Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 481 - 427 Assassination, Tiger Talisman + - 428 Sky Splitter Parting the Sea

Chapter 481: Chapter 427 Assassination, Tiger Talisman + Chapter 428 Sky Splitter Parting the Sea

Zhou Ping’an’s heart sank slightly.

He had noticed it even without Fang Sheng mentioning it.

The nineteenth-generation disciple of the Prison Subduing Demon Sect, Wu Qi, was actually following the path of Powerful Condensing and Refining Evil.

Moreover, he cultivated the top-tier Mysterious Mastery as well as the Heavenly Star Evil.

His offensive power was so strong that, among the three True Martial Realm combatants who had just appeared, he was undoubtedly ranked first.

Why say so?

This necessitated mentioning Yu Changlie, whom Zhou Ping’an had received as a subordinate in Pinghu County.

This man cultivated by imbuing his body with the Evil White Tiger Star’s Qi; however, he hadn’t mastered it to perfection, only managing to channel wisps of Star Fiend Qi to harm his enemies, infusing his techniques with Heavenly Star Evil Qi but nowhere near achieving Evil Fortitude Fusion.

Although he couldn’t overcome those at the Grandmaster level with Heaven-Man Sensitivity, he held a significant advantage over opponents of the same rank.

Even Zhan Shanhe, a disciple of the Inner Sect of the Four Great Immortal Sects and also in the Gang Qi Realm, was easily defeated by Yu Changlie...

From this, one could see just how ferocious the path of Refining Evil was in attacking.

What you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts; the only downside was that Evil Qi in the body was not conducive to nurturing health.

One could refine their body to be incredibly strong, sweep through their peers, and be invincible on the battlefield.

But their lifespan would not be long.

Generally speaking, geniuses with a sect legacy and prospects of breaking into the True Martial Realm did not fancy cultivating such life-shortening techniques; no matter how impressive their combat power, it was meaningless.

With equal strength, people could live for four to five hundred years, while those who refined evil would only live for a hundred and twenty or thirty years—just thinking about it would drive one mad with rage, to the point of coughing up blood.

It was said that among the top generals in the Great Yu court, few died of old age peacefully in bed; as old age approached, they would frenziedly scream, swing their weapons at the sky in a display of martial arts, then expire with blood gushing forth.

Such a frantic death could be partly due to the body’s recoil from being ravaged by age; another reason might be unresolved regrets deep within their hearts.

Zhou Ping’an had also learned something else from Yu Changlie.

He was told that in Ancient Times, Powerful Condensing and Refining Evil was merely a standard cultivation method. Later on, the most critical techniques for augmenting one’s life force had been lost to time.

Only the battle-centric cultivation methods remained in the world.

It’s unknown whether someone purposefully castrated the techniques, allowing people to cultivate strength but not life—such a method was easier to control.

This was just speculation.

Yet Zhou Ping’an found it extremely plausible.

Now, seeing the Heavenly Wolf General, Wu Qi, refine the Evil Azure Dragon until it seemed alive, with attacks incredibly fierce, such that even the True Martial Realm’s Yin Jiu was instantly killed by his halberd, with no remains left behind, one could imagine that Wu Qi had cultivated the art of Powerful Condensing and Refining Evil to a profound level.

As for whether it damaged his body, Zhou Ping’an leaned towards it not being the case; even if it did affect his body, the impact was minimal.

Observing the opponent operating his cultivation technique, his body was enveloped in starlight; when he wielded his long halberd, his bones clinked with a sound as clear as metal and stone, suggesting that he might have already completed the Stellar Jade Bone technique, his life force robust.

This was going to be a difficult fight.

It was very possible that the life force augmenting cultivation method from Ancient Times, as mentioned by Yu Changlie, was none other than the "Starlight Body Refining Technique" and follow-up techniques of the Prison Subduing Demon Sect.

As this thought passed through his mind, Zhou Ping’an’s heart gave a heavy thud, the Cang Yue’s precious blade in his hand sprang into action within an instant, his body sidestepped and he made an upward slash, his sword light flashing like electricity, stirring up layers of green waves around him.

At the same time, from his hair to his eyebrows, every inch of exposed skin gleamed with a thick golden light, as if he had transformed into a Gold-faced Divine General statue from a temple.

Thud...

A muffled, heavy sound exploded by his ear.

Zhou Ping’an’s heavy broadsword light, imbued with the weight of a mountain, was slightly pushed down by a piercing glare, resting upon his shoulder and neck.

He sank then rose again, his body spun, his essence and energy boiled, and with a thunderous roar ascended to the heavens.

On the skin bathed in gold, suddenly, countless lotus patterns burst forth, the force of his slash swelled greatly, and his strength surged eighteenfold, the surrounding air shaken by this sudden outburst of formidable power, trembling as if it were water, or mud.

As he readied to strike with his blade, he saw mist like smoke.

The attacker and the sword had already vanished into thin air.

He didn’t know in which direction to swing his blade.

At that moment, he heard a faint exclamation in his ears, the sound just beside him, already scattered by the wind at a high altitude.

"Good fellow."

Zhou Ping’an’s eyes darkened slightly.

Looking up into the void, he saw the moonlight clear and bright, the clouds stretched and morphed by the night winds, the environment within hundreds of yards all around him open and clear, completely devoid of any sign of the attacker from just moments ago.

But he knew the assailant hadn’t left.

They were always nearby.

He touched his left neck...

He had already been struck with a wound half a finger deep, the blood just beginning to ooze, quickly clotted and healed.

The lingering pain, like a phantom, still circled in his mind.

Sensing carefully, he found the Sword Qi at his neck wound to be as thin and tenacious as mist, stubbornly penetrating deeper into his flesh, despite being continuously countered and dissipated by his Completion Rank King of Light’s Golden Body Technique.

He had blocked it, but had not managed to fend off the entire attack.

"Are you okay?"

Fang Sheng looked over worriedly.

The sword strike just now vanished in the instant the Turtle Spirit Eight Shields disappeared, formless and incredibly fast.

By the time she noticed, there was nothing she could do.

The opponent moved effortlessly through the sky and the earth, striking once without success, then retreating, exceedingly cunning.

Had she been the target, it would have been difficult to avoid.

However, it seemed that the assailant also knew that Zhou Ping’an was the linchpin; by taking him down, the fight would be decided, so the first sword strike was aimed at Zhou Ping’an.