novelnext Chapter 91 Defying the Innate
Chapter 91 Defying the Innate
Chapter 92 Defying the Innate
In a light drizzle.
Two figures moved swiftly, leaving the many young disciples far behind.
"There is a fierce battle ahead."
"The short, old swordsman said."
If Song Shen were here, he would definitely recognize that this old man is the Cangyun Sect elder surnamed Zheng.
The one-armed swordsman beside him narrowed his eyes and said, "Lu Kai is dead. Could it be the work of one of the two mentioned earlier? But—I didn't sense any innate qi."
The short, elderly man surnamed Zheng also listened attentively. "It's definitely not innate. Let's hurry forward; there might be some valuable treasures!"
The two sped up and drove away.
As they were talking, another powerful figure, carrying an astonishing aura, suddenly appeared from the side.
"Old He, your missing arm looks quite unique."
The person speaking looked to be around fifty years old, with his long, mottled hair neatly combed back.
The short, innate-level swordsman from the Cangyun Sect said with a wry smile, "Wei Yu, can you please not bring up something you don't want to talk about?"
The old man surnamed He's face turned cold, and a chilling aura emanated from him, revealing the immense pain and anger he felt at the loss of his arm.
"Haha." Wei Yuqian laughed. "He Zhengru, you've lived most of your life, what's the big deal about losing an arm? Cheer up!"
He Zhengru said, feeling utterly defeated and frustrated, "You don't understand. With this arm gone, I have neither my swordsmanship nor my dignity."
The old man named Wei Bingyan turned his gaze to the short old man: "Zheng Xing, since you were here, why didn't you go all out and cause Old He to suffer such a great humiliation?"
Zheng Xing said calmly, "If the three of us attack at the same time, we might be able to put up a fight. Otherwise, we'll be doomed in front of Xiao Pingzhe."
The three innate masters fell silent simultaneously.
In front of these young masters, they had no confidence to rely on their seniority.
After all, whether a body is old or young, once severed by a sharp sword, the head falls to the ground and the person loses their life.
Wei Bingyan said in a deep voice, "My Diancang Mountain has been closely connected with your Feixue Manor and Cangyun Sect for many years. I really can't bear to see this situation. This Demon Suppression Division is too domineering. If it weren't for the Jade Sword Marquis guarding Longzhou, I'm afraid it would have been overthrown long ago."
He Zhengru smiled bitterly, "I dare not hope for revenge against the Demon Suppression Division. However, I will definitely kill that brat!"
""
The old man surnamed Zheng was equally furious. "This brat is arrogant and conceited, insulting my sect. He is utterly hateful! What I mean is, regardless of whether he becomes a demon-slaying envoy of the Demon Suppression Division or not, we must do everything in our power to tear him to pieces!"
Wei Bingyan raised an eyebrow: "Is that the brat nicknamed 'Evil Constable' from Xinyu City? He actually provoked such anger from you two gentlemen."
He Zhengru said fiercely, "If it weren't for this boy, I wouldn't have lost this arm. Now that this matter is over, I will definitely use this sword to avenge myself!"
As they spoke, the three innate masters landed on the remaining battlefield.
He Zhengru was the fastest, and began his reconnaissance the moment he landed.
"A member of the Demonic Sect?"
The short swordsman then darted over, crouched down, and began to examine the area. When he dipped his finger in the eerie crimson blood and sniffed it, his face immediately showed shock.
"This isn't human blood, but calling it demonic doesn't quite fit either. This guy must be the one who killed Lu Kai?"
As they entered the mountains, they sent out their disciples to dig for mountain treasures. Lu Kai, who came from a medicine background, was the most knowledgeable about herbs.
After entering the depths of Flying Dragon Mountain, he was the fastest at digging for treasure, but he also strayed the furthest from the others. When he was killed, the sect members rushed to his aid, but they still couldn't save him.
The group tracked them down to this location, only to witness this scene.
Wei Bingyan, a master of innate skill from Diancang Mountain, was the most knowledgeable.
"The demonic secret techniques of the Lian Sheng Sect can transform people into demons, greatly enhancing their strength."
He stepped on the corpse on the ground for a moment, examined its wounds, and said, "Someone used a powerful palm strike to kill it."
