CHAPTER 193: HUNYUAN VS. SUITIAN

The Divine Eye at the center of Ancestor Suitian's forehead snapped open. Space around them warped. Wind Dragon sensed imminent danger and tried to retreat, but Ancestor Suitian had already dragged him into a strange Heavenly Lightning dimension.

"Suitian Spear!"

"Hunyuan Greatsword!"

The moment Ancestor Suitian summoned the Suitian Spear, Wind Dragon called forth the Hunyuan Greatsword. The two weapons collided with a sharp, ringing clang before separating. The sword rebounded toward Wind Dragon's brow, instantly restoring his strength to its peak.

"You again? To think you've reached the Earth Core Realm," Ancestor Suitian said, recalling his divine ability, the Suitian Spear. He frowned at the fine cracks on its tip. "Just who are you?"

"You're not half bad yourself," Wind Dragon replied slowly, his voice cold as he faced Ancestor Suitian. "But last time, I was only using a clone. I hadn't fully merged with my weapon. This time, the result is far from certain."

Ancestor Suitian let out a cold laugh. "So that weapon belongs to that Lu brat. Then you must be the one behind him. I thought so. How could a mere village boy of this era, no matter how talented, break through the Qi Regulation Realm in a single month?"

He waved his hand over the spear, and it instantly restored itself to its pristine state. "Still, you are only at the peak of the Earth Core Realm. No matter how formidable your weapon is, you are no match for me. Show me this so-called ability of yours."

He hurled the Suitian Spear, sending a bolt of pitch-black divine lightning toward Wind Dragon. "Don't worry. Since you stand with that boy, we're on the same side. I'll hold back."

Wind Dragon met the lightning head-on. He unleashed a wind blade of Earth Core Realm-level power in midair, then shifted into human form with the sword in hand.

Sidestepping the divine lightning, he raised the greatsword and said sternly, "I see you hold Little Lu in high regard. Out of goodwill, I advise you—do not touch him. His background is beyond your imagination. Even your so-called Jun Clan is powerless against it."

"Oh?" Ancestor Suitian avoided the wind blade and unleashed another lightning strike. "So the boy's identity really isn't simple. I knew it. How could a mere village child surpass even the scions of the Jun Clan?"

Wind Dragon gripped the sword and surged forward. "Hmph..."

Ancestor Suitian snorted coldly, thrusting his spear to meet him.

With a thunderous crash, Wind Dragon was blasted backward along with the Hunyuan Greatsword, while the Suitian Spear fractured inch by inch under the strike.

"You've been driven back dozens of steps while I haven't moved an inch," Ancestor Suitian said. "This fight is mine. Even if your weapon can cut through my divine art, a full-realm difference cannot be overcome by mere steel."

He glanced at the shattered spear, then waved his hand, scattering its fragments. "Besides, your peak strength is borrowed from the weapon. You can't truly draw out its power."

He stepped forward, healing Wind Dragon's injuries with a surge of spirit qi. "It's like handing a fetus a peerless sword and asking it to fight an adult. The adult may get scratched, but in the end, the fetus will always be subdued. The battle's decided. I've won. Let's go."

He flashed before Wind Dragon, ready to disperse the Heavenly Lightning dimension.

But Wind Dragon suddenly rose, gripping his sword tightly. Violent, pitch-black energy poured from the weapon into his body. His eyes darkened, consumed by black light, and his aura surged, climbing from the Human Core Realm step by step until it matched Ancestor Suitian's.

Wind Dragon sneered, spinning the sword in a full circle before pointing it forward. "I didn't want to do this, but unless I show you my true strength, you'll never curb your covetous thoughts. My cultivation may have declined, but I can still ascend to the Human Core Realm through external aid. And we have plenty of ways to do it."

He jabbed the blade toward the ground. "This so-called Heavenly Lightning Dimension is just a pocket realm. If I wish, I can leave anytime. I don't need your help."

"Come out, little rascal. Spirit, awaken! Planetary Jade Token Mode!"

Wind Dragon yanked Eggy straight out of the small world, pulling it through the Heavenly Pool. Eggy squeaked angrily at being dragged in, but Wind Dragon ignored it. He immediately employed Lu Chen's Slot and Strike technique.

"See for yourself. You're not the only relic to survive into this age. I, too, have lived since ancient times. I've seen more golden eras than you, and witnessed more prodigies than you could ever imagine."

Wind Dragon swung the colossal Hunyuan Greatsword once more, driving its blade downward with all his strength. His left hand pressed the fourth button, and in an instant, the sword glowed white as it pierced straight through the Heavenly Lightning dimension.

Ancestor Suitian watched, stunned, as his Heavenly Lightning dimension tore apart. "How can this be?!"

