Lord Xue Ying
chapter-347

He had actually slept?

In the four years since he entered Crimson Rock Mountain to fight while risking his life, he had never slept! In truth, at the level he was at, sleep, while a possible habit or a pleasure, was never really necessary. Even so, as he fell from the Path of Reflection just a moment ago, he had actually entered a deep sleep. Despite lasting for mere moments, after crashing onto the floor and waking up, he had a feeling of being very at ease.

Am I only able to walk half of the first section of the Path of Reflection? I’ll give it a few more tries. Xue Ying once more took stride, arriving at the start of the Path of Reflection so fast he left behind afterimages. He once more began scaling the stone steps. One step after another, he walked continuously upward.

Just like before, the feeling of tiredness engulfed his soul, growing stronger and stronger.

Xue Ying sought a type of Transcendent disposition, similar to the one he had when he reduced the influence of the hex poison’s pain to a minimum to maintain his calm state of mind. That feeling of weariness brought forth by Path of Reflection, however, was endless, and it only got stronger and stronger over the unceasing ascension. It far exceeded the influence of the hex poison.

Awake… I’ve got to stay awake.

This is all just an illusion.

Xue Ying tried to empty his soul of all distractions. Even when the sandstorm covers the sky, I will stand strong!

...

Somewhere in the distance, there were four figures standing side by side in mid-air, looking at the faraway Xue Ying bloodily falling asleep and falling down time after time on the Path of Reflection.

Specifically, these figures were Xi Wei, Crimson Rock, a youth wrapped in thick robes, and a scarlet-cloaked youth.

As he watched the scene, the thick-robed youth commented with a smile, "This youngster must be pretty strong to attempt the Path of Reflection again and again. This is already the sixth time, right? He actually managed to walk twenty steps more than that first time from a few moments ago. He actually improved in such a short time. Perhaps there really is hope of him becoming an inner disciple and joining the ranks as our younger brother. Old Seven, do you agree with my assessment?"

"En." The scarlet-cloaked youth nodded. "He just cultivated the Time Immemorial Body, and his body is still in the process of nourishing his soul. In no more than ten years, his soul will already have become twice as strong as now!

"Say, is there any chance he’ll take us out of here in the future?" the thick-robed youth asked.

"How hard would that be, to take us out of here?" The scarlet-cloaked youth shook his head. "The material world’s Laws are incomparably overbearing. Even most of the stronger members of the Deity world can’t force their way here. It is only a mortal world’s owner who can freely enter and exit it, but even, they can only bring back a few dead things or ordinary Transcendents from the Deity world. Experts at the Deity level or above simply cannot be brought into the material world. That is…unless one has an Eden treasure! Eden Treasures can carry living things and shield them from the material world’s probing. Back then, we were in Crimson Rock Mountain when we forcefully thrown into this material world. To obtain an Eden Treasure is no easy task—even the sacred master only had this Crimson Rock Mountain as his sole Eden Treasure. Second brother, we can’t be too hurried if we’re to have any hope of leaving this place. What we need is patience.

"I understand." The thick-robed youth softly nodded.

The thick-robed youth immediately grinned, looking to the side at Crimson Rock. "Senior Crimson Rock, about the sacred master’s conditions…can’t they be lowered a bit?"

"They must be a direct disciple or a World Deity," Crimson Rock clearly stated. "Nobody except for an incredibly talented Transcendent who comprehended a grade one True Meaning would have any hope of avenging the sacred master! Unless they become a World Deity, they simply cannot refine Crimson Rock Mountain."

"A Transcendent with a grade one True Meaning …or one who can grasp a grade one Deity Heart within ten thousand years." The thick-robed youth shook his head. "For how long Master lived, he only found two disciples who could meet these requirements. Even if Xue Ying does become a World Deity, if he can’t also reach the rank of direct disciple, where would you propose he go in order to find an Eden Treasure? Even back then, from all us fellow disciples, only senior brother Hui Ming had an Eden Treasure."

Amongst the disciples of Crimson Rock Mountain, senior brother Hui Ming’s position was very special—he was the head of the three great direct disciples, the target of all the disciples’ worship!

While still in the Deity World, the brilliance he had displayed was even more dazzling than that of the sacred master, Crimson Dust! Even then, he wasn’t an actual powerful existence. He nearly resembled one!

"We still don’t know if Hui Ming has or has not become a powerful existence by now," the scarlet-cloaked youth said.

"According to the Old Ancestor, he still hasn’t," Xi Wei said.

"Ai! Of all disciples of the lineage of Crimson Rock Mountain…it’s only senior brother Hui Ming who has any hope to become a powerful existence. What a pity," the same youth muttered, somewhat unhappy.

From the side, the thick-robed youth also shook his head. "There was even that time when senior brother Hui Ming wantonly dismissed his belief. Apparently, over a hundred million mortal worlds all were among his belief sources. Bu even so, the same faith, which made him incredibly powerful, also heavily restricted him and rendered him unable to struggle free. To take the leap and turn into a powerful existence…is too hard! We’ve only been here, in the material world, for a million years. How could senior brother Hui Ming even hope to break through that fast.

"Let’s speak no more of that matter. How about we continue watching this Dong Bo Xue Ying instead?" The scarlet-cloaked youth looked toward a spot in the distance. "He’s already attempted the Path of Reflection ten times today. He seems ready to give up now."

