Chapter 203: I, Nantian Yijian, Am No Coward

"Lord Wind Dragon, this lightning giant is incredibly powerful," Nantian Yijian said, staring up at the thousand-zhang-tall giant, his heart pounding. "So... Is this the perfected form of the lightning giant?"

"

Hehehe

, this is nothing," Wind Dragon replied with a hearty laugh as he observed the giant. "Back in my day, I've seen lightning giants capable of supporting heaven and earth itself. Compared to them, this one is nothing more than a little caterpillar. Nantian brat, you should still be able to play the guqin, right? Consider this an opportunity for Little Jun. Play us a piece to liven things up."

"Really? Lord Wind Dragon, you're the first person to ask me to continue playing," Nantian Yijian said, taking out the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin once again. "I didn't get to finish my

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earlier, so I'll continue that first. Once things settle down in a few days, I'll compose a piece just for you."

Red Fox lifted a paw to rub her ear. "Wind Dragon, do you really think his music is good?"

After listening to Nantian Yijian's playing, she cast a soundproof barrier again. "It's truly awful. I don't know if it's your ears or mine that are broken."

"There's nothing wrong with my ears," Wind Dragon said disdainfully, glancing at her. "Don't you see? This piece is a tremendous stimulus for Little Jun. Under its influence, his cultivation is rising rapidly."

"Lady Red Fox, you probably don't know the story behind this, so you didn't understand the music," Nantian Wan'er explained. "

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tells Uncle Jun's story. It's one of the things Brother Jun treasures most, aside from the Heavenly Dao itself. The last time we glimpsed his obsession, we saw that Little Jun felt he owed his Second Uncle the most and was always looking for a chance to repay him."

"I see..." Red Fox yawned, the mark on her forehead slowly transforming into a Divine Eye. "Let me take a closer look. What obsession in his heart could make a single piece of music stimulate his cultivation so strongly?"

Meanwhile, Jun Laoye trembled violently, drenched in cold sweat, as the lightning giant's electricity surged over him.

He lay on the ground, completely naked, shouting to Ancestor Suitian, "Ancestor, are you done yet? My clothes have been destroyed. If this keeps up... I'll die from sheer embarrassment!"

"We're just one final step short... but no matter what, I can't break through this last part. It seems something is missing from you," Ancestor Suitian muttered, staring at the pill in his hand, unable to complete the final inscription. "Steady your mind. Your Second Uncle's fate rests entirely in your hands."

Jun Laoye glared toward Mountain Ocean Peak. "Yes, Ancestor... I won't let Second Uncle sacrifice himself for me anymore. Absolutely not. Second Uncle has his own Dao to follow. He doesn't need to live his life for me, and there's no reason he should."

Gritting his teeth, he propped himself upright on two long spears, standing straight on the lightning giant's palm, letting the electricity surge through him.

Bang!

Just as he stood, a strike of lightning grazed him. He swayed, stumbling back to his knees.

Kneeling on one knee, Jun Laoye roared at his own weakness. "Ah... Jun Laoye, how can you kneel? How can you—"

He screamed at himself to stand up, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. Exhausting his last ounce of strength, he collapsed face down on the ground.

"Brother Jun!"

"Little Jun!"

Nantian Yijian and Nantian Wan'er cried out in unison, panicked as they watched him fall, pleading for Wind Dragon and Red Fox to intervene. "Lord Wind Dragon, Lady Red Fox, please help him!"

"It's useless," Wind Dragon explained. "This is the Jun Clan's affair, and also a secret art of the Heavenly Dao exclusive to the Jun Clan themselves. We have neither the right nor the ability to intervene. Even if we wanted to help, they wouldn't allow it."

He observed Jun Laoye, then glanced at Ancestor Suitian thoughtfully. "However, Nantian brat, you might be able to help them."

"Me?" Nantian Yijian asked, confused. "Lord Wind Dragon, didn't you just say they wouldn't allow us to intervene? How can I help?"

"I said they won't let us interfere with the ritual itself, but that doesn't mean everything else is off-limits. Right now, you're the only one who can help him under these circumstances."

Clutching his sword guqin, Nantian Yijian approached Wind Dragon anxiously. "Lord Wind Dragon, tell me how I can help Little Jun. They've always aided my cultivation. Now it's my turn to help them solve their problem."

Hovering midair, Wind Dragon responded, "It's simple. Stand beside Little Jun and play

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with all your spirit qi, and I mean every bit of it. But without the Hunyuan Greatsword, I'm only at the Sunken Core Realm at most. Once you're up there, I won't be able to protect you."

