Chapter Sixteen: The Innate Realm
At this moment, the woman in white still wore a delicate veil upon her face, and the longsword in her hand seemed like a silver dragon bursting forth from the sea. Brilliant, snowy sword energy shot from its tip in dazzling streaks. The formidable aura of the sword filled the space, and her sword intent was chilling—a cold that pierced to the bone. Even Long Yun, standing a hundred feet away, could feel it distinctly.
Long Yun frowned slightly. Indeed, she had not yet reached the Innate Realm, but the aura she exuded was no less than that of Shangguan Yu. It seemed these two must be disciples of a great sect; otherwise, they would not possess such overwhelming combat strength.
As he pondered, a voice thundered forth, rolling like crashing waves, like muffled thunder exploding in the air.
“You two youngsters do have some skill, but you have not yet achieved the Innate Realm. Among peers, you might stand out, but compared to true Innate experts, the difference is as vast as heaven and earth! Very well, let me show you what real power is!”
As the words fell, the pitch-black sky suddenly brightened, all traces of demonic energy vanished instantly, as if clouds parted to reveal the sun—miraculous beyond belief.
At the same time, both the woman in white and the young man in blue changed expression. A tremendous pressure swept over them, as if an ancient force bore down upon their souls.
“Junior Sister, this fiend is too powerful—we cannot defeat him!” Sensing the overwhelming force, the young man in blue spoke quickly, a look of terror flickering in his eyes.
The woman in white stood silently, saying nothing, but her sword tilted skyward, unleashing a chilling, dazzling sword energy. Instantly, an icy aura spread like frost.
With a sharp clang, the sword energy surged, transforming into a snowy ice phoenix that soared aloft, letting out a piercing cry that seemed to pierce the heart.
The massive ice phoenix danced in mid-air, and wherever it passed, the momentum of the demonic realm’s expert was forced back.
“Oh? An ice phoenix—how interesting. Who would have thought such a remote wilderness would birth an ice phoenix? Once I absorb your maiden essence, my power will advance yet another step. Perhaps I’ll no longer need this place to stabilize my origins. Truly, heaven favors me! Ha ha!”
As he spoke, a violent disturbance suddenly rippled across the firmament, and a gigantic hand—covering fifty yards in every direction—appeared out of nowhere. The pitch-black palm roiled with demonic energy.
Twisted currents of spatial power flowed between the fingers, and with a sweep, the massive hand seized the ice phoenix hovering in mid-air, crushing it with ruthless force.
With a booming explosion, the ice phoenix shattered, transforming into fierce sword energy that fought desperately within the black palm, as if struggling to escape.
“Such pure, frigid energy—just what I need. Heaven has not forsaken me; absorbing so much blood is nothing compared to the purity you alone possess. Ha ha!”
He spread his fingers, and all the sword energy was dissipated by the turbulent demonic force, fading into nothingness.
The woman in white let out a muffled groan, involuntarily stepping back three paces. Her sword arm trembled uncontrollably.
“Junior Sister!” The young man in blue flicked his sword and stepped in front of her, fearing the fiend would strike again. He asked urgently, “Are you hurt?”
She shook her head, true energy swirling within her. Sword light burst three feet from the tip, cold air whistling. The numbness in her arm quickly eased, and her gaze fixed on the giant hand overhead.
“Young man, if you wish to play the hero, you must have the strength to match. I fear you lack it—stand aside, lest you lose your life in vain!” The voice boomed once more.
The young man in blue shook his longsword, shouting angrily, “Let me tell you, we are members of Phoenix Pavilion. If you dare harm a hair on our heads, our masters will scour the earth to destroy you utterly!”
“Hm?” The voice paused in surprise. Phoenix Pavilion—only the oldest monsters, those who have cultivated for centuries, know what those words mean. It is a symbol, one of the three great mysterious powers of the Dragon Realm.
Especially among the demonic realm’s experts, they know Phoenix Pavilion even better than the righteous path. Hearing those words, the demonic expert hesitated.
“Phoenix Pavilion?” Long Yun had never heard of the sect, but judging by the fiend’s reaction, it must be formidable.
Seeing the fiend’s silence, a look of pride flashed across the young man’s face. He added, “Let us leave now, and today’s events will end here. Otherwise, your countless years of life will come to a sudden close!”
“Hmph!” The demonic expert snorted coldly. “To think that after tens of thousands of years, Phoenix Pavilion would produce disciples who rely only on their sect’s reputation. You are not worthy of its name.”
The young man in blue’s face changed, a hint of malice glinting in his eyes. Especially when he glimpsed the woman in white turning her head ever-so-slightly away, his fury burned even hotter.
To lose face before the one he loved—who could bear such shame?
“Besides, this is my place of cultivation, hidden and secret. Do you think just anyone can find it? If I kill you here, no one will know. Even Phoenix Pavilion’s greatest masters will not discover it. So, you shall remain!”
No sooner had he spoken than the giant hand in mid-air descended, giving the young man no chance to speak.
“Wind—Phoenix Spiral Blast!” The young man in blue shouted, thrusting his sword. At its tip, a spiral force suddenly erupted, transforming into a raging tornado that shot toward the descending hand.
At the same time, the woman in white dared not be careless. Her sword pierced the air, and the enormous ice phoenix reformed, its mournful cry ringing out as it crashed headlong into the giant hand, imbued with a tragic, unstoppable momentum.
“A battle of this level—I cannot intervene. But how can I save her?” Long Yun shook his head and sighed. His cultivation was still far from theirs, especially in sword techniques. The five lethal sword arts he possessed were still inferior to those the woman had just displayed.
With a thunderous roar, three mighty forces collided, sending shockwaves in every direction. Where the aftermath reached, all was wiped away.
Even the hard black stone was shattered to dust by the surging energy. Long Yun lowered his head; fortunately, he was far enough away to escape the brunt, yet even so, his whole body trembled.
Both the woman in white and the young man in blue retreated at once. Long Yun saw clearly: a spot of crimson blood spread across the veil of the woman in white.
The young man in blue fared worse, sent flying, blood spraying from his mouth, his gaze dimming.
“She’s wounded!” Long Yun’s heart clenched, and a sudden impulse surged within him. He flew forward, sword intent blazing, sweeping his blade in a horizontal arc—“Grand Chaos Sword Technique”—striking at the pursuing black hand.
He landed before the woman in white, his sword gathering all his power, a force so strong that even most experts of the Divine Gathering Realm could not withstand it.
Yet his foe had reached the Supreme Innate Realm. Long Yun’s strike had no effect, vanishing like a pebble thrown into the sea, leaving no ripple—gone in an instant.
He had expected this. With a single hand, he gently gripped the slim waist of the woman in white, shifting her ten yards to the side, narrowly avoiding the spot where the giant hand crashed down.
Dust flew everywhere, and the ground was smashed into a deep palm-shaped imprint.
Long Yun thought to himself how close it had been. If the demonic expert had truly intended to kill the woman in white, he would not have escaped.
As he was thinking, a sudden chill struck his heart. The woman in white placed her sword directly against his throat.
The sharp blade pressed a red line into his skin, making Long Yun break out in cold sweat, startled.
“Do not repeat this!” she said coldly, her body twisting like a water snake as she slipped from his grasp.
A bitter smile crossed Long Yun’s face. What was happening to him? Why did his body act with such instinctive intimacy? Yet the killing intent radiating from the woman in white was unmistakably real.