Martial World (Web Novel)
chapter-1035

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“That is the fourth level Concept of Fire!”

As the branch palace disciples saw fire dragons, fire snakes, fire cranes, fire golden birds, fire parasol trees, and all sorts of fire existences spin into life around Crimson Strifecloud, all of them sucked in a deep breath of cold air.

These things around Crimson Strifecloud that transformed from flames were not lifeless. Rather, they were spiritual beings with their own intelligence. They were life forms composed of living flames. In fact, these spiritual existences were not condensed by Crimson Strifecloud, but produced by fire origin energy that was controlled by the Laws.

The was the symbol of the fourth level Fire Concept – Manifestation!

Metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, these elemental Laws all had different types of Concepts for the first three levels. However, all of them shared the same fourth level Concept.

And that was… Manifestation.

After arriving at this step, energy would have life and intelligence of its own.

Fire origin energy could manifest as fiery vermillion birds or fiery crows. Thunder origin energy could combine into a thunder kirin. Earth origin energy could develop into an earthen black turtle, or earthen snake. Wind origin energy could form gale birds, great rocs, and so on!

Without having comprehended the fourth level Concept, a martial artist’s true essence and energy would only be lifeless. In order for martial artists to kill an enemy, they would have to control their true essence with every attack. Without a martial artist’s thoughts controlling their own true essence, it would be nothing but a pile of scattered sand without any lethal killing force.

But for someone that had comprehended the Concept of Manifestation, that was different.

Their true essence would have life. Sometimes it would scatter, sometimes it would gather, it would have endless and infinite changes. A martial artist could use their true essence to kill an enemy without the need to control it!

This type of true essence was far easier to manipulate. With just a thought, hundreds and thousands of supernatural powers could be displayed; this was almost impossible to defend against!

When two martial artists used a similar amount of energy, the one that understood the Concept of Manifestation would be able to display a far greater power. This was because their energy contained a life of its own!

“The Concept of Manifestation, Crimson Strifecloud has actually managed to comprehend the Concept of Manifestation! How can Junior-apprentice Brother Lin still fight?”

“Their speed is similar and their true essence foundation is similar. But, Crimson Strifecloud’s cultivation is greater and his comprehension of the Laws is actually an entire boundary ahead. Moreover, he has the Scorching Blood Battle Body. In all other aspects Junior-apprentice Brother Lin doesn’t have any advantages. I’m afraid he will lose here.”

Although all the disciples present passionately wished for Lin Ming to win, they weren’t too confident about whether he could truly defeat Crimson Strifecloud. Just now, Lin Ming’s heroic words and daring spirit had set their blood boiling over with zeal, but in the end, Lin Ming was only speaking about how great his potential was. In terms of their current bloodline strength, he was still inferior to Crimson Strifecloud.

“Come out, Crimson Flame Dragon!”

Crimson Strifecloud gave a loud shout and all the fire existences that formed around him gathered together, forming a flaming red dragon. With a loud roar, this flaming red dragon rushed towards Lin Ming!

This flame dragon was itself a Fire Elemental!

To use a Fire Elemental as the foundation, and pouring in fire origin energy with the Concept of Manifestation, that made this flame dragon nearly have a life of its own.

Lin Ming’s pupils shrank. The Phoenix Blood Spear shot out like a bolt of lightning. The 999 small blood spears around the spear shaft twisted into a scarlet storm that swept towards the Crimson Flame Dragon.

Blue Lotus Flame Dance!

As Lin Ming used the source energy of the Phoenix Blood Spear, he also fused the power of Laws into it. On top of the Phoenix Blood Spear’s point, a blue lotus of flame slowly appeared, blooming in brilliant glory.

The blue flame lotus was surrounded by 999 sword-like blood spears!

The two massive energies violently smashed into each other!

However, there was no chaotic explosion as expected. Instead, the Crimson Flame Dragon actually opened its great jaws. Its body suddenly expanded 10 times over and swallowed up Lin Ming along with the blue lotus!

