Chapter 78: Lock the Bamboo Horse, Shatter the Battle Soul — Take the First Incense!

On the plaza, an unexpected change suddenly occurred.

The bamboo horse blazed with light, abruptly wheeled its mount around, and with the force of a mountain pressing down, stomped toward the spot where Zhao Xing stood.

Two people on the field instantly discovered the bamboo horse's true strength.

One was Hu Yang — as a Mechanism Master, he was naturally no stranger to it, for the bamboo horse was itself a kind of mechanical beast, and one of the most classic ones at that.

An ordinary bamboo horse would rarely develop a powerful spirit even at third-grade superior quality, but the one Yang Junxiong rode had not only developed a spirit, but an extremely formidable one.

Having followed its master across countless battlefields over the years, it had already transformed into a 'Battle Soul'!

Through battle after battle, the bamboo horse's Battle Soul had also gained powerful combat instincts, and its fighting strength was on par with its master's!

When Yang Junxiong entered the ranks on the mountain, the spirit Battle Soul within the bamboo horse was elevated as well.

It was the equivalent of both rider and horse having entered the ranks!

The second to sense something amiss was Du Jiao Sect — her Bright Eyes had reached Nine Revolutions, and when Yang Junxiong left the bamboo horse, an illusory figure of Yang Junxiong actually appeared on the bamboo horse's back.

Within her perception, two rank-entering auras appeared!

Yang Junxiong's separation of man from horse this round was clearly a premeditated move.

If the Mountain Cat tried to stop him, the bamboo horse would grievously wound Zhao Xing; but if he went to rescue Zhao Xing, Yang Junxiong could take the incense into the temple.

On this final night, he finally stopped hiding and revealed his true trump card.

"Boom—"

The bamboo horse trod the air as if it commanded the momentum of a thousand armies.

Zong Shichang and those around him felt their breath choke, a crushing pressure bearing down, and his legs trembled.

Fortunately, a clerk from the Divine Temple stood beside him, sensed the Battle Soul's presence, and in an instant dragged Zong Shichang into a rapid retreat.

But the rest seemed utterly unable to react in time, or were pinned in place by the bamboo horse's might, unable to move.

Just as everyone thought Zhao Xing's fate was sealed, a calm, unhurried voice rang out:

"Don't come back to save me — focus on that big fellow."

"Hm? He can still speak under the Battle Soul's killing aura?" Yang Junxiong glanced sideways and saw Zhao Xing standing tall and proud, completely unaffected.

"A mere foot soldier dares to call itself a Battle Soul?!" Above Zhao Xing's head, clouds gathered; his five fingers pointed skyward, and his body instantly blazed with Lei Guang.

"Crackle-crackle—"

Purple lightning suddenly sprang from his fingertips, weaving along arcane trajectories to swiftly combine into five nooses.

It was precisely his self-created spell — Lei Ting Noose!

"Go!"

The Lei Ting Nooses flew forth like nimble thunder serpents, streaking straight toward the Battle Soul.

"Kill!"

The Battle Soul's phantom raised its spear to sweep aside a thousand troops, but the Lei Ting Nooses were extraordinarily agile — they didn't entangle with the Battle Soul, but lashed onto the bamboo horse's body instead.

"Boom!" Purple light clashed with crimson light, and the killing aura was instantly weakened by a third.

"Boom-boom-boom-boom!"

Five consecutive noose lashes came at blinding speed, too fast for anyone to react.

The bamboo horse's Battle Soul was no greenhorn, yet of the five spear swings it made, only two truly disrupted the Lei Ting Nooses.

The other three all slipped past.

This was the marvel of the Yin Thunder Method — unlike the brute force of the Thunder Giant Palm, Yin Thunder was extremely fast and incomparably agile; when it met the long spear, it didn't scatter, but lightly bounced and looped itself around the bamboo horse's neck instead.

"Crackle-crackle—"

Where the Lei Ting met the bamboo horse, sparks immediately flew; the bamboo horse's speed plummeted, its galloping momentum thoroughly stalled.

"What?!" Yang Junxiong was greatly shocked. He had considered that the Mountain Cat might block his bamboo horse, but he had never imagined that Zhao Xing — a Si Nong at Gathering Yuan Ninth Rank — could find a way to stop it.

