516: Chapter 161 Who Dares to Block the Tao?!

516: Chapter 161 Who Dares to Block the Tao?!

Zhou Yan remained calm and indifferent, continuing, “I realized that without enough strength and power, there’s no qualification to compete with others.

Therefore, one must learn to be forbearing, learn to…

resort to any means necessary to become stronger.

Because once you become stronger, no one cares how you achieved it.”

“Maybe it sounds extreme, but if I don’t become stronger, the price is the death of my loved ones, the loss of the souls of those I love.

Without that, there’s no point in living.”

“Upon realizing this, I, Zhou Yan, decided to change everything.

On the surface, I appeared to die to escape the struggles, but secretly, I enhanced my strength.

I can’t outsmart the Saints, nor can I match the intelligence of those Old Monsters who have lived for thousands of years, but I can be ruthless to myself, let myself face death, and then pursue my dreams in another ancient form.”

“Yes, as everyone thought, I am Zhou Yan, whether as the Emperor Qi Sword Body or the Thunderflame Sword Body.

I am telling everyone now, Zhou Yan has always been Zhou Yan — past, present, and future, irreplaceable by anyone!

Now, as the Emperor Qi Thunderflame Sword Body, the Dual Swords unified, my combat power breaks Nine.

I have attained Great Success in Xuanjin, and a small success in the Origin Path to shatter my Life Chart!

Now, my combat power as Zhou Yan can transcend realms, powerful enough to fight Sword Tribulation experts!”

“I, Zhou Yan, am to marry the Holy Daughter, who dares to stand in my way?!”

“Ji Wu?

Profound one?

Even if you are at the peak of the Sword Void Nine Transformations, even if your combat power is nearly at Nine’s peak, you can’t break through that chasm, unable to fight across realms against Sword Tribulation experts.

Therefore, you will surely suffer a terrible defeat.”

“I, Zhou Yan, will kill you as easily as cutting grass!”

Zhou Yan stood on the Void Battle Platform, his hands behind his back, defiantly declaring words that shocked the world.

He even announced his terrifying combat power, causing a stir among the cultivators, shocking them.

This shock was unimaginable.

Emperor Qi Thunderflame Dual Sword Body!

This admission alone was enough to shock the ages!

A combat power breaking Nine was equivalent to shattering the ancient legends, as no genius was ever known to break Nine.

Near the peak of Nine and breaking Nine aren’t even comparable, not on the same level!

Realizing the Great Success of Xuanjin, was something to be achieved only in the Nine Refinements of Sword Tribulation, which Zhou Yan had now completed.

This news, too, was shocking, causing countless geniuses to sigh.

And understanding the small success of the Origin Path was something that Saints needed to grasp, and many Saints might not even achieve it, this… this was so shocking it left people speechless.

That final ability to fight across the Sword Tribulation Realm made it so that no one could say anything anymore.

Because Sword Tribulation is a transformative realm, all combat power in the Sword Tribulation Realm will have to change anew.

Crossing realms after Sword Tribulation, each level contains several smaller steps, almost tantamount to a whole new realm containing sub-realms, just that the sub-real realms aren’t counted as part of the main realms.

Between Sword Tribulation First Refinement and Second Refinement, only those who had once broken through to Three could barely cross it, depending on the process and intensity of their tribulation.

If the power of the Heavenly Tribulation is insufficient, their combat power might decline again, a genius with a power breaking Five might enter the Sword Tribulation First Refinement Realm and not be able to defeat a cultivator in the Second Refinement.

Moreover, all who enter the Sword Tribulation Realm are likely geniuses, making crossing realms incredibly challenging since combat powers generally do not differ much.

Therefore, from the start of the Sword Tribulation Realm, managing to cross one realm means being a True Man Level genius; crossing two realms qualifies as a True Spirit Level genius; and crossing three realms proudly earns the title of a ‘True Xuan Level’ genius.

Post-Sword Tribulation, True Xuan Level geniuses were almost unheard of, for no one was known to cross such vast combat power leaps, at most, they might be True Spirit Level geniuses.

Therefore, a cultivator who is at the level of a Spiritualist, Sword Ancestor, or Sword Saint in the Sword Tribulation would be the nightmare of all other cultivators of corresponding realms.

For these reasons, now that Zhou Yan had merely reached the Sword Void Fifth Transformation Realm, yet his combat power had entered the Sword Tribulation Realm, the terror this inspired was chilling.

Many geniuses were still laboriously refining their understanding of the Void Nine Battle Line, not yet even qualifying as Profound Level geniuses, with many still struggling through their realms, their grasp of the Void Nine Battle Line far from the limit, unable to comprehend the Xuanjin to become Profound Level geniuses… In comparison, it only underscored how powerful and awe-inspiring Zhou Yan was.

It seemed many geniuses were witnessing the emergence of a wholly new Sword Tribulation Realm ‘Profound’ level genius.

…

“I hope your combat power matches your arrogance, to be equally admirable.”

Ji Wu’s tone gradually calmed, entering a peculiar state amid the many cultivators’ reverence and applause for Zhou Yan.

His condition was excellent, seemingly able to unleash his full potential.

As he spoke, the many genius cultivators finally recognized he was in a state close to ‘Unity of Heaven and Man,’ and suddenly, the applause ceased as if cut off sharply, disappearing altogether.

