Chapter 361: Genetic
The Top-Tier Astral Cultivators couldn't help but exclaim.
"Is he out of his mind!?"
"He's enjoying the fight!? Enjoying a battle with a legendary demonic creature!? What if he gets careless and ends up dead!?"
"To still hold back against such a powerful creature... That's pure... arrogance!"
After all, during the time the creature hunted them, every second felt like an eternity. They clearly remembered the extreme pressure on their minds and bodies, haunting them. Yet, Li Pin seemed to... enjoy the fight?
"How can there be such a person in this world?" a Top-Tier Astral Cultivator murmured.
His eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions similar to Lin Baizhan's—confusion, resentment, anger, but more than that... respect and even longing.
***
The sky, the earth, and the mountains all became the battlefield for Li Pin and the blood-red monster.
Top-Tier Astral Cultivators in their starlight forms could skim over short distances. Once they reached the Master Astral Cultivator level, they could manipulate Atomic Will for physical flight.
Li Pin could fly by relying on the magnetic fields of celestial bodies, so his battlefield wasn't just limited to the ground anymore.
As for the blood-colored creature, it lacked the power of flight, but with sheer explosive strength, it could leap hundreds of meters high in an instant.
However, it couldn't change direction in midair like Li Pin, putting it at a disadvantage during aerial combat. It would only leap into the air when pursuing its target.
After being repeatedly forced into a corner by Li Pin's strikes, the creature realized how terrifying its opponent was.
Following another round of collisions, the monster suddenly let out a deep roar and began to flee rapidly.
"Not going to fight anymore?"
This scene left Li Pin, who was reveling in the peak of his physical and spiritual state, momentarily stunned.
As he saw the creature dash toward the mountain where it used to live, seemingly trying to escape back to its lair, he couldn't hold back any longer and charged after it at full speed.
"Where do you think you're running to!"
Yet the creature ignored Li Pin's voice, sprinting toward the mountain with all its might, as if only thinking of retreating into its cave.
Li Pin found satisfaction in facing such an evenly matched "opponent."
However, since he had promised Lin Baizhan to help resolve the issues in the Peach Blossom Secret Domain after obtaining the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, he couldn't let this monster live. That's why, he drew the Sword of Destiny strapped to his back.
Rumble, rumble!
As brilliant lightning erupted from him, Li Pin soared like a streak of light, flying swiftly to the monster's rear.
The creature sensed the danger and abruptly changed direction mid-sprint. Its colossal arms, like steel beams, lunged toward Li Pin with crushing force. The sheer pressure from its punch could tear apart a truck, let alone a fragile human.
Yet, facing this punch, electric currents surged around Li Pin. In an instant, he soared into the air, appearing above the monster's head.
The Sword of Destiny, glowing with lethal brilliance, pierced the monster's skull like lightning.
With the monster's formidable defenses, a top-tier spirit weapon would have likely only left a mark on its surface. Yet, the sword, with its armor-piercing properties, sunk effortlessly deep into the monster.
"Roar!"
The creature let out a furious roar, and it tried to launch a counterattack with its other arm.
Having two heads, it didn't die immediately.
As soon as the blood-red monster's head was pierced, Li Pin pulled out his sword decisively and retreated.
Thanks to the incredible defense of the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, Li Pin held firm after taking a punch that sent him flying a hundred meters away.
Following his second strike, the outcome became clear.
Li Pin concluded that legendary demonic creatures ultimately couldn't rival a Legendary Astral Cultivator! Their defense, vitality, and stamina might have far exceeded human capabilities, but they had clear weaknesses: they had limited techniques, lacked tactics, and couldn't fly.
It was similar to how a High-Class Astral Cultivator might struggle to face one or two high-tier monsters in a close, confined battlefield, but would be able to take down ten or more if he was equipped with superior astral equipment and room to maneuver and a deeper strategy.
Just as the crimson, two-headed monster was about to retreat into the mountain, Li Pin seized his chance. The Sword of Destiny struck true, piercing the monster's second head.
The massive creature immediately crashed to the ground.
Li Pin shook the blood from his blade, as the dark magic within the monster's blood seemed to attempt to erode it. With each drop removed, the sword's astral energy purified the remnants, leaving itself unharmed.
Li Pin took a moment to reflect on the experience of the battle. "Fear."
