Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 157 Breakthrough to the Sea Condensation Realm, Fierce Tiger Sword!
Actually, if we were to take a gamble, we might not necessarily lose to Xiao Zhanbai, but that would inevitably involve huge risks, and we might even get injured.

This place is very close to Qingzhou City and is within the core territory of Tianjian Manor, so if you get injured here, it will be really dangerous.

Therefore, Chen Ye decided to take a safer approach, which was to break through to the Sea Condensation Realm before dealing with Xiao Zhanbai.

After the Qi Condensation Pill entered his stomach, it immediately transformed into a powerful and pure warm current that surged into his dantian.

The originally calm internal energy began to boil, frantically surging through the meridians.

Chen Ye dared not be negligent in the slightest. He focused his mind on his dantian, guiding the violent medicinal power to circulate through his body again and again.

Chen Ye was already on the verge of a breakthrough, and now, with the added power of the Condensing Essence Pill, he showed signs of a breakthrough in just a short while.

boom!
As if some invisible barrier had been broken through, the vortex of energy in his dantian suddenly accelerated and compressed wildly. Finally, with a hum, a chaotic sea of ​​energy was opened up!
Internal energy transforms into true essence, which is called condensing the sea!

An aura several times stronger than before uncontrollably leaked from his body, soaring into the sky and stirring up the wind and clouds within a radius of a hundred feet.

"Ok?"

Xiao Zhanbai, who was frantically searching in another forest area, suddenly stopped and turned around to look in the direction from which the aura was coming.

That's... the aura of breaking through to the Sea Condensation Realm!
This guy actually broke through at the last minute?
The shock lasted only a moment before it was replaced by boundless rage and murderous intent.

"court death!"

Xiao Zhanbai lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his figure shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the direction where Chen Ye was hiding.

Beyond the hill, atop the ancient tree.

Chen Ye kept his eyes closed, ignoring the murderous aura emanating from the outside world.

He was at the most critical moment of his breakthrough. His dantian and qi sea were just beginning to form, and the true essence in his body was like a wild horse running rampant. He needed to use his powerful divine soul to regulate and stabilize it.

This process was extremely dangerous, but it also allowed him to reach a whole new level of control over his power.

At the same time, Xiao Zhanbai's speed reached its limit, and he rushed to the front of the hill in just a dozen breaths.

Then she immediately spotted the figure sitting cross-legged on the ancient tree, and the rising, yet not fully stable, aura of the Sea Condensation Realm emanating from him.

Without hesitation, Xiao Zhanbai thrust out his sword while still in mid-air.

A highly refined sword light aimed straight at Chen Ye's brow.

She wanted to strike while the enemy was still unsettled and kill them in one fell swoop!

Just as the sword light was about to strike, the figure on the ancient tree suddenly opened its eyes.

Two beams of light flashed and disappeared.

At this moment, Chen Ye's true essence was completely stabilized, and a vast power filled every inch of his flesh and blood.

Then Chen Ye made a move.

No dodging, no blocking.

He simply drew his sword, and then, facing the deadly sword light, slashed out with it.

Clang!
The sound of metal clashing was deafening.

The Jingzhe Blade and the sword light clashed fiercely, and the resulting shockwave destroyed all the surrounding vegetation.

Xiao Zhanbai felt an unprecedented force coming from the tip of the sword, and he was sent flying backward uncontrollably. He tumbled several times in the air before regaining his balance.

After landing, she stumbled back several steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the ground.

Then Xiao Zhanbai raised her head, looking at the boy who had jumped down from the tree and landed steadily in front of her with a look of horror.

At this moment, Chen Ye's figure and face remained unchanged, but his overall temperament underwent a dramatic transformation.

If he was a sharp blade hidden in its sheath before, then he is now a peerless and deadly sword that has been drawn from its sheath and is now fully exposed.

That condensed and domineering true essence fluctuation was undoubtedly from the Sea Condensation Realm!

He really succeeded!

"This...this is impossible!" Xiao Zhanbai muttered to himself, his mind in turmoil.

"Nothing is impossible." Chen Ye flexed his wrists, feeling the continuous flow of true energy within his body, and an unprecedented sense of power welled up within him.

