Over the course of this month, ley lines were continually unearthed, and more cultivators kept joining the fray. Every time a ley line was dug up, a fierce contest would erupt. In these battles for ley lines, death was commonplace. As for Joe Di, that stubborn fool who never stopped swinging his blade—if not for his relentless chopping, most people would have forgotten he was even here.
Yet Joe Di felt more and more as if his Blade Dao was on the verge of a breakthrough. Perhaps with just one more strike, his path of the blade would ascend to a new realm.
When Joe Di swung his blade for the one hundred and eighth time, the natural restriction protecting the prime ley line emitted a sharp crack. Suddenly, enlightenment surged in his heart, and almost without thinking, he brought down the one hundred and ninth strike.
This strike fused perfectly with the previous one hundred and eight, without the slightest difference or abruptness.
Crack! An even louder sound rang out, and a surge of incredibly dense spiritual energy rushed forth. Joe Di raised his hand and tore at the barrier—the natural restriction he had spent a month hacking at finally collapsed.
A prime ley line, stretching over a hundred feet, lay before him—intact, pure, and radiating a distinct ley line law.
Joe Di felt a surge of excitement—not for the prime ley line itself, but for the fact that his Blade Dao had reached a new height. From this moment on, every prime ley line ahead would be his.
Did he really break the natural restriction? Everyone stopped what they were doing, staring in amazement at the prime ley line before Joe Di. In just a breath's time, nearly a hundred cultivators charged madly toward Joe Di's position.
"This ley line is mine. Anyone who dares touch it, dies." A chilling voice rang out, and the cultivators rushing toward Joe Di froze as if struck by an acupoint, instinctively stopping in their tracks.
A man in coarse linen robes abandoned the natural defensive array he had been attacking and walked toward Joe Di.
Joe Di raised his hand and stowed away the prime ley line, then turned to look at the linen-robed man approaching. He knew this person—he was the only one here at the seventh level of the Tribulation King Stage.
"You've got some nerve," the linen-robed man said, coming to stand before Joe Di. Although he spoke to Joe Di, his gaze lingered on the spot where Joe Di had been chopping away for a month.
Originally, he and the other cultivators thought Joe Di was an idiot. Now he realized Joe Di wasn't a fool, but someone with real skill—a skill that was priceless in this place.
Joe Di replied calmly, "How am I being bold? Seeing how powerful you are, I made sure to search for ley lines as far from you as possible—just to be careful..."
The location of the prime ley line was indeed some distance away from the superior ley lines.
"What are you worried about?" The linen-robed man's aura expanded, enveloping the entire area in his presence.
Those with weaker cultivation quickly retreated in panic. They knew exactly who the linen-robed man was, and if a fight broke out, anyone too close could easily be caught in the crossfire.
Joe Di stroked his Azure Veil Blade and sighed, "I'm worried that if I'm not careful, I might shatter all your old bones, and if I'm careless again, I might drain all your blood. But I've been bullied so much over the years—I know that if I beat the young ones, the old ones will come out, and behind you, there's always someone even older who refuses to die. Isn't that something to be afraid of?"
"You really are a rising talent. I've long heard of Red Tassel Joe's reputation," the linen-robed man said. "Your tongue is as sharp as ever. Unfortunately, Lord Phantom isn't on Little Central Star right now, so he can't help you." Despite Joe Di's words, the linen-robed man remained unruffled, his tone measured and calm.
Joe Di's hand trembled and the Azure Veil Blade slipped, but instead of hitting the ground, it was caught by a swirl of spiritual sense and returned to his grip. "Ah, you scared me to death—almost dropped my blade. I thought Lord Phantom was right behind me, but it turns out this is Little Central Star, not the outside plaza. Shawn Ran, could you please stop scaring people like that? You know, pigs can be frightened to death."
Joe Di hadn't recognized the linen-robed man at first, but after he introduced himself, Joe Di remembered. Shawn Ran, seventh-level Tribulation King Stage, ranked thirty-seventh on the Life List, and an Inner Elder of the Swordcloud Sect. At this moment, Joe Di's fighting spirit was high—he wanted to see how far he was from a true Tribulation King expert.
According to Miles Phantom, Tribulation King Stage cultivators are common in the True Domain Prodigy Trials.
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Shawn Ran's eyes, but he still didn't attack Joe Di. It wasn't that he was patient—he was certain Joe Di possessed a method to break the natural restriction on prime ley lines. Before killing Joe Di, he needed to make him reveal that method.
As for Miles Phantom backing Joe Di, Shawn Ran truly wasn't afraid.
"My name is Shawn Ran, thirty-seventh on the Life List. You have two choices: hand over the ley line and reveal your method for breaking the restriction," Shawn Ran said, his aura growing even more oppressive, completely suppressing any move Joe Di might make.
Joe Di sighed. "I thought my skin was thick, but compared to you, I've learned what real pigskin is. I dug up that ley line myself, why should I give it to you? My method is also my own—why should I give that to you? Why don't you go take a leak and see if your face is bigger than a pig's butt? You've cultivated for thousands of years just to climb to thirty-seventh on the Life List—have you become a dog? Can you at least act with a little dignity?"
