Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

Chapter 280: A Head-Toppling Sword Slash

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Sha Yingsi’s agility, although slightly behind that of Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin, had finally caught up with them. However, upon catching up, the scene he witnessed was completely different from what he had imagined.

He didn’t expect Chen Fei to be killed outright, but he should have been severely injured at the very least. Just over a year after breaking through to the Aperture Tempering realm, even with remarkable agility, it seemed that he had no other way to counter the advantage of their speed.

However, at this moment, Sha Yingsi saw Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin trapped by the sword formation. The power of the formation was exceptionally strong, and it had immobilized two martial artists of the same level, rendering them unable to move.

If it were just one person against the formation, they would probably be crushed by it.

This was a cultivator who had only recently broken through to the Aperture Tempering realm. What level of cultivation technique proficiency could he possess? Sha Yingsi was no stranger to the Zhongyuan Force Formation and was well-acquainted with its power.

The strength of this formation was something that could be surpassed by certain members of the Primordial Sword Sect, particularly those in the mid and late stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, who could overpower it with their own strength.

However, there were very few among them who possessed such a profound understanding of the formation’s intricacies. It required a certain level of mastery over cultivation technique principles to achieve such a level of sophistication.

“Who are you?” Sha Yingsi shouted loudly, echoing the same thoughts as Yu Xiaolin. Was this really Chen Fei, or was someone from the Primordial Sword Sect impersonating him? They were not familiar with Chen Fei, as they had never met him before.

If it was indeed someone from the Primordial Sword Sect impersonating Chen Fei, they wouldn’t be able to recognize him. But why would someone from their sect impersonate Chen Fei? Were they working with the Divine Flame Sect? Or had their actions been discovered by the Primordial Sword Sect?

“What do you think? Who do you think I am?” Chen Fei’s figure flickered as he appeared in front of Sha Yingsi, extending the Qianyuan Sword toward him.

The power of the Zhongyuan Force Formation completely trapped Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin, and Chen Fei did not continue to envelop Sha Yingsi within it.

Even though the perfect-grade Zhongyuan Sword Formation was impressive, the sword threads it produced were incredibly powerful.

However, attempting to simultaneously trap three people was still somewhat challenging.

Fortunately, Chen Fei had now opened thirteen acupoints, and the power of these acupoints was enough to sustain the current transformation of the sword formation. Without enough open acupoints, the sword formation might not have been able to hold up for long.

“Boom!”

As Sha Yingsi’s long spear clashed with the Qianyuan Sword in his hand, his eyes widened involuntarily. Could a cultivator in the early Aperture Tempering realm possess such power?

Sha Yingsi was forced to take dozens of steps backward, and then his entire body crashed violently into a large tree. The tree emitted a piercing, shattering sound before collapsing with a thunderous roar.

Sha Yingsi finally dissipated the tremendous force and stabilized his figure. However, before he could react further, Chen Fei had reappeared in front of him, launching another sword attack.

Chen Fei’s sword technique was straightforward, with minimal variations, and Sha Yingsi could easily discern all of Chen Fei’s follow-up moves.

Yet, despite this predictability, Sha Yingsi felt helpless because he couldn’t withstand the attacks.

Even if he could anticipate the moves, what could he do?

The immense power concealed within Chen Fei’s sword technique overshadowed everything else. It was precisely because of this overwhelming power that Chen Fei didn’t need to incorporate many variations into his sword technique.

One force overcomes ten resistances!

“Pfft!”

Sha Yingsi spewed out a mist of blood, his face turning pale. With just two strikes, he was seriously injured, and he had no strength left to resist.

Although he had learned the exquisite techniques of the Long Rainbow Sect, they were utterly ineffective at this moment. Even defending himself appeared to be an arduous task in the face of this overwhelming force.

Having broken through to the Aperture Tempering realm for over a decade, Sha Yingsi had forgotten how long it had been since he had felt this way. Since attaining the Aperture Tempering realm, he had considered himself superior, never before finding himself in such a despairing situation.

Sha Yingsi desperately tried to retreat, hoping to use his agility, which had always been his weak point. However, at this moment, it seemed as if he had mastered it completely, and his speed increased significantly.

But before Sha Yingsi could feel relieved, he realized that Chen Fei was already thrusting another sword towards him. Only then did he remember that Chen Fei’s agility far surpassed his own, which was why Chen Fei had managed to escape so far before being caught by Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin.

A deafening explosion echoed through the dense forest. Sha Yingsi’s arms bent unnaturally, and the bones in his arms shattered upon impact. Not only his arms, but even his once extraordinarily resilient internal organs began to rupture, sending excruciating pain coursing through his body.

But more agonizing than the physical pain was the realization that Sha Yingsi had nowhere left to run. Three strikes, severe injuries, and no chance of escape or defense.

At this moment, there was nothing left for him except death.

It shouldn’t have been this way. This night had originally been planned for the three of them to corner and kill Chen Fei. Why had it turned into him facing death?

With a mad roar, Sha Yingsi’s acupoints all shattered, and a surge of overwhelming power emanated from within. His bones and internal organs trembled violently, as if they were about to shatter under this force.

“Kill!”

The long spear danced like a trapped dragon ascending to the heavens, exuding an aura of desperate fierceness. In the face of utter despair, he chose to fight for his life!

“Reverse Desolation Spear!”

A desperate technique recorded in the Long Rainbow Sect’s records, harnessing the power generated by the rupturing of one’s own acupoints while simultaneously reversing the body’s elemental energy, all to deliver a strike surpassing one’s current realm.

