章節 94: Ch.7
Just as I was closing my eyes to meditate, I noticed the holy son and maiden both looking at me with appreciative glances. They appeared to be assessing me while I couldn't care less. I ignored them and this whole debacle as those with talent in a dao or way went up to show it off.
When the holy son and maiden finally went up and eventually Nie Li himself to other's shock, he managed to attract his own attention. The holy son and maiden both bought dao words from him for a hundred thousand apiece.
When he went to finally step down from the stage, Gu Bei who wanted a word from Nie Li, asked a little to loudly if I'd go up, waking me from my meditation with a frown. The entire auditorium looked at me expectantly while Long Tianming spoke mockingly. "Perhaps it's only an inherited ability that he uses and he has no real talents elsewhere."
Growling I stood up and passed Nie Li on the stairs saying. "I might just break the sect rules and kill him anyways."
My words were heard by everyone here as they were all mostly heavenly fate and higher with superhuman senses and keen ears. Long Tianming snorted and I turned to face him as I took the stage and pulled one of my swords.
I did what I didn't really plan on doing in the beginning and entered the advanced realm of one with the sword. I didn't move from my stance, nor did I emit energy or soul force. I merely entered the ready state of mind as I stepped further and further along that path.
A crack of the platform happened as I entered a higher state, sword as one. I was a breath away from entering the state of becoming a sword when I felt two distinct sword auras respond and heard a cry of agony as Long Tianming was the one I'd locked onto.
When I exited my state I saw Gu Bei surrounded in sword aura as he'd comprehended at least a part of one with the sword. The holy son, Yan Yang, was the other to comprehend a more thorough one with the sword than even Gui Bei.
Long Tianming was in agony as his face had small micro cuts and his eyes were bleeding. I snorted at. "If you can't comprehend then perhaps you shouldn't look!"
Yan Yang gave me a comprehensive look before publicly thanking me for the demonstration. As I left the stage Gu Bei thanked me as well while a voice entered my ears. "Why do you strike out at him so? Can you not put aside petty disputes to show unity for the good of the sect?"
I snorted. "If you need to ask them you're clearly blind yourself, else you're as dumb as he is. While it's true that the dispute is petty and could be looked past, I am not a martial ancestor nor do I give a rats ass about your games. You let him suffer to test me, fine, but when he doesn't learn to hold his tongue, it's clearly failure on your part to discipline him properly. I'm merely teaching him a lesson you should have a long time ago. There is always someone stronger and more talented, and this spoilt children may offend them with their arrogance and lack of discipline by failures of their teachers."
The presence reeled as if I'd slapped it while another asked. "Are you not just as arrogant to speak to a martial ancestor in such a way?"
I snorted. "Hardly. Martial ancestor is just a realm of cultivation. Reaching it is a matter of time not talent. If even an idiot like Long Tianming can peek your interest and have you put so much stock in him then color me not impressed. Either your talent pool is lacking or you've never seen a real genius. Either way it doesn't bode well for the future of this sect if it's to be left in his hands."
The first voice came back and asked. "Perhaps you think you're a better candidate for us to back then?"
I snorted. "Hardly. I've no interest in playing parent to a bunch of idiot children. A sect like this, in this state is on the decline for three reasons, lack of talent, lack of discipline and lack of resources due to petty infighting. I've not the time nor inclination to teach children to walk when I myself can fly."
They disappeared for a moment then as I sat down again the second one asked. "Whom would you recommend then?"
I chuckled and sent back. "Any at this table or a half the sect in general would be better than that greedy foolish idiot. But if you need a specific recommendation I'd be willing to back, then Nie Li here. His insight into the dao would match even your own in most things. As far as if I'd back him, yeah, sure. I might just kill Long Tianming if I see him outside anyway so setting up a stable and ambitious but wise leader would be best."
They went quiet and I thought them gone for now while I waited for Qin Yue to announce the end of the segment. When she did, I stood and left but as I got to the door the voice came back. "Would you be willing to become my disciple? I know it's not heard of to be asked like this but you truly are a unique case."
