Cui Mingcheng's gaunt face was filled with shock and anger; he never imagined that Hou San would dare to lay a hand on him.
The Yin Yang Dao hierarchy was strictly hierarchical; even a mere Seventh Rank incense master Hou San wasn't qualified to sit down in front of him.
Moreover, the difference in their cultivation levels was even greater.
Even if Hou San had some grievances against him, where would he get the courage to lay a hand on him?
In the rush, Cui Mingcheng didn't have time to think much. He activated his Divine Aperture through the True Qi between his eyebrows, drawing upon the Five Nether Venerables within his Five Viscera Temple.
The Five Nether Venerables are demon gods under the command of the Great Darkness Heavenly Mother. Each demon lord has a Dharma form and corresponding abilities.
Having advanced to the Fifth Rank for many years, he had already visualized five Netherworld Demon Lords sitting in his Five Viscera Temple.
In an instant, the five Netherworld Demon Lords each unfolded their Dharma forms, and the True Qi within their Five Viscera Temple was transformed into powerful Law Power, which was then gathered and activated through their Divine Aperture.
Cui Mingcheng was experienced in combat, and his converted Law Power first activated the Profound Yin Shield.
The profound Yin Law Power condensed into a round shield, protecting his entire body.
He also simultaneously unleashed the Profound Yin Great Hand Seal, which directly releases power through Law Power, making it the simplest, most direct, and most effective attack method.
Hou San, who launched the sneak attack, was only a Seventh Rank. Even if someone was behind it, he would definitely not be able to withstand a single blow from Hou San.
The two sides were very close, but once the Profound Yin Shield, the condensed Law Power was as tough as iron. When Hou San's longsword struck the invisible shield, the longsword immediately faltered.
The Yin Qi shield rippled out a transparent water pattern, and the vibrating Law Power transmitted to the blade, causing Hou San's arm to go numb and his longsword to be uncontrollably thrown away.
Hou San didn't know how things had turned out this way, but he only had one thought in his mind: to kill Cui Mingcheng.
Ignoring the longsword that had been knocked away, he met Cui Mingcheng's right palm with both of his hands.
Cui Mingcheng's eyes were filled with cruelty. He wouldn't kill Hou San, but rather capture the kid, skin him alive, and turn him into Sha Ghost!
Hou San's mind was a bit foggy at the moment, but he still felt the terrifying power of the Profound Yin Great Hand Seal.
Before the hand seal was even fully formed, powerful Law Power had already spread in all directions, making it hard for him to breathe and making it difficult for him to circulate his Law Power.
Just as Hou San was filled with despair, a vast and mighty True Qi surged from the depths of his body, flowing through his limbs and bones, blocking all the terrifying magical Law Power he was enduring.
Most of his Law Power was transformed into fierce and powerful palm strikes, which he unleashed with both palms.
Cui Mingcheng also noticed something was wrong at this moment; Hou San's Law Power suddenly increased more than tenfold.
His heart tightened. What kind of Divergent Method was this? Not only could it forcibly control others, but it could also use that person to cast Law Power?!
Cui Mingcheng realized something was wrong and immediately increased his Law Power, pushing the Profound Yin Great Hand Seal to its limit.
The three palms clashed, and the True Qi and Law Power of both sides collided directly, producing a huge booming sound.
The surging True Qi emanated outwards from the two of them, overturning all the furnishings in the room, and even shattering the thin wooden partition walls with the force of the palm strike.
Just as Cui Mingcheng was adjusting his breathing, Hou San rushed forward and struck again.
Hou San was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Cui Mingcheng.
In the rush, Cui Mingcheng didn't even have time to activate his magic Law Artifact, so he could only activate the Profound Yin Great Hand Seal again.
As their palms clashed, Hou San's palms split into hundreds of almost invisible Heavenly Puppet Silk.
The Heavenly Puppet Silk, only one-tenth the thickness of a spider's silk, was extremely sharp. Such fine threads would normally be difficult to imbue with Law Power True Qi, but Zhou Wuji, through the Sword Spirit, imbued the Army-Breaking Sword into these fine threads.
As their palms clashed, the Heavenly Puppet Silk pierced through the Profound Yin Great Hand Seal, deeply embedding itself in Cui Mingcheng's palm and penetrating deep into his arm.
The Heavenly Puppet Silk was so fine that although Cui Mingcheng sensed something was wrong, he couldn't pinpoint what the problem was.
Before Cui Mingcheng could figure it out, Zhou Wuji then urged Hou San to unleash the Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder.
