Even though Chen Fan didn't think a Mortal Deity would pose any threat to him, he had taken the fight much more seriously.

As a cultivator who had reached Heavenly Tribulation straight from Connate Spirit, Chen Fan knew better than anyone about the power of a Connate Cultivator. Although Lin Shuming had only less than three hours of life, he could unleash enough power to rival an Earth Level Deity.

Even though he didn't possess any Earth Level Deity's Dharma Treasure, neither did he gain the invincible physique of an Earth Level Deity; the fact that he was considered a deity meant that he was going to be a tough nut to crack.

Qi Refinement and the Connate Spirit marked the line between mortals and immortal cultivators. No one could be called an Immortal Cultivator before they reached Connate Spirit. Only after they did so, could they start to form Golden Core and Nascent Soul and embark on the journey in space in order to seek higher enlightenment.

So powerful were Connate Cultivators that not even a hundred Qi Refinement-level Cultivators would defeat one Connate Cultivator without the help of legendary Dharma Spells. That was the reason that a Connate Cultivator was often considered a god on most planets.

"Hualala."

Chen Fan stretched his body and shook his arms.

The movement seemed to have stirred something heavy inside of Chen Fan. With a cacophony of deep rumbling and growling, an azure light came out from within Chen Fan's belly. The light quickly shone through Chen Fan's skin and highlighted his scintillating bones.

Powerful True Essence gushed out of Chen Fan's body and blew the rain droplets to the side. Another pulse of Divine Will roared out of his belly and started to compete against Lin Shuming for the Essence Qi in their surroundings.

"Wow!"

Supported by a swirling draft, Lin Shuming floated in the air, standing still with a great measure of confidence. He reached out both arms and started to draw the Essence Qi in the vicinity toward him, creating a whirlwind of energy around him.

Kacha!

Flashes of lightning pierced the dark sky and illuminated the roiling clouds.

The Power of Heaven and Earth poured into his system and reached an incredible level that could overwhelm any ordinary cultivator. Lin Shuming started to sweat, but so focused was he on his task that he barely noticed the trickle of sweat running down his cheeks.

"Go."

With incredible power at his disposal, Lin Shuming waved a hand and attacked.

"KOM!"

He had gathered an extraordinary amount of Essence Qi, all built up and confined inside of his system before he lashed out. The attack had offered a release for the immense energy, allowing them to gush out like the pulse of a great flood.

The release of the energy created a huge shockwave that slammed into the curtain of rain and sliced open the sea, creating a path that was flanked by two walls of moving seawater as tall as a few dozen meters. It was quite a sight to behold.

Seeing Lin Shiuming's ability to split the ocean with one wave, the audiences all gaped in utter surprise and shock.

The strength of both combatants had far exceeded the audience's expectations. The destruction and chaos could be seen by the Chinese naval officers who were miles away. When the waves stirred up by the battle reached them, it rocked even the heaviest battleship from side to side.

"Break!"

Chen Fan punched to counter the attack.

Suddenly, an immeasurable amount of True Essence poured out from his body as azure lights illuminated half of the sky. He had charged up his energy to the fullest amount. He doubled down on his attack and tapped into the power of the Azure Thearch Longevity Body, transforming himself into a fast-moving shooting star as he rammed into the deadly waves.

Kaboom!

Chen Fan's fist landed on the tsunami of Essence Qi and was able to pierce through the first layer of the Qi wave. However, he was quickly pushed back by the second wave and stumbled back a dozen meters before he could steady himself.

Meanwhile, the attack had caused a three hundred meters long cut on the ocean bed.

Their exchange of blows had ripped open the seabed for three hundred meters!

The incredible sight made Watanabe jealous of Lin Shuming's power.

"Earth Level Deity, so this is the true power of Earth Level Deity! I have been seeking such power for my entire life!" Yao Daoyi exclaimed as a fire burned in his eyes.

"It was such a pity that Brother Lin can only last a few hours in this form. After that, he is going to become history. Sigh… I have never thought that Brother Lin could be so obsessed with his revenge. He might be successful in the end, but at what cost?" Li Changsheng lamented as he shook his head.

"Lin Langya was the future of the Lin Family. Losing him was a devastating blow to the Lin Family. Lin Shuming could live three more years at most. Who could protect the once-mighty family once he's dead? So revenge is his only option," Azure Dragon said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, the fight had everyone in the North Qiong Sect worried for their master.

Lin Shuming had proven to be as powerful as a god, so even if Chen Fan didn't show any sign of weakness, it begged the question as to who would eventually emerge victoriously.

Bang!

After a while, Chen Fan finally shattered the last Qi wave. He smiled coldly and said, "You would never beat me. You lacked the understanding of the Connate Spirit, so your arts were not only ineffective against me but also detrimental to your own health. You are wasting your time, literally. Yes, you can summon an incredible amount of energy, but what good are they if you can't concentrate them into something useful?"

The fight between most Connate Cultivators relied on Physique Refinement, Dharma Spells, or Dharma Treasure.

Although nearly all Connate Cultivators could control the Essence Qi in nature, it would take a long time to actually get the spell going. Therefore, most Connate Cultivators would not use the Essence Qi during a fast-paced battle.

However powerful Lin Shuming was, he would never be able to pass any damage through Chen Fan's Azure Thearch Longevity Body.

