In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 452 Everywhere the Eyes Look Are Formidable Enemies
At first glance, the golden sword energy seemed as light and weak as willow catkins drifting in the wind, but when it entered the area three zhang in front of Ba Shiba, it suddenly sank down.

It was as if the power of heaven and earth in that space had been rewoven with invisible threads.

Each sword aura no longer "drifts" but "falls".

The moves were extremely steady and precise, subtly creating momentum among the players, like the first set of stars in a game of chess. Seemingly scattered, they actually pinned down Ba Shiba's retreat routes, leverage points, and turning angles inch by inch.

Ba Shiba's eyes narrowed slightly.

He lightly touched the ground with his feet, shifted his body half a step back, his robe fluttering like clouds in the wind, and his hands remained clasped together, as if he wanted to use a single thought to determine all laws.

However, the sword energy did not follow his physical position, but rather his momentum.

As he took a step back, the sword energy pressed forward accordingly; when he tried to use the wind to get up, the sword energy formed a thin, silken sword intent an inch above him, precisely cutting off the path of borrowing strength.

It's not an encirclement and suppression, it's a market freeze.

"Chess Domain?"

Ba Shiba slowly uttered the word, his voice still gentle, but with a hint of imperceptible solemnity.

The fact that he realized something was wrong so quickly is enough to show that Ba Shiba's martial arts skills and knowledge are definitely superior to Zhu Qiyang's.

Gu Shaoan did not answer, but simply flicked his right index finger again.

"Om~"

The next instant, the golden sword energy was no longer a straightforward killing strike, but rather they were intertwined and shifted positions.

The three sword energies on the left suddenly spun slightly, as if they were about to circle around to Ba Shiba's back; the five sword energies on the right suddenly slowed down, as if they were deliberately leaving a "way out".

That path to survival looked extremely tempting.

As long as Bashiba slips through that gap, he can temporarily avoid the brunt of the attack.

But Bashiba did not move.

Because in the reflection of his spiritual energy, that "path to survival" was not a path to survival, but a deeper trap: once he stepped into it, the sword energy on both sides would take advantage of the situation to close in, turning into a "closing gate attack" that would force him into the most unfavorable position.

Gu Shaoan's move was no longer a simple sword technique, but a game of swordsmanship using the sword as a piece, the domain as a board, and the heavens and earth as a force.

"Playing chess or swords?"

Eighth Master Ba's eyes flashed, he softly recited a Buddhist chant, and then spread his palms apart.

The profound spiritual energy, as thick as lead and mercury, transformed into an invisible ripple that spread out from beneath his feet, like the sound of a bell entering water, attempting to disrupt Gu Shaoan's perception and create turbulent waves on the "surface" of this sword domain.

But the ripples had only spread for a foot before the spiritual energy emanating from Ba Shiba was shattered by the omnipresent sword intent within the sword domain.

Gu Shaoan's sword intent was like countless fine blades, twisting the invisible ripples into countless fragments, until they could no longer form a "wave".

A strange light flashed in Ba Shiba's eyes.

It seemed that Gu Shaoan's current energy was so strange that it could so easily shatter his condensed spiritual energy.

Looking at the golden sword energy drifting in like willow catkins, Ba Shiba knew he could not retreat any further and could only forcefully unleash his Three Flowers One Palm technique to push out.

The movements were as gentle and slow as the Buddha holding up a flower.

When he pushed his palms out, Bashiba even carried a sense of saintly compassion.

The palm strike of Ba Shiba was not fast, but it was as heavy as a mountain shifting.

The air in front of his palm was compressed into layers of wrinkles, and even the golden sword energy was pressed down, as if it were about to be crushed into dust by an invisible boulder.

Bashiba's strength in the Yuan Dynasty was second only to Meng Chixing.

Having been immersed in the "God-Slaying Palm" for many years, he naturally cultivated this martial art to the level of "using intention to transform the domain".

Besides the "Heaven-Changing and Earth-Striking Great Technique" used by the Eighth Master Ba, there is another technique in Tantric Buddhism called "God-Slaying Palm," which is also a secret transmission of Tantric Buddhism.

When combined with the "Heaven and Earth Strike Technique," the spiritual energy of the "Heaven and Earth Strike Technique" can be amplified even more when combined with the "God-Slaying Palm."

Just like this palm strike from Master Ba at this moment, the palm force was still close, but the palm intent arrived first.

As this palm strike was pushed out, the surrounding power and momentum of heaven and earth were also drawn down and merged into Bashiba's palm strike.

This caused the Eighth Master's palm to appear as if it were enveloped in a ball of crimson fire.

Gu Shaoan could feel that a cold, annihilating aura suddenly filled the area three zhang around Ba Shiba.

Adding to this the terrifying spiritual energy contained in that palm strike, it gave one the feeling of wanting to extinguish and obliterate the opponent's thoughts and will.

If it were anyone else, even someone at the Celestial Realm, their mind might waver under this palm strike.

