Controlling the Cycle of Heaven, Bagua Qimen

Chapter 6: Grasping the Changes of the Cycle, Bagua Qimen

In the vast, boundless primitive forest, Zhao Xuanzhen continued his first journey through the Spirit Ascension Platform, searching everywhere for prey.

Soul beasts were creatures with a strong sense of territory. This outer area was dominated by the Wind Baboon clan; any other soul beasts were either driven away or reduced to food. As a result, after searching for half a day, Zhao Xuanzhen only found a three-hundred-year Ghost Vine disguised as an ordinary vine.

In the Legend of the Dragon King Era, without strong attributes or noble bloodline, this kind of lowly soul beast was unremarkable. Zhao Xuanzhen knocked the Ghost Vine flat with two punches and easily claimed the thirty-year feedback.

After resting and restoring his soul power and physical strength to their peak, Zhao Xuanzhen set out again. Traveling alone was the most boring thing in life, so he summoned the Spirit Water Porpoise to keep him company.

Finding an exploration partner wasn't his primary goal. In Zhao Xuanzhen's memory, if a soul master fused with a sufficiently powerful soul spirit from the start, they could release it in battle for a righteous gang-up. As an auspicious beast that rode crocodiles and commanded birds, the Spirit Water Porpoise definitely had some tricks up its sleeve!

The Spirit Water Porpoise trotted along on its short legs, following Zhao Xuanzhen without a single complaint. With its stable temperament, even if it didn't want to fight, it wouldn't resist strongly—it would just quietly convince itself: I'm stuck with this, no way around it.

The surroundings were dense woods. The deeper the one human and one beast went, the richer the Life Energy became, while at the same time, a faint, heavy aura seeped from the invisible darkness.

A faint rustling sound suddenly reached Zhao Xuanzhen's ears. The Spirit Water Porpoise also twitched its ears. The air ahead seemed to carry a hint of fishy smell, mixed with a light, sweet fragrance.

"Something's coming to us. Tun Tun, your turn." Zhao Xuanzhen squinted as he gazed into the distance.

"No."

"You have to."

"Fine."

The brief exchange ended. The Spirit Water Porpoise chose to accept its fate, quietly waiting for that soul beast to approach!

"Whoosh..."

The bushes shook violently. A dark green serpent slithered close to the ground, over seven meters long, moving with incredible speed, charging straight ahead and brutally clearing every obstacle in its path!

When the serpent saw Zhao Xuanzhen and the Spirit Water Porpoise blocking its way, its gem-like crimson snake eyes flashed with irritation. It opened its massive mouth and let out a sharp hiss!

A Mandala Snake, seven hundred years of cultivation!

Though its cultivation was lower than the King of Godslayers encountered earlier, the Mandala Snake's combat power crushed the Wind Baboon. If the two soul beasts fought, it would be a one-to-nine split—the Mandala Snake would spin the Wind Baboon like a top nine times in a second!

Faced with the Mandala Snake's warning hiss, the Spirit Water Porpoise remained unmoved. The Mandala Snake, one of the forest's predators, had never suffered such humiliation.

Its ferocious mouth suddenly gaped open. A shocking scene unfolded as the Mandala Snake's jaws split to a hundred and eighty degrees, showcasing the exaggerated skeletal structure of serpents. Its tongue was as red as blood, and its fangs gleamed with venomous cold light under the sun as it lunged to bite the tiny porpoise!

The Spirit Water Porpoise dug its front claws into the ground, its wet nose trembling slightly. A Yin Yang airflow swirled around it, forming a black-and-white circular shield—this was Zhao Xuanzhen's First Soul Skill, Qi Follows the Heart, a skill that originally belonged to the Spirit Water Porpoise!

"Screech—"

The shield and fangs collided with a harsh sound like nails scraping across a blackboard. The stalemate didn't last long. The Mandala Snake's proud fangs cracked with tiny fissures against the Yin Yang shield—the difference was clear!

Once in battle mode, the Spirit Water Porpoise was no fool. Seizing the upper hand, it pressed the attack. The airflow split into three streams, locking the snake's head, body, and tail. For the first time in its life, the Mandala Snake experienced the suffocating sensation of being constricted like a python!

Hard snake scales burst into a series of blood flowers. The pain drove it to roar again, and the Mandala Snake was thoroughly enraged!

