Chapter 825 - 824: Elder Jiang Has Gone Mad! You Guys Understand Again?
Chapter 825: Chapter 824: Elder Jiang Has Gone Mad! You Guys Understand Again?
Stacking a Triple Divine Domain was already one of Elder Jiang’s most powerful techniques. If he hadn’t been so enraged by Chu Sheng that he lost his mind, he never would have used his ultimate move right from the start.
He had thought that a skill capable of instantly killing an expert at the Integration Realm Peak would easily crush a tiny White-striped Aedes Mosquito. Yet, when the sky-blotting Thunder Fire crashed down, it didn’t harm a single hair on Chu Sheng’s body. Instead, it was like offering him a free meal—freshly harvested and piping hot. After all, Chu Sheng had absorbed every last drop of the Thunder Fire!
At this moment, the Jiang Family Grand Elder began to doubt the accuracy of their intelligence.
"The Patriarch’s information clearly stated that this mosquito is only at the Void Refining Realm First Layer!" he thought frantically. "And I just scanned it carefully with my Divine Thought—its Cultivation is undeniably at the Void Refining Realm First Layer!
"A White-striped Aedes Mosquito cultivating to the Void Refining Realm First Layer is indeed astonishing. But no matter how shocking it is, it’s still just at the Void Refining Realm First Layer! How could a Cultivation base at that level possibly withstand my Triple Divine Domain and Thunder Fire attacks?!"
The Jiang Family Grand Elder repeated the words "Void Refining Realm First Layer" like a madman. He simply couldn’t comprehend how a common White-striped Aedes Mosquito, the kind found anywhere on the streets, had managed to block the attack of a Half-Step True God Realm powerhouse like himself.
"Could it be a problem with me?" he wondered.
Unable to find the cause in Chu Sheng, the Jiang Family Grand Elder began to doubt himself. He looked down at his hands, murmuring inwardly, "Has it been so long since I’ve fought a proper battle that my skills have degraded? Or was I too impulsive just now, failing to unleash the full power of the Triple Divine Domain and Thunder Fire?"
"Impossible!" He immediately rejected the speculation, muttering firmly. "I cultivate every day. My Divine Power has been making steady progress; there is no reason for it to degrade. And if the problem doesn’t lie with me..."
Elder Jiang snapped his head up, glaring at Chu Sheng, who was leisurely hovering in midair. His gaze sharpened with fierce conviction.
"There must be something fishy about this mosquito!" he reasoned. "It must have some unorthodox method, or perhaps a special Talent Ability. No wonder Qingyao and Xinglan both fell into their hands. It seems Gu Yuexi and her Beast Pet are no pushovers after all. The tricks of this Beast Pet, in particular, are completely unheard of. Perhaps... its ability specifically counters the Energy Attacks of a Divine Domain?
"Hmph! Just a cheap trick. If I change my tactics and use Divine Artifacts alongside other skills, let’s see how this mosquito defends against that!"
Elder Jiang quickly found an excuse to soothe his ego. From his initial shock to his brief moment of self-doubt, only a few seconds had passed before his confident demeanor returned. He firmly believed that it wasn’t his skills that were too weak, but rather that Chu Sheng possessed some bizarre method that perfectly countered Divine Domain attacks.
Being in the thick of battle, Elder Jiang didn’t have the luxury to overthink. However, the elders of the other Seven Great Clans, who were spectating from a short distance away, had been closely observing Chu Sheng’s every move. Upon witnessing the mosquito absorb the Thunder Fire, their thoughts went much deeper than Elder Jiang’s.
Furthermore, as they watched the battle, Chu Nianci stood beside them, providing a detailed account of Gu Yuexi’s previous clash with Jiang Qingyao and Chu Sheng’s battle against Jiang Xinglan.
Hearing the full story and corroborating it with the scene unfolding before them, the seven elders unanimously revealed expressions of profound shock. It took a long time for their racing hearts to calm.
Let alone a Cultivation at the Void Refining Realm First Layer, even someone a full Grand Realm higher at the Integration Realm First Layer... No! Even a supreme genius at the Integration Realm Peak wouldn’t be able to block Elder Jiang’s strike completely unscathed without relying on Magical Treasures.