However, just as the energy field formed by Ba Shiba's "Destroying God Palm" had spread to three zhang, sword cries quietly echoed from the air. Strands of invisible sword energy instantly dissipated the energy gathered around Ba Shiba and then frantically squeezed towards him.

In an instant, Ba Shiba's usual energy domain, which could cover a range of thirty feet around him, was suppressed to a range of only one foot by Gu Shaoan's sword domain.

"how is this possible?"

Upon realizing that his domain realm was being suppressed, Ba Shiba's face showed a look of horror for the first time.

Seeing that the golden, willow-like sword energy was less than three zhang away from him, Ba Shiba dared not delay. With the Three Flowers within his body trembling, he turned one hand into two and frantically slapped at the sky, like a thousand-armed Buddha, bringing up a sky full of crimson palm shadows, which collided with the rain of dense sword energy.

"Puff, puff, puff"

In an instant, a series of explosions suddenly appeared in the air, and the sword energy was dispersed, creating aftershocks.

As the residual sword energy carrying the sword's momentum dissipated, it quickly left shocking sword marks all over Ba Shiba's body.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Ba Shiba could faintly smell a delicate orchid fragrance amidst the dissipating aftershocks of the sword energy.

But in the next instant, Bashiba's attention was drawn to the remaining sword energy around him.

A strong wind howled, and the Eighth Master Ba's cassock fluttered in the wind.

After scattering the last golden sword energy with his bare palm, the remaining force finally forced Ba Shiba to take a half step back.

The retreat was extremely subtle, yet extremely clear.

This retreat was a forced concession.

And from this moment on, Gu Shaoan's chessboard was truly laid out.

Just as Bashiba retreated, Gu Shaoan pointed his finger three times, and three golden sword energies landed simultaneously, just like three stones landing on key points beside Bashiba, sealing the left, locking the right, and forcing the center.

The sword energy didn't get close, yet all three sword energies were aimed at Ba Shiba's vital points.

Ba Shiba attempted to revive the "Heaven-Changing Earth-Striking Technique" again, forcibly condensing a protective barrier of qi three zhang around his body to block the three sword qi. Then, he combined his spiritual energy with his own qi and chanted Buddhist scriptures, transforming them into wisps of "Buddhist sound illusions" that surged towards Gu Shaoan.

Before the spiritual energy-infused Qi Yuan could even get close, it was ruthlessly torn apart by Gu Shaoan's sword intent permeating his sword domain and the magnificent intent of the Heavenly Sword Realm. With the attack broken, the stagnation of spiritual energy and Qi Yuan caused Ba Shiba to feel a moment of suffocation, making it difficult for him to continue reciting the Buddhist scriptures.

Immediately afterwards, several sword energies condensed out of thin air and rushed towards Bashiba, also aiming directly at Bashiba's vital points.

While several sword energies were still aimed at different vital points on Ba Shiba's body, the landing points of these sword energies also blocked Ba Shiba's movement routes in the front, back, and right.

Ba Shiba could only move to the left while raising his hand to deal with the three sword energies.

Just as Bashiba moved to the left, a gentle breeze happened to blow from the left. Then, when it was about two zhang away from Bashiba, the breeze seemed to suddenly come alive, turning from gentle to fierce and sharp, forcing Bashiba to deal with it in a panic.

Meanwhile, the sounds of fighting rose and fell on the other side of the camp. Si Hanfei's spear shadow swirled like a black dragon, and Xuanmie and Dushan's combined attack shook the tents to pieces. Zhu Houzhao and Wang Yizhao were also locked in a fierce battle with Lengyan and the others, the flashing blades and blood staining the wind and sofa red.

Between Gu Shaoan and Ba Shiba, this sword domain was like a separate world, eerily quiet.

The stillness was so profound that every move made felt like a pronouncement of judgment.

At this moment, Bashiba experienced a rare feeling for the first time during the battle:

He clearly still possesses palm techniques, mental secret skills, and profound knowledge of the Celestial Realm;
But within this sword domain, every step he took seemed to have been calculated in advance.

He tried to launch a strong attack, but his strength was broken down. He tried to use mental magic to confuse Gu Shaoan, but his mental energy was broken by Gu Shaoan in a way that he could not understand at all.

He wanted to take advantage of the situation, but the power of heaven and earth and the wind seemed to be on Gu Shaoan's side.

It was as if someone stood on a higher place, having foreseen every step he could take, and then placed a rapier at each step.

Ba Shiba's eyes closed slightly and then opened again, and a crack finally appeared in the composure in his eyes.

"What a fine combination of chess and swordsmanship."

Gu Shaoan remained calm.

Instead of seizing the opportunity to unleash a devastating attack, he continued to advance by placing pieces, gradually bringing the game to a close like the most composed chess player.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the aftershocks of Gu Shaoan's sword energy not only enveloped Ba Shiba, but also transformed into invisible gusts of wind that spread throughout the entire camp.

