Chapter 305: Thunderous Clash of Fate

Boom!!

A terrifying explosion erupted with a deafening blast!

The unleashed power shattered the barren main road into countless fractures, as if searing heat from deep within the earth burst forth in a torrential wave!

Su Lei Ba’s body was enveloped in a blood mist, his form uncontrollably hurled as the air itself shivered under the force pressing against his back!

Countless bursts of energy rolled like dragons, lashing out violently.

The ground erupted into swirling sandstorms and clouds of dust!

Massive craters formed, fissures interweaving like ripples on a lake as Su Lei Ba barely kept his balance.

Scalding, crimson blood spilled from his mouth; each drop glittered like a precious gem as it landed with a clatter!

Su Lei Ba coughed up fresh blood, his entire body marred by its stain.

Truly, only Ogre could pull this off—

Among the fiends of the Underworld, none were as insidious and cunning.

Even Ma Mian, who ambushed his targets stealthily, couldn’t match Ogre’s treachery – at least Ma Mian attacked openly.

Yet Ogre appeared silently and struck a devastating punch the moment they met.

Completely caught off guard!

But what stunned Su Lei Ba even more was…

A Martial Saint!

Ogre…has broken through to become a Martial Saint!

Su Lei Ba, well aware of Ogre’s reputation among Underworld fiends, had never seen him display such unbridled power – he was no longer the man he used to be.

Before, even slaying a divine being was an immense effort; but now, Ogre…

Has actually achieved Martial Saint status?!

‘Impossible—’

‘Breaking through to Martial Saint should shake the heavens and unite the elements, inevitably inciting catastrophic retribution!’

‘Heaven and Earth would never let a Martial Saint be born so easily! And yet, in recent days, no ominous signs have marred Daocheng!’

Su Lei Ba’s eyes burned with shock and humiliation.

He had never imagined that Ogre, one of the Underworld’s notorious fiends, could unleash Martial Saint power.

That authentic, fearsome aura – formidable even to a master of the Qi Sea realm – was nearly overwhelming.

Ogre’s Martial Saint aura rivaled his own Qi Sea aura in strength!

Was this a newly attained Martial Saint level?!

Or…a First Stage Martial Saint?!

It defied comprehension – every hair on his body stood on end!

Boom!!

In the distance, where a carriage had been reduced to rubble, a blazing orb suddenly burst forth, shining with all its lifetime radiance in an instant!

An intense surge of Qi and aura seemed to evaporate everything around it.

‘Ogre!!!’

Slowly, Su Lei Ba rose to his feet, his bones creaking as his hunched form surprisingly straightened.

‘The Underworld’s exterminators…’

‘What did the Su Family do to provoke you?!’

‘What grave error did the Su Family commit?!’

Su Lei Ba gritted his teeth in fury.

‘Su Wenxi is dead, Su Daoling is dead—Isn’t that enough?’

‘A Martial Saint, a divine progeny, even a Half-Saint with a divine talisman – aren’t those the very pillars of the Su Family?!’

‘Defying the Qi Sea with a mere human elixir? Let’s see…just how reckless are you?!’

At that moment, Su Lei Ba left nothing to chance.

His eyes blazed with unyielding determination.

What about Yan Jing?!

The Supreme Commander of the Divine Guard Army, dispatched by Yue Huanglong to help him escape Lingnan Path – what of that Qi Sea Martial Saint?

Had the one lurking in shadows vanished?

Was this protection?

Or merely a feint?

But Su Lei Ba no longer relied on Yan Jing; with murderous intent surging and no escape in sight, only one course remained –

And that was to slay Ogre!

Even if…

Even if the Underworld Yama awaited him!

The Su Family had run out of options!

Su Lei Ba roared, his body rejuvenating, soaring as if inflated like a balloon until he reached two meters in height; his robust figure glowed with a deep reddish-purple, his skin stretched to the very brink of rupture.

The ground shattered as countless rocks floated upward, only to be crushed into debris by the overwhelming force of his Qi Sea aura!

Far behind him, a vast manifestation of the Qi Sea began to emerge!

Though it appeared as a sprawling lake, its tumultuous waves churned with innumerable condensed auras!

In terms of sheer power, Su Lei Ba’s aura far exceeded that of Li Che at that moment.

‘The Su Family…has no way out!’

‘I must carve a path of blood for the Su Family!’

Su Lei Ba’s presence grew more fierce, exuding an indomitable martial spirit.

He began to levitate, suspended by the power of man-nature unity, floating above the ground.

His gaze fixed upon the masked Ogre, filled only with lethal resolve and determination!

