Chapter 661

"I understand!"

He Pingsheng nodded.

Originally, Mingyue's cultivation was at Void Refinement levels four or five; now it's only level one.

Clearly, it wasn't a regression in cultivation—there's no such thing as cultivation regression in the cultivation world.

That means it's obvious: the Void Refinement level one individual He Pingsheng encountered before wasn't Mingyue Buddha's true body—it must have been his avatar.

Theoretically, after swallowing the Transformation Pill and entering Void Refinement, one can immediately create an avatar.

But not everyone creates an avatar at Void Refinement level one.

Some wait until Void Refinement levels three or four, or even higher, to create an avatar—perhaps due to insufficient materials, or other considerations, there are many reasons.

In any case, this phenomenon is perfectly normal.

So perhaps Mingyue Buddha is the second type.

Thinking of Mingyue Buddha, He Pingsheng even looked forward to meeting him again—though what he truly hoped to meet was that level-one avatar.

When he fought Mingyue's avatar twenty-nine years ago, he was only Soul Transformation level seven; now he's at level ten.

Soul Transformation is the same—each level is a different realm. He Pingsheng's combat power now is several times stronger than back then.

Perhaps now, if they meet, he might actually stand a chance against Mingyue's avatar.

"Young Master, your servant has just advanced to Body Integration, and I'm still unfamiliar with the Divine Manifestation technique—I need to stabilize it!"

"I wish to enter your magic treasure space to contemplate it!"

Zhou Qingmei looked at He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng nodded and said, "Very well..."

He absorbed Zhou Qingmei into his magic treasure space.

This woman not only needed to stabilize the Divine Manifestation technique—her cultivation needed stabilization too.

After all, she had previously cultivated the Yin Ghost Corpse Demon path; now, through the power of Divine Manifestation, she had shed her yin shell and become a true Daoist cultivator—this required an adaptation period.

Whoosh...

The Silver River Sky Shuttle sped across the high sky along its preset route.

Before He Pingsheng's eyes appeared a vast desert.

An endless desert.

This desert was especially famous—it lay at the border of two Imperial Domains, spanning an area equal to a divine nation.

Even with the Silver River Sky Shuttle's current speed, crossing this desert would take about a day.

Just half a day after He Pingsheng entered the desert, a sudden spiritual energy fluctuation emerged from the seemingly calm sands.

He Pingsheng, seated cross-legged on the flying vessel, instantly unleashed his spiritual sense, sweeping outward.

In an instant, a black spear shot up from the sand ahead, instantly growing to hundreds of zhang in size, striking directly toward his flying vessel.

The spiritual power behind it was so immense that He Pingsheng dared not meet it head-on.

"Retract!"

He Pingsheng's spiritual sense flared—he instantly recalled the Silver River Sky Shuttle, then stepped forward, activating the Three Thousand Thundering Steps.

His speed quintupled, barely evading the spear's strike.

Yet the spear, missed, was guided by willpower, circling through the air, then hurtling back toward He Pingsheng.

This second strike carried even greater force.

This time, He Pingsheng didn't dodge—he simply pulled out the blood-red turtle shell and expanded it.

As magic power flooded into it, a blue-green phantom turtle, a hundred zhang wide, erupted from within, fully enveloping He Pingsheng.

Boom...

The black spear slammed into the blue-green phantom turtle.

Vast energy and rule fluctuations burst outward as ripples through the void.

He Pingsheng's phantom turtle did not break.

Instead, the spear's attack power was completely consumed.

Whoosh...

The spear flew back.

A bare-chested, jet-black man snatched the spear midair, standing in the void and staring at He Pingsheng, his eyes brimming with growing greed: "Good... fine boy, only Soul Transformation, yet you've got plenty of treasures!"

He Pingsheng extended his spiritual sense, scanning the man.

One glance—and the man was laid bare.

Void Refinement level one.

His true form was a giant insect.

A black insect, resembling a scorpion, yet distinctly different.

Like a mutated variant of a scorpion.

Perfect!

Earlier, He Pingsheng had hoped to meet Mingyue again, to test his current combat power.

Now, though he hadn't found Mingyue's avatar, he'd encountered another Void Refinement level one beast.

Time to test my combat power!

"You want this treasure of mine?" He Pingsheng's expression was calm as he swayed the blood-red turtle shell.

"Hahaha..." The man laughed loudly: "Not just your treasure—I want that imperial weapon flying vessel too!"

"Hand it over!"

"Give it up willingly, and I'll spare your life. Otherwise... hehehe..."

"This endless desert will be your grave!"

Huh...

He Pingsheng took a deep breath and pulled out the Primordial Purple Gold Staff.

"Oh? Still resisting?" The man's interest surged: "Excellent... excellent... now this is interesting!"

"Come on—I won't move. See what you can do!"

To the insect, He Pingsheng's earlier defense had relied solely on his magic treasure's protection.

Now I'll let you strike!

Without sufficient combat power, how will you break through?

He Pingsheng didn't waste words—he struck immediately with his deadliest technique.

The purple-red staff expanded to hundreds of zhang, crashing down from the void toward the insect's head.

Technique: Heaven's Mechanism Thirteen Strokes.

This single strike was, in truth, thirteen strokes.

The force of thirteen strokes merged into one colossal blow.

The immense magic power surged through the void, causing it to tremble.

One strike sealed the void, froze time.

The insect trapped beneath the staff's vortex trembled with dread.

A sense of impending death overwhelmed him.

"Puh... puh puh..." Though unable to escape, the insect could still move.

He pulled out a golden bone, spat several mouthfuls of essence blood onto it.

The golden bone rose into a pillar, blocking He Pingsheng's strike.

Boom...

The purple-red staff slammed into the golden divine bone.

Next instant!

Crack...

A crisp sound rang out—cracks spread across the golden divine bone.

In less than a breath, the bone's defense shattered completely—the purple-red staff's force remained unspent, striking the insect again.

Another massive ripple surged outward.

A sandstorm, blotting out the sky, erupted from the desert.

The Void Refinement insect was smashed deep into the desert's earth by He Pingsheng's blow.