Chapter 361  : Half-Step Away From Immortal State

The middle-aged man was thin but well built nonetheless with nearly perfect proportions.

He sat on the floor with his legs folded, resting a Katana sideways in his lap. The sheath of the blade was worn and had seen better days. The pattern on its handle had faded due to repetitive use. This seemingly ordinary katana laid casually in this man’s lap was, in fact, one of the most infamous weapons in Japan. The man sat with his back facing Chen Fan. He looked into the distant night sky and said nonchalantly.

“Did you know that the Tokyo Tower was the tallest building in Tokyo as well as in Japan? We can have a view of the entire city from here. You and me, we are not only standing at the highest point in Japan but also that of martial arts.”

The middle-aged man’s Chinese was fluent, and his accent was nearly indistinguishable. Takemiya Hiro was born in the early 20th century and all Japanese born during that time period spoke Chinese to some degree.

Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and looked into the distant sprawling city.

The night was old and the city was lit up with lights that helped Chen Fan trace the outline of the city. A vague dark looming shadow at the end of the glittering lights was Mount Fuji.

Meanwhile, right underneath the tower was a wash of lights. The wind came up, howling around Chen Fan’s ears.

“Only here, the highest point of Japan could bear the significance of our battle.”

Takemiya Hiro heaved a sigh and rose to his feet. He turned around to look at Chen Fan. Chen Fan was caught by surprise to see Takemiya Hiro looked like at the most in his thirties.

“Chen San, we might as well have reached the end of our martial arts journey in the mortal world. Once we reach the immortal state, we would live without the worldly burdens and be truly free. My life was punctuated by seemingly powerful foes, but all of them had disappointed me until you showed up.” After he said that, he bowed to Chen Fan deeply with genuine respect and appreciation.

It was as if he was thanking the gods for finally sending him a worthy opponent.

His devotion to his art had formed a glinting light in his eyes.

Only the most determined cultivator could have lived in seclusion for decades to contemplate the key to his final enlightenment. Chen Fan knew of only one more cultivator who could match such dedication, and that man was Lei Qianjue.

“If I didn’t kill Lei Qianjue, he might have been able to reach Takemiya’s level of attainment in ten years.”

Chen Fan thought to himself.

The wind howled past the two men with great ferocity. Any ordinary man would be rendered ungainly and heady by the gale. However, Takemiya Hiro had planted his feet firmly to the ground and stood firmly like a flag pole.

Chen Fan listened intently to the coursing energy inside of his opponent. He could sense the energy’s heaviness as if mercury at boiling point, that his soul energy was as strong and unwavering as a rocky mountain.

The Sword Sage of japan and honed his physique and soul energy to perfection over the decades, far exceeding that of Lei Qianjue. His internal force was as powerful and vast as that of an Immortal State cultivator.

Only at Takemiya Hiro’s level was one truly half-step away from Immortal State. All he needed was a push, a catalyst to force his soul energy, external force, and internal force into one to reach Immortal State and became a true legend.

“It’s a pity that you have not yet reached immortal state.” Chen Fan linked his hands behind his back and heaved a sigh.

The difference between Immortal State cultivators and those at Transcendent State were much greater than what it appeared on the paper.

Once a cultivator reached Immortal State, his external force, internal force and soul energy would blend into one to form the basis for the Connate Dao Body during the Connate Spirit Level. By then, the cultivator would no longer be a mortal, instead became half-mortal and half ethereal. That was why a Connate Cultivator could live without any usual sustenance for hundreds of years.

“I can kill you even if you are of Immortal State.” Chen Fan cracked a disdainful smirk and announced almost lazily: “Come at me now. I don’t have all the time in the world.”

“Chen Beixuan, you are a fool to think that you know how powerful Immortal State is.”

Takemiya Hiro narrowed his gleaming eyes after he heard Chen Fan’s words. “Your smooth sailing has made you arrogant and foolish. I have seen Immortal State Cultivators in action with my own eyes, you would never imagine such power. It is far greater than you and Lord Susano.”

“Lord Susano was just a Ghost Spirit without any grip in the real world. His power was a far cry from that of an Immortal Cultivator.”

“Oh, so you have seen Immortal Cultivators?”

The conversation finally caught Chen Fan’s interest. He rose his eyebrows and asked curiously.

“That was a long time ago.” Takemiya Hiro brushed the question off quickly as if he didn’t want to bring it up again. He then spoke in a harsh voice: “today, I will use you to help me enter the Immortal State and became invincible!”

So saying, he thrust the blade into a wall and shot out a hand.

Did Takemiya Hiro want to fight Chen Fan without using a weapon? Was he really that confident of his victory?

“You? Kill me? Haha! I will do away with you even if you are of Immortal State, much less you at your current state.” Chen Fan laughed out loud.

“Humph! Ignorant fool! You will bring those thoughts with you to your grave today.”

