Sea of Consciousness Blue Flower! (Extra chapter for Alliance Leader Liu Nian Qing Tan!)

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Six streaks of cold light streaked over at high speed. Yuan Lie swung his two Red Gold Copper Rods, carrying a fierce wind that made the surrounding air tremble.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Six consecutive explosions rang out as the six flying daggers were swatted away by Yuan Lie's dual rods.

However, the immense force contained within the flying daggers forced Yuan Lie to take a step back.

"You are still at the Xiantian Qi-Refining stage?" Yuan Lie's pupils constricted; he had not expected the flying daggers released by Zhou Hao to possess such great power.

"No wonder you were so confident. It turns out that besides reaching the Xiantian stage in Body-Refining, you are also a peak Xiantian expert in Qi-Refining."

This was his own carelessness, as he had failed to notice that there was no Xiantian True Essence within those flying daggers.

"It doesn't matter what I am." With a thought from Zhou Hao, the Water-Fire Taiji Grindstone appeared out of thin air once again, crushing down toward Yuan Lie. The six flying daggers also whistled as they turned, piercing straight toward his head.

"Motai Jie is nothing but a spoiled brat of the Houtian stage; how did he provoke such a monster?" Yuan Lie was startled. Demon patterns flickered across his body as he swung his Red Gold Copper Rods like a madman, as if fighting for his life.

"Even if you are a peak Xiantian in Qi-Refining, controlling both the flying daggers and the water-fire element simultaneously consumes a great deal of mental energy. Let's see how long you can keep this up!"

How could he know that Zhou Hao's soul had already birthed Divine Sense long ago? Even before he began cultivating, his control over the flying daggers was already comparable to a Xiantian expert of the Qi-Refining path.

Now that Zhou Hao had cultivated the Chiming Nine Heavens Map to enter the Xiantian stage, the resulting God-Devil body had nourished his soul. Combined with the fact that he had been immersed in the meditative state of "no thought, no mind" for so long, his soul strength was now so great that even a Purple Mansion cultivator could not compare to him.

"He actually blocked it?" Zhou Hao was somewhat surprised as he watched the ape-like "half-demon" acting like a madman.

One must know that the speed of flying daggers controlled by Divine Sense was far faster than wielding weapons by hand, and he was using six daggers at once.

Even if he lacked the specific techniques for controlling flying daggers and swords like a Xiantian Qi-Refining creature, the flexible and varied speed of the daggers, combined with the crushing suppression of the Taiji Grindstone, should have been enough to pierce the skull of a normal Body-Refining expert by now.

This staff technique seems quite profound, Zhou Hao mused.

The dual rods in Yuan Lie's hands appeared to be smashing about crazily, without any pattern.

However, from the perspective of Zhou Hao, who had surpassed the state of Heaven-Man Unity and had already grasped a trace of the True Meaning of Water and Fire, the staff technique Yuan Lie was using clearly embodied the state of unity between man, staff, and heaven and earth. There was even a faint trace of the True Meaning of Wind contained within it.

It was just that there were occasional hesitations in Yuan Lie's transitions, suggesting he hadn't perfectly integrated that trace of the True Meaning of Wind into his staff technique. Zhou Hao guessed that this was likely due to the inherent profoundness of the technique itself, while Yuan Lie's own level of insight was still lacking.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to trap a peak Xiantian Body-Refining expert with such high-level techniques using only six flying daggers and the Taiji Grindstone.

"If long-range attacks can't kill you, then I'll finish you off myself!" Zhou Hao moved, darting toward Yuan Lie.

"Well come!" A savage grin appeared on Yuan Lie's face.

He had been worried that if this continued, he would exhaust his divine power before Zhou Hao even faltered. Seeing Zhou Hao take the initiative to charge at him, he immediately stomped his foot hard.

Boom!

The remaining half of the mountain peak's ruins were shaken by his stomp, sending countless gravel and dust flying. As these were stirred by the copper rods in his hands, they turned into fine powder, which then surged toward Zhou Hao like a dense yellow fog.

