aircannonsinc Chapter 204 Late Nascent Soul Stage Battle
Chapter 204 Late Nascent Soul Stage Battle
Chapter 204 Late Nascent Soul Stage Battle
Deep within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, the headquarters of the Demonic Temple floats halfway up the mountainside, its entire structure cast from inky black iron. The eaves of the temple are shrouded in a dense, misty aura of demonic energy.
The fourth-tier defensive array, "Ten Thousand Demons Mystic Array," was slowly operating. The black spiritual light flowing within the array patterns moved like living things, enveloping the entire temple in a dark barrier.
In the past, this great formation was enough to withstand the impact of ordinary fourth-order demonic beasts, but now, as dozens of giant flying boats hovered above the temple, the formation patterns began to crackle and the black spiritual light trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.
At the forefront of the flying boat formation, the oppressive aura of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator pressed down like a heavy mountain. The invisible force caused all the demonic beasts in the forest below to lie dormant. Even the fiercest Crimson-Eyed Demon Wolf cowered in its cave, not daring to breathe loudly.
In the Great Qing cultivation world, the Nascent Soul stage cultivators have not been seen for a thousand years, and late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators are the highest combat power that dominates a region.
Even the fourth-tier demon kings entrenched in this demon beast mountain range could only cower in the face of such a lineup.
Unless it is a legendary fourth-tier peak demon king with true spirit bloodline, who might be able to fight against a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, such demon kings have not appeared in the world for hundreds of years.
Deep within the temple, in his secluded cave, True Lord Xuan Yin slowly opened his eyes.
She wore a black dress with subtle patterns, the hem of which fell to her ankles, revealing skin as white as jade. Her beautiful face, however, lacked its usual aloofness, replaced by solemnity.
As the current successor of the ancient demon lineage, she had been in seclusion for many years trying to break through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, but she was unable to do so due to the bottleneck in her demonic arts. Now, feeling the pressure from the outside world, she knew that she could no longer avoid it and had no choice but to get up and rush out of her cave.
"Could it be that True Lord Shaking Mountain has come in person? I am Xuan Yin, greetings."
Xuan Yin Zhenjun's voice came through the trembling array, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Although she was a demonic cultivator, she knew the name of the Mountain-Shaking True Monarch. This righteous cultivator in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm was famous for his physical techniques and supernatural abilities. He had once single-handedly killed a late-stage fourth-tier Earth-Splitting Bear King, and his strength was unfathomable.
A figure appeared out of thin air in the sky.
The newcomer wore a coarse cloth jacket with a simple straw rope tied around his waist. His face was weathered and he looked like an old farmer who had toiled in the fields for years. Yet, when he opened his eyes, it seemed as if stars were moving within them.
His gaze swept across the temple below, his voice carrying the weight of time:
"So he's a descendant of the ancient demon lineage."
Our ancestors drove you to the Monster Mountain Range, but did not exterminate you all because they remembered that you were all of the same human lineage and left you with a chance to live.
However, this time, you have manipulated the Demon King to destroy the passage to the Demon Realm and defile the human realm, crossing the line and deserving punishment.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun was alarmed and quickly explained:
"I hope that True Lord will know that this was not a scheme devised by the ancient demons of my Holy Temple!"
It was only after the demon king raised by the Beast Taming lineage suddenly lost control and betrayed the Holy Temple that he did such a thing.
This matter has nothing to do with my ancient demon lineage; I urge the True Lord to investigate thoroughly!
"The Demon King's rebellion is the cause, and your negligence in supervision is the effect; cause and effect are inescapable."
The Mountain-Shaking True Lord spoke calmly, yet with an undeniable air of authority: "Today, this True Lord is passing through this place and cannot turn a blind eye."
However, considering that the Ancient Demon lineage is relatively law-abiding among the various branches of the demonic path, this True Lord will only use three moves—if you can withstand them, today's matter will be considered settled, and I will no longer pursue the demonic cultivators of the Ancient Demon lineage.”
Once these words were spoken, there was no room for reversal, and a resolute glint flashed in Xuan Yin Zhenjun's eyes.
Although she was only in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, she possessed the pride of the Ancient Demon lineage and immediately leaped into the air.
His black robes fluttered in the wind, and his demonic aura surged like a tide, directly breaking through part of the great formation's barrier and hovering in mid-air to confront the Mountain-Shaking True Monarch.
Sunlight fell on her stunning face, revealing no fear, only a fierce fighting spirit in her eyes:
"In that case, I will gladly experience the divine powers of the True Lord!"
"The first move, Mountain-Shaking Fist."
As soon as the Mountain-Shaking True Lord finished speaking, he slowly clenched his right fist.
