Chapter 393
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 394
Chapter Title: True Strength
"His Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law won't hold out for much longer."
Yang Bi's gaze flickered, landing on Chen Shi. At this moment, Chen Shi was channeling his battle method, the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law, merging flesh, soul, and domain into one. His body had taken the form of the Thunderclap Universalizing Heavenly Venerable of the Nine Heavens, with a third eye open at his brow, commanding all thunder dao energies.
The Thunderclap Universalizing Heavenly Venerable, known as the Thunder Ancestor. Unleashing the true form of the Thunder Ancestor skyrocketed his combat power—even those who had severed their three corpses wouldn't dare take his attacks head-on!
But this battle method consumed an enormous amount of vital blood.
Yang Bi had once investigated Chen Shi's past battles, selecting those where he used the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law. He discovered that as Chen Shi's cultivation realm improved, the duration he could sustain the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law in combat hadn't lengthened accordingly.
This indicated one thing: as his cultivation realm rose, the vital blood consumed by the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law increased proportionally.
In other words, the time Chen Shi could maintain the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law was fixed—it couldn't last any longer.
When Chen Shi deployed this battle method, Yang Bi was no match. But once Chen Shi dispersed the Thunder Ancestor true form, his vital blood would wane, giving Yang Bi a chance to defeat him!
"Four breaths remain until he disperses the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law."
Yang Bi breathed slowly.
First breath.
In their earlier clash with Chen Shi, they had exchanged offense and defense multiple times in mere moments, allowing him to deeply feel Chen Shi's close-combat prowess. His arms were numb now, and he needed time to adjust his body to peak condition.
Second breath.
His breathing gradually steadied, the numbness in his arms fading away. He summoned his soul, laying down his domain. The Divine Shrine behind his head brightened, with the Divine Embryo seated within.
His Divine Embryo wasn't first-grade—it was merely a third-grade Prajna Divine Embryo.
Third breath.
His Divine Embryo fused with his soul, domain with flesh, flesh with soul. In an instant, he achieved perfect unity of all four.
Yang Bi unleashed the third form of the Jade Emperor Nine Heavens Spectrum, using only its spells without the full technique. Above the Nine Heavens clouds,
the Nine Heavens True Mother Dao Lord Talisman formed, like an ancient immortal plucking a zither, its discordant notes descending from the heavens.
Yang Bi stepped forward. This time, he employed the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art. The Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art was created by the ancestor of the Li family, profoundly advanced and recorded in the Ten Books of Cultivation. It was a method for transcending tribulations and ascending.
This technique was naturally far inferior to immortal-grade arts. However, Yang Bi couldn't fully master an immortal-grade art and could only cultivate fragmented moves and forms. Later stages required higher realms, stronger divine sense, and deeper comprehension.
But the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art was different. He could fully comprehend this art and use it as a foundation to innovate and break through, making it even more powerful!
Thus, even compared to simpler arts, it could unleash might surpassing immortal arts.
The Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art controlled thunder, evolving all things in the void with thunder methods, cultivating a soul domain, opening a vast void realm, comprehending endless vitality amid shocking thunder, and forging a pure yang dao body.
The reason Yang Bi used this art was to strike Chen Shi's yin soul with pure yang thunder just as the Thunder Ancestor true form failed!
Chen Shi had a weakness, long since detected by him.
His yin soul was terrifyingly strong!
A powerful yin soul meant lingering yin energy in his body, failing to achieve a pure yang dao body. Thus, the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art would surely wound him!
Fourth breath.
Thunderous sounds reverberated around Yang Bi's body, like a thunder god pounding a massive drum, booming as he charged straight at Chen Shi!
Time was up.
This was precisely when Chen Shi's Thunder Ancestor true form was declining, his vital blood withering, while Yang Bi was at his peak. Using thunder methods against thunder methods to break his specialty—the ultimate irony!
From this, he could severely damage Chen Shi's dao heart!
