Crushing Dry Weeds

This discovery made the light of Qin Ming's spirit flare intensely. Did the silk book method truly possess such an inherent demonic nature? Thoughts surged through his mind, and in a single instant, he considered countless possibilities. He dearly wanted to know if Sun Chengjun could, in turn, devour and assimilate his Hunyuan heavenly light. Beneath the long night, Qin Ming's eyes grew profound, and the Dao rhythm flowing across his body deepened, becoming far more dangerous. He wanted to put certain theories to the test. That meant his opponent would bear even greater pressure! To Sun Chengjun's eyes, the youth before him resembled a young fiendgod escaped from an abyss, wielding a massive ink-black hammer with invincible valor, seemingly incapable of fatigue. At this moment, Qin Ming swung his arms like a windmill, whipping up astral winds as terrifying hammer shadows rained down in dense, torrential sheets. Forced to counter, Sun Chengjun unleashed heavenly light from the eerie blue pestle in his hands, illuminating the pitch-black night sky into brilliant clarity as he struck back with all his might. Yet an agonizing pain shot through his entire arm. Blood and qi surged violently within him, churning together with his heavenly light. He felt on the verge of exploding, as though he were about to exceed his limits. What did Hunyuan force dread most? A reckless outburst, of course—one that could violently tear the practitioner apart. The tender flesh between the fingers of Sun Chengjun's right hand had already split and torn. Dripping blood stained the pestle's handle, an exceedingly perilous warning sign! Yet he refused to yield so easily. Inhaling deeply, he struck out with full strength while chanting under his breath like an incantation: "Golden Body Permanently Fixed." He was a Golden Body Nirvanic One who had pushed to the absolute limit, and now he was unleashing a profound technique to empower himself, briefly locking his physical body into its peak state to maintain "imperishability"! This so-called imperishability actually referred to an indestructible physical form. It was a secret technique devised by Past Rulai so that in exceptional life-and-death battles, one would not be dragged down by the body or fear coming apart at the seams. Naturally, the aftermath extracted an agonizingly heavy price. Unless an elder stepped in to help regulate the damage, one had to enter death seclusion immediately. Once Sun Chengjun's golden body was permanently fixed, his flesh shone as bright as yellow jade before radiating divine radiance. It looked as though he were cloaked in a layer of indestructible golden light, and the heavenly light he projected grew all the more blinding. He let out a low roar, resembling a young deity descending from the highest heavens. Bathed in sacred radiance, he charged toward his opponent with his demon-subduing pestle raised. The onlookers were deeply stirred. This was truly a clash of dragons and tigers; both sides had fought with real fury, and neither was willing to yield even half a step. The ink-jade hammer and the eerie blue pestle clashed repeatedly, like the Duke of Thunder and the Mother of Lightning unleashing their wrath. The blinding light outshone lightning, spreading densely in every direction. Boom! Bang! Deafening collisions, accompanied by terrifying waves of heavenly light, drained the color from many spectators' faces. Those with weaker cultivation rapidly retreated, terrified their eardrums would rupture. Qin Ming erupted with full force, suppressing his foe while deliberately letting essences of heavenly light boil off his body from time to time, drifting through the air of the area. Yet, faced with this readily harvestable Hunyuan heavenly light, Sun Chengjun's body merely radiated golden mist to shatter it all away, making no attempt to seize it. Qin Ming gradually realized that his opponent did not dare to devour or assimilate it. Although their cultivation arts originated from the same source, each had assimilated different scriptures, and their paths had long since diverged. In truth, unless taught directly from master to disciple, those who practiced this divine art purely through personal exploration would never end up walking identical paths. Moreover, the scriptures Qin Ming had assimilated were exceedingly astonishing. Not only were they numerous, but every one was a rare and precious text, ranging from miraculous arts and secret records to authentic scriptures—he had them all. Even if