Chapter 1346: A Fiery Assault
‘It really is a soul attack!’
The moment Li Yan felt the fluctuation in his divine soul, he was reassured. As his body charged forward, his right hand formed a fist, and his elbow suddenly shot up, the tip thrusting forward. At the same time, the palm of his left hand slammed against his right fist. Simultaneously, his body, already an afterimage, stomped hard on the void again, and an airburst propelled him forward.
In Li Yan’s emotionless eyes, the figure of the sinister middle-aged man magnified instantly. He could clearly see the look of disbelief still on the man’s face. Body cultivators trained their muscles and bones, unlike powerful Dharma Cultivators like Shangguan Tianque, who cultivated ethereal, internal things like spiritual power and, to some extent, the divine soul. The attacker was clearly a body cultivator. His magical power, spiritual power, and divine soul strength should have been weaker than a Dharma Cultivator’s. He should not have been like a lifeless puppet, an empty shell, under the attack of the bronze bell.
‘What… what is happening? Is he… a puppet!’
The sinister middle-aged man saw Li Yan ignore the soul attack and suddenly appear right in front of him. In his astonishment, this thought had just surfaced when Li Yan’s ferocious attack was already upon his chest. He had once again adopted the most savage and oppressive form of attack.
Under these circumstances that no one had anticipated, it was too late for the sinister middle-aged man to summon any other defenses. Previously, the four of them had been suppressing Shangguan Tianque and his junior sister, holding the upper hand. They had primarily used offense to pressure their opponents and had not fully activated their defenses.
“BANG!”
Another sonic boom erupted, short and explosive.
Two breaths after Li Yan ascended into the sky, another massive cloud of blood mist exploded in the air!
“Ah…”
“No!”
Two shrill screams rang out almost simultaneously. But the moment the screams began, they were accompanied by the explosion of a blood mist and were abruptly cut short. The other scream came from the stout woman, but she was powerless to help.
The moment Mang Yan was instantly killed, everyone present had reacted, albeit in different ways. When Shangguan Tianque saw Li Yan make a sharp turn and brazenly charge at the sinister middle-aged man again, he and the beautiful woman in red acted without any discussion. Despite their shock, their arts rolled forth. Thousands of years of life-and-death battles had allowed them to react in the first instance, promptly entangling the other two women while simultaneously sending a voice transmission to Li Yan. But what happened next was even more outrageous. Li Yan showed no fear of the sinister man’s attack. Just as Shangguan Tianque’s voice transmission ended, life and death had been decided once more.
Li Yan couldn’t use his Divine Sense. Every strike had to be a decisive one, unleashing almost all the power in his body. The moment Li Yan’s elbow made contact with the man’s chest, the sinister middle-aged man’s back instantly arched high like a turtle’s shell, his neck stretching out a long way. Specks of protective spiritual light shattered around Li Yan’s elbow. With the ease of smashing rotten wood, a single strike pulverized the man’s body, and Li Yan’s entire body charged through the man’s “body.”
“POP!” Blood mist rained down from the sky. Trailing long afterimages, Li Yan burst out of the blood mist, pulling a string of red phantoms behind him. In the distant sky, a speck of golden light flashed and then vanished.
Li Yan sighed inwardly. A sneak attack could only succeed by catching the opponent off guard. Although the sinister man hadn’t fully activated his defenses, he had been on alert since Mang Yan’s death. The instant his physical body exploded, his Nascent Soul had already fled. Once an instantaneous movement was initiated, even Li Yan at his peak would not be confident in stopping him.
As he sighed, Li Yan swept his arm, collecting a bronze bell and three rings into his palm. In an instant, his body plummeted towards the earth like a meteor.
“BOOM!”
Dust and dirt flew up from the ground below, leaving only the four figures still locked in a fierce battle in the sky. Shangguan Tianque and his junior sister also seized the opportunity. Freed from the suppression of the enemy’s magical treasure, their attacks spread out like a tide. Without even a word of greeting to Li Yan, they immediately launched a counter-assault. The two women opposite them were now only one mid-stage and one late-stage Nascent Soul. It was the perfect time to beat a drowning dog.
