CHAPTER 565: CHAPTER 562: MAN AND SWORD AS ONE! [FIRST RELEASE]

"Crack!"

Kikunojou struck with a force of a thousand juns of thunderous power, viciously chopping towards Li Chen.

Li Chen’s Protective Gang Qi supported him for only an instant before it burst apart with a thunderous crash.

Just as Kikunojou’s sword, with the force of crushing the ancient and decaying, was about to behead Li Chen and split him in two, suddenly, a burst of five-colored light swirled around him. Interconnecting with each other, endlessly circulating, they formed an invincible circular light shield. This shield forcefully withstood his absolute killing sword strike.

After an intense collision, Kikunojou was spent as a crossbow at the end of its range, unable to advance even half an inch further. The dazzling radiance, like a falling star, rapidly dimmed.

Seeing his absolute killing strike blocked by the armor on Li Chen, Beichen Qianfeng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head, his face full of disbelief.

"What kind of armor is that, capable of withstanding the Beichen One Slash?"

Li Chen’s face remained composed as he smiled and said, "Take my sword strike, and then you’ll be qualified to know!"

As his words still hung in the air, he suddenly reached out into the void.

"Sword, come!"

The Dragon Abyss Divine Sword felt its master’s call, and with a soul-stirring dragon cry, it swiftly flew into Li Chen’s hand.

Li Chen gripped the sword in a backhanded manner and drew a stunning rainbow through the sky, like a shooting star piercing the horizon. Along with the Sword Shadow, he moved as one with the sword, merging instantly into one entity. With a speed faster than thunder, he extended the attack towards Beichen Qianfeng.

This sword strike, like a comet assaulting the moon, Bai Hong piercing the day, the falcon striking the hall.

With this sword unleashed, all the myriad Sword Daos of the world and the various Divine Skills would pale in comparison.

Seeing such a splendid sword strike from Li Chen, even Beichen Qianfeng was extremely shocked.

The two were too close, and Li Chen’s sword strike was lightning-fast. If he dodged or retreated, it would be inevitable that a flaw would be exposed.

For combatants at their level, even the slightest flaw could be a fatal weakness.

Seeing no way to retreat, Beichen Qianfeng let out a fierce shout, and his True Yuan ran through his body like a raging river.

His wide, antique robe, buffeted by the violent wind, puffed out, and his entire body expanded several times in an instant.

"Sunrise Heavenly Thunder Slash!"

This was the Absolute Kill technique that Beichen Qianfeng had conceived after thirty years of solitary meditation in the Sunshine Divine Palace, and it was also his last trump card.

Ten years ago, when this technique had only achieved small success, he was able to defeat the Sword Saint Miyamoto Musashi in an instant with it.

Now, ten years later, his technique had neared Great Success, almost flawless.

"Boom!"

The slash fell like a sun plummeting to the earth, illuminating the entire Treasure Vault in a ghastly white.

Furthermore, within this sun, there were terrifying thunders rolling, sweeping through heaven and earth, as if it were the end of the world.

"Clang!"

The sword and saber collided violently in mid-air. The violent True Yuan fluctuations spread rapidly around like stones thrashing into water.

Li Chen held the sword with both hands, spinning at a rate of 1080 revolutions per breath. The sword tip turned into a drill, forming a super impact drill that pierced through the heavens and earth as Bai Hong – the white rainbow – instantly penetrating the sun.

Beichen Qianfeng was still holding the saber aloft, but his chest had been penetrated by the Sword Intent, revealing a shocking blood cavity.

"How, how is this possible, my slash was nearly perfect, how could it fail?"

Li Chen gently caressed the blood-soaked blade and let out a cold laugh, "Heh, with all the flaws in that one strike of yours, you still have the nerve to call it perfect. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at once word gets out?"

"Damn you... *cough*!"

Before Beichen Qianfeng could finish his sentence, he was overtaken by rage, violently coughing up blood, and with despair and unwillingness, he collapsed with a bang.

Seeing Li Chen slay the mythical Beichen Qianfeng of Japan, Miyamoto Sakura’s heart, which had been hanging in her throat, finally settled back down.

She was brimming with joy and excitedly called out, "Master?"

Li Chen nodded, but without paying her any mind, he walked straight over to Beichen Qianfeng, collecting his corpse, and the Kikunojyo Nozomu, taking them all into his storage space.

All the treasures in the vault were swept away by him, without leaving even a trace behind.

Before leaving, he also set a fire in the place.

Watching the raging flames, Miyamoto Sakura was secretly astonished; she had not expected her master to loot amidst a fire with such clean and decisive movements. Judging by the skilled manner, he was definitely an old hand at this.

"Hey, what are you staring at me for, let’s go!"

Li Chen’s voice broke Miyamoto Sakura’s reverie. She answered in a fluster and prepared to leave with Li Chen.

After walking five or six steps, she turned back for another look.

The fire had already risen from underground, instantly engulfing the entire nine-story wooden building from bottom to top. Furthermore, the blaze appeared to be spreading outward.

It seemed that by tonight, a good half of the Japan Royal Palace would be reduced to ashes.

She wondered what Prince Zhaohua and the others would think when they learned of this?

Prince Zhaohua was her uncle and the next in line to succeed the Royal Family. However, this prince uncle of hers was not very kind to their mother and daughter, particularly to her, the illegitimate princess, suppressing and shunning her both openly and in secret. He feared her rise to power could threaten his position as Crown Prince.

The recently-slain Beichen Qianfeng also happened to be this Prince Zhaohua’s teacher. The person in charge of the Treasure Vault was also none other than her prince uncle.

Now that Beichen Qianfeng was dead and the Treasure Vault completely looted and set alight, her prince uncle had lost his biggest support and had essentially become rootless. His future days would most likely be far from easy, and even his position as Crown Prince was hanging by a thread.

At this thought, a hint of vindictive pleasure crept onto the corners of Miyamoto Sakura’s lips.

At this moment, deep inside, she eagerly anticipated seeing Prince Zhaohua fly into a rage. That would certainly make her laugh even more joyfully!

Thinking this, the way she looked at Li Chen was filled with even more fervor and admiration.

However, when she considered the various methods Li Chen had employed, she couldn’t help but shiver, feeling a spine-chilling dread.

If she were ever to betray him, her fate would likely be ten times, even a hundred times worse than this.

"My Princess, what are you so deeply engrossed in thinking about?"

Just then, Li Chen’s voice, as chilling as the Death God’s, suddenly rang in her ear, startling Miyamoto Sakura.

"N-no, I wasn’t thinking about anything!" Miyamoto Sakura replied with a tremble, feigning reassurance.

While speaking, she saw Li Chen’s eyes, as deep as the starry sea, continuously watching her. An inexplicable sense of fear and unease washed over her. She had no choice but to steady her heart and maintain her composure, not daring to make any further movements.

A playful smile formed on the corners of Li Chen’s mouth, and he said nonchalantly, "Good, then let’s go. We’ve been at this for several days straight now, and I am indeed somewhat tired. Let’s head back and get some sleep!"

Hearing Li Chen say he wanted to go back and "get some sleep", Miyamoto Sakura’s body involuntarily shuddered.

At this moment, her emotions were extremely complex. She felt a strangely excited anticipation, akin to that of concubines from the ancient times, awaiting the emperor’s favor, yet it was coupled with anxiety.

Lost in thought, a captivating blush inadvertently spread across her pretty face, blending with the tangerine hues of the sky, making her appear exceptionally enchanting.