Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 398 - 357: A Celestial Murderous Intent, Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations

Chapter 398: Chapter 357: A Celestial Murderous Intent, Shifting Stars and Changing Constellations

"Nanny Wei..."

With a plaintive cry, Yunling shot a resentful glance at Zhou Ping’an, fell to the ground, then used one foot to spring up like a cloud. She not only stopped attacking but instead, accelerated in retreat.

There had been a huge error in intelligence...

The information that had been relayed suggested that Zhou Ping’an’s True Qi cultivation level was incomplete, that he even lacked the refinement of Gang Qi.

In several encounters where he had emerged victorious, it was mostly due to his endurance, backed by bizarre and formidable Body Refining Techniques.

Nobody knew where he had learned such formidable Body Refinement techniques, crafting his body to be as indestructible as refined steel, nearly impossible to damage. Thus, he could resist and trade blows, battling it out with his opponents.

In reality, though.

Only by actually facing him and engaging in combat did it become clear that the message wasn’t incorrect, but rather, missed many extremely critical pieces of information.

It was true that Gang Qi had not been cultivated, but, unexpectedly, he had developed an extremely profound Sword Intent.

This Sword Intent, being freshly realized at the First Layer, managed to clash with the Wind-Thunder Sword Intent of the Third Layer’s Reality-Illusion Realm without being overpowered.

Instead, it was full of murderous intent, quietly seeping into one’s heart, even seeming to gain the upper hand.

Is this what they call the First Layer of Martial Intent?

Yunling roughly understood that the opponent’s Sword Intent was very likely a type of Transcendent Martial Intent that perfectly suited him, allowing the full, or even an exceeding, extent of its power to be utilized.

It was very likely self-created.

When you look at it this way, it made sense.

A self-created Martial Intent was incomparable to those specific Martial Intents passed down from predecessors.

The Sword Intent alone could indicate his outstanding talent and Blessed Spiritual Heart, achieving what others couldn’t...

But his Canghai Sword Qi was also weirdly concentrated and sharp, possessing the formidable edge to cleave through everything.

Despite having not reached the Gang Qi Realm, he could somehow sever Gang Qi, which was somewhat preposterous.

The most absurd of all was his rumored capability to withstand damage.

Initially, Yunling didn’t take it seriously, but upon engaging in combat, she realized that the brief mention in the intelligence greatly underestimated how challenging it was to handle his bodily resilience.

This wasn’t just a body as strong as refined steel with great defense.

It was more like an indestructible piece of Divine Iron from beyond the heavens, that couldn’t be melted, twisted, or flattened, and on top of that, it had an overwhelming offensive strength capable of destroying mountains and parting seas.

Moreover, he had perfected the unity of soul and body, with a resolve so steadfast that no type of Martial Intent could shake his will in the slightest.

From attack to defense, from soul to body, he was powerful on all fronts.

This man seemed to have no weaknesses that could be exploited, no vulnerabilities at all.

Yunling and Lady Wei, with their swords combined in defense and alternating attacks, had their efforts nonchalantly dismissed and resulted in one injured and one dead...

That move, "Overturning Seas and Rivers," with its shifting stances and the fierce Sword Intent and finesse, had crushed much of the confidence of Yunling, the Saintess, and now she had no inclination to continue the fight.

She thought only of retreating, planning to seek out a more powerful expert to eliminate him at the earliest chance.

If that proved impossible, she would beseech the group of True Spirit Holy Maidens under her mother’s command, for even if Zhou Ping’an were several times more powerful, he could be effortlessly slain.

For thousands of years, the Red Lotus Sect had been singular in its rebellion.

One could say their resources ran so deep, they were unimaginable.

Over the years, they had acquired a vast amount of resources and nurtured many talents.

Of course, the number of powerful individuals lurking in the shadows far exceeded the imaginations of ordinary people.

As long as the time was not ripe, they did not reveal themselves, each remaining in their hideouts, observing.

But when it became unavoidable to act, they would undoubtedly astonish the world.

Right now, she felt no need to insist on a quick resolution; though slightly disheartened, she was not overly disappointed, only wishing to avoid his sharpness.

She thought with the help of her Immortal-Grade Cloud-Stepping Technique, no one could catch up to her if she decided to escape.

"Trying to escape?"

A faint flash of lightning appeared in Zhou Ping’an’s eyes.

With the move "Overturning Seas and Rivers," he had switched the positions of Saintess Yunling and Lady Wei, using their own force against them, allowing them to fight each other, then with a resolute strike amidst the forceful Wind-Thunder Sword Momentum, he had slain Lady Wei.

For an instant, his body numbed as all his organs were jolted, frozen in place for a moment.

Unable to move.

Lady Wei, being at the pinnacle of the Ninth Level Mortal Refinement Sword Intent and excessively fierce, launched an attack before her death that was no small matter.

However, it was exactly because of this that Zhou Ping’an, despite the risks, had made it a priority to eliminate her first.

He believed that, although Lady Wei’s swordsmanship wasn’t as refined as Saintess Yunling’s nearly completed Soaring Immortal Swordsmanship, she posed a greater threat than Yunling.

Strength in battle wasn’t something that could be solely measured by data and realms.

In a group assault, Zhou Ping’an considered it well worth it to take down Lady Wei despite his own injuries.

Vitality surged within him, swiftly healing the minor internal injuries.

Originally expecting that facing the desperate attack of the Soaring Immortal Sword Technique with his wounded body might be somewhat problematic,

he was surprised to find that Saintess Yunling, instead of seizing the last opportunity to strike, had turned tail to run.

’Her fighting spirit has crumbled!’

Zhou Ping’an felt greatly relieved, the Crushing Army Blade Intent trembled intensely, and his momentum grew stronger by a third.