Its dark green scales shimmered, covered in a faint glow. Its body became as supple as boneless, slipping out of the chains binding it. The Mandala Snake lunged at the Spirit Water Porpoise once more!

But the Spirit Water Porpoise had already finished charging. It transformed into a black-and-white meteor, the Yin Yang airflow solidifying into a tangible form. At the mark on its forehead, a radiant horn took shape, flowing with light.

Sensing the destructive aura radiating from the horn, the Mandala Snake suddenly realized that the other side was the hunter, and it was merely the prey unaware of its own predicament. It frantically spat out a mouthful of venom, but the moment it touched the Spirit Water Porpoise, it dissolved into specks of light.

The next moment, the sound of a skull cracking was as crisp as glass shattering. The snake scales burst inch by inch along the bones, and the Mandala Snake's final wail echoed through the sky!

The Spirit Water Porpoise stood unharmed atop the snake's head. As the Mandala Snake's life faded, the vitality in its snake eyes dimmed. Soul power surged into the soul ring, raising its age to nine hundred years.

"Those two are a good match."

In front of the Soul Guidance Screen, Leng Yaozhu said with a smile. The Bai Sisters nodded in agreement, understanding why Zhao Xuanzhen had let the Spirit Water Porpoise fight alone.

In this era, a soul spirit was part of a soul master's combat strength. Since Zhao Xuanzhen had fused with the Spirit Water Porpoise, he naturally needed to understand its strength.

Having slaughtered the Mandala Snake with ease, the Spirit Water Porpoise hid immense power beneath its soft, unassuming exterior. The first soul spirit would be the one that followed the soul master the longest—Tun Tun would be a crucial ally for Zhao Xuanzhen!

Watching Zhao Xuanzhen endlessly squeeze and poke the Spirit Water Porpoise on the Soul Guidance Screen, Bai Haoze said happily, "To achieve this much on his first venture into the Spirit Ascension Platform, Xuanzhen is far more outstanding than I imagined. I was worried he'd suffer a loss."

"Mm-hmm, and it looks like the first soul ring is about to evolve."

Bai Zhicen saw the soul ring faintly tinged with purple light and quickly calculated its age. "If a thousand-year soul beast shows up now, that soul ring will directly ascend."

"Don't jinx him!" Bai Haoze scolded his sister with a laugh.

A thousand-year soul beast and a hundred-year soul beast were completely different concepts. If they ran into a thousand-year soul beast, the unlucky one would most likely be Zhao Xuanzhen.

"No, Little Bai's words have already become reality." Leng Yaozhu's expression turned serious.

"Huh???"

Bai Zhicen looked incredulous—she had just been joking!

"The Mandala Snake is cunning, vicious, and loves killing. Yet when it saw Xuanzhen and the Spirit Water Porpoise, its first reaction was intimidation. Why do you think that is?"

Hearing this, the Bai Sisters' faces darkened like water. They began to recall the Mandala Snake's abnormal behavior, and then it dawned on them—that roar was clearly meant to scare off the obstacle ahead, and its panicked state meant it was fleeing!

A seven-hundred-year Mandala Snake was terrified out of its wits. The pursuer was easy to imagine. Even if it wasn't a thousand-year soul beast, its strength was no different from one!

At that moment, the Soul Guidance Screen faithfully broadcast the scene from the Spirit Ascension Platform. On a dense branch, a massive black shadow connected to a purple silk thread descended silently behind Zhao Xuanzhen. The human face on its abdomen was hideous, like a demon!

"Man Faced Demon Spider!"

An old friend's special appearance. Following in the footsteps of the Wind Baboon, Ghost Vine, and Mandala Snake, this soul beast was none other than the legendary beast king of Douluo Continent, the nightmare of small soul beasts, the evil killer—the Man Faced Demon Spider!

A word spoken became a prophecy. Bai Zhichen closed her eyes and covered her face. This Man Faced Demon Spider had broken through to a thousand years of cultivation—one of the most dangerous soul beasts in the primary Spirit Ascension Platform!

The Man-Faced Demon Spider was cold, brutal, and possessed extreme patience, willing to wait silently for a long time to land a fatal blow. It had witnessed the Spirit Water Porpoise kill the Mandala Snake, and now that a battle had just ended, the moment was ripe!