The martial artists watching this battle at Totem Tower’s square widened their eyes. Their hearts jumped into their throats.

“Hahaha! Useless! Although I am inferior to you in the first three level Concepts of the Fire Laws, my Concept of Fire is still an entire boundary higher than your own. With the fourth level Concept of the Fire Laws, the Concept of Manifestation, combined together with the Crimson Flame Dragon Fire Elemental, that has created an energy form with a life of its own. Its might is beyond your imagination! Now, die for me!”

Crimson Strifecloud raised his hands, wanting to galvanize the energy within the Crimson Flame Dragon to grind Lin Ming to death. The stomach of the Crimson Flame Dragon was a separate space. As long as one entered within, the space would collapse and the violent power of fire would rush in. That incomparably terrifying destructive power was able to tear everything to bits and pieces!

But at this moment, a scene that left Crimson Strifecloud shocked occurred.

Suddenly, a boundless, ancient, and yet simple power erupted from within the belly of the Crimson Flame Dragon. It turned into a gray beam of light that shot out from within the flame dragon.

Lin Ming had poured the Heavenly Demon martial intent into his spear attack, hiding the blooming blood red lotus. With the grandmist space fused into his spear, he thrust out, a strike to annihilate all Laws!

Whether it was the first three level Concepts of the Fire Laws or the fourth level Concept, whether or not Crimson Strifecloud’s true essence had a spirituality of its own, in the face of the all-annihilating grandmist space, everything would come under tremendous suppression.

This move could not be fully used – after all, it was related to Empyrean Primordius. Although he had disguised it as a type of suppressive force field, if there really were a character that had managed to come into contact with Empyrean Primordius, there was a chance that they would recognize Lin Ming’s attack styles!

A martial intent type of skill could not be stolen away by others. But, Lin Ming might be forced into revealing the process of how he obtained this martial intent. If that happened, there would be endless trouble awaiting him.

Within the spear, the energy of the Heavenly Demon martial intent erupted outwards along with the dark gold battle spirit. The Crimson Flame Dragon howled miserably, then, it was suddenly sliced in half from the center!

“Mm!?” Crimson Strifecloud’s eyes shot open. “You tore apart my Crimson Flame Dragon? How can you possibly possess such great strength!?”

Through their battle so far, Crimson Strifecloud had gained an approximate understanding of Lin Ming’s strength. Blue Lotus Flame Dance was already Lin Ming’s strongest move. When it was fused with the Phoenix Blood Spear’s attack yet again, that had become Lin Ming’s greatest attack so far. But even such an attack would not be able to tear apart the Crimson Flame Dragon!

Yet now, the Crimson Flame Dragon had been torn asunder!

“What is going on!? Is that a force field!? Lin Ming’s strength was increased by such a force field and at the same time this force field suppressed my strength!? At just a seventh stage Life Destruction cultivation, Lin Ming was able to comprehend such an aberrant force field!!?”

These thoughts instantly cut through Crimson Strifecloud’s Laws. A force field ability was rare. A Law type force field like the Blue Lotus Domain was a bit rarer, and a martial intent force field was even rarer than that. Normally, anyone that could comprehend just a single force field, or even multiple force fields, were extreme geniuses!

This force field that Lin Ming displayed seemed like a martial intent force field but it also seemed like a Law force field. Crimson Strifecloud was simply unable to see through it. This wasn’t strange. This was because while Law force fields were similar when a martial artist comprehended them, martial intent force fields were different. Martial intent force fields were developed based on a martial artist’s cultivation method, true essence, physical characteristics, and countless other constantly shifting variables. There was simply no single standard to identify them. A martial intent force field was similar to a martial artist’s thumbprint, or the unique composition of their very being; every one was different, thus it was normal to not recognize it!

A battle between masters was filled with changes. Before Crimson Strifecloud was able to understand exactly what happened, Lin Ming had already rushed in front of him!

“Phoenix bloodline, combust!”

