Chapter 239: The 8th Floor
"So what are we supposed to do on this floor?"
Shen Daoxing asked, puzzled.
Ge Ye didn’t answer immediately. Instead, his gaze swept over the two of them before he said coolly, "Defeat me!"
"Defeat you?"
Shen Daoxing was taken aback. If he remembered correctly, Mr. Ge was a master of the Earth Profound Realm. Shen Daoxing himself had only just entered the Spirit Transformation Realm. How could he possibly be a match for an Earth Profound expert?
"Of course. I will suppress my cultivation to your level. I won’t let you be at a disadvantage."
Ge Ye said calmly.
’He’s going to suppress his cultivation!’
Shen Daoxing and the red-clad young woman exchanged a look.
Ge Ye paused, then suddenly added, "However, only one of you can enter this final 9th Floor. If you both defeat me, you will have to duel each other to determine the one who will ascend to the 9th Floor."
With that, Ge Ye looked from one to the other. "Alright, who’s first?"
"That won’t be necessary."
At that moment, Dugu Sheng’s voice suddenly rang out. "I came here only for the Huangliang Immortal’s Sword Technique. Since I’ve reached the eighth floor and am able to obtain the inheritance of his Sword Technique, there is no need for me to go on. I forfeit!"
With that, the red-clad young woman retreated and chose an empty spot to sit down and meditate.
Shen Daoxing turned to look at Dugu Sheng, somewhat surprised.
Ge Ye nodded in approval. He then muttered something, pointed two fingers upward, and a speck of starlight lit up in the void. The speck grew larger and larger, revealing a simple yet profound Jade Talisman, which flew down into Ge Ye’s hand.
"This is the Huangliang Immortal’s Sword Technique. You can use your Divine Sense to peer inside."
As he spoke, Ge Ye raised his hand and tossed the Jade Talisman to the red-clad young woman.
The red-clad young woman caught it, glanced down at it, and then began to meditate off to the side, completely absorbed in her cultivation.
Ge Ye calmly turned to Shen Daoxing. "Well then, shall we begin?"
As he spoke, Ge Ye clasped his hands behind his back and his aura condensed. Shen Daoxing immediately felt Ge Ye’s presence rapidly diminish, and in the blink of an eye, it had dropped to the same level as his own: the first level of the Spirit Transformation Realm.
Shen Daoxing bowed respectfully again. "Mr. Ge, please enlighten me!"
Then, without holding back, he drew the Great Ming Demon Sparrow from his back, launched himself off the ground, and appeared before Ge Ye in an instant, bringing the Great Ming Demon Sparrow down in a fierce chop.
Ge Ye, unhurried, simply shifted one foot and dodged with a slight turn of his body.
Shen Daoxing had missed him by a hair’s breadth.
Shen Daoxing immediately swung his sword in a horizontal slash.
Ge Ye’s figure flickered. He dodged again with a light leap, once again missing by the barest of margins.
Shen Daoxing relentlessly swung the Great Ming Demon Sparrow, but Ge Ye didn’t even attack. Weaving left and right, it seemed every strike was about to land, yet Ge Ye dodged each one with ease, completely at home in the storm of blows.
Shen Daoxing realized it then. Although Ge Ye’s cultivation level was currently the same as his, his combat experience and techniques from the Earth Profound Realm far surpassed Shen Daoxing’s.
Shen Daoxing held back no longer. As he slashed horizontally with the Great Ming Demon Sparrow, a brilliant seven-colored light erupted from within his body.
Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning!
Blazing Sword Intent!
Geng Metal Sword Intent!
Thunder Sword Intent!
...
Eleven streams of Sword Intent transformed into Wandering Dragons, soaring into the sky. They traced graceful arcs before shooting forward with a WHOOSH.
Ge Ye remained unhurried. With light taps of his feet, his figure retreated, leaving a trail of afterimages. In that illusory blur, he deftly dodged every single Sword Intent attack.
