A Will Eternal

A huge crater was now visible in the jungle on the right bank of the river.

There, the broken and shattered body of a skybanyan treant could be seen. It was currently dead, but struggling out from inside was the arrogant young Chosen who had spoken with Bai Xiaochun moments ago.

There was no madness or arrogance on his face now, only terror. After a bit of hesitation, his reverence toward Bai Xiaochun caused him to simply sit down in place cross-legged and meditate.

Bai Xiaochun felt very pleased. It was only after emerging from the Blood Ancestor that he realized that his time inside the giant had been incredibly beneficial, especially to his Undying Live Forever Technique. Thanks to the absorption of power inside the giant, he had already reached the point of being able to materialize a second asura.

Of course, he knew that he would be one of the main targets on the battlefield, and had actually waited for someone to try to plot against him. Just when he was being picked on, that was when he chose to fight back with vicious force.

Considering that he had knocked the arrogant Chosen completely off the battlefield, and that the young man hadn’t made a peep afterward, Bai Xiaochun felt more at ease than ever.

“Let’s see who dares to pick on me now!” he said proudly.

The surrounding Sky River Court cultivators looked at him with terror in their eyes, and just as he had said, not a single one dared to approach him. Even the smaller skybanyan trees were trembling at the sight of his use of the Mountain Shaking Bash.

As for the cultivators, they were forced to stew in their irritation, and hope that the spell formation around him would crumble, leaving him out in the open. Only then would they be able to show him what it was like to fight without the protection of a spell formation!

“Dammit! I refuse to believe that he can keep that spell formation powered up for much longer!”

“Hmph! Once he’s out in the open, we can see what this guy’s real battle prowess is like!” Although they were cursing him in their hearts, the Sky River Court cultivators had no choice other than to flee from Bai Xiaochun.

“Hey,” he howled cockily, “don’t run! I’m ready to fight till the bitter end! Bring it on!” However, he simply watched them as they ran away, feeling more wonderful than ever.

Thanks to Bai Xiaochun, the River-Defying Sect cultivators were able to relax momentarily, and also solidify their defensive positions within the deadlock.

Before long, the River-Defying Sect Gold Core cultivators were able to increase their advantage. Hundreds of Gold Core experts had pooled their power to create a sword formation that had already injured numerous contemporaries among the Sky River Court.

Some of the Sky River Court Gold Core cultivators had already met their end in the fighting, and soon, the group as a whole began to retreat. Down below, people looked up to see the Sky River Court Gold Core cultivators being chased across the battlefield by the River-Defying Sect.

Finally, one of the River-Defying Sect’s prime elders indicated that the time had come to attack, and the four divisions charged forth excitedly over the river water.

Now that the River-Defying Sect was seizing the initiative on the river, the Sky River Court’s Nascent Soul expert who was half a step into the Deva Realm shoved back Master Godwind, Frigidsect, Crimsonsoul, and Sieve Pill. Waving his sleeve, he pointed toward the Dire Skybanyan and howled in a mixture of grief and anger, “Protect the sect headquarters! Activate the grand spell formation!”

As his words echoed out like thunder, a green field of light shot out from the enormous Dire Skybanyan and exerted a powerful gravitational force.

That force locked onto the cultivators of the Sky River Court and, in the blink of an eye, hauled them back toward the tree. That included the Gold Core cultivators and the Foundation Establishment experts.

With the spell formation activated, this part of the Heavenspan River was completely sealed tight. The River-Defying Sect would now be forced to expend significant effort to break through, which should have given Sky River Court some breathing room in the already dire situation they were in!

Unfortunately for them, the Dire Skybanyan’s spell formation wasn’t complete. Astonishingly, there were two enormous gaps in the shield, one on the right side and the other on the left!

Obviously, the reason they had waited until now to activate the formation was because it was so weak! The spell formation actually had openings.

“Abandon the Heavenspan River!” said Patriarch Frigidsect. “It’s time for the second offensive. Attack the Sky River Court headquarters through the jungle!” In accordance with the previously drafted battle plans, the most powerful division, the Blood Stream Division, teamed up with the weakest division, the Pill Stream Division, and headed to the left bank of the river, where they began to pour into the jungle.

