The Qingyang Great Handprint!
This spell might have numerous shortcomings, such as lacking concentrated potency and being easily countered by water- and earth-attribute treasures.
Yet for Luo Chen, it was his absolute favorite art.
In his hands, it could be cast instantaneously. He had grown so thoroughly acquainted with every hand seal, incantation, and release of magic power that they had become second nature.
Consequently, whenever he engaged in an unfamiliar battle, his habit was to open with a Great Handprint to test his opponent's mettle.
Because it was typically used as a probe, the spell's full power had rarely been unleashed.
Until now. With prior preparation and without anyone to interfere, Luo Chen had completed his very first full buildup of momentum since attaining the Nascent Soul realm!
Merely during the accumulation process high in the empyrean, its might had already reached the level of a mid Nascent Soul cultivator's full-strength strike.
That was why it had drawn Jinling's sidelong glance and provoked Commander Qixi's shock and fury.
And now!
As Luo Chen released the fully charged Qingyang Great Handprint, its ability to subjugate the ambient spiritual qi between heaven and earth and bend it to his will was put on full display.
Descending from the highest heavens, it plummeted into the vast domain.
Every scrap of spiritual qi along its trajectory was drawn into its mass.
The azure handprint swept forward, accompanied by deafening thunders like clashing gongs and war drums. Wherever the eye could see, mountain ranges collapsed and giant waves battered the shores.
The surging magic power fused with spiritual qi within the palm print was no longer bound by Luo Chen. Like a wild horse unbridled or a bursting reservoir flood, it tore forward in a mighty torrent, showing not the slightest hint of slowing.
Wherever it passed, nothing could block it, and no one could stand in its way.
The clash where two Demon Sovereigns encircled True Person Jinling happened to lie right in the path of this gigantic charging palm, yet as the great handprint came howling toward them, they were forced to scramble aside.
In terror, their gazes followed the handprint as it hurtled eastward.
Towering mountains crumbled into powder along its way; mighty rivers were severed in their tracks; and countless demon beasts in the ranks of the advancing army burst into clouds of blood the instant it brushed past.
*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!*
The thunderous reverberations echoed for who knew how long.
Nor could anyone tell how many tens of thousands of li the azure palm had traversed.
Its vast momentum resembled a natural cataclysm wrought by heaven and earth, showing almost no sign of subsiding.
Not until a crimson screen of light unfurled across the distance.
It was the Twelve Divine Baleful Array of Dutian laid down earlier by Castellan Lingtian!
Once deployed, no one had managed to breach this grand array except Commander Qixi, the Great Demon Sovereign whose strength rivaled a late Nascent Soul cultivator and who had forced his way out.
Before everyone's eyes, the thousand-fathom palm print—rising as tall as the vault of heaven—slammed resoundingly into the crimson light barrier.
*Buzz...*
A strange hum resonated, and the light screen trembled without cease.
It was as if the grand array itself could scarcely bear the brunt of this single strike.
*Flutter! Flutter! Flutter!*
Three Dutian array flags nearest the impact flapped violently.
Buffeted by such immense force, the Qingyang Great Handprint finally ran out of momentum.
With a deafening crash, the massive hand shattered into pieces!
Countless boulders, river water, trees, and demon beast carcasses swept up in its wake now rained down in a sprawling deluge.
Yet riding the explosive momentum of its shattering, a trace of residual palm force forcibly breached the array's light screen and sailed outward.
*Boom!*
Beyond the reach of ordinary vision, crossing past the Blade Dominance Domain and reaching the adjacent Bikong Region, a towering peak that had stood for tens of millions of years took the full brunt of this remnant force.
Five colossal finger impressions were gouged deep into the cliff face.
***
Within the Blade Dominance Domain.
Above the massive rift once carved out by a single blade strike, Luo Chen stood upon a jagged boulder, allowing the gale to whip his robes into a frenzy.
