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Chapter 168: Incognito…. The Pill Stream Sect ordered all of their spies into action, hoping to be the first to find Bai Xiaochun. If they did, they would spare no cost whatsoever to kill him. As for the other three sects, they mobilized large forces to search for the disciples who were currently missing. As all that was happening, something else occurred on the Eastwood Continent, in a jungle-covered mountain range not too far from Eastwood City. Next to one particularly large tree, the air rippled with teleportation fluctuations, and then Bai Xiaochun appeared, staggering out at a near run. As soon as he was out in the open, he leaned over and vomited noisily. “What kind of teleportation was that supposed to be!? Nearly lost my poor little life in the process….” Bai Xiaochun’s face was ashen, and he was panting. What he didn’t know was that past teleportations he had experienced had been performed with weakened teleportation power in order to make them as comfortable as possible. In contrast, the teleportation which had pulled him out of the Fallen Sword Abyss was fully powered. All of the portals set up by the four sects were like that. In a moment of grave crisis, the most important thing was to teleport the targets out as quickly as possible. A forcible teleportation like that would actually knock most people unconscious. After emptying his stomach, Bai Xiaochun felt a bit better, although he was still so dizzy that he was seeing stars. Leaning up against the tree, he looked around and realized he had no idea where he was. From what Elder Ouyang Jie had explained, he knew that he could be just about anywhere. “I should be back on the Eastwood Continent though,” he thought, massaging his temples. Then he recalled the little hand and the strange voice he had heard just before being teleported away, and his heart filled with fear. Trembling, he resolved to never, ever go back to the Fallen Sword Abyss. Still trying to catch his breath, he sat down on a nearby log and looked down at his tattered garments. By this point, they were so damaged and blood-stained it wasn’t even possible to identify them as the robes of the Spirit Stream Sect. He wanted to change them, but unfortunately, didn’t have a spare set in his bag of holding. “The Fallen Sword Abyss was so brutal….” As he thought back to everything that had occurred, his scalp began to tingle. What was especially frightening was how everyone had almost gone insane in their desire to kill him. And then there was the vicious, savage battle with Song Que. In the end, he sighed. “Why do cultivators always end up fighting and killing…?” Sighing, he probed his cultivation base, and found that his roiling spiritual seas were gradually turning golden. By this point, the process was about thirty percent complete. “Hahaha! Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment!” In his excitement, he forgot about the brutality of the Fallen Sword World. The idea of 500 years of longevity caused his eyes to shine. Flicking his sleeve and sticking his chin up, he proudly said, “I, Bai Xiaochun, am truly a consummate Chosen. Hahaha! Hahahahaha!” After laughing loudly for a while, he cleared his throat. “I guess I should probably go figure out where I am.” Something else he found interesting was that although his cultivation base was getting stronger and stronger, the aura it emitted was getting weaker and weaker. It was almost as if, because his spiritual seas were climbing to the Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment level, all of the pressure and energy they would normally radiate was now focusing inward. At the moment, anyone who sensed his aura would place him at the ninth level of Qi Condensation. As the process continued, he had the feeling that his cultivation base aura would eventually disappear altogether, and he would seem like a mortal. Only when the process was complete would he experience a heaven-rending, earth-crushing explosion of power. “It should be finished in two days or so,” he thought excitedly. With that, he put the matters of his cultivation base aside. Next, he produced a jade slip to try to transmit a message to the sect. Unfortunately, the jade slip had been damaged during the teleportation process. Although the teleportation energy had already faded away, it seemed that he would temporarily be unable to make contact with the sect. Feeling a bit annoyed, he put the jade slip away and then transformed into a beam of light that shot up into the sky and then off into the distance. It didn’t take long for him to realize that with his current cultivation base power, he could fly much more quickly than before. He was soon out of the mountain range, whereupon he caught sight of an enormous city off in the distance. The city walls were very imposing, and were constructed from greenish-colored bricks. Furthermore, each and every brick seemed to be inscribed with magical symbols that formed a spell formation. The spell formation sent light streaming up high into the sky, seemingly connecting the city to the heavens themselves. A huge green vortex could be seen up above, with lightning occasionally dancing back and forth within it. There was also pressure weighing down which restricted the cultivation bases of any cultivators that entered the city, making it impossible for them to fly. The city was huge, enough to house at least 10,000,000 people, and had four main gates which were constantly packed with floods of people going in and out. In front of each of the city gates were enormous stone steles, inscribed with calligraphy as flamboyant as dancing dragons and swirling phoenixes. “Eastwood City!” Bai Xiaochun gaped in shock for a moment, and then his eyes lit up. This was the biggest city in the territory controlled by the Spirit Stream Sect. It was actually considered part of the Spirit Stream Sect, and was operated by the ten most powerful cultivator clans on the Eastwood Continent. It had a history stretching back 10,000 years, and was home to not only hosts of cultivators, but mortals as well. In addition to the ten great cultivator clans, there was also a disciple of the Spirit Stream Sect stationed there as an official emissary, responsible for keeping the peace among the clans. That was the exact position Du Lingfei had been sent here years ago to fill. Although she only had a Qi Condensation cultivation base, she represented the Foundation Establishment elder who was also stationed there. The elder rarely made public appearances, leaving most of the duties to Du Lingfei to handle. Her primary task was to keep the ten great clans in check. “Elder Sister Du was sent here a while back as an emissary. I haven’t seen her in such a long time….” Bai Xiaochun’s heart warmed at the thought of Du Lingfei, and he couldn’t help but picture her looking shy and angry at the same time. “Hm. I can’t just walk straight in. I’ll sneak in incognito and check things out first. After all these years, I wonder if my boo stepped out on me and found another man.” Eyebrow cocked craftily, he shot through the air toward Eastwood City. 1 As he neared, he could sense that flying was restricted. “How annoying! I’m a Prestige disciple! I’m the Junior Brother of the sect leader. Eastwood City belongs to the Spirit Stream Sect, so therefore, it’s mine by right! I can’t believe I’m not allowed to fly!” Grumbling all the way, he landed on the ground and headed toward the city gate. There was quite a line, and he didn’t feel right cutting in front, so he went to the back. Before long, he worked his way up to the gate itself, where he paid a small spirit stone tax to enter. No one paid much attention to him. All they cared about was the spirit stones. Apparently, they were confident that no one would cause any trouble. “Eastwood City is so big! I can’t believe they still charge a spirit stone tax to get in!” Bai Xiaochun was not very pleased about what was happening. Considering his status, it was really a loss of face. Coughing dryly, he clasped his hands behind his back and strutted through the gate. Once inside, the sight of the countless towering buildings caused him to gasp. Everything was huge! The roads were paved with limestone, every slab of which emanated spiritual energy. The buildings were decorated with gold and jade, carved with dragons and phoenixes, and were completely extraordinary to behold. Everything was festooned with beautiful pearls and spirit stones. The glow of magic rose up everywhere, creating an air of luxury that almost physically buffeted Bai Xiaochun in the face. “This… this place….” He swallowed as he took in the beauty and luxury. Vehicles trundled back and forth in the streets, and people could be seen everywhere. He almost felt like he was in a different world. As for the residents of the city, they dressed in silks and satins, and looked very impressive as they walked to and fro. Regardless of the level of their cultivation base, they seemed very proud and lofty. Unlike the mortals in smaller cities and villages, the mortals here didn’t seem scared or impressed at all by the cultivators around them. As he walked along, Bai Xiaochun couldn’t help but gasp in shock at all the things he was seeing. After all, he had been raised in a village, and after that, spent all his time in the sect. He had never been to a big city like this before. Of course, considering how he was looking around, he stuck out from the crowd, and the passing cultivators looked over with disdainful expressions, taking him to be a country bumpkin. Some of them noticed how his clothing was ripped and torn, and even stained with blood. Realizing that he was probably someone that shouldn’t be