Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon

The water ape’s red eyes were burning with fury. It looked up at into the mountains where Yi Xiao stood, causing her to involuntarily find her heart tensing up. Following that, it looked down at Qin Yun and the golden-armored soldier.

"All of you forced me. You forced me." The water ape growled deeply. "You have destroyed all hopes of me reaching the Golden Core realm. I want all of you dead!"

"What? Destroyed all hopes of reaching the Golden Core realm?" Qin Yun immediately guessed the reason. "Yes, the Divine Firmament Chapter previously discovered that he has done sufficient preparations and accumulated enough strength to break through to the Connate True Core realm at any time. In fact, his strength could reach the Connate True Core realm long ago. He had deliberately held back his breakthrough to ensure a stable foundation. By acquiring a sufficiently solid foundation, he would have a greater chance of reaching the Connate Golden Core realm."

It was extremely difficult to attain the Connate Golden Core realm.

For example, some Daoist cultivation Dharmic methods, such as the one Commander Fang had practiced, had a cultivation ceiling at the Connate False Core realm. Better Dharmic methods would have a ceiling at the Connate True Core realm. Why? It was because their foundation was not stable enough. A tall building required a solid foundation before it could be built tall. It was the same with cultivation! For Qin Yun and Yi Xiao, they cultivated in top heritage methods, making the beginning extremely difficult.

How much hardship did Qin Yun endure in order to knock open the gate of immortality? However, the moment he knocked open the gate of immortality, the pureness of his Quintessential Essence was able to match a typical Connate False Core realm’s! These were the advantages and disadvantages of having top heritage techniques. It ensured a firm foundation but made it difficult.

Such top heritage would typically allow one to cultivate to the Connate Golden Core realm.

As for Water God, as a fiendish demon, the demonic arts he possessed were even more sinister. His cultivation methods were common and not intricate enough. Naturally, he had to be even more careful, and ensure that his foundation was extremely robust.

Previously, Water God was willing to escape rather than make a breakthrough because he did not want to limit his future cultivation. He wanted to be able to truly live up to the might of an ancient water ape.

After having one of his arms chopped off while facing perilous danger, Water God had no choice but to make a breakthrough.

Without a breakthrough, there was only death!

"I have painstakingly honed my foundation but you have destroyed my path to a Golden Core. You have destroyed my path to a Golden Core!" The water ape roared maniacally. Its right hand was holding the Blackwater Oxhorn Trident, which had also expanded to forty feet. With one hand, it swung the trident and thrust it at the golden-armored soldier.

"Fiendish Demon!" The golden-armored soldier bellowed as he raised his huge saber to face his enemy.

Sou!

Under the Length Contraction Spell, Qin Yun’s figure appeared like a ghost from the side as he slashed at the water ape’s outer knee. "Phew!" A gigantic chain flew out, forcing Qin Yun to use his sword arts to block it. However, he felt an immense amount of force coming from the blocked chain. The chain danced in the air like an agile snake, preventing Qin Yun from even coming close.

"What? Just the Anchor Cloudchain manages to keep me at bay?" Qin Yun was alarmed. "Is the Anchor Cloudchain so mighty when powered by a demonic Connate True Core?"

...

The Anchor Cloudchain that had been coiled around the water ape forced Qin Yun to keep a distance. Having been powered by a stronger demonic strength and a stronger body, the Blackwater Oxhorn Trident’s might had unquestionably increased exponentially.

"Boom." The trident thrust with a vigorous force that the golden-armored soldier parried with his saber but was forced to stagger backward.

"Die!"

The water ape brandished the trident with one hand as he struck down with tremendous force.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Successive strikes hailed down. The somewhat rigid golden-armored soldier was still staggering backward, so when the first strike hit him, his entire body sunk into the ground. The ground beneath him ruptured into a deep pit and the bombardment that ensued sounded like piling works. It sent the helpless golden-armored soldier deeper into the ground.

"Darn it." Qin Yun was feeling extremely anxious. He wanted to help the golden-armored soldier but the Anchor Cloudchain was too nimble and quick. It was constantly in pursuit of him, preventing him from aiding the golden-armored soldier.

In the ensuing seventeen strikes, the golden-armored soldier was struck with the full force of each blow. The Dharmic powers within it were constantly being drained and finally, it dissipated noiselessly like a crumbling gravel. The golden powder scattered in every direction possible.

The golden-armored Dao soldier had been vanquished by the domineering force.

The water ape turned its head and its red pupils stared at Qin Yun. It grinned, revealing its sharp teeth. "Human punk, it’s your turn!"