With a single step, his body seemed to dive into the deep moonlight, space around him turned into streaming light, and with a flicker, he appeared right behind Saintess Yunling.

[Intangible and unseen, the Ends of the Earth Within Reach]

Zhou Ping’an had always felt that this stepping technique was exceedingly peculiar.

The intricacy of the stepping technique allowed him to touch upon the knowledge of space, something extremely profound, even when he was still at the stage of mortal refinement.

He didn’t know how he learned the essence within, however, it was during the trial space that he inherited the legacy of Fang Sheng from Penglai Immortal Sect. Somehow he acquired the skill without understanding how.

The way he learned it was indeed magical.

It was just as magical to use.

Even compared to the cloud-stepping technique of Saintess Yunling of Immortal grade, his was not the slightest bit inferior; in terms of speed, it was even a bit faster.

The space behind him twisted, and where the light of the sword appeared, it was as if the heavens had been drawn back, revealing a surge of azure waves.

Wave upon wave surged furiously, the vast and mighty sword qi coalescing into a sea that came crashing down.

Witnessing this, Saintess Yunling’s pupils shrank wildly, and her heart felt as though it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

Before the sword momentum even touched her, she could sense the extremely fierce and tangible killing intent...

[When the heavens unleash killing intent, stars can be shifted.]

For the first time in her life, she sensed the breath of death. For a moment, her limbs turned cold, and she nearly forgot to block.

"No..."

To become a Holy Maiden, she surely possessed extraordinary qualities.

Even if her fighting spirit was greatly diminished by the overwhelming sword intent, she instinctively activated her own sword intent. In an instant, her figure became an indomitable blade of grass fluttering against the wind, within the heaven and earth.

With her delicate body, she faced the might of heaven and earth.

One Slash struck the void. Amidst the subtleness and ethereality, it pierced through the Ninth-Level Layered Waves and the Sword Qi of Canghai, and she rose up, whooshing away by more than forty or fifty yards.

She had just broken free.

Saintess Yunling felt a chill on her chest, a bone-piercing coldness that surged into her heart.

She looked down to see her favorite Rainbow Feathered Robe torn from her left shoulder to her right abdomen by the sword qi, leaving a long gash.

Her delicate and fair body was marked by a deep bloody wound.

Blood flowed out in streams, staining half of her body red.

’Just a little more, and I would have been split diagonally on the spot.’

Fear swelled in Yunling’s heart. This time, she had no desire to turn back and face the enemy.

Her mind whirled with the image of the Red Lotus, as the Karmic Fire roared, suddenly bursting forth with a Heart Thought vibrating in all directions.

"Protect me quickly."

She shouted without even turning her head to glance back and exerted her cloud-stepping technique to the fullest. She soared through the air like she was riding the winds, not touching the ground...

She streaked past many buildings and over the city walls, heading straight into the forests beyond the city.

Her speed was like a fleeting ghostly shadow.

Zhou Ping’an executed One Slash, his aura rising again as his blade dragged a spray of blood droplets. With a slight step, he pursued relentlessly.

Having just reached the city walls, he saw two individuals, their eyes bloodshot and their bodies radiating blood-red light. One wielding a spear and the other brandishing a large blade, moved to block his path, one on each side.

"Divine Generals?"

Zhou Ping’an shifted direction, intending to bypass them and continue the chase. His eyes touching upon these two towering figures of over nine feet with large frames and grand auras, he suddenly changed his mind.

His spirit was firmly locked on Holy Maiden Yun Ling, and he had memorized her aura, especially the same fluctuations of spirit deriving from the same root.

He was not worried about her escaping to the ends of the earth.

But these two Divine Generals, who had cultivated the Purifying Lotus Body to an impressive realm, were definitely not to be taken lightly.

He had beside him Tang Lin’er.

Having practiced the Purifying Lotus Body himself, Zhou Ping’an was well aware of the astonishing potential of this cultivation technique.

At the lower levels, it was nothing special.

Rough and barbaric in combat, apart from possessing immense strength, their attacks were not particularly powerful, nor were their moves especially ingenious.

Yet, this peculiar skill from the Three Red Lotus Techniques.

Once it reached the fourth layer or even the fifth level...

It would reveal its ferocious nature.

The fourth layer amplified one’s basic strength fifteenfold, the fifth layer increased it eighteenfold.

Combined with targeted cultivation of an advanced body refining method to enhance the basic physique, one could only imagine the tremendous offensive power that could erupt.

These two in front of him, already at the fourth level of cultivation in Purifying Lotus Body, were stronger than Tang Lin’er by a full level.

They had caught up with Zhou from the time he had ventured far to Cloud Water Sect.

Of course, they couldn’t compare with his current self.

Having refined plenty of Mysterious Yang Pills and spent a great deal of the Power of Wishes Incense, he possesses a strong enough physique to treat this explosive technique as a kind of cheat. Naturally, he paid great attention to it.

He had pushed it to the limit that his body could bear.

Upon seeing these two Divine Generals, their eyes bloodthirsty as if they were looking at mortal enemies, he immediately dismissed any thought of recruiting them.

These two were evidently branded with Yunling’s mental branding from early on.

Totally loyal to her.

And with their sanity lost to madness, they had lost themselves.

Clearly, unlike Tang Lin’er, these two were not ’wild’ Divine Generals; they were domesticated ones.

It was unknown how long they had been following Holy Maiden Yun Ling, but her brainwashing had been completely successful.

Such people were irreversible, and probably all efforts to convert them would be futile.

Now with a great opportunity, as they were separated from their forces, it was best to eliminate them directly.

This action would prevent future troubles and spare many of his soldiers from death.