Atop his head, in the Nine Heavens, the Nine Heavens True Mother Dao Lord plucked her immortal zither. Zither notes descended from the Nine Heavens, weaving through the thunder—sound with no form, yet the deadliest assault!
"No!"
As the distance between them closed, Yang Bi noticed Chen Shi's Thunder Ancestor true form not weakening but growing stronger. His heart jolted as he suddenly recalled Chen Shi wielding the Blood Transformation Divine Knife, the blood sea hell manifesting behind his head.
"That demonic art keeps his vital blood at peak state at all times! So his Thunder Ancestor true form lasts longer than before!"
By the time he realized this, he had already charged into Chen Shi's domain.
Yang Bi felt the thunder he controlled slipping from his grasp, backlashing against him. But he didn't change his art.
The Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art was his greatest specialty, the one he had invested the most effort in.
He rushed toward Chen Shi even faster, channeling the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law himself. His body transformed, manifesting the Thunder Ancestor true form, third eye opening at his brow.
Thunder Ancestor true form against Thunder Ancestor true form!
In ordinary times, he would never use such a self-damaging battle method. He always approached enemies from a weakling's mindset—since he was the weak one, he relied on wisdom to win, minimizing brute force.
Winning through wisdom preserved his strength and minimized damage.
But this didn't mean his power was lacking; it was the Upper Realm's power that fell short. He positioned himself as the weaker side because he considered the clash between the Upper Realm and Despair Slope—he had to place himself in the underdog position.
This time, however, he positioned himself as the stronger one, determined to win through force.
He would gamble!
Gambling that Chen Shi's Blood Lake True Scripture couldn't sustain the Thunder Ancestor true form for long.
Gambling that the yin energy in Chen Shi's body couldn't withstand the pure yang thunder's heavy blow!
"Boom!"
Chen Shi's domain erupted like a thunderstorm. Countless thunderbolts churned here, dragons entwining, electric light flashing, thunder raining down, exploding relentlessly on the two!
With the zither notes from the Nine Heavens aiding him, Yang Bi pierced the thunder sea. Invisible blades severed the thunderbolts aimed at him, thunder light cascading like water.
The two clashed amid countless thunderbolts!
"Crack—" In the violent shockwave, Yang Bi suddenly saw the thunder in the domain transforming—into wind, into sky, into earth, into water and fire, into mountains and swamps!
It was as if he had fallen into an utterly chaotic world, where dao energies of heaven, earth, water, fire, mountains, swamps, wind, and thunder madly shifted, invading his body.
Chen Shi, basing it on the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Art, had evolved the Sixty-Four Ghost God Transformations, forming a terrifying domain. No longer a single Ghost God Domain, it was an overlay of sixty-four Ghost God Domains, its power unmatched!
In terms of grade, the Supreme Eight Trigrams Body Protection Art was inferior to the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art. But Chen Shi had pushed this art to a higher level. With the Sixty-Four Ghost God Transformations unleashed, it even showed signs of crushing the Minor Tribulation Transcendence Art!
The moment Yang Bi killed into this domain, he sensed his own thunder dao energies twisting—turning to wind, to water-fire-mountains-swamps, to heaven and earth—weakening his power!
"Let's see who falters first—you or me!"
Infinite battle intent surged in Yang Bi's heart.
The two Thunder Ancestor true forms bathed in thunder, locked in life-and-death combat amid the Sixty-Four Layers of Ghost God Transformations domain, under countless cascading thunderbolts.
Xia Tianjie, Yan Shaoxuan, and the others could only see a massive, frenzied domain where wind, fire, mountains, and swamps constantly evolved, accompanied by bursts of thunder light illuminating the two figures darting through lightning and fire, embodying utter yang dominance and ferocity.
Yet the moves they executed were already beyond Xia Tianjie and the others' ability to discern.
Each collision sent countless thunder lights spilling outward, like bolts from a clear sky, striking the mountains, blasting trees, or exploding on the river surface.
