Chapter 130: Forgot to Bring the Mortal Body
Just as the Black King was pondering whether to call out, thunder resounded in the void, striking towards the bright moon. It was so sudden that even a True Immortal like him was caught off guard.
“Crack!”
Thunder roared, accompanied by chaotic energy and forbidden light, descending upon the singular Primordial Spirit Domain of Wang Heng.
In an instant, a hole the size of a finger was blasted into the Primordial Spirit Domain.
This scene left the Black King stunned.
It should be known that before attacking the Singular Primordial Spirit Domain, Wang Heng was already an unparalleled expert within the realm of Creation. Now, with the fusion of his Singular Spirit Domain, his cultivation had reached an unattainable peak for other beings.
Yet despite this, the thunder still tore a hole, making it unimaginable what kind of tribulation this was.
Before it could react, chaotic thunder rained down relentlessly, akin to a torrential downpour.
The Primordial Spirit Domain was immediately riddled with holes, barely reborn from nirvana, and once again reaching the brink of obliteration.
Fortunately, it did not remain passive and began to resist.
The Primordial Spirit Domain, once emitting a hazy brilliance like the bright moon, suddenly turned pitch black, resembling a drop of thick ink spreading rapidly in clear water.
At this moment, it appeared like a heart-devouring black hole, profoundly deep.
The Black King sensed a significant attractive force from it, one that targeted only the Primordial Spirit, sparing the physical body.
Had a creature of the Creation realm been present and targeted, their Primordial Spirit might have become unstable, potentially being drawn into that black hole.
Every bolt of chaotic thunder falling from the void was absorbed by the black hole, vanishing without trace like a clay ox into the sea.
However, over time, this situation began to change gradually. Perhaps due to absorbing too much, the black mist on the surface of the Primordial Spirit Domain started to churn violently, appearing as though its capacity had reached its limit.
Like a pot of boiling water on the verge of exploding.
In the moment of crisis, a black silhouette appeared, holding a black sword embryo.
Stepping forward to face the tribulation, it unleashed an unparalleled divine technique, slashing out supreme sword energy to counter the chaotic thunder.
This is the Calming Chaos Technique, a peerless secret skill for attacking the soul. It was named after it recently killed an immortal king and quelled a massive upheaval.
“What a terrifying soul attack technique!” The Black King's eyes gleamed as if he had already imagined the legendary battle at the frontier. A black sword embryo of the immemorial level slowly rose, sweeping across the chaos, slaying enemies in all directions.
Chaotic lightning clashed with sword energy, bursting forth with a terrifying light of taboo, some successfully intercepted while others broke through, continuing to strike at the black hole, attempting to destroy this anomaly that should not exist in the world.
The black mist surged, increasingly frantic, yet it never exploded. The part of the lightning obstructed by the black figure was so significant that it allowed respite, ensuring survival.
As the thunder weakened, indicating the heavenly tribulation was nearing its end, just when the Black King thought Wang Heng had endured it, an extraordinarily large and forbidden calamity lightning suddenly shot out, breaking through the sword aura's blockade, crashing onto the black hole.
“Boom!”
The black hole shattered, soul light burst forth, Wang Heng nearly perished, but fortunately, the interference from the black figure using the Calming Chaos Technique preserved the core of the Singular Primordial Spirit Domain.
As the calamity ended, the black figure returned to the shattered spirit domain. Quickly, a divine lotus drifted out, blossoming at the breach of the spirit domain. Radiant brilliance flowed down, repairing the damage at a speed visible to the naked eye.
“A Soul Summoning Lotus?” The Black King was astonished. This was an extraordinary elixir, capable of enhancing a being's soul, and it could revive a soul-injured being as long as it was still breathing.
Such a divine medicine was rarely found in the world, exceedingly precious.
Using this level of divine medicine for recovery shows how severe Wang Heng's injuries were.
The injuries from chaotic lightning were not only external but internal, containing a strong aura of calamity that was difficult to eradicate, thus necessitating the cleansing with the Soul Summoning Lotus.
