The moment the voice echoed in the air, Zhao Kai''s eyes instantly widened in shock.


    A sharp, pricking sensation surged within him, as though a thousand needles had suddenly pierced his heart.


    When? When exactly had this happened?


    The enemy had appeared behind him without his notice—how absurd!


    Zhao Kai, with a deep breath, questioned himself. As a cultivator at the sixth stage of Nascent Soul, how had he allowed someone to get this close without detection?


    Nevertheless, even in the face of such a shock, Zhao Kai reacted instinctively, immediately summoning his life-bound magic treasure.


    A small tower shot into the air.


    At once, a swarm of flying swords erupted from within, filling the sky like a rain of locusts.


    The flying swords within the tower ranged in quality. Some were merely inferior-grade magic tools, while others reached the level of inferior magic treasures.


    When such a massive number of swords were unleashed, they truly resembled a meteoric downpour, striking down like a thunderous storm.


    This was his life-bound magic treasure—Divine Sword Tower!


    Jingkong, Jinghui, and Jingxuan could not help but be astonished as they witnessed this spectacle.


    They had long heard tales of the power of Zhao Kai''s magic treasure. It was said to contain over a thousand flying swords, each one a weapon taken from defeated cultivators—magic tools and magic treasures alike.


    The Divine Sword Tower itself was a unique magic treasure. The greater the number of flying swords it contained, the more formidable its power became.


    The three had long desired to witness it in action but had never had the opportunity until now. Today, their wish had finally been fulfilled.


    Jingxuan smiled, "Once this treasure appears, the suddenly appearing cultivator will surely be no match for Zhao Kai."


    Jinghui nodded, "Fellow Daoist Zhao has slain countless cultivators of the same realm. That person, too, will not stand a chance."


    Jingkong agreed, "The appearance of this person is merely a small interlude; it poses no real threat."


    However, Zheng Ji and Wan Hun''s expressions changed drastically as they watched this unfolding scene.


    The sheer number of flying swords was terrifying!


    If they had been the ones facing them, they would likely have been pierced through by a thousand swords.


    Could Chu Xuan withstand this?


    Chu Xuan smiled faintly as the vast barrage of swords shot toward him.


    He raised a hand and, with a puff, expelled a mouthful of Nascent Soul essence. From the ground, a colossal ice pillar suddenly surged upward.


    Seeing this, Shi Juntian''s heart sank in alarm. He immediately accelerated and retreated at full speed.


    Even he, with his cultivation, would need to avoid such a vast array of flying swords.


    How could Chu Xuan dare to face it head-on with his magic, without evading?


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    A series of deafening metallic clashes rang out in mid-air.


    The flying swords collided with the ice pillar, their momentum halted as if they were drunken fools stumbling through the air.


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    Yet, after a brief pause, they regained enough strength to continue their assault.


    As for the few magic treasure flying swords, they managed to pierce the ice pillar, but their speed was greatly slowed.


    Seeing this, Chu Xuan reached out once more, and the ice pillar instantly shattered, transforming into a storm of ice shards.


    The shards filled the entire area within a radius of twenty zhang, scattering across every inch of space.


    As the flying swords shot toward him, they inevitably collided with the ice fragments in their path.


    The moment they became laden with too many ice shards, their speed would plummet drastically.


    Even the few strongest magic treasure swords were frozen in an instant, unable to advance or retreat, their movements completely halted.


    Zhao Kai''s expression changed drastically upon witnessing this.


    His Divine Sword Tower, which could both attack and defend, had now been shattered by the enemy''s spell!


    What kind of magic was this?


    Its power was beyond anything he had ever encountered!


    The faces of Jingkong and the others also twisted in disbelief, as though they had just tasted something vile. They had expected a single strike to end the battle.


    But now, they had been outwitted instead!


    Shi Juntian''s swift movement came to a sudden halt. He looked at Chu Xuan with an expression of disbelief.


    How had he blocked it so easily?


    Chu Xuan smiled faintly.


