Chapter 534 - 321: Arriving at the Ruins, Feisheng Ancient City, Catching Up with the Demon Race, Clashing Again

After Lu Mingyuan and the others left the mysterious Ancient Ship, they used the map they had obtained to successfully avoid many dangerous areas.

They found a relatively clear path with fewer icebergs.

Over the next three days, Lu Mingyuan consolidated his Realm and refined the Immortal Medicine and Divine Fallen Blood Jade from his Celestial Treasure Golden Pouch one by one, increasing his strength even further.

He also began cultivating the Cyan Cloud Saint King Skill, a legacy Technique from the Middle Ages.

Aided by his Martial Saint Fate Grid, he quickly reached the Beginner stage of the Technique and mastered Cyan Wood Primordial Qi.

[Cyan Cloud Saint King Skill: Cyan Wood Chapter (2750/10000)]

When this Technique is cultivated to its peak, one can master the Holy Wood Dao, one of the five elements, and develop Holy Wood Profound Techniques.

The ultimate form of Holy Wood Qi can bring someone back from the dead, even if they are mortally wounded with only a single breath left.

Lu Mingyuan had now mastered the Divine Fire Dao and the Celestial Thunder Dao, and he had just added the Holy Wood Technique to his repertoire.

Imperceptibly, the strength of his Flesh Body had reached the level of a Half-Step Martial Saint.

Given enough time in seclusion, he was certain he could reach the Martial Saint Realm!

It was said that Grotto Heavens were filled with Opportunities, but Lu Mingyuan had seen few on his journey. The reason was simple: the Mongolian Dynasty had plundered the area clean.

He had barely been at sea this time and had already obtained a Martial Saint’s legacy. This proved that even a Celestial Human Realm Martial Artist could find what they desired within this Grotto Heaven.

This made Lu Mingyuan all the more interested in the unknowns that lay ahead.

「On the sixth day.」

On this day, as Lu Mingyuan stood on deck, he saw another Ancient Ship appear on the vast, boundless sea.

The Ancient Ship radiated a silver glow that turned the nearby waters silver. It was clearly shrouded by some kind of Magical Treasure, protecting it from the assaults of the Evil Thought Bodies.

Lu Mingyuan swept the area with his Primordial Consciousness and discovered it was the Ancient Ship carrying the Demon Race Generals under Gangzhu’s command, including the Saint Monarch of the Giant Turtle and the Flame Python Demon Monarch.

They had clearly spotted Lu Mingyuan’s ship as well and were rapidly approaching.

’Finally, they’ve caught up.’

Lu Mingyuan’s eyes narrowed, a smirk playing on his lips.

Previously, the Demon Race had split their forces three ways, each with a clear objective. One contingent went to the Royal Palace to plunder the Divine Stones and hinder the Human Race’s advance. Another followed the Eight Thrones Dragon Halberd to the Returning Ruins Silent Sea. The last was Gangzhu’s own army, tasked with intercepting Human Race vessels at sea.

Without the map, it would have taken Lu Mingyuan far more effort to get here, and he likely would have fallen right into the Demon Race’s ambush.

Yet now, despite taking detours, Lu Mingyuan had arrived at the destination at the same time as the Demon Race, who had departed first.

At this moment, an island was faintly visible on the boundless horizon.

Qi Muxue came to Lu Mingyuan’s side. Gazing up at the seven-colored mist in the sky, she pointed to the distant island and said, "That’s our destination—the Ascension Relics. This is where the altar was guiding us."

"Not so fast. Elder Qisheng seems to be nearby."

Qi Muxue added as a reminder. She could sense the aura of Vast Righteous Qi in the area, meaning a Great Power among Confucian Cultivators must have fought here.

"The relics won’t be easy to enter. There seems to be a barrier blocking the way."

Lu Mingyuan pointed to the crimson barrier above the relics.

WHOOSH!

A pillar of blood-red flame shot across the sea’s surface, passed right through where Lu Mingyuan had just been standing, and slammed into the Ancient Ship.