His mind snapped back into his meridians, and his blood and qi surged violently within. He stared at Wind Dragon, still gripping the Hunyuan Greatsword, and trembled uncontrollably. "How could you break my Heavenly Lightning dimension? This is impossible!"

Wind Dragon drew back the sword, his aura dropping sharply. "And yet, as you can see, the dimension is already broken. What's impossible about that?"

Moments ago, he had unleashed his strongest secret technique to intimidate Ancestor Suitian, but it came at a great cost. For the next ten days, he would be unable to draw upon his spirit qi.

Ancestor Suitian forced himself to suppress the turbulent blood surging through his meridians. "Sigh... did you really have to go this far just to intimidate me? Was it necessary?"

He looked at Wind Dragon. "I had hoped to rely on him for some good fortune. Why would I ever harm him?"

Wind Dragon glanced around and admitted, "Yes... It was nothing more than to intimidate you."

By the time Ancestor Suitian returned to the outside world, he had already set up a formation around them. Now, apart from Red Fox with her mastery of illusions, no one else could see their exchange.

"Stupid Dragon, was this really worth it?" Red Fox scolded, irritation clear in her voice, then sent a voice transmission. "Every time you use that move, it takes you days to recover. What about when the mist surges? Will you even be ready then?"

"Heh. You think I haven't thought of that?" Wind Dragon shot her a sidelong glance through the transmission. "Did you forget we still have the small world? Time flows differently there. Ten days inside equals just one day outside."

He seemed pleased with himself. "If I wanted, I could use it repeatedly. I can take turns coming out with my clone, and there would be practically no gaps at all."

"Wind Dragon, you damned cheat! So you're thinking of using the small world to exploit a bug?" Red Fox's anger flared at his smugness. "What if the formations below seal off access and we can't return to the small world? Have you thought of that?"

"Uh... that I did forget," Wind Dragon admitted sheepishly, scratching his head. "Then I'll just head back to the small world now to recover. Once I come out again, I'll be fine."

Ancestor Suitian noticed his behavior and grew suspicious. He followed Wind Dragon's gaze and activated his Heavenly Lightning Eye. "Is that a Red Fox?"

"Damn, we've been spotted. Why were you staring at me like that just now?"

Having been exposed, Red Fox leapt to Wind Dragon's side and revealed her true form. Nine tails fanned out behind her as she cast a charm technique directly at Ancestor Suitian, shaking his mind into turmoil once again.

Wind Dragon regarded her seductive display with disdain. "Serves you right for never refining your own techniques. No wonder the Heavenly Lightning Eye keeps seeing through them. Can't you strengthen your arts a little?"

"Heavenly Lightning! Break!" Ancestor Suitian shouted, snapping out of the charm in an instant. "You're a Nine-Tailed Red Fox! A peak Earth Core Realm Nine-Tailed Red Fox! How does that brat have so many top-tier beasts at his side?"

"Hehehe... now do you understand why I warned you?" Wind Dragon said calmly. "I just wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. Otherwise, we'd end up like the snipe and clam, only to let the fisherman reap the reward."[1]

Ancestor Suitian looked at him helplessly. "You could've said so earlier."

He hadn't expected Wind Dragon to unleash his strongest strike for such a simple reason. "I was worried I'd be alone and unable to withstand the top-tier cultivators' joint assault.

"Well, now with the two of you helping me, along with the cultivators I've gathered, that Spirit Body of Heaven and Earth is as good as ours. Once we split it, those youngsters' aptitudes will improve by leaps and bounds."

Red Fox huffed. "Enough talk. Let's head back. The mist is about to surge."

She then shrank into a little fox and curled comfortably in Nantian Wan'er's arms, closing her eyes.

Carrying the Hunyuan Greatsword, Wind Dragon slowly walked toward Lu Chen. "I need to return and recover first.

"The mist surge will happen today. I'll be back soon. You'd better be ready. Once the mist erupts, we'll head down immediately. There's plenty to be gained inside."

A pale blue light flared at the center of the field. Wind Dragon vanished from sight, returning to the small world through the Hunyuan Greatsword. As the glow faded, Ancestor Suitian had already reseated himself, while the surrounding formation seals reactivated.

1. The idiom "the snipe and the clam, only to let the fisherman reap the reward" comes from a classic Chinese fable. In the story, a snipe tries to eat a clam, but the clam clamps shut on the snipe's beak. While the two are locked in a struggle, a fisherman comes along and easily captures them both. The moral is that when two parties fight stubbornly, a third party can take advantage of their conflict and benefit. In this context, Wind Dragon is warning that unnecessary conflict with Ancestor Suitian could leave them both vulnerable to others who might profit from their fight. ☜