Chapter 460 - 427: Encirclement and Ambush, Spiritual Treasure Self-Detonation
The sea wind howled like a wailing ghost.
Dark clouds filled the sky, flickering with arcs of lightning.
Like a heavy, black coffin, they blanketed the sea, spreading a low atmospheric pressure that made it hard to breathe and weighed heavily on the heart.
The Storm Sea, one of the three most treacherous areas in the Day Flame Sea Region!
At the same time, it was also a key strategic point for the Flame Alliance in their defense against the Candle Python Cave.
The treacherous sea conditions here could hold off a mighty army, keeping millions of soldiers at bay.
Therefore, Zuo Hongtu, the Alliance Leader of the Flame Alliance, and Yunchong River, the president of the Wanlong Commerce Association—two great Late-stage Golden Core cultivators—were stationed here, facing off against Chiyou!
High in the clouds.
In the Gangfeng Layer.
Two figures sat cross-legged, ignoring the slaughter on the island below. Their Divine Senses flickered, locking onto an aura in the distance that shot to the heavens, filled with domineering and vicious power.
"Chiyou..."
"That man is truly ferocious."
Mr. Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression grim.
Suddenly, his expression changed, and he let out a muffled grunt.
His withered hand swept across his chest, where a searing pain flared up. He quickly took out a hanging jade gourd.
POP.
He uncorked the gourd and took a large swig.
The cool, sweet herbal tea neutralized the fire poison, and the tension on Mr. Yun’s face finally eased slightly.
"Mr. Yun, are your injuries any better?"
The man who spoke had a heroic face, with a touch of gray at his temples.
A Daoist-robed man with an ebony scabbard hanging from his waist sent the message via Divine Sense.
It was Zuo Hongtu, the Alliance Leader of the Flame Alliance.
"This injury of mine... it’s difficult..." Mr. Yun shook his head.
In the first major battle, the Flame Alliance suffered a crushing defeat. He had taken a direct, solid hit to the chest from Chiyou’s Spiritual Treasure, the Asura Hammer!
The force of the hammer was ferocious and unstoppable!
Mr. Yun’s internal organs were nearly shattered!
If not for his Golden Core cultivation base, his tenacious life force, and a divine pill from the True Treasure Pavilion that he’d used from the Wanlong Commerce Association’s stores, he would have perished long ago.
But even so, Chiyou’s fire poison had still seeped deep into his organs and was proving impossible to eradicate!
"I never would have thought the gap between the late stage and Perfection, a single step, could be so vast," Mr. Yun lamented.
"Chiyou has dominated the inner seas for two hundred years; of course he’s extraordinary... By my estimation, he likely achieved his Dao through three divine seeds, and his comprehension of the laws of Regulation is about eighty-five percent!"
Zuo Hongtu shook his head.
Eighty percent.
Eighty percent was the benchmark for Golden Core Perfection.
Once one’s comprehension of the law reached this level, they could be called a Golden Core Perfection cultivator.
But that didn’t mean one couldn’t continue comprehending the laws of Regulation after reaching eighty percent.
Many at Golden Core Perfection would continue to build their foundation after reaching this step, delving deeper into the laws of Regulation to enhance the power of their True Techniques!
After all, the Nascent Soul Tribulation was perilous.
One couldn’t just rush into transcending it, could they?
By building a stronger foundation, the power of one’s Divine Techniques would increase, and it would be easier to gather treasures needed for the tribulation.
Moreover, True Techniques empowered by the laws of Regulation were themselves a powerful tool for confronting the Nascent Soul Tribulation!
Chiyou was a case in point.
In Zuo Hongtu’s estimation, his comprehension of the laws of Regulation had already reached eighty-five percent!
In contrast, Zuo and Yun’s comprehension of the laws of Regulation was only around seventy percent.
The difference was quite significant.
That was why the two of them had to combine their strength just to contend with Chiyou.
However, despite all this, Zuo Hongtu remained quite optimistic about the current situation.
After all, recent battle reports had been a string of victories, one piece of good news after another!
"Tsk, tsk."
"A lost pearl in the vast sea, a Flood Dragon from the deep waters..."
"This Yehai is truly remarkable... A while ago, in the battle at Yu Lan Island, Lie Lin was executed, while Xuetu and Yingshi were forced to retreat. Millions of insectoid beasts were annihilated."
"Then, he moved the battle thousands of miles away. The front at Yu Lan Island has since become calm..."
Zuo Hongtu’s eyes shone with satisfaction.
As a native cultivator of the Day Flame Sea Region, he utterly loathed abominations like the dragon-men who plagued the seas.
Su Ye’s slaying of Lie Lin was exactly what he had wished for, which made Zuo Hongtu feel a strong sense of goodwill toward him.
Secondly, after Su Ye arrived on the battlefield and Lie Lin was executed, the balance of high-level combat power between the Flame Alliance and the Candle Python Cave shifted. What was once a lopsided four-versus-seven matchup became a much closer five-versus-six!
The strategic situation had balanced out!
This round of the Candle Python Cave’s offensive was faintly showing signs of losing momentum!
One could say that Su Ye, by his own power, had tipped the scales of victory!
"Such a prodigy..."
"Incredible!"
"And he’s only about sixty years old, right?"
Zuo Hongtu stroked his beard, sighing with deep emotion.
"This man... is indeed extraordinary."
Mr. Yun took a deep breath, his face still somewhat flushed, likely because the fire poison had not yet faded.
To be objective, even though he was displeased with Su Ye, anyone who wasn’t blind could see the man’s outstanding performance and even more exceptional potential!
"Mr. Yun, listen to my advice."
"It’s better to resolve enmity than to create it. Why make things difficult with a prodigy like him?" Zuo Hongtu urged earnestly.
Mr. Yun was silent for a moment before snorting coldly. "You’re certainly magnanimous. But this Yehai doesn’t seem like the type to be content playing second fiddle. What if he competes with you for leadership of the Flame Alliance? When that time comes, what will you, the Alliance Leader, do?"
Hearing this, Zuo Hongtu burst out laughing. "If he wants it, I’ll give it to him!"
"My role as Alliance Leader of the Flame Alliance is for the welfare of the hundreds of millions of humans in this sea region, to allow them to live with dignity and not end up as food on the plates of deviant cultivators and other species."
"I’ve also seen the analysis on this Yehai. Given his character and potential, if he were willing to take over the Flame Alliance, it could only be a good thing for all the living beings in this sea region."
Zuo Hongtu smiled as he looked at Mr. Yun.
"You..." Mr. Yun was at a loss for words.
But he quickly recovered, retorting, "That’s easy for you to say! How could a prodigy like him stay long in the Outer Sea? The Central Sea Region is his true stage!"