Chapter 552: Divine Abilities Reign Supreme
“Ah—!” Bi Tengyi screamed. Under the combined assault of golden needles and blue-white flames, her physical body was first pierced with countless needle holes. Then the flames seeped everywhere without obstruction, striking from both inside and outside, rapidly burning her body to nothing.
Bi Tengyi’s Nascent Soul, however, fled far away. In the next instant it slipped through the void and vanished completely from the battlefield.
Shuang Ling’s eyes shone with divine light. She did not pursue, instead continuing to control the Mechanical Purification Lotus Platforms.
The lotus platform transformed. The lotus leaves contracted around the perimeter of the platform base and began spinning continuously. The lotus platform changed from a floating state to a hanging one, resembling circular mirrors. Along the mirror’s edge, the leaf blades rotated slowly.
At the center of the mirror, the Kunlun Cold Jade Bead shone with an unprecedented cold radiance. Wherever that cold light shone, countless blue-white flames manifested out of thin air.
From the openings in the circular mirror, large quantities of golden needles continued to shoot out.
The golden needles pierced defenses, the flames burned everything—both attacks fused together and swept toward the second Nascent Soul cultivator.
Any Nascent Soul cultivator capable of joining such a battle was naturally an expert.
The fate of Bi Tengyi, who had just clashed with Shuang Ling, was still fresh before everyone’s eyes. It fully proved the overwhelming strength of Shuang Ling’s divine ability. The Nascent Soul cultivator immediately focused all his strength on defense.
He struggled desperately amid the golden needles and flames.
“Support him!” The other cultivators surrounding Shuang Ling acted in perfect tacit coordination. Some attacked Shuang Ling directly, while others reinforced the defense.
Shuang Ling snorted coldly. The rotating mechanical mirrors changed once again. The contracted leaf blades detached from the cylindrical mirror body and began orbiting around it.
As the leaves spun, they scattered golden light. The faster they rotated, the more indistinct they became, turning into a ring of golden edges that spun swiftly, producing a whistling wind.
Golden light spread from the golden rim toward the cylindrical mirror body, quickly dyeing it until the mirror surface became pure gold.
The blue-white flames also changed, turning into a golden hue.
The golden needles, wrapped within the golden flames and tempered by the heat, turned red-hot.
Golden flames and crimson needles—their power increased severalfold!
In an instant, the Nascent Soul cultivator screamed as his defenses collapsed. His physical body was burned away immediately, leaving only his Nascent Soul to slip through the void and escape.
The golden flames and crimson needles spread everywhere. Wherever they passed, no one dared to resist head-on. Everyone retreated in panic, utterly disheveled.
Ning Zhuo’s eyes blazed with brilliance. He clenched his fists excitedly.
“I’ve learned something!”
“Shuang Ling divided her divine ability, the Golden Fire Purification Wheel, into multiple sections through mechanical constructs.”
“Each section represents a part of the divine ability, with power increasing step by step.”
“On one hand, the mechanical constructs serve as carriers, making the divine ability convenient and controllable. On the other hand, the power can be regulated—from weak to strong. This not only saves mana and allows longer operation, but also lets her adjust the strength depending on the enemy.”
This was a brilliant integration between mechanism arts and divine abilities, filled with Shuang Ling’s craftsmanship.
It was like piercing through a thin layer of window paper. It seemed simple on the surface, but for Ning Zhuo it was an extremely profound revelation.
Shuang Ling’s might dominated the battlefield.
Seeing this section of the battlefield about to collapse, Grandfather Long immediately issued orders for more Nascent Soul cultivators to reinforce the fight against Shuang Ling.
For a time, the battle entered a white-hot stage.
Large numbers of spells and magical treasures were unleashed. Mechanical constructs formed several defensive lines in the sky, guarding Shuang Ling so tightly that nothing could penetrate.
