CHAPTER 220: RACE BEFORE THE CLIFF TRIAL

Lightning crackled and roared through the air.

Ancestor Suitian swiftly extended his right hand, suppressing the strength of the lightning while leaving only its powerful shockwave. The blast slammed into Jun Laoye's chest, grinding against him for a moment before hurling him backward.

Jun Laoye tumbled down from the cliff's edge. In a rush, he summoned his lightning giant to shield himself, landing and springing repeatedly across the protruding rocks along the cliffside.

"Hahaha! You were laughing so proudly just now, weren't you? Look who's falling now!" Nantian Yijian burst out laughing, waving his arms as he sprawled on the cliff's edge, delighting in Jun Laoye's struggle to regain balance.

Ancestor Suitian once again wore his eerie smile as he looked at the jubilant Nantian Yijian. "Nantian brat... Did you get hurt just now? Shall I heal you?"

"No! No, please don't, Ancestor!" Seeing that sinister grin, Nantian Yijian felt as if he had glimpsed a devil's descent. He frantically waved his hands and backed away. "I just broke through to the Qi Regulation Realm! Please don't strike me with lightning, Ancestor! I'll go down and join the boss in the trial right now!"

Ancestor Suitian's expression softened, his tone turning gentle. "Hehehe, smart kid."

Lu Chen chuckled at Nantian Yijian's panic and stepped forward with Nantian Wan'er. "Ancestor, it's about time we head down as well."

"Go ahead. The timing is just right," Ancestor Suitian said, nodding as he sipped his tea. "The low-level cultivators have already left. Those who remain are perfect for some real combat practice."

"Yes, Ancestor," Lu Chen said solemnly, bowing. "Once we go down, the trial takes priority. No matter what happens, please don't intervene. We'll leave life and death to our own fate."

"Hahaha

, well said. In that case, we'll meet again in two days at the pit." Ancestor Suitian waved them off with a smile. "Go on now, and make sure to keep an eye on that useless Jun brat for me."

"Yes, Ancestor," Lu Chen responded, pushing off with his right foot and leaping backward off the cliff. Midair, he saw Nantian Wan'er form a hand seal, her feet tracing the Star Serpent Cloud Concealment technique as they descended together.

Lu Chen wrapped an arm around Nantian Wan'er as they fell. "Green Sovereign Divine Tree! Defense!"

With each drop in altitude, additional layers of vines emerged around them, shielding the pair from the violent winds.

Nantian Yijian quickly bowed to Ancestor Suitian, drew a flying sword from behind his back, grinned, and leapt off the cliff to chase after Lu Chen. "Boss, wait for me!"

Daoist Tian Ji stared at the vines surrounding Lu Chen and exclaimed, "It's the vines again! I've read about this divine ability in ancient manuals. It differs slightly from the description, but only someone with the purest Green Sovereign bloodline could manifest it."

Ancestor Suitian observed the layers of vines and recalled the ones that had filled the sky earlier. "The same vine technique... and all the phenomena centered around Lu Chen. Looks like that person above really is his guiding figure."

With a sigh, the last trace of doubt in his heart vanished.

Despite Lu Chen's earlier words about leaving life and death to fate, Ancestor Suitian still ordered several Qi Condensation Realm cultivators to secretly follow and protect him.

Seeing this, the other venerables also sent their own trusted Qi Condensation Realm followers after Lu Chen.

Lu Chen himself might not warrant such protection, but his mysterious background, along with the one said to have returned from the Outside, left these venerables no choice but to curry favor in secret.

***

Nantian Yijian blinked fiercely as he plummeted down the cliff, tears streaming as his hair and robe whipped wildly in the wind. "Falling this fast really stings the eyes!"

Forcing his eyes open, he caught sight of Lu Chen below, protected by layers of vines, and couldn't help but sigh in envy. "Boss is fine as always. Must be nice having vines for protection. All I've got is the sword-control art."

Just then, pain shot through his right hand. His flying sword slipped free, and without its support, he screamed as he fell faster.

The sword paused midair, then, as if imbued with a will of its own, it darted after him. Spinning rapidly around his body, it formed layer upon layer of protective barriers, stabilizing the air and shielding him from the crushing winds of the fall.