If he had been a legendary demonic creature, he could have defeated a Martial God simply by protecting his vital areas and relying on his immense vitality, defense, and stamina to gradually wear him down until he collapsed.
Even if the Martial God attempted to flee, he could pursue said Martial God relentlessly through the vast expanse of the Peach Blossom Secret Domain, providing no respite until the Martial God fell.
The 3000 points of qi and blood granted the monster such a powerful physique and endurance that it could probably fight for three days and nights without feeling fatigued.
However, monsters weren't human. They lacked the capacity to think ahead. Or, rather, this one lacked the intelligence to do so. Otherwise, the outcome might have been entirely different.
"Having intelligence or lacking it makes a world of difference in the threat a monster of such power poses to humanity."
Li Pin's thoughts turned to the unbreached Degenerate Temple. The bishop-level beings within were undoubtedly intelligent monsters. They crafted statues, built influence, and designed labyrinths in their core area to ensure their own safety. These demonic creatures were the real threat that lurked in the human world.
At that moment, several voices rushed in.
"Martial God Li."
"Hall Master Li..."
Lin Baizhan and a few Top-Tier Astral Cultivators quickly arrived on the scene. Upon their arrival, they spotted the blood-red creature lying lifeless before them.
Joy erupted among the Top-Tier Astral Cultivators.
"It's dead! It's dead! This monster that has tormented us is finally dead!"
"Wonderful! From now on, we'll no longer live in fear!"
Their eyes sparkled with delight, and they nearly burst into cheers.
However, Lin Baizhan and the two older Top-Tier Astral Cultivators wore complex expressions.
This creature was Lin Xuanyao, the elder of their Lin Clan. Years ago, he chose to eliminate the life-threatening dark magic that posed a danger to the people of the Peach Blossom Secret Domain.
To do this, he imitated the method used to create the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, using himself as a vessel to absorb the dark magic, ultimately transforming into this monstrous being.
In a way, he should have been a savior for everyone in this alternate space.
"Martial God Li, please allow us to give him a proper burial," Lin Baizhan said.
Li Pin nodded.
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After a moment, as if recalling something, Li Pin approached the massive corpse and began to search through the body.
Before long, he sliced open the creature's head with a single sword strike, retrieving two crystal stones, one large and one small, from within.
Lin Baizhan exclaimed in surprise, "Purgatory Stones?"
"His astral energy and dark magic were imbalanced, resulting in Purgatory Stones forming instead of Astral Crystals," Li Pin explained.
Though it was a pity they weren't the more valuable Legendary Astral Crystals, the two Purgatory Stones were clearly of high quality. Li Pin speculated that the power within these stones might originate from another civilization, making them ideal for further research.
"I need to rest for a while. Please don't disturb me," Li Pin stated.
"Understood," Lin Baizhan replied quickly. "Please take care, Hall Master Li. We won't allow anyone to disturb you."
Having obtained the Heavenly Demon Divine Armor, their next step was to attempt to break out of the Peach Blossom Secret Domain. To achieve this, they would have to rely entirely on Li Pin.
With that, Li Pin returned to the farmhouse where he lived.
He needed to rest and heal from the injuries he had sustained from his battle with the blood-red monster. He also needed to process the emotions released from engaging in a thrilling fight after a year. His spiritual state had improved, pushing his mental spirit beyond the 100-point threshold.
Following this breakthrough, he wanted to fully experience the changes brought about by the Clairvoyance gift
Li Pin focused on sensing the changes brought by his Clairvoyance gift. Soon enough, he began to perceive something.
As his mind raced, the cells within him rapidly divided and grew, rapidly healing some of his injuries in the process.
This repair was unlike his original Recovery ability; it was a transformation and growth driven by his will.
It was as if he were a seasoned driver who had previously only operated a car passively; now, he not only knew how to drive but understood the performance of every vehicle.
Li Pin smiled slightly. "At my current level, reconstructing severed limbs or regenerating body parts is no longer a problem for me."
That wasn't all.
With the ability to control cell division, he could freely alter his shape, appearance, and posture.
From this moment on, he had truly mastered control over his own body.
"This still isn't the limit!"
Li Pin focused his mind once more.
The changes resulting from breaking the 100-point barrier in mental spirit extended beyond those auxiliary functions; the key was that it allowed the power of his Clairvoyance gift to penetrate down to the genetic level!