Chapter 187: Chapter 187: The Heavens Strike and Slaughter the True Dragon!
“`
Boom, boom, boom!
With the Thunder Sword in Zhou Heng’s hand congealing, a thunderous roar that shook heaven and earth suddenly exploded, ignoring normal elemental laws and resounding across thousands of miles in an instant. People throughout most of Pingzhou heard the deafening thunder and couldn’t help but look up at the sky.
Yet, after the soul-shaking thunderous roar, the world suddenly fell into a deep, deadly silence. Everything came to a standstill as if space itself had frozen and time had stopped!
There was no burst of thunder about to erupt, no brightness of lightning, nor the intense heat of fire; everything seemed extraordinarily quiet.
Everyone could hear their own breathing, the sound of their own heartbeat. The universe was utterly silent, as if brewing a tremendously terrifying explosion.
Such a sudden, extraordinary phenomenon left the four Great Grandmasters, who were besieging the Loose Immortal Yu Long, completely stunned.
They were all a step away from the Celestial Man realm, having refined their Dharma Bodies to the ultimate limit, and were on the verge of entrusting their Primordial Spirits into the void and mastering the power of the Laws of Tao. They could feel that the forthcoming attack would be horrifically formidable more than anyone else.
Especially Zhong Shenyi of the Shenxiao Sect, who was most adept in the ways of thunder, was acutely aware of the devastating attack hiding beneath this deep, cold silence.
“Retreat!”
Zhong Shenyi shouted loudly, alerting everyone to back away and evade.
He had a feeling that the slash Zhou Heng was delivering, even just its residual waves, could severely injure them, even possibly damage their Dharma Bodies!
This was the experience he had gained from years of immersing himself in the path of thunder.
Qi Rui, Pei Hongdao, and Jiaoxiu also deeply sensed the potential power of this slash, so after launching their strongest attacks at the Loose Immortal Yu Long, they all swiftly retreated.
He Mengqiu’s manifested Dreamland Primordial Spirit had already retreated far in the moment Zhou Heng was congealing the Thunder Sword. As a reincarnated Celestial Man who had recovered part of her memories and the essence of her Primordial Spirit, she could perceive the power of Zhou Heng’s slash even more than the four Great Grandmasters.
This was definitely a slash not inferior to the Ghost-Immortal Thunder Tribulation. Although not yet at the Celestial Man realm, it was already enough to threaten a real Celestial Man. In the Absolute Fourth Rank of martial arts, this was certainly an ultimate achievement.
Of course, the most shocked and most fearful was the Loose Immortal Yu Long, who had been struck with a Paralysis Card and was under the combined fierce attacks of the four Great Grandmasters. Although immobilized, he could still sense the potency permeating the world.
“What, this youngster?!” Yu Long’s heart was filled with shock and some incomprehension, “The divine light of the Five Elements Path, the restart of all things, and the supreme thunderous assault!
“Who exactly was he in his previous life? What Taoist Seed had he condensed, which Great Path had he refined? Why does he have so many abilities, who exactly is he? Which mighty being, which sacred Taoist Lord?”
Boom, boom, boom!!
At that moment, the icy silence was shattered, as if the chaotic cosmos before creation was split open. A Purple Thunder Blade light that seemed capable of cleaving the heavens and the earth descended from the sky.
The Purple Thunder Blade light was like the roar of an ancient Thunder God, intending to obliterate everything in the world, to destroy it all, and return all things to their origin, to recommence creation.
Accompanying the Purple Thunder Blade light was an apparently infinite number of Purple Thunder Orbs. They were connected together, obscuring the heavens, shining as brightly as the already surpassed great sun.
Such might, if it fell in the cosmic starscape, would be enough to annihilate the stars!
Yet, despite the grand spectacle, whether it was the Purple Thunder Blade light or the Purple Thunder Orbs, the attack was incredibly concentrated, and not a bit of its power leaked out.
It was all focused on the Loose Immortal Yu Long.
Boom!
Boom!!
Boom, boom, boom!!!
Under the successive thunderous assaults, the immobile Yu Long had no capacity to resist.
He had already been hit by the attacks of the four Great Grandmasters, including Qi Rui’s Divine Weapon assault, and had sustained serious injuries.
Now, he was fully subjected to Zhou Heng’s “Fury Thunder Rends the Sky and Earth,” a world-shaking great power.
“`
He finally couldn’t hold on any longer.
Boom!
The blue-green jade light exploded amidst the pervasive purple thunder, the abode of the Jade Dragon Loose Immortal was thoroughly obliterated. Without the shelter of his dwelling, his Primordial Spirit was immediately exposed and plunged into the sea of purple thunder, swiftly eroded to nothingness.
The Primordial Spirit of a Celestial Man is said to be indestructible, but after converting to a Loose Immortal, he lost such a trait, and at best, only some traces of his Taoist charm remained.