At the brink of collapse, even as his Qi and vitality waned, Su Lei Ba surged back to his peak under a full assault!

Second Stage Qi Sea!

After days of pent-up murderous intent, Su Lei Ba unleashed it all in one cataclysmic moment!

Boom!!

In an instant, the ground exploded, forming a massive pit as dust billowed upward.

Su Lei Ba now wielded a long-handled, dragon-head knife!

It emerged from his dragon-headed cane, dazzling and wild!

He swung it in a wide arc, the blade’s roar resonating like clashing thunder!

This was the power of thunder – his very name echoed his mastery of Divine Seed Martial Arts infused with thunder!

Divine Seed – Thunder Dragon Slayer Blade!

A dazzling arc of blade light swept through, as if amid raging winds and thunder, while a beheaded, wailing dragon soared skyward and tumbled.

The formidable strike shredded through the skies, tearing asunder the darkness!

To cut down Ogre, then the dragon!

At that moment, Su Lei Ba unleashed every bit of his martial prowess – channeling his cultivation, man-nature unity, and raw murderous intent into that single, decisive strike!

A swift, domineering blow!

Hundreds of meters were closed in an instant!

Qi Sea Strike!

Second Stage Strike!

Ogre!

Take this!

Your life!

Now!

Su Lei Ba roared, vowing to avenge the fallen members of the Su Family!

Even if Ogre’s breakthrough to Martial Saint comes at a price!

Even if Ogre’s Martial Saint foundation was rock-solid, matching his own Qi Sea Martial Saint might…

So what then?!

‘A commanding shout, a tongue unleashing winter thunder!’

Thunder raged around him as blade light, like dragons, roared in its wake!

That strike was simply breathtaking!

Beneath the Ogre mask, Li Che’s eyes burned fiercely, golden smoke swirling like rich incense!

Thunderstorm – Blade Technique –

Our martial paths are eerily similar!

But you –

Can’t compare to me!

Far from it!

Li Che’s intense martial will erupted as man-nature unity surged forth!

It was as if heaven and earth had transformed; his Eight Treasure Xuanjin Thunder Dragon Stick morphed under his vibrant Qi into a scarlet Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade!

Its long blade trembled as dazzling streaks of light crisscrossed.

Every Thunder Magnetic Conduit within him surged furiously from each acupoint, sparking with lightning!

These were the thunderbolts captured after his Martial Saint tribulation!

It was as if ten Thunder Magnetic clones had materialized around Li Che!

Countless lightning strikes intertwined into a veritable sea as the blade swept through!

Divine Seed – Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Divine Blade!

With one sweeping strike as if heralding a new dawn, beneath the Ogre mask his dark hair billowed mightily!

Li Che advanced three resolute steps, with countless Thunder Magnetic clones surging alongside his blade in a roaring assault against Su Lei Ba, whose eyes widened in shock.

Gripping the Dragon Slayer Blade, Li Che unleashed a torrent of blade light; his five-star divine weapon, driven to its extreme, clashed fiercely against every Thunder Magnetic clone!

The resounding clash echoed like rolling thunder!

This was Li Che’s first duel against a master of the Qi Sea realm.

Previously, although he had dragged a grievously wounded Two-Flower Half-God Corpse into Mo City for a fierce battle, that creature had been nearly obliterated by Lü Taibai’s sword energy, barely clinging to life.

But now, Su Lei Ba – cornered by the Underworld – had unleashed his full might, returning to his peak as a true Second Stage Qi Sea warrior!

If Li Che had been at the Grandmaster level before, he might have exploded five divine seeds –

Otherwise, even with all his reserves, contending with his power would have been near impossible.

When Li Che broke through to Martial Saint, he wondered if he could contend with the Qi Sea realm; now – he was convinced he could!

He might even –

Be capable of killing his enemy!

Each heavy step sent ripples across the ground like flowing silk.

Thunder Magnetic clones combined with Li Che’s blade light!

Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Blade paired with thunderous might!

At that moment, Ogre and Su Lei Ba clashed as if their martial arts were kindred!

Their strikes collided, sending dazzling arcs of blade light and thunderous impacts echoing with every connection!

Li Che’s technique was straightforward yet earnest, as though crossing a thousand mountains and rivers in one calculated strike.

In contrast, Su Lei Ba’s blade method was maddened, wild, frenzied!

His Dragon Slayer Blade blurred into countless moving edges with every swing!

Both fought with force that carried the weight of thunder!

Yet beneath Li Che’s thunderous onslaught, Su Lei Ba’s thunder faltered, retreating with every clash.

Su Lei Ba could only rely on his unparalleled blade technique to battle Ogre!