The scene was immediately enveloped in rare silence, so quiet that even the breath of the cultivators was clearly audible.

For at that moment, all cultivators sensed the eerie calm before a great battle, the sign that a fierce conflict was about to erupt.

With the outbreak imminent, a thrilling contest was soon to unfold, and all cultivators immediately concentrated and held their breath, their eyes wide open, fearing to miss even the slightest moment of battle.

“Definitely!

Earlier, my disciple started by slapping you, right?

Even though I also gave you a severe slap in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sword Tomb, I still think it wasn’t enough.

As his master, I have to give you two slaps.

Otherwise, I’m not worthy of being Chen Chen’s master.”

Zhou Yan spoke with calculated ease.

Ji Wu’s expression darkened instantly, and rage ignited in his heart as his state exited the Unity of Heaven and Man.

The magical state was shattered by a single sentence from Zhou Yan, immediately drawing a flurry of hisses.

Many cultivators thought Zhou Yan had deliberately made those comments to unsettle Ji Wu, suspecting he was afraid of Ji Wu’s state and therefore broke it first.

However, only those who truly understood Zhou Yan knew that it wasn’t Zhou Yan provoking Ji Wu, but rather he was genuinely about to slap Ji Wu.

“Whoosh—”

After Zhou Yan spoke, his figure suddenly vanished like a ghost shadow with a ‘poof’ and disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared beside Ji Wu, striking like a Netherworld Illusion with unimaginable speed.

Such speed and bizarre movement technique could have caught even a Saint off guard had they not been cautious, and Ji Wu, only at the Sword Void Nine Transformation Realm, how could he withstand it?

“Slap—”

“Slap—”

Two incredibly loud slaps resounded, hitting Ji Wu’s face back and forth.

Ji Wu’s body stiffened as if frozen, not even having time to react before being fiercely slapped.

Knowing the rebound force from Ji Wu’s Holy Artifact would be extremely violent once triggered, Zhou Yan deliberately used physical strength for the slap without employing any energy, as it would otherwise rebound off the Holy Artifact, making it ineffective.

Thus, the brutality of these two slaps sounded particularly loud and fiery.

With the two slaps, Ji Wu’s head was nearly knocked askew, but thanks to his also formidable physical body, he forcefully stepped back more than ten meters into the ground of the Void Battle Platform before stopping.

Two distinct palm prints appeared on his face, and the corners of his mouth swelled, with blood once again dripping out, stark and glaring.

The immense force shattered the hairpin binding his hair, causing his long hair to chaotically drape over his shoulders, appearing somewhat disheveled.

But his gaze remained fiercely intense, not showing hysteria but rather fixating on Zhou Yan as if shocked by Zhou Yan’s frightening movements.

Not just Ji Wu, many cultivators under the Battle Platform were stunned by Zhou Yan’s uncanny movement technique, which was terrifyingly capable of moving through the Void without a trace, akin to instantaneous movement, creating no energy disturbance.

Anyone who harbors murderous intent could employ such a technique… it would undoubtedly send chills through any genius cultivator’s heart.

Many cultivators eyed Zhou Yan warily, trying to discern the secrets of his technique.

Whereas on the other side, whether it was Hou Chen or Feng Jiu Xian and others, all felt incredibly excited and blood boiled.

It seemed as if it was not Zhou Yan, but they themselves who had slapped Ji Wu.

“If this is all you’ve got, then you’re far from qualified to suppress me!”

Ji Wu suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly; dark, evil energy radiated from him, carrying the terrifying ambiance of the True Ghostly Sword Dao as if the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sword Dao itself had descended.

This supreme Sword Dao, derived from the Ten Thousand Ghosts Sword Tomb, was not only the essence of the Ghostly Sword Dao but also carried the malignant energy of the Asking Dao Ba Huang Sword.

The combination of these two was an astonishingly sinister Cultivation Technique.

This technique had the capability to devour a person’s spirit, akin to the Purple Flame Void.

Although it was far inferior to the Purple Flame Void, for ordinary people, it was much more terrifying than the Soul Devouring Sword Body—One feared and dreaded technique among cultivators.

“Oh?

You intend to refine my essence to build yourself up?

Is that why you wanted to imprison Jia Yongheng and also my disciple Hou Chen?

It seems you’ve already devoured the abilities of many genius cultivators, haven’t you?

Otherwise, how could someone who is neither a distinguished Sword Body nor anything but well-born surpass so many ancient Sword Bodies?”

Zhou Yan scoffed and said.

“No matter what you say, it won’t change the fact that you’re going to die!”

Ji Wu’s eyes reddened as he cackled hideously, the sinister aura around him growing even stronger.

He would never know that Zhou Yan was the least afraid of such tactics.

Moreover, in terms of the Ghostly Sword Dao, the version first comprehended by Zhuge Chunqiu, which included elements of the Heavenly Mechanism Skill, couldn’t compare to the depth of his own understanding.

“Chen, pay attention.

This is the Spirit Dragon Swordsmanship and also the Ghostly Sword Dao.”

Zhou Yan, calm and unhurried, faced Ji Wu’s assault without a hint of fear, instead speaking to remind Hou Chen to watch carefully.