Chapter 43: Divine Ability

Blood clouds and black mist entwined into a mass.

Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong gave their all to block the two Palm Orders; streaks of cold light flashed swiftly in the blood clouds and black mist, and after a few exchanged moves, the cries of pain from the two Changsheng Sect elders came through.

In terms of combat strength, the high-level members of the Changsheng Sect are certainly no match for the Mist Blade Palm Order.

On the wooden boat, among the clan heads who followed the Changsheng Sect here, five clan heads immediately rose into the air, weapons in hand, and joined the battle.

The seven joined forces and immediately suppressed the two Palm Orders. The area covered by the blood clouds rapidly expanded, faintly enveloping the black mist entirely, so much so that even the tearing sounds of the two Palm Orders' blade swings became faint.

Wu Tie staggered to his feet, first lowering his head to look at his own left hand.

The condition of his left index finger was extremely gruesome; the skin and flesh on the finger were completely gone, leaving only the three phalanges exposed. Strangely, although the flesh had exploded apart, the blood vessels and tendons attached to the bones remained intact.

Blue blood vessels and white tendons clung to the unevenly colored finger bones, looking quite horrifying.

The Eighth Palm Order staggered backward, retching blood as he retreated.

His posture became strange, his upper body seeming limp and unable to hold itself up. It's no wonder—Wu Tie's single finger had shattered his entire front chest ribs and spine; for his posture to remain intact would be uncanny.

"Your hand… is strange." The Eighth Palm Order spat another mouthful of old blood, his gaze hazy as he fixed on Wu Tie's left index finger and howled.

Wu Tie crouched, pressing his left hand against the armor that had shrunk into a ball; a surge of Primordial Vigor howled as it flowed into the armor, streaks of light flickering, the pallid metal sphere rapidly melting and writhing, then re-clothing Wu Tie's body.

Wu Tie silently cursed his own stupidity.

He had already condensed Primordial Vigor, and Primordial Vigor could be projected outward to wound; even a trace of the energy stored in Primordial Vigor was a hundred times stronger than his previous Primordial Force. In other words, during battle he could promptly channel Primordial Vigor into his armor to keep it intact.

Next time, unless his Primordial Vigor is exhausted, he will never let his armor slip away so easily again.

Breathing deeply, Wu Tie shook his left hand; the armor fully covered his palm, and he noticed that his left hand felt no pain at all.

Drawing his spear, Wu Tie pointed at the Eighth Palm Order and strode forward in silence.

An invisible force field enveloped the surroundings; Wu Tie's seemingly quick small steps actually carried him seven or eight meters with each stride, and in the span of a breath he reached the Eighth Palm Order's face, shaking out his spear to thrust at his chest.

The Eighth Palm Order spat a mouthful of blood mist, gave a strange laugh, clasped his hands before his chest into a ball, and suddenly blood light sprayed from his fingertips.

"Kid, what you just experienced was my Mist Blade's Phantom Mist Scripture creating the 'Phantom Mist Heavenly Net'… aren't you left breathless from my strike?"

"Now what you will learn is my Mist Blade's Blood Blade Scripture's unique divine ability, the 'Breaking Origin Blood Blade'… you will surely relish the agony of being wounded by it, a fate worse than death."

The Eighth Palm Order gave a low, vicious chuckle; having lost the support of his spine and ribs, his upper torso took on a strange shape, a large mass of bone and muscle bulging on his back, his breathing grew much heavier, and his voice turned hoarse and unpleasant.

Only the cluster of blood light between his palms grew intensely strong, like a congealed clot of blood gathering in his grasp, and the blood light writhed and shifted rapidly, clearly about to condense into a strangely shaped curved blade.

Foundation Establishment Realm, the beginning of cultivation.

After Foundation Establishment comes Sensing the Profound; as Lao Tie explained, it is drawing on heavenly and earthly primal energy to marvel at one's own wondrous process. In this process, cultivators can condense a power greater and more marvelous than Primordial Vigor, or they may call it "mana."

After Sensing the Profound comes the Chonglou Realm.

In the Chonglou Realm, some call it the "Heavenly Gate" or "Heavenly Lock," a lengthy process of "climbing the tower," "storming the gate," or "unlocking the seal."

In the Chonglou Realm, cultivators can comprehend divine abilities!

Divine abilities surpass all techniques and moves in power.

The Phantom Mist Heavenly Net is a divine ability, so Wu Tie's five senses were stripped away, and even his invisible force field was suppressed to a range of three feet from his body.

Breaking Origin Blood Blade is clearly also a divine ability, and moreover a directly offensive divine ability.

Wu Tie's spear thrust struck the blood light condensed between the Eighth Palm Order's palms.

With a muffled hum, Wu Tie's spear—sharp enough to easily pierce metal—made not a dent upon the blood light.

