Form Cleaving

Pushing open the tall double wooden doors, what met his eyes was a magnificent, resplendent hall. A wool rug embroidered with golden patterns lay on the floor, accompanied by genuine leather sofas painted in gold. The walls were clad in polished, gilded brass plates, upon which hung a massive, three-meter-tall oil painting. Suspended from the ceiling was a chandelier composed of eighteen crystal lotus petals. The bright light poured down, illuminating the luxurious European-style hall, as well as the naked men and women inside. Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept across the room. The first person he saw was the Sixth Elder, an older middle-aged man with somewhat thinning hair. His features appeared flat and thoroughly ordinary, with deep crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. Standing around 1.75 meters tall, he had well-proportioned muscles and no excess flab, though he was not burly or robust like melee classes. From appearances alone, he looked like the most ordinary man in his fifties—if one overlooked his eyes... The Sixth Elder's eyes were filled with violence, lust, excitement, and a multitude of other emotions, intertwining into a maelstrom of emotions. A single glance was enough to make someone dizzy, inflicting tangible mental contamination. At that moment, the Sixth Elder was holding a barbed whip, savagely lashing a woman curled up on a coffee table. The coffee table was square, its four legs cast from brass; it looked very sturdy, certainly tougher than the woman lying on it. *Crack! Crack! Crack!* Every lash produced a crisp snap that set teeth on edge, leaving flesh lacerated across the woman's fair, delicate body. The woman's shrieks intertwined with the crack of the whip, serving as the fountainhead of the Sixth Elder's pleasure. *Even I think this is perverted, but Yi Chuanmei would probably find this place heaven.* Zhang Yuanqing shifted his gaze toward the other women. There were five women in total in the hall. Aside from the one enduring the flogging, a woman knelt in front of the Sixth Elder and another behind him, diligently serving him and bringing him ultimate pleasure. As for the remaining two, one was curled up on a sofa, her fair body covered in bruises as she lay unconscious. The other curled on the carpet, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. *Even a pervert would think this is sick...* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but grumble inwardly. Right now, he was immensely grateful for the Perfect Human Skin's causal substitution function. Otherwise, the loathing, disgust, and killing intent in his heart would have been detected by the Sixth Elder. Even having experienced the Lust Divine General incident, he still found such sadistic sexual abuse intolerable. Just then, the man who had driven him here stepped up to the hall entrance and respectfully announced, "Sixth Elder, Deacon Jing has arrived." With that, he closed the tall double wooden doors. The moment the doors shut, Zhang Yuanqing felt all sounds from the outside world abruptly cut off. *Just a soundproofing array. If only it were a sealing boundary, I could have trapped the dog in the courtyard and beat it,* Zhang Yuanqing thought regretfully. The Sixth Elder halted his whip and turned his head to look over. He raked his gaze over Jing's curvaceous figure, thoroughly pleased with her outfit of ultra-short shorts and an off-the-shoulder T-shirt. He chuckled, "Nice outfit. Ever since we played last time, I knew you were top-tier. You know how to cater to a man's lashings, and you have extraordinary endurance. In my eyes, the way you endure pain is even more entertaining than Yi Chuanmei." Finishing his words, he shoved the woman in front of him aside, turned toward the doorway, and grinned. "Jing, crawl over here. This will be your future." *My name is Yuanshi Tianzun, not Setsuna.* Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the Sixth Elder's thrusting hips, snarking inwardly as he raised a hand and tore off the Perfect Human Skin. Thus, the Sixth Elder, who had been eagerly anticipating Jing's oral skills, saw her suddenly raise a hand, grab her alluring face, and tear forcefully. Like Spider-Man stripping off the symbiote suit, a layer of translucent membrane was ripped off Jing's body. The ravishingly seductive face transformed into a handsome, sunny visage, the heavy breasts turned into firm pectoral muscles, and the long legs under the shorts shifted into powerful thighs comparable to those of a distance runner. *Yuanshi Tianzun?* "Yuanshi Tianzun!" The Sixth Elder was momentarily stunned. Even as an Illusionist, he could not suppress his surprise and bewilderment in this instant. A mere ant at the Saint stage actually dared to appear before him in broad daylight. With the abilities of a Voidwalker, three Mental Strikes would leave Yuanshi Tianzun on the verge of death, and fewer than five would send him back to the Spirit Realm. What gave him the audacity to show up here? "I'm here—to seek vengeance!" Zhang Yuanqing drew a palm-sized bronze tiger from his inventory. It was posed rearing its head in a roar, the tiger's head, spine, and tail forming a sleek, flowing curve. *Roar—* An illusory tiger roar reverberated in the ears of the Sixth Elder and the five Southern Sect Illusionists. Deafening and terrifying, a violent surge of dread exploded in their hearts as though they had encountered their natural predator, causing their muscles to spasm violently. "The Tiger Tally?!" The Sixth Elder's expression changed drastically. Decisively, he activated Dream Traverse—of the thirty-six stratagems, flight