Chapter 87: Its Either You Or Me
Xiang Yu observed the charging cultivator, steadying his stance as he prepared for impact. Despite the enormous power difference between them, he felt a glimmer of confidence. Within this talisman-laden battlefield, the playing field had become somewhat equalized. The Core Formation expert might possess overwhelming strength, but his movement was now severely restricted.The man approached with fury burning in his eyes, his fist leading the charge—yet Xiang Yu noted how the cultivator moved with heightened caution. Having fallen for Xiang Yu’s tricks twice already, the man was clearly determined not to be caught off guard again.
As the powerful fist closed in, Xiang Yu raised his sword to meet it, deliberately channeling lightning qi through the blade to maximize its effectiveness against the man’s demonic energy. The collision sent vibrations through both combatants, forcing them to slide backward from the impact.
Xiang Yu glanced appreciatively at his sword as they separated. I should thank that assassin for giving me such an excellent lightning technique, he thought. If he weren’t trying to kill me, I’d definitely light some incense in his honor.
From their brief exchange, Xiang Yu confirmed what he had suspected—the cultivator’s strength had indeed diminished considerably. However, the man had also raised his guard completely, which meant defeating him would require significantly more effort than before.
Fortunately, with battle instinct maxed to the mortal limit, detecting gaps in the man’s defense wasn’t particularly challenging for Xiang Yu. He charged forward with his lightning-infused sword raised high.
The Core Formation expert glanced behind himself nervously, noticing the absence of footprints in Xiang Yu’s wake. He couldn’t retreat—what if there were more unseen talismans in the ground behind him?
Dammit, I’ll just face him head-on, the cultivator decided. Even if I’m not at full power, what could a mere disciple from a low-level sect possibly do to me?
He raised his arms defensively as Xiang Yu closed the distance. The sword struck against the man’s forearms, its force completely nullified by the cultivator’s superior strength. But this was merely a distraction—Xiang Yu’s other hand moved in a fluid motion, executing a fire palm strike directly toward the man’s chest.
Hmph! Just this basic technique? the cultivator thought smugly, blocking the sword with just one arm while moving his free hand to counter Xiang Yu’s palm with his own.
When their palms collided, they initially seemed evenly matched—but in the next instant, the Core Formation expert’s expression transformed from confidence to shock.
"What?" he gasped, staring at the point where their hands met. His eyes widened as he realized the fire palm had suddenly changed into a lightning palm.
Xiang Yu merely smiled. With his heightened battle awareness, advanced mind level, and the versatile Transcendent Dao Physique that allowed seamless manipulation of different energies, switching elements without any cooldown was effortless. Fooling the overconfident cultivator had been almost too easy.
Though he couldn’t inflict significant damage with this maneuver alone, it created the perfect opening for his true strategy. With the man’s concentration momentarily disrupted, Xiang Yu twisted his hand, easily breaking free from their deadlock. As the opposing force suddenly vanished, the cultivator’s weight shifted forward unexpectedly.
Seizing this opportunity, Xiang Yu closed his hand firmly around the man’s arm, clamping down with surprising strength to prevent the limb from being used defensively. In the same fluid motion, he maneuvered his lightning-crackling sword toward the cultivator’s exposed neck—now perfectly aligned with his blade due to the man’s compromised balance.
The Core Formation expert’s expression darkened as he watched the sword approach his vulnerable throat, death seemingly imminent.
Then came an unexpected sound—the distinctive clank of metal striking metal. Xiang Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief as he realized what had happened: the desperate cultivator had actually caught the sword with his teeth! Despite his maxed battle instinct, there were still cultivation world tactics that Xiang Yu couldn’t anticipate.
The man was sweating profusely, his jaw clenched around the blade as lightning energy seeped into his gums, causing them to bleed. Despite the pain, he maintained his desperate hold on the weapon.
Xiang Yu recovered from his surprise almost instantly and delivered a powerful kick to the man’s jaw. The force separated the cultivator from the sword, along with several bloody teeth that went flying through the air.
The impact sent the Core Formation expert tumbling backward, but he quickly stabilized himself mid-air, hovering cautiously to avoid triggering any buried talismans below. His expression twisted with rage and frustration as he hovered safely above the battlefield.
"Fuck this!" the cultivator spat, rising several meters higher above Xiang Yu. He began forming a ball of fiery energy between his palms, the radiance growing brighter and more intense until it resembled a miniature sun.