Then he looked at Xiao Zhanbai and smiled slightly, "Thank you for protecting me just now. To express my gratitude, I will do my best from now on."

"Arrogant!" Xiao Zhanbai was completely enraged by Chen Ye's attitude. He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and shouted coldly.

"So what if you've managed to break through to the Sea Condensation Realm? I am a true disciple of Heavenly Sword Manor; killing you is still as easy as turning my hand!"

After speaking, an incomparably sharp sword intent surged into the sky from Xiao Zhanbai's body.

"Heavenly Sword Technique - Flowing Light!"

With a swift movement, she seemed to transform into a streak of light, her sword light weaving around Chen Ye relentlessly.

Each sword strike was as fast as lightning and at a tricky angle, blocking all of Chen Ye's escape routes.

This is the ultimate technique of Tianjian Manor, known for its speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness. Ordinary cultivators at the Sea Condensation Realm would be cut to pieces in less than three breaths under this move.

However, faced with the sky full of sword shadows, Chen Ye simply stood calmly in place.

His Asura Eye had already been activated, so what appeared to others as extremely fast sword light was, in his eyes, clearly traced a path and full of flaws.

"Too slow." Chen Ye uttered three words, and the Jingzhe Blade in his hand moved.

There were no fancy moves, just a simple and direct upward slash.

clang!
The blade struck with unparalleled precision the most crucial point among the myriad sword shadows, the very nexus of all the sword techniques.

With a crisp sound, the countless sword shadows instantly collapsed and dissipated, like a bubble that had been popped.

Xiao Zhanbai's figure appeared, staggering, his face full of disbelief.

His proud sword technique was broken by the opponent's casual slash.

Before she could react, Chen Ye had already pounced on her.

The Jingzhe Blade in his hand transformed into streaks of lightning, each strike aimed precisely at her vital points.

Xiao Zhanbai immediately felt immense pressure.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The sounds of clashing swords were incessant, and sparks flew everywhere.

With each collision, Xiao Zhanbai felt his arm go numb and his blood surge.

The opponent's true essence was not only powerful, but also had a strong penetrating force, constantly eroding her protective sword energy.

How could this be?
Didn't he just break through to the Sea Condensation Realm? Why is his power so terrifying?
Xiao Zhanbai was shocked, but for the sake of Tianjian Manor's reputation and her own pride, she gritted her teeth and persisted, determined to kill Chen Ye with her sword.

Chen Ye also showed no intention of letting her go; he wasn't the kind of person who would show mercy to a woman.

Although he had met this woman's sister, Xiao Hongye, once, since she was relentlessly pressuring him, repeatedly causing him trouble, and even trying to kill him, Chen Ye naturally wouldn't be polite.

After all, being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to oneself, a principle he deeply understood having lived two lives.

"Break it for me!"

Chen Ye let out a low shout, and the sword's momentum changed again. The Jingzhe Blade slashed out at an odd angle, and a cold light flashed on the blade.

Needle point!

This sword strike combined his newly generated true energy with a deeper understanding of the way of the sword, making it more than ten times more powerful than before.

Xiao Zhanbai's pupils contracted sharply, as she felt a deadly crisis enveloping her.

She tried to dodge, but found that her energy had been completely locked down, leaving her with no way to escape!
In desperation, Xiao Zhanbai was forced to use his trump card.

"Ah!" She bit her tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the longsword.

hum!
The longsword was instantly stained with blood, and a violent aura emanated from it.

Blood sacrifice sword escape, jade and stone are both destroyed!

This is a forbidden technique of Tianjian Manor, which uses the burning of one's own essence and blood as a price to obtain a burst of power in a short period of time. Xiao Zhanbai is planning to defeat Chen Ye even if it means being seriously injured.

A surge of crimson sword light erupted, meeting Chen Ye's blade head-on.

"sucker Punch."

Without the slightest pause, the Jingzhe Blade in Chen Ye's hand pierced directly into the core of the sword light with its extremely refined point of cold light.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft "ding".

Immediately afterwards, the blood-red sword light shattered inch by inch, turning into nothingness.

Xiao Zhanbai watched helplessly as her trump card was so easily countered, and an unprecedented fear spread from the deepest part of her heart.

