Xiang Yu's eyes widened in shock as the Core Formation expert pinpointed his location instantly. The cultivator's methods were clearly beyond ordinary tracking techniques. Before Xiang Yu could formulate an escape plan, the expert materialized directly in front of him, moving with such blinding speed that Xiang Yu's eyes could barely follow.
Instinctively, Xiang Yu began trembling, adopting his practiced facade of terror—but the Core Formation cultivator wasn't deceived. The man drew back his massive fist, the air itself seeming to compress around his knuckles as he prepared to strike.
"Your qi sense is all over the place, yet you pretend to be a mortal," the man declared, his voice filled with contempt.
Xiang Yu finally realized what was happening. The cultivator had tracked him through his extended qi sense! He felt a moment of relief at his earlier decision not to blanket the entire pavilion with his qi sense—if he had really gone through with it, he would have immediately betrayed his position and potentially exposed the hidden spirit vein.
With milliseconds to spare, Xiang Yu channeled everything into his movement technique, propelling himself away at maximum speed. The cultivator's fist connected with the tree where Xiang Yu had perched just moments before, obliterating it into splinters that exploded outward like wooden shrapnel.
Landing several meters away, Xiang Yu observed the devastation, his lips twitching slightly. Such a huge tree had been reduced to fragments with a single punch. How was he supposed to fight against such overwhelming power? Perhaps he should have waited until he'd refined a few thousands more talismans before confronting this opponent.
"Just as I thought, you're hiding your strength," the man continued, his lips curling into a predatory smile. He rose from the ground, his body floating eerily through the air as he approached. "To think that you have a scripture that can hide your strength so deeply. Hand it over, and maybe I'll leave your corpse intact."
Xiang Yu stared at him with deadpan eyes. Who wants an intact corpse?
Without hesitation, he whirled around and bolted, activating his movement technique once more.
The Core Formation expert's laughter echoed through the forest as he gave chase. Despite Xiang Yu's considerable speed, the gap between them steadily closed—the difference in their cultivation realms becoming apparent with each passing second.
As the cultivator's presence loomed directly behind him, Xiang Yu suddenly turned around to face his pursuer with palm extended. The abrupt reversal caught the man by surprise, causing him to momentarily decelerate. Their palms collided with tremendous force, sending Xiang Yu flying backward several meters.
But in that brief moment of contact, Xiang Yu had accomplished his true objective. The cultivator's eyes widened in sudden realization as he desperately shook his arm, barely managing to shake off the talisman Xiang Yu had placed there. Despite his quick reaction, he couldn't completely escape the explosion that followed, the blast hurling him backward through the air.
Rising from where he'd landed, the Core Formation expert assessed the situation. One moment's delay, and he would have suffered severe injuries. He'd assumed the boy had depleted his supply of talismans in the earlier explosions—after all, such items were crafted exclusively by Golden Core realm experts or above. How could a disciple from a minor sect possess so many? Twenty talismans had already seemed insanely excessive, yet the boy somehow had even more.
Had their intelligence been flawed? No—the man was certain they had accurately assessed every expert within the Azure Cloud Sword Sect. The only explanation was that the disciple himself was the anomaly. He must have stumbled upon some ancient inheritance, which would explain his possession of such an advanced concealment scripture.
Greed flickered across the cultivator's face, if he could take this inheritance for himself...
But the momentary distraction proved costly—when he refocused, Xiang Yu had completely vanished from sight.
...
Although Xiang Yu had fled, the Core Formation cultivator tracked him effortlessly, his qi sense detecting that the young disciple hadn't traveled far. Despite Xiang Yu's ability to conceal his cultivation level, the expert possessed numerous methods of detection beyond mere cultivation sensing. After pinpointing Xiang Yu's exact location, the man charged in Xiang Yu's direction.
Upon reaching an open clearing, the cultivator slowed his pace, carefully scanning the surroundings. Something about the situation made him uneasy.
"Show yourself, kid," he called out, his voice carrying across the clearing.
Xiang Yu emerged from behind a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. He observed the man with calculating eyes, inwardly acknowledging that the Core Formation cultivator's qi sense nearly matched his own. The man had detected him despite his concealed cultivation. To truly evade such perception, he would need an advanced concealment scripture capable of masking not just his cultivation but his entire presence.