Like lightning flowing through the fine, dense Heavenly Puppet Silk, it penetrated deep into Cui Mingcheng's body. Although this Fifth Rank Devil Cultivator possessed high cultivation, he could not withstand the Yin Thunder that entered his body directly.
Cui Mingcheng's eyes revealed utter horror, but the Yin Thunder strike pierced through his blood and bones, destroying all the Five Nether Venerables he had visualized in the Five Viscera Temple Organs, and also destroying the life force of his five internal organs.
Hou San struck successfully and then pressed his palm down on Cui Mingcheng's face. The Tianji Sword transformed into Xuan Yang and Profound Yin Sword Qi, which were released simultaneously, instantly destroying Cui Mingcheng's head and ending the life of this Fifth Rank Devil Cultivator.
Zhou Wuji, who was a hundred paces away, also temporarily suspended his control over Hou San.
Having exhausted all his energy and spirit, Hou San's body went limp and he fainted.
Zhou Wuji had no time to deal with Hou San; he adjusted his breathing and recovered.
Controlling the Heavenly Puppet consumes a great deal of True Qi, especially when it comes to killing a master like Cui Mingcheng.
The most important thing is to strike unexpectedly and catch the opponent off guard, not giving them time to activate their magical Law Artifact.
With his current abilities, killing Cui Mingcheng head-on wouldn't be difficult for him.
However, this is Golden Sands Fort, the enemy's lair. Not only is Cui Mingcheng here, but also a group of Devil Cultivator from the Yin Yang Dao, as well as some barbarians.
He had just glanced at the Golden Sands Fort with his Big Dipper Star Eye and saw that there were many life energies within, some of which were quite powerful.
If Cui Mingcheng is not killed quickly, it will attract a siege from the crowd. The risk involved is considerable.
With the Heavenly Puppet in hand, Zhou Wuji naturally chose a safer and more reliable method.
On the other hand, it also tests the true limits of the Heavenly Puppet.
After being tested in actual combat, the Heavenly Puppet proved to be very effective. Even Fifth Rank Devil Cultivator like Cui Mingcheng couldn't withstand the Heavenly Puppet Silk enhanced with Sword Qi.
Even more ingenious is the Heavenly Puppet Silk, which can guide Yin Thunder directly into Cui Mingcheng's body.
Devil Cultivator are inherently afraid of Yin Thunder. While they can resist Yin Thunder that erupts outside with their Law Power and Law Artifact, Cui Mingcheng is utterly powerless against Yin Thunder that erupts within his body, collapsing with a single blow.
The weakness of the Heavenly Puppet is that it consumes too much Divine Sense and True Qi. Once Cui Mingcheng, the most powerful expert, is dealt with, the remaining people are no longer a threat.
After adjusting his True Qi, Zhou Wuji looked at the extra five taels and eight qian of destiny on the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment. Without hesitation, he immediately added this destiny to the Tianquan Sword.
Other Secret Method are also important, but life-saving Swordsmanship like the Tianquan Sword are even more crucial.
As purple light unfolded, Zhou Wuji immersed himself in the small world to diligently practice his Swordsmanship.
When he opened his eyes, the Tianquan Sword had advanced from the proficient level to the master level.
Zhou Wuji was somewhat surprised; the Tianquan Sword was actually more complex and profound than the Army-Breaking Sword.
But he quickly realized that this was because the Tianquan Sword was very special.
The Tianquan Sword is not a specific sword technique, but a skill for circulating one's Divine Sense, enhancing one's computational abilities, including a subtle perception of space and time, and a subtle perception of one's own True Qi state.
To put it simply, the Tianquan Sword was like having a special abacus installed in his head.
Numerous complex calculations can be quickly and accurately answered using the Tianquan Sword. This allows cultivators to achieve precise control over their own state and subtle control over Sword Qi.
By resonating with the Big Dipper Seven Stars, we can accurately determine spatial location and further accurately determine changes in time.
The higher one's cultivation level, the more accurate one's perception of space and time must be, so that one can make accurate judgments when facing the enemy's various changes.
Zhou Wuji was already capable of doing this, and with the Tianquan Sword, his ability in this area was enhanced by three to five times.
Therefore, there is no exact figure because such changes are also difficult to measure accurately.
Of course, activating the Tianquan Sword consumes a great deal of Divine Sense, and ordinary cultivators cannot sustain it for long.
It is precisely because of the subtle control over Sword Qi, and the ability to guide Sword Qi to break through the air and shoot forth, that one can transform it into Sword Evasion.
