Chapter 57: A Storm Brewing
Hearing the black stone's voice, Li Ming immediately stopped.
He picked up the black stone again.
"So it really is you?"
"For you to have been willing to so casually take out a low-grade profound-tier martial skill, just who exactly are you?"
Li Ming continued to question the black stone. It was obviously whatever it was inside the black stone that had absorbed his spirit stones, and it was also the reason why the spiritual qi in the area was constantly being absorbed.
Hearing this, black stone chuckled.
"Hehe."
"Hehe, your grandpa! Just hurry up and tell me!"
Li Ming looked at the black stone fiercely. He had been very easy-going in
front of outsiders all these years, but that did not mean that he did not have a temper!
When he thought about how the spirit stones that he had worked so hard for were gone just like that, he really could not help but become furious!
"Cough, cough, you do not need to know who I am for the time being. You're in the body cultivation foundation establishment realm, as well as in the qi cultivation foundation establishment realm. Moreover, your divine soul is even stronger than cultivators of the same stage. You are an outstanding talent." "Nowadays, there are not many people who cultivate both their body and qi." "You and I are fated. Keeping me will be of great use to you."
Li Ming got a certain gut feeling when he heard the black stone's words.
He felt that it was up to something.
"You aren't planning to wait for my cultivation to strengthen or break through before coming out to possess me, are you?"
"Do you think I don't know such a lame trick?"
When Li Ming said that, the black stone was instantly stunned.
The voice coming from the stone stopped abruptly.
After a long while, it laughed awkwardly.
"Young man, you should be happy when cultivating. Why must you be so serious?"
Hearing the black stone's words, Li Ming looked on expressionlessly. Then, he picked up the stone from the ground.
He was getting ready to smash it down onto the ground until it shattered!
He was curious about what was inside the black stone.
"Cut the crap! Are you going to make me take you as your master, then teach me cultivation, and then I'll have to find you a physical body or something to help you revive?"
"Do you think I'm a three-year-old child?"
Li Ming's words made the black stone quiet down.
After a while, the black stone sighed helplessly.
"Are people so hard to deceive nowadays?"
"Forget it. Sigh, kid, I'm too weak to carry out those things that you said."
"If you have any problems with your cultivation, you can ask me. If you need any techniques, I can help you, but there are conditions."
"You need to give me enough spiritual qi to keep me awake."
Hearing the black stone's words, Li Ming gently put down the stone this time.
That was more like it.
With the black stone having been able to casually give out a profound-tier martial skill, it clearly Imew a lot more than he did. It was likely that it even knew more powerful techniques!
It might not be a bad thing to keep it!
"Okay, I can help you."
"However, since you know my situation, you should help me out a bit. Do I have to be ambitious to unleash the Imperial Finger that you gave me?"
Li Ming asked directly.
However, the black stone's answer stunned Li Ming.
"Ambition?"
"Is that all that you think you need?"
"Without the will to fight against the heavens, how can you unleash the power of the Imperial Finger?"
"You've just stepped into cultivation, so you still need to polish your temperament."
"Take your time to comprehend it. Experiences aren't something that can just be imparted with a few words."
The black stone's words surprised Li Ming.
The will to fight against the heavens?
Isn't cultivation supposed to follow the will of the heavens?
Why should I go against the heavens?
Won't I just end up getting punished by the heavens?
However, the black stone's words made sense.
Experience was not something that could just be imparted through words, but something that had to be experienced personally. It was only by experiencing it personally that one could understand the meaning behind their actions.
"That's true."
"Then let me ask you, how can I achieve complete compatibility with my body and qi?"
'You should know the situation in my dantian."
At this moment, what Li Ming needed to solve was the problem of fusion.
Previously, he had used the Five Divine Fists and Cauldron Transformation Art together, which was why he had erupted with shocking power.
However, he does not succeed in using them together every time.
There was a rejection between the two techniques, which made it so that the fusion did not work every time.
Hearing Li Ming's doubts, the black stone answered him in a straightforward manner.
"You have to learn how to make them compatible."
"The Ancient Spirit Mysterious Art and the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art that you cultivate have innate similarities. Once you find the proper way to piece them together, the problem will naturally be solved."
"Alright, I'll continue to rest. Don't forget to provide me with spirit stones to absorb."
After the black stone finished saying that, it turned completely silent.
No matter how much Li Ming called out to the black stone, it did not respond.
However, the black stone's words made Li Ming realize something.
The Golden Crow Body Tempering Art was given to him by that woman. It was an extraordinary body cultivation technique.
As for the Ancient Spirit Mysterious Art, he had found it in the scripture depository.
The two cultivation techniques did indeed have some similarities to them, but he would need to spend some time pondering on what those exactly were.
Thinking of this, Li Ming also began to meditate.
He began to think deeply.
The path of cultivation was long and boring, but at the same time, it was filled with danger.
This was true for both individual cultivators and sects.
Ever since Li Ming and Lu Lan brought back the demons' corpses, the Consecration Hall had spent some time to investigate them and finally figured out their agenda.
At this moment.
In the Consecration Hall.
The consecrators looked at each other.
One of the consecrators said, "We must take the Demon Sect's operations this time very seriously. It appears that they want to dominate the entire Heavenly Southern Region."
"Using evil techniques to create a teleportation formation, I'm afraid they're planning to completely surround the Divine Will Sect!"
"The sect master still needs some more time. We have to guard the sect well!"
The head consecrator spoke, and the rest of the consecrators nodded in agreement.
"Why don't we let the disciples go out and search the surroundings?"
"After the disciple assessment, it should be nearly time for the Eastern Continent's Promotion Conference!"
"I'm afraid that it's not only the Demon Sect that has begun making moves. Recently, the other sects have also begun making a stir."
Once the outer disciples got involved, tensions between sects would erupt.
The Eastern Continent held a Promotion Conference every five years. While it was called a conference, in fact, it was the eve of war between the major sects in the Eastern Continent!
Through the slaughter between sects and annexation, those that survived and reigned supreme would become even stronger!
Plundering resources and fighting for opportunities was the most common occurrence in the cultivation world.
Without a doubt, as the current overlord of the Heavenly Southern Region, the Divine Will Sect had long become the target of numerous forces.
"Yes, that's the only way for now."
"Right, pay more attention to that disciple Li Ming. When the sect master comes out, bring him here."
"That disciple's talent is rare and he cultivates both his body and qi."
After the head consecrator said that, the others nodded.
At this moment, all the disciples of the five halls of the Divine Will Sect became busy.
Many disciples were sent out to carry out missions.
The entire Heavenly Southern Region was filled with cultivators!
Unknowingly, two months had passed.
Li Ming remained in the Martial Hall. Although there was no longer any spiritual qi siphoning taking place in the area, the other disciples still did not dare to enter.
This provided Li Ming with a quiet environment.
During these two months, Li Ming had been continuously circulating the
Ancient Spirit Mysterious Art. At times, he would even circulate both the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art and the Ancient Spirit Mysterious Art at the same time.
Again and again, he searched for similarities!
Finally, two months later, Li Ming successfully completed what he had set out to do!
With the body as the trunk and the foundation establishment stone platform in his dantian as the roots, he perfectly integrated the Ancient Spirit Arcane Art with the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art.
With this, the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, which originally only had twelve levels, now had an additional level!
It now had thirteen levels!
Li Ming had never expected such an outcome.
With him cultivating both body and qi at the same time, Li Ming clearly did not have too many restrictions when it came to using skills or techniques..
Chapter 58: Urgent Mission
The black stone's suggestion had indeed helped Li Ming significantly.