Shen Daoxing didn’t stop there. He suddenly leaped high into the sky, raising the Great Ming Demon Sparrow and bringing it down in a fierce chop. "How about this?"
Forbidden Sword Technique, Heaven-Reaching Fire!
Surging crimson flames billowed from the Great Ming Demon Sparrow, blotting out the sky and sun like a colossal tsunami of fire.
The entire void turned red, and the temperature rose by several degrees.
This time, Ge Ye did not choose to dodge. Instead, he extended two fingers and simply pointed forward.
A mysterious and profound power flowed from his fingertips like a thin thread. The power didn’t seem strong, but it shot into the tsunami of flames, darting about like a fish.
Instantly, countless cracks appeared on the Heaven-Reaching Fire, and it suddenly shattered.
Shen Daoxing was surprised, but his body didn’t stop. His aura suddenly surged, and the Seven-Colored Profound Platform inside him flared brilliantly. "Then what about this move?"
"Forbidden Sword Technique, Kunlun Duanyue!"
The Great Ming Demon Sparrow in Shen Daoxing’s hand glowed intensely, and a seven-colored radiance shot toward the heavens.
A colossal beam of sword light shot out, spanning heaven and earth as it soared toward the clouds, as if intending to pierce the very sky. It streaked across the firmament like a startling rainbow, poised to cleave everything in two.
Faced with such a monumentally powerful sword strike, Ge Ye didn’t move his feet. He still just extended two fingers and gently pinched.
CLANG!
A crisp sound rang out.
Ge Ye caught the massive beam of sword light between his fingers. His fingers trembled slightly, as if transmitting some kind of power.
Ripples spread across the long beam of sword light. Then, cracks like a spiderweb spread over it, and it shattered.
’Still not enough?’
Shen Daoxing’s expression hardened. Without hesitation, the Profound Platform in his Dantian spun rapidly. Black arcs of electricity flickered as Venerable Power silently emerged, gathering on the Great Ming Demon Sparrow.
"Venerable Taboo, Kunlun Duanyue!"
A colossal beam of sword light that could sever mountains and span the heavens flew out. It seemed capable of slicing through space itself; wherever it passed, space twisted and distorted, leaving a trail of black electric arcs.
In response, Ge Ye still didn’t move a single step. He extended two fingers and, with a CLANG, caught the immense beam of sword light.
However, he had clearly underestimated the power of this strike.
Black arcs of electricity flickered.
Ge Ye was forced back several steps in a row, but his two fingers held fast to the sword light. A profound power flowed from his fingertips, guiding the beam of light to trace a circle in the air.
Ripples trembled across the sword light, and with a BANG, it shattered apart once more.
’Still not enough!’
Shen Daoxing was stunned for a moment. He raised his hand, sheathing the Great Ming Demon Sparrow on his back, then pushed off with his feet and leaped high into the air once more. The Profound Platform inside him spun rapidly, black electricity crackling and hissing as immense Venerable Power surged forth.
In the blink of an eye, a solid, jet-black Treasure Sword condensed in his raised palm. Black arcs of electricity flickered around it, causing the surrounding space to stretch and distort.
"Venerable Sword!"
Shen Daoxing shouted sharply, bringing the Venerable Sword down in a fierce chop.
As he chopped down, the entire space around him caved inward.
Seeing this, Ge Ye still did not move a single step. He simply extended his fingers.
CLANG!
With a soft ringing sound, he easily caught the Treasure Sword.
Then, Ge Ye used Shen Daoxing’s own momentum to spin him around. He spun once, twice, deflecting the force of the impact. Then, with a powerful fling, he threw both Shen Daoxing and the Treasure Sword he was holding.
BANG!
With a heavy impact, Shen Daoxing slammed hard onto the ground.
Ripples spread across the surface of the invisible floor.
Shen Daoxing was astonished. ’Even using all my Venerable Power, I still can’t even shake Ge Ye?’