Chapter 505: Arrival of Divine Maiden!
"Hm?"
Suddenly, her gaze shifted toward a certain place within the Heavenly Sword Sect.
In her eyes, which were as distant and profound as the starry sky, a strange luster slowly appeared.
Then, she took a step forward.
As the peerlessly beautiful woman took that step, a Starry Path extended beneath her feet. A moment later, it actually condensed into a portal formed entirely from starlight, deep, mysterious, and distant.
She stepped into the Starry Portal, and in the next instant, she crossed an unknown distance and appeared directly before Li Yun.
Boom!
At the same time, Elder Xingluo’s palm had already descended with thunderous force. It was about to land on Li Yun, but at that critical moment, the peerlessly beautiful woman gently raised a finger and pointed forward.
Pop!
Her movement was casual and natural, as though she were simply poking a bubble.
Then, Elder Xingluo’s palm truly dissipated like foam, vanishing completely without leaving behind the slightest trace.
’It is her?’
Gazing at the back of the peerlessly beautiful woman standing before him, Li Yun felt stormy waves rise in his heart. Although he could only see her back, he could still clearly recognize her.
This peerlessly beautiful woman was none other than the Divine Maiden from the ancient stone monolith.
At the critical moment when Elder Xingluo was about to cripple his cultivation, she had actually appeared again.
"What?"
Unlike Li Yun, Elder Xingluo’s expression changed drastically.
He had never expected that at the final moment, just when he was about to cripple Li Yun’s cultivation, someone would suddenly appear to stop him.
Moreover, this person’s strength was clearly formidable. Although he had not used his full power in that palm strike, resolving it so effortlessly was definitely not something an ordinary Heavenly Core Realm expert could do.
"Who are you?"
Anger flashed in Elder Xingluo’s eyes as he stared at the Starveil Maiden standing before Li Yun. First, he was stunned by her beauty and aura, but his expression soon turned cold.
"You dare interfere in the affairs of my Starheaven Ancient Kingdom. Your Excellency’s audacity is truly far too great."
The Starveil Maiden’s expression remained calm and indifferent.
She completely ignored Elder Xingluo’s threat and merely shook her head as she said, "A dignified Heavenly Core Realm expert actually attacked a Half-Step Mortal Core Realm cultivator. Has the Heavenly Sword Sect already fallen to such a state?"
"How dare you!"
Elder Xingluo’s expression turned icy as he shouted sharply, "I do not care who you are. Since you dare to stop me, I might as well kill you too. Go die."
As his words fell, Elder Xingluo struck out with another palm.
This time, he unleashed his full strength.
Boom!
When a Heavenly Core Realm expert went all out, the aura released was terrifyingly powerful. The dreadful pressure spread outward, forcing many Outer Sect Disciples to kneel on the spot. Even a few stronger Outer Sect Disciples and Inner Sect Disciples turned pale and retreated explosively.
The might of this palm seemed capable of uprooting mountains and grasping rivers. A Heavenly Core Realm expert could borrow the power of heaven and earth with every movement, and this palm strike felt as though countless mountains were crashing down together.
Yet facing this earth-shattering palm, the Starveil Maiden’s expression did not change in the slightest.
"Sword, come."
Her slender, fair, jade-like hand beckoned lightly.
Immediately, the sword in Li Yun’s hand flew up uncontrollably and landed in the Starveil Maiden’s grasp.
Then, with a calm and composed expression, she lightly swung the sword.
Swoosh!
An unremarkable streak of Sword Qi drifted out.
This Sword Qi seemed weaker than even the attack of a Body Tempering cultivator. It looked only slightly stronger than something an ordinary mortal could release.
Seeing this, a mocking expression immediately appeared on Elder Xingluo’s face.
’I thought this woman was some remarkable existence, but it turns out she is only this much.’
Yet in the next moment, his expression changed drastically.
It was precisely this unremarkable streak of Sword Qi that effortlessly tore apart his full-power palm strike. It did so with such ease that it seemed no harder than cutting tofu.
Afterward, that Sword Qi drifted lightly toward him.
It appeared gentle, quiet, and without the slightest trace of aggression or threat.
However, all the hairs on Elder Xingluo’s body stood on end. A chill rose from his spine and instantly spread throughout his entire being, making him feel icy cold and filled with dread.
After reaching the Heavenly Core Realm, cultivators would gain a vague intuition toward fortune and misfortune. This seemingly light and harmless sword strike made Elder Xingluo sense the threat of death.
"Ah!"
He roared and wanted to dodge the Sword Qi.
Only then did he realize that he had already been locked onto by it. No matter how violently he struggled, his body could not move even an inch.
"No!"
He roared madly and strained with all his might, but it was completely useless. Under his terrified gaze, that Sword Qi landed squarely on him.
Swoosh!
In an instant, Elder Xingluo’s figure was sent flying backward.
At the same time, a crisp sound rang out.
His essence qi was directly pierced through by this sword strike, and all of his cultivation was completely crippled.
In a flash, he seemed to age countless years. White hair rapidly spread across his head, and his originally lean face became covered with wrinkles and age spots. In an instant, he had entered old age.
A Heavenly Core Realm cultivator had a lifespan of five hundred years. However, now that Elder Xingluo’s cultivation had been crippled, he had been beaten back to his original state. His lifespan naturally diminished greatly, and he immediately became a frail old man standing at the brink of death.
Hiss!
Witnessing this scene, Elder Yuechi and the others could not help sucking in a cold breath.
One sword strike.
Just one sword strike.
Such a light and casual sword strike had actually made a Heavenly Core Realm expert completely powerless to resist. It had directly crippled his cultivation. The Starveil Maiden’s strength was truly terrifying beyond imagination.
"Hmph."
Suddenly, a heavy snort sounded.
Then, a middle-aged man wearing a purple robe appeared before everyone. His appearance was dignified, and an intangible aura of nobility surrounded him.
Although he was clearly much younger than Elder Xingluo, the aura emanating from him was countless times stronger than Elder Xingluo’s.
"To cripple a Heavenly Core Realm expert so casually, Your Excellency truly does not seem to take my Starheaven Ancient Kingdom seriously."
The purple-robed middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, his expression filled with authority. His gaze landed on the Starveil Maiden, and a flash of greed quickly passed through his eyes. Then, he spoke in a light tone, as though everything before him was already under his control.
"If Your Excellency obediently apologizes to this prince and willingly becomes this prince’s concubine, serving this prince with devotion, this prince might consider sparing you. Otherwise, do not blame this prince for being ruthless and destroying such a beautiful flower."
Seeing the purple-robed middle-aged man speak so arrogantly even after the Starveil Maiden had crippled Elder Xingluo with a single sword strike, Elder Yuechi and the nearby elders did not laugh. Instead, their expressions became even more solemn.
That was because whether in status, position, or strength, this purple-robed middle-aged man was far above Elder Xingluo.
He was a member of the Starheaven Ancient Kingdom’s royal family, a prince personally conferred by the Starheaven Emperor.
He was Prince Yu.