Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Dual Cultivation Rewards, Holy Spirit Sword Art! (2nd Update)

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect sacrificed an Immortal Ring Treasure, which emitted a terrible pressure, causing the mountains below to crack and boulders to tumble down.

The invisible pressure enveloped Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue, who were just competing a moment ago.

The ground where they stood burst apart, and the Immortal Ring Treasure loomed over their heads like an invisible mountain.

“A mid-grade Immortal Artifact, the ninth level of the Void Refinement Realm…”

Lu Changsheng sheathed the True Martial Sword and changed his hand gesture, summoning the Blazing Extermination Sword to fly to him.

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect was an unprecedented powerful enemy, whose strength truly reached the level of the six major Sect Leaders.

The six major Sect Leaders varied in strength, with the strongest being Daoist Taiyuan, while the weakest was Sect Master Xu of the Refinement Sect, at the eighth level of the Void Refinement Realm.

Among the six major Sect Leaders, the strength of the Joyous Union Sect Leader was slightly inferior to Daoist Taiyuan but on par with the Pavilion Master of Inquiry Immortal Pavilion.

The oppressive feeling brought by the Joyous Union Sect Leader far surpassed that of the Demon General.

“Die!”

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect risked hiding in Meteor Iron Mountain specifically to kill Lu Changsheng and avenge his son.

Before the likes of Daoist Taiyuan and Master Wuxiang arrived, the Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect had to quickly eliminate Lu Changsheng to alleviate the hatred in his heart; otherwise, he’d be so enraged that it would wake him from sleep.

The young Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect, whose cultivation reached the ninth level of the Dao Palace Realm, was about to step into the Void Refinement Realm and inherit his mantle, but was instead slaughtered by Lu Changsheng.

“His artifact is the mid-grade Immortal Artifact ‘All Thoughts Empty.’ Even our master can’t defeat him, we…”

Xia Ningxue knew how terrifying the Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect, at the ninth level of the Void Refinement Realm, was.

At the moment, there was still a gap between the cultivation levels of Xia Ningxue and Lu Changsheng and that of the Joyous Union Sect Leader, who, in his quest for vengeance, risked an ambush and even used the Joyous Union Sect’s town-founding Immortal Artifact, determined to win at all costs.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Xia Ningxue turned to look at Lu Changsheng beside her.

Unbeknownst to her, Lu Changsheng had taken her hand, and a warmth traveled from it straight to her heart.

Xia Ningxue suddenly felt at peace, realizing that even if they were to die together, she could face it calmly.

“Just listen to me.”

Lu Changsheng held Xia Ningxue’s hand, warmth radiating from his palm and fingertips.

Xia Ningxue’s hand was as warm as jade.

In Lu Changsheng’s left hand, he pinched a talisman, already infused with True Qi.

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect fully activated the mid-grade Immortal Artifact “All Thoughts Empty,” targeting Lu Changsheng.

The divine glow of the Immortal Ring blossomed mightily, its terrifying aura capable of destroying both heaven and earth, causing the mountains to crumble and collapse.

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect at the ninth level of the Void Refinement Realm, when fully powering the mid-grade Immortal Artifact, could unleash the full force of the Immortal Artifact!

“That’s the breath of the Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect.”

“Is there anyone of ours in that place?”

“Our master and Fairy Xia from Inquiry Immortal Pavilion went there to compete.”

“This is terrible!”

Daoist Taiyuan, Master Wuxiang, Grandmaster Chen, Yu Xuanji, and Fairy Su, who were resting at the door of Refinement Sect, hurriedly flew towards the place where Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue were competing.

Especially Daoist Taiyuan and Fairy Su, who were particularly anxious.

Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue were the trump cards of the two major sects; if something were to happen to them midway, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“Hahaha, darn brat, what a good death!”

“To make a person of my stature take action with all my might, you can consider it an honor even in death!”

The Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect laughed heartily to the skies.

He drove the mid-grade Immortal Artifact to destroy Lu Changsheng, Xia Ningxue, and the entire mountain, sending them all to hell.

The mountain could not withstand the attack of the mid-grade Immortal Artifact “All Thoughts Empty,” and was completely annihilated, turning to nothingness.

“You’re celebrating too early.”

The voice of Lu Changsheng rang out from ahead, and the smile on the face of the Sect Leader of Joyous Union Sect gradually stiffened as he violently turned to look diagonally forward.

Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue were unharmed and without a speck of dust.

“Spatial Talisman!?”

The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect, who had roved the Jianghu for thousands of years and had rich combat experience, quickly understood how Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue had escaped his attack.

The ninth-grade spatial talisman “Within Reach, Ends of the Earth” was extremely rare, yet Lu Changsheng used it readily in battle.

“Green Dawn Sword Art!”

“Primordial Sword Momentum!”

Xia Ningxue and Lu Changsheng simultaneously unleashed a fierce Sword Qi, slashing towards the unprepared Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect.

The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect had not yet retrieved his Immortal Artifact and couldn’t dodge in time, and was actually wounded by two juniors who had comprehended the immortal level swordsmanship!

“Damn it!”

The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He was a powerful being of the ninth layer of the Void Refinement Realm, one of the four Sect Leaders of the Demon Sects, yet he was injured by two juniors whose cultivation was far inferior to his own. If word of this got out, how would he ever mix in the four great Demon Sects again?!

“This is bad, Daoist Taiqing, Master Wuxiang, and others are coming.”

The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect, having suffered a major loss, and sensing that the presences of Daoist Taiqing and Master Wuxiang were approaching, hurriedly took out a talisman and used Earth Escape to flee.

Lu Changsheng did not chase after him.

The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect might go to meet up with the Reincarnation Hall, the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, and the Summoning Demon Palace—recklessly chasing after him would be like walking into a tiger’s den.

Together, Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue could barely manage to fight against the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect but were still unable to kill him.

They needed time to cultivate.

Xia Ningxue noticed her master’s presence approaching, and realizing that her hand was still being held by Lu Changsheng, her cheeks turned slightly red before they finally separated.

Lu Changsheng holding her hand just now must have been to ensure that both of them benefited from the effect of the spatial talisman.

“Are the two of you alright?”

Daoist Taiqing, Fairy Su, Master Wuxiang, Grandmaster Chen, Yu Xuanji, and other powerhouses arrived to find Lu Changsheng and Xia Ningxue standing quietly. The mountain peak below them had been completely destroyed, and the lingering presence of the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect was still in the air.

Lu Changsheng briefly explained what had happened.

“The Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect is treacherous and vengeful; he would naturally seek to kill you after you killed his son,” said Fairy Su, who led the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion that had been in constant conflict with the Joyous Union Sect. Many disciples from the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion had been abducted by them, and Fairy Su hated the Joyous Union Sect to the bone.

“You must not act alone until your cultivation surpasses that of the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect,” added Daoist Taiqing, also worried that Lu Changsheng might fall prematurely.

“Disciple will keep it in mind,” Lu Changsheng replied, yet he was not particularly afraid of the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect.

Although he could not yet defeat the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect, he could ensure his escape.

“However, you two joining forces managed to neither give the Sect Leader of the Joyous Union Sect any advantage nor wound him… How do you cultivate, youngster?” asked Fairy Su, looking at Lu Changsheng with eyes full of astonishment.

The Inquiry Immortal Pavilion had exerted all its power, with the Supreme Elders damaging their own cultivation to perform a Power-infusing Initiation for Xia Ningxue, who also inherited Fairy Qingxia’s legacy. They did not hesitate to pass on the sect’s Immortal Sword to Xia Ningxue, and with her Lingwa Holy Body, the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion thus cultivated an unprecedented genius.

Mount Shu, on the other hand, did not seem to go to such lengths to cultivate a single disciple like the Inquiry Immortal Pavilion did, yet Lu Changsheng still somewhat overpowered Xia Ningxue—truly baffling.

“An ancestor Daoist Taiqing appeared in my dreams and guided my cultivation,” Lu Changsheng continued to let the Daoist of Mount Shu take the blame.

Fairy Su exclaimed in admiration, “Ancestor Daoist Taiqing of Mount Shu truly is a remarkable figure, being able to guide the cultivation of a disciple in the Mortal World from the Immortal Realm, his divine skills are unimaginable, and we are astounded.”

The Ancestral Master above should forgive him, Lu Changsheng mused to himself.

Suddenly, Lu Changsheng received a prompt from the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator.

“Ding, your Yin Yang Dual Cultivation Skills have reached the second level, reward returned: an unranked dual cultivation swordsmanship, the ‘Holy Spirit Sword Art’.”