Chapter 385: Great Battle

Whoosh.

The sea surface churned, suddenly surging into towering waves.

Suddenly, the massive waves exploded into a million raindrops.

Above the heavens.

Dark heavenly and earthly qi gathered, forming a vast lake.

Within the dark lake, a flash of crimson light pierced through, streaked with specks of silver, tearing a gap through the enormous lake...

Countless dark qi evaporated, forming a terrifying tide of heavenly and earthly energy...

A battle between Shenhua cultivators is no different from a natural disaster to ordinary cultivators.

"It's truly the Spirit Void Sword Scripture!"

The Old Demon wore a black robe, sleeves billowing; as a force that had opposed the Spirit Sword Sect for countless years, he naturally understood the sect's Liánxū lineage well.

Between Shenhua cultivators, combat begins with mastery over heavenly and earthly qi.

Originally, the Old Demon thought he could easily defeat his opponent.

But he hadn't expected Fang Xing's understanding of cosmic principles to be quite strong; though the Old Demon held advantages in deep qi reserves and higher realm, he could not achieve overwhelming dominance.

This was astonishing for a late-stage Shenhua cultivator.

After all, late-stage Shenhua cultivators are honored as "Heavenly Lords" precisely because they possess the power to kill early-stage Shenhua cultivators!

But this newly ascended Lord of Mingkun Island was clearly different.

Moreover, there was also that fifth-rank body cultivator restraining him...

Thinking this, the Old Demon formed a hand seal, and a strange black jade pendant flew from his sleeve.

On the pendant, countless glowing tiny runes flowed, forming the shape of a peculiar three-headed bird.

"Go!"

The Old Demon infused his qi; the black jade pendant flashed, transforming into a monstrous black bird dozens of zhang long, its feathers sharp as swords, spewing black lightning, poison water, and green fire from its three heads...

The three-colored radiance surged like a wave, instantly engulfing Fang Xing's true body...

But the next instant.

A figure burst straight through the wave, his blood and qi roaring like a dragon and furnace, directly repelling the black lightning, poison water, and green fire...

His physical strength was the strongest the Old Demon had ever seen.

Only ancient demons renowned for their fleshly power could rival him.

Shriek!

The three-headed bird tangled with Fang Xing, its feathers falling like flying swords, piercing Fang Xing's true body with deafening crashes.

Crack! Crack!

One by one, the black feathers snapped—then Fang Xing extended his palm, and a golden giant hand suddenly appeared above the heavens.

It gleamed brilliantly, like pure gold, wielding the Five Elements, crashing down to utterly imprison the three-headed bird: Five Fingers Mountain!

Fang Xing closed his fingers one by one; the monstrous palm snapped shut.

The three-headed bird let out a mournful cry, its layers of black light collapsing, revealing the central black jade pendant, which Fang Xing casually suppressed and tucked into his robe.

"Hm?"

Seeing this, the Old Demon was deeply startled: "Fifth-rank mid-tier? Or even upper-tier body cultivator?"

He was filled with disbelief.

After all, in Qianyuan Great Realm, body cultivators were never mainstream.

Even a fifth-rank lower-tier body cultivator, comparable to an early-stage Shenhua, had already surprised him.

But from Fang Xing's effortless movements earlier, he was clearly far more than a fifth-rank lower-tier body cultivator.

An upper-realm inheritance? Or someone who received the legacy of another great divine power cultivator during their descent?

The Old Demon quickly speculated about Fang Xing's identity, but he didn't care.

Any cultivator who reached Shenhua had some extraordinary fortune.

"So what?"

Fang Xing stepped through empty air, causing the void itself to warp into terrifying ripples.

In the next instant, his figure appeared directly above the Old Demon, and he brought down a palm.

Buddha's Palm: The Fiery Head of the Great Sun Tathagata!

Simultaneously, his martial will surged vast and boundless, yet formless and intangible, instantly sinking into the Old Demon's mind sea.

This ancient demon's combat techniques were astonishing, his experience immense—he had long cultivated mental defense arts and even possessed a fifth-rank soul defense treasure!

But the soul has three layers; cultivators' spiritual sense only touches the outermost layer of soul force.

They cannot resist attacks on the middle layer: the will.

Thus, as soon as Fang Xing unleashed his martial will, even the Old Demon, a late-stage Shenhua demon cultivator, was momentarily stunned.

Then...

A Buddha's Palm descended from the heavens, striking the Old Demon's head.

Shhh!

Dozens of bronze lamps materialized, each containing the mournful cries of infant soul forms.

They were the Old Demon's life treasure—automatically awakening to protect him!

Boom!

A blazing sun erupted above the sea surface, instantly evaporating endless seawater, exposing a dried seabed.

Even on the seabed, a hemispherical crater emerged.

But Fang Xing frowned at this sight.

Shhh!

His cultivation avatar casually slashed a sword, parting the mist and dust, revealing the Old Demon at the crater's center.

His condition was deeply abnormal.

Not only had purple-black scales grown over his body, but demonic light glowed from his eyes, and a small horn sprouted from his head.

Yet now, that horn was half-broken. "This is... demonic transformation?"

Fang Xing nodded: "The ancient demon physique is indeed formidable... Had you been an ordinary Shenhua cultivator—or even a fifth-rank body cultivator—you would already be dead from that palm."

