Chapter 140: Fire in the Sky, Ninth on the Heavenly Rankings!
Chapter 140: Fire in the Sky, The Ninth Heaven!
Chapter 140: With the Flick of a Finger, Completely Obliterating Everything!
Nowadays, the morale within the Qianshan Army was soaring like the midday sun. Even ordinary grandmasters were not held in their eyes.
This was completely normal.
Given the current strength of the Qianshan Army, dealing with ordinary grandmasters was a matter of easily surrounding and annihilating them. Just like Bai Xuanji, after receiving the heritage, the terrifying might of his single vital-blood strike was something ordinary grandmasters could not endure at all!
"No. If they truly came to submit, your probing would turn goodwill into enmity. If they harbor malicious intent, going there yourself wouldn't make you a match for them."
Bai Xuan stood up tall, speaking indifferently. "Leave it to me."
He could perceive the vital blood surging across the ocean, which was why he gave these instructions. His single sentence dismissing all the powerhouses was meant to distinguish between friend and foe.
Now that someone had arrived, he had already perceived the other party's vast vital blood; even hidden, it could not be concealed.
He was nine parts certain that the visitors harbored malicious intent and held hostility toward him!
"So what?"
Bai Xuan's expression remained very calm.
"Master, I shall go and return shortly."
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Someone was knocking on the door. The sound was extremely steady, the rhythm unhurried yet powerful.
The gaze of Marquis Bai E lingered on the Fourth Abyss for a brief moment as he pondered inwardly.
In ordinary times, he lived in luxury, enjoying the finest embroidered robes and delicacies. Yet now, upon arriving at the Qianshan Army, he was in disguise, wearing ordinary coarse cloth Taoist robes, drinking coarse tea here while waiting for Bai Xuan—something that made him extremely displeased.
In that distant campsite, dozens of wooden cabins had been constructed, all made from trees felled right on this island.
"Ah, haha..."
"Who knows?"
"We pay our respects to the Dragon Head!"
"As for you, you must be from the Xuanzhi Temple. You carry a full ten true seals of thunder magic, plus one precious talisman... The fellow I killed previously only lasted half a breath. I hope you won't disappoint me."
"Wang Li, your metal-attribute Qi is fierce, your killing intent terrifying, and you carry a dreadful scent of blood. Rather interesting, though. Where did you steal this cultivation technique from?"
At this very moment, they actually failed to strike in the first instance, missing the optimal timing!
The old temple priest felt a secret sense of regret mixed with exceptional tension.
The Taoist priest of Xuanzhi Temple frowned and shouted in a deep voice.
Suddenly, Bai Xuan was right before them. These individuals had been harboring mutual suspicions toward one another, resulting in poor coordination.
Hearing the absolute quiet outside, devoid of the mountain-shaking sounds of enthusiastic supporters, he assumed it was merely soldiers knocking on the door or perhaps some unexpected change had occurred, which only deepened his displeasure.
Lacking coordination among themselves, they exchanged glances and found themselves completely stuck in place.
With a single utterance, his figure vanished into the wind in an instant.
He cast a meaningful glance at the two people beside him.
Chu Li's expression also turned somewhat unsightly. He stood up and hurriedly bowed. The Xuanzhi Temple Taoist priest was the last to react, and he too hastily stood up.
The old temple priest was still the first to snap back to reality, quickly rising to his feet and saying respectfully:
"We are honored by the Dragon Head's grand arrival, receiving us in person. This truly adds radiance to our humble dwelling and brings glory to our ancestors... We have come this time to join the Qianshan Army and serve the Dragon Head!"
"It seems they aren't any formidable experts. At best, they are probably just ordinary perfected grandmasters."
Chu Li frowned.
For some time now, the Heaven Rankings had seen little change. The vast majority of experts remained perched high upon it, their rankings stubbornly unchanged.
With a squeak, someone pushed the door open, walked straight in, and surveyed the surroundings with a calm expression.
