Was this... a challenge?!
Chu Kuangren looked at Murong Xuan. Incomparably profound runes flashed deep within his eyes as he activated Divine Ability: Eye of Insight.
"Murong Xuan, Crimson Sun Dao Body, cultivation at Nascent Soul Perfection, practices the Sage Law Nine Suns Divine Art and the Supreme Law Heaven Yang Sword Art..."
A string of information flashed across Chu Kuangren's vision.
The Crimson Sun Dao Body was also one of the three thousand physiques.
Although it fell far short of the supreme Dao body, the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Sword Heart, it was still extraordinary. Anyone possessing it would be a Heavenly Pride in any Daoist tradition.
He had even cultivated a Sage Law and a Supreme Law...
Murong Xuan's combat strength undoubtedly surpassed that of cultivators at the same realm.
"Heh, I'm only at the Golden Core Realm, while you're at Nascent Soul Perfection. You actually have the nerve to challenge me? Have you no shame?"
Chu Kuangren spoke with a smile.
"You know my cultivation level?"
Murong Xuan was somewhat taken aback.
But he soon put it out of his mind. Although news of his breakthrough to Nascent Soul Perfection had yet to spread, some people still knew about it.
It was not impossible that Chu Kuangren had heard it from someone.
"If you're afraid, I can suppress my cultivation to fight you."
"That won't be necessary." Chu Kuangren shook his head. "I'm afraid you'll lose too miserably if you do. You'd better give it your all."
"Hmph, arrogant!"
Murong Xuan snorted coldly and set the Crimson Lian Sword aside.
He had yet to nurture this sword, and judging by its attitude toward Chu Kuangren earlier, it probably would not help him fight the man either.
After all the trouble he had gone through to obtain the sword, he could not use it against his opponent. How frustrating.
"Heaven Yang Sword Art!"
Murong Xuan used his fingers as a sword, mobilizing the spiritual power within his spirit ruins.
He swept his sword fingers through the air. Vast amounts of spiritual power surged out, condensing into an enormous ring of fire that spun as it flew forth.
Scorching waves of heat rolled outward with the force of flames that could burn heaven and earth.
Chu Kuangren could tell that the might of this attack had not reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Clearly, Murong Xuan was deliberately suppressing his cultivation.
Even so, this power was not something an ordinary Golden Core cultivator could withstand.
Fortunately, Chu Kuangren was no ordinary cultivator!
He did not use the Kunwu Saint Sword, likewise using his fingers as a sword.
"Thousand-Blade Sword Art!"
Streaks of purple sword qi appeared, radiating a domineering aura.
The two forces collided in midair, unleashing terrifying waves of energy. The powerful impact swept toward them, but neither moved an inch.
"Thousand-Blade Sword Art? Isn't that a high-grade mystic art from the outer sect?"
Murong Xuan's expression flickered with bewilderment and doubt.
The world's cultivation techniques were divided into low-, middle-, and high-grade mystic arts. Above those were Supreme Laws, Sage Laws, and Emperor Scriptures.
His Heaven Yang Sword Art was a Supreme Law, yet Chu Kuangren's Thousand-Blade Sword Art, a mere high-grade mystic art, could actually match it!!
"That's right. It is indeed the Thousand-Blade Sword Art."
Chu Kuangren spoke calmly.
The Daoist Seeds in the sky were also astonished at the sight.
"A high-grade mystic art matching a Supreme Law? Am I seeing things? Is that really the Thousand-Blade Sword Art?"
"It is the Thousand-Blade Sword Art. He's cultivated it to the perfection stage."
"But even so, isn't it frightening that it can contend with the Heaven Yang Sword Art? Could it... could it be the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Sword Heart!"
"That's right. According to legend, the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Sword Heart can easily command the countless Sword Dao techniques in the world and unleash power far beyond their original might. Now it seems that rumor is true."
A high-grade mystic art had matched a Supreme Law, and their users were a Golden Core cultivator and a Nascent Soul cultivator respectively. Few would believe it if word got out.
Yet it was happening right before their eyes.
The Daoist Seeds' hearts surged, and they began to understand somewhat why the higher-ups had named Chu Kuangren Chief Disciple.
"Again!!" Murong Xuan raised his sword-like brows. Unwilling to concede defeat, he continued channeling his spiritual power, sending rings of fire slashing toward Chu Kuangren.