Takemiya Hiro snorted as his eyes grew cold. He no longer wasted time talking as he hacked at the air with the side of his palm.

“Sssth-Wack!”

A powerful gale came up in the void dimension.

Takemiya Hiro had shot out a pulse of Blade Qi that sliced through the Void Dimension and appeared in the real world with a screech as it flew toward Chen Fan.

Before the actual attack reached Chen Fan, a wave of Blade Qi arrived first. The viewing platform was made out of steel and the structure moaned and squeaked under the enormous strain. Then came the sound of blade scraping against metal that projected a powerful intent to kill around Chen Fan.

At Takemiya Hiro’s level, the line between a Martial arts strike and that of Soul energy had blurred.

Such was the might of Dual Cultivation of Dharma Spell and Martial Arts, that a Martial Artist, even without any Dharmic powers, could unload incredible destruction by using the Power of Heaven and Earth.

“Break!”

Chen Fan punched readily.

The hefty True Essence in the azure-colored fist aura condensed and formed a beam of light and lanced at the silvery blade auras in a head-on collision. Once Chen Fan had reached the Ethereal Enlightenment level, his True Essence was over ten times stronger than when he was at Foundation Establishment level. This punch could have pulverized even Lu Tianfen.

“Kaboom!”

The silvery Blade Auras and the azure-colored Fist Qi collided.

A deep thunderous boom erupted at the top of the Tokyo tower, sending out a shock wave that ripped out the railing on the tower. Even the steel behemoth moaned after the explosive impact.

The first exchange of fire let out the same amount of destruction as a collision of two semi-trucks. The blaring impact reverberated across the sky and could be heard hundreds of miles away.

“Huh?”

Takemiya Hiro’s face changed color after he was staggered by the impact. Meanwhile, Chen Fan’s body barely moved.

The match was practically over after the first round. Takemiya Hiro’s internal force was powerful and his blade skills impeccable, however, he was no match against Chen Fan. Although Chen Fan had only reached the mid-stage of the Ethereal Enlightenment level, the Azure Thearch Longevity Art was one of the most sacred and powerful arts in the known universe. Therefore, his True Essence was way ahead of anyone of the same level.

The outcome of the first round of attacks had already taken the wind out of Takemiya Hiro. He had gained his Internal Force with nearly a hundred years of cultivation. He had spent the last forty years perfecting it until it was so concentrated and pure that it could take physical form in the real world.

However, Chen Fan’s True Essence had easily trumped his Internal Force. When his blade landed on it, he felt it had landed on an unwavering rock and the hard impact churned his internal force, rendering it unstable.

Worse, Chen Fan was unharmed. His powerful blade attack didn’t even have any effect on him.

“How is that possible?”

Takemiya Hiro was stunned.

Even Zeus the Thunder Lord dared not to take the brunt of the force of my attack.

“It’s not real!”

Takemiya Hiro shouted madly. He repeated his last attack with even more ferociousness. The Blade Auras surged until they were fifteen meters long, looking like a beacon of light that threatened to pierce the night sky. Takemiya Hiro had fully committed himself to this blow, just as he had when he severed open a ten-meter wide waterfall with bare hands some decades ago.

The blade bore down on Chen Fan with an icy and deadly intent, like that of a violent winter hail.

Chen Fan acted almost casually. He extended two fingers from which a Blade Qi grew out and then he hacked back.

Mystic Art of Five Elements Immortal Sect: Azure Wood Qi Blade!

The Blade Qi scintillated against the dark night. Although it was only three meters long, much shorter than his opponent’s, it was packed with deadly energy. A flame as thin as a needle danced in the ethereal azure light.

Chen Fan hacked down.

“Kacha!”

A loud snapping sound was followed by Takemiya Hiro’s incredulous expression. He watched, in disbelief, as the shorter azure Blade Qi sliced his longer Blade Qi in half from the middle. It looked like a small dagger had split a large tree trunk. The deadly energy in his attack dissolved almost instantly into a gentle breeze. So unswerving was Chen Fan’s Divine Will that it was unaffected by Takemiya Hiro’s attack.

“Size doesn’t always matter.”

Chen Fan cracked a smirk.

Takemiya Hiro was fighting a losing battle should he continue to bet on his Internal Force. Any Immortal Cultivator’s True Essence would be much more reliable and powerful than his Internal Force, much less the True Essence that was refined by the mystic art of Azure Wood Qi Blade.

Chen Fan’s body flickered out of view and reappeared right before Takemiya Hiro in half a heartbeat. He brought the Blade Auras around and hacked at Takemiya Hiro with abandon. Takemiya Hiro believed that Chen Fan’s attack was intended to kill since it was able to shred through a few meter thick steel plates.

Takemiya Hiro heaved a sigh and gave in. He reached out to the handle of the blade.

“Kacha!”

A crack of silvery lightning scared the night sky as the infamous Current Breaker was out of its cage once again.