Chapter 995: Never Merciful When Retaliating
Pale-white flames, flickering with a blue-green glow, appeared on Tang Jun's body. Wherever the flames illuminate, it was as if time came to a standstill. The feeling it evoked was not warmth, but rather, one of desolation and decrepitude, that time flowed by like water and left only an icy cold in the heart.
"Kill, or leave them alive?" Han Yang smiled nonchalantly. Beside him, Zhou Yuncong still did not speak, but indistinctly, black light emerged in his eyes; the sharp scent of blood caused even his fellow disciples to feel a chill down their spines.
"That, will depend on their own skill," Tang Jun said emotionlessly.
Han Yang smiled. Although he was still sustaining the World Spell of Turning Heaven's Will, he abruptly opened his mouth. Out of it flew a little black dot.
Flying into the wind, the little black dot expanded rapidly, transforming into a giant sword case. Measuring 2.7 meters and square-ish in shape, it landed quietly in front of them.
This, was one of the two Nascent Soul magic items that Luo Qingwu gifted to Han Yang, the second-generation First Disciple of the Qingwu Pavilion. Its name was the Mystic Origin Qi-Wielding Sword Case.
Within it was stored the nine squared - eighty-one - streaks of sword Qi, ferocious and incredibly sharp, that were accumulated over time. When the magic item was first forged, its power was already significant; with Han Yang's constant nurturing and accumulation, with the passage of time, its strength would only increase.
Since he acquired this sword case, Han Yang had never actually used it in battle yet; the sword Qi accumulated was already incredibly terrifying. If they were to be unleashed at once, the sword Qi would cover the entire sky, casting a shadow that would cause the mountains and the rivers themselves to tremble. Its attack and destructiveness were rarely matched among Nascent Soul magic items.
Anyone could feel the fury within Zhou Yuncong's heart now - but he did not move. Instead, with a simple thought, a gentle glow lit up on his body.
As the light converged, a half-black, half-white robe suddenly appeared outside his purple clothes. Yin and Yang energy intersected, adding themselves to the World Spell of Turning Heaven's Will and betraying a strong yet mysterious power concept.
From this power concept flowed a sensation of the rotation of Yin and Yang, halting evil outside the gates. It was not simple indestructibility like the Shield of Turning Heaven's Will, but it had a greater toughness. As black and white, Yin and Yang rotated and flipped, it shifted away damage from the outside, conquering the big with the small, and the unyielding with the yielding.
This, was one of the two Nascent Soul magic items that Yang Qing gifted to Zhou Yuncong, the second-generation First Disciple of Nirvana World. A protective magic item that Yang Qing prepared especially for Zhou Yuncong, as he was powerful in offense but less capable in defense, it was named the Radiance Spell Robe.
Yang Qing and Luo Qingwu were both still Nascent Soul cultivators; when forging Nascent Soul magic items, to achieve outstanding quality and power, naturally, one must expend massive amounts of time and energy. The same goes for Yue Hongyan and Li Yuanfang.
However, Xiao Yan and Zhu Yi were already well versed in the craft of item making, as well as having already attained Immortal Soul. With their aid, the quality of the magic items that Yang Qing and the other three passed to their own First Disciples were in no way inferior to Tang Jun's Pure Yang Magic Robe or Yang Tie's Shield of Turning Heaven's Will.
Zhou Yuncong activated the Radiance Spell Robe, and the powerful defensive force immediately filled the gap left by Tang Jun's departure - and even exceeded it, allowing the sphere of light, already teetering under the impact of the spiritual energy storm, to stabilize again.
Looking at the others, Tang Jun said in a low voice, "The spiritual energy storm made the space here extremely chaotic. Later, when we move, we might be separated if the spatial dimension becomes scrambled. Then, we can reform by following Mana signatures."
Everyone nodded together. Sustaining the Shield of Turning Heaven's Will and the Central Chaotic Heavens Sealing World Spell, Yang Tie said, "We have at least ten breaths' worth of time."
