Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit-Chapter 202 - 163 Yang Xiong, you old undying!

Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, on the summit of the northern highlands.

Taixu Sword Sect Fourth Division Acting Commander Wang Yan held the Thousand-mile Mirror, observing the fierce battle occurring dozens of miles away on the summit of Iron Arm Monkey Mountain. Her gaze followed the movements of the white-clothed swordsman, and her lips curled into an involuntary smile.

The battle on Iron Arm Monkey Mountain had lasted for three days.

Wang Yan had been watching from this peak for three days straight.

She had always wanted to witness her Junior Master transform into the "Gentleman Sword," and this time her wish was finally fulfilled.

"Elegant as a phoenix, ethereal with immortal grace."

"No wonder so many chivalrous women and noble ladies admire him."

The dew had soaked her robe, leaving a slight chill. Wang Yan revitalized her True Qi, causing steam to rise and evaporating the dampness entirely. After briefly stretching her arms, she lifted the Thousand-mile Mirror once again to continue observing.

And then—

It was Chen Jichuan’s turn to take the stage.

Junior Master’s sword danced like a wandering dragon. Unlike the other cautious and overly wary Grandmasters,

his thrusts and strikes, his parries and blows, were executed seamlessly and instinctively. Those with lesser cultivation and techniques could not discern who held the upper hand between him and the Iron-Arm Monkey King.

Neither could Wang Yan.

She only thought Junior Master was exceptionally formidable, far more relaxed and unrestrained compared to other Grandmasters.

She watched quietly.

Suddenly, Wang Yan furrowed her brow, feeling something amiss. "Why has the fight lasted so long?"

She wanted desperately to see more of Junior Master’s battle prowess but was also acutely aware of the Iron-Arm Monkey King’s strength.

The Sect Master, along with dozens of Grandmasters, had been unable to subdue it for days, relying solely on relentless attacks in a war of attrition.

Judging from the pattern of the past three days, Chen Jichuan’s battle was clearly dragging on longer than expected.

"Could it be that no one is stepping in to substitute?"

"Is someone trying to sabotage Junior Master?!"

Fear gripped Wang Yan’s heart.

She suddenly thought of Sect Master Yang Xiong.

How could the Sect Master, who knew Junior Master’s true identity, allow him to be sabotaged?

She quickly shifted her view, searching for Yang Xiong.

Moving her gaze over, she caught sight of the Sect Master raising an eyebrow, his face wearing an odd expression—a faint smile overlaying restrained joy.

"This—"

"Why is he smiling?!"

Wang Yan’s thoughts spun in chaos, her mind racing with countless scenarios until suddenly, like lightning striking her brain, she understood the truth—

"It all makes sense!"

"Junior Master is peerless, ranked tenth on the Heavenly List, and far surpassing the Sect Master. The Sect Master’s position is inevitably at risk. This is his chance to use the Iron-Arm Monkey King to eliminate Junior Master, removing any threat to his status!"

"Others don’t know Junior Master’s true identity and were all defeated by him. Naturally, they harbor resentment, giving them every reason to collude and orchestrate his downfall!"

As Wang Yan thought more about it, dread consumed her, followed by escalating fury.

She didn’t expect this old-timer Yang Xiong to be so insidious, treacherous, and venomous. No wonder Taixu Sword Sect had seen no true geniuses emerge in recent years.

Before her Junior Master, only Li Qingshan had been remotely promising, but he had been tied down by Yang Xiong through marriage into his family, rendering him harmless.

But Junior Master was different!

"This damned old man!"

"Damned old man!"

Wang Yan burned with anxiety, anger, and frustration.

She felt like an ant trapped on a hot pan, desperately wishing she could sprout wings and soar to the battle.

Yet she knew—

With her level of strength, rushing in would be a fatal mistake. Barely escaping the Iron Arm Monkey group’s blockade to reach the summit would only serve as a burden to Junior Master.

She might even inadvertently cost him his life despite his chance for survival.

"What should I do?"

Wang Yan struggled to keep herself calm, turning her Thousand-mile Mirror between her Junior Master and Yang Xiong’s conniving figure, while also surveying the other Grandmasters atop the summit of Iron Arm Monkey Mountain.

Forcing herself to stay collected—

Wang Yan began to notice something unusual.

She saw Yang Xiong’s brief smile vanish, replaced with an expression of shock and a furrowed brow.

That Wang Yan could understand.

Acts of pretense.

Worried that Junior Master’s death might later see blame pinned on him, tarnishing his reputation with accusations of cruelty and treachery.

But what about the others?

"These people—"

Wang Yan noticed that every Grandmaster up on the summit appeared stunned with furrowed brows, as if something they strongly opposed or feared was about to happen.

"All of them pretenders?"

"Is this necessary?"

Wang Yan’s doubts grew. She refocused on watching her Junior Master.

