Chapter 60: Unity of Essence, Body and Spirit!
The entire world seemed to slow down in Xiao Hong’s eyes. She could see the shattered pieces of the Formation Barrier slowly break apart further - into fragments smaller still, before finally turning into ethereal motes of light that dissipated into the atmosphere.
She could see Fang Jin’s face warp into a grotesque smirk that threatened to split his face.
He turned to Xiao Hong and his smirk widened even more. Just as he began to fly towards her, a veritable tsunami of Fire-, Wind- and Wood-attribute Spells Arts of all levels drowned him! Attacks of the Divine Sea peak stage to a level that was beyond the 8th Disaster Stage inundated Fang Jin!
The moment the Formation shattered, many disciples of the Purple Spirit Sect attacked Fang Jin with all their might using Delayed Spells!
BOOM!
An earth-shattering explosion occurred, sending shockwaves cascading throughout the area with unparalleled ferocity. The explosion ripped away a layer of the earth and blew it into dust and tiny chunks of soil and rock!
The shockwaves generated were so powerful that the disciples were pushed back several steps. Some of the weaker ones directly lost their balance and fell onto the ground.
Despite her vision being obscured by the dust, Xiao Hong could see Fang Jin’s figure being blasted backwards with such violent momentum that he punched through dozens of trees in quick succession!
She was stunned for a moment before her eyes brightened in comprehension.
This was the Delayed Spell Release Technique that allowed a user to temporarily initiate and store their Spell Arts for a short duration before releasing it!
‘Normally, this would be useless, since the Zhenqi fluctuations would be way too obvious to a stronger Cultivator.
‘Even a Cultivator of the same Stage as the user would be able to detect it - unless this Special Technique was cultivated to Perfection. Moreover, even at Perfection, it would be useless against a higher Cultivator!
‘But, now, with the violent fluctuations caused by the Formation, it would completely mask the Zhenqi fluctuations, allowing the disciples to initiate their Spell Arts without being noticed.
‘Even the enemy would not have expected such a move. With the arrogance of a Cultivator at a higher Stage, Fang Jin would never have even imagined that the enemy could actually hurt him, much less come up with such a plan. What’s more, everyone subconsciously treats the Delayed Spell release Technique as something really useless.
‘And that sparkly-eyed asshole would not have enough time to inform Fang Jin! Even if he did, he could not do anything in case he distracted Fang Jin and hindered his reflexive defences.’ Xiao Hong was sure they had initiated their Spell Arts when Fang Jin had thrown his last attack at them because it would not have escaped her senses otherwise.
‘Brilliant!’ Xiao Hong almost laughed out loud! ‘Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant!’
She grinned, ‘This idea stinks of Gu Ran. The damned old fogie is truly quite the pain to deal with.’
Xiao Hong could only admit to herself that she would never even have thought of such a move. Even if she knew the Delayed Spell Release Technique, she had already subconsciously classified it as a ‘useless’ Technique and never even thought that it could be used in this situation.
‘I am really not flexible enough in my thinking, am I?’ Xiao Hong thought to herself. ‘I really should observe Gu Ran more often…’
All these thoughts flashed through her mind in a few moments. ‘Let’s think about this later.’ She shook her head.
‘For now, let’s get some revenge… Fuck!’ Just when she turned towards the Sparkly-eyed maggot, a curse involuntarily left her mouth!
There, floating in the air, the damned sparkly-eyed little shit had cosily nestled himself in half a dozen layers of turtle shells, each looking more sturdy than the Formation she had painstakingly created! And he was still pulling out more Talismans!
‘One, two,... six, seven,’ She involuntarily counted as he deployed the defensive Talismans, ‘Bloody Hell! How fucking afraid of death are you?!
‘Where is your Demonic Will to trample the Heavens, the Earth and everything in between to achieve the Dao?! At this rate, aren’t you just a damned turtle?!’
The young man also felt rather helpless. ‘I, Xue Minghe, really do want to have a hot-blooded fight that shakes the Heavens, but I don’t really have a death wish!’
Being drowned by what was essentially a sea of spells wasn’t on his bucket list of things to try in an Immortal Cultivation World!