was best. In his view, how could a mere Yuanshi Tianzun possibly be worthy of wielding the Tiger Tally? Clearly, Yuanshi Tianzun was merely a vanguard, with top figures lurking behind him. This was a hunt—a targeted assassination organized by the official higher-ups. The Five Elements Alliance's retribution had arrived. Kaleidoscopic dreamscapes surfaced before the Sixth Elder's eyes. He quickly leapt toward one of them, but at that exact moment, Zhang Yuanqing struck a match. "I wish to create a barrier enclosing the villa, through which no one can enter or exit." The flame flared up, consuming the matchstick in an instant. The wish was granted. Just as the Sixth Elder was about to enter the dreamscape, his body dropped out of insubstantiality and solidified once more. He had been blocked by the barrier. Originally, with the rank of the matchbox, it was impossible to restrict a Dominator. The only reason the wish succeeded was because the Tiger Tally had weakened the Sixth Elder. The Tiger Tally possessed many functions; lie detection was merely one of them. Another function was "Intimidation." Intimidation was further divided into three types: spiritual intimidation, tangible intimidation (weakening level), and intimidation against items (weakening functions). Zhang Yuanqing utilized the first and second types. The Tiger Tally had suppressed the Sixth Elder from mid Level 7 down to a weak Level 7, which was why the matchbox's rule-based power took effect. This was the most crucial pillar in Zhang Yuanqing's hunting plan. Without the aid of this demigod-tier item, even if he possessed Dominator-stage items, it would be impossible to kill a Dominator, because even if a Dominator couldn't win, they could always flee. And an Illusionist's escape capabilities were the strongest among the three evil classes; Zhang Yuanqing would have had no means to hold him. *The Tiger Tally's intimidation lasts only one minute. Beyond one minute, the backlash from this demigod-tier item will kill me. I must end this quickly!* Zhang Yuanqing swiftly drew out the Purple Thunder three-piece set. Beyond the toll of using a demigod-tier item, the Tiger Tally's intimidation also restricted Zhang Yuanqing's yin corpses and spirit servants. Intimidation was an area-of-effect skill that made no distinction between friend and foe; only the item's master was immune. This was the price that had to be paid for using the Tiger Tally. Realizing the hall was engulfed by a barrier, the Sixth Elder immediately opened his mouth and emitted a piercing shriek. An Illusionist's signature skill—Mental Strike! Zhang Yuanqing felt as though he had been struck over the head with a wooden club, his soul throbbing with tearing agony. Ignoring the warm blood gushing from his nose, he calmly pressed a finger to his forehead and activated the Blue Face. With the 50% endurance boost, the damage remained, but his tolerance for pain surged exponentially. He swiftly activated the Purple Gold Suit. Purple-gold liquid metal flowed across his skin, forming full-body purple-gold armor. The Sixth Elder continued his relentless shrieking, but his Mental Strike, weakened by over 40%, could no longer threaten Zhang Yuanqing at peak Level 6 with Blue Face active. The Sixth Elder clearly realized this as well. Maintaining the Mental Strike, he reached forward with one hand, clawing through the air as if trying to seize something. He was manipulating Yuanshi Tianzun's emotions; to control an enemy's emotions was to control the enemy. Yet right at that moment, by the entrance, Yuanshi Tianzun held aloft the Tiger Tally in one hand while drawing out a bright yellow bronze pestle with the other, plunging it forcefully into his thigh. The purple-gold armor on that spot quickly dispersed, revealing the fair, muscular flesh beneath. *Pfft!* The sharp three-edged spike sank deep into his thigh muscle. As it seized his essence blood, a burst of blinding golden light erupted. This long-lost sacrifice and pain filled Zhang Yuanqing with nostalgia, as though he had returned to his younger days. The Sixth Elder discovered that the other's soul was bathed in golden light, his emotions hardened like steel and impossible to manipulate. Protected by the divine power of the sun! After his two lethal techniques—Mental Strike and Emotion Manipulation—failed, the Sixth Elder immediately employed dream abilities. Deep whirlpools surfaced in his eyes; dream techniques could not be purified. However, with the soul protected by the divine power of the sun, Zhang Yuanqing's willpower had grown unyielding. Dragging him into a dream would take time. Seizing this brief window, Zhang Yuanqing drew his third core item—the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade—and activated its "Soul Extraction" function. His left hand was coated in thick, pitch-black energy. Raising his hand, he grabbed and yanked toward the Sixth Elder, pulling out an illusory projection that looked identical to him. Next, he switched the short blade's ability to "Soul Cleaving." Pitch-black radiance instantly coated the white face, turning the single-edged blade entirely black. Zhang Yuanqing slashed down upon the Sixth Elder's soul projection. "Ahhh!" The Sixth Elder shrieked, clutching his head as he stumbled backward. His dream-induction skill was broken, and blood poured from his seven facial orifices. He too experienced the agonizing pain of a torn soul. In a mere twenty seconds, across a distance of over ten meters, their first round of clash had concluded. Taking advantage of the severe trauma to the other's soul, Zhang Yuanqing cracked the floor tiles with a stomp and turned into a