From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 30 The Night of Decisive Battle

The black-robed old man's cold gaze swept over us, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth: "Overestimating yourself!" Before he finished speaking, he flashed forward like a ghost, his long sword transforming into a black lightning bolt, aiming straight for my throat.

"Yao'er, be careful!" Li Yan exclaimed, waving the array flag in her hand. A golden shield appeared in front of me, blocking the fatal blow.

"Boom!" The golden light and black light collided, unleashing a deafening roar that shook the entire secret chamber and caused the restrictions around the altar to fluctuate violently.

"A good opportunity!" Li Yan seized the opportunity, waving the array flags in her hand one after another. The restrictive light around the altar quickly dimmed and eventually disappeared completely.

"Damn it!" the black-robed old man roared, forced to temporarily abandon his attack on me and turn his attention to Li Yan.

I naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass me by. The light of my spirit sword shone brightly, and a sharp sword aura shot straight towards the black-robed old man's back.

However, the old man in black robes lived up to his reputation as the leader of the evil forces; his strength was unfathomable. Without even turning his head, he struck out with his palm, and a powerful palm wind howled out, instantly shattering my sword energy.

"You ants dare to be so insolent before me!" The black-robed elder roared repeatedly, his figure moving like a ghost through the secret chamber. Every move he made carried a world-destroying power, and Li Yan and I could only barely cope, facing constant danger.

"This won't do, he'll pick us off one by one!" Li Yan said anxiously, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.

"I know!" I said through gritted teeth, my heart filled with anxiety. The black-robed elder's strength far exceeded our expectations. If this continued, he would eventually exhaust our spiritual energy, leaving us at his mercy.

Just then, my gaze fell upon the magical artifact in the center of the altar, and a glimmer of hope immediately arose in my heart: "Li Yan, let's join forces and use that artifact to deal with him!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yan's eyes lit up, and she saw hope. She nodded emphatically: "Okay!"

We exchanged a glance, both understanding each other's intentions. Without further hesitation, we rushed toward the center of the altar.

"Don't even think about it!" The old man in black robes naturally saw through our intentions. He roared and transformed into a black lightning bolt, blocking our way.

"Get out of my way!" I roared, and the spirit sword in my hand shone brightly, sending a sharp sword aura straight toward the face of the black-robed old man.

Li Yan also made her move at the same time, waving the array flags in her hand, and beams of golden light shot towards the black-robed old man.

However, the old man in black robes was simply too powerful. Faced with our combined attack, he neither dodged nor evaded, letting the sword energy and golden light fall on his body, producing a series of metallic clanging sounds.

"Hahaha, it's useless. Your attacks don't even scratch me!" the black-robed old man laughed wildly, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery.

Am I really going to die here today? My heart is filled with despair.

"No, I can't give up. I still need to find my brother, find out the truth, and..." I kept repeating these words in my mind, and my eyes gradually became firm.

"Li Yan, cover me!" I shouted, no longer holding back, and poured all the spiritual power in my body into the spiritual sword in my hand.

Li Yan knew that she had reached a critical moment of life and death, so she no longer hesitated. She waved the array flags in her hand like butterflies flitting among flowers, and golden light formed an impenetrable barrier, trapping the black-robed old man firmly inside.

"Break!" I seized the opportunity, raised my spirit sword high, and slashed fiercely at the black-robed old man.

"Not good!" The black-robed elder's expression changed drastically. He felt an unprecedented sense of crisis surge into his heart. He wanted to dodge, but it was already too late...

"boom!"

After a loud bang, the entire secret chamber fell into silence...

As the smoke cleared, I struggled to open my eyes, which had been stung by the bright light. The sight before us stunned both Li Yan and me. The old man in black robes, that arrogant and invincible symbol of evil, was now kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. His black robes were tattered, and his exposed skin was covered with horrific burn marks.

"How is this possible..." Li Yan murmured to herself, looking at everything in front of her in disbelief.

Only then did I notice that the old man in black robes had a jade pendant on his chest, which was emitting a faint black light, completely out of place with the evil aura surrounding him. Although the black light was weak, it exuded a righteous energy, as if it were desperately resisting something.

"This is... his weakness!" A thought flashed through my mind, and I remembered a saying I had read in an ancient book: some evil cultivators would use evil power to quickly improve their strength, but at the same time, they would also leave behind a fatal weakness, and this weakness was often related to what they once cherished most.

"Li Yan, attack that jade pendant!" I made a decisive move, and the light of my spirit sword shone even brighter. Sharp sword energies attacked the black-robed old man relentlessly, giving him no chance to breathe.

Li Yan also reacted, waving the array flags in her hand, and beams of golden light accurately struck the jade pendant.

"Ah!" The old man in black robes let out a shrill scream, and the jade pendant on his chest shone brightly, as if it would devour him entirely. He tried to stop it in terror, but to no avail.