He had sensed something wrong when his palm struck.

Though he shattered the Old Demon's protective treasure, the residual force striking his head was blocked by hardened scales and a demonic horn.

"Now I see—you've long been corrupted. Did the former Shenhua Lord of Wuji Hall discover your secret and was secretly murdered by you?"

In a flash, Fang Xing understood many things.

He also understood his own strength.

'My cultivation avatar has only just broken through to Shenhua; against a Shenhua Heavenly Lord like this, I must rely on my true body.'

'Even if my true body has reached Wu Shen, granting astonishing power—I can easily handle mid-stage Shenhua cultivators... but against late-stage Shenhua, I can only rely on the surprise of my will advantage... Normally, any Shenhua Heavenly Lord couldn't withstand three strikes from me. But this Old Demon still has hidden cards!'

"Demonic transformation" refers to a demon cultivator deliberately transforming into an ancient demon.

Simple to say, difficult to achieve: it demands not only a top-tier demonic cultivation technique, but also vast quantities of "True Demon Blood" to truly cleanse the marrow and replace the blood, altering one's life essence.

If one were merely a weak Infant Soul, the ancient demon would never consent.

But if one could corrupt and recruit a Wuji Hall Shenhua Heavenly Lord, the gains would be immense.

After demonic transformation, the Old Demon's qi became profound, and his physique astonishing—certainly at least fifth-rank mid-tier, possibly higher!

Of course, the greatest benefit was extended lifespan—he could now live at least three thousand years!

Even Fang Xing's true body now had to tread carefully.

"So what if you know? Even if my ancestors curse me... after I break through to Liánxū, I'll ascend to the Demon Realm, never returning to the Spirit Realm."

The Old Demon formed hand seals, and his body suddenly changed!

His bones cracked as he surged upward, nearing three meters tall, his scales and fangs sharpening further.

'Blackened, tenfold stronger; purified, threefold weaker...'

Fang Xing's true body mentally grumbled, then flashed forward, appearing before the Old Demon.

Thud! Thud!

Their fists and feet clashed, unleashing raw physical power.

After prolonged struggle, Fang Xing knew: to defeat the Old Demon, his true body must endure a brutal battle.

Rather than that...

"Good nephew, hold him off—I'm leaving."

Fang Xing's true body shouted, a silver-white talisman appearing in his hand; his entire body vanished instantly.

"Hm? Such an exquisite escape talisman—fifth-rank? Or even sixth-rank?"

The Old Demon, now in demonic form, had been ready to tear Fang Xing apart, but his true body fled too swiftly.

He turned, glancing at Fang Xing's cultivation avatar, his eyes filled with disdain.

Then he casually waved his hand.

Boom!

Fierce demonic energy surged, forming a black lion that spat a glowing orb from its gaping maw.

Inside the orb, countless runes writhed like tadpoles.

"Your elder is truly shameless—unable to defeat me, he just ran away."

He looked at Fang Xing's cultivation avatar, his voice carrying a hint of power that compelled submission: "Now you're the only one left at the Early Divine Transformation stage—do you still think you can escape from me?"

Roar! Roar!

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the massive orb of light surged toward Fang Xing!

Fang Xing smiled faintly.

Now that he was on Blue Star, controlling the Black Death God required a bit more time.

Fortunately, as the principal of Blue Star Academy, building a few hidden underground air raid shelters was no problem—he had prepared well before this battle.

Now, it was time for the cultivation avatar to buy some time.

Ting!

The sword's cry rang out abruptly.

The Rusty Iron Sword materialized in his hand; Fang Xing merged his spirit with heaven and earth, drawing forth cosmic spiritual energy to form a single sword strike!

The heavens and earth suddenly turned white!

A hair-thin blade of light glided past the orb, then past the jet-black lion.

The next instant.

Both the orb and the jet-black lion disintegrated, reverting into the most fundamental cosmic spiritual energy.

The blade's momentum did not wane—it flew toward Master Meng the Devil.

"One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques?"

Master Meng snorted coldly, forming hand seals and chanting arcane, convoluted ancient demonic incantations.

Before him, a jet-black shield materialized, its surface flooded with the furious spiritual power of a Late Divine Transformation cultivator.

One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques from a Divine Transformation Sword Sovereign was not easily countered.

Yet the Wuji Hall had long been at odds with the Yuan Shen Sword Sect, accumulating vast experience over the years.

Though One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Techniques was devastating, it could still be overcome by sheer force.

With his deep Late Divine Transformation spiritual power, he could simply drain Fang Xing dry!

Moreover, this "Yuan Ci Shield" looked ordinary, but concealed within it was a "Yin-Yang Yuan Ci Divine Light," enough to make any sword cultivator suffer dearly.

Shhh!

As the blade of light neared the Yuan Ci Shield, Fang Xing's lips curled into a faint smile.

A flash of silver light!

The Rusty Iron Sword vanished directly into Grand Void, as if teleporting—slipping past countless defenses to appear right before Master Meng!

This was his modified "Grand Void Flying Sword Technique!"

At its core, it still relied on Grand Void flickering—similar to a Nascent Soul's instantaneous movement—but far inferior to outright shattering space.

(End of Chapter)