Chapter 228 - 180: Stifling the Crisis, The Divine Ability’s Transformation (Part 2)
Chapter 228: Chapter 180: Stifling the Crisis, The Divine Ability’s Transformation (Part 2)
His other hand was already pointing toward the distant forest, and the Long Saber Spiritual Artifact shot through the air with the speed of a thunderclap.
There was a dark shadow there.
He locked onto the position, a cold smile on his face, intending a one-hit kill.
"Something’s wrong!"
In his peripheral vision, a startling light suddenly erupted, so bright it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Then a terrifying heatwave washed over him. Only then did he instinctively throw up a Magical Power Shield and activate several Tier Two Lower Grade Defense Talismans at once, while simultaneously abandoning his Dharma Ship and retreating explosively.
But he had retreated no more than twenty feet when five or six terrifying "suns" descended.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!..."
A flash of Spiritual Light and firelight erupted, its power endlessly surging and engulfing an area of forty to fifty feet. Then, a figure, face charred black and body a mess of mangled flesh and blood, was sent flying backward like a broken rag doll.
The Spiritual Light of a Jade Pendant on his chest dimmed, and in mid-air, it silently cracked apart.
"No—"
’What kind of Magic was that? That was definitely not the power a Tier Two Lower Grade Fire Rain Skill should have!’
"Senior Brother Feng" was in excruciating pain, and his heart was filled with terror. ’Could this person be a Middle Stage, or even a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, lying in ambush for me?’
Even the life-saving Artifact his master had given him couldn’t completely block it.
"SHLICK!"
A purple line streaked through the air at the perfect moment, precisely slicing into the neck of the falling "Senior Brother Feng."
At the same time, five smaller purple Flying Blades separated from it. Buzzing incessantly, they crisscrossed back and forth, riddling the man’s body until it was like a sieve.
Lin Changheng flew over at top speed. His iron hand clamped down on the man’s body, only to find him deader than dead.
’Fire Manipulation Divine Abilities True Intent...’
Lin Changheng murmured, gaining a new, deeper understanding of the power this Divine Abilities had when used at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
It could simulate any Fire Magic he had ever seen, perfectly mimicking not only its appearance but its aura as well. It was indistinguishable from the real thing!
Furthermore, it could erupt suddenly, move as he willed, and unleash truly terrifying might!
Perfect for catching an enemy off guard!
This was crucial.
One had to understand that the greatest strength of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator lay in their Escape Light, allowing them to dodge and weave. Even a Body Cultivator couldn’t get close and could be kited indefinitely.
Moreover, they were fortified with all sorts of external items like Artifacts and Talismans, making them difficult to hit directly.
Some Cultivators with profound foundations and powerful backgrounds also had potent life-saving and escape methods; if they couldn’t win, they could still run.
Therefore, being able to land a hit became the most critical problem, and "simulating a familiar attack" was an excellent way to achieve that!
What’s more, this Divine Power True Intent was mixed with the Red Sky Profound Flame—a Tier Two Middle Grade flame approaching Tier Two Upper Grade—which boosted its power even further.
It was equivalent to a full-power strike from a veteran Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, or perhaps even a Late Stage one.
Instantly killing a "Senior Brother Feng" who was repeatedly caught off guard and forced to respond hastily was nothing out of the ordinary.
...
Lin Changheng quickly removed the Storage Bag from the corpse, which was already on the verge of bursting, and put it away.
"FWOOSH!"
At the same time, a Dark Gold Flame rose from his palm, completely enveloping the man.
It flared twice and incinerated the body completely, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.
Next, he quickly cleaned up the scene, collecting the Long Saber Spiritual Artifact, the heavily cracked Puppet Beast, the damaged Dharma Ship, and the shattered Jade Pendant.
Nothing was left behind.
Then his figure dropped into the forest. With a shimmer, he transformed back into a short, stocky man. After traveling for a few miles through the woods, he shot into the sky and flew away on his Escape Light.
He didn’t continue forward, nor did he turn back. Instead, he shot off toward the right, in a new direction.
...
The battle in the dense mountain forest had lasted no more than five breaths before it was over, so fast that anyone passing by wouldn’t have had time to react.
Half an hour later, Lin Changheng changed his appearance again, taking on a new look. He took out his own Dharma Ship to fly instead of using his Escape Light. After flying for another half an hour, he finally landed in a mountain range some two hundred fifty miles away.
He quickly carved out a cave and, once inside, inspected all the items from the nearly-shattered Storage Bag.
His Divine Sense permeated everything, not missing a single detail.
Any miscellaneous items like the robes the man had worn, or anything else that seemed suspicious, were directly destroyed with flame.
In the end, he had a decent haul.