"I've found your yin energy!"
As Chen Shi's vital blood waned, Yang Bi immediately detected it. His third divine eye at the brow opened, countless pure yang divine thunders pouring down, forming a bolt that pierced Chen Shi's body, shattering his Thunder Ancestor true form, flesh and blood flying.
Yang Bi's Thunder Ancestor true form utterly demolished Chen Shi's. The third divine eye even blasted open the heavenly gate of Chen Shi's Thunder Ancestor true form, thunder light pouring in from the heavenly gate!
The skull at Chen Shi's heavenly gate had been melted by thunder light, his brain exposed under Yang Bi's gaze. The third eye's thunder was about to flood into Chen Shi's mind!
At the same instant, Chen Shi's toes pressed against his heart, five fingers plunging into his throat, hooking the laryngeal bone and yanking outward!
Yang Bi's throat skin tore, laryngeal bone exposed. Chen Shi was about to exert force and rip it out completely. Simultaneously, Chen Shi's other hand pierced through his chest—earlier that kick had snapped the ribs of Yang Bi's Thunder Ancestor true form, and this hand was coming to rip out heart and lungs!
While ripping heart and lungs, it also tugged the Sixty-Four Ghost God Transformations, ready to hammer into his body.
"Stop." Yang Bi suddenly laughed, the thunder light from his third eye halting before Chen Shi's brain.
Chen Shi pushed the laryngeal bone back in, his other hand stopping before the throbbing heart, laughing. "No need to keep fighting."
The thunder light slowly retracted into Yang Bi's brow, the third eye slowly closing.
Chen Shi dispersed the domain. The madly evolving heaven, earth, wind, and thunder around them gradually faded, clarity returning.
Yang Bi's throat flesh was completely gone, exposing the bloody laryngeal bone. The ribs in his chest had been kicked inward,
piercing his lungs, heart fully exposed.
Chen Shi's body was almost entirely without intact flesh—everywhere exploded with rent meat. His cultivation shattered by Yang Bi's pure yang thunder, scattered in disarray. His skull melted, brain exposed like a small, delicately pulsing heart.
Neither dared move, lest the slightest twitch spell death.
"I'm fine."
Yang Bi carefully summoned his soul, which retrieved healing medicine. "My injuries are lighter than yours. After taking the medicine, mine will stabilize. I'll recover faster than you."
He suddenly coughed violently, fresh blood spraying from his trachea.
Chen Shi's soul fetched spirit medicine from the little temple, channeling its power into his body to stimulate flesh and bone regrowth. "Don't talk. Haven't you noticed how much of your cultivation I've refined away? My domain has already invaded your body, wrecking your organs. Unless my domain is cleared, you'll weaken further until death."
Yang Bi didn't speak aloud, transmitting with his soul, laughing heartily. "Your Sixty-Four Ghost God Transformations are formidable indeed, but I master various immortal arts—refining it away is no trouble. But your three-corpse god is too strong, preventing pure yang cultivation, yin energy too heavy. You've been wounded in your cultivation foundation by my pure yang method! Even if you survive, you're crippled!"
Here, he spat up another large mouthful of blood.
He too had used the Thunderbolt Jade Pivot Great Law; now its drawbacks emerged, his vital blood withering, cultivation plummeting.
Seeing this, Chen Shi laughed heartily. "You unleashed the Thunder Ancestor true form. Disperse it now, and you'll suffer massive cultivation loss—
my lingering domain will refine you to death! You won't last!"
He laughed to here, when his expression suddenly changed drastically. He felt the medicine dissolve, his vital blood surging wildly, but then his chaotic cultivation went out of control with the medicine!
The spirit medicine in his little temple drew from the sun, moon, and stars of Huaxia Divine Continent—its potency incomparable to Western New Continent spirit drugs. In past injuries, such medicine would heal instantly. But now, with his mana already in turmoil, the medicine amplified the chaos, disorder upon disorder, injury upon injury!
