Chapter 1565: Invisible Face-Off

The sky above the majestic purple mountain was covered in thick tribulation clouds. Thunder and lightning intertwined within the clouds, rumbling like war drums as a horrifying aura of destruction plunged the land into a suffocating and oppressive atmosphere.

Jian Qingchen stood nearby with his hands behind his back as he gazed at the graceful figure atop the purple mountain with an unreadable smile on his lips.

Not long ago, he had entered this secret realm in search of a Saint dao opportunity in order to further progress his own art.

However, he didn’t expect that the opportunity would already be taken away by someone else.

Then, he discovered a purple-clothed woman who was as beautiful as a fairy.

With Jian Qingchen's ability, he immediately noticed that she possessed a unique charm and was extremely extraordinary.

As such, he inwardly murmured, "Not just anyone can obtain the Dao Imprint of this secret realm. If you manage to survive this tribulation, I don't mind sparing your life."

He was dressed in a feather robe with a flying sword inserted in his hair bun. Paired with his handsome face, it made him resemble a young nobleman who exuded an inner charm.

Suddenly, Jian Qingchen sensed something and turned his head."Oh?"

An intimidating light abruptly emerged in his eyes that were as calm as a lake. It was as if a divine sword that could cut everything and crush the milky way was flashing deep in his pupils!

"Eh?"

Atop the purple mountain, Zhao Jingxuan, who was silently waiting for the tribulation, suddenly looked down and saw Jian Qingchen standing on a rocky cliff in the distance.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her heart tightened in her chest. She never imagined that there would be someone hiding nearby, especially not right before the tribulation that would determine the success or failure of her dao!

No, he wasn’t hiding.

His cultivation was simply too strong so there was no need to conceal himself. It was she who had been unable to sense his presence!

Zhao Jingxuan couldn't help but purse her lips at this realization as she inwardly sighed.

At the start of the Nine Domains Battlefield, she was teleported to this secret realm that seemed to be isolated from the rest of the world.

Since she couldn't find a way out, she was essentially trapped here.

For more than a year, she lived alone in a bamboo house, meditating alone, arranging flowers alone, and was alone with her thoughts...

It was only during one of her recent meditation sessions that she inadvertently comprehended a Dao Imprint and obtained an incredible dao enlightenment.

From this dao enlightenment, she caught a glimpse of the opportunity to become a supreme Saint!

Today was the day of her heavenly tribulation, and she felt sufficiently prepared after more than a year of solidifying her cultivation.

Although the heavenly tribulation was terrifying, her heart was fearless and calm.

However, her composed heart inevitably became a little turbulent upon noticing Jian Qingchen’s presence!

The biggest taboo of any tribulation was external disturbance.

It was especially so for the dreadful supreme Saint tribulation. If even the most minuscule ripple occurred in one’s heart or mind, the power of the tribulation would immediately grasp that weakness.

This was also known as the butterfly effect!

For a moment, Zhao Jingxuan's heart plunged into despair.

Why now and not earlier or later? Does this tribulation deliberately want me to suffer when I’m on the cusp of reaching the supreme Saint stage?

Rumble!

As soon as the thought appeared in her mind, the long-waiting tribulation clouds in the sky above unleashed an earth-shaking rumble that seemed to shake the surrounding world.

Zhao Jingxuan's expression changed slightly.

If her previous state of mind was akin to a ripple-less ancient well, then the slight ripple caused by Jian Qingchen’s appearance was akin to tearing open a hole in her mind, creating a fatal flaw!

A gloomy expression began to emerge between her brows.

At this moment, however, a voice suddenly sounded, "Jingxuan, relax and focus on the tribulation. I am here!"

It was a familiar voice that had lingered in Zhao Jingxuan's mind far too many times in the past year. Hence, she initially thought she had imagined it due to the flaw in her state of mind.

However, she quickly realized that wasn’t the case because a familiar figure was approaching from far away.

Dressed in moon-white clothes, he was still as impossibly tall and mighty as before, as if even the falling sky would not be able to crush his backbone!

"It really is him..."

Zhao Jingxuan's heart trembled as her crystal-clear eyes widened. Her beautiful face, which was originally shrouded in a gloomy haze, now glowed with an astonishing brilliance.

"I am here!"

"I am here!"

His ordinary voice that exuded an unwavering will continued to echo in Zhao Jingxuan's ears, causing her nose to feel stuffy and her eyes to turn slightly red.

She took a deep breath, slightly raised her chin, and said in an extremely proud voice, "Such a tribulation is nothing to me."

Her sweet voice tinkled like a heavenly bell, brimming with liveliness and confidence.

All of these changes occurred because...he was here!

In the distance, Lin Xun also smiled as a rare tenderness appeared in his eyes.

Rumble!

In the sky, blinding tribulation lightning roared like a dragon as it finally descended.

Zhao Jingxuan's sleeves flapped as she rose into the air, her expression focused, calm, and carrying a hint of natural pride.