I frowned before saying. "State your name first, I've no desire to be influenced by the ancestor of some family into joking their cause."
It went quiet for a moment before a man appeared in front of me as an image projected from his spirit, a true master of his soul realm to be able to do this. "I am called Hierarch Crimsonblood and if you accept, you'll be my first and only disciple."
I went through what I knew about him which admittedly wasn't much. finally I asked. "What family are you tied to?"
He furrowed his brows before shaking his head. "I am not connected to any family. I was a lone cultivator that came from little haven to this realm hundreds of years ago. I rose to power as you put it, through talent alone."
I smiled and bowed. "Disciple greets master. Though I hope you'll forgive, the nether realm master of tiny world was my first master."
He waved it off saying. "I'll talk to the brat but I see no reason why he shan't agree to sharing. Come to my pavilion when you've the time. I wish to discuss what you know of the dao of the sword when you're not busy."
He faded and I sighed. "Well, that happened."
Nie Li who'd been invisible next to me made himself known. "You've made waves and they're taking measures to see that you aren't killed off before you mature."
I nodded. "True, though you've made waves of your own. I suspect at least two will make similar offers to you as well. Hierarch Skycloud at least seems of particular interest in your words. He may ask for an example through a medium like Venerable Redsoul soon. As for the others, I'd only recommend Hierarch Dragonblaze if he takes an interest. The rest are tied to politics and squabbles of the younger generation."
He nodded and we both disappeared from sight only to have Hierarch Crimsonblood's form appear again searching for us without any luck. I headed to the house where I could grab a bath and a nap. Nie Li followed only because he had to meet Xiao Ning'er there to give her the things he'd promised.
When I finished and saw them acting all romance like, I headed to bed and slept of the sounds that followed. I'd no interest in him watching her bathe nor in seeing if they boinked. The next morning Xiao Ning'er spent the day entertaining Nie Li while others came and went, buying his words.
When a group of heavenly star realms came to demand Nie Li write a word for their master, Long Tianming, who had committed suicide to be reformed in the soul temple, where one places their fate soul before going into the outside world.
They gave me weary glances as I stared them down and asked. "How's your master's eyes?"
The leader, a heavenly axis realm beginner spoke up wearily. "Even after he destroyed his body and reformed master Long Tianming is having trouble seeing properly."
I nodded. "My way of the sword is refined to the point of causing soul injuries as I'm sure your leaders are figuring out. They'll fix him up soon I've no doubt but it'll cost them dearly for the medicine to heal the damage done to his soul."
They clenched their teeth all around, angry that I'd blatantly admitted to doing such a thing. I chuckled. "Perhaps when he's better you'll inform him of using his eyes properly next time. I don't suffer fools lightly and he is without a doubt a fool."
My last insult had even the heavenly access realm gripping his sword handle. I smirked. "What do you imagine doing with that? Intimidation won't work on me and attacking me, as you're well aware, is against the sect rules. Though if you'd like a few pointers with the sword, I'm sure it can be arranged."
He shuddered at my meaning to blind him as well. While inside the sect I was safe from physical harm and any other type can and will be returned in kind. While I might not necessarily be a match against a heavenly axis realm even a beginner like him, I needn't fear them as I can slip away at any time with my shadow devil demon spirit.
I might not be able to win, but then, I just might if I drain them while invisible. The perfect assassin one might say. As for the heavenly star realm experts, I'd be able to kill most of them with my god growth rate dragon bloodline demon spirits if I changed.
I still hadn't tried using the phoenix as I was hesitant to wake it up until my vine was stronger. It'd cracked my soul realm before as it changed and I knew for a fact that it was a lot stronger now. I'd let it sleep as I didn't want to arouse it's attention unless necessary.
As for the Bloody Dragonwolf, I would get some practice in when we formed the group to go to the outside world. Right now Nie Li was integrating the myriad rivers and mountains painting into his own sub realm of sorts.
When he finished it and wrote the words albeit with the law of darkness instead of their original intent, I laughed my ass off after they left. "Let him strain his eyes on that for a while."
