Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

Spirit Realm, First Level.

“Impossible!”

Hundreds of voices speak at once. Their verdict is unanimous. The black sea rejects the reality before its eyes.

“To achieve a breakthrough in a situation like this…”

“A trick! It has to be!”

“No...”

“Could it be… were you hiding your real power?”

“Nothing of the sort.” Not quite, at least. Liu Jin frowns as he cycles Qi through his body. The speed and potency are undeniably greater than before, but it will not hinder his performance. “I was already close to a breakthrough before coming to Night Phantasm City. All I had to do was let it happen. That is all.”

“You expect us to believe…”

“You have been on the verge of breaking through for days?”

“No,” replies Liu Jin. “I expect you to believe I have been on the verge of breaking through for months.”

Regular Qi changes into lightning. Red sparks fizzle around Liu Jin’s body, leaving small scorch marks on the ground.

“Lies!”

"You may or may not have realized this, but I possess some knowledge of acupoints." With a small wave of his hand, several needles appear between his fingers. "As long as you know where to strike, it is possible to alter the way Qi flows through the body. By doing that, halting my breakthrough until a time of my choosing became a simple matter."

Some would have found it quite bothersome to have needles inside them at all times, but not Liu Jin. Compared to surviving Nine-Headed Snake God's trial, the difficulty is not even worth speaking about. Entering the Spirit Realm had been as simple as removing the needles from his body and letting nature take its course. Thanks to his fine level of control, there had been no danger to his person.

"I understand it is not commonly done." It is quite rare, in fact. With the exception of those in the Heaven Realm, cultivators continuously strive for greater heights. "However, I wanted to know everything there was to know about the Nascent Realm before leaving it."

When his Master died, he had left Liu Jin many rare herbs and other ingredients inside his spatial pouch. Had Liu Jin dedicated himself to using those to boost his cultivation without pause, he would have probably reached the Earth Realm by now. Not only that, but he'd still have quite a few ingredients leftover to boost himself further.

However, that growth would have been too sloppy.

The end result would have been a cultivator full of holes. His control, physicality, and skill would be ill-prepared to channel his new power. That is the conclusion Liu Jin came to after much pondering. That is why he had chosen to go the opposite way, prizing control above all else. That is why even though he has just undergone a breakthrough into a new realm, Liu Jin has no trouble controlling his new power.

The sea hisses angrily at him.

"You are one."

“We are many.”

“The power of the Spirit Realm will not give you victory in this fight.”

“You say that, but you have yet to attack me.” Liu Jin raises an eyebrow. “Is that, too, a manifestation of Wong Shou’s hesitation? Or is it perhaps your own?”

The sea rushes at him with anger. Hundreds of shades come down on him from all sides like furious waves.

[Rumbling Thunder God’s Cloud]

Red lightning burst all around Liu Jin. It spreads like the roots and branches of a tree, shining with such intensity and power that red gives way to vivid blue. Countless Heart Devils meet their end as everything within fifty yards of Liu Jin is blanketed in electricity.

It is far more power than Liu Jin had been expecting. While he had seen Lei Kong use the technique, he had not expected his own attempt to be so strong.

“So this is the Spirit Realm…”

“No matter...”

“It will not save you!”

Even if the first wave is driven back, another one will come to take its place. Liu Jin already knew that would happen. He never had any expectations of this fight being short or easy. Entering the Spirit Realm has not changed that. It has merely placed him one step closer to eternity.

