Chapter 44: Flood Dragon Staff, Smashing a Sacred Artifact with a Single Blow

A crisp, shattering sound echoed through the air, leaving everyone gaping in utter astonishment.

"Elder Lirou just brought out a Holy Artifact, yet it was actually smashed to pieces by the Holy Son of Lingxiao. How can this be possible?!"

"It's over, completely over. Even with a Holy Artifact, Elder Lirou is no match for the Holy Son of Lingxiao."

"Just what tier is the Holy Son of Lingxiao's Holy Artifact?"

"To defeat a Void Returning expert while still in the Nascent Soul realm, and to shatter a Holy Artifact in the process—the Holy Son of Lingxiao is unimaginably powerful."

"Is this the true might of a Holy Land's Holy Son?"

"Compared to geniuses of ordinary sects like us, the difference is as vast as mud and the clouds."

"No wonder people say that a peerless prodigy of a minor sect is merely at the threshold of a Holy Land."

Incredulity gripped everyone present.

Not only had Su Yu triumphed over a Void Returning powerhouse with a mere Nascent Soul cultivation base, but he had also pulverized a Holy Artifact.

It was nothing short of staggering.

Blood trickled from the corner of Lirou's mouth, her face drained of all color.

"Hahaha, majestic is the Holy Son!"

Hong Qingtong cast a mocking glance at Lirou. "With a mere few centuries of cultivation, you thought that stumbling upon some paltry fortune would allow you to contend with the ten-thousand-year heritage of a Holy Land? What a pipe dream."

"Holy Son, these women are so gorgeous, they'll make peerless dual-cultivation cauldrons. Why don't you take them in and use them for your practice?"

"Hmm."

Su Yu nodded. "Your aptitudes are all quite decent. As long as you kneel and surrender to me right now, I can allow you to stay by my side and serve me."

"Whose side do you expect them to stay and serve!"

Suddenly, a cold, piercing voice resonated across the entire Xuandan Sect. Following the sound, the crowd watched as a mature, deep-eyed middle-aged man walked into view.

The man possessed sharp, well-defined facial features, a meticulously tied hair bun, and white robes that fluttered in the breeze. Every movement he made radiated the elegant charm of a mature man.

"Master!"

"Sect Master!"

"Chen Xuan!"

A flash of joy crossed Chu Lingyun's face as she immediately hurried forward on dainty steps, throwing herself into Chen Xuan's embrace. "Master, they all said you died from poison, but I firmly believed that nothing would ever happen to you."

"Good girl, Lingyun."

Chen Xuan stroked Chu Lingyun's delicate forehead. He had indeed nearly died, but fortunately, he had encountered a woman with the Ice-Pulse Holy Body.

At this very moment, she was still resting in his medicine garden.

"Sect Master, I'm sorry, my Holy Artifact was broken..." Lirou said, a look of self-reproach on her face. That was a Holy Artifact, any single one of which could send shockwaves through the mortal world if brought out.

Though the Xuandan Sect possessed quite a few,

she had still managed to break one.

"You did your best; go pick a new one later." Chen Xuan smiled. A Holy Artifact was nothing; he could have as many as he wanted.

Still, Lirou's performance just now was truly worthy of a reward.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

Deep gratitude welled up in Lirou's heart. Had it been anywhere else, if a sect disciple or elder were to break a Holy Artifact, the light punishment would be confinement, and the heavy one, execution.

Yet Chen Xuan had merely smiled and told her to pick another one.

Looking at Chen Xuan's face, Lirou found him increasingly charming, and her obsession toward him grew even deeper.

Lirou's Filial Piety Value: 100 points.

"Chen Xuan, you're actually not dead? How can this be?!"

Su Yu stared in disbelief at the Chen Xuan standing before him. Had the man not been poisoned by the Joyous Heaven-Gathering Liquid?

How could he possibly be fine?

"Didn't you say the Joyous Heaven-Gathering Liquid would make him burn to death from lust? Why is he still alive? How dare you lie to me!" Su Yu glared furiously at Hong Qingtong.

"I didn't!"

Hong Qingtong had no idea what was going on either. "Once poisoned by the Joyous Heaven-Gathering Liquid, unless there is an antidote, or he unites with an Ice-Pulse Holy Body, he is bound to burn to death from lust within a day."

