Sword Aura to the Heavens-Chapter 402 - 397: Clash

Li Fan continued to move forward, with Qi Zhanyun following behind, saying loudly, "Who are you? Why am I not as good as you?"

The martial arts practitioners of Qi Tian Pavilion are highly renowned, and he believed his martial prowess was exceptional, yet in the recent confrontation with Yun Tiancheng, he could not gain the upper hand.

Therefore, he frankly admitted that he was not as good as Li Fan. He was well aware of how difficult it was to leave Yun Tiancheng behind in the brief clash, as Yun Tiancheng held a positional advantage.

"Don't be discouraged, you will know in time. It's natural that you're not as good as me," Li Fan replied, seemingly jokingly.

Qi Zhanyun: "?"

"I was being modest, yet you really took it seriously," he glared at Li Fan's back, saying, "Once we reach the Heavenly Gate, enter White Jade, I shall try again."

"Then you will regret it," Li Fan continued to stride forward. The pressure of the array seemed to affect him not at all, his powerful physique resisting the oppressive force with sheer physical strength.

"Such an arrogant fellow." Those around couldn't help but think when they heard Li Fan's words, though spoken in jest, it was clear he carried an air of arrogance matching his appearance and demeanor. Of course, they did not know this was the image Li Fan intended for them to see.

A conceited, yet incredibly powerful, top-ranked Dao Body Realm genius cultivator.

Having climbed over six hundred steps, Li Fan's pace momentarily halted as he sensed the space of the array surging, scenes seemingly transforming before his eyes.

"Boom..." A dull sound echoed, and as his eyes swept over, statues appeared before him, seemingly within reach yet feeling ephemeral, but the sense of oppression emitted from each statue was all too real.

"By what will you seek the Dao?" A voice floated from the statues, and Li Fan felt them pressing towards him, bearing down on his body.

"Bang..." A tremendous force struck his body, causing him to sway unsteadily, nearly retreating.

Li Fan's blood and chi surged within him, surrounded by a Golden Body. This force was enough to prevent ordinary cultivators from advancing further.

The words from the statues were oddly familiar.

"With my indomitable body, with my unbreakable will, this force is still not enough." Li Fan declared, taking another step forward, the stairs vibrating.

The statues trembled as if all pressing upon him, within the array, Li Fan felt the statues manifesting as corporeal entities descending upon him.

"Clang..." His body vibrated loudly as the statues struck against him, yet Li Fan was keenly aware that these were mere illusions, only the attacks were real.

As the attacks landed on him, the statues remained before his eyes.

"Bang." Li Fan lifted his foot to step, the stairway shook violently, the roar of a dragon resounded, a golden dragon soared upwards, akin to a Dragon God.

He continued forward step by step, bearing the oppressive force, his pace slightly slowing.

Yet even so, Li Fan's steps remained strong, without any hesitation.

Finally, as Li Fan pressed forward step by step, the statues blocking his path crumbled and shattered, the pressure suddenly reduced. Li Fan glanced upwards, stepping a distance that previously took several steps, ascending toward the staircase's end within a few breaths.

"Hmm?" As Li Fan passed by, two figures on either side of the stairs took note of him, both high-ranking cultivators of a major sect.

Lin Bai of Qingya Saint Sect's Saint Heir saw Li Fan pass and couldn't help but reveal a look of surprise, this person managed to ascend before him.

Was it because the other was a martial arts practitioner, thus possessing a more formidable physical strength able to withstand greater array pressure?

Even with this reason, the fact that Li Fan reached this point indicated he had also overcome the second layer of obstacles without much delay.

"He is aiming for the top."

Everyone watched Li Fan's figure, who was accelerating, and after surpassing Lin Bai, only two people remained ahead of him, the sword cultivators Shen Jing and Yue Yunxiao from Lingxiao Pavilion.

These two were not together, maintaining a distance as they each charged towards the peak of the stairs.

"Indeed, the sword cultivators of Lingxiao Pavilion are as reputed, having cultivated to the Dao Body Realm, they were as sharp as swords, advancing relentlessly, hence these two sword cultivators were faster than others."

The crowd silently thought, but aside from the two, now a martial arts practitioner was actually catching up to them, advancing towards the mountain gate.