And because of that, Liu Jin knows he can win.

~~~

The whole tower has come alive to attack him. The walls, the floors, and even the ceiling twist into long, jagged spikes that try to pierce Feng Zhi’s flesh. At the same time, hundreds of blue fireballs launch themselves at him without pause. It is a frenetic barrage of attacks that shows no sign of stopping.

None of it reaches him.

Feng Zhi’s body is cloaked by bright golden flames that instantly incinerate everything that gets close to him. Despite the countless attacks, Feng Zhi merely stays in place with his arms crossed. There is no need for him to dodge.

That is how big the difference between him and his opponent is.

“Bold as your words may have been, the truth of our respective positions will not change.”

Heart Devil or not, ideal version of Wong Shou or not, Feng Zhi’s enemy is still only in the Spirit Realm, the fourth realm of cultivation.

Feng Zhi is in the Earth Realm, the sixth realm of cultivation.

It is a difference that cannot be overstated. Furthermore, Feng Zhi’s foundation as a cultivator far surpasses even those on the same level as him. Even if he were to fight someone like Patriarch Wong, the difference between them would soon become apparent. It does not matter that Patriarch Wong has well over a century of experience on Feng Zhi. He would not be able to defeat him.

That is how strong Feng Zhi is.

This foe may be an unusual class Heart Devil, the likes of which Feng Zhi has never heard about, but that is not enough to overcome him. Whatever techniques this Heart Devil may have. Whatever tricks he may be hiding. However confident he may feel. None of it matters.

“You’re too weak to hurt me.”

“As expected of Lord Feng Zhi, you are certainly not lacking in confidence.” Even though his attacks keep failing, the Heart Devil does not sound worried in the slightest. “It is no wonder Wong Shou envied you.”

“An elephant does not require confidence to step on an ant.”

“Oh? Am I an ant now?”

“It is quite presumptuous of you to think so. The difference between us is far greater.”

The Heart Devil laughs.

“I wonder. Certainly, I cannot hurt Feng Zhi, but isn’t Lord Feng Zhi forgetting something?”

“Oh?” Feng Zhi raises an eyebrow. “What would that be?”

“Lord Feng Zhi cannot hurt me either.”

~~~

Huang Shing is beginning to tire.

The same cannot be said of his opponent. If anything, he seems to have gotten… a bit smarter all of a sudden. Not much, but enough to stop shouting every other second. It makes finding him much harder than before.

Not enough, however. His instincts are not easily fooled.

“Coward!” Huang Shing yells as he quickly turns around and smashes his fist into the shade.

[Fourth Dragon Slaying Palm - Blooming Lotus]

His technique goes right through it. Repeated hits have worn down the shade’s tough skin. There is no doubt in Huang Shing’s mind that he has just delivered a killing blow.

It is the seventh killing blow he has struck this fight.

The shade roars and brings his hand down. Huang Shing jumps back as the spot he had just been standing on is destroyed with merciless rage. In his current state, taking that blow would have seriously hurt him.

And that is the problem.

Strike the opponent without being struck. That has been the condition for this fight from the beginning. Eventually, his powerful blows would be able to wear this thing down. That had been his thinking.

“I really hate this,” Huang Shing growls out as he ducks under a punch. He cannot see the shade swinging at him, but he can feel how the air is displaced every time the shade tries to hit him.

[Fifth Dragon Slaying Palm - A Hundred Blooming Lotuses]

Hundreds of high-velocity punches strike the shade without pause. Before the first blow can launch the shade to the other end of the room, Huang Shing has already punched him four-hundred and thirty-seven times.

It is still not enough. The shade picks himself up and keeps coming at him.

“I really, really hate this.”

Because no matter what he does, Huang Shing has realized he cannot defeat this foe on his own.

He can only make time for everyone else to settle things.

He really hopes it is Brother Hong who does so instead of Feng Zhi.

~~~

“Are you mad?!”

Bei Hong laughs like a maniac as the shade screams at him. He keeps laughing as he drives his fist deep into the shade’s stomach. The moment he does, the shade explodes on his face. However, Bei Hong is undeterred. He emerges from the explosion without a single scratch on his now golden skin, keeping a tight hold of the shade’s arm.

“Mad?” Bei Hong echoes, laughing as he yanks the shade close. “Hardly!”

“Why are you still fighting?” The shade grits his teeth as he explodes with enough force to break Bei Hong’s hold and blast him away. “You should have already realized it’s pointless! You cannot hurt me! You have no motive or recompense! So why?”

“I’ll admit I thought fighting you would be boring since you only do one thing. However, this is a rare chance to put my [Goldforged Body] to the test.” Bei Hong says, quickly getting back to his feet. The top part of his robes has long since been destroyed, exposing completely the golden skin beneath. “Could that be considered a motive?”

“Just for that? Fool! I will kill you! Do you not understand that?”

“Perhaps. If so, that means that’s as far as I was able to go.” Bei Hong shrugs, unconcerned with the possibility. “However, if I don’t, that’s another challenge I will have conquered. That is the only recompense I need. I can already see the glory awaiting me past this battle. Can you?”