provoked, they quickly got out of his way. “I never could have imagined how incredible this place is!” The more he saw, the more excited he got. The sheer luxury of the place caused him to sigh, and he was already trying to figure out how to get the sect to transfer him here. Continuing to sigh, he passed one certain shop, and was suddenly riveted in place. It was a clothing shop, filled with garments of every color and style possible, all of them beautifully tailored and embroidered. Even the lowest quality garments were amazingly crafted. Bai Xiaochun couldn’t help but muse that the clothing here was far, far better looking than anything from back in the sect. Eyes shining, he walked into the shop. There were a few people inside, browsing through the selection of clothing. As soon as Bai Xiaochun entered, a couple of them looked over, and when they saw his dilapidated robes, looks of derision appeared on their faces. However, they could sense the aura of the seventh level of Qi Condensation on him, so they quickly looked away. There was one young man, dressed in luxurious garments, whose eyes went wide as soon as he saw Bai Xiaochun. For a brief moment, a strange gleam could be seen in his eyes before he averted his gaze. Meanwhile, a smiling salesperson approached Bai Xiaochun and began to show him around. “This heavenly dragon robe is made from heavenwater anaconda skin. After being cured with eighty-one types of medicinal plants, it was decorated by a grandmaster of embroidery. There’s a spell formation hidden inside that provides resistance against all water-type magical techniques! “Oh, that thousand leaves coat is crafted from a thousand different types of spirit leaves. A secret magic was used to tailor it, and when you wear it, you’ll be surrounded by the fragrance of plants and vegetation. After wearing it for some time, you’ll naturally exude the fragrance of spirit medicine. “Oh, this piece….” Bai Xiaochun nodded, feeling a garment here and there, falling in love with everything he looked at. At the same time, the young man in the luxurious garments finally looked up. Smiling, he walked over to Bai Xiaochun, clasped hands and bowed. Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post

Chapter 167: Nine Serenities Ghost Domain! Bai Xiaochun’s scalp tingled in fear, and his eyes went wide. A pale hand reached out, belonging to a young girl in a white dress. She wore a ferocious, enigmatic smile on her face. Her face was half covered by her long black hair, making her look even more terrifying than she might have normally. An aura of death pulsed off of her, transforming into something that looked like vipers seeking to bore into Bai Xiaochun’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and even his pores. However, just when the hand was about to touch him, his nine spiritual seas erupted with a Heaven-Dao aura, and the aura of death collapsed. The hissing snakes were wiped away, and the girl’s hand withered, revealing dead skin and sticky, dripping blood. It was terrifying to the extreme. The girl let out a begrudging howl that echoed out into the air. At the same time, the teleportation power surrounding Bai Xiaochun exploded out with full force, and he vanished from the Fallen Sword World. After all of the disciples from the four sects were gone, the Fallen Sword World continued to collapse. But then, something else happened. Massive amounts of hazy gray mist billowed out and began to fill the world. It was rife with an aura of death, and smelled like rot. Even the four powerful teleportation formations crumbled into ruins because of the rotting aura. In the blink of an eye, the entire world… became a domain of ghosts. Howls rose up from within the mists. Apparently, all of the banesouls which had existed in the world were now beginning to awaken. Strangely, the huge sword stopped crumbling! In the outside world, Ouyang Jie and the others saw the sword cease crumbling, and watched as black mist begin to pulse out of it. They exchanged dismayed glances. However, a moment later, they tried once again to enter the sword, and this time had no problem doing so. As they entered, they could still sense a fading holy aura. “That aura….” “Heavenstring energy!!! That’s heavenstring energy!!” Even as their faces flickered with shock, the sinister voice of a young girl rose up from the mists below…. It sounded bizarre and cruel, and filled the entire world. “The heavenstring energy hath been harvested by your disciples. Henceforth, this place shall be called… the Nine Serenities Ghost Domain. In the future, do not set foot in this place. Any who violate this prescript will have their entire sect exterminated!” As soon as the voice rang out, Ouyang Jie and the others coughed up mouthfuls of blood. The voice crashed in their ears like thunder as they were forcefully ejected from the world. “Banespirit!!” they cried in alarm. The pressure they felt was something that exceeded the Nascent Soul stage. Trembling, hearts battered by waves of shock, they retreated at full speed, simultaneously sending word back to their sects. “The Fallen Sword World has been transformed into the Nine Serenities Ghost Domain. Furthermore… one of the banesouls awakened and became a banespirit!!” “The heavenstring energy was taken away? Who? Which disciple of which sect got it? Does that mean… someone reached Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment!?!?” Even as they fled, the former Fallen Sword World, which was now the Nine Serenties Ghost Domain, filled up with mist. Standing in the mist was a girl in a white dress, holding a skinless, shrunken version of Lei Shan. At first she was looking up into the sky, but then she lowered her eyes to gaze at the tens of thousands of banesouls in the area. All of them… were prostrating themselves to her! Not a single sound could be heard. As for Lei Shan, his eyes were filled with incredible terror and pain. Standing next to the girl in the white dress was a pretty young woman with expressionless eyes, a puppet. She was none other than… Gongsun Wan’er. There was no poison upon her any more, nor any centipedes. The human-faced spider had transformed into mist and vanished. She was now completely clean and empty, inside and out…. “Aw, you don’t want to stay and play with me, big bro…?” the girl said, her voice sinister and bizarre. “Well, that’s fine. I’ll be able to leave this place soon, then I can come find you. I’ll show you how pretty this new dress of mine is.” The girl chuckled and looked over at Gongsun Wan’er. The fact that the Fallen Sword World had been transformed into the Nine Serenities Ghost Domain was a major event in the eastern Lower Reaches of the cultivation world. What had once been a Foundation Establishment Holy Land was now a domain of terror! Furthermore, one of the banesouls had awakened and turned into a terrifying, sentient banespirit. Even the elders of the four sects were left jumpy at the thought of it. However, there was nothing that could be done about the matter. Although the matter would influence the four sects to some degree, it wasn’t a huge loss. Furthermore, it was a joint loss to all four sects. What was most astonishing of all was the information confirmed by the voice of the girl… the heavenstring energy had been taken. That meant someone must have reached Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment. “Who was it…. Which sect and which disciple got the heavenstring energy!?” “Dammit! If it was one of the other three sects, that means they’ll have a Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment disciple. We need to kill that person when they’re weak. If they reach Core Formation, they’ll be a force not easily stopped!” “It was definitely our Blood Stream Sect. Hahaha! Now we have both Patriarch Limitless… and another top-level cultivator!” The four elders immediately used transmission jade slips to get the information back to their sects as quickly as possible. At the same time, they tried to make contact with the disciples who had been teleported out of the Fallen Sword World. Unfortunately, they soon found that the fluctuations caused by the teleportation made communication impossible. Soon, the Blood Stream Sect, Profound Stream Sect, Spirit Stream Sect and Pill Stream Sect were sent a huge commotion. Even the patriarchs of the sect were shaken. Large numbers of Foundation Establishment Dharma protectors and elders were dispatched. Even prime elders were sent out. No effort was spared to track down the disciples who had been teleported out to random locations. All they had to do was find one disciple, and they should be able to get information about what had occurred in the Fallen Sword World. Most importantly, everyone wanted to know… who got the heavenstring energy! In the Spirit Stream Sect, the founding patriarch personally passed down orders which sent countless Inner Sect disciples and Foundation Establishment elders into action. Even Outer Sect disciple were called upon. They flew out from both the south bank and the north bank, spreading out with one mission: find the disciples who had been teleported out of the Fallen Sword Abyss. As soon as a single one was located, they were to report back to the sect immediately. The first person to be located was not one of the numerous disciples from the Spirit Stream Sect, but rather, one of the five remaining Pill Stream Sect disciples! The Pill Stream Sect had sent 80 disciples into the Fallen Sword World, and more than ninety percent of them had been killed. Luckily for the Pill Stream Sect, one of the five disciples who made it out alive happened to be teleported to a location just outside of the Pill Stream Sect itself. When the Pill Stream Sect elders and sect leader arrived, they found an extremely weak disciple, his energy almost completely drained. Fellow disciples immediately supported him, pouring their own spiritual power into him so that he could speak. Trembling, eyes flickering with fear, he weakly explained, “Dead. They’re all dead. Eldest Brother Fang Lin was killed. Zhao Rou is also dead. All of them were exterminated by Bai Xiaochun from the Spirit Stream Sect!! “Bai Xiaochun… completed nine Tideflows. He and Song Que fought over the heavenstring energy, and… he reached Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment!!” The disciples’ words left the Pill Stream Sect cultivators, and even the elders and the sect leader, completely shaken. Gasps could be heard, and eyes went wide with disbelief. “Heaven-Dao… Foundation Establishment!?” “Bai Xiaochun? Spirit Stream Sect?!” The sect leader’s eyes flickered, and he grimly said, “Immediately send word to all of our spies in the Spirit Stream Sect. Tell them to find Bai Xiaochun and kill him. Spare no effort whatsoever!!” Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post