He frowned. "You're still too weak. Even if the lightning giant doesn't strike you directly, the residual energy it releases could endanger your life at any moment. Now that you know the risk, are you still willing to help him?

"It's understandable if you're unwilling. After all, the gap between Qi Regulation and Human Core Realm is enormous. I'd be dead the moment I went up, not to mention you."

"No need to say more, Lord Wind Dragon. Let's go," Nantian Yijian said, slinging the sword guqin onto his back and giving Wind Dragon a cold, determined glare. "Even without Little Lu, even without Little Jun, I, Nantian Yijian, am no coward. I have sworn an oath to the Heavenly Dao to elevate the cultivation potential of all cultivators in this world."

"

Heh...

I knew I wasn't wrong about you, boy."

"Six Dao True Bodies, Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form," Wind Dragon chanted as he landed, taking on his Dharma Form. "Red Fox, remember what you promised Little Lu. Stay right below and watch over Wan'er closely."[1]

"Understood. You talk too much," Red Fox said impatiently, glaring at him. As Wind Dragon was about to leave, she added through voice transmission, "Just make sure to protect the Nantian brat. I know you can unleash your full power whenever you want."

"

Hmph...

as if I need you to tell me that," Wind Dragon replied. In one smooth motion, he grabbed Nantian Yijian and flipped him onto his back. "Sit tight, boy. Let me give you a preview of what a top-tier cultivator's trial is like."

Standing atop Wind Dragon's head, Nantian Yijian said solemnly, "Let's go, Lord Wind Dragon. Let's see if the residual might of a ceiling-level cultivator can finish both of us in a single strike."

"

Hehe

, I'm not used to you being so calm."

"Boss says this is how cultivators ought to act. It's the best way to make yourself appear like an otherworldly master above the mundane world."

Wind Dragon chuckled, expanding his body violently. "You little brat, hold tight. We're heading up now!"

Within three breaths, he grew to a thousand zhang in size. He coiled his massive body around the lightning giant, instantly blocking much of its oppressive aura..

Heaven Venerable Ban Yao was surprised to spot Wind Dragon appearing out of nowhere. "A Sunken Core Realm demonic beast dragon?"

However, her surprise soon turned to disappointment when she sensed his true aura. "What a pity. It's been refined into a weapon spirit... if it still had a physical body I could use, I would surely ascend further to become a High Sage."

With the oppressive pressure from the mountain eased, the cultivators at the valley's entrance strained their necks to look at Wind Dragon and fell silent. Normally, it was rare to even see a single top-tier cultivator. Now they were witnessing not only nearly a hundred cultivators but also a ferocious dragon.

After the first wave of sacrifices and the invasion of white mist, any cultivator that was now appearing at the entrance of the valley was already far above the low-level Qi Regulation Realm.

With Wind Dragon shielding against the lightning giant's might, more cultivators could now stand upright. Gradually, they calmed from their initial shock, sitting cross-legged to discuss cultivation techniques.

They watched the clash between Wind Dragon and the lightning giant, absorbing insights from the struggle. Even those at the back, whose strength was insufficient, strained to witness the spectacle. Battles between top-tier cultivators were exceedingly rare. Their eyes could always be healed later, but missing such an opportunity would be a true loss.

***

High above, Wind Dragon and Ancestor Suitian exchanged a glance, nodded toward each other, and did what they knew they had to do with unspoken understanding.

Wind Dragon unleashed a massive wind blade, destroying the lightning spheres ahead and creating a relatively safe path for Nantian Yijian.

"Go, Nantian brat. The lightning giant won't target you directly. I'll clear the central lightning, but you'll need to dodge any stray arcs yourself."

"Understood. Then it's up to me now," Nantian Yijian said, channeling his spirit qi into the Thirty-Six Cosmic Sword Guqin as he used the passage Wind Dragon formed to descend onto the lightning giant's palm.

Nantian Yijian sat cross-legged beside Jun Laoye. "Little Jun, hold on. I'm about to play the piece you've been longing to hear."

Just as he was about to play the guqin, a faint murmur reached him, so soft it almost went unnoticed.

Jun Laoye lay on the giant's palm, his voice barely a whisper. "Little Jian... do you know... Second Uncle has always said that men of the Jun Clan die standing. They would never kneel, nor turn their backs to the enemy."

1. Heaven-and-Earth Dharma Form is a visible manifestation of a cultivator's spirit power or mastery of the Dao. Assuming this form projects the essence of Heaven and Earth, showing a direct connection to the cosmic forces of the universe. ☜