Chapter 1241: The Qilin Immortal’s Might
Not only did each palm of the Taiyi Seven-Kill Palm carry killing intent, but the seventh palm also stacked the killing intent of the previous six. Even an immortal wouldn’t be able to withstand such an attack.
He had already unleashed six palms, each one landing squarely on the Qilin Immortal. Wracked by those six blows and with his regenerative abilities suppressed by the Creation Heavenly Art, the Qilin Immortal bled profusely.
“Taiyi Seven-Kill Palm—Seventh Palm!”
The seven killing seals merged, their covert force erupting within the Qilin Immortal. However, no blood poured from his seven orifices. The Qilin Immortal remained intact, merely spitting two mouthfuls of black blood. Compared to the wounds the previous six palms inflicted, these injuries were insignificant.
What’s going on? Has the Survival of the Fittest Dao Fruit adapted to the seventh palm?
This shouldn’t be. The technique is called the Taiyi Seven-Kill Palm, but in essence, it is seven moves stacked together. Logically, the Qilin Immortal shouldn’t have been able to adapt to it. If he had, he wouldn’t have coughed up blood at all.
What exactly is the reason?
The Midheaven Emperor-Lord realized that the Qilin Immortal was no ordinary opponent. He donned his immortal-gold armor and engaged him in battle again.
Though the Qilin Immortal appeared to be losing ground and kept taking blow after blow, a faint unease gnawed at the Midheaven Emperor-Lord’s heart, as if he had overlooked something crucial.
Having adapted to the Duality Minute Dust Array, the Qilin Immortal was no longer confined by it. With a long howl, he charged once more at the Midheaven Emperor-Lord and unleashed the oppressive aura of the supreme sovereign of all demon beasts, his momentum alone completely overwhelming the Midheaven Emperor-Lord.
But the Midheaven Emperor-Lord was not someone to be suppressed by mere aura. He struck back with ferocity, exuding a domineering aura of the sole sovereign who ruled supreme beneath the heavens.
“Kill!”
The sky shook like thunder rumbling. His immortal-gold armor responded to his will, a portion of it detaching and shaping itself into a great spear to clash with the Qilin Immortal in a bloody battle.
Just as the Qilin Immortal was about to touch the Midheaven Emperor-Lord, he was struck by an invisible attack. He staggered two steps back, his momentum faltering.
The Midheaven Emperor-Lord seemed to have anticipated this turn of events. He brandished his great spear, colliding with the Qilin Immortal’s horns. The spear was no match for the horns. It shattered upon contact, only to reform itself a moment later.
“Is this one of the Fate Arbiter’s methods?” Lu Yang frowned. The resemblance is uncanny—the transfiguration of spirit energy to attack the Qilin Immortal and the immortal-gold armor’s ability to transform at will, even fighting autonomously.
He recalled the three divine lords he had encountered in the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace. According to them, the Midheaven Emperor-Lord could devour other Dao Fruits, but doing so required the Moon Laurel Tree Ancestor to bolster his mental power.
“In other words, he devoured the Spirit Awakening Incipient Dao Fruit or at least a portion of its abilities?”
Having hidden within the Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord all this time, the Qilin Immortal could naturally reach the same conclusion.
But the moment had come, and it no longer mattered.
“Soul Pursuit and Capture!” Realizing that brute force wouldn’t be enough to defeat the Qilin Immortal, the Midheaven Emperor-Lord unleashed a mental assault. This targeted the primordial spirit and soul directly, catching one off guard.
Yet the Qilin Immortal simply shook his head and remained as spirited as ever.
“This is impossible!” The Midheaven Emperor-Lord had tested this move on the Fate Arbiter. Even with preparation, the Fate Arbiter could only barely withstand it. There’s no way the Qilin Immortal could have emerged unscathed!
The Qilin Immortal had adapted to the Creation Heavenly Art. His wounds began to heal as his blood surged through his veins, resonating with heaven and earth in a display that left people in awe.
He galloped on all fours, his every movement stirring the world. Even the spirit-energy attacks commanded by the Midheaven Emperor-Lord could neither halt the Qilin Immortal’s advance nor diminish his momentum. The wisps of aura radiating from him crushed the earth, shattered mountain ranges, and carved deep gorges into the land.
Sensing the danger, the immortal-gold armor fully reshaped itself into a shield in front of the Midheaven Emperor-Lord.