"This person's treasure bag is missing; it must have been stolen."
Then, they discovered the demonic puppet that had been violently cleaved open on the other side, which immediately sparked more speculation.
Wei Bingyan said in a deep voice, "I've heard that the Blood Demon Secret Technique of the Lian Sheng Sect can control birds to observe the ground from the air and can also create demonic puppets. This person must be a member of the Demonic Sect."
"If they're not at the Innate level, and yet they can still deal with these members of the Demonic Sect, who could they be?"
Chu Yan, who had been silent until now, murmured something.
He Zhengru glanced sideways at Chu Yan, "Chu Yan, what clues do you have?"
Chu Yan fell silent, realizing that if he hadn't provoked someone he shouldn't have, his martial uncle would never have suffered the misfortune of losing an arm.
One can imagine that upon returning to his clan, he will be confined to his quarters for at least three years, and other punishments are unimaginable.
"Speak!" He Zhengru shouted coldly.
Chu Yan exclaimed in fear, "Disciple—disciple only remembered that Song Shen's palm strike was extremely domineering. Back in the Rain Pavilion, he disarmed me with his bare hands, sending my sword flying with a single palm strike. The spiraling force of his palm strike perfectly matches the wounds on the demonic puppet."
He pointed to the demonic puppet that had been split open on the ground, "If the effect were achieved using his palm strike, it would feel completely natural."
He Zhengru's pupils suddenly contracted.
"Spiral palm force?" His mind raced, and he recalled Song Shen's strange palm force. A multitude of thoughts churned within him.
He Zhengru suddenly squatted down and carefully examined the palm print on the demon puppet's chest.
The palm print penetrated three inches into the body, and the surrounding scales shattered in a spiderweb pattern around the palm print, with smooth edges, as if they had been scorched by high temperatures.
"The Vajra Palm?" he muttered to himself, then shook his head. "No, that's not right. The Vajra Palm doesn't have this spiraling, strangling technique."
The elderly man surnamed Zheng also came over to look, his expression gradually becoming serious: "This palm strike is indeed domineering. Moreover, you see, he didn't shatter the scales from the outside, but rather the force penetrated the body and exploded from the inside. This is not something that an ordinary acquired martial artist can do."
Wei Bingyan didn't speak, but stared at the palm print for a long time before slowly standing up.
"How old is this Song Shen you're talking about?"
"Not even twenty," Zheng Xing said.
Wei Bingyan fell silent.
"Under twenty years old, how can one possess such palm strength?" His voice was low, as if he were asking himself.
He Zhengru's face had turned ashen.
He didn't speak again, but stared intently at the palm print, his eyes burning with an almost insane hatred.
"Whether it's him or not, I will find him."
He Zhengru's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, "I want to see him alive or dead."
He stood up, took a deep breath, and suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The blood congealed in the air without dissipating, turning into a cloud of blood mist that enveloped his entire body.
His aura suddenly surged, and his innate true energy circulated wildly within his body, emitting a roar similar to that of a wild beast.
"Old He, you've gone mad!" Zheng Xing exclaimed in shock. "Burning your life essence! You're going to shorten your lifespan by ten years!"
"You don't understand what it feels like to have your sword heart covered in dust."
At this moment, my senses suddenly increased dramatically, and even the faintest sounds from all directions entered my ears.
A moment later, he grinned maliciously.
"Found you—"
The faint sound of robes rustling in the distance reached my ears, so clear.
The next second, without uttering a word, he shot into the sky like a cannonball, turning into a bloody shadow and disappearing into the horizon.
Before he finished speaking, his figure had already disappeared into the rain, leaving only a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air.
Zheng Xing and Wei Bingyan exchanged a glance.
"Keep up with him," Wei Bingyan sighed. "We can't let Lao He go crazy alone."
The two also used their movement techniques to follow closely behind.
In the light rain, three figures swiftly swept across the mountains and forests.
He Zhengru was at the forefront, his body shrouded in crimson true energy after burning his essence blood, like a falling meteor. The wound on his severed arm had reopened, and blood mixed with rainwater spilled all the way, but he was completely unaware.
"This child is indeed the one." He confirmed again.
Using this method of burning my essence, I forcibly burned my potential, and the intense sensation I gained told me that the person in front of me was definitely that kid named Song Shen.
