Wu Yang unleashed his full power, posturing aggressively as he pointed at Xu Xingchen and roared in fury.
Colored radiance blazed fiercely around him, containing within it the profound might of Four Bands of Purple Radiance and the power of a Three-Cycle Golden Core, making him appear exceptionally imposing.
"Heh."
Opposite him, the coldly arrogant Xu Xingchen merely offered a faint smile. Still looking down, toying with his White Bone Jade Flute, he didn't even spare Wu Yang a glance as he said softly, "Since you insist on seeking death... then I shall grant your wish."
As his words fell, icy crystalline light erupted wildly around Xu Xingchen. Holding the White Bone Jade Flute, he raised his hand and swept it forward. Countless sword techniques condensed and manifested, one after another, each profoundly mysterious, each immensely powerful. His frigid aura surged forth like a long rainbow, akin to a cascading galaxy.
Whoosh!
A slender, elongated sword light bloomed forth, seemingly nine meters long, bone-chillingly cold like frost-edged blades, sharp and piercing.
With this single sword strike unleashed, the surrounding air instantly solidified, space itself seeming to freeze.
Such a sword strike contained the power of a Five-Cycle Golden Core.
And this power harbored three profound mysteries.
The Profound Mystery of Four Bands of Purple Radiance.
The Grand Perfection Profound Mystery of the Frost-Solitude Sword Art.
And one more Profound Mystery—what it was, Wu Yang did not know.
Nor would he ever have the chance to know.
Because he was dead.
Just like that, annihilated by Xu Xingchen's single sword strike.
Yes.
Everyone saw it clearly. After Xu Xingchen unleashed his sword strike, it directly shattered all of Wu Yang's protective power, cleaving his physical body in two.
Dead.
Just like that, dead. Wu Yang was simply erased by Xu Xingchen's single sword.
No one present dared believe this was real. After all, Wu Yang was a Three-Cycle Golden Core expert with Four Bands of Purple Radiance. Even if he was outmatched, he shouldn't have been erased so utterly.
To gauge a person's strength, one looks at two things.
First, Cultivation Level.
Second, Profound Mysteries.
Cultivation Level is the foundation. The higher the Cultivation Level, the more powerful the spiritual energy, and thus the greater the might of a single sword strike.
Beyond that, one must consider Profound Mysteries. Great Nature Color Spirits are Profound Mysteries; Immortal Arts are also Profound Mysteries.
The reason some Color Spirit geniuses can erase those with higher Cultivation Levels than themselves relies precisely on the Profound Mysteries of their Great Nature Color Spirits.
If one lacks Color Spirit Profound Mysteries but possesses formidable Immortal Arts, the power unleashed can still be extraordinary.
Of course, if one's own Cultivation Level and spiritual energy are sufficiently powerful, they can disregard all Profound Mysteries. As the saying goes, overwhelming force defeats tenfold skill—this is the principle.
Xu Xingchen possessed a Five-Cycle Golden Core Cultivation Level. Such a level might allow him to defeat Wu Yang's Three-Cycle Golden Core, but it absolutely shouldn't result in instant, complete obliteration. Even if Xu Xingchen was executing the Grand Perfection Profound Mystery of the Frost-Solitude Sword Art—a Yellow-grade technique—it still shouldn't achieve such utter defeat, especially since both possessed Four Bands of Great Nature Purple Radiance.
Why?
On what basis?
Most people present didn't understand. However, some saw clearly: Xu Xingchen's sword strike just now contained three Profound Mysteries. One was the Four Bands of Purple Radiance Profound Mystery, another the Grand Perfection Profound Mystery of the Frost-Solitude Sword Art, and a third, an extremely powerful Profound Mystery.
The reason Xu Xingchen could erase Wu Yang with a single strike relied precisely on this powerful Profound Mystery.
That powerful Profound Mystery was bone-chillingly cold, like a blade's edge, like a piercing gleam, like frost, like extreme Yin.
This was precisely the Mystery of Bing Xuan.
Perhaps.
No one dared confirm if it was, because no one had seen the Mystery of Bing Xuan before; they could only speculate.
A few years ago, rumors circulated that Leng Yanqiu had once said something at the Bingxuan Sect. She claimed she could unlock the mysteries of the Bing Xuan Heart, and after doing so, would bestow upon each of the Nine Disciples and Eighteen Chief Disciples a Bing Xuan Seed. From then on, every move and technique of the Nine Disciples and Eighteen Chief Disciples would contain the Mystery of Bing Xuan.