At this moment, just as Bashiba blocked another golden sword aura in front of him, sword auras spread like a net within three zhang around Bashiba, their killing intent hidden yet omnipresent.

Ba Shiba raised his palm to strike, but found that a sword aura hovered half an inch away from where his palm would strike, as if waiting for him.

For the first time, he truly felt "oppressed" in front of Gu Shaoan.

A form of suppression at the level of martial arts.

A kind of suppression that was beyond Bashiba's comprehension.

He couldn't understand why a martial artist who had condensed his inner energy could so easily manipulate the power and momentum of heaven and earth.

It's also hard to understand how Gu Shaoan was able to anticipate his opponent's every move and anticipate his every step.

For a martial artist, being weaker than others is not scary.

The worst situation is someone like Ba Shiba, who can't even understand the enemy's methods and attacks, thus falling into a passive position.

Seemingly sensing that his mind was starting to go haywire, and knowing that he could not continue, Ba Shiba forcibly blocked dozens of sword energies coming at him again. Instead of stopping, he immediately raised his right hand and struck out at Gu Shaoan with a palm in a flower-picking gesture.

The power of Qi and blood, the essence of Qi, and the spiritual energy all combined with the power and momentum of heaven and earth to condense in the air into a five-zhang-long crimson palm print that swept towards Gu Shaoan.

As they passed, ripples spread out like waves on water, and bursts of air-exploding sounds rose and fell.

Faced with this scene, Gu Shaoan remained calm. He lightly pointed his sword finger, and the sword intent three zhang in front of him, combined with Gu Shaoan's internal energy and blood power, instantly condensed into a slender golden thread by drawing upon the power of heaven and earth.

As the golden thread pierced the air and touched the palm shadow of Ba Shiba, it was like a red-hot silver needle piercing a balloon, piercing the palm shadow with a fierce force, and then continuing towards Ba Shiba with an indomitable will.

Faced with the condensed sword energy as thin as a golden thread, Ba Shiba suddenly felt a chill rise in his heart. Almost instinctively, he dodged and once again raised a protective aura around his body.

Just as Ba Shiba turned to the side, he happened to see a wisp of condensed golden sword energy enter his peripheral vision, then pass through the protective aura shield in front of him and sweep past his chest.

Even though the sword energy was still nearly three inches away from Ba Shiba, the moment it passed in front of him, Ba Shiba suddenly felt a chill on his chest, followed by a sharp pain.

Looking down, Bashiba saw that a cut had been made on his monk's robe at the chest, and a thin line of blood quickly appeared from the chest.

"Such refined sword energy."

Recalling the golden sword energy from just now, Ba Shiba felt a lingering fear in his heart.

If he had tried to forcefully block the attack in his haste, that wisp of sword energy would not have just passed through his chest, but would have directly torn through his protective aura and then passed right through his body.

"How could his strength be so high?"

At this moment, the terrifying strength that Gu Shaoan displayed and the strange and incredibly powerful sword domain gave Ba Shiba a sudden chill down his spine.

He never imagined that there would be such a prodigy as Gu Shaoan in the world.

His internal energy cultivation level is only at the stage of condensing primordial energy into qi, yet his strength is already this high?

Before Ba Shiba could think further, Gu Shaoan stepped forward at the camp gate, flicking his long sleeves lightly.

Nearly a hundred sword energies sprang up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, forming out of thin air five zhang in front of Ba Shiba.

The sword energy can be either as gloomy and restrained as the afterglow of the setting sun, or as biting and chilling as the cold winter wind.

As the sword energy rushed towards Bashiba, Bashiba felt as if he were in a sword tomb filled with thousands of precious swords.

The chilling, sharp sword energy emanated from all directions, seeping into his body through his pores.

Having just exchanged blows, Ba Shiba no longer dared to underestimate Gu Shaoan in the slightest.

He activated the three flowers within his body to their fullest extent, unleashing all the knowledge he had acquired in his life at this moment.

Even so, when all the sword energy dissipated, Ba Shiba already had several sword marks on his arms, abdomen, and back.

Faced with this scene, Bashiba couldn't help but say, "This humble monk can't hold on any longer. How long are you going to wait?"

The instant those words were uttered, within the camp, Si Hanfei, Master Xuanmie, Master Dushan, along with Zhu Houzhao, Wang Yizhao, Lengyan, and more than a dozen other martial artists from the Great Yuan Kingdom who had reached the Qi Condensation stage, all simultaneously used their lightness skills to surround Gu Shaoan.

The hot air, carrying the aftershocks of everyone's rapid movement, transformed into gusts of wind that blew towards Gu Shaoan from all directions.

The surrounding yellow sand rose with the wind, and the once noisy camp became eerily quiet in an instant.

The situation became clear in an instant.

From the very beginning, the real target of this mission to intercept and kill someone in the Great Yuan Kingdom was only one person.

That was Gu Shaoan.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan saw only formidable enemies in his field of vision.

(End of this chapter)