The searing blade light erupted, splitting open the ground!

Ogre stood amid a raging sea of Qi, seizing his long blade and swinging it as though slicing through water!

With each clash, Li Che grew more exhilarated; his entire being revitalized, fresh from his Martial Saint breakthrough, he sought to solidify his cultivation through this fierce duel!

Su Lei Ba gritted his teeth, his skin turning purple as he reached his limits.

His flesh seemed on the verge of disintegrating!

His body…

Could not match that of the newly ascended Martial Saint Ogre!

No! The gap in their physicality was enormous!

Yet Su Lei Ba grew erratic; swinging his blade, he laughed maniacally as he continued his relentless assault!

‘Since childhood, under my family’s support, I’ve walked the martial path – holding a blade is like grasping the cosmos!’

‘Alas, the talent I once prided myself on has its limits; after reaching Martial Saint, every step is agonizing!’

‘Later, for the sake of the family head, I immersed myself in the schemes of noble clans, pouring everything into preserving and elevating the family legacy!’

‘So…’

‘I haven’t drawn my blade in a full sixty years.’

Su Lei Ba’s long blade whirled as, in that moment, tears streaked his eyes!

Torrents of tears burst forth, only to be shredded by the fierce blade aura!

Boom!!

Blade aura roared as the Dragon Slayer Blade cleaved through the air!

Su Lei Ba roared and howled!

His body was disintegrating, piece by piece!

At the brink of death, he finally found solace from his lost martial spirit!

Li Che gripped his Three-Pronged Twin-Edged Blade with five fingers as the Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer Divine Blade flared in brilliant radiance, layers upon layers building up!

With a resounding burst, the blade light exploded—the dazzling glow shone from beneath Ogre’s mask as his eyes flashed with brilliance.

Su Lei Ba…

Was growing even stronger!

His blade became fiercer!

Even as his body crumbled and blood and flesh fell, he never ceased his strikes!

There was no retreat, no surrender, no despair!

The blazing blade light cleaved through, decapitating a true dragon with a resounding snap, carrying his unyielding will and conviction as it ruthlessly struck Ogre!

This was the…

Sixty-year return of the blade – today, I wash away the rust and ascend once more!

This was the…

Defiant courage in the face of monstrous odds!

This was the…

Fiery spirit of a swordsman!

Blade intent ablaze!

‘Good!’

A deep, resonant voice murmured from beneath Ogre’s mask!

Su Lei Ba burst into a maniacal laugh, ‘There’s even better to come!’

In the next moment, Su Lei Ba seemed to dissolve into a blurred form!

His entire purple-skinned body trembled as blood mist erupted all around him!

Behind him, two divine seeds spun wildly!

One called ‘Thunderstorm’!

And one named ‘Dragon Slayer Blade’!

‘Blade!’

‘Strike!’

In the dense forest, a cold wind howled.

He stood atop ice-like, crystalline branches, sparkling like lightning.

Grasping a formidable long halberd, his expression was somber.

His golden armor shimmered with light while a vibrant red cape billowed fiercely in the wind.

Above him, a Qi Sea phenomenon swirled – a vast maelstrom of energy!

His Qi Sea was far more potent than Su Lei Ba’s, like a thousand-foot-wide, roaring tumult!

In the distance,

Twisted, dark air slowly gathered.

The figure in golden armor, shattered by his halberd strike, gradually reformed.

‘Can’t be killed?!’

Yan Jing’s heart trembled.

You Liqing –

And that Huang Jianjiu!

And…Dragon Queen, Ao Yuxin!

They should all be dead!

‘Killed by the Underworld and then resurrected, becoming immortal?’

Yan Jing was struck by an overwhelming shock from that terrifying force!

But Yan Jing cared little for these three; he knew these new Martial Saints were merely sent to block him from intervening in the distant battle.

Although Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and Dragon Queen had reached the human limit, under Qi Sea Martial Saint Yan Jing’s halberd, they were utterly powerless.

The gulf between a human and a Qi Sea Martial Saint was enormous – that was why Lü Taibai had imposed strict rules.

Yan Jing’s halberd roared like a wild lion, instantly shattering the sword light Huang Jianjiu had unleashed!

Huang Jianjiu, You Liqing, and Dragon Queen hovered in midair, their eyes fixed on Yan Jing.

Suddenly,

Yan Jing’s eyes narrowed as he gazed into the distance.

There –

A terrifying arc of blade light, infused with endless thunder, dazzled the entire world!

Yan Jing’s hair stood on end!

‘Su Lei Ba…has gone mad!’

‘Detonating two divine seeds to unleash such a strike – does he not want to live?!’

‘Damn it!’