"Low-class tricks won't work on me." Zhou Hao sneered inwardly. He didn't slow his pace; as soon as he rushed into the yellow fog, two dragons of water and fire formed from the power of heaven and earth manifested around him, creating a Water-Fire Taiji Diagram to protect his body.

The water and fire dragons forming the Taiji Diagram then spun wildly, whipping up a gale intended to blow away the yellow fog that obscured his vision.

He had not expected that this yellow fog was not as calm as it appeared from the outside. Within it, there were not only countless wind vortices but also the elusive shadows of rods.

Caught off guard, Zhou Hao found a Red Gold Copper Rod closing in behind him. He hurriedly turned and stepped forward, extending his palm to execute a "Grasp Sparrow's Tail." He used the momentum to entangle the copper rod, his forearm guiding its force while his Divine Sense worked in tandem to dissipate as much of the rod's brute strength as possible.

However, the copper rod's momentum was too fierce, and in his haste, Zhou Hao could not deflect it entirely.

"Bang!" A dull thud echoed.

Zhou Hao was sent flying dozens of feet back by the force of the blow. The web between his thumb and forefinger split, but his internal divine power surged, controlling his flesh to heal rapidly.

Good fellow, I really can't underestimate this monkey. Zhou Hao felt a chill at the power of that strike.

He practiced the premier method of God-Devil Body-Refining, which possessed the greatest strength among all such methods. Even though he had only just entered the Xiantian stage, with the assistance of his Divine Sense, his strength was already comparable to a peak Xiantian expert of ordinary Body-Refining methods.

Yet, in this first exchange, he had been sent flying even after dissipating the force, which showed that his opponent's strength was definitely above his own.

While Zhou Hao was shocked, Yuan Lie, in the distance, was even more astonished.

"He didn't get hit in the head!?"

Just now, he felt his copper rod collide with Zhou Hao's arm, only to be deflected involuntarily. It felt as if he had struck empty air and been guided away, which left him feeling extremely frustrated.

Since I obtained my inheritance, I have killed over a hundred Xiantian creatures with this staff technique, but this is the first time I've encountered such a strange thing, Yuan Lie thought. But his strength isn't as great as mine; I must kill him while he's close.

He practiced a God-Devil Body-Refining inheritance he had obtained by chance, called the Divine Arm Ape Demon Body. Compared to other Body-Refining techniques, its greatest advantage was the immense strength of the arms.

In terms of arm strength alone, he did not fall behind even when facing a peer of the same level who practiced the Chiming Nine Heavens Map.

Of course, the reason the Chiming Nine Heavens Map was recognized as the premier God-Devil Body-Refining method was its comprehensiveness and its ability to transform the body into a perfect Xiantian God-Devil form.

But Yuan Lie was no ordinary Xiantian Body-Refining expert.

Relying on his unparalleled strength and the Chaotic Cloak Staff Technique he had obtained alongside his cultivation method, Yuan Lie was among the very top tier of all Xiantian creatures within the Fire Worship Sect.

"Die!" Yuan Lie roared as he charged toward Zhou Hao, the swirling yellow fog moving with him, once again enveloping them both.

In the distance, the people of the Iron Ox Tribe did not flee but watched the battle from the sidelines.

Although the death of their loved ones filled them with grief, they knew that if the Xiantian creature from the Black Hand Tribe did not die, their entire tribe would be slaughtered.

"Can Uncle Zhou Hao kill that man?" Zhuzi gripped Xiangcao's hand tightly, his voice choked with emotion.

He had almost cried when he saw Zhou Hao blasted out of the yellow fog earlier. Now, with tears welling in his eyes, he felt even more anxious as he saw the yellow fog swallow Zhou Hao's figure once again.

"Don't worry, Zhuzi. Your Uncle Zhou Hao will definitely be able to kill him!" The old Blind Man, having already bandaged his severed arm, patted Zhuzi's head with his remaining hand.

"Brother Zhou won't let us down! He hasn't before, and he won't in the future!" The old Blind Man's words seemed to be meant for Zhuzi, yet also for himself.

Shitou and the others nodded as well. Although Zhou Hao had only been at the Iron Ox Tribe for a few days, he had already become the hope for the entire tribe's survival.

