Nascent Soul Collision, the Fall of Xiang Yang

The auras of the cultivators collided with a boom, the pressure of the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages surging like a tsunami, instantly sweeping through the entire Imperial Garden.

The civil and military officials, guards, and palace maids had never witnessed such a terrifying display of immortal arts. Pale with fright and terrified out of their wits, they scrambled away in a frenzy, crying out and crawling over one another, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and this death trap. Within moments, the vast Imperial Garden was completely cleared, leaving only the two opposing sides standing in a tense standoff.

Yun Ce swept a cold, indifferent glance over the ruined banquet and the ornate pavilions, then flicked his hand through the air.

Hum—

A translucent white barrier erupted outward, shimmering with spiritual runes, firmly sealing the entire area and cutting off all sound, aura, and spiritual fluctuations from the outside world.

"Xiang Yang."

Yun Ce raised his eyes to the heavens, his tone calm and ripple-free. "There is no point in further discourse. These mortal palace structures are too fragile to withstand our clash. Shall we take this fight to the skies?"

He spoke with righteous gravity, though he had already calculated the outcome: if they truly fought in the Imperial Garden, the destructive power of a Nascent Soul expert would reduce the entire palace to ruins. Since the Qin Family would eventually take over, rebuilding it would be a hassle; it was better to lead the fight into the high altitude for a clean finish.

Xiang Yang's face turned so dark it seemed ink could drip from it.

How could he not see that Yun Ce was leading him by the nose? Yet, the opponent's strength was clearly superior—fathomless, even—and he had no path of retreat. If he refused, he would appear cowardly and indifferent to the lives of mortals, which would leave a flaw in his Dao heart.

"Hmph, spare me your glib tongue! Do you think I fear you!"

Xiang Yang roared, his black robes snapping as he shot toward the heavens like a black arrow.

Yun Ce's white robes fluttered as he followed with calm, measured steps, ascending into the sky.

Two figures, one black and one white, instantly pierced the clouds and stood high above the firmament, looking down upon the vast landscape.

Below, Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and Qin Yu all looked up, their hearts surging with uncontrollable excitement.

They had seen many Golden Core cultivators, but a life-and-death duel between Nascent Soul experts was something they were witnessing for the first time in their lives!

On the other side, Xiang Guang's legs had already turned to jelly from fear.

Qin Yu flashed forward like a hawk diving for a rabbit, pinning him to the ground with one hand and sealing his spiritual power layer by layer, rendering him unable to move an inch.

"Release me! The ancestor will surely kill you all!" Xiang Guang shrieked with a fierce expression, though his body trembled uncontrollably.

At this moment, only a sliver of desperate hope remained in his heart:

The ancestor was the pillar of the Xiang Family, having lived for hundreds of years with a profound foundation; he would surely win!

As long as the ancestor triumphed, the Xiang Family's empire would be secure!

But if the ancestor were to fall... his time as the Emperor of the Chu Dynasty would end today!

High above, the clouds churned and surged, the atmosphere heavy to the point of suffocation.

Xiang Yang stared fixedly at Yun Ce, murderous intent surging in his eyes. "What kind of expert are you, exactly? Why must you interfere in the feud between the Xiang Family and the Qin Family!"

"One who stands in your way."

Yun Ce's calm reply was his only response.

"Good! Very good!"

Xiang Yang laughed in his fury, saying no more as he clenched his hands—

Hum—hum—

Two brilliant rays of spiritual light erupted into the sky!

A long spear, crimson from end to end with ancient dragon patterns carved into its shaft and overflowing with malevolent Sha Qi, appeared—the ancestral treasure of the Xiang Family, the high-grade spirit tool, Overlord Spear!

A suit of dark gold armor, heavy as a mountain and covered in dense runes, manifested over his body—the high-grade spirit tool, Overlord Armor!

With the appearance of these two high-grade spirit tools, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth became restless and agitated.

Xiang Yang unleashed his full Nascent Soul Early Stage cultivation without reservation; black clouds churned and gale-force winds howled, as if the very sky were about to be torn asunder.

"I shall use you, an outsider, as a sacrifice for my Overlord Spear!"

Xiang Yang moved, transforming into a black rainbow as he thrust his spear with a roar!

The strike carried the force of ten thousand tons, the tip of the spear tearing through the sky with a continuous series of sonic booms, as if the ancient Overlord had been reborn, determined to pierce the heavens in a single blow!

"First style, Overlord Breaks the Formation!"