BOOM!

A massive sheet of flame erupted. The resulting shockwave slammed into the sea, creating a wave hundreds of feet high that rolled backward.

The entire Ancient Ship rocked from the impact.

Fortunately, the Ancient Ship was incredibly sturdy, as if crafted from Divine Bone, and wasn’t sunk by the blow.

After dodging aside, Lu Mingyuan looked toward the Demon Race’s Ancient Ship and spotted the figure of his attacker.

Then, a bone-chilling voice echoed from the Demon Race’s Ancient Ship, "Lu Mingyuan! I knew you would come to this island. Let’s see you try to escape today!"

That last attack had come from the Flame Python Demon Monarch.

The Flame Python Demon Monarch was now clad in a suit of armor—an Opportunity he must have acquired. A pair of enormous, fleshy red wings unfurled from his back as he shot out from the Ancient Ship, rocketing toward Lu Mingyuan.

Lu Mingyuan was decisive. "You all go on ahead! I’ll deal with them. It’s hard to fight properly out at sea. Get to shore first!"

"But they have a Thirteenth Realm Demon Emperor with them. Be careful," Qi Muxue said with concern.

"Your Majesty, please borrow this," said the usually taciturn Yang Zhaoyuan. Seeing Lu Mingyuan about to face the entire Demon Race alone, he took out the Great Unbinding Martial Saint Armor and handed it over.

Lu Mingyuan glanced at him, surprised that Prince Zhenbei’s adopted son would give him the very armor that symbolized his status as heir.

"Alright. I’ll give it back when I’m finished."

This was no time to dawdle.

Lu Mingyuan took the belt and immediately fastened it around his waist.

WHOOSH—

Twelve saintly, humanoid figures burst from the armor, surrounding Lu Mingyuan from all sides.

Each figure radiated the aura of a true Martial Saint.

They had different faces, robes, and temperaments, and their domains were all unique, yet the oppressive might they radiated was equally immense.

The power of the Martial Saints converged on Lu Mingyuan’s arms, merging with his own strength to form a suit of impenetrable armor around him.

"Desolate Dragon Elephant Force!"

With a sharp cry, Lu Mingyuan leaped into the air and flew toward the opposing Ancient Ship, his hands transforming into two massive, radiant Hand Seals of Golden Light.

This was the Tenth Layer of the Desolate Dragon Elephant Force, Dragon Elephant Devouring Heaven. Its Palm Power was of the Supreme Yang, its might boundless. Bolstered by the power of twelve saints, not even an ordinary Martial Saint could be certain of withstanding it.

His aura surged, rocketing toward the heavens.

"Your strength... it’s increased this much again?"

The Flame Python Demon Monarch couldn’t put his shock into words. He could only feel that Lu Mingyuan was an absolute monster; every time, after just a few days, his Cultivation would take another massive leap forward.

Such a rate of growth was terrifying.

Of course, even with Lu Mingyuan’s massive improvement, the Flame Python Demon Monarch remained completely confident in his ability to kill him.

’To think he’d dare come to Demon Race territory all by himself. He truly has a death wish.’

With Lu Mingyuan buying them time, Qi Muxue, Li Muwan, and the others steered the Ancient Ship closer and closer to the Ascension Relics, soon reaching the shore.

Dressed in a cyan gown, Qi Muxue was the first to reach the outskirts of the Ascension Relics, landing on a thirty-foot-high reef.

Before her stood a barrier of fire that stretched from the surface of the sea all the way to the heavens.

She had only to touch it lightly with her finger when, with a RUMBLE, a cloud of fire broke off from the barrier and plunged downward.

FWOOSH!

Qi Muxue hurriedly deployed her Confucian Dao True Words. With a single word, her body vaporized into a wisp of golden clouds, evading the fiery torrent. The clouds then reconverged, reforming into her graceful and beautiful figure.

The cloud of fire fell into the Returning Ruins Silent Sea, causing the surrounding water to boil instantly.

