Chapter Ninety-Two: The White Dragon Taoist

In this primordial world, every living being is judged solely by the height of its cultivation. Even a disciple of a sage, if he lacks the power to match another, will show reverence on the surface while looking down on him in secret. This has already become an unwritten rule, the current of the age, and I fear even the Forefather of the Way, Hongjun, could do nothing to change it.

The Strange Magnet Beast possessed the strength of an Immortal Lord at the intermediate Great Unity stage, while Qingxu’s incarnation of the Supreme Yellow Divine Spirit had only just reached the initial Great Unity stage. Though it seemed to be only a single minor realm apart, in truth the difference between them was more than threefold. Under normal circumstances, an intermediate Great Unity expert could slay an initial Great Unity being with ease. In such a situation, the Strange Magnet Beast did not underestimate Qingxu, but neither did it need to fear him. In its heart, the two were not on the same level at all. Now, mocked and humiliated, it flew into a rage at once, like a volcano erupting, and charged at Qingxu with reckless abandon.

“Even to the ends of the earth, I will tear you apart inch by inch!”

Seeing that its speed only barely surpassed Qingxu’s, the Strange Magnet Beast was also rather astonished. In the past, how many initial Great Unity beings had possessed such speed? Still, it did not matter. As long as it was stronger, that was enough.

Earlier, Qingxu and the Strange Magnet Beast had been separated by about ten thousand li. Though it seemed unreachable, in the eyes of Great Unity experts it was only the blink of an eye. In an instant, the Strange Magnet Beast had already reached the spot where Qingxu had stood before.

The Earth-Flame Array belonged to the five elements, a compound formation of earth and fire, and its power was boundless, especially in the hands of an initial Great Unity expert. Qingxu possessed the central yellow flag of the innate five-element spirit banners, so long as he wished, he could draw upon endless innate Earth energy. In such circumstances, the Earth-Flame Array was terrifying indeed. It used the heavy force of Earth to trap the enemy and the Southbright Flame to annihilate them; the division of labor was clear. With innate Earth energy to lay the formation, the gravity it produced was simply immeasurable, at the very least more than a hundred times that of normal primordial gravity.

“Heh heh! The art of formations is, in essence, to seize the might of heaven and borrow the power of the world for one’s own use. Beneath the Quasi-Sage realm, they can let the weak overcome the strong. What is more, this is an array laid with innate Earth energy. With several hundred times primordial gravity, even acquired magnetism will be thrown into utter disorder, won’t it? And with the Nine Palaces’ pattern as support, I refuse to believe this Strange Magnet Beast can be dealt with. Besides, I still have the Jade Void Palace lamp as a trump card. Victory is already within my grasp.”

Qingxu thought to himself. Several hundred times primordial gravity was no trifling matter. This was not the gravity of Earth from his former life. The difference between primordial gravity and Earth gravity was like heaven and earth, like the difference between a great shaman and a lesser one. Under such gravity, even without invoking the laws, a Quasi-Sage would be affected to some degree. As for innate magnetism, he dared not say, but acquired magnetism would be thrown into disorder without question. Moreover, the Nine Palaces Southbright Flame Dragon was itself immensely powerful. No matter how one looked at it, the Strange Magnet Beast had little chance of victory.

Hummm... boom... rumble...

Puff, puff, puff... whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

“Awhooo...!”

The sudden change caught the Strange Magnet Beast off guard. Before it could even react, nine Southbright Flame Dragons were already baring their teeth, extending their claws, and sweeping their tails as they attacked. Though the nine dragons seemed to strike independently, there was an indescribable profundity in their every movement. Careful observation would reveal that they contained the shifting pattern of the Nine Palaces.

The Southbright Flame Dragons, harmonized with the Nine Palaces’ pattern, unleashed more than one hundred and fifty percent of their power. Each dragon, in particular, was no weaker than an intermediate Great Unity Immortal Lord.

