Chapter 183: Final Fight [PART 3]
Gao Aotian stood motionless, observing Xiang Yu with calculating eyes. Could this seemingly ordinary gardener truly be the "senior brother" that had provoked such fierce protection from Li Yao? The youth appeared to be nothing more than a mortal.
Despite this unimpressive appearance, Gao Aotian maintained his vigilance. Years of cultivation had taught him that appearances could be dangerously deceptive. Something about this young man seemed strange. He also had a strange scent that made him uneasy.
After several moments of scrutiny, he still couldn’t figure him out. Gao Aotian decided on a more direct approach. With a thought, he teleported directly into Xiang Yu’s path.
Xiang Yu’s heart thundered in his chest at the sudden materialization, but he forced his expression to remain neutral. Since his system concealed his cultivation, making him appear like a mortal, he needed to play the part. Mortals couldn’t perceive soul entities so he decided to act as though he didn’t notice anything.
Xiang Yu continued his work, walking straight through the soul clone as if it didn’t exist. He proceeded to the spirit spring, filled his watering vessel, and returned to diligently hydrate the herbs, all while screaming internally.
Gao Aotian watched this performance with narrowed eyes. At least he could eliminate one possibility—this youth was definitely not a spirit like that girl. Yet something still felt profoundly wrong. The longer he observed, the stronger this sensation grew, gnawing at his instincts.
His original plan had been to capture this "senior brother," then torture him before Li Yao’s eyes to witness her composure crumble into despair. But now, an urgent whisper of danger resonated within him. Something warned that if he didn’t eliminate this youth immediately, he would eventually regret it bitterly.
"Whether you’re really a mortal or not, it doesn’t matter to me," Aotian declared coldly. He had already killed thousands of mortals in his lifetime so what did it matter if he added another one to the list. Besides, this was the person that girl favored; his death would serve as fitting retribution for her humiliation of his soul clone. With that thought, he launched forward, channeling energy into a palm strike.
Xiang Yu saw the attack coming but continued walking forward, mind racing through his options. Was this some kind of test? Was he really going to die? He needed to think quickly. He needed to do something. But what exactly?
If he reacted defensively, he would expose himself as more than a mortal and still face certain death. If he maintained his facade of ignorance, he would likely die anyway. Every path seemed to converge toward a single, fatal outcome.
"Dammit! What do I do now?" he thought desperately, cold sweat forming along his spine despite his outwardly calm demeanor.
After a split-second of deliberation, Xiang Yu made his gamble. Since all roads appeared to lead to the same destination, he would commit fully to his mortal disguise. If there existed even the slightest chance that this was merely a test, his consistent performance might save him.
With resignation, Xiang Yu continued moving forward as Gao Aotian charged at him, the palm strike hurtling toward his chest. Then...
...
The moment the battle erupted, Li Yao and the five elemental spirits moved quickly, encircling the cult leader. As one, they exerted their world energy. A suffocating pressure descended upon the cult leader from all directions.
Though this overwhelming force couldn’t directly harm the Soul Formation expert, it accomplished something far more valuable—the crushing pressure constricted his divine sense, shrinking the sphere of his spiritual awareness considerably.
The five sect masters seized this opportunity without hesitation. None dared underestimate Gao Aotian despite his temporary disadvantage. They converged simultaneously, each unleashing their most powerful techniques.
Gao Aotian observed the incoming onslaught calmly. Even with his divine sense suppressed, his combat instincts allowed him to easily track every incoming attack. His gaze briefly flicked toward Li Yao, and a cold smile stretched across his face.
He couldn’t wait to witness her expression when his soul clone succeeded in capturing her precious "senior brother." Still, a trace of impatience flickered across his features—what was taking his soul clone so long? He had already bought it considerable time.
"You dare to look away?" Sword Sovereign Bai Wu of the Thousand Blades Sword Sect roared. His blade descended from the heavens, wreathed in brilliant azure energy that illuminated the battlefield like a falling star.
"Oh, I wasn’t paying attention. My bad," the cult leader responded casually, his hand rising to catch the incoming strike. The blade instantly halted against his palm.
But Bai Wu’s lips curved into a knowing smile.
In the next heartbeat, the sky darkened as thousands of swords materialized in the air. Even the subordinates clashing below paused their battles, momentarily transfixed by the awe-inspiring spectacle above.
The blades surged forward from all directions, closing in on the cult leader. For the first time, Gao Aotian’s expression grew serious. He thought to himself that although the technique was primarily just a flashy move designed to intimidate, it still posed some genuine threat to him. Especially now that he couldn’t fully utilize his divine sense.
Channeling his true qi, he violently repelled Bai Wu, sending the sword master tumbling backward through the air. Then, with a roar, Gao Aotian released a rippling pulse of energy from his body. The translucent wave expanded outward in concentric circles, and every sword it touched instantly lost its spiritual energy, falling from the sky like dead leaves.
"What a monster," Bai Wu thought, feeling the residual energy brush against his skin.
"Don’t forget about us!" the other Soul Formation experts shouted in unison.
Wang Jian executed a series of precise movements with his sword, generating thousands of razor-sharp qi blades in the span of a single breath. They all hurtled toward the cult leader.
Gao Aotian merely raised his hand, erecting a qi barrier that absorbed the blade attacks without showing the slightest strain.
Jin Guang of the Iron Fist Sect descended from above, his massive fist covered in brilliant golden energy as he committed his full power to a single, devastating strike. Gao Aotian hastily erected a barrier above him but it was shattered like glass beneath the tremendous force.
Hope flickered across the faces of the allied cultivators as they witnessed this breakthrough. But their elation evaporated instantly when Jin Guang’s fist connected with the cult leader’s chest. The impact merely tore Gao Aotian’s shirt to shreds, revealing his perfectly toned physique beneath. The only evidence of the attack was a small bruise that was already beginning to fade.
Observing this from her position, Li Yao clicked her tongue in disappointment. These so-called masters had neglected their Body Refining after entering the Qi Gathering realm. Even Jin Guang, the strongest among them, had only reached the thirteenth layer of Body Refining. How could they possibly hope to defeat the cult leader with such cultivation?
And this wasn’t even his final form...