When he let the duck and Yu Yan inside the painting, I went along with. The duck turned into a balloon as it absorbed a massive amount of pure heavenly energy. I myself used a million spirit stones to set up an array to gather heavenly energy in massive quantities to me.
Nie Li watched me with a complicated look as I began drawing another real myriad rivers and mountains painting using the same intent and dao as the first. When it was completed, a massive suction force took precedence as it gathered the energy needed to form a new realm.
With so much heavenly energy leaving his own painting, Nie Li had tears in his eyes. Sighing as I saw his face I told him. "Relax, it'll recover it's heavenly energy in a few days. For now, I'll begin integrating my own painting. Why don't you go see how Xiao Ning'er is doing since she's here for you."
He left and I started the integration process of my own. It didn't take me nearly as long as my soul, even as a vine now, was far more vast than Nie Li's own and as such could easily handle the burden.
As for possibly using the same technique to make my own inside one, the damn vine wouldn't let me. It kept sucking up all the heavenly energy when I tried. Even when I tried redirecting it using the vine itself, to much Heavenly energy was lost in the process.
The only bright side was that the painting is integrated with had a special soul array that allowed me to store it in my soul realm. When I left the painting Nie Li had, I left them as they were headed to watch Gu Bei fight for his family successor position.
I on the other hand asked Venerable Redsoul to show me to Hierarch Crimsonblood's pavilion. He'd agreed almost instantly and led the way. When we arrived I was a bit surprised to find it so plain and spartan.
The martial ancestor seemed amused by my clear surprise. "What did you expect? Perhaps a temple of servants and disciples to obey my every whim?"
I snorted. "More like a few potted plants and a wind chime to liven up this coffin."
He looked me over and burst out laughing. When he regained his composure he shook his head. "Not likely. Though I must confess it is a little bare. Perhaps a table and wine glasses could liven it up some."
I gave him a droll stair before he became serious now. "I won't pry into your secrets much though I'd like to know how you are able to hide your presence from me. Even now I feel as if you aren't really here. As if I looked away once, you'd be gone and I'd never find you."
I smirked. "It's not a big secret, it's just an array I had carved into my ribs that prevents all in creation from finding me when I don't want to be found. There's no off switch if that's what you're looking for."
I sent him a telepathic beam of heavenly energy that gave him what he sought. He mumbled. "Ingenious. Do you know what the symbols mean?"
I shook my head. "They're in a long dead language that while seems important to some, means very little to me. I found it in a text long ago in a far away ancient ruins. Once I figured out how to work it, either by tattoo or by inscribing it on my ribs, I went with the safer option. A limb can be cut off and as such the inscription array broken, but if a rib breaks, so long as it stays inside, the array holds."
He frowned and nodded before asking. "Can it be used on armor and say, a sect walls?"
I sighed. "The problem with that and yes it can, is that if someone already knows the location of said sect, it's rendered useless as a single break in the array brings it all down. The same with armor, one cut, puncture or scrape of the inscriptions and they seem to fail almost instantly."
He sighed. "There goes that idea."
I nodded with a sympathetic look before continuing. "There's another problem as well. It doesn't work against the human eyes. I can go invisible because of my shadow devil demon spirit."
I shifted in front of him before doing just that. After I shifted back a few feet away saying. "It only works on the other senses and any sorting techniques."
He humphed. "Well, that's all I'll pry into and but I do need to know how I'd be able to sense you if you were in danger."
I shrugged. "A simple talisman or trace would do so long as it's on me before I go invisible or I'm out of sight and you'll know where I'm at and if you're so inclined, how safe I am."
His eyes brightened and he rummaged through his storage ring and pulled out a sensing talisman and stack of protective ones saying. "In case another martial ancestor takes it upon themselves to attack you. Each one will only stop one blow and let me know what's happening. Only to be used in case of emergency against other martial ancestors understand?"
I nodded easily. "Understood master."
I bowed lightly and accepted them before asking him. "If you don't mind me asking, how far are you in the martial ancestor ranks?"
