Chapter 158: Chapter 156: Genius Transcender
In truth, Jiang Jichen had been through a series of intense battles recently. By constantly getting injured and then consuming Spiritual Pills and Treasured Medicines, he had accumulated enough energy to reach the verge of a breakthrough.
He was previously at the Innate Sixth Layer Initial Stage, and now he had a chance to break through to the Innate Sixth Layer Perfect Realm in one fell swoop.
Of course, all of this required a catalyst—a true life-and-death battle.
Jiang Jichen said calmly to Yee Youmeng and Luoo Long, "I’m going to use this battle to break through. You two don’t need to interfere. Just stand aside and keep an eye on that kid, Wei Xiaohao. Don’t let him escape!"
Hearing Jiang Jichen’s words, Wei Xiaohao’s face immediately fell. He wailed from the sidelines, "Boss! My loyalty to you is unwavering—the sun and moon can attest to it! I wasn’t trying to escape, I was going to get reinforcements!"
"I’m this powerful, and you think I need you to get reinforcements? Are you looking down on me?"
Jiang Jichen replied as he thrust his sword toward an Innate Eighth Layer Spirit Cultivator.
Well, after hearing Jiang Jichen’s words, Wei Xiaohao was left speechless.
’Sigh, with a boss this arrogant, it’s so hard to suck up to him!’ Wei Xiaohao lamented mournfully in his heart.
Guo Qilin and his men, however, were about to explode with rage. Jiang Jichen was actively attacking them while simultaneously chatting with someone else. Did he really see them as trash he could crush at will?
"Kill him!"
Having witnessed Jiang Jichen’s power, Guo Qilin didn’t dare to be careless. He retreated, ordering one of the Grandmasters to protect him while the rest charged forward to attack.
Three Innate Eighth Layer cultivators and two Innate Ninth Layer Supreme Minor Grandmasters, plus a Grandmaster!
Jiang Jichen’s body was instantly exposed to their vicious attacks, but he didn’t retract the sword he had already thrust forward.
One Sword Life and Death Technique!
When the sword is drawn, life and death are decided by my will. If I will you to live, you live. If I will you to die, you die.
This sword, of course, willed the opponent’s death. And so, the Innate Eighth Layer Spirit Cultivator died. The Sword Intent pierced his chest, annihilating his life force.
At the same time, the others’ powerful attacks landed, all of them blasting into Jiang Jichen’s body.
Jiang Jichen’s body shattered, but there was no spray of blood. It turned out to be... just an afterimage!
’Such a fast sword! Such a fast Body Technique!’
This thought flashed through everyone’s minds simultaneously. Even the Grandmaster’s expression turned grave.
Although he was only the most ordinary type of Grandmaster, he was still a full four realms higher than Jiang Jichen. Yet, he could still sense a life-or-death threat from the young man, which made him afraid to be the slightest bit careless.
In truth, before the Foundation Establishment Realm—whether in the Mortal Body Realm or the Innate Realm—the gap between realms wasn’t an uncrossable chasm. There were many Transcenders who could defeat and kill opponents one realm above them. Only a handful of geniuses could defeat opponents two realms higher. As for defeating and killing an opponent three realms higher, that was a feat reserved for the most supreme, handful of geniuses in the Southern Continent. There were likely no more than ten such individuals in the entire generation!
And to go even further—to defeat an opponent four realms higher—that was the stuff of legendary Supreme Transcenders. Such a figure might not even exist in the entire Southern Continent.
Right now, Jiang Jichen was not only facing a Grandmaster four realms above him, but also a group of Spirit Cultivator Powerhouses two to three realms higher. It was an act that defied the heavens, and in everyone’s eyes, it was utterly impossible.
"So he’s a Transcender. To be able to kill an Innate Eighth Layer opponent, he must be an outstanding Transcender capable of bridging two realms. But that’s as far as he goes. It all ends here!"
One of the Innate Ninth Layer Spirit Cultivators sneered, thinking he had already seen through Jiang Jichen.
As he spoke, he and the other Innate Ninth Layer Spirit Cultivator attacked from the left and right flanks.
"Wind and Thunder Shocking the Mountains!"
"Overturning River and Sea!"
Both were powerful Killing Techniques of the Innate Ninth Layer. As they swept over him, a Spirit Pattern Tide submerged the area. It was everywhere. No matter how profound Jiang Jichen’s Body Technique was, he couldn’t dodge it—unless he retreated!
The ground beneath their feet looked as if it had been blasted by thunder and scoured by gales. Huge fissures ripped open, and from within them, blades of water erupted, as swift and violent as a storm, intent on shredding everything in their path.
But Jiang Jichen just gave a cold smile. Instead of retreating, he advanced, extending a single finger and pointing it forward.
"Cloud Disappearing Rain Scattering!"
This was the first form of the Soul Destruction Finger, capable of making the clouds disperse and the storms scatter. In that instant, all the wind, thunder, and water blades in front of Jiang Jichen abruptly vanished, as if clearing a path for him to walk through.
And Jiang Jichen, holding the Red Copper Rust Sword, unleashed a continuous flurry of Sword Skills.
"Yin-Yang, Four Symbols!"
"Eight-direction Wind and Rain, Earth and Heaven Shaking!"
"Ten Thousand Stars!"
He swept his sword out with several Sword Techniques in a row, moving at his absolute limit. He had pushed the rate at which his body channeled Spiritual Power to the very peak of the Golden Spiritual Vein Level.
An endless torrent of Sword Light filled the air, seeming to transform the very world into a domain of Sword Intent.
It contained the black-and-white division of Yin-Yang, the scorching heat and icy cold of the Four Symbols, the ethereal uncertainty of wind and rain, and the vast expanse of starlight across the heavens...
It was a scene of marvelous intent and beautiful imagery, but only those caught within it could truly appreciate the terrifying danger it contained.
"Argh—" PFFT!
"No!"
"What the hell is this Sword Intent?! I’m going to die!"
The next moment, tragic and terrified screams echoed from within the world of Sword Intent.
The remaining two Innate Eighth Layer Spirit Cultivators were slain within the world of Sword Intent before they could even make a move.
Jiang Jichen gracefully sidestepped, narrowly dodging the Grandmaster’s strike, but the lingering power of the attack still forced him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
A Grandmaster’s attack was no small matter—it was terrifyingly powerful. But for Jiang Jichen to kill three Innate Eighth Layer Spirit Cultivators right under the noses of two Innate Ninth Layer Supreme Minor Grandmasters and a Grandmaster... how was that feat any less impressive than that of a genius Transcender who could overcome a three-realm gap?
In the entire Southern Continent, no more than ten people were capable of such a feat. ’But this young man before us is one of them... how is that possible?’
The combat prowess Jiang Jichen displayed had already far exceeded their imagination.
Unfortunately for them, this was only the beginning. As the previous wave of Sword Intent dissipated, Jiang Jichen had already closed in on one of the Innate Ninth Layer Supreme Minor Grandmasters.
Then, the power of his Innate Body Refining Fifth Realm cultivation erupted. Jiang Jichen unleashed a flurry of fists and kicks, launching a close-quarters combination assault against the Innate Ninth Layer Spirit Cultivator.
"Seven Stars Gathering, Starlight Illumination!"
"Gale Leg!"
"Heart-Shattering Palm!"
Jiang Jichen unleashed every combat technique he could use at his current Realm.
THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!
The attacks rained down upon the Innate Ninth Layer Spirit Cultivator. The protective power of his Defense Dao shattered instantly. Finally, a single punch from Jiang Jichen caused his physical body to explode before he even had time to scream.