The old temple priest and Chu Li were sitting in the wooden cabin, sipping coarse tea while waiting for the audience with the Qianshan Army's Dragon Head.
Accustomed to a life of murder and pillaging, he was the first to feel that something was amiss. "This is the outermost perimeter of the main camp. Why arrange for us to meet the Whale Hunters here?"
They had all eagerly anticipated meeting this powerhouse while concealing their murderous intentions, yet when someone suddenly walked into the room, for a moment, they failed to react at all!
The Xuanzhi Temple Taoist priest also frowned.
Duan Haiyuan, the Ten Godly Spears, the Master of Xuanzhi Temple... The name of the Fourth Abyss ranked sixteenth, while Chu Li's name was twenty-fifth.
He understood Bai Xuan's intention: to deal with any potential enemies. He was well-versed in this method of sweeping away hidden threats.
Marquis Bai E was slightly startled.
"Go and return shortly?"
Bai Xuan stepped forward, took a seat on the chair by the long table, and spoke in a very even tone.
"I wonder what the Master of the Sea God Cult, the fallen Seventh Abyss, and now this Fourth-generation Cult Master are up to?"
"Who is it? Didn't I say that no one is permitted to disturb us while we converse?"
"This place is utterly remote!"
Marquis Bai E raised his head and glanced at the Heaven Rankings.
"Hmm, it seems there are quite a few experts here. My guess was correct."
The moment this person walked in, it was as if an icy wind swept through. Complete silence fell over everyone present; you could hear a pin drop.
"Abyss Four, your vital blood is as cold as the sea, your physical body dense with endless marks, possessing divine power alongside a complex talisman identical to that of the Sea God Cult Master. You must be the Fourth Abyss."
Right at this moment.
They saw—
……
Bai Xuan sat there, his voice echoing within the wooden cabin, as if three distinct voices were sounding simultaneously in the ears of the three men.
This was the terrifying might of vibrating vital blood, resonating together—a technique of vital blood application. While ordinary people could only hear a single shockwave, only true martial arts experts could hear the clear, domineering voice echoing within those words.
In a fraction of a second.
"If you surrender now, join the ranks of the Qianshan Army, and fight for me, I can spare your lives. Or else—"
Bai Xuan remained seated, unhurried and composed.
"You can all attack together. I will give you... five breaths of time."
……
Boom, boom, boom!
The next instant, the wooden cabin instantly shattered, disintegrating into countless fine particles of dust as four figures rushed out, one of them roaring in fury!
"Fengyuan Tent!"
Chu Li's vital blood surged, unleashing a strip of translucent gauze that expanded to a hundred meters, forming a dome constructed of runes that violently connected top and bottom, sealing off everything in the vicinity!
Although this piece of gauze looked thin and delicate, once unfurled, streams of spiritual light roared with magnificent thunderous noise, instantly severing all connections and creating a terrifying spatial domain!
Countless rune chains shot outward, interweaving. Within this space, all magical power had to be put into motion just to contend against this gauze tent!
However—
"Too late."
Bai Xuan's voice echoed across the island, calm and steady.
Boom!
A spear shadow materialized across the void, shattering everything in an instant. Through sheer brute force alone, the spatial domain formed by the gauze tent began to crack. Even a mid-grade precious artifact could not withstand the bombardment of the Overwhelming Sea Spear!
Lacking sufficient vital blood, they were unable to unleash the full might of the gauze tent, and it had not yet reached the true Divine Phase or Dao-Entering level. Bai Xuan struck first, instantly rupturing the spatial domain!
"It's not too late yet!"
The expert from Xuanzhi Temple flashed forward. Within his five viscera and six bowels, bolts of lightning emerged—these were true seals. Especially the talisman resting within his heart, which shone like true fire, radiating brilliant light and spewing intense energy!
