Chapter 194: Chapter 191: The Strongest Defense and The Strongest Attack
"Boy, don’t be so arrogant! You think just because you killed those two, you can beat me? I’ll show you my true power!"
As he spoke, Elder Han descended from the sky, landing on the ground.
"Earth’s Cone."
He rapidly formed hand seals. An earthy-yellow light coalesced into a rune, and he slammed his palm onto the ground.
Instantly, the earth began to tremble. Soil churned and gravel flew. In just the blink of an eye, countless sharp cones burst from the ground, shooting toward Ning Jiang.
An Earth Attribute Technique could only display its greatest might when combined with the earth.
At this moment, Elder Han was finally treating Ning Jiang as an equal.
WHOOSH.
Hundreds of cones spun rapidly, their velocity so great that white air currents visibly streamed from their sharp tips as they howled through the air.
With his power nearing the Spirit Realm Middle Stage, amplified by the Earth Power, his current attack was not far off from that of a true Spirit Realm Middle Stage powerhouse.
"A petty trick."
Ning Jiang stood his ground, not moving an inch.
After achieving Perfection with the Great Sun Glazed Golden Body, his Dharma Body’s Defense Power had increased by more than just a little. He now possessed a true Leakless Golden Body, with no weaknesses anywhere.
Before, his eyes, the spot between his brows, his throat, his groin, and other areas were all weak points. But after reaching Perfection, his body was flawless, a single, integrated whole.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The cones slammed into the golden Great Sun Dharma Body one after another. Golden ripples flashed across the surface of the Dharma Body, and the cones shattered, unable to faze it in the slightest.
’This Body Refining Technique is no simple matter.’
Elder Han was secretly astonished. Ning Jiang was only at the Innate Realm, yet the Body Refining Technique he cultivated could withstand the attack of a Spirit Realm Powerhouse. A Dharma Gate like this was undoubtedly a Top Level technique.
’Whether it’s the Flying Sword from before or this Body Refining Technique, this boy is full of major secrets. I must capture him!’
Elder Han took a deep breath, knowing that such an attack was useless against Ning Jiang.
His expression grew solemn. The Spiritual Qi in his body surged as he formed hand seals, his hands flashing through dozens of variations in the blink of an eye.
Finally, he viciously slammed both hands onto the ground, veins popping on his forehead, and roared, "Earth Melt Technique, Earth Burst Spear!"
As his roar faded, the ground for a hundred zhang around him began to undulate like waves, rising and falling in surging layers.
Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, the hundred-zhang expanse of earth rapidly converged on Elder Han.
A moment later, the hundred-zhang area had become a massive pit. In its place stood a spear as large as a mountain, looking as if it would pierce the very heavens.
Earth Burst Spear.
A Spirit Level Middle Grade Martial Technique, and Elder Han’s strongest move.
Unleashing this attack had consumed more than half of the Spiritual Qi in his body.
’Even a Spirit Realm Middle Stage powerhouse would be injured by the force of this attack. I refuse to believe you can block it.’
Elder Han grinned, his eyes snapping open. "Go!"
RUMBLE!
The air vibrated. The spear was a hundred zhang long and as massive as a mountain. Forget a single person—an attack like this could pierce ten mountains in an instant.
The spear’s power was more than ten times greater than the Earth’s Cone!
At this moment, even Yue Lianxi, who had faith in Ning Jiang, wore a grave expression.
"Now this is more like it."
Ning Jiang stood with his hands behind his back, his figure still as a statue.
As the spear closed in on him, he slowly uttered three words: "Great Sun Divine Shield."
Instantly, the three arms on the left side of the Great Sun Dharma Body reached out. Surging golden light condensed, forming a shield.
The shield was brilliant gold, over a zhang tall, and emblazoned with a great sun at its center. It was incomparably divine.
With each level the Great Sun Golden Body advanced, a new Martial Technique was unlocked: the Great Sun Demon Slaying Fist, Vajra’s Fury, and the Great Sun Dharma Body.