"Zhou Hao, you must not get hurt."

Xiangcao watched the yellow mist, listening to the thud-thud sounds echoing from within, and prayed silently.

...Inside the yellow mist.

After testing the power of Yuan Lie's copper rods, Zhou Hao completely changed his strategy.

He utilized the Taiji Grindstone to obstruct and crush Yuan Lie with the power of water and fire, while simultaneously controlling six flying daggers under the cover of the yellow mist to target Yuan Lie's head. Facing Yuan Lie's frantic, mad-demon-like rod technique, he used his bare palms to execute the Innate Taiji Fist, relying on borrowing and neutralizing force to maneuver around his opponent.

It was fortunate that he had previously gained a sliver of insight into the True Meaning of Water and Fire and integrated it into his Taiji Fist; his ability to borrow and deflect force with a turn of his hand had become even more miraculous.

Otherwise, relying solely on the mundane Internal Martial Arts to contend with Yuan Lie's profound rod technique would have been nothing more than wishful thinking.

"Zhou Hao, if you have the guts, fight me fair and square!" Yuan Lie roared ferociously. "What kind of skill is it to sneak attack with flying daggers!"

"Being able to kill you is skill enough." Zhou Hao sneered. "If you want a fair fight, fine. Discard your copper rods, and I won't use my flying daggers. We'll go palm-to-palm. Do you dare?"

Yuan Lie was instantly choked into silence.

The copper rods in his hands looked ordinary, but they were forged entirely from Red Gold Crow Copper, which had a higher density than Thunder Gold.

Each five-foot-long Red Gold Copper Rod weighed thirteen thousand five hundred catties; together, they weighed twenty-seven thousand catties. They were forged in imitation of the famous weapons of an ancient demon saint.

Almost all of Yuan Lie's martial prowess lay in these two copper rods.

If not for the two rods in his hands, the endless Water-Fire Taiji Diagram would not have been so easily shattered by him.

"As I thought, you have no guts." Zhou Hao deliberately provoked him. "If you don't dare, then stop the nonsense. If you can't hold on, just give up and die."

Yuan Lie was indeed enraged, but Zhou Hao's palms were soft and yielding, as if they possessed no force, and with the constant interference of the flying daggers and the Taiji Grindstone, he was at a loss and could only grit his teeth and attack wildly.

"I am, after all, at the peak of the Innate realm with vast divine power. Let's see how much True Essence you can burn through."

Zhou Hao did not know what Yuan Lie was thinking, but the current war of attrition was difficult for both of them.

As the old saying goes, one inch longer, one inch stronger.

In close-quarters combat, weapons are extensions of the limbs; naturally, they inflict greater damage than hands and feet.

One side had a handy weapon, while the other had to fight empty-handed; naturally, the one with the weapon held all the advantages.

Moreover, just as Yuan Lie suspected, Zhou Hao's manipulation of the heaven and earth's water and fire energy to form the Taiji Grindstone, combined with controlling the flying daggers to strike, was indeed a massive drain on his divine sense.

Feeling the waves of weakness in his soul, Zhou Hao knew he had to find a way.

Otherwise, even if he could escape, the Iron Ox Tribe had over a hundred people who could never withstand the other's slaughter.

I have to rely on it. Zhou Hao's intent stirred, and a wisp of his consciousness entered the sea of consciousness at the center of his brow.

In the sea of consciousness, a blue flower swayed, incomparably beautiful.

The Nine Cloud Seal Secret Pattern Tattoo on my left arm actually turned into a blue flower after devouring countless divine power, and it's growing right inside my sea of consciousness. How miraculous! Zhou Hao 'watched' the holy, natural blue flower in his sea of consciousness in awe.

Previously, when he was cultivating, the divine power generated within his body caused the cloud seal tattoo to mutate, nearly draining him dry.

It wasn't until Zhou Hao practiced the Chiming Nine Heavens Map to the third level of perfection that it seemed to have absorbed enough energy and transformed into this blue flower within his sea of consciousness.

Whoosh~~~

As soon as Zhou Hao's consciousness touched the blue flower, that wisp of consciousness was swallowed by it, appearing in a vast, boundless space.