Chu Kuangren stood still. With every movement of his hands and feet, purple sword qi circled around him, cutting down the incoming rings of fire one after another with effortless composure.
The domineering sword qi unique to the Purple Star Emperor Heaven Sword Art, enhanced by the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Sword Heart, gave Chu Kuangren unparalleled combat strength despite his mere Golden Core cultivation, even approaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
Chu Kuangren casually cut down a ring of fire, then shook his head and said, "Use your full strength. You're no match for me like this."
Boom!!
The instant his words fell, Murong Xuan's spiritual power soared. Crimson flames surged and interwove in midair, forming a slowly rising scarlet sun. The scorching temperature made it feel as though they were inside a furnace.
"Oh, a phenomenon. A Dao Body Phenomenon."
Chu Kuangren watched the scene before him with interest.
Phenomena were one of the myriad forms of cultivation techniques. Most who could cultivate them possessed exceptional talent, but there was one kind of person born with a unique phenomenon: Dao Body cultivators!
Murong Xuan possessed the Crimson Sun Dao Body.
This blazing scarlet sun was his Scarlet Sun Phenomenon.
With his Dao Body Phenomenon unleashed, Murong Xuan's aura soared. When he executed the Heaven Yang Sword Art again, its power was no longer comparable to before.
The originally yellow rings of fire were now tinged with a vivid scarlet.
Both their heat and power had risen a level. Wherever the rings passed, the ground cracked, leaving the earth scorched black.
"Just in time. Let's try this move!"
Chu Kuangren stood where he was, his ink-black hair flying and his wide-sleeved white robes snapping in the wind. Then an utterly terrifying aura erupted from him. Daoist rhyme flowed, as though a deity were quietly awakening.
The pupils of the Daoist Seeds in the sky abruptly contracted.
They actually sensed a threat from Chu Kuangren!
He was only at the Golden Core Realm.
And every one of them was a Nascent Soul cultivator!
They stared at Chu Kuangren without blinking.
They saw him draw a deep breath. Streams of dusky yellow energy gathered toward him from all around, and a vast, boundless aura emanated from him.
"That's earth qi!!"
"He's actually drawing on earth qi!"
The Daoist Seeds were startled.
The world's spiritual energy had different attributes, such as fire, ice, and wind. Earth qi was one of them. It existed within the earth veins of mountains and rivers, inexhaustible, but was extremely difficult for cultivators to harness.
Yet now, Chu Kuangren was actually mobilizing earth qi!
"What kind of technique is he cultivating?!"
One Daoist Seed cried out, his face filled with shock.
Chu Kuangren formed a profound hand seal, and earth qi condensed into a Primordial Divine Mountain. Just as the rings of fire were about to reach him, he thrust both hands forward.
"Human Mountain Seal Art!"
The Primordial Divine Mountain formed from earth qi shook with a thunderous rumble. Its utterly terrifying power seemed capable of sweeping aside everything and suppressing heaven and earth.
With a crash, the scarlet rings of fire were smashed into a shower of sparks on the spot.
The Primordial Divine Mountain pressed straight toward Murong Xuan with the momentum of splitting bamboo!
With a tremendous explosion, the Scarlet Sun Phenomenon was smashed apart on the spot, while Murong Xuan himself spat blood and was sent flying more than a hundred zhang away.
The Daoist Seeds were dumbstruck.
Chu Kuangren, by contrast, stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze calm.
This outcome did not surprise him.
The Human Mountain Seal Art was a star radiance-level technique. Measured against the cultivation techniques of Firmament Star, it came infinitely close to an Emperor Scripture.
Even Sage Laws had their own hierarchy. The Human Mountain Seal Art was among the very finest, more profound even than the Purple Star Emperor Heaven Sword Art.
Chu Kuangren had only grasped a little of the Human Mountain Seal Art's surface, allowing him to condense earth qi into a Primordial Divine Mountain to fight his enemies.
At true major accomplishment, I am the divine mountain, and I suppress all things!
"This is definitely a Sage Law! A Sage Law devoted entirely to offense! Heavens, he's actually mastered an offensive Sage Law!"
"And I have a feeling this might not be an ordinary Sage Law. It could very well be a Great Sage Law, or even... a Sage King Law!"
"A Sage King Law? Don't joke. That's impossible. There are only a handful of Sage King Laws on all of Firmament Star. How could he have one?"
"You have a point..."
After recovering their senses, the Daoist Seeds immediately began discussing it.
Before you continue