Below, the disciples of the Broken Army Sect stared blankly at the rear of the sect. Dust was flying everywhere. Though their expressions varied, they were all in a daze. After several breaths, a great buzzing sound erupted from all areas.
“What… what did I just see…”
“Someone shot up from the rear of the sect, and in an instant… in an instant…”
“That… that thing… was it human or demon?”
“So strong! Is it a peerless ferocious beast raised by the sect?”
For all of them, in just two breaths or so, they had only heard an explosion. Then, it seemed an afterimage had flickered above, and then… then it had fallen and vanished… And in the sky, two Nascent Soul cultivators were gone. It was all like a dream. In the blink of an eye, the tide of battle in the sky had turned dramatically.
At the rear of the Broken Army Sect, Yu Banjiang, who had been sent flying by the air blast, had just scrambled to his feet. His head was still spinning, but he desperately and shakily extended his Divine Sense to probe the sky. And then, with another rumbling crash, another cloud of dust flew up. The surrounding cave residences, which had not yet stopped shaking, trembled violently again, and he was thrown back onto his backside.
Then, in his Divine Sense, he saw a figure. The man’s legs were sunk deep into the ground. After a slight bend of his knees, he slowly straightened up amidst a cloud of dust and smoke.
“Li… Li… Li…” Yu Banjiang’s lips trembled. He managed to get out a few syllables but couldn’t form the three words “Elder Li.”
In the dust, Li Yan looked up at the sky, then turned and walked back into his cave residence. His voice drifted from afar. “If there’s nothing else, don’t disturb my cultivation!”
His voice was utterly indifferent, as if it could connect directly to his previous question to Yu Banjiang, “Can I kill people here?” Before his words had faded, the gate to Li Yan’s cave residence rumbled once more and then closed shut. In the distance, Yu Banjiang was now trembling all over, lost in a state of unreality, muttering to himself.
“What… what kind of ferocious beast did I… did I bring back? Is this… is this a cultivator ascended from the lower realm?”
He knew very well how powerful Mang Yan was. His own master had fought him for thousands of years and had never gained a significant advantage. Yet he had only come to the rear of the sect out of desperation, and with just a single ascent and descent, the mighty Mang Yan, who seemed as if he would never fall, was dead? When had Nascent Soul cultivators become as fragile as infants? In the blink of an eye, two Nascent Soul cultivators had vanished without a trace. Amidst the dust blowing in the wind, only a thoroughly disheveled and bewildered Yu Banjiang was left…
After returning to his cave residence, Li Yan’s face showed little emotion. He closed the gate to his cultivation chamber again and immediately sat down cross-legged. Only then did he let out a soft sigh. Unable to use his Divine Sense, he was like a brute, a wild beast with an undeveloped intellect, able to fight only by instinct. Fortunately, his Qiongqi Purgatory Art had reached the peak of the sixth layer, and it was further enhanced by the essence blood of the Undead Nether Phoenix. His physical strength had reached an unbelievably powerful level. Below the Spirit Transformation realm, without the defense of a significant treasure, no one could withstand a single blow from him.
That kind of pure magical power-based protection was no different from paper and clay to Li Yan. He didn’t know what the true power of a Spirit Transformation realm cultivator was, so he couldn’t guess the true extent of his own physical strength. Ever since his battle with the Spirit Transformation cultivator Xue Longzi, Li Yan’s understanding of the power of laws had already surpassed the Nascent Soul realm. He just hadn’t completely comprehended them yet; otherwise, he would have broken through again. That would have been another breakthrough to a major realm, and he had only entered the late-stage Nascent Soul a few decades ago. Such a cultivation speed would probably leave even Dong Fuyi wide-eyed and speechless if he were to see it.
