Chapter 169: Form Intent! Divine Intent!

Already fought nearly a hundred bouts! I don't know what the combat space rules are up to; could it be to temper this kid's intent?

An unnamed existence silently observed the battle of the cultivator below called Wang Ping.

This round his opponent is a terrifying foe who has comprehended one intent yet knows three techniques, and his true form is an ancient strange beast.

One intent, three techniques, developing this intent to the extreme.

Even stronger than that prodigy who single-mindedly cultivates the Gravity Technique by half a step; the key is that his intent of the abyss faintly suppresses Wang Ping's intent.

The abyss can devour light!

Below, Wang Ping, just as that unnamed existence had guessed, encountered great trouble.

The monster with a human body and beast head opposite him has formidable combat power; his three techniques fuse together, forming a new abyssal intent.

This intent not only can devour light, but also can corrode a cultivator's flesh, and at all times it devours his own spiritual power.

Hahaha! Insignificant human, you will be the 131,080th human to die under my hand! Surrender is useless; obediently enjoy your final fear!

Wang Ping moved quickly around with a blank expression to avoid the opponent's intent's range, but this is not a long-term solution, as the surrounding space is constantly shrinking—obviously a measure this space employs to restrict himself.

Sure enough, Nan Gong guessed correctly; in this combat space there is an opponent who can counter his intent.

"Wang Ping, remember: fire is not just fire; when you are suppressed by your opponent, try reigniting the fire in your heart. That spark of stars—does it not represent a kind of hope? Now your Sparkfire Blazing Light Intent is merely form intent; without attaining divine intent, if you cannot achieve unity of form and intent, it will be very hard to create a second-realm technique."

"Although intents may counter each other, what ultimately uses them are people or living beings; that is fundamental."

Nan Gong's words let the idea of uniting form and intent, igniting the fire in the heart, surface in Wang Ping's mind.

He seemed to understand, yet also seemed not to; what he grasped was the literal meaning, what he missed was not knowing how to do it.

Nan Gong's Gravity Technique also hasn't reached the stage of uniting form and intent, but he already has a hint; unfortunately, that state cannot support him in further perfecting his Dao.

So he passed all his insights from the Gravity Technique to himself, hoping he could perfect it and create a second-realm technique.

As the space shrinks, his Sparkfire Blazing Light Intent inevitably contacts the opponent's Abyssal Intent; each contact dims his light by a fraction.

"Hehehe! See? Your intent is perfectly countered by me; next, properly enjoy the fear of death! Put on a good show for this grandpa; the more fearful the performance, the happier I'll be, and maybe I'll let you off easier! Perform! Quick! Perform!"

The monster within the range of the Abyssal Intent's coverage laughed wildly.

Wang Ping still wore a blank expression; having cultivated for nearly a century, how could he become angry over a few words? Yet it seems there truly is no way now!

No, there is still a way; a bright light flashed in the depths of Wang Ping's eyes—place oneself in deadly peril to survive thereafter.

Hope often arises from despair!

Hope that has not experienced cold-hearted despair is merely a wish.

Wishes are beautiful; hope often endures cruelty!

To place oneself in deadly peril to survive thereafter requires great courage—and Wang Ping lacks none!

So he resolutely stepped into the Abyssal Intent that burst forth with black light.

Endless darkness surged toward him; each breath weakened his body a fraction, the red flames enveloping him dimmed by three parts, and his internal spiritual power was simultaneously being drained.

Even his will was affected; indeed, is the Abyssal Intent a conglomeration of negative will?

"You can't help but come fight me? Rest assured, I will let you experience heart-chilling despair!"

In the darkness, Wang Ping cracked a smile and said lightly: "Heart-chilling despair? That's exactly what I want!"

The next moment, a jade‑green sword was in his hand.

"Slash!"

A five‑colored sword aura about a zhang in size tore through the black space, slashing toward the monster's true form at a speed invisible to the naked eye.

This is the sword technique he re‑condensed after discussing the Dao with Nan Gong and enduring another ninety‑nine battles.

From now on, his sword technique consists of only this move—simple, fierce, yet with edge to the utmost!

