Draining Heaven and Earth to Nourish Oneself

The Spirit Wood Body finally manifested! Even amid the towering ancient trees, Qin Sang did not appear small in the least. As he pushed himself up from the ground, the surrounding Wood Spirit Qi was drawn to the Spirit Wood Body, surging forth like rolling waves. It condensed around Qin Sang into a near-solid emerald cloud, forming a ceaselessly spinning vortex centered upon him. The aura of the Spirit Wood Body merged seamlessly into the jungle. With every spin of the vortex, a continuous stream of Wood Spirit Qi sank into the Spirit Wood Body, devoured by Qin Sang. In the blink of an eye, the vitality and essence he had lost—having already begun to show signs of defeat—rapidly recovered. At this sight, Marquis Li's expression shifted, shock surfacing in his eyes. Only now did he understand why Qin Sang had not fled and had instead chosen this place to fight him to the death. Draining Heaven and Earth to nourish oneself. To draw power that did not inherently belong to oneself directly from Heaven and Earth to replenish one's own deficits—this was a divine ability exclusive to Grand Real Persons of the Five Talismans Law Rank and demon kings! Among Dongxuan Real Persons and demon marquises, only those endowed with heaven-defying talent, or those who had reached the pinnacle of their cultivation and contemplated it for years, might touch its threshold and comprehend the barest surface. Looking across the Daoist Court and Guifang Country, such individuals were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns, every single one of them a supreme powerhouse. This man was only in the early Dongxuan stage, yet he had actually comprehended such a heaven-defying divine ability! After that brief shock, Marquis Li regained his composure, not frightened off by Qin Sang. This was an ability that should not belong to a Dongxuan Real Person; forcibly casting it could not come without a price. The simplest truth was that swallowing external power whole into one's body without refining it might allow for forced utilization, but it would inevitably harbor latent hazards, induce chaos, and could even batter one's own Dao foundation. Once it exceeded the threshold of what one could endure, one's physical body could collapse on the spot. Even the apex figures in the Dongxuan Law Rank who were well-versed in such arts dared not use them recklessly; one's endurance had its limits. Marquis Li had guessed correctly. In truth, the *Acquired Wood Figurine Stele* did indeed harbor numerous hidden perils and limitations. This secret technique could only absorb Wood Spirit Qi from plants and trees. In other environments, many of its abilities were constrained, and the Spirit Wood Body served merely to temper Qin Sang's physical body. Because Wood Spirit Qi carried vibrant lifeforce, and a precious spirit plant of the world was used as a spiritual medium, the harm inflicted upon the caster was somewhat lessened, allowing late Nascent Soul cultivators to barely manage its use. Yet drawing in Wood Spirit Qi still imposed a heavy burden on the practitioner. Back then, even if Qin Sang had not burned Bingyi Palace, the scar-faced man would only have dared to cautiously absorb a fraction of Wood Spirit Qi into his body to slowly replenish himself. Regrettably, Marquis Li did not know that Qin Sang's spiritual medium was the Dao Manifestation Tree, which surpassed even the legendary Ten Great Divine Woods. Qin Sang did feel pressure, but for now it was far from becoming an unbearable burden, meaning he could sustain this state for much longer! "Unless you can destroy this entire jungle, this poor Daoist already stands invincible. Does Marquis Li still wish to fight to the death?" An astonishing aura erupted from within Qin Sang. Here, the jungle and the earth were real, yet this was no ordinary jungle. The places ravaged by their battle just now were already sprouting saplings from the earth, growing at an alarming speed. This place differed from Bingyi Palace. Even if Marquis Li's innate divine ability was potent enough to turn this entire space into a quagmire, it could not destroy the jungle. The Wood Spirit Qi was practically limitless. Yet to Marquis Li's ears, those words sounded somewhat blustering and hollow. He sneered, "This Marquis indeed underestimated you! But how many times can you pull this off?" Qin Sang's gaze hardened. He thrust his long arms forward, his branch-like, desiccated hands overlapping. A