Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 373: Fierce Warrior

Whether Spirit Master or True Person, or even Violet Palace True Lord, they all needed spiritual energy to cast arts.

Without spiritual energy, a True Person was like a fish out of water, unable to express their might.

Shi Jingzhai’s group hadn’t expected Wang Juemie to be so vicious, using this kind of formation, and they were momentarily stunned.

If the Seven Absolutions Sect had used some other kind of formation, Shi Jingzhai’s group might have been able to deal with it. If the formation had been somewhat weak, the three Celestial Heart experts were strong enough to perhaps force their way out of the formation.

After all, laying down a formation took resources, and laying down a formation that could kill three Celestial Heart True Persons and have it encompass an entire valley had to have a cost in the millions. There was no way Wang Juemie’s group could pay such a price, and even if they could, they might not be particularly willing to do so.

But the Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation lacked many of these problems.

A formation’s cost normally depended on its strength, defensive power, ease of control, and many other factors.

The Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation didn’t require strength, as it only needed to disperse all spiritual energy within a certain range. It didn’t require defensive power, because the cultivators within the formation would have their strength greatly affected and would have greatly weakened counterattacks, so they would find it hard to pose a threat to the formation. It did not require any sort of control, as it was a formation that did not differentiate between friend and foe.

Thus, the Seven Absolutions Sect had chosen this formation, planning on using Wang Juemie’s formidable physical body to fight. One could say that this got down to the very essence of the principle of dragging an opponent down to your level and then beating them with your abundant experience.

As Wang Juemie landed back on the ground, he laughed and said, “Correct—the Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation! True Persons, welcome!”

He blasted off the ground and swung a punch at the trio.

A world without spiritual energy belonged to body refiners. He dared to challenge three True Persons all on his own precisely because of his tough body.

As he punched, he stirred up a gale, and while it lacked the flash of spiritual light, it was intense and surging, exhibiting a peerless grace.

As the iron fist thundered, Shi Jingzhai’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. “You think that this is enough?”

He raised his left hand, and large amounts of gravel surged up from the ground into a giant stone fist that blocked Wang Juemie’s punch and smashed into his body.

While the Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation could cut off the world’s spiritual energy, it could not cut off the spiritual energy within the cultivator’s body, which was why Shi Jingzhai and company could still cast. It was just that they couldn’t borrow the spiritual energy of the world, so using extremely powerful spell arts was very difficult. For example, a spell art that would have only needed ten drops of spiritual liquid to harness the spiritual energy of the world would now take all the spiritual liquid in one’s body. A single spell art might require hundreds to a thousand drops of spiritual liquid.

Even a Celestial Heart cultivator couldn’t support this sort of expense more than a few times.

Even so, a Celestial Heart was a Celestial Heart!

For Shi Jingzhai’s group, their only chance was to kill Wang Juemie before the spiritual energy in their bodies ran out, or else things would get difficult.

The stone fist flew out, thundering toward Wang Juemie.

Liang Xingbang and Yu Wanniang attacked at the same time, each firing off a bolt of energy from their fingers. For the sake of saving spiritual energy, they had chosen to use ordinary spell arts. It was a pitiful state they were in. They had been at Celestial Heart for many years now, and such small spells had lain unused for ages. They had never imagined that they would have to use them again.

Even so, the attacks from these three Celestial Heart cultivators contained immense power and were not something an ordinary person could block.

After blasting apart Wang Juemie’s attack, the stone fist shot into the sky, carrying a peerless aura. It was as if it was saying that even a tiger without its claws wasn’t something that could be contended against.

But Wang Juemie brazenly declared, “Break for me!”

He raised his head and punched with both hands at the air. In the face of this spell art from a Celestial Heart True Person, he fearlessly took it head-on, just like that monkey who once dared to equal the heavens.

But unlike that monkey, he wasn’t squashed underneath a mountain. Rather, he seemed to be saying, “If the mountain dares to squash me, I’ll make that mountain shatter!”

Amid wild gusts of air, the giant stone fist slammed down. Powered by that gust of wind, Wang Juemie’s two fists punched at the descending stone arm. With a bang, that huge stone arm trembled and stopped.

Awooo!

As his two arms held back the stone fist, Wang Juemie’s body bulged with muscle. Power flowed through his body, seeming to radiate outward as if it had actual mass and substance.

To the shock of the three True Persons, Wang Juemie actually managed to lift up the stone arm.

This heavy stone arm created from Shi Jingzhai’s spiritual energy hadn’t been able to shake his foe. This was a simply mindblowing feat that left all of the Stone Gate Sect disciples flabbergasted.

Such heroism! Such power!