someone else were handed these classics to copy and imitate, assimilating them would remain an almost insurmountable task. "Sun Chengjun can't do it, but what about Past Rulai? Can he devour and assimilate another person's Hunyuan force?" Qin Ming thought of the burly giant whose exposed face and neck were covered in centipede-like scars stitched together with flood dragon sinew. He did not dare underestimate that Supreme Patriarch of the Rulai Sect. That man had brought Chaos force to great mastery, and among the sixth-realm Patriarch domain, very few could hold him in check. As for the living sage from Pugong, that figure was even more unfathomable. With his golden body permanently fixed, both of Sun Chengjun's eyes turned entirely golden. Every inch of his flesh seemed cast from divine gold, shining with blinding intensity. He met Qin Ming head-on, swinging his demon-subduing pestle and trading blows with mad ferocity. In a fleeting breath, the heavy pestle in his hands, carrying brilliant heavenly light, clashed hundreds or even thousands of times against Qin Ming's ink-jade hammer. Sun Chengjun was shaken to the core. With his golden body permanently fixed, he had no fear of bursting apart, yet he still could not gain the upper hand? The youth was like an inexhaustible slaughtering machine. His heavenly light remained at its absolute zenith throughout, bombarding him hundreds and thousands of times until the pitch-black night sky seemed ready to crumble. Sun Chengjun found it hard to believe. He had already crossed the line, yet he was still unable to resolve his opponent. Worse still, at this very moment, he felt his blood boiling like molten iron, threatening to incinerate his flesh and blood. His body was flashing urgent warnings. Even in the state of Golden Body Permanently Fixed, maintaining such high-intensity clashes pushed him toward his breaking point. A chill ran down his spine. If things went wrong, his heavenly light and blood would blaze out of control and burn him to ashes. A "bright lamp" leaped from Sun Chengjun's crown, hanging high in midair and releasing divine radiance. It shone toward the youth opposite him, attempting to immobilize him in the air. "A Mind Lamp!" someone cried out in alarm from afar. Sun Chengjun showed no expression. He cared deeply about his face, which was why he had refrained from using fourth-realm methods all along. But now, he felt he had no other choice. He was near his limit. No matter what, he had to cool the blood coursing like molten iron through his veins, or his golden body would lose stability and collapse. Qin Ming's spirit field trembled violently as he sensed danger. His mental domain was under attack, though it was not lethal. His Sumeru field expanded in an instant, barring the radiance cast by the divine lamp. At the same time, an immortal lotus surged from within him, wrapped in blinding heavenly light as it crossed the night sky. Ineffably sacred, it slammed directly into the Mind Lamp. Planting Immortal Lotus in Heavenly Light! This was the art created by Tang Jin's master, tailored specifically for those pursuing dual paths to nurture and cultivate; it required considerable time to plant and grow this conscious immortal lotus. Using Qin Ming's most domineering heavenly light as soil and water, it took root within his Hunyuan force, steeped in power capable of crushing dry weeds and rotten wood. Now, resembling a blade of heavenly will, it cleaved through the nocturnal mist and arrived before the Mind Lamp in a flash, far too swift for anyone to react. With a bang, sparks flew from the flame. The bright lamp shuddered violently, and a faint fracture seemed to split across it. A wave of dread washed over Sun Chengjun; if his spirit lamp were shattered, the consequences would be unthinkable. Just what kind of monster was he dealing with? Even after resorting to fourth-realm methods, he could not reverse his decline—was he truly destined to lose to a mere youth? What was his standing? He was the grand-disciple of Past Rulai, the junior brother of the contemporary Little Rulai. How could he allow himself to be brought down so disgracefully by a teenager! With a metallic chime, the eerie blue pestle shifted across space, instantly merging with the bright lamp suspended above his head. This was a rare treasure tempered with his Mind Lamp, summonable with a single thought. Rumble! Qin Ming exerted tremendous strength and hurled his massive hammer forward. Mid-flight, it was steered by the immortal