"You will have your men fall back. The battle will take place outside my sect. If your men approach during the fight, I will show no mercy." she said, staring at him without emotion, though her threat was firm.
She feared it might be a trap, so she gave a warning to guard against such a possibility.
Tian Zhu nodded, passed control of the ship to Lie Zheng, and calmly flew out, without using a sword.
Cultivators at the Golden Core realm could fly without relying on external tools, using the power of their golden core to lift and propel their bodies directly. This core normally resides within them, though they may eject it to perform powerful attacks. However, doing so is extremely risky—once exposed, the core becomes a vulnerable target, and its destruction means certain death.
Thus, a cultivator's golden core was their ultimate weapon—immensely powerful and useful—so supporting one's body in the air using only it was a simple and highly energy-efficient feat at that level.
Lie Zheng, who had received control of the ship, immediately had it retreat along with the other elders on board, putting more distance between themselves and the Bamboo Sword Sect.
Tian Zhu also retreated and calmly descended to the ground, landing a good distance from the sect, making space for Jian Huiyin to come out.
And she did so fearlessly.
Flying forward with an indifferent expression and her silver hair fluttering, she stopped about ten meters from Tian Zhu.
Her delicate white feet touched the ground and slid lightly as she stepped into a combat stance, drawing the bamboo sword at her waist—still sheathed.
Aotian found it interesting. She didn't carry her sword in a storage ring, but rather at her waist. And more than that, she kept it sheathed.
'Could it be...' a thought passed through Aotian's mind, and he grew even more intrigued.
Tian Zhu placed one hand behind his back and the other in front of his body, with his index and middle fingers together and extended, and his thumb resting over the folded ring and pinky fingers.
His handsome, expressionless face, combined with his powerful aura, gave him an ethereal temperament in that stance.
Even the elders of the Bamboo Sword Sect couldn't help but feel a bit of awe at that transcendent demeanor.
Jian Huiyin didn't show she was impressed, but her behavior grew more cautious, and her gaze sharper.
The metallic elements in the surroundings began to stir, and without hesitation, she dashed forward. A terrifying sound like a sword echoed—as if her very body were a blade.
Her silver eyes left trails of light from her speed, and in the blink of an eye, she was already in front of Tian Zhu, delivering a deadly strike with the bamboo sword.
Though still sheathed, the power and technique behind the strike made it clear: if it hit an unguarded body, it would certainly sever it.
Tian Zhu's eyes grew serious, and his hand ignited in flames. He then punched forward, and a burst—or rather, a pillar—of fire surged, trying to engulf Jian Huiyin.
She, however, was undeterred by the torrent of flames. With a downward slash, she cut through the fire.
But after dispersing the flames, her sword hit only air—Tian Zhu was no longer there.
Even so, the sharp wind blast from the sword strike alone was enough to carve a path stretching dozens of meters.
'Fierce! And strong!' Aotian admired her internally. Her strength was far greater than he had expected from an ordinary cultivator at the third stage.
Jian Huiyin's eyes narrowed as she scanned the now dust-filled battlefield, searching for the enemy.
She tried to sense his aura, but couldn't find it.
"Behind you." Tian Zhu's calm voice sounded.
Without hesitation, the bamboo sword spun in her hand, and with a reverse grip, she thrust backward.
Blue defensive flames appeared on Tian Zhu's right arm, and he struck the sword's sheath, deflecting the blow to the side and preventing it from piercing his heart.
At the same moment, his left hand ignited in golden flames and struck her chest without hesitation, sending her flying.
Jian Huiyin bounced twice on the ground before stabilizing herself mid-air with spiritual energy, then drove her delicate bare feet into the ground to stop her momentum—skidding for several more meters, showing the force behind Tian Zhu's blow.
Still, after stopping, she raised her sword once again and assumed a battle stance.
Despite the burning in her chest and the painful breathing, she showed nothing on her face. Her expression remained stoic, as if nothing had happened.
Aotian, inwardly, was also surprised. If not for his numerous perspectives and minds, combined with Tian Zhu being at the late stage of Golden Core, he might have been slightly injured from being caught off guard by her immediate and unexpected counterattack.