The divine ability Golden Fire Purification Wheel clearly demanded a great deal of Shuang Ling’s concentration. She could no longer launch other attacks. The previously agile mechanical constructs now simply stabilized the defensive lines, becoming stiff and rigid.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo’s heart stirred.
“So for mechanical constructs, spirituality is a qualitative transformation!”
“Even Shuang Ling doesn’t possess such a method.”
“Fire Burial Prajna Spirit-Resolving Sutra… the value of this scripture is far higher than I previously estimated.”
The mechanical mirrors changed again. A second golden rim formed around them, increasing the power of the divine ability fourfold.
Several more Nascent Soul experts joined the Thousand Peaks Forest coalition army, yet they still could not withstand Shuang Ling’s assault. The situation was extremely severe.
Grandfather Long frowned deeply. Lu Hongtu’s eyes flashed coldly as he advised:
“The mechanical constructs themselves are enhanced by military force, and the power of the divine ability is also amplified.”
“To resist a divine ability, ordinary spells and magical treasures are useless. Only a True Lord can intervene to reverse the situation!”
Suppressing Shuang Ling was crucial.
If she achieved a decisive victory, all the momentum the Thousand Peaks Forest had built through earlier challenge formations would vanish. Worse still, the entire army’s morale would suffer a devastating blow.
Lu Hongtu’s analysis struck the heart of the matter.
Divine abilities could usually only be countered by other divine abilities.
Especially since the power Shuang Ling wielded now was far from ordinary—leveraged by mechanism arts and military force.
True Lord.
Only Nascent Soul cultivators who possessed divine abilities were worthy of such a title.
Grandfather Long surveyed the coalition army. Though many Nascent Soul cultivators were present, those qualified to be called True Lords could be counted on one hand.
“Tu Ming,” Grandfather Long called.
The High Priest of the Hundred Venoms Tribe immediately stood, expressing his willingness to fight.
“Bai Ling.”
The demon cultivator Bai Ling bowed calmly.
“Xiang Yue.”
Xiang Yue merely snorted, leaning against his chair and opening his eyes slightly.
“You Dragon King Temple priests should address me as Elephant King.”
Xiang Yue was the current Elephant King of the Pale Savage Elephant Tribe.
“You—!” Many people glared at him angrily.
Grandfather Long raised his hand to stop them and smiled with narrowed eyes.
“Elephant King, if the second grand decisive battle is lost again, the future of Thousand Peaks Forest will be bleak.”
“When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If your tribe is forced to migrate then, where will you settle?”
Xiang Yue snorted.
“If you want me to act, exchange it for the Elephant Vein Fertility Pill.”
Grandfather Long nodded.
“Since the Elephant King requests it, it shall be granted. As expected of the leader of your tribe—working tirelessly for the prosperity and reproduction of your people.”
“Too much nonsense.”
Only then did Xiang Yue slowly stand up.
The moment he rose, an enormous shadow fell upon the ground. His towering and powerful body stood like a section of city wall. Simply standing there imposed tremendous visual pressure.
At this moment, on the battlefield—
“Damn it!” The Demonic-Heart Cave Lord’s heart pounded like a drum. Demonic energy surged around his entire body, forming a rainbow bridge.
The rainbow bridge carried him away, barely escaping the strangulation of golden fire.
But hundreds of crimson needles followed closely behind, about to pierce him.
“Father!”
At the critical moment, Lin You disregarded all rules and directly released a Mechanical Carriage Compartment.
The crimson flying needles struck the carriage, scattering sparks and producing crisp metallic sounds. All of them were blocked.
Even Shuang Ling glanced at the carriage amidst her busy control of the battlefield.
Then she shifted her gaze elsewhere.
Crimson needles pierced through another Nascent Soul cultivator from head to toe. Golden flames raged, burning yet another Thousand Peaks Forest expert to death.
The morale of the Thousand Peaks Forest coalition army sank. Many people’s eyelids twitched anxiously.
