Chapter 138: A Fortuitous Breakthrough

Erlang Mountain.

Above the canyon, mountain peaks stood in opposition.

At this moment, Jiang Ming and his opponent stood on their respective peaks, gazing at each other. One radiated blood essence that soared into the heavens, distorting the sky with an extremely fierce aura; the other was surrounded by space that seemed to warp, with a chilling demonic energy swirling around him, yet within it lay a delicate, ethereal sense of Taoist purity.

They had battled all the way to this place.

They were almost evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand.

A recent collision had provided a brief respite.

At this time, Zhou Tian arrived.

The man in black opposite them suddenly looked grim. He stared at Zhou Tian, his gaze piercingly sharp: "You killed them?"

"Did you expect me to keep them?" Zhou Tian sneered, then smiled at Jiang Ming, "It’s a good thing you came, otherwise I’d have been finished."

"It’s also fortunate that this fellow here was too arrogant; otherwise, you really would have been finished," Jiang Ming remarked. "What exactly happened?"

"Sigh, just bad luck!" Zhou Tian said helplessly. "I wanted to find a place for quiet meditation. After searching around, I found a giant Buddha here, along with rivers and mountains. Legend has it that a Fire Qilin roams these parts, and the scenery is quite good, so I decided to stay for a while to see if I could break through to the sixth stage. While I was cultivating, a group of people arrived, and without rhyme or reason, they started attacking me."

"You were blocking our path!" the man in black’s voice grew colder.

"You resort to murder just because someone blocks your path? That’s ruthless, cold-blooded, and arrogant!" Jiang Ming was stunned.

But he did have the capital for such arrogance.

A peak Heaven-Man realm expert, accompanied by eight masters—that was enough to run rampant across the world.

"You are heading to Lingyun Cave; is it for the Fire Qilin?" Jiang Ming asked.

He could sense the opponent trying to recover in secret, but he did not mind.

"Correct!" the man in black said. "The territory of the Great Wu is extremely unique. Legend says the four great divine beasts—the Fire Qilin, the Phoenix, the Divine Dragon, and the Xuanwu—appeared here, and their bloodlines possess incredible power. Knowing that the Fire Qilin is hidden within Lingyun Cave, naturally, I had to come and see for myself."

"Apart from the Fire Qilin, you’re also plotting to seize the dragon bones deep within Lingyun Cave, aren't you?" Jiang Ming stared at him.

"No need to probe; that is indeed part of the plan. Within the Great Wu territory, there must be peerless experts, yet they leave such treasures ignored—it’s truly incomprehensible. Since they don't want them, I have come to do the work for them," the man in black hummed softly. "Who are you? Why have I never heard of you?"

"Since you don't even know our names, of course you haven't heard of us," Jiang Ming scoffed, beginning to analyze the opponent's identity. "Judging by your tone, you are definitely not from within the Great Wu territory. You are well-informed, so you cannot be from an ordinary faction. Is there an imperial dynasty behind you? The martial arts you practice are highly unusual—brimming with demonic energy, yet containing the truest and purest Taoist essence. Could it be that you are practicing the Taoist Heart Demonic Seed Manual? You are at the Heaven-Man stage, capable of manipulating celestial phenomena, yet you can also manifest a unique force field that influences perception. All these things remind me of one person: the Master of the Demon Palace in the Great Yuan Dynasty, the Imperial Tutor, Pang Ban—am I correct?"

Seeing the change in the man's expression, Jiang Ming knew he had guessed right.

This world was very strange.

It had integrated too many unknown powers, and coupled with what the Mud Bodhisattva said—that a great change would occur in three years—nothing seemed impossible anymore.

"Then go to hell!" Jiang Ming lost interest and struck immediately.

Since they were enemies, he would kill.

"Yin-Yang Daluo Realm, Suppress!"

He condensed his Qi into a sword and struck into the void. Using light and darkness to form a boundary, he fused the world into a force of suppression, adding the Yin and Yang energies for ultimate binding.

With one sword strike, the seal was formed.

Nowadays, when it came to merging the path of artistic conception, he could pull it off with a mere thought.

*Hum...*

The sword light transformed into a realm, instantly shattering the pressure of heaven and earth that Pang Ban had manifested. It caused the man's body to sink, leaving him with a sense of being unable to move.

"Break for me!"

Pang Ban shouted in surprise, his power erupting to forcefully tear through the binding force.

Peak Heaven-Man—he was too strong.

"Spirit Needle!"

Jiang Ming did not give him any chance. A gleam flashed between his brows, and his soul power transformed into a needle that shot out instantly.

In a flash, it pierced into the center of the opponent's forehead.

It was too fast.

This kind of attack was impossible to dodge.

