Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 121 - 117 Native Divine Power

Chapter 121: Chapter 117 Native Divine Power

Huang Xiong’s massive eyes stayed fixed on his opponent, smoldering with flames of fury.

"Xiao Kui, come down." Huang Xiong extended his hand to support Xiao Kui’s feet as she stood on his palm before leaping to the ground.

"You all protect Xiao Kui."

Huang Xiong turned his head and addressed the group.

"Brother Huang, we’ll stay with you," the group replied. Huang Xiong was known for his righteousness and loyalty, and every member of this Demon Hunting Team trusted and respected him deeply.

"Circle around from the side. Leave a few people to look after Xiao Kui," Huang Xiong said, then faced his opponent directly. Without hesitation, his body launched forward, massive strides charging straight ahead at them.

"Foolishness." The man in the silver mask sneered coldly. One of the Demon Hunting Team’s members beside him materialized his Innate Dharma Form – a bow and arrow. He was the second-in-command of this particular team, typically the leader in practice. However, whenever the silver-masked man appeared, he willingly deferred to his authority.

Beside him, several team members, all armed with bows and arrows, positioned themselves atop elevated terrain and took aim at Huang Xiong.

Huang Xiong may have been wearing leather armor, but it couldn’t withstand the powerful attacks of a cultivator—the leather would be punctured through with ease.

"Buzz..."

Arrows transformed into streaming rays of light, slicing through the air with an audible whooshing sound as they shot directly toward Huang Xiong.

With a deafening roar, Huang Xiong unleashed an eruption of blood energy, his Innate Martial Artist physique burning like a blazing furnace. Swinging his iron cudgel fiercely, he deflected one arrow. However, he couldn’t ward off the remaining projectiles, which pierced his leather armor and sank into his flesh—though they immediately fell to the ground thereafter.

"Impressive courage,"

Li Fan commented approvingly. Observing Huang Xiong, he noted how his blood energy burned as brightly as the midday sun—a terrifying sight. Huang Xiong exceeded the norm for an Innate Realm Martial Artist at their peak; his blood energy and physical strength were truly formidable. Despite being at the Innate Realm, his combat power seemed akin to the physical prowess of someone at the Heavenly Gang Realm in the Martial Arts Fourth Realm—a true display of valiance.

But his weaknesses were equally apparent. *For instance, when he was previously entangled by vines, a targeted attack on vulnerable spots like his eyes could place him in grave danger.*

The forest floor trembled as Huang Xiong charged forward with thunderous strides. Despite the relentless hail of arrows slicing through the air, nothing seemed capable of halting his advance.

The silver-masked man fixed his gaze on Huang Xiong, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his exposed eyes. Mana surged around him, and in an instant, tendrils of vines from surrounding ancient trees whipped toward Huang Xiong, rapidly wrapping themselves around his body.

Huang Xiong roared fiercely, his charging momentum nearly uprooting the surrounding trees. However, vines snaked tightly around his legs, causing his footing to falter.

"Brother Huang," Xiao Kui whispered softly, her eyes turning anxiously to Li Fan beside her. She knew that only Li Fan stood a chance of saving Huang Xiong now.

Brother Huang, fearless in battle against demons, could rend them apart with his bare hands. Yet he was disadvantaged by wood-elemental spells, wielded by a sword cultivator who also practiced wood-element cultivation magic.

No wonder he sought to seize the Demon Core from the Tree Demon.

The silver-masked man waved his hand, sword aura spiraled outward, and a razor-sharp blade roared to life, slicing toward Huang Xiong. Beneath the mask, his eyes flickered with icy disdain—coldly indifferent and merciless.

A flying sword streaked forward like lightning with a piercing whistle, racing to see whether Huang Xiong’s iron physique or its keen edge would triumph.

Bound tightly, Huang Xiong saw the blade hurtling toward him and let out a furious roar. The sword moved at phenomenal speed, lightning-fast, with its sword light reflected in his eyes.

"Bang..."

A blinding flash erupted. The blade’s trajectory halted abruptly in mid-air, colliding instead with another sword.

"Hmm?"

The silver-masked man furrowed his brows, waved his hand, and his sword retreated.

Li Fan stepped forward, arriving beside Huang Xiong. With a swing of his sword, he severed the surrounding vines. His gaze fixed on the silver-masked man, Li Fan raised the Demon Core high and said, "You want the Demon Core? Come and take it."

"A Sword Cultivator?" The masked man narrowed his eyes at Li Fan, realizing his opponent shared his own sword cultivator identity. "Who are you?"

"It doesn’t matter," Li Fan replied, "You cowards who skulk in shadows, ambushing humans instead of hunting demons—you deserve to die."

*It’s due to degenerates like this that humanity schemes against itself. These parasites are dirtier than demons. To them, killing humans and looting their cores must seem far quicker and more efficient than risking their lives to slay demons.*

"Brother Huang, I will clear the path ahead with my sword," Li Fan said to Huang Xiong beside him.

"Good," Huang Xiong nodded and continued striding forward. Li Fan followed closely, sword aura swirling around him.

"Soul Emergence Middle Realm," the masked man muttered as his gaze locked onto Li Fan. From the side, someone hurled a spear with incredible force, its whistling momentum darting straight toward Li Fan.

Huang Xiong leaped into action, catching the spear mid-air with his left hand. He then reversed its angle and threw it back with ferocious might.

"Boom..." The spear emitted a terrifying sonic burst as it pierced through the air. A scream rang out as one of the assailants hiding at the flank was impaled and sent flying by the force of the spear.