Chapter 165: Seizing Heavenstring Energy! That mountain was actually an indescribably gigantic beast! In fact, it was so large that no one could even see what it looked like. All they could make out in the 30,000-meter waterswamp was a gigantic bone spur! Even more terrifying was that the base of the spur wasn’t even visible. 30,000 meters wasn’t big enough for the entirety of the spur to be revealed. It was difficult to imagine… exactly how large that beast was! “Th-this… this is the Waterswamp Kingdom?!?!” “Impossible!!!” “The Waterswamp Kingdom is a secret magic of the Spirit Stream Sect, but Bai Xiaochun’s version is completely shocking!!” The five Chosen were completely shaken. Ghostfang and Beihan Lie had it a bit better off than the others; they had been prepared for something like this. Even still, they were astonished by what was happening. As for Nine-Isles and Xu Xiaoshan, they had never seen anything like the Waterswamp Kingdom before, and were so terrified that their scalps were numb. Most shocked of all was Shangguan Tianyou. His hair was completely disheveled, and blood was oozing out of his mouth. He was so scared he looked like a wooden chicken; never in 10,000 years would he be willing to admit that Bai Xiaochun was stronger than him. And yet, he had no choice. Bai Xiaochun… was far, far more powerful than he was. “Back in the Chosen battles, we weren’t that far apart from each other. But now, things are so different….” As of this moment, the sky was going dark, and the lands were quaking. Within the 30,000-meter waterswamp, there was only the enormous bone spur. Compared to that spur, the cultivators were like bugs, whereas Bai Xiaochun was like an immortal being with the world in his hands! Massive rumbling stretched from the highest heavens to the deepest depths of the earth! Not too far away, Song Que was in the middle of absorbing the bit of heavenstring energy that he’d snatched. But now, his mind was trembling. Earlier, he had intentionally split the heavenstring energy, hoping that while Bai Xiaochun and the others fought over the larger strand, he would be free to make away with the bit he had. But now, the fluctuations speeding out from Bai Xiaochun’s location left him gasping. “Dammit. Those fluctuations….” Shocked, he tried to speed up the absorption process. Bai Xiaochun was slaughtering everyone near him! He had never slaughtered people like this before. His eyes shone with a fierce light, and he was trembling a bit, both visibly and mentally. His reaction had been instinctive; despite being at the peak of Earthstring Foundation Establishment with nine Tideflows, he still feared death. Therefore, he had no choice but to resort to fighting and killing in this situation. That was especially true considering that so many people had been trying to rob him of his heavenstring energy. To him, that was the same as robbing him of his life, leaving him no choice other than to go all out. The shocking Waterswamp Kingdom caused the five great Chosen to fall back, blood spraying out of their mouths, their expressions those of shock and astonishment. Virtually all of the Qi Condensation disciples exploded, creating haunting flowers of blood that filled the area. There were a dozen or so people off in the distance who were outside of the range of Bai Xiaochun’s Waterswamp Kingdom. Their faces were ashen as they observed the devilish spectacle playing out in front of them. As of this moment, they were left gasping, and the frenzy they had felt because of the heavenstring energy faded away. Cold sweat popped out all over their bodies as they backed up. “He’s so brutal! Is he really from the Spirit Stream Sect? He’s even more violent than the Blood Stream Sect people!” “How vicious! That attack… wounded the five great Chosen, and killed dozens and dozens of Qi Condensation disciples!!” Finally, Bai Xiaochun took to motion, speeding off into the distance. Ghostfang and the other Chosen had faces as pale as death as they watched him leave. None of them dared to chase him. As they thought back to what had just occurred, they were sure that they had just had a brush with the aura of Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment, leaving them no choice but to quash any desire they had to try to steal the heavenstring energy. The lingering fear they felt in their hearts forced them to admit that even if they tried to defeat him, they would fail…. Bai Xiaochun sped along for a bit, trembling and coughing up blood. His face was also pale; despite being at the peak of Earthstring Foundation Establishment, crushing five Chosen and a host of Qi Condensation disciples couldn’t be accomplished without being injured himself. Without his Undying Gold Skin, those injuries would have been even more serious. Thankfully, the Undying Live Forever Technique gave him regenerative capabilities that far exceeded any ordinary disciple, and his body was already repairing itself. “Last but not least, Song Que! “He grabbed the smaller strand of heavenstring energy… and went in this direction!” Bai Xiaochun’s eyes were completely bloodshot; by this point, he had already absorbed quite a bit of the heavenstring energy into his spiritual seas, and his aura was already beginning to change. However, he could tell that the amount he had wasn’t enough to fuel a full Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment. Furthermore, he could clearly sense the smaller strand of heavenstring energy up ahead; it was like a bright fire burning on a moonless night. “Song Que was prepared for the heavenstring energy to split apart; maybe he even made it happen!” Without pausing for even a moment. Bai Xiaochun sped along. In the beginning, about 400 people had entered the Fallen Sword Abyss. Now, there weren’t even sixty people left, and the majority of them were Spirit Stream Sect disciples. The Pill Stream Sect forces had virtually been wiped out, having only five disciples remaining. The Profound Stream Sect only had about ten disciples left, and the Blood Stream Sect, a bit more than that. Although the Spirit Stream Sect disciples had sustained severe casualties, after Bai Xiaochun completed his Tideflows, few died. Even those who had besieged him earlier because of the heavenstring energy only ended up getting injured, not killed. At the moment, there were more than thirty Spirit Stream Sect disciples left. By this point, the brutality in the Fallen Sword World could only be exceeded by the events 800 years ago with Master Limitless of the Blood Stream Sect. Now, Bai Xiaochun was getting close to matching that event! Rumbling filled the sky as he sped toward Song Que. As for Song Que, he was in his temporary immortal’s cave, hair disheveled, hands pushed down onto his Feng Shui compass. Strands of heavenstring energy were rising up from the compass and entering his ears, nose, and mouth, to stream toward his eight spiritual seas. Song Que knew that the heavenstring energy was not stabilized inside of him; if he were to be seriously injured, it would spill back out. The only way to stabilize it was through the passage of time, or by adding more heavenstring energy. Furthermore, he had to absorb another portion to reach Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment. “Bai Xiaochun!!” When the last bit of heavenstring energy entered into him, he looked up, eyes radiating with madness. Some distance away, a beam of light approached, getting closer and closer until suddenly, an enormous violet cauldron appeared up above, which then shot down toward Song Que. A deafening boom echoed out as the immortal’s cave was destroyed. Howling at the top of his lungs, Song Que burst out into the air, slamming into Bai Xiaochun. Neither of them could run from this battle. Each of them needed the portion of heavenstring energy that was contained within the other’s body. As of this point, they had to call on their trump cards. “This guy’s definitely fully prepared,” Bai Xiaochun thought. “I have to find an opportunity to get that heavenstring energy out of him. If the fight drags on for too long, too many things could go wrong!” Without any hesitation, he attacked with even greater speed than before. Song Que’s right hand flashed with an incantation gesture, and he stabbed his finger toward Bai Xiaochun. Instantly, a blood seal appeared beneath Bai Xiaochun, which then exploded upward in an attack. Simultaneously, strands of blood qi swirled out of Song Que, forming together in front of him into a blood-colored sword tip. Bai Xiaochun performed another incantation gesture, summoning a violet cauldron, as well as