Chapter 140: Bloody Battle at Indra’s Heaven

Ye Hongyu and the others were all puzzled. After a successful retreat, Jiang Ming had been laughing heartily just a moment ago, so why was he suddenly in such a rush? It was bizarre that he was asking about the existence of Earthly Immortals within the World Association. Even Zhou Tian was confused. Slaying an Earthly Immortal—an eighth-tier powerhouse—could be done anytime within the next decade, so why the urgency now?

"The World Association? Earthly Immortals?" The Mud Bodhisattva was startled, his expression turning grave. "Very well!" He began to calculate.

Jiang Ming had already calmed his restless emotions. His time was truly running out. As for Di Shitian? He had been hiding in the World Association for some time, observing Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng while secretly poisoning Xiongba. This creature had lived for a millennium; despite his mediocre aptitude, he loved to stir up trouble. Especially after being beaten by Wu Wudi, he had hidden even deeper, playing with the fates of others from the shadows.

*Puff...*

The Mud Bodhisattva spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning as pale as paper.

"Grandfather!" Little Nan Nan panicked.

"I am fine, I am fine!" the Mud Bodhisattva comforted her hurriedly, patting her head. He turned to Jiang Ming and said, "They exist! Earthly Immortals are too powerful, the pinnacle of the human world, capable of wielding the might of Heaven. Detailed calculation of their location invites a stronger backlash. It is fortunate we are here; otherwise, under normal circumstances, I would be dead or half-crippled."

"Thank you," Jiang Ming said, his internal energy radiating from his body, transforming into the dual forces of life and death as they merged into the Mud Bodhisattva. The power of death swirled to dissolve the rot caused by the backlash, while the power of life flowed in to facilitate a rapid recovery. In the blink of an eye, the Mud Bodhisattva was restored to his former state.

"Life and death..." The Mud Bodhisattva’s eyes brightened, though he whispered, "The quality is slightly lacking, and the Dao rhyme is not profound, but fortunately, after being struck by the backlash, my connection to the mysterious curse was severed. Otherwise... but without the source of the water, it became much easier."

Jiang Ming understood he was being reminded. The backlash the Mud Bodhisattva suffered was unfathomable; normally, even the power of life and death would be useless. But now, in Jiang Ming’s presence, the curse acted like a one-time event rather than a constant tether like a kite—where every calculation deepened the curse—allowing Jiang Ming to dissolve it.

"Brother Zhou, take care of the Mud Bodhisattva. I am heading to the World Association!" After clarifying the route, Jiang Ming’s figure shot up from the ground, plunged into a deep cavern, and vanished. He had already seen that Zhou Tian had broken through to the Heavenly Image Realm; with his accumulation, he could handle even a restored Fire Qilin. Furthermore, with Ye Hongyu and Jian Chen present, he was at ease.

The vast sky was filled with drifting clouds. Jiang Ming soared through the air, his speed reaching the extreme, yet he did not stop contemplating. Killing a powerhouse at the Earthly Immortal realm was hard—incredibly, impossibly hard. He had not the slightest shred of confidence. He might even capsize in the gutter. But he had to kill him. Otherwise, all previous efforts would be in vain. Once he lost the "Infinite Gene" talent, he would never dare to cultivate the Universal Genetic Law again. That method was too taboo, too terrifying; without the control over genes provided by the Infinite Gene talent, he would surely fail. This was his visceral intuition during the cultivation process.

There was one more thing. During his cultivation, Jiang Ming had swallowed too much of the world's vital energy, digesting even the dragon bones, the earthly vein energy beneath him, and nearly half of his own internal energy. The sheer volume of his internal energy was terrifying—a hundred-zhang Dantian, three hundred and sixty-five acupuncture points, each ten zhang deep. How much energy was that in total? It would make any Earthly Immortal despair.

"How do I kill him?" Jiang Ming’s head ached. He had slain the Black Mountain Old Demon, who had just entered the seventh tier, contended with the Holy Monarch Qiye, and obliterated Pang Ban, the pinnacle of the Celestial Human realm. He knew the terror of the Celestial Human realm, so what of the eighth tier—the Earthly Immortal realm? They would be at least several times stronger.

"Normal methods will absolutely not work!" Jiang Ming frowned deeply. A thought flickered, and his personal information appeared before him.

