Azure Dragon Essence Blood

He continued circulating his cultivation technique. Half an hour later, his cultivation had stabilized at the early Mahayana stage. He now stood firmly at the pinnacle of the Cultivation World. According to publicly available information, the highest realm in the Cultivation World was the late Spirit Transformation stage. Now Li Dalong had broken through that threshold, becoming a truly unrivaled powerhouse.

He drew a deep breath. This felt wonderful! Joy spread across Li Dalong's face. Feeling the changes throughout his body, he could well imagine just how powerful the Azure Dragon Essence Blood was!

A Divine Ability called Firmament Illusion also appeared in his mind. It affected the mind and spirit, creating an illusory realm for an opponent. Any attacks suffered or environments encountered within that realm would manifest physically on the trapped person. In other words, everything in the illusion he created would be real to whoever was caught inside. That was precisely what made this Divine Ability so powerful. It was tantamount to an immortal's means of conjuring something from nothing.

On top of his Innate Spirit Body, he had undergone a transformation through the Azure Dragon Essence Blood. This effectively combined humanity's talent for immortal cultivation with the Azure Dragon's formidable bodily defenses, lightning-fast reactions, rapid regeneration, and unique Divine Ability. Ordinarily, possessing a Divine Ability was impossible without reaching a legendary realm.

Whether in talent or physique, he now stood at the very pinnacle of the Cultivation World, beyond anyone's reach. Even in the Immortal Realm, he would have been a genius unseen in hundreds of millions of years. His luck truly defied the heavens. He certainly deserved to be counted among the finest transmigrators.

Li Dalong's breakthrough had not affected anyone in the Righteous Qi Sect. He had thoroughly concealed all the Spiritual Power fluctuations it produced.

While Li Dalong broke through into an entirely new realm, the Southern Route Army led by Jingbian Shihuang had officially crossed the sea. Jingbian Shihuang was at the middle Spirit Transformation stage, and his subordinates included a host of protectors at the same stage and elders at the early Spirit Transformation stage. The small and medium-sized factions could not withstand them at all. Jingbian Shihuang advanced triumphantly, soon reaching the vicinity of the Righteous Qi Sect. He was already very close to Hanging Sky Mountain, a newly acquired subordinate faction of the sect.

After receiving a message from a disciple, Zhou Yong ordered all outlying factions to withdraw to the Righteous Qi Sect, pulling their forces back together. Besides, the Righteous Qi Sect's grand protective formation was far stronger than the defensive formations of its subordinate factions. With the sect's elders joined by the leaders and elders of those factions, the burden of defense was greatly reduced.

By then, the Righteous Qi Sect had entered a state of alert. Elders led disciples on patrol through the sect at all hours, and disciples were stationed along the perimeter to guard against surprise attacks by the Heaven-Severing Church. The moment the Heaven-Severing Church was spotted within five hundred li of the sect's grounds, the grand protective formation would activate.

Time passed quickly. After the Heaven-Severing Church eliminated a small faction neighboring Hanging Sky Mountain, Jingbian Shihuang led its disciples into the Righteous Qi Sect's territory, heading straight for the sect itself.

Upon receiving news of the Heaven-Severing Church's arrival, Zhou Yong immediately ordered the grand protective formation activated. All disciples outside were to return. Disciples could enter the sect but not leave, and the sect officially went on a war footing.

Jingbian Shihuang was still riding high. Since arriving on the mainland, he had swept forward like a blade splitting bamboo. Not a single faction had withstood the Heaven-Severing Church's attacks. Though the Righteous Qi Sect had long enjoyed a great reputation, he regarded these mainland factions as a heap of loose sand, unable to withstand a single blow.

Even opponents at the same cultivation level were often intimidated by the ferocity the Heaven-Severing Church's fighters had developed through years of slaughter at sea. Once a person lacked the resolve to stake their life at any moment, they had already lost the battle of wills. Thus, he could often cut them down within a few exchanges.

Once a faction fell, it generally faced a massacre that spared neither chickens nor dogs. As a result, he often did not even need to act. The moment his army surrounded a faction, it surrendered. He was brimming with confidence that he could conquer the Righteous Qi Sect.

They soon reached the Righteous Qi Sect. Seeing its grand protective formation active and the entire sect braced as though facing a mighty enemy, Jingbian Shihuang felt deeply slighted. Fury surged through him. Drawing his usual slender Top-Grade Spirit Sword, he slashed at the sect's formation. A brilliant blade of sword light cleaved toward it with the crushing force of snapping rotten wood. The corners of Jingbian Shihuang's mouth curled into a cold smile. He had not used his full strength, intending to test the formation's defenses first.

The sword light struck the formation, sending ripples across it. The barrier caved inward slightly, flickered a few times, then returned to its original shape.

"Oh! Not bad at all. That was all the reaction I got from an attack at half strength."

Jingbian Shihuang spoke with a hint of surprise.

"You little whelps of the Righteous Qi Sect! That was only a little test. Come out and surrender at once, and I'll spare your lives! Otherwise, I'll slaughter you all, leaving neither chickens nor dogs alive!"

Just as Jingbian Shihuang was arrogantly shouting at the Righteous Qi Sect, an opening suddenly appeared in the formation. A middle-aged man flew out. He wore blue robes and had a resolute face, and an imposing air radiated from him.

The middle-aged man was none other than Zhou Yong, the Righteous Qi Sect's sect master. He strode forward and addressed Jingbian Shihuang without a trace of fear.

"You ignorant little shorty, bawling and bellowing here! Crawl back to your island!"

"Aaargh! You've infuriated this deputy church leader! Today, I'll have your life!" His height had always been a sore spot for Jingbian Shihuang, for he stood less than half as tall as an ordinary person. Hearing Zhou Yong call him a shorty the moment he appeared was like a knife driven into his heart and salt rubbed into the wound!

With that, Jingbian Shihuang raised his sword and slashed at Zhou Yong.

"A pearl no bigger than a grain of rice dares to shine!" Zhou Yong roared. He summoned his Top-Grade Flying Sword and formed a hand seal. Spiritual Power surged from his body, forming a dazzling pillar of light that blasted toward Jingbian Shihuang.

The pillar of light collided with the sword light with a tremendous crash. Air currents churned and spread outward in all directions. Zhou Yong's body shuddered, and he retreated several steps. Jingbian Shihuang's expression also changed as the energy within him roiled.

"Interesting." A trace of amusement flashed through Jingbian Shihuang's eyes. Though he had not put his full strength into that strike, he had used half of it. He had not expected Zhou Yong to withstand it so easily.

Their first exchange ended there. Both possessed the strength of the middle Spirit Transformation stage, and neither had gained an advantage.

"You're nothing special either!" Zhou Yong said with a mocking expression.

"Then let me show you my strength! Today, I'll cut you down and feed my sword!" Jingbian Shihuang said viciously.

"Jingbian Shihuang, I'll fight you to the death!" Resolve filled Zhou Yong's face as he charged toward Jingbian Shihuang.

"Hmph! Then I'll send you to the Western Paradise!" Jingbian Shihuang snorted coldly. Though his cultivation was also at the middle Spirit Transformation stage, he had forged his strength through bloody battles ever since the Qi Refining Realm. Zhou Yong could not compare with his combat experience or his fearless ferocity. He refused to believe that the Righteous Qi Sect's master could be stronger than him.

As Zhou Yong closed in, Jingbian Shihuang flickered sideways, instantly appearing diagonally behind him. Zhou Yong's attack missed, but he did not pause. He swiftly spun around and attacked Jingbian Shihuang again.