The movements, though seemingly simple, appeared to manipulate the power of heaven and earth.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred miles suddenly converged wildly, and the pale white spiritual light visible to the naked eye surged toward his fist like a stream flowing into the sea, instantly condensing into a giant fist of spiritual energy tens of feet in size. The patterns on the fist surface were clear, and it smashed toward Xuan Yin Zhenjun with an aura of crushing everything.
This punch, though seemingly simple, had already reached the power of the late fourth rank. The air was compressed by the force of the punch, causing it to explode, and the great formation of the temple below began to shake violently.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun's expression changed slightly, but he did not back down.
She suddenly opened her arms, and the skin beneath her black robe gleamed with a faint black sheen. Instantly, raging black flames erupted around her.
This is the "Nine Yin Demon Flame" that she has been cultivating for the past ten years or so. Although it was inherited from her disciple Ning Bu'er, she improved it with ancient demon secret techniques. The flame carries a bone-chilling coldness that can even freeze spiritual energy.
As the demonic flames raged, Xuan Yin Zhenjun's figure transformed into a massive black ball of flame, hurtling towards the giant fist of spiritual power like a meteorite!
"boom--!"
The moment the two terrifying forces collided, a dazzling light illuminated the entire mountain forest.
The magical power of the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator collided with the ancient demonic flames, and the resulting shockwave swept down like a whirlwind.
The fourth-order array of the temple trembled violently. The Foundation Establishment cultivators inside the array were shaken to the ground, and the Qi Refining cultivators fainted directly. Even the Core Formation stage demonic cultivators felt their blood and qi surge and their bodies and minds shake violently, and they had to use their magic power to resist it.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the figure of Xuan Yin Zhenjun was revealed. His black robe was torn in several places, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, indicating that his internal organs had been shaken.
But she quickly regained her footing, and the demonic flames within her reignited, clearly indicating that she had taken the punch.
A hint of approval flashed in the eyes of the Mountain-Shaking True Lord, and his voice echoed throughout the mountains:
"Not bad. The Ancient Demon Nine Yin Demon Flame has reappeared in the world, and it is even supplemented by a fourth-level body refining technique. Girl, you are already at the top level among mid-Nascent Soul cultivators for being able to withstand this punch from me."
Before he could finish speaking, True Lord Shaking Mountains attacked again:
"Second move, Mountain Shaking!"
This time, before his fist even landed, the ground below began to tremble slightly.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered three times faster than before. Although the size of the giant fist of spiritual energy did not increase, it exuded a more terrifying sense of weight, as if it could crush mountains with a single punch.
Before the fist even arrived, Xuan Yin Zhenjun felt the pressure around him increase dramatically, and his skin under his black robe began to sting.
But she still didn't run away. As a descendant of the ancient demons, she had her own pride.
Suddenly, the demonic flames around Xuan Yin Zhenjun surged, and thirty-six demonic crystals appeared simultaneously within her body, swirling around her figure.
These magic crystals were condensed by her body-refining method, and each one contains terrifying demonic power.
She gritted her teeth and channeled her power, instantly igniting the six magic crystals with demonic flames, unleashing terrifying power at the late stage of the fourth rank. Her figure transformed into a ball of flame once more, crashing head-on into the giant fist of spiritual energy!
"Bang!"
Another loud bang, this time the shockwave was even stronger than before, the array patterns of the temple array cracked in several places, and the black spiritual light dimmed by more than half.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the great array barrier. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining his black robe red.
But her fighting spirit only intensified. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, floated up again, and stared intently at the Mountain-Shaking True Lord.
The Mountain-Shaking True Lord nodded, his tone becoming serious:
"Not bad. The third move, earth-shattering, you shall experience it."
This time, he didn't clench his fist, but slowly raised his right hand with his five fingers spread.
In an instant, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within a radius of a hundred miles contracted wildly, and the pale white spiritual light, as if drawn by an invisible force, all converged towards his index finger.
As the spiritual energy was compressed, the air emitted a piercing shriek, and the index finger of the Mountain-Shaking True Monarch gradually glowed with golden light, exuding a terrifying pressure capable of annihilating early and mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators.
This finger strike has reached the level of a peak fourth-tier divine power!
Xuan Yin Zhenjun's expression changed drastically. She could clearly feel the power of this finger strike. If she were to take it head-on, she would surely die.
But below lies the foundation of the Demonic Sect's Holy Temple, and several of her personal disciples are here. If she were to step back, the entire Holy Temple would be razed to the ground by this single finger.
"Let's give it our all!"
A hint of madness flashed in Xuan Yin Zhenjun's eyes. All thirty remaining demonic crystals in her body emerged and merged with the demonic flames around her. She even ignited a strand of divine soul power in her consciousness.