But after reaching Perfection, one unlocked the ultimate Martial Technique, one that integrated both offense and defense!
The Great Sun Divine Shield was the defensive Technique.
BOOM!
The enormous spear smashed viciously against the Great Sun Divine Shield.
"How is that possible?"
Before Elder Han’s horrified eyes, the spear began to shatter, starting from its tip.
His strongest attack couldn’t even break through Ning Jiang’s defense!
’Hmph. The true power of the Earth Burst Spear is the final explosion. I refuse to believe you can withstand that explosive force.’
After the spearhead shattered, the remaining shaft began to tremble violently, cracks rapidly spreading across its surface.
BOOM—
In an instant, the entire shaft exploded like a meteorite crashing to earth. A violent shockwave ripped countless trees from the mountainside.
In the space of a single breath, the area for several hundred zhang around was rendered completely barren.
A layer of the ground itself had been scraped away.
’He must be dead!’
Elder Han stared with wide eyes. The massive explosion had filled the air with dust and smoke. Surely Ning Jiang had been blasted to pieces?
"Is that all the strength you have?"
An indifferent voice slowly echoed out, and a golden figure emerged from within the dust cloud.
Elder Han’s pupils contracted, and a storm of shock raged in his heart. Ning Jiang wasn’t dead—he wasn’t even injured!
At that moment, his will wavered. Facing a Ning Jiang like this, he saw no chance of victory.
"Now, it’s my turn."
As he spoke, Ning Jiang’s three arms reached out. Golden light gathered, finally forming a golden spear.
The Great Sun Divine Spear!
This was the offensive Technique.
The Great Sun Divine Shield was called the ultimate defense, and the Great Sun Divine Spear was the ultimate offense.
This spear was only a zhang long. Compared to Elder Han’s Earth Burst Spear, it was like an ant to an elephant.
Yet, from this spear, Elder Han sensed a lethal danger.
"Wall of Earth!"
Elder Han plunged his hands into the ground. With a tremor, a wall burst from the earth, rising up before him.
’It’s not enough! Far from it!’
His eyes shot with blood, Elder Han went all out, and several more walls erupted from the ground.
Three walls, five, ten!
A total of ten walls now stood before him. At this point, he had completely exhausted his Spiritual Qi, holding nothing back.
’With a defense like this, I refuse to believe you can break through.’
The moment he finished raising his defenses, Ning Jiang’s attack was unleashed.
"Great Sun Divine Spear, go."
The three arms pulled back to their absolute limit and then violently thrust forward, shooting the spear out with full force.
In the eyes of Yue Lianxi and the others, the world faded away, leaving only this single ray of golden light.
Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, or a comet striking the moon.
It pierced the first wall, then the second, the third, the fourth...
Those who cultivated Earth Attribute Techniques were strongest not in offense, but in defense. Each of these walls was strong enough to block an attack from a Spirit Realm Master.
Yet, before the Great Sun Divine Spear, the massive walls seemed to be made of paper, pierced through with unstoppable momentum.
In the blink of an eye, all ten walls were pierced!
PFFT.
Finally, the golden divine spear pierced through Elder Han’s chest.
"I... I can’t accept this..."
Elder Han’s body collapsed.
"What a monster," the maidservant Qiu Yue murmured, dumbfounded.
Three Spirit Realm experts, killed one after another by Ning Jiang’s punch, roar, and spear.
And Ning Jiang was still only in the Innate Realm!
Once he breaks through to the Spirit Realm, just how monstrous will his combat power become?
’The rankings of Qing Province’s younger generation will probably be completely reshuffled because of him,’ Qiu Yue thought.
It felt just like it did back in the Cyan Cloud Country.
The younger generation of Cyan Cloud Country was reshuffled because of Ning Jiang, and now, he had left Cyan Cloud Country and arrived in the even vaster world of Qing Province.