After two months, he had finally successfully fused them!
At the same time, he had also managed to improve his Golden Crow Body Tempering Art to have thirteen levels.
In this way, he would no longer need to use the Ancient Spirit Mysterious Art.
Nevertheless, Li Ming would not have to find any replacement cultivation techniques or anything like that at least while he was in the foundation establishment realm.
Just this Golden Crow Body Tempering Art would be able to support his entire cultivation through the foundation establishment realm.
This left Li Ming at ease.
Moreover, at the moment when Li Ming managed to fuse the two techniques, he achieved a breakthrough in the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, reaching the third level!
With that, his cultivation base was now at the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm!
Whether it was his body cultivation or qi cultivation, they were both stable at the middle of the foundation establishment realm.
After the fusion, the two had become one, and that made his cultivation much simpler and more convenient
Li Ming no longer needed to differentiate between the two types of cultivation.
Having reached the third level of the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, Li Ming now also possessed his own Golden Crow True Fire!
Moreover, this Golden Crow True Fire was enhanced by both his body cultivation and qi cultivation!
Although the true fire of most qi cultivation foundation establishment cultivators was used to refine magical treasures, Li Ming was not limited to such usage.
His true fire could also be used to temper his body, as well as a means of attack!
After all that time and effort, he had increased his cultivation, solved the problem with regard to his cultivation technique, and solved the problem of how to combine his body and qi cultivation.
However, Li Ming had been feeling slightly awkward for the past two months.
After all of his spirit stones was absorbed by the black stone, he was only left with 15,000 merit points.
Having solved the problem with regard to his cultivation, he now had the problem of resources to worry about.
On the path of cultivation, although talent was very important, opportunities were also very important.
However, the most basic and required thing was none other than resources.
Spiritual herbs, treasures, and spirit stones, all of these are essential.
However, in order to obtain resources, he needed merit points, as well as spirit stones, as these were the main forms of currency in the sect.
He had run out of spirit stones, so he was only left with 15,000 merit points to use to trade for resources. However, he had no idea how many resources he could exchange for with just the amount he had.
Besides, he had not left the valley for the past two months. He wondered how Chen Qingke was doing.
It was obvious that Fang Ao had his eyes set on Chen Qingke.
Li Ming headed out of the Martial Hall and straight to the five halls' missions area.
After entering the core of the Divine Will Sect, all the management of the five halls, including exchanging for resources, was carried out in the missions area.
As soon as Li Ming arrived, he saw a sea of people at the missions area.
The number of people that were here this time was even more than when he was last here two months ago!
Li Ming was confused as to why there were so many disciples receiving missions in the missions area.
Was this the sect showing that it was preparing to work hard?
But what could have caused such a situation? "Senior brother, why are there so many people today?" "Could it be that there are too many missions?"
Li Ming stopped a disciple and asked curiously. The disciple looked at Li Ming with contempt. "How do you not know about this?"
"Ah, hehe, I was in seclusion and had just come out."
Upon hearing this, the disciple that Li Ming had stopped came to a realization and his expression returned to normal.
"It's mostly because the sect has recently put up missions that only allow foundation establishment disciples to take them."
"They say that there have been people from other sects that have been coming to the Heavenly Southern Region. Other than that, there have been a lot of demons popping up all over the place. And so, there are naturally more missions for us disciples to take."
"Even those closed-door disciples have been sent out."
Hearing this, Li Ming found himself curious about something.
"Do you mean to say that Senior Sister Lu Lan and Chen Qingke are also out completing missions?"
"Of course, they are stronger than us, so they naturally have to head out. I heard that they were sent out to more dangerous areas."
Hearing this, Li Ming inquired about where they went. After that, he no longer cared about exchanging his merit points for anything. He immediately looked for and took a mission that would have him go to an area near to where the two girls were sent, and then he headed out.
Although the two girls had decent cultivation levels, they were ultimately outside the sect.
He could not help but recall that one time he had gone on a mission and met that woman at the temple.
It would be troublesome if they were to encounter someone like that.
That woman's cultivation was probably above the foundation establishment realm.
However, Li Ming was also curious about why the matter of people from other sects entering the Heavenly Southern Region would cause such a huge commotion.
Also, he found himself remembering those demons he had encountered in his last mission and wondered what those demons were up to.
All sorts of questions filled Li Ming's mind.
Although he had been in the sect for more than three years, because he had been immersed in body cultivation for most of that time, Li Ming did not know much about the things that happened inside and outside the sect.
The only thing he really knew was that the Divine Will Sect was the number one sect in the Heavenly Southern Region!
However, he was not too sure about the rest.
The cultivation world was complicated and unpredictable.
There were simply too many complicated things in this world, and Li Ming had not really cared nor thought much about them in the past.
But now it seemed that it was wishful thinking to live a peaceful life in the world of cultivation. There would simply too many things constantly at play.
But for now, Li Ming did not bother dwelling too much on these problems. He decided that he would simply deal with them as they came.
As the saying goes, if it is none of your business, then do not bother with it.
Although this was a mindset that was rather unambitious, it was practical.
As the mission that he had taken this time was somewhat urgent, the rewards that would be given to him by the sect for completing it were not bad.
If he successfully completed this mission, he would be rewarded with a total of 10,000 merit points And 5,000 spirit stones!
Just from this, he was able to infer that most, if not all, of the missions that the sect had issued this time were related to the safety of the sect!
It was only now that Li Ming got a better understanding of the situation.
In the world of cultivation, there was more than just rising into the clouds, and there was more than just the longing to transcend the mortal world. A more realistic look at the world of cultivation would present one with the constant conflicts between cultivators and even the slaughter of mortals!
Cultivation was the ultimate interpretation of the saying that life and death were determined by fate!
The Eastern Continent was very large and was divided into two regions, the South and the North.
Within the Heavenly Southern Region, there were countless sects.
It was the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the entire Eastern Continent, and the Divine Will Sect was the strongest sect in the Heavenly Southern Region!
In comparison, the terrain of the north was harsh and dangerous. Although there was spiritual qi, the conditions were far from being as good as in the South.
The difference in geography and environment caused conflicts of interest to rise between the sects.
But if one were to sum it all up, the sects simply fought for better resources!
This was the very root of the conflicts between cultivators.
In the cultivation world, although monsters and demons counted as resources, these were relatively dangerous to hunt.
After all, to demons, cultivators themselves were also resources.
Windstorm Town, Heavenly Southern Region.
This was a small town in the mortal world, and there were very few people here at the moment.
Many commoners had long since fled and disappeared, while some were ultimately led to their final rest here.
All the valuables in the town were swept away.
Looking at this desolate town, Li Ming's expression turned grave.
The mission given by the sect was to investigate what the outsiders were doing.
Should it be discovered and concluded that the outsiders had harmed the people that were under the Divine Will Sect's protection, then the outsiders were to be killed!
Li Ming searched the town for a long time and finally saw a survivor.
The commoner's face was filled with utter dread and fear.
Li Ming tried calming the commoner down and asked, "What happened here?"
Li Ming tried calming the commoner down and asked, "What happened here?"
"T-the… Heavenly Demon Sect! The people of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they, thev killed people and drank their blood!"
"They're demons! Demons!"
Chapter 59: Heavenly Demon Sect Disciple
The commoner was terrified, and their eyes trembled as if they had really encountered a demon!
However, just as Li Ming was thinking of what to do, a bloody light rushed over and instantly pierced through the chest of the commoner!
As soon as the bloody light pierced through their chest, they shriveled up at a speed visible to the naked eye!