Yet Chu Sheng was merely a White-striped Aedes Mosquito, an insect so common that it could be found anywhere, possessing a Bloodline as lowly as dust. The seven elders simply couldn’t fathom how he had withstood Elder Jiang’s Triple Thunder Fire attack.
"Wait, it didn’t block it; it absorbed Old Jiang’s Thunder Fire!" Elder Ye, who had been deep in thought, suddenly exclaimed in shock, pointing out the crucial detail.
The other elders pondered for a moment before grasping Elder Ye’s meaning.
"Old Ye, are you suggesting that this mosquito possesses a certain Talent Skill that allows it to absorb attacks?"
Elder Ye nodded and analyzed while stroking his beard, "The cultivation potential of a White-striped Aedes Mosquito is inherently zero. They’ve never even been considered Demon Beasts. This one must have accidentally consumed some Heavenly and Earthly Treasures or stumbled upon a monumental fortunate encounter. That’s the only way it could have unlocked its Spiritual Wisdom and gained the ability to cultivate.
"As we all know, some Demon Beasts awaken unique Talent Skills when their Spiritual Wisdom is unlocked. Considering that a mosquito is a creature that survives by sucking blood, awakening a Talent Ability to absorb attacks isn’t actually that strange. In fact, it perfectly aligns with the characteristics of a White-striped Aedes Mosquito."
Glancing in Gu Yuexi’s direction, the Xiao Family Elder added, "No wonder Gu Yuexi contracted a mosquito as her Beast Pet. She completely ignored it just now, clearly knowing that it could effortlessly block Old Jiang’s attack."
Another elder chimed in. "Indeed! We couldn’t figure it out earlier. We wondered why Gu Yuexi, a descendant of a Hidden Aristocratic Family, would contract an ordinary mosquito. But with such a rare talent, any Beast Tamer would be tempted."
The youngest elder shook his head in slight regret. "We thought she wanted to borrow Elder Jiang’s hand to kill the mosquito so she could replace it with a new Beast Pet. It turns out she just had absolute confidence in its talent. Sigh, what a pity."
No one bothered to ask what the young elder found pitiful. The Chu Family Elder, who had been frowning the entire time, hesitated for a long while before raising a question.
"If this mosquito can absorb all attacks... how are we supposed to fight it? If it absorbs everything we throw at it, we won’t even be able to break its defense!"
The clan elders froze, momentarily at a loss for words. Ultimately, Elder Ye was the quickest to react, speaking in an unwavering tone.
"Impossible! There is no way this mosquito can absorb *all* attacks. In the Spirit Realm, there are indeed quite a few Demon Beasts with absorption-type talents, but without exception, they are all highly specific. For example, the Netherworld Tomb Snake can absorb all Illusion Technique attacks. The Ice Qilin Scorpion can absorb all venom attacks. This mosquito’s talent is highly likely restricted to thunder-based Energy Attacks like Celestial Thunder, or perhaps fire attacks. Otherwise, this creature would be far too heaven-defying. It completely defies logic!"
As soon as Elder Ye finished speaking, Chu Nianci suddenly slapped her forehead. "Elders, I just remembered something!"
The clan elders’ gazes simultaneously snapped toward her.
"Not long ago, this mosquito underwent its Celestial Tribulation outside the city to advance to the Void Refining Realm," she explained. "At the time, there was a Cultivator cultivating nearby who witnessed the entire tribulation process with his own eyes. Apparently, its method of resisting the Heavenly Tribulation was to open its mouthparts and swallow the Celestial Thunder directly. It’s exactly the same as how it absorbed the Jiang Family Grand Elder’s attack just now!"
With Chu Nianci’s corroboration, the clan elders grew even more certain of their speculation.
"That settles it! This mosquito’s talent must be absorbing Celestial Thunder! A Celestial Tribulation that would mean a near-certain death for anyone else is as easy as eating and drinking for it. That must be how it managed to cultivate to this realm despite its exceedingly low-level aptitude!"