"No! My power... my..." The old man in black robes roared more and more unwillingly, until it turned into a desperate wail. His whole body was swallowed up by the light emitted by the jade pendant, leaving not even a trace of ashes.

Li Yan and I collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. This battle had almost exhausted all of our spiritual energy.

I struggled to my feet, walked to the center of the altar, and picked up the magical artifact that emitted a faint golden light with trembling hands. A warm and powerful force instantly surged into my body, and I felt my cultivation level rapidly improving, while my previously depleted spiritual energy quickly recovered.

"Yao'er, how are you?" Li Yan also came over and looked at me with concern.

I looked at the magical artifact in my hand, then at Li Yan, and a relieved smile appeared on my face: "I'm alright, we won..."

Suddenly, the magical artifact in my hand shone brightly, and a dazzling pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing straight into the clouds... A strange premonition welled up in my heart, and before I could even speak, I felt a powerful suction force enveloping Li Yan and me...

"Yao'er, be careful!" Li Yan cried out in alarm, and then everything went dark...

"Welcome to the Outer Heavens." An aged yet majestic voice echoed in my ears... As my consciousness gradually returned, I found myself and Li Yan in a misty, ethereal realm. Beneath our feet lay a crystal-clear white jade floor, surrounded by pavilions and towers, resembling a celestial palace. Before I could even ask anything, the owner of the aged voice appeared. He had white hair but a youthful face, an air of otherworldly grace, and wore a white robe that made him seem like a banished immortal. "Congratulations, young friends, on successfully thwarting the evil forces' conspiracy and saving all living beings." The old man looked at us kindly, his eyes filled with admiration. "I am the guardian of the Outer Heavens, and the magical artifacts you possess are the keys to unlocking them."

In the days that followed, we returned to the cultivation world and told everyone what had happened. The news caused a sensation throughout the entire cultivation world. To celebrate this hard-won victory and to thank Li Yan and me for our contributions, the cultivation world held a grand celebration banquet for us.

Looking at the bustling crowd before me and listening to the deafening cheers, I felt a sense of unreality. Once, I was just a useless nobody ridiculed by everyone, but now, I stand at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, receiving the admiration of all.

"Yao'er, we did it!" Li Yan excitedly grasped my hand, her eyes welling up with tears. "We really did it."

Yes, we did it. I looked around and saw faces filled with joy and gratitude. I knew that my name and Li Yan's name would be forever etched in the annals of the cultivation world.

After the celebration banquet, Li Yan and I didn't choose to stay in any sect. Instead, we decided to continue our journey together to explore the wider world of cultivation. "Yao'er, what do you think our next destination will be?" Li Yan asked with great interest.

I gazed at the magnificent sunset on the horizon, my heart filled with anticipation for the future, "Perhaps..."

Just then, a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared in the sky, and a majestic voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth: "Xiao Yao, Li Yan, come to the Outer Heavens immediately!"

As the golden light faded, a storm raged within me. The Heavens Beyond the Heavens! What was that place? Legend says it was the abode of immortals, a sacred ground coveted by cultivators. Could this be our reward for ultimate victory?

I turned to look at Li Yan and found her staring at me in shock. We instinctively gripped each other's hands, our eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.

"It seems our adventure is far from over," I said with a smile, though my voice trembled slightly.

Li Yan nodded emphatically, her eyes shining with determination: "No matter what lies ahead, whether it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire or a paradise on earth, we will go and explore together!"

Without the slightest hesitation, we flew straight towards the golden light in the sky. I knew this was the guidance of fate, our new beginning.

In the days that followed, we packed our bags, bid farewell to the companions we had met on our adventure, and embarked on our journey to the Outer Heavens.

"Yao'er, what do you think Tianwaitian will be like?" Li Yan asked curiously along the way.

I shook my head and said with a smile, "I don't know either, but I think it will be even more exciting than we imagine."

We flew on our swords, piercing through the clouds and soaring over the mountains, the scenery before us becoming increasingly magnificent. I felt my heart expand along with this vast expanse of heaven and earth.

"Yao'er, look!" Li Yan suddenly exclaimed, pointing downwards.

I followed her gaze and saw below a vast, undulating palace complex, resplendent in gold and imposing in its grandeur. At the center of the palace complex stood a towering pagoda that seemed to pierce the clouds, its top shimmering with dazzling golden light, as if it were a bridge connecting heaven and earth.

"Is that the Outer Heaven?" I murmured to myself, my heart filled with awe and longing.

We landed in front of the palace complex, where two rows of guards in silver armor stood solemnly. Upon seeing us, they bowed respectfully and said, "Welcome, distinguished guests."

I took a deep breath, suppressing my excitement, and walked side by side with Li Yan into this mysterious and ancient land.

……

"Have you heard? The Immortal Sect Grand Competition will be held at the Tianxuan Sect next month!" I stopped in my tracks, hearing a murmur of conversation coming from inside a teahouse as I passed by...