Silently and soundlessly, it raised its sharp front legs, comparable to spears and blades. Its eight beast pupils flashed with bloodlust and cruelty as it stabbed down without reservation!

"Kun Word: Earth Movement."

The earth shattered on command, and a Stone Python burst from the ground, lifting the youth high into the sky!

The Mental strength of the Spirit Connection Realm granted Zhao Xuanzhen exceptionally sharp perception. The Man-Faced Demon Spider's self-satisfied concealment techniques were riddled with flaws!

The Man-Faced Demon Spider was horrified. Its ever-victorious spider spears only managed to spark twice against the Stone Python, while it was forced back by the oppressive pressure of the human looking down from above!

Stepping on the Stone Python, his pitch-black eyes turned deep blue. Zhao Xuanzhen's aura lost its usual gentleness, with indifference becoming the dominant tone. The Taiji Bagua derived from his pupils flickered and spun, as if wanting to absorb and neutralize everything in the world!

With the body as the nation, with Qi as the people, with the heart as the emperor!

Dao Technique, Bagua Qimen!

The Bai Sisters stared dumbfounded at the scene displayed on the screen, unable to utter a single word. Even someone as experienced as Leng Yaozhu leaned forward, her voice hoarse:

"Is this... a True Self martial soul talent?"

Leng Yaozhu couldn't understand it, so she could only attribute it to the innate ability awakened by the God-level Original Martial Soul!

She was half right. Bagua Qimen was a Dao Technique from Zhao Xuanzhen's previous life in the Two Forms Sect. Apart from entering through observing the Qimen board, it required a body and spirit strong enough to bear the Qimen formation.

Because he had been frail and sickly since childhood in his previous life, Zhao Xuanzhen had never cultivated Bagua Qimen to a high level. But in this life, having awakened his Original Martial Soul, all abilities became a part of his true self, achieving Zhao Xuanzhen's True Self!

Heaven, Earth, Human, Divine!

Heaven's Timing, Geographical Advantage, Human Harmony, Divine Aid!

With absolute physical and spiritual support, the four-plate Dao Techniques of Bagua Qimen were finally unleashed!

Qimen air conditioning? That's in the past!

Zhao Xuanzhen recalled the Spirit Water Porpoise and looked down at the Man-Faced Demon Spider below, which was on high alert. Bagua Qimen was terrifyingly powerful, but it had also made his broken body in his previous life even worse. Now, he just wanted to enjoy a good fight!

"Kan Word: Heavy Water."

Bagua Qimen, Earthly Dao Technique!

The world's myriad forms cannot escape the word "change." Bagua Qimen controls the changes of the heavens and earth.

Qian, Kun, Xun, Zhen, Kan, Li, Gen, Dui—using the innate eight trigrams as a foundation to construct the Qimen formation, each trigram corresponds to a natural force. Zhao Xuanzhen, as the Master of Qimen, could cause changes in the things within the formation by altering the Qimen pattern. When he broke through to a deeper realm, time and space within the Qimen board could be freely manipulated!

The air suddenly condensed thousands of water droplets, forming eight Water Curtains that hovered before the Man-Faced Demon Spider. A bone-chilling cold spread faintly, and the surface of the Water Curtains reflected stark terror. The moment the spider spears plunged into the Water Curtains, the Heavy Water exploded violently, and the innate Kan Water Qi invaded the Man-Faced Demon Spider's solid carapace!

The Heavy Water continuously destroyed flesh and blood, and yellow-green blood gushed out. Plants withered rapidly as they were corroded by the poisonous blood. The Man-Faced Demon Spider rolled and struggled, its massive body sweeping through ancient trees as if they had been hit by a storm, leaving a mess in all directions with no plant surviving!

"Xun Word: Wind Rope!"

The wind howled, and green Wind Ropes woven from gale-force winds stabbed out of the void, wrapping around the Man-Faced Demon Spider's eight legs. The wind was flexible and tough, binding the Man-Faced Demon Spider firmly to the ground.

The Man-Faced Demon Spider roared madly, trying to break free from the Wind Ropes with brute force while shooting out spider webs. The webs expanded with the wind, instantly forming a giant net five meters in diameter, reflecting a purple gleam!

Innate Soul Skill, Web Binding!