With this attack, she burned thirty years of her cultivation, and the demonic flames instantly surged to several meters high. A trace of golden pattern was mixed in with the black flames, and the power directly climbed to the upper level of the late fourth stage, blasting towards the golden finger in the air!
"boom--!"
The heavens and earth seemed to tremble at that moment, the mountains and forests within a radius of hundreds of miles shook violently, birds and beasts fled, and dust rose into the sky.
The figure of Xuan Yin Zhenjun flew out from the smoke and dust, covered in blood, his black robe torn and tattered, clearly indicating that he had been seriously injured.
She tried her best, but only managed to block most of the power of the "Heaven-Shattering Finger". The remaining force was still shooting towards the source of the temple's spiritual vein.
But at that moment, the Mountain-Shaking True Lord in the air suddenly transformed his fingers into a palm and gently patted downwards.
"Boom!" This palm strike, though seemingly gentle, carried terrifying power.
The temple's fourth-order defensive array shattered instantly, the black spiritual light vanished without a trace, and the demonic cultivators inside the array were all vomiting blood from the shockwave. The low-level Qi Refining cultivators were directly killed, and the Core Formation stage demonic cultivators were all injured.
However, upon seeing this, Xuan Yin Zhenjun quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Despite her injuries, she flew back into the air and bowed respectfully to Han Shan Zhenjun.
"This junior thanks Senior Hanshan for showing mercy."
The Mountain-Shaking True Lord looked at her, his tone calm:
"I showed no mercy. It is your good fortune that you were able to withstand three moves. I hope that you will achieve great things in your future cultivation and never forget your human nature, lest you become a true demon."
"This junior will remember your teachings, senior." Xuan Yin Zhenjun bowed again, his attitude respectful.
The Mountain-Shaking True Lord nodded and flashed back onto the flying boat.
Then, dozens of flying boats changed direction, transforming into streaks of light and flying towards the State of Qi, quickly disappearing into the horizon.
Xuan Yin Zhenjun stared in the direction the flying boat had departed, remaining motionless for a long time.
Although she was severely injured in this battle, she also gained a great deal of insight.
The three moves of the Mountain-Shaking True Lord seemed to be overwhelming, but in fact they contained hidden guidance.
Especially the final "Heaven-Shaking Finger" palm strike, which contained complex techniques for manipulating the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and also carried a special Dao essence, was similar to the "body-refining magic crystal and demonic flame combination" method that she had recently comprehended from Ning Bu'er.
However, her technique was still rather rudimentary, while the Mountain-Shaking True Lord had already reached the threshold of a higher realm.
"A late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the orthodox Xuanmen sect truly lives up to his reputation."
Xuan Yin Zhenjun muttered to herself, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes, and turned to walk towards the Holy Temple—after this battle, she had gained a new understanding of breaking through the bottleneck of the late Nascent Soul stage.
At this moment, tens of thousands of miles north of the Demon Beast Mountain Range, on a black flying boat, Chen Yi and Ning Bu'er stopped almost simultaneously and turned to look in the direction of the Demonic Sect's Holy Temple.
Even across the vast mountains and forests and layers of clouds, the terrifying tremor of heaven and earth originating from the battle between late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators still pierced through space like thunder, seeping into the two people's senses along with the changes in the energy between heaven and earth.
There were no specific magical roars, nor the intense light of colliding spiritual energy, yet it stirred a primal tremor in one's heart, as if the ground beneath one's feet was trembling invisibly.
The battle between late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators was terrifying to such an extent.
After the flying boat had traveled tens of thousands of miles, the black communication jade talisman on Ning Bu'er's wrist suddenly glowed with a faint light.
She remained silent for a long while before putting away the jade talisman, turning to Chen Yi and sighing as she briefly recounted the battle situation.
"."
"After the third move, the temple's fourth-order defensive array finally shattered. Countless low-level cultivators were injured by the aftershocks, and nearly a hundred were killed."
Even senior brothers and sisters in the Core Formation stage were intimidated by the aura of the late Nascent Soul stage cultivator, their souls were disturbed and their dantians were displaced, making it difficult for them to make any further progress.
And then there's Senior Sister Black Lotus; she was also caught in the aftershocks while presiding over the grand formation below, and was severely injured.
After speaking, Ning Bu'er lowered her eyes and remained silent. She knew that if she had not left the Holy Temple in advance, she would certainly be among those presiding over the formation at this moment. With her mid-stage Core Formation cultivation, she would probably have been seriously injured as well.
After hearing this, Chen Yi felt a wave of fear wash over him.
He wasn't worried about being injured by the aftershocks.
But with such a powerful attack, he would inevitably have to expose a great deal of his abilities to remain unharmed.