projections of a dragon and a mammoth. Closing in on Song Que, he unleashed the power of his fleshly body in the form of punches and kicks that contained mountain-toppling, sea-draining power. Both the Golden Crow Sword and his little wooden sword appeared, whistling through the air with incredible power. He also unleashed two swords with threefold spirit enhancement designs. Sword qi raged. Black mist roiled out of the little wooden sword, and as for the Golden Crow Sword, because Bai Xiaochun was now in Foundation Establishment, the golden crow that materialized raged with flames far exceeding the previous version. Within a few short moments, the two of them exchanged hundreds of volleys, and the fight only grew more and more brutal. Song Que had the power of eight Tideflows, so when he attacked, it resulted in terrifying, thunderous booms. Bai Xiaochun was equally extraordinary. He had his Undying Gold Skin, and had broken through the first shackle of mortality. He had the power of nine Tideflows, which placed him on a higher level than Song Que. But he was injured, which put him in a worse position. Of course, Song Que had also been injured. Each blow struck by one would result in some heavenstring energy leaking out of the other, which would then be quickly absorbed by their opponent. Overall, Song Que seemed to be losing more heavenstring energy. He had already lost about fifty percent of his original amount, while Bai Xiaochun had only lost thirty! As they fought back and forth, Bai Xiaochun only continued to absorb more and more. Divine ability after divine ability was unleashed. Although Song Que was at a disadvantage, he had a huge reserve of blood qi. Soon, he was summoning an enormous blood sword that filled Bai Xiaochun with a sensation of deadly crisis. Furthermore, his Undying Gold Skin was starting to grow dim, as if he couldn’t sustain its use for much longer. Bai Xiaochun could already tell what Song Que was doing. He knew that he wasn’t a match for Bai Xiaochun, and yet took him on anyway. That meant that, in addition to the maddened way he was fighting, he definitely had another trump card up his sleeve. After all… Song Que was one of the most powerful Chosen from the Blood Stream Sect, a sect which shook all three other sects. Although there might be other more powerful Chosen from his sect, none of them were here now, and now that he was forced into fighting, he would definitely surpass any ordinary cultivator. Song Que didn’t seem to be in a good position. However, it was at this point that he opened his mouth and spat out a blood sphere. Bai Xiaochun had been waiting for this to happen, and immediately fell back. As he did, the blood sphere exploded, unleashing devastating force in all directions. The sky shook, and a gale force wind ripped over the lands below. A huge, 300-meter-area was completely flattened down below, and at the same time, blood oozed out of the corners of Bai Xiaochun’s mouth. Song Que also coughed up some blood, but then he took a deep breath, and his body withered visibly. That in turn restored his power levels; expression vicious, he began to advance toward Bai Xiaochun. “Die!!” he cried, reaching back and grabbing the blood qi sword, which he slashed viciously toward Bai Xiaochun. The sword arced through the air, making it look like a blood-colored crescent moon! This was his trump card! The secret magic from Middle Peak in the Blood Stream Sect, the Blood Annihilation World! Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post

Chapter 164: So What!? Bai Xiaochun had tangled with the Blood Stream Sect before, and even back then, he could tell that their magical techniques were like the name of their sect: something akin to a devilish Dao. Assuming that the Spirit Stream Sect’s information about the Blood Stream Sect was correct and not an exaggeration, then their magical techniques really were bizarre to the extreme! Whether it was the huge hand that appeared behind the body refinement cultivator, which Bai Xiaochun found so strangely familiar, or the gargoyles, or the corpse-refining magic of Xu Xiaoshan, all of them seemed to abound with intensely murderous auras. As Xu Xiaoshan closed in, he waved his finger at Bai Xiaochun, and the nine black-haired zombies shot toward Bai Xiaochun like nine meteors. The aura of death they exuded rose high into the air, and they let out piercing cries that locked down the entire area around Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun’s eyes glittered as he sprang into motion, golden light shining around him. His two fingers flickered like lightning as they shot out and crushed down onto the neck of one of the black-haired zombies. A cracking sound could be heard, and the zombie’s head tilted to the side, but it wasn’t dead. It punched out at Bai Xiaochun, who leapt to the side, hair flying around him as he shoved out with his palm. That motion was backed by the explosive power of nine Tideflows, creating a gale-force wind that swept out in all directions. The power of the dragon and mammoth also appeared, becoming a powerful attack which shoved all of the black-haired zombies away. Then, Bai Xiaochun launched himself toward Xu Xiaoshan. Xu Xiaoshan’s pupils constricted as Bai Xiaochun unleashed a fist strike. A boom rang out, and Xu Xiaoshan coughed up a mouthful of blood, simultaneously unleashing a host of defensive magical items. Despite all of his defenses, he was still seriously injured and thrown back several hundred meters by the power of the fist. At the same time, Ghostfang and Shangguan Tianyou unleashed a combined attack. Bai Xiaochun didn’t pause for even a moment. Turning, he unleashed all possible speed to escape. He knew he couldn’t easily defeat Ghostfang, Xu Xiaoshan, and Shangguan Tianyou at the same time, and also didn’t want to let them fire off any truly deadly attacks. Even as he fled, the disciples from the other three sects closed in. Although they all coveted the heavenstring energy, considering that Bai Xiaochun had it, they didn’t dare to try to attack him on their own. However, as a group, they were confident enough to try to slow him down and give Ghostfang, Xu Xiaoshan and Shangguan Tianyou a chance go at him. If that happened, it wouldn’t necessarily be impossible for them to get the heavenstring energy in the end! Many of the Profound Stream Sect disciples also possessed shadow projections. They could unleash illusory images, some weak, some strong, that allowed them to attack Bai Xiaochun from a distance. The Pill Stream Sect disciples also had their own unique methods of attack, including poisons, exploding pills, and the like. The glow of magical techniques surrounded Bai Xiaochun constantly, and booms filled the air. A grave expression could be seen on his face. Even with his Undying Gold Skin, the bombardment was a big headache. “You people really are looking to die!” Killing intent flickered in his eyes as he suddenly transformed into a long streak of light that shot toward the surrounding disciples. In the blink of an eye, he slammed into one of the Profound Stream Sect disciples, who spun off to the side and then exploded. With that, Bai Xiaochun emerged from the blockade, but even as he did, a voice could be heard coming from up ahead. “Bai Xiaochun, we might be from the same sect, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight over heavenstring energy!” It was Beihan Lie, striding forward with a burning sun held in his outstretched hand, a sun which was rapidly turning black. Apparently, this was his Sunset Incantation. “Beihan Lie!” Bai Xiaochun said, frowning. Almost at the same moment that Beihan Lie attacked, a beam of light appeared off in the distance, sending a screaming wind blasting out in all directions, which was filled with the power of the Exterminating Obliteration Technique. It was none other than Nine-Isles. He didn’t care that he was injured, or that Bai Xiaochun was unnaturally powerful. He still was ready to fight. He unleashed his attack in almost perfect unison with Beihan Lie. Magical symbols of obliteration exploded out, joining the pitch black sun to race toward Bai Xiaochun. The massive explosion made it impossible for Bai Xiaochun to proceed forward. Moments later, Ghostfang, Xu Xiaoshan, and Shangguan Tianyou arrived, and soon he was dealing with five besiegers. Each and every one of those five people was a spectacular Chosen among Chosen, and when they joined forces, their power was beyond description. The other disciples in the area now felt a bit of hope. More than a hundred people closed in from all sides, joining forces to try to kill Bai Xiaochun and snatch the heavenstring energy. “Bai Xiaochun, you might be strong, but you can’t beat all of us together. Hand over that heavenstring energy!” “Bai Xiaochun, Heaven-Dao Foundation Establishment is too important. We’d fight anybody who had that energy. There is no such thing as a fellow disciple in this situation. It’s survival of the fittest!” “Give up that heavenstring energy!” Even as people shouted out, Ghostfang blurred into motion, exploding with energy as he unleashed the power of his cultivation base. Shockingly, he transformed into a ghost finger! Although it was only a finger, it was huge compared to the ghost hand from before. It filled half the sky, and caused everything to shake violently as it crushed down toward Bai Xiaochun. Shangguan Tianyou’s eyes flickered with intense killing intent. After taking a deep breath, he sent sword qi streaming out of all of the pores on his body. It was almost as if his own qi, blood, soul, and cultivation base were manifesting externally, transforming into an enormous heavenly sword that slashed down toward Bai Xiaochun. Xu Xiaoshan let out a powerful roar as his forehead split open. Unexpectedly, a beam of blood-colored light shot out, which transformed into a black-haired zombie. It seemed ancient, and as soon as it appeared, an aura of death spread out that distorted the entire area. Brandishing its long, claw-like fingernails and razor-sharp fangs, it leaped toward Bai Xiaochun. Things weren’t over yet, though. Beihan Lie gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, causing black flames to erupt off of him. They covered his body, spreading wider and wider as he transformed into a black sun which soared up into the air and then dropped down toward Bai Xiaochun. Then there was Nine-Isles. A piercing whistling sound could be heard as he performed a double-handed incantation gesture. Magical symbols streamed out, each one of which burst with the power of the Exterminating Obliteration Technique. The magical symbols then rapidly formed together into a single thread that seemed capable of slicing through anything and everything. Nine-Isles was left ashen-faced and coughing up blood. He even seemed to age visibly. Five top Chosen were all attacking simultaneously! In addition to them were a host of Qi Condensation disciples, all of whom launched their most powerful magical techniques. The entire area lit up with colorful lights as countless divine abilities bore down on Bai Xiaochun. The intense danger of the situation caused Bai Xiaochun to gasp. By this point, he had already assimilated about half of the heavenstring energy, and it was coursing through his qi passageways into his nine spiritual seas. If he tried to stop the process at this point, it could have serious negative ramifications. Besides, he wasn’t willing to give up the heavenstring energy after just having acquired it. Furthermore, when it came to five top Chosen attacking him at the same time, he had one reaction: So what?! Eyes glittering, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Even as the countless divine abilities and magical techniques rumbled toward him, he lifted both hands into the air and then murmured two words! “Waterswamp… Kingdom!” This would be his first time unleashing the complete Waterswamp Kingdom with a Foundation Establishment cultivation base! As soon as the words left his mouth, everything in the area turned hazy. In the blink of an eye, heaven and earth vanished, and the area became a huge watery swamp. Water vapor filled the area, to the point where hair and clothes alike dripped with moisture. An indescribably powerful aura roiled out, something that far exceeded early Foundation Establishment. This was more like mid Foundation Establishment! A magical technique like this, which seemingly broke past the level of one’s cultivation base… was a secret magic! Of course, there were weak secret magics and strong ones. And although the Waterswamp Kingdom and Ghosts Haunt the Night were equally famous, Bai Xiaochun was at the peak of Earthstring Foundation Establishment. He had already gained enlightenment of his life essence spirit, and had even broken through the first shackle of mortality. Because of all those reasons, his Waterswamp Kingdom vastly exceeded Ghostfang’s Ghosts Haunt the Night! When he unleashed it, it could destroy the heavens and crush the earth! The faces of the five great Chosen all fell, and the reaction of the other cultivators was exactly the same. In that very instant, all of their magics were locked down and began to tremble on the verge of destruction. “We can’t let him keep this up!” “Attack!!” Everyone was crying out in alarm. At the same time, the magical techniques of the five great Chosen sped up. Rumbling sounds could be heard as they descended upon Bai Xiaochun. However, that was when Bai Xiaochun’s eyes suddenly snapped open! Instantly, an enormous mountain peak appeared that could shake heaven and earth. It rose up from the 30,000-meter-wide waterswamp, superseding the world, rising high up into the sky! The mountain peak was vastly enormous, and erupted with a shocking aura that could topple mountains and drain seas. Indescribable pressure pushed down onto everything, crushing everything in its path! It was as if it wished to flatten everything in existence! The magical techniques of the five great Chosen were destroyed like dried weeds! Blood sprayed out of the mouths of the five Chosen, and expressions of astonishment could be seen on their faces. They were sent flying away, their bodies completely beyond their own control. As for the Qi Condensation cultivators, they let out bloodcurdling screams as the pressure crushed down onto them. One by one, they began to explode, blood spraying out like blooming flowers! They were being crushed out of existence, destroyed in body and soul! 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Chapter 157: Fighting Back! Bai Xiaochun’s eyes shone with piercing light, and yet, inside, his heart was pounding. He had known all along that his attempt at Foundation Establishment couldn’t be made without interference. Unless he immediately ended his seventh and eighth Tideflows, people would definitely try to kill him. “Song Que. Nine-Isles. Fang Lin. You’re all despicable! “I’m not taking away your earthstring energy, yet you send your fellow disciples to try to stop me?! “Just wait until I’m in Foundation Establishment, then you’ll know how awesome I am!” Gritting his teeth, he temporarily suppressed the hatred in his heart. He knew that he was in a moment of deep crisis, and that the slightest carelessness could result in utter catastrophe. The people coming at him weren’t just trying to prevent him from proceeding with his Foundation Establishment, they were trying to kill him and steal the earthstring energy that existed in his spiritual seas. Because of the life-or-death danger, a vicious, maddened look appeared on his face. All of a sudden, he felt like he was back in mountains being chased by the Luochen clan. Rumbling sounds echoed out above the lake as dozens of disciples from the three sects closed in. However, even as they neared his immortal’s cave, Bai Xiaochun activated two hundred of the more than one thousand paper talismans he’d set up at the entrance of the cave. As they ignited, an enormous shield dozens of meters thick appeared, causing the lake water to churn violently. As for the incoming disciples, they were completely blocked by the glittering shield. “Each one of those defensive paper talismans is extremely expensive. Bai Xiaochun is down to his last line of defense. Destroy these shields, and we’ll be able to get into his immortal’s cave!” “Kill Bai Xiaochun, and the earthstring energy inside of him will return to the world around us. We’ll finally get a chance at Foundation Establishment!” The dozens of disciples that had arrived viciously unleashed numerous powerful attacks onto the shields. One by one, the shields began to distort and then shatter. Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath. The seventh and eighth vortexes spun rapidly, filling heaven and earth with rumbling sounds, causing massive amounts of earthstring energy to rush toward him. When about half of the two hundred paper talisman shields had been destroyed, Fang Lin of the Pill Stream Sect completed his Tideflow, despite the pressure which had been weighing down on his vortex. Without hesitating, he began his seventh Tideflow. Next was Nine-Isles. After that, Song Que. Soon, all of them were in the middle of their seventh Tideflow. Ghostfang had begun twenty hours later than Bai Xiaochun, and was now about half finished with his sixth Tideflow. Even still, it took all of them added together to match the speed with which Bai Xiaochun was absorbing earthstring energy. The earthstring energy in the Fallen Sword World was rapidly diminishing, causing the disciples of the three sects to grow even more anxious. More and more of them chose to try to kill Bai Xiaochun. After all, the overall earthstring energy that remained was now almost half gone, and the only way to reverse the situation was to kill Bai Xiaochun. More and more disciples showed up to attack him. By this point, the lake was destroyed, and Bai Xiaochun’s defensive shields were almost gone. The nearly one hundred disciples who had gathered in the area were starting to get very excited. “Come one. One big blast should destroy those shields!” “Hurry up. Bai Xiaochun’s shields are almost gone!” However, even as hope flickered in their eyes, Bai Xiaochun ignited another four hundred paper talismans. Instantly, the shields were hundreds of meters thick, a dazzling display that provoked cries of shock among the attacking disciples. “Dammit! He had more!?!?” “How many paper talismans does Bai Xiaochun have?!” “I refuse to believe this! This has definitely got to be his final line of defense!” Booms echoed out as nearly one hundred disciples attacked with bloodshot eyes and even greater killing intent. As one shield layer after another shattered, Bai Xiaochun pushed the vortexes even harder, madly absorbing as much earthstring energy as he could. “Faster,” he growled. “Must go faster!” Time passed, and soon the active paper talismans had been whittled down from four hundred to one hundred. At that point, hissing sounds could be heard as the seventh vortex transformed into a full Tideflow, and a seventh spiritual sea appeared in his dantian region. Bai Xiaochun could clearly sense how much more powerful he was with that boundless seventh spiritual sea. At the same time, his eighth vortex began to spin even faster. It was at this point that Fang Lin trembled and finished his seventh Tideflow. However, he was incapable of beginning an eighth and, in fact, anyone who could have examined him