He didn't care about bleeding at the moment.
If he doesn't avenge his great grudge, his life's work in the sword will end and be buried in the most shameful way.
Zheng Xing followed closely behind, his face grim.
He wasn't crazy; he wouldn't burn his precious innate essence just to chase after such a kid. But the full-force circulation of his innate true energy made him incredibly fast as he relentlessly pursued him through the jungle.
Wei Bingyan was last and slowest.
Hearing the words of the other two innate masters, he intuitively felt that this kid must have a lot of good stuff on him, which was one of the reasons he rushed over.
Song Shen was still hurrying through the mountains and forests.
He now carried three heavy treasure pouches at his waist, filled with the mountain treasures Huang Zhan had plundered over the past few days. These included Crimson Frost Spirit Mushrooms,
Blood ginseng, golden thread lotus, and black jade marrow—these things alone would be enough for him to cultivate for a long time after breaking through to the innate realm.
He was in a good mood.
But this good mood only lasted until he felt the crazy aura behind him.
That is innate true energy—
No, it was the innate true energy that had burned away the essence of blood, violent and scorching, as if it wanted to incinerate everything.
"What's going on?"
Song Shen turned around in horror, only to see a figure burning with scarlet smoke rapidly approaching from a distance.
No matter how skilled Song Shen is now, there's no reason to win by speed against this figure burning with life.
One's innate qualities should not be humiliated.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Somewhat unconvinced, Song Shen unleashed his full power in the Dragon-Surging Steps, causing the surrounding air currents to ripple with sonic booms as his figure rubbed against them.
But it was to no avail.
"Damn it, did I mess with some old men? Why am I being chased by all sorts of old men every day?"
He accelerated, but the aura behind him was even faster.
One mile.
Ten zhang (approximately 33 meters).
Within Song Shen's field of vision, the one-armed old man slowly raised his longsword, and a solitary sword aura, accompanied by a thunderous gale, shot through the air.
Song Shen shifted his position, and the large rock beside him instantly turned into dust in a violent explosion.
With a light touch of his toes, Song Shen leaped eight zhang (approximately 33 meters) like a spring up from dry land.
The one-armed old man swung his sword again.
At the end of the sword's momentum, the surging innate sword energy transformed into a silver line, causing trees all around Song Shen to fall in rows, the cuts clean and smooth as mirrors. The howling sword energy continued to rage and recede into the distance, severing rocks and vegetation on the ground.
Before that, Song Shen had already flown far away using his footwork.
The sword light flashed again, and this time, centered on Song Shen, countless sword energies rained down like raindrops.
There's nowhere to escape!
Song Shen drew his sword, and amidst the scorching waves of energy, he channeled his clan's sword power to meet the barrage of sword energy. It was as if ten thousand arrows were being fired at once. Song Shen felt as if he were in a hailstorm, and with each strike, he could feel a strong tremor within his heart.
He Zhengru descended from the sky, pouncing down with his sword like a swallow returning to its nest, aiming his sword at Song Shen's throat.
He slashed again.
Secret Technique: Wind and Thunder Slash!
The explosive energy surged into Song Shen's meridians and body, impacting his physical structure.
But so what?
His Primordial Undying Golden Body had reached its peak, and even the most indestructible Qi could be absorbed and completely consumed by the spring-like structure of his Dragon Tendon Jade Bone.
when!!!!
Song Shen somersaulted and flipped into the dense forest behind him.
When he looked again, his thick-backed broadsword was covered with scorching knife marks.
The old man's sword aura unleashed a fiery sword force, making the entire blade scorch as hot as a branding iron that had been heated for a long time.
The sword energy whistled in.
"Old man, this is the perfect opportunity for me to test the quality of my innate talent."
Song Shen's eyes hardened, and he touched the ground with his toes. He was about to defy the innate with an arrogant attitude!
However, the next moment, Song Shen's face began to contort in horror.
Two powerful sword energies shot up and flew through the forest, striking the leaves and hurtling towards them.
With a wave of his hand, He Zhengru's longsword transformed into an intertwined innate net of energy, which rained down from the sky.
In an instant, the rocks and trees surrounding Song Shen collapsed, and the fragments exploded in all directions like bullets.
