Growing stronger with every battle

The White Emperor's body was covered in indestructible scales. This unique Gods and Devils bloodline was not to be underestimated. Xu Qi'an was not confident in peeling off the scales, but he was quite confident in stabbing Ding Ding.

Firstly, the abdomen lacks scales and is relatively thin, while the reproductive organs are the most vulnerable part of a living organism, and even Gods and Devils cannot avoid this.

Xu Qi'an used the "Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations" Law Technique to conceal his aura. However, Bai Di was not a martial artist and had no sense of danger. When Bai Di realized that Xu Qi'an was under his crotch, the Zhenguo Sword had already burst out with a bright yellow sword light and thrust towards Bai Di's genitals with overwhelming force.

The White Emperor stood firm and unmoved.

At this moment, Xu Qi'an, who had just unleashed the Zhenguo Sword, saw Bai Di's abdomen suddenly bulge and his genitals suddenly swell.

A sense of impending doom washed over Xu Qi'an, and an image flashed through his mind—the White Emperor urinating through his skull!

As a descendant of gods Gods and Devils who are born with the ability to control water and lightning, the White Emperor can urinate whenever he wants, anytime, anywhere.

It wasn't worth it. After weighing the consequences of stabbing him, Xu Qi'an decisively gave up, rolled to the side, and rolled out from under Bai Di's crotch.

The next moment, a jet of water as thick as a fist shot out from between Bai Di's legs. The water jet cut through the ground as easily as cutting tofu, penetrating to an unpredictable depth.

It's easy to imagine that if that pee had landed on his face, Xu Qi'an's head would have exploded on the spot.

The White Emperor's body suddenly froze, and a gust of wind blew by, causing his body to dissipate inch by inch, leaving only an afterimage.

Its true form attacked Xu Qi'an with incredible speed, its massive body rising upright and its hooves pounding fiercely.

Such speed! Xu Qi'an had just gotten up from the tumble when a gust of wind cut his face like a knife. He held his sword horizontally to his chest, supporting the blade with his left hand, and forcefully parried!

Bite!

The hoof struck the sword, and the strength of the Great Feng's First Divine Sword withstood the power of the White Emperor's physical body.

But Xu Qi'an couldn't hold on. With a sudden burst of energy, he was like a train with a booster installed, violently sliding backward.

The leather boots that Xu Lingyue sewed for him burst open with a crack.

As he slid backward uncontrollably, a scene flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind—the White Emperor appeared in his path, opened his blood-red maw, and bit off his head from behind.

Xu Qi'an remained calm, released the Zhenguo Sword, and spread his arms to draw a large circle. The power of all living beings frantically gathered and empowered his body. At the same time, his body swelled into a two-zhang-tall muscular giant, tearing his blue robe.

The pagoda rose from above, its power of suppression overwhelming all surrounding enemies.

Bang!

He spun around and thrust his palms behind him, colliding head-on with the White Emperor who was lunging at him.

The collision between the man and the beast created a terrifying force like a landslide. The ground within a radius of hundreds of feet suddenly sank, and countless dust particles were raised, only to be dispersed by the raging energy in the next moment.

Xu Qi'an's arms exploded instantly, but he felt no pain because he had already lost consciousness.

He was like a small boat in a raging tsunami, thrown out. His internal force was completely unable to deflect the immense force, and this uncontrollable "shaking" was fatal.

The opponent could take advantage of this opportunity to close in and unleash a combo, crippling or damaging him.

The White Emperor would certainly not let such an opportunity pass. The power of the Floating Pagoda to suppress the prison only caused it to stagnate slightly; it was impossible to completely suppress it. Even if the Bodhisattva Faji himself were to come, he would not be able to suppress it.

It transformed into a gust of wind and rushed towards Xu Qi'an, who had been thrown into the air.

In this situation, if Xu Qi'an were an ordinary second-rank martial artist, he would die a terrible death with almost no hope of turning the tide.

Within similar systems, the gap between first-class and second-class is insurmountable.

But Xu Qi'an is no ordinary second-rank martial artist; he controls another system—Gu techniques!

Xu Qi'an's body quickly "transformed into shadow," using shadow leaps to evade Bai Di's pursuit.

He remained in the throwing posture, his figure appearing in the cracks in the ground, in the shadows of the boulders, in the shadows of the trees, and in the shadows of everything around him, before disappearing again.

They continuously leaped through the shadows to disrupt and evade the White Emperor's pursuit.

The White Emperor glanced at Luo Yuheng amidst the twenty-seven lightning tribulations, then withdrew its gaze. Its azure vertical pupils reflected Xu Qi'an's flickering figure. Knowing the strangeness of Gu techniques, it immediately abandoned the pursuit, not wanting to waste its efforts.

"Crack!"

Arcs of electricity crackled from the horns atop the White Emperor's head.

Crackling and popping, more and more arcs of electricity leaped in the void, filling the entire space and transforming this area into a domain of lightning.

The heavenly tribulation made the lightning energy here exceptionally abundant, which was like adding wings to a tiger for the White Emperor.

Of course, the downside is that the Gara Tree no longer dares to target Daoist Jinlian.

