Chapter 87: Special Exam (14)
One sword cuts the sky; one sword kills evil creatures.
The power of Su Chen's sword far exceeded the limits that everyone could imagine.
However, in the history of the Immortal Alliance, others mastered the sword intent during the Qi Gathering Stage. However, the starting points of those individuals and Su Chen are completely different. They are either born with innate sword bodies that carry the sword intent, or they are old fellows who have reincarnated and cultivated again or have dispersed their power and cultivated anew.
Bian Shouyi is such an innate sword body. However, even though he was born with sword intent, he has not yet mastered the innate sword intent in his body. He doesn't even know what his sword intent is because he has not reached the requirements to attain this level.
After all, sword intent and swordsmanship have always been two different concepts. The former is the Tao, and the latter is the technique. It would be good enough for a cultivator in the Qi Gathering Stage to understand the techniques, let alone the Tao. If we must make an analogy, what Su Chen is doing now is equivalent to a primary school student suddenly appearing in a university classroom — and it's the kind that you can learn from.
Monster, a complete monster.
Originally, the teachers did not have an intuitive understanding of Su Chen's "excellent comprehension" of his information. They were unclear on how Su Chen's so-called "understanding" was better than others. But after this joint exam, they all knew how terrifying Su Chen's comprehension was. He accomplished in the Qi Gathering Stage what many Foundation Establishment Stage and even Golden Elixir Stage cultivators could not achieve in their entire lives. Then, when he reaches the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Golden Elixir Stage, and even the Nascent Soul Stage... they dare not think about it; they dare not think about it at all!
At this moment, the teachers and investigators in the conference room sat up straight with serious faces. Especially for some of the teachers who specialized in swordsmanship, their mindsets changed directly at this moment. After all, as the saying goes, there is no order of learning: the more accomplished one is, the more they are the teacher. For those who have not mastered the sword intent, Su Chen, who has already mastered it, is an absolute teacher!
At the same time, under the Nine Nether Tree, it ended with Su Chen's earth-shattering sword strike. The Ant-Man, who originally had a calm expression on his face, now completely lost his initial detached mentality. It looked at Su Chen, its pupils constricted.
"Human. The human race's sword grandmaster is also a grandmaster in the Qi Gathering Stage. How is this possible? Why would the Immortal Alliance send someone like you here to die?"
The grandmaster of swordsmanship mentioned by the gold-eating ants does not refer to how high Su Chen's cultivation level is but simply refers to his attainments in swordsmanship. Not only in the Immortal Alliance or other places but anyone who can achieve "using skills to gain enlightenment" will be given the title of Grandmaster. It indicates that these people have reached the point where they can establish their schools.
As the royal family of the Nine Nether Clans, the Gold-Eating Ants' inherited memories contain many recollections of their battles with human grandmasters. Therefore, they knew very well what the word "grandmaster" meant, indicating that Su Chen at this moment could not be regarded as an ordinary Qi Gathering cultivator! But why would the Immortal Alliance send such a young Grandmaster to die? This is not in line with common sense!
That's right; in the eyes of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, Su Chen's actions at this time were undoubtedly pure suicide. Not to mention whether he can defeat himself; even if he can, what does it matter? Given the current situation in Yushan City, it would take three days for the nearest Golden Elixir Stage cultivator from the Immortal Alliance to arrive. But before that, their king had already returned. Although Su Chen is a grandmaster of swordsmanship, he is still only in the Qi Gathering Stage. With his current level of cultivation, he is facing the King of the Nine Nether Black Rock Tribe, who is in the Golden Elixir Stage. Even if he were a grandmaster of swordsmanship, there was no possibility of him surviving.
Doing something knowing it is impossible?...
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked at Su Chen, who was falling from the sky and bathing in blood rain, and his expression became very serious. After a moment, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man suddenly laughed. After all, it is great to have such a young human grandmaster accompany him on the road to the underworld. On this road to the underworld... he is not alone!
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man took a step forward and then directly activated his special abilities, causing his originally dark black body to be immediately covered with complex golden patterns, turning into a unique dark golden armor. This change is not just a simple alteration in color.
[Special ability: Battle-Hardened Body]
[Effect: After activation, physical fitness will be greatly enhanced, and 25% of the attacks received will be accumulated in the body and explode at once.]