Meanwhile, cheers erupted from the Liangzhu Kingdom’s side, their morale rising visibly.
Sun Ning and his companion fell silent upon witnessing this scene.
Up to this moment, Shuang Ling had already slain four Nascent Soul cultivators. Her attacks were decisive and ruthless.
“If the Mechanism Princess isn’t stopped soon, the Thousand Peaks Forest side may collapse because of this battlefield alone,” Sun Lingtong said.
Ning Zhuo realized something.
“Among Nascent Soul-level experts, it seems only divine abilities can truly dominate the field.”
He could not help but think of Zhu Xuanji.
Even after witnessing the great war of Liangzhu Kingdom and seeing many battles between Nascent Soul cultivators, broadening his horizons greatly, Ning Zhuo still felt Zhu Xuanji was exceptional.
Zhu Xuanji had only Golden Core cultivation yet already possessed several divine abilities—utterly unreasonable.
If he reached the Nascent Soul level, it would be unimaginable.
“Clearly, once Zhu Xuanji reaches the Nascent Soul level, he will inevitably become the representative Nascent Soul cultivator of Southern Dou Country, similar to Shuang Ling before us.”
At that moment, three Nascent Soul cultivators stepped onto the battlefield simultaneously, confronting Shuang Ling.
“Shuang Ling, stop your arrogance.” Tu Ming roared as he immediately unleashed his divine ability.
Divine Ability—Ten Thousand Serpents Poison Stream.
A foul wind surged as dark clouds layered across the sky.
Poison rain began to fall, the rainfall growing heavier and heavier.
The rain was extremely toxic. It gathered together, transforming into countless black serpents.
Thousands of venomous snakes assembled like an army, descending upon the mechanical constructs, tangling around them and corroding them relentlessly.
Divine Ability—Crane’s Lament Across the Sky!
The demon cultivator Bai Ling raised his head and let out a long howl. Violent sound waves erupted. Any cultivator who heard them felt their mana flow in reverse, their blood and qi churning violently, and their Sea of Consciousness shaking.
Divine Ability—Snow Fang Heaven-Shattering Slash!
The current Elephant King Xiang Yue casually swung his hand, using it like a blade. Though the movement appeared slow, it was actually swift, releasing a blade-like energy.
Shuang Ling’s mechanical defensive line was immediately devastated.
The venomous snakes corroded large numbers of mechanical constructs, dissolving them into ruin.
Under the crane’s cry, many talismans embedded within the constructs exploded. Formation runes became chaotic as sparks burst from various parts.
Meanwhile, Xiang Yue’s blade energy expanded dramatically within a few breaths after being released.
The gigantic blade energy descended from above, overwhelmingly tyrannical. It smashed through everything in its path, splitting countless mechanical constructs and cleaving the defensive line into two from front to back.
Shuang Ling’s formation became unstable. She had no choice but to retract the Golden Fire Purification Wheel and command various mechanical constructs to fight her enemies directly.
This time, facing three True Lords simultaneously, she appeared extremely strained, no longer possessing her earlier calm dominance.
“So that’s the current Elephant King Xiang Yue—the one who wiped out the Golden Halberd Army?” Sun Ning and his companion showed solemn expressions.
They had participated in the infiltration battle before. When they learned that the Golden Halberd Army had been completely annihilated, they had been deeply shocked.
Thus the name Xiang Yue left a deep impression on them.
Now that they witnessed his attack personally, they immediately judged this demon cultivator to be extremely fierce—someone best avoided.
“With Tu Ming, Bai Ling, and Xiang Yue attacking together, even Shuang Ling will struggle to withstand them,” Sun Lingtong said gravely.
This was obvious.
Tu Ming and Bai Ling’s two divine abilities alone already forced Shuang Ling into a defensive struggle.
Not to mention Xiang Yue.
Fortunately, after his first strike, Xiang Yue folded his arms and stood proudly in place, making no further moves.