Yun Ce stood with his hands behind his back, merely tilting his body slightly.

It appeared slow, yet it was just enough to evade the lethal strike.

The wind of the spear brushed past his robes, the violent shockwaves sweeping outward, shredding the clouds and carving deep furrows into the mountains below.

With the first strike missing, Xiang Yang's eyes sharpened, and his spear technique shifted.

Spear shadows poured down like a torrential rain, dense and suffocating, sealing off every path of retreat for Yun Ce.

"Second style, Eight Desolations Bow!"

"Third style, Sweeping Through the Army!"

Each strike was heavier and more ferocious than the last!

Wherever the Overlord Spear passed, space itself slightly distorted; a Golden Core cultivator would die upon contact, and even a peer of the Nascent Soul stage would have to defend with all their might.

Yet, in Yun Ce's eyes, this storm-like onslaught was riddled with openings.

He wove through the spear shadows with ease, his white robes fluttering, untouched by even a speck of dust.

Sometimes a light flick of his fingertip was enough to deflect the violent spear momentum.

Sometimes a casual step was all it took to appear several yards away.

Sometimes a mere narrowing of his eyes caused Xiang Yang's spiritual power to stagnate, making his techniques sluggish.

It was clearly a life-or-death duel, yet it looked like an adult playing with a child.

The more Xiang Yang fought, the more alarmed he became; the more he fought, the greater his terror grew.

He unleashed his full strength, the Overlord Spear displaying its divine might and the Overlord Armor protecting his body from all arts, yet he couldn't even touch a corner of his opponent's robe!

"Impossible! Your cultivation... just what level have you reached!" Xiang Yang roared, his hair and beard standing on end, nearly driven to madness.

He burned a sliver of his Nascent Soul origin, his power surging once more: "Fourth Form, Overlord Descends!"

The spear descended like a divine mountain crushing down, the black spear radiance transforming into a massive form dozens of yards long, intending to grind Yun Ce, along with the very space around him, into dust!

Yun Ce's eyes turned slightly cold, and he finally unleashed his killing intent.

"Xiang Yang, this ends here."

He no longer held back, slowly raising a single finger.

White light condensed at his fingertip, appearing faint, yet it contained a pressure that made the very heavens tremble.

"Die!"

He tapped his fingertip.

Sshhh—

A beam of white light tore through the air, moving so fast it left no trace.

The white light ignored the spear radiance of the Overlord Spear and ignored the defense of the Overlord Armor; like piercing through thin paper, it went straight through Xiang Yang's dantian and his Nascent Soul!

"Ughhh—!"

With his Nascent Soul wounded, Xiang Yang let out a shrill, agonizing scream, his entire body convulsing violently.

The Overlord Spear flew from his grasp, and the spiritual light of the Overlord Armor instantly dimmed and shattered.

His cultivation base dissipated wildly in that moment, and his body plummeted from the high altitude like a kite with a broken string.

Yun Ce reached out and grabbed the air casually.

All imprints on the Overlord Spear and Overlord Armor were instantly wiped away, and the spiritual light fell tamely into his hands; the two high-grade spirit artifacts had changed owners just like that.

The next instant, Yun Ce's figure flashed, appearing before the falling Xiang Yang.

"Xiang Yang, your Xiang Family has oppressed the subjects of the Chu Dynasty for years, slaughtering the innocent and cultivating lackeys. Today's outcome is of your own making, a consequence you brought upon yourselves."

He delivered a palm strike, light and effortless, descending slowly.

Bang—

A muffled sound echoed across the high sky.

Xiang Yang's physical body, Nascent Soul, and soul were shattered simultaneously, not even a remnant soul left behind; he was thoroughly extinguished.

High above, the clouds gradually dispersed, and the sunlight spilled down once more.

The figure in white stood in the air, unstained by dust, like a true immortal from the nine heavens looking down upon the mortal world.

Below, Qin De, Feng Yuzi, and Qin Yu were shaken to their cores, unable to speak for a long time.

Was this... the strength of a Nascent Soul Late Stage expert?

Xiang Yang, wielding two high-grade spirit artifacts, had been as vulnerable as a child before him, unable to withstand a single blow!

And Xiang Guang, who was being held firmly to the ground by Qin Yu, could no longer sense a shred of his ancestor's aura. Looking at the figure in white in the sky, his face turned ashen in an instant, his eyes becoming completely hollow.

It was over.

Everything was over.

The Xiang Family's empire was about to change hands.