While Xiao Yan and the others were using the offline function to increase their strength, Shi Jian also entered a crucial period. The ethereal Immortal Qi within his body became increasingly solid, almost ready to burst forth.
As runes cleansed his body, it trembled violently. He ignited the fire of the Dao, continuously refining himself, and the Immortal Qi in his body became increasingly apparent.
Until he reached a certain level.
An inexplicable aura appeared. An ancient lamp flickered into existence, emanating an intensely cold aura as the ominous returned once more.
Shi Jian suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards the lamp, which swayed within a gray mist. A silent figure slowly emerged from that mist. As soon as this figure appeared, it attacked with explosive and terrifying power.
He wielded a Fangtian Huaji, his aura like a bursting river. Gray mist shrouded his true face, but his gray eyes revealed a cold light.
Shi Jian flexed his five fingers, and the Nethergod Spear appeared in his hand as he met the attack head-on.
In an instant, sparks flew. Runes blossomed, and divine light illuminated the night. The Fangtian Huaji and the Nethergod Spear collided, making a heaven-shaking sound.
This abnormal figure, against Shi Jian's terrifying strength, was actually evenly matched. The figure was an embodiment of some abnormal rule; fighting it was like fighting a reflection of himself.
Just as Shi Jian was enjoying the fight, footsteps came from afar again. A pair of eyes lit up from within the mist. Another figure, also carrying a Fangtian Huaji, approached with cold indifference, intent on killing.
Upon seeing this, Shi Jian became even more excited, unleashing endless runes and engaging in a bloody battle. The precious arts used by these two abnormalities were not entirely identical to his own, but they were similar.
This reflected some of Shi Jian's own issues. His confrontation with these two beings was like fighting two weakened versions of himself. Their weaknesses were his own.
The Nethergod Spear in his hand danced continuously. He was becoming more excited with each strike. One abnormality was sent flying, its right arm severed by the spear, which then plunged into its bones.
These two abnormalities were even better touchstones than the Banished Immortal.
"These two precious arts can be used like this?" Shi Jian observed their methods from an outsider's perspective, while also observing himself. He seemed to have an epiphany.
Runes blossomed at his fingertips. Two precious arts intertwined, showing signs of fusion.
"Kill!"
Shi Jian's body emitted light. All the runes in his body erupted, various arts fusing together into one dazzling light. His application of precious arts had advanced to a new level.
As his power surged, he strode forward. His divine power was like a sea, and his physical body became much stronger.
Pfft, pfft.
The two abnormalities, who were already struggling, were now even more overwhelmed. They were instantly killed by Shi Jian.
The Immortal Qi on his body became even clearer. He stood alone, silently observing the runes within. Those belonging to the Dao of Perfect World were intertwining, evolving, almost ready to merge into one.
"All Dao return to one." A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. His path to cultivating Immortal Qi became very clear. He needed to integrate the Dao of Perfect World, making all its laws return to one.
His path became clearer. He stood in the void, holding the Nethergod Spear. The ancient lamp twisted for a moment before disappearing. The bodies of the two abnormalities also turned into powder and vanished.
On his body, ethereal Immortal Qi flickered in and out of sight.
"Melt the Dao, melt the Dao, keep melting the Dao."
The runes in his body, symbolizing the Dao of Perfect World, burned furiously, gathering into an even more intense flame. It almost melted his entire being. His flesh and blood decayed, his bones charred, and his primordial spirit nearly dissipated. Merging various runes was not an easy task.
But Shi Jian remained silent, only continuously stuffing various holy and divine medicines into his mouth. The Immortal Qi within him grew increasingly thick. He used the medicines to nourish his body and enveloped his primordial spirit with Supreme Liquid to restore it.
With the support of countless resources, the runes within his body finally merged. Dazzling flames burned through the Nine Heavens, illuminating the sky. A wisp of pure white Immortal Qi overflowed.
This was the fruit of the Great Dao.
Shi Jian had finally passed the death tribulation and taken this step. However, his appearance was now somewhat disheveled. He had suffered heavy injuries, his entire body charred and his internal organs emitting black smoke. His withered physical body was like a skeleton.
If not for that pure white Immortal Qi surrounding him, who would have thought this was a peerless hero?
Shi Jian quickly swallowed a divine medicine to recover, because the ancient lamp in the distance had appeared once again. The gray mist that enveloped it was more intense and vast than ever before, suffocatingly oppressive.
"Are you never going to end?" Shi Jian looked towards the lamp, his eyes filled with dense killing intent.
