Immortality Through Array Formations Chapter 2172: 1019: I'm Done Playing

The battle was utterly lopsided from the start.

The disciples from Taixu Gate found themselves utterly powerless against the overwhelming Sword Qi unleashed by Xiao Wuchen, the top prodigy of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Not even Linghu Xiao could hold his own.

In mere moments with his sword swings, Xiao Wuchen had Linghu Xiao pinned down completely.

Each blow exuded an timeless and majestic aura, born of nature itself, infused with a subtle harmony to the Heavenly Dao that merged seamlessly with the emptiness.

Each blow unleashed a formidable Sword Qi, forged from dense Spiritual Power.

Each blow forced Linghu Xiao to pour in all his strength.

For every cut Xiao Wuchen delivered, Linghu Xiao was pushed back one step.

Clad in his pristine white Taoist robe adorned with Sword Patterns, Xiao Wuchen displayed a striking yet aloof demeanor, his stance poised and refined.

As for Linghu Xiao, the hope of the team and Chongxu's rare genius in five centuries, he could merely clench his jaws and fight on in desperation, looking completely chaotic.

He bore no trace of his earlier dominance, where his Sword Qi had swept through foes on every front.

Right then, the truth dawned on everyone crystal clear.

What makes someone a true prodigy?

What marks a real genius in Sword Dao?

Fame can mix lies with facts.

Yet the sword reveals only honesty.

The moment blades met, superiorities and flaws showed right away.

Witnessing Linghu Xiao's sorry state, the onlookers harbored quiet regrets inside, though few jeered or took pleasure in it.

They recognized Linghu Xiao's impressive power already.

During the earlier Sword Discussion, his abilities had shone brightly.

Simply put, Xiao Wuchen outclassed him.

After all, the Four Great Sects lived up to their renowned status.

Xiao Wuchen, the leading Sword Dao disciple among the Four Sects from the Heavenly Sword Sect, stood like a lofty immortal beyond reach.

Even the brightest talents from the Eight Great Gates, for all their might, merely perched atop earthly heights.

That's the essence of Sword Dao.

When it came to cultivation levels, Xiao Wuchen held a clear edge.

Xiao Wuchen had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Linghu Xiao, by contrast, barely exceeded a typical late-stage Foundation Establishment.

To be precise, the Foundation Establishment Realm splits into just three phases: early, middle, and late. Breaking through leads straight to Golden Core.

However, condensing the Golden Core proves incredibly tough.

Unless blessed with rare fortune, most Foundation Building Cultivators get trapped short of Golden Core for some time.

This span might last just a single year at best, or stretch to decades, even a full century.

Countless others remain stalled forever.

Hence, a special interval lies between late Foundation Establishment and Golden Core, varying per person yet often prolonged.

In this time, practitioners keep refining their cultivation as Spiritual Power steadily builds and hardens, laying a firm base that opens a path to Golden Core breakthrough...

Perhaps they've already tried for Golden Core and fallen short.

Or their Magical Treasure core might have taken shape, though the Golden Core itself hasn't yet...

All these phases together form what's known as Foundation Establishment Peak.

It denotes surpassing regular Foundation Establishment without achieving complete Golden Core.

Xiao Wuchen occupied this stage, but Linghu Xiao did not.

So, a clear gap in cultivation widened his shortfall in Sword Dao even more.

Within the Sword Discussion arena, Linghu Xiao failed to keep up with Xiao Wuchen, his actions riddled with awkwardness.

Things looked even grimmer for the rest.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's squad ranked among the elite in the Sword Discussion Conference. Apart from Xiao Wuchen, his four fellow Heavenly Sword Sect disciples possessed solid skills too.

These four might fall a touch short against Linghu Xiao.

Against Ouyang Xuan, however, they held the advantage.

Versus Cheng Mo and Situ Jian, their superiority was overwhelming.

This amounted to total dominance in raw "hard power" among the sect members.

As a result, the five from Heavenly Sword Sect's fierce Sword Qi onslaught left the Taixu Gate group barely hanging on, facing immense hardship.

Mo Hua fared no differently.

With his allies fully overpowered, his spells lost their punch.

All he managed was dodging via his movement skills to barely "endure" the blades of the Heavenly Sword Sect opponents.

Yet such "endurance" held no value.

The outcome stood plain as day.

Taixu Gate inched closer to total loss, one moment at a time.

A few in the crowd yearned for a "miracle" to flip the script and shift the momentum.

Regrettably, no such wonder emerged.

The feeble inevitably fall.

Linghu Xiao became the initial casualty.

He battled fiercely beneath Xiao Wuchen's blade, chasing any opening for reversal, yet in the end, he couldn't alter fate.

Facing the twin gaps in cultivation and Sword Dao, Linghu Xiao pushed to his limits before a chilling strike from Xiao Wuchen sealed his end.

Linghu Xiao perished by Xiao Wuchen's sword.

Matters plunged sharply after that.

The others wore down successively, dropping one by one...

The observing cultivators sank into quiet.

Across many visages, hopes dimmed, giving way to looks of letdown.

Folks had anticipated an intense showdown of talents, sparks flying like thunder and flames, a clash of raw force.

Though one side was fated to yield, it ought to offer a dazzling prodigy showdown at least.

The Sword Dao masters from Heavenly Sword Sect and Taixu Gate were set for a "Pinnacle Duel."

Instead, it turned into a massive letdown.

Taixu Gate's defeat came too decisively, beginning to end without real doubt.

Linghu Xiao stood no chance against Xiao Wuchen, the Heavenly Sword Sect's foremost talent.

Let alone Mo Hua.

Now, certain voices started to mock:

"Is this all Taixu Gate amounts to, after the Three Sects Unification?"

"It's ridiculous how three sects at 'Eight Great Gates' level merged yet can't overcome a single Heavenly Sword Sect team..."

"Three Sects Unification brought only isolation."

"Still, they made it this far thanks to uniting. Without it, they'd be even feebler for sure..."

"The gap's just too vast, an absolute rout..."

"Squandered hopes..."

"Pointless..."