Chapter 1134: Hua Mountain Road, Illusion Cloud Strike

Although the hollow spirit state cultivator didn't use his full power in the first strike—a strike that could be considered an ambush by Ye Mo—he still felt threatened. So, as soon as Ye Mo launched his first attack, he heightened his cultivation essence. He immediately felt his essence slow, as if bound. The mid-stage hollow spirit state cultivator instantly knew he was in trouble. He forcefully unleashed his eight trigram mirror, breaking free from the essence-binding strike with all his might.

The moment the mirror appeared, it expanded, completely enveloping Ye Mo. Before Ye Mo could unleash more Illusion Cloud strikes, a searing pain shot through his sea of consciousness. He immediately recognized this as a spirit sense attack from a magic artifact. Spirit sense attack artifacts were far more potent than ordinary artifacts. Without his spirit sense cultivation method, even superior cultivation essence wouldn't have saved him from the mirror's assault.

Unlike a cultivator's own spirit sense attacks, the mirror didn't consume the cultivator's spirit sense. Even a failed attack had minimal impact. Ye Mo's pain was fleeting. The hollow spirit state cultivator, freed from the essence-binding strike, sneered. Ye Mo's inability to follow up meant the eight trigram mirror had succeeded. Without waiting for Ye Mo to attack, he unleashed his flying sword, aiming for a killing blow.

Ye Mo sneered and countered with his level three purple eye soul sever spirit sense blades, knowing he faced a spirit sense attack. He was accustomed to using his spirit sense offensively, but today, the tables had turned. While the hollow spirit state cultivator didn't directly use his spirit sense to attack, he needed it to control the eight trigram mirror.

Ye Mo's spirit sense sword sliced through, far stronger than the eight trigram mirror. The hollow spirit cultivator felt a searing pain in his sea of consciousness as his mirror fell uncontrollably. Ye Mo's Zi Xu sliced out with an Illusion Cloud Division strike, followed immediately by a whirlpool strike.

The hollow spirit state cultivator, still reeling from Ye Mo's spirit sense attack, saw countless purple sword rays sweeping across him, rapidly multiplying. What sword technique was this? He frantically retrieved his eight trigram mirror, creating countless mirror shadows to block the onslaught.

The sword rays crashed against the mirror with heavy thuds. Already injured, the hollow spirit cultivator felt the seemingly endless barrage of purple sword rays. He blocked the initial wave but spat out blood, reaching for a pill.

Before he could take it, Ye Mo's whirlpool strike, combined with the division strike, arrived. Had his sea of consciousness remained intact, he might have used the eight trigram mirror to deflect the strikes. But now, he struggled to even control the mirror, let alone block the relentless whirlpool strikes.

This absurdly powerful hollow spirit state level one cultivator! The hollow spirit state level four cultivator was shocked, the desire to flee overwhelming him. He knew he was outmatched. Even a level five or six hollow spirit state cultivator wouldn't fare much better.

Despite his dominance, Ye Mo was unsatisfied. He felt that while his five Illusion Cloud strikes, each with unique attributes, were powerful, he lacked a decisive move. His encounters always ended in stalemates. He hadn't displayed his full power, yet he remained unhappy. He needed an overwhelming strike to utterly crush his enemies, something the Illusion Cloud strikes couldn't currently provide.

Just as the hollow spirit state cultivator attempted to escape, Ye Mo sensed a drop in his opponent's power. Without hesitation, he slashed out with Zi Xu, holding it firmly in his hand. He pondered a domineering strike, and as he swung, enlightenment dawned.

The next moment, he didn't even look at the cultivator; he didn't care if he hit or missed. He closed his eyes and focused on unleashing his full strength.

Gan Liang, witnessing Ye Mo's dominance, wanted to check on his deceased martial uncle, but was captivated by Ye Mo's Illusion Cloud strikes. Proud of his wave sword technique, he now felt like a mere beginner. Then, he saw Ye Mo close his eyes and strike casually, only to see the hollow spirit state cultivator pause.

Ye Mo's purple sword unleashed a wave of purple sword rays, completely engulfing the cultivator. What sword technique was this? Gan Liang stared, dumbfounded, at Ye Mo's purple blade. This strike felt far more powerful than all his previous ones combined, conveying unrelenting pursuit and invincibility. He yearned to understand that feeling but couldn't.

Crack!

The sound of flesh rending echoed. The Infinity Sect's hollow spirit state cultivator and his eight trigram mirror were sliced in two by Ye Mo. His essence spirit was annihilated.

Ye Mo closed his eyes, reopening them after a long moment. Joy filled his eyes. He'd had a breakthrough, combining all his previous strikes into one. This strike consumed significant cultivation essence but possessed overwhelming power, capable of destroying anything in its path. Even a higher-level cultivator wouldn't withstand it, provided his spirit sense and cultivation essence held.

"Hua Mountain has one road; I just slice once."

Ye Mo gripped Zi Xu, knowing his Illusion Cloud strikes were finally half-complete. This was the sixth strike, the Illusion Cloud Hua Mountain strike.

He then took the hollow spirit state cultivator's storage ring and saw Gan Liang looking at him with admiration. "What did your martial uncle say?" Ye Mo asked.

Gan Liang quickly responded, "He told us to go to Tail Cliff. I believe the surviving sect members are there."

"Alright, let's go. Pack up your uncle's belongings and bury him," Ye Mo nodded.

...

Meanwhile, aboard a high-grade flying ship, four cultivators melancholically surrounded a heavily injured middle-aged man on a mattress.

The middle-aged man smiled. "Our Sword Valley has endured countless disasters, yet we stand. As long as one member survives, we can strike back. So what if it's the nine-star Infinity Sect? A Sword Valley member will annihilate them!"

He looked at the four cultivators. "My essence blood is destroyed; there's nothing I can do. I hope that if any of you survive, you'll remember our revenge. Sword Valley cultivators possess sword chi and sword bones. We don't fear death. What happened today is the Infinity Sect's doing."

"Yes, Sect Leader!" the four replied without hesitation.

Sadness flickered in the middle-aged man's eyes. "I owe Sword Valley; I failed to bring it to prosperity."

He then looked at a young female sect member. "Luo Fei, you know Pill King Ye. We went to Tail Cliff not to flee to the Heartless Sea, but to reach Pill City. Luo Fei, I name you the next Sect Leader. Take them from Tail Cliff to South Peace City, then use the teleportation formation to Pill City and seek Pill King Ye's protection. I've never met him, but since he dared kill Tian Aofeng, he must be a hero—he won't refuse."

"Huh..." Luo Fei was stunned. She hadn't expected this. She was only a foundation establishment state level nine cultivator, not even golden core.

The middle-aged man sighed. "Luo Fei, don't feel guilty. The Infinity Sect's attack wasn't solely because of you and Yun Ziyi. That He old man wanted our sword cultivation method, 'One Strike,' a supreme technique."