Seven Mysterious Spaces: My Rise to Power in the Cultivation World

Zhuang Yu gripped the divine weapon tightly, and the surging power within him was like a rushing river, threatening to burst his flesh and meridians.

He could clearly feel the connection between the artifact and his own bloodline, and the sense of control over that power filled him with an indescribable sense of pride.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as he swept it toward the ashen-faced Master Zixiao and his disciples in the distance.

His eyes shone with a tangible confidence, carrying an aura of dominance that seemed to look down upon the world.

Master Zixiao felt a surge of fear upon sensing the powerful aura emanating from Zhuang Yu.

That was a power that no early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator could possess; rather, it was an oppressive force akin to the descent of an ancient god, making it hard for him to breathe.

He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, his eyes fixed on the divine weapon in Zhuang Yu's hand, his heart filled with resentment.

He had planned for many years, but at the last moment, a young upstart who appeared out of nowhere stole his chance. How could he swallow this insult?

Standing beside Master Zixiao, Li Ming saw that his master thought Zhuang Yu had only just obtained the divine artifact and would certainly not be able to use it skillfully. As a cultivator in the late stage of Core Formation, how could he be afraid of him?

He shouted loudly, his figure flashed like lightning, and he transformed into a streak of light, rushing straight towards Zhuang Yu.

"Boy, don't be so arrogant! I'll cut you down with my sword today!"

Li Ming was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye he rushed in front of Zhuang Yu.

The sharp sword energy tore through the air, emitting a piercing whistle.

Seeing this, Master Zixiao tried to speak up to stop it, but it was too late.

He clenched his fists tightly, cursing Li Ming for being stupid in his heart, but at the same time, he secretly hoped that Li Ming might actually cause some trouble for Zhuang Yu, so that he could buy himself some time.

Zhuang Yu's lips curled into a cold smile. Facing Li Ming's fierce attack, he didn't even move an inch.

The artifact in his hand emitted a faint glow, as if a sleeping behemoth was about to awaken.

He simply waved the divine weapon lightly...

Zhuang Yu simply waved the divine weapon lightly, and a dazzling light shot out like lightning piercing the night sky.

This light was not a physical entity, yet it contained a chilling pressure and moved at an incredible speed.

Li Ming had no time to dodge, or even to react, before being struck by the beam of light.

He let out a scream and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

He struggled to get up, but found that his whole body was sore and numb, and he couldn't move. He looked utterly pathetic.

The cultivators watching from the sidelines exclaimed in amazement.

They originally thought that Zhuang Yu, having just obtained the divine artifact, might not be able to use it freely, but they did not expect him to defeat Li Ming, who was in the late stage of Core Formation, so easily.

This gave them a new understanding of Zhuang Yu's strength and filled them with awe for that divine artifact.

When Master Zixiao saw this, his face became even more gloomy.

He knew he could no longer stand idly by.

He took a deep breath, his hands quickly forming hand seals, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted like a tide, transforming into several ferocious dragons that roared and pounced towards Zhuang Yu.

The dragon's scales gleamed with a cold light, its sharp claws exuded a chilling aura, and the oppressive aura it emanated caused the surrounding space to distort slightly.

Despite facing Master Zixiao's ultimate move, Zhuang Yu remained unfazed.

With a thought, the divine artifact in his hand shone brightly, forming an indestructible shield that firmly protected him within it.

The dragon crashed into the shield with a deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting open.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate, the surrounding space trembled violently, and a gale howled, with sand and stones flying everywhere.

The cultivators watching from the sidelines watched this earth-shattering battle with bated breath, not daring to even breathe.

They knew that the outcome of this battle would determine their fate.

Master Zixiao's face flushed red, and veins bulged on his forehead, clearly indicating that he had used all his strength.

But to his horror, he discovered that despite his best efforts, he was still unable to break through the shield protecting Zhuang Yu.

Just as he was about to give up, Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile, and he slowly said, "Zi Xiao, do you think this is all my strength?" Wang Yao stood behind Zhuang Yu, looking at his tall and straight back, her eyes filled with admiration.

The confident and powerful aura he exuded when wielding his divine weapon deeply attracted her.

She knew that the young man before her was no longer the naive boy who had just entered the world of cultivation, but a truly reliable and powerful figure.