All the blood in his body had been sucked dry!
The scene was extremely terrifying!
Even though Li Ming was prepared, he still felt a lingering fear when he saw the event take place in front of his eyes!
He did not expect there to be such a technique in cultivation!
He raised his head.
A red-robed young man suddenly appeared in front of him.
His long hair fluttered in the wind, and his eyes were bright red. His entire appearance resembled that of a demon!
His entire body exuded a strange aura.
This person was clearly a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
His aura fluctuated, and Li Ming was then immediately able to sense that the other party's cultivation was at the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm!
When Li Ming received the mission, he also received some manuals from the sect.
On it were some introductions of the major sects in the Eastern Continent.
The Heavenly Demon Sect was one of them.
At first, Li Ming found the descriptions of them to be unbelievable.
It was said in the manual that he had read that the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect were strange and their cultivation techniques were extremely special. They did not directly absorb the spiritual qi of heaven and earth to increase their cultivation. Instead, they plundered the blood of cultivators, demonic beasts, and the like.
They would even sometimes use the blood of mortals to further their cultivation.
It was no exaggeration to say that the people of the Heavenly Demon Sect were wolves in sheep's clothing!
The attitudes of the other sects towards them varied. Some were close, but most were distant.
As the number one sect in the Heavenly Southern Region, the Divine Will Sect was also one of the major sects in the Eastern Continent. And as the Divine Will Sect practiced a cultivation path that was completely different from the
Heavenly Demon Sect, they were also hostile to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
After all, the kind of cultivation technique that harmed others for personal gain that the Heavenly Demon Sect practiced was regarded as scum in the eyes of those of the Divine Will Sect.
To the members of the Divine Will Sect, they were no different from demons.
As such, they would naturally not tolerate such a sect.
"Tslc tqlc "
"My luck is pretty good to have met a disciple of the Divine Will Sect."
"The middle of the foundation establishment realm? It seems that my luck today is really good!"
The red-robed young man's eyes were filled with greed as he looked at Li Ming.
He looked at Li Ming as if he were sizing up his prey.
This feeling made Li Ming very unhappy.
"Offending my Divine Will Sect, you deserve to die!"
Knowing what kind of person the other party was, Li Ming did not indulge him in any more talk!
These commoners under the protection of the Divine Will Sect were just mortals.
To cultivators, they were practically unarmed.
They were weak!
However, these people from the Heavenly Demon Sect had directly attacked these innocent people with their demonic claws.
Cultivators were supposed to eliminate demons and protect the world.
As a great sect in the Heavenly Southern Region, the Divine Will Sect had countless small sects and commoners under its protection.
Now that they were in trouble, the Divine Will Sect naturally could not sit idly by and watch them as they suffered. Besides, Li Ming did not like this feeling.
"Tsk, tsk, what a big tone!"
"Do you think that you are the master of the Eastern Continent?" "Today, I'll use you to feed my cultivation technique!"
The young man in red said coldly as he waved his hand. In an instant, countless blood-red spiritual qi spread out from his body.
With a twist of his wrist, the blood-red spiritual qi instantly condensed into a sharp sword!
He held it in his hand and then pointed it at Li Ming.
In the next instant, the young man in red stepped on the floating tiles and swung his sword!
He actually chose to take the initiative to engage in close combat!
Although sword cultivators had a stronger physical body than other cultivators, their bodies could not compare to body cultivators. In terms of physical strength, he naturally could not compare to Li Ming.
The sword swiftly approached Li Ming.
The young man's aura surged, and the blood-red sword qi appeared cold and strange.
The life force of the plants and vegetation that were nearby was instantly taken away!
It could be seen just from this how vicious the cultivation techniques of this Heavenly Demon Sect were!
Seeing this, Li Ming did not hesitate.
With a wave of his hand, golden crow spiritual qi burst forth from his body!
The scorching spiritual qi made it seem as if he was holding the sun in his hand!
The approaching sword qi actually dispersed in the blink of an eye.
This strange scene stunned the red-robed young man. He hurriedly withdrew his sword and retreated.
"Your spiritual qi is actually so hot?"
"Kid, it seems that your cultivation technique is not simple either!"
"That's great. The blood essence of a cultivator like you is a great supplement to me!"
Although the young man in red was surprised, he obviously did not give up on Li Ming.
A person with such scorching spiritual qi meant that his body was not weak, and it also meant that his blood essence was stronger than others.
To him, this was top-grade nourishment.
There was naturally no reason for him to say no to such nourishment.
The young man in red rose again, and the blood sword burst forth. It actually instantly attached itself to his entire body, forming blood-colored armor!
The young man's aura turned violent.
He bared his fangs and brandished his claws!
His face was ferocious!
At this moment, he no longer looked like a human. Instead, he looked like a bloodthirsty demon!
It was no wonder that the commoner spoke as if he had seen actual demons.
The people of the Heavenly Demon Sect were indeed extremely strange.
The young man rushed over, and the blood qi around him became violent.
It was like a stormy sea had surged!
The pressure surmounted, and Li Ming instantly felt a shocking pressure bear down on his body!
Ever since he entered the foundation establishment realm, Li Ming had never felt this way, not even during the Divine Will Sect's inner sect grand competition.
The difference between the intermediate foundation establishment realm and the early foundation establishment realm was indeed vast!
Of course, there was another reason.
The inner sect grand competition was just a sparring match. At most, they would injure one another.
They were not there to kill.
On the other hand, this person from the Heavenly Demon Sect in front of him was clearly coming at him with the intent to kill him. With the enhancement of this killing intent, his might naturally became different.
His killing intent was evident!
There was no need to hold back!
Li Ming also wanted to see if this person was stronger or if his Cauldron Transformation Art was stronger!
Ever since the fusion of his body and qi, he had achieved true simultaneous cultivation. During this process, the Cauldron Transformation Art had also sublimated !
The current Li Ming could already completely condense it!
Waving his hand, golden crow spiritual qi burst out and instantly condensed into a bronze cauldron on Li Ming's palm!
At this moment, the huge cauldron was emitting heat, and the ball on the cauldron's body was showing the image of a golden crow.
Its power was shocking, and it was not the slightest bit weaker than a mystic-tier technique!
A huge cauldron was condensed!
The red-robed young man charged forward. When he saw the huge cauldron appear, more spiritual qi erupted from his body. Countless blood qi gathered on his armor, and a giant blood-red sword appeared in his hand. He swung the giant sword fiercely at the huge cauldron!
Boom!
A dull bang sounded!
In the next moment, the bronze cauldron fell down brazenly. The huge sword in the red-robed young man's hand shattered, and the blood-colored armor on his body shattered under the power of the cauldron!
Not only that, the entire cauldron was condensed from golden crow spiritual qi. So when it exploded, it also unleashed an extremely high temperature like the sun!
It was the nemesis of these people that were no different from evil demons.
The suppression from the cauldron caused the red-robed young man to spurt out blood. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Mystic-tier technique!"
"You… You, a foundation establishment cultivator, actually know mystic-tier magical arts!"
The young man in red glared at Li Ming angrily.
The cauldron pressed down on his body, and the spiritual qi in his body was completely suppressed by the golden crow spiritual qi, leaving him without the slightest ability to resist.
He could only lay on the ground furiously.
Seeing that the young man's aura was weak, Li Ming immediately raised his hand and removed the cauldron.
In the end, Li Ming could not bring himself to directly kill someone. It was the same for his fellow disciples before, and it was the same for this person from the Heavenly Demon Sect..