~~~

“You cannot hurt me. If you cannot hurt me, neither can your companions.” Despite his bold words, the Heart Devil still keeps his body hidden from Feng Zhi. “Even as we speak, they are fighting a hopeless battle against my brethren. Look.”

The air ripples and twists on itself, the colors swirling until two different images appear before Feng Zhi. Bei Hong and Huang Shing. The two are fighting for their lives against Wong Shou’s Heart Devils.

“It is as you said earlier, we are not truly alive. Thus, we cannot die. You and your brethren are strong, but even the brightest of flames die out eventually. It does not matter how much stronger than me you are. Eventually, you will fall.”

“The brightest of flames are eternal. I assure you, the same cannot be said of you. You boast of being unable to be killed, yet that only shows your naivete.”

~~~

Seven. Twelve. Twenty-nine.

Lu Mei has killed this shade twenty-nine times.

“You are starting to try my patience,” Lu Mei says as blue flames keep raining down on her. “Your technique cannot reach me. You know this.”

“Your bravado... belies your nervousness….You will tire. I... will not.”

Rather than looking worried, Lu Mei just sighs as she ducks between the trees. Slices of wind cutting down branches to give her more leaves to work with.

“Tell me something,” she says, her body almost gliding across the forest. Away from the tower. Away from Qing Jin. “Do you know why I did not go to Qing Jin from the start?”

Lu Mei does not wait for the shade to answer.

“Surely, the thought must have occurred to you. No matter how you look at it, my abilities are better suited to handling large groups than Qing Jin’s.”

While Lu Mei prefers to be subtle, she is capable of attacks that cover large areas. She is someone who can easily switch between fighting one opponent and fighting many. However, the same cannot be said of Qing Jin. When Qing Jin fights, he likes to analyze the style of his foe until he has picked it apart to his satisfaction. That is why he is someone who shows far greater ability when he only has one person to focus on.

Unnerving, Bei Hong called it once.

Lu Mei finds it incredibly attractive.

Regardless, dealing with the mass of shades would have been far easier for Lu Mei, and Qing Jin would have had a simpler time dealing with this foe. He would have probably discerned the true nature of his technique much quicker than her.

“Despite knowing that, I chose not to meet up with him. It is not that the thought did not occur to me. However, if we had done that, we may have ended up fighting together. That possibility was there, so I couldn’t risk it.”

Lu Mei smiles.

Suddenly, the shade of her hair is a little redder than before.

Suddenly, the temperature begins to rise.

“Since Qing Jin is busy with his own battle and the others are in the tower, I think it will be fine if I use it here.”

She winks at the shade. Her hair has gone completely crimson. Qi flares all around her, but it does not take the properties of wind.

It burns like fire.

Lu Mei’s golden eyes glow like miniature suns as she raises her arm. The motion is slow, measured, yet the shade cannot will his body to move. Only when brilliant golden flames are rushing towards him does he finally manage to snap out of his stupor. He had not bothered to dodge any of Lu Mei’s previous attacks, yet something primal tells him he must absolutely not allow himself to be hit by that fire.

He is not fast enough.

Lu Mei’s golden flames are too quick. His arm is caught and incinerated, just like everything else in the flame’s path.

“It does not matter if you use fire… I…” The shade trails off. He trails off because it is only now that the pain is starting to hit him.

He is just now realizing his arm has not healed.

“How...?”

“If you cannot be killed by conventional attacks, then I must simply use something more potent to destroy you completely,” Lu Mei says, the flames around her burning still. She aims a finger at the shade. “You were right to hide earlier. A frog stuck at the bottom of the well like you was not ready to step into the world outside.”

The shade does not reply. He does not have time to.

The Eternal Flame consumes him whole.

Lu Mei falls to her knees immediately after, breathing heavily. Her hair returns to its normal color as the golden flames fade away, her confident smile replaced by a frown. Doing that had been far too dangerous for her tastes. She can only hope the others hadn’t felt it.

The last thing Lu Mei needs is someone like Feng Zhi realizing she could use the Eternal Flame.