There were no longer any ripples in her heart or mind!

……

Meanwhile, Lin Xun turned his gaze to the young man in feather clothes and asked, "Jian Qingchen?”

Jian Qingchen nodded. He looked at the unexpected guest and thoughtfully said, "To have broken through the blockade of supreme Saints and entered this place, you must be Lin Xun."

He appeared relaxed and calm. However, this was actually a reserved form of extreme self-confidence that was precisely the paragon of a peerless heaven pride.

Even Lin Xun had to admit that as one of the Azure Blue Eight Supremes and the number one younger-generation sword cultivator in the Great Luo Ancient Domain, Jian Qingchen was indeed very different from other supreme Saints.

"In the Ancient Wasteland Domain, perhaps only Yun Qingbai could have competed with him."

It made Lin Xun recall Yun Qingbai.

Yun Qingbai was a sword genius who never concealed his strength. Due to his strong pride, he felt that concealing it was beneath him. He was akin to a peerless sword that shone brightly over the world like the sun in the sky.

On the other hand, Jian Qingchen gave off a more reserved aura of steadiness, like a heavy, edgeless sword. This made it very difficult to see the depths of his strength.

"How interesting, I’m surprised to meet you here. However, it seems that you’re not here to kill me."

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

As Jian Qingchen spoke, he glanced at Zhao Jingxuan, who was facing the heavenly tribulation in the distance. "Are you here for her?"

Lin Xun didn’t hide it. "Yes, so...are you planning on leaving by yourself, or shall I send you off?"

Jian Qingchen displayed an unconcerned smile. "Why so anxious? I’m very interested in you so why don't we use this opportunity to have a conversation?"

While they seemed to be chatting like any two ordinary people, the area around them had long been filled by an invisible, terrifying aura.

The rocks, grass, and trees around them were soundlessly pulverized to dust!

In the sky, the dazzling tribulation lightning boomed loudly, alarming heaven and earth. However, any tribulation aura that approached the area around the two was immediately obliterated into nothingness.

The noiseless face-off seemed like an ordinary little chat on the surface, but it was in fact more dangerous and terrifying than a battle to the death!

Lin Xun raised his eyebrow. "In other words, you refuse to leave?"

Jian Qingchen sighed softly. He gazed at Zhao Jingxuan and said, "What a pity. I had planned to keep her by my side after she reached the supreme Saint stage so that she could follow me on my grand conquests in the future. But from the looks of it, I’ll have to first get past you to do so."

Lin Xun asked, "Is that why you didn’t make any moves on her?"

Jian Qingchen nodded. "Can’t you see that she has the blood of a True Dragon flowing in her veins? If she overcomes the tribulation and becomes a supreme Saint, she will awaken the true talent power of the True Dragon Bloodline. A supreme Saint dragon lady...will certainly cause a stir on the Ancient Nebula Road!

"After all, the True Dragon Lineage is a legendary clan. They’re far too rare...even rarer than any natural-born chosens."

Lin Xun slightly narrowed his eyes as he also looked at Zhao Jingxuan who was facing her tribulation in the distance.

He recalled that Yan Zhanqiu, a Spirit Treasure Holy Land disciple, had said something similar a long time ago.

"You have no idea how noble Junior Sister Jingxuan is! There are very few people in this world who are worthy of her and you are definitely not one of them!"

At that time, Lin Xun had thought that these were merely words of jealousy and anger.

But now, it appeared that Yan Zhanqiu was already aware that Zhao Jingxuan's background wasn’t so simple.

It did make sense. After all, Yan Zhanqiu's maternal side of the family was said to have some sort of unknown relation with the True Dragon Clan, so it was reasonable for him to know more information about Zhao Jingxuan's background.

"You are right. In my opinion, she is unique, and there is no one else like her in the world." Lin Xun earnestly said, "You didn't make a move previously because of your greed. You wanted to take possession of something that you shouldn’t. Am I right?"

Jian Qingchen displayed a carefree smile. "It isn’t greed but the thrill of the hunt. As for whether she should be mine, that’s not something that you can decide."

Lin Xun's calm expression became increasingly chilly. "In other words, you still won’t give up?"

"If you decide to take action now, there will only be two outcomes." Jian Qingchen withdrew his smile, looked straight at Lin Xun, and said, "Either I die, or the two of you die together.

"Moreover, I believe you also know that the girl you’re worried about is at the critical juncture of becoming a supreme Saint. If she succeeds, she’ll become a Saint. If she fails, she will be destroyed. So what do you think would happen if she is disturbed?"

Terrifying light surged in Lin Xun's cold black eyes. He said, "I didn't expect that someone like you would be so shameless."

Jian Qingchen nonchalantly responded, "Lin Xun, people like you and me will never care about criticism or comments from others. I am merely stating a fact."

From start to end, he was confident, composed, and fearless!