"Damn it..."
Murong Xuan slowly rose from the ground after being blasted away by the Human Mountain Seal Art.
His face was somewhat pale, and his disheveled hair hung over his shoulders, leaving him looking thoroughly bedraggled. He stared at Chu Kuangren nearby, the fury surging in his eyes almost spilling out in tangible form. Even his face twitched with anger.
He, a distinguished Daoist Seed and Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, had been knocked flat by a Golden Core cultivator, and in front of the other Daoist Seeds, no less.
If he failed to regain his dignity today, how could he establish his authority as a Daoist Seed before others in the future?
"Chu Kuangren, I underestimated you."
"Didn't you want me to use my full strength? Fine, I'll show you just how vast the gap between Golden Core and Nascent Soul really is!"
Murong Xuan stopped suppressing his cultivation. He drove the Spiritual Power in his Spirit Ruins to its limit, sending torrents of surging Spiritual Power pouring out and transforming into flames that soared skyward.
A crimson blazing sun rose into the sky as his Dao Body Phenomenon manifested once more.
Not only that, the flames of Spiritual Power also transformed into four golden blazing suns.
They actually formed the phenomenon of five suns in one sky!
Unmatched pressure engulfed the surrounding world. The scorching heat made the ground crack incessantly, while moisture rapidly vanished from the air.
Within a radius of a hundred zhang, the area became a hell of searing heat!
One phenomenon was unique to his Dao Body, while the other came from cultivating the Nine Suns Divine Art. Bolstered by these two phenomena, together with his own Nascent Soul Perfection cultivation, his aura became incomparably terrifying.
Endless streams of fire swirled around Murong Xuan. The firelight bathed his face in red, making him look like a deity who commanded the sun.
Facing Murong Xuan with his power fully unleashed, Chu Kuangren, who had only recently advanced to Golden Core, felt the pressure. After all, the gap between their cultivation realms was simply too great.
One had just entered Golden Core, while the other had reached Nascent Soul Perfection. No matter who looked at it, this was a battle that should have been a crushing defeat.
Even the Human Mountain Seal Art probably won't stop him. But besides the Human Mountain Seal Art, I still have... the nine-orifice exquisite sword heart!
Purple sword light flickered in Chu Kuangren's eyes as he stepped forward. Radiance flowed over his body, and Great Dao runes circled him. The surrounding swords hummed as boundless Sword Qi gathered toward him.
The pale purple phantom of a divine sword slowly rose from Chu Kuangren's body and hovered above his head.
The purple divine sword was nine zhang long, with nine small apertures in its blade. Countless mysterious runes shuttled back and forth through those apertures.
For a moment, the entire Sword Mountain shook.
Countless swords hummed without cease.
"Heavenly Dao Sword!"
Chu Kuangren spoke impassively.
The nine-aperture exquisite sword body possessed three great phenomena.
The Heavenly Dao Sword was one of them.
At that moment, he had a feeling that, if he wished, every sword on this entire Sword Mountain could be his to command!
With a thought, he willed it.
Instantly, every longsword embedded in the mountain, including those Saint Swords, rose into the air and circled the Heavenly Dao Sword.
Boundless, endless sword pressure enveloped heaven and earth.
Under this pressure, Chu Kuangren did not even need to lift a hand. With a mere thought, the five blazing suns above Murong Xuan's head shattered on the spot!
Not only that, the boundless pressure descended upon Murong Xuan. Unable to withstand it for even a second, he was instantly crushed flat against the ground!
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
Murong Xuan's pupils abruptly contracted, his face filled with disbelief!
He cultivated a Sage Law, possessed a Dao Body Phenomenon, and was a mighty cultivator at Nascent Soul Perfection, yet Chu Kuangren had subdued him with a single thought!
And Chu Kuangren was merely a Golden Core cultivator!
Was a supreme Dao Body truly this terrifying?
It was not only Murong Xuan.
A trace of fear also arose in the hearts of the other Daoist Seeds!
If he possessed such combat strength at merely Golden Core, how terrifying would his Dao Body Phenomenon become when Chu Kuangren advanced to Nascent Soul or Void Insight?
In the distance.
Several elders of the Mystic Heaven Sect took in everything happening on Sword Mountain.
"A supreme Dao Body truly is terrifying!"
"But isn't this a little too outrageous? Murong Xuan is at Nascent Soul Perfection and has a Sage Law. How could he lose so miserably?"