"He’s not giving up that easily. Look, he’s actually going to the Soaring Cloud Pagoda!" the thick-robed youth said.

Other than Xi Wei, these two youths were the only two World Deities in Crimson Rock Mountain.

...

"The inner heart must be frequently stirred. If neglected, not only will it not advance, but it might even decline." Xue Ying actually somewhat enjoyed the Path of Reflection. Had it not existed, his only method to sharpen his will was to cultivate his spear technique again and again, until his mind became one with the spear! In the end, however, this was less effective than the Path of Reflection, which directly targeted the inner heart. Walking the path ten times every day would be very beneficial to him.

Xue Ying soon arrived at the front of the majestic, towering pagoda with nine stories: the Soaring Cloud Pagoda! He had to pass the first six stories, as the first requirement to become an inner disciple.

The Soaring Cloud Padoga’s door had been wide-open for a long time.

Xue Ying stepped inside.

Inside the pagoda, a white-bearded old man was sitting cross-legged in a round empty room. On his back, he carried two swords.

The very moment Xue Ying stepped inside the room, that old man opened his eyes and smiled. He was inspecting Xue Ying with a beaming expression, and his eyes contained a trace of excitement. "Someone has finally come. It’s been so long since I’ve last fought that I was about to go crazy. My body here, on the first floor, is quite weak, and the power I may use is also quite weak. Even then, boy, it won’t be so easy for you to achieve victory."

"Let me see how strong you are." Xue Ying’s right hand extended, and a black spear appeared. He was boiling with fighting intent.

After so many years, he was finally no longer bothered by the hex poison, while the Time Immemorial Body filled his whole body with power. This surging feeling made him long for battle. Not only that, after entering the Soaring Cloud Pagoda, he quickly discovered that the space inside had no restrictions. Be it teleportation, space penetration, or anything else, they could fully used, together with all Laws and Profound Mysteries.

"Make your move. Don’t hesitate." The white-bearded old man just stood there without a care.

"Fine." Xue Ying accepted the offer and charged forward in a flash.

Shua.

His body immediately used the Extreme Piercing to penetrate space and send an attack toward the white-bearded old man.

"Freeze." The white-bearded old man remained carefree after spitting out that single word. Immediately, the surrounding space completely froze. Originally in the middle of using Extreme Piercing, Xue Ying was forcefully pushed out.

"Space Deity Heart?" Xue Ying’s complexion slightly changed, but the movement of his hands didn’t. His spear immediately thrusted out.

Hong!

The frightening strength of his Time Immemorial Body made it so that even a casual spear strike imbued with Extreme Piercing was so powerful, it could cause one’s heart to tremble.

The white-bearded old man’s eyebrows creased. Qiang qiang! He immediately unsheathed the two swords from his back, holding one in each hand. The dazzling sword lights moved as fast as lightning to intercept Xue Ying’s spear. In response, Xue Ying only felt that the void seemingly did not transmit any energy. The two sharp swords crisscrossed and collided into his spear from the side.

In what was basically a single exchange, the shaft of his spear was led to the side while the two swords stabbed toward him along the spear shaft.

Too fast!

The old man was so fast, even teleportation and Extreme Piercing seemed slow by comparison.

Xue Ying immediately switched places with a Mirage Avatar, shifting his location to a hundred meters away.

Si la. The white-bearded old man’s two swords released a bright light. In but a moment, multiple thread-like sword lights crisscrossed, weaving over a hundred meters around Xue Ying’s position. Regardless of which Mirage avatar Xue Ying tried to switch with, he still couldn’t escape the crisscrossing sword lights. On top of that, the sword lights and the space combined in a strange and obscure manner. At times, they would appear in one spot and then in some other place, making it all very hard to predict.

Xue Ying’s single secret skill, the Star Meteor Annihilation, could be considered to be a killing move focused on pure offense, but that meant he had no strong defensive moves.

His only option…was to do his best to defend!

Peng, peng, peng!!! Multiple sword lights landed on Xue Ying’s body, with some of them having even penetrated through space to ignoring the Deity armor he was wearing to stab directly inside his body.

However, in spite of multiple terrifyingly sharp sword lights stabbing his body from the inside, the blood, muscles, bones, and inner organs which received that attack all just vibrated faintly. Each and every particle in his body was incomparably tough, and they were able to easily ignore the force of impact.

Just like that, the frightening sword lights, close to the Star Meteor Annihilation in power, were all forcefully and easily resisted by Xue Ying’s body.

Even Xue Ying himself found this rather shocking...

This body of mine, isn’t it a bit too strong? Xue Ying finally understood why it was said that the strength, speed and other aspects provided by the Time Immemorial Body were all just a plus; the most amazing part of it was its survivability! Those sword lights being unable to pierce his skin was one thing, but even his inner organs remained completely uninjured after that attack.

"Your body could be twice as strong, and you still couldn’t defeat me. You can’t pass this first floor." The white-bearded old man stood not too far away, a sword grasped in each hand.

Xue Ying stared at the white-bearded old man before him.

He had to admit that only his secret skill, the Star Meteor Annihilation, was relatively strong. His other moves were all too simple. All of them combined together were still completely suppressed by the white-bearded old man’s combat techniques. His opponent had grasped at least two grade two Deity Hearts, both of which combined very well together.

"This is only the first floor, yet his comprehension is higher than mine?" Xue Ying muttered.