“HOW DARE YOU, JUNIOR?!” A roar powered by ungodly amounts of Demonic Qi slammed into Xiao Hong and the disciples with the force of a storm and a half, causing them to lose their footing!
An overwhelming aura followed the shout, pressing down on them like a hundred mountains, causing them to buckle! It was so powerful that some of the disciples with weaker Cultivation Bases were directly driven to their knees. This time, because there was no protection from the Formation, they were hit by the full brunt of the tyrannical storm that was Fang Jin’s Aura.
An eerie crimson glow flooded the entire area, momentarily overwhelming the twilight of the setting sun. A surge of a sickeningly sweet and metallic smell of blood filled their lungs, forcing them to suppress the urge to vomit. This was the sign of the Blood Sea Scripture’s full activation.
Fang Jin's face was twisted into a hideous scowl as he came shooting from the direction he was sent flying in. Half his clothes had been destroyed, leaving his Inner Armour exposed. His left arm was scorched blacker than charcoal thanks to the disciples coordinating to use only Fire-attribute Spell Arts or Wind- or Wood-attribute Spell Arts that enhanced Fire-attribute damage.
Xiao Hong felt a gaze locking onto her with an icy Killing Intent! The horrible Killing Intent bore down on her Soul and a freezing sensation like being tossed into an icy river enveloped her entire being, causing her to shudder involuntarily.
She had no time to complain that it wasn’t her idea to blast him to the high Heavens with Spell Arts as the crimson light that ignited the entire battlefield hurtled towards her with a speed she could not hope to match!
She did not even have the time to lament the deaths of the several disciples that Fang Jin casually crushed as he flew towards her.
Despite that, he was so fast that attempting to escape was an exercise in futility.
So, she could only make 27 hand seals in quick succession before once forcibly using the Spirit Transformation Technique to boost her power - she had already stuffed her face with a bunch of Healing Pills and Qi Returning even before the Formation collapsed.
“Argh!” Xiao Hong clenched her jaw, biting back the scream of agony as her Meridians were once again torn apart under the overwhelmingly violent Qi.
She continued making hand seals before moving backwards as fast as she could by circulating her Star Shifting Steps to its utmost!
A thick, concentrated layer of Earth appeared in front of her in the form of a shield, blocking Fang Jin’s path.
She did not stop there as she continued to repeat the hand seals, creating as many Earth Shells as she could. She did not care for Zhenqi consumption and used her Defensive Spell Art without pause!
Yet…
Xiao Hong watched in abject horror as the defences that she had painstakingly created crumbled with a single slap from Fang Jin. The nearly a dozen super-concentrated Earth Shells only slowed down and slightly dimmed the palm condensed from Demonic Qi.
The Demonic Palm bore down on her with irresistible momentum. In the face of such an attack, she did not have the means to resist at all! But even then, she forcibly moved her body while suppressing her fear with all her willpower.
Her Will rose in defiance, unwilling to be defeated without even putting up one hell of a struggle! ‘I refuse to die from a single palm like some damned bug!’
Xiao Hong gritted her teeth and punched out with all her might using the Golden Ape King Kong Fist. A ginormous blurry Apparition appeared behind her in the form of a red-gold Ape, radiating an inviolable majesty!
The Apparition mimicked Xiao Hong’s punch and slammed its fist into the Demonic Palm!
Booom!
In an utterly unbelievable event, the Demonic Palm actually paused for a moment!
Every single person watching the exchange felt their eyes almost vacate their eye sockets and begin a Journey to the West!
But it was only a moment.
The Apparition collapsed and Xiao Hong took the Demonic Palm head-on. She only had the time to orient her body to reduce the impact as much as possible.
The palm had slammed into Xiao Hong with such force that she could not comprehend it for a moment.
“AAARRGHH!!!” A heart-wrenching cry of sheer agony tore through the battlefield, piercing through the hearts of every Immortal Cultivator present! Just from her scream, they could feel the horrible agony she was in.
Xiao Hong felt her entire body deform against the Demonic Palm - as though she were made of rubber instead of flesh, blood and bones. Her bones were like twigs and rotten wood that cracked and broke and then were directly shattered into pieces.
