Chapter 595: Exceptionally Difficult

The Meng Family had only recently become a Golden Core Clan; they didn’t understand the true depths of such an established power.

The Azure Dragon Hall was firmly established as the second-largest Hall in Mist Rain Tower, so its strength was beyond question. Furthermore, Wen Yangxi was the sworn brother of the Old Tower Master, so one could only imagine his age. A man like that was bound to have a few more tricks up his sleeve.

Upon hearing this, the faces of the few Golden Core Cultivators present instantly turned ashen.

Even the old patriarch didn’t dare to dwell on it.

His opponent had chosen to leave at the last moment rather than stay for a fight to the death, a clear sign that reason had prevailed. But the look he gave Chen Che before departing was filled with vengeful calculations.

This meant he surely had some other card to play.

But as for what kind of ace he had up his sleeve—one powerful enough to make him suppress his urgent desire for revenge—no one could say.

“Old Sir, do Beast Masters have any special techniques?”

Chen Xi picked up a twig and began to poke at the campfire.

“A Beast Master’s greatest asset is their Spirit Pet. However, I recall a record in the notes of True Master Chilong stating that some Beast Masters can borrow power from their Spirit Pets, or even lend their own power to them.”

Meng Qianxun considered this, then added:

“It’s like one person possessing the strength of several people at once…”

Everyone froze. ‘Just how many Demon Beasts does the Azure Dragon Hall have?’

The color drained from Zhao Shifeng’s face.

“Look at you all, scared stiff.”

Meng Qianxun chuckled and shook his head.

“Putting aside what kind of Demon Beast or Cultivator could even handle such immense power, from my perspective as a Beast Master, I’m certain this technique can only be used with a Spirit Pet that shares a deep spiritual bond with its master.”

“If it were that easy, the Azure Dragon Hall would have taken sole control of Mist Rain Tower long ago, and the Vermilion Bird Tower wouldn’t be the one still calling the shots.”

“Old Sir, you really had me going!”

Zhao Shifeng let out a long sigh of relief.

The others exchanged glances, then couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Chen Che, however, remained silent. He was remembering the Clawed Flood Dragon that the Little Chick had beaten half to death. After it had forcibly devoured another of its kind, it had instantly returned to full strength, even managing to severely injure him.

Clearly, Wen Yangxi had already mastered such a technique.

“Everyone has been through a grueling battle today. We can discuss what comes next later.”

Chen Che tossed a log into the campfire and rose to his feet.

…

The moon was cold and the stars brilliant as clouds drifted across the heavens.

Across the vast expanse of Chu State, a low-lying white mist mingled with swirling dust.

It was a bad night for the remaining Demon Beasts in Chu State. The Cultivators, who had majestically swept through their ranks alongside Mist Rain Tower during the day, were now hunting them down in the mountains. Some couldn’t sleep, while others simply wanted to hunt a few more beasts before they departed.

Suddenly, a Sword Rainbow, like a bolt of lightning in the dark, streaked through the night and struck the remaining Demon Beasts with pinpoint accuracy.

The sound of WHOOSHING air and THWACKING impacts became a single, continuous roar. Before the stunned Cultivators, the Demon Beasts collapsed without a struggle. They could only watch, dumbfounded, as the sword light silently vanished into the distance.

After a moment of astonishment, they realized some great expert was practicing their Swordsmanship.

Before these two great battles, Chen Che had been rather complacent about his own strength.

But after truly stepping into this unfamiliar world and personally experiencing two wars that swept up countless lives, he finally realized how shallow his perspective had been. ‘I, a Golden Core Cultivator, am just a drop in the ocean.’

Jiang Shaotian, Duobao, Qiu Tianshui…

Any one of these figures was a peerless overlord in their time.

That included the fugitive Wen Yangxi, the ancestors of the two sects who hadn’t even joined the battle, and the Old Tower Master of Mist Rain Tower. These were all figures from a bygone era. This was the truly terrifying thing about the Cultivator World—

As long as you were strong enough, you could live for several ages!

On Earth Element Star, many people mocked the idea of ‘archaeological Cultivation.’

But the truth was that certain powerful Magic Techniques were monopolized by the Cultivators of a previous age. Wen Yangxi definitely had a card up his sleeve. It wasn’t just that overlords like him were meticulous and deeply calculating.

Rather, it was that only those who were meticulous and deeply calculating could ever achieve such a status in the first place.

‘It’s no good. I can’t increase my strength significantly in a short amount of time.’

With a gesture of his right hand, countless Flying Swords swarmed back like swallows returning to their nest. They converged like Starlight, merging back into the Sword Pill. Chen Che couldn’t help but sigh to himself. He had only just reached the Seventh Layer shortly before coming to Chu State; he had no idea how long it would be until his next advancement.

And one’s Cultivation Realm was inextricably linked to the power of their Magical Artifacts and Techniques.

His Sword Pill was the one thing that didn’t rely on True Essence, but it had to be activated with his Divine Sense—

and improving one’s Divine Sense was far more difficult than increasing one’s True Essence.

Although scattering his Divine Sense to annihilate nearly a hundred Demon Beasts in an instant looked incredibly fierce, it was ultimately just for show. It might be enough to bully an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, but against a being like Wen Yangxi, it posed almost no threat at all.

‘I don’t have many trump cards left, but I have no idea what Wen Yangxi is still holding back.’ Chen Che had a premonition that the coming battle would be far grimmer than he imagined.

A soft patter of footsteps sounded from behind, and Chen Che turned his head.

Through the hazy mist and under the bright moonlight, Meng Qingxuan approached, holding up the hem of her long skirt.

“You’re not asleep either?” Chen Che asked with a small smile.

“I waited for a long time, but you didn’t come back. I was worried, so I came out to check on you.” Meng Qingxuan sat down casually beside Chen Che, her beautiful face filled with concern. Her hand came to rest gently on the back of his.

“Are you worried about Wen Yangxi?”