Longevity by Grinding Skills

Chapter 384: Chapter 384: The Appearance of Divine Martial

Dragon scales peeled away in the raging flames, flesh sizzling as it cooked. The Flood Dragon let out a piercing shriek, thrashing its body wildly, but it could not break free.

Xu Yunfan’s gaze was cold. The amount of True Qi required to generate this True Flame was astonishing. Even he was feeling the strain; in just a few breaths, he had already consumed one percent of his body’s True Qi. In comparison, the amount of True Qi he had used while fighting Chen Jiuchuan and the others was utterly insignificant.

He continuously fueled the True Flame in his palm, simultaneously using his Martial Arts Celestial Eye to lock onto the residual purple-black Demon Qi within the Flood Dragon’s body, ensuring it was completely incinerated.

Gradually, the Flood Dragon’s struggles weakened. Its hundred-zhang-long body shrank continuously under the True Flame’s tempering, eventually transforming into a fist-sized, crimson Blood Bead suspended within the blaze.

Xu Yunfan swiped with two fingers. Impurities flaked off the Blood Bead’s surface as the essence within solidified, finally forming a dark red Pill the size of a longan. Faint Flood Dragon patterns were visible on its surface, and it radiated a torrential Qi Blood Power!

Xu Yunfan reached out and grabbed it. The Pill landed in his hand, and he immediately felt a ferocious draconic might assault his Heart and Spirit.

His expression remained unchanged. His Ten Extremes True Qi, channeled through the Linn Character Technique, focused his spiritual will and suppressed it. The Pill instantly fell silent.

Xu Yunfan closed his fingers, feeling the immense Vitality within the dark red Pill in his palm.

This Qi Blood Power was as vast as an abyss, far surpassing even his own Immortal Body, tempered to the pinnacle of the Land Immortal stage!

If what Chen Jiuchuan said was true, and this Pill was indeed the legendary Martial Dao Profound Crystal, then according to the Hundred Desires Devouring Essence Technique, the Hundred Peaks Demon Suppression Scripture, and the Heart Sutra of Nirvana Dust, the immense Vitality it contained was indeed enough to serve as a catalyst for the path to Foundation Establishment!

’The difficulty of Foundation Establishment is like scaling a mountain that defies the heavens.’

’Even if an ordinary Cultivator trained for a hundred years, they might not increase their chances by even a fraction.’

’This Martial Dao Profound Crystal not only opens up a whole new path, but it also forcefully increases the probability of a successful Foundation Establishment by a full ten percent!’

’A ten-percent chance may seem insignificant, but in truth, it is a stroke of fortune wrested from the heavens themselves.’

’Forging the foundation of the Great Dao is an act of defying fate itself. Any extra assurance, no matter how small, offers another glimmer of hope for transcendence.’

’According to the True Scripture of the Heart Sutra of Nirvana Dust, an opportunity like this could only be described as "heaven-sent."’

"So, this is the Martial Dao Profound Crystal?"

Just as he was examining it closely, a hoarse, strange voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

"This is the Martial Dao Profound Crystal. It belongs to the Divine Martial echelon, forges the status of Combat, and establishes the opportunity for the Great Dao."

Although the voice came from Chen Jiuchuan’s mouth, it carried an ancient, timeworn resonance, as if it had traversed a thousand years.

Xu Yunfan’s heart clenched. He spun around and saw Chen Jiuchuan’s eyes were hollow, yet his lips were curled into an eerie smile. The aura around his body shifted abruptly, faintly exuding a pressure that was not his own!

"Who are you?"

Xu Yunfan demanded coldly, his Ten Extremes True Qi circulating silently. Crimson-gold flames of Qi rose around him as his guard went up completely.

"Chen Jiuchuan" didn’t answer. Instead, he looked Xu Yunfan up and down, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter, before finally letting out a sneer.

"Mediocre bone structure, blocked meridians, unopened Dantian. Your physical body, on the other hand, is quite well-trained—it’s even reached a state of perfection. But with such poor Innate talent, everything you’ve accomplished has been through postnatal alterations to your constitution... To think someone with your aptitude could actually break the shackles of the Ninth Realm and become a Land Immortal? How interesting."

His tone was filled with undisguised contempt, as if he were inspecting a piece of scrap iron.

