Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation Chapter 539: Breaking Through to Martial Monarch

Chapter 539: Breaking Through to Martial Monarch
As a Superior Grade Martial Saint, Xiao Chen had been able to kill Inferior Grade Martial Kings or escape from the hands of a Medial Grade Martial King.
However, it was very different for the Martial Monarch realm. This division was like the gap between heaven and earth. Even an Inferior Grade Martial Monarch could easily deal with any genius Martial King.
The changes that occurred when Essence was refined into Quintessence was not something a Martial King could understand.
“What if you add me in?”
Just at this moment, the crowd felt a huge pressure. A soft voice came from the air. Although the voice was not loud, it was pointed, like a knife.
A sharp saber intent accompanied this voice, issuing forth from the horizon. This saber intent pushed away the aura of the green-robed old man.
“Weng! Weng! Weng!”
The two auras clashed in midair. The clangor of death resounded in the sky, as if vast armies were clashing. Shouts and sounds of killing rang out continuously.
The aura belonging to the green-robed old man slowly retreated, until it was suppressed back into his body. The outstanding talents of the Boundless Sea instantly felt the pressure on them vanish, allowing them to breathe much more freely.
When the crowd looked up, they saw a figure in midair holding a saber. Scarlet lines extended out from behind him, waving in the wind.
That person looked up slightly and withdrew all the scarlet lines back into his body. The scarlet lines poured into his saber as he hacked at the green-robed old man.
“Chi! Chi!”
A scarlet saber light limned the edge of the saber, turning into a strand of saber Qi. Everywhere the saber Qi passed, space was cut in half, revealing the dark void.
“Saber intent! This is a Martial Monarch bladesman!”
The green-robed old man’s expression changed greatly, his eyes clearly filled with alarm. He sent out two surging tornadoes as he moved his legs to flee, going as fast as lightning.
“You think you can run?!” That bladesman smiled slightly. Then, he casually tore space with his saber and shattered the two tornadoes.
A scarlet light flashed. The bladesman was faster than the green-robed old man, and he soon caught up.
The green-robed old man turned around hopelessly. Then, they started fighting in midair. They moved so fast, the onlookers could only see two blurry figures.
Cracks extended out into space; space was being torn apart by the two’s battle. Pitch-black spatial cracks filled the place.
Occasionally, the spatial cracks would extend to some of the cultivators. These cultivators did not even have an opportunity to react; they were immediately torn in two. The others were scared pale and they quickly moved further away.
“Bang!”
A green figure fell out of the sky and vomited a mouthful of blood. His entire body was covered in horrifying, bleeding wounds that dyed his green clothes red.
The middle-aged bladesman stood proudly in the air. His saber buzzed as he looked coldly at the green-robed old man on the floor.
“Damn it!”
The green-robed old man cursed before looking hatefully at Xiao Chen. He got up and beat a hasty, miserable retreat, feeling very dissatisfied.
When the bladesman in the air saw the green-robed old man turning tail, he did not chase after the old man. A strand of scarlet shot out from him.
Then, the fleeing green-robed old man suddenly fell over. A bloody hole appeared in his forehead, blood gushing out of it.
The bladesman’s figure flickered again and arrived before Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen gave him a cupped-fist salute and said, “Many thanks to Big Brother Sun.”
This person was the Bloody Bladesman, Sun Guangquan. He had trained on Nirvana Island all this time and had finally broken through his bottleneck to become a Martial Monarch. The title “number one under Martial Monarch” now no longer had anything to do with him. The Bloody Bladesman Sun Guangquan had been reborn. His name would resound in the Ancient Desolate Land once again, this time as a Martial Monarch.
Sun Guangquan sheathed his saber and smiled faintly. “We are brothers; there is no need to be so polite. Come, I’ll bring you away.”
As Sun Guangquan spoke, a stern sharpness poured out from his body. This gave people great confidence in his words. If he said he would bring you away, he would be able to do it; no one could get in the way.
Xiao Chen turned his head and exchanged a glance with Xuanyuan Zhantian, who was ahorse. Then, he swept his gaze over all the outstanding talents of the Boundless Sea.
Xiao Chen did not say anything. He just took Leng Yue and followed after Sun Guangquan to leave this place.
The leader of the Western Sea’s Seven Knights, Wu Xie, watched as Xiao Chen and his group left. He smiled and said softly, “Xuanyuan Zhantian, do you regret letting him go? This person might stop your advance in the next Five Nation Youth Competition.”
Xuanyuan Zhantian remained on his Royal Dragon Horse as he turned his head and said, “Ha ha! Do you really think that as one of my rivals to rule the Boundless Sea? I must say you are too dull.”
The leader of the Southern Sea’s Four Heroes smiled as he watched Xuanyuan Zhantian leave on his horse. He said, “Wu Xie, this fellow is as arrogant as ever. He did not care about us at all.”
Wu Xie shrugged his shoulders, rejecting the comment. He said, “He has the qualifications to be arrogant. If he can defeat the Black Dragon Group, then even if the Western Sea’s seven great sects formed an alliance, they would be nothing.”
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Three days later, on a small island that was not under the control of either the Black Dragon Group or the Divine Dragon Palace, Sun Guangquan looked at Xiao Chen and said, “I can only escort you this far. I will have to leave first. I have some things to do in the Ancient Desolate Land.”
Xiao Chen nodded his head to indicate he understood. He was returning to the Great Qin Nation and Sun Guangquan was heading for the Great Chu Nation. They were going in different directions.
[TL note: Earlier, it said that Sun Guangquan was heading to the Ancient Desolate Land, then it said Great Chu Nation here. I believe that he is just returning to the Ancient Desolate Land via the Great Chu Nation.]
