Chapter 374 265: Destined for the Righteous Path, Two Profound Mysteries

The Cultivator in green robes was named Li Ya. He and the young man surnamed Fang were from the same sect; both were Outer Sect Disciples of the Ming Jiao.

Although he had joined the sect and begun his Qi Cultivation seven or eight years prior, he had no powerful backer or influential family. His path was arduous, and an Opportunity for Foundation Establishment was nearly impossible to find.

'What a useless oaf! His father is an alchemist in the Inner Sect, but he still cultivated such weak and unstable True Qi. He couldn't even handle a little slip of a girl! Dammit!'

A flash of jealous hatred glinted in Li Ya's eyes. To curry favor with Elder Fang and obtain more cultivation resources, he had been like a pageboy attending the Young Master, constantly at his beck and call, fawning and flattering.

'When it comes to raw talent, intellect, diligence, and effort, that son-of-a-bitch Junior Brother Fang was leagues behind me!'

'This little wench ascended from a lower realm. Her destiny is quite remarkable, which is perfect. She can cover my tracks and be my scapegoat!'

Having decisively slain the young man surnamed Fang, Li Ya's eyes glinted with malice as he formed a hand seal.

The Copper Mirror above his head spun twice, unleashing two beams of blood-red light.

HISS! HISS!

Yao Yun's powerful, projected aura was like paper, instantly torn and pierced through.

'So the internal breath and protective aura I refined through martial arts are this useless.'

This empress of the Great Enterprise gradually came to realize that the Cultivation of this world far surpassed the martial arts of the mortal realm. Every gesture carried the might of heaven and earth.

'How hateful! To think I'll be killed by a petty villain before I even find a trace of the Supreme God!'

Yao Yun sighed in resignation. It felt as if she were back in that mass grave, left with no choice but to close her eyes and wait for death.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Just as the two beams of blood-red light were about to shatter her body, three deep claps of thunder suddenly boomed!

Following them was a sharp cry:

"Ming Jiao fiends, committing evil again!"

Strangely, the blood-red baleful energy, usually so overwhelming in Magical Combat, vanished the instant it was hit by the deep rumbles of thunder, like boiling water on snow.

Even Li Ya, upon hearing the rolling thunder, felt his Heart Spirit tremble!

It felt as if several sharp spikes were piercing his skull, bringing a wave of excruciating pain!

'Heh! And I wondered who it could be. The people from Thunder Sovereign Palace, always sticking their noses where they don't belong!'

Li Ya immediately circulated his True Qi. The blood-red light around him thickened, forming layer after layer of curtains to conceal his body and block the encroaching thunder.

He then bit the tip of his tongue, forcing out a mouthful of blood essence and spraying it violently onto the Copper Mirror above his head.

The Magical Artifact instantly spun a full nine times, its crimson brilliance flaring as it transformed into the phantom image of a blood river dozens of feet long!

From the churning waves of the blood river rose a figure: a powerfully built Flying Yaksha with a horned head and fleshy wings!

Its ferocious and demonic appearance was enough to strike terror into anyone's heart!

"*Blood River to the Underworld Art*! You Ming Jiao fiends are used to throwing your weight around, but you've forgotten to check where you are!

"Do you really think we Cultivators of the Northern March are as spineless as those in the Southern Domain?!"

The sharp cry echoed through the wilderness, rustling the forest leaves. A figure in a yellow dress strode through the air, her body radiating a silvery-white True Qi.

Yao Yun's gaze followed the voice. Her heart stirred, and a look of surprise crossed her face.

The newcomer was a Female Cultivator!

She had a high-bridged nose, willow-like brows, and eyes that shone like stars. Dressed in a magnificent suit of soft armor forged from purple copper, she looked every bit the part of a valiant female general!

"Well, well."

Li Ya, hidden within the phantom blood river that reeked of gore, manipulated the sturdy Flying Yaksha.

"An orthodox disciple of Thunder Sovereign Palace, are we! Do you really think you can slay demons and defend the righteous path all alone? You can die here right alongside this little wench!"

With that said, Li Ya pointed, and the Flying Yaksha shot out. As fast as a bolt of lightning, it lunged toward the woman in yellow.

Not to be outdone, the woman activated her True Qi as well. Tendrils of lightning coiled like serpents, instantly condensing into round, glittering silver pellets, which she rained down upon the Flying Yaksha.

The lightning exploded, charring the snarling yaksha, but it failed to damage any of its vitals.

In just a few leaps, it was right in front of the woman in yellow!

'Such a tough body!'

