Chapter 260: Re-entering

Wang Ping halted, his gaze calm as he looked at the Blood River Old Ancestor blocking the path ahead.

The passage was narrow, the silver patterns on the rock walls on both sides faintly visible in the dim light.

"Kid, it seems you've gained quite a fortune here."

The Blood River Old Ancestor gave a sinister smile, his blood-red robe stirring without wind, "Hand over all your gains, and I might let you keep a whole corpse."

Wang Ping remained silent, the five-colored divine light within him circulating silently.

Having just broken through to the Innate Realm Perfection, he needed a suitable opponent to test his strength.

Seeing his silence, the Blood River Old Ancestor's eyes flashed with malice as he violently shook the Blood River Banner.

In an instant, a bloody wind blew toward him, countless blood-colored ghostly shades poured from the banner, emitting shrill wails as they surged straight at Wang Ping. These shades, half-real and half-illusory, specialized in attacking the soul—this was the Blood River Old Ancestor's signature move: Hundred Ghosts Devouring Souls!

Wang Ping neither dodged nor evaded; the five-colored divine light behind him suddenly blazed, the blue, red, yellow, white, and azure lights flowing and forming a realm of their own.

The blood-colored ghostly shades struck the divine light, melting away like ice meeting the sun, not even raising a ripple.

"What kind of Dao art is this?"

The Blood River Old Ancestor's pupils contracted; his Hundred Ghosts Devouring Souls, which even peers of the same rank had to handle carefully, was so easily dispelled by a mere mid-Golden Core junior.

Before he could think further, Wang Ping struck. White divine light flashed behind him, the Azure Light Sword merging into it, forming an incredibly concentrated white sword blade that shot straight at the Blood River Old Ancestor's face.

Even before the sword blade arrived, its fierce edge made the Blood River Old Ancestor's skin sting.

"Trivial tricks!" the Blood River Old Ancestor snorted coldly, shaking the Blood River Banner again as a phantom of the Blood River materialized in midair to block him.

This Blood River was refined from the essence blood of myriad beings, incredibly filthy, and most capable of corroding the spiritual light of magical treasures.

Yet when the white sword blade clashed with the Blood River phantom, it rang out with a crisp metallic clang. The blade's momentum did not wane, cleanly cleaving a gap in the phantom.

"What?" the Blood River Old Ancestor exclaimed in alarm, hastily sidestepping. The sword blade grazed his cheek, leaving a bottomless gash in the rock wall behind him.

This blow made the Blood River Old Ancestor no longer dare to be careless. He set aside his contempt, fully activating the Blood River Banner as his whole body turned into a blood-colored light, sparring with Wang Ping in the narrow passage.

The two engaged in a fierce battle in the underground passage. The Blood River Old Ancestor possessed profound cultivation and rich combat experience, able to evade Wang Ping's killing moves at every critical moment.

Although Wang Ping's cultivation was inferior, his Five-Colored Divine Light was marvelously wondrous, integrating offense and defense, allowing him to fight on equal footing with the Blood River Old Ancestor.

"Kid, your divine ability is indeed impressive, but your cultivation ultimately falls short by a notch!"

The Blood River Old Ancestor, unable to prevail after a prolonged fight, grew agitated, fiercely biting his tongue tip and spitting a mouthful of essence blood onto the Blood River Banner.

The Blood River Banner instantly blazed with blood light, a ferocious ghostly face appearing on its surface. The ghostly face inhaled, causing the temperature in the passage to plummet, even coating the rock walls with a layer of blood-colored frost.

"Bloodfiend Soul Seal!" the Blood River Old Ancestor bellowed, two beams of blood light shooting from the ghostly face's eyes straight at Wang Ping.

This blood light contained extreme yin killing energy, specially sealing cultivators' souls, one of his trump cards.

Feeling the strange power within that blood light, Wang Ping dared not meet it head-on. Yellow divine light surged behind him, the phantom of the Heaven-Overturning Seal appearing, its mighty earthly power firmly blocking the two beams of blood light.

"Now!" Wang Ping's eyes flashed with sharp light—this was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

At the moment the Blood River Old Ancestor's old strength was spent and his new strength not yet arisen, crimson divine light burst forth behind him.