purple afterimage, charging at the Sixth Elder. The objective of weakening and severely wounding his enemy had been achieved. Next came close combat. Items of the Saint stage had no room to perform here. Even an exceptional item like the Yin-Yang Dial was less efficient than a direct punch thrown while clad in the Purple Gold Suit. The Sixth Elder was merely an Illusionist with a "frail" physique; a few punches would beat him to death, eliminating any need to weaken him with the Yin-Yang Dial. At this moment, forty seconds remained for the Tiger Tally's use. The Sixth Elder had great confidence in his melee combat skills—confidence that he couldn't possibly beat Yuanshi Tianzun. Facing his charging opponent, he retreated while opening his inventory to produce a metal cylinder twenty centimeters in diameter. The cylinder's surface was carved with bright red, sinister runes. This was a hidden weapon of the Bewitching Demon class, capable of firing eight self-guided arrows at once, possessing formidable piercing power designed specifically for armor breaking. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* The short arrows volleyed like a rainstorm, only to be deflected the instant they struck the purple-gold armor. These arrows, which could easily critically wound a Level 6 Saint, failed to leave even a scratch. *Dominator-stage defense?* The Sixth Elder's expression shifted slightly. Without even putting away the metal cylinder, he sprang backward, his body instantly fading into insubstantiality and disappearing. Zhang Yuanqing lunged into empty air, scrutinizing the hall with shock and suspicion. *Fled? Impossible. The Tiger Tally's suppression is still active, so he can't escape the hall. Did he use an invisibility skill? No, that's not right either. I didn't see him bring out an item, and he isn't even wearing clothes, so he couldn't have equipped one in advance...* Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing's gaze fell upon the five unconscious female Illusionists, and realization struck him. The Sixth Elder had hidden inside their dreams. *He knows that at my level, I can't use the Tiger Tally for long. He's stalling for time.* Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill. Without a second thought, he hurled the short blade, piercing through the heart of one female Illusionist. Next, turning into a purple afterimage, he pulled out the short blade and quickly harvested the lives of three female Illusionists. Once a person died, their soul perished and the dream shattered. The Sixth Elder's body immediately ejected from the dream. *Twenty seconds left...* Zhang Yuanqing stowed his gloves, gripped the short blade in his right hand, and activated Night Roam, fading from sight. In the next second, he appeared behind the Sixth Elder, slicing the short blade toward his carotid artery. *Hum!* The short blade was stopped by a thick layer of earthen-yellow radiance. At some point, the Sixth Elder had donned a vestment radiating an earthen-yellow glow. It was the protective barrier propped up by this vestment that blocked the Form and Spirit Annihilation Blade's strike. Seeing this vestment appear, Zhang Yuanqing was not in the least surprised. In the intelligence provided by Yi Chuanmei, the veteran Dominator Sixth Elder had accumulated a total of two Dominator-stage items over half a lifetime of striving. One was called the "Earth Spirit Vestment," seized years ago when he joined forces with another Southern Sect elder to ambush and kill an elder of the official factions. The other was called the "Spirit Refinement Talisman," redeemed from the organization with merits. Both Dominator-stage items were of low quality. Seeing the Sixth Elder play his defensive trump card, the corners of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth curled up. He caused the blade's white side to glow, covering the black side, and activated "Form Cleaving"—usable only once every twelve hours. Toward the Sixth Elder's neck, he swung a slash that bypassed all physical defense. *Slash!* The Sixth Elder's head tumbled off, a geyser of blood erupting and splattering against the ceiling. Yet he was still not dead. An illusory primordial spirit detached from the dead shell, roaring down from above: "This is impossible! Impossible!" The first "impossible" meant: *My Dominator-stage defense couldn't possibly be broken this easily.* The second "impossible" meant: *A mere Saint like you couldn't possibly possess so many Dominator-stage items.* "You cultivated for most of your life, yet you only have two low-grade items—aren't you ashamed?" Zhang Yuanqing switched the blade back to its black state, his palm coated in thick, pitch-black energy. Seeing this, the Sixth Elder let out a wraith shriek and unleashed a Mental Strike. Zhang Yuanqing felt as if steel nails were being driven into his brain one after another, the agony causing blood to seep from his seven facial orifices. However, the endurance boost from the Blue Face granted him immense pain tolerance. Reaching out with a yank and a pull, he dragged out a transparent, illusory figure. The short blade slashed down with all his might. The phantom shattered. The Sixth Elder's soul aura plummeted, his wraith shriek turning into a miserable scream. Having suffered two consecutive Soul Cleaving attacks, his soul had endured unimaginable trauma. Just then, Zhang Yuanqing's heart suddenly throbbed with pain, a profound terror welling up from within. The Tiger Tally's time limit had expired. He had to recall the Tiger Tally. If he delayed any longer, as a mere Saint, his heart would burst from overwhelming terror, killing him on the spot.