"He wouldn’t... right?" Xiang Yu’s lips twitched nervously as realization dawned. He had assumed the man’s arrogance and pride would prevent him from considering such a desperate tactic. But it seemed the cultivator actually intended to obliterate the entire clearing with a massive explosion.
If this happened, Xiang Yu would be in grave danger. He hadn’t anticipated the man would resort to such a method...
...
Dark energy gathered and swirled around Elder Mei, intensifying with each passing moment. The sinister power expanded outward, growing larger and more concentrated until he was completely immersed in its malevolent embrace. The ominous sight caused Elder Guo to instinctively step backward, his brow furrowed as he wondered what the elder was up to.
With a blood-curdling scream that echoed throughout the courtyard, Elder Mei began absorbing the dark energy directly into his body. His physical form underwent a horrific transformation as the demonic power reshaped him. His robes tore apart, unable to contain his rapidly expanding musculature, revealing a powerfully built physique rippling with strength.
The years seemed to melt away from his appearance. Wrinkles vanished, his weathered skin tightened, and his elderly features reverted to those of a man in his prime. Most striking was his hair—the white strands of age darkened and then blazed into a brilliant crimson, flowing around his head like living flames.
From the center of his forehead, a horn emerged, pushing through skin and bone with a sickening crack. The protrusion was obsidian black at its base, gradually transitioning to a blood-red tip.
"Guo Shantian!" The transformed Elder Mei roared, his voice deeper and more resonant than before. "Always interfering with my plans!" His crimson eyes burned with decades of accumulated hatred. "Today, let’s see if you or I will die!"
...
"Little girl, don’t be in such a hurry to leave..."
A voice echoed through the chamber, prompting Li Yao to whirl around instantly. Her eyes darted to every corner, every shadow, yet she saw no one. Her hand instinctively moved to her sword hilt.
[So he finally decided to show himself,] the Empress remarked with disdain.
"Show himself?" Li Yao’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Did you know he was there all this time?"
[Of course,] the Empress replied, her voice dripping with pride. [How could such a low-level soul escape my notice?]
"Then why didn’t you tell me?" Li Yao demanded, her grip tightening on her sword.
[I didn’t see the need to,]
"Didn’t—" Li Yao began, then sighed in resignation. "Nevermind." She paused, curiosity overtaking her momentary frustration. "What do you mean by ’low-level soul’? Is it the same as you?"
[Hmph, how could you compare me to such a person?] The Empress’s indignation was palpable. [My soul is eternal and undying. This is just a small nascent soul—it barely passes for a soul at all.]
Li Yao gave up pursuing the conversation. The Empress was boasting too much.
"No need to be so on guard. I’m not an enemy," the voice spoke again, clearer this time, as if drawing closer though still remaining invisible.
"Says the person who’s hiding," Li Yao retorted, her fingers still firm around her sword hilt as she continued scanning the chamber vigilantly.
The voice released a weary sigh. "It’s not that I’m hiding. It’s just that I can’t come out."
"My name is Feng Tianxu," the voice continued.
Li Yao’s eyes widened, her lips parting in shock. "Wait, that’s..."
"That’s right," the voice completed her thought. "I am the ancestor of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect."
...
In the grand hall of the Wuming Cult, an elder approached the sect master.
"Sect master, do you really think that he can do it?" the elder inquired, his voice tinged with a hint of doubt despite his efforts to conceal it.
The sect leader merely smiled.
He sat upon a throne carved from black jade, fingers drumming idly against the armrest. "Of course. Although Mei Zhiyuan is quite arrogant and prideful, there is no way he could fail the mission," he replied with absolute confidence.
The elder clasped his hands behind his back, brow furrowed. "Still, why did you have to go this roundabout way?" he pressed further. "With the sect master’s strength, there aren’t many who can match you in the eastern region. Why did you have to risk it using this method?"
The leader’s laughter echoed throughout the hall, causing several disciples attending in the shadows to shiver involuntarily. "Although it’s true that I’m quite strong, I’m just a single person," he explained, leaning forward slightly. "The orthodox sect masters are wary of my power but they can’t outright attack me. If I were to make a move, even against a low-level sect—it’s still an orthodox sect. If those old fools decided to take this as an excuse to gang up on me..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but the elder nodded in understanding.
"Besides," the sect master continued, his voice dropping to an almost affectionate tone, "I’m not risking anything. Among his generation, Mei Zhiyuan is the masterpiece I created. There is no way he can lose." An evil smile spread across his face.
...
Author’s Corner:
This all over the place
My apologies, I can only release one Chapter today.
But don’t worry, I’ll release 3 tomorrow so it’s all good ♥️