Chapter 60: The Human Heart Is Sinister
Li Ming did not kill the red-robed young man on the spot.
Instead, he removed the cauldron from the young man's body.
Anyway, he was already on his last breath.
Li Ming still wanted to interrogate the young man for information, so he naturally had to keep him alive.
After all, there were more Divine Will Sect disciples out on missions.
Moreover, his current location was close to Chen Qingke and other disciples.
Li Ming wanted to get an idea of the forces the other party had brought and the distribution of these forces.
From that, he could then make rough speculations as to what the overall situation was.
Li Ming looked at the young man on the ground. Seeing his haggard face and weak appearance, he let down his guard a little.
The golden crow spiritual qu was extremely harmful to these kinds of cultivators, and the red-robed young man had withstood a huge cauldron that possessed a might equivalent to a mystic-tier technique!
That blow would have naturally not left him in a good state.
"Answer me. "
"Are there any other disciples of your Heavenly Demon Sect nearby?"
"You'd better tell me what you know."
"Otherwise, you won't be able to keep your life!"
Li Ming glanced at the man coldly, his threatening words devoid of any emotion.
In any case, these fellows were evil and unorthodox. Their lives were clearly not valued by many.
Of course, while others might not value their lives, that did not mean that they themselves did not value their lives.
Li Ming naturally seized this point to threaten the young man in red.
Hearing Li Ming's words, the young man in red was indignant.
However, this guy's strange spiritual qi had seriously injured him!
Not only did it break his armor, but it also suppressed his spiritual qi!
He felt that he was truly unlucky to encounter a fellow who just so happened to counter him!
"I'll talk!"
The young man in red only struggled for a moment before making a decision! Li Ming found himself a little curious when he saw how decisive the young man was.
It now appeared to him that these people who looked cruel and fierce on the outside were actually the most afraid of death.
With the red-robed young man's confession, Li Ming finally understood the situation in the vicinity.
He also learned of the purpose of this group of Heavenly Demon Sect disciples led by the red-robed young man.
In short, regardless of whether it was the Heavenly Demon Sect or the other sects, they had long wanted to take down the Divine Will Sect.
The promotion of a sect was often accompanied by annexation.
The entire Eastern Continent was divided into the Heavenly Southern Region and the Heavenly Northern Region. However, the Heavenly Southern Region had comparatively more abundant resources.
This was also their main goal.
The Heavenly Demon Sect made rather large moves and they had always taken action in quite the vile manner.
This time, the Heavenly Demon Sect had sent out dozens of foundation establishment disciples.
Among them, there was even a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator acting as the leader.
According to the red-robed young man, the late-stage foundation establishment cultivator was leading the other Heavenly Demon Sect disciples to encircle the geniuses of the Divine Will Sect!
Those who the Heavenly Demon Sect considered to be the geniuses of the Divine Will Sect most likely included Chen Qingke.
As for whether there were other people, Li Ming did not know.
No matter what was going on between the sects, Li Ming did not care.
Nevertheless, he was at least certain of one thing. A situation where you were surrounded by a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator with other foundation establishment disciples was bound to be very troublesome.
From what the red-robed young man told him, the location of this group of people was in a valley not far from Windstorm Town.
Li Ming did not think too much about it and turned around to leave.
But then, just as Li Ming turned around and started walking, the red-robed young man who was lying on the ground earlier suddenly erupted with strength!
The blood sword reappeared in his hand and he instantly thrust it at Li Ming's back!
The sword swiftly moved toward Li Ming!
Then, at the moment when it touched is back and he felt the pain, Li Ming immediately reacted. He turned around and punched the young man!
"Shameless!"
This sword had nearly pierced through his back. If it was not for the fact that he had a strong physical body from his body cultivation foundation establishment realm, he would have been killed.
If he was merely an ordinary qi cultivation foundation establishment cultivator, this sneak attack would have kill him!
After all, this young man's spiritual qi was strange and could devour blood essence.
If Li Ming's body cultivation had not been up to par, this sword would have left him seriously injured or even dead!
Of course, although it did not cause him any serious damage, the attack still made Li Ming very unhappy!
As the saying went, one should not hit the face when hitting someone, and one should not stab the waist when stabbing someone.
This guy just had to come at his waist!
If he had not missed, Li Ming would have suffered a huge loss.
Although he was a cultivator, it was not easy to recover from internal damages.
Of course, what really irked Li Ming was that he had been backstabbed by someone who he had allowed to live. The young man had actually not appreciated his kindness and repaid it with an attempt at his life!
At this moment, Li Ming no longer hesitated!
He directly burst out with his full power and launched a fire fist right at the young man. His fist smashed right through the red-robed young man's chest!
The young man died on the spot!
The anger that the young man had caused Li Ming had finally disappeared.
At this moment, Li Ming appeared much calmer.
Killing was a common occurrence among cultivators.
He should not have so many concerns when it came to such matters.
The people of the Heavenly Demon Sect were cruel and deserved to die.
Feeling relieved, Li Ming treated his wound.
Anyway, with the Restore Opportunity from that one purple entry, the small injuries he had incurred would not have much impact on him.
It was just that he had been made very unhappy by the pain from the sword.
In a valley about ten miles east of Windstorm Town, disciples of the Divine Will Sect had accepted a mission to investigate this location and eliminate the disciples of other sects.
Originally, the danger level of this mission was unpredictable.
As for the disciples of the Divine Will Sect, there were five of them and they were led by Lu Lan.
The strongest of them was only at the intermediate foundation establishment realm.
However, they were in a very troublesome situation at the moment.
A late-stage foundation establishment disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect led a team of dozens of foundation establishment disciples and surrounded them. The five of them had already fought repeatedly and were already extremely exhausted.
They had consumed most of their spiritual qi, and under the encirclement of the other party, they had no chance to recover at all.
"Senior Sister Lu, what should we do now?"
"These guys have set up a perimeter around us. I'm afraid they will find our location soon."
"I'm afraid it's impossible for us to break out!"
The three disciples behind her were nervous.
Ever since they were surrounded by the people of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they had fought hard.
Although the five of them were all at the intermediate foundation establishment realm, Lu Lan was almost at the late foundation establishment realm.
Even so, the other party had dozens of foundation establishment cultivators and a late-stage foundation establishment Cultivator leading them.
This was not something they could win against directly!
If they continued to fight, they would ultimately die!
Lu Lan naturally understood that this mission itself was dangerous.
However, she did not expect her luck to be so bad. She actually directly encountered the main force of the Heavenly Demon Sect!
"Everyone, cheer up and take turns to rest."
"No matter what, we can only persevere!"
"Perhaps there will be a fellow sect member coming to support us soon."
Lu Lan tried to comfort the others. However, all of them knew that the chances of what she said happening were too small!
After all, this was a valley. They had run all around it, but no matter which direction they went, they were still obstructed by the disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect!
Once they were found, even if reinforcements came, it would be difficult to win against the forces of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
They might even just end up implicating their fellow disciples!
"This mission is related to the sect.. As core disciples of the sect, even if we die, we cannot let them get what they want!"
Chapter 61: To the Rescue!
In the valley, the five were utterly exhausted. However, they did not dare to relax in the slightest.
Their all remained cautious, observing their surroundings warily.
Suddenly, a commotion arose from the forest as blades of bloody light came shooting out one after the other!
"Watch out! They're here!"
Lu Lan hurriedly warned her fellow disciples. Instantly, all of them assumed their stances, preparing for any attacks.
The spiritual qi around Lu Lan fluctuated, and she brought out her magical artifacts in quick succession!