staggering surge of power burst forth—thunder cracked in the void, and wild winds raged like a dragon, charging ahead with an unmatched momentum. With a deafening boom, the phantom of a badger materialized within the gale, its slender claws reaching forward to clash with Qin Sang's palm across the empty air. Neither side made direct physical contact, but the shockwave generated by the collision detonated between them. Centered upon them, the surrounding vegetation was ripped up by the roots, pulverized into dust in midair, while deep fissures spiderwebbed across the earth. Knowing when to stop, Qin Sang resolved not to engage in a reckless brawl; he retracted his palms and retreated. Marquis Li did not pursue closely. His eyes narrowed slightly; from that strike just now, he could clearly sense that Qin Sang had grown stronger once again. The Spirit Wood Body not only aided his recovery, but also elevated his combat prowess. Formidable defense, a bizarre Spirit Wood Body, along with remarkable escape arts and combat instincts—an early Dongxuan demon marquis would likely be no match for him. Were they outside, unless he was certain this man was isolated, Marquis Li would not want to provoke such a troublesome foe either. However, this was not enough to make Marquis Li back down. Marquis Li was convinced that Qin Sang could not sustain this state for long. Glancing up at the sky wall, he could still see faint gold intermingled within the cyan expanse, indicating that the golden light had not yet begun to recede. The man clearly wanted to use this divine ability to stall for time, but that was futile. As long as the golden light remained, he could only pray that human cultivators happened to pass by. Adopting the Spirit Wood Body meant the man had trapped himself within this jungle space, with nowhere else to go. He could easily continue to skirmish with the man, leveraging his superior cultivation to wear him down. In Marquis Li's eyes, no matter how powerful the Spirit Wood Body was, it was merely a living target, whereas he could advance and retreat as he pleased. In a flash of thought, Marquis Li was already upon Qin Sang. Though Qin Sang appeared cumbersome in his Spirit Wood Body, he was remarkably agile. His arms swept like dragons, striking in sweeping, expansive motions. Compared to Qin Sang, Marquis Li's frame appeared even more diminutive. His figure flickered like wind around Qin Sang, every attack vicious and cunning. Looking down from above, one would see an ancient tree-turned-spirit sprinting frantically across the earth, while a small, squirrel-like beast darted up and down, chasing the ancient tree at a furious pace despite their stark difference in size. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Collision after collision shook the entire jungle. Executing the *Seven Master Buddha Seals* through the Spirit Wood Body enhanced their power. Even when occasionally grazed by Marquis Li's sharp claws, Qin Sang did his utmost to dodge vital points; nourished by the soaking Wood Spirit Qi, his bark-like skin rapidly knit together, quickly returning to normal. *Poof!* An ancient tree instantly withered. Just as Qin Sang leaped out from its trunk, a black silhouette burst from the ground. Marquis Li was right on his heels. Qin Sang leaped into the air, evading the assault. At first, Qin Sang made use of the Spirit Wood Body's abilities to shift between the ancient trees, managing to temporarily shake off Marquis Li. After several attempts, Marquis Li formulated a countermeasure. He burrowed underground, accurately deducing Qin Sang's destination each time, emerging through Earth Escape to harry him relentlessly. Yet because Qin Sang consistently avoided fighting, his energy depleted far slower than Marquis Li had anticipated. He snorted in anger, his eyes widening as his eyeballs turned pitch-black, a whirlwind seemingly swirling deep within his pupils. *Rumble...* The ancient trees on the ground suddenly shot up wildly. A closer look revealed that the trees were not growing taller; rather, the entire ground was being hoisted upward, conjuring a towering peak out of thin air in the void. *Crack!* The ground shattered, breaking into countless clods of earth of various sizes. Simultaneously, a fierce gale arose in the sky. This was no ordinary wind; as it swept over the clods, wind and earth instantly fused into one, transforming into a roiling black storm cloud high above, rumbling with muffled thunder. Qin Sang glanced up and saw black spheres of light forming within the dark cloud. Though he did not know what they were, he instinctively sensed danger and surged outward with all his might. Yet the dark cloud moved with astonishing speed, remaining hovered directly over his head. *Whoosh, whoosh...