However, Li Yan also knew that although he had this insight, actually breaking through to the Spirit Transformation realm, even if his injuries were fully healed and he entered seclusion to comprehend it with all his might, would still require a certain amount of opportunity. That final breakthrough was a true transformation from human to “divine.” Countless cultivators were stuck at this point, searching bitterly, century after century. Therefore, Li Yan would not be too fixated on this matter.
‘I should stabilize my Sea of Consciousness as soon as possible and see if I can retrieve the True Essence Pills!’
Li Yan pushed aside the various discomforts he had felt during the recent battle, slowly closed his eyes once more, and began to circulate the True Scripture of Gui Water.
…
Meanwhile, in the outside world, with two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators suddenly gone, the two women of the Dragon-Catching Sect were no match for their opponents. And Shangguan Tianque and his junior sister were not benevolent people. Having led the Broken Army Sect through countless battles to ensure its survival for thousands of years, the blood of countless people stained their hands. Today, they had been in a perilous situation, on the verge of death. This left them both frightened and enraged.
With such a golden opportunity, even though they were both seriously injured, they disregarded it for the moment and unleashed their full divine abilities, their bloodthirsty side on full display. However, with their injuries, they couldn’t secure an immediate victory. The two sides fought until the sky changed color and the winds and clouds were swept away. After half an incense stick of time, the stout, mid-stage Nascent Soul woman was killed, her soul utterly annihilated. The bewitching woman, in desperation, unleashed a powerful, ultimate divine ability. Coughing up large mouthfuls of blood, she fled.
Shangguan Tianque and his junior sister, while swallowing medicinal pills, gave chase. If there was no one else left in the enemy sect, then even with the escaped sinister man, they would only have two Nascent Soul cultivators left. And one had lost his physical body, while the other was severely injured. It was the perfect opportunity to hit them while they were down. In comparison, their own injuries were relatively light. They naturally wouldn’t miss such a golden opportunity…
Half a day later, the Dragon-Catching Sect was annihilated. Not a single disciple within the sect was spared. Only some members who were outside temporarily escaped this fate. The sinister middle-aged man, who was only a Nascent Soul, did not flee back to the Dragon-Catching Sect. Instead, his Nascent Soul escaped elsewhere, his whereabouts unknown. This was easy to understand. They were only guest elders. Seeing Mang Yan killed and having lost his own physical body, and with the sudden appearance of a terrifying expert in the Broken Army Sect, he had already determined that the Dragon-Catching Sect was finished. He didn’t even care about his companion, the stout woman. The hearts of people in the cultivation world were treacherous. With only his Nascent Soul left, he no longer trusted anyone.
As for the bewitching woman from the Dragon-Catching Sect, the moment she flew back to her sect, she immediately activated the sect-protecting grand formation. Unfortunately, in her severely injured state, she simply couldn’t withstand the continuous bombardment of two cultivators of the same rank. In the end, even as she, looking like a vengeful ghost, screeched and cursed, desperately burning her essence blood and Nascent Fire, the formation broke and the sect was destroyed. At that moment, she too had exhausted her strength. When the sect-protecting grand formation, which was connected to her mind, was destroyed, she perished along with it. She had fulfilled her duty as a sect ancestor, unyielding and unbending, fighting to her last breath.
The cultivation world was cruel, especially for small, third or fourth-rate sects like theirs, struggling at the bottom. They were surrounded by hungry wolves and tigers. One wrong move, and they would be crushed to pieces. If not for the unforeseen variable of Li Yan, the Dragon-Catching Sect, which had been constantly gathering intelligence on their opponent, had launched their attack only after being sixty percent certain of victory. Without any surprises, it would have been the Broken Army Sect that was annihilated today. Shangguan Tianque, his junior sister, and all their members would not have survived.
