The Pure Jade[1] Transcendent Form of the Penglai Supreme Sect.
This wasn't a form attainable at the fifth realm; one had to reach the sixth realm, the Transcendence Realm, to unlock it. With the Pure Jade Transcendent Form, cultivators could connect to the heavens and earth. This not only granted them invincible defense but also allowed their Sea of Qi to expand as vast as the heavens, becoming nearly inexhaustible.
This was why the higher one's cultivation, the more challenging it became to fight someone of a higher realm.
The reason prodigies were called such was not only due to their rapid advancement in cultivation but also because of their ability to challenge individuals of higher cultivation realms. This extraordinary trait was something ordinary people could never demonstrate.
However, this only applied when prodigies faced ordinary cultivators.
If Xu Ziyang or Jiang Yuebai faced an ordinary cultivator at the sixth realm, there was a chance they could win even when fighting alone. However, if they were to fight another prodigy at the sixth realm, the situation would be different, as that prodigy would also be an extraordinary existence.
Swoosh—
Xu Ziyang unleashed the Heaven-Raising Sword with full force, but his attack was split apart by the beam of azure light in Yang Shenlong's palm, dissipating into the air.
At this moment, the attacks from the monks of Buddhist Cloud Monastery arrived. The three monks coordinated perfectly; two of them formed seals and summoned apparitions of glowering Vajras, each standing three zhang tall, delivering powerful punches from the left and right toward Yang Shenlong.
The third monk clasped his hands in prayer, summoning a ripple-like apparition that enveloped the other two, as Buddhist chants echoed within the waves.
This was a divine technique that enhanced the attack. As these ripples continued, the power of all Buddhist arts was doubled.
Yet Yang Shenlong appeared completely unconcerned by the two heavy strikes, making no move to dodge. However, if he were actually hit by these punches, he would not be able to withstand them, even with the sixth-realm transcendent form.
Boom—
But when the two heavy punches struck his body, they suddenly missed, as if he were made of air, causing the Vajra fists to collide with each other instead.
Each monk staggered from the impact.
Jiang Yuebai's eyes flashed as she thrust her longsword toward a specific spot. "Here!"
The overwhelming swordlight swept forward, and in the next instant, Yang Shenlong's figure appeared in that very spot.
This was a technique Jiang Yuebai had also mastered.
The combination of Shadow of Radiance and Dimension Compression allowed one's body to vanish momentarily, creating the illusion of standing still even while closing in on the enemy.
At this moment, Yang Shenlong's first target was Jiang Yuebai.
Since it was a fight of one against many, he decided to eliminate the strongest first, which was why he targeted Jiang Yuebai first. Ling Ao would likely feel a sense of pride in this brief moment, as he was, after all, the first to be eliminated.
Swish, swish, swish—
Jiang Yuebai formed a seal with her left hand, raising her longsword in front of her chest. In an instant, it transformed into dozens of blades, encircling her like a fence, while the surging sword light formed a protective barrier around her.
The sword qi barrier was seamless. Any attack from any direction would be instantly deflected by the swordlight.
However, against such a defense, Yang Shenlong's response was simply to attack head-on.
He thrust his right arm forward, the three-chi beam of azure light piercing directly into the sword qi barrier. The barrier concentrated at a single point, enveloping Yang Shenlong's body in intense sword qi.
Boom—
After a blinding explosion of light, both figures disappeared.
A moment later, Jiang Yuebai's figure reappeared over ten zhang away, having narrowly escaped using the same technique as Yang Shenlong. However, her right chest was soaked in blood. Clearly, she had been severely injured.
Meanwhile, Yang Shenlong's figure materialized behind the three monks from Buddhist Cloud Monastery.
"Hm?" Pucheng reacted first, but it was already too late.
Slash—
Yang Shenlong's azure light slashed down, splitting a glowering Vajra apparition along with the monk beneath it.
At that moment, Pucheng launched a full-body palm strike. A massive Buddha's Palm imprint glowed with a colorful light bearing down on Yang Shenlong. While attacking, he activated the form of Transcendent Dharma Mirror, rendering him invincible to all divine abilities.
When facing the monks of the Buddhist Cloud Monastery, divine techniques and abilities were not very effective; one had to rely on physical strength. Yang Shenlong was clearly aware of this, as he lifted his left hand, which had transformed into a massive azure dragon claw.
Boom!
He frowned slightly, placing his left hand over the wound and started the slow process of healing.
...
Far out on the sea, a group of four sat in a small boat, fishing rods in hand, enjoying their time together.
"Senior Brother," one of the young disciples asked, "we've been fishing for three days without catching anything. Do you think there are no fish in this sea?"
"How could that be?" replied the senior brother. "Our esteemed teacher told us that as soon as we catch a fish, we can go out and fight others."
"Could it be that..." the junior brother said hesitantly, "our esteemed teacher doesn't want us to fight anyone at all?"
The senior brother shot him a glance and replied, "If I were you, I wouldn't say that out loud."
"..." The junior brother immediately covered his mouth.
"We're not that strong; going out to fight would just be asking for death," another senior brother chuckled. "Let's just wait out the seven days here. Maybe by then, there'll be fewer than ten teams left, and we can advance without lifting a finger."
"Let's hope the others out there are battling fiercely," another added with a laugh.
As they chatted and laughed, the youngest brother suddenly exclaimed, "Huh? Senior Brother, I think I've caught a fish!"
"How could that be?" the senior brother asked, surprised. "There are no living creatures in this sea—how could there possibly be a fish?"
"And it's pretty big too!"
Splash—
The junior brother tugged hard on his rod, flinging his catch into the air before it landed with a thud on the boat.
It was only then that they realized it wasn't a fish at all, but an unconscious young man with a handsome face, clearly injured.
"That's no fish! This must be one of the disciples in the Competition of a Hundred Sects," one of them exclaimed. "How did he end up floating all the way out here when we are already hiding so far away from the others?"
"Huh?" another said, "Does that mean we might be able to get a soul crystal?"
"Exactly!" their leader chuckled. "Thank Mother Nature for this gift."
He raised his palm, preparing to strike the young man down.
But just then, the injured young man opened his eyes.
Bang, bang, bang, bang—
After several explosive sounds, the young man collected the four soul crystals, dried the seawater from his clothes with his qi, and smiled. "What a bounty to wake up to! Mother Nature is truly generous."
This person was none other than Chu Liang.
Earlier, he had crashed his airship into the Black Devil Whale. Although he had been ejected, the explosion was so powerful that it sent him flying a second time.
It blasted him far out into the sea, leaving him dazed for a moment.
Fortunately, his injuries weren't severe; after a quick circulation of his qi and blood, he recovered fully.
Just then, he felt something vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw that it was a message from Jiang Yuebai on the United Hearts Jade.
The message had just been sent moments ago and there were only three words on it.
"Yang Shenlong."
1. This represents the Pure Jade One. It is a title for Yuanshi Tianzun, who is also known as the "Lord of Primordial Beginning" or the "Primal Celestial One." He is one of the highest deities in Daoism. ☜
GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts
Translator: GT
Note from GLTD: Hey guys, we noticed we incorrectly translated one of our terms.
There were mentions of "physical form" in chapters 340, 524, and 525. We realized that this "physical form" should really be translated as "transcendent form" as this form is associated with the sixth realm, which is the Transcendence Realm or the longer version as mentioned in chapter 4: "The transcendence of the physical form."
We have corrected the mistakes in 340, 524, and 525. Sorry for any inconveniences caused!!