It is the fear of death.

It was this fear that made her feel ashamed to death.

She had always believed that her sword heart was pure, that she had long since transcended life and death, and that she would no longer feel fear.

Unexpectedly, when faced with the true terror of life and death, I was far less resilient than I had imagined.

At that moment, a crack appeared in her sword heart.

In a battle between masters, the difference between life and death can be as thin as a hair's breadth. Her composure faltered, and her movements inevitably faltered slightly.

Chen Ye astutely seized this opening, and then, without hesitation, slashed straight at Xiao Zhanbai's vital point.

puff!
Blood splattered.

Xiao Zhanbai avoided a fatal blow at the crucial moment, but her left shoulder was still slashed by the blade, the wound so deep that the bone was visible, and the blood instantly stained her white clothes red.

As excruciating pain struck, Xiao Zhanbai knew that defeat was inevitable and his life was in danger. In a panic, he immediately pulled out a jade slip from his pocket and crushed it!
In an instant, a white light shot into the sky and then scattered like fireworks.

Chen Ye's pupils contracted sharply, and alarm bells rang in his mind.

Although he didn't know what this thing was, he knew even with his toes that it was definitely not a good thing.

Once this signal is sent out, experts from Tianjian Manor will probably arrive very soon!

Oh shit!

Chen Ye cursed inwardly, but without the slightest hesitation, he swung the Jingzhe Blade down fiercely towards Xiao Zhanbai's neck!

We must kill her before anyone arrives, and then run away immediately!
However, just as Chen Ye's blade was about to touch Xiao Zhanbai's fair neck...

A sudden change occurred!

An invisible barrier suddenly appeared from Xiao Zhanbai's body, enveloping her entirely.

when!
Chen Ye's seemingly inevitable strike was abruptly blocked by that barrier!

A tremendous force of recoil struck, causing his arm to go numb and him to take a step back.

"A protective magic artifact?" Chen Ye's expression instantly turned ugly.

He looked at Xiao Zhanbai, who was protected by a pale white light barrier, his eyes so gloomy they were almost dripping with water.

As expected of a prestigious sect, even though they're injured to this extent, they still have something to save their lives.

Inside the light screen, Xiao Zhanbai looked at the blade so close to him, a look of relief on his face as if he had survived a calamity.

She was breathing heavily, each breath aggravating the horrific wound on her shoulder, bringing excruciating pain.

But she smiled.

"Hehe...hehehe..."

"You can't kill me anymore..."

Her voice was hoarse and weak, yet full of smugness.

"This is a protective jade pendant belonging to an elite disciple of our Heavenly Sword Manor. It allows us to withstand the attacks of a Sea Condensation Realm cultivator for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and that is enough."

"The distress signal has been sent out, and the experts from our Tianjian Manor will arrive soon."

"So you... are dead!"

Chen Ye ignored her shouts and raised the knife in his hand again.

"Really? Then I'll see just how hard your shell really is!"

He took a deep breath, and the true essence in his dantian and dantian surged again, rushing wildly into the Jingzhe Blade.

The cold light on the blade became even deeper and more solid.

"Break it for me!"

Chen Ye roared and slashed fiercely at the white light barrier with the Jingzhe Blade in his hand like a storm!
when!when!when!when!
A series of incredibly dense, chilling metallic clangs exploded wildly through the forest.

Chen Ye unleashed countless slashes in an instant.

Every cut was made with all my might!
Every strike landed on the same spot!
The seemingly indestructible white light barrier began to shake violently under his frenzied attacks, and fine cracks appeared on its surface, like glass about to shatter.

The smug look on Xiao Zhanbai's face, which was inside the light screen, froze, replaced by endless terror.

"How is this possible...?"

She couldn't believe her eyes.

This is a protective jade pendant personally crafted by Elder Jian. How come it couldn't even withstand this guy's blade for a moment?
Click!

Just as she was filled with horror, an even crisper cracking sound rang out.

The white light barrier finally gave way, shattering violently after a series of flashes and turning into countless specks of light.

A powerful backlash instantly struck Xiao Zhanbai.

"puff!"

She coughed up another mouthful of blood, her already weak breath grew even fainter, and even the light in her eyes began to dim rapidly.