Just as its voice faded, it had taken a step towards Qin Yun. It brandished its trident once again, raised it up, and struck down.

"So fast!" Qin Yun could not dodge the blitz and he was forced to use his sword arts to parry.

"Peng!"

At the instant his sword blocked the trident, Qin Yun felt a crushing force surging at him. He was sent flying backward and crashed into the mountain cliff. But at the moment of impact, he kicked out from the cliff, producing a huge crater in it! He had rapidly changed directions.

"Phew." The thirty-foot water ape rushed at him, with each step bigger than any of the previous ones. The footsteps were also much faster, so in three steps, it had caught up to Qin Yun.

"His speed is faster than mine." Qin Yun felt his heart palpitate.

His opponent had reached the Connate True Core realm after all. It also had the bloodline of an ancient water ape. Although it had suffered the injury of a lost arm, its legs were fine. Its speed was still as astounding as ever. Unfortunately, he was at the Postnatal realm, so even with the Divine Traversal Talisman Amulet and Length Contraction Spell, his speed was still inferior to his opponent’s.

...

And on the mountaintop.

Yi Xiao saw the golden-armored soldier suffer a multitude of attacks while Qin Yun was being held back by the Anchor Cloudchain. She immediately turned anxious.

"I can’t hold back any further." The Dharmic powers within Yi Xiao’s body had yet to calm down but she forcefully circulated the False Core Pill’s Dharmic powers and infused them into a Dao talisman she held. This Dao talisman was Divine Firmament Chapter’s famous Pre-celestial One Breath Lightning Charm.

Yi Xiao could not help but vomit a mouthful of blood.

However, she continued to forcefully inject Dharmic powers into the charm.

"Come, lightning!" Yi Xiao’s face was ghastly pale when the Pre-celestial One Breath Lightning Charm’s runic patterns lit up before the Dao talisman ignited without a flame. Runes began to light up as they induced profound energies from the world.

"Boom!"

Gray and misty lightning zapped down abruptly in a snakelike fashion from the sky, striking the water ape beneath.

The water ape suddenly looked up and waved his trident with all his strength. "Dissipate!" Torrential amounts of demonic powers were injected into the Blackwater Oxhorn Trident, causing the ensuing clash to dissipate large swaths of the gray and misty lightning. Although the remaining portion had struck the water ape, it had managed to withstand the bolt with a gruesome expression. His physical body was a lot stronger than before. Qin Yun wanted to take the opportunity to deal a close-ranged blow but while withstanding the lightning, the water ape was able to control the Anchor Cloudchain to easily ward Qin Yun off.

"What? He is able to divert his attention to control the Anchor Cloudchain while withstanding the Pre-celestial One Breath Lightning Charm?" Qin Yun was alarmed.

The water ape raised its head and looked at Yi Xiao with cold eyes. It growled, "Little girl, no hurry. I’ll kill you in a while! I’ll first get rid of this human punk."

The water ape raised the trident and attacked Qin Yun once again. Its speed was very fast so although Qin Yun’s figure was like a ghost, it was still able to catch up to him in a few steps.

"Peng!"

The Anchor Cloudchain swirled over.

The gigantic trident thrust at him with torrential waters.

Qin Yun blocked with all his might but as he did so, he had to put in great effort to move his sword beams to block the surreptitious Anchor Cloudchain.

"Die!" The water ape’s eyes were red and filled with killing intent. The anger of having its cultivation path severed made him only have one thought that occupied his mind. He wanted to kill the two human cultivators!

The Blackwater Oxhorn Trident and the Anchor Cloudchain surrounded Qin Yun and began their relentless assault. Even with the Length Contraction Spell, he was unable to dodge the attacks. He could only barely manage to block, but every block sent him flying. In midair, he had to do his best defending himself. Thankfully, his Misty Rain Sword Intent was learned from his time in the battlefields. He was frequently besieged so he was most adept at defense.

However, he had been forced to only defend with no way to focus on attacking. 𝒷ℯ𝓭𝓷ℴ𝓋𝓮𝓵.𝒸ℴ𝓶

The attacks were too aggressive.

Qin Yun felt as though he was back on the battlefield of yesteryear. He felt like attacks were coming from every direction that seemed to inundate the world black. He could only do his best to resist.

"Is it a failure?"

Qin Yun asked himself.

The Divine Firmament Chapter had prepared three deathblows but Yi Xiao had used them all without any success. He had also given his all!

He could not see any hope!

Thirteen years. For this day, what welcomed him was such an outcome?