This made Grandfather Long frown. Lu Hongtu could not help but send a spiritual sense message urging him:
“Elephant King, if you fight passively, then the Elephant Vein Fertility Pill after the war…”
Xiang Yue snorted.
“I disdain surrounding a weak female cultivator with others. The fact that I already acted is generous enough.”
“As for the Elephant Vein Fertility Pill, Grandfather Long wouldn’t dare default on my reward.”
Xiang Yue possessed the pride of a true powerhouse. After striking once, he simply stood with folded arms and watched.
Nevertheless, his single strike had destroyed the mechanical defensive line, causing the greatest losses among the constructs.
Although Shuang Ling quickly replenished them with new constructs, their quality was clearly inferior. As a result, her combat power dropped significantly. Fighting multiple opponents alone, she fell into a stalemate.
“I never expected mechanism arts, once cultivated to mastery, to produce such terrifying combat strength. Truly, every cultivation art is profound.”
“Hmph. Just think about how many resources she spent. Without the support of an entire nation, how could a single person achieve this level?”
“At least she’s finally been contained.”
Seeing the situation stabilize, the soldiers of the Thousand Peaks Forest coalition army secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Earlier, Shuang Ling’s overwhelming dominance had weighed heavily on them.
Inside the Liangzhu Kingdom’s camp, Zhao Xi’s expression was solemn. His heart was filled with worry and regret.
“If we hadn’t chased the Heaven and Earth Twin Ghosts earlier, we wouldn’t be in such a passive situation now!”
He subconsciously glanced toward the depths of the camp—the place where Du Tiechuan was undergoing closed-door cultivation.
Soon, Zhao Xi turned back to observe the battlefield and silently prayed.
“Your Highness, please hold on.”
At the moment, Shuang Ling was the only powerhouse he could rely upon.
While the high-level cultivators of both armies fought fiercely on the battlefield, a sudden change was unfolding at Qiu Teng Peak.
Gao Cuo, disguised and concealed, gazed toward the mountain.
This Sky-Pillar Giant Tree Mountain spiraled upward like a twisting column. Twelve waterfalls of green vines cascaded down its sides, forming a strange and unique sight.
Many trees grew on the mountain, but even more numerous were the vines covering it everywhere.
The twelve vine waterfalls were where the vines were most concentrated. Following the cliffs’ height differences, the vines extended from their roots, lush and vibrant with life.
Halfway down the “waterfalls,” the green color turned yellow, with most of the vitality already fading.
At the base, every vine was withered and shriveled. Countless rotten vines and branches accumulated, forming a swamp.
Fluorescent fungal mats floated on the swamp’s surface, while inside lived vast numbers of fireflies.
From time to time, a pale green phosphorescent flame rose from the swamp, filled with the aura of death.
“Vines wrapping the bones of heroes, phosphor flames illuminating the shattered dream of immortality. This is Bi Tengyi’s cultivation ground.”
“According to rumors, her Ten Thousand Withered Green-Scale Curse was comprehended from these vine waterfalls.”
Gao Cuo sighed inwardly.
The Sword Elder’s voice sounded within his heart:
“These vine waterfalls indeed contain profound mysteries—life transforming into death, embodying the secrets of nature.”
“But now is not the time to study them.”
“Bi Tengyi has already died. Only her Nascent Soul remains.”
“This is her main base. After traversing the void, her Nascent Soul will most likely return here and use the arrangements here to reconstruct a new body.”
“This is precisely our best opportunity to act!”
Gao Cuo nodded slightly.
“That’s right.”
He had encountered a great opportunity and was accompanied by the Sword Elder, never lonely on his cultivation path and always making far-reaching plans.
Long ago, he had already learned that within Qiu Teng Peak there were two treasures—one representing life and the other death.
The life treasure was the Green Seed Vine.
The death treasure was the Firefly Burial Veil.