Chen Ye raised the Jingzhe Blade, its blade gleaming with a chilling light, and aimed it at Xiao Zhanbai's face, which had lost all color.

But at that moment, an indescribable, terrifying aura, powerful enough to change the very color of heaven and earth, suddenly shot into the sky from the direction of Qingzhou City!

That was a flash of sword light!
A dazzling, domineering, and ferocious sword light!
The moment the sword light appeared, the entire sky above Qingzhou Prefecture seemed to be illuminated.

Immediately afterwards, the sword light circled in the air and let out a deafening roar.

The roar was neither like a dragon's cry nor a phoenix's cry, but rather like an unparalleled tiger roaring to the sky!

Wherever the roar passed, the wind and clouds changed color, and even the clouds in the sky were forcibly dispersed by the earthquake.

The countless cultivators within Qingzhou Prefecture were all startled by this terrifying tiger's roar.

They rushed out of the room and looked up at the night sky. When they saw the sword light as bright as the sun, everyone's face showed awe and shock.

"Oh my god...what is that?"

"It's sword light! Such... such terrifying sword light!"

Some knowledgeable old cultivators exclaimed in surprise after seeing the shape of the sword light.

"It's the Fierce Tiger Sword, the Fierce Tiger Sword of Jian Wuchen, the young master of Tianjian Manor!"

"That's right! It's the Fierce Tiger Sword! That domineering and incomparably fierce sword intent, there's no mistake!"

"Why would the young master suddenly make a move? What serious event has occurred?"

"Judging by the direction... that sword light is heading out of the city!"

Discussions and exclamations rose and fell throughout every corner of Qingzhou Prefecture.

After letting out a tiger's roar, the dazzling sword light transformed into a golden meteor, hurtling towards the dense forest outside the city at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye!

Wherever the sword light passed, the air was torn apart, producing a series of ear-piercing sonic booms, leaving a long golden trail in the night sky.

Meanwhile, in the dense forest.

Chen Ye also felt the terrifying pressure that descended from the sky, enough to suffocate him.

The hairs on his body stood on end in an instant, and a deadly sense of crisis surged wildly from the bottom of his heart.

Upon seeing the sword light in the distant sky, Xiao Zhanbai's eyes shone with an unprecedented brilliance.

It's the young master's Tiger Sword!

He came to save me!
A surge of immense joy and peace of mind instantly dispelled the fear and despair in her heart.

She was saved!

In her view, once the young master of the manor made a move, there would be no more suspense.

After all, Jian Wuchen was hailed as the most talented genius in the manor in the past hundred years. At the young age of twenty-five, his cultivation had already reached the Inner Realm, and his sword cultivation had even reached the legendary Severing Thoughts Realm. His strength was unfathomable.

His sword, the Fierce Tiger Sword, is one of the most prized treasures of the Heavenly Sword Manor. It is a genuine divine weapon, said to contain the essence of an ancient tiger god, possessing immense power.

With him taking action, even if this kid named Chen Ye had three heads and six arms, he would only have one way out: death!
She could almost see Chen Ye being torn to shreds and utterly destroyed by the young master's domineering and incomparably fierce tiger sword.

Because she was about to be saved, and because of her absolute confidence in the young master's strength, her tense mind relaxed at this moment.

However, she overlooked the most important thing.

The tiger is still a hundred miles away.

And death's blade was already hanging over her neck.

Just as her mind relaxed and her momentum collapsed, she suddenly lost all her composure.

Chen Ye made his move!
There was no hesitation or retreat in his eyes; instead, a fierce glint flashed within them.

"die!"

The Jingzhe Blade, carrying a resolute killing intent, slashed down fiercely!
puff!

Nothing stands in the way.

That head, envied, resented, and looked up to by countless people, was so easily severed, then traced a poignant arc in the air before finally landing in the grass a few feet away.

Xiao Zhanbai's face even carried a hint of relief at surviving a disaster and anticipation for the future.

At the same time, her eyes were wide open, as if she couldn't believe it even in death that she had actually died just moments before the young master's Tiger Sword was about to strike.

why?
How dare he?
Isn't he afraid of death?
Three questions flashed through her mind, but she could no longer know the answers.

(End of this chapter)