At once, the Strange Magnet Beast fell into an unprecedented crisis. Its greatest reliance, acquired magnetism, had become chaotic under the pressure of Earth gravity. No matter how desperately it tried to control it, all was in vain. It could only rely on its own strength to withstand the combined assault of the Nine Palaces Southbright Flame Dragons. It was no different from one against nine, except these nine foes complemented one another’s shortcomings, leaving almost no opening. Worse still, they were fighting beyond their usual limits, while gravity weighed upon them, making every movement difficult. Its own strength was suppressed by thirty to forty percent.

It was at a disadvantage.

In just one exchange, the Strange Magnet Beast had already fallen behind. Even exhausting all its strength, it could only barely defend itself, with not even the slightest chance to strike back. It was fortunate that it did not possess flesh and blood; otherwise it would already be battered and bloodied, too burdened to bear. Yet even though it was an insubstantial being that could gather or disperse at will, its spirit-source energy was being consumed at a tremendous rate. The longer the fight dragged on, the worse its situation would become.

“Goodness, how fierce! If I relied on my own true abilities to fight this Strange Magnet Beast, merely preserving my life would already be something to celebrate. Yet with this formation, I can deal with it so easily.”

Having experienced this, Qingxu clearly understood the importance of formations. He resolved that, when he had time, he would study them carefully. If possible, he would even attempt to research the great pinnacle formations of the primordial world. He dared not claim certainty about the others, but there should be no problem with the Tai Chi Cosmic Array of the Primordial Heavenly Lord. As for the Two Forms Micro-Dust Array of the Supreme One, there was also some possibility.

“Awhoo, awhoo...”

The Strange Magnet Beast roared skyward without end, desperately resisting the combined assault of the Nine Palaces Southbright Flame Dragons. It rampaged wildly, trying to break free from the shackles of the formation. Yet no matter how hard it struggled, all was in vain. One must know that once a formation is established, it forms its own separate space within. As for the strength and size of the spatial barrier, those depend on the rank of the formation. Take, for example, the number one formation of the primordial world, the Immortal-Execution Sword Array: the space within it is vast beyond measure, no less than a small thousand-world. As for the strength of the barrier, even a Primordial Sage could not easily shatter it when the formation is set by a sage.

“Big fellow, there is no need for you to waste your efforts. Once you have fallen into this poor daoist’s net, even if you possessed the cultivation of a Great Unity Immortal Lord at the peak stage, you would still have to pay a steep price, let alone a mere intermediate Great Unity stage? Best that you obediently accept your fate. Perhaps this poor daoist will be moved to mercy and preserve your true spirit, allowing you to be reborn through body-seizing.”

Upon hearing Qingxu’s words, the Strange Magnet Beast became furious beyond measure, bellowing repeatedly and sending curses through its divine sense without pause: “Despicable and shameless! Even if this king’s body and soul are annihilated, I will never bow to a villain like you. Let us see who lasts to the end! You had better pray that no other Great Unity beings arrive, or else this king will personally tear you alive.”

It was not without reason that the Strange Magnet Beast had confidence. With its spirit at the intermediate Great Unity stage, given its current rate of consumption, it would not collapse for several months. During that time, it was impossible to rule out the arrival of other beings, and sustaining the Earth-Flame Array for several months would also consume a great deal. Qingxu might not be able to hold out.

“Now that truly is a difficult problem. I could last for several months, but if another Great Unity being appears in the meantime, I’ll have no choice but to flee, and the plan to profit from the North Sea will be ruined as well.”

Just as Qingxu found himself caught in a dilemma, a five-colored auspicious cloud suddenly appeared at the eastern horizon. From it came a clear, resonant voice: “Greetings, fellow daoist. I, White Dragon, am willing to lend you a hand.”

Before the words had even faded, the auspicious cloud had already arrived not far before Qingxu, hovering several tens of zhang above the ground. The man who called himself White Dragon also came clearly into view.

Even though Qingxu had seen many outstanding heroes and remarkable men, he still could not help but silently praise this Daoist White Dragon.