* As the spheres finished coalescing, they shot down from the cloud. In an instant, more than a dozen human-head-sized spheres hurtled toward Qin Sang. Wind and thunder seemed to clash within the abyssal orbs, radiating an intensely violent aura. Meanwhile, Marquis Li's true body continued to circle Qin Sang, running him ragged. With danger mounting, warning bells blared in Qin Sang's mind. Halting his steps abruptly, he unleashed a palm forward with reckless abandon, thrusting two seals out at once. With a resounding bang, he blocked the lethal claw aimed at his throat, simultaneously executing Thunder Escape to shift sideways. To his surprise, the orbs chased him as if drawn by a magnet. Unable to dodge, Qin Sang hastily threw punches to parry. *Boom!* A dark light bloomed before Qin Sang's fist. Thunder shook the heavens as it erupted into arcs of black lightning. Only now could he see clearly that the spheres were balls of lightning. Marquis Li sneered. This was precisely the Xun Earth Demon Thunder he had comprehended from his bloodline divine abilities. It possessed fearsome might, and once an opponent was locked on by the demon thunder, evasion was virtually impossible; they could only take it head-on. Thereafter, the dark cloud remained locked onto Qin Sang. The dark cloud resembled a tribulation cloud pursuing a tree spirit, unleashing an endless barrage of thunder orbs. Not only did Qin Sang have to watch out for the elusive Marquis Li, but he also had to endure the furious bombardment of the Xun Earth Demon Thunder. As he sprinted, his figure swayed and stumbled, cutting a thoroughly pathetic figure. This was exactly what Marquis Li wanted to see. Faced with Marquis Li pressing in step by step, Qin Sang continually flashed between the ancient trees using the power of the Spirit Wood Body. Regrettably, it yielded little result; the Xun Earth Demon Thunder would not stop until it struck its target, rendering evasion futile. Left with no choice, he could only circulate his defensive divine abilities to endure it directly. Qin Sang absorbed the jungle's Wood Spirit Qi, recovering rapidly, but his energy was consumed just as fast. Before long, Marquis Li, who had been closely watching Qin Sang, noticed a change in him, his eyes brightening slightly. The momentum of absorbing Wood Spirit Qi was no longer as grand as before, and the speed of recovery had slowed! His suspicion was confirmed. Marquis Li burst into hearty laughter. With a flicker of his figure, stone armor encased his body, transforming him into a stone beast comparable in size to Qin Sang, planting his feet firmly upon the earth as well. An earth-shattering battle unfolded. Had mortal eyes witnessed this, they would have thought two monstrous beasts were locked in a desperate death struggle. Two Deity Transformation powerhouses had actually engaged in sheer close-quarters brawling, tearing the earth apart. It was not true brawling in the mundane sense. Marquis Li pressed so relentlessly that there was minimal room for maneuvering; before any divine ability could manifest its phenomena, it was smashed apart by the opponent, resulting in an exchange stripped down to raw, primal violence. Billows of dust rose as fallen leaves flew wildly. The dark cloud hung high, relentlessly hurling lightning orbs into the fray to bolster the onslaught. Immune to his own Xun Earth Demon Thunder, Marquis Li attacked with reckless abandon. The fists he hurled at Qin Sang packed such colossal force that even the stone armor on his own arms shattered. Qin Sang dared not let down his guard. Hard-pressed to fend off every attack, he could only jump through the jungle to defuse crisis after crisis. Yet Marquis Li gave him no breathing room whatsoever. The moment the ancient tree Qin Sang selected showed signs of withering, the ground nearby would heave upward, the stone beast following him like a shadow. Gradually, Qin Sang appeared more and more strained, for the restorative effect of the Wood Spirit Qi had degraded, a decline that grew more noticeable by the moment. Just as Marquis Li had anticipated. The more Wood Spirit Qi absorbed, the harsher the shock to oneself, leading to an overall decline across the board. The absorption rate slowed down, and the recovery efficiency worsened. Moreover, as the pressure accumulated, Qin Sang's foundation would be destabilized, his qi and blood circulation impeded, causing his strength to diminish. Marquis Li watched coldly, as if observing a cornered beast struggling in vain. He seemed extraordinarily patient, taking his time, waiting until Qin Sang reached the nadir of weakness before dealing the fatal blow. However, this was merely his pretense. *Boom!