Cough cough ————
Song Shen was sent flying, his blue robe bursting open and covered in wounds.
The sharp, innate sword energy sliced through his flesh, revealing a crimson-gold luster.
This is the first time since he mastered the Golden Body that someone has injured him.
"I just wanted to spar with a Xiantian opponent, and suddenly three of them showed up?"
It is said that those below the Innate Realm are invincible, but three Innate Realm experts, working together with all their might, plus a crazed old swordsman burning his life essence.
How can we possibly fight a war like this?
He had one arm, wore a gray robe, had bloodshot eyes, and his body was enveloped in burning innate true energy.
He Zhengru stood on the rocks, looking down at Song Shen like a vengeful ghost crawling out of hell.
His voice was hoarse, as if he had shards of glass in his mouth, "Good little dog, I never thought God would give me this chance. Today, here, I will personally take you away."
Fear is impossible.
Song Shen now felt as if his golden blood and bone marrow were burning.
"You three old ghosts have really regressed after all these years of cultivation. Three Innate Realm cultivators trying to take on a single Acquired Realm martial artist like me? Where's your shame?"
He Zhengru's longsword was wreathed in crimson sword energy as he coldly said, "Don't look anymore. There's no place for you to escape."
The short swordsman Zheng Xing stroked his beard and chuckled, "Little fellow, your swordsmanship is indeed astonishing. You actually withstood our swords."
Wei Bingyan on the other side was equally surprised.
This kid's prowess really startled him.
Even if he were to withstand an attack of that magnitude, he would find it difficult to endure, yet this kid only suffered minor injuries and remains full of energy; it's truly terrifying.
Three innate masters besieging a mere acquired master, and such a young boy at that. If word got out, Song Shen's reputation as a genius would be amplified, while the three of them would be branded as good-for-nothings.
We have to take this kid out here.
The three of them thought the same thing at the same time.
"There's nothing more to say!"
He Zhengru stopped wasting words.
The sword light, like a bolt of lightning, carrying burning true energy, slashed down towards Song Shen's head.
The swords clashed, producing a deafening clang. Song Shen was forced back seven steps, his hands and feet going numb.
He Zhengru was also in bad shape. His one arm was trembling, and blood was seeping from the wound. Burning his essence blood temporarily restored his strength before losing his arm, but at the cost of his body collapsing at an accelerated rate.
Zheng Xing and Wei Bingyan had arrived and blocked Song Shen's retreat from the left and right.
"Boy, you're not leaving today." Zheng Xing drew his longsword, his face grim.
Wei Bingyan didn't speak, but slowly drew the black longsword from his waist, the tip of the sword pointing at Song Shen's throat.
Three innate elements, three swords.
Song Shen took a deep breath and gripped the knife handle tightly.
"Then let's give it a try."
The first sword strike came from the front, still aimed at the berserk He Zhengru.
His swordsmanship was fierce as the wind, each strike carrying burning true energy, forcing Song Shen to take the blows head-on.
The second sword strike came from the left, from Zheng Xing. His swordsmanship was ruthless and vicious, specifically targeting the gaps in Song Shen's defense. The third sword strike came from the right, a diagonal slash, from Wei Bingyan. His swordsmanship was steady and experienced, unhurried and calm, yet it completely blocked Song Shen's escape route.
Three swords, three styles, perfectly matched.
Song Shen's blade was incredibly fast. He blocked He Zhengru's frontal attack with one stroke, deflected Zheng Xing's sneak attack with a backhand stroke, and sidestepped Wei Bingyan's diagonal slash. But the three swords were simply too close together; he could block the first round, but not the second, and he could block the second, but not the third.
After dozens of moves, he had three more wounds on his body. One was on his left arm, left by Zheng Xing's sword; one was on his right shoulder, left by He Zhengru's sword; and one was on his back, left by Wei Bingyan's sword.
Blood was flowing, but Song Shen did not retreat.
"Primordial Undying Golden Body, now is the time to use you! Activate!"
He gritted his teeth and pushed the Primordial Undying Golden Body to its limit.
Golden lines appeared beneath his skin, his wounds were healing rapidly, and his blood and energy surged through his body like a tidal wave. He forced He Zhengru back with a single strike, then turned and slapped Wei Bingyan with his palm.