After annihilating the Dragon-Catching Sect, Shangguan Tianque personally set up a grand formation at their sect’s location. He then quickly summoned his own sect’s disciples. Led by him and his junior sister, they began to plant their flags one by one throughout the Dragon-Catching Sect’s territory. Those places with cultivation resources were still guarded by Dragon-Catching Sect cultivators. They swiftly cleared them out, one by one, and replaced the guards with their own disciples.
It was not until that night that Shangguan Tianque and his junior sister returned to their sect. Just a few days later, a message arrived at the Broken Army Sect from the Blood Lantern Sect, summoning Shangguan Tianque. It was not until half a month later that Shangguan Tianque returned to the sect, looking exhausted. The Blood Lantern Sect was quite far, and he had had no time to rest. But in the depths of his eyes, a sharp glint flashed.
On the mountain peak, a gentle breeze was blowing. Beneath the giant pine tree, two figures, one red and one yellow, stood amidst the clouds and mist, their robes fluttering like immortals in a painting. The beautiful woman in red looked at the exhausted Shangguan Tianque, her eyes filled with tenderness.
“So, as long as we hand over forty percent of what the Dragon-Catching Sect used to provide as tribute each year, the matter is settled? But that’s too much! Usually, each sect only has to hand over twenty percent of their resources each year!” The beautiful woman in red’s tone was indignant.
“And that’s with us having a valid reason. I presented the Guiyin Jade Slip I recorded at the time. After their repeated verifications, they confirmed that the Dragon-Catching Sect instigated the incident, which gave us this opportunity. The final arrangement is a bit harsh, but at least they didn’t give us any other punishment. And after we pay this tribute, the Blood Lantern Sect also issued a decree forbidding the sects below from instigating incidents without cause. Otherwise, any party involved will be severely punished. This is a form of protection for the territory we just seized. Besides, both you and I are injured right now. If another sect were to provoke us, it would definitely not be a good thing for us,” Shangguan Tianque said, rubbing his brow. Bargaining with the Blood Lantern Sect was no less taxing than fighting. He couldn’t afford to lose out, but he also couldn’t afford to anger the Upper Sect.
“By the way, where is Elder Li?” Shangguan Tianque suddenly changed the subject. The beautiful woman in red shook her head slightly and turned her beautiful eyes back to the sea of clouds before them.
“I’ve sent him a few voice transmissions, asking if he was free to talk, but I haven’t received any reply from him. This person’s temperament is a bit strange. He didn’t even take the opportunity to make conditions or ask for benefits!”
After the great battle, they had naturally wanted to talk with Li Yan. After their injuries had slightly recovered, and with Shangguan Tianque away, the woman in red had contacted Li Yan several times. Unexpectedly, he had completely ignored her. In the past, it had always been her senior brother who communicated with him. She really didn’t know what kind of temperament Li Yan had.
“After the Blood Lantern Sect saw the Guiyin Jade Slip, they also asked about Elder Li’s origins. They seemed to have the intention of recruiting him…”
“Ah! That… how could they? We must keep him, no matter what!” This time, before Shangguan Tianque could finish his sentence, the beautiful woman in red abruptly turned her gaze back, her clear autumn eyes showing anger. The Blood Lantern Sect really knew how to dream. To recruit Li Yan into their sect… for all these years, besides providing a cave residence for him to cultivate and recover, their sect hadn’t given him any other resources. Not because they wouldn’t, but because he had never asked.
The two of them had discussed this matter briefly and had quickly come to a conclusion. Li Yan was a cautious person and still didn’t fully trust outsiders, which was why he wouldn’t ask for finished medicinal pills. And he probably wasn’t skilled in alchemy either, which was why he hadn’t even asked for raw materials. The two of them were old monsters of over a thousand years. By observing the details, their analysis was very close to the truth. Yet even under these circumstances, Li Yan had still helped them, and his combat power was unbelievably formidable. This was the kind of person no sect would be willing to let go of. And the Blood Lantern Sect, after just seeing a jade slip recording of Li Yan’s actions, wanted to poach him.
How could the woman in red not be angry? At the same time, she was worried.