Chapter 273.1: Hopeless Situation - Part 1

The white mist came from all directions, finally descending slowly and arriving in front of Chen Chao, enveloping him.

At this moment, Chen Chao looked like a pure white cocoon.

It was just that the cocoon was incredibly huge, resembling more like a giant egg than a cocoon.

The black ox lay on the ground, calling out weakly, "Daoist Master..."

It was now incredibly frightened, only able to grasp at its last straw for survival.

The middle-aged daoist was too busy to care about someone else. The talisman was still at his fingertips, but he could not seem to crush it no matter what.

The pressure here was much more terrifying than when he entered. Even for someone as strong as him, standing was already a challenge at this moment, let alone perform any other actions.

Even in such a perilous situation, the middle-aged daoist still did not harbor any feelings of fear. Having been high above the clouds for many years, even if he were to fall into a swamp one day, it would be hard for him to have any fearful thoughts or actions.

Only this, was the true mark of a prominent figure.

Even at this moment, he was not afraid. The current middle-aged daoist was just curious, curious about why such a thing was happening.

What secrets did the young martial artist have on him?

……

……

Outside the divine mountain, there had always been white mist lingering endlessly. Even at that place outside the divine mountain, it had gathered to form a mist wall. But at this moment, the white mist was being drawn towards the divine mountain. The white mist here naturally became thinner and dissipated. As for other places outside the divine mountain, endless white mist was also being drawn up the divine mountain at this moment.

The entire ruin gradually became free of the white mist.

The divine mountain had now become the place with the heaviest suppression. But as time passed, everything began to change.

The black ox suddenly let out a cry. With a crackling sound, it crawled up from the ground. Its broken limbs had now fully recovered. It stood up, somewhat surprised, and cried out, "Daoist Master, the suppression has dispersed, there's no more suppression!"

Being in the ruin, its cultivation realm had been suppressed from the beginning. After entering the divine mountain, this feeling was even more prominent. The middle-aged daoist was able to resist the white mist with the oiled-paper umbrella before, but it was no longer effective after entering this divine mountain.

It was at that moment the black ox had the idea of taking action. But unfortunately, it still failed.

The middle-aged daoist had many means.

However, those methods were unable to demonstrate his true strength as a great daoist sage in this place, because of the existence of the white mist. Therefore, the middle-aged daoist could not even kill Chen Chao as he intended before. In that brief battle, Chen Chao demonstrated a combat power that did not belong to an ordinary Bitter Sea Realm cultivator, and this aspect made the middle-aged daoist lose face.

As a cultivator who had reached the highest point many years ago, being treated like this by a cultivator he normally regarded as an ant, such a feeling was naturally hard to bear.

But at this moment, everything was different.

As the white mist gathered in front of Chen Chao, it formed a huge white cocoon. The middle-aged daoist could move now, but he did not move, he just stood in place and took a deep breath.

Only now did he feel that the pressure weighing on him had completely disappeared.

It was unknown when this grand array was active or passive, but at this moment, there was indeed not a single trace of aura left.

It was broken.

The grand array dissipated.

The suppression was no more.

Qi was born again within the middle-aged daoist's body. He seemed unchanged, but a profound aura appeared on his body.

At this moment, the middle-aged daoist had once again regained the cultivation realm belonging to a Nepenthe great sage.

He looked at the white cocoon and was silent for some time. But, he did not do anything.

The black ox walked over and asked, "Daoist Master, what are you thinking about?"

The fresh blood from its limbs had stopped flowing long ago. Having such coarse skin and thick flesh, it naturally could not remember the pain from before. It looked at the huge white cocoon and asked, "Daoist Master, what's happening here again?"

It was not stupid. It had already thought of something when the white mist gathered. It was probably because of Chen Chao that the current situation had come about.

If it was not for him, the suppression here would not have dissipated.

But why was it him?

Why did the white mist exist in his glabella?

Why did the white mist gather and envelop him, forming a huge white cocoon?

The middle-aged daoist did not speak, just silently watched for a long time, then reached out his hand.

A terrifying aura fell into his palm.

This aura was even more terrifying than the previous one because it truly belonged to the realm of the Nepenthe cultivators. Within this aura lay the terror of a true Nepenthe Realm cultivator.

And not just any ordinary Nepenthe cultivator.

The middle-aged daoist had reached the end of the Nepenthe Realm many years ago, ascending to the so-called Great Liberation Realm. In this world, he rarely had any rivals.

Now, he made his move.

A Nepenthe great cultivator in his prime, even a casual strike was akin to the fury of thunder, far beyond what any ordinary cultivator could resist.

Moreover, this strike was anything but ordinary.

That immensely powerful and terrifying aura fell upon the white cocoon.

The middle-aged daoist's robe fluttered slightly. The previously broken threads due to the oppression of heaven and earth were now swaying in the wind. This inevitably made him look a little disheveled, but the aura he possessed constantly reminded the world that he was far from being some disheveled old daoist.

The middle-aged daoist silently looked at the white cocoon in front of him, awaiting an answer.