Prajna Vajra Palm - Triple Shock Explosion.
Wei Bingyan was surprised that he could fight back even when surrounded by three people. He hurriedly raised his sword to block, but was forced back several steps by the force of the palm strike, his face grim.
Who would have thought that this kid could still launch a counterattack under such circumstances? Such terrifying fighting spirit and determination, is he really willing to die with the enemy?
If it's a matter of mutual destruction, Wei Bingyan shouldn't be the one to be replaced. If someone has to be replaced, it should be He Zhengru, since he is the real enemy of Song Shen.
On the other side, Zheng Xing's sword had already arrived, the jet-black longsword silently piercing towards Song Shen's back.
Song Shen turned to the side, the sword blade grazing his ribs, drawing a string of blood beads.
"This kid—" Zheng Xing's eyes narrowed. "His physical body is incredibly strong."
For an ordinary martial artist, this sword would have already pierced their heart. But Song Shen's muscles and fascia automatically contracted the moment the sword pierced through, clamping the blade and deflecting it by three-tenths of an inch.
He Zhengru was blinded by rage, fighting with every sword strike, completely disregarding his own injuries. Zheng Xing, after being knocked back by a palm strike, quickly recovered and rejoined the battle. Wei Bingyan remained calm and composed, maintaining a steady output, like a patient hunter waiting for his prey to exhaust its strength.
Song Shen's body was covered in crimson-gold blood, causing the three innate masters to tremble in fear.
"Damn it, why is this kid's blood this color?"
The three men were all old and experienced, having been in the martial arts world for many years, but they had never seen anyone cultivate their physical bodies to this extent before.
Song Shen became one with his sword, ignoring Zheng Xing's sword aimed at his shoulder and Lao He's sword aimed at his waist.
He lunged at Wei Bingyan with his entire body and sword, unleashing a triple sword technique, attacking without defending, as if he were about to perish together with him.
Wei Bingyan suddenly felt thunder, fire, and wind howling in succession, filling the heavens and earth, and he felt a sense of horror.
This kid is so young, yet he's mastered the triple sword stance to this extent?
What annoyed him the most was that he was a latecomer, so why did this kid look like he wanted to die with him? What was his mentality?
With this thought in mind, he drew his sword and retreated.
As the heatwave approaches, the secret technique, Heavenly Wind Burning Thunder Blade, is unleashed.
Wei Bingyan shouted and leaped backward, dodging the ghostly blade that seemed to retreat, lest he be replaced by this kid without even realizing it. Even serious injury was unacceptable to him.
At this age, any serious injury would be devastating.
At the same time, the pain of sword energy entering his body came from behind.
But Song Shen's plan had already succeeded. He had long seen that Wei Bingyan was the weakest in fighting spirit among the three and the least willing to accept being slashed by his long sword.
Of the other two, He Zhengru had already gone mad and was no match for him, while Zheng Xing was also filled with murderous intent.
The only way out is to find Wei Bingyan's location.
At that very moment, Song Shen unleashed the Dragon Steps, bursting through the encirclement with all his might.
Startling Dragon Steps - Soaring Through the Sky!
A sword aura carrying intense flames shot out from behind in an instant.
Old He's move was precise, aimed at Song Shen's landing point. As long as it hit, even if it couldn't penetrate Song Shen's body, it would be enough to stop his fall.
However, Song Shen's figure strangely hovered in the air for a second, causing the sword energy to shoot into the sky and instantly disappear into the clouds.
Song Shen, however, extended his right foot, touched the tree, and leaped into the air, immediately flying into the distant jungle.
"Chase!" He Zhengru rushed out first, but after taking only two steps, he felt dizzy.
"Damn it!!" He was shocked to realize that he had been burning his life essence to chase after the enemy and then fighting them for a long time, and now he was actually starting to lose his strength.
"Old He, can we still kill him?"
"able!"
Three figures streaked across the rain like shooting stars, relentlessly pursuing each other.
Song Shen's speed had already reached its limit. Even at this moment, he could still fight, and he still felt his blood and energy surging like a tide, enough to keep him running for a day and a night.
He Zhengru was the first to give in, saying, "You guys go after them, don't worry about me."