*Puff...*

Even though Pang Ban had been guarding against this type of attack from Jiang Ming, he was still severely wounded.

Soul power attacks were too terrifying.

In an instant, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his face turned deathly pale.

"Polarity!"

Jiang Ming's attack did not cease. The condensed sword transformed into a spear, piercing through the air toward the center of the opponent's brow.

This was a strike containing the artistic conception of Polarity.

Space twisted, penetrating the laws of reality.

The cold glint at the tip of the spear seemed to pierce through time and space, reaching the opponent’s brow in a flash.

"No!" Pang Ban was terrified.

The feeling of his forehead being pierced caused his heart to sink to the bottom. The aura of death gripped his heart like a giant hand, making him feel suffocated.

In desperation, he jerked his head, dodging the fatal blow, but the left side of his skull was pierced through.

The pressure of heaven and earth descended, and the true Qi within his body surged out, barely suppressing the residual spear force that had nearly shattered his skull.

"You're still not dead?"

"Heaven-Opening Technique, Slash!"

Jiang Ming leaped into mid-air, took the Heaven-Splitting Axe from his spatial ring, and brought it down upon his opponent.

The vast heaven and earth were split in two.

The sharpness that broke through everything left the dizzy, reeling Pang Ban horrified. He wanted to flee, but he found the surrounding air so thick that it was almost impossible to move.

Even the pressure of heaven and earth he had been manipulating was torn apart by the terrifying force.

"I, Pang Ban, have not yet unleashed my demonic might upon the world; how could I die here? Break for me!"

He roared again and again, the demonic energy on his body intensifying to a new level, turning into black flames. He threw nine punches into the air.

*Bang...*

Heaven and earth exploded, time and space shattered.

These nine punches from Pang Ban were powerful to the extreme. In his desperation, few within the Heaven-Man realm would dare to face them head-on.

Unfortunately.

He was facing Jiang Ming. With the Heaven-Splitting Axe driven by the Heaven-Opening artistic conception, the power was truly terrifying.

The phantom fists shattered, and subsequently, Pang Ban was split in two, his body exploding into a mist of blood.

The mountain peak below was also cleaved in half by the axe light, creating an abyss that extended for a thousand meters.

"Finally dead," Jiang Ming's face turned pale.

The burst of power just now had drained the true Qi in his meridians. At this moment, his Dantian rotated, and the true Qi surged out once again, bringing him back to his peak.

"He was certainly hard to kill," he remarked.

"Brother Jiang, your attack power is truly terrifying." Zhou Tian, who had been watching the battle, was already stunned.

That was a peak Heaven-Man expert; his senses could not be wrong.

Yet such a figure had been killed so easily?

Soul technique!

Spear art!

Axe technique!

"You’ve mastered both the Polarity and Heaven-Opening artistic conceptions?" Zhou Tian finally reacted, feeling even more shocked.

"Luck, just luck!" Jiang Ming put away the Heaven-Splitting Axe and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Luck my foot, you're awesome!" Zhou Tian couldn't help but give a thumbs up. "Brother Jiang, did you come to Lingyun Cave to deal with the Fire Qilin?"

"I plan to go into seclusion deep within Lingyun Cave for a while," Jiang Ming said. "As for the Fire Qilin? If I run into it, I'll see what it can do."

"The Fire Qilin, a divine beast of heaven and earth—I didn't expect it to appear here. I was very curious when I heard about it, but unfortunately, without breaking through, I really wouldn't dare go inside to look for trouble," Zhou Tian said. "Since you’re going into seclusion, I need to cultivate as well. Brother Jiang, I’m following your lead from now on!"

"Alright, we'll look out for each other!"

"Brother Jiang, don't forget you promised to help me comprehend the Way of the World!"

"Of course! Just don't forget to pass on the Star Body-Protection Method to me."

"Don't worry!"

The two chatted as they returned to the giant Buddha.

"Brother Jiang, are you alright?" Ye Hongyu stepped forward to ask. Jian Chen and the others followed.

"I'm fine!" Jiang Ming said. "He’s been killed!"

"You really killed him?" Ye Hongyu was still shocked. "Do you know his background?"

"Great Yuan, Pang Ban of the Demon Palace!"

"Pang Ban? The Haotian Tao has records of him being the top expert in the Great Yuan, a man of earth-shaking power—and you killed him!"

Ye Hongyu's expression was complex. Jian Chen was stunned.

"This is my good brother, Zhou Tian." After a brief introduction, Jiang Ming said, "I will now head deep into Lingyun Cave to go into seclusion. Are you coming?"

"Since we're here, how can we not see the sights?" Ye Hongyu would not give up. Jian Chen was not surprised either.

