Chapter 254: Chapter 229: Twelve Celestial Divination Sword Array
"Kill me? You think you can?"
With a flick of his right wrist, Hu Haiqing raised his sword and lunged forward.
Despite being on the seabed, his speed was anything but slow. He shot forward like a Flood Dragon cleaving through the waves, surging toward Chen Che with the force of a tidal wave. With a swing of his greatsword, the sea was cleaved in two as if by a divine pillar, forming towering walls of water on either side—a spectacular sight.
"Here, at the bottom of the sea, there’s no one to help you. Let’s see how you plan to survive this."
A savage grin spread across Hu Haiqing’s face.
He had reviewed their battle in Primordial City and concluded that he had only failed to kill Chen Che quickly because his opponent had seized the initiative and because he had underestimated the strength of Chen Che’s Demon Beast.
CLANG!
Chen Che blocked with his sword, tilting his head just in time to dodge three Ice Light Needles that shot from his opponent’s mouth.
He twisted his body and sent the Black Dragon Lock Chain whipping out!
Before the chain could reach him, a light flared around Hu Haiqing, instantly forming a shield of silver ice crystals that stopped the Black Dragon Lock Chain dead in its tracks dozens of feet away. The light shone, and countless specks of shimmering frost clung to the chain, causing its movements to become sluggish.
Even the surrounding seawater began to freeze.
Clearly, Hu Haiqing had held back some trump cards during their fight in Primordial City.
But Chen Che was already on him, his sword sweeping out in a wide arc.
BOOM!
In an instant, the two were locked in a chaotic struggle.
The seabed seemed to boil as undercurrents churned and sand billowed. The shockwaves from their clashing Hand Seals, sword strikes, and footwork ripped through the sand, and ancient coral reefs that had stood for millennia instantly shattered into dust.
"Kill!"
When one strike failed, Chen Che followed with another, unleashing his power without reservation.
He threw the entire seabed into turmoil. Furious undercurrents swept out like stampeding horses, like a tsunami, like a landslide.
’This kid!’
Hu Haiqing was livid, his face a mask of rage. His eyes were filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and utter disbelief.
He had thought that, given a second chance, he could easily kill Chen Che. But now, clashing with him head-on, he realized he had been gravely mistaken. His opponent’s True Essence was far denser and more refined than he had ever imagined. And his Swordsmanship... it was like flowing mercury, relentless and seamless.
"Cold Storage Bead!"
Hu Haiqing decided not to clash with Chen Che head-on, but to stall for time until his family’s reinforcements arrived.
He opened his mouth and spat, and an Ice Bead the size of a broad bean shot out. In an instant, an intense cold flooded the seabed. The area for dozens of feet around Chen Che was enveloped in a chilling aura. As far as the eye could see, the very water was turning to ice.
"Break."
A strange light flared in Chen Che’s eyes as his True Essence surged like a furious tide. His aura seemed to swell as he leaped into the water and brought his sword crashing down on the bizarre Spirit Bead.
With a crack, the Spirit Bead shattered on the spot.
Chen Che hadn’t moved an inch, but the shockwave sent Hu Haiqing flying back thirty feet.
"Again!"
Hu Haiqing expressionlessly tossed out a Talisman, which hovered in the water and began to glow brightly. From within the dazzling Spiritual Light, nine vibrant Wooden Dragons surged forth and lunged at Chen Che. They then wove together, transforming into a massive wooden cage that trapped him inside.
Tier Two High Grade Talisman:
Wooden Dragon Talisman.
This Talisman’s offensive power wasn’t strong, but its regenerative properties meant that once the cage was formed, it was incredibly difficult to escape.
BOOM!
However, in the span of a single breath, a wisp of flame erupted from the wooden cage, effortlessly reducing it to ash. The fire then began to spread with incredible speed, threatening to boil the entire section of the sea.
"Shield!"
Seeing the flames rushing toward him, Hu Haiqing was terrified out of his wits. He frantically formed a Seal Technique, and the ice crystals around him instantly burst outward, clearing a hundred-foot radius. It was the same move he had used to block the Black Dragon Lock Chain.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
But upon contact, the ice crystals were instantly burned away, shattering into nothing.
’How is this possible?’
Hu Haiqing’s face was livid as he retreated in haste.
Due to the principle of restriction among the Five Elements, any Fire Attribute Technique used underwater should be severely limited, reduced to less than half its normal strength.
To defy the Five Elements was not something an ordinary Cultivation Technique could achieve!
"What kind of Magic is this!"
The great fire spread, melting the reefs on the seabed into crimson magma. He knew that if he hadn’t escaped so quickly, he would have met a grim fate the moment those flames touched him.
A Tier Four Technique from the Earth Element Star had appeared in this world once more. Even Hu Haiqing was left utterly speechless.
"Slay!"
Chen Che wasn’t surprised that his opponent had dodged the Nine Transformations Spirit Flame Technique.
The seabed did, after all, severely restrict the technique. However, he gave his opponent no time to recover. With a flick of the Pure Jun Sword, man and sword moved as one, and in a single flash, he was right in front of Hu Haiqing.
At the same instant, an immense wave of Divine Sense surged from his sea of consciousness and blasted his opponent!
’Golden Core Realm Divine Sense...’
Hu Haiqing was horrified. The sheer power of this Divine Sense was far beyond his imagination.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he hastily waved his hand.
POP! POP! POP!
Several Divine Soul Magical Artifacts flew from his hand, instantly forming layers of iridescent light shields. But these Tier Two Magical Artifacts were no match for a Golden Core Realm’s Divine Sense. One after another, they exploded on the spot, turning to dust.
DOOM!
Hu Haiqing felt his sea of consciousness tremble as if it were about to rupture. His vision went black, and for an instant, he lost all five of his senses.
However, he was the head of his clan, the strongest member of the Hu Family. At the last possible moment, he instinctively twisted his body.
SCHLICK!
The Pure Jun Sword descended. The severed arm still clutching the greatsword flew into the water, and blood slowly billowed out.
He stopped, spun around.
His blade slashed again, and a cold flash of sword light instantly enveloped a space dozens of feet wide, trapping Hu Haiqing completely.
"Patriarch!"
"Go!"
A sudden shout rang out, and dozens of Water-Splitting Needles pierced through the water, stabbing viciously toward them.