Wang Juemie looked at Shi Jingzhai and laughed. “Is that all you have? Up!”

“Up…”

“Up…”

“Up…”

His brazen roar echoed through the valley. Not only had Wang Juemie lifted up the stone arm, he had thrown it back at Shi Jingzhai!

If this arm came down, the Stone Gate Sect would end up suffering by its own hand.

Aghast, the three True Persons joined together to stop the huge stone arm.

At the same time, Liang Xingbang waved his arm, sending a furious wave of wind at Wang Juemie.

This was no ordinary wind, but the Eonic Yin Wind from the Nine Nethers, whose cold chilled to the bone.

Liang Xingbang had taken one hundred years to gather this Yin Wind and use it for his own purposes, and he had also employed a spell art to conceal countless wind blades within this wind. Anyone struck by this Yin Wind gale would be sliced to bits.

For Liang Xingbang to deal with Wang Juemie in this way was showing him incredible respect. As the Yin Wind gust swept over Wang Juemie, his skin began to flake off like porcelain tiles, but also like a rotting body, exposing the blood and flesh underneath.

Wang Juemie crazily howled as he sustained these wounds. Liang Xingbang smiled. “Junior, did you really think that the Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation was enough to defeat three Celestial Hearts? A foolish dream! This old man will handle you!”

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“Is that so?” Wang Juemie suddenly raised his head and looked at Liang Xingbang, and his cold and cruel gaze made Liang Xingbang’s heart inexplicably pulse in fear.

Wang Juemie shook his arms. “Ha!”

With this shout, he began to push through the Yin Wind and make his way, step by step, toward Liang Xingbang.

His flesh constantly flaked off as the Yin Wind ate away at it, but with every bit that sloughed off, a little grew back.

The Indestructible True Demon Body Refiner Art could be said to be the most mystical and most powerful body refining spell art in all of the Rosecloud Domain. Cultivating this art was extremely painful, with a chance of dying nine times out of ten, but each level greatly strengthened one’s constitution and bestowed divine strength. Even the body’s ability to recover received a huge boost.

Another person would have been blown into nothing but blood by the Yin Wind, but Wang Juemie was constantly being eaten away at and constantly recovering. He was like an unkillable war god, leaving Liang Xingbang stunned.

Was this still the Mortal Shedding Realm?

Not even Celestial Heart or Violet Palace cultivators might possess such an unkillable body!

While he reeled in shock, he forgot that Wang Juemie was getting closer and closer.

When they were several meters away from each other, Wang Juemie suddenly rushed up to Liang Xingbang and punched.

Fortunately, Shi Jingzhai was able to intervene in time, applying a barrier of thick earth around Liang Xingbang.

The iron fist smashed down, turning that barrier into powder, and Liang Xingbang was sent flying by the immense force of the blow. Thankfully, the earth barrier had saved him from suffering any actual injury, or else this would have been the first time in several thousand years that a Spirit Master had killed a Celestial Heart True Person in a head-on battle.

Although there was the factor of the formation, it could not be denied that Wang Juemie was far stronger than the average cultivator of his level. If he had been facing a wandering Celestial Heart True Person at only the first tier, he really might have been able to achieve this dazzling feat.

But Celestial Heart was Celestial Heart, and brute strength wasn’t enough to achieve victory.

A moment later, as Liang Xingbang was being sent flying, Yu Wanniang’s eyes flashed, and a stream of will stabbed into Wang Juemie’s mind like a needle.

Wang Juemie suddenly threw his head back, two streams of blood flowing from his nostrils. A moment later, Shi Jingzhai thrust his hands at Wang Juemie’s chest. Yellow light burst out, sending Wang Juemie flying.

Wang Juemie threw up blood and took a tumble on the ground.

This Great Brother of the Seven Absolutions Sect who had seemed invincible had been undone by a single glance from Yu Wanniang and a palm strike from Shi Jingzhai.

The Stone Gate disciples cheered, except for Yu Wanniang, who had suddenly gone pale white, though it quickly became a healthy red once more.

Shi Jingzhai looked at the fallen figure of Wang Juemie and then turned to Yu Wanniang. “You made quite the sacrifice.”

Yu Wanniang snorted. “My cultivation level is inferior to my two senior brothers. This guy can even take spell arts from the two of you, so my spell art might not be able to do anything to him. Since that’s the case, what’s the point in continuing to hold back? We can’t let people think that a Celestial Heart True Person without spiritual energy can be killed by anyone, right?”

“Of course. Celestial Hearts are Celestial Hearts because you already possess a Spirit Will, or even a Divine Will…” Wang Juemie suddenly spoke.

Yu Wanniang froze as she saw Wang Juemie slowly sit back up.

