Ouyang Joins the Battle

Ouyang Joins the Battle...

"Sword Qi," Mu Baifei and his two swordsmen comrades muttered in unison. The air shimmered with resplendent swordlight, enveloping Qin Wentian and obscuring him from view. Astral Light coalesced into countless flawless, razor-sharp swords, each emitting a mournful, eerie wail.

A relentless deluge of monstrously sharp sword Qi surged forth from each of these ethereal blades.

"How incredible," the crowd exclaimed in disbelief. This outsider, Qin Wentian, had displayed combat prowess that defied expectations for someone unaffiliated with any of the transcendent powers.

Yet, Qin Wentian's aura continued to ascend without any signs of stopping. A growing demonic presence emanated from him, intensifying with each passing moment. The blood seal within his body quivered violently, enveloping every astral sword with a shroud of bloody aura.

With a second glance at Qin Wentian, his figure seemed to morph into that of a Bloodsword Sovereign, his demonic Qi growing more potent by the second.

"Since all of you are so eager to meet your doom, I shall oblige," Qin Wentian's voice echoed with an air of tyrannical confidence. He was determined to bring about the demise of the Swallow Swordsmen.

BOOM! Mu Baifei and his companions made their move, and in the midst of their charge, Qin Wentian took a single step forward.

With that single step, the mournful wailing of his swords intensified as the countless astral blades merged into a swirling vortex of sword waves, hungry to consume everything in their path.

Mu Baifei's expression shifted dramatically as he bellowed, "SWORD HOWL!"

As the echoes of his command faded, an immense amount of swordlight generated by the three Swallow Swordsmen converged. Their Sword-type divine weapons clashed against each other, producing a discordant symphony of sword howls. Alongside this, the sword intent in the air layered upon itself, creating a cacophony of overlapping and amplifying sword howls.

The Swallow Swordsmen found themselves in an unexpected predicament, forced to resort to these complex sword-combination attacks under the relentless pressure exerted by Qin Wentian.

"DIE!" With an explosive surge of Sword-type Divine Energy, Qin Wentian propelled his spiraling astral swords forward. Countless blades fused together, forming a single, supreme sword. This sight left the onlookers in awe, especially considering that all Yuanfu Cultivators' Yuanfus remained sealed within the Refinement Grounds. If this attack were unleashed outside, it could easily spell doom for even Yuanfu experts.

"KILL!" Mu Baifei and his two Swallow Swordsmen counterparts roared, and the crescendo of sword howls created a colossal dragon. This was an advanced innate technique that allowed the power of their swords to manifest as a tangible dragon. Executing this technique required perfect synchronization among three sword cultivators, a testament to the pressure they felt when facing Qin Wentian.

The spectators were dumbfounded as they watched the battlefield. The supreme sword and spiraling swords collided head-on with the sword dragon, causing a dazzling burst of multicolored radiance. The ear-piercing cacophony of sword howls and keening nearly shattered the eardrums of those nearby. Shockwaves of sword Qi erupted in all directions, forcing spectators to either evade or face certain peril.

In the midst of this chaos, the area around Qin Wentian was enveloped in swirling dust. Mu Baifei and his companions were forced into a hasty retreat, their white robes shredded, and their clothing stained with blood. Their expressions were heavy as they gazed at the tyrannical figure of Qin Wentian. Despite their powerful sword-combination innate technique, they couldn't overcome him.

Ironically, Qin Wentian was equally astonished. He knew the potency of his attack, which combined the might of his sword-type Divine Energy and the augmentation from his bloodline limit. It was designed to confront Yuanfu cultivators, yet it had failed to finish off Mu Baifei and the other two swordsmen.

This attack had drained a significant portion of Qin Wentian's energy. Nevertheless, he consumed another Stellar Fruit and fixed his gaze on Mu Baifei.

The three Swallow Swordsmen wore expressions of dismay. Their initial plan had been to intimidate Qin Wentian into surrendering the Stellar Fruits, but they had found themselves in a precarious situation. These renowned swordsmen from the Yan Continent had been unexpectedly outmatched by an unknown cultivator.

Not far away, Qian Mengyu and the surviving female cultivators watched in utter fascination.

Qian Mengyu wore a look of sheer shock, her face reflecting her disbelief. It was laughable that they had assumed Qin Wentian needed their protection when he was this powerful.

What was even more absurd was that after Qin Wentian had acquired the Stellar Fruits, one of her companions suggested that because he was under their protection, he should be considered their follower. As such, they should determine how the fruits were divided according to their desires. Although Qian Mengyu had reluctantly agreed to an equal distribution, it was clear to everyone that she wasn't happy about it. Now, the thought of it burned her face with embarrassment.

In reality, it was Qin Wentian who had proposed the fair distribution of the fruits. Even if he hadn't, what could they have done to him?

Mu Baifei and the two swordsmen had used their formidable strength to suppress the four of them, even killing one. Yet, these three swordsmen had been completely overwhelmed by Qin Wentian alone.

The female cultivator who had been making snide remarks about Qin Wentian beside Qian Mengyu turned ashen upon witnessing his true combat prowess.