In that moment, golden light burst out from the entirety of Lin Ming’s body. Crimson Strifecloud’s Scorching Blood bloodline could transform the body into a Scorching Blood Battle Body. Of course, the Ancient Phoenix bloodline also had a corresponding state of erupting energy. And that was to burn the blood of the Ancient Phoenix!

When Lin Ming crossed the seventh stage of Life Destruction, he had used an immense amount of precious Ancient Phoenix blood. Now, this was his first time completely combusting his phoenix bloodline!

The stronger one’s Ancient Phoenix bloodline was, the greater the burden combustion would place on the body. When a martial artist with a perfect Ancient Phoenix Bloodline combusted their blood, they would only do so with one ten thousandth of their bloodline. This already produced a titanic level of power. But now, Lin Ming had fully combusted all of the phoenix blood within him, without leaving the least bit behind!

After entering the Illusionary God Combat Array, Lin Ming had saved his strength and true essence. All of it was done so that he could completely erupt with his strength at the crucial moment!

By relying on the support of the Gate of Healing and also relying on his deep and solid foundation, Lin Ming forcefully withstood combusting the equivalent of 70 drops of phoenix heart blood. His strength suddenly multiplied to an extent even greater than Crimson Strifecloud’s Scorching Blood Battle Body!

As the branch palace disciples saw Lin Ming’s entire body burning in an inferno of flames, and a dark golden light radiating from all over him, all of them cried out in alarm and shock!

“Lin Ming has burnt all of the Ancient Phoenix blood within his body!”

“Heavens! He absorbed so much phoenix blood when he crossed Life Destruction, and yet he’s ignited it all!”

“I thought that Junior-apprentice Brother Lin would be swallowed up and eaten by that Crimson Flame Dragon Fire Elemental fused with the Concept of Manifestation, but he actually managed to break through the prison of that Fire Elemental and rush out!”

All of the disciples present held their breath, watching with helpless eyes as Lin Ming shot forwards like a beam of light, hurtling towards Crimson Strifecloud like a falling meteor!

Blue Lotus Flame Dance!

Lin Ming gave a loud shot and all of his true essence poured into the Phoenix Blood Spear. A blue lotus 10 times larger than the last shot out, and on top of this blue lotus was a dark gold phoenix phantom!

The dark gold phoenix within Lin Ming’s body had fused together with the Blue Lotus Flame Dance!

“Explode!”

In that moment, time seemed to come to a standstill. The blue lotus exploded and an inexhaustible gold light flooded through the entire world of the Illusionary God Combat Array!

Facing such an attack, Crimson Strifecloud’s pupils shrank. He fiercely cut down with his sword!

Boom!

Crimson Strifecloud’s body shook and he was sent soaring backwards. As his body flew through the air, blood gushed out from the shattered scales on his chest, staining his body. Blood also leaked out from the corners of his lips.

As for Lin Ming, he wasn’t much better off!

Although he didn’t vomit blood, his face was still paper white. In that strike just now he had burnt all of his Ancient Phoenix blood so he was able to rush forth with unstoppable momentum and gain the advantage. But before then, Lin Ming had been swallowed up into the stomach of the Crimson Flame Dragon. And when Crimson Strifecloud had caused fire origin energy to explode within, this had injured Lin Ming, causing all the blood within his body to tumble around, and also forcing him to expend a massive amount of true essence.

This battle between two great masters was extremely intense!

“Crimson Strifecloud, son of a World King, the current Crimson Dragon Envoy, he… he was injured by Lin Ming!”

Several disciples cried out in shock. With Lin Ming’s seventh stage Life Destruction cultivation and his Concept of Fire that was an entire boundary lower, he had managed to injure the eighth stage Life Destruction Crimson Strifecloud. This achievement was enough to ring out for all of eternity!

“Lin Ming…” On Charming Phoenix Palace’s side, Yan Littlemoon’s two fists were clutched tightly together. Her lips slowly moved.

“Maybe… just maybe… Lin Ming can win!”