That was a precious talisman, refined throughout the lifetime of a Dao-Entering powerhouse, comparable to a precious weapon. Its explosive power combined perfectly with the lifetime cultivation of the Xuanzhi Temple expert.
In an instant, eleven talismans coalesced, brewing a single sphere of fire-thunder.
Boom!
Contained within that sphere of fire-thunder was an infinite might of heaven and earth, as if drawing together gathering dark clouds from the sky. With a flash of fire, it plunged straight into the collapsing gauze tent.
"Explode!"
The Xuanzhi Temple expert shouted in a low voice, his eyes solemn yet filled with confidence.
That single sphere of fire-thunder contained boundless true might; even among Grand Grandmasters, the most formidable powerhouses would not dare to take this bolt of lightning with their physical bodies alone!
The vibration of this lightning was capable of shattering a sea of vital blood. With the release of this single bolt of thunder, the Daoist's entire aura rapidly withered, becoming exceptionally feeble, as if he were aging on the spot.
To unleash Dao-Entering might without having reached the Dao-Entering realm required paying a heavy price!
In that very instant.
The sphere of fire-thunder flashed into the gauze tent, and in an instant, boundless fiery light and true might erupted.
Boom!
Within that fractured runic space, infinite fire filled and surged, smoke and fire roaring as if obliterating everything directly!
"It hit!"
A wave of joy welled up in the heart of the Xuanzhi Temple Taoist priest. For a split second, his mind and focus, which had been condensed to an extreme point, relaxed slightly.
Once struck by this fire-thunder, its power would multiply within the confined space of the Fengyuan Tent, destroying everything and causing even unranked divine weapons to shatter!
However, the very next moment.
From amidst the light of the fire-thunder, a fair hand suddenly reached out, tearing through the blazing light and dust.
With a single grab, that hand seemed to cover the heavens and earth. It stretched out from the ruptured gauze tent, spanned a hundred meters, and seized the crown of the Xuanzhi Temple Taoist's head, instantly transforming into a ferocious azure dragon claw.
"No..."
The final thoughts that flashed through the mind of the Xuanzhi Temple Taoist were despair and regret. But in the next fraction of a second, those fingers closed, crushing his skull into powder. His entire body disintegrated into a mist of blood that sprayed outward in all directions!
Rumble!
The gauze tent had already ruptured, naturally unable to block the full power of the fire-thunder. The blazing flames filled hundreds of meters, violently surging!
The remaining two figures had long since retreated, their expressions extremely grave.
"Damn it..."
Chu Li's expression had completely changed.
Wielding the Bone Demonic Sword, white-gold sword Qi furiously condensed around him as he faced a formidable enemy.
The old temple priest wore a grim expression, scales emerging all over his body. With a rumbling sound, he transformed into a giant beast standing five to six meters tall, one massive claw pressed against the ground as his vital blood roared like the sea.
Ahead.
Swish!
A gust of wind blew past, revealing the figure of Bai Xuan standing within.
"If this is the extent of your level..."
Bai Xuan's complexion remained fair, marked only by a faint layer of dust that vanished the moment the wind blew.
Endless rumblings echoed from within his body. At this moment, connected through his bloodstream, the might of his physical body's hard training condensed into a single entity, radiating a terrifyingly cold divine light that swept across the air, capable of fracturing even dark iron!
Blood-Forged Demonic Physique!
Even if the King of Demonic Sharks had taken that true fire-thunder talisman head-on, it would have suffered dozens of meters of shattered wounds. Yet, Bai Xuan's divine abilities and physical body had merged completely; despite the terrifying power of the fire-thunder, it had left behind nothing more than a speck of dust!
"Three breaths."
Bai Xuan spoke indifferently. "Three breaths, and all of you will die here."
……
At the bay, numerous fleets remained lined up, and experts were seeking admission to the island to pay their respects to Marquis Bai E.