Zheng Xing and Wei Bingyan exchanged a glance and quickened their pace.
As the distance closed, two sword lights pierced through the air.
A sword light came from behind, and Song Shen dodged to the side. The sword light cut down a large tree in front of him, and the tree trunk crashed down.
Using the momentum, Song Shen leaped up and traversed dozens of feet using the fallen tree trunk as a springboard.
"So what if it's innate?"
Song Shen laughed heartily, his figure darting down, turning around and creating a rainbow-like light that shattered Zheng Xing's innate sword energy.
As he pushed away Zheng Xing, he unleashed a flurry of palm strikes, exchanging ten blows with Wei Bingyan. With a muffled groan, he coughed up blood and fell downwards. But force is mutual, and Wei Bingyan was helplessly thrown backwards.
A wide river rushes eastward before our eyes.
Song Shen thought to himself, "Heaven is helping me!" He leaped into the water and plunged beneath the waves, unleashing his master-level swimming skills to swim wildly underwater. In the blink of an eye, he had darted a kilometer away.
"Where to go?"
Zheng Xing and Wei Bingyan entered the water at the same time, using their internal energy to propel themselves as they desperately chased after each other in the water.
After an incense stick had burned, the two were filled with despair.
Song Shen's speed underwater exceeded their expectations. In just one glance, the distance between the three widened at a visible speed. Unless the two of them burned their essence blood at the same time, it would be absolutely impossible for them to catch up.
However, both of them were at the end of their martial arts careers. Once they burned their life essence, they would immediately lose ten years of their lifespan, causing their already limited lifespan to run out on the spot.
In that moment of hesitation, Song Shen had already vanished with his knife.
The two men leaped out of the water, exchanging bitter smiles. Before they could speak, He Zhengru appeared from behind, sword in hand. "You let him escape?"
Old man Zheng Xing said with a wry smile, "I don't know how this kid trained. As soon as he entered the water, he seemed to melt away and darted away."
"ah!!!!!"
He Zhengru shot a sword aura into the water, which immediately created a burst of waves.
Wei Bingyan quickly comforted him, saying, "This boy is seriously injured and can't run far."
Old man Zheng Xing also said, "No matter how strong his physical body is, our innate sword energy is enough to destroy his meridians. If we follow the water now, we will definitely catch up with him."
"Walk!"
The three men mounted their swords and pursued relentlessly.
Song Shen had swum underwater for an unknown distance, feeling as if he had almost reached the East China Sea, before finally stumbling and crawling ashore.
My whole body felt like it was falling apart; I was in pain and miserable everywhere.
But Song Shen didn't stop for a moment. As soon as he got ashore, he moved in a serpentine pattern on the shore at top speed, fleeing without caring whether there were pursuers behind him.
He fled wildly until the sky turned pitch black and there was no sound from any direction, then Song Shen finally stopped.
Blood was gushing from his body like it was free, and Song Shen said with a wry smile, "This trip has really been a huge loss."
However, the thought of how he, at the Acquired Realm, managed to escape after withstanding the combined attack of three Innate Swordsmen was a feat that filled him with immense pride.
After listening intently for a moment, Song Shen confirmed once again that there were no pursuers before shifting his position and searching for a hiding place in the dead of night, like a stray dog.
A moment later, Song Shen found a hidden cave, tilted his head back and fell down.
Now, nobody can get him back on his feet.
Exhausted to the extreme, Song Shen felt as if all the bones in his body had softened. He had felt like he could fly just moments before, but after that breath passed, he felt completely unwell.
No wonder Xiao Pingzhe warned himself not to enter the mountains lightly; the consequences were indeed very serious.
The carnage I witnessed along the way was horrifying. It seems that when humans come to this primeval jungle, they become like wild beasts.
Amidst a jumble of emotions, Song Shen fell into a deep sleep.
In the blink of an eye, the sky brightened.
Song Shen didn't dare to go out casually. After all, his opponent was a Xiantian expert. If he were to pursue him relentlessly, who knew what would happen?
He sat down on the spot and began to heal his injuries by practicing Hunyuan Gong.
Half a day later, Song Shen opened the panel.
[Essence of Dao Fruit: June 105th year]
"I can't wait any longer, let's simulate innate true energy!!!!"
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