Along with her fellow disciples, she prepared for battle!
Along with the emergence of the bloody lights, disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect emerged one after another!
"So this is where you're hiding?"
"The Divine Will Sect claims to be the top sect in the Heavenly Southern Region, so I was honestly not expecting to see its disciples in such a sorry state. "
"Did you think that you could escape?"
The leader of the group of Heavenly Demon Sect disciples, who was at the late stage of the foundation establishment realm, spoke with a cold voice.
When they heard him, Lu Lan and Chen Qingke's faces turned solemn.
Although Chen Qingke had already reached the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm and was extremely talented, the Heavenly Demon Sect's cultivation techniques were strange. Moreover, they had the advantage in numbers, and they even had a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator with them!
Their party could simply not compare.
"Qin Zhen, this is the territory of the Divine Will Sect! You won't be able to escape either!"
Lu Lan glared at Qin Zhen as she shouted at him.
In fact, as a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator, Qin Zhen alone already had what it took to handle all five of them.
Not to mention, there were dozens of disciples in the middle and early stages of the foundation establishment realm together with him. They were no different from a mountain blocking their way.
"So what?"
"What do you think we are here for?"
"Lu Lan, let me give you a piece of advice. If you stick your head out again, I won't show mercy!"
Qin Zhen's face was ice cold as he looked at Lu Lan in displeasure.
It was apparent that he was familiar with Lu Lan.
He did not have any thoughts of killing Lu Lan.
As for the other disciples of the Divine Will Sect?
He would obviously not let them off.
"Don't even think about it!"
"I'm a disciple of the Divine Will Sect, so naturally, I will protect my fellow disciples!"
Lu Lan placed herself in front of the others without any hesitation.
Looking at Lu Lan's stubborn attitude, Qin Zhen's lips curled upward and he sneered, "Is that so? You're really stubborn!"
"However, do you even have a choice here?"
Qin Zhen snorted coldly. He had dozens of foundation establishment cultivators on his side, so what could they even do?
They were completely powerless to resist!
Qin Zhen suddenly raised his hand, and in an instant, the foundation establishment cultivators behind him all burst out! Streaks of bloody light and blood swords shot out!
A storm of blood descended!
A huge amount of spiritual qi descended upon the disciples of the Divine Will Sect like a storm without any order or leeway!
When the dozens of foundation establishment cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Sect activated their spells at the same time, streams of spiritual qi gathered and smashed toward Chen Qingke and the others!
Seeing so many attacks, Lu Lan was about to make a move when she realized that Qin Zhen had already set his eyes on her.
Lu Lan shouted, "Junior Sister Chen, you must hold on!"
At the same time, she dodged Qin Zhen's attack before turning back around to confront him!
The two of them clashed numerous times in a short few moments!
Meanwhile, the situation on the other side was clearly much worse.
After launching their initial attack, the dozens of foundation establishment cultivators charged forward one by one!
They had launched an utterly reckless attack!
Moreover, the Heavenly Demon Sect's strange cultivation techniques could not be ignored. Once Chen Qingke and the others were injured, the blood that flowed out from their wounds would become their enemies' nourishment!
This caused them to quickly fall into a dire situation.
They were already at a disadvantage when it came to their numbers from the very start. And coupled with the fact that they had already been suffering from injuries as well, it was truly difficult to face off against the disciples from the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Chen Qingke tried her best to block the attacks with her bronze cauldron, but she found herself powerless against the attacks.
In the end, the intensity of these attacks was not something that the few of them could block.
Boom!
Suddenly, the blood swords converged and rushed toward Chen Qingke!
Its power was terrifying!
A strong wind was swept together with the force of the sword!
Chen Qingke gritted her teeth and continued to muster her spiritual qi.
However, she was already exhausted. No matter how talented she was, she could not withstand so many attacks.
Boom!
Countless blood swords bombarded the bronze cauldron and instantly shattered it into pieces!
Chen Qingke was also affected by the impact, causing her to spit out blood and her face to turn pale!
Her body staggered as she continuously retreated!
However, before she could recover, the disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect had already charged forward!
Without the protection of the bronze cauldron, they were instantly surrounded by the people of the Heavenly Demon Sect!
For a moment, the area fell into utter chaos.
Chen Qingke still struggled to resist, but it was hopeless.
She gritted her teeth. Although her face was filled with determination, her eyes were gradually filled with despair!
Hm… It seems that senior brother and I might never see each other again.
Chen Qingke's eyes were filled with regret.
She had not expected that a sect mission would actually force them into such a state.
Faced with the encirclement of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they were completely powerless to resist!
Blood swords shot swiftly toward her.
Chen Qingke closed her eyes in resignation.
She had used up all her spiritual qi to form the bronze cauldron. At this moment, she had completely exhausted all of her resources.
She really had nothing left in her!
"Girl, hold on!"
But then suddenly!
Just as Chen Qingke resigned herself to death, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her ear.
Chen Qingke suddenly opened her eyes!
"Senior brother?"
She turned around and saw a silver-white lightning bolt approaching their location instantaneously!
Before Chen Qingke could get a proper look at who it was, a pair of fists came crashing down!
He killed the two Sky Demon Sect disciples who were right in front of Chen Qing on the spot!
Someone had come to help them.
It was Li Ming.
After finding out the location, Li Ming relied on the advantage of his divine soul to scour his surroundings.
Finally, he managed to arrive at the crucial moment!
After entering the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm, Li Ming put all his time into the Wind Lightning Steps. Now, his speed was already comparable to a golden core cultivator!
With the support of the Wind Lightning Steps, this punch was something that an early-stage rounaatlon estat)llsnment cultivator naa no way or DIOCK1ng.
These qi refinement and foundation establishment disciples had weak physical bodies!
Additionally, cultivators in the early stage of the foundation establishment realm were rarely ever equipped with defensive magical artifacts.
As a result, they had utterly no hope of withstanding Li Ming's attack!
Li Ming's appearance instantly drew everyone's attention!
When Lu Lan saw Li Ming arrive, she was pleasantly surprised, but she also became worried for him.
"Junior Brother Li, you must find a way to bring them away!"
"I'll hold them off here."
Although Lu Lan knew that Li Ming had considerable strength, especially after the means he has displayed, the situation here was simply too dangerous. If Li Ming were to stay here, he could end up staying here forever!
It was better for them to just seize the opportunity to escape from this place!
It was only when more reinforcement arrived that they would have better chances of defeating these disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
"Do you guys think you can leave?!"
Qin Zhen looked at Li Ming, who had suddenly appeared, and rage could be seen in his eyes!
A mere intermediate-stage foundation establishment cultivator actually wanted to escape from his encirclement?
It was simply a fool's dream!
Qin Zhen shouted angrily. He raised his hand and waved. Blood qi surged into the sky!
In an instant, the entire mountain forest was covered in a bloody mist!
All the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples disappeared into the blood mist, leaving only the several disciples of the Divine Will Sect gathered together and guarding their surroundings.
Lu Lan also hurriedly returned to the front of the team.
"Be careful, this is a late-stage foundation establishment magical art! Although it's only a high-grade yellow-tier magical art, its power is no less one of the mystic tier!"
Chapter 62: Divine Soul Surprise Attack, Golden Crow Reveals Its Might!
The blood mist had spread throughout the surroundings, and the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples seemingly disappeared as they hid in the mist.
Their disappearance was so thorough that even their aura was completely blended into the blood mist.
"This is Qin Zhen's magical art, the Blood Mist Array. The Heavenly Demon Sect's cultivation techniques are special, and this magical art was produced through it."