Seeing as he couldn't hide anymore, Xiang Yu drew his sword with a sigh.
"Not running anymore?" the man asked, advancing into the clearing unhurriedly. When Xiang Yu remained silent, a predatory grin spread across the cultivator's face. "At least you know that you can't run," he taunted, suddenly accelerating into a charge.
Xiang Yu watched the approaching man but he didn't make any moves. Any time now, he thought.
The Core Formation expert continued his charge, closing the distance rapidly—until the world around him suddenly changed. One moment he was rushing through the open ground; the next, he found himself in the middle of a chaotic battlefield as explosions detonated in rapid succession. The first blast caught him directly, sending shockwaves through his body before he could mount a defense.
As he struggled to regain his bearings, a second explosion struck, then a third. Only then did the cultivator realize the situation he was in—the entire area had been planted with talisman. The man's mind raced quickly for a solution. Instantly, he launched himself skyward, escaping the explosion radius.
Observing from a safe distance, Xiang Yu clicked his tongue in disappointment. The Core Formation expert had escaped faster than he had anticipated. Still, he'd managed to land several significant blows.
After the first direct hit, the cultivator had erected a protective barrier, reducing the impact of subsequent explosions—but the cumulative damage was undeniable. Combined with his previous injuries, the man's combat power had reduced significantly, definitely nowhere near his peak. In this weakened state, Xiang Yu thought that he might actually stand a chance.
"You bastard! How dare you trick me!" the cultivator roared, his voice thundering with rage as he dove from the air toward Xiang Yu.
...
Xiang Yu watched the Core Formation cultivator approach, noting how the man's speed had decreased significantly after taking multiple talisman explosions. He tightened his grip on his sword and settled into his stance, ready for the confrontation.
The cultivator infused his fists with qi, causing them to glow with dark energy as he descended from above. Xiang Yu raised his sword just in time to block the attack, but despite the man's weakened state, the raw power difference was undeniable. The impact sent Xiang Yu skidding backward several meters, his feet carving furrows through the earth.
Even a weakened Core Formation cultivator is still formidable, Xiang Yu thought, his arms tingling from the force of the blow.
When they separated, Xiang Yu decided to seize the initiative. He activated his Lightning Strike Sword technique and launched into an offensive. Though the technique remained at the beginner stage, his perfect mastery of sword fundamentals compensated for this limitation. What he lacked in elemental damage, he made up for with flawless execution.
He delivered a series of blindingly fast strikes—the Lightning Strike style specialized in overwhelming speed. As he backed away to assess the damage, Xiang Yu was surprised by the effectiveness of his attack.
The Core Formation cultivator examined his hands where he'd blocked the strikes. Wisps of smoke rose from the impact points, though he showed no signs of serious injury. He lifted his gaze to Xiang Yu, his expression shifting from dismissive to serious. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Xiang Yu charged again, unleashing another flurry of attacks. The cultivator blocked with his other hand, then countered with a powerful punch from his free hand. Xiang Yu quickly redirected his sword to parry the strike, though the force still pushed him back slightly.
In that moment of contact, Xiang Yu made a crucial observation—the man seemed unusually cautious about his sword. Looking at his blade, understanding dawned on him. The cultivator wasn't wary of the sword itself but of the lightning element it carried. The demonic energy the man wielded apparently had a weakness to lightning.
So that's why I'm dealing more damage than expected, Xiang Yu realized. I have the elemental advantage.
Still, this advantage alone wouldn't be enough to secure a victory, if anything, it was just a minor inconvenience to the Core Formation Expert. It seemed that he still needed to use his other plan in order to win. This alternative plan also had a risk factor to it but there was nothing he could do about it.
Xiang Yu charged toward the cultivator, then abruptly changed direction. He leapt onto a nearby tree trunk, using it as a springboard to launch himself over the man's head. The cultivator raised his hands defensively, but instead of attacking, Xiang Yu simply used the man's outstretched arms as stepping stones to propel himself into the clearing.
The Core Formation expert whirled around to find Xiang Yu waving his sword provocatively from the open space.
