“Hmph! Soul release? You wish! Aren’t you afraid I’ll refine your Nascent Soul, leaving you no chance for reincarnation?” Barbarian Beard stared fixedly at Wan Tianming’s Nascent Soul, his voice icy.
“If you truly possess such power, then perishing by your hand would be of no consequence. However, Fellow Daoist Barbarian, you should first consider how to handle my True Lightning!” The infant spoke vaguely before unhesitatingly hurling one of the two thunder pearls in its hand. The moment it left the infant’s palm, it exploded, transforming into a wheel-sized purple ball of light that menacingly shot toward Barbarian Beard.
Barbarian Beard’s eyebrows shot up, his face murderous. With a swing of his golden hand, he fiercely punched his own chest twice. As a result, celestial music rang out above his head, golden light erupted, and an infant with pale golden skin appeared. This infant shared Barbarian Beard’s features, stood two and a half inches tall—slightly taller and sturdier than Wan Tianming’s—but its eyes were tightly shut, and it clutched a small cyan shield. The shield was circular, exquisitely crafted, with a transparent crystal the size of a soybean embedded at its center, radiating brilliant light.
As the purple ball of light rolled toward him, the Nascent Soul, though its eyes remained closed, seemed aware. It raised the small shield, and a pale cyan light barrier shot out, enveloping Barbarian Beard’s entire body. The purple flames mercilessly crashed against it!
On the other side, Tian Wuzi, Extreme Yin, and the others were horrified to see the two even release their Nascent Souls, realizing they were truly fighting for their lives.
An earth-shattering explosion erupted in the air. The space above the light barrier turned crimson-purple as a thundercloud over thirty meters in diameter suddenly appeared, enveloping Barbarian Beard completely. Purple lightning flashed and crackled wildly within the cloud, mingling with roaring thunder, howling winds, and blinding flashes—a terrifying spectacle akin to divine punishment or the descent of the thunder god.
The others stole glances, their hearts trembling with awe. They had long heard of the fearsome power of the Heavenly Luo True Lightning, but this was their first time witnessing its release. It was indeed terrifying, living up to its formidable reputation.
However, even as they marveled at the lightning’s power, their own attacks grew even more vicious.
Wan Tianming’s Nascent Soul paid no attention to Barbarian Beard trapped within the thundercloud. Instead, it waved its free hand, and a small purple sword materialized. In a flash of purple light, both the Nascent Soul and the sword vanished. The next moment, they reappeared just four or five meters away from the five-colored glow below.
“Nascent Soul Sword Control!” The four locked in combat paled simultaneously. This was no illusion of speed but genuine teleportation—a unique ability of a Nascent Soul freed from its physical body.
However, this miraculous movement technique consumed vital origin energy. Although every Nascent Soul cultivator knew the incantation, none used it lightly. That Wan Tianming unexpectedly employed it now tightened the others’ hearts.
Extreme Yin and the scholar-robed old man simultaneously abandoned their opponents, turning to rush toward the Heaven Mending Pill. Their opponents, Tian Wuzi and the dark-skinned old man, exchanged a glance and, for some reason, only feigned attacks with minor spells, making no real effort to stop them.
Thus, Extreme Yin and the scholar easily broke free, shooting downward like arrows.
Wan Tianming’s Nascent Soul didn’t look back but sensed the pursuit, a cold smirk flashing across its childish face. At this distance, the Heaven Mending Pill would be his in the next moment—who could stop him now?
Sure enough, after another flash, the Nascent Soul appeared beside the five-colored glow, conjuring a giant purple hand to seize it. As the hand clenched, the multicolored radiance vanished, leaving only a crystalline five-colored pill in its palm.
Overjoyed, Wan Tianming then faced the pursuing Extreme Yin and the scholar, who were far from giving up. Extreme Yin roared, flames seeming to shoot from his eyes, “Wan Tianming, hand over the Heaven Mending Pill!” Vast dark demonic energy descended, followed by countless green light threads, dense and innumerable.
“You think you can trap me?” The infant let out a thin, sharp laugh. With a purple flash, it teleported beyond the range of the green light and black energy, standing on the small purple sword over ten meters away, sneering at the two.
But his mockery turned to terror as he suddenly looked upward, his childish face pale with disbelief.
Above, Wan Tianming’s physical body was held aloft by a tall, golden figure—none other than Barbarian Beard. Though his hair and beard were singed, his clothes tattered, and he looked somewhat disheveled, his golden scales and fierce expression made him appear like a malevolent deity.
“Impossible! How did you escape?” Wan Tianming frantically looked toward the thundercloud, his face filled with horror. The massive purple thundercloud had vanished without a trace.
“Heh! Sect Master Wan, it seems your luck has run out. I once slew a rare lightning whale. Though I was badly injured, I obtained its lightning-absorbing stone intact. Your Heavenly Luo True Lightning is powerful, but with most of its energy absorbed, what could it do to me?” Barbarian Beard raised his hand, revealing a purple-glowing crystal before making it vanish again.
“Now, I’ll count to three. If you don’t throw over the pill, I’ll destroy your body. You know the consequences!” Barbarian Beard gave no room for negotiation, one hand holding Wan Tianming’s body, the other glowing golden and pressed against its head, counting without hesitation.
Wan Tianming was both shocked and furious. He had set several restrictions on his body before soul projection, yet it had still fallen into enemy hands. This, like the lightning-absorbing stone, was hard to believe.
But he had no time to ponder. If his body were destroyed, his mid-stage Nascent Soul would dissipate—he hadn’t reached the stage where his soul could roam freely. This was why Nascent Soul cultivators rarely risked soul projection despite its power. Blinded by greed for the pill and unable to shake Barbarian Beard, Wan Tianming had made a fatal error.
Seeing Barbarian Beard’s uncompromising stance, Wan Tianming quickly weighed his options. By the count of “two,” he gritted his teeth and threw the pill toward Barbarian Beard.
In moments, the dramatic shift from obtaining the pill to surrendering it was complete.
Barbarian Beard’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he caught the five-colored pill. Without hesitation, he hurled Wan Tianming’s body toward the opposite barrier. Uncaught, it would surely be smashed to pieces.
Wan Tianming’s Nascent Soul, terrified, shot toward the body. Though the distance was great, his teleportation allowed him to intercept it in time. Seizing the opportunity, Barbarian Beard transformed into a golden streak and fled toward the stone steps.
Barbarian Beard refrained from destroying Wan Tianming not out of mercy but because, as leader of the Ten Thousand Laws Sect, killing him would irreparably enrage the righteous path. The sect’s madwoman, the foremost righteous cultivator, was beyond his capabilities, and he had no desire to be hunted by her day and night. With the Star Palace as the common enemy of both righteous and demonic paths, securing the pill was enough.
Seeing Barbarian Beard unexpectedly obtain the pill and prepare to flee the Void Heaven Hall, Tian Wuzi and the dark-skinned old man gave chase relentlessly.
After a moment’s hesitation, Extreme Yin and the scholar exchanged a glance and pursued as well, unwilling to concede.
As Extreme Yin’s black cloud passed over Han Li and Wu Chou, he coldly instructed, “Wu Chou! You and Han Li stay put. I’ll return shortly. You may command these two corpse demons for now.” Two Sky Capital Corpse Demons appeared beside Wu Chou before Extreme Yin vanished.
Thus, the Nascent Soul elders, led by Barbarian Beard’s golden light, broke through the barrier at the stone steps and chased frantically off the platform. Even Wan Tianming, having just reclaimed his body, gritted his teeth and transformed into a purple light to join the pursuit.
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