Huang Xiong pressed forward without pause, charging ahead relentlessly. The silver-masked man watched the two advancing figures, rows of sharp blades now arranged in front of him. His gaze fixated coolly on Li Fan, who displayed remarkable skill as a young sword cultivator at the Soul Emergence Middle Realm stage. Clearly, a talent—but sadly destined to meet his end here.

"Go." The blades whipped forward viciously, winding through the air like threads guided by unseen strings.

Huang Xiong swung his iron cudgel at the blades without fear, smashing with reckless resolve. Yet those blades twisted suddenly, evading his strikes and targeting his flanks.

Moments later, a flying sword soared in to defend Huang Xiong, intercepting the attacking blades.

The blades transformed again, now focusing their attack on Li Fan. Each sword seemed like a puppet moving at the silver-masked man’s whim, as if Li Fan had been the target all along.

Golden mana erupted from Li Fan, weaving into a dense, net-like structure that enveloped the incoming swords.

With a mere thought, Li Fan summoned countless swords of his own, roaring forth to shred the opponent’s blades into fragments.

Li Fan moved forward, keeping pace with Huang Xiong.

Beneath the silver mask, the sword cultivator’s expression grew dark with surprise. To his astonishment, Li Fan, like him, practiced both sword cultivation and spellcraft.

"Courting death," the man growled coldly. A blinding light surged from the center of his brow, as a dazzling sword light shot toward Li Fan with lightning speed.

The man’s Sword Seed raced forward, swift as a silver serpent.

Li Fan scarcely spared it a glance and struck with his own sword.

The light flared as Li Fan’s sword cleaved precisely into the silver serpent-like blade. A thunderclap seemed to echo in the masked man’s mind; cracks appeared in his Sword Seed. He grunted in pain, as his face beneath the mask turned pale. The Sword Seed retreated instantly, yet the masked man could only watch as the two figures continued charging forward.

The silver-masked man’s allies rushed toward Li Fan, but with a mere thought, Li Fan released his flying sword in a flurry of deadly strikes, painting the air with blood as their lives were swiftly taken.

Huang Xiong roared, leaping into action. With terrifying force, he swung his iron cudgel at the silver-masked man.

Thick vines coiled toward Huang Xiong mid-air, as the silver-masked man thrust his own sharp blade at him.

Huang Xiong bellowed furiously, his raw power breaking free of the vines’ constraints. His iron cudgel pressed on, colliding directly with the sword.

The silver-masked man, along with his blade, was sent flying. He retreated hastily, but Huang Xiong roared and hurled the iron cudgel after him.

"Boom..."

A deafening impact sent the masked man tumbling, blood spraying from his mouth. Despite his injuries, he forced himself upright and soared forward, now using sword aura to walk upon his blade.

Huang Xiong barreled after him, his heavy strides shaking the earth. Though a Martial Artist, his speed was astonishing. Each step seemed as if he were taking flight, relentlessly giving chase.

Li Fan matched his pace, feeling a spark of surprise.

*Among cultivators, Martial Artists incapable of Qi Refinement were seen as the weakest of the weak. But Huang Xiong appeared to defy expectations entirely.*

*In combat, it was true he might ultimately perish against a sword cultivator due to his own limitations. However, in sheer explosive force during direct confrontation, this Innate Realm Martial Artist rivaled—or perhaps even exceeded—a sword cultivator’s power.*

*It was extraordinary. To call him "born with divine strength" was not mere exaggeration.*

*If the hidden talent in his body were fully uncovered and nurtured by a Great Practitioner, his potential might expand into something far greater.*

Their speed was astonishing as they raced through Yun Meng Swamp.

The injured sword cultivator with the silver mask sensed the relentless pursuit behind him, his face shadowed by grim determination beneath the mask.

He spotted an open area ahead, where several figures stood, clad in uniform garments. Relief flickered in his eyes.

Removing his silver mask, the man revealed a young face. His sword aura shimmered as he crushed the mask in his hand, then soared toward the group.

The people ahead turned at the sound of commotion and saw the figure rushing toward them.

"Brothers, help me!" the man called out loudly. "Someone is chasing me to steal my Demon Core."

"It’s Senior Brother Dai," one among the group recognized him and called out.

The group was none other than students of Bai Lu Academy, accompanying Ji Xue on a trial in Yun Meng Swamp.

Bai Lu Academy disciples sometimes ventured into Yun Meng Swamp independently, and this man, surnamed Dai, was one of them.

"Who would be so despicable?" someone asked, turning their gaze to the man’s pursuers. They saw Huang Xiong charging toward them in massive strides.

Huang Xiong froze momentarily upon seeing the group from Bai Lu Academy. His eyes locked onto Dai before stepping forward with his iron cudgel in hand.

"How dare you!"

Cultivators from Bai Lu Academy advanced, standing beside Dai and glaring at Huang Xiong, their energy surging.

Ji Xue’s gaze also turned toward the commotion, her beautiful eyes showing a hint of surprise. She had heard that such incidents occurred in Yun Meng Swamp but hadn’t expected to witness one during her first trial here.

Moreover, someone dared to target the disciples of Bai Lu Academy.

At that moment, Li Fan caught up and saw Dai now among the Bai Lu Academy crowd. Instantly, he understood the situation.

It was disciples from the academy themselves committing the atrocities.

Although Bai Lu Academy was a renowned cultivation sanctuary in Jiangzhou with a stellar reputation, not all its disciples were virtuous.

No wonder Dai had worn a mask while wreaking havoc outside.

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