"As long as they are cultivating the cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they will be able to merge with the blood mist, and it becomes virtually impossible to lock onto them."
"As for us, we can only passively defend."
"Right now, none of us are in great condition. I'm afraid that it will be incredibly difficult for us even if all we do is try to defend ourselves."
A deeply solemn expression covered Lu Lan's face. The blood on her face had not dried yet, but her eyes were darting around her surroundings.
She did not dare to relax for even a moment!
Hearing this, Li Ming also swept his gaze around them.
The disciples of the Divine Will Sect were all exhausted. Even Chen Qingke, who was always lively, was pale from fatigue at this moment.
Li Ming did not hesitate to take out some pills from his storage bag. "I've got some pills for restoring spiritual qi and some for treating injuries." These pills were given to him by the sect when he received the mission.
After all, this mission was different from the previous missions.
It was not a treasure hunt, nor was it a mission to hunt demon beasts.
It was a mission directly related to the safety of the sect.
Therefore, they provided much more sufficient resources.
Li Ming's mission was simple. In addition, he had the ability to recuperate with the help of his entries. Hence, these pills were not very useful to him.
Besides, he did not suffer any serious injuries.
"Senior Sister Lu, they're just hiding their figures and auras, right?"
"No, besides that, their strength is also heightened while they are within this Blood Mist Array."
Hearing Lu Lan's words, Li Ming got a better idea of their situation.
"Understood."
"Senior Sister Lu, later on, you should try your best to guard against the surroundings and avoid them from ambushing you. The members of the Heavenly Demon Sect are very disgusting and they do not refrain from using any means to achieve their goal."
"As for the rest, you can leave that to me."
Li Ming took a step forward and stretched out his arms.
He was still feeling extremely displeased from the surprise attack that he had received back in Windstorm Town!
Now, he was met with the view of his fellow disciples being surrounded and even his closest junior sister was severely injured and nearly lost her life!
Li Ming could not tolerate it any longer!
[System Entry Options]
[Kill all the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples present with all your strength. Reward: Purple entry!]
[Kill your way out and escort your fellow disciples to safety. Reward: Blue entry! ]
His system finally presented him with another set of options after so long. Seeing this, Li Ming's lips curled up.
These options came at the perfect time!
Without hesitation, Li Ming chose to go for the purple entry!
Is it time for a big fight?
It just so happened that Li Ming also wanted to grasp how powerful he had become after achieving some success in body and qi dual cultivation!
Li Ming knew that it was not very useful to him to just immerse himself in cultivation and raise his cultivation passively.
This was especially so for his body cultivation. After all, it was encouraged for body cultivators to seek improvement and breakthroughs from actual combat.
Actual combat stimulated body cultivation.
"A mere intermediate stage foundation establishment cultivator wants to face us all alone?"
"As expected of the number one sect in the Heavenly Southern Region, even a disciple who is merely at the intermediate stage of foundation establishment is so arrogant!"
Qin Zhen's voice sounded from within the blood mist. It was filled with disdain as he mocked Li Ming.
In his eyes, a mere intermediate stage foundation establishment cultivator was no match for him at all!
Not to mention him, the other Heavenly Demon Sect disciples could easily deal with him!
He could not understand why a mere intermediate stage foundation establishment cultivator was so arrogant.
Faced with Qin Zhen's mockery, Li Ming did not dawdle.
He broke into a spring and used his Wind Lightning Steps!
His body became like a bolt of lightning as he instantly charged into the Blood Mist Array.
"Junior Brother Li!"
Lu Lan was stunned when she saw Li Ming charge straight into the array!
But before she could shout, Li Ming had already disappeared.
Within the blood mist, Li Ming looked around at the blood-red surroundings and found his vision significantly diminished.
He could not even sense the aura of spiritual qi.
If it were any other cultivator who was in his position, they would probably only be able to wait for their death.
However, Li Ming was completely different.
His powerful divine soul spread out and instantly locked onto all the disciples hiding inside!
He then immediately activated his divine soul attack!
With Li Ming's powerful divine soul, launching attacks while in their domain produced wondrous effects!
"Someone's here!"
"Someone is ambushing us!"
Suddenly, inside the blood mist, the disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect could be heard screaming one after the other. While they were watching Li Ming, they did not think that the disciples' eyes would turn completely white before falling over!
Each of the disciples that fell to the ground had become completely lifeless!
It was as if they were all killed in an instant!
This sudden scene caused the rest of the foundation establishment disciples to panic.
For Li Ming, being able to deal with four or five foundation establishment cultivators in a row was already his limit.
To be precise, it was the limit of his divine soul skill.
Although it could directly attack the soul and kill cultivators with low cultivation levels like them on the spot, it was not a big deal.
However, Li Ming could not keep using it nonstop.
Although his divine soul was powerful, using it several times in a row consumed a huge amount of spiritual power.
Nevertheless, it was a great skill for taking others by surprise.
However, now that he had used it, no matter how stupid his enemies were, they were able to quickly tell that the deaths were caused by him.
"There's something wrong with this kid!"
"Kill him first!"
One by one, the foundation establishment cultivators came back to their senses and their gazes instantly fell on Li Ming.
Their figures resembled that of ghosts as blood-red light surged.
The Heavenly Demon Sect disciples launched a reckless charge toward Li Ming!
It was obvious that although they knew that the deaths were caused by Li Ming, they did not know how he had achieved such a feat.
They never would have thought that Li Ming, a foundation establishment cultivator, had an incomparably powerful divine soul that far surpassed theirs!
Therefore, while they believed that their figures were completely hidden while they were inside the mist, they had no idea that they were completely exposed in front of Li Ming!
Seeing this group of people swarming up, Li Ming did not back down at all.
He raised his hand and instantly condensed a bronze cauldron!
Previously, when he was dealing with one of them in Windstorm Town, his golden crow spiritual qi had an absolute suppression effect on their Heavenly Demon Sect's cultivation technique!
Adding on the Cauldron Transformation Art on top of that, he now had a move that could unleash the power at the mystic tier.
The cauldron was condensed, and the golden crow true fire burst forth!
In an instant, the blood mist around Li Ming dissipated!
Lu Lan and the others were also stunned.
In Li Ming's hand, a bronze cauldron that was roughly 6 meters had appeared!
Scorching spiritual qi burst forth, and golden crow true fire blazed on the cauldron fiercely!
The blood mist dispersed, and the figures of the Sky Demon Sect disciples were revealed one after the other.
Before they could react, the cauldron tilted down, and the blazing golden crow spiritual qi and true fire instantly poured onto their bodies!
In an instant, screams rang out.
One by one, the Heavenly Demon Sect cultivators were razed by the golden crow true fire and crushed by the tremendous weight of the cauldron!
They could not mobilize the spiritual qi in his body. And coupled with their fragile bodies, none of them could withstand the blazing bronze cauldron at all!
The Golden Crow Body Tempering Art seemed to have completely suppressed the evil cultivation technique of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Dozens of Heavenly Demon Sect disciples were smashed by the cauldron, most dying as a result, while the rest were at least severely injured.
In an instant, the tables were utterly turned.
When Qin Zhen saw this scene, he was shocked.. He clearly did not expect that a fellow in the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm would have such a powerful yang cultivation technique!
Chapter 63: A Fierce Battle
Li Ming's attack absolutely decimated the defenses of those from the Heavenly Demon Sect!
As a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator, Qin Zhen looked at the scene before him in utter disbelief!
He simply could not believe what he was witnessing.
A mere intermediate-stage foundation establishment cultivator was actually able to unleash such a powerful technique!