However, under the absolutely powerful attack of “Rage Thunder Splits the Sky and Shatters the Earth,” this trait was far from sufficient for survival, and the Primordial Spirit of the Jade Dragon Loose Immortal was completely annihilated into nothingness.
His Divine Soul was utterly destroyed!
Afterward, the sea of thunder formed by the convergence of the Purple Thunder Blade Light and Purple Thunder Orbs began to dissipate gradually, and the terrifying presence that had filled the heavens and earth also started to weaken. However, the terrible might they had witnessed was deeply imprinted in the hearts of everyone present.
Qi Rui, Pei Hongdao, and the other three Absolute Great Grandmasters, along with He Mengqiu, who stood in the distance, turned their gazes towards Zhou Heng, feeling extremely shocked.
Is this the reincarnation of a great power?
Too strong!
Too incredible!
What kind of existence was Zhou Heng in his previous life, and what level of Cultivation Realm had he achieved, to have left behind so many and such powerful contingencies?
It was utterly unthinkable!
“Huff!”
Zhou Heng exhaled deeply, his eyes flashing with intense violence.
Even though he no longer had the state of the Peak Card, he still felt as if his entire being was enveloped in thunder, with his mind overwhelmed by an exceedingly fierce emotion.
The Innate Pure Yang Inner Qi roiled and boiled as if it were thunder itself.
Even the prototype of the inner world he had built with the Martial Path will, the core of all life, was at risk of being tinged with purple thunder and transforming into a Purple Thunder inner landscape.
A golden-armored giant wielding a Thunder Sword appeared in his mind, enveloped in countless strands of purple lightning, as if it contained all the secrets of the Purple Thunder Blade Skill.
Once again, he felt this overwhelmingly powerful martial will.
“Activate ‘Purified Heart’!”
Zhou Heng made a decisive choice, opting for the same approach as last time. Suddenly, an extremely chilling coolness pierced through his entire body. He shivered, and the rage in his heart disappeared immediately.
Following this, the golden-armored giant wrapped in purple thunder also shattered and dispersed, quickly leaving only a tiny cluster of purple lightning.
This was the martial secret that Zhou Heng could digest and comprehend!
“Congratulations! You have touched the peak martial trait of the Martial Arts ‘Purple Thunder Seven Strikes’ [Absolute Fourth Rank], grasped a higher level of martial secrets, and comprehended a remnant section of the Martial Arts ‘Purple Thunder Blade Skill’ [Celestial Third Rank]. Based on your previous realm level, proficiency +15000.”
[Celestial Third Rank] Purple Thunder Blade Skill·Remnant Section: Sixth Layer (998/6000)
After Zhou Heng had fully digested that small cluster of purple lightning, his Purple Thunder Seven Strikes transformed into the higher-level and more comprehensive Purple Thunder Blade Skill.
Even though Purple Thunder Seven Strikes can already be known as the Purple Thunder Blade Skill, the change in name now has a different meaning.
It not only changed from the original maximum of sixteen layers to eighteen layers but compared to the original seven strikes, the current Purple Thunder Blade Skill remnant section also includes a higher-level Eighth Strike.
Heaven Strikes Down Thunder to Slay the True Dragon!
In a way, it corresponded to the previous strike that obliterated the Jade Dragon Loose Immortal.
Of course, under a normal state, Zhou Heng, who had only achieved proficiency in the sixth layer, could still at most release the fourth strike, “Winter Thunderbolt.”
“Hu!”
Zhou Heng once again exhaled a breath of turbid air, and this time, both his spirit and physical state had completely returned to normal.
Furthermore, the embryonic form of his inner world had become even more perfected, and he had deepened his understanding of the martial arts philosophy of the three realms of all living things. He even felt that he could transform at any moment, stepping into the realm of Seventh Rank.
Qi Rui, Pei Hongdao, and the others all noticed the change in Zhou Heng’s state and let out a sigh of relief. They quickly descended to Zhou Heng’s side and inquired about his condition.
They had truly been worried that the will from Zhou Heng’s past life would awaken and unquestionably devour the will and thoughts of this life’s Zhou Heng.
However, it seemed that Zhou Heng’s current state was quite good.
Only He Mengqiu’s dream realm primordial spirit stood in the air, looking down on Zhou Heng from afar, not approaching, her mood seemingly complex.
“Thank you all for coming to my aid. Without the predecessors’ rescue, I fear I would have certainly met my demise this time, and Huangtong Mansion City would have likely suffered a calamity,” Zhou Heng said, bowing his hands in thanks to everyone.
Indeed, this was the case; the strength of the Yu Long Loose Immortal was too formidable.
The Great Saintly Merciful Immortal who had been obliterated in an instant by a five-colored divine light was nothing compared to him—absolute trash.
Both were Loose Immortals, yet their strengths were not on the same level.