"I'll follow too!" the Mud Bodhisattva said. "Please wait a moment; I need to prepare some food for little Nannan."

"I'll go, I'm fast!" Jian Chen was eager. After saying that, he flew off; it was clear he wanted to find a town to buy some supplies.

"Exactly, let's prepare some roasted meat and the like!"

Before Jiang Ming could act, Zhou Tian had already gone hunting, returning a moment later with a large wild boar.

They lit a bonfire and started to roast the meat.

When Jian Chen returned, he was carrying a large pack, with several water skins hanging from his waist, fully prepared.

After filling their stomachs, the group entered Lingyun Cave.

There were countless caves, crisscrossing and intertwined.

"There are too many entrances to Lingyun Cave, and the interior is complex and ever-changing. Once you go deep inside, it's very easy to get lost," the Mud Bodhisattva said. "Many have entered in the past, but few have come out!"

"That's not a problem!" Zhou Tian laughed. "Brother Jiang, I'll leave it to you!"

"Alright!"

Jiang Ming naturally understood what he meant.

Practicing the soul path was best suited for scouting.

His soul power flowed out, spreading rapidly. The Mud Bodhisattva beside him seemed to sense something and glanced at Jiang Ming.

Jiang Ming had expected his soul power to shroud the entire Lingyun Cave, but he found that the deeper it penetrated, the greater the resistance.

There was an inexplicable power inside that weakened his soul force.

"Interesting!"

However, the scouting distance was sufficient.

Jiang Ming walked in the lead, turning left and right. Before long, he found a skeleton, and beside it, a sword. Despite being covered in dust, it still radiated a scorching heat.

He reached out and retrieved it. As he grasped it, he felt a strange power trying to seep into his body, which he easily suppressed.

With a slight shake, the dust fell away, revealing a fiery red blade.

"Fire-Lin Sword!" Jian Chen was startled. "Could this skeleton be the corpse of Duan Shuai?"

"One of the famous swords of the Great Wu, buried here unknown to all!" Ye Hongyu shook her head. "It seems somewhat evil!"

"The Fire-Lin Sword is forged from one of the strongest scales of the Fire Qilin and contains the demonic nature of the beast. If one cannot control it, they will be controlled by the sword and become a sword slave," the Mud Bodhisattva explained, as he knew more. "It is also known as the Demon Sword. The Fire-Lin Sword made the reputation of the Southern Kirin Sword Head, Duan Shuai, but it also destroyed him. Had this sword not interfered, his achievements would have been even greater. A pity, a pity!"

*Hum, hum, hum...*

Jiang Ming flicked his finger, and the sword let out a crisp sound.

"Demonic nature!"

His heart stirred. As he circulated his true Qi, he converted it into the attribute of Light and channeled it into the blade. The Fire-Lin Sword trembled violently as if it had a spirit, then emitted plumes of black smoke, and the crimson blade dimmed slightly.

The evil power vanished without a trace.

"The power of light..." Ye Hongyu looked at him with suspicion.

"Just comprehending the rhymes of heaven and earth and converting my true Qi accordingly," Jiang Ming explained simply. "Unfortunately, I can't yet convert to any attribute at will!"

His words left Ye Hongyu shocked, Jian Chen stunned, and the Mud Bodhisattva thoroughly surprised.

Only Zhou Tian rolled his eyes, silently mouthing two words: *Show-off!*

He had known since the martial exams that the number of artistic conceptions this Martial Scholar possessed was beyond imagination. After all, he had many top-tier ones, and what about the ordinary ones?

Unknowable!

"Having lost its demonic power, the quality of the Fire-Lin Sword is slightly lower, but it’ll do for now!" Jiang Ming took it for himself.

Jian Chen, meanwhile, dug a grave for the remains and carved "Tomb of Duan Shuai" on the wall.

Not long after, they found the Snow Drink Saber, another skeleton, and the saber technique "Cold-Heart Six Styles."

"Sigh, the Northern Drink Mad Saber Nie Renwang and the Southern Kirin Sword Head Duan Shuai both died here. A pity, a pity!" the Mud Bodhisattva sighed. "Back in the day, after the martial arts myth Wuming went into seclusion, these two roamed the world for over a decade, each ruling the North and South."

"Each generation produces its own talents, each leading the way for a hundred years," Jiang Ming said, unmoved.

The world of martial arts was just slaughter, life and death.

He had long since seen through it.

When they stopped again, Jian Chen was excited: "Could this be the legendary Blood Bodhi?"

The wall ahead was covered in vines, on which grew red fruits that looked like rubies, emitting a faint red glow.

"Blood Bodhi is a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth, said to be nourished by the blood of the Qilin. It is a sacred medicine for healing; if one is uninjured, consuming it can increase one's internal energy!" The Mud Bodhisattva explained its effects and picked one, eating it first.

