Chapter 420: Seizing the Spirit |
The instant the storm completely collapsed, beneath the milky-white sky dome, it was as if a pale golden meteor shower had begun to fall.
Dozens of figures shot up into the sky, lunging directly at the spirit liquid torrent gushing forth from the collapsed storm eye!
The first to move were naturally the few with the strongest abilities standing in the field.
Jiang Tuo's form was like a wisp of blue smoke, instantly appearing before the thickest stream of spirit liquid.
He didn't employ too many flashy methods, simply reaching out with his right hand in a virtual grasp. That golden stream containing four or five drops of spirit liquid paused, then like tired birds returning to the forest, entered his jade gourd.
The entire process flowed like clouds and water.
Almost simultaneously, Nan Zhuoran also moved.
Purple lightning flashed beneath his feet and he had already appeared beside another spirit liquid stream.
Facing two other figures lunging toward it as well.
"Scram."
One word uttered, plain and ordinary, yet it seemed to contain the might of nine heavens thunder!
Those two people's forms suddenly stiffened. They only felt a sharp aura like calamity thunder crash down upon them. Their consciousness seas stung with pain and even their True Origin circulation became sluggish for a moment.
By the time they recovered, Nan Zhuoran had swept his sleeve and already collected those two drops of spirit liquid, then sought his next target.
Lin Haiqing's movement technique was ethereal, like clouds and mist, weaving between several spirit liquid streams.
The soft sword in his hand danced, its light like mercury spilling on the ground. He didn't fight hard with others, only picking away one or two drops of splashing spirit liquid.
Xin Nichang was even more peculiar. As her secret technique circulated, the spirit liquid within three zhang around her actually gathered toward her as if sentient.
Wang Jing was the most domineering. With one sweep of his large hand, several drops of spirit liquid entered his grasp. Then his gaze swept around like lightning, searching for his next target, his fierce aura causing those around him to instinctively avoid him.
In the core area, several grandmaster seeds with nine True Origin refinements and senior elders had already joined battle.
The explosive sounds of True Origin collisions, the sharp whistling of qi force tearing through air, the golden spirit liquid streams scattered and splashed amid the chaotic currents of violent aura, actually causing a sparse spirit liquid rain to fall in the outer areas as well.
Chen Qing didn't charge toward that most intense core battle group.
The "Nine Shadows Void Evasion Art" quietly circulated.
In an instant, six figures with identical auras and appearances as Chen Qing's main body separated from where he stood and shot swiftly in different directions!
This strange scene immediately attracted quite a few nearby gazes, raising cries of alarm.
"Cloning technique?!"
"It's Chen Qing! Chen Qing from Tianbao Upper Sect!"
The six clones each sought their own targets, lunging toward those spirit liquid streams splashing out from the core battle group's edges.
As for Chen Qing's main body, it remained near one of the clones, scanning the golden radiance filling the sky.
"Whoosh!"
One clone caught a drop of pale golden spirit liquid in midair, brought it to its mouth, and instantly swallowed it!
At this moment, it was already the last day of the Spirit Ruins opening. All spirit liquid could not be taken out. Everyone present who snatched spirit liquid almost immediately consumed and refined it on the spot, trying as much as possible to raise their cultivation a bit before leaving.
The spirit liquid entered his belly and transformed into a warm current spreading outward.
Chen Qing's main body, however, focused on two drops three zhang ahead and to the side that had just been knocked off their original trajectory by a fist wind and were flying toward the outer area.
The moment his form moved, another gray shadow lunged forth, its target also these two drops of spirit liquid!
"Yuan Tong?" Chen Qing's gaze turned cold as he recognized the person was precisely the Black Water Giant City expert he had robbed in a black-eating-black incident a few days ago.
Yuan Tong clearly also recognized Chen Qing, but with spirit liquid before him, greed overcame fear.