With its aid, the aura of the heavenly tribulation was expelled, the spirit domain slowly restored, transforming once again into a pitch-black void.
Subsequently, a human-shaped figure emerged, returning to normal size. The transformed spirit domain as a black light shot into his head, disappearing without a trace.
“Buzz!”
The black light faded, and Wang Heng's familiar face appeared.
“I didn't expect you to truly succeed, abandoning your physical body and everything for the ultimate sublimation of your soul.” The Black King couldn't help but marvel at the soul-formed figure before him.
He then continued, “But how can you, a mortal creature, walk the world in soul form alone? Your soul has not yet reached the level of roaming the void, immortal and indestructible, has it?”
"Hmm, no, but as long as my Divine Soul Domain remains intact, my soul has a source of power and will not suffer from weakness or obliteration," Wang Heng replied.
"Really?" The Black King seemed surprised. This Divine Soul Domain was indeed extraordinary.
"How does it feel to be without a physical body?"
"It's quite remarkable; I've seen many vistas unique to the path of the soul that I couldn't perceive before. It's comfortable like never before. For the first time, I feel the Calming Chaos Technique is completely at my disposal; man and sword are one, with a terrifying lethality.
Moreover, the Calming Chaos Technique is evolving."
"What? You mean this peerless technique is evolving?" The Black King was taken aback.
The idea of a method evolving sounded somewhat absurd and bizarre. Although it had traveled extensively with the Wuji Immortal King and witnessed many great mysteries, it had never seen a method that could evolve. Generally, it was the practitioners who grew stronger, which in turn strengthened their techniques.―
"Yes.
The opening of the Divine Soul Domain is akin to opening the door to countless wonders. I remember, just before it was established, the sword embryo formed by the inheritance of the Calming Chaos Technique delivered a crucial strike.
Since then, the sword embryo vanished, and the essence of the supreme soul seed disappeared as well, all integrating with the domain. The changes in the Calming Chaos Technique began from that moment.
I noticed some inklings then, and until now, after sacrificing other domains to elevate the Divine Soul Domain, this evolution has only truly manifested."
Wang Heng's words were astonishing, sparking wild imagination. The Calming Chaos Technique was already powerful enough; if it were to evolve, what kind of heaven-defying technique would it transform into?
But this may not be the ultimate form of the grand path. I believe the ultimate form should be a humanoid figure wielding a black sword embryo," Wang Heng mused, recalling the figure he saw after plunging into absolute darkness.
Standing in the river of history, it swung the sword embryo, unleashing unparalleled sword energy that pierced through past, present, and future.
I imagine that must be what the Calming Chaos Technique looks like and its power when it evolves to its ultimate form.
"Now that you mention it…" The Black King fell into deep thought.
After a long time, it affirmed Wang Heng's perspective.
A technique's grand path form represents its supreme power. If the grand path form has an extension, then the power of the technique will skyrocket.
"Appearing at the Peach Banquet as you are now would surely stun everyone," the Black King remarked with admiration.
Who could have imagined that a cultivator would abandon their physical body and walk the world in the form of a Divine Soul? This defies the norms of the cultivation world.
However, by taking an unconventional path and focusing all efforts solely on the way of the Divine Soul, it might just be possible to forge an unparalleled path.
Wang Heng smiled slightly.
"Maybe so."
"Just with only a Divine Soul, it might be disadvantageous when you engage in a fight," the Black King said with some concern.
"No, even without a physical body, my Divine Soul isn't weak. It has already been tempered through countless trials," Wang Heng said with great confidence.
"As long as you have this confidence. However, having only a Divine Soul does have one benefit: those who wish to obtain your blood, hair, or flesh at the Peach Gathering Festival might be disappointed, as you have sacrificed all these to the Divine Soul Domain." The Black King chuckled.
Then it contemplated something.
"Perhaps not, for these men hail from the Immortal King clans with extraordinary means. They might be able to achieve their aims by capturing a wisp of your soul essence."
"First, they need to have such abilities," Wang Heng replied calmly.
The next day, with the sound of celestial music, the entire Panwang City became festively alive, as the eagerly awaited Peach Gathering Festival was about to begin.