Yet, through all that, she circulated her Zhenqi at full force and used the Demonic Palm as a springboard to execute her Movement Art to its fullest.
This allowed her to barely escape the Demonic Palm that continued on its way and slammed down on the ground, creating a massive crater.
Xiao Hong appeared far in the distance, panting and groaning, having barely managed to escape being flattened into a pile of meat.
But she had also paid the price. Her legs - which took the brunt of the impact due to her reorienting herself - were going to be useless for a long. She felt like the 124 bones in her legs had become 1124!
Even now, she was forcibly using her Zhenqi and Divine Sense to barely hold her body together. Otherwise, with her bones that had been snapped in so many places, she would be on the ground!
Her every breath came laboriously and painfully. She felt like she was breathing in fire instead of air burning her lungs inside out.
Her internal organs had shattered into pieces - pieces that shot out of her mouth in violent coughs along with what she felt was at least two litres of blood.
The tiny blood vessels all over her body had burst from the tremendous change in internal pressure, causing her eyes to appear bloodshot.
With just that one move from Fang Jin, she had been crippled and left unable to even move!
The vast chasm that was the difference in their abilities seemed simply insurmountable to Xiao Hong!
Yet, she could only stand and stare at Fang Jin with a ferocious look in her pained eyes!
Fang Jin paused. He looked at Xiao Hong who was nearly half-dead. His jaw slackened enough that it seemed like it would drop down to the Netherworld soon if he didn’t catch it.
That a mere Divine Sea initial-stage Cultivator could resist his attack even if his attack was not a Spell Art or Battle Technique left him utterly astonished! Even if her Physique was completely abnormal and had reached a level far above her Essence Cultivation, she could not hope to resist his casual attack.
Even an 8th Disaster Stage Cultivator would be in a coma if they were hit by the full brunt of this attack!
When the significance of such an achievement sunk in, an unprecedented Killing Intent was born in his heart! This girl had to die! Otherwise, she would become one of the greatest thorns in the side of the Demonic Alliance! ‘I cannot allow her to live - especially now that the Demonic Path has the chance to rise once again!
‘I cannot allow even a single variable to exist!’ Years of being suppressed to the point that he could not even breathe freely in the world outside their territories in case some Immortal Cultivators came after him to ‘train themselves by slaying Demons’ had left him immensely committed to raising the Demonic Faction’s chance by any means necessary!
‘Hehe, losing such a wonderful Immortal Seedling, I wonder how many litres of blood they’ll spit out?’ He thought maliciously. The hatred in his heart would be greatly soothed if he could kill her now!
He immediately circulated his Movement Art and caught up to Xiao Hong who was barely standing by forcibly keeping her body from falling apart with Zhenqi. Her sluggish and foggy consciousness could barely process what was happening.
She could only watch helplessly as Fang Jin appeared above her and stared straight down at her. Fang Jin spoke with an air of indifference, “As a mere initial-stage Divine Sea Cultivator, you actually managed to withstand my attack! As insignificant as you are, your achievement is enough to make me barely remember you once in a while. So you should be proud and die in peace!”
Saying so, he raised his arm to execute a Battle Technique!
Xiao Hong watched as Fang Jin condensed a gigantic, crimson-coloured phantom of a Sword above his head.
Fang Jin sliced his arm downwards with great ferocity and the crimson phantom Sword followed, matching his ferocious intent!
A tyrannical pressure bore down on her, almost causing her to lose her control over her Zhenqi and Divine Sense.
But the pressure did not only scare her like it would have not so long ago.
No!
Along with the fear of death, it roused a powerful wrath within her!
Fang Jin’s ‘appreciative’ words had stung her Pride like a thousand bees!
‘My achievement is only enough to be barely remembered by you, huh?’ Xiao Hong gritted her teeth as a sudden burst of clarity sliced through the fog. A wrathful volcano surged up from the depths of her heart. ‘Only once in a while, huh?!
‘Then…’
“I’ll fucking give you something to remember me by!!” Her fear, hatred, helpness and wrath merged into a primal roar! It resonated from the depths of her being, shaking the very air around her!
Even if she was going to die the next moment, she would at least tear this arrogant piece of Heaven-damned shit a new one!
