Martial World

Chapter 180 Confronting Houtian

Chapter 180 - Confronting Houtian

…

As for the red quartz, Lin Ming didn’t know why, but he had an intense

foreboding feeling that if he were to miss this opportunity to choose

it, then he would never be able to obtain it again.

Therefore Lin Ming gave up the relatively safe route of choosing pills, and instead chose the red quartz.

“As you wish.”

With a thought by Yan Mo, the other two treasures were taken away, and only

the red quartz with that crimson filament inside remained.

“Smelting trial human, the treasure you have chosen of the three is the most

precious, and was also the most difficult to obtain. Since you chose

this treasure, then you will receive no additional rewards from the

sixth level, the Divine Envoy trial. In other words, if you cannot break through the seventh level, then you will receive nothing more than what you have already obtained at the fifth level and below.”

As Yan Mo spoke, Lin Ming had started to become unbearably excited until

it reached cloud nine. But as he continued, Lin Ming’s mood plunged to

rock bottom.

This gamble was simply too high. If he

was unable to pass through the seventh level, then it would simply be

the same as trying to fetch water with a bamboo net!

Lin Ming had been counting on receiving some sort of power from the sixth

level. Even if it wasn’t something that increased his cultivation, it

might be some other form of strength. He had felt that he had a slight

chance to pass the seventh level, but now that hope had evaporated.

He had to pass the seventh floor in a single go!

Yan Mo had already vanished after speaking. Lin Ming didn’t waste any time. He immediately sat down with legs crossed, pulled out a true essence

stone, and began to revolve the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’.

This time, his recovery time was much longer. Before he attempted the sixth

floor, he had to restore his strength to its peak condition and adjust

his mental state to its maximum. In the last 19,000 years, there hadn’t

been a single person that came to the Sorcerer Pagoda who was able to

pass the sixth level.

……………….

Outside of the Sorcerer Pagoda, Na Yi had already been waiting a very long

time. Na Shui was off in a corner, asleep. She was just like a cat that

was curled up in a corner of the chamber, covered from head to toe by Na Yi’s coat.

Na Yi estimated that it should be early morning, nearing dawn.

Yet nothing happened within the Sorcerer Pagoda. This caused Na Yi to feel

somewhat distressed. Had he really entered into the Divine Kingdom? Why

was he in the Divine Kingdom for such a long time? Was there some

accident that had occurred?”

In the records of Na

Yanda, he hadn’t specified how long he had been inside of the Divine

Kingdom. But, according to the entries before and after he entered, and

the descriptions of the surrounding environment and when he had lunch

and dinner, Na Yi was able to roughly estimate that he had stayed within the Divine Kingdom for one or two hours.

But Lin Ming had been inside for at least four or five hours!

What caused Na Yi to feel the most anxious, was that Na Yanda had recorded

that of those who entered the Divine Kingdom, if their strength was

insufficient or they were incompetent, then they could die!

Na Yi instantly clutched her chest as she felt her heart tighten. There

were several times that she had wanted to enter the Sorcerer Pagoda to

investigate, but she had refrained from doing so. After all, everyone

only had one chance to enter the Sorcerer Pagoda, and now was not the

best time for her.

And most importantly, it was

simply useless even if she did enter the Sorcerer Pagoda. Her strength

was just too far from Lin Ming’s.

Na Yi fretfully rubbed her forehead. She groped the rough sheepskin pages in her hands, restless.

“Big Sister…” Na Shui’s sleepy voice called out from behind.

“Mmm? Ah Shui, you’re awake.”

“Big Sister, what time is it?” Na Shui said as she yawned and stretched.

After an evening of sleeping on the rough stone floor, her back was

sore. Luckily for her, she was a martial artist. If she was just a

normal little girl that had slept on such a floor for the evening, her

back would already be bruised black and blue.

“I’m not sure. It should be just before dawn.”

“Oh… Big Brother Mo still hasn’t come out?”

“No…” Na Yi sighed.

“Big Sister, do you think that Big Brother really entered the Divine

Kingdom? If he comes out, then wouldn’t he be a hero just as great as Na Yanda?”

Na Yi reluctantly nodded and said, “He should be…”

That was only if he came back safely…

……………………………

Lin Ming finally stepped into the sixth level of the life and death smelting trial – the Divine Envoy.

When he came to this world, Lin Ming saw that he stood within a massive open white temple, floating in air. Surrounding the temple were 9 columns

shaped like coiling dragons, each one over 1000 feet high, reaching the

sky.

Lin Ming stood in a vast square in front of this building. Around him, celestial mountains were suspending in the air,

and towering waterfalls tens of thousands of feet high poured down the

celestial mountainsides in raging torrents, turning into countless

silver beads before they fell into the bottomless void.

In front of Lin Ming, there was a middle-aged man wearing blue clothes and carrying a longsword strapped to his back, facing away from Lin Ming.

His hair was tied in a tight knot, half black, half white, and more than two feet long.

Lin Ming looked at this man’s cultivation, and his heart chilled.

He was actually a Houtian master!

He was only an early Houtian master. However, there was an essential

qualitative change between a Pulse Condensation Period martial artist

and a Houtian master.

Lin Ming felt bitterness

swelling in his heart. His bone age was less than 16 years old, and yet

he had to face a Houtian master on the sixth floor!

If one searched the entire Sky Spill Continent, would one be able to find a 15 year old boy that had the strength of a Houtian realm master?

The middle-aged man silently turned around. His face seemed hazy, as if

there was light and shadow within. Without a doubt, this was the enemy

that Lin Ming had to defeat.

This was also the first time that Lin Ming would be facing a Houtian realm master.