The woman in yellow remained calm. Her willow-like brows arched, and she spat out a gleaming silver pearl.

The pearl spun once, and arcs of lightning shot out, weaving into a massive net that enveloped the Flying Yaksha.

SIZZLE! Like fat rendering in a hot pan, its sturdy body—impervious to blades, spears, fire, and water—began to melt away!

'The Thunder Swallowing Technique! I knew you had this trick up your sleeve!'

Li Ya laughed heartily. Still hidden within the river of blood, he chanted a few lines of an incantation and summoned yet another Flying Yaksha!

"I have an inexhaustible supply of [Blood Qi], but your 'Thunder-Swallowing Origin Pearl' weakens every time you use it!

If this fight continues, what chance do you think you have of winning?"

When the woman in yellow spat out the pearl to slay the Flying Yaksha, the waterfall of silvery-white True Qi around her instantly dimmed.

Just as Li Ya had said, the 'Thunder-Swallowing Origin Pearl' she nurtured inside her body could not be used at will.

"Hmph. You Ming Jiao fiend, you truly underestimate Thunder Sovereign Palace!"

The woman in yellow sneered:

"Who said I would fight you alone?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, two more figures appeared on the horizon, riding arcs of blazing lightning. They too wore yellow robes with wide, billowing sleeves.

"When dealing with a Demon like you, ganging up on you is the only truly righteous thing to do!"

the woman in yellow said, lifting her chin smugly.

'So shameless, as expected of Thunder Sovereign Palace! Always bullying the weak and fearing the strong!'

Li Ya cursed inwardly. In terms of pure Magical Combat, even if the legacy of Thunder Sovereign Palace faintly countered his [Blood Qi] and [Yin Balefulness], under the influence of the [Distortion of All Qi] Spiritual Aura, he still had ways to deal with them.

Especially since he had just tricked the woman in yellow into using her trump card, the 'Thunder-Swallowing Origin Pearl,' on a single Flying Yaksha, increasing his own chances of victory by a good twenty percent.

'We'll see about this!'

Seeing the situation turn against him, Li Ya decisively fled.

He mounted the phantom river of blood and shot across the sky, heading west.

"It's a shame that fiend escaped."

The woman in yellow wore a look of regret as she glanced down at Yao Yun:

"A mortal ascended from the lower realm, touched by a sliver of destiny... You are fit to join my Thunder Sovereign Palace and bolster the righteous path!"

...

...

「Mortal Realm, Water Moon Grotto Heaven.」

Jiang Yi slowly withdrew his gaze, and the wisp of Ding Fire flickering on his fingertip weakened.

As he retracted the [Illuminating the Dark and the Light] profundity, he slowly closed his eyes and thought,

'How can [Juku Continent] still have a legacy of the [Immortal Dao]?

'Thunder Sovereign Palace? In a place crawling with Ancient Demon Cultivators, they cultivate Thunder Techniques? Doesn't that make them unstoppable?'

He confirmed the positions of his few 'pathfinding stones,' regulated his breathing for a moment, then released his Divine Sense from his Primordial Gate and ascended to the [Foundation Establishment Realm].

Within that 'Fire Domain,' Flame Essence flowed freely. All manner of Fire Element Daoist Skills were like crops in a field, shooting up and growing lush.

'Cultivating Ding Fire gave me [Illuminating the Dark and the Light]. Next, I can draw another profundity from Bing Fire.'

Jiang Yi stood within, hands clasped behind his back. A phantasmagoria of colors swirled behind his head as insights bubbled up like a spring, gradually coalescing into a new profundity.

[World Burner]!

'Ding Fire can illuminate unseen places and allow one to hear hidden voices.

'Bing Fire, however, possesses offensive might. It burns all matter, incinerates all spirits, and scours all techniques. Its focus is on Magical Combat.'

Jiang Yi had forged the [Imperial Dao Foundation of Myriad Arts], making his Cultivation of the Five Elements profundities twice as effective with half the effort.

Combined with the legacy of the [Shao Yang] Metal attribute, he was able to steadily refine the second profundity with almost no effort.

'First came [Illuminating the Dark and the Light], then came the refining of [World Burner].

'After the Combined Refining of Bingding, the next step is to comprehend the True Skill. From it, I will draw three more profundities, achieve Perfection, and ascend to become the [Fire Virtue].'

A glint flashed in Jiang Yi's eyes. The fiery light around his body shifted, seeming to cycle through a series of evolutions.

'With two profundities under my belt, I have enough to ascend to the Spirit Realm!'