He formed his fingers like a blade, and a ghostly blue bone-corroding blade qi slashed toward those two drops of spirit liquid first, actually wanting to shatter or scatter them so Chen Qing couldn't easily obtain them.
"Stubbornly foolish."
Chen Qing snorted coldly. His forward charging momentum unchanged, his right hand flicked a finger.
A strand of True Origin force condensed like a needle, striking from behind to arrive first, precisely hitting the side of Yuan Tong's blade qi.
With a soft "pop," the blade qi deflected and grazed past the edge of the two drops of spirit liquid.
Meanwhile, Chen Qing's sleeve swept out. His True Origin like flexible silk ribbon had already steadily wrapped the two drops of spirit liquid and retracted them into his palm.
Yuan Tong's face paled. Though that finger force just now was light, the condensed True Origin and penetrating power contained within made his heart race with shock.
Seeing Chen Qing's cold gaze sweep over, he immediately felt like falling into an ice cave and his form retreated violently.
Relying on the convenience of clones, Chen Qing's main body and five clones cooperated with each other, roaming the battlefield's outer area, specifically targeting those scattered spirit liquid drops or ones shaken loose by the aftermath of others' battles.
Though not participating in the core melee, his efficiency was extremely high. In just over ten breaths, he had already successfully obtained six drops of spirit liquid, all consumed and refined on the spot by his clones.
"The foundation of seven refinements is becoming increasingly solid."
Chen Qing felt the growth and solidification of the True Origin within his body, silently thinking.
Just then, his gaze suddenly condensed!
He saw about thirty zhang ahead to the right, a golden light cluster about the size of a fist was falling diagonally downward.
Within that light cluster, pale golden spirit liquid churned. A rough scan revealed no less than ten drops!
"Ten drops!"
Chen Qing's heart jumped.
This wasn't those scattered one or two drops splashing about, but a small cluster of spirit liquid aggregates that hadn't completely dispersed!
For the vast majority of people who entered the Spirit Ruins, after seven days of hard work, their final harvest might only be a dozen or so drops.
If he could take down these ten drops, plus what he obtained previously and that unabsorbed purple spirit liquid, this Spirit Ruins trip's harvest would far exceed expectations!
"If I absorb these ten drops, even if I can't immediately step into eight refinements, I won't be far off!"
The opportunity must not be missed!
Chen Qing's main body could no longer bother with hiding. The bluestone beneath his feet exploded and his form shot forth like an arrow released from a bowstring, tearing through the air and lunging directly at that golden light cluster!
His speed was fast, but someone's speed was even faster!
A gray-green figure shot forth from the side. Before the person arrived, a large pale green hand condensed from vigorous True Origin already reached ahead to grab that golden light cluster!
This person wore Taiyi Upper Sect elder's robes. The aura around his entire body was deep and solid, clearly the fluctuation of nine True Origin refinements!
"Meng Xingdu!" Chen Qing's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly recognized this person.
Meng Xingdu, a Taiyi Upper Sect inner sect elder. In his youth he was also a genius who stirred one side, advancing triumphantly all the way to eight True Origin refinements, but was trapped before the threshold of nine refinements for decades without making an inch of progress.
Only in recent years did he break through, earning the title 'Pearl Lost Before the Threshold.'
Though not comparable to those veteran elders who had long achieved perfection and were advancing toward the Grandmaster realm, with his nine-refinement cultivation and Taiyi Upper Sect's secret transmission supreme techniques, no one dared underestimate him.
This person was precisely one of the only two nine-refinement experts among Taiyi Upper Sect's ten people.
"Little boy, you're still too green."
Meng Xingdu glanced at Chen Qing charging forth and the corner of his mouth hooked up in an arc.
His True Origin large hand's radiance intensified, five fingers closing in, about to clasp that ten-drop spirit liquid cluster into his palm.
Since this was already an open and aboveboard struggle, Chen Qing no longer hid.
He shouted lowly. The Jingzhe Spear shot from his back into his hand. His arm shook and the spear body hummed!
"Chi!"