Name: Jiang Ming
Qi Cultivation: 5th Level (Grandmaster, Yin-Yang Sutra)
Body Cultivation: 6th Revolution (Blood Exchange, Dragon-Elephant Heaven-Suppressing Art, Universal Genetic Law: 2x)
Spirit Cultivation: 6th Rank (Domain, Yin-Yang Soul Refining Sutra)
Techniques: Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin, Four Swords of Zhu Xian, Heaven-Opening Method, Divine Footwork, Inch Fist (21st Layer), Yin-Yang Forbidden Law, God-Commanding Art, Sword Control Art, etc.
Talents: Hundred-Fold Comprehension, Nirvana Regeneration, Soul Dominator, Lord of Space, Favored by Fate, Infinite Gene (Temporarily Solidified)
Task: Comprehend the Genetic Law within one year and succeed in initial cultivation to evolve genes.

"The way of the spirit lies in comprehension. If I had a year for immersive cultivation, I could easily break through, but there is no time now."

"The next step for the 6th Revolution of Body Refining is the Realm of Size at Will, which also relies on comprehension. Growing and shrinking the body—how is it done? It also lies in comprehension. It is hard, hard, hard, especially now that my genes have doubled, which is equivalent to enhanced bloodline. Breaking the shackles of this realm requires time to polish. However, if I comprehend the Infinite Intent, it might be simpler, as this Dao rhyme targets the power of flesh and blood."

"My martial path is only at the 5th level peak, which is even worse. Fortunately, all acupuncture points are opened, and my interior and exterior are transparent, allowing for full output. If I break through to the 6th level and unify my intent with the world, using my state of mind to manipulate the power of Heaven and Earth, it would be absolutely terrifying—perhaps no weaker than a Celestial Human powerhouse. No, perhaps even stronger, because I have mastered so many states of mind."

As Jiang Ming traveled, he analyzed constantly. Suddenly, he stopped on a mountain peak. Facing the howling gale, he closed his eyes.

"I am already at the 5th level peak. As long as I unify my intent with the world, I can enter the 6th level!"
"It is not difficult for me!"
"The key is, which state of mind should I use?"
"It is not that more states of mind are better."

Jiang Ming’s thoughts spun rapidly. The more states of mind he comprehended and integrated into the world, the greater the power, but that was not the whole truth. To unify intent with the world, one must first rely on one’s own acupuncture points as a bridge, drive them with will, and then merge that intent into the heart of Heaven. This requires the state of mind to be perfect. Once one is integrated, wanting to imprint other states of mind onto the heart of Heaven requires merging them with the first, which is a different path of integration—just much harder.

"I have comprehended many states of mind. The first must be one capable of being compatible with others."
"Then..."
"The best is the World Intent. No, it is the Space Intent!"
"Everything in existence is within space, and with the 'Lord of Space' talent, it will absolutely not be difficult."

Jiang Ming began to deduce and organize. After a long while, the power of space poured out, merging with the surroundings, while the acupuncture points in his body vibrated, triggering the resonance of the Dao rhymes of Heaven and Earth. There was no difficulty at all. This should have been a bottleneck.

"Is it because my genes evolved and my bloodline improved, making me more compatible with Heaven and Earth? The biggest reason should be the 'Lord of Space' talent," Jiang Ming pondered. Regardless, the first step was achieved easily. His acupuncture points shone brilliantly, the heart of Heaven trembled, and through his intent, the inner and outer merged. The Space Intent directly fused into the world, leaving an imprint.

In an instant, streams of even more mysterious power flowed back into his body, refining his internal energy and enhancing its quality; even his physical body underwent further baptism. Simultaneously, various realizations dawned on him. Jiang Ming’s aura climbed rapidly. Martial Path, 6th Level—achieved.

*Hum, hum, hum...*

The surrounding space vibrated. A vast, unparalleled pressure suddenly appeared, distorting space and flattening the vegetation to the ground. This pressure was terrifying, far stronger than that of the Black Mountain Old Demon. But it was not over. The pressure continued to rise. Vegetation disintegrated, rocks cracked; it was like the true wrath of Heaven, turning the place into a forbidden zone. It was more dreadful than Qiye’s, more powerful than Pang Ban’s, and several times stronger at that.

"This is the pressure of the Heavenly Image!" Jiang Ming raised his hand, carefully sensing it, feeling a sense of intoxication. With a slight flick of his finger, space twisted, and the power that erupted exceeded his imagination. This was the Dao of Space.