"Ten breaths. Enough." Tang Jun laughed.
Han Yang chuckled as well. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go!"
As his words trailed off, he slapped the Mystic Origin Qi-Wielding Sword Case. The cover at the top of the case was blasted open as streaks of violent sword Qi burst out like savage beasts.
The pale-white flames surrounding Tang Jun started to roll as well as they landed on the sphere of light.
Wherever the pale-white flames touched, it was as if the flow of time suddenly became slow. At this moment, the runes and characters that had been flowing relentlessly on the surface of the sphere of light seemed to become almost stationary, and the spiritual energy storm outside took the opportunity to charge in.
However, when those berserk spiritual energy turbulence came into contact with the pale-white flames, they suddenly became sluggish as well, as if they have been frozen.
At this moment, the sword Qi in Han Yang's Mystic Origin Qi-Wielding Sword Case shot straight up, charging into the fray and dispersing both the runes on the sphere of light and the spiritual energy turbulence.
Outside the sphere of light, Dan Xiang was the first to realize that something was wrong as he looked up, in shock. Zhao Mingxiu and Yang Zhao, still locked in their standoff, turned their surprise gazes towards the sphere of light as well, to see the surface of the sphere of light convulse suddenly. A crack opened on its own, and violent sword Qi and pale-white flames erupted from it.
However, what caused the Great Void Sect disciples to be so astonished was that, although a huge gap had been opened, the sphere of light did not collapse because of it. It was still operating as normal, blocking the spiritual energy storm from other directions.
Meanwhile, the sword Qi and flames that burst out from the gap caused the spiritual energy storm in this direction to become even more chaotic and frenzied.
Wan Zhenglun's pupils contracted sharply. He realized that now, it was not just him who was destroying the balance - the other side was even more destructive.
In this sort of scenario, the spiritual energy storm, already unstable, intensified even further as it prepared to expand. Both its power and its area were expanding; the edges of the storm enlarged relentlessly, on the verge of swallowing him as well.
"Celestial Sect of Wonders madmen!" Wan Zhenglun's expression changed slightly and he was about to retreat; however, without warning, the pale-white flames and the turbulence storm merged into one and had already descended upon him.
This, time, even Dan Xiang's expression changed slightly. "It's the innate power of that Tang Jun's Fire Lord Body!"
Tang Jun had been walking in the mortal world for quite a while, and his Fire Lord Body was no longer a secret. However, even so, Dan Xiang and co. have not expected that those pale-white flames would be so odd and unnatural.
The turbulence storm within the Crucible of the Divine Lands world caused spiritual energy to become completely chaotic, such that it was impossibly hard to command them. If one's Abhijna or Mana did not vastly overpower the turbulence storm, then passive defense was the only option; or else, the cultivator's own Abhijna and Mana would probably ben scrambled by the spiritual energy storm as well.
However, Tang Jun's pale-white flames intertwined with the turbulence storm, but its own capabilities and functions were not the slightest bit affected.
Touched by the pale-white flames, Wan Zhenglun immediately felt that all things and happenings around him have became extremely fast, rendering him unable to react.
"It's not that other things have became fast, but I who have become slow..." Wan Zhenglun was dumbstruck. With this slowdown, he had already been seized by the turbulence storm.
Even more frightening, under the effect of the pale-white flames, even the sword Qi in Han Yang's Mystic Origin Qi-Wielding Sword Case weren't affected by the spiritual energy turbulence outside. Gleaming with incredible cutting and penetrative power, they slashed towards Wan Zhenglun, who had seemingly fallen into a stupor.
Reaction, action, consciousness...everything had already became slow for him. In addition, being swept up by the turbulence storm, the Mana and spiritual energy around Wan Zhenglun have all been scrambled, such that he cannot release even a single spell.
Fortunately, being a disciple of the Great Void Sect, he did not lack battle experience. When he retreated just now, he had already activated his magic item instantly.