And this time, she finally caught sight of clarity—

"Junior Master is overpowering the Iron-Arm Monkey King?"

Wang Yan had been observing for three days. When other fighters engaged the Iron-Arm Monkey King, it was always evident that the beast was in the lead.

Only during Junior Master’s battles had she been left unable to discern who had the upper hand.

But now she could clearly see—

The Iron-Arm Monkey King was utterly on the defensive, retreating step by step under Junior Master’s unrelenting offense, flustered and battered, completely caught within the rhythm of Junior Master’s swordplay.

Moreover, as the blades danced, the gap between them visibly widened. The beast’s body bore obvious sword marks as injuries multiplied.

"This—"

Wang Yan was utterly bewildered.

...

Iron Arm Monkey Mountain summit.

Yang Xiong was unaware that he had just been cursed as a "damned old man" by one of his most talented disciples.

"Breaking through during battle!"

His face briefly flashed with joy.

But immediately he, like the others, frowned deeply, seemingly surprised, uneasy, and enveloped with jealousy and envy.

In secret, however, he prepared to intervene at any moment, fearing that someone might disrupt this critical breakthrough.

Fortunately.

At such a pivotal recovery point, no one dared act recklessly. Interrupting now would spell disaster; if Chen Jichuan succeeded in breaking through despite interference, facing a Great Grandmaster would leave them with only one ending—death.

No matter how jealous they were, nobody was foolish enough to gamble their life away.

At this moment, Yang Xiong couldn’t help but feel a bit relieved. Thankfully, Chen Jichuan was breaking through under the identity of "Gentleman Sword."

Being merely a talented Loose Cultivator, albeit one who ascended to the Void Realm, posed little real competition as long as no enmity arose.

If they were to learn that the "Gentleman Sword" was in fact the infamous "Black Tornado," others wouldn’t remain passive. Five Cloud Sect, Spring Silkworm Sect, and others would go to great lengths to sabotage the breakthrough.

As tension and anticipation swirled within.

Within the battlefield,

Chen Jichuan’s movements flowed instinctively, his sword guided by his mind, striking with all his concentrated momentum.

Then—

Boom!

A sudden eruption.

His Core Formation seated itself deep within his Dantian as he compressed all his Essence Qi, spirit, and Blood Marrow Fluid into a singular point, akin to the creation of the universe.

His cultivation surged rapidly.

His entire body underwent baptism.

Chen Jichuan’s sword strikes grew faster and faster, imbued with increasingly explosive power that skyrocketed.

Previously, Chen Jichuan dared not engage the Iron-Arm Monkey King directly, nor pit his flesh’s strength against the beast. But now, every swing of his sword left a scar on the creature’s body, marking it with fresh wounds.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Clashing forces now firmly tipped in his favor.

"Yah-yah!"

The Monkey King shrieked in rage, the crushing pressure and mounting fear of death weighing heavily upon it.

Chen Jichuan paid no heed to the beast’s lamentations. He pretended to be in a state of sudden enlightenment, wholly immersed in the mysteries of the transformation from Transforming Strength to Core Formation.

This was not his first breakthrough to Core Formation, yet even now he found it extraordinary. Concentrating his force into a singularity drastically amplified his power and potential.

His entire being vibrated with excitement, as if rejoicing, dancing in euphoria.

Muscles to blood, blood to marrow.

Every fiber of his being underwent metamorphosis.

Though only a single layer separated Transforming Strength and Core Formation, the leap was akin to heaven and earth. Like the difference between the Innate realm and Qi Refinement—completely incomparable.

Breaking through to Core Formation granted a lifespan of three centuries.

Whereas Transforming Strength?

A mere century and a half at best.

The difference was double, underscoring the enormity of the disparity.

Even the Iron-Arm Monkey King, bolstered by years of consuming Red Fruit Wine and possessing physical strength far exceeding top-tier Grandmasters, a so-called "Half-step Void Realm," was no match for Chen Jichuan.

Focused and deliberate.

Circulating his energy.

Suddenly, from Chen Jichuan’s body, an aura erupted like a rainbow piercing the sun, unstoppable and unyielding. His presence spread forth, forcing the assembled Grandmasters and dozens of monkeys to pale in shock.

"He’s really done it!"

"An absolute breakthrough!"

"Core Formation achieved through external skills."

The experts present were top-tier Grandmasters—they could discern at once from the aura that the renowned "Gentleman Sword" of Jianghu, amidst the prolonged battles at Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, had experienced epiphany. He had taken the monumental leap into Core Formation, ascending to an echelon rivaling the Void Realm. frёeωebɳovel.com

Henceforth, he could be addressed as a Great Grandmaster!

...

"We’re doomed!"

"He broke through within the Qinling Mountains. This will undoubtedly attract Void Realm Old Demons. This place is far too dangerous!"

"This is seriously bad luck."

"Run fast, lest we end up as collateral damage!"

