"Are you a Nascent Soul stage cultivator?" Jian Xiao asked tentatively.
"Hmph!" A hundred Zhu Hanshans snorted in unison, "You know your place!"
Hearing the affirmative answer, not only Jian Xiao was greatly alarmed, but even the Four Golden Core cultivators, led by Zhu Xuanqing, were all shocked.
They had always thought Zhu Hanshan was only at the Nascent Soul stage, but unexpectedly, he had already broken through!
"A Nascent Soul stage cultivator, so that's how it is!"
Jian Xiao nodded, "A Nascent Soul cultivator can kill me like swatting a chicken. Naturally, I wouldn't dare to offend you. I thank you for sparing my life and bid you farewell!"
With that, Jian Xiao turned and walked towards the exit.
Everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief, especially Chu Qingsong, who thought he was doomed.
He never expected to be so lucky and survive yet again.
However, just as Jian Xiao reached the main entrance, he suddenly stopped and sharply turned around.
From his sword box, a simple, heavy, profound iron greatsword flew out.
As the profound iron greatsword hovered in mid-air, Jian Xiao grasped it in his hand.
He swung the sword horizontally, and a crescent-shaped sword energy, tinged with green, shot out.
The Xuanjian Sect, which entered the Dao through the sword, although cultivators, their combat style was comparable to martial artists!
And that crescent-shaped green sword energy locked onto only one of the Zhu Hanshans.
Shua—
As the sword energy swept past, that Zhu Hanshan's body was split in two!
Even so, no one was worried.
After all, there were still over a hundred clones of Old Immortal Zhu. Only one was severed, it was of no consequence.
Zhu Xuanqing even shouted at Jian Xiao, "Jian Xiao, you shameless brat! My father was merciful and let you go, yet you haven't changed your ways and dare to sneak attack a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. You are seeking your own demise!"
"Heh, a true Nascent Soul stage cultivator can naturally kill me like swatting a chicken," Jian Xiao sneered, "It's just a pity your half-dead father cannot!"
"What do you mean by that?" Zhu Xuanqing was slightly taken aback, his face full of confusion. He couldn't understand why Jian Xiao suddenly became so confident.
At this moment, an unbelievable scene occurred.
The Zhu Hanshans in the arena all transformed into streaks of white light and flew into the broken body.
As the streaks of white light entered, the body that was split in two fused back together.
Now, only one figure of Zhu Hanshan remained in the arena.
Moreover, this figure appeared very weak, it was unclear if it was injured by the recent sword energy!
Only now did Chen Xiao clearly see that the last figure of Zhu Hanshan was actually a solid entity condensed from divine sense.
Chen Xiao's divine sense could also condense, but it could only form a phantom.
It could not achieve what Zhu Hanshan had done, condensing into a solid entity exactly like a real person.
"Heh, old man, you almost fooled me..." Jian Xiao looked at Zhu Hanshan with a cold smile, "I was wondering, you are not from the Immortal Hidden Realm, how could you have broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?"
Zhu Hanshan's expression was stern, and he remained silent.
Zhu Xuanqing, however, was bewildered. "Father, what is going on? Aren't you a Nascent Soul stage cultivator? Quickly teach this brat a lesson!"
Zhu Hanshan pursed his lips, still not speaking.
Jian Xiao glanced at Zhu Xuanqing with disdain, and said with a fake smile, "It seems you still don't know. Your father can no longer be considered a living person."
"What?" Zhu Xuanqing was stunned, looking at Zhu Hanshan in disbelief.
His father was clearly fine, so how could he no longer be considered a living person?
"Without the initiation from a hidden sect, one cannot even break through to the Nascent Soul stage, let alone the Nascent Soul stage. You are a Golden Core cultivator, you should know this, shouldn't you?" Jian Xiao said slowly.
Zhu Xuanqing was suddenly startled. He had heard of this statement before, but he had always dismissed it as nonsense.
Because his father was the best example.
"This statement is utter nonsense! My father broke through to the Nascent Soul stage without the initiation from a hidden sect, didn't he? I think this statement was deliberately spread by your Immortal Hidden Realm to fool us!" Zhu Xuanqing retorted.
"Hahahaha, fool you? You think too highly of yourself!" Jian Xiao laughed heartily, saying with disdain, "In the eyes of us from the Immortal Hidden Realm, you people from the mortal world are nothing but a bunch of ants. You are not important enough for us to specifically fabricate a story to fool you!"
"Then what about my father?" Zhu Xuanqing was fixated on this point. Facts spoke louder than words.
"Because to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, besides being initiated by a hidden sect, there is another way, which is to abandon one's physical body, detach the spirit from the body, and forcefully break through. This way, one can indeed form a Nascent Soul, condense divine sense, and reach the Nascent Soul stage cultivation... I originally thought this statement was just a rumor, but I didn't expect someone to actually achieve it." Jian Xiao sized up Zhu Hanshan, "However, there is one thing I don't understand. If your spirit has detached from your body, how has your physical body remained imperishable? Old man, if you can answer this question for me, I can spare your life!"
"You scoundrel! Even if my father abandoned his physical body, he is still a Nascent Soul stage mighty being. How dare you, a mere Nascent Soul cultivator, speak such nonsense?" Zhu Xuanqing cursed through gritted teeth.
However, his words drew a burst of laughter from Jian Xiao, "Hahahaha, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator who abandoned his physical body is still a Nascent Soul stage cultivator? Of course, he can still kill some Golden Core weaklings and scare people with his condensed divine sense, but with just a thought, I can scatter his divine sense. If you don't believe me, I can prove it to you!"
Jian Xiao was full of confidence, his words laced with extreme contempt.
"Hmph, you are not worthy of scattering my divine sense!" Zhu Hanshan stood with his hands behind his back, his face full of pride.
"Old man, it seems you refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Since that is the case, I will not be polite anymore!" Jian Xiao dragged his profound iron greatsword and slowly walked forward, the greatsword making a low scraping sound on the bluestone path.
"You don't need to be polite with me, because your opponent is not me at all!" Zhu Hanshan suddenly said.
This statement completely confused everyone present.
"Not me? Then who?" Jian Xiao was greatly puzzled.
Zhu Hanshan pointed at Chen Xiao, "It's him!"
Chen Xiao's forehead was covered in black lines. So, you guys caused trouble, and now you want me to clean up the mess?
However, Chen Xiao had no choice but to clean up this mess.
Because Zhu Hanshan immediately added, "Young man, didn't you want to prove you are stronger than me? Then your opportunity has arrived!"
Chen Xiao rolled his eyes. He was utterly speechless.
It was you who wanted me to prove I was stronger than you, wasn't it? How did it become me wanting to?
Jian Xiao sized up Chen Xiao and burst into laughter.
"Him? A nobody who hasn't even formed a Golden Core, and he dares to be my opponent?"