"You dared to poison this lord. How do you plan to die?"

Chen Xuan's eyes were brimming with killing intent.

The last time he made a move against Su Yu, the youth had relied on gathered fortune to escape. This time, he would absolutely not let him slip away.

Name: Su Yu

Cultivation: Early Nascent Soul

Fortune Value: Purple

Spiritual Roots: Perfect Water, Fire, and Wind Spiritual Roots

Physique: Extreme Flame Physique

Comprehension: Superior-Upper

Technique: Crimson Flame Heavenly Saber Art (Saint-Grade Upper Class)

Filial Piety Value: -50

Summary: Possesses the Extreme Flame Physique; a rare and exceptional genius.

"Hmm?"

Chen Xuan checked Su Yu's panel, preparing to guard against any escape methods the youth might have. However, when he looked at the fortune column, he was astonished to find that Su Yu's fortune value had shifted from orange to purple.

"System, why has his fortune value changed?"

Chen Xuan inquired.

System: Su Yu's opportunity was seized by another; his fortune has decreased.

"Opportunity seized?"

Chen Xuan understood instantly.

Fortune represented opportunity.

The higher the fortune, the more opportunities one would obtain.

If an opportunity that originally belonged to him was taken away by someone else, his fortune would naturally drop.

It seemed that a major opportunity meant for Su Yu had been snatched away.

At this thought, Chen Xuan's mind was set much more at ease.

As long as Su Yu's fortune dropped below orange, it would be impossible for him to escape from his grasp.

"Hmph, you want to kill me?"

Su Yu sneered coldly. "Chen Xuan, I admit you have some tricks up your sleeve, but I hold the Lingxiao Heavenly Saber in my hand. Even against a Dao-Enlightenment powerhouse, I have the strength to fight."

"Heavenly Saber? Nothing more than scrap metal."

Chen Xuan reached out and grabbed something. A long staff appeared, glowing entirely crimson red, with flood-dragons carved into both ends.

"Scrap metal?"

Su Yu laughed heartily. "If my Heavenly Saber is scrap metal, what is that stick of yours? Worse than scrap?"

"It's more than enough to smash your scrap to pieces."

"System, upgrade!"

[Filial Piety Points -268]

[Flood-Dragon Staff]

Grade: Heaven-Grade Middle Class

Required for Upgrade: 536 Filial Piety Points

[Filial Piety Points -536]

Grade: Heaven-Grade Upper Class

Required for Upgrade: 1,072 Filial Piety Points

[Filial Piety Points -1,072]

[Coiled-Dragon Staff]

Grade: Saint-Grade Lower Class

Required for Upgrade: 5,000 Filial Piety Points

"Continue!"

[Filial Piety Points -10,000]

[Coiled-Dragon Staff]

Grade: Saint-Grade Upper Class

Required for Upgrade: 20,000

The long staff in Chen Xuan's hand underwent continuous transformation, shifting from entirely crimson red to brilliant gold. The flood-dragon carvings at both ends also evolved into four-clawed divine dragons.

"What?!"

Everyone around them stared in shock.

They had witnessed with their own eyes how the aura of the staff in Chen Xuan's hand had intensified step by step. The pressure it now emanated had already surpassed Su Yu's Lingxiao Heavenly Saber.

"How is this possible? What kind of weapon is that, how can it continually evolve?!"

Su Yu's eyes widened as well.

"You don't need to know."

Chen Xuan's killing intent was fully aroused as he swung the Coiled-Dragon Staff straight toward Su Yu.

Su Yu hurriedly brandished the Lingxiao Heavenly Saber to block. Yet the moment it made contact with the Coiled-Dragon Staff, a massive fracture appeared across the Lingxiao Heavenly Saber.

Followed by layer upon layer of shattering.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood surged up in Su Yu's throat.

"How can this be?!"

This was the supreme treasure of the Lingxiao Holy Land, the Lingxiao Heavenly Saber—a Saint-Grade Upper Class weapon! Yet it had been smashed to pieces by a single strike from Chen Xuan's staff.

The onlookers were equally dumbfounded.

Su Yu's Lingxiao Heavenly Saber had just shattered a Holy Artifact moments ago, only to be smashed to bits by a single blow from Chen Xuan's stick.

Just what grade was Chen Xuan's staff?

Was it an Immortal Artifact?