By then, even Lin Shuming had realized that he was in a pinch.

Boom!

He hurried to summon lightning from the sky to smite Chen Fan.

However, the Azure Thearch Longevity Body was so resilient that not even the bolts of lightning could make a dent on it. Chen Fan seized an opportunity to break the hypersonic barrier and charged toward Lin Shuming. Lin Shuming reacted quickly and cast layers of Essence Qi screens to block Chen Fan's counter-attack.

Bang!

Chen Fan's fist broke the hypersonic barrier and arrived a hundred meters away from Lin Shuming where he met the resistance of the Essence Qi.

The Essence Qi was as tough and solid as a piece of steel plate. Chen Fan started to lose his speed right away. When he was finally close to Lin Shuming, he no longer had hypersonic speed. Lin Shuming rushed forth and attacked Chen Fan with a palm. Losing his edge, Chen Fan was forced to back away and wait for another opportunity.

Looking from afar, Lin Shuming looked like a brawny brut wielding a huge battle hammer. However, all of his powerful blows had missed the target.

Meanwhile, Chen Fan's fighting style resembled that of a sinewy rouge with a poisonous dagger in his hand, patiently betting his time to deliver a lethal blow.

Whoever could land the first blow would win the battle.

"Wow!"

The fantastic battle had excited the audiences. However, Chen Fan knew he should finish this show as quickly as possible.

"Time to end all of this."

Chen Fan flew to the sky and tapped the gourd hitched around his wrist gently.

"Lin Shuming, everyone calls you a Sword Immortal, so I wonder how you would fare against my sword art?"

Lin Shuming was taken aback, and he looked up.

He saw small swords of about five centimeters long flew out of the gourd one after another. There were nine of them in total, and they formed a formation in the sky.

"Pixiu, Rosemallow, Asura, Red Skirt, White Drake, Black Tortoise, Yellow Peony, Azure Snake, Violet Clouds."

The presence of the nine swords suddenly added a biting coldness to the air.

"These are the nine flying swords of the Sword Secret the Exalted Cultivator?"

Lin Shuming narrowed his eyes, trying to mask his shock.

Meanwhile, many martial artists among the audiences gasped.

Exalted Cultivator was the last Earth Level Deity in China, and he had left many incredible legends. Among those legends, the most famous ones were those about his nine flying swords. Each flying sword had a story behind it.

"Let me test your Sword Art using these nine swords. "

Chen Fan waved a hand.

The nine swords lined up in a row, pointing directly at Lin Shuming.

"Will do."

Lin Shuming cracked a smile and started his sword art. Everyone watched as countless ice blades shot out from the sea. These ice blades were made out of seawater, and there were three thousand of them in total. Each ice blade was about the length of an average human. Its glinting edges were incredibly sharp and were able to slice through the toughest metal with ease.

The three thousand or so flying swords flew into the sky in unison and formed a huge sword array.

The swirling blades easily severed the curtain of rain and created an area where no rain would fall.

"This sword array was made out of seawater blades and was enhanced by the Power of Heaven and Earth. Its name is the Grand Myriad Sword Array."

Even though Lin Shuming wielded as much power as an Earth Level Deity, to summon three thousand ice blades had taken a toll on his vitality. His breath started to become heavy, and his hair suddenly turned ashen pale.

"Go."

Lin Shuming shouted a command as the three thousand ice blades plunged toward Chen Fan all at the same time.

The development had terrified the audiences.

Each of the three thousand ice blades could easily carve up a vehicle. The three thousand of them formed a shower of death as if a volley from three thousand Roman Scorpios.

Bang, bang, bang!

Chen Fan was unfazed by the threat. He commanded the nine swords to form a circle of light that surrounded him in the middle. The ice blades hit the protective circle and were knocked aside.

Although these nine flying swords were not as powerful as the Sword of Essense Restoring, they were Spirit Artifacts nonetheless and were much stronger than the ice blades.

These nine blades were no less powerful than any divine powers. When used properly, their damage output could even exceed that of the Sword of Essense Restoring.

"Arise!"

Chen Fan flew to the air while surrounded by a whirlwind of sharp edges. It protected him from the incoming ice blades as he charged toward Lin Shuming. By then, it was apparent that the Grand Myriad Sword Array had no effect on Chen Fan.

The turn of the event shocked everyone.

They were convinced that Chen Fan had reached the same level of attainment as the Exalted Cultivator who lived a thousand years ago.

Chen Fan had been a mighty tribulation cultivator, and the powers of his sword arts were beyond a mortal's imagination. Surrounded by the nine circling blades, he glided across space elegantly. Not even Lin Shuming's overwhelming Essence Qi could stop him.

However, even as the situation turned grimmer by the second, a sinister smile surfaced on Lin Shuming's face.

Suddenly, Lin Shuming let loose the immense energy inside of his system. As the unbridled energy multiplied and struggled to break out of Lin Shuming's body, it sent rays of intensely white lights out from Lin Shuming's eyes, mouth, and nose, and turned Lin Shuming's hair into a color that was as white as snow.

Despite the perilous condition he was under, Lin Shuming let out a burst of laughter.

"I have refined this art for sixty years, and finally, I got to use it on you today! Chen Beixuan, try to counter this!"

Before his words faded, a powerful Blade Qi shot up from his body and pierced the dark clouds in the sky.