Chen Xiao, at this moment, could not hear the sighs and exclamations from the outside world, nor did he care about them.
What he cared about now was only the power of the God Slaying Sword Array, how powerful it truly was, and whether it was as immense as the legends claimed.
Rumble—
From within the golden layered clouds, thunderous roars echoed.
"Oh?"
Chen Xiao raised his eyelids and looked towards the sky, "So, the God Slaying Sword Array descends in the form of rain, is that right?"
"Precisely."
Zi Wei Dao Shou replied, though she knew very well that Chen Xiao could not hear her words.
"It's starting, it's starting!"
Duan Yan Zhuo exclaimed excitedly.
And at the same time, from the golden clouds, the first wave of sword rain fell!
The swords in the sword rain were also golden, and their appearance was almost identical to the God Slaying Sword that Chen Xiao had just obtained.
They were just smaller in size, appearing somewhat miniature!
The first round of sword rain was still sparse, like the spring rain that falls when winter gives way to spring and the earth's ice and snow begin to melt.
The sword rain fell at a moderate pace, neither rushed nor dense.
Yet, even so, Chen Xiao felt world-destroying energy from it.
If it were an ordinary person… no, even a cultivator in the Divine Sea realm, upon being 'drenched' by this sword rain, would likely perish on the spot.
Chen Xiao mobilized his qi and erected a protective shield around himself to resist the invasion of the sword rain.
Swish—
The first drop of 'sword rain' fell, blocked by the protective shield, scattering into eight pieces on the ground like raindrops dripping from an eaves.
Although it appeared that Chen Xiao's defensive mechanism had worked, it was not the case.
Because, this very first drop of sword rain had already shattered Chen Xiao's protective shield.
As the raindrops splashed, the protective shield disintegrated, leaving Chen Xiao to face the subsequent sword rain… bare-handed.
However, this was within Chen Xiao's expectations. After all, the God Slaying Sword Array was meant to deal with Emperor Cang Lan, so its power was naturally not to be underestimated.
Moreover, it had a rule: it could only be used in the Nine Provinces by a mortal.
This meant that the God Slaying Sword Array used by the three Dao Shou was already at its peak power.
Of course, if Chen Xiao were to use it, the power of the sword array might be even greater, but that was a paradox and not within consideration.
And Chen Xiao was not entirely without a countermeasure; he knew how to use Emperor Cang Lan's abilities!
For instance, the Cang Lan Sacred Body was now proving its worth!
The sword rain fell upon Chen Xiao's body, but his body merely rippled, and the sword rain dissolved into him.
This scene looked as if raindrops were disappearing into water.
The three Dao Shou were stunned.
"What the hell is this? Just how strong is this kid? He can't even be dealt with by the God Slaying Sword Array?"
Duan Yan Zhuo was incredibly surprised, and within his surprise, there was a hint of excitement.
He seemed to hope that Chen Xiao would pass the test smoothly.
Zi Wei Dao Shou, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief and said with delight, "As expected of the man I've taken a liking to. How many more surprises do you have that we don't know about?"
Yun Lan stared intently at Chen Xiao, but after a long while, he could not discern anything unusual.
He let out a cold snort and said, "Don't get happy too soon. This is just the beginning. The God Slaying Sword Array is like a series of continuous downpours; this is only the first round. The real torrential rain is yet to come!"
Zi Wei Dao Shou ignored Yun Lan's sarcastic remarks. What did the future matter? At least for now, her man had held his ground, and effortlessly at that.
Five minutes passed, and the golden clouds in the sky thickened slightly, as if preparing for another downpour.
But for Chen Xiao, there was good news: the rain had temporarily stopped, giving him a moment to breathe.
Chen Xiao exhaled a breath of turbid air. He did not relax, nor did he feel at ease. Firstly, it was not over yet.
Secondly, the power of this sword rain far exceeded his imagination.
Although his Cang Lan Sacred Body could withstand and absorb the sword rain, it could not absorb it indefinitely.
In fact, after this first round of rain, his Cang Lan Sacred Body had already reached a state of saturation.
Even with his refining capabilities, he could not completely refine the absorbed 'sword rain' in such a short period.
He glanced at the water clock in the corner; only a little over five minutes had passed.
Only one-twelfth of the time agreed upon by Yun Lan had elapsed.
He could only frantically circulate the Nine Revolutions Cang Lan Art to refine the sword rain.
Reality allowed him no time for contemplation, for the second round of rain had already arrived.
The second round of rain, compared to before, became denser and more torrential.
As soon as it began to fall, it poured down, drenching Chen Xiao.
In the brief respite of just over ten seconds, Chen Xiao had managed to refine some of the sword rain.
Although his strength had increased slightly as a result, the predicament he now faced left him no room for joy or happiness.
He persisted for less than a minute before his Cang Lan Sacred Body became saturated once more. Chen Xiao could no longer use his Cang Lan Sacred Body to receive the sword rain, or his body would explode.
He quickly deactivated his Cang Lan Sacred Body, and the moment he did, over a dozen miniature God Slaying Swords pierced his body…
In the blink of an eye, his entire body was covered in God Slaying Swords, making him look like a porcupine.
"Chen Xiao!"
The situation unfolded too quickly. Zi Wei Dao Shou cried out anxiously and instinctively rushed towards the God Slaying Sword Array. However, with a bang, she was repelled by the blue light barrier at the edge of the sword array and fell to the ground.
When had the dignified Dao Shou of the Earth Sect ever been so disheveled?
"Surrender, surrender quickly! While there's still time, if it's within ten minutes, I can help you get out!"
Zi Wei Dao Shou shouted in despair, but Chen Xiao could not hear her voice at all.
Even if he could, it would be of no avail, because Chen Xiao had no intention of surrendering.
This was just the beginning.
Hum—
Hum—
Hum—
…
Accompanied by a series of humming sounds, the Seven Gods descended, forming a defensive formation to block the sword rain for Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao, meanwhile, used this time to rapidly refine the sword rain.
Within a single breath, the miniature God Slaying Swords on his body were absorbed and refined by Chen Xiao.
He let out another gentle breath. Seeing that the Seven Gods could still hold on, he continued to refine the accumulated sword rain spiritual energy within his body, preparing to unleash the Cang Lan Sacred Body again later.
Ten minutes had passed.
The second round of rain finally ceased.
The seven divine statues bore more or less some scars, and the long robes that enveloped their bodies also showed visible battle damage.
However, they had ultimately held on.
And it seemed they could continue to hold on… as could Chen Xiao!