Chapter 380 - 351: Taking the Sword and Entering the Palace

Chapter 380: Chapter 351: Taking the Sword and Entering the Palace

SHIMMER—

As Chen Che took a step forward.

The Jade Sword seemed to have been provoked. A brilliant radiance erupted from it, and countless streams of Sword Qi gushed out. Immediately after, a Sword Rainbow several times larger than the previous one formed once more.

’Offense is the best defense!’

The thought crossed Chen Che’s mind.

He deduced that this Jade Sword had to be a formidable Spiritual Artifact. Placed here, it was merely retaliating, activated by an Array.

Passively taking hits was the worst possible strategy.

Even if their Cultivation were a whole level higher, they might not be able to withstand it. Any Golden Core Cultivator caught inside would be torn to shreds by the endless Sword Qi. Realizing this, and knowing he didn’t have enough True Essence left to reach the other side of the plaza, Chen Che decisively chose to take the offensive.

"Go!"

With a soft cry from Chen Che, the Flying Swords hovering before him began to hum, pulsing with a dense, radiant Sword Qi.

He had the support of that one stream of Sword Qi from within the Sword Pill.

Even if they ran into danger, he was confident he could get everyone out of the plaza.

WHOOSH!

As Chen Che clenched his hand, the gathered Flying Swords flowed with light, merging into a single, massive blade. Just as the enemy’s Sword Rainbow was forming, Chen Che’s giant sword struck first!

HAA—

The speed of this strike was so immense it was beyond anyone’s imagination.

Chen Che had barely raised his right hand when the sound of an explosion rang out. All that remained in his original spot was an afterimage as a cloud of white mist erupted at the point of impact, causing the ground to collapse in an instant.

In the eyes of the onlookers, that single motion of his hand seemed to stretch on for an eternity.

It lasted only a moment, but it felt like centuries had passed, as if time itself had frozen. Only after what seemed like a long time did the vast, thunderous roar finally reach their ears.

BOOM!

The hundreds of Flying Swords, unable to withstand the force of the collision, were sent flying back.

"CRACK!"

But at the same time, before everyone’s horrified gazes, the nascent Sword Rainbow was shattered on the spot.

’Attack instead of defending! The best time to strike is before its Sword Rainbow can fully form!’

Meng Qianxun’s eyes lit up.

This was the drawback of an unmanned Array. Though powerful, it lacked flexibility, leaving exploitable loopholes. Perhaps it was truly possible to cross this plaza and claim that Jade Sword.

"BOOM."

After the Sword Rainbow was shattered, the Jade Sword began to pulse even more violently.

Streams of brilliant light shot out from the sword, quickly gathering together. This Sword Qi was more condensed and purer than before. Once it converged, its power would surely be even more terrifying.

"BOOM!"

However, armed with his previous experience, Chen Che immediately consolidated his swords and struck, shattering the Sword Qi again just as the Sword Rainbow was forming.

Following this, the Jade Sword swayed from side to side, its humming growing more intense.

’It’s run out of tricks!’

Chen Che chuckled, finding the task increasingly effortless.

He even began to command the Flying Swords with his mind alone, scattering them at will to launch direct attacks. With a series of crisp BANGS, the Flying Swords obliterated the streams of Sword Qi as they emerged.

However, the Sword Qi within the Jade Sword seemed endless. Just as Chen Che felt his Power of Divine Sense was about to be depleted, he finally reached the edge of the plaza.

HUMMM—

The Jade Sword suddenly shuddered, its Sword Aura growing even more brilliant as it seemed to try and gather its remaining power.

"Come here!"

Chen Che laughed heartily, clenching his hand. A vast power enveloped the Jade Sword, pulling it directly into his grasp.

The entire Sword Array was formed by this very Jade Sword.

The moment he took hold of the Jade Sword, it was as if a machine’s power had been cut; the emanating Sword Qi quietly ceased. The sword itself, however, did not go still. It vibrated violently, as if trying to break free from Chen Che’s grip at any moment.

"He really got it?"

Meng Qianxun was stunned for several breaths. Seeing the look on Chen Che’s face, he quickly scanned their surroundings. "Stay alert, in case something unexpected happens..."

"Don’t let it touch the ground! The sword will form an Array upon landing."

Chen Che tossed the Jade Sword to Meng Changtu and immediately sat down cross-legged.

Although he had made it look easy, controlling the Sword Pill was no simple feat. His True Essence wasn’t greatly depleted, but his Divine Sense was utterly exhausted. He casually took out three sticks of Soul Nourishing Incense, planted them in front of him, and quickly closed his eyes to recover.

However, the moment he had touched the Jade Sword, he had instantly deciphered its function from the runes inscribed on it.

"Yes, I understand."

Hearing that it would form an Array upon landing, Meng Changtu grew extremely tense. The sword was restless in his palm, even humming audibly. He too sat down cross-legged without delay and began to perform Sealing Techniques.

Streams of True Essence transformed into seals, wrapping around the Jade Sword like chains.

Since they didn’t know how to use the Jade Sword, sealing it was the wisest course of action.

"It’s done."

After a tense few minutes, a Jade Sword bound by countless runic chains appeared before them.

Only then did everyone relax and begin to examine the Jade Sword. It was exquisitely beautiful. The blade was a seamless whole, carved from some unknown type of jade and covered in layers of intricate patterns. But its most critical feature was its ability to form an Array upon landing.

"Che’er, what’s our plan now?"

A moment later, seeing Chen Che open his eyes, Meng Qianxun asked with a calm and composed demeanor.

After the battle at Jinyun Valley, where Chen Che had single-handedly killed eleven Golden Core Cultivators, he had earned their respect. In the Cultivator World, strength determined status, so it was only natural to listen to his plans.

Xiao Chan and Meng Changtu, who were standing nearby, had no objections either.

Chen Che glanced at the Jade Sword, then couldn’t help but smile at the question. "What other plan could there be? We’ll stick together, clear out the Arrays within the Traveling Palace, and search for any Celestial and Earthly Treasures we can find."

"Don’t get complacent just because we’re inside the Traveling Palace. This is merely the entrance, yet it was enough to stop more than ten Golden Core Cultivators. The core areas inside will surely be even more dangerous."

"Good, I was thinking the same thing," Meng Qianxun nodded.

The Traveling Palace was treacherous. Sticking together meant survival; splitting up meant death. No one knew what lay ahead, so they had to be even more cautious.

It should be known that even when people teamed up to explore a Secret Realm, they could rarely trust their partners completely. This was why many chose to split up immediately upon entry, which, of course, was one of the leading causes of the high casualty rates in such explorations.

Of course, the greatest number of casualties still resulted from the slaughter that erupted over the Treasures found within.

The saying "Men die in pursuit of wealth as birds die in pursuit of food" was no empty phrase.

The group rested for a short while. Once they had recovered most of their strength, they continued forward.

...

Past the plaza was the main entrance.

The entire Traveling Palace resembled the main gate of a sect. In fact, one could say it was like a private Sect belonging to True Master Chixia alone.

The tightly shut gates seemed to have sealed away a piece of history.

As expected, the great doors were also under a Sealing. When the group worked together to push the towering, 120-zhang-tall wooden doors open just a crack, what they saw inside made their pupils contract.

"Run!"

Even Chen Che’s scalp tingled with fear as a chill swept through his entire body.

It was like a group of thieves who, after great effort, finally pried open the master’s door, only to find a vicious tiger coiled up behind it.

No, even a vicious tiger would be manageable. This was a Fierce Beast...