Chapter 208: Chapter 205: Breakthrough to the Spirit Realm, Celestial Tribulation
"This Spirit Vein is so strange. The Spirit Stones we’ve mined from it don’t have a shred of Spiritual Qi."
"Looks like this is a dead Spirit Vein. The Spiritual Qi must have drained away long ago."
The Fire Cloud Sect disciples in charge of mining the Spirit Vein were muttering amongst themselves. This was the same Spirit Vein the Yanyue Sect and Fire Cloud Sect had discovered a month prior.
"Sigh... Honestly, this place feels cursed. I really don’t want to be here. That guy, Meng Daoyi, is absolutely vicious. He killed so many people from our Fire Cloud Sect, and he even dared to kill members of the Star Sword Sect."
"Do you guys think this Meng Daoyi will show up again?"
"Probably not. If he shows his face, the two Major Sects will never let him get away with it."
CRACK.
Just as they were deep in discussion, a sudden cracking sound echoed from the Spirit Vein.
"What’s happening?"
All eyes shot in that direction.
From the center of the Spirit Vein, cracks rapidly spiderwebbed outward, as if something was about to emerge.
"Could it be some kind of Treasure?"
The eyes of the Fire Cloud Sect disciples burned with greed. There were stories of people in this world who, after a chance encounter with fortune, would soar to the heavens and become mighty experts.
They, too, yearned for such an opportunity.
"SKREEEEEE!"
A moment later, accompanied by an earth-shattering cry, a streak of black light shot out from within the Spirit Vein.
"A bird!"
Everyone stared in shock at the bird before them. It was jet-black all over, with smooth feathers that looked as sharp as swords. It was incredibly majestic and a full one hundred feet in size.
"I’ll catch it."
The man in charge of this Spirit Vein was an expert at the Spirit Realm Middle Stage. He immediately reached out with a great hand, intending to capture the black bird.
SWISH.
But the black bird moved like a bolt of lightning, streaking through the air with its wings spread wide like a Celestial Blade.
SQUELCH.
Blood spurted as a head flew high into the air.
"Run!"
The other Fire Cloud Sect disciples felt their scalps tingle with fear. This wasn’t a Treasure; it was a catastrophe.
But how could they possibly outrun the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow?
SQUELCH! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!—
In less than ten breaths, everyone mining the Spirit Vein had been killed.
High in the sky, a white-haired figure ambled into view.
’The Heaven-Devouring Sparrow Dharma Body is finally complete!’
Ning Jiang looked at the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow Dharma Body before him with satisfaction. This Dharma Body’s power far surpassed that of his Great Sun Dharma Body. Killing a Spirit Realm Middle Stage expert had taken but a single blow.
’Dharma Body, merge!’
With a single thought, the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow Dharma Body merged into Ning Jiang’s body.
Instantly, Ning Jiang felt an incomparably pure Energy surge into his body. His aura began to climb rapidly, quickly reaching a critical point.
The barrier to the Spirit Realm!
If he were to break through this barrier now, he would immediately step into the Spirit Realm.
But at the critical moment, he held back, forcefully suppressing the breakthrough.
’If I break through here, the grand gift I’ve prepared for the Fire Cloud Sect will go to waste.’
As he thought this, Ning Jiang’s white hair turned black, then continued to grow until it reached his heels.
He was channeling the life force from his body into his hair. Having cultivated the Great Sun Glazed Golden Body, his vitality was immense and inexhaustible, making it a simple task to turn his white hair black.
Then, he took out a mask and placed it over his face.
The mask was half black and half white, like the two faces of yin and yang, or Black and White Impermanence.
’Today, as Meng Daoyi, I shall pay a visit to the Fire Cloud Sect!’
Ning Jiang strode forward. With his long black hair billowing behind him and the black-and-white mask on his face, no one could possibly recognize him.
「One hour later, at the Fire Cloud Sect.」
"Who goes there?" Seeing Ning Jiang fly toward them, several Mountain Guard Disciples shot into the sky to intercept him.
"Kill."
With no further words, Ning Jiang shot forward like a bolt of lightning and began his slaughter.
"AHHH!" A bloodcurdling scream alerted everyone in the vicinity.
"Who dares cause trouble at our Fire Cloud Sect?"
Instantly, experts from the Spirit Realm were alerted and shot into the sky.
’Sword Array, arise!’
Ning Jiang slapped his Sword-Hiding Gourd, and the Seven Kills Sword Array erupted forth. It carried an astonishing killing intent, tearing forward like a tornado.
"Flee!"
The first few Spirit Realm experts to arrive were turned into corpses in a single clash. All who witnessed it were struck with terror.
"Go!"
Ning Jiang directed the Seven Kills Sword Array to pursue them relentlessly, sticking to them like a shadow.
"Hmph." A cold snort rang out. It seemed to come from the distant horizon, yet it boomed beside their ears like thunder.
A wave of Primordial Spirit Power, invisible to the naked eye, formed a barrier ahead. When the Seven Kills Sword Array struck it, the swords were sent flying back with a series of PANG! PANG! PANG! sounds.
’Primordial Spirit Fourth Stage Realm.’
Ning Jiang looked up to see an old man in gray robes ambling toward him. Each of his steps seemed small, but he covered several hundred feet with every one.
"Who are you to cause trouble at my Fire Cloud Sect!?" The man who had appeared was none other than the Grand Elder, Cai Lin.
"My name is Meng Daoyi."
When those two words rang out, Cai Lin’s pupils contracted violently, and he erupted in a towering rage. "You animal! You killed people from my Fire Cloud Sect and you still dare to show your face? Today you die!"
RUMBLE!
A gigantic palm descended, and the very space around it darkened in an instant.
The moment Cai Lin attacked, he revealed the terrifying power of the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm. The giant palm was condensed from pure Primordial Spirit Power; it was an attack that no one with a Spirit Realm Cultivation could possibly withstand.
"Elder Cai Lin is making his move. That person is as good as dead." Below, many members of the Fire Cloud Sect watched the confrontation unfold.
In addition, several other waves of Primordial Spirit Power scanned the area from within the Fire Cloud Sect, their attention fixed on the battle.
These belonged to the Sect’s other Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm experts.
They did not intervene, believing Cai Lin alone was more than enough.
As the giant palm blotted out the sky and pressed down, sealing off all escape, Ning Jiang’s face, hidden beneath the black-and-white mask, showed not a trace of fear. Instead, there was a flicker of excitement.
"Break."
At the critical moment, Ning Jiang’s aura surged violently, like boiling water blowing the lid off a pot or a volcano erupting.
CRACKLE! POP!
An invisible barrier shattered from within him.
At that moment, Ning Jiang felt his consciousness, his spirit, and his body all ascend to a completely new plane. The sensation was like shattering a small fishbowl to enter the vast, open river.
Spirit Realm!
He had finally broken through to the Spirit Realm, stepping into a whole new world of power.
RUMBLE.
At the same time, a thunderous boom echoed from above. The once clear, vast sky was instantly blanketed by a layer of black clouds.
The world flashed, and a bolt of lightning struck down, landing on the giant Primordial Spirit hand and annihilating it.
"How can there be a Celestial Tribulation!?"
Cai Lin’s expression changed dramatically as he stared in disbelief at the roiling black clouds overhead.
The black clouds were small at first, but within a few breaths, they billowed and spread until they enveloped nearly half of the entire Fire Cloud Sect.
"This is the grand gift I’ve prepared especially for the Fire Cloud Sect. Enjoy!"