If it were not for the arrival of the four Absolute Fourth Rank Grandmasters—Qi Rui, Pei Hongdao, Jiao Su, and Zhong Shenyi—and even if Zhou Heng had used the Paralysis Card to immobilize the Yu Long Loose Immortal, he wouldn’t have been able to kill him with a single strike of the Thunderous Rage that Splits Heaven and Earth.
If it wasn’t for He Mengqiu’s primordial spirit from the dream realm arriving from afar and providing them with a base for secret communication at the last moment, Zhou Heng’s prediction would not have unfolded so smoothly.
All these events converged to allow Zhou Heng to successfully declare the future and execute the Yu Long Loose Immortal.
It was a form of tremendous luck as well.
Wait!
That’s not right!
What about the reward?!
Zhou Heng’s expression turned stern, as he suddenly realized he had received no notification of a reward.
After killing the Yu Long Loose Immortal just now, he had been digesting the profound mysteries of the Purple Thunder Blade Skill and only now did he react—there was no reward after killing the Yu Long Loose Immortal?!
How could that be possible?
This was a Loose Immortal even more formidable than the Great Saintly Merciful Immortal!
Even if there were four Absolute Fourth Rank Grandmasters and the assistance of He Mengqiu’s dream realm primordial spirit, since he delivered the final critical strike, how could there be no reward?
Could it be that the Yu Long Loose Immortal wasn’t dead yet?
What a joke!
How could he still be alive after all that?!
Humming!
At that moment, a humming vibration came from the void above Huangtong Mansion City. The halved finger bone that was about to be completely suppressed by Yan Shouyi’s projection began to solidify once again.
And the projection of Yan Shouyi was fading bit by bit.
The time for the projection had come!
Zhou Heng’s expression shifted slightly, and he said solemnly, “The Yu Long Loose Immortal still has a backup plan. I can handle it. Please, I implore the senior predecessors to help suppress that half of the finger bone. I am deeply grateful.”
“Mmm, we were about to take action.”
Qi Rui nodded and, brandishing his sword, flew into the sky. He manifested his Dharma Body, wielding the Celestial Man Divine Weapon, and slashed towards the halved finger bone.
At the same time, Pei Hongdao, Jiao Su, Zhong Shenyi, as well as He Mengqiu’s dream realm primordial spirit, also made their moves, unleashing great power to forcibly push back that half of the finger bone into its seal.
“Having the predecessors here is a relief; otherwise, Huangtong Mansion City would likely have been doomed,” Zhou Heng took a breath of relief, and then he used a “Tracking Card.”
This was a special skill card that he had received from opening a Fortune Bag earlier.
“Tracking Card: With no limits in heaven and earth, tracking over ten thousand miles! Concentrate your thoughts and describe in detail the thing you want to track, within a hundred thousand miles, you can trace its exact location and current details.”
“Track ‘Yu Long Loose Immortal’”—Zhou Heng didn’t hesitate and immediately obtained the results.
The Yu Long Loose Immortal was actually in Wujiang Prefecture City?
Therefore, he hurriedly used the last of Yan Shouyi’s projection, before it completely dissipated, to transport him over two thousand miles away to Wujiang Prefecture City—
The precise location of the “Yu Long Loose Immortal.”
…
Wujiang Prefecture City, an inn.
“Ah!” Li Wuwang suddenly let out a scream, his expression changing drastically; first contorting, then turning indifferent, and finally becoming extremely angry, his complexion turning a dark green.
“Damn, damned thing! Zhou Heng! No matter who you were in your former life, I will kill you, I must kill!!”
He roared with gritted teeth, his eyes red with rage, filled with hatred.
He was no longer Li Wuwang.
He was the Yu Long Loose Immortal, who had seized a new life by possessing the seeds of martial arts experiences scattered among the mortal realm!
“However, what I must do next is burrow into hiding and slowly grow stronger under the identity of Li Wuwang,” the Yu Long Loose Immortal thought out his future plans.
But at that moment, he suddenly saw the space in front of him twist slightly, and a figure appeared out of thin air.
Zhou Heng?!
“Found you!” Zhou Heng grinned.
“You, you, I, how did you?!” The face of the Yu Long Loose Immortal showed an expression of disbelief, and then he saw a hand that seemed to encompass all living things in the universe descend from above!
The Three Realms of All Living Things!
Now, with the Yu Long Loose Immortal’s primordial spirit destroyed and only the True Spirit’s will reborn by possession, which had also expended some of Li Wuwang’s life essence, his strength was not even as good as Li Wuwang’s normal state.
Thus, under Zhou Heng’s overpowering palm strike, he had not the slightest ability to resist, nor did he have the chance to flee.
Bang!
Zhou Heng’s palm struck down upon the head of the Yu Long Loose Immortal, instantly shattering the once invincible Loose Immortal’s head.
Without a primordial spirit, the Yu Long Loose Immortal’s True Spirit instantly dissipated with the bursting of his divine soul, vanishing into thin air.
“Congratulations! You have killed the Yu Long Loose Immortal…”