Suspicion flickered across the cultivator's face. Could there be more talismans hidden in the ground? he wondered, eyeing Xiang Yu's confident movements. The youth continued pacing around the clearing, issuing silent challenges with each step.
The man deliberated, trying to determine if this was another trap or merely a bluff. After a moment's consideration, he reached a decision. No matter, he thought to himself. I'll simply step where the boy has already walked. If explosives truly lie beneath, he wouldn't willingly step on them.
The cultivator approached the clearing cautiously, testing the first step by placing his foot down and then quickly withdrawing it. When no explosion followed, he finally entered the clearing proper, but maintained his vigilance, carefully following Xiang Yu's previous path.
Xiang Yu observed this with satisfaction. In truth, he had hidden all his remaining talismans throughout this area, using earth qi to conceal them. Even with the cultivator's powerful qi sense, there was no way to detect where the talismans lay. Xiang Yu alone knew their precise locations.
This wasn't meant as a direct attack—his earlier attempt had already proven ineffective. After all, the man could just fly away. Instead, this was about controlling the battlefield. If the cultivator wanted to avoid triggering the hidden talismans, he would need to pay constant attention to his movements, forcing him to move more cautiously.
This levels the playing field, Xiang Yu thought. The talismans were now a double-edged sword—unlike when he had thrown them directly, these buried talismans would trigger instantly if stepped on. The resulting explosion would catch them both in its radius, leaving no time for escape.
After taking several more steps without incident, the cultivator grew more confident and began advancing toward Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu backed away gradually, noting with satisfaction how the man moved more deliberately than before.
Speed is a crucial factor in combat strength, Xiang Yu observed. With this limitation on his movement, the gap between our abilities narrows considerably.
With this, the fight was now somewhat doable...
...
Inside the Heaven Testing Pagoda,
Li Yao sat in lotus posture, her expression strained as she circulated the overwhelming energy through her meridians. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she focused intently on refining the powerful qi that flooded her qi pathways.
This spiritual energy from senior brother's food is truly remarkable, she thought, struggling to process the potent force coursing through her body. I've never encountered anything quite this concentrated before.
The minutes stretched on as she carefully guided the energy through her pathways, carefully integrating it into her core. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of intense concentration, she opened her eyes and released a long, controlled breath, her shoulders relaxing as tension melted away.
A sense of accomplishment washed over her as she realized the full extent of what had happened. Senior brother's spirit food alone has advanced my cultivation by two entire stages—from the third layer of Core Formation all the way to the fifth layer.
[Are you finally done?] the Empress's voice echoed in her mind.
"Yes," Li Yao responded aloud, flexing her fingers as she tested her restored energy. "And I've completely recovered too." She clenched her fists, feeling the power surging beneath her skin as a question formed in her mind. "I wonder if this strength is enough to conquer the final floor."
[You might not have the chance to test that out,] the Empress replied.
Li Yao's brow furrowed with confusion. "What do you mean by that? Am I still not strong enough?"
With her newly enhanced cultivation at the fifth layer of Core Formation, she believed she could battle on equal terms with the demon she'd defeated earlier. And if she transformed into her elemental form, her fighting capacity might even reach the equivalent of a late-stage Golden Core cultivator. Unless the opponent on the hundredth floor was at peak Golden Core realm, she should stand a fighting chance. The Empress's doubt made little sense to her.
[That's not what I meant,] the Empress sighed, her mental voice conveying genuine concern. [I've been sensing some commotion happening outside for a while now. The situation doesn't look good.]
Li Yao's heart skipped a beat. "Wait! Does that mean senior brother is in danger?" Her voice rose with sudden panic, thoughts of the pagoda challenge instantly forgotten.
[Probably,] the Empress confirmed.
"Oh no! I have to go save him!" Li Yao scrambled to her feet, frantically reaching for the token hanging at her waist—the special talisman that allowed disciples to enter and exit the Heaven Testing Pagoda at will.
She activated the token, expecting the familiar sensation of spatial transfer. But nothing happened. She tried again, channeling more qi into the token, only to be met with the same result.
"What's happening? Why can't I leave?" Her voice trembled with rising panic as she stared at the seemingly useless token in her palm.
From the shadows of the chamber, a voice suddenly spoke, breaking the silence: "Little girl, don't be in such a hurry to leave..."
...