He wasn't eating it out of impatience, but for peace of mind.

In a short while, a strange power emanated from him, and the sores on his face recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Finally, the sores disappeared, revealing an elegant middle-aged man.

"Comfortable, so comfortable. It’s been so many years since I felt this comfortable." Even with the Mud Bodhisattva's composure, he couldn't help but be moved. "Given my condition, the Blood Bodhi, while a spiritual treasure, should have been useless to me. Fate is truly wonderful; once you break the cage of destiny, you can witness a new world."

He picked another one, scraped off a little flesh, and fed it to little Nannan.

Ye Hongyu glanced at him, her brows twitching.

"Let me taste it," Zhou Tian said with interest, picking one to sample. "Rich fruit aroma, full of juice—not bad, not bad!"

After finishing it, he began to refine it, but shook his head: "The effect is good, but it's not very useful for me; it can't push me any further."

"I'll have a taste too." Jian Chen could no longer resist. After eating one, his face flushed red and he sat down cross-legged.

A red glow radiated from his face, and his aura began to rise, only stopping after a long while.

"As expected of the legendary Blood Bodhi; it directly pushed me to the peak of the Grandmaster realm!" Jian Chen was incredibly excited. "At the very least, it saved me several years of hard work."

Jiang Ming looked strange.

Peak Grandmaster realm—that was the limit of the acupoints the opponent had opened. In his view, he had only opened one hundred and eight.

Had the martial arts myth Wuming only opened that many when he was at the fifth stage?

He understood—this was the restriction of the secret realm world.

At this point, Jiang Ming also picked one and swallowed it in one gulp. He channeled his technique and digested it completely.

The result...

"How is it?" Although Zhou Tian was asking, he looked gloating. "I’m afraid it’s useless, right?"

"It helped me open one acupoint!" Jiang Ming said helplessly.

Jian Chen’s expression stiffened, his breathing quickening: "Only one acupoint?"

"Yes!" Jiang Ming nodded. "My acupoints are special, but..."

He looked at the many Blood Bodhi fruits on the wall, and his eyes lit up: "If the healing properties can assist in opening acupoints, then my future cultivation will surely advance by leaps and bounds!"

"Miss Ye, Brother Jian, Brother Zhou, Mud Bodhisattva—you each take some, and I’ll pack up the rest!" Jiang Ming was not polite at all.

Jian Chen’s mouth twitched.

He was thoroughly convinced.

"One provides the best effect; taking a second one greatly reduces the gains in internal energy. One is enough for me!" the Mud Bodhisattva shook his head. "The one I have is enough for little Nannan to digest; it will cleanse her marrow and refine her body, making her future cultivation twice as effective with half the effort."

"I'll try one..." Ye Hongyu could no longer resist. She picked one, rinsed it slightly with her water skin, and then put it in her mouth.

Her eyes lit up, then her expression changed. She said quickly, "Brother Jiang, guard me!"

As her voice faded, she sat down cross-legged.

Her aura climbed steadily, and her artistic conception radiated outward, merging into the void and causing ripples in the rhymes of heaven and earth.

"Slaughter, Metal, Fire... taking Slaughter as the dominant force!"

Jiang Ming shook his head.

It wasn't that the artistic conception wasn't strong, but these three didn't seem suited for a woman—no wonder she was always calm and decisive in killing.

The power of Taoist rhymes also influenced one's temperament.

"She has reached the limit of her fifth stage and was already on the verge of a breakthrough. One Blood Bodhi was enough to trigger a transformation. Her artistic conception is merging with the void; she is entering the sixth stage, the Heavenly Phenomenon realm," Jiang Ming whispered.

"What an opportunity!" Zhou Tian said. "In the valley, I opened all my acupoints and tried to break through just now, but it was too hard!"

"That’s because your foundation is too deep!" Jiang Ming smiled. "Slowly polish it!"

"Don't talk about me, what about you?" Zhou Tian gloated. "It's at least ten times harder for you than for me."

Jiang Ming’s breath hitched.

This was another drawback of having too deep a foundation.

Ye Hongyu's aura grew stronger and stronger. Finally, her Slaughter artistic conception merged into the void, aligning with the rhymes of heaven and earth, and transformed into the pressure of a Heavenly Phenomenon.

The surroundings were immediately filled with endless baleful energy, causing little Nannan's face to pale.

Jiang Ming’s aura fluctuated slightly, isolating the pressure.

Jian Chen looked on with a hint of envy.

Once she broke through, it would be a whole new world.

Xiongba was only at the Heavenly Phenomenon realm.

At this moment, Jiang Ming looked toward the depths of the cave; he could sense the Fire Qilin.