"The Space Intent has been completely fused into the world, leaving a mark on the heart of Heaven. From now on, I can unify my intent with the world and manipulate the might of Heaven at will!"
"I have directly reached the perfection of the 6th Level Heavenly Image Realm!"

Jiang Ming was joyous. Improving in the Heavenly Image Realm was very, very difficult. It begins by integrating wisps of intent, gradually merging until the state of mind is fully integrated with the world. Only then is it considered perfect. However, the power of Heaven and Earth is terrifying; merging even a fraction invites a backlash from the world’s power. One cannot take shortcuts or use brute force; one can only rely on time to polish it. Yet, Jiang Ming had no such obstacles due to his "Lord of Space" talent.

"I seem to..." Jiang Ming hesitated, "...be able to comprehend the deeper Dao rhyme of space, the True Meaning of Space, at any time." He felt an urge to break through immediately but forced himself to hold back. "There is no need to be over-hasty! I have many other states of mind that cannot be wasted."

He suppressed his thoughts and carefully sensed his own changes. The quality of his internal energy had risen by a grade. His Dantian space, the barriers of his acupuncture points, the resilience of his meridians, and so on, had all ascended to a new level. The scope of his Heavenly Image pressure was wider, covering a thousand-meter radius, far exceeding the range of any Heavenly Image powerhouse he had encountered.

"My understanding of space power has also leveled up significantly!"
"Perhaps, the Ten Thousand Thread Flow can finally be mastered!"

As Jiang Ming pondered, the World Intent emerged and began to fuse with the world. It was several levels harder than the Dao of Space, yet he succeeded in the end. The moment he did, the range of his Heavenly Image pressure expanded by another tenth.

"Use space as the boundary, the world as the domain, Yin and Yang as the bones, the Five Elements as the evolution, life and death as the rotation, light and darkness as the propulsion, the infinite as the weight, the soul as the intent, opening heaven as the suppression, and the ultimate point as the peak."

This was his plan—a long-term project. Jiang Ming stepped through the air, continuing his journey while constantly and slowly fusing the World Intent, making the might of Heaven stronger and its range wider.

By evening, Jiang Ming arrived outside the main altar of the World Association. He released his consciousness, beginning to sweep across the headquarters. Good heavens. The number of disciples in the World Association was truly vast; there were at least tens of thousands of members in the main altar alone, all elites, and strictly disciplined. Xiongba was indeed an ambitious hero; in terms of governance, he was truly quite skilled.

"Found you!" Jiang Ming’s gaze sharpened, and a smile appeared on his face. Although he had never seen Di Shitian, the power within the man could not be faked; even though he had concealed it deeply, Jiang Ming had caught a glimpse.

In the kitchen, Di Shitian was disguised as an old man, lying on a rocking chair in the courtyard, swaying back and forth.

"Master, Master, this is the Ten-Treasure Soup that has been simmering for ten hours. Would you like to taste it?" An old cook approached with a bowl.

Di Shitian was about to take it when he suddenly shot into the air. His chair was pierced through by a beam of finger energy. The old cook holding the bowl was stunned: "My master knows martial arts?"

The next moment, Di Shitian struck back with a palm, turning the entire kitchen area into a deep crater. His speed was lightning-fast; in the blink of an eye, he was on the roof of the main altar of the World Association on the mountaintop. An ice-sculpted mask appeared on his face.

"Who are you, and why do you dare to target this old man?" Di Shitian’s voice was hoarse!

"Di Shitian, I never expected you to be hiding in the kitchen of the World Association," Jiang Ming landed on the other side. "A thousand years later, and your perverse hobbies haven't changed a bit!"

"You actually know who I am?" Di Shitian’s pupils contracted.

Just then, disciples of the World Association swarmed in. Xiongba also appeared below, accompanied by his disciples Qin Shuang, Nie Feng, and Bu Jingyun. The moment Xiongba saw Jiang Ming, his eyes narrowed.

Bu Jingyun and Nie Feng instinctively exchanged glances. They both recognized Jiang Ming.

"Who are you two to dare trespass into our World Association? Such audacity!" Wen Chouchou, standing beside Xiongba, waving a folding fan and wearing flamboyant attire, pinched his fingers and shouted.

