Slaying a Foundation Establishment Cultivator

Shen Yun entered the Seven Xuan Tower, and the world before his eyes suddenly darkened.

Inside the tower was a pitch-black starry sky. Starlight flowed like water, spilling over the lush green earth.

The night was tranquil as water, and the breeze carried a faint chill.

"I never expected the inside of the tower to be this vast. Could it be the legendary Mustard Seed Space?"

Shen Yun surveyed his surroundings, only to find that he could not see the end at a glance.

Just as he admired the scenery, a hidden aura approached silently.

Like the sound of a hunting beast slipping through the grass, a nimble black shadow suddenly struck. Its enormous iron claws, the same color as the night, flashed toward Shen Yun's heart like lightning.

Faced with the sudden attack, Shen Yun seemed to have anticipated it. He lightly sidestepped, evading the fierce pounce.

He struck back with a palm, arriving late but striking first, and hit the black shadow. The power of the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body erupted, accompanied by crackling sounds of breaking bones.

With a boom, the black shadow smashed a huge pit into the ground. As the dust settled, the ambusher's full form was revealed.

"A first-rank Shadow Leopard."

The enormous black leopard lay in a pool of blood, its fierce eyes brimming with killing aura.

Shadow Leopards were considered relatively powerful among first-rank demon beasts. They were incredibly fast and skilled at concealing their aura, making them even more dangerous in dark environments. Cultivators often died to their sneak attacks.

However, they also had a weakness: their defenses were relatively poor. This Shadow Leopard was comparable to the Qi Refining Ninth Layer, yet Shen Yun had severely wounded it with a casual palm strike.

The Shadow Leopard flipped itself upright. Its injuries instead ignited its ferocity, and Demonic Qi coiled around its four thick legs. With a fierce stomp, it burst forth at even greater speed.

As the Shadow Leopard charged toward him, Shen Yun's figure flashed, and the massive demon body pounced into empty air.

Having suddenly lost its target, the Shadow Leopard was about to attack again when a streak of Golden Light arrived first and instantly pierced its heart.

The Shadow Leopard's demon body trembled, then its figure gradually became illusory.

The demon beasts were projections created by the Seven Xuan Tower's Illusion Array. Once killed, they disappeared directly.

If Trial Participants died inside the tower, they would not truly die in reality. Their minds would merely be damaged, and they would recover after a few days.

Shen Yun strolled across the grass, calmly admiring the scenery around him.

"This Illusion Array is almost no different from reality. As expected of the Lone Swan Sword Sect's Trial Secret Realm."

Legend had it that grand formation masters could even pass off falsehood as truth, making people unable to distinguish reality from illusion.

A breeze swept across the grassland. Shen Yun's footsteps paused slightly when the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook. Immediately afterward, two enormous bears charged at him.

Their brown demon bodies were packed with iron-cast muscles. Even on all fours, they stood half a body taller than Shen Yun, and their momentum far surpassed that of the Shadow Leopard.

"Brown Bear Demons. They say even Magic Tools cannot break through their fur. Their defense is extremely terrifying."

A baleful wind rushed at him with an enormous Sense of Oppression, yet Shen Yun was not flustered in the slightest. The power of his divine sense slashed viciously toward the bears' heads.

Crack!

It sounded like porcelain shattering. The two Brown Bear Demons paused, the fierce baleful light in their eyes freezing. Their demon bodies collapsed weakly, kicking up dust that filled the sky.

"What a pity their spiritual strength is too weak."

Shen Yun had not even moved a finger, yet the two Brown Bear Demons had been slain by his divine sense. It was as effortless as drinking water and eating a meal.

The demon bodies turned into specks of light and vanished. A spiraling staircase then emerged, leading straight into the starry sky.

Shen Yun ascended to the Second Layer.

Outside the Seven Xuan Tower, the runes on the Second Layer lit up, clearly indicating that Shen Yun had passed the First Layer.

The crowd cried out in surprise. Some even rubbed their eyes, thinking they were hallucinating.

"Hasn't it been less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick? What Kind of Sacred Being is this person?"

"I remained at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer for eight full years and cultivated all my Dao Methods to Minor Achievement. Even then, I couldn't break the Gray Bear Demon's defense. How did he do it?"

"With this person's momentum, he should be able to reach the fourth floor. Today's trip truly has not been in vain."

"..."

The Law Enforcement Elder was not overly surprised, displaying the composure of an expert. It seemed as though he had anticipated this scene long ago.

At this moment, Shen Yun crossed the stairs. The Second Layer was a lush forest.

The trees towered into the sky, flowers and grass flourished, and all things thrived.

Two illusory figures emerged, carrying dense Wood Spirit Qi as though they had merged with the forest itself.

"Qi Refining Ninth Layer Wood Element Cultivators. Not bad."

Shen Yun took one step, moving like stars racing and lightning flashing, and appeared before the two Wood Element Cultivators in an instant.

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"Geng Metal Sword Qi!"

The instant his words fell, Six Golden Sword Qis slashed Across the Sky. Every three formed a Triple Formation, subtly embodying the Three Powers Intent.

The two immediately deployed Wood Element Dao Methods. Huge wooden palms rose from the ground and grabbed at the Golden Sword Qis.

