Chapter 386 - 178: Divine Demons, True Masters, and Arhats as Food to Cultivate the Supreme True Intent; Helping Out a Bastard

Chapter 386: Chapter 178: Divine Demons, True Masters, and Arhats as Food to Cultivate the Supreme True Intent; Helping Out a Bastard

"So he took a desperate risk and entered the Corpse Release Tomb."

"At first, I was just guessing, but now..."

"He’s already gathered the provisions for the Three Calamities and is currently undergoing the tribulation to find his true self!"

"I wonder if the pressure from this Dragon Elephant Martial Saint will be enough to pull him out of his confusion and help him truly take that final step!"

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Hex’s eyes, filled with anticipation!

"Has anyone ever successfully cultivated this ’Reincarnation Celestial Skill’ before, Martial Uncle?"

Ji Xiu listened from the side, secretly amazed. He hadn’t expected such details to be involved. He felt an intense curiosity about such a world-shaking Celestial Skill.

But his follow-up question made Chen Hex hesitate. He answered with some uncertainty:

"Uh..."

"There should have been, right?"

"Otherwise, where did this Celestial Skill come from? It couldn’t have just fallen from the sky!"

At this, Chen Hex puffed out his chest and replied with an air of absolute, righteous certainty.

This left Ji Xiu utterly dumbfounded.

"Martial Uncle, are you saying that in the entire history of our Celestial Blade Lineage’s predecessor, the Sword Dao Ancestral Court—one of the Celestial Pillars—there isn’t a single clear record of someone mastering this Celestial Skill!?"

Chen Hex’s mouth twitched.

"There have been True Inheritance disciples who’ve cultivated it. Even a Contemporary Traveler once personally attempted it."

"However, most of them failed at the fusion stage. Either their physical body, Qi Sea, or Divine Soul couldn’t bear the power, or..."

"...they became completely lost in the ’battle of residual thoughts’ at the final step. They were unable to suppress the residual thoughts of the three great figures and lost themselves entirely."

"Some even allowed the residual thoughts of those beings to briefly ’return to the world,’ to be revived!"

"But for your Ancestral Master to still have instinctual reactions, even if he seems a bit senile, is already an unprecedented case."

"Even during the golden age of the Sword Dao Ancestral Court, a situation like this never occurred."

"If this were in the era when Martial Arts Giants, or even those at the Peak of the Human World, still existed..."

"...those great masters of the Sect would surely have a way to light a guiding lamp for him, helping him find his true self."

"But now, the conditions aren’t right, so he can only rely on himself..."

Despite his words, a flicker of hope still shone in Chen Hex’s eyes.

And just as they watched in anticipation...

The entire Sword Casting Platform, after a period of stalemate, suddenly underwent a change. As if unable to bear the strain, it began to crack inch by inch before instantly collapsing!

Immediately after, the Barrier that had concealed the scene began to show fractures. With a series of CRACKLE-CRACKS, it shattered completely, like glass!

Following that!

Two figures were revealed from within!

Seeing this, the onlookers all turned their gazes in unison.

They saw—

Xu Longxiang’s sleeves had been shredded into strips by some kind of Qi Force. A phantasmal Ancient Dragon Elephant rested on his shoulders, and his entire being was as majestic and unmoving as a mountain, like an immovable deity!

Opposite him.

The previously dazed and foolish Wang Xuanyang had cast off his slovenly appearance. His white hair had turned raven-black, like Withered Wood Rejuvenation. His face rapidly grew younger, until he looked to be about twenty years old!

However!

His hair now billowed with demonic flames, so potent it seemed a mere touch would incinerate a mortal, leaving not even ashes behind.

Between his neck and temples, intersecting purple and blue veins bulged out one by one like living things. His eyes were as black as ink, filled with brutality and arrogant disdain!

’He’ stared coldly at Xu Longxiang for a long, long time.

"Martial Artist, you have destroyed my chance to return. This debt..."

"...my descendants will settle with you!"

BANG!

