Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 99

Volume 7 Chapter 99: Shura Training Realm, the Most Perfect Xu Qingfan

"My Taoist friend, the ancestral master has already informed us about your past actions through the ‘World Crafting Cauldron.’ Considering your previous behavior, to protect ourselves, we have no choice but to ambush you. I hope you can forgive us."

Xu Qingfan looked at Wu Da, whose complexion had changed greatly, slightly bowed, and then smiled as he spoke.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Wu Da’s expression changed again, and he slowly asked, "Xing Tian? That old guy actually has these hidden tricks? He won’t let anyone live in peace…"

His face was serious, appearing as imposing as ever, but as he spoke, Wu Da’s body kept retreating, his eyes darting around, searching for an escape route, ready to break free and flee at any moment.

Xu Qingfan’s "Life and Death Grinding Wheel" was outside his body, a powerful move that combined offense and defense. However, once it entered his opponent’s body, the destruction would undoubtedly be even greater.

Hundreds of "Life and Death Grinding Wheels" were constantly draining Wu Da’s Spirit Qi, wearing down his body. Although it seemed like a little at a time, the damage was ongoing. To remove it, Wu Da would need at least two hours, during which he could only use half of his strength.

With intentions and plans in mind, Wu Da’s fate was already sealed.

"Although your ancestral master did not expect you to have such a ruthless ambition, his deep planning is much higher than you imagine," Xu Qingfan said, his gaze fixed on Wu Da. While Wu Da had become increasingly unscrupulous, Xu Qingfan still held onto some basic principles, such as respecting his teacher. After all, Lord Xing Tian, in certain ways, could also be considered Xu Qingfan’s mentor.

At this point, Xu Qingfan paused, instinctively wanting to scold Wu Da for his actions over the years. But then he thought that for a dead man, all words and lessons were unnecessary. So Xu Qingfan finally just sighed and said, "You didn’t expect this, did you? The one who plotted all his life ended up defeated by the very ancestral master he plotted against a thousand years ago. People make plans, but destiny watches. This is my life principle, and I’ll gift it to you for free."

"Hand over your ‘Heaven and Earth Sword’, the other half of the ‘World Crafting Cauldron’, and all the treasures you have collected over the years to us. I promise to spare your life."

Elsewhere, Mr. Liu said coldly.

Compared to Xu Qingfan’s calmness, which had a hint of emotion, Mr. Liu’s words were much more direct. If his face were any more twisted and his demeanor a bit rougher, Mr. Liu would be just like a robber from the mortal world.

Even in the midst of the battle, when the atmosphere should be solemn, Xu Qingfan, Liu Ziqing, and Wang Zegang, as well as Wu Da across from them, still showed a strange expression on their faces.

Finally…

"Die! Argh…"

With a roar, Wu Da used all his strength, and with a wave of his hand, the ‘Heaven and Earth Sword’ unleashed countless waves of powerful sword energy, sweeping toward everyone like a tidal wave.

In this moment, Wu Da’s strength was about the same as when he killed Wen Ru; he was not hiding his power but could only use as much as this. He appeared frantic, like a trapped beast fighting for survival.

As time passed, Wu Da’s strength would weaken under the ‘Life and Death Grinding Wheel’. At this moment, his attack seemed impressive, but in reality, Wu Da was already beyond his control. If he didn’t strike now, it would be too late.

Facing Wu Da’s attack, Mr. Liu did not hide his strength as he had before. Although the "Black Dragon Nail" was not as strong as the "Heaven and Earth Sword," it was still enough to resist Wu Da’s sword, which had only half its power. In fact, it even had a slight advantage, perhaps due to the excitement from countless treasures.

Seven black dragons roared as they clashed fiercely with countless beams of sword light. The dragon’s roar was deafening, and the sound of the swords pierced the air. The booming noise echoed throughout the world, and the once deep and calm starry sky now showed a wild and deadly fury.

However, as the countless beams of sword light came rushing in, they blocked the path for everyone trying to chase after Wu Da, who took this opportunity to retreat quickly!

If he were facing ordinary opponents, he might escape without any trouble. Unfortunately, one of his opponents was Xu Qingfan, and right now, his own strength was weakened.

"The Heavenly Way is unpredictable! I act on behalf of the heavens, stop!"

At the critical moment, Xu Qingfan’s "Substitute for Heaven" appeared once again.

With a voice that thundered like a divine being, Wu Da, who was retreating quickly, suddenly felt that a hidden giant mountain had appeared in front of him, blocking his escape.

Gritting his teeth, Wu Da bit his tongue and spat blood onto his sword. Immediately, the power of the "Heaven and Earth Sword" returned, breaking free from the restraints before he fled into the distance again.

"The Heavenly Way is difficult, but I will break through it and be free!"

"Acting on behalf of heaven, doing things for heaven, slow down!"

As "Substitute for Heaven" spoke from Xu Qingfan’s lips one after another, his usually calm voice turned very commanding.