Wiping the blood from his nose, he laughed and said, “Not bad, not bad. A Spirit Will attack really is something else. Alas, Lady Yu, you are only at the first tier, and your Spirit Will is not a Divine Will. This attack is still a little weak, a little weak…”

He threw his head back and laughed like a madman. Streams of power erupted from his body, forming fierce gales that howled around him.

The three True Persons were taken aback by this sight.

Liang Xingbang said in disbelief, “You’re fine!?”

The energy around Wang Juemie continued to strengthen.

He lowered his head and looked down at the three. “Of course! You idiots! You have to seek out alms from my Seven Absolutions Sect for a method to advance to Violet Palace, and you think I, the Great Brother of the Seven Absolutions Sect, don’t even know what sort of tricks a Celestial Heart can employ? A Spirit Will attack? You really think I would have dared to fight you if I had no way to defend against it!?”

He shook his arms, and his body erupted with such power that the three True Persons shivered in fear.

This Wang Juemie truly had astonishing strength, but what was even more exceptional was how hard he was to kill. In normal circumstances, the three True Persons would have gone all out to blast him to bits, and they would have ultimately been able to overcome Wang Juemie. But in these circumstances, the power they had in their body was truly somewhat lacking.

Liang Xingbang shouted, “Cease your arrogance! Divine Will, take form and seize his soul!”

He pointed a finger at Wang Juemie, and a stream of Divine Will stabbed into Wang Juemie’s mind.

Divine Will killed without leaving a trace, acting directly on the cultivator’s soul. No matter how formidable one’s defenses or vitality were, one would find it difficult to block it. This was also the greatest difference between Celestial Heart and Mortal Shedding, and the key reason that Mortal Shedding found it impossible to contend against Celestial Heart.

No matter how overflowing with talent and magic power one was, a Celestial Heart True Person who had cultivated a Divine Will could still kill you with a thought.

But while killing with Divine Will was efficient, it was not intended to be used as a weapon, but a means of melding with the world.

The Heaven-Earth Bridge linking with the world allowed the borrowing of spiritual energy, and the Divine Will melding with the world allowed circulation of energy without casting. This was precisely why those at Violet Palace were said to be capable of manifesting ten thousand arts with a single thought. At greater attainment, a Divine Will would become a Divine Soul, and a Divine Soul was connected to the world and could produce ten thousand arts with a single thought.

As for using Divine Will to kill, there was only one word to describe that: a waste.

Divine Will that was used up was used up. Unlike magic power, it wasn’t something that could be recovered simply by resting and taking a few breaths. The price was so high that the average person couldn’t bear it. And if it were used too many times such that one’s Divine Will was completely spent, one wouldn’t even be able to turn it into a soul and would thus have to bid farewell to the hope of ever reaching Violet Palace in this lifetime.

This was exactly why True Persons didn’t use Divine Will in battle unless it was absolutely necessary.

Liang Xingbang was quite willing to make this sacrifice. Even though it was three versus one, the moment he sensed that something was wrong, he attacked with Divine Will. Even Wang Juemie was surprised by this level of resolve.

Wang Juemie seemed to sustain a heavy blow from this Divine Will attack, his head once more being thrown back and blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth in a horrifying sight.

The spell arts from the two True Persons hadn’t been able to deal him this sort of damage, but a single Divine Will attack had dealt his soul a heavy blow. Such was its terrifying power.

There was nothing to be done about it. The soul was formless, so it could not be defended.

Until one formed a Violet Palace, the only means of defending against Divine Will attacks lay in supreme treasures!

But after taking such a heavy blow, Wang Juemie was still laughing.

He raised his head and brazenly said, “Good! Good! I can get used to this!”

Staring at Liang Xingbang with his bleeding eyes, Wang Juemie roared, “You’re willing to make the sacrifice, but alas, you haven’t sacrificed enough. If you had used a little more Divine Will, I would already be dead! But since I’m not dead, my Indestructible True Demon Body has absorbed your Divine Will, which can be used to strengthen my own soul. In the future, when I reach Celestial Heart, I’ll have an easier time entering Violet Palace. I really have to thank you!”

His Indestructible True Demon Body had a special trait of growing more resistant to the same kind of attack the more it received them, and this even applied to Divine Will attacks. But nobody would waste precious Divine Will solely to raise his resistance a little, so Wang Juemie rarely had the chance to experience such an attack.

Liang Xingbang coldly grunted, “I’m afraid you won’t get the chance. You’re injured, so you won’t be able to block our follow-up attack.”

“Is that so?” Wang Juemie laughed. “I don’t think so. You’ve already lost the best chance I gave you!”

Wang Juemie shook his head and shouted at the air, “Come!”