Nantian Yijian stared at the swirling sword barrier as memories of his Core Breakthrough Realm experience flooded his mind. "T-This... this is..."

Slowly, a surge of immense energy rose from within him.

"I remember now..." he murmured, circulating his spirit qi. "I may have lost my cultivation and insights of the Core Breakthrough Realm, but the combat awareness I built up before has completely become my own."

His spirit qi surged, compressing the swirling air around him and lifting his body straight into the sky. He glanced down at the cliff below, eyes sharp with determination. "Yes. I once stood at the peak of the Core Breakthrough Realm. Now, it's my turn to show what I can do."

Reaching behind him, he drew out his second flying sword. "Until I become the true King of Ten Thousand Arts, I'll keep striving. Every technique will have a thousand names of its own."

Forming the hand seals for both the sword-control art and Offense Break, he casually uttered a name of his own invention. "Beyond the Arts Command... Swordstride!"

The second flying sword shot from his grasp, radiating fierce light as it appeared beneath his feet. Adjusting his robe, Nantian Yijian flung both sleeves behind him and clasped his hands behind his back, standing firmly atop the sword.

He gauged his state briefly, then shot toward Lu Chen. "Boss, look at me! I may not be naturally gifted, but as long as I can call out enough names, I'll become the King of Ten Thousand Arts!"

"Huh? Is that how it works?" Lu Chen split an incoming boulder with a swing, stunned by the Nantian Yijian's newfound demeanour. "Little Jian, since when did your combat sense become this sharp?"

"What's so strange about that?" Nantian Yijian, standing atop his sword with half-closed eyes, tried to look like an otherworldly master. "I once unleashed a strike at the Core Breakthrough Realm. Wouldn't it be ridiculous if I lacked this level of awareness?"

"Why does Little Jian look so odd right now?"

"Lu brat, I heard you have decent movement arts." Nantian Yijian imitated Ancestor Suitian's calm demeanor, then suddenly accelerated toward Jun Laoye. "Let's see how fast you really are."

Watching him, Lu Chen was reminded of his childhood in Greenheaven Village. Back then, Little Pup would hold a wooden stick, pretend to be a great cultivator, and challenge him to duels.

Lu Chen smiled. "This rascal... Wan'er, hold on tight. Let's catch up."

He formed a hand seal and summoned the phantom of the Green Sovereign Divine Tree behind him. The massive tree wrapped around him and Nantian Wan'er as they plunged downward at high speed.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Chen caught up with Nantian Yijian and Jun Laoye. "How's that, brat? Not bad, huh?"

Nantian Yijian grinned, forming another seal to double his speed. "Again!"

He shot past them toward the ground.

Lu Chen laughed, sending a burst of spirit qi behind him as he darted forward like a shooting star. "Little Jun, you're looking a bit slow,"

Jun Laoye remained unhurried. "You two... heh, racing me now?" He formed a hand seal and merged with the lightning giant. "No matter how fast your techniques are, no human can outrun lightning. Try my new move!"

"Lightning Giant! Lightning Manifestation!"

Jun Laoye fused with the one-zhang-tall lightning giant midair. With the Heavenly Dao Spear in hand, his body erupted with electricity as he charged fiercely toward Lu Chen.

The cliff spanned nearly three thousand zhang, and the three of them raced downward for almost ten minutes. Each time one overtook the others, the remaining two would unleash new techniques, exchange a few teasing words, and dash ahead again.

At the cliff's summit, the venerables watched their reckless competition with smiles, chatting about how good it was to be young. To the cultivators behind them, however, the cheerful scene seemed oddly out of place, almost unsettling.

On normal days, such scenes would happen countless times. But those same smiling venerables could turn completely different. They would often follow up with attacks to drive the cultivators away or hunt them down.

***

Beneath the cliff.

After the fierce chase, the three finally glimpsed the shattered rocks at the bottom. Within the last hundred meters, they slowed simultaneously, exchanged smiles, and descended together.

Lu Chen held Nantian Wan'er close as he landed on the branches of the Green Sovereign Divine Tree. Nantian Yijian hovered beside him, feet balanced on two flying swords.

"Little Lu, make some space on your right for me."

Lu Chen waved his hand and shattered a nearby boulder.

With a booming crash, the lightning giant landed heavily, kicking up a cloud of dust.