Chapter 258 - 256: Intimidating the Sword Hall
"Insolent!"
"How dare you!"
"Arrogant junior!"
The faces of the many masters of the Twelve Blade Halls turned grim as they roared in anger.
Lies don’t break a man’s defenses. The truth does.
Clearly, Chen Yuan’s words had struck a nerve.
Who wanted to be cooped up in a place like Yandang Mountain for a lifetime? Who didn’t want to go out and carve out their own domain?
But every territory worth taking was already claimed, and seizing one would mean a bloody war with the local powers.
Moreover, if they got too close to the Murong Family, they would be suppressed, or even outright annihilated.
So, for all these years, their only option was to roam freely within Yandang Mountain.
They were free here, but the environment was harsh. It was far from a pleasant existence.
Duan Hengshan waved a hand, his face devoid of expression. "You’re quite the junior. Your words are like daggers, striking right at the heart."
"However, since you’ve come to my Twelve Blade Halls, you should know our rules."
"Within the Twelve Blade Halls, strength is what matters. All the masters in this stronghold look only at strength, ignoring background and seniority. The same goes for how we deal with outsiders."
"Whether you’ve come to discuss cooperation or make a deal, we fight first and talk later!"
"It just so happens that none of us have witnessed the prowess of a prodigy from the Hidden Dragon Rankings. Would Master Chen be willing to open our eyes?"
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. ’He actually preferred the Twelve Blade Halls’ way of doing things—simple and direct, without so much beating around the bush.’
"Very well. Will Big Master Duan be the one to fight, or will one of the other masters step up?"
"Spar with a junior like you? Why would our leader need to get involved? Let me, Fei Tiancheng, the ’Wind and Thunder Saber,’ test your mettle!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a tall, powerfully built man who looked to be in his late thirties leaped down.
He wielded two short, curved sabers. Wind swirled around one blade, and lightning crackled on the other. As he moved the dual sabers, wind and thunder stirred in unison, creating an astonishing aura.
He had clearly cultivated an Inner Power with both Wind and Thunder Attributes. The forces complemented each other, boosting his might by a full thirty percent.
Furthermore, this ’Wind and Thunder Saber,’ Fei Tiancheng, was not ranked low within the Twelve Blade Halls. He held the eighth position and possessed a cultivation at the Condensing Truth Realm Late Stage.
Bu Wenxing, the ’Broken Moon Saber’ who had led Chen Yuan up the mountain, wanted to stop his "eighth brother" when he saw Fei Tiancheng spring into action.
’Eighth Brother’s Wind and Thunder Sabers are indeed impressive.’
’But the Shenxiao Evil-slaying Sword that Chen Jiutian unleashed before was simply boundless in its might, its aura breathtaking.’
’Compared to that, the faint lightning on Fei Tiancheng’s Wind and Thunder Sabers was like the glow of a firefly next to the bright moon.’
But Fei Tiancheng moved too quickly. Before Bu Wenxing could even call out, Fei had already leaped down, brandishing his Wind and Thunder Dual Sabers as he slashed toward Chen Yuan.
The other masters of the Twelve Blade Halls present all wore mocking expressions.
’Old Eight’s Wind and Thunder Dual Sabers are all about momentum; his opening moves are always incomparably fierce and violent.’
’Even the few masters ranked above him didn’t dare to clash head-on with Fei Tiancheng at the beginning of a fight. They had to first withstand his all-out opening assault, then rely on dragging things out to secure a victory.’
In the center of the hall, Fei Tiancheng brandished his Wind and Thunder Dual Sabers with extreme speed. In an instant, a storm of wind and thunder surged forward, the Saber Momentum closing to less than a foot from Chen Yuan.
But just then, Chen Yuan didn’t even draw his saber. Instead, the Power of Li Yan Blood Fiend erupted from his hands.
The scorching, formidable Blood Fiend Power cut straight through the Wind and Thunder Power, allowing him to grab the Wind and Thunder Dual Sabers directly.