He chuckled. "I'm only a third rank martial ancestor. The strongest amongst those in the sect is Hierarch Martialsky as a fifth stage martial ancestor."
I nodded and tapped his forehead as he sat there in a lotus position. I gave him all I knew from Nie Li's book of dao and showed him the actual image of the book itself. I copied all my insights and Nie Li's into it and sent it to him."
His eyes sparkled as he closed them and meditated. A thrum if power built up and as he released a breath, the world seemed to still. In a moment of insight he broke through to martial ancestor fourth grade. When he did, other voices could be heard around congratulating him.
He opened his eyes with a smile on his lips and told them about what I'd shared with him. He said it was a moment of clarity and insight he'd gotten from me. They dissipated their presences as he thanked me for that and I nodded. "You're my master. The stronger you are the more background I'll have if things get bad. I may have a unique ability but I know my own limits."
He gave a wry smile and thanked me all the same before tossing me a grade five set of armor saying. "There, now we've exchanged gifts of first meeting. I know from what you've shown me that I cannot give you any insight into the dao that you yourself don't already posses, but if you run into cultivation problems or lack anything, let me know and I'll see what I can do."
I nodded and thanked him before heading out. I stopped by the Skyblaze sect group and gave Duan Jian half my current resources before telling him to start building his own forces and adventuring out once he gets back. I'd given him fifty thousand regular god growth rate demon spirits and a thousand excellent growth rate demon spirits to be used to build his forces along with half a million spirit stones.
With that, if he still can't make it work, he's fucked. I'd already given him a god growth rate holy blood dragon with a dragon bloodline to change into and I'd even given him the grade five armor set Hierarch Crimsonblood gave me.
He accepted my orders and spent the rest of the day chasing Long Yuyin about, occasionally getting close to her long enough to get a smile and a light touch. It was rather cute the way both of them acted when they were both free to be as dominant as they wanted to be. They acted like teenagers stealing glances and furtive looks.
Then again I guess they were teenagers though I hadn't expected such actions from the two of them. I'd at least expected a few trees shaking as their animal like nature was let out. I left them to it and headed to see the results of the Gu family meeting.
There Gu Bei having been appointed temporary successor, was a bit too public for my taste. I'd been there to get the next batch of dragon bloodline spirits but he'd been to far in the limelight.
I left a bit later and headed to my room where I set aside the talismans inside my spacial ring to avoid Hierarch Crimsonblood finding out about the painting I had and went inside for the first time. There, unsurprisingly, it looked exactly like Nie Li's little painting world.
The energy of heaven and earth was profoundly dense as well. I brought out the nightmare demon pot and as soon as I did, it began to float in the air, absorbing heavenly energy like a vacuum and refining itself.
It glowed a bit and I ignored it as I began cultivating in earnest. I'd reached three stars and was working on the fourth now as the bud grew gradually. I used my law of time to speed up the time around me by ten to one, my current max without being the focal point for the time laws or having access to my powers over time.
Ten hours inside here would be one hour outside the scroll where it sat beneath my pillow covered in enochian ruins. It didn't actually make gathering heavenly energy any faster or slower, it just altered the flow of time inside my scroll.
Still, it did help as I experienced nearly ten days and grew one and a half stars from the time I'd spent inside. When I came out Nie Li, Gu Bei and Xiao Yu were waiting. As soon as I appeared Nie Li said. "Hua Ling attacked Xiao Yu outside and made him lose a fate soul."
I grunted and turned to the hidden girl that had barely made it to the peak of nine fate realm but was now a eight fate again. Grunting I touched her head and sacrificed the near completed star I was working on to her to revive the fate soul she'd lost.
When she was a peak heavenly fate realm again I turned to Nie Li. "What do you have in mind? I can take on his forces by myself if need be. They are at best fate realms. If I drain them before they suicide, there's a chance I could kill them or bring them down to a single fate."
They paled as Nie Li squinted before shaking his head. "We've asked Li Xingyun to help us slaughter them instead."
I shrugged. "Then at least let me drain the heavenly fates to get back the energy I just sacrificed to help Xiao Yu here."
