studiobondurri Chapter 683 - Fifth-Level of the Astral River Realm
Chapter 683 - Fifth-Level of the Astral River Realm
Chapter 683 - Fifth-Level of the Astral River Realm
After killing Du Yuan and his companions, Liu Wuxie had acquired a significant cache of resources. Being cultivators from the Central Plains, they were wealthy, and their possessions included a large quantity of high-grade spirit stones—enough to sustain Liu Wuxie's cultivation for some time.
As the high-grade spirit stones exploded in a radiant display of energy, Lin Tong and Mu Yueying watched in astonishment. They finally understood how Liu Wuxie, at only the fourth level of the Astral River Realm, had been able to defeat cultivators at its pinnacle. The sheer amount of spiritual energy he absorbed far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.
As the crisis in the Yin-Yang Valley was far from over, Liu Wuxie accelerated his cultivation. Countless laws of the Astral River Realm descended from the sky.
The laws in the Heavenly Nether Battlefield were over a dozen times stronger than those in the Southern Province, which meant the benefits were more significant. The stronger the laws, the more powerful the strength. As for Liu Wuxie, there were countless laws in the desolate world.
The tremors in the Yin-Yang Valley had subsided. While there were still occasional quakes, the underground world now lay fully exposed to everyone. Rows of ancient coffins stretched as far as the eye could see, and the ominous presence of deathguards was undeniable.
These coffins housed the remains of those buried here long ago, but the reason for the sudden exposure of this hidden world remained a mystery. It left everyone present grappling with the unfathomable events that had unfolded.
Liu Wuxie’s breakthrough naturally attracted the attention of countless cultivators, drawing them toward intense energy fluctuations. Many mistakenly believed these fluctuations signaled the emergence of a rare treasure.
"Someone's coming!" Mu Yueying went into a battle stance with her weapon in her hand. She was determined not to let anyone disrupt Liu Wuxie's breakthrough. As for Lin Tong, he guarded Liu Wuxie as the last line of defense.
Three figures quickly closed in, their auras radiating immense power. All were at the pinnacle of the Astral River Realm, making them formidable opponents on par with Mu Yueying. She knew she couldn’t hold all of them off alone.
"It's the Indigo Mist Fruit's aura! Didn't Yu Lin kill them? What are they still doing here?" The three newcomers were shocked at the sight of Mu Yueying and Yu Lin.
Yu Lin's relentless pursuit of the two over the past month was well-known among cultivators.
"Big brother, let's kill him and drink his blood before he completely refines the Indigo Mist Fruit. It can transfer the Indigo Mist Fruit's energy to us," one of the men suggested. He fixed his gaze on Liu Wuxie with murderous intent.
"Take another step forward, and don’t blame me for what happens next!" Mu Yueying warned, raising her sword to her chest. Her voice was firm, and her intent was clear—if they dared to advance, she would strike without hesitation.
"You think you can stop us alone? What a joke!" one of the men sneered. While Mu Yueying might be formidable one-on-one, they believed their three-to-one advantage gave them the upper hand.
On the other hand, Lin Tong couldn't leave Liu Wuxie unguarded as it would only leave him vulnerable.
The battle erupted in an instant. The attackers knew that if they allowed Liu Wuxie to fully refine the Indigo Mist Fruit, their efforts would be in vain—even killing him afterward wouldn’t let them claim its power.
Mu Yueying's frustration simmered. Her strength had undergone a drastic boost after she had recovered from her injuries, and she managed to hold her ground against the three for the time being. But this wasn't a lasting solution.
Liu Wuxie observed the battle unfolding around him but remained unable to intervene. The desolate world was still expanding, and he needed to wait for it to stabilize before moving freely. Meanwhile, his cultivation continued to rise, reaching the late phase of the fifth level.
"Take three steps back and one step to the right before thrusting your sword at a forty-five-degree angle," Liu Wuxie's calm voice entered Mu Yueying's ears. Even while making his breakthrough, he maintained a hint of divine sense outside to monitor the fight.