closely would have been able to tell that his seventh Tideflow wasn’t complete. Bai Xiaochun was essentially in control of half of the earthstring energy in the world, and Fang Lin simply wasn’t as well prepared as everyone else. Lower level Tideflows didn’t require as much earthstring energy, but in the seventh, it was quite the opposite, and Fang Lin simply couldn’t compete with everyone else. He was totally spent. “Bai Xiaochun!!” Eyes raging with killing intent, he had no choice but to end his Foundation Establishment with a partially completed seventh spiritual sea. When the vortex above Fang Lin faded away, less of the earthstring energy was being absorbed, and the overall tension in the Fallen Sword World eased up a bit. Not long after that, Song Que and Nine-Isles completed their seventh Tideflows. Then, it was with great difficulty but no hesitation that they called upon the power of their secret magics to begin their eighth Tideflows. Rumbling filled the entire world as unstable vortexes appeared above each of them. It seemed that for both of them, the Eighth Tideflow could fail at any moment. Apparently, the earthstring energy in the world was barely enough to sustain two such vortexes. However, both of them struggled to hang on even longer! “I can definitely reach eight Tideflows!” Nine-Isles howled. “My goal isn’t eight, it’s nine!” Song Que’s eyes were completely bloodshot as he performed a double-handed incantation gesture, causing his chest to wither up, and yet simultaneously unleashing a bizarre power that poured into the eighth Tideflow vortex, resulting in it accelerating rapidly. The acceleration of Song Que’s vortex seemed to exert incredible pressure onto Nine-Isles’s vortex. Nine-Isles began to tremble as his vortex slowly withered. “There’s still hope!” Nine-Isles bit the tip of his tongue and then spit out a mouthful of blood, which transformed into a magical symbol that settled down onto him. As it did, the chain of magical symbols that surrounded him began to emit dazzling light, causing the whirlpool inside of him to speed up. Soon, he was catching up to Song Que. However, it was at this point that Ghostfang completed his seventh Tideflow and began his eighth. Instantly, Nine-Isles, who had already been teetering unstably, let loose a cry of despair. Moments later, Nine-Isles’ vortex shuddered, and then ground to a halt. “No!!” Nine-Isles howled, his eyes shining with madness. However, there was nothing he could do. His eighth Tideflow was a failure. Now that both he and Fang Lin had ceased to absorb earthstring energy, the pressure in the Fallen Sword World had eased significantly. With two less Tideflow vortexes in the picture, Song Que’s eighth Tideflow stabilized even further. As for Ghostfang, he also had a better chance than before, and was catching up relentlessly. Although he was also teetering on the verge of failure, he was still hanging on, and the question was how long he could continue to do so. Of course, Bai Xiaochun also benefited, and began to advance even more rapidly. It was a dazzling scene as three people proceeded through their eight Tideflow: Bai Xiaochun, Song Que, and Ghostfang! Two people had failed so far: Fang Lin and Nine-Isles! As for Shangguan Tianyou, Beihan Lie, Zhao Rou and Xu Xiaoshan, they were in the second wave. Because so much earthstring energy had been absorbed by the disciples in the first wave, their speed was significantly slower. All of them had just begun their fourth Tideflows. Hou Yunfei and some of the other miscellaneous Chosen were in the third wave, and had just begun their second Tideflows. As far as Hou Yunfei was concerned, considering his latent talent and expectations, even reaching one Tideflow in Earthstring Foundation Establishment was a significant accomplishment. By this point, the rest of the disciples had no hope whatsoever of finishing their earthstring capture crystals, and therefore, no chance to even achieve a single Tideflow. In their despair, such disciples’ killing intent soared, and their eyes came focus on the three vortexes up above that represented the disciples in their eighth Tideflows. “Ghostfang just started his eighth Tideflow, and isn’t completely stabilized. He has a lot of earthstring energy, but not as much as Song Que and Bai Xiaochun!” “Song Que is super famous, and has a shocking murderous aura. Plus, it’s never a good idea to provoke people from the Blood Stream Sect. Furthermore, he probably doesn’t have as much earthstring energy as Bai Xiaochun….” “Bai Xiaochun is already being besieged by quite a few people. We should take advantage of the moment to kill him. If he dies, his earthstring energy will disperse back into the world!” After analyzing the situation, most of the disciples chose to target Bai Xiaochun. In that same moment, Fang Lin finalized his Foundation Establishment and solidified his spiritual seas. Rumbling sounds echoed out as he flew up into the air, emanating the crushing pressure of Foundation Establishment. His hair whipped about as a mighty wind swirled around him. At the same time, the image of the Heaven-Earth Furnace Cauldron appeared behind him. Clearly, he was far superior to any Qi Condensation cultivator. He was the first person to reach Foundation Establishment, and was now the most powerful person in the Fallen Sword World! “Since I got seven Tideflows, the rest of you better not even dream of finishing your eighth!” Eyes flickering with killing intent, he looked around at Song Que, Ghostfang, and Bai Xiaochun. Then, he shot toward Bai Xiaochun like a bolt of lightning. “I’ll kill you first, and absorb your earthstring energy. Maybe I can still reach eight Tideflows after all!!” When using Tideflow power to reach Earthstring Foundation Establishment, it was possible for someone interrupt any one of their first eight Tideflows and prematurely reach Foundation Establishment. Furthermore, because the Dao foundation wasn’t complete in such a situation, it was possible to continue after the interruption, as long as too much time didn’t go by. However, because of the huge amount of earthstring energy required, it was usually too difficult to do such a thing. In contrast, once a ninth Tideflow began, one had to choose to either complete it, or die trying. Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post

Chapter 156: Wanna Kill Me?! Nine enormous vortexes swirled in the sky of the Fallen Sword World, slowly eating away at any hope which remained in the hearts of the disciples down below. In any Foundation Establishment Holy Land, earthstring energy was limited, and could only be used by so many cultivators to reach Foundation Establishment. Furthermore, the number of cultivators who could succeed was not fixed. If someone reached eight Tideflows, they would absorb even more earthstring energy than usual, significantly reducing the overall amount in the world, and would force some people to end their own Tideflows prematurely. Of course, someone reaching eight Tideflows wasn’t the most terrifying scenario…. The worst was if some prodigy came along among the Chosen who managed to reach nine Tideflows. Once someone reached the peak of Earthstring Foundation Establishment, they would most certainly slaughter the people from the other sects who had tried to interfere, and prevent them from succeeding. In fact, even people from that person’s own sect who had interfered might also be killed! Such a thing had only ever occurred once, 800 years before with Master Limitless. A scene of madness had played out at that time, in which the Pill Stream Sect was completely wiped out, and only a few people from the Profound Stream Sect and the Spirit Stream Sect escaped with their lives. Even many people from the Blood Stream Sect were slaughtered by the enraged Master Limitless. For the disciples from the four sects who hadn’t formed their earthstring capture crystals yet, they either had to resign themselves to their fates, or go on a killing rampage, resorting to any tactics possible to succeed. Sometimes that would even mean ambushing fellow disciples. It was all for the chance to get the earthstring capture crystal and then reach Earthstring Foundation Establishment. Time passed. The second wave, which consisted of Shangguan Tianyou, Xu Xiaoshan, Beihan Lie and Zhao Rou, had all completed their first three Tideflows. As for Ghostfang, he had already completed his fourth, and was moving on to his fifth. Song Que and Nine-Isles were already halfway through their fifth. Bai Xiaochun… was the fastest of them all. He was almost finished with his fifth Tideflow. Earthstring energy was rushing into the vortex, and a fifth spiritual sea was forming inside of him. Four hours later, a tremor ran through him as the fifth whirlpool inside of him expanded. Tideflow power erupted, and his fifth spirit sea was completed in his dantian region. His fifth Tideflow was over! “Now for the sixth!” he said, his eyes glimmering with intense focus. Having reached this point in the process, he had no desire to give up. He wanted to know what his limit was. He wanted to know how far he could go. He wanted to know… how many Tideflows he was capable of! “The Violet Qi Cauldron Control Art was the basis of my first Tideflow. Violet Qi Cauldron Summoning was the second. As for my third and fourth, that came from the power of the dragon and mammoth! “The fifth Tideflow should have been from the magic of sea-forming. However, because I broke through the first shackle of mortality, that turned into my fifth Tideflow. Therefore, it’s now time to continue on with sea-forming magic and start my sixth Tideflow!” Taking a deep breath, he again called upon the explosive power of the Dragon Mammoth