After Sun Guangquan left, Xiao Chen took out the Spirit Blood Jade on his chest and held it out to Leng Yue. He said, “As per our agreement, you can go now!”
When Leng Yue heard this, she felt it was strange. She was not in a rush to accept the Spirit Blood Jade. She asked, “You are really going to let me go like this? Don’t you want to know my true identity?”
Applying some strength, Xiao Chen forced the Spirit Blood Jade into Leng Yue’s hands. He smiled and said, “What does it have to do with me? All I need to know is that you are Leng Yue.
“I’m leaving. We will meet again if we are fated to.”
Xiao Chen waved and left without looking back. After a long time, he finally disappeared from Leng Yue’s sight.
The vast Boundless Sea surged with huge waves. Xiao Chen flew continuously in the direction of the Great Qin Nation for three days and three nights. Finally, he found a suitable island and stopped there to rest.
It was a desolate island. Aside from rocks and scattered trees, there was nothing alive on it.
There were no Spirit Beasts, Demonic Beasts, or cultivators. The whole island was silent.
The island was not that large. Standing in place, Xiao Chen scanned the area with his Spiritual Sense. He could clearly see every tree, every rock, and every river on the island with it.
“Very good, I cannot sense any danger here. I will advance my cultivation in this place,” Xiao Chen muttered as he withdrew his Spiritual Sense.
Regardless of whether one was a cultivator, Demonic Beast, or Spirit Beast, advancing was fraught with danger.
Not to mention the difficulties of breaking through itself, there were many strict external conditions as well. It required peace and quiet; no one could disturb him.
After Xiao Chen parted from Leng Yue, he had seen many islands. He had chosen not to advance on these islands because there were either Demonic Beasts, Spirit Beasts, or lone cultivators undergoing experiential training there.
In the process of advancing, Xiao Chen had to be very focused. If he was disturbed at a crucial moment, the results could be disastrous.
Failing to advance was a small thing. Instead, the most problematic would be retardation of cultivation or injuring the meridians. Those things would have a great impact on a cultivator forever.
Xiao Chen found some tall and sharp rocks. Using his palm as a saber, he flattened them before sitting crossed-legged on them.
He took out six Inferior Grade Spirit Gathering Pearls from his Universe Ring. Then, he placed them on the Tianmen Acupoint on his head. He had prior experience using Spirit Gathering Pearls, so he did not feel nervous at all.
Xiao Chen circulated his Essence, and the six Inferior Grade Spirit Gathering Pearls floated above his head. Xiao Chen closed his eyes and started to refine them with the Purple Thunder True Fire.
Under the influence of the Purple Thunder True Fire, the six Spirit Gathering Pearls turned into spiritual liquid. Spiritual Energy started to leak out uncontrollably from the spiritual liquid.
A white mist quickly spread out. After a while, the spiritual mist blanketed the entire desolate island.
It looked like fog on the sea, making the island look illusionary.
Xiao Chen took a deep breath and his semisolid crystalline Qi whirlpool spun continuously. Then, a glob of spiritual liquid fell in.
The instant the spiritual liquid created from the Spirit Gathering Pearls touched Xiao Chen’s head, it immediately fell into the Tianmen Acupoint.
The spiritual liquid moved along his meridians, gushing around like a surging river, carrying boundless energy as it fell.
“Bang!”
When the spiritual liquid fell into the Qi whirlpool, it immediately exploded. Xiao Chen turned slightly red as he endured the intense excitation of his Essence.
The bottleneck he was at loosened under the effects of the spiritual liquid. However, this loosening was far from enough.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
Xiao Chen took in another three globs of spiritual liquid in one breath, agitating the Essence in his body extremely. Blood leaked out from the corner of Xiao Chen’s lips; his internal organs were somewhat injured.
It moved! I am just a bit short. A bit more. Then, I will be able to advance to half-step Martial Monarch.
Xiao Chen was resolute, undaunted by his internal injuries. Finally, he merged the last two globs of spiritual liquid together before letting them fall into him.
One drop of spiritual liquid was like a waterfall gushing down. One glob was like a huge river. Two globs, merged together, would be like a vast ocean.
The spiritual liquid that merged together fell extremely fast. Before Xiao Chen could react, the purple crystalline Qi whirlpool exploded.
The space around his dantian became chaotic. Boundless surging Essence raced around in Xiao Chen’s body. He quickly opened the twenty-four acupoints on his arm.
“Boom!”
Dragon roars resounded without end. Twenty-four strands of Dragon Qi emerged, blasting the surrounding hills into dust.
When Xiao Chen’s dantian turned chaotic and fog filled the area, he felt worried, not knowing if he succeeded or not.
After the fog lifted and the space cleared up, Xiao Chen immediately sank his consciousness down to his dantian.
Xiao Chen saw a crystal whirlpool giving off a resplendent light. The previous gaseous state had now become solid crystal. The entire whirlpool was now formed by pieces of crystals.
“Boom!”
With a thought, the crystal whirlpool spun wildly. A surging energy instantly spread throughout Xiao Chen’s body.
Xiao Chen opened his eyes and leaped into the air. His body stayed in midair as he quickly drew his Lunar Shadow Saber. A strand of resplendent, crystalline saber Qi poured out from the saber.
When the saber Qi struck a mountain, the peak immediately shattered into dust. Purple electricity continuously crackled in the cloud of dust.
“I succeeded! I am now a half-step Martial Monarch!”
When Xiao Chen saw the might of his casual saber strike, he felt extremely excited; he could not stop smiling.
Along the way, Xiao Chen had been trying to catch up to the others nonstop. He had put in all the effort he could, endured loneliness that ordinary people would not be able to endure, and given up all the riches and pleasures of the mundane world.