The indifferent expression he had worn earlier now turned somewhat subtle.
A fully charged Qingyang Great Handprint, undisturbed by any outside disruption, could actually grow to such a staggering magnitude!
The power of that palm had ultimately managed to temporarily breach the Twelve Divine Baleful Array of Dutian.
This meant that, at that single moment, the Qingyang Great Handprint possessed the destructive capacity of a late Nascent Soul great cultivator's strike!
This was an unexpected pleasant surprise.
Even Luo Chen had not anticipated it.
He had known since his lower cultivation days that fusion spells were potent, but for it to reach such an earth-shattering degree was truly shocking.
Naturally, Luo Chen also recognized the spell's flaw.
After unrestrainedly commandeering a massive sea of natural spiritual qi, the proportion of his own magic power within the spell grew increasingly minute. By the end, even he, the caster, lost all control over it.
He could only let it surge uncontrollably forward.
*Though its power is immense, I must not grow dependent on it in the future. After all, it has far too many drawbacks.*
*Still, as things stand, it has more than served its purpose in establishing dominance and deterring the enemy!*
Looking across several thousand li, he saw that wherever the palm print had plowed across the earth, it had carved out a massive trench a hundred fathoms deep, hundreds of fathoms wide, and stretching endlessly into the distance. It was inundated with rivers of blood, all shed by demon beasts.
As the blood flowed and collected, it formed what looked like a crimson river.
With this single strike alone, over a million low-tier demon beasts had been exterminated!
Glancing around, Luo Chen saw that the battles between the Nascent Soul experts had instinctively drifted away from his location. Evidently, they were wary of that palm's devastating might and wished to avoid being swept up in it.
"So, who is my opponent?"
Luo Chen's sharp gaze swept over each battlefield in turn.
The one involving the greatest number of combatants was undoubtedly Daoist Tieguan's.
He stood atop a massive Daoist temple forged of dark iron, iron ruler in hand, locked in fierce combat against a bare-chested brawny man.
On the ground below, tens of thousands of demon beasts—countless in number—surged toward him from all directions.
At some point, two stone statues within the Daoist temple had transformed into guardian divine beasts.
A tortoise and a serpent firmly protected the perimeter around Daoist Tieguan.
*It looks intense, but Daoist Tieguan seems completely at ease. He shouldn't have any trouble.*
Next was the most dazzling and eye-catching battlefield.
In the sky, ribbons of nine-colored light formed a colossal river, cutting off the inside from the outside.
Thunder clapped and lightning flashed incessantly within, accompanied by occasional furious roars.
Massive black wings spanning the sky even tried to break free, only to be yanked back into the river by the nine-colored ribbons.
Luo Chen saw it with crystal clarity: that nine-colored river of light was formed entirely of the purest magic power!
*To think Sovereign Jiuling's grand technique holds such boundless might. Even the Thunder Prison Divine Roc, which once survived a fierce battle against that old scoundrel Shenyuan, has been trapped by it and forced onto the defensive.*
*No wonder he craved the Jiuli Pill so desperately. When it comes to profound subtlety, such a grand art might not match divine abilities, but in sheer destructive force, it truly feels peerless!*
*I wonder if I will possess such awe-inspiring might once I refine a hundred strands of Crimson Firmament Sword Qi.*
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen turned his gaze toward the most perilous engagement.
Unlike Daoist Tieguan's effortless ease or Sovereign Jiuling's commanding advantage, this battle was fraught with lethal peril at every turn.
True Person Jinling was fighting two against one!
He had already drawn two of his fabled three natal golden plumes.
Facing the pincer attack of two Demon Sovereigns, True Person Jinling waved the plumes in his hands, casting dazzling golden rays that were blinding to behold.
Yet the two Demon Sovereigns fought with desperate abandon, keeping True Person Jinling scrambling to defend himself. A metal-attribute shield guarding his body had already been battered with visible dents.
