Chapter 1563: Fierce Battle Against a Great Ascension Stage Cultivator
Yu Bi, his withered claws flashing, unleashed five pitch-black blades of condensed corpse qi, which shot toward the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
Yet, when the blades came within ten feet of their target, they abruptly dissolved into inky corpse qi, swirling around the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation and causing his robes to billow violently.
Yu Bi’s sharp gaze shifted from the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation to the dark, still waters below. He sensed a figure rising from the depths, cloaked entirely in black, breaking the surface.
“Someone… is actually down there?” Yu Bi stared at the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation in disbelief.
The Cosmic Transformation Incarnation, looking shaken, swallowed hard twice before speaking. “He’s the junior’s friend.”
“Greetings, Senior,” the Black-robed person said, bowing respectfully as he emerged from the water and floated toward the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
The Black-robed person was, of course, Song Wen. Forced to reveal himself by Yu Bi’s imminent attack, he had no choice but to appear.
Yu Bi’s attention immediately shifted to Song Wen.
“Gou Jun mentioned the Life-Replenishing Fruit is on you?”
“It is,” Song Wen replied crisply.
“Then hand it over at once!” Yu Bi demanded.
With a thought, Song Wen produced a jade box identical to the one held by the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
“Senior, please observe…”
Before Song Wen could finish speaking, he had already appeared beside the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation.
A blue light flashed from the storage ring on his middle finger.
Instantly, the Cosmic Transformation Incarnation transformed into a wooden carving and was absorbed into the storage ring by the blue light.
The storage ring from the Incarnation’s hand now adorned Song Wen’s index finger.
The jade box the Incarnation had been holding was caught by Song Wen’s other hand.
“Incarnation!”
Seeing this, Yu Bi finally understood: the ‘Gou Jun’ who had been sparring with him for so long was merely an Incarnation of the black-robed person before him—a mere facade.
A dignified mid-stage great ascension cultivator like himself had been completely outmaneuvered by a mere Incarnation.
A surge of fury erupted in Yu Bi’s heart, instantly transforming into murderous intent toward Song Wen.
“Junior, it seems you truly have no fear of death, daring to mock this old man!”
“Senior,” Song Wen replied calmly, “does it truly matter whether it was an Incarnation? As long as you obtain the Life-Replenishing Fruit, I believe you won’t dwell on such a minor offense.”
“Do you truly possess the Life-Replenishing Fruit?” Yu Bi’s voice dripped with skepticism.
“Naturally. Otherwise, why would I reveal myself? That would be nothing short of suicide.”
As Song Wen spoke, he simultaneously tossed the jade boxes in both hands toward Yu Bi.
Yu Bi instinctively channeled his spiritual power, catching both jade boxes mid-air.
The restriction on the jade box was forcibly broken.
Both lids opened simultaneously.
One jade box was completely empty.
The other contained a vibrant, seven-colored fruit—the very Life-Replenishing Fruit shown in the image stone’s recording. However, the Spiritual Qi it emitted was so faint, almost imperceptible, that it seemed no more than a common wild fruit.
“You dare deceive me…” Yu Bi ground his teeth in fury, his body tensing to lunge at Song Wen.
But before he could move, a two-foot-long short sword materialized in Song Wen’s hand.
The Nine Calamity Heaven-Measuring Sword shimmered with an eerie glow, its pitch-black blade devouring all surrounding light like a black hole, shrouding Song Wen in darkness.
Gripping the sword, Song Wen charged toward the approaching Yu Bi.
Having reached the peak of the body integration stage, his cultivation had surged, allowing him to unleash the full might of the Nine Calamity Heaven-Measuring Sword.
He intended to test whether this Profound Heaven Spirit Treasure could truly enable him to fight beyond his cultivation level and pose a threat to a Great Ascension Stage cultivator.
“Seeking death!” Yu Bi roared, his anger turning to derisive laughter at the audacity of a mere Body Integration Stage cultivator daring to challenge him.
Corpse qi erupted from his body as his withered right palm struck out. A colossal ghost claw materialized instantly, surging with overwhelming corpse qi as it descended upon Song Wen.
This palm strike, fueled by rage, unleashed seventy-eight percent of Yu Bi’s full power, vowing to crush the young upstart into dust.
Boom!
The ghost claw struck Song Wen, instantly shattering his physical body.
Amidst the scattered fragments of flesh, not a single drop of blood could be seen.
Yu Bi recognized this life-substitution art, a strange sense of familiarity rising within him.
Before he could dwell on it, a murderous intent surged from behind.
His divine sense detected the Black-robed person wielding a pitch-black short sword, aiming a strike at the back of his neck.
Yu Bi whirled around, his withered right hand raised high, corpse qi swirling around it. He struck out with a palm strike toward Song Wen.
Song Wen, now only a few feet away, made no attempt to dodge.
A pillar of blood erupted from his back, coalescing into a crimson hand that met Yu Bi’s iron-hook-like right hand.
The moment they clashed, the disparity in power became clear.
The crimson hand shattered instantly, splattering into droplets of blood.
Yet this brief resistance bought Song Wen a fleeting opportunity to slash his sword toward Yu Bi’s neck.
The Nine Calamity Heaven-Measuring Sword flashed forth.
The dark, all-consuming sword light made Yu Bi’s hair stand on end.
His pupils reflected the ever-enlarging pitch-black blade.
Yu Bi was both shocked and enraged. This Body Integration Stage junior had actually delivered a fatal strike right to his face.
At this critical moment, the survival instincts of a great ascension cultivator surged to their peak.
With no time for defense or evasion, Yu Bi could only lean forward, frantically channeling all the corpse qi in his body toward his neck.
Swoosh!
The sword blade flashed past.
There was no dull thud of steel piercing flesh, only a piercing screech like a red-hot iron plunged into icy water.
The Nine Calamity Heaven-Measuring Sword’s blade grazed Yu Bi’s neck.
The corpse qi hastily gathered at his neck shattered like paper before the blade’s edge, easily torn apart.
A thin line of blood appeared on Yu Bi’s withered nape.
Yu Bi lunged forward several meters, whirling around to glare at Song Wen while clutching his neck.
Feeling the lingering, ferocious sword intent relentlessly trying to invade his body, Yu Bi’s eyes burned with disbelief and murderous rage.
He had actually been wounded!
By a mere Body Integration Stage cultivator!
If he hadn’t leaned forward half a foot, and if not for his thick corpse qi and spiritual power shielding him, his head would have been severed.
In other words, he had nearly died at the hands of the man before him.
“You’re… Gu Huang!” Yu Bi roared, his fury uncontrollable.
The moment he saw the crimson hand, he had guessed Song Wen’s identity.
Now he understood why the life-substitution art felt so familiar.
Back in Yu Territory, Gu Huang had used the same trick to evade Yu Bi’s fatal strike.
“Gu Huang, you’ve thwarted my plans time and again. I will extract your soul and refine it into eternal torment, denying you rebirth for all eternity!”
(End of the Chapter)