Within the perception range of a Nascent Soul cultivator, his true Golden Core state, body refinement cultivation, and the spiritual energy fluctuations that were incompatible with the Demonic Sect would inevitably be exposed.
Meanwhile, Ning Bu'er's master, Xuan Yin Zhenjun, had emerged from seclusion. With the divine sense of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he could detect the abnormality simply by scanning him.
He has too many secrets. If it really comes to that, his only way to survive is to completely surrender to the Demonic Sect.
He still had to hope that the Mysterious Yin True Lord would recognize his talent and be willing to take him as a disciple.
If you don't like them, you'll either become a furnace to have your life force drained, or you'll be casually crushed to death by a Nascent Soul cultivator when you try to escape.
As for Lao Hu and his family of three, they didn't even have the chance to feel such lingering fear. With their cultivation level, they would probably have been killed by the aftershocks the moment the fourth-order formation shattered.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi subconsciously looked at Old Hu in the corner of the cabin. He was grateful to Old Hu for reminding him in time and urging him to leave, which saved him from this disaster.
This seemingly ordinary old man actually possesses such a keen ability to predict good and bad fortune.
Chen Yi thought to himself that this ability was probably not something he had only recently awakened.
Perhaps over the years, Lao Hu has had this perception in his subconscious, but it was not noticed before until a certain opportunity triggered it, which evolved into an ability that he could actively use.
Each person had their own thoughts, and for the rest of the journey, the airship was unusually quiet.
Even Lao Hu, who used to love telling Xiao Mingyue anecdotes about the martial arts world, would occasionally stare blankly at the mountains and forests outside the window.
Perhaps intimidated by the battle against the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, the demon beasts and demon kings in the Demon Beast Mountain Range all retreated and did not come out.
The patrol area, which used to be a place where one had to be careful, is now so deserted that it's hard to spot even a single monster. Occasionally, a few low-level monsters will peek out, but once they sense the demonic aura on the flying boat, they will instantly retreat back into their lairs.
The journey of 300,000 li was surprisingly smooth, without even a single significant obstacle.
Several days later, at dawn, Chen Yi was resting by the side of the flying boat when he suddenly caught sight of an exceptionally tall mountain standing on the horizon a thousand miles away.
The mountain was entirely bluish-black, and its summit was perpetually shrouded in a thick layer of thunderclouds. Silver-blue lightning bolts darted through the clouds like snakes, and every few moments a thunderbolt would strike, hitting the rocks on the summit and scattering tiny sparks of lightning.
With the speed of the flying boat, a distance of a thousand miles could be covered in just half an hour.
During this time, Chen Yi roughly counted that at least ten bolts of lightning struck the mountain peak one after another. Each bolt carried enough power to severely injure a Core Formation cultivator. The booming sound traveled with the wind to the flying boat, making the wooden railings tremble slightly.
"What a magnificent sight! Anyone who didn't know better would think this mountain was undergoing some kind of ancient calamity."
Old Hu had somehow appeared behind Chen Yi, and looking at the mountain peak shrouded in thunderclouds, he smiled and remarked.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi's heart stirred slightly. Although Old Hu's words were spoken in jest, they inexplicably reminded him of the strange spiritual vein fluctuations he had encountered in the past.
But he quickly shook his head and laughed. Yamamoto was an inanimate object; how could it possibly undergo tribulation?
The flying boat slowly descended near the mountain peak. Ning Bu'er made a hand seal to retract the escape light and landed at the foot of Yinlei Peak with Chen Yi, Lao Hu and his family of three.
Stepping on the dark blue rocks, one can clearly feel faint wisps of lightning-attribute spiritual energy seeping into the soles of the shoes. The higher one goes, the more intense the violent lightning-attribute spiritual energy becomes, and one can vaguely see pale purple lightning crystals embedded in the cracks of the rocks.
This Thunder Peak is indeed a wondrous place in the Monster Mountain Range. The spiritual energy increases with the mountain's terrain, and the lightning attribute resources become increasingly pure, but the danger also intensifies.
Although there are few demonic beasts here, they all possess the bloodline of thunder spirits, and each one can control a weak amount of lightning, making it a rare and secluded place of opportunity for thunder cultivators.
However, once you reach the mountainside, the lightning that falls year-round forms a natural lightning field, with the lightning intertwined like a net. If low-level cultivators are not careful, they will be burned by the lightning and fire.
Not to mention the mountain peak, even legendary Nascent Soul cultivators risk perishing if they go up there.
"Chen Yi".
At the foot of the mountain, Ning Bu'er turned around, her dark skirt swaying gently in the mountain breeze, her tone regaining its usual coolness.
"I'll see you off here. Our past debt of 50,000 spirit stones, along with interest, is now completely settled. Farewell."
(End of this chapter)