* Five lightning orbs shot forward in rapid succession like strung beads. Qin Sang's pupils constricted, and he deftly executed his shifting technique. In the distance, an ancient tree instantly turned yellow and withered, dead leaves rustling down as its lifeforce was stripped away. Qin Sang leaped from the split trunk, only for a massive shadow to pounce right toward him. Not the least bit surprised, he stepped upon a lotus and condensed a seal to meet the enemy. To his surprise, the anticipated clash never came. As the stone beast lunged before Qin Sang, its chest suddenly cracked open, and a translucent spike shot straight toward him. Marquis Li's true body was revealed from within the fissure, a sneer on his face. Waiting for an opponent to sink into extreme weakness before striking for the kill would guarantee success; he understood this, and Qin Sang was surely aware of it as well. If Qin Sang had any trump card left, he would certainly save it for that moment to make a desperate gamble. Qin Sang was a Dongxuan Real Person; Marquis Li had no desire to test the ferocity of a dying counterattack. Thus, he did the opposite, choosing the most improbable moment to strike with lethal force. Now was precisely when Qin Sang's vigilance would be at its lowest! *Whoosh!* The spike moved with terrifying speed, appearing before Qin Sang's chest in an instant, poised to pierce right through him the next moment. At the critical juncture, Qin Sang forcibly twisted his body. Cyan light flashed across him, and a suit of armor suddenly manifested. The armor was merely a magic treasure with nothing remarkable about it. Yet the moment the spike struck the armor, it seemed to encounter immense resistance, halting abruptly in midair. Where the spike struck, the armor melted into water, and it was precisely this incomparably gentle stream of water that blocked it. Marquis Li's eyes went wide with disbelief. Demon cultivators would choose a specific part of their physical bodies to temper ceaselessly, serving as their lifebound magic treasure. He typically used his claws, leading other demon marquises to believe he had chosen his claws. Little did they know that the claws were merely a cover; what he had painstakingly tempered was this very spike. The spike had been forged from the transverse bone in his mouth, honed over countless years to possess extraordinary power. When he joined the forces of this demon king, he had sparred with the foremost demon marquis under the demon king's banner. Back then, he was only in the early Dongxuan stage, yet he had managed to injure that foremost demon marquis with the bone spike. From that point on, his reputation skyrocketed, earning the demon king's high regard. Now the bone spike was even stronger—his ultimate killing move—yet it could not even pierce through a suit of armor! Qin Sang felt a lingering fear as well, having to admit that this bone spike was truly terrifying. Unfortunately for Marquis Li, he had crossed paths with Qin Sang. First, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had accurately caught the trajectory of the bone spike, and then the true treasure fragment had firmly blocked it. *Whoosh!* The spike flew backward. Marquis Li could not help but inspect it, and once he confirmed it was indeed his familiar bone spike, his expression changed completely. Suddenly, Marquis Li transformed into a streak of black light and surged toward the sky, abandoning his ostensibly weakening prey without the slightest hesitation and choosing to retreat. If the opponent had not wanted to prolong the fight, why hadn't he demonstrated his true strength from the outset? Had he seen so many powerful divine abilities and treasures, he certainly would have thought twice before attacking. Evidently, the opponent had other designs! Recalling Qin Sang's earlier actions... Better safe than sorry! Before Marquis Li could break through the sky, a soft shout rang in his ears: "Thinking of leaving only now? Don't you think it's too late?"