This was something completely outside of his expectations!
Everything that took place also allowed Qin Zhen to realize that while this Li Ming looked like he was a mere cultivator at the intermediate stage of the foundation establishment realm, the cultivation technique that he practiced was one of extreme yang in nature and one that granted him immense physical strength. It perfectly suppressed the cultivation technique of their Heavenly Demon Sect!
Qin Zhen clearly understood this.
When Qin Zhen looked at Li Ming, his gaze turned sharp.
Although this fellow cultivated an extremely burly and yang cultivation technique and could be considered to be a perfect counter to them, there was still a defining factor where he lost out in.
While the other Heavenly Demon Sect disciples were not strong enough and simply utterly hopeless in facing him, the same could not be said about Qin Zhen. After all, he was in the late-stage foundation establishment realm!
It could be said that he could do whatever he wanted as long as his opponents were at the foundation establishment realm and below!
Even if Li Ming cultivated an incredibly burly and extreme yang cultivation technique, under the absolute difference in their cultivation, he could only wait to be crushed!
This was the difference between the strong and the weak. It was also the insurmountable gap brought about by the difference in cultivation levels!
Just this point alone was enough to close the gap in cultivation techniques.
Qin Zhen was confident that he would be able to easily deal with Li Ming.
His gaze gradually turned fierce!
Although the Blood Mist Array had been broken, and although their previous advantage was now gone, he was still in the late stage of the foundation establishment realm, so he still had the advantage in cultivation level!
"The Divine Will Sect is indeed worthy of being the number one sect in the Heavenly Southern Region. I did not expect an intermediate foundation establishment cultivator to be so capable."
"However, none of you will be able to leave today!"
Qin Zhen snorted coldly.
In an instant, the blood qi in his body surged and gathered at his limbs.
In an instant, the blood qi in his body surged and gathered at his limbs.
Then, the blood qi condensed a blood-colored armor around his body!
Seeing this, Li Ming found it familiar.
This was the same move that the Heavenly Demon Sect disciple that he met back in Windstorm Town used.
However, after Qin Zhen donned this blood-colored armor, his overall aura felt much stronger!
At this moment, he was already close to the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm!
Although there were generally only the early, intermediate, and late stages of foundation establishment, the perfected level of foundation establishment was specifically a small division above the late stage.
It was very difficult to advance from the late stage of the foundation establishment realm to the perfected level.
This was the first actual threshold before a cultivator could reach the golden core realm!
Although he had not reached the golden core realm nor actually reached the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm, the small increase in power that the armor gave him brought about a difference akin to that of heaven and earth!
After the blood-colored armor appeared on his body, Qin Zhen raised his hand, and a long blood-colored saber condensed in his hand!
His aura surged. He did not choose to perform any magical arts. Instead, he waved his blood-colored saber and charged straight at Li Ming!
Being at the late stage of the foundation establishment realm, with the support of the blood-colored armor, his physical body had been significantly strengthened.
The saber fell and brought with it incredible might. As he swung the blade, blood-colored waves burst out from the blade!
While they did resemble waves, these waves erupted into countless blades of qi right after.
The sky was filled with these dangerous blades of qi, descending mercilessly toward Li Ming!
While the fight looked like it was a close-combat fight, that was far from the truth.
It was obvious that the might of this attack was intended to suppress Li Ming directly!
As the saber descended, countless blades came crashing down on Li Ming.
Li Ming narrowed his eyes and scanned the surroundings. Although he did not have any magical artifacts to support him, he was still a cultivator who cultivated both his body and qi.
The effects of the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art could not be taken lightly.
Moreover, he still had the Restore opportunity together with the effects of all his entries.
Li Ming showed no fear!
His golden crow true qi burst forth, and he repeatedly launched the Fire Fist of the Five Divine Fists around him!
No matter what kind of technique the Heavenly Demon Sect's cultivation technique was, it was apparent that fire was the most effective means to confront it.
Pure yang was the most effective counter to evil!
After punching out repeatedly, all of the blades that had been coming right at him instantly dissipated.
But even so, facing the saber that was chopping down right at him, Li Ming could only choose to block it with both hands!
With the help of his only magical artifacts, the gloves, this was what Li Ming believed to be his best course of action.
While his body was indeed innately strong, Li Ming was not stupid enough to use his body to directly block the saber.
Clang!
Bang!
In an instant, the saber fell, and the pair of gloves that Li Ming was wearing actually shattered on the spot!
Li Ming reacted quickly and immediately activated his golden crow true fire and had the flames cover his hands!
He grabbed the saber with one hand and clenched it forcefully!
Bang!
The hand that he wrapped in the golden crow true fire actually managed to crush Qin Zhen's saber on the spot!
Seeing this scene, Qin Zhen was aghast!
Earlier, this fellow had magical glove artifacts and managed to block his attack.
He could still accept this fact.
But now, without his gloves, Li Ming had actually been able to directly crush his saber with his bare hands!
Although this blood-colored saber was not a magic artifact but rather something condensed from the spiritual qi of his cultivation technique, its power was not inferior to a magic artifact at all!
Although he was shocked by Li Ming's physical body, Qin Zhen was unwilling to accept defeat just like that.
He immediately raised his hand, and streams of spiritual qi gathered. The blood-colored spiritual qi instantly condensed into an even larger saber!
He then swung it at Li Ming crazily!
Seeing this, Li Ming did not waste any time and condensed a bronze cauldron!
Golden flames burst forth, and the cauldron was as dazzling as the sun in the sky.
The scorching heat turned everything within a thousand meters of Li Ming into scorched earth!
The fusion of the Golden Crow True Fire and the Cauldron Transformation Art was now within Li Ming's capabilities.
After becoming a proper dual cultivator, he no longer had to worry as much when combining techniques.
Li Ming could now use his techniques at will!
Without a doubt, this move was the full-force attack that Li Ming was most confident in!
Of course, that was only in terms of qi cultivation.
Boom!
All of a sudden, the large saber descended once again. Its sharp edge split the sky as a strong wind pressed down, attempting to blow away the golden crow true fire on the bronze cauldron with all its might!
Unfortunately, this was no ordinary foundation establishment true fire, but the golden crow true fire that was condensed from the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art!
Its power was much stronger than an ordinary foundation establishment true
fire!
Naturally, when facing the evil cultivation techniques of the Heavenly Demon Sect, the restraining effect it could display was even greater!
The saber fell with a force that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. In an instant, a hurricane blasted, and a tearing force wreaked havoc on Li Ming's body!
The power of this slash was astonishing!
The power of the late stage of the foundation establishment realm was no joke!
Boom!
The large saber smashed down, and the bronze cauldron collided with the saber at the same time.
A huge explosion sounded. The blazing golden crow true fire instantly swallowed the saber. At the same time, the bronze cauldron shattered in an instant!
The full power attack of a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator was truly astounding!
Even the bronze cauldron that Li Ming had perfected was completely unable to resist!
Fortunately, although the bronze cauldron was shattered, the golden crow true fire was still there, and it completely dissolved the spiritual qi that rushed over!
The two of them exchanged blows with all their strength, but they were evenly matched!
This result was clearly not something Qin Zhen, who was in the late stage of the foundation establishment realm, could accept as he descended into madness!
The moment the blood light and golden crow true fire dissipated, Qin Zhen rushed forward. At some point, a blood saber had condensed in his hand and he slashed at Li Ming madly!
The speed at which he swung the saber was extremely swift, the angle he swung it at was tricky, and the might behind the swing was getting stronger and stronger!