"The human race's grandmaster? I will kill the grandmaster!!!"
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man roared, and his body rushed toward Su Chen like a cannonball. The movement was so great that it formed a special air wave around it, causing gusts of wind. But even facing such a scene, Su Chen remained calm.
The twelve green lotuses in his pupils kept spinning, and he looked at the Gold-Eating Ant-Man calmly. That cold look was as if the Ant-Man was already a dead man in his eyes. In an instant, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, having exploded with all his strength, had already arrived in front of Su Chen and punched him. The force of this punch was so great that the air exploded when it was thrown.
"Die!!!"
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked at Su Chen with bloodshot eyes, eager to fight. Just when that terrifying punch was about to land on Su Chen, he finally moved.
Clang!
Su Chen's long sword was unsheathed, and the cold sword edge broke through the airflow, turning into a huge dragon claw. It collided with the dark gold punch in the blood rain.
Boom!
After the fists and claws collided, the ground within a radius of 20 meters, centered on the two, instantly erupted with countless cracks, and the surface sank to a depth of three meters. This was just the aftermath of the battle between the two!
As light and shadow intertwined, Su Chen retreated five meters, while the Gold-Eating Ant-Man retreated ten meters before stopping. It can also be seen from this that in the first fight between the two sides, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man had already fallen behind!
However, many factors determine the outcome of a battle, and a short-term disadvantage does not mean a permanent disadvantage. The Gold-Eating Ant-Man forcibly suppressed the surging blood in his heart, did not give Su Chen any chance to breathe, and attacked again. Su Chen looked at the crazy actions of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man and chose to confront him head-on.
Bang, bang, bang.
Under the Nine Nether Tree, the figures of Su Chen and the Gold-Eating Ant-Man kept interweaving. With the "Battle-Hardened Body" activated, each punch of the Ant-Man was as heavy as a mountain and full of force. However, Su Chen, who has mastered the Dragon Transformation Sword Intent, is also very powerful in attack. Every time he swung his sword, a unique dragon claw would form. Each move and each style carried the might of a mighty dragon, which was extremely terrifying.
That is, the gap in cultivation between him and the Gold-Eating Ant-Man is too great, and the Gold-Eating Ant-Man's abilities are too special, which can reduce the damage he suffers. Otherwise, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man would not have been able to hold out for more than a few rounds and would have been chopped down by Su Chen's sword. But even so, after several exchanges, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man was soon covered in wounds. Not only were there cracks all over his body, but sword marks were also visible everywhere on his arms, with a large amount of blood gushing out of them.
And this is not the worst part of his injury. The most serious injuries were to his fists, which had been colliding with Su Chen's sword. The fists of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man were seen to be cracked everywhere, with flesh and skin torn in some places, exposing the dark white bones inside. But the Ant-Man seemed unable to sense any of this. Not only did he continue to attack Su Chen in this almost desperate manner, but when facing Su Chen's sword attack, he showed no intention of dodging at all and took it all.
In the eyes of everyone, such an action was almost akin to seeking death. But they had to admit that at this moment he had a strong fighting spirit that was ready to die. Even the people sitting outside the examination room, watching, were inevitably infected by this moment.
"No, you are a heretic; why are you acting so passionately? It's as if you are the good guy and student Su is the devil!"
But to be honest, Su Chen's current state is indeed like the villain in the movie. Because from the time the two sides started fighting until now, Su Chen had always been the one on passive defense and had never taken the initiative to launch an attack. It feels like even if Mount Tai collapses in front of him, he will remain calm. The more he did this, the more the onlookers felt an indescribable sense of despair. Suffocating, so suffocating.
The strength displayed by Su Chen at this time was so despairing. The thought that even the Gold-Eating Ant-Man of the Nine Nether Royal Family, who was comparable to a fifth-level cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage, could not put Su Chen in a tough fight at this moment.
What would these students, who haven't even reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, have to offer to compete with a monster like Su Chen on the college entrance examination stage? "Is this something a senior high school student can do?" A high school student stuttered when he saw Su Chen completely suppressing the Gold-Eating Ant-Man on the screen. Let alone him, even the teachers in the conference room didn't know what words to use to describe Su Chen at that moment. Judging from the strength Su Chen has shown now, at least one-third of the Foundation Establishment teachers present are no match for him. They can't even beat their students, so these teachers are hopeless!