The aura descended upon it.

The white mist on the cocoon, though its density was unknown, underwent an instant change. The surface layer of mist seemed to be blown away by the wind, revealing the mist within.

Perhaps due to the high concentration of this white mist, the mist within seemed to have solidified, as if countless white silk threads were entwined here, giving the impression of numerous cotton piles.

However, in its deeper layers, one could see traces of golden threads entwined within, making it very special.

When the middle-aged daoist saw this scene, his expression remained unchanged. His mind just stirred slightly, and suddenly, a profound fire ignited there. It followed along that opening and landed in the white mist.

Like a spark falling into pure white cotton.

Although the spark might ignite the cotton, this profound fire could not ignite the white mist.

However, soon a second profound fire, a third profound fire, a fourth profound fire...

A sea of fire enveloped the white mist.

These profound fires born of powerful cultivation were not ordinary sparks, yet they still failed to ignite.

After a moment, the sea of fire dissipated. The white cocoon was still a white cocoon, indistinguishable from before.

However, that terrifying aura was now penetrating deep within the white mist.

That enormous white cocoon ultimately had a hole ripped open by that aura.

The white mist employed some mysterious measure, but in the end, it was facing a cultivator who had traveled a long way in the Nepenthe Realm.

If even if the middle-aged daoist was helpless against it, who else in the world could do anything about it?

The middle-aged daoist remained expressionless, simply watching as the white mist was gradually torn open.

It must have been quite a boring process before encountering whatever was inside the enormous cocoon.

After a moment, the terrifying aura dissipated, and the white mist showed signs of closing up once again.

In the next moment, several auras surged forward, heading for the white mist frenziedly.

It poured down like a raging storm!

The black ox looked at the middle-aged daoist in astonishment, thinking that the daoist was truly peerless. Such methods were truly domineering and truly remarkable!

The middle-aged daoist walked forward, his previous methods only a test, whereas his current method was his true efforts without holding anything back.

Several auras prevented the white mist from closing, then penetrated deeper and deeper. The wind howled between heaven and earth, accompanied by an extremely oppressive feeling.

If there were still a third person present at this moment, witnessing the middle-aged daoist's methods, they would probably have to exclaim in amazement, marveling at the profoundness of the middle-aged daoist's daoist techniques and the height of his cultivation realm.

He was a true genius of his generation to begin with.

As time passed, the cocoon had been opened up considerably, and the terrifying aura had penetrated deeply within. The expression of the middle-aged daoist became increasingly indifferent. He did not know what connection the white mist had with Chen Chao, but he simply wanted to destroy them.

Even if it was Chen Chao's lucky chance, it did not matter.

If he destroyed it, then it would be fine.

He wanted to kill this young martial artist, unrelated to his previous triumph at the Myriad Willow Convention, or his battle with Yun Jianyue that had no winner. He was even less worried about his potential, that a new and incredible martial artist would appear in the Great Liang Dynasty.

It was merely because Chen Chao had persisted for so long. His glabella was penetrated by his fingertips, but he did not die.

Although such a thing had happened here, it was still difficult for him to accept.

Since he could not accept it, he had to erase it. Then this matter would never be known to outsiders, and it could be regarded as never having happened.

……

……

The white cocoon was forcibly opened by the middle-aged daoist.

With his eyes tightly closed, Chen Chao, his upper body bare, appeared before his eyes.

The upper body which was not considered robust, but with clear definitions, was covered in countless scars.

In his hand, he still held the broken saber.

As for his glabella, although there was no more blood flowing out at the moment, his face was covered in bloodstains.

The middle-aged daoist looked at him, slightly surprised.

A terrifying aura suddenly descended.

The white cocoon had opened, and the terrifying aura surged out, ready to fall on Chen Chao.

No matter what stage he was at now, he should not be able to withstand an attack from this middle-aged daoist at this moment.

A strike from a great daoist sage would undoubtedly be thunderous, and shocking all around!

The howling wind blew the middle-aged daoist's hair. His daoist robe began to flutter, endless qi started to surround his body, and more qi had already left his body, heading towards Chen Chao.

Suddenly, there was tranquility between heaven and earth.

No more rustling of the wind, and no other sounds.

The black ox sighed emotionally.

He could be considered half a disciple of the Rongshan Sect. Over the years, he had been the guardian demonic beast of this mountain, and had seen many powerhouses in the Rongshan Sect. However, among those powerhouses, there were very few who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the middle-aged daoist in front of him. After countless years where seas changed into mulberry fields and mulberry fields into seas, he felt vicissitudes of emotion that the world still had such a figure.

The middle-aged daoist remained calm. At this moment, he was just looking at Chen Chao in front of him, waiting for the outcome.

That terrifying aura contained the essence of his years of cultivation. It was one of the daoist techniques that he was most adept in.

Although he stood at the peak of the world, he still understood a truth: even a lion must exert all its strength to catch a rabbit.

Moreover, prior to this, Chen Chao had brought him many surprises.

At this moment, in order to prevent any more surprises, he exerted all his strength.

……