Chapter Nineteen: The Demon Master Flees, Clouds of Doubt Rise; the Mighty Stand Wary and Fall Silent

The astral force endlessly wore down and neutralized the gale that froze the soul and the Northern Darkness True Water!

"Hm? What kind of domain ability is this?"

A flicker of uncertainty crossed Kunpeng's huge eyes. His innate ability had been effortlessly countered by most of his opponent's domain?

While he was still reeling, Ao Chen moved!

He didn't bring out the Innate Gourd he had just obtained. He didn't even use the Kunwu Sword!

Once again, he held up two fingers like a sword!

But this time, what gathered at his fingertips was no longer merely the annihilative sword intent of the Grass Extinguishing Sword Art!

As the Star River Universe within him turned, wisps of the power of time and space laws that he had comprehended from the remnants of the Creation Jade Tablet—feeble, yet of an extraordinarily high order—quietly flowed into his sword fingers!

Whoosh!

A streak of Gray Sword Qi, even more concentrated, brilliant, and uncanny than before, tore through the void and slashed ruthlessly toward Kunpeng's enormous true form!

As the sword fell, time around them seemed to stop for an instant, while space was sliced apart as easily as a painting!

"Not good!"

Kunpeng sensed a deadly danger unlike any he had faced before!

The power contained in that Gray Sword Qi made even him, a Late Grand Unity expert, shudder!

Daring not to be careless, he snapped his enormous peng wings shut. Countless innate runes blazed across their feathers, forming an impregnable black barrier. At the same time, he rapidly retreated, trying to evade the terrifying strike!

But it was too late!

The Gray Sword Qi seemed to ignore both spatial distance and the passage of time. In an instant, it struck Kunpeng's folded wings!

Splurt!

There was no earth-shaking boom, only a sound like a blade slicing into rotten wood!

In the next instant, every mighty expert present drew a sharp breath!

A terrifying sword scar, deep enough to expose the bone, had appeared across Kunpeng's impenetrably hard black wing. Annihilative power and the disordered aura of time and space continually seeped from the wound!

Threads of innate true blood dripped from it. Every drop contained the tremendous energy of a Great Luo, vaporizing vast stretches of forest below!

"Argh!"

Kunpeng let out a howl of pain!

He had been wounded—and by a Heavenly Immortal. It was more humiliating than death!

Even more terrifying, the wound was not only being ravaged by Annihilation Force, which was steadily eroding his life force; a strange power of time and space was also disrupting the flow of his laws, making it difficult for him to heal quickly!

One sword!

Just one sword had gravely wounded Kunpeng, a Late Grand Unity expert?

How was that possible?!

It wasn't just Kunpeng. Even the Three Pure Ones, Di Jun and Tai Yi, Nuwa, Fuxi, and the others watching from afar now looked at Ao Chen in a completely different light!

Their expressions no longer held the confusion, surprise, or disdain of before. Instead, they were filled with gravity, wariness, and even a trace of disbelief!

A Heavenly Immortal had gravely wounded a Late Grand Unity expert with a single sword?

Who was this lowly Heavenly Immortal, really? What kind of defiant Great Dao did he cultivate?.

Chapter Nineteen: The Demon Master Flees, Clouds of Doubt Rise; the Mighty Stand Wary and Fall Silent

The atmosphere in the arena was deathly still.

Everyone's attention was fixed on the Green Robe Figure who had stunned the world with one sword, and on Demon Master Kunpeng in the distance. His immense body trembled slightly as the aura of annihilation and disordered time and space continued to seep from his wound.

Kunpeng was shocked, furious, and afraid!

He was shocked by his opponent's mysterious, unfathomable sword art and its boundless power!

He was furious that he, a dignified Late Grand Unity Demon Master, had been gravely wounded in public by a mere junior Heavenly Immortal and stripped of all face!

And he was afraid of his opponent's calm, indifferent gaze, as if Kunpeng were nothing at all, and of the true intent of annihilation in that sword art, which made even his soul tremble!

"Y-you... who are you?" Kunpeng endured the pain and humiliation, his voice harsh and blustering.

"We have no grudge between us. Why pretend to be a mere Heavenly Immortal and scheme against me?"