The Geng Metal Sword Qi pierced directly through the wooden palms, advancing like bamboo splitting open, as if it had encountered not the slightest bit of resistance.

Among the five elements, metal overcame wood. The Geng Metal Sword Qi, perfected to the Realm of Perfection, slaughtered in all directions and riddled the two Wood Element Cultivators with holes.

Green light flickered unsteadily as the two cast healing techniques, using the vitality of wood-element spiritual power to restore their physical bodies. Yet how could Shen Yun give them such an opportunity?

The Sword Qi turned, like an antelope hanging its horns where no trace could be found, and struck the two men's Spiritual Platforms. Their vitality was instantly extinguished.

As the two figures turned into specks of light and dispersed, three more tall figures emerged from the forest.

They were all at the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Layer. Their spiritual power was condensed, their auras perfectly controlled, and they seemed capable of charging into the Foundation Establishment Realm at any time.

The three moved simultaneously, forming an Encirclement Killing Formation. Powerful spiritual power enveloped the area, ready to unleash a Thunderous Strike at any moment.

Shen Yun's expression did not change in the slightest. To him, numbers held no meaning at all. Even a hundred ants could not bite an elephant to death.

His figure moved like the wind, weaving through the overwhelming wooden spears as though taking a Leisurely Stroll.

The three Wood Element Cultivators could not catch his figure at all. Like headless flies, they unleashed Dao Methods that all landed in empty space without exception.

In contrast, Shen Yun advanced and retreated with perfect measure. Every time he unleashed Geng Metal Sword Qi, he gained something.

"Let's end this!"

Shen Yun casually waved his hand. Sword Qi slashed out from a blind spot, directly piercing one man through and killing him instantly.

The pressure on the remaining two surged. They could no longer withstand the edge of the Sword Qi, and before long, they were defeated.

Shen Yun stood with his hands hanging at his sides, his breathing not fluctuating in the slightest. Defeating five cultivators of the same realm was as easy as reaching into a bag to take something.

When he spotted a figure flying through the air in the distance, Shen Yun finally revealed a serious expression.

"Foundation Establishment Realm!"

Flying through the air was the mark of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Riding the void and commanding the wind, feeding on Qi and abstaining from grain... Foundation Establishment cultivators could be called Dao-seeking immortals, transcending the masses and possessing all manner of inconceivable divine abilities.

The newcomer walked through the void. Wood-element spiritual power turned into a halo that pulsed above his head, and his powerful aura brought even the wind across the grassland to a halt.

In the Cultivation World, it was not uncommon for people to fight above their realm.

Dao Methods, Magic Tools, talismans... there were countless factors that could determine victory or defeat.

But those who fought across major realms were, without exception, peak geniuses. This was a difference in levels, like how even a wolf king found it difficult to defeat a weak, scrawny tiger.

"I hope you do not disappoint me."

Shen Yun murmured softly. The previous battles had not even counted as a warm-up for him.

Facing a great Foundation Establishment cultivator, Shen Yun chose to attack first. His figure was like lightning, his attacks like the wind, and his aura climbed steadily until it nearly stood shoulder to shoulder with his opponent's.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator seemed to sense the threat. With one hand, he raised a Fierce Wind. Wood Spiritual Energy transformed repeatedly, and all kinds of wooden weapons—sabers, spears, swords, and halberds—came whistling toward Shen Yun.

They were faster, fiercer, and more unpredictable. Compared to them, the previous five were practically child's play.

The gleam in Shen Yun's eyes blazed. At last, he felt a long-lost Sense of Oppression, and the battle intent in his heart began to rise.

"Li Fire Sword Qi!"

His technique changed. Golden light turned into flames filling the sky, and fire- and wood-element spiritual power began to intertwine like a surging river that never ceased its flow.

The two experts' figures crossed, like a fierce wind sweeping through the land and blowing the nearby trees apart.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged dozens of moves. Shen Yun's aura grew increasingly condensed, his blood and Qi like the rising morning sun, as the Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body began to unleash its Divine Might.

"So you only just broke through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Nothing much."

So long as they were not vital areas, Shen Yun paid no heed at all, allowing wooden spears and wooden blades to strike his body. He was covered in wounds, yet none were fatal.

The Five Elements Primordial Chaos Body circulated. As his injuries healed, his physical body became even stronger. Shen Yun almost entirely abandoned defense for offense, becoming more and more at ease.

By contrast, the Foundation Establishment cultivator retreated step by step. When Shen Yun took a hit, it was merely a minor injury; when he took one, it nearly cost him half his life.

Under the storm-like onslaught, he finally could not hold on. One punch blasted apart half his body.

"Die!"

Like an undefeated god of war, Shen Yun's massive hand pressed down, as though he were the one at the higher realm. The force of his powerful physical body actually smashed his opponent to pieces alive.

The people outside the tower were still discussing animatedly when the formation on the Third Layer lit up.

The scene instantly fell silent as a cemetery, and a strange atmosphere began to spread.

The Law Enforcement Elder was no longer calm and composed. His gaze was fixed tightly on the Seven Xuan Tower, as though he wanted to know what exactly had happened inside.

"He has already reached the Third Layer? It has not even been a quarter of an hour. What exactly did he do?"

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