A spear radiance condensed to the extreme burst forth from the spear tip, so fast it seemed to break through time's constraints, instantly stabbing the weak point at the wrist of Meng Xingdu's True Origin large hand!
The True Origin large hand violently trembled. The closing momentum of the palm immediately stalled and the radiance flowing across its surface dimmed by several degrees.
Chen Qing seized this opportunity. His left hand swept out his sleeve, a soft force rolling toward that golden light cluster.
"Hmph! You have some ability, but it's still not enough!"
A fierce look flashed in Meng Xingdu's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected Chen Qing's single spear to actually be able to shake him.
He reacted extremely quickly. The True Origin large hand maintained its grasping momentum while his left hand formed a fist seal and delivered a punch through the air toward Chen Qing!
Taiyi Upper Sect's treasure fist technique! Eight Desolations Mountain-Suppressing Fist!
Before the fist force arrived, a majestic fist intent capable of shaking mountains already enveloped Chen Qing's entire body.
The fist wind solidified like a bronze giant hammer, crushing the air and emitting a deep rumbling sound as it directly bombarded Chen Qing's chest!
This punch, Meng Xingdu had already truly become angry and no longer held back. His True Origin surged forth mightily with terrifying power!
Where the fist wind reached, the faces of two nearby experts who were competing for scattered spirit liquid changed dramatically. They hastily dodged to both sides, afraid of being caught in the aftermath.
Chen Qing's pupils contracted. The qi and blood within his body thunderously circulated like the Yangtze River. The seventh layer of Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body was driven to the extreme. Blue veins bulged on his arms like coiling dragons, filled with explosive power.
He had no time to change tactics. The muscles in his right arm gripping the spear bulged. The Jingzhe Spear changed from stabbing to sweeping, the spear body tracing a heavy arc, carrying a low breaking-air sound like dragon-elephant roars, boldly sweeping toward that incoming bronze fist seal!
Breaking force with force!
"Boom...!!!"
The spear body and fist seal collided boldly!
In that instant, blinding golden-green two-colored radiance exploded. The violent air waves swept outward in a ring, scraping away a layer from the ground below. Shattered stones and dust shot up into the sky!
Chen Qing's form shook violently. The sleeve of his right arm gripping the spear tore with a "rip" into butterfly fragments, revealing the pale golden skin beneath. His qi and blood churned violently.
Meanwhile, Meng Xingdu's form swayed slightly as he retreated half a step in midair. That fist seal he'd delivered was actually shaken apart by nearly half by the terrifying tremendous strength contained in the spear body. The rebound force made his qi and blood fluctuate for a moment, and an expression of disbelief flashed through his eyes.
"Good lad!"
Meng Xingdu was secretly alarmed in his heart, his complexion darkening.
Though this punch wasn't his full strength, he had also used eighty percent of his True Origin, combined with the domineering fist intent of the Eight Desolations Mountain-Suppressing Fist. An ordinary eight-refinement expert taking it head-on would either die or be severely injured.
Yet this Chen Qing, only just entering seven refinements, could actually rely on physical tremendous strength and True Origin to resist head-on, only retreating three steps, and from the looks of it hadn't suffered substantial damage!
"This child's strength... is actually this formidable?!"
Waves rose in Meng Xingdu's heart, his eyes complex.
In his youth he was also a genius and deeply understood that some people were precisely at the golden period of cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds, a thousand li in a day. But Chen Qing's advancement speed was simply too terrifying!
Several days ago when exchanging blows with Tang Qinghe, though strong, he absolutely didn't have this moment's fierce strength!
A ghostly light flashed in Meng Xingdu's eyes. The liquid True Origin lake within his body completely boiled. His hands formed a profound seal before his chest.
Divine ability secret art! Taiyi Ruins-Returning Seal!
Meng Xingdu's entire body's momentum suddenly changed. His originally majestic outwardly released True Origin rapidly condensed inward.