He was just as monstrously talented as ever!
"Silly girl, do you understand why I think so highly of him now?"
Yue Lianxi gave a faint smile. Back in the Cyan Cloud Country, she was the first one to see Ning Jiang’s potential.
"How are your injuries?"
Ning Jiang asked, walking over to Yue Lianxi’s side.
"They’re very serious. I might not live to see tomorrow’s sun. Does that break your heart?" Yue Lianxi raised an eyebrow, her gaze sultry.
"It seems you’re fine. Let’s go."
"I can’t walk. You’ll have to carry me," Yue Lianxi said coquettishly. Her voice was tantalizing enough to melt bone, and she had reverted to her stunning, alluring self—utterly charming and full of grace.
"Then just recover here first. We’ll leave when you’re better," Ning Jiang said flatly.
"Hehe, you’re so heartless."
Yue Lianxi said with a hint of playful resentment, but she wasn’t angry. It was precisely this kind of Ning Jiang that made her want to conquer him.
Who says only men can conquer women?
Women can do it too.
...
After taking some Elixirs, Yue Lianxi recovered more than eighty percent of her injuries.
With that, they left the area and set out for the Yanyue Sect.
"My Yanyue Sect currently has eight elders, all of whom are Spirit Realm Powerhouses. Once you join, you’ll be the ninth."
Along the way, Yue Lianxi explained the situation at the Yanyue Sect to Ning Jiang.
According to Yue Lianxi, during the Yanyue Sect’s golden age, they had more than twenty Spirit Realm elders, but now they had fallen into decline.
"What happened a few years ago?" Ning Jiang asked.
"During an operation, our Yanyue Sect was set up by the Fire Cloud Sect. We lost more than a dozen Spirit Realm elders, but the most crippling blow was the fall of two Primordial Spirit Fourth Stage Realm powerhouses."
The Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm is the foundation that allows a Middle Grade Sect to establish itself.
A Sect only qualifies as Middle Grade once it has a Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm expert.
As for Upper Grade Sects, they have at least one Earth Martial Realm powerhouse presiding over them.
Top Grade Sects have Heaven-Reaching Realm powerhouses presiding over them.
And Super Sects have a Celestial Martial Realm King presiding over them.
"Right now, the only Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm expert left in my Yanyue Sect is my grandfather. If the Fire Cloud Sect wasn’t afraid of my grandfather taking them down with him, they would have made a move against us long ago."
"However, while the Fire Cloud Sect doesn’t dare to move against us openly, they have been secretly suppressing the Yanyue Sect for years. Several of our geniuses have even died under mysterious circumstances outside the Sect. Although there’s no proof, we’re certain the Fire Cloud Sect was behind it."
Yue Lianxi couldn’t help but grit her teeth as she spoke of this.
"Actually, with your talent for Half-Step Sword Intent, the Star Sword Sect would be the best choice for you," Yue Lianxi said after a moment’s hesitation.
She didn’t want to jeopardize Ning Jiang’s future.
The Star Sword Sect is the only Upper Grade Sect in Qing Province, and the head of the Five Great Sects.
The other Four Great Sects are all Middle Grade.
As for Top Grade Sects, there are none in Qing Province at all. After all, Qing Province is the weakest of the Six Eastern Provinces.
"I’ve made my choice. I won’t change it," Ning Jiang said faintly.
"But my Sect isn’t strong. Right now, it’s the weakest of the Five Great Sects."
"The Sect isn’t strong because I haven’t arrived yet. In the future, you will learn that I alone can suppress an entire Sect!"
Yue Lianxi was taken aback. Her beautiful, watery eyes gazed at Ning Jiang as she said in a clear, tingling, and coquettish voice, "Hehe, Ning Jiang, I find myself liking you more and more."
Ning Jiang couldn’t be bothered with her.
Five days later, they finally arrived at the foot of a continuous mountain range.
"The Yanyue Sect is just ahead," said Yue Lianxi.