This old Daoist priest from the Earth Sect has accumulated immense merit over hundreds of years. Killing such a person would incur divine punishment, and with the calamity clouds covering this place, the divine punishment would be even more severe.

The Bodhisattva of the Gara Tree had already learned his lesson once.

A powerful electric current surged through the entire space, forming an electric grid that caused Xu Qi'an, who was leaping through the shadows, to freeze and stiffen.

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Di spat out a jet of black water that pierced through Xu Qi'an's chest.

With a thud, it charged forward, grabbed Xu Qi'an by the neck, snapped his neck in two, and began to gnaw away, quickly chewing up and swallowing the young man's upper body.

"Xu Qi'an!"

Luo Yuheng, who was under the lightning tribulation, suddenly let out a shrill scream.

Boom!

Immediately afterwards, the thick lightning bolt from the water tank engulfed her, forcing her to fight back with all her might.

Success?

Hearing Luo Yuheng's scream, the distant Garuda tree withdrew its attack and turned its head to look at the White Emperor.

Upon seeing this, his pupils contracted slightly, and he shouted:

"Careful!"

Behind Bai Di was a perfectly intact Xu Qi'an, who gripped the Zhenguo Sword, his aura collapsed, all his emotions subsided, and the power of all living beings clung to the brass sword.

He spoke in a deep voice:

"My second wish is that this sword's momentum will be unstoppable!"

A faint golden light emerged from the Dantian, condensing into the Zhenguo Sword and adding further power to the Jade Shattering Sword.

Asura took the offering fruit from him and used it to exchange for the Taiping sword.

Before the war began, the extraordinary members of the Great Feng Army gathered to conduct a detailed analysis of the combat strength of both sides and formulate many tactics.

The process involved meticulous planning, down to the details of when to use which Law Treasure, when to cast which Law Technique, what kind of damage it would cause to the Gara Tree and the White Emperor, and how they would defend against it—it was a brainstorming exercise.

In this "battle of defense," the most dangerous situation is for Xu Qi'an, who must face a first-rank expert alone.

What he lacked was not offensive means, but rather the art of defeating enemies (fancy tactics). Therefore, the Taiping Blade belonged to Asuluo, and the relic belonged to Xu Qi'an.

The Xu Qi'an just now was a fake, a clone created by someone holding the position of Offering Fruit, a clone that was indistinguishable from the real one.

The offering position can perfectly replicate the individual; all Xu Qi'an needs to do is silently recite one sentence in his mind:

My first wish is to find a helper like myself.

Apart from being weaker in actual combat than the original, there is no difference in any other aspects.

During the shadow leap, Xu Qi'an summoned this fake body, then used the Heavenly Gu Star Shifting Technique to conceal his own aura, and with the help of the shadow leap, appeared behind the White Emperor.

As Bai Di devoured the fake body, Xu Qi'an finished charging up his power!

Jade shattered!

The gleaming yellow sword light flashed and disappeared in an instant.

The azure vertical pupils of the White Emperor reflected the golden sword light; it had already learned detailed information about Xu Qi'an from the Gara Tree and Xu Pingfeng.

Knowing that his strikes were unavoidable and could not be blocked with Law Artifact, they could only rely on their own strength to withstand them.

The White Emperor's horns began to gather water and lightning; the left horn turned pitch black, while the right horn transformed into blazing white.

Its forelimbs are slightly bent, its body is lowered, and after a brief moment of gathering strength, it charges forward like an antelope.

The White Emperor transformed into a beam of white light and charged towards Xu Qi'an, aiming to break through his killing move and completely extinguish his confidence.

Let this human know exactly what the difference is between first-rank and second-rank.

Bite!

Between the two horns, blinding sparks erupted, followed by a burst of golden sword light.

The sword light didn't just disappear in a single slash; instead, it struck hard against the horn. The white emperor's azure eyes were pierced by the sword light, leaving behind crimson blood. The scales on his back opened and closed, and his dragon head trembled slightly as he struggled with all his might.

Click!

The sword light severed the horns, but its own power was also exhausted.

The White Emperor let out a painful roar, but at the same time, it charged towards Xu Qi'an, its broken horn, sharpened by its fracture, piercing deeply into Xu Qi'an's chest.

Bang!

Xu Qi'an's skull shattered, and the damage from the jade fragments was refunded.

At the same time, dazzling lightning erupted from the White Emperor's horns, engulfing him.

The bolt of lightning was so dazzling and so magnificent that it seemed poised to extinguish the life of the second-rank martial artist in one fell swoop.

Amidst the lightning, Xu Qi'an let out a shrill roar.

At that moment, the White Emperor, which was unleashing its fury, suddenly had its scales explode open, and streams of electricity surged from its body, leaving scorch marks on its snow-white body.

Jade shattered!

The damage return interrupted Bai Di's output, giving Xu Qi'an a chance to catch his breath. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed the power of the Floating Pagoda to suppress the prison, followed by the Jade Shattering Technique, maintaining control.

But that wasn't all. At the top of the tower appeared a Movement Method with a plump body, round cheeks, and kind eyes, with a dazzling halo behind its head.