As Power erupted from Chen Yuan’s hands, Fei Tiancheng discovered in horror that he couldn’t move his sabers an inch. His opponent’s strength was astonishingly formidable. The searing Blood Fiend Power instantly shredded the True Qi around him and even scorched his hands, causing wisps of white smoke to rise!
The next moment, Chen Yuan kicked out, the immense force sending Fei Tiancheng flying while his two Wind and Thunder Dual Sabers remained clutched in Chen Yuan’s hands.
The entire hall instantly fell silent, and everyone stared at Chen Yuan in shock.
Even Big Master Duan Hengshan frowned slightly, a peculiar glint in his eyes.
’It wasn’t surprising that he could defeat Fei Tiancheng, but to do so with such ease... that was somewhat terrifying.’
’The Hidden Dragon Rankings clearly state that this Chen Jiutian uses a saber. And yet, with Eighth Master Fei Tiancheng’s strength, he couldn’t even be forced to draw his blade?’
At that moment, Chen Yuan casually tossed the two sabers aside and said indifferently, "Stop wasting time. All of you, come at once."
The moment he finished speaking, a man beside Duan Hengshan declared in a deep voice, "I will!"
The man was in his forties. Though tall, he was unusually gaunt, like a human bamboo pole.
Wielding an enormous Horse-Cutting Saber, he leaped out to face Chen Yuan.
"Pei Zhan, second master of the Twelve Blade Halls and known as ’One Slash Severing the Soul,’ has come for a lesson!"
As he spoke, Pei Zhan let out a low shout and began to swing the massive Horse-Cutting Saber, a weapon even taller than he was. A black Gang Qi erupted from it, and a fierce wind howled. In an instant, as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting asunder, the blade produced a deafening sonic boom!
Pei Zhan was nicknamed ’One Slash Severing the Soul,’ and his strikes were even more ferocious and violent than Fei Tiancheng’s.
The Twelve Blade Halls wanted to test Chen Yuan’s mettle, but they also didn’t want to lose too disgracefully. That was why they sent out Martial Artists like Pei Zhan, who possessed formidable explosive power.
Facing Pei Zhan’s attack, Chen Yuan finally drew his Blood Sea Listening Tide.
Unleashing the Red Lotus Sin-Slaying Saber, the momentum of his strike was even greater than Pei Zhan’s. When the brilliant Red Lotus bloomed in mid-air, its magnificent beauty was laced with an endless, vicious killing intent.
The crimson Saber Aura slashed down, and the immense force sent Pei Zhan flying. The webbing of his hands split open, dripping with blood, and even the hand holding his saber was trembling violently.
"I told you to come at once. Attacking one by one is wasting too much time."
Chen Yuan shook his head lightly. His tone wasn’t arrogant, but it was enough to make their anger surge.
Hearing this, the masters of the Twelve Blade Halls could no longer restrain themselves and attacked in unison.
Seven or eight of them ganged up on Chen Yuan, but he handled them with ease, not even resorting to a killing move on the level of the Blood Killing Heaven-Seizing Hand.
’He still had a use for these Twelve Blade Halls, so he couldn’t afford to beat them up too badly.’
Seeing this, Duan Hengshan ordered in a deep voice, "Everyone, stand down!"
Although the masters of the Twelve Blade Halls were reluctant, they all obediently retreated, which was a testament to Duan Hengshan’s authority among them.
"Master Chen, your strength is truly formidable. The twelfth-ranked prodigy on the Hidden Dragon Rankings—your reputation is well-deserved. Compared to you, this group of ours has simply been idling away our lives."
Duan Hengshan shook his head and suddenly stood up. His entire being was like a small mountain, exuding an extremely oppressive aura.
"My brothers’ skills are lacking. We’ve made a fool of ourselves in front of you, Master Chen."
"I, however, would like to test Master Chen’s strength for myself."
"Otherwise, it would be far too disgraceful if the Twelve Blade Halls didn’t even have a single person capable of forcing you to use your full strength, Master Chen."
"If you can withstand three of my strikes today, Master Chen, then no matter the proposal, the Twelve Blade Halls will be willing to discuss it!"
