A Will Eternal

If Heavenspan Island was the imperial palace, and the Celestial was the emperor, then the demigod patriarchs from the riversource sects would be analogous to the four heavenly kings, such as the Giant Ghost King.

As such, Bai Xiaochun and Master Cloud Lightning were like two powerful subordinates of two heavenly kings. Although they were technically on the same side, in truth… there was enough tension between them to lead to deadly conflict. On the outside, the demigod patriarchs would ensure that their followers didn’t get into conflicts such as the current one.

But inside a trial by fire like this, where deaths were expected, then even if one killed the other, they could easily explain it away after leaving.

Master Cloud Lightning had been forced to simply watch as Bai Xiaochun pushed his other half to near destruction. Then, that same person went on to personally kill his apprentice.

Because of these grievances both old and new, Master Cloud Lightning was furious. As he supplanted heavenly will with his own, the huge face in the sky began to send crushing pressure down.

Master Cloud Lightning howled at the top of his lungs, shooting through the air toward Bai Xiaochun with such shocking speed that lightning bolts began to rise up around him!

It only took the blink of an eye for more than 100,000 lightning bolts to build up, making it seem as if the entire world had become a world of lightning, with Master Cloud Lightning as its sovereign!

Bai Xiaochun’s pupils constricted. He could immediately tell that this Master Cloud Lightning was much stronger than the other he had faced. Both were in the mid Deva Realm, but the one from before had apparently just made his breakthrough. The one he faced now seemed to have been in the mid Deva Realm for quite some time, and was actually very close to stepping into the late realm.

From that, Bai Xiaochun could tell that single-handedly dealing with this version of Master Cloud Lightning would be similar to handling someone even more powerful than Chen Hetian, Li Xiandao or Bai Zhentian.

In fact… this was the most powerful enemy he had ever faced in the Heavenspan region!

There was no time for thinking or planning. Bai Xiaochun shot backward, throwing the unconscious Big Fatty Zhang into his bag of holding. Even as he did, tens upon tens of thousands of heavenly lightning bolts slammed into the spot he had just occupied.

As heaven and earth shook violently, the enraged Master Cloud Lightning performed an incantation gesture with his right hand, causing the heavenly lightning to begin to compress and converge on in his hand in the form of an enormous bow!

“Time to die!!” he howled, pulling back on the bowstring, which caused an arrow of blackish-violet lightning to form. This was no magical item; it was a divine ability unique to Master Cloud Lightning. Thunder crackled as a supremely destructive power began to build up, and then pierced through the air toward Bai Xiaochun.

All of this takes a bit of time to describe, but actually took place in the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint. Bai Xiaochun didn’t seem worried at all. Not only did he not regret killing Master Lightning Origin, his wrath was now completely focused on Master Cloud Lightning.

“You really think I'm afraid of you, fool?!” he shouted. Although he feared death, after all of the things he had experienced in life, he had come to know that now was the type of situation in which to put his poor little life on the line!

If he didn't, then it would surely be lost….

Instead of backing up, he advanced, waving his hands out in front of him as he barked, “Living Mountain Incantation!”

RUUUUUUUUUUMBLE!

Countless rocks and bits of rubble shot forth to adhere to his body. In the blink of an eye, he had transformed into a 300-meter-tall stone golem.

Bursting with energy, he clenched his hand into a fist and punched out, landing a blow directly on the blackish-violet arrow of lightning.

Intense rumbling sounds echoed out as, at the same time, the enormous face of Bai Xiaochun slammed into the enormous face of Master Cloud Lightning. As the ground quaked violently, the blackish-violet lightning arrow collapsed, and cracks spread out over Bai Xiaochun’s Living Mountain Incantation form.

In the end, the arrow was no match, and was destroyed, allowing Bai Xiaochun in stone golem form to continue on toward Master Cloud Lightning.

Master Cloud Lightning took a deep breath, and cold light flashed in his eyes. Waving his left hand out in front of him, he gritted his teeth and said, “Cloud Lightning Forefather: First Transformation!”

Almost instantly, Master Cloud Lightning’s body began to twitch and writhe, almost as though snakes were dancing about beneath his skin. A vicious expression gripped his face, and he let out a howl like that of a wild beast.

At the same time, he began to grow larger, until he was fully 30 meters tall. No longer did the right and left halves of his body look so disparate. Although one side was burlier and more filled in than the other, he looked much more proportional.

At the same time, his aura transformed, filling with an explosive energy that made him seem at least three times as strong as before!

Shockingly, a red halo of light sprang up to surround his person, which was clearly a powerful defensive ability.

After completing his transformation, Master Cloud Lightning looked up, and both of his mismatched eyes were bright red. Radiating madness and animal ferocity, he lunged toward Bai Xiaochun's stone golem form.

Bai Xiaochun was so startled that his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

“He can actually shapeshift!! And this is just the first transformation? That must mean there’s a second and a third…. Dammit! There’s nothing I hate more than fighting shapeshifters!” However, now was not the time to ponder the situation. Eyes burning with ferocity, he jumped forward to meet his enemy’s attack.

“I’ll fight you so fast and hard you won’t be able to transform a second time!” Utilizing the Mountain Shaking Bash to accelerate rapidly, he shot toward Master Cloud Lightning.

When they collided, a massive boom rocked all heaven and earth. The shockwave sent water flying up everywhere in the swamp, and caused numerous creatures to flee in all directions. Nothing dared to get close to Master Cloud Lightning and Bai Xiaochun.

Bai Xiaochun’s stone golem form was significantly damaged, but at the same time, the red halo surrounding Master Cloud Lightning was about to collapse. Blood oozed out of the corners of his mouth as he staggered backward from the force of Bai Xiaochun’s attack.

“I can’t believe this guy got so strong after transforming!” Bai Xiaochun thought, his qi and blood churning madly inside of him. However, he continued to press the attack. As for Master Cloud Lightning, he looked up, his hands flashing in a double-handed incantation gesture.

“Cloud Lightning Forefather: Second Transformation!!”

Bai Xiaochun’s eyelids twitched as Master Cloud Lightning again grew larger. Now he was 60 meters tall, and his body looked even more symmetrical than before! Furthermore, he was three times as strong again!

This time, instead of a red halo surrounding him, it was orange! This level of defense left Bai Xiaochun stunned.

“Another transformation?” Not only was Master Cloud Lightning much more powerful, but it was very irritating to Bai Xiaochun that, despite what he had said moments ago about not providing an opportunity for a second transformation, Master Cloud Lightning had gone and done just that.

“Well, you won’t get an opportunity for a third transformation!” he shouted. Even as he prepared to attack, Master Cloud Lightning spoke in a loud voice.

“Cloud Lightning Forefather: Third Transformation!

“Cloud Lightning Forefather: Fourth Transformation!!

“Cloud Lightning Forefather: Fifth Transformation!!!”