Nine Evolutions of the True Spirit
chapter-462

Finally, Feng Xu-Dao welcomed an evenly matched battle. Ever since advancing into the Law Avatar Realm, instead of the glory and honor he expected, what followed behind his advancement was a series of failures and humiliations. As such, a fervorous excitement surged within him the moment he finally encountered an opponent of equal strength. He fought against Tian-Jiang with such intense eagerness it left the latter bewildered for a split second, almost causing him to lose the upper hand.

Feng Xu-Dao’s starting point in the Law Avatar Realm was, in fact, very commendable. At the very least, his had a towering advantage over that of Tian-Jiang’s. However, Tian-Jiang was a senior in terms of cultivation, for he had advanced to the same level centuries ago, which helped him build a solid foundation throughout the years. By utilizing his knowledge and experience, Tian-Jiang exploited a series of cunning yet proficient minor divine abilities and turned the tide, bringing the situation back to a stalemate.

Somewhere on the other side of the void, Dao-Li, who was losing the upper hand, unveiled a black and red cauldron. By lifting the cauldron’s lid, Dao-Li unleashed twelve thin strands of fire from the cauldron that darted straight for Tian-Lu. Unable to take them head-on, Tian-Lu retreated momentarily and dashed to the side to evade the incoming attacks.

Taking advantage of this, Dao-Li pushed forward and taunted, “Brother Tian-Lu, these twelve strands are the roots of fire that I spent years collecting for my alchemy. They’re all wonder fires of top quality, and only a Mystic Tool-level cauldron can contain them. Altogether, they can even rival that of a great divine ability. Don’t you agree, Brother Tian-Lu?”

Tian-Lu remained silent—the situation was falling out of his favor, forcing him to wander around in the void, occasionally counterattacking to alleviate the pressure on himself.

Dao-Li smiled. "Brother Tian-Lu, why haven’t you brought out your sect's top-grade cauldron yet? At least it might contend with my Ocean Burner Cauldron for a while. Back then, didn't you use it in our last encounter?"

Tian-Lu snorted, his face turning red with anger. Seeing his reaction, Dao-Li became even more pleased. Although Tian-Lu had previously managed to hold his own against Dao-Li’s Ocean Burner Cauldron, his top-grade cauldron had suffered heavy damage and had yet to be repaired.

In the cultivation world, a high-quality cauldron was equivalent to an ordinary Mystic Tool, while a top-grade cauldron was on par with a top-level Spirit Emerging Level Treasure. To the cultivators in the North Ocean, a Mystic Tool-level cauldron was so invaluable that no one would consider trading or selling it off.

Seeing that Tian-Lu was constantly evading without daring to confront him head-on, Dao-Li gradually let his guard down. He reached out and patted the Ocean Burner Cauldron above his head, causing it to emit a series of gurgles as if something was truly being boiled inside.

Immediately after, a large mass of colorful boiling water gushed toward the twelve strands of fire floating in the air, merging with them and forming a peculiar formation.

Tian-Lu looked grim. "The Elemental Mergeance Technique! You’ve mastered such a technique!”

Dao-Li chuckled and replied, "In terms of alchemy techniques, you were always slightly superior to me, but with the Ocean Burner Cauldron in my hands, you no longer have that advantage. Now that I’ve mastered the Elemental Emergeance Technique, my alchemy is not inferior to yours."

Tian-Lu nodded. "It is indeed a sophisticated alchemy technique in the cultivation world, but you’re not the only one that has knowledge about it!”

Upon hearing this, a glint of steely coldness flashed across Dao-Li’s eyes before he saw Tian-Lu waving his hands, unleashing several roots of fire and different forms of colored liquid into the air, then combining the flames and liquid together. A second later, the spherical mixture exploded, instantly shattering Dao-Li’s formation made by the Elemental Mergeance Technique.

“So what if you’ve learned the same techniques? With the Ocean Burner Cauldron in my hands, you still can’t compare to me!" Dao-Li shouted fiercely.

As soon as Dao-Li finished speaking, he saw Tian-Lu, who had been evading and hiding all this time, suddenly stop in his tracks. Dao-Li 's heart tightened slightly, and he immediately sent the cauldron forward in an attempt to immobilize Tian-Lu.

However, before Dao-Li could take another step forward, he saw a cauldron rising into the air above Tian-Lu 's head. Dao-Li 's heart was filled with joy in an instant, for he knew that the Zhen Ling Sect only had three top-grade cauldrons throughout their sect. Over fifty years ago, in their previous battle, Dao-Li had already rendered one of them almost useless. If another one were to be destroyed this time, the foundation of the Zhen Ling Sect would be weakened once again.

To his surprise, before his Ocean Burner Cauldron could fly forward, the cauldron floating above Tian-Lu’s head was now crashing toward him with overwhelming momentum.

“Huh? What?”

Dao-Li first froze in surprise, followed by astonishment and, finally, horror!

Amidst a resounding explosion, mixed with Dao-Li’s incredulous exclamation, “A Mystic Tool! A Mystic-Tool-level cauldron! How is this possible? Since when did the Zhen Ling Sect possess such a thing!”

