Chapter 638: Retreat After Retreat
“Eliminating mortals to condense national fortune, a method hardly used even in the Immortal Realm, you Nine Provinces really are uniquely independent!”
The two sides’ Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators fought at the junction between the Nine Provinces and the Eight Desolations, and the Desolation Lords suffered a major loss the moment they met.
They had expected the Nine Provinces to be strong, especially after hearing Jiang Li say the Nine Provinces had no mortals.
This had to be the method of condensing national fortune.
But how much blessing such a method could confer, the Eight Desolations had not determined.
Ever since Jiang Li reached the Mahayana Stage, the nine great dynasties rarely mobilized all their national fortune.
From the Eight Desolations’ perspective, the method of condensing national fortune was completely thankless. Never mind how much spiritual energy would be wasted raising every mortal to the Qi Refining Stage, consider instead how much benefit the national fortune would actually bring.
National fortune’s strength depends on national power; spending effort to raise national power was less efficient than holding several large blood sacrifices, which produced results much faster.
Sword Sovereign struck first, choosing one Desolation Lord and swinging his sword.
That Desolation Lord, after all, had earned renown carving a path in the Eight Desolations, fought countless battles in his life, and reacted quickly, letting his body blur and become a mound of mist.
Sword Sovereign’s sword intent roared even more, the swordpath penetrating the profound. Sword light poured like a waterfall, dazzling to the extreme, directly shredding that misty form.
The Desolation Lord reconstituted himself, horror on his face. “How can your sword intent be this strong!”
He knew something about sword cultivators; for them the most important thing was tempering sword intent.
But what in the world could let a Tribulation Transcendence Stage sword cultivator train his sword intent?
Sword Sovereign remained silent. Cold light flashed as his sword pierced through layer after layer of defenses.
Should I tell you I swing at the statue of Human Sovereign Jiang every day?
Then the two sides traded heavy blows, Bai Hongtu picked the Desolation Lord he liked least, Qian Desolation Lord.
In an instant talismans, formations, and the swordpath enveloped Qian Desolation Lord.
Qian Desolation Lord went pale. “Three cultivations?!”
A Tribulation Transcendence Stage who masters one of those paths is already rare. Someone who specializes in two might find their strength spread thin, so how could this person be proficient in three?
Did a person’s energy and talent have to be so abundant?
Yu Yin saw the best target taken by Bai Hongtu, and had to settle for the slightly inferior Kun Desolation Lord.
“Twist his neck off.”
Yu Yin sat above all, ruling the world, her words carrying the law; word as law manifested when she spoke.
Kun Desolation Lord’s body lost control and he personally twisted his own neck off.
“Dig out his heart.”
Splat—
Kun Desolation Lord dug out his own heart, unbelieving. “One of the Ten Great Miracles, Word as Law?!”
“Chatterbox, yank out his tongue.”
Li Er’s opponent was a Tribulation Transcendence Stage who specialized in Dharma Body Manifestation. Among the eight Desolation Lords, he ranked third in power. He laughed wildly, his body swelling, dominating the field of view, becoming the most conspicuous cultivator in the universe.
“I am already late Tribulation Transcendence Stage, a century from reaching the stage’s peak. After that I will transcend the Ascension Tribulation and become an immortal. What right have you to be my match?”
Li Er strode forward, his dharma body image appearing behind him. He gathered strength and threw a punch. His opponent had not expected Li Er to move so fast and hastily crossed his arms to block in front of his chest.
The punch carried immense weight, the power of countless calamities, and snapped the opponent’s two arms.
Li Er sneered, “I’m already preparing for my second Ascension Tribulation, and you tell me you haven’t gone through one?”
His opponent was stunned. Wasn’t the Ascension Tribulation supposed to occur only once?
He had heard rumors that the Nine Provinces ranked Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivators not by early/mid/late divisions but by how many Ascension Tribulations they had passed, and had dismissed it as hearsay.
Now, in combat, he found the Eight Desolations woefully mistaken.
Could that Jiang Li really have passed sixteen Ascension Tribulations?