To be able to enter the Ancient Desolate Galaxy was to be valued by the Great Void Sect; therefore, his protective magic item would not be bad either. Wan Zhenglun raised an inkstone - a Nascent Soul magic item as well. From within the inkstone, large amounts of jet-black ink emerged, forming a large patch in front of him.
Although being swirled by the spiritual energy turbulence, their spiritual energy was diminished, the ink still formed a patch of black cloud, blocking the would-be fatal sword Qi for Wan Zhenglun.
However, the sword Qi nurtured by Han Yang's Mystic Origin Qi-Wielding Sword Case was incredibly powerful. Only hindered for a moment, they have already ripped apart the black cloud, already in disarray, slashing towards the incapacitated Wan Zhenglun.
Dan Xiang's eyes flashed as he appeared before Wan Zhenglun. Forming arcane gestures with his hands, he chanted, "Calm, the wheel of time; to nature, return. Chaotic magic, follow the will of Heaven. By this decree!"
The Great Void Sect spell, Chronograph Reversal, which erases the abnormalities of time caused by external force in the area.
Touched by the pale-white flames and reduced to a lifeless, stationary puppet, Wan Zhenglun's eyes became alive once more under the effect of the immense power of the spell. He hastily shot backwards, evading the slash of the sword Qi.
However, at this moment, a figure charged out from the gap in the sphere of light, riding with the frenzied spiritual energy storm and appearing before Dan Xiang and Wan Zhenglun in a matter of seconds. None other than Tang Jun!
Tang Jun let out a long roar as his body rippled. Purple-blue flames, deep, eerie and dark, lit up, instantly forming a limitless sea of blue fire and dying the entire world purple-blue. It contained the concept of absolute destruction - seemingly more savage and violent than the spiritual energy turbulence.
Dan Xiang's pupils contracted slightly. "It is rumored that he is the only disciple of the Lord of the Inferno Precipice, Xiao Yan, who mastered the Nefarious Spectral Primordial Fire. It seems that it's true."
Nefarious Spectral Primordial Fire, the demonic fire that can annihilate worlds. In terms of pure destructive power, it was outstanding even among the Seven Legendary Primordial Fires!
At this instant, purple-blue demonic fire surrounded Tang Jun's entire body, making him appear like a Devil Lord from the Netherworld Sea. Behind Tang Jun, a giant beast can be seen indistinctly. It had the head of a dragon, the body of an elk, the tail of an ox, the hoofs of a horse, and the scales of a fish.
A Kirin!
However, unlike the Kirin form generated by Zhu Yi's Celestial Kirin Mantra - magnificent, virtuous, and dignified - Nefarious Spectral Primordial Fire enveloped this Kirin formed by Tang Jun's Mana entirely, emitting a sense of violent savagery and dominance.
The Fire Kirin seemed to have merged with Tang Jun's body. Qi and blood, fiery like a volcano, erupted from Tang Jun's body as his punch hurtled towards Wan Zhenglun; the sky-collapsing momentum evoked fear in even Dan Xiang's heart.
The martial arts Abhijna created by Tang Jun after he, having cultivated the Heavenly Classic of the Way's Virtues, absorbed a Kirin horn that he acquired by chance and integrated the power of the Nefarious Spectral Primordial Fire - the Fire Kirin Wicked Fist!
There was no time for the Nascent Soul magic item, the inkstone, to protect its Master. If Wan Zhenglun took this punch squarely, his body and his Soul would be blown up together!
Hurriedly, Wan Zhenglun casted the Great Void Sect's Dimension-less Transformation spell. Transmuting his body into the form between Real and Unreal, he attempted to evade Tang Jun's fist. Seeing this, Tang Jun let out a cold laugh as he threw a glance towards Dan Xiang. "If it was him who used this, it might make it. As for you, it's just a waste!"
Pale-white flames lit up yet again within his eyes. However, this time, its effect was not on Wan Zhenglun, but rather, on Tang Jun himself.
Instantly, Tang Jun's speed increased!
In the instant right before Wan Zhenglun's body melted into nothingness, Tang Jun had already appeared before him!