"Bu Jingyun, Nie Feng, go and capture these two!" Xiongba immediately issued the order. For some reason, he felt extremely uneasy. He had recently discovered that the way Bu Jingyun looked at him was becoming increasingly wrong, as if he wanted to kill him at any moment; this was a perfect opportunity to knock some sense into them.

"Yes!" The two answered, forced to fly onto the roof. However, they saw Di Shitian open his mouth and spit out a single word: "Get lost!"

The sound wave transformed into a torrent, blasting the two away and sending them falling into the distance. Xiongba himself was pushed back. The surrounding World Association disciples died or were injured in droves, and the survivors all clutched their heads, rolling on the ground in agony.

"This..." Xiongba was terrified. "How can there be such a terrifying existence in the world?"

Xiongba ignored the scene below, staring instead at Jiang Ming. "Who exactly are you? Why do you know who I am?"

"Do you remember which dynasty you were born in, a thousand years ago?" Jiang Ming asked instead of answering.

Di Shitian remained silent.

"You actually don't know?" Jiang Ming’s expression was strange.

"You know?" Di Shitian wanted to brush it off, but could not help asking, "I don't know why, but many of my memories have become blurred."

Jiang Ming was silent. This was a case of even his memories being tampered with.

"Speak, who are you? Why do you know me?" Di Shitian’s body shook, and a wave of cold air permeated the area, freezing everything around them in an instant. The cold air spread, and mist shrouded the scene. This sight shocked Xiongba even more, and he quickly retreated into the distance.

"Do you know Wu Wudi?" Jiang Ming revealed a cryptic look.

"Wu Wudi? Are you his disciple?" Di Shitian’s heart skipped a beat. He looked left and right, sensing carefully, and upon discovering no presence of Wu Wudi, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Back in the battle of that year, Wu Wudi, who was only in his tens, had nearly killed him, this old monster. He had been severely wounded at the time and thought he would die. To this day, he still had trauma from it.

"Guess!" Jiang Ming said, then roared, "Di Shitian, destiny decrees that you shall be buried here today!"

"Black Tortoise Divine Palm!"
"Fierce Leg Arts!"
"Go to hell!"

Jiang Ming struck suddenly.

"You really are Wu Wudi’s disciple!" Di Shitian panicked, hurrying to defend himself, but upon realizing Jiang Ming was not as strong as he had imagined, he snarled, "I’ll kill you today!"

His attacks became even more terrifying. Over the millennium, he had learned almost every ultimate technique in the world—from the Sword Sect’s "Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin" to the "Five Thunders Melting Extreme Hand," and more. He was proficient in everything, refined in everything. He was just a little cowardly.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ming was suppressed. He produced the Fire Scale Sword.

"Sword Three, Nine Suns Burn the Rivers and Seas!"
"Sword Four, One Sword Moves the Universe!"

Jiang Ming fought with all his might but remained suppressed.

"Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin!" Di Shitian reached out and grabbed a long sword that flew from the distance. Once in his hand, it became a powerful ultimate technique. Sword energy crisscrossed, carving deep gullies into the main altar of the World Association, and countless disciples perished. Xiongba was even more terrified. Any single strand of that sword energy could kill him. It was too strong.

"Retreat, retreat, everyone get off the mountain!" He could no longer care about his dignity; surviving and preserving his power were what mattered. He was the first to flee down the mountain. He was afraid of being caught in the sword energy and having his bones ground to dust.

"Your strength is nothing more than this. I thought you were so powerful, but you’re just a paper tiger!" After probing, Di Shitian breathed a sigh of relief and roared, "Might of Heaven, crush!"

The void above condensed, and the power of Heaven and Earth transformed into a divine mountain, pressing down.

"Might of Heaven, charge!" Jiang Ming was not afraid. He unified his intent with the world, manipulating the power of Heaven and Earth to resist, but he could not hold it back. The power of Heaven and Earth that his opponent manipulated was too great.

*Rumble...*

The collision of consciousness and the clash of pressure caused the clouds to shift and the world to shake. Buildings collapsed, and the mountain peak cracked.

"I can't block it!"
"World Intent, fuse for me!"

Jiang Ming had anticipated this. He did not panic; instead, he used the pressure from his opponent to push the rapid fusion of his second state of mind. Just then, Di Shitian’s eyes flashed, and a wave of soul power struck directly at Jiang Ming’s sea of consciousness.

The Saint Heart Four Calamities—the Eye of Terror Calamity—was unleashed.