Chapter 509 - 220: Giant Tree
Chen Qing steadied himself, his Diancang Spear a blur of motion. He pushed the defensive stance of the Mountain Prison-Suppression Spear to its absolute limit. The afterimages of his spear formed a mountain-like barrier, solid and imposing, repeatedly parrying the heavy axe’s chops and the heavy sword’s slams.
At the same time, the swift thrusts of the Mountain-Splitting Thunder Shock Spear flashed out intermittently. Like sudden peals of thunder, they forced back the twin-halberd Puppet that was trying to close in for a melee.
For a moment, the stone chamber was filled with nothing but the sounds of violent collisions and the howl of powerful winds.
Chen Qing fought on the retreat, carefully observing the operational patterns of the three Puppets’ battle Array.
The auras of the three were linked, and the flow of their True Astral seemed to form a subtle cycle, reducing their energy consumption and granting them greater endurance.
’I have to break their joint-attack Momentum!’ Chen Qing’s thoughts raced.
He deliberately feigned an opening, his Spear Momentum faltering for a split second.
The heavy-sword Puppet’s weapon came crashing down with even greater force!
Just then, a brilliant light flared in Chen Qing’s eyes as his Mountain Thunder Momentum erupted!
The Diancang Spear’s originally mountain-steady Spear Momentum instantly fused with the explosive speed of lightning!
On the spear’s shaft, faint phantoms of mountains and arcs of electricity seemed to flow and intertwine!
With a low cry, Chen Qing abandoned his pure defense. His Diancang Spear transformed into a dazzling streak of light that tore across the battlefield. It carried both the crushing weight of a mountain and the ferocious speed of a thunderbolt. Though he struck second, his spear arrived first, piercing straight toward the opening on the heavy-sword Puppet’s chest, which had been exposed by its full-powered swing!
The thrust was too fast, exceeding the Puppet’s ability to react!
SHREEE!
The spear tip, imbued with Mountain Thunder Momentum, precisely pierced the heavy-sword Puppet’s protective True Astral and struck the core on its breastplate!
CRACK!
The core instantly shattered! The Spiritual Light in the heavy-sword Puppet’s eyes dimmed abruptly. Its movements froze before it crashed to the ground in a heap of parts.
The battle Array was broken in an instant!
The remaining axe and halberd Puppets seemed to suffer a backlash from the Array’s destruction. Their movements faltered in unison, and the True Astral circulating around them fell into momentary chaos.
How could Chen Qing possibly miss such a perfect opportunity?
He lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, the Diancang Spear roaring out once more!
The spear struck like a dragon, accompanied by the faint rumble of thunder, and instantly shattered the battle-axe Puppet’s knee joint.
As the battle-axe Puppet crumpled, Chen Qing swept his spear back horizontally. Imbued with the force of a mountain, the blow sent the Puppet flying into the stone wall, where it shattered on impact.
The final Puppet, wielding twin halberds, finally reacted. It brandished its weapons wildly in a desperate, last-ditch struggle.
But without the support of the battle Array, it stood no chance alone.
Chen Qing wielded his Mountain Thunder Momentum with perfect control, sometimes suppressing like a mountain, other times thrusting like thunder. In less than five moves, he found an opening and ran his spear through the core at its throat.
Twenty-seventh floor, cleared!
Chen Qing stood with his spear in hand before striding purposefully toward the twenty-eighth floor.
Facing a battle Array of three Mid-stage Astral Force Puppets, he hadn’t expended much energy.
Outside the Treasure Tower, the number next to Chen Qing’s name on the stone monument quietly jumped from twenty-six to twenty-seven.
The change immediately caught the attention of several onlookers.
Shen Xiuyong, who had been keeping a close eye on the monument, was the first to spot it. "Nephew Chen! He’s on the twenty-seventh floor! His rank is up to twenty-seven!"
Beside him, Shang Lujing nodded slightly, a solemn look flashing in his eyes. ’He must have broken through to the Mid-stage Astral Force,’ he thought.
Wang Bo also took a deep breath, silently agreeing with Shang Lujing.
A flicker of emotion also crossed Zhuo Xiaoyun’s cool gaze. Having personally experienced the twenty-seventh floor, she knew just how difficult it was.
"The twenty-seventh floor!? How is that possible!?"
The frustration Xiao Bieli had just managed to dispel came rushing back, lodging heavily in his chest.
However, while Chen Qing’s ascent to the twenty-seventh floor caused a stir within his small circle, it failed to make significant waves in the bustling plaza.
After all, everyone’s attention was currently focused on the top geniuses who were challenging the twenty-ninth and thirtieth floors.
A disciple ranked in the twenties advancing a single floor was impressive, but not enough to stun the entire crowd.
...
Chen Qing stepped onto the twenty-eighth floor of the Celestial Treasure Tower.
The air was heavy. An invisible pressure, thick as mercury, permeated the space, making it slightly difficult to breathe.
A lone Puppet stood in the center of the stone chamber.
The Puppet was human-shaped and clad in archaic, dark-gold Battle Armor that covered it from head to toe, its features concealed by a Face Armor.
It held no Weapon, merely standing in silence with its fists hanging naturally at its sides.
Chen Qing sensed the aura emanating from its body.
Late-stage Astral Force!
A faint, golden Qi Gang, visible to the naked eye, flowed around its body like tangible Armor, emitting a terrifying pressure.
This was no simple fluctuation of True Astral. It seemed ready to burst forth at any moment, far surpassing anything from the Middle Stage.
’Outer Astral...’ Chen Qing noted internally.
He knew that the Late-stage Astral Force was a major turning point. One’s True Qi became further condensed, and practitioners began attempting to release it externally into a tangible form. The power of one’s Protective Gang Qi increased dramatically, making both offense and defense worlds apart from the Middle Stage.
The Puppet’s attention locked onto Chen Qing.
Chen Qing instantly brought himself to his peak condition. The Eight Extremes Vajra Body activated silently, his skin taking on a deep bronze sheen. His muscles tensed, and the blood and Qi within him roared like a blazing furnace.
Cyan Wood True Gang surged from his Dantian and into the Diancang Spear. A faint cyan light flowed over the spear’s shaft as it hummed with stored power.
Just then, the Puppet moved!
Its movements were ghostly fast, utterly unlike a metal construct. It took a single step and instantly charged, its fist, condensed with True Astral, blasting straight for his chest!
There were no complex moves, only absolute speed and power! The force of the punch tore through the air, creating a piercing sonic boom. The pale gold Fist Gang shone like a miniature sun, containing the terrifying power to obliterate everything in its path!
A sharp glint appeared in Chen Qing’s eyes. Pushing the Startled Swan Escape Shadow Technique to its limit, he floated backward like a willow catkin in the wind. Simultaneously, his Diancang Spear trembled, and his Mountain Thunder Momentum erupted in an instant!