Chapter 608 - 581: Soul-Tempering Spirit Pill, True Dao Level 5

"Sealing and Closing!"

"Dustless Sword Net!"

After all, Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou were battle-hardened experts. Sensing Zhaang Ye’s unstoppable Saber Technique, they roared in unison and defended with all their might.

Iron Hand Marquis pressed his palm forward into the empty air, and a force as heavy as a mountain surged forth. This power was unbelievably immense, making the very void tremble before it. This simple yet terrifying defensive move was Iron Hand Marquis’s unique ultimate technique—Sealing and Closing!

The two swords in Zi Nuhou’s hands danced, unleashing ten thousand strands of Sword Gang. The dense strands of Sword Gang formed a massive, impenetrable net. This was the defensive ultimate technique he had painstakingly cultivated—Dustless Sword Net! Under this technique, not even a speck of dust, let alone a ray of sunlight, could pass through.

"SWOOOOSH!"

Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou had just deployed their defenses when Zhaang Ye’s attack arrived. Seven incredibly domineering streams of Sword Gang, faintly merged with the Sword Array, struck Iron Hand Marquis’s palm and Zi Nuhou’s sword net with an unstoppable momentum.

"BOOM! BOOM!"

Zhaang Ye’s attack was surprisingly domineering, surprisingly heavy, and surprisingly sharp. With just two simple strikes, a flaw appeared in Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou’s airtight defensive net.

Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou were scared out of their wits. They cried out in horror at the same time, "Borrowed power! Zhaang Ye, you can actually command the power of the Sword Array! How is this possible...?"

Zhaang Ye remained silent. He slashed down with the final five strikes, cutting their voices short.

"SWOOOOSH—"

Amidst a series of loud bangs, Zhaang Ye’s figure flickered, transforming into a streak of green light. He reappeared a hundred feet away, staring impassively at Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou.

Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou had completely frozen, standing there in a daze, their eyes filled with disbelief. After a long moment, several Blood Arrows erupted from their bodies. Fresh blood sprayed out, and their life force rapidly faded.

The two young experts glared venomously at Zhaang Ye, as if they wanted to say something. But the moment they opened their mouths, they collapsed to the ground with a THUD, their lives extinguished.

Seeing the two young experts fall dead, Flower King and Shui Daimai both stopped fighting. Their gazes fell upon Zhaang Ye, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Zhaang Ye’s combat prowess was clearly growing, but neither of them could have imagined he would become so powerful as to slay both Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou. After all, Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou were genuine True Dao Sixth-Layer Experts, their Cultivation far more profound than Zhaang Ye’s!

Flower King closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. He took a long, deep look at Zhaang Ye and said slowly, "Zhaang Ye, I never thought your Saber Technique had reached such a level. To think you can actually call upon the power of the Sword Array to attack."

Human strength is finite, but the power of heaven and earth is infinite. When their Cultivation reaches a profound level, Cultivators can often call upon the great power of the world to attack their opponents. Zhaang Ye couldn’t borrow the world’s great power, but by relying on his own comprehension, he borrowed the power of the Sword Array and effortlessly slew the two young experts.

Flower King stared at Zhaang Ye and added in a low voice, "Zhaang Ye, your combat strength has increased by fifty percent. However, your Cultivation is still only at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer. You are no match for me! During the third trial, if I run into you, I, Flower King, will definitely kill you!"

Zhaang Ye sneered, ignoring Flower King completely. He walked over to the bodies of Iron Hand Marquis and Zi Nuhou and made a light grasping motion in the air.

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"

With Zhaang Ye’s gesture, the two young experts’ Storage Bags immediately flew into his hand. After stowing the Storage Bags, Zhaang Ye took Zi Nuhou’s two swords. Finally, he claimed Iron Hand Marquis’s two black gloves as his own.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s dismissive attitude, Flower King’s fists clenched so hard they cracked. Raging flames erupted around his body, and his immense aura locked onto Zhaang Ye.

Suddenly, a voice echoed in the great hall. "Enough. Three are now dead. The second trial is over. The three of you have passed the test of the second trial."

As the voice faded, the purple-bearded middle-aged man’s figure appeared in the hall.

The purple-bearded man glanced at the three of them impassively and said slowly, "You three have passed the second trial. As a reward, this Sword Monarch bestows upon you an Elixir. You may take this Elixir to recover from your injuries."

After speaking, the purple-bearded man gave a slight flick of his palm, and three elixirs the size of longans floated slowly toward them.

Seeing the elixirs float toward them, Flower King, Shui Daimai, and Zhaang Ye all showed looks of excitement. The purple-bearded man was an incarnation of the Sword Monarch. The Elixirs he produced were likely Spirit Pills refined in Ancient Times and were definitely not ordinary items.

Zhaang Ye raised his hand and caught the Elixir. Bringing it closer to look, he saw that the Elixir was blood-red all over, with a faint, indistinct shadow inside.

The purple-bearded man said in a low voice, "This Elixir contains immense life force. Not only can it cleanse your bodies and heal your injuries, but it can also cleanse your souls and strengthen your Spiritual Power. Now, you may take it."