Under Xu Qingfan’s continuous blocks with "Substitute for Heaven," when Liu Ziqing and Wang Zegang dodged past countless sword energies in front of them, and when Mr. Liu’s seven black dragons broke through most of Wu Da’s sword energy, Wu Da could barely escape less than three thousand yards.

"Although ‘Substitute for Heaven’ has little attack power, when it comes to control and support, there are very few cultivation methods in the world that can surpass it. In comparison, Lord Xing Tian’s ‘Cosmic Secret Record’ focuses more on attack…"

Amid the great battle, Xu Qingfan’s mind had drifted far away.

…

Although Wu Da could only show half of his strength, relying on the "Heaven and Earth Sword" in his hand still took everyone nearly two whole days to finally defeat him.

Everything is over.

Everything is not over; at least for Xu Qingfan’s ears, things are far from over.

"That poor guy, isn’t he Wen Ru’s senior? How come Wen Ru has so many good things, and he has only this little?"

Along the way, Xu Qingfan has heard Mr. Liu complain at least ten times like this.

To be honest, Wu Da has a lot of things; besides the "Heaven and Earth Sword" and half of the "World Crafting Cauldron," he also has no less than thirty different magical items. Clearly, Wu Da is skilled in crafting, and all the materials he collected have been made into magical items.

However, Mr. Liu looks down on Wu Da’s crafting ability. In his view, the magical items Wu Da made are all second-rate, with very few containing more than five pieces of "Azure Crystal Dust." Besides legendary magical items, Mr. Liu prefers to collect various precious materials and craft them himself.

In addition to the thirty magical items, there are also forty-five pieces of "Azure Crystal Dust." Since both Liu Ziqing and Wang Zegang said their "Azure Crystal Dust" was enough, Xu Qingfan worried that fifty pieces would be too much for Jin Qinghan, who is not good at crafting. So, this time, Xu Qingfan and Mr. Liu split the "Azure Crystal Dust."

Mr. Liu got twenty-three pieces, and Xu Qingfan got twenty-two pieces.

As a result, Xu Qingfan now has one hundred and sixteen pieces of "Azure Crystal Dust," while Xu Qingfan has long lost count of how much Mr. Liu collected, even though Mr. Liu still looks very dissatisfied.

In addition, the thirty magical items and the few remaining materials, which are not very precious, were of no use to Xu Qingfan and the others. So, they generously gave all of them to Mr. Liu as a consolation.

However, Xu Qingfan kept one of the few materials.

"Swelling Earth."

This is the second piece of Swelling Earth to appear in the world in five thousand years, besides the one that Mr. Liu contributed back then.

Like "Azure Crystal Dust," "Swelling Earth" is also made from a mix of "Pure Spirit Qi" and "Chaos Qi," but after mixing the two, one thousand grains of "Azure Crystal Dust" must be formed before a piece of "Swelling Earth" appears. However, compared to the much rarer "Swelling Earth," which can contain Heavenly Way, enhance the spirit and power of treasures, and allow treasures to absorb Spirit Qi from the world, it is far less useful.

"Swelling Earth" cannot be used to make medicine, cannot be used to craft tools, and has no special effects, except for a legend about the mystery of the Earth’s formation inside it. The only known use seems to be that it allows "Spirit Eaters" to break their eggshells.

Thinking of this, Xu Qingfan decided to obtain the "Swelling Earth" to study it closely. After a moment of hesitation, Mr. Liu agreed.

…

After killing Wu Da, everyone finally returned to the entrance of the "Azure Crystal Treasure House."

On the way, they did not encounter any more ambushes from the Shura Clan experts, which surprised the four and left them feeling slightly uneasy.

However, upon reaching their destination, even with the worst predictions in mind, Xu Qingfan and the others were still taken aback!

"What is going on? What is happening?"

Mr. Liu rushed up to Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng, asking repeatedly. Xu Qingfan followed closely behind Mr. Liu. When Immortal Zizhen saw the three of them, he frowned slightly, but Zhang Xusheng smiled and nodded, appearing calm, as if they were in a different world compared to the anxious masters around them.

At the entrance of the "Azure Crystal Treasure House," a thick black-red mist had unexpectedly filled the area, blocking the way out and preventing anyone from leaving freely. The members of the Shura Clan who had entered earlier were nowhere to be found.

Xu Qingfan and the others were the last to arrive. Most of the masters who had entered the "Azure Crystal Treasure House" had already gathered here, but they did not recklessly try to break through the seemingly fragile black-red mist. The swirling mist made everyone feel uneasy.

It was likely that the missing masters would not return anymore.

However, Xu Qingfan counted and found that only five people were missing, two of whom were killed by Xu Qingfan himself, and one was probably already dead, an elder from the Zhong family. This level of loss was beyond Xu Qingfan’s expectations. After all, everyone was prepared for the ambush of the Shura Clan. Although the battle was fierce, the losses on both sides were not significant.