He shrugged. "Do what you like with them, just don't permanently cripple or kill them for good. We don't want that kind of press, trust me."
I chuckled. "Fine, let's go!"
We met Li Xingyun's men outside the fate temple where we each placed a fate and in mine, a star. After that we headed to the outside world beyond the sect I realized they really must've ganged up on Xiao Yu as from the looks of their forces, they were truly weak.
On the bright side they had a Deity lake, however weak, in their possession. Growling I ignored Lu Piao and Nie Li talking as I connected tether's to each of the sixty or so men there. Once I was ready they said their piece and sewing him unrepentant, I immediately began draining them of heavenly energy. Their fate souls slowly dried up and shrank before collapsing one after another.
When they each only had one left I released them while they cried out from the loss of strength. Nie Li looked to me and I nodded. He gave the order. "Slaughter them and keep whatever they have for yourselves then take these unfree thousand spirit stones as compensation to split amongst yourselves."
The heavenly star realms instantly waved their hands, making the single fate soul warriors explode in a shower of blood. When they pull the rings to them, Nie Li thanked them and began using an inscription pattern I recognized as the deity's descent, to pull the deity spirit out of the lake.
When he'd succeeded, he tossed it in the painting he had. Getting an idea, I waited until the lake collapsed and he was ready to leave before saying. "Why don't you and the rest go on ahead, I've some exploring to do. If you want to, go ahead and put me on the group listing for whatever team you make."
He nodded and patted my shoulder saying. "Good luck."
I nodded and disappeared from there view as I flew away at speeds slightly slower than my max as the shadow devil was limited while in void form. I found a few smaller nearly dried up deity lakes and took their spirits, tossing them in my painting before heading deeper into the outside.
I skipped those already being controlled by humans and focused on the empty ones or those with demon beasts guarding them. That is, until I found the mother load. It was vast and filled with both spirit essence and spirit stones and being controlled by an early dao of the dragon realm fire bear demon and it's herd.
I dare not connect with it directly and drain it, but those of the heavenly axis realm and lower? Fuck yes I would. I slowly made tethers to each of them as they wondered about. The dao of the dragon fire bear was sleeping so it made things so much easier. When I was ready, I lowered myself into the lake slowly and emptied all the essence into the painting I had.
The sudden loss of the extra heavenly energy woke up the fire bear lord. It looked and looked but found nothing and after a few bursts of flame into the water it circled the territory, still finding no sign of the clear intruder.
When I felt it time, I began draining it's clansmen of energy. They didn't even have time to cry out as they slumped over as if asleep. The dao of the dragon realm one roared and curled it's territory trying to find out what was causing the deaths of it's clansmen.
As luck would have it a group of men from Gu Heng's men were scouting in the area and the fire bear immediately locked on to them. They fled as fast as they could and I smirked, taking this chance to take the deity lake spirit. It was a long time coming but then, they'd ran like their asses were on fire right back to their camp, bringing along a friend.
When I finished, I followed them back to their current camp where they were being slaughtered. It was one of many small deity lakes Gu Heng owned. When the demon beast finished and left in an unsatisfied huff, I took all their armor and rings that weren't melted and took the deity lake spirit as well for good measure.
Back at the large deity lake the fire bear returned to see the destroyed deity lake and all it's dead clansman and roared in anger to the heavens. As luck would have it, Gu Heng and his men came to inspect why his guards stationed at the lake weren't responding.
He arrived just as the fire bear returned to find out where it's deity spirit had gone to. They were all unceremoniously slaughtered over their own destroyed deity lake. I however, was on my merry way to another nearly dried up deity lake nearby. I killed the guards holding it as none of them wore Li Xingyun's symbol and as such, weren't allies.
I skipped along to a few more small lakes before finding a middle sized one. It was owned by Long Tianming from the looks of the human's garbs. Smirking and sensing no dao of the dragon realm experts, I connected to each of them, heavenly axis, stars and fates alike and drained them all.
In twenty minutes those that hadn't wizened up and suicided, were all reduced to a single fate soul and with a wave of my talon, killed, returning back to the soul temple where they'd officially been returned to legend rank as a result.