Even with the monster's ferocity, if he couldn't dodge in time, this sword split his abdomen, spilling out large amounts of black‑green liquid—presumably his blood.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Damnable human, you dare wound me? You have angered me; I will surely…"

"So much nonsense!"

Wang Ping brutally cut off the monster's howl; the blue‑five‑colored sword light slashed out again, his internal spiritual power loss worsening, and the radiance of his Sparkfire Blazing Light Intent continually weakening—this is the terror of the Abyssal Intent.

Thus he must settle the battle swiftly; victory or defeat lies in that instant of weakness.

Setting aside the Abyssal Intent, the monster's own strength is not to be underestimated; earlier it was merely carelessness that let Wang Ping sneak‑attack him, but in a genuine fight he holds his own against Wang Ping.

Time passed breath by breath; Wang Ping's speed grew slower and slower, his red flames dimmed to the extreme, and his internal spiritual power was nearly exhausted.

The true danger has arrived, but it is also the moment to decide victory or defeat!

"Hahaha! How many more attacks can you launch? This time I'll cleave you with a single strike!"

The monster laughed hahaha, his hands quickly forming seals, while a gray pupil appeared on his chest.

"Technique: Fearful Pupil!"

An invisible ripple spread—this is the intent of the Fearful Pupil!

Wang Ping's intent now is at its lowest ebb, utterly unable to resist the corrosion of the Fearful Pupil's intent; accompanying the intent comes the true attack of the technique.

In an instant he fell into immense fear, his consciousness beginning to blur—this is an innate human instinct; even with iron will, it cannot be changed.

At the same time the monster's second technique, Soul Devouring, was unleashed, and the last trace of Wang Ping's spiritual power also began to drain.

"Kneel! Repent to me, and I can forgive your sins!" the monster's voice suddenly rang out!

"Kneel?"

"Nice thought!"

Wang Ping suddenly woke; the Vajra Pestle in the depths of his sea of consciousness began to spin, and his will‑stars started to burst forth with light.

"Is this what fear tastes like? Really not much!"

Wang Ping's voice echoed faintly within the range of the Abyssal Intent.

"Fire of hope! Is it obsession?"

"What nonsense are you spouting! Die!"

The monster suddenly felt a sense of unease; it was obvious that the source of this unease came from the human cultivator opposite it.

If that's the case, eliminating it will end everything.

The monster directly sacrificed one of its bone swords, pouring its spiritual power into it frenziedly.

"White Bone Heaven-Splitting Slash!"

The white bone sword was slashed toward Wang Ping, and at this moment, Wang Ping, shrouded in darkness and suppressed by the fear of the Pupil of Fear, remained unable to move.

"Your body is bound; can you still lift your sword?"

The monster shouted arrogantly.

The white bone sword, emanating a pallid light, thrust toward Wang Ping's brow.

Life and death hung in the blink of an eye; the previously suppressed Wang Ping suddenly lifted his head, and the faint red flame on his body, almost extinguished from suppression, twitched slightly!

Yet a silver-red light suddenly blazed from Wang Ping's brow; when the white bone sword was only an inch from his brow, that silver-red light transformed into a silver-red light pillar.

The white bone sword and silver-red light, capable of threatening an early Golden Core cultivator, were split in two upon merely touching for an instant.

Whoosh!

The silver-red light pillar split the bone sword, forming a fan-shaped light; in a split second, the silver-red light had already reached the monster's eyes!

In that final instant, he saw a lustrous gem emitting red light!

Boom!

The monster's body was cleaved in half, each half crashing to either side.

Wang Ping slowly rose to his feet, the red flame on his body reigniting like the rising sun. No one knew what he had endured during his time of fear to unleash such a brilliant blaze.

His gaze lingered on the monster's fading form as he softly said:

"My greatest strength has never been the sword, but the gem!"

Boom!

As his words fell, the flame on his body suddenly expanded to a height of ten zhang!

Wang Ping stood within it, vaguely resembling a divine being!

"Victory in the hundredth Ancient-Modern Debate grants entry to the Palace of Immortality!"