Zhou Wuji activated the Tianquan Sword and immediately gained a precise understanding of his own condition. He had consumed 12% of his True Qi and 32% of his Divine Sense, but his physical condition was well maintained with minimal loss.
"This level of skill allows one to escape unscathed even if encountering Fifth Rank martial artist."
Zhou Wuji quickly concluded that he should withdraw from the Tianquan Sword state and not bother calculating these trivial details.
It's better to wait until he encounters a formidable enemy before using the Tianquan Sword.
He used the Tianxuan Sword to conceal his aura and quietly entered Golden Sands Fort.
The fierce battle between Hou San and Cui Mingcheng just now broke up the room and alarmed many people in the fortress.
A group of cultivators and several barbarians arrived. They looked at the headless Cui Mingcheng and the unconscious Hou San in the room with expressions of astonishment and doubt.
Cui Mingcheng is the chief priest; everyone here has to listen to him.
It was just a group of barbarians who weren't really Qi Ingestion, but on the surface they had to listen to Cui Mingcheng.
Seeing that the expert's head had been smashed, the many Devil Cultivator of the Yin Yang Dao were both surprised and uneasy. However, seeing that a few barbarians were still there, they were able to barely keep their composure.
The barbarians were ugly and savage, but their martial arts skills were truly formidable. With them around, even if we encountered a powerful enemy, we could put up a fight.
The tallest barbarian said, "This man is dead. Who among you can make decisions?"
His accent was very strange; each word in a sentence was separated, like a child imitating an adult, halting and very awkward.
The numerous Devil Cultivator exchanged bewildered glances, and finally all looked at Fang Zhenjiang, who was also a high-ranking priest, but his cultivation level was only Sixth Rank.
With Cui Mingcheng dead, Fang Zhenjiang, who holds the highest position and has the greatest cultivation, should now be in charge.
Fang Zhenjiang really didn't want to stand out right now, but he couldn't back down under everyone's watchful eyes, otherwise his position as the chief priest would become difficult in the future.
He forced a smile and said, "I can make the decision, Iron Claw. What do you want to say?"
Barbarian names are very simple and direct; Iron Claw is the name of this barbarian leader.
With eyes as sharp as Iron Claw claw, Fang Zhenjiang was about to speak when he suddenly heard an unusual commotion outside. He immediately shouted in a barbarian language, "Enemies! Prepare for battle!"
The other barbarians drew their long swords and looked around warily.
The numerous Devil Cultivator, unaware of the situation, assumed the barbarians were about to turn hostile and attack. They all took a few steps back in fear, raising their Law Artifact and pointing them at the barbarians.
Iron Claw glanced coldly at Fang Zhenjiang and the others, muttering, "Idiots!"
Fang Zhenjiang understood what he meant, and he immediately realized what was happening and said to his companions, "The enemy hasn't left yet, be careful!"
Before he could finish speaking, a streak of azure lightning tore through the night and shot towards him.
Many Devil Cultivator were horrified, only now sensing the extremely yang and intense aura of the Thunder Method.
The Thunder Method came without warning. Everyone sensed something was wrong but had no time to dodge. They could only activate their own Law Technique to protect themselves.
Clusters of Law Technique light were still flashing, while azure lightning had already exploded outwards, like hundreds of electric snakes twisting and dancing.
The two barbarians struck by the lightning were instantly blown to smithereens into countless ash fragments, and four or five of the Devil Cultivator caught in the lightning's blast also lay flat on their backs.
Several other Devil Cultivator were blasted by the lightning, their faces blackened to charcoal, their hair and clothes reduced to ashes. Although they were not yet dead, they stood there trembling violently, not far from death.
Fang Zhenjiang reacted the fastest. Seeing the lightning, he didn't activate his Law Technique. Instead, he lowered his head and lay on the ground. Although he was hit by the lightning, he only suffered a few deep, charcoal-black wounds on his body.
Seeing how domineering the opponent's Thunder Method was, Fang Zhenjiang was so frightened that he hurriedly lay down and flew away.
He was quite skilled in martial arts, and although his crawling posture on all fours resembled that of a dog, he was extremely fast.
The barbarian leader Iron Claw was sent flying by the Thunder Method, but he immediately jumped up, let out a fierce shout, and his body swelled up, the tattoos and witch patterns all over his body and face gleaming with a dark luster.
Tattoos are magical totems formed by piercing the skin with the blood of special Demon Beast. They can be activated by the power of the Qi and Blood, and are the barbarian's strongest power against Demon Beast.