"Hahahaha!"
Yang Bi laughed till he spat blood. "I've gravely wounded you, yin and yang discordant in your body. Now you can count down to your death! Starting from ten: ten, nine—"
A flash of insight struck Chen Shi's mind. He channeled the Sixth New Talisman, tempering yin and yang within. Sure enough, the chaotic cultivation gathered somewhat, his condition improving. He laughed. "My fate won't end here—you didn't expect that. My Sixty-Four Transformations can't be refined away by your few immortal arts alone. Aside from a slight flaw in the Heaven-Earth Transformation, the other sixty-three Ghost God Domains are flawless!"
Yang Bi's heart stirred. He inwardly examined his organs and indeed found the flaw in the Heaven-Earth Transformation. He immediately channeled the Supreme Clarity Nine True Inner Art, first breaking the Heaven-Earth Transformation Chen Shi had left in his body.
With the Heaven-Earth Transformation broken, cracking the other Ghost God Domains became much simpler.
Yang Bi laughed heartily. "Your Sixty-Four Ghost God Transformations can't touch me! Even casually cultivating yields this result—what if I devoted myself fully? I'd surely surpass you!"
Chen Shi laughed heartily. "I've only cultivated three years, yet I've beaten you this badly. A few more months for me beats years of your bitter training!"
A thousand-zhang divine being arrived before them, waving a hand to summon an auspicious cloud that lifted Yang Bi.
Yang Bi hurriedly said, "Take him too."
The divine being waved again, and Chen Shi lay on the cloud as well. The divine being carried the two toward the distant White Lang Palace.
Yang Bi laughed heartily. "My injuries will definitely heal faster than yours!"
Chen Shi laughed heartily. "My corpse-disassembled immortal body will recover quicker—Senior, could you prop up my head a bit? I'm afraid my brains will spill out."
The divine being lightly lifted a finger, raising the cloud behind Chen Shi's head.
Several days later, Xia Tianjie and the others' injuries had improved enough for free movement. When they visited Chen Shi and Yang Bi at White Lang Palace, they heard the two still mocking each other, digging at the other's inadequacy.
"What's with those two?" Yan Shaoxuan asked.
Li Qianyun guessed, "They probably can't beat each other and can't think of a way to win, so they're competing with words. If they can win verbally, that counts as victory too."
Yan Shaoxuan chuckled. "Men's strange competitive streak."
Over ten more days passed. Chen Shi's injuries had mostly healed, skin and skull regrown, so he bid farewell.
The ancestors of the Thirteen Families were still exploring that shattered world and hadn't emerged. Thus, Yang Bi, Zhang You, and others saw him off.
At parting, Chen Shi pondered before saying, "Brother Yang, your talent and comprehension are exceptional. One warning I must give solemnly: you're too divided in focus."
Yang Bi started slightly. "The Thirteen Families' power isn't unified yet. I need to expend effort—"
Chen Shi cut him off, shaking his head. "The Thirteen Families are decayed—only the thirteen ancestors and you are barely worth noting. Your Upper Realm, your underworld—seem grand, but against peerless experts, they crumble."
He spoke earnestly. "The path of cultivation gathers world-shaking dao power into oneself. With your talent and insight, abandon the Thirteen Families, and you could become such a peerless expert."
Yang Bi lowered his brows, deep in thought.
Chen Shi boarded the Azure Cloud Great Ship, waving farewell.
Yang Bi waved back.
Xia Tianjie and the others waved too. Zhai Yuanyuan suddenly said, "Chen the Scholar is impressive, but Brother Yang isn't bad either—at least evenly matched."
Yang Bi shook his head. "He has no Divine Embryo, while I used mine."
Zhai Yuanyuan faltered, then laughed hastily. "Your Divine Embryo is third-grade, not very strong. Besides, a Divine Embryo is part of one's power—"
Yang Bi turned and left, murmuring, "What if his innate dao embryo were still there? How vast would the gap between us be?"