The spear tip trembled slightly, and the blood-colored curved blade condensed from the blood light also trembled slightly.

The Eighth Palm Order gave a vicious grin at Wu Tie, then snapped both hands' ten fingers.

A scarlet blade light shot forth with a piercing, terrifying whistle from the blood-colored curved blade in the Eighth Palm Order's palm, tracing an almost invisible crimson trajectory that instantly reached Wu Tie's face.

A soft "hiss"…

As the scarlet blade light was about to cleave his chest, Wu Tie's invisible force field surged to full power, finally managing to tilt his body slightly just before the light struck. The blade struck his left chest, slicing a palm‑long, hair‑thin crack in his tight armor, which slashed obliquely across his shoulder.

A large amount of blood water gushed from the crack in the armor, its hue… clear as water.

Wu Tie felt a wave of numb weakness throughout his body; the extraordinarily sturdy tight armor he had relied on these days was finally broken by an external force.

Breaking Origin Blood Blade… what a fierce offensive divine ability.

Wu Tie saw stars flash before his eyes; the sense of weakness near his wound quickly spread throughout his body. He let out a low groan, instinctively turned, and sprinted with all his might toward the Ancient Divine Weapon Camp, running wildly.

The Eighth Palm Order chuckled "keke," raised his hands high, eyes wide, about to fully unleash the Breaking Origin Blood Blade to utterly slay Wu Tie.

Several kilometers away, Lao Tie, standing on a small hill, suddenly opened his mouth.

A mass of scarlet flame burst forth from his mouth.

On his two rows of gleaming white teeth, violet‑blue electricity crackled, forming a raging, ferocious lightning dragon that coiled around the scarlet flame.

A thick as a water‑bucket column of red fire and purple lightning drew a blazing trail tens of meters long; almost as Lao Tie exhaled the fire dragon, it slammed violently into the Eighth Palm Order's body.

The Eighth Palm Order failed to unleash the Breaking Origin Blood Blade in his hand; the red fire and purple lightning struck his chest, emitting only a soft hum, and his entire upper half vanished completely.

It is unclear whether Lao Tie chose this angle intentionally or by accident.

After Lao Tie's red fire and purple lightning slew the Eighth Palm Order, it shot straight toward the wooden boat of the Changsheng Sect that lay near this riverbank.

The hundred‑meter‑long wooden boat was shattered by the blow; countless splintered, black‑painted planks spat out sheets of flame, emitting howling roars that sprayed far and wide.

On the boat, the clan heads and elite warriors gathered by the Changsheng Sect tumbled miserably into the river.

The attack came too suddenly, its force too great; the wooden boat exploded in a total shattering, those aboard suffering violent blast impacts, spitting blood continuously as they fell into the water.

Probably less than one‑tenth of the people on the boat could swim…

The others, upon falling into the water, sank straight to the bottom like weights.

Several clan heads screamed shrilly as fish‑folk and frog‑folk swarmed from all sides, frantically helping their injured allies rise to the surface.

Lao Tie's red fire and purple lightning howled across the river, tens of li wide, slamming into the middle of a watchtower.

The stone‑and‑earth watchtower snapped at the waist; the red fire and purple lightning nearly grazed the Changsheng Sect's stronghold wall, a three‑to‑four‑li stretch of wall being scorched tight by the flame pillar, the wall crumbled, and gravel and dirt rained down everywhere.

Ultimately, this red fire and purple lightning continued onward for nearly a hundred li before crashing heavily to the ground.

With a tremendous roar, the earth trembled, a mass of red light surged forth, a mushroom cloud rose hundreds of meters high, and the colossal explosion sound echoed back and forth between the ground and the firmament several kilometers high, leaving everyone's ears ringing painfully with a constant hum.

Besides Wu Tie, whose eyes were flashing with golden stars as he fled in embarrassment, everyone else stood frozen in place.

Old Tie's strike directly vaporized a small hill over a hundred li away, leaving a crater over a hundred meters wide on the ground.

The raging wind swept up countless broken mushroom and fern fragments, lifting vast amounts of earth and stone debris, rolling toward the Changsheng Sect's stronghold, even blowing sand and dust onto the great river, gradually covering half its surface.

In that single strike, the casualties were immense.

Gu Gonggong, Lan Gonggong, and the two Hall Masters of Mist Blade lowered their hands and retreated, each staring dumbfounded at the direction where the mushroom cloud slowly roiled.

The mushroom cloud had already surged to the dome, spreading outward along its surface.

Many stone stalactites hanging from the dome were violently shaken, snapping off at their bases one after another and crashing down, making the ground thud with a 'dong dong' sound.

Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong suddenly realized this strike seemed to have deliberately avoided the Changsheng Sect's stronghold.