He simply couldn't believe that a true Heavenly Immortal could possess such terrifying strength and such uncanny sword art!

It overturned everything he knew. The only explanation was that his opponent had concealed his true cultivation and identity!

Kunpeng's shout voiced the doubts in the hearts of the other mighty experts present.

In an instant, everyone focused even more intently on Ao Chen. Their divine senses swept over him again and again like a tide, searching for a flaw in his "disguise."

The Three Pure Ones frowned deeply. Di Jun and Tai Yi's eyes blazed. Nuwa and Fuxi looked grave...

They, too, thought that a Heavenly Immortal defeating a Late Grand Unity expert was utterly absurd!

This man had to be hiding his cultivation.

Yet, faced with Kunpeng's accusation and the scrutiny of the mighty experts, Ao Chen acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. There was even a hint of amusement on his face.

He merely tilted his head and looked at the enormous Kunpeng, whose wound was bleeding and whose aura was in disarray. Then he asked in an unhurried voice:

"What happened? Weren't you just saying you'd make me Form and Spirit Annihilated?"

"Why have you stopped moving?"

His casual words landed like a resounding slap, striking Kunpeng squarely across the face!

"Hmph. I don't care why you're hiding your identity. You dared to scheme against me, so we'll settle this today."

Kunpeng roared at the sky. His already colossal body swelled once more!

His magic power erupted like a volcano, surging to its utmost. He fully unleashed the might of a Late Grand Unity expert and no longer underestimated his opponent!

In an instant, an aura far more terrifying, violent, and destructive than before burst from him!

His wounded wing beat fiercely, stirring up endless Chaos Qi Flow.

His other, uninjured wing swung down at Ao Chen like the Creation Divine Axe, carrying all his strength and fury!

This strike seemed capable of smashing mountains and rivers stretching for countless miles. Even space wailed and collapsed!

"Now we're talking."

At last, a hint of seriousness flickered in Ao Chen's eyes as he faced Kunpeng's all-or-nothing attack.

"Unfortunately, it's still not enough!"

Once again, he held up two fingers like a sword, and the vast Star River Universe within him turned without reservation!

The Dao resonance of the Great Dao Origin Scripture flowed through him, while the annihilative intent of the Grass Extinguishing Sword Art merged perfectly with the Immortal Edge of the Kunwu Sword!

He even quietly drew on a trace of the power of time and space from the remnants of the Creation Jade Tablet, imbuing the Kunwu Sword with it!

Whoosh!

A streak of Gray Sword Qi, even more concentrated, profound, and terrifying than before, shot forth once again!

This sword seemed to transcend the restraints of time and space!

Under the horrified gazes of all the mighty experts, the Gray Sword Qi struck first despite being released later, aiming with pinpoint precision at Kunpeng!

Splurt!

Like a hot knife through butter, it was just as effortless as before!

Kunpeng's terrifying wing, powerful enough to shatter stars and extinguish entire worlds, was severed cleanly at the root by the Gray Sword Qi!

The enormous black wing tumbled toward the ground like a severed kite, while demon blood poured down like a torrential rain!

"Raaagh!"

Kunpeng let out a howl ten times more agonized than before!

The pain of losing a wing far surpassed the wound he had suffered earlier!

Even more despairing was the fact that his all-out, life-risking attack had still been casually cut apart with a single sword.

The enormous force sent his colossal body hurtling away once more, slamming toward distant mountains like a meteor!

Just as everyone expected Kunpeng to fly into a frenzy, or Ao Chen to press his advantage and kill him outright—

An unexpected scene unfolded!

Though he had been sent flying, grievously wounded, and had even lost a wing, the moment Kunpeng steadied himself, he didn't utter a single threat—not even turning his head!

His enormous body suddenly shrank into a tiny black speck. With terrifying speed that surpassed the reactions of nearly every mighty expert present, he tore through the void and vanished without a trace!

Had he... actually fled?

And he had used some kind of ultimate escape technique, one that might have cost him dearly, to flee so swiftly and decisively!

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned!

Even Ao Chen, after delivering that sword strike, was taken aback by how decisively Kunpeng had fled.

He had indeed intended to root out the problem completely, but he hadn't expected Kunpeng to flee so quickly—or so thoroughly!