"He truly had held back earlier, surpassing the others later on, and now he's even faster than before." The crowd discussed, observing Li Fan.

"This person's martial talent even surpasses Qi Zhanyun of Qi Tian Pavilion, his physical strength unmatched, the array could not suppress him, which was why the array did not impede his progress."

"If we calculate from the time he entered the array..." someone pondered as they watched Li Fan. Li Fan was the last to start climbing, and reaching his current position, he took the shortest time.

"How long did he take to get here?" Liu Qingwu from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion whispered.

"Not even half an incense stick's time, and he's accelerating. If he maintains this speed, and isn't stopped at the last checkpoint, without any delay, he might reach the Heavenly Gate within half an incense stick." The man beside her replied.

"Then there's no hope." Liu Qingwu's furrowed brows relaxed upon hearing this, the final checkpoint at the top of the staircase was the most challenging, with numerous prodigies unable to surpass it.

Even though Li Fan displayed extraordinary martial prowess, he would still be halted.

Li Fan continued his ascent, the nine hundredth step was nearing, where Yue Yunxiao and Shen Jing also were.

As if sensing something, Shen Jing looked back, and seeing Li Fan, furrowed his brow.

He reached this point swiftly because he was a sword cultivator, the moment he set foot on the stairs, he had 'become' the sword, thus leading the way.

However, how did he manage it?

"Martial arts, power." Shen Jing sensed the fierce and overwhelming martial intent emanating from Li Fan, along with the roaring chi and blood, the other was relying on it to force his way here.

Nonetheless, it also showed that Li Fan's martial arts were extraordinary, no wonder he could take his sword and dared provoke him.

This was the courage of a martial artist.

"That day at Chaotian Pavilion, when discussing remarkable figures, no wonder you boasted; it seems you also aim for the pinnacle of this Great Li World's future." Shen Jing continued to look ahead, yet spoke, "To reach here so swiftly, you must be extraordinary, but among those people, where would you fit in."

Li Fan didn't look at Shen Jing; to him, Shen Jing's words were laughable.

This future of the Great Li World, how could it lack him?

As the Sword Master of Li Mountain, if he couldn't become one of those people, how could he bear the Li Mountain Sword? How could he live up to the name, and all the sacrifices of the people of Li Mountain?

Indeed, his target had never been merely to become one of them.

"I do not know, but I know that there will not be you, nor Li Mountain's sword cultivator." Li Fan responded.

Shen Jing frowned, glanced at Li Fan, a fierce sword intent emanating, Shen Jing said coldly, "Do you know what you're saying?"

"Of course, having cultivated such a person as you, how could there be hope." Li Fan replied, intending to destroy Lingxiao Pavilion, naturally, there would be no sword cultivator of Lingxiao Pavilion.

The sword of Li Mountain would eventually descend upon the peak of Lingxiao Pavilion.

Shen Jing looked at Li Fan with some oddity, then his handsome face suddenly smirked disdainfully, "If it weren't here, your words would have cost you your life." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"You?" Li Fan mocked slightly, "Also worthy."

"If not for being under White Jade Academy, you'd already be dead." Shen Jing looked forward, ignoring Li Fan, his body swirling with sword intent, he took a step forward.

Their conversation fell upon the ears of the crowd, who revealed looks of surprise.

There seemed to be enmity between Shen Jing and that person?

Moreover, Shen Jing's words carried a threat; were it not for being within White Jade, they might indeed have witnessed a fierce battle.

"Half an incense stick's time has passed," Prince Puyang beside Ye Yunke stated.

"It seems he didn't plan to challenge this timeframe?" Ye Yunke said with a smile, "Does he know it's impossible, or did he not consider it?"

"The final step, surpassing the checkpoint manned by White Jade Academy's cultivators, it's basically impossible to cross in one step, he must know this and thus didn't attempt it." Prince Puyang replied.

"Indeed." Ye Yunke nodded.

Li Fan remained where he stood, watching Shen Jing and Yue Yunxiao move forward. As they advanced, ahead were White Jade Academy's cultivators stationed in the array, dispersed, forming an encirclement, merging with the array.

To reach White Jade, they must pass through these cultivators.

Li Fan did not move; he wasn't in a rush.

Half an incense, he had no interest.