*Tactically speaking, I should go assist him.*
*However...*
Luo Chen glanced at the remaining two battlefields.
Pavilion Master Li, solitary with his sword, was pursuing an early fourth-tier Demon Sovereign.
Elder Fu was seated cross-legged in midair, hurling talismans one after another, yet agony was already etched across his face.
Faintly, the persistent droning of cicadas could be heard, irritating the spirit.
*Compared to Jinling, helping Elder Fu is the better choice!*
Just as Luo Chen made up his mind and prepared to intervene, he suddenly looked down at his feet.
*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...*
The originally solid rock was melting away in a bizarre fashion.
A foul, pungent stench assaulted his nostrils.
"Poison!"
Abruptly, the light faded, and darkness descended.
Luo Chen lost his footing and plunged into the great canyon.
This phenomenon bore an uncanny resemblance to the reputed methods of a certain demon beast.
*A Wuguang Beast?*
Luo Chen smiled faintly. With a flick of his right wrist, the blood sword landed in his grasp.
"I hear you survived a strike from Castellan Lingtian's Four Directions Mysterious Sword, Fellow Daoist, which proves your capabilities are no trifling matter. Seeking me out now, you must be brimming with confidence!"
As he spoke, he spread his magic power shield.
The Xuanchen Armor responded to his will, encasing his entire body and leaving only a pair of brilliantly gleaming eyes exposed.
*Rustle, rustle, rustle...*
Subtle sounds emerged from the darkness.
Then came a flurry of sharp piercing noises.
Luo Chen's magic power shield was riddled with holes in an instant, as if struck by countless projectiles.
Focusing his gaze, he saw flying needle weapons.
Each one gleamed with a sinister, sickly blue-green hue, evidently coated in some lethal poison.
Without hesitation, he held a Purple Qi Poison Ward Pill in his mouth just in case.
The flying needles pierced through his magic power shield and struck Luo Chen's body.
A cascade of metallic clinks followed.
A defensive treasure at the true artifact rank was not so easily breached!
A soft gasp of surprise drifted from the darkness.
Then, a gentle woman's voice resonated:
"I have long heard of the Alchemy Grandmaster's renown. After witnessing the majesty of that palm earlier, I felt even greater trepidation. With my meager skills, let alone killing you, I doubt I could even hold out for thirty to fifty exchanges in a direct clash."
Luo Chen chuckled. "In that case, why exhaust your magic power just to trap me here?"
Wuguang sighed softly. "Merely doing my utmost. In today's battle, you all clearly came prepared, leaving us like turtles caught in a jar. Looking at your cultivation bases, each of you outmatches us, and you clearly harbor the intent to eradicate us. I am merely struggling at death's door!"
Holding the blood sword, Luo Chen braved the relentless deluge of poison needles and began flying at top speed.
Yet no matter how far he flew, the gloom continued to envelop him.
This phenomenon was exceedingly bizarre.
He had no idea when his opponent had laid down this trap, causing him to fall into it unwittingly.
On the surface, however, Luo Chen remained completely calm, continuing to converse with her.
"Fellow Daoist Wuguang, your death is imminent. Why not surrender where you stand? I possess a benevolent heart; if you are willing to submit, I can take you as my mount. When I achieve the Soul Formation realm and ascend in the future, you will naturally share in the glory."
"This..."
Within the darkness, Wuguang fell into contemplative hesitation.
Even the barrage of flying needles slowed considerably.
"No!" Luo Chen shook his head, raising the blood sword slightly. "You are stalling for time!"
"Heh, the Alchemy Grandmaster is indeed extraordinary, seeing through my little ploy in an instant."
Wuguang's soft chuckle rang out. Though not loud, it set the dark shroud vibrating continuously.
"Today's dire predicament is not entirely inescapable!"
"And how do you propose to escape?"