Sea-Forming Scripture. Having already used the power of the dragon and the mammoth, it was now time to use the power of sea-forming! The so-called sea-forming was actually a method of creating a spiritual sea, of forming a Dao foundation! Almost immediately, a sixth vortex formed up in the sky, within which was a majestic, roiling sea. Although the vortex was a spectacular sight, it was somewhat unstable, and didn’t absorb energy very quickly. Bai Xiaochun had the Waterswamp Kingdom, but didn’t want to use that yet. Since he could use the power of sea-forming, he didn’t want to waste his powerful secret magic. When the other cultivators saw what was happening, they began to sigh with relief. “Bai Xiaochun’s sixth Tideflow is unstable. From the look of it, he’s already reached his limit, and won’t be able to last much longer. That crumbling mountain in the fifth Tideflow must have been his only secret magic.” “Six Tideflows is already pretty amazing. More than that would be spectacular!” It was at this point that Fang Lin and Nine-Isles also breathed sighs of relief. They were completely on guard, and keeping close track of everyone else’s progress. “Bai Xiaochun’s already reached the end, so there’s no need to worry about him anymore.” That was what both of them were thinking. Ghostfang frowned. Considering that he knew Bai Xiaochun hadn’t used his secret magic yet, he could tell that something strange was going on. As for Song Que, he looked on, eyes glittering thoughtfully. Time passed. Bai Xiaochun’s sixth Tideflow slowly sucked in earthstring energy, and although the vortex wasn’t stable, it didn’t collapse. Gradually, there were a few other disciples who managed to form their earthstring capture crystals and begin their Tideflows. One of them was Hou Yunfei. It was after the sixty-hour mark passed that Bai Xiaochun’s sixth Tideflow finished. Most people present assumed that he was finished…. In the little immortal’s cave he’d carved out beneath the lake, his eyes glittered as his sixth spiritual sea formed inside of him. Then, he took a deep breath and suddenly stretched both arms out in front of him. “Secret magic… Waterswamp Kingdom!” Water vapor filled the immortal’s cave, growing more and more dense until it began to seep out into the lake water itself. The lake began to seethe, and in the blink of an eye, expanded rapidly. Within a few breaths of time, it grew so rapidly that it became less like a lake and more like a sea. Up above in the sky, Bai Xiaochun’s sixth vortex had stopped moving. However, instead of vanishing, it seemed to be building up energy. Then… a faint pressure began to weigh down in the Fallen Sword World, to the surprise and shock of everyone. Even Nine-Isles and the other top Chosen were all astonished…. Bai Xiaochun raised his hands up above him, then shoved them back down. Instantly, huge waves roiled out across the surface of the lake up above, along with intense rumbling sounds. The sixth vortex began to ripple and distort, then spin like mad. Gasps rang out in the Fallen Sword World as… a seventh vortex appeared! However, that wasn’t the end of it! In the same instant that the seventh vortex appeared, the air above it began to twist and turn. Countless clouds seethed as an eighth vortex appeared! The seventh and eighth vortexes appeared at the same time, accompanied by thunderous rumbling that struck shock into the hearts of all the cultivators present. “Impossible!! He clearly used a secret magic for his fifth Tideflow!” “Secret magic! That’s a secret magic! Heavens! What he used before wasn’t actually a secret magic!?!?” “I can’t believe two vortexes appeared at the same time. Is that… is that the Spirit Stream Sect’s spectacular secret magic, the Waterswamp Kingdom? Or is it Ghosts Haunt the Night?!?!” Soon, the cries of shock turned into bellows of rage. “Eight Tideflows! He’s reached eight Tideflows! If he succeeds, a vast amount of earthstring energy will be sucked away!” “Stop him!” The entire sky shook as the seventh and eighth vortexes began to spin rapidly. The power of the Tideflow that erupted out to absorb earthstring energy was vastly stronger than anything before, greater by dozens of times over. It was like the power of an enormous black hole, reaching out into the entire world and tugging at all the earthstring energy in it. The vortexes belonging to the other disciples began to twist and distort, and even slow down their own absorption. It was at this point that Fang Lin opened his eyes, then spoke in a voice that rose up into the vortex above him and spread out to fill the entire area. “Pill Stream Sect disciples, heed my command: kill Bai Xiaochun. Stop him from completing his eighth Tideflow!! All who comply will receive special compensation from me upon returning to the sect. I’ll acquire Foundation Establishment Pills for all of you, and take care of you for your whole life!” At the same time, Nine-Isles sat in his spell formation, his eyes flickering with killing intent. “Profound Stream Sect disciples, heed my command: exterminate Bai Xiaochun. Kill him, and his earthstring energy will disperse back into the world. That will benefit me, you, and everyone!” Even as Nine-Isles’ words echoed out, Song Que opened his eyes. After a moment of thought, he said, “Blood Stream Sect, heed my command: kill Bai Xiaochun and put an end to his Tideflow!” Hou Yunfei was starting to get nervous, but being in the middle of his own Foundation Establishment, could do nothing to help. Shangguan Tianyou’s eyes flickered, and a cold smile appeared on his face. He had been shaken by the fact that Bai Xiaochun started his seventh and eighth Tideflows simultaneously, but now he wasn’t so nervous. “You’re simply courting death,” he murmured. “You can’t blame us for that.” With that, he closed his eyes and proceeded with his own Tideflow. Ghostfang’s eyes glittered. Although he felt no ill will toward Bai Xiaochun, at the moment, he couldn’t help him even if he wanted to. Beihan Lie hesitated for a moment. By this point, he wasn’t sure how he felt about Bai Xiaochun. He hated him, and even wanted to kill him. But as more time passed, he had reached a point where he didn’t want Bai Xiaochun to die at the hands of anyone except himself. “Despicable wretches!” he shouted. However, he was powerless to offer any assistance at the moment. As the number one Chosen from the various sects issued their orders, the other disciples in the Fallen Sword World looked on with bloodshot eyes. “Kill Bai Xiaochun. If he dies, then his earthstring energy will disperse, and we’ll have a chance to succeed!” “That’s right. Song Que, Nine-Isles and even Fang Lin are people we can’t risk provoking. But according to the sect’s information, Bai Xiaochun isn’t the strongest here. We can definitely take him down!” “I think each sect has different information about Bai Xiaochun…. But now’s not the time to worry about that. Kill him, and we’ll all have a chance to reach Foundation Establishment!” “He doesn’t qualify to reach eight Tideflows!” Eyes crimson, disciples sped from all directions toward Bai Xiaochun’s lake. The Spirit Stream Sect disciples were starting to get nervous, but considering that all of the disciples from the other three sects were joining forces, they were completely outnumbered. They were able to stop some of them, but not all. Soon, disciples from all three sects were closing in on Bai Xiaochun. It was at that point that Bai Xiaochun’s eyes snapped open. “Wanna kill me?!” Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post

Chapter 155: Breaking The First Shackle! The fourth tornado sprang up in a plain, where a grand spell formation had been set up. Glittering light spread out in all directions from the formation, in the middle of which sat a lone Qi Condensation disciple. He was a handsome young man wearing the robes of the Profound Stream Sect. As he performed his breathing exercises, magical symbols flowed back and forth across his body, each one of which seemed to carry incredible destructive power. Occasionally they would converge into something that looked like an iron chain wrapped around him. The pulsing energy of destruction that seemed to radiate from the young man was none other than a sign of the Exterminating Obliteration Technique! That young man was none other than the number one Chosen from the Profound Stream Sect, the first person in the past 3,000 years to successfully cultivate the Exterminating Obliteration Technique, Nine-Isles. He was able to unleash a force of obliteration that could exterminate all living things. It could wipe out anything and everything, and could even form obliteration threads; according to the information compiled by the other sects, such threads were as powerful as Mortal-Dao Foundation Establishment. “In that battle with Ghostfang, neither of us came out on top. Just wait until after Foundation Establishment! I’ll fight with you again, and then I’ll completely destroy one of the number one Chosen in the Spirit Stream Sect!” Killing intent flickered in Nine-Isles’s eyes as he took a deep breath and performed a double-handed incantation gesture. Instantly, a whirlpool formed inside of him, exploding with gravitational force as a tornado shot up into the heavens. There, an enormous vortex appeared. Rumbling sounds filled the air as enormous quantities of earthstring energy flowed toward it. As of this moment, four enormous vortexes could be seen in four different areas, splitting the Fallen Sword World into four parts. The rest of the disciples in the Fallen Sword World were getting very anxious. Four people were in the middle of Foundation Establishment, and vast quantities of earthstring energy was being gobbled up. Everyone knew that the earthstring energy was limited, and if they didn’t hurry, their own chances at Foundation Establishment would be dashed, and they would be nothing but minor players compared to those who had succeeded. The fighting grew more brutal, and almost instantly, casualties mounted. Even as the disciples fell upon each other with bloodshot eyes, the lake above Bai Xiaochun exploded with a crashing sound as he concluded his third Tideflow. Up in the heavens, the dragon roared, and inside Bai Xiaochun, a third spiritual sea appeared above his second. This spiritual sea was even larger than the previous one. “The power of the dragon has ended. Now it’s time for the power of the mammoth!” Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath. Eyes crimson, he let out a powerful roar as an enormous mammoth appeared around him. It lifted its front feet up, and then slammed them back down into the ground. BOOM! A fourth whirlpool appeared inside of him, even larger and more shocking than the third. Up above in the sky, the third vortex had grown still, but now a fourth, even larger vortex could be seen! Within that vortex was the image of an enormous mammoth, bellowing as the surrounding vortex spun rapidly. Two hours later, Fang Li followed closely behind with his own fourth Tideflow vortex. As for Song Que and Nine-Isles, they were approaching the conclusion of their own third Tideflows. After two more hours passed, they began their fourth! Song Que was putting on a particularly stunning performance. An enormous face could be seen in the vortex of his fourth Tideflow, a face with a blood moon on its forehead. Clearly, the speed with which he was absorbing the earthstring energy surpassed everyone else. “Song Que is already on his fourth Tideflow. I can’t believe how quickly he’s absorbing the earthstring energy. It’s terrifying!” “Dammit! Is he really going to try to do the same thing as Master Limitless? Is he going to reach the peak of Earthstring Foundation Establishment with nine Tideflows?” “This is bad. If someone reaches eight Tideflows, they’ll absorb so much earthstring energy that it will be difficult for anyone else to succeed! I have to get more earthstring energy as quickly as possible!” Deep anxiety filled all hearts. As of this point, twenty hours had passed since Bai Xiaochun began stepping into Foundation Establishment. It was at this point that, all of a sudden, a fifth tornado shot up into the heavens! RUUUUUUUUUUMBLE! As it grew larger, it formed a vortex, beneath which was a mass of black mist. Within that mist was none other than Ghostfang. The sight of five vortexes spinning in the sky caused all necks to crane as the disciples looked up at them. Time passed. It didn’t take long before Ghostfang’s first and second Tideflows were finished. When his third Tideflow vortex appeared, a huge mountain ghost appeared, revealing his identity to all. “Ghostfang! It’s Ghostfang from the Spirit Stream Sect!” “He obviously cultivates the Mountain Ghost God-Dazing Magic!” “Bai Xiaochun. Fang Lin. Song Que. Nine-Isles. Ghostfang!” As of this moment, five inhuman cultivators had risen up from the crowd of cultivators from the four sects! They were definitely the first wave who would reach Foundation Establishment! Bai Xiaochun was in the lead. His fourth Tideflow was almost half completed. Next was Fang Lin, who was only about two hours behind Bai Xiaochun. Song Que and Nine-Isles were next, being about four hours behind Bai Xiaochun. In last place was Ghostfang, who was slower by twenty hours! Currently, Bai Xiaochun’s fourth whirlpool was spinning rapidly, absorbing massive amounts of earthstring energy. The power of the mammoth was pushing his fleshly body inexorably toward the first of the five shackles of mortality. With every blast of power, he would shake visibly. He had already cultivated the Dragon Mammoth Sea-Forming Scripture to the point where he could make contact with the first shackle. But now, because of his Undying Live Forever Technique, he was not just at the point of making contact with it, he could break through it! He was about to break through the first shackle! “By borrowing the might of the mammoth and the earthstring energy, I can break through the first shackle during my fourth Tideflow!” Eyes crimson, he let out a shout and once again unleashed a surge of power. Thunderous crashing resounded in his mind as he battered away at the shackle over and over again. His body hovered on the brink of crumbling, but he hung on. After a few more hours passed, there were only about eight hours left before the fourth Tideflow would end. By now, massive amounts of Tideflow power were exploding out inside of him. BOOOMMMM! Blood oozed out of the corners of his mouth, and cracks appeared all over his skin. His attack on the first shackle was actually proving to be much more difficult than he’d imagined. Even by borrowing the earthstring energy in the form of the Tideflow, he still hadn’t succeeded in breaking through it, not even after thousands upon thousands of attempts. Using earthstring energy to try to break through the first shackle of mortality was completely unheard of. In fact, nobody other than Bai Xiaochun had ever attempted to do such a thing. “I can definitely break through!” he thought. Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and then drew in more earthstring energy. However, he didn’t use it to blast the shackle, but instead began building it up inside of him. Eight hours later, and the fourth Tideflow was almost complete. Bai Xiaochun’s eyes were shining with lightning-like brightness. “Break! Come on, break!” Roaring, he unleashed the Tideflow he had been building up for the past eight hours. Massive rumbling sounds echoed out as it turned into something like an enormous battering ram. His body was like a wall, which the battering ram then slammed into. Once. Twice. Three times. One blast after another came in quick succession. Soon, cracks spread out in that wall, until at last, the power of the fourth Tideflow, crushed the wall. Cracking sounds filled the air, and at the same time, Bai Xiaochun shook visibly. All of a sudden, he felt something like five enormous mountains resting on his shoulders! Those five mountains began inside of him, but stretched out high above him. They emitted intense pressure that made him gasp, and it was only at this moment that he could sense them clearly. All of a sudden, he had the urge to destroy those five mountains, to remove the pressure that was weighing down on him! “Those five mountains are the five shackles of mortality!” Roaring, he sent heaven-shaking, earth-shattering energy to slam into the first of the five mountains. Under the explosive barrage, the shackle suddenly crumbled! In that moment, blood sprayed out of Bai Xiaochun’s mouth. His qi passageways, his flesh and blood, and every other part of him crumbled, and then instantly reformed. He was left trembling as an aura began to spread out from him that surpassed anything from the mortal world. It thrived within his flesh and blood, filled his body, and made the entire world suddenly seem completely different. There seemed to be more colors, more lustre, and at the same time, he felt lighter and more free. Moments before, he had been shouldering the weight of five enormous mountains, but now, one of them had been destroyed. He had broken through the first shackle of mortality! When it happened, his fleshly body power erupted with explosive force. He instantly surpassed the fleshly body limit of Qi Condensation cultivators, and entered Foundation Establishment! His flesh and blood, his qi passageways, his bones, all of it surpassed what was mortal. He threw his head back and let loose a long cry which echoed out in all directions. The lake churned, and the fourth vortex up above went still. Moments later… a fifth vortex appeared! Within that fifth vortex was a crumbling mountain! This fifth Tideflow was not provoked by the Dragon Mammoth Sea-Forming Scripture. This mountain had nothing to do with that. It was a natural result of Bai Xiaochun breaking through the first shackle of mortality! By this point, Fang Lin, Song Que, and Nine-Isles had all reached the end of their own fourth Tideflows. At the same time, Ghostfang completed his third. Meanwhile, hours upon hours of intense fighting had passed for the other disciples of the four sects. It was then that the second wave of disciples managed to form their earthstring capture crystals. The first of that second wave was Shangguan Tianyou. Virtually simultaneously, Xu Xiaoshan’s vortex also appeared in the sky. The next was none other than Beihan Lie, the dark horse of the Fallen Sword World! Last was Zhao Rou from the Pill Stream Sect! She sat cross-legged in a valley, and standing protectively in front of her was Gongsun Wan’er, whose face was dripping with blood. Shockingly, Gongsun Wan’er didn’t have a single scrap of life force upon her! She was dead, and yet, her corpse could still move. Although she was a bit stiff, toxic mist pulsed out from inside of her, and countless poisonous centipedes squirmed in and out of her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. If some powerful expert were to come along, they would be able to tell that Gongsun Wan’er’s brain was gone, and inside of her head was a spider with a human face, controlling her corpse! Gongsun Wan’er had been transformed into a poison puppet! “Gongsun Wan’er, you are the first poison puppet I’ve created. Don’t worry, soon I’ll turn your brother into the second!” Eyes sparkling with vicious enmity, Zhao Rou began to meditate, and the vortex up above her rumbled into motion. Previous           Main menu            Next Click to Post