“A useless whelp who just became Tribulation Transcendence Stage dares to fight me. It’s been long since I ate real dragon flesh—today I’ll feast!” Old Dragon King’s opponent was a Golden-winged Roc.
The dragon clans and the Golden-winged Roc clans were sworn enemies; the two races often battled in the Immortal Realm. The Golden-winged Roc clan even openly proclaimed they ate true dragons daily.
The Golden-winged Roc was mid Tribulation Transcendence Stage and held Old Dragon King in contempt.
It lightly beat its wings and produced a spiritual-energy hurricane across the cosmos that shredded stars.
Old Dragon King said nothing, revealing his Azure Dragon true form, and roared.
“Human Sovereign in the Heavens!”
When Old Dragon King threw that punch, he could vaguely hear Jiang Li’s soft rebuke, and Jiang Li’s phantom even began to coalesce!
Old Dragon King had progressed the furthest among the Four Seas Dragon Clans in cultivating Jiang Li Human Sovereign Power!
His intuition told him the Golden-winged Roc was not ordinary. It folded its wings in to protect its body, forming a layer of golden light.
This golden shield could only be shattered by late Tribulation Transcendence Stage brute force; it should be reliable.
The golden shield took the tremendous impact, cracks spreading across it, the shield wobbling on the verge of collapse.
The Golden-winged Roc sighed in relief—if that blow had landed on him, it would have probably pierced through his body.
This must be the opponent’s trump card, and it could not be used often. Now that his shield had stopped it, it was his turn to strike.
“One hundred thousand and eight thousand feathers…”
His one hundred thousand and eight thousand feathers could rival a top sword cultivator’s simultaneous ten thousand blades, capable of destroying an entire star system!
“Human Sovereign in the Heavens!” Old Dragon King continued punching, cutting off the Golden-winged Roc’s cry. Each of his punches matched the previous impact in power.
The Golden-winged Roc hurried to strengthen the golden shield, but Old Dragon King’s punching speed was too great; the shield could not endure so many hits.
Crack—
After five punches, the golden shield shattered.
Old Dragon King grabbed the Golden-winged Roc’s two wings and tore with force. Both wings were ripped off, the roc’s true blood splattering across the universe.
Old Dragon King realized, during this process, Jiang Li’s phantom was gradually solidifying.
“As expected, the more he uses it, the more skilled he becomes.”
Old Dragon King continued to use Jiang Li Human Sovereign Power.
This was a rare opportunity, and he had to seize it.
Mengjiang Emperor and Wei Emperor teamed up. Their opponent was a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator who resembled a fairy.
She was born with alluring charm; her beauty was natural. A single frown or smile could stir men’s hearts.
“Two handsome elder brothers, if you join the Eight Desolations, I will do as you wish.”
Her voice sent shivers through one’s body, making listeners weak and nearly melt to the bone.
Mengjiang Emperor and Wei Emperor were unmoved and snorted in unison, “No contest compared to Mortal World Celestial.”
The two launched a coordinated attack. Mengjiang Emperor held the Stellar River Golden Staff, and countless stars answered his call. The national fortune of the Mengjiang Dynasty was the starry river’s brilliance; its power came from stars, and in cosmic combat he was in his element.
Wei Emperor wore a robe patterned with turtle-and-snake designs and wielded the imperial jade seal. The entire galaxy seemed to come alive.
Great Wei Dynasty’s national fortune was the Water God Black Tortoise, controlling rivers, lakes, and seas; the star river likewise belonged to its domain!
The Eight Desolations were driven back again and again, utterly unable to resist.
Especially the two Desolation Lords of Qian and Kun. They had been confident no one at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage could rival them, but facing Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin they learned that even the Tribulation Transcendence Stage peaks had varying strengths.
“Break Calamity Asura Mirror, come!”
“Universe-Shaking Bell, come!”
Qian and Kun Desolation Lords drew their immortal implements to counterattack and try to kill Bai Hongtu and Yu Yin.
“Compare immortal implements with us?”
Bai Hongtu snapped his fingers.
Brahma Tower, Great Scholar’s Manuscript, Four Seas Dragon Pearls, Wishful Gourd, Other Mountain Stone—five immortal implements hovered brightly behind him.