"Grandmaster Bai, I hear that the Whale Hunters have refined many medicinal pills on this island. Why don't you consume the Grand Pill to enhance your strength?"
Luo Yun was conversing with Marquis Bai E and couldn't help asking.
Young and hot-tempered, he spoke directly. When curiosity struck him, he voiced it without beating around the bush.
"I originally thought that, given my advanced age, I no longer had use for such pills. What use would extending my life by another decade be?"
Marquis Bai E replied. "Now that there are pills in the army, they should be given to the younger generation first. However..."
He shook his head and sighed.
He still possessed six vital-blood grand pills and hadn't consumed them immediately. In truth, he was still tempted to select young seeds and gift the pills to them, but considering this was a thoughtful gesture from Bai Xuan, he held back.
"Upon returning, I will enter closed-door cultivation. With these vital-blood grand pills in hand, breaking through to the Three-River or even Four-River Grandmaster realm will be effortless. No matter what, I cannot let down Bai Xuan's good intentions."
Just as Marquis Bai E was pondering—
At that exact moment.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted on the island. In the distant mountains and forests, a small hill was shattering, and amidst the roar, several auras emerged, instantly shaking the entire island as they surged into the sky!
Marquis Bai E's expression shifted drastically as he sprang to his feet.
At this moment, in this expanse of sea, the expressions of countless people changed, struck with terror as they abruptly stood up, feeling a deep sense of dread in their hearts.
"One, two, three... Three Grand Grandmasters with vital blood like the sea!"
"Not only that, there is also a terrifying heaven-and-earth might vibrating—that is the thunder magic of the Xuanzhi Temple!"
The emergence of those four auras filled the surrounding seas with immense fear, while Marquis Bai E wore a look of the utmost gravity.
"It's Bai Xuan!"
He could sense that one of those auras belonged precisely to Bai Xuan; the signatures of the Flood Dragon Phase Diagram and the Tiger Phase Diagram were extremely clear!
"The Whale Hunters are engaged in a fierce battle with enemies?"
On the fleet of the Nine Swords Sect, an old man's expression also drastically changed, filled with shock and horror.
Any one of those auras could easily annihilate him with a single blow, leaving no chance for survival!
Right at this moment.
"The thunder magic aura has dissipated! That Xuanzhi Temple expert has fallen in battle!"
"Impossible! Look at the Heaven Rankings!"
Someone cried out in alarm, their entire body trembling in utter disbelief!
Far away on the Heaven Rankings.
Ranked forty-fifth, the name of Daoist Xuanhu was slowly being erased, completely fading into blank space!
……
Boom!
Bai Xuan took a single step, and the entire sky seemed to lower, roaring and trembling.
His vital blood surged like the sea, manifesting a blazing midday sun rising over the ocean. Amidst the thunderous roar, it transformed into a flood dragon and a fierce tiger that lunged forward ferociously!
"Using vital-blood manifestations to deal with us? Isn't that a bit too arrogant, Bai Xuan!"
The old temple priest roared furiously. He moved, lunging forward and transforming into a terrifying scaled sea beast. With a single movement, the fish within a radius of several miles had their blood rupture from their bodies as they were devoured by him!
"The Investiture Seal is upon me; witness my divine might!"
The physical body of this terrifying sea beast was monstrous. As it condensed and transformed, a single palm strike caused the air ahead to compress instantly into liquid, then solid, before fracturing inch by inch and exploding violently!
Rumble!
The surging tiger was struck by that palm strike. With a loud bang, the sea beast transformed by the old temple priest was actually driven back, sent staggering a hundred meters away by the impact.
"Impossible!"
The old temple priest was filled with the utmost horror.
Striking with all his might, wielding a million catties of divine power, he had actually been repelled by a mere vital-blood manifestation?
Bang, bang, bang!
That tiger was also shattering.
Even when condensed to its absolute limit, vital-blood was still no match for the terrifying Investiture-sealed sea beast transformed by the old temple priest. The divine power was simply too overwhelming, causing the tiger phase form to crack apart as well.