She would make him pay a price that he would remember for as long as he lived!
She would brand it into his very Soul so that he remembered even after he reincarnated!
Xiao Hong moved her broken body with sheer willpower, clenched her fist and punched! At this moment, there was nothing in her mind other than the wish to punch the living daylights out of this asshole!
In this instance, when her entire being was hellbent on making this bastard pay a price, something miraculous happened!
Under the sheer force of her Will, the Divine Sense and Zhenqi that she was using to maintain her body resonated with each other. Her Zhenqi vibrated intensely, resonating with her flesh, blood and bones. before seeping into her cells, merging with her body in a way that she could not begin to comprehend. Her Body, in turn, elevated her Spirit to a height she had never felt. Her Spirit given a direction by her Will drew even more Zhenqi from her Dantian, which seamlessly integrated with her flesh like before!
The Body gave birth to the Spirit, the Spirit controlled the Essence and the Essence nourished the Body!
With this strange circulation of her Essence, Body and Spirit, Xiao Hong felt an unbelievable sense of freedom and power surge throughout her being!
In an instant, she felt her strength skyrocket!
It was as if she could do anything! She felt she could casually pluck the Sun and the Moon. She felt she could shatter the Stars and obliterate the Heavens!
At this moment, she felt like she could decimate anything and everything!
With this power, nothing could match her!
But her Will was solely focused on the enemy in front of her. She wanted nothing more than to punch a hole through this bastard!
So she punched.
Golden Ape King Kong Fist!
The apparition manifested once again. However, this time around, it was not blurry - it was incredibly detailed. Every single strand of hair on its body was defined to the point that it looked like a real Ape. A nonsensically titanic Reddish-golden Ape.
As soon as Fang Jin saw the giant Ape appear, a powerful sense of danger filled his mind!
Even though he could not imagine how a mere Divine Sea initial-stage Cultivator could even hope to harm him, he did not dare to ignore his instincts, instantly putting up his defences.
The Ape’s eyes which were like the purest rubies, emanated an ominous glow as it stretched its shoulders back gathering strength and punched out towards Fang Jin with a roar so loud, the weaker cultivators’ ears bled!
“ROAR!”
The giant crimson sword was crushed instantly, not even offering the slightest resistance!
Fang Jin had barely managed to set up a Zhenqi Barrier when a fist the size of a truck filled his vision!
BOOOOM!
“Aaargh!” The gigantic fist slammed into him with such force that he was blasted away into the distance!
Just that this time, it wasn’t a sea of Spells that caused it, but a punch from an initial stage Divine Sea stage Cultivator!
The surrounding Immortal Cultivators who had all but sealed Xiao Hong’s fate felt their jaws leave their skulls and go on a trip around the Netherworld, taking their eyes along with it!
This was a reversal they had never expected they would get to see! A Cultivator of the initial stage Divine Sea - 5th Stage of Body Cultivation even if one considered her Body - managed to blow away a veteran Nirvana Stage True Demon with one punch! Just one fucking punch!
Even the roadside bards did not dare exaggerate so much in their nonsensical stories!
Xiao Hong was just as shocked, staring at her hand in utter bewilderment, ‘Wow! Did I really one-punch a Nirvana Stage expert?!’
As soon as another thought appeared in her mind, the sense of overwhelming power disappeared without a trace! A wave of tiredness hit her like a tsunami, overpowering her and directly driving her to all fours. Then without her Qi and Divine Sense to support her, she promptly collapsed, her limbs bent in awkward angles.
‘What..’ Her body felt sluggish as though she were stuck in a swamp. She could not even muster the strength to lift a finger. Even her unusually powerful senses had lost their sharpness. Everything she saw was blurry and the sounds that filtered through were muffled and without meaning.
‘Ugh… I need some Healing Pills…’ Her thoughts turned slower and slower as she grabbed several Pills before barely stuffing them into her mouth and gulping them down.
A thunderous roar of wrath originated from the place Fang Jin had been blasted towards, but Xiao Hong was unable to make anything out. The last thing she remembered was a flash of crimson light and what seemed like a curtain of white moonlight clashing.
‘Ah, he’s finally out…’ was her last thought before darkness overtook her vision.
***