Flower King and Shui Daimai impatiently popped the elixirs into their mouths. Zhaang Ye also placed the Elixir in his mouth, preparing to refine it.

Just then, the Fire Spirit cried out, ’Wait! Master, this Elixir is strange. In the memories of the Phoenix Clan, there seems to be a record of it.’

Zhaang Ye was taken aback. He asked in his mind, ’Fire Spirit, what’s so strange about this Elixir?’

The Fire Spirit pondered for a moment before finally speaking. ’That’s it! In Ancient Times, this Elixir had a name: Soul Tempering True Pill. The Soul Tempering True Pill is a Top Grade True Pill. It contains immense life force and can not only temper a Cultivator’s body but also their soul!’

Zhaang Ye said, ’The purple-bearded man just said it could cleanse the soul and strengthen Spiritual Power. What’s wrong with that?’

The Fire Spirit said slowly, ’It’s very wrong! The Soul Tempering True Pill is an extremely rare Elixir. In Ancient Times, it was used for soul possession! After taking this Elixir, a faint imprint is left on the soul, allowing another person to easily take over the body through that imprint!’

Zhaang Ye was deeply shocked. He said in horror, ’Are you saying this incarnation of the Sword Monarch wants to be reborn through soul possession? His original body has already fallen. Can he really regain his life through this method?’

The Fire Spirit explained, ’Experts from Ancient Times possessed all sorts of Divine Powers. Even if their original bodies perished, they had many methods to regain their lives. You, Flower King, and Shui Daimai are all prodigies of your generation. It’s perfectly normal for the Sword Monarch to have his eyes on your bodies.’

At this, Zhaang Ye surprisingly calmed down. He asked, ’Fire Spirit, should I take this Elixir or not? What can we do to avoid the soul possession?’

The Fire Spirit laughed. ’Master, you can take this Elixir without worry. Although I have lost most of my power, my understanding of souls remains. The Sword Monarch’s imprint in this Elixir is extremely faint. I have absolute confidence I can refine it away.’

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, thinking to himself, ’The Fire Spirit’s original true form was a massive volcano. Its combat power was likely even greater than the Sword Monarch’s. Since it’s confident it can handle this, there shouldn’t be a problem.’

"HAAAH!"

Zhaang Ye swallowed the Soul Tempering True Pill. His Celestial River Righteous Qi began to circulate frantically as he started refining it.

"BANG! BANG! BANG—"

The Soul Tempering True Pill transformed into streams of pure Heaven and Earth Essence, flowing into all of Zhaang Ye’s Meridians. This Heaven and Earth Essence was astonishingly vast. Even with his Celestial River Righteous Qi spinning wildly, he couldn’t completely manage it. The Heaven and Earth Essence violently battered his Meridians, causing strange noises to sound out.

’This Soul Tempering True Pill truly lives up to its name as an Ancient Elixir! The Heaven and Earth Essence it contains is just too vast, too immense!’ Zhaang Ye was both shocked and overjoyed as his Celestial River Righteous Qi circulated madly.

The Heaven and Earth Essence converted from the Soul Tempering True Pill was brimming with vigorous life force. Zhaang Ye guided this Heaven and Earth Essence through One Cycle. He immediately felt a refreshing comfort spread through him as the injuries both inside and outside his body healed rapidly.

The Heaven and Earth Essence continued to circulate through his Meridians. With every cycle, a portion of the Heaven and Earth Essence flowed into his Dantian, transforming into Celestial River Righteous Qi.

His Celestial River Righteous Qi grew larger and more abundant. As a continuous stream of Celestial River Righteous Qi gathered, Zhaang Ye’s Dantian became completely filled, and the aura around him began to skyrocket.

"BOOM!"

Zhaang Ye suddenly felt a jolt above his head. The Top Three Flowers abruptly flew out and began to spin rapidly.

Zhaang Ye’s current Cultivation was at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer, and there were two flowers above his head. The first flower was entirely green, a color that appeared after Zhaang Ye comprehended the Wind Realm. The second flower had only one open petal, and its color was rather strange, a mixture of black and purple.

The purple-bearded middle-aged man had been standing there silently. When he saw the colors of Zhaang Ye’s two flowers, his body trembled slightly. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he muttered, "Green is the Wind Realm, black is the Water Realm, and purple is the Thunder Realm. This Zhaang Ye... to comprehend three Realms at such a young age. His comprehension is truly excellent, truly excellent!"

Zhaang Ye was in a state of Cultivation, his entire Heart Spirit immersed in the process. As he cultivated, the two flowers above his head spun faster and faster. Zhaang Ye’s aura grew more and more powerful until, finally, a second petal slowly unfurled on his second flower.

True Dao Fifth Layer!

With the help of the Soul Tempering True Pill, Zhaang Ye broke through the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer in one fell swoop, entering the True Dao Fifth Layer. The second flower above his head had finally opened its second petal. As the two flowers spun slowly, the aura they emitted was far more powerful than the one he had at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer!