Cultivation: Start From Simplifying Martial Arts Techniques

To emerge as the ultimate victor in the Boundless Sea, two tasks had to be accomplished.

First, one had to hold off the Black Divine’s offensive and defeat the initial-stage Fourth Rank contenders.

Next, the Boundless Sea had to challenge and defeat the trio of She Mingchuan and his team, securing victory.

Directly bypassing the late-stage Fourth Rank to challenge the peak of the Fourth Rank was not allowed; only one realm jump was permitted.

This was why the individual from Shadow Island had been willing to burn everything he had, eventually wearing down Gu Zhongquan to his death.

Because the victor of the late-stage Fourth Rank deathmatch had been Shadow Island, once Shadow Island secured the peak Fourth Rank match, no one else could challenge them.

It was somewhat regrettable for Gu Zhongquan; if he had been thirty years younger, it might have been Shadow Island’s member who had been worn down in the end.

With his lifespan nearing its end, his vitality, spirit, and soul had inevitably declined.

This might not have been apparent under normal circumstances, but in battles where one had to push to their limits, even minor weaknesses were magnified, becoming the straw that broke the camel’s back.

The Sun Moon Realms and the Monster Emperors turned to Chen Fei, as the hope of the entire Boundless Sea now rested on him.

Indeed, while holding off the Black Divine’s offensive might have been manageable, defeating She Mingchuan and his trio from Shadow Island seemed daunting for Zhu Xiaowen and the others.

Even the Divine Monster, the Bloodwing Divine Phoenix, had been rendered powerless by She Mingchuan; had it not been for the Phoenix’s special nature, it too might have perished in the arena.

Challenging upward could improve one’s cultivation to the corresponding level, but beyond that, the combat power would have been comparable to, or even inferior to, the Bloodwing Divine Phoenix.

In such a situation, how could one defeat She Mingchuan and his team?

In the late-stage Fourth Rank, Shadow Island’s advantage had been overwhelming, much like the Boundless Sea’s dominance in the mid-stage Fourth Rank.

However, challenging upward presented the problem of adapting to increased power.

Others could wait and take advantage of one’s efforts, which gave them a significant inherent advantage.

“Rest assured, everyone. I will take action!”

Chen Fei reassured the Sun Moon Realms and the Monster Emperors with a nod, then swiftly entered the arena.

On the Black Divine’s side, there had been two remaining initial-stage Fourth Rank participants: You Ziyi and Rong Zongying.

You Ziyi had been a disciple of the Qingyan Sacred Land, while Rong Zongying had been a wandering cultivator, somewhat akin to the renowned Dream Shadow Master.

Unlike the famous Dream Shadow Master, Rong Zongying had not been widely known, and few were aware of him.

Rong Zongying had been devoted to his cultivation, focusing solely on improving his skills.

He had been solitary, with no followers or relatives, dedicating all his time and energy to his practice.

Such dedicated cultivators were not uncommon in the Boundless Sea, but reaching the Mountain Sea Realm was rare, let alone the peak of the Mountain Sea Realm.

Effort was important in cultivation, but it was not the most crucial factor.

Effort could help one reach their limit, but that limit might only be the lower threshold for those with exceptional talent.

However, not everything was absolute; sometimes, fate provided a glimmer of hope.

Rong Zongying had average talent and came from a background of wandering cultivation. For the first three hundred years, he had nearly aged into obscurity at the pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm until he obtained the inheritance of the Withering Prosperity Scripture.

By embracing death to find life and transforming through withering and prospering, Rong Zongying had broken through the constraints that held him back, stepping into the Mountain Sea Realm, and ultimately reaching the peak of that realm.

However, in the end, he still fell before the Sun Moon Realms.

Chen Fei stood on the arena, turning to look at the Black Divine’s side.

At that moment, You Ziyi and Rong Zongying had continuously enhanced their auras, quickly advancing to the mid-stage of the Mountain Sea Realm, reaching the Four Divine Palaces, Five Divine Palaces, and Six Divine Palaces.

They only stopped once their realms were pushed to the limit of the mid-stage Mountain Sea Realm.

Lower-tier victors could challenge higher-tier victors to break through their realms. Since You Ziyi was one person, Chen Fei’s side also had to present two participants.

You Ziyi’s figure flashed and appeared on the arena, his gaze fixed firmly on Chen Fei.

Even though You Ziyi had raised his realm to the same level as Chen Fei’s, and given that he had been a peak Mountain Sea Realm expert in the past, adapting to his current power was not unfamiliar.

However, facing a genius like Chen Fei still made him feel immense pressure.

“You are strong, but in battle, anything can happen!” You Ziyi said in a deep voice.

“I still prefer you, from earlier when you were so defiant.”

Hearing You Ziyi’s words, Chen Fei couldn’t help but smile softly.

Chen Fei still remembered You Ziyi’s arrogant demeanor when facing Shen Huawen and others.

However, You Ziyi’s strength was indeed formidable; otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted until the end of the initial-stage Fourth Rank deathmatch.

But that was the initial stage of the Fourth Rank. Now, in the mid-stage, Chen Fei was the true dominator of this match!

“How arrogant!”

You Ziyi’s expression darkened suddenly. He stepped back with his right foot and charged toward Chen Fei.