Yan Jing drew in a deep breath.

What had driven Su Lei Ba to such an extreme?

Unlike the Underworld Yama, who would have ended him without a chance to resist,

Absolute peak…an unimaginable existence.

‘Su Lei Ba is undoubtedly doomed.’

Yan Jing sighed.

With one sweeping motion of his halberd, he forced three adversaries back.

Then, stepping lightly onto a branch, he soared into the air, carried off in a torrent of auras.

He abandoned his support for Su Lei Ba.

Because Su Lei Ba had already chosen his path to death; even with assistance, survival was impossible once he detonated two divine seeds and ignited his blade intent…

It was a path toward his own demise.

A final strike for a swordsman.

But damn it –

He is the head of the Su Family!

The Su Family…

Can no longer escape Lingnan Path.

The Underworld’s killing intent toward the Su Family runs deep.

And the Underworld’s reserves far exceed Yan Jing’s imagination –

Not to mention the three Martial Saints, and even Ogre, who forced Su Lei Ba to the brink of exhaustion by detonating divine seeds.

Unimaginable.

The Underworld has deployed such a formidable array.

Su Lei Ba died without regret.

With his death, the other branches of the Su Family will likely be completely exterminated and divided among rival clans.

Observing the eternal tides of the world over three thousand years, such a noble family falls…

Just as a fallen whale brings forth new life.

How many families might feast in the wake of a whale’s fall?

‘However – when the Third Prince learned of the Su Family’s surrender, he rejoiced; the Underworld’s move has nullified the Su Family’s offerings and resources meant for him…’

Yan Jing cast a long, dark glance before turning into a streak of light and vanishing without looking back.

He had no reason to risk his life for Su Lei Ba.

He was merely a courier.

A courier – not someone to be kept alive.

Shendiao Ridge.

Before the Two-Hearted Great Sage Bizarre Temple.

Countless martial artists gathered here, eyes fixed on the mysterious sanctuary of the bizarre temple.

As if they hoped to witness the spectacular duel among Martial Saints and divine progenies!

To see into whose hands the ever-changing Golden Iron Divine Talisman would ultimately fall.

When Li Che – the Divine Condor Half-Saint of Shendiao Ridge – stepped into the sanctuary with the Two-Hearted Saint Divine Eagle he had carved during his breakthrough, the eerie mist began to swirl as if healing.

Lü Taibai sat in a carriage while XiXi poked her head out the window, blinking with curiosity.

‘Father, he’s gone in!’

‘Master, can Father obtain that divine weapon?’

XiXi asked curiously.

Lü Taibai smiled as he prepared tea for XiXi, adding some spiritual cow milk to make milk tea before handing it over.

After taking a sip of the steaming tea that chased away the cold, XiXi’s eyes brightened.

Lü Taibai smiled: ‘Who knows? Even I cannot be certain.’

‘Fate is enigmatic, especially with a sentient divine weapon.’

XiXi nodded thoughtfully.

Just as XiXi had been the only one to obtain the Purple-Flame Serpent Spear Fire-Tipped Spear, despite many entering the Heavenly King’s Tower and mysterious sanctuary.

‘But if Father truly obtains that weapon, can he protect it?’

‘What if it gets stolen?’

‘With so many Martial Saints – Father, a mere Grandmaster might be reduced to tears…’ XiXi anxiously gulped several sips of her milk tea.

Lü Taibai’s eyes flashed.

‘Who knows if they’ll be stolen –’

Why had he decreed that only a First Stage Martial Saint and one divine progeny could enter the mysterious sanctuary?

It was all for Li Che.

Lü Taibai had his suspicions about Li Che’s identity.

Ma Mian?

No…

It was Ogre!

Lü Taibai chuckled, took a sip of his milk tea, and mused,

‘Mmm, tastes so good.’

Boom!

Boom, boom!!

Blinding thunder wrapped with fierce blade light nearly obliterated all brilliance in the heavens and earth!

Radiant silver blade light filled every corner of the world.

All vision seemed severed from reality, only to slowly return after a long while.

The brilliant blade light shattered as the earth trembled with a colossal roar, venting its fury – the ground exploding into one gigantic pit etched with countless grooves!

Countless shockwaves blasted out, turbulent currents howling in rampage.

Above,

Snowflakes drifted quietly, as if hiding sorrow in their solitude.

They fell in twisted, mournful descent.

Landing upon a corpse nearly charred by electric currents.

A gentle breeze swept away the blue smoke; the heat in the pit subsided, revealing a body utterly ruined.