"It's not outrageous." The white-browed elder smiled. "Look at where they are. That's Sword Mountain, the domain of the nine-orifice exquisite sword heart. With the Sword Intent of its countless swords gathered together, wouldn't suppressing someone at Nascent Soul Perfection be effortless?"
The others understood at once. One said, "That's true. Chu Kuangren's cultivation is still shallow, and his phenomenon's power is far from reaching major accomplishment. Once his cultivation rises further, never mind a Nascent Soul cultivator-even a Venerable would be suppressed if they fought him on Sword Mountain!"
"Indeed, indeed. Such is the terror of a supreme Dao Body."
"With him, our Mystic Heaven Sect can contend for this era's Emperor Position!"
"Should we stop Chu Kuangren?"
At that moment, an elder said with some concern, "He's young and hot-blooded, after all. What if he kills Murong Xuan?"
After all, Murong Xuan was also a Daoist Seed.
He was one of the foremost Heavenly Prides in the Mystic Heaven Sect.
The white-browed elder pondered for a while. "Let's watch a little longer."
On Sword Mountain.
With the Heavenly Dao Sword above his head and countless streams of Sword Qi circling him, Chu Kuangren resembled a supreme Sword God under the blessing of countless strands of Sword Intent.
He slowly walked up to Murong Xuan and stood with his hands behind his back. Looking down at him, he asked impassively, "Do you submit?"
"I refuse!"
"You're using Sword Mountain's Sword Intent to suppress me. I refuse to submit!"
Murong Xuan spoke through gritted teeth.
Chu Kuangren found it downright laughable. "You're at Nascent Soul Perfection, fighting a Golden Core cultivator like me, yet you have the nerve to complain that I'm using Sword Mountain's Sword Intent? Then tell me, why can I use its Sword Intent?"
"Obviously, it's because you have a supreme Dao Body!"
"There you have it. I have a Dao Body, and I can use Sword Mountain's Sword Intent. That's my ability too. Now I'll ask you again: do you submit?"
As Chu Kuangren asked again, the pressure of his Sword Intent abruptly intensified.
The ground beneath Murong Xuan suddenly sank. He felt as though a great mountain were weighing down on him, making even moving a finger difficult.
"Do you dare kill me?"
"Oh? See whether I dare."
The pressure of his Sword Intent intensified again!
The bones inside Murong Xuan's body creaked as though they were about to shatter.
"I have a supreme Dao Body, and I'm the sect leader's disciple. Believe it or not, if I killed you, I'd receive a few words of reprimand and spend a few days in confinement at most."
Chu Kuangren spoke calmly.
Supreme Dao Bodies had been rare throughout the ages.
Though the crimson sun Dao Body was precious, it fell far short of the nine-orifice exquisite sword heart. Even if Chu Kuangren killed Murong Xuan, no one would do anything to him, because the Mystic Heaven Sect needed him to contend for this era's Emperor Position!
Once he succeeded, the Mystic Heaven Sect would attain glory unprecedented throughout the ages!
By comparison, what did a single Murong Xuan amount to?
Murong Xuan was no fool either. He knew Chu Kuangren was telling the truth and hurriedly said, "I submit! I submit!"
"With your mouth, but not your heart?"
"No, with both heart and mouth. I truly submit wholeheartedly."
"Oh? Let me hear you call me Senior Brother a couple of times."
Chu Kuangren spoke teasingly.
Murong Xuan wanted to cry, but had no tears.
What else could he do?
Call him that, then.
"Eldest Senior Brother, Murong Xuan pays his respects to Eldest Senior Brother!"
"Good."
Chu Kuangren smiled faintly, then dispersed the pressure of his Sword Intent with a thought. Murong Xuan felt his body loosen, with the sensation of having escaped death. He lay on the ground panting, his chest rising and falling.
Then Chu Kuangren looked at the other Daoist Seeds in the sky and smiled. "If any of you junior brothers and sisters up there are dissatisfied, you're welcome to come down and spar. As your senior brother, I'll oblige you to the end."
They exchanged glances, then descended onto Sword Mountain one after another.
"You jest, Senior Brother. How could we be dissatisfied?"
"I heard that your bearing was captivating, Senior Brother. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation. This junior brother prostrates himself in admiration."
"To be honest, Senior Brother, this junior sister has admired you for a long time."
The Daoist Seeds wore smiles, their manner respectful.
What else could they do?
Hadn't they seen Murong Xuan still sprawled on the ground?
Before you continue