The elemental qi of heaven and earth, including that dispersing spirit liquid aura, were all faintly drawn in.
His hands formed a virtual embrace, slowly pressing downward. The movement seemed slow yet weighed ten thousand jun!
As his palms pressed down, a phantom giant seal suddenly condensed into form above his head.
The giant seal was square-shaped, ancient and weighty. Its surface vaguely had mountain and river phantom images flowing, emanating a terrifying aura of suppressing all things!
Before the giant seal fell, the air within a range of several dozen zhang below had already become viscous as glue. Gravity seemed to suddenly increase several times. The rock on the ground emitted groans unable to bear the load and cracked inch by inch!
"Taiyi Ruins-Returning Seal! Elder Meng is getting serious!"
In the distance, Zhou Xiang's complexion changed dramatically. Feeling that suppressing force that made even him palpitate, he unhesitatingly retreated swiftly backward at high speed.
Yuan Tong, Fei Yuchen and others' souls left their bodies even more. They desperately fled that area, afraid of being affected by the aftermath of that giant seal.
Even in the distant core battle group, several gazes were attracted over.
Nine True Origin refinements combined with one of Taiyi Upper Sect's famous treasure sect divine abilities, its might was already extraordinary!
Chen Qing stood beneath the giant seal's shroud and only felt the air around his entire body solidify, as if carrying an invisible mountain on his back. His movements were sluggish and even the True Origin circulation within his body was suppressed.
But his eyes remained calm.
"Perfect. Let me test the true power of seven refinements combined with Dragon-Elephant Prison-Shattering Force!"
He took a deep breath. Both the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Vajra Body and Supreme Void True Scripture within his body circulated to their extremes simultaneously!
His qi and blood were like dragons, galloping and roaring through his blood vessels, emitting low rumbling sounds. Within his dantian, that lake of dark golden True Origin raised towering waves. The central whirlpool spun madly, extracting every bit of power.
The Jingzhe Spear was gripped tightly in both hands. On the spear body, dark golden dragon-elephant phantom images appeared and disappeared, emitting soundless roars.
Dragon-Elephant Prison-Shattering Force Second Form! Dragon-Elephant Shakes the Heavens!
Different from the first form 'Mountain Collapse's' pure rigidity and fierce explosion, 'Shakes the Heavens' emphasized more accumulation and eruption.
The momentum around Chen Qing's entire body climbed at an astonishing rate, as if transforming into a Vajra Buddha desiring to break free from shackles!
That unyielding domineering will and the Taiyi Ruins-Returning Seal's suppressing force intensely opposed each other in the void!
"Suppress!"
The fierce look in Meng Xingdu's eyes reached its peak. His palms suddenly pressed downward!
That Ruins-Returning Giant Seal with mountain and river phantom images flowing crashed down thunderously!
Wherever it passed, space emitted groans of distortion unable to bear the load. The ground below had already collapsed into a huge pit!
"Break!!!"
Chen Qing's explosive shout was like thunder. The Jingzhe Spear in his hands met the falling giant seal, from bottom to top, boldly thrusting forth!
No brilliant radiance, only a point of dark golden cold gleam condensed to the extreme at the spear tip, as well as that single spear condensing all of Chen Qing's essence, qi and spirit!
"Clang...!!!!!!"
The instant the spear tip and giant seal bottom collided, a sound like a great bell or pillar collapsing shook throughout the wilderness!
Time seemed to freeze in this moment.
The next instant—
"Crack! Crack crack crack...!"
Shattering sounds spread from the giant seal's bottom!
That Ruins-Returning Giant Seal condensed from nine-refinement True Origin and divine ability Dao patterns was actually forcibly penetrated by that one point of cold gleam at the spear tip. Spider web-like cracks, centered on the spear tip, rapidly spread throughout the entire seal body!
"What?!" Meng Xingdu's face instantly turned deathly pale. A mouthful of reverse blood surged to his throat. He forcibly swallowed it down, but his aura had already visibly withered.