Yet the Dragon Slayer Blade – that divine weapon – remained unscathed, dazzling in its brilliance; after all, it was one of the Five Elder Divine Weapons, not easily destroyed.

Suddenly,

That charred corpse stirred slightly; fragments of its burnt flesh dropped with dull thuds.

In the distance,

Li Che, wearing the Ogre Mask, now towered at nearly 2.8 meters – even taller than before.

This was because two divine seed locks on his back had been detonated by him.

It was as if two chains restraining his flesh had broken, allowing his body to grow wildly as the will of heaven and earth poured into his martial spirit and man-nature unity.

At that moment, Ogre seemed transformed into an ancient, demonic being straddling the cosmos.

His aura was utterly terrifying.

Crimson lightning coiled around him like a raging sea, as Ogre stood like a deity commanding celestial thunder.

‘Hehehe… What a formidable Ogre.’

Su Lei Ba’s charred remains slowly lifted his head; that single act appeared to drain every last bit of his strength.

His eyes had long lost their luster.

He was spent.

Even if he unleashed his Divine Seed power, with both seeds exhausted, he could not break through Ogre – he had no strength left.

Yet Su Lei Ba felt neither deep disappointment nor fear in his final moments.

After sixty years of not drawing his blade, he had finally brought it out, struck, and delivered the blow he was most proud of.

He was content.

As a swordsman, he was fulfilled.

As a family head, regret weighed heavily on him.

In the end, he had failed to lead the Su Family out of Lingnan Path, to perpetuate the glory of three thousand years of tides…

Alas…

‘Ogre – detonating two divine seeds and reaching Martial Saint only to perish alongside me is truly a pity.’

‘If you had survived, your blade, your path, could have forged a way through Mount Ding, even striking the Heavenly Gate!’

‘Perhaps…’

‘You might have even dominated that unparalleled Heavenly Gate, standing as a transcendent force in martial arts, like Princess Ji Mo Li!’

Su Lei Ba’s seven orifices bled as his aura faded to its last vestiges.

Li Che raised his hand, pressing the mask against his face.

Two divine seeds spun like whirlpools, unleashing terrifying power.

His towering 2.7-meter form exuded an overwhelming presence.

Su Lei Ba murmured gravely.

Then he saw two divine seeds behind Ogre explode and reassemble – as if time had rewound, the blossomed flowers reverting to seeds reabsorbed into his martial structure!

Su Lei Ba nearly rose from death.

‘You…’

‘No, this is human?!’

Detonated divine seeds can be reclaimed?!

Moreover, Ogre showed no sign of weakness, not a single fatal wound!

His flesh – such resilient flesh…

Su Lei Ba instantly realized that Ogre’s body was extraordinarily robust!

The injuries from detonating divine seeds were trivial to him; he simply didn’t care.

Two divine seeds –

They weren’t even Ogre’s limit!

The Underworld…?

Underworld secret techniques?!

Like the Underworld Yama, whose every move maintained the terrifying power to detonate five divine seeds.

Detonating five divine seeds, huh!

How terrifying could that be?!

Perhaps only with such secret methods…

Could one achieve revival.

Endless transference techniques!

Unparalleled flesh techniques –

The Underworld is truly mysterious!

Why would the Underworld suddenly intervene?

Su Lei Ba suddenly felt he had died too soon, unable to witness how the Underworld might upheave the entire Great Realm.

In that moment, his thoughts…

He no longer considered the Su Family.

He had labored all his life for the family; now, it was time to rest and reflect on his blade.

The spark of life had completely faded.

Su Lei Ba slowly closed his eyes.

If only, he wished, he could carry a Thousand Mountain Lone Wanderer blade with him.

Snowflakes drifted from the sky, piling upon his form.

The Golden Dragon Slayer Blade lay on the ground as he stood—an unparalleled swordsman,

Yet utterly lifeless.

‘Not bad.’

Beneath the Ogre Mask, Li Che slowly exhaled.

Su Lei Ba’s final surge of blade intent had pressed down on him with tremendous force.

Pure, unadulterated blade energy.

Alas—

After sixty years of not wielding his blade, its edge had long dulled, its fierceness waning.

Yet Li Che still offered his praise.

Ice-cold snow swirled as if the lingering blade energy sang a funeral dirge.

The Black Robe billowed.

Li Che approached Su Lei Ba’s body, where the blade rested against his lifeless frame.

‘As a family head, I will not pass judgment on you.’

‘But as a swordsman, you were remarkable.’

‘Your blade…’

‘I claim it as my own.’

Li Che spread his fingers wide.

He aimed at the charred form of Su Lei Ba, who stood supporting his blade.

‘Spiritual Confinement!’

Spiritual Confinement!