Qin Wentian paid little attention to their opinion of him. He halted his attacks and fixed his gaze on Mu Baifei and the others. Although his previous moves had consumed a significant portion of his Astral Energy, he still had enough for one final attack. However, doing so would leave him vulnerable to future threats. Likewise, Mu Baifei and the two swordsmen had likely expended a substantial amount of their Astral Energy.

On the other side of the battlefield, Mo Qingcheng was holding her own against Shiki. This was why Qin Wentian hadn't immediately intervened. The cultivators from the Mystic Moon Hall seemed to have the upper hand in combat, thanks in large part to the mysterious veiled lady's extraordinary power. Her movements were like shadows, making her nearly impossible to detect until her long black lance had already pierced through her opponents' hearts. Several of the beastmen had fallen to her.

This sent shivers down the spines of the spectators. The Mystic Moon Hall, one of the nine continent's transcendent powers, was notorious for their sinister and crafty innate techniques. Very few dared to provoke them.

Rumors also circulated about the brutal training of Mystic Moon Hall disciples, describing it as excruciating torture. The aim was to forge them into deadly assassins.

However, at that moment, Yao Sheng stepped forward, and the cultivators from the Skydemon Sect started to stir.

While Yao Sheng and Shiki had formed an alliance, Yao Sheng hadn't rushed to aid the Beast King Hall cultivators when they were in trouble. He waited until several of them had fallen before making his move, leading many to speculate that he still wanted an alliance with Shiki but didn't want the Beast King Hall to remain at full strength.

"Attack," Yao Sheng ordered coldly, casting a calculating look at both Qin Wentian and the Swallow Swordsmen. It would be ideal if both sides were significantly weakened in the conflict.

Qin Wentian furrowed his brow. He wasn't sure why the Mystic Moon Hall had chosen to assist Mo Qingcheng, but since they had, he didn't want any harm to befall them due to their decision. However, he stood alone without any alliances and no way to provide assistance.

"Ouyang Kuangsheng, could you lend a hand to the Mystic Moon Hall cultivators? Consider it a debt repaid. What do you say?" Qin Wentian asked without turning to face Ouyang Kuangsheng, keeping his attention on the Swallow Swordsmen.

Ouyang Kuangsheng was taken aback by the request. He contemplated it for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Sure thing, but no need to owe me anything. Let's just say we're friends now."

With that, he stepped forward, his body enveloped in scorching flames that radiated intense heat. He delivered a powerful punch, causing those in front of him to feel their bodies heat up to the boiling point, eventually exploding under the pressure.

The crowd marveled at Ouyang Kuangsheng's audacity. He was unafraid to offend two transcendent powers, the Beast King Hall and Skydemon Sect, all because of a request from someone they didn't even know.

However, this fearless attitude was consistent with Ouyang Kuangsheng's personality. He had once waited to begin his cultivation, ignoring the contempt and ridicule of others. He only started when he could condense an Astral Soul from the 4th Heavenly Layer, and his rapid success had turned him from a nobody into an overnight sensation.

Ouyang Kuangcheng's nonchalant attitude could easily be mistaken for arrogance. He did as he pleased, seemingly unconcerned with how his actions might affect others.

As Ouyang Kuangcheng sized up Qin Wentian, he couldn't deny the young man's power, especially after witnessing him suppress the three Swallow Swordsmen. Additionally, Qin Wentian's willingness to share the Stellar Fruits equally with those from the Greencloud Pavilion spoke to his character. But what truly impressed Ouyang Kuangcheng was seeing Qin Wentian subdue the Yellow Springs Monument.

For centuries, the legend of the Yellow Springs ancient pathway had circulated throughout the nine continents. It was said that those who faced the Yellow Springs could turn back and be forgiven if they were powerful enough to transcend the pathway unscathed. Yet, Qin Wentian was the first to directly subdue the Yellow Springs Monument.

Given all this, it didn't take Ouyang Kuangsheng long to decide to befriend Qin Wentian. He appreciated Qin Wentian's forthrightness and welcomed the opportunity to make such a friend.

"Thank you," Qin Wentian replied, equally appreciative of Ouyang Kuangsheng's sincerity.

And so, thanks to an unknown individual – Qin Wentian – representatives of the transcendent powers were drawn into battles within the Refinement Grounds.

Unfortunately, the members of the Greencloud Pavilion were no longer eligible to participate in these fierce clashes. Their potential fighters, like Jiang Ting, had not yet arrived.

The sole remaining figure was Wang Xiao from the War Continent's Wang Clan. Many eyes turned to him, but he remained calm, watching the unfolding events with an unreadable expression. While his thoughts were a mystery, it was clear to all that Wang Xiao was among the most formidable young elites from the transcendent powers. His strength and combat skills easily matched those of Ouyang Kuangsheng.

No one knew whether Wang Xiao would choose to participate in the battle for the Stellar Fruits. Regardless, Qin Wentian could finally focus on the daunting challenge of dealing with the three formidable Swallow Swordsmen from the Yan Continent.