In the cosmos, golden lotus blossoms of the Grand Dao were planted everywhere, illuminating the darkness. The Great Domains of all heavens and realms roared in reverence, with sacred Dao scriptures resounding in succession.
Powerful beings from each clan arrived in person, coming from the True Immortal or Immortal King families or equivalent ancient traditions and powerful factions. The aura of Immortal Kings emerged—not just one—causing phenomena that shook heaven and earth, making the cosmic sea tremble slightly.
Panwang Palace, located right at the center of this cosmic sea, was enveloped in the densest celestial aura and mysterious phenomena.
Inside the sacred Peach Orchard, a grand event was in full swing.
This was a gathering for young powerful beings, each an extraordinary young entity seated beneath bountiful peach trees. Their jade stone tables were already laden with celestial brews and delicacies, without a trace of the mundane, amidst swirling ethereal mist like a paradise on earth.
Wang Heng was invited and, under the guidance of a cultivator from Panwang Palace, took his designated place.
This area was reserved for beings of the Transformational Realm. The attendees were all young, boys and girls alike, full of vigor and eminence, clearly hailing from significant backgrounds, not to be underestimated.
Ordinary cultivators weren't even qualified to participate. These young men and women were all prodigies, destined to be excellent candidates for cultivation, their names etched on the Immortal King Stele.
Wang Heng's sudden appearance brought the previously lively atmosphere to a sudden standstill. All the young men and women turned their gaze towards him, with undisguised hostility in their eyes.
Wang Heng was not surprised by these looks; he had anticipated them and felt neither discomfort nor embarrassment. Instead, he calmly lifted the cup before him, sipping from it leisurely, exuding an air of ease.
This calm demeanor caused some of the geniuses from the Immortal Domain to gnash their teeth in frustration. To them, their hostility towards him was even more intense than that of the others.
Most of these talents simply thought it was disgraceful for the Immortal Domain to lose one of its top ten seats to a being from the Primitive Ancient Realm. Only a small number came with ulterior motives.
One youth glanced unobtrusively toward one of the few most imposing presences among the young beings present, seeking some unspoken permission. Although the other party remained silent, he seemed to receive some sort of command and suddenly stood up from his seated position.
Everyone realized something exciting was about to unfold.
With his gaze fixed on Wang Heng, his eyes carried a trace of killing intent. In a taunting tone, he said, "Is this the grand entrance of the newly ranked top ten in the Immortal Domain? Gathering with fellow cultivators using only your Divine Soul to attend—is this a sign of looking down on us?"
Wang Heng remained calm, his expression unchanged, like a deep well without ripples. Frankly, such small fry sent to test him were not worth his attention.
However, Wang Heng was never one to endure provocation. He wouldn't let someone bark arrogantly at him.
"You're too weak. Step down and summon your master."
The youth was visibly angered by this blatant disdain but understood that Wang Heng had the qualifications to belittle him. The Immortal King Stele could not lie; the title of the top ten was indisputable.
There's a saying, "Under great fame, there are no fraudulent men," and the youth wasn’t foolish. He understood this well, but his task was to probe the depths of Wang Heng. In this sense, he was a mere cannon fodder. Therefore, even in the face of one of the top ten, he was unafraid. After all, the Peach Gathering Festival did not permit killing.
Moreover, many people today wanted to obtain blood or hair from Wang Heng. In his view, Wang Heng's choice to attend only as a Divine Soul reeked of insecurity.
"Hah, weak? Regardless, I am an immortal-descended talent, ranked within the top two hundred in the Fortune Realm on the Immortal King Stele.
"As a newcomer among the top ten, would you not even accept my challenge? Oh, but it's understandable…you forgot to bring your physical body today, so it's only natural you dare not fight me." He sneered.
The phrase "forgot to bring your physical body" sparked uproarious laughter among the young beings present, for it was too fitting. Indeed, Wang Heng had come solely as a Divine Soul to the gathering.
“Alright, since you've brought it up, I'll grant your wish. Otherwise, I can't keep your barking dog mouth shut.”