Chapter 308: 317 The True Spirit Official

Shi Chunqing's body quickly began to grow larger. It did not swell up like a balloon, but rather scaled up proportionally, growing taller and taller until, in a few moments, it had reached ten zhang.

In the blink of an eye, a ten-zhang-tall, still lifelike Shi Chunqing stood before everyone.

He was so tall that everyone had to look up at him, even feeling as though his head touched the firmament and his feet trod upon the earth.

"Law of Heaven and Earth? Is it a Sword Art? Or a Supernatural Power?"

Even having witnessed all kinds of marvelous Sword Arts, Tang Zhao's first thought was of a story he had heard long ago; after all, the monkey in that story had left a deep impression on him.

Immediately after, he noticed something was wrong.

That figure was not Shi Chunqing.

"It's a Spirit Image! His Spirit Image has grown larger."

Concentrating his Mental Power to look closely, that massive body was slightly wavering, flashing with a dim light. This was a characteristic of a Spirit Image; although this image was identical to Shi Chunqing, it was ultimately a layer "thinner."

Previously, they all knew Shi Chunqing's Spirit Image was his own person, but they had never been able to distinguish between the real person and the Spirit Image because the Spirit Image was identical to the real person in both appearance and texture. Now, as the Spirit Image used a "Supernatural Power" to grow, magnified a hundred or a thousand times, it finally revealed a flaw.

But if the power is strong enough, a flaw is no longer a flaw!

Boom!

The Spirit Image reached out a hand, and a gust of wind swept past. Huge rocks on the edge of the swamp flew up, and countless boulders that had stood by the swamp for thousands or tens of thousands of years flew about in the sky. Only that largest Blue Stone barely remained unmoved.

This was true power, power that a Spirit Image should not originally possess, the power to interfere with reality!

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi hurriedly jumped back a few steps, and when they looked back, they immediately saw the drastic change in the battle situation. Xue Xianyun, who had previously been handling things with ease, was immediately being smashed around by the giant Shi Chunqing as if he were a whack-a-mole. Although he was agile enough to dodge several attacks without injury, he was already in a sorry state.

Tang Zhao and Jiang Shenyi had not seen this kind of battle situation for the first time. Tang Zhao had seen the Golden Armor of the Treasure Gathering Sword Mountain bandits, and Jiang Shenyi had fought against the indestructible Heavenly Demon Bone; both had been bullied by such size and strength. It could only be said that this was a classic tactic.

However, compared to the Golden Armor and the Heavenly Demon Bone, this Spirit Image was more agile. Although other giant armors were not slow in absolute speed due to their size, they lacked flexibility in small movements, whereas this Spirit Image was no different from Shi Chunqing himself. Any move Shi Chunqing could make, it could do, and it was faster and stronger, as if Shi Chunqing had truly grown larger himself.

Comparing horizontally, this move was even more powerful than Sword Arts or the abilities of ordinary Heavenly Demons.

"Spirit Art... True... True Spirit Official! He is a True Spirit Official!"

At this moment, it was Jiang Shenyi who reacted first and called out this name.

Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment. He was no longer a layman ignorant of Spirit Officials; ever since he learned that the Turtle Bandits came from the prosperous previous dynasty of Spirit Officials, he had spent a lot of time reading through materials and had become quite knowledgeable about the Spirit Official system, but he did not know there was a type of Spirit Official called a "True Spirit Official."

Jiang Shenyi stared at the battlefield and said quickly, "That was a very mysterious type of Spirit Official from the previous dynasty, focusing on cultivating the 'Self Spirit Image.' They had little strength in the early stages, but in the later stages, they would use corresponding 'Spirit Arts,' which are means similar to Sword Arts. In fact, because Spirit Arts are not easy to cultivate, their strength cannot be called powerful, but the difficulty of cultivation is extreme. They are also very niche and mysterious in the Spirit Official system, nearly lost to time. But Mr. Zhu said that it was the highest achievement in the Spirit Officials' exploration of 'transcending the mundane.' Because they truly treat the Spirit Image as an extension of the 'self,' through the continuous cultivation and improvement of the Spirit Image, they gradually abandon their own bodies, using the Spirit Image as the foundation of their existence."

Mr. Zhu—so it was Zhu Yang who told him; that was not surprising. Zhu Yang had been researching the paths of various systems other than Sword Guests to climb upward, in order to explore a viable path.

"I heard that although no one has cultivated the True Spirit Official path to the end, they have already deduced the final state of achieving the fruit. It should be that the Spirit Image continues to grow stronger, exchanges with the physical body, and the Spirit Image carries the soul, eternal and undying, reaching the level of transcending the mundane and entering the holy."

Tang Zhao found it familiar and said, "Corpse-dissection of the physical body, ascension of the primordial spirit?"

He did not know if the setting in that story could really be achieved, but he just said that there was once such a line of thought in the story, and it seemed quite orthodox? The True Spirit Official was certainly daring enough to think and act.

Jiang Shenyi said, "The means of a True Spirit Official are all in Spirit Arts, as strange and varied as Sword Arts. This move of growing larger should be one of the Spirit Arts, and one this powerful should require a very long time to cultivate. He learned it fast and uses it well. Could it be that he is truly a genius of Spirit Officials, and just took the wrong path before?"

Tang Zhao said, "I don't think so."

Although it was cruel to say so, judging from Shi Chunqing's reactions, he should not be a genius in any aspect.

