Chapter 728 - 289: The Tide
The pale golden Nine Heavens True Essence around Lu Chenming’s body erupted like a raging tide, several times more powerful than when he was in the Astral Force Realm!
The long saber in his hand let out a resonant HUM. He had already unleashed an incredibly condensed slash of light. Before the saber even arrived, its razor-sharp aura pressed down on Chen Qing like a physical weight, threatening to cleave the entire Seven-Star Platform in two!
Below the platform, the faces of the few True Successor Candidates, such as Wan Shangyi and Qian Baole, turned deathly pale in an instant.
They had all seen Lu Chenming fight before, including during his last battle with Chen Qing. Back then, though Lu Chenming was strong, he hadn’t made them feel utterly powerless.
But this slash, a combination of True Essence Power and Saber Intent, represented absolute suppression on a whole new level. A sense of insurmountable despair bloomed in their hearts.
This was the True Essence Realm!
A barrier as vast as a heavenly chasm!
Facing this earth-shattering slash, Chen Qing’s expression remained unchanged. The True Essence within him suddenly surged. No longer restraining his aura, a pressure no weaker than Lu Chenming’s—and perhaps even deeper and heavier—erupted from him!
He clenched his right fist, and without using his spear, threw a simple punch.
True Essence swirled around the edge of his fist, accompanied by the faint sounds of wind and thunder. This wasn’t some Divine Skill or Mysterious Method; it was purely an absolute display of the quality and quantity of his True Essence!
"What?!"
Lu Chenming’s pupils contracted. A storm raged in his heart. ’True Essence?! He... he broke through too?!’
This sudden turn of events completely shattered his rhythm.
In his haste, he could only forcibly retract the slash, bringing the saber horizontally across his chest. He poured all of his immense True Essence into the blade, forming a solid golden Light Shield.
BOOM—!!!
The Fist Force slammed solidly into the body of the saber!
There was no stalemate as he had expected. The Power contained within that seemingly simple Fist Force was incomparably tyrannical. Lu Chenming felt an irresistible force travel up his saber, numbing his arms and sending his qi and blood into turmoil. He stumbled back seven or eight steps—THUD, THUD, THUD—each footstep leaving a deep crack on the hard Cyan Gang Rock platform. Only then did he manage to steady himself, his face a mask of horror and disbelief.
"True Essence! Chen Qing has reached the True Essence Realm too?!"
Below the platform, the ever-composed Zhong Yu suddenly took a step forward. The calm smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by utter shock.
Beside him, Yanchi’s expression also turned grave.
Farther away, Zhang Baicheng’s gaze was like lightning as he stared intently at Chen Qing. ’So that’s how it is!’
Chen Qing hadn’t invited him to watch some display of Spear Technique. He had invited him to show that he had quietly stepped into the True Essence Realm and now possessed the qualifications to speak with him—Zhang Baicheng—as an equal... or even to challenge him.
"My God! Senior Brother Chen Qing... he broke through to the True Essence Realm too?!"
"How is that possible?! How old is he? How long has it been since he joined the sect?"
"No wonder he dared to accept the challenge! So he had an ace up his sleeve like this!"
"He hid it too well!"
The entire area around the Seven-Star Platform erupted like a pot of boiling water. A deafening roar of discussion and shocked cries exploded, the sound waves soaring into the sky.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden reversal. What they thought would be a one-sided slaughter had instantly turned into a duel between two newly-ascended True Essence Realm geniuses!
"The True Essence Realm!?"
Ruan Lingxiu was completely stunned when she saw this.
’Chen Qing broke through to the True Essence Realm?’
’I remember when I first met him, he was only at the Mid-stage of Astral Force. How many years has it even been?’
’The True Essence Realm is supposed to be a difficult threshold to cross, even for geniuses, isn’t it?’
’Does Chen Qing not have any bottlenecks!?’
It wasn’t just Ruan Lingxiu; Meng Qianxue and the others were all dumbfounded, as if they were in an unbelievable dream.
Amidst the uproar, Chen Qing made his move.
He extended his arm. The Profound Dragon Spear, which had been standing quietly to the side, let out a joyous yet murderous hum and flew into his hand.
The spear’s shaft trembled. The True Essence flowing into it seemed to bring the long spear to life, and it let out a low, draconic roar.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Qing moved like lightning. The Profound Dragon Spear became a black thunderbolt tearing through the air, thrusting straight at Lu Chenming, who was still in shock and hadn’t yet composed himself!
The Spear Momentum was ferocious and relentless—a killing move from the True Martial Demon-Vibrating Spear!
Lu Chenming was terrified. The fact that Chen Qing had broken through to the True Essence Realm had shaken his Heart and Spirit. Now, facing this lightning-fast spear thrust, he could only react on instinct. Pushing his Saber Intent to its limit, he swung his long saber, unleashing a dazzling arc of light in an attempt to defend himself.
However, not only was Chen Qing’s True Essence no weaker than his, but he had also completed a refinement ahead of time, clearing his Spirit Platform and forming his nascent Divine Sense.
Lu Chenming’s fledgling Saber Intent was unfailingly effective against those in the Astral Force Realm. But against Chen Qing—who was not only also in the True Essence Realm but also possessed a tempered will—its influence was negligible!
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
The spear’s tip struck the weakest points of the saber light with unerring accuracy, sending sparks flying!
The impacts sent Lu Chenming’s qi and blood into chaos, forcing him to retreat again and again. His Saber Technique was already falling into disarray.
Pressing his advantage, Chen Qing’s True Essence surged. The Profound Dragon Spear erupted with blinding light as he executed a straightforward thrust—devoid of any flourish but packed with immense True Essence. Like a meteor crashing to earth, it carried the power to shatter mountains and crack stone as it hurtled toward Lu Chenming’s chest!
Demon-Vanquishing and Evil-Exterminating!
Lu Chenming’s soul nearly fled his body as he sensed a fatal crisis.
He was a veteran master, after all. At this life-or-death moment, he unleashed his full potential, unreservedly pouring his newly stabilized True Essence into his long saber.
Nine Heavens Cloud Dragon Slash!
He roared hoarsely as the long saber in his hand seemed to transform into three solid, golden dragon phantoms that slashed out in a crisscrossing pattern!
What looked like a single slash was, in reality, three slashes he had unleashed in an instant by pushing his potential to its absolute limit. He had nearly exhausted all his True Essence in a desperate attempt to block this fatal blow!