lotus, hurtling toward the dazzling Mind Lamp and pestle. Sparks scattered in all directions as the pestle roared. Locked against the ink-jade hammer, both erupted with blazing divine radiance, sending out tier upon tier of wavelike energy that surged like crashing billows striking the sky. Crack! The eerie blue pestle tumbled from the brilliant firelight, cleanly fractured in two. The ink-jade hammer was also covered in fine cracks. One could only imagine how horrifying the explosive force from both sides had been; two weapons of jade-iron grade were heavily damaged. With a whoosh, the immortal lotus Qin Ming had unleashed returned with the ink-jade hammer. The brilliant blossom dissolved back into consciousness and heavenly light, sinking into his body. Sun Chengjun stared at the two broken weapons on the ground. One was his, and so was the other. Both his pudao and his blue-iron pestle had been snapped by his opponent. For a moment, the two locked eyes. Sun Chengjun used the pause to cool his boiling blood; had the high-intensity combat continued for another three breaths, he suspected he would have marched straight toward his own destruction. Qin Ming's gaze was profound as he scrutinized his foe. Thoughts turned repeatedly in his mind as he pondered his earlier questions, yet he made no move to devour or assimilate the other man's essence of heavenly light. This was hardly the setting for such an act. If exposed, such a deed would inevitably trigger a tremendous storm, one he could not afford to weather right now! However, if the lineage of Past Rulai came looking for trouble with him in the future and he encountered this man in private, there would be no need for courtesy. Sun Chengjun stood motionless, applying his Hunyuan art to rapidly bring down his temperature. As his scalding blood gradually cooled, he finally let out a long breath. He could not help but frown, noticing the strange look in the youth's eyes. Why did he have that kind of expression? For a fleeting moment, when Qin Ming looked at him, it felt as though he were staring at a stalk of heavenly light medicinal herb. Sun Chengjun took a deep breath. Under the state of Golden Body Permanently Fixed, his flesh had turned golden, radiating thick heavenly light. He had no intention of backing down; he meant to fight with his physical body. This was his final shred of obstinacy. If he could not defeat the youth before him, he would never overcome the barrier in his heart. A glorious peerless talent of the fourth realm, having mastered Hunyuan force capable of striking above his station—if he tasted defeat here, how could he show his face in the world again? Suddenly, wrapped in vast amounts of golden light, he crossed dozens of yards in a single stride, lunging toward Qin Ming while unleashing the supreme art of the Bodhi Palm. Qin Ming showed no fear. He resolved to shatter this man's heavenly light with unyielding force, crushing his conviction like dry weeds and rotten wood. It was time to bring this battle to a close. Dark light surged around Qin Ming, and a terrifying aura rose into the sky. Behind him, a colossal black shadow manifested, mirroring his movements as it hurled a punch alongside him. Qin Ming drove the Upright Ape Demon Fist with Hunyuan force, utterly ferocious and violent, like an archaic divine ape reviving to kick down the Hall of Lingxiao and shatter the firmament with a single blow. Before Sun Chengjun's palm, a massive Bodhi tree materialized, bearing a heavy Dao rhythm as it followed his right hand down to suppress his opponent. Yet his Bodhi Palm was stopped in its tracks. And with a thunderous roar, the lush green Bodhi tree exploded, torn to shreds by that divine ape. Sun Chengjun's expression turned grave. The solemn toll of a bell echoed from him as he raised a golden curtain of light. His protective heavenly light surged upward, materializing into a massive golden bell inscribed with dense runes, hurtling toward his opponent. With a calm demeanor, Qin Ming formed a fist with his left hand and an open palm with his right—one pitch-black as ink, the other pure white as jade. Channeling the Black-White Classic through his Hunyuan force, he unleashed the Taiyin Fist and the Taiyang Palm. In an instant, black and white particles surged like a torrent, blasting out from his fist and palm into the golden bell. The so-called imperishable bell was riddled with countless holes by the stream of black and white particles, then shattered into pieces, disintegrating with a tremendous