As the words fell, the demonic flames receded like a tide. In an instant, Wang Xuanyang’s face began to age rapidly once more...

But, unlike before, his body, which had once seemed withered and decayed with no trace of Horizontal Refinement...

...now radiated a magnificent blood Qi, as if something had been completely integrated into it, triggering a kind of transformation!

BOOM!

At the same time, Heaven and Earth dimmed, as if a certain Residual Thought had completely perished, causing the world itself to react in sympathy!

"..."

Xu Longxiang looked up at the sky, clutching his chest.

After a long moment, he forced a short sentence through his teeth:

"The younger generation is truly formidable."

After speaking, he looked at the dense malice that flashed across his arm—a curse that clung to him like a festering sore, seemingly rooted deep within his Divine Soul. His expression turned sullen.

A moment ago, he had been helping his new student solve a problem. He had noticed a faint trace of Demonic Qi, imperceptible to ordinary people, leaking from the School’s Ancestor.

Without much thought, he had decided to casually eliminate this malevolent thought, which was comparable to an Outer Celestial Demon.

But he never expected...

...that his actions had actually helped the old man before him face his tribulation!

He’d even blocked a calamity for him!

At this thought, Xu Longxiang’s face soured. He unconsciously shot a deep look at Wang Xuanyang.

’The secrets within this man’s body are far more numerous than just this.’

’Just that one Celestial Demon-like Residual Thought...’

’This man’s shell actually contained three of them, each stronger than the last, even overpowering his own!’

’The demonic thought was the weakest, and it had already been nearly crushed and devoured by his own thoughts and the other two.’

’This time, I had to go all out, pushing through this man’s overwhelming Sword Intent and using every trick I had just to barely extinguish it.’

’It’s hard to imagine what kind of terrifying beings the other two Residual Thoughts were when they were alive.’

Xu Longxiang pondered this internally.

At that moment.

"Why did you hit me?"

"You scared me!"

The revived Wang Xuanyang looked at Xu Longxiang’s gloomy face, scratched his head, and his eyes were filled with confusion.

But then, as he slowly recalled the scene that had just transpired in a flash...

He suddenly furrowed his brow, silently circled behind Xu Longxiang, and, while the latter was completely unsuspecting, lashed out and smacked the Martial Saint on the back of the head!

Having just fused the Essence of the Divine Soul Body, Wang Xuanyang was still muddle-headed.

But the power he unleashed was like a volcanic eruption. He threw a single, sudden strike while Xu Longxiang was still lost in thought!

BANG!

This blow, even for a grand physique tempered to contain the power of Nine Dragons and Nine Elephants like Xu Longxiang’s... was too much to take!

"Ugh!"

Xu Longxiang took a heavy blow to the back of his head. His eyes went wide, filled with a raging fire.

"You..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his vision went black and began to blur. Then, losing consciousness, with a loud THUD!

...the tall, white-haired, white-bearded old man collapsed amidst the ruins of the Sword Casting Platform, right before the stunned eyes of Ji Xiu and the others.

Only Wang Xuanyang was left, chuckling and grunting as he dusted off his hands.

"The person who can out-scheme me hasn’t been born yet!"

"You thought you could mess with me?"

...

「Jiangyin Prefecture, within the Mansion Courtyard.」

Xu Longxiang woke up on the bed. His pupils abruptly widened, and he shot upright.

"You old thief! Repaying kindness with malice, launching a sneak attack—you’re nothing but a rat! This Saint will not rest until one of us is dead!!"

BOOM!

A vast wave of Martial Saint True Intent shook the entire Mansion Courtyard. And as news of the Celestial Blade School leaked...

...everyone knew that a Martial Saint was lying low here!

But at this moment.

Inside the room.

This same Martial Saint, sporting a large lump on the back of his head, was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists...

And beside the bed.

Pei Daoran swallowed hard, looked at the sheepish-looking Ji Xiu beside him, and desperately wanted to ask a question...

’What kind of being could possibly knock out the Dragon Elephant Martial Saint with a cheap shot to the head!?’

It was simply unbelievable!