The collective shock of Chen Jichuan’s breakthrough quickly transformed into panic as reality dawned on them—this was the Qinling region.

It was a forbidden ground, even for human Great Grandmasters.

Loose Cultivators like Fang Chuan and small sect members like Zhang Zhishen were unaware, but the Three Major Sects such as Taixu Sword Sect had deeply ingrained inheritances and surviving Void Realm masters. To them, these dangers were not merely hearsay.

Why hadn’t Void Realm masters come to seize the Red Fruit Wine earlier?

The unspoken dangers were the answer!

Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and others from Five Cloud Sect and Spring Silkworm Sect couldn’t care less now—they whispered amongst one another as Chen Jichuan and the Iron-Arm Monkey King continued clashing. They hurriedly banded together and fled like lives depended on it.

"What’s going on—?"

Zhang Zhishen, Fang Chuan, and the like couldn’t make sense of it. Seeing Dong Qing and Liu Hengbo panic, they too realized something was amiss.

No hesitation.

They followed closely behind, making for the mountain descent at full sprint.

Yang Xiong was not one to be left behind, but as he fled, he transmitted a message to Chen Jichuan—

"The Qinling Mountains are perilous!"

"Escape quickly!"

Prior, he hadn’t dared issue advice, worried it might disrupt Chen Jichuan’s enlightenment. Now, with the breakthrough complete, Yang Xiong wasted no time and sent Chen Jichuan words of warning.

As his voice faded.

Yang Xiong, accompanied by the sect’s elite Grandmasters, vanished into the distance.

Chen Jichuan had ascended to Great Grandmaster status, his strength soaring beyond measure. Concerns for his safety no longer preoccupied them; their own survival was now the priority.

On a separate front.

Even while breaking through, Chen Jichuan continued battling the Iron-Arm Monkey King. As his body fully transformed and his power surged, the Monkey King had become clearly outclassed. Leaping high into the air, Chen Jichuan twisted into a peculiar stance, descending from above to strike the Monkey King’s shoulder with brute force.

This technique, called "Dragon Perch Tiger Squat," was akin to the Thousand-Pound Fall in its application, specifically designed to subdue opponents.

As Chen Jichuan landed, he unleashed explosive force.

Boom!

The Iron-Arm Monkey King’s legs buckled, sinking to its knees instantly, unable to resist.

At this moment, Chen Jichuan considered using the "Universal Language Skill" to intimidate and demand submission from the Monkey King. Yet he suddenly heard Yang Xiong’s voice echo.

A quick glance revealed the mounting chaos as Grandmasters, each fleeing as though running for their lives, abandoned even the cherished Red Fruit Wine.

"Hmm?"

Chen Jichuan understood Qinling’s dangers well enough.

However, Yang Xiong and the others’ level of panic unsettled him, as it likely pertained to his breakthrough into Core Formation.

There was no time for questions.

There was no room for contemplation.

Taking Yang Xiong’s advice to heart, Chen Jichuan saw no reason for stubbornness. He released the "Dragon Perch Tiger Squat" technique, using the Monkey King’s recorded motion to propel himself like an eagle diving from the summit.

The mountain towered at near-unimaginable heights.

A descent from here would, without question, shatter even the most resilient Grandmasters. But Chen Jichuan—emboldened by Core Formation and armed with myriad magical techniques—remained unfazed.

As he neared ground-level, his movements shifted with the "Catkins Body Method." He dissipated the force of his fall with aerial turns, finally landing gracefully at the base and vanishing swiftly into the dense forest.

This was the western side of Iron Arm Monkey Mountain.

Yang Xiong’s warnings indicated imminent danger posed possibly by Void Realm Demon Beasts of Qinling. Retreating north might risk leading trouble toward Yang Xiong, Wang Yan, and the Fourth Division of the Blood Clothes Army stationed there. If the beast pursued, heading north would cause collateral devastation.

"Westward!"

"First head west, then escape through Five Cloud Sect’s territory to exit Qinling!"

Chen Jichuan sped swiftly toward the west.

But just as he plunged deeper into the thicket—

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Up above, a massive eagle soared, whirling up ferocious gusts that uprooted trees spanning hundreds of yards.

Caught within the maelstrom, Chen Jichuan seemed certain to be lifted airborne. He quickly activated the "Catkins Body Method," shifting like drifting leaves amidst the turbulence, before stomping his foot and employing the "Earth Tunneling Technique" to vanish underground.

Disappearing entirely.

Within moments, the Gale Divine Eagle’s piercing eyes scrutinized the earth, seemingly capable of penetrating the surface. Suddenly, it swooped low, its wings grazing the ground in a devastating motion—

Boom!

The terrain erupted.

Out of the chaos revealed a fleeting figure that crumbled instantly, disintegrating into shredded paper. When the eagle scanned again, Chen Jichuan’s traces were nowhere to be found.

...

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at f(r)eew𝒆bnov𝒆l.com Only