Chapter 381: Tier Nine Dire Straits

The world spun around him.

Liang Cheng was swept up in the violent spatial turbulence. His body felt like it was being sliced by a thousand cuts. His physical form, which had already reached Perfection in the Mixed Element Gang Body before he achieved Breaking Mortality, was now even stronger.

But the Dark Gold light of his Gang Body still flickered unsteadily, threatening to collapse at any moment. He gritted his teeth and desperately circulated his Pill Qi to forcibly stabilize himself.

Just then, a shrill roar echoed from behind him!

Liang Cheng turned to look.

The Human-faced Spider!

The beast was also tumbling through the turbulence. Four of its eight long legs were broken, and the remaining four, like shattered spears, thrashed about wildly.

Its twisted human face was locked onto Liang Cheng, its eyes filled with venomous hatred!

“Human—!!!”

It shrieked as its four legs suddenly stabbed into the void, using the leverage to lunge toward Liang Cheng!

“You brought me to this! I’ll kill you!!!”

Without a word, Liang Cheng turned and fled.

But in the spatial turbulence, there was nothing to push off of. He couldn’t build up any speed at all.

The Human-faced Spider’s four legs, however, were like anchors. Each time they pierced the void, it could surge forward, rapidly closing the distance!

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters.

Ten meters!

“Die!!!”

A long leg, like a black spear, stabbed toward the center of Liang Cheng’s back!

Liang Cheng twisted aside, narrowly dodging it. But the leg scraped past his shoulder, tearing open his flesh. The blood was instantly shredded into a red mist by the turbulence!

He grunted and drew his saber, slashing back in retaliation!

CLANG!!!

The Zhenxian Saber collided with the leg, sending sparks flying!

Liang Cheng used the force of the impact to shoot forward several yards, while the Human-faced Spider was also knocked back.

But it lunged forward again!

All four legs struck out at once!

Liang Cheng’s eyes narrowed as his Blade Intent erupted!

VMMMM!!!

A slash of black saber light shot out, meeting the four legs head-on!

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion ripped through the air, making the turbulence even more violent!

Liang Cheng was sent flying backward, blood spraying wildly from his mouth!

The Human-faced Spider also let out a wretched howl. One of its legs split down the middle, gushing black blood!

“You can’t escape!!!”

It looked utterly crazed, dragging its three and a half remaining legs as it continued the chase!

Liang Cheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a cold glint in his eyes.

‘If I can’t run, then I’ll fight to the death!’

He stopped fleeing. He turned, holding the Zhenxian Saber horizontally before him.

Blade Intent!

Fist Intent!

Sword Intent!

Three phantoms materialized at the same time!

Unity of the Three Talents!

The Human-faced Spider’s pupils constricted, but it immediately gave a savage grin. “Then we die together!”

Its three and a half legs stabbed out simultaneously, each one wreathed in a terrifying black light!

Liang Cheng raised his hand.

And slashed!

This was the most powerful slash he could muster at that moment!

A brilliant light tore through the turbulence!

BOOM!!!

The saber light collided with the three and a half legs!

Space itself trembled!

The turbulence exploded!

The Human-faced Spider’s agonized scream rang out.

Its three and a half legs were severed at the base!

Its massive body, now without support, tumbled through the turbulence!

Liang Cheng didn’t stop. He took a step forward and gave chase!

A second slash!

THWACK!!!

The saber light sliced into the Human-faced Spider’s head!

Its twisted human face stared wide-eyed, filled with unwillingness to accept its fate.

A third slash!

THWACK!!!

The head was split completely open!

The Human-faced Spider’s body convulsed a few times and finally fell still.

Liang Cheng gasped for breath. Forcing himself through his exhaustion, he sliced open its head and retrieved the Demon Core. It was the size of a fist and as black as ink.

He had the Demon Core.

And it was one that had been on the verge of reaching Tier Nine.

He placed the Demon Core into his Storage Pouch. Just as he was about to catch his breath, he noticed a sliver of light had appeared where his blade had struck.

The Void Spirit Lotus!

‘My Martial Dao True Intent must have absorbed a bit of the Power of the Void!’

Liang Cheng hadn’t expected such a fortunate turn of events. He had unintentionally slashed open an exit.

Without hesitation, Liang Cheng forced his battered body to move and charged toward the light.

…

Liang Cheng’s vision went black, then was flooded with light.

He landed on solid ground, staggered a few steps, and dropped to one knee.

He raised his head and looked around.

The sky was a hazy gray, with no sun or moon.

Beneath his feet was cracked, black earth that stretched to the horizon.

In the distance, he could faintly make out broken stone pillars, collapsed palaces, rusted Weapons, and piles of white bones…

This place was like an ancient battlefield.

Liang Cheng took a deep breath and struggled to his feet.

‘No matter what, I managed to survive.’

He looked into the distance, his gaze resolute.

‘Since I’m here, I’ll make the best of it.’

‘First, I’ll heal. Then, I’ll explore these ruins.’

Liang Cheng sat down cross-legged, swallowed a handful of Elixirs, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

「An hour later.」

He opened his eyes. His aura had mostly stabilized. Though his injuries weren’t fully healed, his life was no longer in danger.

He stood up and scanned his surroundings.

This ancient battlefield was even larger than he had imagined.

Broken stone pillars lay askew. The ground was riddled with enormous craters and fissures. Piles of bones were everywhere—some human, some from Fierce Beasts.

It was clear that an earth-shattering battle had taken place here.

He walked forward, remaining on high alert. After about a mile, a half-collapsed palace appeared ahead.

Ancient Runes were carved into the stone doors, but they had been eroded by time and were now blurry and indistinct.

One of the two doors lay on the ground, while the other hung askew from its hinges. It was pitch-black inside.

Liang Cheng didn’t enter rashly. Instead, he first surveyed the area.

Several skeletons lay near the entrance—some human, others from unknown Fierce Beasts.

The clothes on the skeletons had long since rotted away, but the bones themselves were still as lustrous as jade, a clear sign that their owners had possessed extremely high Cultivation in life.

He crouched down and found a Storage Pouch next to one of the human skeletons.

Before he could even pick it up, it turned to dust and scattered in the wind.

Liang Cheng stood up, watching the dust drift away on the breeze.

‘Even a Storage Pouch couldn’t withstand the passage of time. It’s hard to imagine how long this place has existed.’

He lifted his head and looked around.

In the open space before the palace, numerous Weapons were scattered about.

Sabers, swords, spears, axes…

Some were stuck in the ground; others lay beside piles of bones.

Liang Cheng walked over and reached for the hilt of a long saber.

The moment he touched it—

CRACK.

The blade snapped. The break was riddled with rust, like rotted wood.