Chapter 164

This terrifying force is something a Foundation Establishment cultivator cannot block; even if a Golden Core cultivator came here, it would be the same.

A blue light flashed over Wang Ping's body, and in the blink of an eye he already appeared ten li away, but by this point he could retreat no further, for he discovered that the black sea seemed to have sealed off the surrounding space. He could retreat at most to here.

Then so be it!

A fierce gleam flashed in Wang Ping's eyes; unable to retreat, he would advance—with a single step he already stood before the spiritual energy mass.

False Dao Arts, seize the spirit!

The five-element spiritual power within his body ran wildly, a blue vortex appeared before Wang Ping, a large amount of spiritual power was devoured, and that spiritual energy mass, compressed by immense force, was being heavily drained of its spiritual power by the blue vortex.

At the same time, Wang Ping continually retreated—one li! two li! three li!

In merely a breath, Wang Ping had already retreated five li out, leaving only half of the ten-li limit.

Meanwhile, that spiritual energy ball had shrunk by half, posing no threat to Wang Ping.

But a greater threat had already surged forward—the black giant fish leapt with tremendous force, its power astonishingly strong, and the fierce gusts caused Wang Ping's protective spiritual light to tremble incessantly.

That black giant fish, about a hundred zhang in size and formed entirely from water condensed from the black sea, felt to Wang Ping like a thousand-zhang mountain crashing down upon him.

Wang Ping's eyes held a ruthless hue; he flung both hands, and the Heaven-Overturning Seal appeared, as he roared in his heart: "Big! Big! Big!"

The Heaven-Overturning Seal expanded at incredible speed to five zhang in size; aside from that time with Zhanhuo Yunzi, this is the largest expansion of the Heaven-Overturning Seal to date.

Five-colored radiance flowed, the crystalline body of the Heaven-Overturning Seal emanated unmatched hegemonic aura, and it smashed toward the black giant fish a hundred zhang in size.

Wang Ping's methods were not yet over—the Vajra Pestle appeared in his hand, and he frenziedly poured the remaining five-colored spiritual power from within his body into the pestle; this time, Wang Ping did not keep it in its original form, but likewise enlarged the Vajra Pestle.

Boom!

A violent collision sound rang out; the Heaven-Overturning Seal, with a five-zhang solid form, hard-clashed against the hundred-zhang black giant fish, and under a mysterious suppressing force, the black giant fish paused for a breath, then sent the Heaven-Overturning Seal flying, yet it still came crashing toward Wang Ping.

However, that breath's time was enough for Wang Ping; the one-zhang Vajra Pestle turned into a stream of five-colored light, leaving a string of afterimages in the air.

A tremendous humming sound then replaced everything; the black giant fish's body shuddered, and in the next instant it was cut in half by the Vajra Pestle, the pestle that had sliced the fish's body then slashed toward the yellow-clad cultivator.

Meanwhile, Wang Ping was now exhausted, his body rapidly falling from a height of a hundred meters.

Fortunately, his physical body was still decent, so he only suffered some internal injuries.

"The Second Debate of Ancient and Modern Times, victory! The third debate will commence in half an hour!"

A cold voice echoed from the high heavens; as the voice fell, a drop of green liquid appeared before Wang Ping's eyes.

"The hundred-fold diluted Immortality Nectar—half a drop can restore all injuries and spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Consuming one drop can increase one's lifespan by a sixty-year cycle, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator may take only ten drops in a lifetime!"

Wang Ping's eyes shone with excitement; having such a treasure, he immediately thought that he seemed to have received no reward in the first level—could it be because I wasn't injured?

What a loss! Wang Ping's face filled with regret—if he had known earlier, he would have made sure to suffer a broken tendon or bone in the first level no matter what!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Vajra Pestle and the Heaven-Overturning Seal successively returned to his side, and the black sea in the high heavens had vanished.

Meanwhile, the yellow-clad youth's body had shattered, yet a hint of relief seemed to appear on his face.

It seemed he noticed Wang Ping looking at him; the yellow-clad cultivator grinned: "This consciousness body of mine, since it was created, has never dissipated—I have fought in over two hundred thousand battles, long exhausted, and now I too am considered freed; when a new me is recreated, that will be a new me!"

Wang Ping's excitement from the Immortality Nectar gradually calmed; he swallowed half of the green liquid drop, and stored the remaining half in a jade bottle.

Regarding the yellow-clad cultivator's words, he couldn't help but feel some sympathy.

"If my Dao arts could reach perfection in the first realm, forming a thirty-li sea, you might not be my opponent! Furthermore, if your methods stop here, you would likely be unable to defeat the upcoming opponents."

As the yellow-clad cultivator was about to dissipate, he smiled faintly and said.

Wang Ping also felt this pressure, pondered a moment, and asked: "Your Dao arts' power seems immense, completely unlike what a Foundation Establishment cultivator could manifest; I have seen some Foundation Establishment great perfection cultivators using their natal magic treasure to display Dao arts, yet they cannot compare with yours at all!"

The yellow-clad cultivator said disdainfully: "Your natal magic treasure is what you call it now! An implement is an implement, the Dao is the Dao! Not understanding the Dao, yet fantasizing about using an implement to manifest it, you have already walked into a dead end—unless you achieve implementing the implement into the Dao, you too are such a person; your pestle's power is too overwhelming, that crystal great seal is not bad either, but alas, you can only let it gather dust."

Wang Ping furrowed his brows and asked: "What do you mean?"

At this point the yellow-clad cultivator had only his upper body remaining, yet he still smiled and said: "Considering you are the first in many years to have beaten me to death, the one who freed me, I will tell you a little something!"

"Your pestle and great seal are both entwined with five-colored light—this must be the power of the Five Elements! This power is immensely strong, but you merely have combined their forces together; the Five Elements naturally generate and overcome each other, this is the way of heaven, and you have merely used the Five Elements' power by copying a gourd, but do you understand the Way of the Five Elements?"

"If you understand even a thread of the Way of the Five Elements, even just two elements, today you could slay me with merely that five-colored great sword! If you used that pestle, you might be able to match those monsters who have grasped two Dao arts, but you would likely still be defeated; as for you now, you have not yet encountered such opponents, and in the next match I estimate your opponent will very likely be a cultivator who has cultivated their Dao arts to the first realm's Opening Dao Perfection. To enter the Opening Dao realm, one must comprehend the meaning of the Dao. Do as you will!"

Having said that, he was left with only a skull.

Wang Ping silently rose, bowed to his opponent, and thanked him for clearing his doubts.

Afterward, a single word surfaced in his mind: Dao!

What are the Five Elements?

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth!

What is the Way of the Five Elements?

Wang Ping had much he wanted to say, but he simply could not get the words out!

He is no longer a mortal; mortals can speak freely, but now Wang Ping, a Foundation Establishment great perfection cultivator on the verge of forming his golden core, cannot do so here.

Wang Ping's mind was clear; to try to comprehend the Dao now would be no different from daydreaming, but the recent changes to the ancient cultivator's Dao platform gave him inspiration.

Since he began cultivating immortality, it seems he has never properly observed his own spiritual roots.

Since the Dao platform can produce deeper changes, why can't the spiritual roots?

Having thought this through, Wang Ping closed his eyes and came to his dantian.