Back when he was at the peak of the Mountain Sea Realm, no one dared to speak to him in such a manner among his peers. Yet now, a younger generation from several hundred years later, relying on some strength, dared to do so!

The vitality of the heavens and earth surged toward You Ziyi.

Transparent, delicate cicada wings appeared around You Ziyi, forming a massive wing. With a gentle flap, the vitality of the heavens and earth within a radius of a hundred miles was drawn in.

Compared to the initial-stage Fourth Rank, the power of the Overlord’s Technique and Golden Cicada Blade that You Ziyi used had increased significantly.

The manipulation of the vitality became increasingly refined and intricate.

The Black Divine’s enhancement of You Ziyi’s realm to the mid-stage Fourth Rank was not just a simple increase in cultivation; it likely involved additional enhancements.

But these mattered little to Chen Fei.

Chen Fei crushed opponents of the same realm in all aspects, and this was true even for those enhanced by the Black Divine.

“Buzz!”

Nine Star Chain, Sword Dominates the Galaxy, Burning Soul Sacrifice!

Illusory flames appeared around Chen Fei’s body, and his aura soared to the sky. Vaguely, an immense giant’s phantom appeared behind him, which was the Dust Giant Body.

However, Chen Fei did not truly activate the Dust Giant Body. This phantom appeared more due to Chen Fei’s full exertion, with the vitality of the heavens and earth automatically coalescing.

Defeating You Ziyi did not require the Dust Giant Body.

Chen Fei executed the Extreme Sky Steps, stepping onto a spatial crack with his right foot, and instantly appeared in front of You Ziyi. The Concealment Sword in his hand slashed out in an instant.

Sensing Chen Fei’s overwhelming momentum approaching, You Ziyi’s expression changed slightly. The wings made of countless delicate cicada wings behind him closed in, protecting him within.

“Clang!”

The sound of the sword echoed, and the seemingly indestructible cicada wings were sliced open by the blade of the Concealment Sword, creating a massive gap-

Before You Ziyi could react, Chen Fei’s figure burst through the gap and aimed a sword strike at You Ziyi’s neck.

The look of shock on You Ziyi’s face vanished, replaced by a triumphant smile.

In the next moment, a void of annihilation spread from the location of You Ziyi’s heart throughout his body, and then it exploded instantly.

Chen Fei remained unmoved, his Concealment Sword blocking in front of him.

As Chen Fei performed this action, the phantom of the Dust Giant Body behind him mirrored the same move, a sword-like phantom several miles long appearing in front of Chen Fei.

“Boom!”

You Ziyi’s body vanished completely, leaving behind a massive void in the spot where he had stood, with terrifying spatial tearing spreading outwards.

More frightening than the spatial tearing was the black force of annihilation.

Everyone from the Boundless Sea unconsciously leaned forward, anxiously watching the scene ahead.

It wasn’t until the spatial void closed and Chen Fei stood there unscathed that everyone let out a sigh of relief.

You Ziyi’s final move was intended for this.

The Black Divine had long turned You Ziyi into a self-destructing tool, using his body’s vitality, spirit, and soul as fuel to unleash an unprecedented attack.

This attack had surpassed the full extent of You Ziyi’s own power.

Under normal circumstances, such a move was nearly unstoppable among opponents of the same realm, as it was beyond mere self-destruction, representing the complete use of one’s power.

Self-destruction could not fully harness all the power, but You Ziyi’s move could!

However, this attack ultimately failed to harm Chen Fei.

Chen Fei’s defense had always been stronger than his offense.

After the battle with the Dream Shadow Master, Chen Fei had comprehended the Dust Giant Body.

Executing a sword strike with the Dust Giant Body would have left Chen Fei himself exhausted.

But when using the Dust Giant Body solely for defense, Chen Fei found his defenses even more monstrous, and they could sustain longer.

Thus, the annihilation force from You Ziyi’s self-destruction was merely blocked by Chen Fei’s use of the Dust Giant Body, causing no harm whatsoever.

On Shadow Island’s side, She Qianling and the others looked at Chen Fei with furrowed brows.

Chen Fei, in the mid-stage Fourth Rank, wielding the Dust Giant Body, possessed such overwhelming power that it seemed out of place for someone of his realm.

Typically, even a peak Fourth Rank expert could not withstand that sword.

Originally, She Qianling and the others thought Chen Fei could only perform one such sword strike, after which he would inevitably become weakened.

Even though a weakened Chen Fei would still be very strong, he would naturally be much weaker than at his peak.

The failure of You Ziyi’s self-destruction to harm Chen Fei left Shadow Island’s side somewhat regretful.

At this moment, the more severely Chen Fei was injured, the greater their chance of victory when they faced him. Unfortunately, Chen Fei’s dominion in the mid-stage Fourth Rank at this position was simply insurmountable.

Chen Fei sheathed his sword and looked up at the Black Divine’s side.

The Black Divine’s crimson gaze fixed on Chen Fei. Although no aura was emitted, Chen Fei still felt a chill rising from his heart.

Even though the Black Divine had fallen to the Fourth Rank, he remained an extremely terrifying presence.

And this presence had begun to take notice of Chen Fei.

He remembered Chen Fei, who had once seemed like an insignificant ant in his eyes.