Dong dong dong.
Shadows of devils approached, tall and majestic, their footsteps like divine drums pounding in one's heart. Figures appeared in multiple areas, emanating monstrous light and flames, like God Kings descending. These were all ancient freaks who had tried to take the forbidden step and were then killed.
"Die!" This time, before they could act, Shi Jian moved first. The Nethergod Spear in his hand traced an arc and plunged directly into the abnormal mist.
A being within the mist opened its mouth and spat out an ancient character: "Yu" (御 - Royal/Defend). It appeared before the spear with a heavy aura, shattering the void. It was an ultimate defensive art, claimed to be absolute.
But so what? Every figure here represented an ancient freak, kings of antiquity. Even if they were invincible for thousands of generations, they ultimately fell to the abnormality.
The Nethergod Spear shattered thousands of soldiers. With just one strike, it shattered the ancient character, then instantly expanded, leaving countless bloody holes on the being's body. In the blink of an eye, a king of ancient times was killed.
Shi Jian's blood was boiling. The layer of Immortal Qi on his surface washed away from his body. Angel wings unfolded behind him, and he vanished from his original spot. The next instant, the long spear appeared from the unknown, fiercely piercing through another abnormal figure.
At that moment, the abnormalities used various methods to resist. Some transformed their palms to grasp at stars; others had runes erupting from their bodies like threads. All their methods were extraordinary.
"What if you were kings in ancient times? What if you were invincible? In the end, you are just a bunch of useless people who failed to cultivate Immortal Qi."
"I even cut down a Banished Immortal who cultivated Immortal Qi, let alone you."
"How can a firefly compete with the bright moon?"
Shi Jian displayed an extremely arrogant and domineering side. The Immortal Qi on his body flickered like divine fire, and his eyes appeared to contain a great sun, as if he trampled all living beings underfoot.
The Hell Furnace expanded wildly behind him. This battle, coming right after his breakthrough, made him feel incredibly comfortable. All his flesh and blood seemed to tremble with exhilaration.
He swung violently, raising the Nethergod Spear high, then striking down. An incomparably powerful energy surged from it, like a vast ocean tsunami. Terrifying runes blossomed as the power of the netherworld spread, and the sky was dyed dark gold.
Ancient freaks? Invincible for a lifetime? No matter what kind of terrifying existence, under Shi Jian's strike, they all turned to dust.
He soared into the sky, his gaze cold as he looked at a dark crack deep within the abnormal mist. That was a source of abnormality.
"Cut them all down—lest more ominous things happen."
From Shi Jian's glabella, the Dominator's Eye emerged. His gaze penetrated the crack, seeing into its depths. There, a black ancient ship, tens of thousands of miles long, lay across the void. It was stained with blood, and even after countless years, dazzling runes and faint immortal Dao power still radiated from it.
Just looking at the ship, a feeling of inexplicable oppression and desolation arose in his heart. He saw many black figures on the ship, all of whom were ancient freaks who had died at the hands of the abnormality.
Besides them, there was also a young figure holding an ancient, simple sword embryo. It was dusty, like ordinary iron, but various scenes were imprinted within it.
This was the Daluo Sword Embryo. An Emperor Sword forged by the Corpse Immortal Emperor.
Encountering such a treasure, Shi Jian naturally wouldn't let it go. Even if he didn't need it, he could give it to Shi Hao.
A long rainbow streaked across the void, and Shi Jian plunged straight into the ship. He wanted to kill all the abnormalities here, lest they bother him every time he made a breakthrough.
On the blood-stained deck, besides the young man with the sword, there were several other figures with terrifyingly powerful auras. These were also ancient freaks who had wanted to take the forbidden step but ultimately became dark beings.
Compared to the ones outside, the strength of these few was even more terrifying. Almost all of them had Immortal Qi condensed on their bodies. Some had one solid strand and one ethereal strand. Others had two solid and one ethereal. They had all cultivated Immortal Qi but fell in the pursuit of more.
…
As Shi Jian approached the ship, an inexplicable suction force pulled him towards it. The dark beings looked at him with cold, synchronized smiles, as if they were one person.
As the distance shortened, he could almost see the various knife and axe marks on the ancient vessel. A shocking war had once broken out here. The bloodstains on it had an immortal flavor; True Immortals had once bled here.
"Kill!" Shi Jian roared, taking the initiative. He leaped up, striking from mid-air as a pair of enormous, golden angel wings appeared behind him.
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