She clasped her hands together and silently prayed for Zhuang Yu. A warm feeling welled up in her heart, and her presence seemed to bring him a sense of peace.

Zhuang Yu felt Wang Yao's gaze behind him. He turned around and glanced at her. It was a different kind of gaze than the sharpness he had during battle. It was a gentle, spring-like gaze that seemed to dispel all gloom.

He smiled slightly, then turned his head and fixed his gaze on Master Zixiao once again.

He knew that now was not the time for sentimentality; the enemy before him had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

Seeing that Zhuang Yu was still distracted by communicating with others, Master Zixiao's anger intensified, and he frantically increased his spiritual power output.

The giant dragon formed from spiritual energy, like a roaring ancient beast, kept crashing into the shield in front of Zhuang Yu.

Each impact produced a deafening roar, like thunder exploding in one's ears.

Zhuang Yu's shield began to show fine cracks, as if fragile glass was about to shatter, making a teeth-grinding cracking sound.

Zhuang Yu felt immense pressure emanating from the shield, and his body trembled slightly.

It felt like carrying a giant mountain on my back, and every inch of my skin was being torn apart by pain.

His face turned pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

But he gritted his teeth, his eyes burning like flames, showing no sign of backing down.

His spiritual energy was surging wildly within him; he had to hold on and absolutely could not let Master Zixiao succeed.

He knew he wasn't fighting alone; Wang Yao was behind him, and he couldn't let her down.

The tense and oppressive atmosphere was like stagnant air, suffocating.

The spectators around held their breath, not daring to make a sound, for fear of disturbing this thrilling duel.

An atmosphere of anxiety permeated the air, the tension suggesting it could explode at any moment.

Just when Master Zixiao thought he was about to break through Zhuang Yu's defenses, Zhuang Yu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "Zixiao, do you think this is all the strength I have?"

Just then, the divine weapon in his hand suddenly became incredibly hot, as if it would burn everything around it to ashes.

Zhuang Yu's body also began to exude a heart-palpitating aura.

He slowly raised the divine artifact, and a completely new and incomprehensible energy fluctuation began to gather in his hand...

The divine artifact's light suddenly receded, then burst forth again. The shield that had been protecting Zhuang Yu instantly transformed into a sharp golden beam of light, shooting straight at True Person Zixiao with lightning speed.

The beam of light was extremely fast; Master Zixiao didn't even have time to react before he was struck hard.

"puff--"

A mouthful of blood gushed out, and Master Zixiao flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground.

He struggled to get up, but felt his blood surging inside him, and his internal organs felt as if they had been hit hard by a giant hammer, causing him excruciating pain.

Zhuang Yu slowly put down the divine weapon in his hand, looked at the fallen Master Zixiao, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

He clearly sensed that the artifact contained a powerful and mysterious force, far more complex than he had previously understood.

His attack just now, though only a slight attempt, severely injured the early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, Zixiao Zhenren, filling him with a sense of accomplishment.

"Is this... the true power of a divine artifact?" Zhuang Yu murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

He felt that his connection with the artifact had become stronger, as if they had become one.

He could clearly feel the boundless energy contained within the artifact, and the feeling of controlling everything captivated him.

Master Zixiao, lying on the ground, struggled to lift his head and looked at Zhuang Yu standing not far away. He never imagined that he would be defeated by an unknown kid.

He had been planning for years and was about to obtain the treasure he had been dreaming of, but at the last moment he failed. How could he accept this?

"Cough cough..." Master Zixiao coughed violently, blood constantly spilling from the corners of his mouth, staining the ground red.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, and his whole body trembled.

His heart was filled with resentment and anger, and a strong sense of hatred spread through him.

Zhuang Yu felt a slight chill as he sensed the intense resentment emanating from Master Zixiao.

He knew that Master Zixiao would never let this go.

Although he is now seriously injured, given his cunning and ruthlessness, he will surely try every means to take revenge on me.

A dangerous aura permeated the air. Zhuang Yu looked around warily, his eyes sharp as if he wanted to see through everything around him.

He felt an invisible pressure enveloping him, causing him to feel a pang of fear.

"Zixiao... what kind of trick are you up to now?" Zhuang Yu asked coldly, his voice carrying a hint of warning.