I Have Refined Qi For 3000 Years!

Book 8 Chapter 30 - Waaaaah!

As Xue Ling issued his command, a massive contingent of Underworld soldiers surged out from the swirling mists—the very troops who had vanished alongside him earlier.

These Underworld soldiers struck Asura’s forces from the flank, catching them completely off guard.

High above, Xue Ling clashed with Venerable Li and Venerable Ran. The iron chain in Xue Ling’s hand transformed into a massive, pitch-black dragon; as he swung it, it conjured up layers of shifting mountain ranges that blurred the line between illusion and reality.

He launched a preemptive strike against the heavily wounded Venerable Li. However, the giant python coiled around the silent Venerable Ran suddenly expanded in size and length, snapping its massive jaws shut around the chain Xue Ling was wielding.

“Hmph, trying to kill me first?”

A fierce glint flashed in Venerable Li’s eyes as he sneered:

“I admit I am severely injured, but I am hardly someone a newcomer like you—who has just entered the realm of Immortal Venerable and forged your first Path of Reincarnation—can bully at will!”

The “Immortal Venerable” rank corresponds to the “Path of Reincarnation” realm originally theorized by Bai Qiuran. In this realm, a cultivator must forge a Path of Reincarnation beneath the continent within their body’s Purple Mansion. Each forged Path brings a massive leap in power, and one must forge all six Paths to reach the realm’s ultimate perfection.

The disparity in power between those with different numbers of Paths is immense; an Immortal Venerable with only one Path is like a mere child compared to one with two, while an Immortal Venerable who has forged the complete Six Paths of Reincarnation stands in a league so far above the others that it is practically a different realm altogether.

Consequently, in the Immortal World, those who have forged the complete Six Paths of Reincarnation are honored with the title of “Great Immortal Venerable.”

The Three Venerables of the Ghost World—Venerable Li, Venerable Ran, and Venerable Lie—were originally Immortal Venerables who had forged two Paths. Over their tenure of several thousand years, Venerable Lie had advanced to the third Path. Although Venerable Li had not yet broken through to the next stage, he felt no fear facing Xue Ling—who possessed only a single Path—even in his wounded state. Of course, the world is ever-changing, and there are exceptions to every rule.

Xue Ling swung his iron chain once more; feinting to evade the giant python controlled by Venerable Ran, he lashed out viciously at Venerable Li—who had been lurking behind Venerable Ran, chipping away with long-range spells.

Venerable Li gave a cold snort. Black celestial energy surged from his hands, coalescing into a black sun that collided head-on with Xue Ling’s iron chain.

Amidst a thunderous blast akin to a nuclear explosion, Venerable Li felt a tremendous force transmit through the chain. The black sun in his hands shattered instantly upon impact, and he let out a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward.

The very next moment, the massive black-and-white python struck swiftly from behind. It clamped its jaws around Xue Ling’s upper body, its razor-sharp teeth biting down hard and tearing his torso clean in two.

Venerable Ran watched as the bloodied lower half of the body fell to the ground and slowly dissolved into mist; then, from within that swirling vapor, another Xue Ling stepped forth.

“An exquisite illusion technique.”

He couldn’t help but marvel:

“Is this a technique you devised yourself?”

Xue Ling offered no reply; instead, he flicked his iron chain, sending it coiling toward the two Venerables like a long dragon.

The fierce battle raged on, continuing for half a day.

The surprise attack launched by Xue Ling and his clone had indeed temporarily relieved the dire straits faced by the Underworld Envoys. However, the disparity in strength remained undeniable; the Envoys were up against an Asura army that had been eerily empowered and was ferocious in combat, while Xue Ling himself faced two Celestial Venerables whose cultivation realms vastly surpassed his own.

Had he been facing only one of them, he might have been confident of victory—even after landing a sneak attack that severely wounded Venerable Li, he found it difficult to hold his ground for long against the combined assault of the two Venerables.

“You won’t be arrogant for much longer!”

Blood trickled from the corner of Venerable Li’s mouth, yet his attacks grew increasingly ferocious. He unleashed a barrage of pitch-black, crescent-shaped blades that formed a dark sun and moon, slicing Xue Ling’s body into fragments. Watching Xue Ling emerge once more from the swirling mists, he sneered and said:

“No matter how superb your combat skills may be, the sheer gap in cultivation base is something you cannot bridge. To us, you are simply too young, boy.”

Xue Ling remained silent. He flicked his iron chains, and within the mist, visions of mountains, rivers, and seas slowly began to manifest. A blood-red sun—the sun of the Underworld—rose into the sky. Deep within the fog, a Mark of Reincarnation churned ceaselessly, radiating both the scorching, searing flames of Hell and the bone-chilling, piercing cold of the Avici Abyss.

This was the first Path of Reincarnation Xue Ling had condensed: the Hell Path—the most ferocious and agonizing of the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Seeing this, the expressions of Venerable Li and Venerable Ran turned grave.

Though they had spoken with disdain, the actual clash had proven that Xue Ling was no easy opponent; seeing him prepare to unleash a desperate, ultimate technique, they dared not be careless.

Both simultaneously channeled their internal Purple Mansion’s immortal power to the limit, causing two distinct Marks of Reincarnation to materialize behind each of them.

Hovering behind Venerable Li were the Hungry Ghost Path and the Asura Realm, while behind Venerable Ran floated the Human Path and the Animal Path.

As the three gathered their immortal essence, an immense power concentrated at the spot, causing space itself to tremble; it seemed as though the entire Asura Realm could barely withstand the weight, beginning to shake violently.

Yet, just as the three were on the verge of a life-or-death clash, a sudden, unexpected disturbance erupted behind the army of the Hetian Asura King!

“Waaaaaah—”

From the distant plains, a chaotic roar—deafening and thunderous—swept rapidly closer. Mingled with it was the sound of countless chaotic, heavy footsteps; they were so weighty that it sounded as if a multitude of giants were stampeding across the earth.

As the sound of footsteps approached, a massive cloud of dust billowed up on the distant horizon—a thick, rolling layer that resembled waves surging across the land. “What is that?”

The subordinates of Hetian Asura King were filled with uncertainty and alarm; the sheer momentum of the approaching force was so immense that it even drew the attention of the three Immortal Venerables hovering in the sky, who were in the midst of gathering their power.

As the dust cloud drew nearer, an Asura possessing keen vision and supernatural sight finally made out what lay within.

“It’s…”

He cried out in shock:

“It’s the army of Moko Asura King!!”

“What the hell?”

At this, even the two traitorous Venerables of the Underworld and Hetian Asura King were dumbfounded.

“Hetian!”

Venerable Li, while still maintaining his charged state, snapped at him angrily:

“Didn’t you swear that Moko absolutely wouldn’t get involved in this?”

“I have no idea either!”

Hetian’s face turned even darker than his natural complexion—looking for all the world as if someone had force-fed him three catties of piping-hot shit.

“That bastard gave me his personal guarantee in the name of the Asura clan that he wouldn’t participate in this war… How could this be happening?”

Seizing the split second of distraction caused by Venerable Li’s outburst, Xue Ling unleashed his ultimate move—which had been fully charged and ready—in a sudden, explosive strike.

Heaven and earth inverted, the galaxy turned upside down, and hellfire surged forth; the blood-red setting sun of the Underworld transformed into a colossal wheel of light, swallowing the figures of the two Venerables whole.