Taken off guard, Dao-Li was immediately overwhelmed. The River Inclusion Cauldron’s attack sent his Ocean Burner Cauldron flying backward, while he was injured so badly that he started coughing up blood. Now, the tides of war had turned. It was now Dao-Li’s turn to be cornered by Tian-Lu.

This intense battle between the two naturally did not go unnoticed by the others, despite their own battles in the void. Witnessing the formidable power displayed by the River Inclusion Cauldron, the cultivators of the Xuan Ling Sect couldn't help feeling a sense of unease. The fundamental reason why the Xuan Ling Sect had long occupied the position of top sect in the North Ocean was due to its profound heritage. But with the Zheng Ling Sect’s rising strength, their foundation was gradually catching up to that of the Xuan Ling Sect.

On another side of the void, Dao-Sheng merely glanced at the River Inclusion Cauldron in Tian-Lu's hand. Determination flashed through his eyes, and with a wave of his hand, he unleashed two powerful great divine abilities. Tian-Fan and Tian-Xue both countered with their own formidable techniques. Snow fell and the wind howled, a snowstorm descended in the blink of an eye, barely withstanding and holding off Dao-Sheng’s two great divine abilities.

Tian-Fan and Tian-Xue had never gained the upper hand against Dao-Sheng. They could only struggle and hold their ground with each wave of attacks. They exchanged bitter smiles, recalling how their confidence had risen tremendously ever since they managed to hold the line against Dao-Sheng fifty years ago. They had believed that by joining forces again, even if they couldn't gain an absolute advantage, they could at least meet Dao-Sheng on equal footing.

However, since the start of their battle, the two Immortals of Wind and Snow had been suppressed, no different from their clash of fifty years before. Tian-Xue’s and Tian-Fan’s hearts sank heavily. As their confidence dwindled, so too did their assurance of overcoming the Heavenly Tribulation and advancing into the late-Core Forging Realm.

Unlike Dao-Sheng, Dao-Yan was now in a state of deep frustration. He had never expected the husband-and-wife pair, who had turned against each other and recently advanced into the Law Avatar Realm, could pressure him into such a corner.

From his point of view, the seamless coordination between the pair looked nothing like a couple turned enemy.

As Dao-Yan defended against their joint attacks, he silently cursed inside, “I can’t tell which is more powerful. Is it the Eighth Grade Golden Core they achieved, or their secret technique, the Soul Link? Or perhaps both?

Dao-Yan had always been a proud individual. Back during the war between the two sects, he had inflicted severe injuries on Tian-Kang, leaving him struggling to survive while the Zhen Ling Sect had gone mad searching for Longevity Pills to keep him alive.

While others saw that clash as an incredibly magnificent battle, Dao-Yan considered it an infuriating memory that had haunted him since.

He would never forget Tian-Kang’s contemptuous gaze, who managed to fend him off with the strength of an early-Law Avatar Realm, that look of disdain he received after Tian-Kang forced him to retreat.

Dao-Yan had always taken that last battle as his defeat. After all, he couldn’t even deal with an early-Law Avatar Realm cultivator despite his superior mid-Law Avatar Realm strength. Ever since then, he had waited for news of Tian-Kang’s demise, for he would only be able to emerge victorious when Tian-Kang lost his life. However, the wait lasted more than fifty years, and Tian-Kang, who he desperately wanted dead, continued to persist and stay alive until now.

Now that the Xuan Ling Sect had besieged Heaven Forge Mountain once more, Dao-Yan took it upon himself to secure the upper hand for his sect. From his point of view, without Tian-Xiang’s presence, Tian-Xue and Tian-Fan would be occupied by Dao-Sheng. There wouldn’t be a fourth mid-Law Avatar Realm cultivator in the Zhen Ling Sect that could hold him off. Yet, the truth was cold and ruthless. Not only was he unable to turn the tide, he even found himself being cornered by Jiang Tian-Lin.

Just as the intense battle had seemingly reached a stalemate, a flash of light suddenly shot forth across the skies above Heaven Forge Mountain. A figure then emerged from the ray of light and slammed his palm toward the protective formation guarding the mountain, causing the formation to tremble violently as harsh rumbles reverberated through the surroundings.

Astonished by the intense battle between the Law Avatar Realm cultivators outside the formation, none of the Zhen Ling Sect cultivators had the state of mind to focus elsewhere. Hence, none of them noticed this new arrival.

Yet, with a casual slap, the entire formation trembled vigorously, and the unprepared cultivators of Zhen Ling Sect were all knocked unconscious after the impact injured them heavily.

“Hold your positions!” shouted Guo Xuan-Shan.

The entire formation lit up once more under his guidance, but this time, the cultivator that attacked the protective formation stood still in the air, his hands held behind his back. He did not do anything else. Instead, he turned around and observed the intense battle happening in front of him silently.

“Elder Yuan-Guang of the Crystal Palace. What is the meaning behind this unprovoked attack of yours?” Guo Xuan-Shan’s voice sounded again.