With a single thrust, it cares not for life or death!

“Boom!”

The tip of the Qianyuan Sword met Sha Yingsi’s spear point, creating ripples with this point as the center. These ripples violently spread in all directions, toppling the surrounding trees.

Chen Fei’s hair billowed backward, his clothing was caught in the wind, adhering tightly to his body and producing a crisp rustling sound. Yet, Chen Fei didn’t step back. Within his bones and flesh, it felt as if a roaring dragon and elephant were present, completely nullifying the power of the Reverse Desolation Spear.

“Why is it so powerful?”

Seeing Chen Fei effortlessly withstand this strike, despair filled Sha Yingsi’s eyes. It shouldn’t be like this; an Aperture Tempering realm novice had no right to be this strong.

Even with his all-out strike, he couldn’t inflict any harm on Chen Fei.

“Swoosh!”

A flash of sword light passed, and Sha Yingsi’s head was sent flying. Blood splattered, and his body fell backward, crashing onto the ground with a dull thud.

With five strikes, Chen Fei forcefully suppressed a peer of the same realm, leaving no chance for escape. This was Chen Fei’s current strength.

Chen Fei turned his gaze toward the two figures trapped within the sword formation. When he had dealt with Sha Yingsi, Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin had desperately tried to rush to his aid, but to no avail.

A perfected-level sword formation during the early stages of Aperture Tempering realm cultivation was exceedingly rare. Both sides possessed a similar number of acupoints, around a dozen each.

In a situation where their comprehension of cultivation techniques couldn’t match Chen Fei’s, how could they possibly escape the encirclement of the sword formation? Even though Chen Fei was currently trapping two people within the formation, they still couldn’t break free.

This was the legacy of the Zhongyuan Sword Sect’s Zhongyuan Sword, which may have seemed somewhat declining in the later stages of the Aperture Tempering realm, but in the initial stages, its power was unquestionably formidable.

“Breakthrough!” Fang Zhehua shouted loudly.

The commotion outside the sword formation had already come into view for Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin. A figure capable of killing a peer with just five sword strikes was a rarity they hadn’t encountered in years.

Little did they expect to run into such an individual today, and ironically, they had chased him down themselves, hoping to keep Chen Fei here. In retrospect, it seemed like they had rushed here to meet their doom.

However, in the world, there was no remedy for regrets. Their only option now was to break through or leave this place.

With dazzling radiance, the long spears in Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin’s hands emanated power through self-inflicted damage to their spirit tools.

They didn’t dare to use the Reverse Desolation Spear, as that strike was a one-way ticket to death. Once it was executed, regardless of the outcome, they would meet their end.

They simply wanted to break through the sword formation and escape. If they really unleashed the Reverse Desolation Spear, there would be no possibility of escaping.

Just as Yu Xiaolin was about to thrust his spear, he suddenly noticed the sword formation tightening, trapping Fang Zhehua in front of him. There was no obstruction in his path.

Yu Xiaolin’s eyes widened involuntarily, a chill running through his mind. He understood that the scene before him meant that Chen Fei had set his sights on him as the second target, rather than allowing him to leave.

“We concede! We concede!” Yu Xiaolin shouted loudly. The dignity of the Aperture Tempering realm was cast aside at this moment. He only wanted to survive and dared not contemplate any other outcome.

*Clang!

Chen Fei didn’t speak; his response was a resounding clash of swords.

*Boom!*

Yu Xiaolin involuntarily staggered backward, his arms trembling as he held the spear. At this moment, Yu Xiaolin finally experienced the same despair that Sha Yingsi had felt.

Such immense power, how could an ordinary early-stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivator hope to withstand it? They couldn’t even mitigate the force. Unless Yu Xiaolin had cultivated the Long Rainbow Sect’s legacy to an advanced level, there was no way he could dissipate this overwhelming strength.

Cultivation techniques were fundamentally about harnessing various forces. As long as the understanding of the technique was deep enough, there would always be a solution to facing tremendous power.

Unfortunately, Yu Xiaolin’s comprehension of his technique was only at a proficient level. It was good, but not outstanding, and it fell within the range of most early-stage Aperture Tempering realm cultivators’ understanding of their techniques.

What Chen Fei had achieved was far from normal. His rapid comprehension of cultivation techniques was beyond the realm of common sense.

“We will die here, and the Long Rainbow Sect will never let you go. Even the Primordial Sword Sect won’t be able to protect you!” Yu Xiaolin shouted sternly, hoping for even a moment of hesitation from Chen Fei, which would give him a chance to escape. Compared to Sha Yingsi, Yu Xiaolin’s agility was far superior, and he had a chance to flee!

Chen Fei remained silent and showed no sign of hesitation. He thrust the Qianyuan Sword without expression.

It was still a simple and unadorned direct thrust, but in Yu Xiaolin’s eyes, it was an inevitable and deadly strike.

In the rear, within the sword formation, Fang Zhehua continued to roar furiously. His long spear had transformed into a beam of light, relentlessly striking the surrounding threads of the sword formation. However, no matter how Fang Zhehua attacked, these threads continued to contract.

Previously, when the sword formation trapped the two of them, they had found it difficult to break free. Now, with the entire sword formation surrounding Fang Zhehua, breaking it became an even more challenging task.

With the current strength of the sword formation, killing Fang Zhehua alone was only a matter of time..