Everyone present looked at Chen Yuan in stunned silence.
’Just now, seven or eight of us attacked him at once, and even that wasn’t enough to force out his true strength?’
"Fine!"
Chen Yuan stared at Duan Hengshan, uttering only a single word.
The next moment, Duan Hengshan let out a furious roar and swung the ink-black Beheading Saber in his hand. A colossal demonic shadow materialized behind him.
The might of this strike was ferocious, its Demonic Power overwhelming!
As he felt that ultimate power rushing toward him, Chen Yuan’s expression shifted slightly.
’This Duan Hengshan’s power is even greater than I had estimated.’
’His cultivation is only at the Primordial Pill Realm Middle Stage, but with his Innate Divine Strength, he could probably even fight a Grandmaster at the Primordial Pill Realm Late Stage.’
The Celestial Fire within his Dantian and Reincarnation Sea suddenly boiled, and the Power of Li Yan Blood Fiend surged to its absolute limit. Chen Yuan met the attack with his Horizontal Saber—Red Lotus Cutting Karma, Blood Fiend Ascending to Heaven!
When the two blades collided, the Demon Flame on Duan Hengshan’s strike was shattered, while fiery sparks of Blood Fiend flew from Chen Yuan’s Blood Sea Listening Tide.
Duan Hengshan’s figure remained motionless, but Chen Yuan was forced back several steps.
’He has Innate Divine Strength. Even without having trained in a Body Refining Technique, his strength is greater than that of a Vajra Prajna Temple Martial Monk of the same Level.’
The next moment, Duan Hengshan roared again. The Demonic Qi around him suddenly converged inward, condensing onto his Beheading Saber. A Demon Sound howled from the blade as it slashed down again, wrapped in a monstrous Demonic Qi. This strike was even stronger than the last.
Chen Yuan’s Qi Blood burned as the Power of Li Yan Blood Fiend erupted. His left palm descended—Blood Killing Heaven, its might immeasurable.
His right hand performed a Seal Formation, and the Gouli Blood Flame Divine Seal crashed down—blood flames filled the sky, Sky-Sundering God-Burning!
Two Celestial Level Secret Techniques, both from the Seven Kills Stele, were unleashed at once, clashing directly with Duan Hengshan’s strike of overwhelming Demonic Power.
The resulting collision was so powerful it felt like an earthquake, shaking the very foundations of the stronghold and causing the entire structure to groan and boom.
"The pillars! Quick, support the pillars!"
Fei Tiancheng’s expression changed instantly as he pointed frantically at the beams and pillars within the hall.
Several other masters reacted, rushing over to use their own strength to stabilize the pillars and prevent the aftershocks of the clash from shattering the entire stronghold.
An unknown amount of time passed before the dust began to settle, revealing a scene of utter chaos and destruction.
Chen Yuan’s face was slightly pale, but this time, he had not been pushed back by Duan Hengshan’s strike.
Just then, Duan Hengshan suddenly withdrew his saber.
"Big Master Duan, what is the meaning of this? There is still one strike left."
Duan Hengshan shook his head. "We’re not fighting anymore. If we continue, I’ll have to enter a life-or-death state, and you’ll have to play your trump card."
"That would no longer be a spar or a test, but a battle to the death."
"Master Chen, you are a peerless prodigy whose name on the Hidden Dragon Rankings shakes the Jianghu. Your reputation is truly well-deserved. Today, I have seen it with my own eyes."
The other masters present looked at Chen Yuan, their faces a mask of awe.
’So that’s where Chen Yuan’s limit is.’
’Their leader, Duan Hengshan, whom they considered invincible, would have to fight to the death to even settle the score with this young man. His strength is truly terrifying.’
Duan Hengshan let out a few hearty laughs and waved his hand. "Men, prepare a banquet!"
"We’ve had our fight. The rest can be discussed at the banquet table!"
"You beat these brothers of mine quite miserably, Master Chen. They’re all holding a grudge, so we’ll have to have another competition at the banquet table!"