'Damn, I can't afford to be arrogant. She's the leader of a Golden Core sect, and from the information I gathered, it's not just been a few years but decades—maybe even a full century in that position. That means she's been a Golden Core cultivator for at least a hundred years. Her combat experience is no joke. And more than that, she doesn't seem like an ordinary cultivator—her power surpasses her actual level.' He thought, cautiously.
At that moment, Jian Huiyin wore an extremely solemn expression as she stared at the indifferent Tian Zhu, who had once again placed one hand behind his back.
If it were under normal circumstances, she would be thrilled by this battle, for she loved to fight. However, her responsibility as sect leader was above her desires and will, so for the sake of the sect, she wouldn't allow herself to enjoy the fight or act recklessly.
"I suggest we end this battle here. You are indeed strong, but if this fight continues, it won't benefit either of us." she said with no emotion on her face, but her eyes were serious and honest.
She grasped the hilt of her bamboo sword with her right hand and brought it to her waist. With slight hesitation, she placed her left hand over the sheath and held it.
Her stance was the classic form of someone about to draw their sword.
Tian Zhu observed her posture, then withdrew his hand from behind his back.
"You've been nurturing the sword, concealing the edge?" Tian Zhu said calmly.
The concept of hiding the edge and nurturing the sword was something Aotian was extremely familiar with from the Xianxias he had read in his past life, so he grew much more serious.
It was mainly based on the idea that a sword cultivator, by keeping their weapon sheathed and never drawing it, could continuously nourish it with their spiritual energy, will, and sword intent. Over time, the blade would be infused with growing power until, at the moment of release, it would unleash a terrifying strike, far beyond the cultivator's real level.
It was a one-time attack, consuming years of nurturing, but served as an excellent trump card.
He had considered that possibility when he saw her earlier not unsheathing her sword, but hadn't taken it too seriously. After exchanging a few blows with the woman, however, he no longer dared to be blindly confident in front of her.
"Yes. I haven't drawn my sword in a hundred years. If I unleash it now, even if you're at the Golden Core perfection stage, you'll still lose some flesh." She explained, hoping he would back off.
The truth was, this was her trump card, which she had been nurturing for a century. She didn't want to waste it unnecessarily—after all, as long as this card remained in her hand, her sect had another layer of protection.
But she also had to decide whether to use it or not, because she had already realized she was no match for the man before her, even with her special physique, just from their two earlier exchanges.
Jian Huiyin judged that he must be in the advanced stage of Golden Core. If she allowed the fight to continue without using her trump card, she might not get another chance to use it—and would pay dearly for her foolishness. That's why she gave an ultimatum now.
Aotian understood this too, and for a moment, he felt conflicted about what to do.
Tian Zhu remained silent as he thought.
'With the position bonus, Tian Zhu should be about as strong as a Golden Core cultivator at the perfection stage. After all, it's a threefold boost based on his current 7th level. In this realm, the gap between levels is larger than in the previous ones, but not so wide that a 7th-level would be instantly crushed by a 9th. Still, a cultivator at perfection should be able to overpower someone at the 7th level—and tripling Tian Zhu's strength should achieve the same effect. So, his overall combat power is probably on par with perfection.' Aotian pondered, still uncertain.
He'd never had an avatar above the 7th level of Golden Core—except for Bao Wuji, but he had arrived already at the 7th level of Nascent Soul, so he didn't serve as a useful comparison.
Even though he felt somewhat confident in his calculations, based on prior realm comparisons, he still wondered if it was worth the risk to bet on it.
'I need to consider that this applies to normal levels, but with my synthesized Foundation Establishment spells, my power is considerably greater at the same level. But there's also the issue that I don't want to harm them, and forcing them to use their trump card goes against that idea.' he pondered.
Everything had happened very fast—from the beginning of the battle to Aotian's thoughts.
In the end, he found only one path that balanced both worlds.
Tian Zhu slightly lifted his chin and locked eyes with Jian Huiyin.