Boy would they be pissed when they got there. Either way I took the deity lake spirit and all their rings and armor. When I finished, I headed back to the sect where I needed to stay for a while to cultivate. My vine had become so bloated and misshapen that I feared it might explode!
When I got back I saw hundreds of Gu Heng's men and Long Tianming's coming out of the soul haul. Gu Heng's men were fine except for the one fate soul they lost, while Long Tianming's men were miserable and cursing me at every step.
When they saw me appear I asked. "What's wrong? I heard someone cursing my name and decided to go outside to see who it was."
They looked at me in astonishment as if they thought I'd been here the whole time and not outside. They realized it must've been someone or something else with such a skill and decided to report it to the sect. I shrugged their idiocy off and headed inside the soul temple as if to store a soul.
When I came back out I headed to the apartment and found Nie Li, Gu Bei and Xiao Yu there making plans for the group they wished to start. As soon as I walked in I told Nie Li. "Your place, now!"
He summoned his scroll and we all went in. There I closed the duck's mouth as it had woken up to fill itself. I then funneled an ungodly amount of heavenly energy into it until it was bloated again. I saw Yu Yan burning in gold flames and told her. "Come down, I've fresh energy!"
She did so and I tapped her forehead, giving her enough to see her well into heavenly star realm. After that it was Lu Piao then Gu Bei and Xiao Yu. Finally I was sweaty now from the strain of holding it all in as I turned to Nie Li. He asked. "How much did you take and from who?"
I smirked before telling him. "Several hundred heavenly axis and star realms and they were Long Tianming's men. Along with over three hundred heavenly axis fire bears and a hundred or so heavenly star fire bears."
He gasped in shock and I nodded before grasping his forehead and funneling as much as his vine could hold which was about a fourth of what I had left. I released him as we both went into meditation. I tossed up a space time barrier and spent the next ten days turning all that energy into star power. It bright me closer and closer to heavenly access until I was right at the doorstep.
I'd nearly stepped in but stopped myself as I wanted a sure footing before I did so. My nine stars and fate souls shined with brilliance while the vine had grown into a tree resembling a willow tree. The hundreds of vines on it linked and tied all three demon beasts to me firmly.
Even the green phoenix, to it's annoyance, was firmly bound. It still arrogantly sat atop it as if that's where it belonged. I was feeling the need to throw a boot at it's head but barely resisted as I came out of the meditation session. The others were long done by now and were waiting and doing basic consolidation.
Each of them had risen a lot once more. Nie Li had broken through to heavenly star realm as did they all, while he'd stopped at the fifth star, Lu Piao was a seven star and Xiao Yu stopped at the sixth. Only Yu Yan had made it to the ninth star and only because she could take so much while needing so little.
The fat duck had woken up at dozens of points and taken in more heavenly energy while I was out. Seeing as we were ready, I told them. "It's only been a day outside thanks to my mastery of the law of time. It's the best I can do to make it ten times faster here than outside."
They were each stunned, especially Nie Li. He asked. "You've mastered the law of time?"
I shrugged. "No more than any peak Demi god has. I didn't take it from someone if that's what your asking and no I can't go back in time, only slow it down and speed it up in areas and even then a factor of ten is my limit."
They weren't that impressed any more as it was clearly limited severely and while it can be abused for cultivation, it's useless elsewhere. We left the painting as I told them who all I'd fucked over and told them about the deity lakes I'd gathered in my own scroll.
The large one would produce a million a day inside the scroll while the three mid sized ones about half that and the small ones only a fraction at fifty thousand. The best party though was the spirit essence all the deity lakes produced.
Each spirit essence was equivalent to a thousand spirit stones and the largest deity lake produced a hundred a day along with one gold spirit essence which was equivalent to a hundred regular spirit essences.
The best part was that I didn't need to be there in person to move it all into my storage ring. Both were on me and the paining was technically apart of me as I could manipulate anything inside it at will.
With a single thought I could transfer all the built up earning into my storage ring and had done so at consistent intervals.
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票