    What Zhao Kai and the others did not know was that his Nascent Soul essence had merged with the Heavenly Dao Golden Lotus, greatly enhancing his power. Each breath of Nascent Soul essence he expelled amplified his spells immensely. Breaking through this Divine Sword Tower was no challenge at all.


    Without hesitation, Chu Xuan activated his teleportation technique.


    In the blink of an eye, his body shot forward, speeding directly toward Zhao Kai.


    "To charge at me—you''re seeking death!"


    Zhao Kai sneered coldly, and with a sharp motion, he grabbed the air.


    The flying swords, frozen by the ice shards, suddenly let out mournful wails from within. Then, with a violent explosion, they shattered!


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    In a matter of moments, the hundreds of flying swords were reduced to countless fragments. The ice shards, too, shattered into even finer pieces, scattering across every inch of space.


    These shards of frost and broken flying swords swirled like a fog, obscuring all sight. Not only could Zhao Kai not see, but even Shi Juntian, Wan Hun, Zheng Ji, and the others were blinded by the haze.


    Anxiety gripped the hearts of Shi Juntian and the others.


    How had this happened? Zhao Kai still had the means to self-destruct the flying swords!


    This person was truly capable of anything. These swords must have been accumulated over many years. And yet, he had been willing to destroy them all!


    "Will he survive?"


    Zheng Ji and Wan Hun exchanged uneasy glances. After all, their fates were tied to Chu Xuan''s. If something were to happen to him, their own survival would be just as hopeless.


    Zhao Kai, his gaze fixed on the mist, retrieved yet another magic treasure.


    This was a set of small flags. Without hesitation, he threw them into the air. Thirty-six flags fell around the mist-covered area.


    In an instant, the spiritual energy within the region grew chaotic and disordered.


    Ice condensed into gas. Water liquefied into ice. Gas transformed back into water. The bizarre and erratic transformations dazzled the eyes.


    This was precisely what struck fear into the hearts of cultivators.


    Cultivators relied on spiritual energy as their foundation. When a Nascent Soul cultivator unleashed their spells, they connected to the world''s spiritual energy, vastly amplifying their power.


    But if the surrounding spiritual energy was in chaos, then the power of their spells would be significantly weakened. They would become like a beast trapped in a cage, at the mercy of their enemies.


    Shi Juntian''s expression shifted dramatically.


    "The Inverted Chaos Formation! He actually possesses this kind of killing formation!"


    The Inverted Chaos Formation was a top-tier killing array used by Nascent Soul cultivators. It could be carried at all times and activated whenever needed.


    Though its coverage was limited, its lethality was immense. Once the enemy was trapped within, it became an inescapable death trap.


    Shi Juntian immediately sought to channel his spiritual energy to break the formation Zhao Kai had set up.


    However, Zhao Kai would not allow him to interfere. With a casual swipe, he summoned another set of flying swords and hurled them toward Shi Juntian.


    Shi Juntian, already injured, found himself ensnared by the flying swords, unable to move any further. In his desperation, he spat out blood repeatedly.


    "Hmph, an outsider daring to interfere—wait for death!"


    Zhao Kai, expertly multitasking, manipulated the flying swords to entangle Shi Juntian while simultaneously urging the Inverted Chaos Formation to disrupt the spiritual energy within the mist.


    However, before the formation could fully take shape, two sharp beams of cold light suddenly shot out. They struck and sent two of the small flags flying.


    The Inverted Chaos Formation was destabilized and could not fully form. An overwhelming surge of cold energy poured from the mist, engulfing the entire area where Zhao Kai, Shi Juntian, and the others stood.


    Within this icy domain, it was as though one''s hand could not be seen in front of one''s face!


    "Such chilling cold…"


    Zhao Kai''s expression changed instantly.


    This was undoubtedly the power of a top-grade magic treasure!


    "Where is he… where?!"


    Zhao Kai scanned the surroundings, reaching for his remaining magic treasures. But to his shock, he found none left to use.


    "No magic treasures left? Then it''s time to set off."


    A cold, mocking laugh echoed from behind him.


    In the next instant, two invisible, chilling hands smashed into his sea of consciousness!