This was a rumor.
At least, those who heard this rumor believed so.
But now, having witnessed Xu Xingchen erase Wu Yang with a single sword, everyone began to doubt the rumor's veracity.
"You...
You!
How is this possible!"
Opposite him, Wei Hong stared at Xu Xingchen in utter shock, his face ashen as if his breathing had stopped. His voice was filled with disbelief. He too seemed to recall that rumor from years ago, exclaiming in horror, "Could it be... could it be that Leng Yanqiu truly unlocked the mysteries of the Bing Xuan Heart and bestowed upon each of you a Bing Xuan Seed?"
Xu Xingchen declared arrogantly, "Our Bingxuan Sect's Sect Master possesses peerless aptitude and transcendent Comprehension. Having unlocked the mysteries of the Bing Xuan Heart, she naturally bestowed upon us Bing Xuan Seeds."
Within the crowd.
Wei Qing had been watching silently, his brow furrowed as if concerned about something.
Beside him, Elder Hui's expression shifted unpredictably. He understood clearly that infusing spiritual energy with a Profound Mystery was not as simple as mere refinement. It wasn't a matter of being given a Bing Xuan Seed, refining it, and henceforth having spiritual energy contain the Mystery of Bing Xuan. It was not that straightforward.
This required Bone Marrow Cleansing, Sinew Tempering, Skin Shedding, Blood Renewal, Meridian Shifting, Organ Refinement, and more...
This was a grand method.
An extremely terrifying and cruel grand method.
Ordinary people fundamentally did not understand this method. Even if they understood, not everyone could accomplish it.
Both Elder Hui and Wei Qing knew that for the spiritual energy of Bingxuan Sect's Eighteen Chief Disciples to contain the Mystery of Bing Xuan, they must have undergone Bone Marrow Cleansing and Sinew Tempering using Bing Xuan Seeds. However, they did not accomplish this themselves. Whether Leng Yanqiu helped them complete it, Elder Hui did not know, nor did Wei Qing.
Within the scene.
The crowd discussed fervently.
The disciples of Bingxuan Sect grew more excited and agitated by the moment, especially the sect's elders. At their head, True Person Yuhua leaned on her dragon-head cane, glaring at Wei Hong as she sneered, "Ignorant whelp, do you now understand the might of our Bingxuan Sect?
What of your Qianzheng Hall?
What of your Nine-Hua Alliance?
In time, under Sect Master Leng's leadership, our Bingxuan Sect will surely slaughter all you little whelps!"
Wei Hong and the rest of the Nine-Hua Alliance contingent wore ugly expressions, seething with anger but not daring to speak. Although his strength surpassed Wu Yang's somewhat, it was only by a margin. With Wu Yang erased by Xu Xingchen's single sword, he knew that even if he wasn't erased, his fate wouldn't be much better. Moreover, Bingxuan Sect didn't have just one Xu Xingchen—it had a full eighteen Chief Disciples just like him.
"Wei Hong, do you dare receive a sword strike from me?"
Xu Xingchen took a step forward. A biting wind howled, frost descended. His expression darkened as he stared at Wei Hong, toying with that White Bone Jade Flute, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Do you not dare?"
He did not dare.
Wei Hong truly did not dare.
However, at that moment, Bingxuan Sect once again erupted with extraordinary radiance. Cold light bloomed layer upon layer like flowers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Nine beams of light condensed and manifested.
They were nine individuals.
As these nine appeared, each possessed an extraordinary demeanor, draped in frosty auroras, with cold gleams shimmering around them.
Whether in aura, temperament, or other aspects, they were several times more powerful than Bingxuan Sect's Eighteen Chief Disciples.
They were precisely the famously renowned Nine Personal Disciples of Bingxuan Sect.
Everyone had witnessed Xu Xingchen's strength firsthand. If the Eighteen Chief Disciples, after fusing with Bing Xuan Seeds, were already this formidable, no one knew to what terrifying degree the strength of Bingxuan Sect's Nine Personal Disciples had reached.
Instantly.
Bingxuan Sect erupted with extraordinary radiance once more, even more intense than before. Simultaneously, the surrounding frost had turned into drifting snow.
Taking a leave.
On the road, heading home.
Will arrive home late at night. Really cannot update today. Will resume normal updates starting tomorrow.
Tomorrow will first compensate with four updates!