In that very moment of distraction — "Thud!" — Yang Junxiong felt a heavy blow to his chest, and his whole body flew backward uncontrollably.

Mountain Cat secret technique — Windborne Heavy Kick!

The Mountain Cat had driven both hind legs viciously into his chest. The Windborne Heavy Kick borrowed the force of the wind, and the impact was terrifyingly powerful!

"Beast!" Yang Junxiong's gaze turned vicious; he stopped paying attention to the bamboo horse and focused entirely on the Mountain Cat.

The heart-protecting mirror on his chest had already developed cracks — if he split his attention any further, the Mountain Cat would grievously wound him.

"This..." Du Jiao Sect came to a halt.

Though she was a woman, she had a chivalrous heart, and having known Zong Shichang since childhood, she could not ignore him in danger.

But she hadn't expected the situation to change so quickly.

Yang Junxiong's bamboo horse Battle Soul had failed to work!

The five nooses bound the bamboo horse, and the killing aura on the Battle Soul had weakened considerably.

"Battle Soul Ignition!"

"Tread Upon a Thousand Mountains!"

Seeing itself trapped, the phantom rider atop the bamboo horse raised its long spear high; the bamboo horse reared its front hooves, then slammed them down hard, kicking up a terrifying shockwave.

Battle Soul and bamboo horse unleashed their secret techniques together — the wild, untamed rider sought to break free of its chains.

"Crack!"

One of the Lei Ting chains actually snapped!

"Let's see how many you can break!"

Lei Guang flickered in Zhao Xing's eyes as he raised his left hand as well.

Three more Lei Ting chains sprang forth!

Having seized so many Spirit Sprouts — including no few of Origin Law quality — the Lei Ting Noose had already reached Eight Revolutions!

"Crackle-crackle!"

Three Lei Ting chains shot out swiftly, locking onto the horse's head and forcibly dragging down the bamboo horse that had been holding its head high.

The mid-tier secret technique Treading on a Thousand Mountains hadn't even been fully deployed before it was interrupted.

"Yin Wind! Rise!"

A gust of Yin Wind blew up from the ground, heading straight for the war soul on the horse's back.

Previously, the baleful aura had blocked it, making it very hard for the Yin Wind to blow directly onto the war soul's main body.

But now, trapped by the Lei Ting noose, the baleful aura had also weakened considerably. Casting Yin Wind again could now slip through the gap.

"Whoosh~"

Although it was only a gust of wind, the war soul on the bamboo horse seemed as if a basin of cold water had been poured over it.

The baleful-aura flames surrounding the war soul instantly lost more than half their volume, turning dim and lifeless!

The Yin Wind spell targeted the soul. Although it didn't directly grievously wound the war soul, its offensive momentum was completely blocked, and it lost all its attacking potential.

"Lei Ting Giant Palm!"

Taking advantage of the bamboo horse and war soul being trapped, Zhao Xing cast his third spell.

A purple palm suddenly flew out from the floating clouds above his head. When it first emerged, it was only the size of a normal palm, but as it flew into the air, its size swelled explosively.

When it descended above the bamboo horse's head, it was actually four meters long and one meter thick!

The Lei Ting Giant Palm slammed down violently.

It crashed onto the war soul's head.

"Boom!"

The bamboo horse fell, the war soul shrieked, and they slammed hard into the plaza, leaving a huge crater.

The seven-turn Lei Ting Giant Palm was ferociously powerful; the war soul actually had half its body smashed apart.

Thunder arts can also harm souls, especially the fierce Yang Thunder, which has an amplified killing effect against pure soul bodies.

Zhao Xing first used the Lei Ting chains to weaken the war soul's baleful-aura protection, then used Yin Wind to sap the war soul's strength. This slam now produced a miraculous effect.

"No!" Yang Junxiong's eyes nearly split with rage as he charged toward the bamboo horse like a madman.

That was a war soul he had painstakingly cultivated through ten years of bloody fighting on the battlefield. Now it was about to be destroyed — it was practically taking his life.

"Meow!" The mountain cat darted forward with a flash and kicked Yang Junxiong flying again.