This time it was not mere defense, but the newly grasped power of Golden Yang Burning Heaven fused into it.

A golden fireball the size of a millstone appeared out of thin air, its center faintly showing a three-legged golden crow spreading its wings and crying out.

The aura of utmost yang and rigidity instantly filled the passage, those blood-colored frosts encountering their nemesis and rapidly melting away.

"True solar fire? Impossible!" the Blood River Old Ancestor exclaimed in shock, wanting to retreat but already too late.

The fireball transformed from Golden Yang Burning Heaven slammed into the Blood River Old Ancestor with the speed of thunder before one could cover their ears.

The scorching heat caused the space to slightly warp, the Blood River Old Ancestor's protective blood aura shattering like paper.

"Ah!" a miserable scream echoed in the passage.

The Blood River Old Ancestor was wholly consumed by the golden flames; within a few breaths he turned to a pile of ashes, not even his primordial spirit escaping.

Wang Ping gradually withdrew his Five-Colored Divine Light, his face turning slightly pale.

Having consecutively unleashed various divine abilities, especially that final strike of Golden Yang Burning Heaven, the drain on him was considerable.

Yet his eyes sparkled with excitement—this battle had given him a clear understanding of his own strength.

He walked to where the Blood River Old Ancestor had fallen, picked up the now-dim Blood River Banner, and also found a storage bag.

His divine sense probed inside, revealing plenty of good things, among them a deep crimson Blazing Flame Stone of higher quality than the one he had previously obtained.

"As expected..." Wang Ping's eyes flashed with realization.

Those Nascent Soul cultivators who ventured deep here were likely also gathering Blazing Flame Stones, though it's unknown whether they also knew the secret of the Ancient Immortal Sect.

He no longer hesitated, gathered his spoils, and turned back along the way he came.

Since he now possessed a Blazing Flame Stone, he naturally wanted to try again.

Returning once more before the Ancient Immortal Sect, Wang Ping took out the newly acquired deep red Blazing Flame Stone.

This one's hue was even deeper, its interior seeming to have liquid flame flowing within, its energy far surpassing that of the previous stone.

He placed the Blazing Flame Stone into the center of the indentation.

Hum—

A deeper crimson radiance burst forth, brighter than before, instantly illuminating the entire indentation.

The light pillar spewing from the hole grew more than twice as thick, and the pattern woven in the air became more complex and stable.

Rumble...

The Ancient Immortal Sect opened once again, the crimson vortex behind it spinning more violently, its emitted rule fluctuations making Wang Ping feel palpitations.

"The Gate of Rules has opened; time limit, one incense stick." The message came again.

Wang Ping drew a deep breath and stepped inside.

The familiar Sea of Rules once again surrounded him.

But this time, the rule fragments he sensed were clearer and more profound. The transformations of the flames were more marvelous, as if expounding a deeper truth of the Great Dao.

He wasted no time, immediately immersing himself in contemplation of Golden Yang Burning Heaven.

Last time, he had already touched the threshold of the Point Spirit Realm, lacking only half a step.

This time, he will use the rule space opened by higher-quality blazing flame stones to take that half-step in one go!

Time passed second by second, and Wang Ping devoted himself entirely to capturing and consolidating that wisp of "spirituality" sprout.

Under the clearer illumination of the rules, his understanding of the Point Spirit Realm grew ever deeper.

Point Spirit! What is pointed to is actually the Dao; this Dao is the Dao of heaven and earth united with the self.

Just as the time of an incense stick was about to end, Wang Ping suddenly opened his eyes, golden flames flickering in his pupils.

Success!

He clearly felt that the weak wisp of "spirituality" sprout had finally been firmly secured by him, and the Golden Yang Blazing Heaven had completely entered the Point Spirit Realm.

From now on, when he uses Golden Yang Blazing Heaven, his flames will possess willful spirituality; perhaps the true solar fire can truly transform into a golden crow.

Although he had only just stepped in, he ultimately stepped out!

The next moment, a spatial repelling force descended, sending him back before the Ancient Immortal Gate.

Wang Ping stood in place, feeling the more rounded power within his body, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He glanced at the newly closed Ancient Immortal Gate, turned and left, for he still needed more deep-red blazing flame stones, even golden blazing flame stones.