Saint Realm was merely a new beginning. The remnants of Xianyun Sect and the other cultivation sects hostile to martial arts were still waiting for him. Yet he no longer feared them. The strength of the Martial Saint Realm was enough to let him gain a foothold in the cultivation world, enough to let him continue protecting those he wished to protect, and enough to take him farther down the road of shattering Spiritual Root Destiny.
The group set out on the journey back to Seven Stars Sect. Sunlight fell upon Chen Fan, and pale golden gang energy shimmered with dazzling brilliance beneath it. The bloodshed and battle in Falling Star Valley had become the past. Meanwhile, a new era belonging to Martial Saint Chen Fan was quietly drawing back its curtain.
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