"There really is a barrier," Yun Qinghe murmured. She took out a Divine Stone, approached the barrier, and quickly discovered a way through.

"The power of the Divine Stones can pass through the barrier, but Lu Mingyuan has all the extra ones."

She frowned, finding herself in a difficult position.

"We’ll go in first, rendezvous with Elder Qisheng, and seize the initiative," Sui Yuqing said, stepping forward at that moment while holding several Divine Fallen Blood Stones.

Qi Muxue nodded in agreement. "That could work. We can’t let Your Majesty carry all the weight. We must contribute as well."

「Meanwhile.」

Above the black ocean, surging Saber Intent condensed into thousands of blade shadows, converging into a great river of Saber Qi that coiled around Lu Mingyuan.

’Today is the perfect opportunity to test the might of this Divine Saber on all of you.’

Without another word, Lu Mingyuan retrieved a gleaming, dark cyan Ancient Saber from the void and slowly began to draw it.

"Divine Blade Zhu Xie... out!"

The cry of the blade being drawn echoed for hundreds of miles.

A single draw, a shock for a thousand li.

Although Lu Mingyuan had not yet become a Martial Saint, this slash, delivered with his full power, created a similarly imposing effect.

The Divine Blade Zhu Xie was unstoppable. It streaked across the sky and pierced through the fiery light.

The Flame Python Demon Monarch was startled. With the armor bestowed upon him by the Throne Lord, he wasn’t afraid of Lu Mingyuan. However, this slash was so stunningly powerful that he instinctively retreated rather than meet it head-on.

Lu Mingyuan’s slash continued on, relentless, heading straight for the strongest expert aboard the Ancient Ship.

An old man with a single black horn on his head.

He appeared to be an elder of the Flood Dragon Race, his Cultivation at the Thirteenth Realm.

He was also the only Demon Emperor on the Ancient Ship.

A wave over a thousand feet high had already formed before the elder, with dense arcs of lightning crackling across its surface. Seeing Lu Mingyuan charge straight at him, the old man showed no fear and laughed heartily. "Excellent!"

The horned elder thrust his aged palms forward, sending the monstrous wave surging out. It took the form of a biting Flood Dragon, seeking to swallow Lu Mingyuan whole.

CRASH!

But Lu Mingyuan cleaved right through the wave, his blade striking the horned elder in the chest.

"Impossi...ble..."

Even at the moment of his death, the horned elder still couldn’t believe Lu Mingyuan had shattered the attack he had launched with his full strength.

SCHLICK!

The horned elder’s Flesh Body was far from fragile, but against that vicious Saber Qi, it was instantly torn to pieces.

With his greatly increased Cultivation, the first taste of the Divine Blade Zhu Xie’s power, and the multiple enhancements from the Great Unbinding Martial Saint Armor, in just a single moment, Lu Mingyuan had instantly killed the Demon Emperor.

The horned elder’s death sent the many members of the Demon Race on the ship into a fury, but it also left them utterly shocked.

The Flame Python Demon Monarch, in particular, was completely stunned.

After all, the horned elder’s strength was enough to rival an Ascension Realm Sword Immortal, yet even going all out, he hadn’t been able to block a single one of Lu Mingyuan’s slashes.

’Just how powerful was that attack?’

In reality, however, though the attack was mighty, it had left Lu Mingyuan somewhat drained.

Furthermore, he was still new to the Divine Blade Zhu Xie; he hadn’t yet fully mastered it, and it didn’t feel as familiar in his hands as Yang Su. At the same time, the Martial Saint’s Will from the Great Unbinding Martial Saint Armor was constantly assailing his Sea of Spiritual Consciousness, trying to possess his body and control his Flesh Body.

Lu Mingyuan had to rely on his powerful Spiritual Power just to stay conscious and fight off these invasive thoughts without passing out.

His gaze remained sharp, filled with the determination to slaughter every last demon on this ship.

...