"If Commander Qixi slays Castellan Lingtian, it will be broken. The grand array suppressing the Blade Dominance Domain cannot last indefinitely; once it collapses, we can flee far and wide, which will also resolve this crisis. Lastly, do you truly believe the Huangman division will sit idly by and watch us be annihilated?"
"So in the end, your life and death rest in the hands of others?"
"Hmph! Do you truly think this Sovereign fears you?"
The dark curtain abruptly ceased its vibrations, and a piercing shriek rang out.
A sharp sense of danger flared within Luo Chen's heart.
Without hesitation, he thrust out a palm.
It was the Qingyang Great Handprint once again!
Hidden in the shadows, Wuguang's pupils contracted at the sight of the palm print, but beneath her attack, the print shattered instantly.
*So it was just an empty facade?*
*Then how will this renowned Alchemy Grandmaster withstand the full-strength blow she has been preparing in secret?*
*Rip!*
The Qingyang Great Handprint was shattered.
The Sevenfold Blazing Heaven Rings were breached once more!
Even the external qi mantle of the Xuanchen Armor failed to impede it in the slightest!
At last, the ambushing weapon became visible to the naked eye.
It was a curved stinger, resembling the barbed tail of a scorpion.
The stinger radiated a chilling glow, dazzling even within the pitch-black void, and had closed to within three feet of Luo Chen.
Luo Chen's eyes narrowed. Under Wuguang's incredulous gaze, his hand shot out to snatch it.
*Snap!*
The stinger was seized in his gauntleted hand, and the true artifact-grade Xuanchen Armor immediately began to melt away.
Yet at that exact instant, Luo Chen's eyes snapped wide, spiritual light erupting from his pupils like twin pillars of luminescence sweeping across the endless gloom.
"Got you!"
Luo Chen strode forward!
*Boom!*
The void roared. Shifting his form, he materialized in an empty stretch of air, the blood sword in his hand cleaving downward in a ferocious slash.
*Riiiip...*
With a sharp tearing sound, the shroud of darkness shattered.
A frail figure was sent tumbling backward. Crashing into the craggy rocks, she reverted to her grotesque true form and prepared to flee in panic.
Decisive indeed!
Staring at the bizarre beast—its upper body resembling a bat and its lower body akin to a scorpion—Luo Chen flashed a ferocious grin.
"You won't get away!"
He stomped his foot, and deep within the canyon, a small cauldron spun furiously, expanding rapidly.
If the Wuguang Beast could stall for time to muster a full-strength strike, Luo Chen was hardly an inexperienced novice; he had long since released the Hunyuan Cauldron to seal this battlefield!
Nine crimson chains shot into the sky from the canyon, lashing out to bind the Wuguang Beast's true form.
The hideous beast darted left and right, struggling frantically to escape the chains' grasp.
Yet another suppressive force of identical origin arose within the canyon, slowing her movements to a crawl.
*Clang! Clang! Clang...*
In nine successive snaps, the chains conjured by the Hunyuan Cauldron bound her securely. Reinforced with magic power, they hauled her back toward Luo Chen.
Staring at the white-robed Daoist tearing through the air with blood sword in hand, the Wuguang Beast's eyes filled with sheer terror.
"Fellow Daoist, I surrender—"
"Too late!"
In a flash of light, the blood sword slipped from his grasp and drove straight into the center of the Wuguang Beast's chest.
In an instant, her violet mansion was pierced, and her Nascent Soul was pinned fast by the great sword.
A look of venomous malice surfaced in the Wuguang Beast's eyes. "If I hadn't been grievously injured during the battle at Lingtian Pass, how could you have pinpointed my true form so easily? Since you refuse my surrender, then let us die together!"
Her abdomen swelled, and her Nascent Soul began radiating intense spiritual light.
"Trying to self-detonate your Nascent Soul?"
Luo Chen sneered disdainfully, forming a hand seal with his right hand.
The crimson chains binding her body surged through the fissure in the violet mansion pierced by the Yuantu Sword, latching directly onto the Nascent Soul.