Two bottles of Tier Two Lower Grade Elixirs, seven Tier Two Talismans, one Upper Grade Masterpiece Defense Magical Artifact, and two types of Tier Two Spiritual Medicine...
He also collected some other Spiritual Materials and Spirit Wood, which all together were worth around eight thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones.
The Spirit Stones themselves only totaled about four thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones.
The rest was the Long Saber Spiritual Artifact, which wasn’t in the Storage Bag, worth at least six thousand Spirit Stones.
And there was also a roll of thin "Gauze," which had an extraordinary Spiritual Light.
Lin Changheng knew at a glance that this was a special Spiritual Artifact bestowed by the Purple Extreme Sect, one that could conceal its user from detection.
’This is really something...’
Lin Changheng coveted it, but the item was covered in dense, special markings.
He could tell they were the markings of the Purple Extreme Sect.
Combining his knowledge with his Array Skill, he carefully sensed it and confirmed that it had no long-distance tracking function, but he still couldn’t use it in the slightest.
Otherwise, the moment he took it out, he would immediately expose what he had done.
That would be courting death.
Besides, there was no guarantee that members of the Purple Extreme Sect wouldn’t be able to sense the markings if they got close.
Finally, Lin Changheng’s eyes flashed. He gritted his teeth, a hint of decisiveness rising in him.
"FWOOSH~"
The Red Sky Profound Flame roared to life, sparks flying, as it moved toward the roll of "Gauze."
With a thought, he augmented it with his Fire Manipulation Divine Abilities True Intent and the Fire Poison Technique, while simultaneously circulating his Jade Void Brilliance Scripture Cultivation Technique for another boost.
"HISSS—"
Only then did the Gauze slowly begin to change, showing signs of damage.
...
Two hours passed.
Lin Changheng then destroyed the cave and turned back.
That evening, Lin Changheng blended into a crowd entering the city. Using the blood of a certain Qi Cultivation Cultivator he had "borrowed" on the way, he dripped it into the Immortal City’s registry, obtained a new Token under a new identity, and entered the Immortal City.
Afterward, he concealed his tracks all the way to the Outer Lake, entering his cavern estate late at night.
He used his rather brilliant Concealing Breath Skill, and Yan Mingyi didn’t sense a thing.
...
Half a month later, Lin Changheng emerged from seclusion with the refined Elixirs.
"Brother Lin." Seeing Lin Changheng, Yan Mingyi immediately came forward.
"What is it?"
"Over the past few days, several Foundation Establishment Cultivators came to visit, but I sent them away by saying you were in seclusion for Alchemy. But Elder Mo also came looking for you a few days ago, Brother Lin. I invited her in for a cup of tea, but she left in a hurry. She seemed a bit off."
Yan Mingyi immediately reported the events of the past few days.
"I see."
Lin Changheng nodded.
’In his heart, however, he knew that Mo Zhaoli had probably come to pick up her Elixirs.’
’As for her strange expression, it was most likely because they had reached the stage of discovering "Senior Brother Feng’s" disappearance and suspecting his death.’
After all, a disciple of a Fake Core Master had met with a mishap. It was only normal for it to cause some waves and stir up unease.
Lin Changheng was completely unperturbed by this.
It was just that he had been extremely clean in his work. If the Fake Core Master couldn’t find the killer, he would still need a place to vent his anger.
He would most likely just vent his fury on that group of Demon Cultivators.
’I’ll have to trouble you all to bear it, then.’
Lin Changheng murmured to himself, his heart full of Buddhist compassion.
...
Seven days later, Mo Zhaoli came again.
Lin Changheng received her at his home. Her expression was clearly much more relaxed, a stark contrast to the tension she showed when she had come to give him the commission.
"I’ve also come to say goodbye."
Mo Zhaoli took the Elixirs that Lin Changheng had refined for her.
"Did everything go smoothly?" Lin Changheng asked curiously.
A strange look flashed across Mo Zhaoli’s face. Her red lips parted slightly. "It wasn’t going well at first, but after Master Qi arrived, things went very smoothly. It was a complete rout."
"Master Qi?" Lin Changheng’s heart stirred, but he maintained a confused look on his face.
"He is ’Senior Brother Feng’s’ master," Mo Zhaoli explained.
"Hiss..."
Lin Changheng feigned shock. "A Fake Core Master came to exterminate demons as well? It seems your esteemed sect’s determination to exorcise demons and defend the righteous path is truly immense."
Mo Zhaoli’s expression faltered. After a moment’s thought, she used a voice transmission to tell Lin Changheng a secret.
"He actually..."
"Indeed. Brother Lin, you must not spread this matter to anyone. Just pretend it never happened. As for Master Qi taking action... even if the Demon Cultivators had a few more Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, he would have crushed them with a single palm strike. But fortunately, the seven of us are still considered to have completed our mission."