Mu Yueying didn't hesitate to follow Liu Wuxie's instructions, and a bizarre scene occurred. The three opponents moved right into the path of her sword. If they continued to advance further, the sword would stab them.
They were forced to halt their attack midway and could only retreat.
As someone who walked the line between life and death countless times, Lin Tong's skills surpassed Mu Yueying, unleashing various spectacular techniques. He had observed the fight earlier and was familiar with the trio's attacks.
Lin Tong's sword drew an arc in the air and severed an opponent's arm, rendering the latter powerless. Mu Yueying and Lin Tong's fighting spirits blazed with one less opponent.
Mu Yueying also unleashed her strongest attack, not wanting to be outdone. Her sword slashed through an opponent's neck as blood gushed out.
With that, only one opponent was left, barely holding on under Mu Yueying and Lin Tong's relentless attacks with no chance of escape.
"You forced my hand!" The last man was consumed by rage as he retrieved a peculiar talisman from his interspatial ring. He infused his true essence into it, and the talisman grew in size.
"Watch out, that's the Ominous Talisman! Retreat!" Liu Wuxie didn't expect the trio to possess such a sinister talisman. If the talisman exploded, its ominous aura would enter everyone's bodies, halting their cultivation for the rest of their lives.
The remaining man did it with the determination to drag everyone down with him. Even if he couldn't kill them, he would make them feel agony for the rest of their lives that couldn't be purged.
The ominous aura was akin to a heart demon, destined to plague its victim for life. Upon entering the body, it would burrow into the meridians and merge with the blood. For those afflicted, circulating their true essence would result in excruciating pain searing through their meridians.
Fortunately, Liu Wuxie reacted quickly, allowing Mu Yueying and Lin Tong to retreat. But as the man had intended to drag everyone down with him, he naturally wouldn't let the two retreat.
The Earth-Binding Chains could only immobilize people and couldn't affect the spiritual talisman, which had already grown in size, a sign that it was about to be fully activated.
"Heavenly Dragon Seal, suppress!" Liu Wuxie didn't hesitate to bring out the Heavenly Dragon Seal, destroying the Ominous Talisman before it could fully activate.
Boundless pressure also descended with the Heavenly Dragon Seal, crushing the last opponent to death.
However, its range was vast, and Mu Yueying and Lin Tong were caught within its suppressive force. They were sent flying, coughing up blood from the impact. Despite their injuries, Liu Wuxie had no other option—it was the only way to save them from a far worse fate.
He quickly recalled the Heavenly Dragon Seal, and the dragon aura dissipated.
"Heal up quickly!" Mu Yueying and Lin Tong's injuries weren't serious as they were only caught in the aftershock, and they could recover by circulating their true essence multiple times. Not to mention, Liu Wuxie had an abundance of healing pills.
Before the Ten Grand Ceremony, Bi Gongyu had prepared tons of healing pills in case Liu Wuxie was injured, and they all came in handy now.
Due to the prompt treatment, Mu Yueying and Lin Tong's injuries were swiftly suppressed.
Roughly fifteen minutes later, the two had completely recovered from their injuries. But for some reason, their aura became even stronger after experiencing the Heavenly Dragon Seals' suppression. Lin Tong’s aura, in particular, began to transition toward the Nascent Transformation Realm.
That was also the case for Mu Yueying, who was closer to her breakthrough.
They had purposely refrained from making a breakthrough in the past as there were dangers if their preparation wasn't sufficient. In addition to the lack of accumulation, a failed breakthrough would squander years of effort.
Typically, they would only attempt a breakthrough when they were absolutely confident. However, the Heavenly Dragon Seal’s suppression had excavated their latent potential, pushing them to the brink of advancement. At this point, suppressing their breakthroughs forcibly could jeopardize their future cultivation progress.