Zhu Fei’s gaze intensified; for the first time since his ascension to the Xuanhuang Continent, a strong alarm sounded in his heart!
"I do wonder," he thought, "whether it’s your Destruction Sword Qi that’s ferocious, or my Yellow Heaven Umbrella’s defense that’s stronger!"
Thinking this, Zhu Fei’s eyes suddenly filled with an intensely rich yellow hue, within which the spirits of imperial heaven moved back and forth incessantly, creating an eternal and indestructible aura of power.
One by one, auspicious yellow clouds floated around Zhu Fei, enveloping him in an aura that was vast and majestic, instantly painting him as a supreme ruler who commanded all under heaven!
The moment Chang You’s black Destruction Sword Qi made contact with the clusters of yellow clouds around Zhu Fei, it was instantly ground away by the clouds, dissipated, and ultimately scattered into nothingness!
"An action unreciprocated is discourtesy," Zhu Fei spoke sharply, "Since you’ve attacked me for no reason, now taste my methods!"
His eyes fierce, Zhu Fei abruptly brought his palms together in front of his chest.
In the next second, the Yellow Spring Water that pervaded the heavens and the earth appeared suddenly between Zhu Fei’s palms.
A force that could reverse someone to their primordial state, the power of reincarnation, burst forth from that wave of water and, in a downpour, flooded towards Chang You’s head!
"It’s the Reincarnation Mystery!"
Chang You’s expression grew grave as he stared at the endless Yellow Spring Water falling from the sky, and a slight heaviness took hold of his heart.
He truly hadn’t expected that Zhu Fei would possess such formidable strength.
Not only could he fend off his Destruction Sword Qi, but he also mastered two supreme Mysteries: the Illusion and Reality Mystery and the Reincarnation Mystery.
Alas, it seemed he had truly misjudged this time.
Chang You sighed in his heart and, without delay, he drew the sword from his waist, quickly creating a Sword Qi round mirror in front of himself.
Relying on this mirror, he temporarily resisted the Yellow Spring Water’s onslaught from Zhu Fei while squinting towards him.
"My lord, I admit defeat this time, yet this is just the beginning between us. There are still more than two months left for the Multi-treasure Xuantower, and I believe we will have an opportunity to meet again."
Having said this, Chang You leapt, plunging directly towards the stone steps below.
Seeing this, Zhu Fei’s gaze flashed, "Since you’ve come, why the hurry to leave?"
As he spoke, the True Fire Dragon Slayer Sword suddenly unsheathed from Zhu Fei, its blade encircled with rings of golden flames, concentrating at the tip before fiercely shooting towards Chang You!
Chang You’s pupils contracted, and his waist sword vibrated intensely.
With a "clang," a simple ancient sword engraved with stars and constellations was suddenly drawn from Chang You’s waist!
Without any flicker of light or shadow, Chang You’s sword disappeared into thin air and, when it reappeared, it had harshly collided with the tip of Zhu Fei’s True Fire Dragon Slayer Sword!
With a ringing "ding," the True Fire Dragon Slayer Sword returned to Zhu Fei’s brow, while Chang You’s ancient sword likewise flew back to him.
However, as a result, Chang You, who had previously been floating downwards, now accelerated sharply.
Instead of just drifting down a single step, he plummeted straight to the bottom, landing near the front of the very first step of the entire stone staircase!
Chang You’s complexion darkened, and a malicious and fierce light filled his eyes as he looked towards Zhu Fei.
Conversely, at this moment, Zhu Fei suddenly felt a wave of relief.
The pressure that had been exerted on him by this stone staircase had vanished in an instant without a trace.
It was not only him; even Shui Biyun by his side felt relieved, no longer experiencing the nearly suffocating oppression she felt before.
Feeling these changes, Zhu Fei and Shui Biyun exchanged a glance, both spontaneously harboring the same thought.
So, Chang You’s real purpose in attacking them was actually for this.
Now, Zhu Fei and Shui Biyun knew without asking that knocking down those on the same ladder rung would cause the pressure originally exerted on them to disappear.
However, it was precisely because of this knowledge that Zhu Fei felt an unprecedented rage toward Chang You.
Just to climb the stone steps effortlessly, this person disregarded the lives of others, assaulting them at will, using their lives as bargaining chips, all to avoid expending too much energy.
Such a person deserved to die!
Zhu Fei’s gaze was frosty as he swept it over Chang You below, who was struggling with indignation, his eyes beginning to show a hint of murderous intent.
Humph! If I encounter you again, I will surely not let you leave!
With this in mind, Zhu Fei had already retracted the defensive powers of the Yellow Spring Water and the Yellow Heaven Umbrella.
The confrontation with Chang You made Zhu Fei truly realize how potent the Yellow Heaven Umbrella, the defensive magical treasure he had obtained, really was.
Having breached just nineteen of its prohibitions, he could wield such power, but what might the might be if he could break thirty-eight, fifty, or even all the prohibitions?
While imagining, Zhu Fei had already grabbed Shui Biyun’s tender wrist and started sprinting towards the upper stone steps at high speed.
Along the way, any cultivator who saw Zhu Fei was on alert, their eyes filled with wariness against him.
They really feared that Zhu Fei would, like Chang You before him, mercilessly attack them to ensure passage through the stone staircase.
However, their concerns were clearly unnecessary.
Zhu Fei did not intend to use them to climb the stone steps; rather, with each step he took, he would meticulously feel the profound meanings within, attempting to understand the true extraordinariness of the stone staircase.
After climbing around twenty steps, Zhu Fei and Shui Biyun once again felt that intense oppressive force.
This time, however, due to his research on the entire stone staircase, Zhu Fei vaguely sensed something.
With a gesture of his hand, Zhu Fei summoned the auspicious clouds of the Yellow Heaven Umbrella to envelop Shui Biyun, shielding her from the crushing force of this place.
As for himself, his blood surged violently through his body.
Amidst the flashing Spirit Light of his Peak Tyrant Body, Zhu Fei astonishingly dropped all his defenses and faced the pressure of this place head-on.
In a short time, the Spirit Light belonging to Zhu Fei’s Peak Tyrant Body gradually dimmed, and on his own body, dense beads of blood emerged!
Blood beads gathered more and more, and along with the bones of Zhu Fei’s body, a grating, squeezing noise could be heard.
Zhu Fei spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Everyone present stared blankly at Zhu Fei, not understanding his actions, and even Shui Biyun at his side filled her beautiful eyes with shock and confusion.
Only Zhu Fei himself had a solemn expression, as a profoundly mystical force brewed incessantly within him.
Nevertheless, during this process, Zhu Fei’s physical body suffered increasingly serious injuries, faint cracks visible to the naked eye started to appear.
But Zhu Fei was seemingly oblivious, he spurred on the force inside him, and the profoundly mystical understanding began to rapidly take shape.
After a short while, as a pillar of light shot towards the sky burst from Zhu Fei’s body, his previously tense spirit finally relaxed completely.
Hehe, the third stage of the Nine Venerable Body Cultivation, the ’Mysterious Body,’ has finally been achieved!