The monster transformed by the Seventh Abyss was at best an ordinary Grand Grandmaster.
However, after transforming, the old temple priest possessed a million catties of divine power, capable of tearing the Seventh Abyss apart bare-handed with casual gestures!
Yet—
Rumble!
Swallowing the endless wind pressure, the tiger instantly reconstituted itself, moving through the forest and vanishing in a flash.
"Such speed!"
Before the old temple priest could react in time, he was sent flying by the tiger with a heavy impact. Like a cannonball, he plowed through an untold number of trees in the forest, carving out a deep ravine before crashing violently into a distant hill!
On the other side.
"Make your move."
Bai Xuan walked forward as the flood dragon lunged out, instantly drawing layers of water from the clouds in the sky and the distant bay, surging forward with a roar.
"Too slow!"
Divine light erupted from Chu Li's eyes.
The so-called ambush had become a complete joke at this point. He could only rely on his own strength to fight to the death!
In his view, Bai Xuan's failure to deploy his furnace was a grave mistake. With the eruption of his white-gold killing technique, he could execute a split-second kill at the critical moment and slay this formidable enemy!
Endless white-gold sword Qi erupted around him, connecting heaven and earth. In a single instant, he spanned a thousand meters, slashing toward Bai Xuan!
"White-Gold Killing Technique! A Single Thought Empties the Void!"
Boom!
The flood dragon was swept by his sword Qi, its vital-blood foundation snapping and collapsing away in an instant.
A single sword across the void—all killing intent was severed, matchless and peerless!
"White-Gold Killing Technique? So this is one of the top ten ancient heritages. Truly powerful."
Bai Xuan's expression flickered slightly.
Within this single sword strike, pure speed and slaughter had reached an absolute pinnacle, making it difficult even for the tiger phase to keep pace.
Though the flood dragon phase was formed from the evolution of vital blood-like-sea, it was collapsing right now, unable to block this sword.
However—
With a resounding clang, the sword stabbed down. The sword Qi, condensed to its absolute limit, vibrated ceaselessly against Bai Xuan's glabella. Amidst a deafening roar, the terrifying force rebounded, shattering the Bone Demonic Sword itself!
"This is impossible!"
Chu Li roared in madness as he stumbled backward, his palms cracking, blood streaming down!
"What kind of bloody physical body is this?! This... this cannot possibly be a physical body belonging to the Grandmaster realm!"
A single sword strike had shattered both his demonic weapon and his hands.
Yet, between Bai Xuan's brows, there was only a faint, shallow white mark?
He couldn't believe his eyes, nor could he believe his own sword technique. In that instant, self-doubt consumed him.
"Decent killing intent."
Bai Xuan strode forward, striking out in an instant with a single punch. Chu Li was sent flying away, hurtling like a sharp arrow into the ground from the air, causing the entire island to tremble!
"Pity that your sword lacks a sword's spine; you possess only its form."
Bai Xuan looked down condescendingly from above.
When the White-Gold Killing Technique was unleashed, it truly used metal Qi to slaughter everything. Even without inflicting a wound, the metal Qi would subtly erode one's foundation, vital blood, and life essence.
However—
With a twitch of his jade marrow, endless vitality burst forth, continuously recovering to the absolute extreme. Even if his lifespan had been slashed, he remained completely unharmed!
This physical body had no shortcomings and was near-perfect; any injury sustained could be healed instantly!
"The second breath."
Bai Xuan stood in the air, speaking indifferently. "If you have any other ultimate moves, bring them all out."
His fighting spirit was blazing. Having just advanced to the Grand Grandmaster realm, his vital blood roared, and his physical body's might was fully unleashed, casting a terrifying radiance below. He needed a truly fierce battle to adapt to this terrifying power to the absolute extreme!
(End of this chapter)