Chapter 511 - 364: A Splendid Scene
Hidden Dragon felt like his luck had run out. This current job was turning out to be a real headache.
Watching the cultivator ahead, who commanded his White Tiger Dharma Aspect as if no one could stand in his way, Hidden Dragon believed that even he would struggle to defeat him.
But cultivators from the Spirit Wood Alliance were watching from behind. At this critical moment, if he didn’t step up, the hundred or so Tribulation Cultivators gathered here would likely be routed and sent fleeing in a matter of moments. If that happened, how could they possibly seize this convoy of Camelback Rays?
Hidden Dragon saw the Spirit Wood Alliance’s plan very clearly. The Spirit Wood Alliance didn’t want to provoke a direct conflict with the Beast Taming Sect, so they could only resort to these covert methods to prevent these supplies from reaching the Pill Alliance.
But this all hinged on one prerequisite: they had to be able to stop this convoy of beast ships from the Qingyuan Sect. And since the Spirit Wood Alliance didn’t want to get its own hands dirty, it could only pull strings from the shadows. The will behind these Tribulation Cultivators was, in fact, the Spirit Wood Alliance.
And he, a Mid-stage Golden Core Cultivator, also had to obey the Spirit Wood Alliance’s orders. Remembering the promise the Alliance had made—a piece of land to establish his own sect—Hidden Dragon’s heart began to burn with ambition.
’If I can pull this off, the merit should be enough, right?’
At this thought, Hidden Dragon let out a great laugh. Channeling the surging Magical Power he had cultivated for a hundred years, he lunged at Fang Qingyuan.
.....
Fang Qingyuan had been focusing most of his attention on the other Golden Core Cultivator on the battlefield.
Unlike Yu Ran before him, this large, bald man in brocade robes seemed to follow the path of Body Refining.
Body Cultivators were notoriously difficult to deal with, and even harder to kill.
Before he even arrived, his attack did. Hidden Dragon’s True Evil Magical Power surged around him, shifting hundreds of times in an instant. With each transformation, the aura around his body swelled like a rising tide, instantly blanketing the space for a li around him. It was like a monstrous wave, threatening to drown Fang Qingyuan.
This was a pure contest of overwhelming Magical Power. Hidden Dragon also cultivated a Buddhist Family Body Refining Technique, following an unorthodox path. His Magical Power was among the best, even for a Mid-stage Golden Core cultivator.
Theoretically, a Golden Core Cultivator could, by relying on their Magical Power alone, touch any corner within a one-li radius of their body.
This was a technique even more powerful than enveloping an area with one’s Spiritual Sense. If being under the shroud of Spiritual Sense was mere perception, then being enveloped by Magical Power was equivalent to stepping within that Golden Core Cultivator’s reach. With a single thought, they could mobilize their Magical Power at will and unleash a powerful strike.
The range of this Magical Power expansion increased or decreased depending on a cultivator’s cultivation level and their understanding of the dao.
Fang Qingyuan naturally had this kind of Golden Core Domain as well, but he rarely used it. The Magical Power consumption was simply too great. When it came to offensive techniques, he much preferred his Five Elements Star Aspect.
Facing Hidden Dragon’s tide-like Magical Power, Fang Qingyuan focused his will on his White Tiger Star Aspect. The thirty-foot White Tiger ignored the panicked White Mountain Tribulation Cultivators and let out a sudden roar. It forcefully bored into Hidden Dragon’s domain of True Evil Magical Power, swiping a sharp, magnificent claw filled with the grim, killing intent of the Western Star Realm’s White Tiger straight for Hidden Dragon’s bald head.
Staring at the massive paw, bigger than his own head, Hidden Dragon sank into a horse stance. Right there in the void, he assumed his posture and raised his fists into a guard. A violent squall immediately whipped up in the air around him.
"Hah!"
Hidden Dragon threw a punch. The Magical Power around him instantly drew in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from a li in every direction. A ripple of light, almost tangible, formed around his fist and rapidly expanded outward.
This was the light and heat generated by friction with the atmosphere. The moment the tiger claw and the fist collided, an overwhelmingly powerful shockwave erupted. Hidden Dragon bore the brunt of it; his magnificent brocade robes were instantly shredded, revealing a suit of armor underneath.
The Inscribed Talismans on the armor lit up one after another, emitting layers of phantom images that neutralized the shockwave. Even so, Hidden Dragon grunted, a searing pain burning through his internal organs.
This was caused by the White Tiger’s ferocious true will seeping into his body. Although he had blocked the claw, the primeval, ferocious will inherited from the Western Star Realm was truly difficult to resist.
Compared to Hidden Dragon’s minor injuries, the White Tiger Star Aspect looked far more wretched. The massive tiger claw it had just extended had been completely shattered in the collision.
The White Tiger’s right claw had now vanished completely. It seemed as though Hidden Dragon had achieved something incredible, but for the victor in this exchange, there was no hint of a smile on his face.
He could clearly see the White Tiger’s claw, which had just shattered like smoke, reforming as layers of mist gathered upon it. In the blink of an eye, it was about to be restored to its original state.
’That bastard.’
Hidden Dragon cursed inwardly. ’Was this the result of me using my full strength just now?’
’Just a moment ago, I clearly focused all my power into my fist and shattered all the force on the White Tiger’s claw. I was able to temporarily destroy everything, from Fang Qingyuan’s attached Spiritual Sense to the very foundational structure of the White Tiger Dharma Aspect!’
But the reality of the situation told him that his proudest technique had failed.
Fang Qingyuan watched the bald Golden Core Cultivator who had jumped out, his gaze cold. All sorts of information about this man surfaced from his memory.
As one of the few White Mountain Golden Core Loose Cultivators in the White Mountain Territory, this man, Hidden Dragon, was known for his vile temperament. His character was very much in the style of a White Mountain Cultivator—he would forsake all honor for the smallest profit. He would often disregard his status as a Golden Core Cultivator to fight with Low-tier Cultivators over some meager cultivation resources.