The difference between the peak Bone Forging stage and the early Houtian

realm was a stage and a half. That may not have sounded like much, but

in the martial arts path, the disparity between each realm of

cultivation only increased.

From Bone Forging to

Pulse Condensation, the meridians of one’s body would be opened and

connected, and true essence would be able to flow through freely and

unimpeded, This was already a major leap. From Pulse Condensation to

Houtian, true essence would gather within the Dantian and augment the

entire body’s meridians endlessly. This was also a major leap.

Lin Ming was not sure that he could bridge these two massive qualitative

leaps in cultivation and deal with a Houtian realm master.

“Take out your spear.”

Lin Ming was surprised. Not only did the middle-aged man speak, but he also used the language of the Realm of the Gods.

Lin Ming gripped his spear in his right hand. His elbow was pressed against the shaft, and the base rested against body. He pointed this nearly 10

foot long spear at the middle-aged man and challenged him.

The middle-aged man drew his longsword and slowly said, “You… are doomed to lose to me.”

Cha—

As the sword point left the scabbard, there was only a clarion ring that

sounded out as the air was split apart by the sword. The middle-aged man wielded his sword and pierced towards Lin Ming.

The

middle-aged man’s speed was simply absurdly extreme as it neared the

limit. And his sword came from an inconceivable angle. No matter how one wanted to dodge, they could not escape from that sword.

“Flow like Silk!”

Lin Ming shouted and thrust forth with his spear. Since he could not see

through the middle-aged man’s sword path, Lin Ming would use his

strength to break his move, and use a massive amount of vibrating true

essence to block the sword.

Peng!

The sword wind dispersed. However, Lin Ming’s 5000 vibrating true essence

filaments were mostly destroyed in return. He tapped his toes and

quickly drew backwards.

He had consumed a large

amount of true essence, but it was manageable. Lin Ming began to revolve the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’, and the heaven and earth origin energy around him continuously poured into his body, rapidly restoring the

true essence that he had used. Lin Ming’s cultivation was now only at

the peak of Bone Forging, but his stamina and endurance far surpassed

that of a normal Pulse Condensation Period martial artist.

“Mm?”

That light shadow martial artist showed a hint of curiosity and sent an

astonished look towards Lin Ming who was able to fend off his sword.

The light shadow martial artist flicked his wrist and the sword pierced

forwards exactly like before. However, this time there was a layer of

red light that covered the blade. It was clear that the light shadow

martial artist had used a martial skill!

A Houtian realm master’s martial skill attack!

Lin Ming tightly clenched his jaw, and his entire body erupted with a flood of true essence. Flames like flickering red lotuses blossomed on the

coldly shining tip of the Heavy Profound Soft Spear. The flames moved

and twisted together with the 5,000 vibrating true essence filaments,

charging towards the light shadow martial artist’s sword as if they were a legion of fiery dragons.

Bang!!

There was no flashy or fancy move as the spear and sword simply struck

against each other. A blast of true essence exploded like a shock-wave

as it scattered in all directions. Although Lin Ming was able to fend

against the light shadow martial artist’s sword, he wasn’t able to stop

the shockwaves. The raging true essence was similar to hidden weapons

that broke into Lin Ming’s body. It was like several dozen knives had

been stabbed into Lin Ming’s organs; the pain was terrible!

Although Lin Ming felt as if the blood within his organs was roiling, after

examining himself, he found that there wasn’t a serious injury.

“Mm? I withstood it?”

Lin Ming was ecstatic. The defensive capabilities of his body had surpassed even his own high expectations. He had been able to defend against the

sword wind of a Pulse Condensation Period master, and now he was also

able to ward off the true essence aftermath waves of a Houtian realm

master’s attack!

“Since you could arrive at the sixth level, you truly are extraordinary!”

The middle-aged man revealed a hint of appreciation. He no longer looked down on Lin Ming because of his cultivation.

As Lin Ming watched the middle-aged man’s expression change, a thought

swelled in his mind. This middle-aged man was not a puppet that was

condensed from heaven and earth origin energy, but was actually a living person.

Was he the same as Yan Mo; also once a servant of the Sorcerer?

“Come again!” The middle-aged man flicked his long sword and came rushing towards Lin Ming.

“True essence manifestation!”

Lin Ming lifted his spear to meet the attack. The two exchanged a number of moves. Although each move wasn’t particularly fast, every strike and

attack was filled with a raging and fierce force of true essence.

Since the light shadow man’s cultivation far exceeded Lin Ming’s, it had

almost only been him attacking, while Lin Ming could only dodge and

defend.

Although he had the power of thunder and fire along with the Flow like Silk ability, Lin Ming was still in perilous

danger. If it wasn’t for the elusive Golden Roc Shattering the Void

movement technique, then he would have had no way to repeatedly dodge

the middle-aged man’s sword wind, and would already have lost by now.

Peng peng peng peng peng peng!

Several dozens of attacks had already been exchanged between the two. Turbulent true essence broke apart the jade terrace of the celestial palace; the

broken jade chips were like countless water drops that sprinkled from

the sky like shimmering waterfalls!

In such fierce

collisions, the light shadow man was not injured, however, Lin Ming

actually suffered the repeated aftermaths of the seething true essence

shockwaves. If it wasn’t for the green energy from the Witch Slave that

had altered his body and increased his defensive power, then his organs

would have already ruptured and he would have lost long ago.

Bang!

With an explosion, Lin Ming was sent flying backwards several hundred feet.

He barely raised himself up with the support of the Heavy Profound Soft

Spear, and wiped away the dripping blood stains from the corners of his