However, all of it was futile. The immortal-gold armor merely slowed the Qilin Immortal for a fraction of a second before it was broken. The Qilin Immortal’s horns smashed into the Midheaven Emperor-Lord’s chest and punched two gaping holes through it.
The Midheaven Emperor-Lord’s eyes widened in disbelief. When the battle had just begun, the Qilin Immortal was definitely not this formidable.
Was he concealing his true power previously?
No. He’s growing stronger as the battle goes on!
“What a fool, prolonging a fight with the Qilin Immortal. The longer you fight him, the stronger he becomes!” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy doubled over with laughter in the mental space, surprised that the Midheaven Emperor-Lord would actually drag out a fight with the Qilin Immortal.
“Xiao Yangzi, have you figured out the reason yet?”
“The Midheaven Emperor-Lord was fooled by the name of the Dao Fruit, right?” Lu Yang had more or less pieced it together.
“The Survival of the Fittest Dao Fruit isn’t just the superior Dao Fruit of the Survival of the Fittest Incipient Dao Fruit—it is also the superior Dao Fruit of the ‘Law of the Jungle Incipient Dao Fruit’ and the ‘Natural Selection Incipient Dao Fruit.’
“In other words, he possesses the abilities of all three Incipient Dao Fruits, and they’ve been amplified.”
Why was Ao Ling hailed as the number one half-immortal? That was because she possessed the Natural Selection Incipient Dao Fruit—the more she was beaten, the more powerful she became.
“This is also why Senior Qilin Immortal focused on defense and rarely attacked in the early phases. He was growing stronger through that very process.”
Battles between immortals hinged on the mastery of their Dao Fruits. But the gap between them was too vast. Furthermore, most of the Midheaven Emperor-Lord’s moves were ineffective against the Qilin Immortal, and even those that worked could hardly harm him in his current state. The outcome of this battle was already a foregone conclusion.
The Qilin Immortal reverted to human form and seized the Midheaven Emperor-Lord by the throat. “I’ll ask one more time. Who told you about the Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit?!”
Aware of the chasm between himself and the Qilin Immortal, the Midheaven Emperor-Lord abandoned all thought of resistance and answered truthfully. “It was that person who once battled with you Four Ancient Immortals. He told me that by refining a Reincarnation Incipient Dao Fruit, even if an immortal perished, they could live another lifetime.”
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord panicked at the sight before him. The Emperor-Lord is captured, and I’m surrounded by three half-immortals, one of whom is famed for his speed. Escape is out of the question.
What did I say? I knew this was a trap!
“Uhh, if I turn myself in now, do I get any preferential treatment?”
Lu Yang mulled over it seriously and asked, “Are you with the Midheaven Emperor-Lord or the Fate Arbiter?”
“The Emperor-Lord.”
“Then I’ll have your cells next to each other.”
The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord began to ponder. Should I say thank you, or should I say “That’s not the preferential treatment I wanted.”
As the Qilin Immortal flew toward them, everyone, regardless of faction, felt nervous.
“Teacher!” The Fittest Arbiter Divine Lord was the most relaxed among them.
The Thief King was instinctively nervous upon facing a legendary figure like the Qilin Immortal, who was one of the Four Ancient Immortals, the leader of demon beasts, and the faith of the demon race.
On the other hand, Lu Yang’s nervousness stemmed from a web of reasons.
“So you are Lu Yang, I presume?”
“I, Lu Yang, pay my respects to Senior Qilin Immortal.” Lu Yang performed a flawless ancient bow.
“Stay here, Young Friend Lu Yang.” The Qilin Immortal turned to the two divine lords and the Thief King. “The three of you, do not come here.”
The three half-immortals obediently withdrew. The Balance Arbiter Divine Lord even bound his own hands and feet to demonstrate his willingness to surrender.
The Qilin Immortal initially considered having the Midheaven Emperor-Lord move farther away as well, but on second thought, he reckoned the Midheaven Emperor-Lord would seize any opportunity to take to his heels.
Never mind. It’s not as if this is that secretive. There’s no harm letting the Midheaven Emperor-Lord listen.
“Lu Yang, it is a pleasure to meet you. If I’m not mistaken, you are the one who resurrected the Everlasting Immortal.”
“Yes.”
The Qilin Immortal let out a long, wistful sigh tinged with amusement. “As I thought, you are indeed the Everlasting Immortal’s destined one.”