Its speed was terrifying; the Divine Movement talent made the mountain cat's speed unmatched among the ninth rank.

There was no way Yang Junxiong could get past the mountain cat.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!"

The thunder was unending, and the purple palm took the opportunity to slam down madly.

In the blink of an eye, the bamboo horse war soul took several huge slaps across the face.

Terrifying thunderclaps rang out across the Heaven Altar plaza, and the watching crowd couldn't help but step back.

In truth, many people couldn't follow the battle, because without Bright Eyes at max level, the war soul was invisible.

But Zhao Xing's Lei Ting noose and Giant Palm could be observed.

When a mid-tier thunder art reached the seven- or eight-turn level, its might was simply terrifying. Ordinary thunder already makes people jump, let alone a fierce mid-tier thunder art.

"What thunder art is this? How can it be so domineering?!"

"I've never seen this kind of thunder art — it can actually form a palm?"

"Sigh, I don't lose unjustly."

Cao Qiushui watched this scene, and a deep sense of powerlessness rose in his heart. He had originally thought that with his greatly increased cultivation, he might have closed some of the gap.

Now it seemed the gap hadn't shrunk at all — on the contrary, it had grown wider and wider.

The strong grow ever stronger. Zhao Xing's encounters on this Spirit Mountain were who knows how many more than his own.

"Boom!"

The final strike shattered the war soul completely.

Its previous miraculous qualities instantly vanished.

The luster on the bamboo horse disappeared, dropping from upper-grade third rank to lower-grade third rank.

Chains bind the bamboo horse, Lei Ting shatters the war soul!

After Yang Junxiong's imprint was worn away, Zhao Xing gave a gentle tug, and the bamboo horse came to stand before him. It had already become a masterless object.

"Pfft!" Yang Junxiong spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

He had only just barely been holding off the mountain cat. Now his mind was in total disarray, and he could resist no longer. The mountain cat's Lei Ting Sky-Rending Claws raked across his chest and abdomen.

"Riiip~" The claws flashing with Lei Ting tore through his chest armor, even leaving a bloody gash across Yang Junxiong's chest.

"Boom!" The mountain cat kicked off with its hind legs, and Yang Junxiong's body crashed down outside the plaza, unconscious.

The wind died, the thunder faded, and the plaza fell utterly silent.

Everyone stared at the scene, eyes full of shock.

The invincible knight Yang Junxiong, who had taken first offering two nights in a row, had been defeated just like that.

And even after playing his trump card, he had lost so thoroughly.

"I can understand him not being able to beat the mountain cat, but how could the war soul bamboo horse lose to a not yet entered the ranked realm Si Nong?"

Hu Yang muttered to himself, staring at the bamboo horse that had lost its spirituality. He couldn't help but be lost in thought. He knew full well how powerful mechanical beasts were, but the result was hard for him to accept.

Didn't this mean Zhao Xing could also easily defeat his few mechanical beasts?

"This guy…" Lu Qian's eyes flashed with horror. "How on earth did he train? The Four Arts of Heaven and Time — is he truly proficient in all of them?"

"Jiao-jie, do the three of us still have a chance to grab the first offering?!"

Du Jiao Sect's eyes flashed with a strange brilliance, eager to try.

But then she shook her head again.

"Unless Qianqian and Qing'er, the two of you, can raise the power of 【Great Shao】 by another tier and coordinate with me, we might be able to put up a fight."

"Even if we raise it by another tier, we can only put up a fight?" Liu Muqing also shook her head — that meant there was no hope.

Still, she raised her spear and leapt into the air.

Although she knew in her heart she couldn't win, the martial heart knows no retreat — how could she flinch before even fighting? Du Jiao Sect still wanted to give it a try.

"Mountain Cat, she's trying to steal your toy — kick her!"

"Meow!" The instant Du Jiao Sect took to the air, a black shadow flew over, its hind legs kicking out fiercely. Caught off guard, Du Jiao Sect barely managed to bring her spear across to block.

"Bam!" The silver spear bent, pressing against Du Jiao Sect's conscience, and she shot back to the ground even faster, her feet aching from the shock.