This is the horror of sword intent!! It is so terrifying that even though Su Chen is only in the Qi Gathering Stage, he can still crush most of the Foundation Establishment Stage, including the Gold-Eating Ant-Man in front of him.
What others can see, the Ant-Man can also think of. But as long as there is a one in ten thousand chance, it will never give up easily! Because the pride engraved in the blood of the Nine Nether Royal Family will not allow it to bow to anyone! Therefore, even if he died, he had to let the human sword grandmaster in front of it know they were the Nine Nether royal family... There are no cowards!
Bang!
As Su Chen swung his sword again, the terrifying phantom of the dragon appeared behind him and fell toward him with one claw. But this time, the Ant-Man had red eyes and raised his left arm to resist.
Boom!
Su Chen's long sword-wrapped dragon claw fell on the left arm of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man. The left arm of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, which was already like a candle in the wind, immediately made a crackling sound. Not only did the flesh on his left arm explode during the process, exposing the deep white bones beneath the flesh, but the bones began to shatter due to this shocking attack. Pain, piercing pain. But the more painful his body was, the more fighting spirit there was in the Gold-Eating Ant-Man's eyes.
Because of his efforts, it finally paid off.
"Why not avoid it?" Su Chen asked calmly, looking at the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, who had sacrificed his left hand to hold his sword.
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked at him, and a forced smile appeared on his face, which had become slightly hideous due to pain. "Because I'm not afraid." After a moment of silence, Su Chen asked, "Why aren't you afraid?"
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man held Su Chen's sword tightly with his left hand, which was now only a bone, and said firmly, "I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. After all, being able to exchange my life for a human grandmaster is... a great achievement!"
Boom!
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man roared, and a terrifying force erupted completely from its body. The force was so strong that it even caused all of its orifices to bleed. This power was the reason he had been actively enduring Su Chen's attacks before. It was also the strongest blow in his life that he exchanged for his own body, his own life, and everything he had.
Although he can feel that his life is about to come to an end, the Ant-Man feels that his condition... is better than ever! "How can you say you have won a battle without having experienced a hundred battles?"
"The human race's grandmaster?" The one I killed today... was the Grandmaster!!!"
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man roared, gathering all his strength into his only remaining right hand, and then punched Su Chen. After seeing this punch, Su Chen's previous calmness changed, and his face showed surprise. Because he saw the shadow of "Tao" in this punch!
Boom!
At the same time as the Gold-Eating Ant-Man threw his punch, a mountain seemed to appear behind him and pressed down heavily toward Su Chen.
In addition to being surprised, Su Chen was more excited about this. Without any hesitation, Su Chen responded with his sword intent: 'When water accumulates to form a deep abyss, dragons... are born there!'
Boom!
A deep and silent abyss instantly enveloped Su Chen and the Gold-Eating Ant-Man. But it was different from the previous situation where the giant hornworm and others were completely powerless to fight back in this abyss. The Gold-Eating Ant-Man, who was burning all his life at this moment, still dared to punch Su Chen!
After all, when death is no longer a shackle, then its fist can be swung at anyone! This fist is as sharp as a peak, and this force... is as strong as a mountain!
---
[You sensed a hint of the fist intent, and you unlocked the skill...Mountain Collapsing Fist]
[Mountain Collapsing Fist: Entry level 1/1000]
[Effect: Its momentum is like a mountain, its fist is like a peak, and when it punches out... the mountains collapse!]
---
Su Chen didn't expect that; he just wanted to see what the special abilities of the Nine Nether royal family were and then decide whether they were worth copying. But he never thought that the Nine Nether royal family would bring him such a huge surprise.
Fist intent, it's fist intent! You have to know that many people, even if they have practiced boxing for a lifetime, cannot get a glimpse of the slightest trace of this art. But today, Su Chen was not only fortunate enough to see it but also gained some insights from it.
Thinking of this, Su Chen no longer held back and released his Dragon Transformation Sword Intent without reservation. At this moment, the dispute between him and the Gold-Eating Ant-Man was no longer a simple dispute over racial positions, but a dispute between "Tao" and "Tao"!