Instantly, her boundless magic power was clamped tight, like a serpent seized by its vitals, unable to vent a single drop.
Only now was the demon thoroughly stripped of all resistance.
If word of this scene spread, it would surely cause a massive uproar.
Among Nascent Soul experts, deciding victory was relatively easy, and even killing an opponent was somewhat plausible, but capturing a peer alive as Luo Chen had done was utterly unheard of.
Luo Chen drifted down and nodded slightly as he looked at the terrified Wuguang Beast.
While such a beast might be mediocre in head-on combat, acting as support—generating a shroud of darkness to blind the enemy's vision during battle—she would be exceptionally useful.
Had his own eyes not been nourished with secret medicines since his youth, complemented by extensive study of illusions and soul arts, an ordinary cultivator would never have seen through her concealment technique.
"Now, are you willing to submit to me?"
Despair painted the Wuguang Beast's face. She cast a glance toward the empyrean and closed her eyes in resignation.
"I am willing—*ahhh!*"
Before the words could fully leave her mouth, a shrill scream tore from her throat.
Luo Chen's expression shifted drastically. Instantly realizing what was happening, he moved to recall the blood-colored great sword lodged in her chest.
Yet a resolute will of defiance transmitted from the blade.
Luo Chen hesitated.
It was the will of the Yuantu Sword spirit sealed within the third layer.
With his current degree of refinement over the sword, he could indeed forcibly recall it if he so chose.
Yet when weighed between subduing a demon beast and earning the acknowledgment of the Yuantu Sword spirit, Luo Chen ultimately chose the latter.
"Never mind!"
Luo Chen sighed. The shrill cries of the Wuguang Beast gradually faded beside his ears as he watched her Nascent Soul and entire body of blood swallowed whole by the Yuantu Sword.
When the lifeless husk of the Wuguang Beast plummeted into the canyon, the Yuantu Sword, gorged on demon blood, soared into the sky and hovered before Luo Chen, humming violently.
This sight dredged up a deep-seated memory in his mind.
Back in the ruins of Lengguang Island, Blood Nightmare Moluo had used this very sword to wound his tough physique, drawing no small amount of blood.
At the time, Blood Nightmare Moluo had commented, "It seems to really like your blood!"
Luo Chen had assumed it was merely casual banter during combat, intended to intimidate and erode an enemy's fighting spirit.
Looking at it now, this sword truly seemed to relish drinking blood.
A sudden thought struck Luo Chen:
*All this time, I have been unable to refine the sword spirit, and even my persistent cultivation of the Thousand Firmament Sword Scripture has only marginally deepened my connection with it... If I feed the sword spirit with my own blood essence, would it become willing to serve me completely?*
As if sensing Luo Chen's thought, the Yuantu Sword hummed with even greater frenzy, its tip deliberately aligning itself with Luo Chen's heart.
The blood grooves along the blade gleamed with an eerie crimson light.
Seeing the sword point aimed at him, anger flashed across Luo Chen's face.
"Insolent!"
The thought of nourishing the sword spirit with his own blood essence was instantly dismissed.
A cultivator's blood essence was the crystallization of their lifelong cultivation.
Even though Luo Chen practiced the Ancient Desolate body refinement art, granting him several times the blood essence of ordinary cultivators, it was hardly something to squander on feeding a sword spirit.
Especially in the current circumstances, how could he justify regressing in strength?
Grasping the hilt, Luo Chen drifted upward from the depths of the canyon, his gaze fixing on the fierce battlefields in the distance and the innumerable demon beast legions.
*Though I know not why the Yuantu Sword spirit is so bloodthirsty, I have at least discovered the general direction for refining it.*
*My blood essence is far too precious to part with lightly.*
*But what about these beasts?*
With Luo Chen at the epicenter, a towering murderous aura surged forth, rippling out toward every corner of the battlefield!
Chapter 819