Wind-Riding Strike was a mid-tier, seven-revolution secret art, and the Mountain Cat itself was a rare breed — even as a cub, once it entered the ranks, its strength was terrifyingly great.

"Meow-woof!" The Mountain Cat padded forward, crouching low in a threatening pose.

As if to say: whoever dares to take to the air and fight me for my toy gets beaten.

When the Mountain Cat got fierce it looked rather dopey, but everyone in the square was utterly chilled.

Two ranked experts, and both had been kicked down by the Mountain Cat.

What breed on earth was this?!

"Can't beat it — the Mountain Cat is too fast. Yang Junxiong couldn't guard against it, and neither can I." After trying once, Du Jiao Sect took it in stride. "It's not a matter of skill, but the innate advantage of a strange beast."

With even Du Jiao Sect giving up, naturally no one in the square dared to compete.

Everyone stepped back a little, waiting for Zhao Xing, the newly crowned strongest, to speak.

Zhao Xing had not opened his mouth the whole time, and the others did not dare to ask.

Winner takes all — now however many sticks of incense he said he'd take, that many he could take; however long he wanted to wait, the others could only wait with him.

Not only the hostile competitors, but even the "insiders" — Uncle Hu, Uncle Cang, and Pang Yuan Bo — were all cowed and did not dare step forward to disturb him.

Still, Zong Shichang couldn't hold back and asked: "Zhao Sanjia, ten sticks of incense — how do you plan to arrange them? If you don't take them, no one dares to."

Zhao Xing considered: "Shen Zhui and I will take first and second. The rest — Young Master Zong, you can take them as you see fit."

They'd have to go down the mountain as soon as it was light; taking a few extra sticks of incense was of no use.

Zong Shichang's silver notes were also spent, and it wouldn't be proper for him to keep using this to trade things with him. No need to be so mercenary — they did have some friendship after all.

"Good, then shall I speak on your behalf?"

"Mm."

Having gotten a chance to show off, Zong Shichang immediately put on a grand air.

He stood with his hands behind his back, struck a pose he considered dashing, and ran beneath the incense to summon the wind, letting his voice carry in all directions.

"Of the worship incense, Brother Zhao and I will take eight sticks. The remaining two sticks go to whoever is worthy!"

Having said that, Zong Shichang sent a gust of wind rolling up and swept eight sticks of incense from mid-air into his arms.

The others dared to be angry but not to speak.

The others didn't dare say anything, but Du Jiao Sect's side was unhappy. Lu Qian shouted at Zong Shichang: "Zong Shiba, those aren't battle achievements you earned — what are you putting on airs for?!"

Unexpectedly, Zong Shichang ran over, grinning: "How could I forget you two? Here — three sticks of incense. I took them for you, so you wouldn't have to make that jump."

Seeing this, Lu Qian immediately turned sarcastic: "Oh? You're that kind-hearted, thinking of me and Sister Jiao Sect? It's not for Qing'er's sake, is it?"

Having been seen through, Zong Shichang couldn't help blushing, and stole a glance at Liu Muqing.

Du Jiao Sect glared at Lu Qian, then cupped her hands toward Zong Shichang: "Many thanks, Brother Zong. I wonder if Zhao Xing has any thoughts on the order of entering the temple?"

Zong Shichang said: "Naturally he takes the first incense, the second goes to Shen Zhui — oh, that's the martial artist who was chasing Gu Feng earlier."

"And after that?" Lu Qian asked.

"Naturally I'll arrange it."

"And how do you want to arrange it?"

"I want Miss Liu to go in third."

"Hoo, Zong Shichang, you really are harboring lust — and you still say it's not for Qing'er!"

"……"

While Zong Shichang was chatting there, Shen Zhui also returned to the square.

His iron ruler and his body were both stained with blood, but it wasn't his own.

"Brother Shen, are you alright?"

Shen Zhui took the bow from his back: "I have not disgraced the mission — I've helped you avenge that arrow."

A bow warrior treats his bow as his life. Now that Gu Feng's longbow had been taken by Shen Zhui, even if he hadn't lost half his life, he wasn't far from it.

"Fine bow. Brother Shen is mighty."