This was a mysterious space contained within the blue flower—a void, with only a wisp of extremely faint blue mist drifting about.

This Blue Flower Mist can be drawn into my soul with my consciousness, allowing me to enter the 'thoughtless' state of enlightenment. If I draw it into my body, will it produce a similar change? Zhou Hao felt a sense of anticipation.

He had stumbled upon it before, discovering that the mist in this Blue Flower Space could allow him to enter a state of enlightenment; had Yuan Lie not interrupted him, he didn't know how long he might have remained in that state.

He even speculated that it might not stop until all the mist was consumed.

However, Zhou Hao did not believe that the cloud seal secret patterns, which had accompanied him through two lifetimes, would only serve the purpose of aiding enlightenment.

Besides, if even his ethereal soul could benefit, his physical body should also be affected.

Let's try it. With a thought from Zhou Hao, the mist that had been in the Blue Flower Space immediately began to fly out in thin strands.

Under the deliberate guidance of his will, these strands of Blue Flower Mist specifically avoided his soul and instantly coursed through his entire body.

His perfect Innate God and Devil Body, nurtured by Lunar True Water and Solar True Fire, felt like withered grass suddenly receiving the nourishment of water, and it underwent a sudden transformation.

"This... this power?" Zhou Hao's expression showed shock.

Although he hadn't tested it yet, the sense of power welling up from the depths of his heart made him feel as if he could shatter the very heavens and earth before him.

"You still dare to lose focus? Go to hell!"

A fierce gust of wind struck; Zhou Hao had paused for a split second in his shock, causing the Taiji Grindstone and the flying daggers controlled by his divine sense to falter, creating a slight opening that Yuan Lie seized immediately.

Watching the Red Gold Copper Rod, which looked like a pillar supporting the heavens, descending upon him, Zhou Hao subconsciously struck upward with the "Seabed Punch" of the Innate Taiji Fist.

The divine power within his body formed a spiral, just like the Taiji Grindstone he had comprehended, carrying the momentum of a massive stone millstone rotating.

BOOM--

It was as if time had frozen in that very moment.

Yuan Lie's arm, gripping the Red Gold Copper Rod, let out a sickening crack. Then, his arm, covered in demonic patterns, was visibly twisted violently in a counter-clockwise direction.

Sshhh, sshhh, sshhh...

The arm, which was Yuan Lie's strongest asset after cultivating the Divine Arm Ape Demon Body, had its flesh and blood shredded under this ferocious force. The Red Gold Copper Rod in his hand was sent flying with a sharp whistle.

"Ah!" Yuan Lie let out a miserable howl. His right arm hung by his side like tattered ribbons of flesh, the exposed bone twisted into a grotesque knot.

"This Blue Flower Mist has actually boosted my divine body's strength by at least two tiers." Zhou Hao looked at his own hands, finding it hard to believe.

To cripple a peak Xiantian body-refining expert with a single punch, shattering both his weapon and his arm, required a level of strength that his current early-stage Xiantian cultivation shouldn't possess. At the very least, one would need to be at the peak Xiantian stage of the sixth level of the Chiming Nine Heavens Map to achieve such a feat.

In other words, by drawing that wisp of Blue Flower Mist into his body, Zhou Hao had fundamentally elevated the strength of his divine body by at least two levels.

"Haha, I knew it! If the Blue Flower Mist can lead one into a state of enlightenment, how could it possibly be useless for the body?"

Zhou Hao now realized the miraculous nature of the Blue Flower Space.

This Blue Flower Space was simply a tool for killing and looting...

Uh, no, that's not it.

It was a heaven-defying divine artifact for leap-frogging cultivation levels to slay enemies and gaining insight into the Great Dao!!!

I've hit ten thousand words again today! It's been four days since the book launched, and I'm already nearing fifty thousand words. This is actually a bit fast; after all, a new book needs time to build up an audience.

Otherwise, if I don't get enough recommendations later on, the performance will suffer.

Suifeng is starving now, so I'm going to grab a bite to eat before I start preparing for tomorrow's update.

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