Li Ming's response was simple and straightforward!
Relying on the Wind Lightning Steps and Five Divine Fist, he actually managed to continue fighting back and forth with Qin Zhen!
Chapter 64: A New Entry!
Fighting bare-handed, his body flashed around like lightning.
In the beginning, Li Ming had been forced to a defensive position against Qin Zhen's frenzied attacks. However, after a good while of exchanging blows, the gap between them gradually became apparent.
Qin Zhen had used a secret art to increase his strength to rival someone at the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm, and his spiritual qi had become a lot more concentrated than it had originally been.
But surprisingly, no matter how much spiritual qi he used, he was unable to deal with Li Ming!
For some reason, the more they fought, the more worried Qin Zhen became!
Every time they clashed, Qin Zhen could feel that it became slightly more difficult to make any progress!
It was as if his attacks could not get close to Li Ming at all!
Even though Li Ming's fists were covered in blood, Qin Zhen was frightened but what he saw beyond the blood.
The wounds on Li Ming's fist were actually healing at an astonishing speed!
In fact, it seemed as if the blood on his fists only served to make the golden crow true fire blazing on his fists to burn brighter and stronger! As time passed, the might of the Five Divine Fists rose to new heights! "You b*stard, your body is so tough!"
After a series of exchanges, Qin Zhen revealed signs of retreat. He was already exhausted.
At this point, he could only dodge Li Ming's attacks to the best of his abilities.
No matter how much spiritual qi he used on Li Ming, he was not making any progress!
Even if Li Ming was injured, his abnormal body and powerful recovery ability made it impossible for him to defeat him!
Hard!
It was very hard!
It was simply too hard!
Li Ming's body looked like it was made of flesh and blood, but it was as hard as metal!
No matter how much Qin Zhen attacked, he could not achieve the effect he wanted!
Instead, he was only receiving more and more injuries himself.
Boom!
Qin Zhen hurriedly gathered spiritual qi around his body to block another punch, but he was utterly incapable of blocking it.
The spiritual qi that he had gathered in front of him instantly collapsed. A punch had finally cleanly landed on the blood-colored armor in front of his chest.
With this punch, Qin Zhen's entire armor actually melted instantly from the golden crow true fire on Li Ming's fist!
Qin Zhen could no longer muster any more spiritual qi, and his strength, which he had increased with the help of the secret art, was slowly declining under the suppression of the golden crow true fire!
Before Qin Zhen could react, Li Ming had already launched another attack right at him!
As the saying went, hit where it hurts.
In this battle, it was obviously the perfect time to attack when the other party was weakened.
Previously, in Windstorm Town, Li Ming had made the mistake of letting his enemy off and nearly causing his own death.
If it was not for the fact that he cultivated his body, he would have died in Storm Town.
Therefore, after seeing Qin Zhen at a disadvantage, Li Ming did not show any hesitation and fully displayed his killing intent!
He immediately dashed forward, condensed a bronze cauldron with one hand, and sent it smashing directly at Qin Zhen's face!
At this time, Qin Zhen was already suppressed by the golden crow true fire. He was unable to freely circulate his spiritual qi to defend himself. Moreover, Li Ming was so fast that he arrived in front of him instantly, and his attack was as fast as lightning.
With all of that together, Qin Zhen was completely unable to resist this sudden attack!
Boom!
The huge cauldron landed and instantly smashed out a huge pit in the ground!
The surroundings had long been razed to ashes by the golden crow true fire, and even the soil had become extremely charred!
When the golden crow true fire completely dissipated, it seemed as if the entire valley had been met with a natural disaster. The entire area now looked dilapidated and desolate.
The disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect had been completely annihilated!
While Li Ming and Qin Zhen were fighting, the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples who were nearby tried to launch sneak attacks at Li Ming, but they were all decimated by the blazing golden crow true fire.
As a result, after the battle ended, all the people from the Heavenly Demon Sect were dead!
Even Qin Zhen was smashed to the ground by the cauldron!
After doing all this, Li Ming heaved a sigh of relief. Looking at his destroyed gloves, Li Ming felt helpless.
Facing a full-force attack from a late-stage foundation establishment cultivator, it was simply unable to hold on. The magical artifact had directly shattered after receiving the attack.
Fortunately, Li Ming cultivated both his body and qi, and the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art significantly strengthened his physical body.
For an ordinary qi cultivation foundation establishment cultivator, the attacks that Li Ming had received would have immediately killed them!
The advantages of body cultivation became apparent to him during the battle. In terms of speed, strength, explosiveness, defense, and other aspects, he was completely above any qi cultivation foundation establishment cultivator!
[Mission complete. Obtained purple entry: Wild Growth!]
[Wild Growth (Purple): When experiencing a breakthrough, the effects of the breakthrough are doubled!]
Damn!
As expected of a purple entry!
Li Ming looked at the effect of the entry and sucked in a breath of cold air!
With a purple entry already being so powerful, just how amazing were the entries that were of even higher rating?
This purple entry increased the effects of his breakthroughs in cultivation by 100%. In other words, when advancing from the intermediate-stage foundation establishment realm to the late-stage foundation establishment realm, if an ordinary person's strength increased by 100, his strength would increase by 200!
In this way, he could greatly shorten the time he needed to cultivate.
With this entry, he could increase his strength even faster.
What was most unexpected was that this entry was not only suitable for qi cultivation, but also for body cultivation!
This was no different from the ultimate cheat!
Li Ming sighed in his heart. However, he was curious as to why no Opportunity came with the purple entry this time.
This also made Li Ming slowly realize that the purple entry itself was already extraordinary, and perhaps Opportunity did not appear every time.
Well, it did make sense, an Opportunity was an opportunity. If it was not fated, then that was that.
Sometimes it would appear, and sometimes it would not.
Li Ming stopped looking at his entries and carefully checked the changes in his body.
Although this battle was the battle where Li Ming faced the strongest opponent he ever had, he had not actually faced much danger.
This was because the other party's cultivation technique was completely suppressed by him. Coupled with the abnormal power of the golden crow true fire, under the absolute suppression, there was indeed not much danger to speak of for him.
Of course, if Qin Zhen's cultivation had truly been at the perfected level of the foundation establishment realm, or maybe even the golden core realm, Li Ming would have had no chance of winning even if he had the golden crow true fire.
"Junior Brother Li, y-you're so powerful even while at the intermediate-stage of the foundation establishment realm."
Lu Lan could not help but sigh when she saw this.
After all, she had seen Li Ming's method of forcefully fusing qi cultivation and body cultivation before.
However, after two months, Li Ming had already learned to properly fuse them.
He had clearly fused both body and qi cultivation!
He was now dual cultivating body and qi!
This was clearly unprecedented!
"It's alright. The seclusion had some effect." "This mission has honestly been quite hectic."
"Anyway, are you guys alright?"
Li Ming asked. He looked at Chen Qingke and found that she was looking at him with excitement.
She looked like a little fangirl.
Before Li Ming could even say anything, Chen Qingke quickly stepped forward and held his hand. "Senior brother, after we reach the golden core realm, let's spar! "
"Senior brother can already kill late-stage foundation establishment cultivators now. After reaching Golden Core, you will definitely be even more powerful!"
Chen Qingke spoke with great excitement. While she overtly appeared to be suggesting a spar, in fact, she was inwardly happy for Li Ming.
In the sect, countless people looked down on Li Ming, whether it be in the inner sect or the outer sect.
Even after entering the Five Halls, Li Ming was only assigned to a place where nobody was.
It made the other disciples look down on him even more..