Because the long sword was stuck in the bones of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man's left hand, he could only turn his legs into swords and kick the Ant-Man. Facing the Fist Dao Mountain that was pressing down on him like a thousand mountains in the abyss, Su Chen's Sword Dao Dragon... swung out its tail!
Boom!
The moment the Sword Dao Dragon's tail hit the Fist Dao Mountain, the massive body of the Fist Dao Mountain began to tremble violently. Soon, countless cracks spread from the mountain, which eventually turned the boxing mountain into rubble. It completely sank into Su Chen's endless abyss and disappeared.
But what happened in reality was that Su Chen's kick not only shattered the Gold-Eating Ant-Man's right arm but also shattered the Gold-Eating Ant-Man's organs throughout his body. Moreover, the power of Su Chen's kick even penetrated the body of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, leaving a smooth pit ten meters long behind him.
The long pit extended to the Nine Nether Tree behind the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, leaving a huge crack in the trunk. It's just like this: crushing the bones of evil creatures with one foot.
Su Chen looked at the Gold-Eating Ant-Man in front of him, whose right arm was shattered and whose left arm was only bones. He stood up with his legs folded and said seriously, "You should have seen the scenery there, right?"
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked behind Su Chen with confused eyes, as if he were looking at something. After a moment, he turned his head to look at Su Chen and replied in a hoarse voice, "Yes, I saw it, but I am even more desperate."
Hearing this, Su Chen didn't know what he was thinking and sighed: "Yes, but I still want to try to see if I can cross over and go to that farther place to take a look."
The Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked at him in surprise and found that his expression was very serious as if he weren't joking. After a moment, the Ant-Man laughed.
"If it's from a racial perspective, then I will curse you to never reach that place in your life because it will give our race another terrifying enemy. But if you look at it from the perspective of a seeker... then I hope you can do this. After all, I also want to know what the scenery of that place is like, even if I only heard about it from others.
"What a shame, what a shame. If I had understood this earlier, maybe the person standing here... wouldn't be you. But... this is enough. After all, using the words of your race, I can be said to have heard the truth in the morning and died in the evening."
"Human cultivator, can you tell me your name?"
Su Chen said calmly, "Jiangnan swordsman, Su Chen."
"Su...Chen..." The Gold-Eating Ant-Man kept repeating these two words as if he no longer had any regrets.
The next second, his body began to crack from his feet and spread to his head. Before his death, the Gold-Eating Ant-Man looked at Su Chen with a carefree expression and said with a smile, "Su Chen, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for you on the Yellow Spring Road, because the king already knows the situation here, and he will not let you go. With you by my side, I am not alone on this road to the underworld!"
"Hahaha, I'm not alone. I'm not alone."
Looking at the Gold-Eating Ant-Man, who turned to powder and returned to dust while laughing, Su Chen felt very emotional. Although the two sides have different positions, the other party is just a phantom, a simulated special historical figure. But this almost real feeling made Su Chen feel a little dazed.
Holographic helmet, cultivation of immortality... Why are these two objects so surprisingly similar in some ways? Is there no connection between the two?
---
[You killed a Nine Netherworld·Gold-Eating Ant (Fifth Level of Foundation Establishment Stage) and obtained 2400 experience points, Soul Crystal Fragment (Green) * 3, Divine Power·Forging Body into Weapon...]
---
Su Chen stood under the Nine Nether Tree. He did not look at the information panel that popped up but fell into deep thought inexplicably. But before Su Chen could think for long, a terrifying pressure came from above his head, waking him up suddenly.
Su Chen raised his head and saw a stone figure like granite appearing in the air. Almost instantly, Su Chen knew the identity of the visitor. The Golden Elixir Stage, or rather, the second evolved Nine Nether Evil creature comparable to the Golden Elixir Stage. The strongest in the joint examination secret realm is the king of the Nine Nether Black Rock tribe—Nine Nether Black Rock.
Nine Nether Black Rock looked at Su Chen below, then at the body of the Gold-Eating Ant-Man that had turned to powder, and said in a cold tone, "Grandmaster of the Human Race, tell me... how do you want to die?"
---
[Name: Black Rock]
[Race: Nine Nether Clan]
[Strength: Golden Elixir Stage]
[Features: ...]
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(end of this chapter)