Countless people, including Zhang Ling, had expected He Zuyan to lose. However, they were surprised that He Zuyan's aura suddenly surged again. His eyes sparkled with a sharp, piercing light, exuding a sense of overwhelming power that made it difficult for others to look at him.
Wang Zhenlong frowned. He sensed something was off about He Zuyan, but he couldn't figure out what exactly was wrong.
The next moment, amidst He Zuyan's eerie laughter, the sword momentum he unleashed became a hundred times more powerful than before. It transformed into a long rainbow and shot straight towards Fang Chen.
To the onlookers, He Zuyan looked the same, but his aura had grown much stronger.
However, to Fang Chen, what appeared before him was no longer just He Zuyan but a lion-headed, human-bodied figure wielding a sword.
"This sword... even a Soul Splitting stage cultivator would be shaken by it, needless to say an Enlightenment stage cultivator," murmured someone.
"Who is this prodigy from the Spiritual Void Sword Sect? Why haven't we heard of him before?" whispered the crowd in shock.
Wang Zhenlong's eyes flashed with anger but managed to suppress the urge to intervene. If he intervened now, the path to sword questioning would be cut off, and all their previous efforts would be in vain.
He was certain that something was wrong with the cultivator. It was impossible for someone at the Nascent Soul realm to unleash such immense power. He even noticed blood seeping from He Zuyan's skin. This was a sign that his body was operating beyond its limits, with an enormous force surging within him.
The sword cultivators from the Spiritual Void Sword Sect cheered.
They were sure that the opponent would not be able to block such a strong blow!
At this moment, only a few individuals knew the true identity of Fang Chen's opponent: an expert from the Incense Sect whose cultivation was at least in the Upper Three Realms.
In the distant void, two figures stood.
One was Zuo Xu, and the other was a lion-headed, human-bodied cultivator.
The latter stood with his hands behind his back, lightly smiling. "This spirit soul of mine is enough to kill him on the spot. But... Zuo Xu, if he dies, the one in the Desolate Academy won't let it go easily. Even the exceptional individual from the Three Thousand Dao Sect might react. Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?"
Zuo Xu smiled. "The one in the Desolate Academy doesn't matter. As for the exceptional individual from the Three Thousand Dao Sect, hehe... there are plenty around. What may seem like divine means to ordinary people is nothing special in the Holy Immortal Region.
"I have to thank you, Immortal Golden Lion. I'll put in a few good words for you before my father. If it works out, your followers will increase by a hundred times, and you'll become a Loose Immortal sooner."
The Immortal Golden Lion replied in gratitude, "Thank you very much in advance, Zuo Xu."
Suddenly, his brow furrowed unconsciously. In his eyes, Fang Chen showed no reaction to the overwhelming sword momentum. Instead, his aura seemed to be gradually fading and becoming more and more like an ordinary mortal.
Not only did he notice this, Zuo Xu, who had been watching Fang Chen closely, also sensed it.
"This is...? Some sort of special technique?" asked Zuo Xu.
Immortal Golden Dragon mused, "That sword earlier... It felt like returning to its true essence. But... no matter how much one returns to its true essence, in the face of absolute power, there is no chance of retaliation."
Just as Fang Chen was about to be overwhelmed by the terrifying sword momentum, the sword momentum collided with an invisible wall and dissipated upon reaching within three feet of him.
Immortal Golden Lion was surprised. "Hmm?"
The surrounding cultivators were stunned at the sight.
The invisible wall continued to expand as Fang Chen slowly walked toward He Zuyan. With each step, He Zuyan's sword momentum shrank by about a yard. Unknowingly, the once formidable He Zuyan resembled Fang Chen—completely devoid of spiritual qi, like an ordinary mortal.
Fang Chen's immortal intent, Mortal World, filled the air.
By now, He Zuyan and Fang Chen had both become ordinary.
He Zuyan's expression gradually returned to normal, and a flash of shock passed through his eyes. He panicked, "What's going on...?"
A piece of his memory was gone. All he could remember was being injured in the chest by Fang Chen's sword.
"Fellow Daoist He, look down for a moment," said Fang Chen.
He Zuyan looked down and saw the sword wound on his chest, his expression turning even more confused. He mumbled, "This wound..."
"It's a sword wound. Have you forgotten about your death?" reminded Fang Chen.
"I...am already dead?" muttered He Zuyan in disbelief.
In just a few breaths, He Zuyan went from shock to confusion, and then to realization.
"So... It turns out... I am...."
Before he could utter another word, he collapsed to the ground.
Seeing He Zuyan die so inexplicably, the surrounding cultivators exchanged puzzled glances. They could not make sense of what had just happened.
The same He Zuyan, who had earlier exuded overwhelming confidence and whose sword strike could even make a Soul Splitting stage cultivator tremble, had suddenly died without reason. How did he die so suddenly?
Some cultivators looked at the small sword wound on He Zuyan's chest. Was this minor injury really the cause?
The atmosphere on the Spiritual Void Sword Sect's side had turned quiet, with Lu Ping lost in thought.
Wang Zhenlong remained equally silent and silently watched He Zuyan's lifeless body.
As for the female sword cultivator, her face was ashen. Although she had received the pill from Zuo Xu, He Zuyan had still lost.
If the defeat had been clear and decisive, it would have been acceptable, but He Zuyan's death was incomprehensible.
The first sword wound hadn't seemed to be a fatal one, so why had he died? Was it because of Fang Chen's words?
In the distant void, Immortal Golden Lion's expression became grim. "There is a special force that is suppressing my spirit soul."
"Could it secretly be the First Rate Sect Leader's interference?" asked Zuo Xu solemnly.
Immortal Golden Lion paused for a moment. He then shook his head and answered, "I don't know. If the First Rate Sect Leader was truly present, I wouldn't know his location or how he interfered in this battle."
He paused. "Since I've promised you, I will wait for another opportunity to strike. He has many places to go next, and I want to see if he can withstand my true soul next time."
Zuo Xu nodded lightly in agreement.
This time, Immortal Golden Lion only used a spirit soul. Next time, if his true soul were to strike, it would be a deadly blow for Fang Chen. There would be no escape.
Meanwhile, in the unseen void, Fang Chen was observing them up close. After everything, the mastermind turned out to be someone familiar. It was the Immortal King of the Incense Sect, Immortal Golden Lion.
After leaving the Pitu Ruins, Fang Chen had killed one of his disciples, a follower of the Incense Sect. He never expected to see the true form of the Immortal King today.
Thinking for a moment, Fang Chen returned to his body and stomped his foot.
"Day Walker, Stone Dragon," summoned Fang Chen.
The crowd was unaware of what Fang Chen was doing and thought it was some sort of sarcastic gesture toward the Spiritual Void Sword Sect.
No one noticed an old man mysteriously appearing among the crowd. The old man gazed at the world around him with a nostalgic look.
"The Mortal Realm... It's been a long time since I've been here," murmured Stone Dragon.