The Spirit Stream Division and the Profound Stream Division joined forces to head into the jungle on the right bank.

This was the jungle offensive!

Because the jungle was so cramped and crowded, it wasn’t appropriate to use the spell formation giants or the Profound Stream puppets. In the jungle offensive, all of the disciples would rely on their own power to fight.

Countless cultivators were attacking from both flanks, fighting their way rapidly toward the Sky River Court’s headquarters. The Sky River Court forces had little time to rest. All of their cultivators, even the Gold Core experts, spread out to try to stop the advance of the River-Defying Sect.

Once again, fighting broke out between the Nascent Soul patriarchs!

Before the truly deadly fighting began, the River-Defying Sect patriarchs made arrangements for the Outer and Inner Sect disciples to retreat to the Heavenspan Battleships, where they would be safer.

Only Foundation Establishment cultivators and higher would participate in this battle. After all, without spell formations to protect them, any injuries the weaker disciples received would likely lead to deaths.

That was war!

To provide an incentive, the patriarchs had agreed that none of the spoils of war procured in the jungle offensive needed to be offered up to the sect, but could be kept by whoever won them!

However, infighting among fellow sect members was strictly prohibited. Everyone was excited, but at the same time, didn’t dare to violate the rules.

After Bai Xiaochun’s spell formation broke apart, he exchanged glances with his eight compatriots, then they all clasped hands and bowed to each other. None of them spoke as they shot at top speed into the jungle.

Bai Xiaochun took a deep breath. As he looked at the jungle, what he thought about most was his encounter with the Luochen Clan. The surroundings here looked very similar to those mountains back then.

“Considering I’m so important, there will definitely be someone looking out for me….” Even still, he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and slapped his bag of holding. Instantly, a big stack of paper talismans appeared. Next, smacking sounds rang out as he began to place them all over his body. Within moments, a hundred layers of glowing shields appeared. He limited the number of course; too many shields would be too eye-catching.

Having accomplished that, he sped into motion, drawing upon the explosive power of his fleshly body to speed into the jungle toward the Sky River Court’s headquarters, the Dire Skybanyan.

The jungle was very humid, and the occasional miserable scream echoed out here and there. Some of those screams came from the forces of the Sky River Court, others came from the River-Defying Sect. Bai Xiaochun was soon panting. After less time passed than it takes half an incense stick to burn, his expression flickered, and he suddenly dodged to the side. As he did, four Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared. Two of them unleashed palm strikes that slammed into the ground exactly where Bai Xiaochun had just been standing.

The other two attacks landed on Bai Xiaochun’s shields!

The shields emitted cracking sounds, but held fast. In fact, they even sent backlash attacks to the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, instantly destabilizing their qi and blood. As the two cultivators staggered backward, Bai Xiaochun howled and shot forward, smashing into one of the cultivator’s chest.

A boom could be heard, and the cultivator shrieked. Blood sprayed out of his mouth as his chest caved in, and he tumbled across the ground for several meters before coming to a stop, dead.

Even as the other three cultivators stared in shock, Bai Xiaochun’s hand flashed with black light as it shot out with lightning speed. A gravitational force erupted, and one of the fleeing Foundation Establishment cultivators suddenly found himself flying toward Bai Xiaochun. Before he could do anything, Bai Xiaochun’s hand had clamped onto his throat!

The Throat Crushing Grasp!

Rumbling sounds echoed out as Bai Xiaochun clenched his fingers together. The Foundation Establishment cultivator’s eyes bulged, and then he was dead!

When the other two cultivators saw what had just occurred, their eyes went wide, and they began to flee in terror. When they had seen him on his own, they had been itching to tangle with him, but never could they have imagined that, even without his spell formation incarnation, he would be completely terrifying!

Even as they turned to flee, Bai Xiaochun extended his right hand, and blood qi swirled into the shape of a 30-meter-long beam of blood-colored light, which then slashed out like the sharpest of blades.

The two fleeing cultivators shivered, then looked down in shock to find that they had been cut in half at the waist!