He sighed. "Is there truly no one left in the Divine Martial Realm? After scheming for so long, this World Heaven has managed to produce nothing more than a piece of trash like you. How am I supposed to return to the Foundation Establishment realm with this?"

"However... your physique is as clear as jade, your Martial Dao foundation is flawless, and your True Qi is as vast as the sea..." He stroked his chin, his tone gradually softening. "You could... barely... be considered a usable seedling. If I add a few more ’ingredients,’ I should have a fifty-percent chance at Foundation Establishment. With the Martial Dao Profound Crystal, that becomes a sixty-percent success rate. Not bad at all."

Xu Yunfan’s gaze darkened. He already had a suspicion. In a heavy voice, he asked, "Divine Martial Daoist Master?"

"Chen Jiuchuan" was silent for a moment, then let out a low chuckle laced with a hint of desolation and self-mockery.

"Indeed. It is I."

He slowly raised his head, a purple light flickering in his eyes. The aura around him grew increasingly solid. In just a few breaths, his power climbed steadily, showing signs of breaking free from the suppression of Xu Yunfan’s Ten Extremes True Qi.

"Three thousand years... I have gone through Reincarnation several times in this Divine Martial Realm, laying countless contingency plans. At last, I’ve waited for a Martial Artist to successfully advance to the Land Immortal realm. It seems my painstaking efforts were not in vain after all."

Hearing this, Xu Yunfan instantly understood.

’This Martial Dao Profound Crystal—or rather, this dying Evil Flood Dragon—was nothing more than bait set by the Divine Martial Daoist Master!’

’That Evil Flood Dragon, this shattered pocket dimension, and even the Handwritten Letter Chen Jiuchuan obtained... they were likely all part of his meticulously arranged plot. It was all to lure a powerful expert into his trap and help him be reborn!’

"Fishing?" Xu Yunfan sneered. "With just a wisp of a remnant soul? You think you’re worthy?"

’Chen Jiuchuan’s body, possessed by the Divine Martial Daoist Master, was not in harmony with the soul inhabiting it. Besides, Chen Jiuchuan’s own strength was merely at the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer. I don’t even need to use any advanced Martial Techniques. A single palm strike, backed by my immense Ten Extremes True Qi, would be enough to crush him into a pulp.’

The Divine Martial Daoist Master was unconcerned. Instead, he sized up Xu Yunfan with great interest and said slowly,

"Young man, don’t be so arrogant. Back in my day, I used a Martial Dao Profound Crystal to achieve Foundation Establishment. I swept through the Six Harmonies and stood out even among the Foundation Establishment Daoist Masters of the Primordial Sect. Though I am now but a remnant of a will, killing you... is more than enough."

Before the words had even left his mouth, he abruptly raised his hand. The shattered world of the Secret Realm distorted as countless strands of purple-black Demon Qi converged from all directions, forming black serpents that slithered toward Xu Yunfan!

Xu Yunfan was already on guard. His Ten Extremes True Qi erupted, and crimson-gold flames engulfed him, incinerating all the attacking serpents.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned the Shaking Mountain Sea-Suppressing Hammer, which appeared out of thin air. He pointed the head of the hammer directly at the Divine Martial Daoist Master.

"Old relic, times have changed!"

"Your little tricks might fool others, but they won’t work on me!"

A flicker of surprise crossed the Divine Martial Daoist Master’s eyes, followed by a soft chuckle.

"Interesting... In that case, let me see what you, a member of the younger generation, are really made of! You should know, the very Martial Dao you practice was passed down from me."

The Divine Martial Daoist Master clapped his hands together. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within the shattered Secret Realm converged, condensing in his palms to form a purple-black Celestial Slayer Spirit Destruction Seal.

The instant the seal formed, the entire space groaned as if unable to bear the burden. Defying all logic, rubble within a hundred-zhang radius floated into the air, only to be crushed into dust by the terrifying pressure.

"Break!"

The Divine Martial Daoist Master barked, thrusting the Palm Seal forward.

The seemingly slow movement conjured thirty-three tornadoes of Spiritual Qi from thin air. Within each vortex, purple-black lightning crackled, powerful enough to tear the very earth asunder.

Using the Martial Dao to channel the Heaven and Earth Laws—every single move pulsed with magnificent, heavenly might!