Unlike ordinary spider-type soul beasts that slowly spin silk to weave webs, the Man-Faced Demon Spider could release its web instantly. It was tough, extremely sticky, and carried terrifying neurotoxins!

"Li Word: Blazing Flame."

As soon as Zhao Xuanzhen finished speaking, scorching flames erupted suddenly. A giant fireball trailing a blazing tail descended, and surging heat waves swept across heaven and earth, attacking the spider web like an avalanche!

The poison vaporized in the high temperature. The fireball's power remained undiminished after blasting through the web. A sea of burning flames surrounded the Man-Faced Demon Spider, and its already overburdened carapace began to melt and drip. The firelight illuminated its twisted, terrified face and the sounds of agonized roars.

The air was filled with the stench of burning flesh. A strong will to survive flooded its mind. The Man-Faced Demon Spider broke free from the Wind Ropes, its abdomen covered in wounds. Its human-like face let out a sharp screech like a baby's cry, and its eight long legs moved rapidly, creating a series of afterimages!

Ignoring its severe injuries, the Man-Faced Demon Spider forcibly charged through the sea of fire. Its spider spears squeezed out the strongest power of This Life, and its entire body launched into the air, shooting straight at Zhao Xuanzhen atop the Stone Python. Its lower abdomen was naturally exposed, and the ferocious human face formed by white patterns rapidly enlarged, its purple eyes overflowing with cold, cruel light!

This soul beast hated Zhao Xuanzhen to the extreme, wishing it could tear him into pieces. In midair, its Long Legs were raised high, stretching into a perfect hunting arc. The legs were coated with corrosive venom, and combined with its inherent neurotoxins, even a slight touch would be fatal to a soul master, let alone being stabbed!

Zhao Xuanzhen heard the trembling sound of the spider legs cutting through the air and clearly saw the deathly aura condensed from the poison. He softly chanted, and the Qimen formation rotated. Four stone pillars rose from the ground, their ancient and weathered bodies seeming to tell the world of the mountains' weight!

The Man-Faced Demon Spider looked at the ground in disbelief. The intelligence of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast racked its brain but couldn't understand how the human before it could command so many elements, each one full of oppressive pressure and overwhelmingly powerful!

You're cheating!

With no way to dodge in midair, the Man-Faced Demon Spider could only try to twist its body, but its struggle was doomed to be futile. The stone pillars predicted all possible evasion trajectories and accurately pierced its millstone-like circular body from four directions!

Gen Word: Giant Rock!

"Boom—"

The Man-Faced Demon Spider fell limply, its body torn open with four horrifying bloody holes. Residual blood trickled down the stone pillars, turning into green smoke upon touching the ground.

A deep blue light swirled in Zhao Xuanzhen's eyes. The earth arched up like a giant beast awakening. Guided by the trigrams, it shifted and squeezed, lifting the area where the Man-Faced Demon Spider was into a solitary peak, while the surrounding area collapsed into a circular abyss.

Dui Word: Flowing Abyss!

The Man-Faced Demon Spider had no strength left to resist, breathing weakly and faintly. Even on the verge of death, its eight cold beast pupils still clung to Zhao Xuanzhen, as if carrying its hatred into the next life. If it were a real soul beast, it might have dropped an External Soul Bone.

"It's over."

Thunder and lightning flashed, and thunderclouds slowly gathered in the sky.

The Stone Python dissipated, and Zhao Xuanzhen passed by the trapped beast.

"Zhen Word: Thunderbolt."

Thunderclap Finale!

Thunder Annihilation obliterated the Man Faced Demon Spider, its ashes scattering in the wind. The legendary soul beast left not a single trace behind. A century's worth of soul power surged into the first soul ring, and a violet light blazed intensely!

Ascension, Thousand-Year Soul Ring!

The Bagua Qimen draws reference from the Ninety-Nine Eighty-One Sorcerers and the Feng Hou Qimen of Under One Person, but its specific effects differ from both.

The Earth Plate is the main technique the protagonist commonly uses, incidentally suppressing the Silver Dragon King's elemental power by a notch. Those who know Old Tang understand what's coming—when the time comes, the Heaven Plate will have its moment in the spotlight. As for the God Plate Eight Deceit Gods, that will be the protagonist's future foundation for facing the Twelve God Kings.

PS: Feed me peanuts. Even though I sometimes get lazy about splitting chapters, they're all 4K!