As a result, Bai Di's intelligence decreased, and he became as dazed and confused as a wild beast.

The process lasted less than a second, but with the combined power of the Jade Shattering and the Prison Suppression, it successfully bought Xu Qi'an time to escape.

His body dissolved into shadow and reappeared in the distance.

At this moment, over 90% of Xu Qi'an's body had been carbonized, turning him into a charred human form. He leaned on his sword, panting heavily, his breathing sounding like an old bellows.

Fighting against a descendant of a first-rank Gods and Devils is a deadly blow; every mistake is a brush with death.

This was the most dangerous battle with the lowest margin for error that Xu Qi'an had ever fought in his life.

Even with the National Protection Sword, the Floating Pagoda, the Relic Worshipped by Offerings, Gu Techniques, and the Power of All Beings, coupled with his second-rank cultivation as a foundation and meticulous execution, he was still no match for the White Emperor.

At the top of the pagoda, the rounded image of Great Wisdom dissipated, and the image of Pharmacist emerged, sprinkling down fine golden light to heal the injuries.

"Despair?"

The White Emperor's abdomen swelled slightly, and his breathing became somewhat disordered.

As it healed the injuries inflicted by the shattered jade, it said:

"You, a mere second-rank martial artist, have every reason to be proud that you could injure me to this extent."

"But what can you do? You're already this badly injured after only half of the Golden Core Tribulation. Not to mention the Four Symbols Tribulation, which will last for thirteen days. No, we don't need to wait for the Four Symbols Tribulation. I won't give you a chance to catch your breath."

"After the Golden Core Tribulation, the girl from the Human Sect will either forcibly undergo the Four Symbols Tribulation or help you fight the enemy. Either way, she will die."

After the Golden Core Tribulation ends, the Heavenly Tribulation will temporarily disappear, giving the person undergoing the tribulation ten days to consolidate their cultivation before the second stage, the Four Symbols Tribulation, begins.

But how could they possibly give the enemy a chance to regroup?

Luo Yuheng simply doesn't have ten days to consolidate her cultivation. She's forced to join the battle. If she survives ten days, the Four Symbols Tribulation will arrive as scheduled. How will she, having exhausted her strength in the battle, overcome it?

They could certainly choose to flee, but without the restraint of the extraordinary White Emperor and the Garuda Tree, as well as Xu Pingfeng, they could easily flatten the capital and take over the Central Plains.

Call!

The White Emperor suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a ball of pitch-black water, which hurtled towards Luo Yuheng.

This forced Xu Qi'an to stop healing and use his body as a shield to stand in front of Luo Yuheng.

Thud. A water balloon pierced his chest, splashing out red and black splattered everywhere.

The White Emperor's mouth was like a machine gun, constantly firing out jet-black water spheres, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds.

Xu Qi'an either slashed with his national sword or used his body as a shield. Under the fierce attack, he was gradually pierced through and torn apart.

Call out!

The flying sword swept past Xu Qi'an's head and shot towards Bai Di, but he forcefully deflected it.

"You bitch, do you want to die?!"

Xu Qi'an angrily retorted, "Focus on your tribulation; I'll take care of the dangers ahead for you."

"Xu Qi'an!" Luo Yuheng gritted his teeth.

Xu Qi'an slashed the incoming water sphere with his sword, swallowed the blood gushing from his throat, and chuckled, saying:

"Didn't you dislike me? What, are you worried now?"

"Be ruthless now. Treat dual cultivation as a transaction, me as a tool, and tribulation as your primary goal. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture or let emotions cloud your judgment."

"By the way, how many lightning strikes were there?"

Luo Yuheng choked up as he said:

"Fifty-six."

At this moment, the White Emperor healed the wounds caused by the shattered jade, but the horns could not heal on their own for the time being, because the characteristics of the National Guardian Sword were continuously eroding the vitality of the wounds and preventing the broken horns from regenerating.

The White Emperor's body froze, like a still painting.

At the same moment, Xu Qi'an's premonition of danger began to warn him; every cell and every nerve was urging him to flee for his life.

The White Emperor's body dissipated in the wind, and his true form broke the speed of sound, appearing before Xu Qi'an as if by teleportation.

Its gaping maw snapped down viciously.

At that moment, the people who had been paying attention to this place—Galo Tree, Asura, Zhao Shou, and Jinlian—all stopped and looked over with different expressions.

A fleeting sense of suicidal resolve crossed Luo Yuheng's mind.

Xu Qi'an, who was on the verge of life and death, suddenly calmed down. All the despair and eeriness settled down and transformed into the motivation for a new life.

The dormant essence of the Flower Goddess within the body was awakened, surging into every limb and bone like a spring tide.

The carbonized skin cracked open with a snap, revealing tender, new skin.

The power of all living beings surged forth, blessing him. The power surged violently, his muscles expanded, and his body grew exponentially, transforming him into a three-meter-tall giant.

The fiery ring behind his head exploded, and the Vajra Divine Blood roared in his veins.

Then, all these forces subsided and collapsed into the body.

Xu Qi'an leaned back, raised his right arm, and after a brief moment of gathering strength, he threw a powerful punch the instant Bai Di bit down.