Shawn Ran's face darkened. He knew that without resorting to force, Joe Di would never yield. He'd heard of Red Tassel Joe's infamous temper—during a past challenge, he hadn't even lasted a single move against Ren Hailian. It was only through clever words that he got the Five Sea Lords to hand over the Mindforge Chapter. Now, it seemed Joe Di only knew how to talk.
He reached out and unleashed the Pyro Mirror toward Joe Di, taking control of the entire space. He was certain this strike would destroy Joe Di's physical body. Though he didn't use any special techniques, he held nothing back, pouring nearly seventy percent of his true essence into the attack. He intended to destroy Joe Di's body, then search his soul and spirit.
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Joe Di had been waiting for Shawn Ran to make a move. He was helpless—if he had the backing of a top sect, he wouldn't have wasted so many words with Shawn Ran. The moment Shawn Ran attacked, Joe Di didn't hesitate to strike back. It was only because he lacked support and sufficient strength that he couldn't initiate the fight himself.
Joe Di unleashed his Azure Veil Blade, and the space Shawn Ran had locked down shattered completely under the force of his strike.
Shawn Ran's expression changed—he realized he'd underestimated Joe Di and channeled all his remaining true essence into the Pyro Mirror.
Just as Joe Di's blade wave surged forth, he sensed the true essence within the Pyro Mirror suddenly erupting with violent force.
Joe Di held nothing back—his blade momentum poured forth without reservation. Though the Azure Veil Blade seemed to deliver a single slash, within it were one hundred and nine layers of Blade Dao killing force, each more powerful than the last.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The raging blade momentum crashed against the Pyro Mirror, chaotic blade light and true essence exploding everywhere. The only sounds left in the space were the endless collisions of blade and mirror.
Feeling the Azure Veil Blade's momentum grow stronger with each strike, Shawn Ran sneered inwardly. With Joe Di's strength, he thought, sustaining such force for eighty-one strikes would already be the limit.
When Joe Di's momentum began to fade, that would be the moment his body collapsed—Shawn Ran had no intention of giving him a chance to breathe.
In an instant, eighty-one layers of blade momentum crashed into the Pyro Mirror—but the force didn't run dry. The eighty-second layer followed right after, and this unbroken wave of killing force was impossible for Shawn Ran to dodge midway.
When ninety layers of blade momentum crashed into the Pyro Mirror, and the blade intent still hadn't dissipated, Shawn Ran's expression had already changed.
Joe Di sensed Shawn Ran's change in emotion and sneered, "A month ago, some trash named Henry Yue tried to act tough in front of me, and I smashed him to bits with a single punch. I hear he was on the Cauldron List. Now, just a month later, I'm about to kill another piece of trash from the Life List..."
Shawn Ran was shocked—he knew Henry Yue, second on the Cauldron List. Even Shawn Ran wouldn't dare provoke Henry Yue, because Henry Yue possessed a Domain Spirit Sword Intent. If he unleashed that intent, Shawn Ran would have no chance but death—or at best, lose most of his life. Yet here was Red Tassel Joe claiming Henry Yue died at his hands. Shawn Ran didn't believe Henry Yue could've been killed without unleashing his sword intent.
At that moment, the one hundred and eighth layer of blade momentum crashed into the Pyro Mirror, and Shawn Ran couldn't hold back any longer—blood spurted from his mouth. When he sensed the one hundred and ninth layer following close behind, he knew he had to escape, or this place would become his grave.
On the surface, the one hundred and ninth layer of blade intent seemed only slightly stronger than the one hundred and eighth, but that wasn't the case. Just as two is twice one, four is twice two... so too was the terrifying power of the one hundred and ninth layer far greater than all those before it.
Blocking the unbroken wave of one hundred and eight layers of Blade Dao killing force was Shawn Ran's limit. He didn't even have time to retrieve the Pyro Mirror—he activated his Escape Talisman immediately.
"Pfft!" If he hadn't fled, he might've blocked Joe Di's final strike. But now, with his retreat, the Pyro Mirror could no longer withstand the one hundred and ninth layer. A white beam slashed Shawn Ran's back, and a line of blood exploded in midair.
The Pyro Mirror crashed to the ground, but Shawn Ran had already vanished.
Joe Di knew Shawn Ran had escaped—not because he could truly kill him with a single strike, but because Shawn Ran had been terrified by the one hundred and ninth layer of blade momentum.
Joe Di now had a clearer sense of his own strength. If Shawn Ran hadn't fled, he could've killed him too—though he might've needed to use a Blade Array. Shawn Ran was a seventh-level Tribulation King Stage, and one of the best, ranked thirty-seventh on the Life List. It seemed that once Joe Di broke into the Tribulation King Stage, he'd be ready to compete for the True Domain Prodigy Trials.
(That's all for today's update—good night, friends!)