~~~

Speed and power. Stepping into the Spirit Realm has increased both of them. Liu Jin dashes into the mass of shades, killing one after another as lightning burns around him.

“Your efforts are pointless!”

Liu Jin’s spear slices through a tree, bringing it down on top of the shades to slow them down.

“Keep running!”

“It does not matter!”

More lightning is generated from this body as he jumps around, fending attacks from all sides. Every Heart Devil that gets close to him is electrocuted. He is close to getting it right. He just needs to keep moving for now.

“You cannot fight… this?”

Electricity coats his spear as he brings it down. The Heart Devils try to dodge his attacks, but their movements are suddenly sluggish. Some trip over themselves trying to back away

“What are you…?”

One Heart Devil falls. Another stumbles.

“What did you do?!”

The black sea screams in rage. More and more of them fall, but the Heart Devils keep attacking, piling body atop of body to reach Liu Jin.

“Do you really not understand it? It is poison.”

Now that he is in the Spirit Realm, Liu Jin can generate poison in far greater amounts than before. Alternating between producing Lightning Qi and Poison Qi is complicated, but he’s slowly growing more comfortable with it.

Besides, he cannot stop now.

“Mere poison? That is not... it cannot…”

More Heart Devils fall. Others trip over themselves. Still, they keep coming after him.

“Certainly, it would not have worked on you before,” Liu Jin agrees, moving to dodge another wave. “Back then, you were not real enough to be affected by normal poisons. You were just an empty mass of Qi. However, that’s not the case now, is it? I began to realize it when I fought that invisible Heart Devil in the forest. That he had acupoints for me to strike was all the proof I needed. All of you have slowly become more real. In fact, just now, I am pretty sure you took an important step towards that goal.”

Dozens of shades keep falling down around Liu Jin.

“That is why you are now vulnerable to this.”

A good thing they are. Otherwise, his plan would be far harder to implement.

“This… will not…”

“Stop us… We… cannot die…”

“That is right. You can’t,” Liu Jin says, stepping close to one of the shades. “I was never counting on the poison to kill you. I just need to immobilize you for a little while.”

It is not just Liu Jin’s Qi that has increased. It is not just his body and meridians that have improved.

His own soul has taken a step closer to eternity.

Liu Jin takes a deep breath and places his hand atop the Heart Devil’s head. As he was attacking with lightning, he began experimenting, putting just a little bit of his soul into his attacks. It did not make them stronger, but it did allow him to see better. Each bolt of lightning resonated deep within the Heart Devil.

That is why he is sure of it now.

Even though there are many bodies, this is just one Heart Devil. One single entity.

“No!”

“Stop!”

“We have… to… to…”

In a way, what he is doing now is not that dissimilar from examining Ruan Gountin’s soul. However, Liu Jin is not just going to observe this time. He grits his teeth as he feels the Heart Devil trying to force him out. It is useless. He has already found what he wanted.

His link to Wong Shou.

“I am sorry.”

A single strand of lightning coated in his soul leaves the palm of Liu Jin’s hand. It travels deep into the Heart Devil’s very core, into whatever he has that passes for a soul.

The link is destroyed.

“I am sorry I could not find a better alternative,” Liu Jin says as the bodies start fading away one by one. “This is the limit of my abilities.”

For now.

~~~

“How?”

The Heart Devil sounds shocked and even a little scared. Feng Zhi merely sighs and shakes his head.

“Are things not going how you thought they would? Are you surprised you are not as unkillable as you thought? Eternity is our end goal, Heart Devil born of Wong Shou. It could not possibly have been achieved by whelp like you. Did you truly think it was beyond my ability to kill you? The only reason I have refrained from doing so was because I did not wish to accidentally kill the real Wong Shou. However, I had plenty of time to find him while you were posturing.”

“What?”

Feng Zhi strikes the air beside him. Space itself melts like glass. His hand goes right through, disappearing into nothingness. When he pulls it back, Wong Shou is suddenly at his side. Despite the flames burning all around Feng Zhi, Wong Shou is not harmed.

“I have had quite enough of you.”

And there was fire.

~~~