The only surprise for Xu Qingfan was the thick black-red mist blocking the nearby exit.

"This must be something left by the Shura Clan, to trap us here, while they have all vanished."

Immortal Zizhen spoke with a serious expression, staring at the black-red mist not far away and answered slowly.

"It’s impossible. We have set countless traps here to guard against the Shura Clan. They have made such a big move, and it’s impossible for us to just find out now. Moreover, the Shura Clan is not skilled in this area. Our traps are hidden, and they cannot discover them. Even if they found them, they cannot remove these traps quietly without us noticing."

Mr. Liu said repeatedly.

Immortal Zizhen sighed and said, "I’m afraid there are parts of this matter that we do not know. But right now, the focus is not on how the Shura Clan did this, but on how to break through these black and red mist so we can leave the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House.’ We only have less than ten days until the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’ closes."

Hearing Immortal Zizhen’s words, Mr. Liu quickly calmed down and slowly asked, "Have you tested what kind of nature these mist has?"

"We have tested it, but we don’t know." Immortal Zizhen shook his head and said, "No matter what method we use, we cannot disperse it. Just now, Scholar Buxing took the risk to investigate, and then he disappeared without a sound. There has been no sign of him since."

Mr. Liu fell into deeper silence. During this time, he had used more than ten methods to test the nature of the mist, but he found no results at all. He turned to Xu Qingfan, who slowly shook his head.

I believe the other masters are doing the same thing and are getting the same results.

"All of you, esteemed Taoist friends, are well-experienced. Do you have any news about this black and red mist?"

Mr. Liu asked, his gaze slowly scanning the twenty or more masters around him, but all he found was disappointment.

However, before Mr. Liu and Immortal Zizhen could sigh, Zhang Xusheng suddenly spoke up.

"I think I’ve heard of this situation before."

In an instant, all eyes turned to Zhang Xusheng.

Zhang Xusheng remained calm. Seeing everyone’s attention on him, he smiled slightly and said, "Do you all know that the Shura Clan has a legacy spanning hundreds of thousands of years, and for most of that time, the position of clan leader has been empty?"

Everyone was silent, still waiting for Zhang Xusheng to continue.

"As far as I know, for someone from the Shura Clan to become the clan leader, they need to accomplish three tasks to gain the approval of all the Shura Clan members. The first task is to hunt down at least three heavenly-level high demon beasts. The second task is for all the Shura Clan experts who achieved the first task to fight each other, and the last one standing will be the victor. These two tasks are not difficult; they are just the basic requirements for completing the third task…"

"The third task is to enter a place called the ‘Shura Training Realm’ and break out of it. All Shura Clan experts participating in the third trial are at least as strong as you and me, but in the end, only three will succeed, including the current Grand Tantian!"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent, and in that silence, there was a hint of despair…

"Do you have any other knowledge about the ‘Shura Training Realm’?"

The silent Xu Qingfan suddenly spoke up and asked.

"I understand only three things. First, no matter how many people enter, everyone will be in a separate space. Second, I don’t know what dangers are inside; there is only one record, which says, ‘Break through your own limits.’ Third, we must break through this ‘Shura Training Realm’ within ten days to leave the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House’; if we don’t succeed, we will be trapped here for six hundred years…"

As he spoke, Zhang Xusheng’s eyes held a strange emotion, seeming both expectant and mocking at the same time.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

Xu Qingfan nodded, and then, in the amazed gaze of everyone, he turned and flew towards the mist.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s actions, everyone was taken aback, but soon after, they silently followed him into the mist.

Xu Qingfan’s message was very simple: in this situation, we must seize the time and rely on ourselves to break through.

There were no blessings, no encouragement; all we could depend on was ourselves.

…

Just as Zhang Xusheng said, when Xu Qingfan and the others entered the mist, they stepped into a completely separate space, and none of the other masters who entered with Xu Qingfan were seen.

The moment Xu Qingfan entered this space, he understood what it meant to ‘break through the limits of oneself.’

In front of Xu Qingfan was another Xu Qingfan.

Another Xu Qingfan who had reached his limits; a version of himself that in Xu Qingfan’s heart met the perfect standard, quietly floating in front of him, with the same face and expression.

The only difference was their strength.

This Xu Qingfan held a long sword wrapped in black and white in his left hand and an ancient bell in his right hand, with a chessboard floating above his head, having reached the middle stage of the Soul Splitting Stage.

Clearly, this Xu Qingfan had mastered the "Heaven and Earth Chess," capable of controlling the rules of the universe as he envisioned, the "Sword of Life and Death," which combined three swords, and the perfect "Five Elements Bell," and through refining his weapons, he comprehended the Heavenly Way, reaching the middle stage of the Soul Splitting Stage.

Now, what Xu Qingfan needed to do was to defeat this perfect version of himself!