crash. Sun Chengjun spat two large mouthfuls of blood. Furthermore, hidden wounds on his body could no longer be concealed; for instance, the saber wound on his arm from earlier broke open, spraying blood. Agonizing pain tore through his internal organs next, and blood seeped outward through his pores. Unwilling and enraged, he formed the Dhyana Seal, pressing his hands together. Endless golden mist surged forth like bursting river dams, unleashing a torrential wave of Hunyuan heavenly light. Qin Ming's expression turned cold. His hands traced the empty air, drawing invisible geomagnetic field lines that wove through the heavenly light. Driving the Geomagnetic Classic with Hunyuan force, his fist-radiance resembled dense rays of light, punching straight through the other man's Dhyana Seal. "Ah...!" Sun Chengjun screamed. His hands were mangled and bloody, the golden mist he had struck out with collapsed, and he was hurled backward across a great distance, mouth full of bloody foam. Silence fell over the surroundings. Countless people from Kunling City had rushed to Shanhe Academy, witnessing firsthand the successor of Past Rulai's lineage suffer grievous injuries at Qin Ming's hands. Around Qin Ming, a spirit field expanded, rippling outward like ripples, surging like luminous waves, and weaving like tangible magnetic field lines. Sun Chengjun shuddered violently. What was he seeing? Within that spirit field, the rumored Great Thunder Sound Temple... was covered in mushrooms. Of course, Qin Ming's hallucinatory phenomenon targeted only his mental domain; ordinary people could not see the divine mushrooms, only catching sight of the Sumeru field. "Mind Lamp hanging high, dispel the illusory! Hunyuan immortal fire, burn and purify the world!" Sun Chengjun used his Mind Lamp to resist the hallucinatory spectacle. Bringing forth towering flames, he formed a Sky-Burning spirit field to purify all things, surging violently forward. Boom! Qin Ming charged straight through. With his Sumeru field overlaid onto the Heavenly Demon force field, amplified by the drive of Hunyuan force, the resonance of his spirit field and heavenly light unleashed truly terrifying power. Sun Chengjun was chilled to the bone. His Sky-Burning spirit field was torn apart, the towering flames meant to purify his opponent instantly extinguished, and a sharp pain flared across his chest as the crisp crack of fracturing bone rang out. Then the world spun. He flew backward over a hundred meters, with at least five ribs and his sternum shattered, while a hole punched cleanly through his torso from front to back. A great clamor erupted within Shanhe Academy. Was the esteemed disciple of Past Rulai's lineage truly about to suffer such a crushing, bloody defeat? "Ah...!" Sun Chengjun roared as his spirit field manifested anew. This time, he deployed the Past Rulai Field. In a daze, various phenomena of the past seemed to resurface from the depths of time, pressing down toward his opponent. Qin Ming soared through the air, and what followed was even more staggering: he tore through the Past Rulai Field with his bare hands, displaying strength that left Sun Chengjun shaken and despairing! At this moment, Qin Ming was running the Scripture of Harmonizing Body and Dao. His purely physical might rivaled the deployment of heavenly light. Without the slightest ripple or hesitation, he obliterated his opponent's supreme spirit field; every phenomenon and the hazy silhouette of Past Rulai were snuffed out the instant his fist came crashing down. He tore forward with both hands, causing the Past Rulai Field to collapse and blow apart. Sun Chengjun was drenched in blood, dense cracks covering the surface of his body as he narrowly escaped bursting into pieces on the spot. Qin Ming stepped forward unhurriedly, composed and tranquil. Sun Chengjun felt an invisible, crushing pressure. With a thud, he sank to one knee, trembling inside, suppressed until he could not move an inch. Qin Ming stepped up before him, placing a hand atop his head and looking down at him, causing his skull to emit a faint cracking sound. Far away, within the grand hall of Past Rulai's lineage, an aged voice spoke: "Counting the time, Qin Ming should be arriving soon, shouldn't he? Ah, the letter should have reached the Six Imperials ancestral court by now as well. We need only await the newly reborn Lu Zizai." Below, someone reported in a low murmur, "Lu Zizai may have already left Night Province." "No matter. He will come to the Past Rulai Hall."