Page 243

However, later on, the old lion Leimen learned of my plans from Katherine and managed to find for me a rare wind-element super magic beast's core, that of a "Great Wind Phoenix," from the War God Temple’s millennium collection. It is said that this giant bird, whose size can rival that of a nine-headed serpent, only touches the ground twice in its life: once at birth and once at death. The rest of the time, it soars through the sky. Its innate super magic is called “Death Cloud City of the Sky,” which can tear apart clouds and winds to maintain a storm cloud several kilometers in diameter, carrying its body. This cloud fortress appears calm on the outside but is a raging storm within, tearing apart any creature that steps inside, turning them into food for the Great Wind Phoenix. Even high-level tenth-grade dragons would avoid encountering this tenth-grade mid-stage cloud phoenix in the air. The core in the War God Temple’s collection was not obtained through hunting but was an unexpected find from a dead cloud phoenix. Otherwise, even if all the top sword emperors of the eagle race gathered with their massive thunderbird armies, they might still lack the power to deal with this terrifying aerial king.

I did not expand the range of “Death Cloud City” to its maximum but compressed its power sharply while unleashing the ultimate move of the Nine Yin, “Thousand Blade Slash Cloud Sky.” The towering tornado twisted with the blade technique, finally splitting to the sides, extending two enormous wings made of blade edges. Meanwhile, the wind column above collapsed inward, transforming into sharp spikes. Countless blade lights and fierce winds ultimately condensed into its true form—the Great Wind Phoenix. I rose into the air with this lord of the skies, merging the “Tiger Soul” with the long beak of the cloud phoenix illusion, slicing together toward the Sword Saint.

"Hmm, a divine weapon with multiple attributes? That’s quite rare." Only then did the Sword Saint Arshu show a hint of caution, his body suddenly emitting immense pressure. Even my disciples, like Ankara who were hiding far away, felt the mountain-like pressure. Moreover, when a Sword Saint-level expert fully unleashed their power, it inevitably affected the surrounding space, known as “Momentum.”

In the past, I had witnessed the “Momentum” of two Sword Saints: Flame Saint Levis’ “Momentum” was a fiery dance that turned the world to ashes, while the “Momentum” of the “Divine Knight” was absolute, either light or darkness. The “Momentum” of this “Sword Saint” before me, however, overturned the balance of lightness and heaviness, making steel lighter than a feather and a feather heavier than steel. This effect was not noticeable in the battlefield ravaged by fierce winds, but the watching wolf people noticed that some pebbles and ice fragments around them floated as if weightless. However, the Sword Saint was not a powerhouse like the old man Leimen, who ascended to the Holy Domain through sheer strength; otherwise, such influence would not have been so simple.

Even so, facing a Holy Domain expert using their full power, being at the center of the attack was no easy feat. Although the opponent did not use their ultimate move, the overwhelming aura was like a mountain pressing down, gradually suppressing my ascending blade momentum. Despite my best efforts to mobilize my aura, combining it with the Nine Yin energy and the wind magic of the “Great Wind Phoenix,” I could not reverse the disadvantage. After all, I lacked the ability to amplify my combat power tenfold like the “Emperor Martial Tyrant Technique.”

Under the endless pressure of the Holy Domain expert, the cloud phoenix illusion behind me finally shattered. The “Tiger Soul” clashed with the Sword Saint’s “Blade of Radiant Thunder,” and I was forced back to the ground by the immense pressure. If I didn’t find a way to break free, the Sword Saint could crush my bones and internal organs with sheer force alone. However, I wouldn’t just sit and wait for death. As my toes touched the ground, I urgently gathered the Nine Yin energy, striking the “Tiger Soul” with a “Heart-Crushing Palm.” My recently improved Nine Yin skill caused a slight pain in the Sword Saint’s chest, though it couldn’t harm a Holy Domain expert with boundless protective power. However, their inability to receive divine healing always made Sword Saints particularly cautious about protecting their bodies.

In the instant the Sword Saint was slightly distracted, everything within a hundred-zhang radius, including the Sword Saint himself, froze. This was my hidden trump card—the “Holy Ice Thorn Halo.” Although this halo, driven by my Sword Emperor-level power, far exceeded the standard of ordinary Holy Cup Knights, its effect against a Holy Domain expert was limited.

Fortunately, I needed only this brief moment of respite. In that instant, the “Tiger Soul” in my hand changed from a translucent light green to a dull yellow with a metallic sheen, as if the entire blade had grown larger. It vibrated, emitting a low, rumbling roar. With a loud cry, I finally succeeded in forcing the Sword Saint’s longsword away.

Earth element, the third power of this magic blade, came from the epic-level war hammer wielded by the Holy Cup Knight Apu. Though I don’t know its name, after appraisal, I learned that it was forged from the fangs and core of a high-level war Beamon. After absorbing this core, the “Tiger Soul” gained the war Beamon’s sole earth-element super attack magic, “Super Beast King Collapse,” which gathers the power of the earth, multiplying the Beamon’s immense strength several times over.

Harnessing the infinite power of the earth, my blade momentum instantly overpowered the Sword Saint. I unleashed “Hundred Blades Shatter Mountains,” and the “Tiger Soul,” glowing with a heavy, dull yellow light, struck the Sword Saint like a giant axe cleaving the heavens, one blow after another. Even with Arshu’s Holy Domain strength, he could not withstand the power akin to that of a high-level war Beamon. Each time he blocked my blade, he took a step back. By the time the hundred blades were not yet exhausted, I had forced him to the edge of a cliff. If I could push this hateful old man off the thousand-foot cliff to his death, I would be very pleased. Unfortunately, the mountain path I chose for the passage of nearly ten thousand wolf knights, though difficult, was not steep. The cliff was only a dozen feet high, enough to kill an ordinary person but laughable to injure a Holy Domain expert. Before I could continue pressing, the Sword Saint had already retreated and leaped off the cliff, using a slight push from below to steadily return to the mountaintop.