With this roar, seven people emerged from the group of Seven Absolutions Sect disciples on the two mountains. They sat on the ground and raised up their hands.

Seven spirit pillars shot up from their bodies, cutting across the formation. One end pointed to Wang Juemie while the other end pointed to the wall of the formation.

At the same time, seven pillars of light emerged from outside the cage.

The moment these seven pillars of light appeared, they flew toward the formation. They passed through the walls of the Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation and connected to the spirit pillars created by the seven disciples, following those streams of spiritual energy to Wang Juemie.

In the pillars of light were a helmet, armor, and other such things.

“This is…” The pupils of the three True Persons widened.

Wang Juemie laughed as he jumped into the air, allowing the seven pillars to strike his body. In a flash, he was covered in a suit of extravagant armor, radiating light brighter than the sun.

This suit of armor consisted of a helmet, a breastplate, a pair of armguards, a pair of legguards, and a pair of war boots. Finally, there was a shield and a sword. Wang Juemie had equipped all of them, for a total of seven items.

Yu Wanniang shrieked, “It’s the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures!”

In front of them was none other than one of the precious Dao armaments of the Seven Absolutions Sect, the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures.

The Seven Absolutions Sect was the sect in the Rosecloud Domain with the greatest number of treasures, and among these numerous treasures, the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures had the greatest renown.

This wasn’t because they were the strongest, but because they had been refined from cultivators.

Dao armaments were the most powerful treasures in the world. To describe them in two phrases, they would be the concentrated essence of the world, the vessels of the Great Dao.

For this reason, any Dao armament was made with a naturally-occurring divine object that then received the supreme Dao Will of a mighty cultivator and was diligently worked on for thousands of years. They had the power to slice open the heavens, cleave open the earth, and throw back the seas, and they were considered the guardian treasures of their sects.

From a certain perspective, they were what determined whether a sect could become one of the major sects. As for things like academies and blessed lands, while these were the foundation of a major sect, they were not the supporting pillars.

For its ascendance, the Seven Absolutions Sect had taken countless years to gather up rare resources and expended all of its manpower to refine these resources into treasures, ultimately creating the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures. In the process, it had lost one Violet Palace cultivator and six Celestial Heart cultivators—a horrifying price.

It was precisely because these were artificial Dao armaments that the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures were not a single piece, but rather seven divine-treasure-level items that were a Dao armament as a set. As far as Dao armaments went, it was of the lowest level.

Even so, the Seven Absolutions Sect had been able to create a major stir with these seven treasures, leaving the world stunned by their ability to forge weapons.

No one had expected Wang Juemie to have the Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures, and Shi Jingzhai and company froze in shock.

But a moment later, Liang Xingbang shouted, “That’s not the real Dao armament! It’s a projection!”

The real Dao armament would require cultivation of the Violet Palace level at the minimum to use, not the Mortal Shedding level that Wang Juemie was at. Thus, what had appeared on Wang Juemie’s body was not the actual Seven Inferno Heaven Treasures, but part of their power somehow being projected onto Wang Juemie’s body, just like how Liu Hongyan had used the three treasures of the Law Hall.

As they were in the formation, it was not possible to form the spiritual energy passage that would project the power of the seven treasures.

But the Seven Absolutions Sect had used a simple method to solve this. Seven disciples would expend their own spiritual energy to establish seven paths in the formation, allowing for the transmission.

In this way, the three True Persons were weakened because of the formation while Wang Juemie was stronger because of the seven treasures.

As one side weakened and the other strengthened, the outcome became less certain.

Most infuriating was that Wang Juemie could have done this from the start, but he insisted on fighting the three True Persons himself first.

If Liang Xingbang’s Divine Will attack just now had been a little stronger, Wang Juemie might have died, but this guy had been willing to take that risk for that little bit of Divine Will resistance. And he had also accurately surmised that Liang Xingbang would want to be conservative and only make a Divine Will attack that would heavily injure him rather than kill him, hoping to finish the deed with spell arts.

It was all about the thrill!

Now, he had the seven treasures, and the helmet defended against Divine Will attacks. Liang Xingbang, no matter how frustrated he was, no longer had a chance to make another.

Wang Juemie laughed. “I don’t need the real thing! This virtual projection is enough to kill all of you!”

He slammed the shield in his left hand into the ground, setting off tremors across the valley.

He was a born fighter, so even when he was holding a shield, he used it as a weapon. As for that sword, he didn’t like it much, so he put it away. He simply punched into the distance, unleashing a powerful shockwave that swept up all the Stone Gate Sect disciples.

Wang Juemie really likes to walk the line of life and death. One of these days, he might slip…