The divine ability was forcibly shattered and the backlash force injured his internal organs!
At the same time, both of Chen Qing's sleeves completely shattered, revealing the slightly trembling muscles beneath his skin.
The massive bluestone he stood upon thunderously exploded and his entire person was pressed down by the tremendous force, sinking three chi into the ground.
"Boom...!!!"
The Ruins-Returning Giant Seal completely shattered, transforming into countless light points that dissipated.
The violent shockwave simultaneously blasted Chen Qing and Meng Xingdu backward.
Chen Qing landed steadily on another protruding massive bluestone twenty zhang away.
He knelt slightly on one knee, using his spear to support the ground, and slowly straightened his body.
In contrast, Meng Xingdu, after flying backward over ten zhang, stumbled to the ground, pressing his hand to his chest with a trace of fresh blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth.
Just in the interval when the two clashed with one move, a gray shadow cut into the battle group at a speed so fast it only left faint afterimages in the air, lunging directly at that cluster of ten spirit liquid drops about to hit the ground!
It was precisely Taiyi Upper Sect's other nine-refinement True Origin expert on this trip, Fu Ting!
This person's short beard was like halberds and his movement technique was even more devious than Meng Xingdu's.
He had been building momentum for a long time, waiting for precisely this fleeting opportunity.
"This old man will gladly accept!"
Fu Ting laughed long. His right hand's five fingers formed a claw and grabbed through the air. A powerful suction force generated from his palm and that cluster of ten spirit liquid drops was actually absorbed from a distance by him. It looked like it would fall into his palm any moment!
Usually only he robbed others. Today he was actually played for the mantis stalking the cicada by someone else!
Chen Qing's eyes suddenly narrowed, cold light flashing.
His form was still unstable in midair, but his right hand had already swept past his waist like lightning.
"Chi chi chi chi...!"
Countless fine golden gleams shot violently from his sleeve. The breaking-air sounds were sharp and piercing, instantly transforming into an impenetrable net of hidden weapons enveloping Fu Ting's vital points all over his body!
It was precisely coin darts!
Each was as thin as a cicada's wing with sharp edges. Under True Origin infusion they spun and shot forth with devious trajectories!
This was Chen Qing's habitual method from his early years. Under the control of the Floating Light Passing Shadow Hand, it had once caused countless opponents to meet bitter ends.
However, since entering Tianbao Upper Sect, his strong enemies were all True Origin realm experts with thick protective True Origin. Ordinary hidden weapons could hardly harm them in the slightest, so he rarely displayed it and his skill had indeed become quite rusty.
"Trivial tricks, you dare show off before an expert?"
Fu Ting sneered. His left hand's large sleeve swept out. The sleeve robe billowed like a sail with vigorous True Origin infused within, actually emitting muffled sounds like metal clashing.
"Bang bang bang bang...!"
The coin darts struck the sleeve robe like rain hitting plantain leaves, but were all shattered into powder by that True Origin, transforming into fine dust that fell rustling down, unable to obstruct him in the slightest!
And in this instant's delay, Fu Ting's right hand had already completely grasped that cluster of ten spirit liquid drops. Without the slightest hesitation, he opened his mouth and sucked. The spirit liquid transformed into a golden thin stream flowing directly toward his mouth!
"Leave it!"
Chen Qing's toes fiercely tapped the shattered bluestone fragments behind him, borrowing the force to rush back. His form shot forth like a cannonball once more toward Fu Ting!
The Jingzhe Spear traced a mournful arc through the air, the spear tip trembling with faint dragon roars!
True Martial Demon-Quelling Spear! True Martial Seven Intents!
This spear was no longer a simple change of seven types of force, but rather integrated the seven spear intents Chen Qing had comprehended to date!
The seven intents flowed and circulated, complementing each other, ultimately converging at one point on the spear tip, erupting with domineering might!
The spear shot forth like a dragon, directly striking the vital point!
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