Iron Claw has nine types of witchcraft tattoos on his body, five of which correspond to combat: black bear enhances strength, bird enhances speed, rat enhances agility, wild boar enhances physical strength, and fox enhances perception.
In that instant, all five witchcraft tattoos were activated, and the Iron Claw claw stomped down, causing the ground to explode and create a deep crater.
The next moment, the Iron Claw shot out like an arrow.
Even Zhou Wuji, who was twenty paces away, was shocked. The barbarian was too fast. The surging Qi and Blood on his body were like a furnace. Before he even arrived, the scorching aura had already spread in all directions.
The void was filled with steam and mist under the violent and scorching power of Qi and Blood. Zhou Wuji felt as if he were in a steel furnace, his skin was burning and stinging, and his senses were distorted by the intense power.
Zhou Wuji and Xie Lingyun spent their days playing and feasting, and inevitably they would also spar with each other in martial arts Swordsmanship.
He had witnessed Xie Lingyun's martial arts skills; Fourth Rank martial artist was indeed powerful, but he was no match for this barbarian's domineering and fierce style.
In his distorted perception, Zhou Wuji "saw" the barbarian's body become abnormally large, and there were black phantoms on the barbarian's body, such as birds, rats, black bears, and so on.
These black phantoms, seemingly alive, exuded a powerful aura, making the barbarians appear like ancient, primordial beasts, incomparably powerful.
Thump, thump, thump—the barbarian's rapid heartbeat sounded like a giant war drum, creating a deafening, earth-shaking roar, causing Zhou Wuji's heart to leap involuntarily.
"That's amazing!"
Zhou Wuji had observed the group of barbarians through the Big Dipper Star Eye and assumed that the strongest among them was only Fifth Rank martial artist.
It wasn't until his opponent unleashed their power that he realized he had underestimated the barbarians' strength.
The barbarians clearly possessed Law Technique powers, or more accurately, witchcraft.
The crude and barbaric nature of witchcraft, imbued with an ancient Savage Wilderness aura, is quite different from the Law Technique of cultivators.
The witchcraft also merged with the barbarian's own Qi and Blood and True Qi.
Even before the barbarians arrived, their terrifying aura had already exerted a tremendous pressure on him.
Zhou Wuji's Divine Sense flickered and twisted like a torch in a raging storm, seemingly on the verge of being extinguished at any moment.
The barbarians' overwhelming power caused Zhou Wuji to instinctively condense his Sword Spirit, shaking his Divine Sense to form an indestructible divine sword, no longer affected by external forces. In his eyes, the barbarians also returned to their true form.
Zhou Wuji was initially swayed by the barbarians' momentum and thought he should avoid their sharp edge first.
However, he ruled out the interference of witchcraft and strange phenomena, and by connecting the Big Dipper Seven Stars with the Tianquan Sword, he accurately calculated his own spatial position, thereby calculating the strength and speed of the barbarians, and determined that he had an 80% chance of winning.
Moreover, this doesn't even take into account the White Rainbow Sword, the Heavenly Puppet, or the enhancement that the Sword Spirit adds to Swordsmanship.
Even the Tianquan Sword couldn't calculate the barbarians' abilities that they hadn't yet revealed; it could only make a rough estimate of the current state of both sides.
Even so, Zhou Wuji decided to fight.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Wuji did not retreat but instead advanced to meet the barbarians who were shooting at him.
He did not unleash the Northern Dipper Tianshu Yangming Divine Thunder. Using Thunder Method at this time would instead deplete his Divine Sense and Law Power, affecting his sword strikes.
Law Technique are not very effective against such powerful martial artists.
The barbarian, seeing Zhou Wuji approach instead, revealed a mixture of excitement and cruelty in his eyes, and slashed down fiercely at Zhou Wuji with his sword.
Zhou Wuji drew his sword to meet the attack, the bright sword light like snow across the sky, instantly covering the barbarian and the long knife in his hand.
Swords clashed, and the barbarian's longsword snapped in two beneath the blade. The barbarian tried to parry the blade with both hands, but the incomparably sharp sword swept it diagonally in two...
The barbarians charged too fast, and those behind them couldn't see the battle clearly.
All that could be seen was a flash of brilliant sword light, and the barbarian was severed along with his sword...
The remaining two barbarians were stunned into silence. Fang Zhenjiang, witnessing this scene, was terrified and turned to run wildly into the darkness.
A streak of azure lightning followed, striking Fang Zhenjiang, who was scrambling on the ground.
In a deafening explosion of lightning, Fang Zhenjiang was also blown to pieces...