Shi Chunqing kept emphasizing that he wanted to be "born extraordinary," and his original intention should refer to "talent." Because he was actually stimulated to this point by other junior brothers and sisters, and his junior brothers and sisters, especially Tang Zhao, had very ordinary backgrounds and possessed only talent. But Shi Chunqing still valued him highly and was jealous of him; clearly, what he craved most in his heart was such talent.

If Shi Chunqing had extraordinary talent in Spirit Official cultivation, he would certainly have emphasized it greatly in his confession just now as an example of his being born extraordinary. He could even have been righteous when accusing Xue Xianyun—you misled your disciples, why didn't you discover the disciple's true talent?

But in the end, when he emphasized that he was "born extraordinary," he only mentioned his family and bloodline. This was probably what he was most proud of; as for the rest, there really was nothing.

Being able to possess such power, perhaps it was because he had already been cultivating for eight or ten years, or perhaps he had obtained power from the "family bloodline" he was so proud of?

"The situation is not good, should we go up to help?" Tang Zhao asked Jiang Shenyi.

He really did not know Xue Xianyun's foundation and could only ask Jiang Shenyi.

Jiang Shenyi said without hesitation, "No need. Master's strength is still..."

"Li—"

A crane's cry.

Tang Zhao's heart tightened, and a chill actually rose from his spine.

It was that white crane calling!

He had heard the crane cry hundreds or thousands of times, and never once had he felt such a shudder. It wasn't there in the past, and it shouldn't be there now, unless...

The white crane passed through the attacks of the giant Spirit Image and flew in front of Xue Xianyun. Even at this time, its flying posture remained elegant, living up to the name of "Immortal Crane."

Xue Xianyun reached out and plucked the longest black-and-white feather from the crane's tail, saying solemnly, "Thank you, A Bai."

The feather flashed slightly in his hand, revealing a frost-like sharpness.

That was a sword!

Xue Xianyun held this thin feather sword, the sword and he becoming one, perfectly natural.

Tang Zhao was stunned for a moment, then reacted, even more incredulous:

"Master... is a Sword Guest!"

How did he not know?

Jiang Shenyi laughed and said, "Is it strange?"

After his surprise, Tang Zhao thought about it carefully, but shook his head.

It was not... unacceptable.

A powerhouse who had dominated a region and established a sect for decades, was it strange to have such strength? Xing Ji had once reminded him that for a Sword Smith to be respected, having technology alone was not enough; one must also have the martial power to protect oneself. So, as an old Talisman Sword Master who had stood firm in Yunzhou for decades, how could he lack strength?

However, Xue Xianyun had only just cast a sword this year, so his sword was not cast by himself. Was it a pity for a Sword Smith's sword not to be cast by himself?

Of course, this was just Tang Zhao's thought. Except for the ancient times, Sword Smiths nowadays matured late; if everyone had to wait to use a sword they cast themselves, how long would they have to wait? Besides, a Sword Seed suitable for oneself was not easy to find; if one couldn't find one, would one stop being a Sword Guest? Xue Xianyun was clearly a Sword Guest long before he obtained a Sword Seed that could be cast into a sword.

Tang Zhao even thought for a moment that he was a Sword Hero, and the white crane or the crane feather was his Sword Image, just like the cat was the Sword Image of the Li Hua Sword. But looking closely, it was not; it was just that the sword looked very much like a crane feather. Xue Xianyun was probably not a Sword Hero yet; his energy was limited, and it looked like he hadn't drawn a sword for a long time.

Xue Xianyun held the thin Crane Feather Sword, looking not like a sword, but like a real person waving a small horsetail whisk, having quite the air of an otherworldly expert.

However, Shi Chunqing probably didn't think he was otherworldly, but instead said angrily, "You are a Sword Guest? Why did you never tell me you were a Sword Guest!"

Xue Xianyun said calmly, "I was afraid of stimulating you, so I never took out a sword in front of you."

He was telling the truth, but if the two hadn't fallen out, he could have used gentler and more tactful words.

Shi Chunqing was furious and said, "Why would I need you to accommodate me? I am... angry!"

When he said "angry," his voice was completely distorted, but that massive Shi Chunqing did not have any excess expression; clearly, it was extremely similar to Shi Chunqing, but it was ultimately not Shi Chunqing, who might be inside it or perhaps elsewhere.

However, when he said the two words "angry," the Spirit Image's chest of fire lit up, a bright red, as if flames were burning.

That was the heart!

The heart belongs to fire, and the heart fire was flourishing.

A sheet of flames suddenly ignited from within its body, spreading in all directions in an instant, burning half the sky bright red!

By the side of the marsh, such a great fire had ignited for the first time!

This fire was not merely an ordinary flame; it contained an inexplicable sense of scorching that could affect a person's emotions. Although Tang Zhao had withdrawn from the range of the scorching flames, looking at the color of the firelight, he still felt a wave of anger and a wave of agitation.

Especially since he was already angry; thinking of this, his temper became even harder to suppress, almost reaching a state of hair standing on end in fury and reckless abandon. He hurriedly pressed down on his sword with one hand, secretly clearing away distracting thoughts, and gradually regained his composure. Jiang Shenyi, who had reinforced his Soul on the side, only frowned slightly and was not affected to any great extent.

This was another Spirit Art no less powerful than a Sword Art.

The five viscera, the five elements—could it be that these are the corresponding Spirit Arts? Are there four more such Sword Arts?

At this moment, Xue Xianyun finally made his move; he moved the Crane Feather Sword lightly, and compared to an ordinary Sword Guest swinging a sword, this movement could at most be called a "shake."

"Sword Art—Crane Flying Dimly."

In an instant, the flames were emptied.