This man was dependable. Zhao Xing had only mentioned that he'd been struck by Gu Feng's hidden arrow during the day, and asked him to delay Gu Feng later.

He hadn't expected the man to go all out and take Gu Feng's bow outright.

When a bow warrior's bow is taken, he's either dead or crippled.

Shen Zhui slung the bow back on his back: "How did the incense contest go — has it started?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "It's already over. We've just been waiting for Brother Shen to enter the temple."

"Huh? It's over?"

? ttkan? co

In some astonishment, Shen Zhui took the stick of incense Zhao Xing handed him.

"Brother Shen, please enter the temple and offer the first incense."

Shen Zhui shook his head: "Don't — I had already broken my word, and now I haven't really helped with anything either. The first incense should rightly be yours."

Back then at Chen Shijie's residence, Zhao Xing had been willing to share half of his two pears. Shen Zhui had remembered it all along; he already felt he owed Zhao Xing — how could he possibly go offer the first incense?

"Good, then I'll go in first, and Brother Shen second."

Zhao Xing, Mountain Cat, and Shen Zhui—two people and one beast, all possessing combat power of ranked caliber—after the order of entering the temple was set, no one dared object.

After descending from the Heavenly Altar, the first eight people entered the temple in order.

They were Zhao Xing, Shen Zhui, Liu Muqing, Du Jiao Sect, Lu Qian, Zong Shichang, Uncle Cang, and Uncle Hu.

The other two incense sticks were seized by Hu Yang and Cao Qiushui.

As for those behind, they could only obediently scramble for the second wave of incense.

Inside the temple.

"Agricultural Clerk Zhao Xing requests the True Lord to manifest his holiness."

Whoosh~

Smoke curled around, the surroundings dimmed, as if a giant's Yin Spirit had appeared before Zhao Xing's eyes.

"You have asked this Lord to manifest his holiness—what do you seek?"

Zhao Xing cupped his hands and said, "I beg the True Lord to bestow a portion of upper grade spiritual excellence."

"You obtained the first incense, so you are entitled to this opportunity. This Lord will send you there; whether you can seize it depends on yourself."

"Many thanks, True Lord."

Another gust of smoke blew past, sweeping along Mountain Cat and the bamboo horse and other objects. Zhao Xing felt he was no longer in his original spot.

Looking again, he had actually appeared at the edge of a cliff.

"Meow~" Mountain Cat meowed, eyes filled with confusion—how had they suddenly appeared here?

"Is there upper grade spiritual excellence here?" Zhao Xing was also somewhat puzzled; he had not felt the 'premonition' sensation.

He looked around, and a sense of familiarity welled up within him.

"This spot... isn't this the place Yang Junxiong came to before?"

At that time, Zhao Xing had been farming at the foot of the mountain and had seen Yang Junxiong riding a bamboo horse, leaping through the mountain stream.

Zhao Xing discovered he had also arrived at this spot.

"Could it be that Yang Junxiong was looking for that portion of upper grade spiritual excellence?"

The first incense seeking upper grade spiritual excellence does not simply hand it to you, nor tell you the location directly, nor tell you the method of obtaining it.

The reason Zhao Xing could find the Qi Fortune Golden Goblet was that he had first discovered the place and already found the upper grade spiritual excellence, but simply could not obtain it.

The fifth incense asks about the method of acquisition, and the premise is passing the trial.

"Yang Junxiong searched for two nights—could he not have succeeded?"

"It seems obtaining this portion of upper grade spiritual excellence will be a bit difficult." Zhao Xing muttered inwardly.

In another few hours, they would all have to descend the mountain.

He would have no more chances to go offer incense and seek answers.

"Yang Junxiong leaping about in the mountain stream relied on this bamboo horse." Zhao Xing flipped over and mounted the bamboo horse. "I'll give it a try too."

The bamboo horse can aid a person in vaulting through the air; although it cannot sustain long flight, it can still bounce quite far.

Although it has dropped in grade, its auxiliary function remains—only the battle soul is gone.

"Giddyap!" Zhao Xing clamped his legs, and the bamboo horse immediately kicked up wind beneath its feet, charging toward the cliff. With the bamboo horse's leap, his figure suddenly soared into the air.