If this strike had hit the exact center of the Changsheng Sect's stronghold……

Not to mention the people of Changsheng Sect, even the slaves and warriors brought by Mist Blade would be completely wiped out.

"That kid……is not alone……he has a terrifying great power……protecting him……" Gu Gonggong screamed hoarsely: "This secret realm……"

Lan Gonggong trembled all over: "We……can't stomach this……need to go to the main hall……need the main hall to send masters and great powers……"

Mist Blade's seven Hall Masters turned their heads sharply, cursing toward the small hill where Old Tie had just stood: "Madman……madman……in this world, who dares use such a mighty move? Bastard, bastard, if the dome is destroyed……if above is a lava river……"

As the seven Hall Masters said, now in this world, who dares use such a wide-range killing divine ability?

No one knows whether the dome is sturdy; if it collapses, and if by chance there is a lava river above……

Look at the end of this great river, the cliff face has a crack tens of li wide, continuously spewing out lava—this is entirely possible.

A lava river pouring down from the dome……

That scene would be indescribably beautiful.

Especially with a river tens of li wide below, the water volume is sufficient.

When lava meets the great river, a wondrous reaction occurs, scorching steam sweeping the entire stone cavern; apart from masters like the two Hall Masters and Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong who could escape, everyone else would be like fish in a pressure cooker, stewed until their flesh and bones turned to mush.

Even if Mist Blade's Hall Masters are usually decisive and ruthless in killing……

Thinking of this terrible consequence, they cannot help but break out in cold sweat, their legs feeling a bit weak.

"Thunder-Fire Dual Divine Ability……" another Hall Master muttered lowly: "Moreover, judging by the destructive power, this person's cultivation is at least a hundred times ours……both are in the Chonglou Realm, before him we are no different from ants……"

"Unless the chief takes action, this secret realm……" Mist Blade's two Hall Masters exchanged a glance, said nothing, stepped on black mist, and shot into the sky, trailing a faint afterimage toward the distant great waterfall.

Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong exchanged a glance, they both snorted coldly, glanced resentfully at the direction where Old Tie had just been, then stepped on blood clouds and rose into the sky, flashing back to the opposite bank of the great river.

After a while, a hundred-meter-long wooden boat flew up, Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong leading a group of clan chiefs, rushing toward the great waterfall at top speed.

Whether Changsheng Sect or Mist Blade, the high-level figures of both sides have all fled……no, they have tactically withdrawn.

They dare not face Old Tie's terrifying strike, all choosing temporary avoidance.

The two Hall Masters of Mist Blade are preparing to seek aid from their so-called chief.

The two Gonggongs of Changsheng Sect, meanwhile, are choosing to seek rescue from their so-called main hall……It is worth noting that Gu Gonggong and Lan Gonggong seem to have concealed the news of discovering this secret realm, apparently wanting to monopolize it.

Until now, they have realized they cannot swallow this secret realm alone, and thus have decided to send word to the Changsheng Sect headquarters.

Several metal spiders the size of palms lurked beneath thick moss, clearly hearing both sides' conversation.

Wu Tie fled at full speed toward the Ancient God Armory.

The Po Yuan Blood Blade is extraordinarily vicious; his wound continuously spurts out blood plasma like clear water. The evil force of the Po Yuan Blood Blade invades his body, constantly disrupting Wu Tie's normal physiological functions.

Wu Tie's cultivated Primordial Gang actively meets the Po Yuan Blood Blade's evil force; they constantly clash near his wound, his Primordial Gang being worn away thread by thread, while the Po Yuan Blood Blade's evil force, after swallowing part of his essence and blood qi, continues to grow stronger.

Compared to the Eighth Hall Master's divine ability, Wu Tie is ultimately two major realms behind in strength, the gap in power too great.

"Old Tie, you let me fight them……" With the help of an invisible force field, Wu Tie leaps like the wind, occasionally soaring into the air and gliding several li, his speed reaching the extreme.

Finally, before losing consciousness, Wu Tie rushed back into the Ancient God Armory.

Old Tie already stood at the entrance of the Ancient God Armory; over a dozen metal spiders swarmed forward, dragging the exhausted, fallen Wu Tie back into the Ancient God Armory.

Moreover, some metal spiders were busy blocking the entrance of the Ancient God Armory.

"Which elite warrior isn't forged in the fires of life-and-death on the battlefield? Grandfather I……perhaps……am pulling up seedlings?" Old Tie walked into the Ancient God Armory shaking his head and swaying, muttering to himself all the way.

"But with Grandfather I watching over……there should be no great danger……well, next time I want to unleash such an attack, I need to accumulate several months of primordial energy? This damn thing, he has ruined his own body too terribly."

"Alright, for these few months, let's keep a low profile……a true hero does not suffer immediate loss."